Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 16:46:44 GMT -5
(Thinking this is probably post-Frozen, pre-Darkness invasion in terms of the timeline. :3)
It was mid-morning by the time Elsa woke to the sound of pounding on her bedroom door. The young queen's eyes opened lazily, her cheek laid against lush, velvet pillows of silver and blue. Silk blankets draped her shoulders and locked in the little warmth she actually needed to be comfortable. She sighed, squinting as sunlight poured through the countless windows and onto her face, blinding her. She rolled over onto her front, her night-gown clumping beneath her as she pressed her face into the pillows and tried to ignore a second round of knocks.
"Yes?" she asked, no doubt with a muffled voice. She was surprised when she actually got an answer from a low, droning voice on the other side of the door.
"I have been informed by the High Chef that your breakfast is getting cold, Your Majesty," said her personal attendant. "He insists you make haste to the dining hall before your meal is spoiled."
"Very well," Elsa grumbled. She shut her eyes for another few, precious seconds. With a final sigh, she rolled onto her side and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She yawned and stretched and forced herself to stand. Her blue night-gown swished across the backs of her calves as she made her way over to the set of windows nearest her. Outside, the capital city of Arendelle was already alive with life. Bodies cluttred the streets and even through the thick stone of her walls, she could hear the flaunting of traders' voices, the jovial greetings of men who were on their way to their jobs, the laughs of women and children as they gathered in the market to shop and socialize. She watched them for a while, a small smile on her lips.
Her eyes drifted over to the long stone bridge that connected the castle -- her castle now, she supposed -- and stopped on the row of flags hanging from the lampposts that stood on each raised stone. Where plain flags of purple and green had once flew, ice-blue flags bearing her silhouette backdropped by a snowflake now flapped in the fresh spring breeze. Her smile faded a little at the sight. It hadn't been her idea to redesign their national flag, of course. it hadn't even been the people's. Her counsil, along with a few other nobles, had been the ones to propose the change which, to her great surprise, had been met with great support across the country. She was even known as the 'Snow Queen' now, though not officially.
Elsa shook her head at the thought. People seemed to be slowly embracing their new sovereign's extraordinary abilities, but even after Anna's heroic acts taught her the secret to reversing her Eternal Winter, Elsa found it difficult to embrace her icy reputation. The country expected her to rule as her parents did, with strength, courage and dignity, under this new banner. She had the glamour of her gown for regality, the sheer force of her icy abilities for strength, but nothing that could defeat the storm that still raged inside her.
Well, almost.
Anna.
Anna was the only one, the only person in the world, that could calm her internal blizzard. And it still rattled her with guilt that it had taken her so long to realize that the cure to her curse was the one person she had tried to isolate herself from for so long.
She allowed her smile to return. She was back now, though. Back home. Back with Anna. She didn't have to live alone anymore. She didn't have to be locked away. Her kingdom, despite the occasional hiccup, the occasional disgruntled citizen in court,or the occasional riot on the city streets, seemed to be growing not only accustomed to her, but even supportive and even proud of their queen's abilities.
Arendelle the Isolated was turning (strangely, Elsa thought) into Arendelle the Frozen through the words of its own people.
Elsa turned away from the window and moved back over to her bed. She rang the bell that hung from the ceiling and waited only a few minutes before a small army of ladies-in-waiting crowded into her room to change her out of her night-gown, dress her in her ice-blue gown and flowing glitter cape (this was the only permanent change she had made herself -- never again would she wear the coronation gown that signified the pinnacle of her in-house imprisonment), braid and place her hair across her shoulder and apply the dark purple eyeshadow that had become somewhat of a trademark look.
When she was adequately prepared, her ladies-in-waiting flew to her bedroom door and pulled it open for her. Elsa stepped through into the corridor and started the long trek to the dining hall. She smiled as she past her parents' old rooms -- long since shut, of course, but she still liked to run her hand along the aging white wood, as if letting her fingertips glide into the past every morning as she made her way to breakfast. Elsa had made the decision to move bedrooms only recently, upon her formal return to the palace and her repraisal of the kingdom's crown. Her old bedroom, her prison, stood empty on the other side of the palace, abandoned. She'd locked it herself, without anyone else present. It was a wide-spread rumour that the key to her old room lay in a block of ice at the bottom of the fjords. It quickly became a springtime traditional of fishermen to gather on the palace bridge and fish for the missing key.
Elsa arrived at the dining hall without realizing it. Her feet must have carried her through the long, twisting halls of the castle while her thoughts had distracted her. When she opened the impressive white doors, she smiled at the sight that greeted her: an exquisitie banquet of breakfast foods, a beautiful array of fresh spring flowers in a towering jade vase, and--
"Anna."
She smiled and, without another word, crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her sister.
It was mid-morning by the time Elsa woke to the sound of pounding on her bedroom door. The young queen's eyes opened lazily, her cheek laid against lush, velvet pillows of silver and blue. Silk blankets draped her shoulders and locked in the little warmth she actually needed to be comfortable. She sighed, squinting as sunlight poured through the countless windows and onto her face, blinding her. She rolled over onto her front, her night-gown clumping beneath her as she pressed her face into the pillows and tried to ignore a second round of knocks.
"Yes?" she asked, no doubt with a muffled voice. She was surprised when she actually got an answer from a low, droning voice on the other side of the door.
"I have been informed by the High Chef that your breakfast is getting cold, Your Majesty," said her personal attendant. "He insists you make haste to the dining hall before your meal is spoiled."
"Very well," Elsa grumbled. She shut her eyes for another few, precious seconds. With a final sigh, she rolled onto her side and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She yawned and stretched and forced herself to stand. Her blue night-gown swished across the backs of her calves as she made her way over to the set of windows nearest her. Outside, the capital city of Arendelle was already alive with life. Bodies cluttred the streets and even through the thick stone of her walls, she could hear the flaunting of traders' voices, the jovial greetings of men who were on their way to their jobs, the laughs of women and children as they gathered in the market to shop and socialize. She watched them for a while, a small smile on her lips.
Her eyes drifted over to the long stone bridge that connected the castle -- her castle now, she supposed -- and stopped on the row of flags hanging from the lampposts that stood on each raised stone. Where plain flags of purple and green had once flew, ice-blue flags bearing her silhouette backdropped by a snowflake now flapped in the fresh spring breeze. Her smile faded a little at the sight. It hadn't been her idea to redesign their national flag, of course. it hadn't even been the people's. Her counsil, along with a few other nobles, had been the ones to propose the change which, to her great surprise, had been met with great support across the country. She was even known as the 'Snow Queen' now, though not officially.
Elsa shook her head at the thought. People seemed to be slowly embracing their new sovereign's extraordinary abilities, but even after Anna's heroic acts taught her the secret to reversing her Eternal Winter, Elsa found it difficult to embrace her icy reputation. The country expected her to rule as her parents did, with strength, courage and dignity, under this new banner. She had the glamour of her gown for regality, the sheer force of her icy abilities for strength, but nothing that could defeat the storm that still raged inside her.
Well, almost.
Anna.
Anna was the only one, the only person in the world, that could calm her internal blizzard. And it still rattled her with guilt that it had taken her so long to realize that the cure to her curse was the one person she had tried to isolate herself from for so long.
She allowed her smile to return. She was back now, though. Back home. Back with Anna. She didn't have to live alone anymore. She didn't have to be locked away. Her kingdom, despite the occasional hiccup, the occasional disgruntled citizen in court,or the occasional riot on the city streets, seemed to be growing not only accustomed to her, but even supportive and even proud of their queen's abilities.
Arendelle the Isolated was turning (strangely, Elsa thought) into Arendelle the Frozen through the words of its own people.
Elsa turned away from the window and moved back over to her bed. She rang the bell that hung from the ceiling and waited only a few minutes before a small army of ladies-in-waiting crowded into her room to change her out of her night-gown, dress her in her ice-blue gown and flowing glitter cape (this was the only permanent change she had made herself -- never again would she wear the coronation gown that signified the pinnacle of her in-house imprisonment), braid and place her hair across her shoulder and apply the dark purple eyeshadow that had become somewhat of a trademark look.
When she was adequately prepared, her ladies-in-waiting flew to her bedroom door and pulled it open for her. Elsa stepped through into the corridor and started the long trek to the dining hall. She smiled as she past her parents' old rooms -- long since shut, of course, but she still liked to run her hand along the aging white wood, as if letting her fingertips glide into the past every morning as she made her way to breakfast. Elsa had made the decision to move bedrooms only recently, upon her formal return to the palace and her repraisal of the kingdom's crown. Her old bedroom, her prison, stood empty on the other side of the palace, abandoned. She'd locked it herself, without anyone else present. It was a wide-spread rumour that the key to her old room lay in a block of ice at the bottom of the fjords. It quickly became a springtime traditional of fishermen to gather on the palace bridge and fish for the missing key.
Elsa arrived at the dining hall without realizing it. Her feet must have carried her through the long, twisting halls of the castle while her thoughts had distracted her. When she opened the impressive white doors, she smiled at the sight that greeted her: an exquisitie banquet of breakfast foods, a beautiful array of fresh spring flowers in a towering jade vase, and--
"Anna."
She smiled and, without another word, crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her sister.
