Chess Piece

To Know a Man Was To See His Eyes

"Do you ever feel like a chess piece yourself? In a game being played against your will."

"Do you?"

"Constantly."

- Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Young Victoria (2009)

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"Her royal highness, Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

It still sounded unfamiliar for her, strange and nerve-wrecking, to hear the new title that she now has, replacing the one that she has born and grew up with, no matter how much preparation her parents had given to her years ago, how she had lived under the constant reminder that she would be Queen one day as it was her birth-right during her teenage years.

And then there was the matter of her marriage.

It was common for royals to be courted since young, to secure allies with other kingdoms for the sake of their own, and she was no exception.

Her parents had decided, had planned it long ago, and had told her of the subject at the age of eighteen that she would be wed to a Prince of a neighbouring kingdom.

He was the youngest of thirteen sons, the only one who was unwed and is the closest to her in term of age, being only two years older than she was. Excelled at being Admiral, he was a young man that her parents had deemed worthy of having her hand in marriage.

The thought of marrying someone she had never met before, a blank face she couldn't even imagine of, added with the fact that she was born with magic; truly frightened her. Yet her parents had a very throughout plan up the sleeves of their clothing, had even arranged for her wedding to be held when she was at the age of twenty-one, a fitting and ripe age for a woman to wed.

They were supposed to be there, to witness when their eldest daughter was to be a man's wife, to assure her that she would not lose control, that her magic would do no harm to her husband.

They didn't.

The sailing trip across the sea, one that they had promised would be finished in the mere time of two weeks, had proven to be their doom when a harsh storm has taken their ship and everything on it down into the depth of the ocean.

The tragedy had left her and her young fifteen years old sister orphaned, grieving for the loss of their parents, yet Elsa could not bring herself to open the door and recoil her relationship with the younger sister, the fear of harming her with her power was too great for her to take the risk, as she felt that at that moment no gloves were thick enough to prevent the ice from within to rage out.

Three years had passed since then and she had reached the age to be crowned to be the new ruler and take over the responsibility of her kingdom into her own hands, and to marry just a week after her coronation was held.

Yet in that moment, she could finally see her sister again.

Anna has grown into a beautiful young woman with, from what Gerda has told her, a bright and bubbly personality, one that was a stark opposite of what the older has grown to be. Yet she had held herself back when they stood side by side, and should Elsa was to guess, she was as nervous as she to start a conversation.

Thus why she had initiate it, no matter how awkward it had started off.

Unfortunately though, it has to end when the Duke of Weselton had request to speak with her, prompting her to dismiss her sister, politely asking for her to leave for the time being. Anna had reluctantly nodded, walking away and mumbling something about getting herself some chocolate fondue.

"I heard that you will be married soon, Your Majesty."

A subject she did not wish to speak of, especially not to a nosy duke like he was, yet she really had no choice but to nod her head. "Yes, you heard correctly of it, to Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."