Price of Freedom

Chapter 4

"When I was fifteen and my sister was twelve, we were inseparable. She brought out a side of me I didn't even know I had. She was the energetic, social butterfly, while I was the shy and quiet older sister. But we balanced each other out, and loved the other for the qualities the other contained that we wish we had."

"One day, my mother and father informed us that they would be going on a trip to the Southern Isles for trade negotiations. Anna and I begged to be able to go with them."

At the sound of her sister's name, Kristoff found himself remembering the girl in the dungeon with the same name. It had to be a coincidence.

"After days of relentless asking, they finally decided that we were old enough to go with them. My mother and I were interested in the landscape, my father in the horses, and Anna...well, everything." Elsa let out a soft laugh.

"The day before we were set to leave, I came down with a fever. Although my family assured me that they would stay with me, I told them to go. Anna stayed with me until the very second it was time to go."

"I walked them out to the docks where the ship was waiting. My father and mother hugged me goodbye, and told me that they would be back soon. Anna almost crushed me in her hug, and started to cry. We had never been apart for more than a couple of hours. I held onto her for as long as I could, and then made her promise not to run into too many people."

"As the ship sailed away, my mother and father smiled lovingly at me, while Anna nearly fell over the side while waving goodbye."

"It was only supposed to take them a day to get there, and they were only going to stay for two weeks. Those two weeks passed by, with no return. Half a week after that, a messenger from the Southern Isles came to Arendelle. He had thought they had delayed their trip, until the ship's wreckage washed ashore. He believed the ship had been lost at sea in a storm."

"I closed the gates, and Mayor Elefsen was elected by the townspeople to take care of Arendelle's affairs until I came of age. I owe him so much for keeping the kingdom in prosperity all these years."

"Every year for six years, the town has set off fireworks on the day my family left Arendelle, in memoriam. I always come here to watch them...alone. And every year, I think about how I never told them...how much I love them."

Elsa started to cry in quiet, gasping sobs. She tucked her knees into her chest and laid her head down on top of them.

After a moment of hesitation, Kristoff grabbed her hand and held it in one of his own.

Elsa's hand twitched, but then relaxed after a second. She looked up, and saw Kristoff's warm eyes staring into her own tear-filled ones.

"They knew you loved them," said Kristoff.

Elsa sniffled, and asked "How do you know?"

"A gut feeling. Plus, I can tell that they really loved you too."

Biting her lip, Elsa squeezed Kristoff's hand gently. "Thank you."

They sat like that until the fireworks ended. After the final blast, Elsa gently pulled her hand from his.

"I should go back. If they find that I'm gone...Thank you. Again."

With a shy smile, Elsa turned and started to walk into the forest.

"Wait! Will you be okay?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa turned back to him, her right hand cradling her left.

"I'll be fine. I know these woods like the back of my hand. But thank you. Goodnight, Kristoff."

And with that, she walked lightly into the forest, in the direction of the castle.

"Goodnight, Elsa."