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New Bonds

The next several hours were a breeze for The Arendelle Royal Family.

Once the introductions were over, everyone decided it was time to eat lunch with the food the royals had brought. Anna suggested a small picnic outside at the ledge at the bottom of Elsa's Ice Palace stairs. The winter clothes Anna and her parents wore and the fact that it was summer, which meant less snow, made enduring the elements of The North Mountain bearable.

Sounds of Olaf's bright, cheerful laughter bounced through the air. He, The Snowgies, and Marshmallow were ogling the Royal Family's horses. Tyr & Fjora were at unease with the strange creatures. Kjekk, who had long grown accustomed to sentient snow beings, was unbothered by them, glancing at the other horses with a 'You get used to it' type of expression. Elsa stayed by to ensure none of her creations unintentionally scared away the horses, thanks to Anna's tips when she sometimes rode up here with Kjekk. Several feet away, Anna and her parents sat on a blanket, setting out their snowy picnic.

Elsa rejoined them several minutes later when she was certain her snow family would behave accordingly with the horses. By then, her family had settled everything. Their lunch consists of four sandwiches, one for each member, made each for their specific tastes. Additional snacks like apples and butter Cookies were packed. Olaf soon joined them, marveling over the food.

"What kind of cookies are those?"

"Butter cookies," Elsa answered back to the snowman.

"They're really good," Anna said, snacking on one while eating her sandwich.

"Can I try one?"

"Of course, little guy!" Anna pushed the box of cookies to the snowman.

"You can eat?" Agdar questioned with a raised brow.

"Of course, I can eat!" Olaf responded like it should've been common sense, taking a cookie and munching it down. "Wow! That really is good!"

Idun tilted her head with perplexity. "How is he able-?"

"I have no clue," Elsa instantly cut in. "I haven't figured out how and why for ten years. I doubt I ever will."

Everyone then resumed eating without further questions, enjoying the peace and serenity of the environment around them. Some of the snowgies went back and forth between them and the horses. Olaf remained with his human family while Marshmallow stood on the side, guarding like usual.

"Everyone enjoying themselves?" Elsa spoke up after a while.

"Oh yeah!" Anna ate the last bits of her sandwich.

"What about you, mama & papa? You guys aren't too cold?"

"We're fine, sweetheart," Idun assured with a gentle smile.

Elsa turns her head to her father. His eyes appeared deep in thought. "Papa? Are you alright?"

Hearing Elsa's voice pulled Agdar back. "I'm fine. I'm just…Still comprehending all of this. Part of me still finds it unbelievable."

"Trust me, Papa. It isn't," Anna reaffirms.

"I know, I know," Agdar responded with a chuckle. "I can imagine living up here wasn't easy."

"Some days it was hard…" Elsa trailed off, reminiscing the hard days she was low on food, avoiding predators or injuries that took a good while to recover from. "But they were rare. Living up here is peaceful."

"Do you have ways to entertain yourself?" Idun wondered.

Elsa gave Anna a glance, who shot a smirk at her older sister. "Some kind to mind."

"Stay close to me, guys!" Olaf called out to several Snowgies, following them like ducklings to their mother duck. They skated on the icy pond, and Marshmallow stood nearby, watching.

Nearby, Anna & Elsa were skating together hand in hand ever so gracefully. By this point, the sisters had done this so often that they skated with little issue. For their parents, it was a whole different story. Agdar struggled to keep his balance, holding onto his wife for support.

"You two holding up, alright?" Anna called out.

"Just a little out of practice, but I can manage," Idun reassured her youngest. "Your father, on the other hand…"

"I haven't done this in years, so cut me a break."

"Do you need help, papa?" Elsa reached out for her father only to be halted by sticking out his hand in a stop gesture.

"I think I got it." Agdar straightened himself up. Despite his wife's reluctance, he let go of his grip on Idun. For a moment, it appeared that he got the hang of it. Then, he quickly lost his balance and slipped his feet around. "Don't got it! DON'T GOT IT!"

In the nick of time, before the kind could fall, Olaf skated right on his side, serving as his balance for Idun to grab her husband. "Hey guys! Just glide & pivot. Glide & pivot…" Olaf repeated as he skated away.

"Maybe I should keep a hold of you, dear," Idun suggested with a sheepish grin.

Agdar tried to hide his embarrassed flush. "I have no objections to that."

The two sisters could only giggle.

The whole family continues skating around however they please. The royal couple keeps a hold of each other as their daughters continue skating together. Eventually, some of the Snowgies came to Elsa's side. The ice wielder knew what the little snow creatures wanted to do. After ensuring Anna was okay with it, Elsa broke off to move towards the center of the ice pond with the Snowgies. Her parents stopped their skating session, gluing their eyes onto Elsa.

Everyone watches Elsa move around with the grace of a gentle breeze. One by one, each of The Snowgies zigzag around her. Not a single one smacking into her or each other. When they were done, Elsa skated to Marshmallow with her hand extended. With a happy grunt & smile, Marshmallow gently took it, twirling Elsa around him. Their drastic size differences did not hinder their synchrony. They move like two dancers in a ballroom. Their session finished with the giant snowman guiding Elsa underneath him. Ducked and lifted herself back up with precise timing. Finally, Olaf joined her. They grasp each other's hands and move around in circles. Olaf's laughter echoed around the air.

The king & queen watch in awe of their eldest daughter's skating abilities, impressed that no one falters once. Anna watches with a grin, showing she knows what Elsa is doing.

"She's pretty good, isn't she?"

More laughter came from the family as they returned to where they left the picnic blanket.

"Come on, papa! You were a decent skater," Anna playfully insisted.

"I appreciate the thought, sweetheart, but today reminded me why I don't ice skate often." Agdar let out a tired breath. Idun gave him an affectionate pat on his shoulder.

"Sorry, papa. I just thought it would be fun for all of us." Elsa responded dejectedly.

Agdar waved his hand. "I should've just told you. I didn't want to disappoint you."

"You can never disappoint me, papa. I'm happy that you tried, at least." Elsa smiled.

"I told you," Idun's lip curved with a tiny smug grin. Agdar let out an annoyed, quiet groan.

"I sure had fun!" Olaf's voice pierced in. "Skating with more people was great. Even better when they're family! I have so many favorite parts."

Olaf then mimicked everything he had done on the ice pond, and The Snowgies also joined in to help. The royal family all watch Olaf's antics. At one point, Elsa turns her head to face her ice palace, lingering her gaze there for a few minutes. Then she turned it to the mountain range surrounding her hidden world.

Gently, she breathed in the air through her nostrils and breathed it out through her mouth. Oh, how she missed this. Arendelle was wonderful, but its air was…different. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't like The North Mountain. Here, the air was clean, just how she liked it. She was always locked behind walls during her years in Fritjof's grasp. The air there was filthy. The fresh air was terrific the first time she stepped outside after freeing herself. Since then, Elsa had appreciated it.

"Elsa?" The ice wielder turned to face her father, who noticed her staring into the distance. "Are you alright, Snowflake?"

"I'm fine, papa. Just thinking." She turns back to the range. "I'm just happy to be back here. And I'm happy that you guys get to see this."

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure what to expect coming here today. It definitely wasn't…" The king turns to Olaf, The Snowgies entertaining Idun & Anna, and Marshmallow simply watching. "...This."

"You like it?"

"...I love it. Your palace. Your snowmen. And…All of this."

"Maybe it's just my powers, but when I'm up here, I don't even feel the cold. I feel…Free. You get what I mean?"

"I think I do."

Elsa's mouth curved up into a happy smile.

"What are you two talking about?" Idun strolls to the father & daughter pair.

"We were discussing things we love about this place," Elsa answered.

"I know it's a lot to talk about." Idun glances around the area. "You truly have built something wonderful here, Elsa."

Anna trots to Elsa, giving her a playful nudge on her shoulder. "See? I told you Mama & Papa would love it!"

"I know. You were right," Elsa lets out a giggle.

A mischievous grin crept across Anna's lips. "Although there is one thing we did forget to show them, so it doesn't count as everything yet…"

"And what would they be?" Idun pondered.

"And why are you making that face?" Adgar raised his brow suspiciously, knowing exactly that Anna was planning something.

"The awesome slide!"

Anna ran over to the ledge and jumped down. The monarchs ran over with horror-struck expressions, only to be relieved to see their youngest sliding down on the side of the mountain, cheering.

"This slide is my favorite thing about this place!" Olaf exclaimed happily. "Wait for me, Anna!"

Olaf jumped down on the snowy slide, with all the Snowgies following suit.

"Ah, right. How can I forget that?" Elsa jumped down with a happy yelp.

All the royal couple could do was watch in perplexment as their daughters casually slid down the mountainside. They stood still, unsure what to do next. Their tense bodies once they could hear Anna and Olaf's laughter, meaning everyone got down alright.

"Wasn't expecting that..." Idun spoke up after several minutes.

"How do we get down?" Agdar questions.

Unbeknownst to the couple, Marshmallow stood behind them. A mischievous grin crept upon his mouth. The behemoth snowman used his massive hand to give the monarchs a gentle shove. The shove was strong enough to force them down the snow slide. Next followed a mix of confusion and maybe terrified shouts bouncing off the mountainside.

That ended when the king & queen tumbled down at the bottom of the slide. Snow was all over their clothes, hair, and bits of it in their mouths. Moments later, Marshmallow landed behind them.

"You two alright. Elsa knelt at their level, helping her parents brush the snow off them.

"I think so," Idun responded, trying to hide her shaky town.

Elsa then gave Marshmallow a stern glare. "Did you push them?"

"I wouldn't say push. More like…gave a gentle nudge." Marshmallow responded back, walking away from the group.

"Unbelievable…" Elsa muttered under her breath, turning back to her parents. "Sorry about that. Marshmallow likes to be a bit of a troublemaker sometimes.

"Don't worry." Idun stood back to her feet. "That was kind of fun."

"I haven't felt a high rush like that in…I can't even remember," Agdar uttered as Elsa helped him back.

"Are you alright, papa?"

"I'm fine. I…I feel great!" Agdar could respond with a laugh. That was the only way he could react to this feeling he was going through. Absolute pure joy. The king had felt joy in the years following Elsa's kidnapping, but nothing to this level. The last time he felt something similar was when he learned Idun was expecting another child.

"Papa?" He heard Elsa call out to him. Agdar didn't realize that he zoned out into his thoughts.

"All these years I spent wondering what happened to you. Many of which weren't good…" Various scenarios of what had happened to Elsa always play out in Agdar's mind. Many were not pleasant. So horrible that death was possible was better, as much as he hated to admit it. Agdar was aware of how cruel this world can be, especially towards women & young girls, much less those with magic. But Elsa was here. Alive. Healthy. And thriving. "To know you were safe here, under good hands for so many years…It brings me peace."

Elsa's lips curve into a smile. She opens her mouth to say something, only for them to quickly close them. Her smile falters into a frown. "I'm sorry for not coming back to you sooner."

"It wasn't your fault." Agdar insisted.

Idun joined in, grasping Elsa's hands. "You were so young when you were taken. We were afraid that we would never see you again. But you still came back to us despite those odds. Like some force beyond us brought us back."

"Not some force…" Elsa trailed off in silence. "...Anna."

Speaking of which, a snowball had landed on Agdar's head from the direction Anna last went to. The king, queen, and ice wielder simultaneously turn their heads to see a petrified Anna with fresh snow crumbs on her mittens next to Olaf with a snowball in his hands.

"Uh…He did it!" Anna pointed at Marshmallow. The giant let out a confused grunt. With an annoyed expression, he picked up a pile of snow and dropped it onto the girl. "Okay, fine! It was me!" She glared up to Marshmallow, who only chuckled.

Agdar brushes the snow off his head, shaking his head. Elsa & Idun could only giggle at the sight.

"And this is where I normally sleep…"

Elsa walks into her bedroom. Like before, when they first entered the castle, the monarchs took in the sights of the various things within Elsa's room. Entering inside from behind were Anna and all of Elsa's snow creations. Marshmallow strolls in, setting the bags the two rulers and their daughters had brought with them—items needed for at least a few nights away from the castle.

It wasn't long before the couple became interested in the tables containing the various items Elsa had found over the years. Elsa and Anna both walked them through each item.

"You found all of this?" Agdar inquired.

Elsa nodded. "Every single one of these."

"Even this cool knife she let me keep!" Anna pulled out the small knife.

"How did you get so many?" Agdar questioned.

"People lose them. I just pick them up." A sudden thought came to Elsa.

"Certainly an impressive collection you have, dear." There was a fondness in Idun's voice. "I used to do something similar once when I was young."

"You used to collect things too, mama?" Elsa said to her mother.

"Mines were more nature-centric. I collected leaves, flowers, plants, and pinecones. I was a curious girl, interested in how the world worked." Idun's eyes were then drawn to the map. "... Including some maps like this one. Who would be careless enough to drop that?"

"I…I actually made it?"

The couple's heads all turn to Elsa with an equal expression of shock on them.

"It's true," Anna responded with a proud grin.

The walkthrough continues to the table of Elsa's ice figurines. Elsa presented each one to the monarchs with pride. The final figures she showed were the ones she made of her parents.

"When did you make that one?" Adgar questioned.

"The day I came home. Few hours, actually," Elsa answered. "I was visiting the trolls when Anna told the younger ones a story."

"The Story about The Prince & The Moondrop!" Anna chimed in. "Then Elsa remembered you telling her that same story. I guess it triggered her memory somehow. Pabbie urged her to make an ice state of you two, and…here we are."

"My story…Helped you remember?" Agdar breathed out.

"Love with Thaw. That's what brought me home." Elsa gently said.

In response, Agdar tried his best not to burst into tears. "Sorry." He wiped his eyes, keeping his composure.

"You don't have to be ashamed, papa." Anna insisted. Idun wrapped her hands around her husband's arm, smiling at him. Agdar mimicked the gesture. The queen turns to the figurine.

"It looks like our first portrait of us together. Almost a perfect replica," Idun complimented.

"Like I said. Magic & the subconscious," Anna remarked.

Shuffling caught the royal family's ear. Turning to the source, they see Olaf holding several of their bags at once. Though it looks like he was struggling. "Hey guys! Thought I'd help you guys sort out your stuff! You know, like a family."

"That's sweet of you, Olaf," Elsa said, trying to hide her nervous look. "But maybe you should let us help before-'

Right before Elsa could finish her sentence, Olaf tripped forward. All of the bags dropped, spilling out their contents everywhere.

"Whoops…" Olaf stood back. "Sorry, you guys."

"It's alright, Olaf dear. We know we are trying to help," Idun assured.

"But do ask to let us know before you pick them up so we can help you next time," Agdar gently instructed.

"Let me help clean up, at least? I've spent so many years keeping this place nice & clean!" Olaf shouted.

The family and snowman joined in to help clean up. Fortunately, the family did not bring many items, so the clean-up process went relatively quick. As they were finishing up, one item caught Olaf's interest: a magenta shawl.

"What's this?" Olaf picked it up.

"That's my shawl," Idun responded. "Do be careful with that, please! It's dear to me."

The snowman wraps around himself. "Wow! It's SO cozy!"

Marshmallow peered down to look at the shawl, somewhat intrigued. Olaf quickly took notice. "Try it!" Olaf handed it over.

The royal watches as Marshmallow gently takes the shawl in his fingers. He examines the item as if it looks alien to him. He internally debates what to do. Then he places it over his head, looking like some strange hat.

The family giggled. "Looking good, Big Guy!" Anna called out.

"Looks like your shawl has more fans, love," Agdar teased playfully.

The Snowgies jumped around, wanting to touch it as well. Marshmallow glances at Elsa, silently waiting for approval. The ice wielder nodded, urging The Snowgies to be careful. The behemoth placed the shawl into The Snowgies care, and they followed through with their word for several minutes. Until some of them started fighting over it. One Snowgie grabbed it with its mouth and stared, running around the room while others chased. Elsa quickly jumped in to stop them.

The chase went around the whole bedroom. Elsa ran after the Snowgie while Anna and their parents could only watch. At one point, the offending Snowgie ran underneath the bed. He and Elsa were oblivious to the shawl snagging onto a metal object, dragging it out from the bed, and flinging it out on the side. Unbeknownst to Elsa and Anna, both rulers caught sight of the object.

Soon, the Snowgie's trek ended when Anna unexpectedly jumped it and grabbed the Snowgie. "I got him!"

Elsa marches to The Snowgie, reclaiming the shawl. "That was not a nice thing to do. You could've damaged my mama's shawl." The Snowgie let out a guilty squeak. "I know you were excited, but you can't be careless with things that don't belong to you. Understand?" The Snowgie gave a complying squeak.

"And Mama & Papa thought I was the troublemaker." Anna slyly commented, placing the Snowgie back down.

Elsa turns back to face her parents. "Sorry about that. The shawl looks to be fine—" Elsa stops mid-sentence. Her blue eyes widen as she freezes in place.

"Are you alright, Elsa-" Anna also stopped mid-sentence with an equally sharing office look.

In the hands of Agdar & Idun lay a small gauntlet the size of a child's hand. Agdar lifted up his head in the girl's direction. "Elsa? What is this?"

Been a hot minute but here we have a new chapter! Frankly, I'm sorry this took a while.

In the note in the last chapter at the time I had recently dealt with Hurricane Helene, who flooded my mother's house. Since then Hurricane Milton happened but there was no more damage after that. Since then she had made some progress to restoring it. Still a ways to go but she's getting there. Then a week after Hurricane Milton, my 16-year-old cat Benny passed away of old age. And now my country (United States of America) has been in political chaos since a certain someone is back in office. Granted its always been chaos but that chaos is cranked up right now. So that's how things are going right now. Just trying to get there one step at a time.

I apologize if this chapter appears sloppy. I've had the general idea how to play it out. Just needed to stop putting it off. Nonetheless, I hope your enjoyed it.

Previously I asked if I should change Agdar & Idun to their canon names. Most of those who answered voted to keep the current version which I'll be doing. Also, I'm still revising chapters. Its a but of a slow process too.

Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews!