Memories
Garret's morning started in a strikingly similar fashion to the previous day. Melting droplets, greeting the sun, mumbling in his hands… However, as soon as he stepped outside of his room, the general atmosphere struck him as being fundamentally different from the one he had experienced the day before. Instead of the relaxing calm he had expected, the inn's frontage was very clearly buzzing with activity—a slight hubbub seeped through the thick wooden door into the vast reception room in which he sat to have his breakfast. The former soldier didn't pay much attention to it; he simply sat at a table with the back of his right hand supporting his chin, replaying over and over the exchange that had transpired between him and Elsa the previous evening. He was suddenly jerked out of his thoughts by a wooden bowl appearing in front of him.
"Here are your eggs, lad," the innkeeper said with the same hearty smile Garret guessed was a staple with the man. "And stop looking so grim, today we feast!"
"Appreciate it, Käre," he absent-mindedly answered, not really bringing his focus to the food. Not having time to discuss further, Käre quickly left to see to other customers that had just walked down from their chambers. Garret picked up a spoon and simply started toying with his plate, poking it repeatedly.
She wasn't always like this, he thought, allowing himself a quick look to his own left leg. Picking up how to shut them down completely would have been ideal but she's never had good results from that. I'd better forget about it.
Garret sighed. Not only was she completely unbothered by her powers, but what struck him the most was her entourage. Not a single one of the kingdom's citizens even questioned their queen. No accusations. No scared looks. Everybody supported their leader unconditionally. He was surprised to see her frozen creations scattered throughout the city during his visit with Anna, exposed on balconies and outdoor patios like flags floating with the wind. At that point, they were akin to national pride.
The fact that Anna, Kristoff and pretty much everybody else saw Elsa's magic as if she just happened to have a quirky sixth finger on her hand starkly contrasted with his own experience back in his homeland. The sheer difference made him tighten his fists in frustration.
Maybe if I was born here, she wouldn't have...
He let his mind wander once again to what he knew too much.
He looked at the sun through the stainless window at his right and repressed a sudden urge to give the table a taste of his fist to snap himself out of his aimless saunter through his own memories. He never liked to dwell on what happened. Leaving the lands of his ancestors was difficult, but it was what he thought to be the most radical means to forget – even if it meant desertion. While he was more than happy to let the haunts of his last weeks home rot away in the back corner of his mind, he learned the hard way that his neurons were a stubborn bunch. He took the dagger his father had earned for him out of his coat.
Even this far out, you're not going to leave me alone. Damn village fete prize.
Shaking his thoughts off, he put the knife back in his pocket and half-heartedly gobbled a portion of his meal before getting out of the inn. He closed the door behind him, surprised at how much of the exterior noise it actually suppressed.
The entire town was overflowing with bouquets and decorative towers. It was very clear the weights of the mundane life were ever so slightly lifted for the day.
Garret noticed that a group of little girls amassed at the fountain (which was running water properly for the occasion) all wore a crown made of golden sunflower petals, ravishing under the morning sun's rays. The streets were so crowded that Garret couldn't see the pavement five feet away from him, reminding him of the time he spent in London. Among the sea of fashionable hairstyles, Garret noticed that everyone had distinguished clothes, from formal suits for those who seemed to be government officials to elegant dresses and shirts for the more common folk. He suddenly realized how underdressed he was, and also, in a strange surge of clarity, how tall the average person seemed to be. Kristoff was a few inches taller than him and Elsa was almost the same height as he was, but he never associated that with where they were born.
He had already spent quite some time in Germanic countries, yet this was the first instance he took the time to acknowledge the fact.
Shrugging the sentiment off—not much he could do about it—he observed the port to see two or three vessels mooring their hull to the docks while others waited patiently, gently drifting ashore, cradled by the waves like newborns in watery cribs.
Probably ambassadors from foreign kingdoms. If this whole eternal winter thing happened during her coronation, some of the guests must have been trapped here. From what I understand, they're lucky everybody was happy enough to go home they didn't have to face some retribution.
He distinctly heard music coming from the castle's direction, turning his gaze to see the gates opened to the fullest and a long queue already forming to access the interior courtyard.
Better not to bring out your pouty face, soldier, he ordered himself. Today is about Anna and Elsa.
Not wanting to intrude on what seemed like a very important day for the two sisters, he decided to steer clear of the royal duo and especially Elsa. They had both been unbelievably kind to him, he was sure the last thing he wanted for them was to ruin such a celebration because someone noticed a few shiny ice droplets on his cheek. Adding in the general tone of the celebration itself and the little spice of irony it would convey if something went wrong because of his own powers consolidated his reasoning.
They all accepted that for their queen. Doesn't mean they'll immediately do the same with a freaking stranger who talks funny.
He adjusted his coat on his shoulders and managed to wear his traditional neutral smile.
Time to mingle.
Mingling took the better part of his day. Expecting a tedious time, he, on the contrary, was amazed by the general friendliness he encountered. He had always thought the city folk was a lot surlier than that anywhere he went: Arendelle seemed to be the rule—defining exception. He managed to escape the boring conversations—most of which were initiated by a random child singling him out as an unknown face and their parents pointing out his accent when he talked to say it was nothing—as gracefully as he could but he still gathered some interesting information about the kingdom and heard a few fairly good jokes. He knew he'd forget about them in the hour, but it still made for some small talk to take his mind off watching people enjoy their day. He also took a few moments throughout the afternoon to observe the never-ending dance rounds in the middle of the castle's courtyard, not really surprised to see they all featured Anna, sometimes accompanied by Kristoff, and almost never Elsa.
Aside from two or three two-minute long sessions her sister obtained by dragging her out of her seat, she had spent the entire celebration at her table and around it, getting up to greet some familiar faces here and there, sending a furrow of snowflakes in the air whenever the children asked for it, cheering when Anna managed a particularly difficult looking dance step—she had obviously trained for the circumstance—and asking for refuels of chocolate, tea, and soup.
Lifting his eyes to the sky, Garret noticed the singular crimson tint announcing a nearing sunset.
It flew by, huh.
The celebrations were almost over when Garret simply took a seat at a table in one of the courtyard's corners and crossed his arms, leaning against the back of his chair. As the last lyrics of the strange but very melodious vocal music resounded, he saw Elsa lift herself up from her seat, although he could've sworn Anna had nudged her up. She lightly coughed and tapped a single crystalline note on her glass, shutting the mild brouhaha.
Of course, it's ice, Garret thought with a small grin. Next thing I know, the castle's all ice too.
"First of all, I wish to thank everyone who did us the honor of joining us today. It has been a marvelous occasion to eat, dance, talk and laugh with you for what is and will henceforth be a celebration of love," Elsa started. She raised her glass at that, prompting Anna to excitedly applaud, closely followed by a shrugging Kristoff and the entire assembly. Even though she didn't stop smiling, Elsa visibly sighed and quickly regained her speaking authority. "Love… is painful. It is frightening. It makes you doubt, it makes you judge, it makes you distance yourself from those who matter. Often, it is not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there; husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, old friends… If you look for it, you will find it everywhere." Garret's smile imperceptibly diminished and he felt his heart wring at that while all listened intently. "It is a short word, difficult to define. But a year ago, today, love showed us its power. Its potential. For once in my life, I saw that I was missing the most important. That I hadn't the strength to go on without it. A year ago, today, I forgot to love. Thankfully, some people were here for me to remember it all. And I want us all to remember that every hour, every minute, every second was worth it because we spent it together," Elsa added, taking her sister's hands into her own. Anna's smile was radiant and outshone the falling sun's pure rays. "I want us all to remember that our love for each other will shine on each and every one of us. Heimr Árnadalr!" she concluded, sending a fiery packet of snow into the heavens.
"Heimr Árnadalr!" the crowd chanted with unhidden joy, a second round of applause exploding afterward together with whistles and loud cheers. This time, Anna was too busy hugging her sister to assist.
Garret slightly hung his head, his smile not disappearing from his face.
Good for them.
He started reminiscing again when a happy voice snapped him out of his mind.
"Garret!" Anna called cheerfully. She motioned for him to come closer to their table, while the rest of the guests started leaving the courtyard. Garret walked slowly, trying to force that smile back onto his face. He gave a solemn nod to the trio as soon as he arrived as a form of greeting.
"So? How did you like it?" Anna asked impatiently, biting her lip in anticipation.
"It was a lot of fun, actually," he genuinely said. "I'm not used to these types of celebrations, but you really did throw a wonderful party."
"Oh darn, yeah it was fun. It was almost as fun as organizing all of it," Anna giggled, not afraid to show her pride on her features, clear as day. "I've always wanted to do this."
"It also helps that the whole city was in the streets. Not many kingdoms can fit their entire population into the castle's courtyard," Kristoff added.
"Well, they certainly don't know what they're missing," Elsa said in a dreamy voice, her eyes fixated on Arendelle's roofs that stuck out from behind the ramparts. "I just hope my speech wasn't too corny."
"It was a little bit," Anna quipped. Although the remark was very obviously on a jesting tone, Elsa blinked a bit too quickly for her not be confused. "But that's what we love about you," she added, giving her sister a playful wink.
"I've sat through my fair share of motivational speeches for the troops back home," Garret started. "I've gotten pretty good at guessing when they're known by heart…" Elsa glanced at him, her eyes tight and worried. "… but this one was the sincerest of them all," he finished.
The poor woman slightly relaxed. She must have been drowning in worry.
"It was the first of many to come!" Anna chirped as she got up, stretching her arms up as far as she could. "I'm going inside, my stomach demands some rest," she said with a laugh, mockingly swelling her belly. "G'night, Knice! Kristoff, Elsa, you coming?"
"Right away," Kristoff answered as he took her arm around his. "See you, G." Garret quickly nodded.
"I'll be right behind you," Elsa responded as they began striding towards their home. "I'll just have a word with Garret about tomorrow." The man lifted his eyebrows at the mention of his name. "It's about our first 'training' session. I would like to meet at noon near the town's limits, if that is fine. I'm afraid we'll have to use another castle, just in case something happens." The man nodded in understanding. "Kristoff, Anna and some guards will be present, though I assure you they will not disturb us in any way," Elsa finished with a smile.
"Sounds good to me," Garret said. He wouldn't have guessed they'd start so soon, but it didn't amount to much in his case.
I'm not going to complain, am I?
"Well then, it is settled. I'll take my leave, Your Majesty," he said with a rapid bow.
"Very well. See you tomorrow."
Elsa waited pensively until the castle's main gates closed behind Garret. She noticed that he was once again hiding his hands.
He had seemed different than the day before. The expression he wore was the same tired smile she saw on him whenever he wasn't laughing, yet his eyes were not as keen, as if he didn't really wake from his sleep. She threw a glance at her hands: the steam was ever so thick and flowed towards the entrance, but this time the sensation of warm tingling had disappeared.
The next day started uneventfully. It occurred to Elsa that same morning that she hadn't really given a thought about what she'd actually do to teach Garret until then. Telling Anna had resulted in a very characteristic "You'll figure it out!", seeing as she had no clue how her sister's powers worked.
Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff found Garret waiting at Arendelle's entrance as agreed. The trip that followed she mostly spent thinking on how best to explain what she felt when using her magic. Each of her steps suddenly stemmed another question about what to say, what to show, what to express. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't pay much attention to the conversation between the three people behind her.
"The same day? The exact same day? As in the morning you had never seen him and the evening you were engaged?"
She threw a fleeting glance towards the trio that lagged a few feet back. Garret was visibly taken aback; Kristoff was obviously trying to hold a laugh and Anna's brows were so furrowed they almost touched. Further behind were the several guards Jürden had detached.
"I was young and naïve," Anna said, her voice gratingly low.
"That was a year ago," Kristoff whispered, scratching his chin smugly. The piercing glare he received at that moment made him quickly go back to a neutral expression, his gaze fixated on the road ahead.
Elsa was pretty sure she was the one that hated Hans the most. The simple act of hearing his name or what he did always prompted some kind of revulsion. She shuddered slightly at her own resentment. The punishment he received back in the Southern Isles was only fitting.
"So, this guy wanted the throne so badly he seduced you," Garret thought out loud, piecing together the story the couple had started narrating after they had left Arendelle's urban limits.
"He said that since Elsa was a no-go, he had settled for killing her and getting me. An absolutely disgusting, filthy, piece of trash," Anna spat. "Non-exhaustive list."
"Excuse the language, but that's a bloody shag-bag," Garret deadpanned.
Anna snorted, dropping the hard look her face harbored, but Elsa was a bit shocked at the blatant use of vulgarity. Growing up isolated in a castle didn't allow for much colorful words to reach her ears. She, however, didn't mind as much.
It's Hans, she thought, shrugging lightly. Also, is that how that's pronounced?
Having only ever read the expression, she never really pondered the question of how to say it.
The frozen tip of her castle suddenly appeared amidst the forest's never-ending leafy carpet. Elsa's smile grew larger with each second passing, already sensing the nostalgic serenity building in her chest. A small smile formed on her lips. Little by little, the majestic construction unveiled itself from the mountain's opposing side.
The group quickly reached the almost-transparent stairs leading up to the main entrance. Taking a long breath, Elsa basked into the charged atmosphere, letting herself experience a piece of freedom once again. Never had she encountered a similar exhilaration anywhere. Had it not been for her royal duties, she would gladly spend most of her time up there.
It was a bittersweet feeling. She knew how her rush had been catastrophic, but she never had the opportunity to cry out her joy in such a manner; Anna had been worth giving it up anyway.
In spite of all that happened, that was a night to remember, she told herself, not unhappy that she stood where she did.
"We're here," she said calmly, turning around to face her escort. The expression on Garret's face almost made her laugh on the spot. With eyes as big as his gaping mouth, the man wasn't even trying to hide his surprise.
"You're going to catch flies like that," Anna said as she skipped past him, gently pushing his lower jaw up with her finger on her way.
Garret lightly shook his head, marched on for a few seconds and stood in front of the stairs, brushing his fingers along the crystal-clear ornaments of the handrail. He threw a strange glance at Elsa. Though she was confident he'd be motivated by the castle's sight, amidst the relative awe, she could swear a spark of apprehension flashed through his eyes.
Or is it fear?
The doors suddenly slammed open with a loud din, letting Marshmallow's gigantic shape emerge from within.
"Elsa!" the giant ice creature groaned with its best attempt at a happy voice.
She tenderly smiled. "Hello, Marshmallow," she responded affectuously, indulging it with a few head pats as it bent before her. However, in an abrupt movement, Marshmallow whirled its enormous head around toward Garret.
"Is everything alright?" Elsa demanded, a bizarre sense of dread filling her mind.
The giant iceman lowly growled, spikes growing from its back. It took a first step. Elsa's confusion was only overshadowed by the imminent sense of danger Marshmallow's aggressive stance was oozing. Garret had probably guessed he was not welcome since he had stepped back with a worried look. Anna and Kristoff's expressions were also evidently distressed. The guards immediately surrounded them, their weapons at the ready.
"Your Majesty, should I go?" Garret demanded.
Elsa shook her head. She quickly stepped between her castle's guardian and Garret with her hands lifted in front of her and talked in the most soothing voice she could. "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, he's a friend! He's not a bad guy. He can go inside."
Marshmallow brought its glazed eyes to meet hers with a perplexed grunt. "But… he's red!"
Everyone except Garret loosened their shoulders with a sigh.
"It's okay, Marsh! I'm red too," Anna laughed, taking a few strands of her hair in her palm for her to show the creature.
"No, he's really red!" Marshmallow insisted, its frustration noticeably growing.
"Yes, he is. But there's not a lot we can do about that now, can we?" Elsa said in a maternal tone. "He's coming in with us."
Marshmallow's spikes disappeared into its back. "Okay," it said with a quick nod, stepping on the side to let everyone into the castle. Garret still didn't let his eyes leave the iceman as he hurriedly walked past it, making an extra effort to stick to the rail, just in case. The ravine did seem pretty deep.
Once inside, Elsa quickly ran her eyes over the different walls, still amazed by their intricate design, before bringing them back to her guest.
"Welcome to my castle", she said with a motion of her arms.
Garret dropped his voice to a whisper. "This is...mind-boggling."
Elsa shrugged one shoulder, tossing her hair with the movement. "I'll... take that as a compliment."
"You sure as hell should," Garret completed, making a last visual tour.
"This will do just fine. Let's not waste any more time, shall we?"
Garret took a few seconds to steel his resolve and gave a sharp nod to signify his agreement. Kristoff, Anna, and the guards simply stood in the back, watching intently.
"So… Let's start with the secret ingredient," Elsa began with a smile. "And as you have probably already guessed thanks to yesterday's speech, it is love."
Garret lifted his eyebrows in bewilderment. He then lightly grinned and turned around to Anna and Kristoff, expecting a wink or a complicit snicker. His smirk immediately vanished when they both raised their thumbs up with a smile. He brought his head back to the Snow Queen.
"That's serious?"
Elsa raised her eyebrows in mild offense. "Of course. Think of anyone you love and it should just flow through you. That's how I do it," she said with a proud voice. Taking a deep breath, Elsa closed her eyes. She felt her power surge through her veins, driving along her arms. Reaching her fingertips, she modeled the wave to take the shape of a shiny star, spreading its reach little by little until it was a large as plate. "In order for us to get anywhere, I'll need to know where we'll start," she said, opening her eyelids. "Can you recreate this?"
Garret straightened his back and brought his hands up. He seemed to concentrate, his brows furrowing progressively. After several seconds, he slightly bent forward and a strain vein appeared on his neck. He finally let out a grunt and closed his fists, apparently disappointed. "Can I start with something more familiar?" he asked sheepishly.
Elsa was honestly surprised but eventually nodded in understanding. "Of course. I just need to see what you can do. And don't forget. Think of anyone you love. Your father, your mother, a sibling, a significant other… Anyone."
Garret heavily sighed and brought his palms together before him. A small light emerged from the interstice, gaining in intensity moment after moment. He suddenly detached his right hand and tugged as if he was pulling something from the center of his left. A frozen shaft appeared, its edges rough and messy. Garret continued pulling, and eventually a sharp angle was formed at the left extremity of the rod, severing its connection to his hand. He sighed again, lifting the object for Elsa to see. "This is an arrow," Garret said with a neutral tone.
Elsa stepped forward, her eyes not leaving the creation. The long baseline was opaque, with sharp bits protruding here and there like a shark's tooth. The arrowhead had a raw outline, with a hollow centerpiece that, if she had to guess, served as a counterweight for the dull extremity on the other side. She wasn't a weapon expert by any means, but time and a lot of books made for an extensive general culture.
This is about being efficient. He wanted to create this as fast as possible.
"May I?" she asked.
She gently took the arrow from his hands, examining it more closely. As she had theorized, the weight was perfectly distributed. She even noticed that the main shaft wasn't actually made up of a single piece but constituted a myriad of small blocks linked by microscopic bridges so that the whole arrow was flexible and could almost bend under moderate pressure. While it was designed with practicality as a first focus, she undoubtedly recognized the way the crystals were formed; laced into one another at the top to maximize their strength. It was however much weaker in this case, as attested by its non-transparent aspect. He hadn't been wrong: his ice wasn't as strong as hers.
But this reminds me a lot of what my ice looked like before last year, she thought, silently recalling the sharp aspect of her constructs prior to her embracing her powers. He's trying to suppress them.
"Garret, can I ask you…" she lifted her eyes back to him, only to realize with perplexity that he wasn't there anymore. Neither Kristoff, Anna nor the guards were.
Huh?
Spinning on her heels, she noticed that she wasn't in her castle. She was standing in a forest that looked nothing like those that surrounded Arendelle. She raised her eyes, seeing a large cloud of black smoke covering the reddened sky. A strange noise gradually grew into her ear, akin to the cries of a crowd.
What? What is this?
"A-Anna? Kristoff?" she called, taking a hesitant step. Panic was slowly starting to build up. "Garret! Where are you?" She was suddenly startled by distant voices, booming amongst an undefined and ghostly clamor, yet far enough that she couldn't pinpoint their location.
"You know what we do to freaks? We put them right. It is our sacred duty. And, God willing, we will put you both right."
As quickly as they appeared, the voices went silent. Elsa gave fearful looks all around her, clutching her arms to her chest. Her breath quickened, her chest tightened, and her eyes widened. She pricked up her ears, ready to react at the faintest commotion. Walking slowly, she approached the enigmatic wood's rim, carefully taking in all the signals she could. Advancing in between trees, she detected the singular smell of burning. A faint light slalomed through the thicket, indicating a direction to follow.
A bonfire?
Getting closer, her curiosity took precedence over her prudence, but she still remained alert. As she advanced, the smell grew noticeably more rancid, actually turning into a stench the more she closed the distance. When she finally reached the source of the ungodly odor, she found herself looking at an enflamed ten-feet-high wooden pole stuck into the very ground, the licks of flame lifting into the sky with incessant crackles. Pinching her nose, Elsa tentatively braved the heat to take a better look. She clearly distinguished a dark silhouette at the bonfire's base.
Her eyes widened, her heart skipping several beats as her blood ran cold in terror.
There's someone in there.
Heimr Arnadalr = Home Arendelle
Aaaaand I'm back!
Yeah, it's been a while. But I have excuses. Which I'll get into someday. Probably.
Okay, seriously though, this is where I consider that we are IN. The introduction's done. As an apology for getting back to it this late, I went back and did a serious revision on the first four chapters. Just to get this story nice and smooth. Also Frozen II happened. I didn't really like it as much as the first, but (as you can already guess from this chapter) it has some interesting ideas I will use. And, as I want to stick to lore canon, it will happen in this story. Sometime after this first arc.
Of course I'll take all the criticism I can get, that's how I plan to hopefully be better at this. So don't forget to review please!
Peace,
CalAm.