Into the Unknown (A Frozen Fanfic)

Chapter Five

ELSA HURRIED to put on her clothes. She pulled on her sheer white dress, and blue pants underneath for warmth before slipping on her equally shaded boots. As she raced towards the door, she grabbed her light blue jacket with snowflake accent jewels running across the shoulders and around the hem, a transparent cape flowing behind her. Even though Anna didn't know of her powers, she never questioned Elsa's obsession with snow.

She dashed down the halls, swiftly braiding her hair before tying it at the bottom over her shoulder. The sun was already starting to peak the morning sky, indicating that her parent's boat would soon set sail, and if she weren't waiting at the palace doors by the time her parents arrived, they would know that something was up since she wouldn't be there to see them off.

Today was the day. She had been up most of the night—thus her reasoning for sleeping in—trying to devise a way to sneak to the docks before her parents arrived. The only solution she had come up with was using the servant's doors.

Anna must have left earlier in the morning without telling Elsa where she was going, and Elsa couldn't help but notice that something was going on with her little sister. Anna had gotten overly angry last night, which was very out of character for her—all because Elsa wanted to protect her. That was a side of Anna she had never seen before.

A clock struck the fifth hour and echoed throughout the palace halls. It was time for her parents to say goodbye, and she wasn't there. Elsa picked up speed.

As she rounded the corner towards the grand doors of the palace, her parents emerged through a door off to the side. Elsa stopped running and pulled up beside Mama's maidservant. She panted heavily through her nose from her run and stood straight as she tried to keep her parents from noticing her lack of breath.

"Elsa."

Elsa smiled widely as Papa stepped in front of her with his arms outstretched. She opened her arms and accepted his embrace. He hugged her tight; a lot tighter than usual. She pulled away from him and stared into his green eyes as they began to water.

"Papa, is everything okay?" She placed a cold hand on top of her father's as it rested on her shoulder.

Papa grinned and let out a soft chuckle. "You're going to make such a great Queen of Arendelle. I love you so much, Elsa."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a cautious smile, her voice quivering as the words got caught in her throat. Papa didn't answer. He was scaring her. What he said made it sound like he was never going to return. Her emotions heightened, and her stomach dropped now positive that they were hiding something from her. Her parents had always taught her about honesty, but even they would lie to keep a secret when it came down to it.

Papa removed his hand from her shoulder and headed towards the palace doors. She watched him until he stepped outside and out of view.

"What are you wearing?"

Elsa's mind was jerked back to reality as Mama approached her. Mama glanced over her clothes in disgust starting at her boats and ending at her jacket. Elsa blushed and looked down at her clothes, feeling like maybe she had forgotten something important in her hurry. Nothing was missing.

She turned her gaze up at her Mama and cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Mama unexpectedly grabbed her thin cape and held it between her fingers. "I mean this!" She let go. "You're going to be in the office of queen while we're gone. You need to look like one." Her voice lowered to a whisper as she leaned in Elsa's ear. "Don't you think the snowflakes are a bit dramatic? And where are your gloves?" Mama leaned back and her gaze shifted to above Elsa's head. "And your tiara..." Mama's face twisted with annoyance. "You aren't wearing it."

Elsa sighed as her shoulders slumped. "I didn't think I needed to wear my best just to see you off."

Mama straightened her back. "A queen always wears her best."

Elsa had fought hard over the past few years to gain Mama's approval, but it was so hard to please her. No matter what she did, Mama never seemed thrilled. She wasn't sure what she had done to be treated in such a way, but Mama grew distant after what happened with Anna as children. But something else had always remained present. Even though Mama would deny it, it was always there.

Fear.

Mama sighed as she looked at the red carpet that lined the hallway and folded her hands in front of her. "I love you. Look after Anna." She turned and strolled out the palace doors after Papa.

Tears filled Elsa's bottom eyelids as she continued staring at the doors. Not even the tiniest hug. She didn't understand how a mother could dislike her own child so much.

She looked towards the ceiling, dried her eyes before any tears could fall, sucked in a deep breath, and stood tall. Now wasn't the time to pout about her mother issues. She had to hurry and get to that boat before they took off.

As the servants began to clear out, she made sure no one was watching before turning around and taking off towards the servant's exit in the kitchen. The hall would lead her right to the docks without hopefully being caught in this early hour.

She bolted through the hallways desperately trying to reach the boat before her parents did. She had less than a few minutes to beat them. She rounded a corner and dashed down that hall. As she sprinted, an image flashed in front of her before quickly disappearing. She gasped, sliding her heels into the rug in an abrupt stop. Her heart leaped into her throat as the blood drained from her cheeks.

She blinked a few times as another face popped in front of hers, and again she gasped, backing away. "It's you!"

Before her appeared the same woman she had hoped was some lucid dream from last night. The woman was still dressed in a white gown and standing on top of a patch of ice with her bare feet.

Elsa balled her hands into fists and took a defiant step forward. After the cut around the wrist, this mysterious lady gave her last night, Elsa wouldn't cower away. "What do you want from me?"

The woman again disappeared and reappeared inches away from Elsa's face.

Elsa flinched, but this time she didn't move. She clenched her jaw and stared into the crystal blue eyes of the majestic woman before her.

The woman's soft face suddenly twisted in hatred as she thrust her hands forward.

Elsa felt the icy palms on her shoulders as an unforeseen strong force rushed through her body. She was lifted off her feet and flown several feet backward. She skidded on her side until a wall broke her slide, and pain coursed through her back as she struggled to lift her head.

She squinted to find where the woman once stood but she was gone. Whoever she was, this woman had proven to be hostile twice now. Elsa winced as she pushed herself upright, and used the wall behind her for support as she climbed to her feet. Her back ached, but she pushed the pain aside. She couldn't worry about herself or this vision of hers. She had to get to the boat.

She took off again on her run, though this time unable to run as quickly from the shooting pain up her spine. She silently prayed that Anna was there already. Elsa had no time to search for her.

She found the servants' corridors and snuck through the halls to the exit door just across the way from the docks. As she opened the door, she glanced around outside and again inside before slipping through the thin opening.

She turned to her left and gazed down the pathway to see her father and mother edging closer to the boat. She swiftly glanced between the barrels on her right and her parents. She had to get inside without being seen.

Someone stepped in front of her parents with a basket of flowers in her hand and her parents stopped. Mama leaned into the basket and picked a purple hibiscus, allowing Elsa to seek the opportunity.

She dashed to the right, looking back at her parents occasionally to make sure they weren't coming, before slipping a lid off one of the barrels, thankfully still empty as seen from the balcony last night, and ducked inside. She sighed softly as she waited to see what would happen.

She hadn't seen Anna all morning, but she wasn't going to compromise her position, and possibly Anna's, to find out if her sister sat crammed in the barrel beside her.