Where we begin to pick up, dear reader, is at a time when Arendelle lived in economic happiness under the rule of their beautiful and powerful Snow Queen. Alongside this miracle of ice assists her charming sister, Princess Anna. Working together they are indeed successful in making the land of Arendelle to be quite prosperous under their collaborative reign (though truth be told, Princess Anna doesn't care much for making boring decisions or sitting in councils).
Queen Elsa herself, in all her majesty, stood on her balcony from her palace, watching over her kingdom like a proud mother. The queen really had to admit that it was much nicer to have the gates open, everyone was happier and more active. It also was a very nice view for her, she loved to see her people smiling and tugging their playful children along through the market. She smiled before a nagging feeling got ahold of her, causing her to frown. Her hands gripped the rail and her eyes widened with the feeling of dread spreading limb from limb.
Had she forgotten something? Was someone watching her? Was something happening that she wasn't aware of? There was nothing the young queen could think of. So, the feeling remained.
Some townspeople waved up at her and she managed to solicit a smile and simple wave in return. She could not stand out in the open with such a dreadful feeling spiraling without restraint inside of her. So, Queen Elsa left the balcony and made sure to close the elegant glass doors behind her retreating form.
Inside her room awaited her impatient and excitable younger sister. Her sister radiated joy from her smile lines on her face to her rosy red cheeks, speckled with dozens of lovable freckles. The princess was barely containing her obvious excitement as she jumped up and down in joy and bit her lip to keep from blurting something out.
Queen Elsa inwardly laughed and with a calm tone opposite of that to her sister's ecstatic behavior she asked, "Anna, what is it that you are so excited about?"
Anna laughed and replied, "I can't tell you! Not yet, at least I think that's what I was told..."
She continued to mutter about her insecure knowledge of the said "secret" before deciding it would be best to keep it a secret in case.
Queen Elsa was somewhat amused, "Well, then why did you come to find me when you were just bursting with secrets?"
Anna gulped and scratched her arm awkwardly before yelping, "Dinner!" and running out of the door. She reminded the queen of a shy mouse ducking back into it's hole on sight of a cat. Though she knew her sister was no shy mouse.
At her sister's distraction the feeling had lessened, but when Anna's presence was no longer there, Elsa felt the feeling intensify. Queen Elsa unfastened her long cape from her neck and let it float to the floor, not bothering to pick it up as she decided to head to the royal dining hall for a snack. She didn't think she could eat very much with such a feeling disturbing her.
When she entered the dining hall, everyone at the table stood in respect and returned to their seats when she took her place at the head of the table. She always had her servants eat at the table with she and Anna, even the cooks and servers who would set the table before sitting at the end. It was such a long table and both Queen Elsa and Princess Anna decided it would feel much too uncomfortable if it was just the two of them. Anna always had an empty seat next to her in case Kristoff happened to be in. Today the seat was empty which was strange since they had been expecting him to return today.
Anna stared at the empty seat with a crease in her brow, oviously worried for her ice-selling, special friend. When Anna smiled at the queen, she gave her a comforting look.
"I'm sure he's just caught in a bit of a jam, it's nothing he can't handle. He'll probably show up early tomorrow."
Anna sighed and took a bite of her food, speaking with her mouth half-full, "You're probably right, it's better that way anyway, then he'll have a whole day to visit instead of an evening!"
Queen Elsa nodded and smiled. A lady next to her offered to fix her a plate, but she declined and picked up a bit of fruit instead. Anna began to chat with the servants and catch up on any of the latest town gossip. The queen did not feel inclined to join the light conversation, only to listen and observe their expressions. A server near the end of the table spat out a piece of food complaining about it being too hot. She smiled and discreetly added a bit of frost to melt into the hot food and cool it a bit.
She got a bit of a rush using her ice magic in public. Even though no one had seen it, it still made her heart beat a little faster. It was an old habit to feel that way, nervous about her gift. After her little adventure in finding who she was, she had begun to use her gift more freely, but she still felt like she was doing something wrong. All those years, her wasted childhood, spent in fear of her magic were hard stains to scrub away.
In the windows to the doors of the dining hall she saw a figure watching them. All she could catch a glimpse of was a boy's face who seemed to suddenly realize she was returning his stare. Just as his eyes widened in realization, Kristoff walked through the doors beaming and dusted with snow. She blinked in surprise as it seemed like Kristoff had walked right through him. When she looked back at the window the boy had disappeared.
Anna jumped from her seat and ran to embrace Kristoff who lovingly spun her around in the air causing her dress to create a soft swirl around her. The overjoyed princess dragged him by his hand to his rightful seat at the table. The queen laughed behind her hand when Anna pulled Kristoff's seat out for him rather than vice versa. After Anna loaded a plate for Kristoff (which he begrudgingly accepted) the queen decided to casually ask about the strange boy at the door.
"Kristoff, what was that boy doing at the door when you walked in?"
Kristoff looked confused, but gently replied so as not to embarrass her, "There wasn't a boy there, you probably just saw my reflection."
The queen looked at her palms knowing that was not what she had seen, yet contrary to her thoughts she replied quietly, "Oh, yes, of course."
Anna noticed her older sister's discomfort and changed the subject, turning to Kristoff as he was midbite, "Did you see the snow outside?"
Kristoff smiled and swallowed his previous bite of food, "The children are going crazy! I think I got hit with-" he paused to count in his head, "I think it was ten snowballs? Ayway, that's what Olaf and Sven are currently up to. The kids are pretty excited to have both a reindeer and a live snowman to play with in the snow, you can imagine."
The queen's eyes widened, "It's a little early for snow isn't it?"
He nodded but tilted his head somewhat amused, "Yeah, I thought so too. I had assumed it was your doing?"
The queen smiled politely and shook her head, "For once it wasn't me."
Anna shrugged and chirped, "Close enough to that time of year!"
The queen's lips pressed in a thin line. Usually she controlled when the snow season started. When she was a little girl, for her only release she would make a game every time the autumn to winter transition came around she would try to make the first snowfall before the first natural one occurred. It was the only form of control to her powers as a girl, to just let the pent up magic be released for a few days. In her later years she became too afraid and she figured after she had learned how to control it she would pick back up with it for sentiment's sake. She had gotten very good and had memorized the weather habits of Arendelle. This did not fall under the habitual weather.
The queen stood up and in turn everyone else did too, "Excuse me, I believe I need some fresh air."
They nodded in respect and she took her cue. She gracefully exited and everyone went back to light chatting and feasting. Before she opened the door she stared at the glass. She couldn't see her own reflection, so how could the person she saw in the glass be Kristoff's? She sighed and continued on out.
She whispered, "I know you were there."
Her feet led her where she felt, though she knew not where that was. Eventually she made her way out of the palace and was walking through the marketplace. That's when she got the feeling of being watched, she recognized it as the same feeling of dread that had been forgotten at the dinner table.
As she attempted to find the watcher she bumped into a merchant and spilled the contents of his crate. He went stiff and pale as he watched and waited for her reaction. She kneeled down and helped him pick up his merchandise. Afterwards he frantically apologized again and again. When she was in the midst of trying to console him, she found the one she was seeking over the shoulder of the merchant.
Without explanation she left the merchant to his apologetic blubbering and bumped into a few others along her way, gaping up at the strange boy. It was most definitely the boy from the dining hall. Except she could see his full form now and he was standing on top of a building, holding onto the spiral at the top with his long fingers.
A lady with her child asked the young woman what she was gawking at, but she could not respond. She shrugged the lady off and stood underneath the shadow of the building and the boy's gaze followed her there too. The queen was petrified, unable to move. She merely stood underneath the building, almost in an attempt to see if she could catch the tall and lean boy leaning over the edge in the event that he fell.
She managed to stutter, "H-How did you get up so high? Get down now before you hurt yourself!"
The boy smirked and the sight chilled her to the bone. An odd thing to feel for her as she had never been truly cold before, at first she felt like she was dying.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder and the startled queen snapped to look at her with wide eyes.
"Dear, what are you looking at?"
The lady glanced up but clearly did not see the sight the queen had seen.
"Do you not see the-" when she looked back up he had vanished just like at the dining hall. Though now she was positive she had seen him. Did this mean she was becoming mentally ill?
The queen laughed such a laugh that only could be emitted by the most undone individual and shook her head, "Nothing, nothing, just..." She meant to finish but never found the words to.
The lady nodded slowly, unsure of the mood her ruler was in, "You look right shook'en up your majesty, do you need me to walk you back?"
Queen Elsa did not respond in the slightest, so the kind lady took that as a sign and wrapped an arm around her leading her back to the palace. The lady relayed what she had seen to the princess and her blonde-headed fellow. Anna attempted to question her sister but saw that she was in no state to reply. In fact, all she got from her older sister were indecipherable mutterings of a ghost.
Anna took her to her room and let her sleep. Though the shaken queen only lied on her back, shivered in an apparent chill, and looked at the ceiling. Well, that's what people thought she was looking at. What the queen was truly looking at was the smile of a ghost.