Chess Piece

Cracks Weren't Always Bad

Hi guys, sorry for the late update, this whole week has been filled with me painting the design on Anna's skirt by hand, which is quite the work and give you back pains, by the way. I was expecting on updating next week but I got some time to spare to finish this chapter early before I have to travel to another city for a Hospital visit for children in the weekend, which I'm attending as Anna, so yay!

Thank you for all your reviews so far, I love you guys so much!

Their return was long awaited by the people of Arendelle.

Townspeople had lined themselves at each side of the road that led toward the castle, wishing to see even a mere glimpse of the Queen inside her carriage as the small party came back from Ánslo, joyous to finally have their ruler back safely at her own kingdom as they paid their respect at her by bowing their heads, children waved and cheered that Elsa could not help but to smile and return their wave by her own through the small window she had sat herself beside.

She felt his hand reaching for her free one, intertwining their fingers, and even without turning to look at him, she knew that he was watching her, he always did. It had been a bother for her initially, to have someone's eyes closely watching her, waiting for her to make some sort of a mistake that he could hold up against her later on; yet now she had realized that he was not looking for a mistake, he was caring for her instead, making sure that she was fine, and her heart fluttered at such simple gesture.

The welcome did not stop even beyond the castle's walls.

Guards were stationed in a similar manner as the townspeople had been, perfectly lined up at each side of the path across the courtyard, where at the end servants awaited to unload the royal couple's belonging as well as assisting should they were needed to. Anna stood by the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, much like she had done when they were to send them away, dressed warmly to accommodate with autumn's chilly breeze.

Servants moved as soon as the Queen had stepped out from the carriage, followed closely by her husband, under Gerda's order to prepare for the royal quarters, although Elsa paid little to no mind to them in the background, eyes solely focusing on the sight of her sister.

She was well aware that their relationship had not improved the same that hers did with Hans, and yet even spending what would be counted as a short honeymoon with her husband had succeeded in resulting her to miss the Princess dearly, to miss knowing that somewhere in the castle her sister was present. Yet from the looks of it, Anna's mood had been better than before, perhaps allowing her to go outside was indeed a great idea.

"I hope your travels were well," the strawberry blonde haired Princess curtsied the moment the older sister had approached her, and this time she did not avoid meeting her gaze, her turquoise eyes had actually lit up at the sight of the Queen.

"Thank you, Anna." The smile that grew on her face had been sincere, and though her hands itched to pull her sister into her embrace, to show her just how much she had loved the sister and how much she had missed her, she refrained from doing so. "Have everything been well during my absence?"

Nodding, the Princess had fallen into the same step as her sister did as the Queen began to make her way into the castle, for she found no need to be standing around outside, especially since every other person around her could not bear through the low temperature as well as she. "Yes! Actually I was just about to tell you how thankful I am because you let me go outside." She imagined how bored Anna would be otherwise, should she have to stay inside even when her sister was not present. "I've met with so many people and do so many things that I didn't think I would do."

"I'm glad to hear so." And she wanted to hear more, to sit and talk with the younger sister in a way that others would, have someone bringing them tea and finger food that they could have snacked on as both shared their stories perhaps, but she could not bring herself to put it into words, unable to put Anna into another risk. Thus why she had stopped right at the base of the spiraling staircase and placed a gloved hand over her sister's upper arm, coaxing for her to do the same as well as to turn her attention fully at her. "I have work that I must attend to now that I've returned, I'm sorry, Anna."

The shrug that the Princess had given her was lighter this time, sincere and not burdened by any means. "You're the Queen, I completely understand that."

--

The piles of paperwork on her desk remained untouched.

Her initial intention of working on them had been forgotten the moment she had walked into the library instead of her study, the door behind her barely shutting closed when her eyes had drifted to the portrait of her father, standing proudly during his own coronation, his light eyes felt like it was looking right at her as she approached, those same eyes who had bestowed so many responsibilities down onto her shoulders, and yet those were the same ones that also had patiently cared for her during the difficult times of her childhood, trying his best to help her no matter how much she had withdrawn from him.

"Father," the word had escaped through her lips even without her knowledge of what she wanted to say to him, what had troubled her mind so much that she had started to actually talk to portraits, such inanimate object that clearly would not give her any sort of answer. "I did it," she had gone through her fears and had shared her secret, even when it had only been her husband, and yet he was as important as Anna in her life now, she supposed. "Now, what do I do?" Because now she wanted Anna to know, she wanted to be with her sister the way they had been during their childhood, long before they had drifted apart, but could she really have the courage to do so?

Her brief exchange with Anna had left her smiling, had brought warmth into her heart that for one happy moment her power had once again forgotten the way it had been when she had spent the time with Hans, and she wanted to always feel that way, to feel so weightless with the burden she had grown up with.

Father, I'll do as you say. The moment she let her eyes closed she could see them standing before her, she could feel her mother's arm as she grasped it as she assured her that they must limit her contact with people, just the way the King had told them.

But would she do as he had once said now? For it would cost her the happiness that she had starting to build, if she had to regain perfect control before she could open her heart to those she cared the most, and she had grown tired of the isolation that she had put herself in.

"I can't be what you expect of me." To be the good girl, one that would do whatever he had told her before the tragic death of the King and Queen, to bear her responsibilities by herself, for she was nothing but a human. "But I would love to know, is it truly dangerous to dream?"

I love slipping moments from the Broadway show into this story, it acts as a connection in some way, for me personally anyway.