Winter Moon (Jelsa)

Chapter 5: Elsa

Two Years Later:

"Your Highness?"

"What is it?" I turned from where I was sitting by a window.

"Her Majesty has a message for you, Your Highness, " explained a servant. "She requests your presence in the throne room at once."

With a forlorn sigh, I dismissed the servant and rose to my feet, tugging a pair of silk gloves on. Over the past two years, my powers had returned due to the lack of the enchantment. Iduna had begged Pabbie not to tell the Elites, to which he reluctantly agreed. I had always suspected he liked the Arena family. In the beginning, my powers hadn't been able to penetrate barriers. Shoes and gloves kept it under control. However, as I grew older, my magic only grew. It could leak through doors and even walls. Once, after a particularly horrible nightmare, I awoke to find the entire castle hall I slept in was coated with frost. The king and queen wrote it off as a typical winter occurrence since it had conveniently snowed the night before. I still wore gloves as a comfort even though I knew deep down they wouldn't do anything to stop my magic if the situation escalated.

As I entered the throne room,  Queen Iduna rose from her seat on the dais, which was beside King Agnarr's. Four thrones were lined up against the wall, bedecked in purple silk. A crystal chandelier hung above the raised platform, glittering like a small star.

"Your Majesties," I said icily, executing a graceful curtsy. I didn't really think of Iduna and Agnarr and my mother and father now. I treated them like my rulers, with utter formality and perfect etiquette. Technically, I wasn't saying anything wrong. But my flinty gaze told them both to stay away.

"My daughter," Iduna smiled and beckoned for me to come closer.

Reluctantly, I edged forward a miniscule amount. I did my best to stay away from people after finding out what I had done to Anna. I didn't want to hurt anyone else. "What can I do for you today, Your Majesties?"

"I know that you're still upset with your father and me-," Iduna started.

I raised an eyebrow. "I could never be upset with my benevolent rulers. They have only ever done what was right for Arendelle. If anything, I am the one at fault, for being such a monster."

Perhaps I was laying the sarcasm on a little thick. But it was mostly true. I still remembered that day we had gone to see the trolls two years ago. I still remembered Iduna's words when I had unleashed a spray of icicles.

What kind of monster are you?

That was the moment I decided that no one was ever going near me again. Because Iduna was right. I was a monster. 

It hurt to be a monster. It hurt to be loved by none. But when you're a monster, you have to be ruthless. Even with yourself. 

So I had stopped going into Anna's room to comfort her when she had nightmares. I stopped visiting the cooks in the kitchen to ask for a plate to cookies. I stopped smiling at my parents and thanking the servants. 

"Elsa," Agnarr's voice cut through my torrent of painful memories. I reeled myself into the present. "Do not blame us for your choices."

So he was reading between the lines of my earlier statement.

"Perhaps I chose to keep my magic," I dropped the words into the space between us, "for reasons only I can fathom."

"Would you like to explain those reasons then?"

"My magic is a part of me. I've accepted that. I understand that you both wanted to remove it from me. To get rid of the part of me that you didn't like. But it's my magic, and I deserve the freedom to do what I want with it. My life has been a struggle with it, but it was even worse without."

I didn't know where these words were coming from. This urge of possessiveness washed over me whenever I thought of parting from my magic. It was such an integral part of me that I couldn't give it up. No matter what.

"Regardless of your views on magic, we believe your education is a priority. School is necessary," Iduna interrupted before Agnarr could lecture me on the dangers of magic.

"With all due respect, Your Majesties," I said dryly, "school is unnecessary when you have tutors."

Agnarr gave me an unreadable glance. "Darling, we have only ever wanted the best for you. You are miserable here. We think you need a fresh start."

Something was going on here. There had to be a reason why they were so abruptly sending me off. I frowned before replying, "If you don't want me here then just say so. I can't say I particularly want you either."

Iduna flinched, and Agnarr shot to his feet, putting an arm protectively around his wife as he glared daggers at me.

"New Dawn," Iduna told me after a tense moment of silence.

"New Dawn Academy? In Skyara itself? Are you daft?" I demanded in a shocked voice. "That's the capital city of the First Kingdom. The Elites' Kingdom."

Admittedly, I had considered confessing and joining the Elites after my discovery. However, they would kill my mother and father for harboring a secret magic-user, and I didn't want that.

"It's the only place that can offer you the proper education. At the level you're learning at, You could easily fit in with the fifteen and sixteen-year-olds. You're only thirteen, however, but New Dawn has agreed to accept you."

"You're so deeply invested in my education that you want to send me into the city of your enemies all so I can learn at my level? Are you hoping they'll discover who I am and recruit me and execute you?"

"They won't. We've enrolled you anonymously and given you a false identity. Your fake name is Ella Dunai."

"So some forged paperwork and a false name is going to prevent me from being discovered."

"Yes. Now will you go?"

"Only to please you, Your Majesties."

Giving them a weak smile, I excused myself. My head was spinning. They were deliberately sending me into the hands of the Elites. The wellbeing of their kingdom and their own lives were at stake. Why would they do this? Perhaps they just wanted to be rid of me. Maybe they were scared I would hurt Anna again. But there were a million other places they could have sent me. It didn't make any sense to send me to New Dawn.

I shook my head in disbelief. 

Between my powers and my parents, New Dawn Academy was going to be one hell of a ride.