Frozen 3

Part 4

Chapter 77

Anna

Almost four months had passed since those events. I felt like I was finally coming back to life, no longer lacking and deprived. Our lives had all changed radically since the return of the spirits. We found water, fertile land, breathable air and hot meals. The trees of the kingdom and the enchanted forest had suddenly come to life – perhaps they had never been completely dead at all.

Back in Arendelle, we were able to observe the consequences of this long and horrible period: the streets were deserted, many inhabitants were missing – dead or missing – while others were sick and waiting to be healed. I had found with joy and relief former Lieutenant Mattias and his wife. Kai was the only servant left in the palace. The others had all left. I was so happy to find him...

However, it took several weeks before our daily life became normal again. People had finally returned, unable to leave their homes permanently, the doctors had quickly resumed their duties by seeing the number of people seeking care and life had gradually resumed its course. The castle had also filled up again: some of the old staff had returned and new members had been hired under Kai's direction. I had also had work done in the building reserved for servants. More windows had been installed and all the necessary equipment for heating the rooms in winter was now available.

I crossed the corridor to Elsa's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I did so, entering the room. My sister was sitting on the bench by the window. We brought her back to Arendelle to heal her wound and allow her to rest for a while, far from the still painful memories of Northuldra village.

"Are you okay?" I asked him when I saw his closed face that kept looking through the glass.

She turned suddenly, surprised to see me, and smiled at me.

"All right. I was lost in my thoughts."

"What kind of thoughts?" I asked her as I joined her in the seat.

His smile disappeared immediately. I knew she kept a lot of things from me about her stays in the enchanted forest, but she never told me anything. She kept everything to herself and only hid from us what she had seen and lived behind a facade smile or falsely enthusiastic words.

"I feel bad that I came back here and left them alone there."

"We all needed to recover from our emotions. We made the best decision by taking you back to Arendelle. You can go back when you feel like it..."

Really, I didn't want her to go back immediately to the Northuldra. It was too soon— I had the selfish feeling of wanting to keep her with me as long as possible. I wanted us to meet like before, just her and me. But when I saw her desperate look, I understood how connected she felt to the Northuldra.

"Do you know who their leader is now?" I sighed.

The young woman said no. I was thinking of the last moments we had lived in the enchanted forest. Something had been bothering me for several months and I had so far been unable to ask my sister, feeling that all this was still too fresh in our minds to be able to speak freely about it.

"Yéléna... Yéléna told you something I never understood before..." I began.

I cried my throat when I saw the sad look Elsa gave me.

"Who was she talking about when she mentioned your...our grandmother?" I finally asked.

The young woman rose without a word and went to her closet. She took out our mother's shawl and put it around her shoulders.