Chapter Text
Two figures stand atop the frozen mound, cloaks whipping in the chilly air as the sounds of the summer forest slowly return to life, stilted by the sudden blizzard some days past. Up here in the wild mountains warmth returns slowly and the snow takes days or weeks to melt even in the height of summer. The taller figure speaks, her back straight and proud, her figure graceful and lithe underneath her thick brown cloak. She gestures across the scene of Arendelle City far in the distance, its lights twinkling with warmth in the darkness.
“And you think you can change this? The events have already been set in motion, their fate is sealed by their own hands. If their feelings do not cause their doom one way then…”
She glances behind her at the dark foreboding drumlin clouds hanging heavy above the north peak. Unseasonably grey and filled with purpose. The shorter figure turns to follow her gaze before speaking. His voice cheerful but filled with fatigue.
“You think she will lose control? Bury them all beneath snow and the weight of their own ignorance? That much I can avoid at least, I do not believe she has a dark soul no matter her heritage.”
“And what of the townspeople? You think your stories can sway them? Not even I could hold so many enchanted at once, and you are not so powerful little magician. Even your ego must see that.”
Her flat tone conveyed a sense of sadness, and a heavy inevitability.
“A bet then!” Exclaimed the shorter figure lowering his hood as the winds passed at last. A tangled shock of woody brown hair falling behind him, his face bearded and lined with travel, but showing signs of youth. “For I shall be using the greatest of all magics for this particular trick.” He said with a wry smile.
“True love?” She said with a sad smile. “True love will cause this whole mess, and you know it! It will doom them, not save them you fool. Even now…” She gazed over the frozen fields of Arendelles high farmlands.
“I will save them, your Highness, If I have to drag them from a burning castle with my own hands, But I am willing to place with you a bet that it will not come to that. My sad silly stories ‘gainst your power to see the future. After all, I have not yet stepped into this tale have I?”
Lowering her hood she turns, dazzling patterns of fractal radiance obscuring her face. Sharp features and impossible beauty lit by her smile. Crooking a hand to her hip she taps the shorter figure on the nose with a single, perfect finger, topped with an emerald green nail.
“This is why I tolerate your insubordination little one. You make me smile, your hope, your daft bantam idiocy is amusing at times. Fine then, a bet it shall be. But I say this, the castle shall burn and the queen shall fall from the highest tower as snow blankets the land. It has been seen little one, and nothing you or your petty magic can do shall stop it.”
“And If I save them both? And the Kingdom? What say you then, your Highness?”
She laughed, the tinkling of stardust edging the sound. “Then, little Magician, I shall grant you a great boon for I do like to be amused, and this would make a great game. Answer me this though. Why are we standing on this desolate hill like a pair of peasants? These wool robes are the most distasteful garments.”
“A Magician cannot enter another's realm without permission. It wouldn’t be polite after all. I need to confer with the magister of this place. Ah, there he is now, right on time.”
A casual nod of the head down the hillock redirected attention upon a tiny round figure struggling its way up the hill, a knobbly brown staff swaying wildly, pebbles clacking together with the motion of the staff.
“You need HIS permission? Oh Magician you are so…QUEER. Why on earth?” Her laughter turned mocking and cruel, razor blades on the wind. “He is a mere rock troll! Surely even you are above him!”
“That attitude, your Highness…. Is why I believe I will win” The Magician squared his shoulders and pushed his way down the hill towards the struggling figure.
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Two Weeks Later
Anna and Kristoff's feet crunched gently on the shingle, the waters of the fjord glittering serenely in the moonlight, the lightly frigid air brushing against their cheeks. The heavy smell of the last of the juniper flowers hung in the air, and the night birds were out in full force. This sure is romantic Anna thought to herself, nervously playing with one of her ringlets Wish Elsa was here to see it, she loves this kind of stuff. Anna glanced behind her, a pair of royal guards trailed them at a discreet distance trying to carry their crossbows as discretely as possible, she gave them a brief smile and a tiny wave, before returning her attention to Kristoff. Elsa had insisted on an armed escort outside of the castle walls after the evens out on the fjord and during the great thaw, Wolves she had said, in a tone which brooked no dispute. Anna didn't have the heart to argue.
“Anna?”
“Huh? What? Sorry ahaha. I was distracted. By the, uh, stars! Yup”
Kristoff sighed, he couldn’t help shake the feeling that this date was starting to go wrong somehow. It has started wonderfully, a candle lit dinner, gifts and a romantic sleigh ride, but somewhere along the way the energetic conversation and smiles had started to falter slightly.
“I was asking if you wanted to walk with me to this great little spot up on the hill. It’s really secluded and the view is great.”
“I…” Anna hestated “I would like that Kristoff”
“Great!” She hesitated. Why did she hesitate? Is… is she afraid of me?
The walk up to the beauty spot was pleasant enough, the wild mountain rabbits providing ample opportunities for Anna to “Oooh” and “Aaah” over how cute they were. The two sat on a large rock, almost alone, in the whispering night, sky carpeted with stars. Kristoff turned to face Anna and took her hands in his.
“Anna”
Kristoff met her eyes, Anna looked back, her green eyes the size of saucers and her face flush with excitement and, perhaps, the glass of wine with dinner. Now or never I suppose. He leaned in, capturing Anna’s lips with his own. Anna’s eyes widened even further is such a thing was possible. Ew. Wait, where did that come from? Anna ended the kiss as soon as she felt it was polite, pulling away and covering her face with a gloved hand.
“Anna, I… I Love you”
Kristoff slipped around in front of anna into a kneeling position, once again gently capturing her hands in his.
“I… I Mean... Thats so sweet Kristoff, I like you a lot too.”
Kristoff Shifted into a one knee position. Oh no. OH NO. Anna’s thoughts went wild, her mind spinning out of control. He can’t. I can’t. This can’t be happening. I have to say something. Kristoff reached into the back pocket on his belt. OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT
“Anna Arendelle. I know that I am of no noble birth, but I swear to you that my heart is pure and my love is true. I wish nothing more than to bring you happiness. Will you marry me?”
No The thought came out like a ghost of a whisper in her mind, otherwise a complete blank staring at the beautiful ring before her. Kristoff's face fell to utter despair as anna realised the thought had not remained in her mind. Anna’s voice cracked with tears.
“I should. I should love you. You are warm, sweet and brave. You are my best friend, you saved my life. This was the best date ever” Anna was bawling by this point “I just… No. I.. I don’t love you Kristoff”. The last words came out a whisper.
“Why? Why did you let me believe? Why didn't you tell me?”
Kristoff was stoic but his eyes were rimmed with tears. Anna was red with tears and embarrassment, shaking and crying.
“I couldn’t. I diddn’t want to hurt you. I thought If I went along with it, I would have to fall in love with you. It makes so muh- much… se- sen- sense. I… I do-- don’t”
Kristoff stood and retreated from Anna, tears falling from his face freely now.
“I have to go. Don’t… Don’t come after me. I need time. Goodbye Anna, i thought you were better than this.”
Anna curled into a ball on the rock wailing as Kristoff strode into the dark, the royal guards moving forwards uncertainly to guard Anna more closely.
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The Meeting had not gone well. It had been Elsa’s first chance to get the entire council together in one room since her coronation, every Count and Baron in Arendelle and of course the Duke of Almdlir the second most powerful person in Arendelle. It was the perfect opportunity to discuss the changes to the realm she wanted to make. She was starting to believe she had been naive to assume they would have any goodwill to her, as her father's daughter. They sat around a large table, laden with the results of a luncheon picking at food and whispering amongst themselves, nearing 20 in number and not a whit of loyalty among them.
“Whilst I appreciate your concern towards the peasants under my parsimony, your highness, this grain crisis will only cause a minimal amount of starvation in my personal lands, and I have made the judgement than nothing specific needs to be done at this time. Certainly a few of the more undesirable elements will perish, as well as some of the more poor or lazy, but that is not a concern of mine”
Elsa’s mouth all but hung open as she struggled to retain her regal composure, legally he was right of course. He is willing to let his people die, just like that! Women, children, my subjects. Count Havriggar was one of her southern-most subjects and held some of the richer farmland, from all her father had said he was a good man. This was rapidly proving to be untrue.
“With all due respect, Havriggar, those are my subjects as well, and I would rather not see them starve, something must be done”
The count indolently shrugged and reached for yet another chicken wing.
“Then buy the grain yourself majesty if it concerns you so. I have paid my due this year, and every year past.”
“Perhaps we could move this matter on?” The Baroness of Hoytslott interjected “Perhaps to the third item on the list.”
“Now just a minute,” Elsa tried to begin, the Baroness cut her off immediately
“Your majesty, we have already settled the matter before us, the roads are in suitable enough repair, the bandit issue is minor. If you want to lower taxes on the poor then so be it, but we will not contribute a Mark more to some flight of fancy project, and on that those of us with experience in rule are all in agreement.”
The temperature in the room dropped noticeably, and the whispering around the table stopped abruptly. Faint traces of ice seeped out from under Elsa’s hands. The toad like figure of the baroness leaned forwards as she smiled a wolfish smile.
“Now now child, do be calm, your majesty. We are just speaking the truth about ruling with stability and good judgement. Do you perhaps need a minute?”
“No” Elsa’s tone could have sliced an iceberg and she fought the urge to blast the sagging, smug smile off of the face of the corpulent woman who was patronising her. She needed these people's support and loyalty, and more importantly she needed their money.
“Excellent. Perhaps I could ask the most experienced Duke of Almdlir to bring forth the third item on the list then.”
The Duke of Almdlir was a greying warrior in his late 40’s, conventionally handsome his black hair was faintly dusted with pepper and worn in the traditional style of northern princes, his sideburns well trimmed and oiled. He stood and addressed the room. Elsa had been doing everything in her power to ignore his blatant roving glances and lecherous stare from the moment she had met him this morning and it was safe to say that by this point she despised the man. Her father had never once introduced her to the duke, and she couldn’t ever recall seeing him around the castle when she was growing up. She was starting to see why.
“In the matter of stability and improving Arendelle we of course must talk about the issue of the royal succession, your majesty, After the flagrant attempts to subvert the local and rightful rulers of our great country we must look to preventing such a thing from occurring again.”
The whole table erupted into murmurs of agreement and “hear hears”. Elsa felt her blood run cold and she slumped into her chair at the head of the table. The council were looking around pleased with one another, nodding and smiling at the duke. They had this planned, I was a fool.
“Now since her majesty has wisely agreed to cut off trade from both Weselton and the Southern Isles, our situation has gotten more complicated. We are are in dire need of a period of stability in these trying times, and our recent experiences have shown us that a foreign alliance is not always a safe bet, something her majesty has been quick to point out.” Oh. Blast. I did say that last week didn't I. I just… I just want them to stop talking about this.
“It is the opinion of the Baroness, and I must voice my support for her idea, that a more… local… solution might be found, someone who already has the trust and respect of the people”
The penny dropped. Oh. It was common knowledge that the Duke had been looking to re-marry since his wife had died six years ago, of course he had not yet found anyone suitable for his station. Of the council he was the only unmarried member, aside from the Baroness, and this discussion was about an heir. Of course. It was now a lot more than safe to say that Elsa now officially despised the man, in fact despised might be too mild a word. The last thing Elsa remembered was dismissing the council instantly, her fragile composure fracturing as the rage took over, and all she could see was red.
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Elsa stared in horror at the wreckage of her royal chambers, jagged shards of black ice fracturing the stately furniture, a crystaline blast pattern all too familiar to her occupying the space where her bed and vanity used to be. A heavy swirl of snow and ice blasted around the edges of the room.Desperate hammering on the door brought Elsa somewhat back to reality.
“Your Majesty! Please! Are you all right? I heard crashing. Queen Elsa! Please, open the door!” Gerda’s terrified voice echoed in Elsa’s ears as she desperately wrestled for control over the ice and snow in the room. Her former confidence of her mastery over ice had been shattered recently after the dreams had begun. Horrid flashbacks to Hans and his gloating face, men with swords and violence. Men she had… killed. Elsa had begun to lose control over her powers at night, waking up screaming, her magic rampant and out of control. Always at the centre of her thoughts was fear. Fear that she would somehow hurt Anna, perhaps even the servants or her subjects. But most of all her thoughts were of Anna, pure and innocent, even after everything that had happened, Anna who still trusted her so completely, Anna who according to the crumpled note in Elsa’s frozen grasp, had just had her heart broken. Again.
“Your Majesty!”
Elsa snapped her attention on the door. “I’m fine Gerda! Really! I just felt like some remodeling” She said slowly, turning the idea over even as she said it. Remodelling? Really? Where did that idea even come from?
“I’m just moving some things around, I got a bit carried away. Nothing to worry about!” Elsa opened the door to her chambers just enough to allow the flustered maid to see her face, all smiles and perfect regal composure. “I think I’ll go see Anna quickly, check she is all right. No-one is to go into my rooms until I am done, understand?”
Gerda nodded warmly, certain that whatever strangeness was occurring would get straightened out by the young princess in short order.
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Elsa slipped along the corridor like a ghost towards Anna’s room, her hands were shaking and her sapphire eyes threatening rain. Conceal, don’t feel, conceal, don’t feel. Elsa’s mantra rattled through her brain at a million miles an hour. If rhe morning's meetings had shaken her badly, the nightmare in her rooms had nearly put her over the edge. Elsa reached Anna’s room and knocked before slipping the door open.
“A… Anna?”
“Elsa”
Anna’s voice was hoarse, thick with tears.
“Help”
Elsa was at Anna’s side in an instant, sitting on the princess's bed, her younger sister's head in her lap. Elsa made soothing noises and stroked her hair, cuddled and reassured. Anna sobbed helplessly into Elsa’s lap, as she poured out the events of her disastrous date. Elsa’s fingers traced delicate lines across anna’s ears, through her hair, and down her neck in a soft repeating pattern. The fire popped and crackled in the grate as the log burned down.
“I’m a horrible person Elsa. I don’t deserve to be happy.”
“Hush Anna, don’t say such things. You are a wonderful person, the greatest sister I could have ever asked for, and I love you.”
“Kristoff said he loved me too” Sniff “then he said that he thought I was a better person than I was”
Elsa bristled and pulled Anna into a deeper hug, nestling her in her bosom, a mess of copper hair covering her like a blanket.
“People say bad things when they are hurt. That doesn’t make them true. I think you are a perfect, wonderful person who just got swept up in a mistake.”
“Stay with me”
Elsa’s heart broke like a damp twig.
“I… I can’t. Oh Anna I want to, but I need to finish this meeting. There are things to sign.”
The door knocked and Gerda poked her head around the frame. She mouthed something at Elsa It’s Time
“Anna, I have to go now. I’ll come back when I can… but… I might take all night. I’m so sorry”
“Fine” Anna sounded as though this was anything but “Leave me…” her voice broke again.
“Anna” Elsa said as she stood “I… I don’t wa-”
“Get out. GO” Anna was wailing into her pillow at this point.
Elsa Left.
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The Legendary Ice Queen of Arendelle felt more in common with a mere muddy puddle as she navigated her way back to the council chambers. Her emotions were a mess, her composure shot, and she felt utterly cornered. That bastard has had this planned out. I wonder how many years he has had to arrange this? How long has he been thinking of me?. She failed to repress a full body shudder. The Duke’s eyes had not been subtle in their earlier explorations.
Elsa rounded a corner and rebounded from a wall of familiar and dread inducing brocade, mixed with stale sweat and brandy. Perhaps the worst part of this experience was that is gave Duke Eyjolf Almdlir an opportunity to steady elsa by placing a hand on her shoulder and hip briefly. The groping squeeze however was not required, not was the less than subtle deep sniff of her scent. Ugh he’s old enough to be my father. Father…
“Your highness. I trust you are recovered from your… turn?” His face made no secret of his desires.
“I remain well thank you Duke” And its Majesty you Ass
The duke leaned in close, his foul breath repulsing elsa, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“If you have any desire of easing the burden on your precious peasanty any time soon, highness, I can assure you you WILL need to pay more attention to my earlier proposal. Things would go so much better for all of Arendelle were we to wed. You know it, I know it. And I shall... have my way.”
The dukes inflection left nothing to the imagination. Elsa pulled away and tried to look stern and regal and she strode down the corridor. She was at least two corridors over before she completely broke down, her feet taking charge where her brain could not.
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Elsa pushed through the snow, the howling blizzard a perfect mirror for her shattered feelings and swirling emotional chaos. The slope of the mountain slowing her progress and the dense forests causing her to become thoroughly lost. She knew she was high, higher than Oakens sauna certainly, a location she and Anna had visited together briefly after the great thaw. Now however she was thoroughly and completely lost, as well as miserable and alone. I cant even freeze to death properly she thought hopelessly All I can do is keep going and ruin everything for everyone. The dim glow of fire caught her eye from ahead suffusing the white blizzard with an eerie fey like quality and almost before she could stop herself she stumbled upon a small mossy shack, its low sloped profile almost completely obscured by a huge drift piling up dangerously on one side supported by a giant Fir. It suddenly stuck elsa just how hungry she was as the warm smell of basil and onions drifted briefly across her nose before being snatched away by the wind. Sighing to herself Elsa opened the door and fell into the warm embrace of the hovel as soft darkness took her sight.
“Chicken your majesty?”
Elsa groggily came to, the edges of her vision swimming as the ceiling came into focus. Dirty wooden planks and beams, covered in hanging bundles of herbs and small game animals. The smell of herbs and slow cooked chicken hit her stomach like a sledge. Dragging herself into a sitting position she wearily took in her surroundings. Her eyes roamed across the small hut, piled high to the ceiling with all manner of strangeness which she dimly recognised as peasants tools of all varieties, herbs and game and piles of blankets and clothes haphazardly loaded into rickety wicker chairs. Across from her on the short bed a cheerful hearth burned low in the centre of the hut, heating a black cauldron and small kettle. A figure sat to her left, leaning gently towards her proffering a wooden bowl of delicious smelling soup. His brown hair was shot with grey and straggled wildly over his shoulders, framing a narrow face lined with kindness and concern. Elsa recoiled slightly when she saw the knife in his left hand.
“Wha… What do you want? Who are you?” The Queen's voice rose slightly in panic as she shuffled reflexively away from the stranger. Her eyes pinned to the knife.
“Easy there your majesty, easy” the stranger slid the knife around handle first and proffered it gently. “Its for the larger bits of the bird you see. Not many forks out this far, nor servants to pick it for you.” Elsa took the knife gently and relaxed her shoulders, her heart beginning to slow from its hummingbird pace. She took the proffered bowl and sniffed deeply from the soup whilst eyeing the stranger suspiciously. He was wearing a worn dark green gambeson and some kind of brown deerskin leggings, his boots showed age but gave away a thousand stories. Elsa recognised his boots from memories of her father, the distinctive mark at the heel from an expensive tailor from a far flung land, “Boots purely for Royalty” her father had said.
Elsa looked into the soup, tantalizing pieces of spit roast chicken floating in an onion and basil mess of brown water. Small green tubes bobbed in the concoction which smelled rich and delicious with a meaty edge she couldn’t quite identify. Her fear over poison or the worry about the foods provenance was rapidly overcome by her fearsome hunger and she launched into the soup with abandon. Looking over the bowl, elsa quirked her eyebrow at the stranger who had provided her unexpected meal. Seeing her quizzical expression the stranger spoke.
“You have nothing to fear from me your majesty, I am but a simple Skald, although as I am sure you can tell I dabble as a merchant and tradesman.”
Elsa ate rapidly, deep in thought her eyes playing over the Skalds boots.
“A Gift” the man said. “I helped someone out with a very… sensitive issue. Magic was involved and they needed an expert. He was a great man” He looked sideways, staring into memories with a light smile across his face.
“My father?” Elsa asked once she had drained the soup.
“Oh no, a king from a faraway land. A Great country filled with wine, sunlight and much merriment. And bulls, so many bulls.”
The fire crackled and popped in the background as silence descended in the small hut. Elsa felt warmth flood back to her body as the soothing effects of the heat of the fire, the warmth of the furs and the softness of the cushions below her. The night creatures of the dark mountains outside hooted and buzzed, happy that the unseasonal chill had passed. Elsa once again felt panic suffuse every fibre of her being. She was stark naked, covered only by a deerskin fur, she instinctively reached for her magic only to have a shooting pain slam into her temple.
“Easy there your majesty” The skald leaned forwards and pressed a thumb across the back of her neck. Elsa was ready to react and began bringing her hand up for a slap when the pain suddenly and sharply receded. “Press there and try not to use any magic for a while ey?. I’m sorry about your dress” he nodded at her obvious distress and settled back into the chair fetching another log for the fire.
“What happened?”
He sighed gently. “You burned out. I’ve seen it happen before in other apprentices. Too much magic and stress, too many emotions. You pulled too hard.”
“Am I… am I normal now?” Elsa felt a surge of conflicted emotions, terror, relief and sadness all mixed together, wrapped in an overwhelming feeling of loss that she did not know she was capable of feeling.
“No no, no fear of that your majesty. At least, not the first time, you should feel your magic returning in the next few days. I have a tea around here somewhere that should help.” He wrestled himself from the chair and began rooting through a small wooden shelf unit at the back of the hut muttering under his breath. “Valarian? No, garlic and onion tea? Good lord no, hmm, where is it, Ah! Rowan and Witchroot, here we go!”
Elsa subsided into the bed gathering blankets and furs about her as she watched the man brew a thick tea using the kettle and two large wooden mugs, with only a modicum of fumbling. He nodded at a small pile of clothing to Elsa’s left, a mixture of browns and greens in rough spun wool.
“Its nothing pretty, but it’s warm. Sized for a younger man than I, should fit you well enough. I’ll go out to check the traps in a bit, give you a spot of privacy.”
He seems safe enough the young queen thought to herself And he knows about magic!
“Could you teach me?” Elsa blurted out, shocked by her own poor manners and the urgency of her request. A wry smile greeted her sudden request and Elsa felt the trace of a blush.
“About magic your highness? Or cooking and tea making?”
“Magic of course, please” She paused “forgive my suddenness but I have never met another human who knows anything about magic.”
“Sleep first your majesty” he said with a heavy sigh “We’ll talk more of this on the morrow. I am not looking for another apprentice right now, all I want is a quiet life”
Elsa watched him finish up the tea and laid a mug in front of her. He stood and made for the door, his mug steaming merrily.
“Drink the tea before it cools, it’s more potent that way. I’ll be back in about a quarter of an hour”
Elsa looked into the mug of supposed tea, her senses detecting a faint trace of magic swirling in the liquid. She drank deeply and quickly, the bitter liquid almost scalding her throat however she almost instantly felt a familiar tingle shoot through her hands and feet, faint and brief but there. She dressed quickly, still shielding herself with the blanket, before settling into the bed to await the return of her strange benefactor, however in spite of herself she found sleep overtaking her, her questions to remain unanswered for another day.