Frozen: Conceal, Don't Feel

by Jen Calonita

  “Elsa?” Anna questioned.

  Elsa thought hard about what she was feeling; it was pure joy mixed with the greatest love she had ever known. She had a sister she loved fiercely. Focusing on that love and the love she had for her parents and her people calmed her once-frightened soul. It was her job to protect her kingdom, and she could do that now.

  Her loving thoughts made her fingers tingle like they always did when she used her magic, but this time her body felt different. Her fingers began to warm.

  Elsa lifted her hands to the sky, and snowflakes began to rise from the ice beneath their feet. The flakes turned into water and rose like a geyser. Everywhere she could see, all the way to the horizon, the ice was rising into the sky and evaporating. The fjord was thawing, allowing ships to be free to sail once more. Elsa hadn’t even noticed that she was standing on the bow of a ship herself till it began to rise out of the ice with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, the reindeer, and her on it.

  The blue glow from her fingers continued to travel, reaching across the water into the village. Slowly, houses that had been almost buried in snow came back to life. Flowers bloomed again, and the countryside and mountains returned to their green selves. People stepped outside in wonder as the world turned from winter to summer once more.

  When the thaw was finally complete, the remaining water that had lifted into the sky swirled and spinned into a giant snowflake. Elsa gave a final wave of her hands, and the snowflake exploded in a ball of light. The sky was blue, and the sun finally showed its face again.

  Anna looked at Elsa with pride. “I knew you could do it.”

  “Hands down, the best day of my life,” Olaf agreed, his personal flurry the only remaining precipitation to be found.

  Elsa heard moaning and noticed Hans clutching his jaw. She immediately started marching over. Anna reached out to stop her. “He’s not worth your time,” Anna said as she approached the prince herself.

  Hans saw her and gasped in surprise. “Anna?” He stood up straight. “But the curse—I saw you turn to ice!”

  Anna’s expression hardened. “You’re the one who’s cold as ice!” She turned to walk away, then apparently thought better of it and punched him in the jaw.

  Hans fell backward, flipping over the side of the ship and landing in the water.

  They heard a cheer in the distance. Elsa looked toward the castle and saw Kai, Gerda, and several others standing on the balcony. The sight of them applauding Hans’s comeuppance made her hopeful that they knew the truth about the prince. He couldn’t be trusted, but she’d make sure the people of Arendelle knew they could put their faith in her once more.

  “Princess Elsa!”

  Elsa rushed to the side of the ship to see who was calling to her. A small boat was headed toward them, manned by two guards and Lord Peterssen. The boat bumped against the side of the ship, and Lord Peterssen climbed up while the guards stayed back to fish Hans out of the water. Lord Peterssen looked from Anna to Elsa before rushing forward to embrace them both.

  His eyes were red, as if he’d been crying. “To see both princesses of Arendelle together…The kingdom will rejoice! People are flooding the castle—the kingdom has thawed from its deep freeze! Summer has returned thanks to you.” He wiped his eyes and touched Anna’s arm. “Our lost princess has been returned to us. It’s as if I’ve lived two lives—one where I’ve been asleep and forgotten you and one where you’re here with us again. The curse has been lifted.”

  “How do you know about the curse?” Elsa asked in surprise.

  Lord Peterssen pulled a piece of parchment out of his jacket pocket. “I read about it in your mother’s letter, which I found in the dungeons after you both ran off.” He handed it to Elsa. “I wanted to make sure you got it back. Words of wisdom from the queen should not be forgotten.”

  “Thank you.” Elsa stared at the letter she had thought she would never see again. “I never even got a chance to read it before…”

  “You froze the kingdom?” Olaf asked, and they laughed.

  “Why don’t we read it together?” Anna asked, touching the parchment in wonder.

  The others stepped away to give the sisters space. Elsa and Anna sat side by side on the deck and read the words their mother had written long before.

  Our darling Elsa,

  If you’re reading this, we’re gone. Otherwise, our dear girl, you would already know about the curse that separated our family long ago. We have always wanted to tell you the truth about what happened that night, but Grand Pabbie—the leader of the trolls whose wisdom we sought for help—told us the curse would someday lift and you would remember everything on your own.

  As I write this, that day has not come. This is a secret we’ve hidden for years, and now it is hidden away here in your new lockbox, to make sure you know the truth if we are not around to give it.

  You have a younger sister, Anna, who, like you, has lived in the dark far too long. We love you and your sister very much, but circumstance forced us to keep you apart. This will be hard to hear, but you were given the gift of magic that allows you to create ice and snow. When you were young, your magic accidentally struck Anna. To save her life, we sought out the wisdom of the trolls, traveling to the Valley of the Living Rock. Their leader, Grand Pabbie, was able to help Anna, but when he tried to erase her memories of your magic for her own safety, you got upset and interfered. When your magic combined with Grand Pabbie’s, it cursed you and Anna differently. For you, your magic became dormant. Grand Pabbie said it would appear again when you needed your sister more than you ever had before. But for Anna, the curse meant she could not be near you, or she would turn to ice. Until the curse lifts, you and Anna must not meet.

  I know you will have many questions. Too many, I fear, for us to answer in one letter, but know you weren’t separated from each other out of fear. We did what we did because we had no choice. We loved you both too much to see you hurt, and Grand Pabbie gave us a way to protect you both.

  Please understand, when I say curse, I don’t mean your powers. Your powers are a gift that I hope by now your father and I have helped you learn how to control.

  So why tell you now? This letter serves to give you hope. You are not alone in the world! You are a smart, resourceful girl, Elsa, and I know you can find a way to reach your sister even when she is out of sight. And Anna, with her warm heart and kind soul, will find her way back to you. Other than your father and I, the family caring for Anna are the only ones who know you are sisters. The rest of Arendelle does not remember their lost princess. Grand Pabbie also hid both of your memories of each other to ease the pain of separating you. Once the magic fades, your memories will return.

  If only you could have seen yourselves as children! Thick as thieves, and so inseparable that most mornings we would find Anna had crawled from her bed into yours. You were a wonderful big sister, and you will be again.

  You two will find your way back to each other, I’m sure of it. You are, and always have been, each other’s light in the darkness.

  Mama and Papa

  Elsa looked at Anna. They both had tears in their eyes. They embraced again and didn’t let go.

  It took a few days for things in Arendelle to get back to normal.

  Make that a new normal.

  The people welcomed both of their lost princesses back with open arms.

  Elsa, contrite for what had accidentally happened to the kingdom, worked tirelessly to make things right. For her first order of business, she sent Prince Hans packing.

  “We shall return this scoundrel to his country,” a ship captain told Elsa as they stood at the docks. “We will see what his twelve big brothers think of his behavior.”

  “Elsa, please let me make things right between us,” Hans begged as they lead him onto the ship. He smiled apologetically. “Can’t we talk?”

  “Oh, I think we’ve done enough talking,” Elsa told him. “Your brothers might hear you out, though, after they read my letter.” She held
a note in her hand and handed it to the captain of the ship. “I told them everything that happened here. Maybe you can convince them not to toss you into the dungeons.” His face froze. “Enjoy the Southern Isles, Prince Hans.”

  The captain pushed Hans onto the ship. She hoped they’d never see the likes of him again.

  The Duke of Weselton, however, put up more of a fight.

  “This is unacceptable!” Elsa heard the Duke shouting as he was led onto a ship along with his men. “I have been a victim of fear!” the Duke argued. “I have been traumatized and—aaah! My neck hurts. Is there a doctor I could see?”

  “You can see one when you arrive at home,” Elsa told him, feeling satisfied. “Arendelle will henceforth and forever no longer do business of any sort with Weaseltown.”

  “It’s Weselton!” the Duke cried as he was taken away. “Weselton!”

  While Elsa prepared for a new coronation and worked on fixing things in the kingdom, Anna took a few days to travel home to her village and see her parents. Kristoff escorted her and was surprised that the villagers were as excited to see him as they were Anna. The two of them spent a long night in front of the fire, telling everyone about their journey and about the curse that had separated the princesses. But mostly, they marveled at Tomally and Johan for so faithfully keeping the king and queen’s secret. When the fire died down, people retired to their homes, and Kristoff and Sven headed to the barn. (Kristoff said he was most comfortable there.) Then Anna sat with her adoptive parents in their living room and heard the story of how she had arrived on their doorstep. Her parents weren’t sure if she’d ever been kissed by a troll, but they knew trolls had played a part in her journey.

  “Leaving you with me was the hardest thing your mother and father ever did, but they did it out of love,” Ma told her. “We were entrusted with keeping you safe till the time came for you all to be reunited.”

  “She started to think that day would never come,” Papa added. “I always held out hope you’d be reunited. But then…”

  “The king and queen perished at sea,” Anna finished.

  Accepting what had happened to her parents would take time. Knowing she’d lost so many years with them was painful, but she reminded herself that she’d had her mother in her life without even realizing it. “Freya” had loved her fiercely, and so had Tomally and Johan. Her life had been blessed in so many ways. Finding the joy in their shared stories kept the tears at bay.

  “So you mean to tell me that in all the years ‘Freya’ visited, no one noticed she was actually the queen?” Anna asked her parents.

  Ma laughed. “One time, Mr. Larson came into the shop while she was here, and he actually bowed because he was so certain she was the queen, but your father convinced him otherwise.”

  “I said she was a distant cousin with terrible breath,” Papa told her. “That made him leave!”

  The three of them roared with laughter, and Anna knew without a shadow of a doubt that they truly were her parents in every sense of the word. How fortunate she was to have had two sets of parents who loved her enough to set her free.

  Anna left the village with promises to return and talk of Ma and Papa visiting her at the castle.

  “We wouldn’t miss your sister’s coronation for the world,” Ma said, hugging her tightly before letting her go to Kristoff, who was waiting to take her home. It was nice to see him out of his snow clothes, which he’d traded for a teal shirt and black vest. His blond hair shone bright in the sunlight.

  Home. It felt strange to use that word about a place she hadn’t lived in since she was a child, but the castle felt more familiar than she had expected. She quickly became reacquainted with the layout, her bedroom, and all the other rooms, even visiting her old friend Joan in the portrait gallery. The truth was, home was anywhere Elsa was.

  She just hoped someone else would be comfortable staying nearby, too.

  “Okay, here we are!” Anna said.

  “Now can you unblindfold me?” Kristoff grumbled.

  He’d spent the last half hour of their journey back to the kingdom unable to see. Anna didn’t want to ruin the surprise, so she had insisted he let her lead the way. Now they were standing on the waterfront.

  “Yes!” She pulled the blindfold off. “Ta-da! I got you a new sled to replace the one that got destroyed.”

  Kristoff’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  Anna squealed excitedly. “Yes! And it’s the latest model.”

  It wasn’t just a sled. It was a state-of-the-art custom-built sleigh that had so much varnish Kristoff would never have to polish it with spit. Sven marched in front of it, almost as if the sled had been his doing. She’d wrapped the sleigh with a ribbon and placed a new lute on the seat. There was also a sack in the back of the sled filled with an ice ax, rope, and everything she could think of that he’d lost.

  “I can’t accept this,” Kristoff said, blushing.

  “You have to!” Anna insisted. “No returns! No exchanges. Future queen Elsa’s orders. She’s named you the official Arendelle ice master and deliverer.”

  She pointed to a shiny silver medal hanging from Sven’s neck.

  Kristoff scoffed. “That’s not a thing.”

  “Sure it is!” Anna said. Call it a sisterly bond, but even without Anna’s saying so, Elsa seemed to know how much Anna wanted Kristoff around. “And,” she said, hoping to sweeten the deal, “it even has a cup holder. Do you like it?”

  “Like it?” Kristoff swung Anna high in the air. “I love it! I could kiss you.” He quickly put her down and ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, I could. I’d like to. May I? We me? I mean, may we? Wait. What?”

  Anna leaned in and kissed Kristoff on the cheek. “We may.”

  Kristoff didn’t hesitate. He pulled Anna into his arms and kissed her the way Anna had always imagined he would. Anna threw her arms around his neck and kissed him right back.

  After a storm comes the sun.

  Arendelle truly had a new beginning, and people couldn’t wait to celebrate the kingdom’s rebirth. Villagers flooded the castle to celebrate not only Elsa’s coronation but their lost princess. Anna had been returned to them. After so much sadness, Arendelle was basking in joy. The sisters’ silhouettes appeared on new banners hanging from every flag post in the kingdom.

  And when it was finally time for Elsa to stand in front of the bishop and accept her crown, Anna was exactly where she was always meant to be: right by Elsa’s side.

  “Queen Elsa of Arendelle!” the bishop declared as he presented her to the people in the chapel.

  Elsa beamed with pride as she held the scepter and orb in her hands. Her fingers didn’t tingle and she felt no fear. She knew now her purpose was to serve her people, and she’d do it with every fiber of her being.

  After the ceremony, there was a banquet in the Great Hall with a large chocolate fountain and a beautiful cake. There was dancing, laughter, and merriment. The castle itself seemed to sigh with contentment. For so long, the castle had lived in sorrow. Now it truly was a happy place.

  While people enjoyed one another’s company, Elsa and Anna slipped away to the entrance hall and studied their family’s newly restored royal portrait. The one with the king, the queen, Elsa, and Anna had been returned to its rightful place of honor. Mr. Ludenburg had already declared that he would complete a new sculpture for the castle courtyard fountain that reflected the family of four.

  “Tell me something about them I don’t know,” Anna said as she slipped her arm through Elsa’s.

  Anna asked her questions like that daily, and Elsa loved to answer them. The two stayed up late into the night, sitting on each other’s beds, talking about anything and everything they could imagine.

  “They loved sweets almost as much as you and I do,” Elsa said as they turned to walk back toward the party. “Especially krumkaker.”

  Anna grinned. “I remember baking those! You always ate half the batter before Miss Olina could cook them.�
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  “That was you!” Elsa said accusingly, laughing.

  “Maybe it was Mama,” Anna said, but she was laughing, too.

  Kristoff and Olaf watched the sisters from the doorway with smiles.

  No one seemed to want the party to end, so it didn’t. Not for a long while. But when the banquet hall grew warm and people needed air, Elsa knew exactly what to do to help them cool off. She gathered everyone outside.

  “Are you ready?” Elsa asked the crowd.

  Their cheers and applause told her all she needed to know.

  Her magic no longer felt like a shackle. It was truly a gift, as her mother had always told her, and now she used it with joy instead of fear.

  Elsa tapped her foot on the courtyard ground. A sheet of ice slowly spread throughout the plaza. Next Elsa lifted her hands to the sky and made the lightest of snowflakes fall. On a hot summer night like that, an impromptu ice-skating party was the perfect gift.

  People skidded around the square, enjoying the magic she had long kept to herself. Anna slid into place beside her.

  “This is so much fun!” Anna smiled. “I’m so happy I’m here with you.”

  Elsa held her arm tight. “We will never be apart again,” she promised. Then she transformed Anna’s shoes into an elegant pair of ice skates.

  “Oh, Elsa, they’re beautiful, but you know I don’t skate,” Anna said.

  Elsa grabbed her arms and swung her around the ice. “Come on!” she said, shouting encouragement to her little sister. “You can do it!” The two of them laughed as they spun around the fountain in the courtyard.

  “I got it! I got it! I don’t got it!” Anna laughed as she kept slipping.

  “Look out! Reindeer coming through!” said Kristoff as he and Sven slid by.

  “Hey, guys!” Olaf joined them on the ice. “Glide and pivot! Glide and pivot!” he advised as he grabbed hold of Elsa’s cape and went for a spin around the square.

  Elsa smiled, her heart full and her head in a good place. Her people were happy. She was content. And she was very, very loved by a sister who had finally been returned to her. Things were exactly as they should be.