Love That Thaws

Chapter 5

Me, Anna, and Hans walk back through the courtyard of the castle. I rub my bare arms as soft snowflakes fall around despite it being midsummer.

"Are you all right?" Hans asks Anna.

"No." Anna responds.

"Did you know?" He asks.

"No."

I look away at my feet. We approach the Duke who's freaking out. "She must be stopped. You must go after her." The duke grabs one of his guards.

I step up towards him. "Wait, no! You won't!" I say.

The duke hides behind his guards when he sees me and Anna. "You! Is there sorcery in you too. Are you a monster too?" He asks.

"First, Elsa is not a monster!" I say, "Second, no Anna is ordinary like you and me."

The duke looks at me suspiciously before turning to Anna. I turn and leave them to it. Not wanting to abandon Elsa I rush to the stables where my horse waits. I switch out my heels for some boots and throw on a warm cloak. I throw what I think I need in a bag by my side and saddle up my horse. I pat her muzzle before leading her out of the stables. I see Anna in front of me with a cloak.

"Anna..."

"I'm coming with you." She says.

"It's dangerous Anna." I say but Anna looks determined.

"I'm coming with you." She says again.

I give in and jump on my horse. Anna gets on too and wraps her arms around my waist. We ride out into the square. Where Anna addresses the crowd and leaves Hans in charge. With everything settled I turn my horse towards the open gate and kick her into a gallop. We race through the streets and towards the mountain where we saw Elsa run off.

Elsa POV

The snow swirls around me, my feet leaving prints in the soft snow. My mind flashes to the party and the look of fear on all the guests' faces. I picture the scratch on (y/n)'s arm. She believed I'd never hurt her and yet I did.

"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the Queen. The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried. Don't let them in, don't let them see, Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know."

I look at my one glove still on my hand. I pull it off and let the wind carry it away. "Well, now they know. Let it go." I throw my hands to the side creating a wave of frost and snow. "Let it go. Can't hold it back anymore." I make a snowman like the one from when (Y/n), Anna, and I were young.

"Let it go. Let it go. Turn away and slam the door. I don't care what they're going to say. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway." I unclip the cape and it too is taken away by the wind.

I walk up the mountain, a new found smile on my face. "It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small. And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all."

I turn and run up the mountain until there's a ravine I can't cross. "It's time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through." I create an ice staircase with my powers. "No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I'm free!"

I step on the first step and it cleans up. I smile before running up the stairs as they create themselves, taking me to the other side of the ravine. "Let it go! Let it go! I am one with the wind and sky. Let it go! Let it go!" I finish off the stairs and step in the center of a clearing on the mountain side. "You'll never see me cry. Here I stand and here I'll stay."

I slam my foot down creating a snowflake of ice. "Let the storm rage on."

I use my powers to raise the sides of the snowflake to create walls and raise the floor. "My power flurries through the air into the ground. My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around." I create a roof on the castle and a chandler extends down from it. "And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast. I'm never going back, the past is in the past!"

I remove my crown and throw it away. "Let it go! Let it go!" I let my hair down and create a new dress with my powers. "And I'll rise like the break of dawn. Let it go! Let it go! That perfect girl is gone."

I walk across the floor to the balcony where the sun is rising. "Here I stand in the light of day. Let the storm rage on! The cold never bothered me anyway." I turn around and enter my new home, the door closing behind me.

Though it breaks my heart to leave (y/n) without telling her how I feel, she's safer if I stay away.

(Y/N) POV

My horse trudges through the deep snow. It stopped snowing a while ago but the cold still seeps through my cloak.

"Elsa!" I shout. "Come back."

"Elsa! It's me, Anna. Your sister who didn't mean to make you freeze the summer. I'm sorry. It's...it's all my f-f-fault." Anna shouts.

"Of course, none of it would have happened if she'd just told me her secret." Anna mumbles to herself. "Wait. (y/n) you seemed the least surprised. Did you know?"

"Yes." I say solemnly.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"It's not that easy Anna." I say.

"You love her don't you. More than a sister." Anna observers.

"Yes. I do. I want to protect her. Her fear will destroy her." I say.

Before Anna can say anything a twig snaps startling my horse. She bucks and sends both me and Anna tumbling. I stand and shake the snow off me before helping Anna up. "Are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine but now we don't have a horse." Anna says. I look behind me to see my horse disappearing down the mountain.

I sigh. "Looks like we go on foot."

We continue walking through the snow, the going a lot slower without a mount. Eventually we see smoke rising in the distance. Anna goes to take a step but trips and tumbles down the slowly sloop into a small stream. I quickly rush down after her and help her up.

We quickly make our way to the small hut. By the time we get there the bottom of Anna's dress is frozen stiff. I help her up the stairs and we read the sign. "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post." I say. A smaller sign hangs below it and the snow falls off.

"Oh and sauna." Anna says.

"This should warm us up." I say to Anna and lead her in.