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hb-pickle · 3 years

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Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets Review Essay

Why Sensitivity Readers Are Always Necessary

Before I start, I would like to make it very clear that this review only critiques the aspects of colonialism and representation in Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets. I will not be discussing the romance, side characters or anything else like that. Also, I would like to make it very clear that none of this review is meant to personally attack or berate the author @marimancusi . I firmly believe that none of the cultural insensitivities in her book were intentional, but were simply the result of a non-indigenous, white author writing about experiences she could not personally relate to. My only goals for writing this review is to show the author how her book unintentionally perpetuated many harmful and outdated ideas about racism and colonialism, and to convince her and Disney to contact and hire sensitivity readers before they create content about vulnerable racial/ethnic groups.

I would also like to state that I am an African American woman and not indigienous, so I have personal experiences with racism and colonialism towards black people, but not towards indigenous communities. So if any indigenous people see problems or inaccuracies with my review, I would be happy to listen and put your voice first.

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To summarize quickly (with full context), Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets is about Iduna, a young indigenous Northuldra girl (oppressed racial/ethnic minority) who was suddenly and violently separated from her home and family when her people were betrayed and attacked by the Arendellians (colonizing class). As a result of the massacre battle between the two groups, Iduna is permanently separated from her home (caused by a magical and impenetrable mist) and forced to spend the rest of her days in the kingdom of Arendelle, where she lives in almost constant fear of being exposed as a Northuldran (for the townsfolk are violently bigoted against them). Naturally, this book contains many many depictions of racial hatred and bigotry along with exploring the mindset and fears of a young girl dealing with the brunt of colonialism. Unfortunately, it tends to fumble the seriousness of these situations (out of ignorance or out of a desire to keep the book lighthearted/to center the romance plotline), which results in an overall detrimental message to the audience. The missteps I specifically want to unpack are as follows.

- (1/5) Severs Iduna’s connection to her culture before the story even begins (making us feel less empathetic for the Northuldra’s plight)

I’m not 100% certain, but my understanding is that the purpose of making Iduna a double orphan was to make her more sympathetic and to give her a reason to save Agnarr’s life (to have compassion for a stranger, the same way her adoptive family did for her). In theory this is perfectly fine, quickly establishing that the audience should like Iduna is smart and so is rationalizing her most important, life changing decision. But in practice this only functions to distance Iduna from her culture and family and make the reader care less about the Northuldra. This is because it takes away Iduna’s chance to have a strong, palpable relationship with a specific Northuldra character, which would humanize their entire group (even if only in memory). The only Northuldra characters that Iduna mentions more than once is her mother and Yelena. Both of these characters are mentioned rarely, neither have a close relationship with Iduna (her mother dying 7 years before the events of the story), nor do either of them have any specific personality traits or lines of dialogue (Yelena has exactly one line and it is about knitting). The goal of a story about a child unjustly stolen from her home should be to explore why those acts of violence were so horrific. The very first step of exploring that is to humanize the victims. After all, why would a reader care about the injustices done to a group of people who barely exist? How are we, the readers, supposed to feel bad for Iduna and mourn her family like she does, if we barely know them?

We needed more of Iduna’s memories. We needed to learn about her friends, her family, her mother and Yelena. What were they really like? How did they love Iduna? What were their last words to her before she never saw them again? Didn’t Iduna care for them? Did she worry about their well being and miss their comforts? We need to hear about how she bonded with them, how they made her feel, how they made her laugh or cry. How they taught her to hunt, forage, and knit so that when we hear how the Arendellians speak of them, with such ignorance and contempt, we are as truly disgusted and offended as we should be.

- (2/5) Equates Iduna and Agnarr’s suffering, aggressively downplaying the brutality of colonialism (even to the point of prioritizing Agnarr’s needs)

First things first, I understand that Dangerous Secrets is a modern day romance novel for older children/teens so an equal power balance between Agnarr and Iduna is preferred (which I agree with). But, this balance extends past the romance and personalities and into attempting to portray Agnarr and Iduna’s suffering as equal. This is best exemplified in these lines of internal dialogue by Iduna:

I did not deserve to be locked away from everyone I loved. But Agnarr did not deserve to die alone on the forest floor because he’d had a fight with his father. Whatever happened that day to anger the spirits and cause all of this, it was not his fault. Nor was it mine. And while we might be on different sides of this fight, we had both lost so much. Our friends. Our family. Our place in the world. In an odd way we were more alike than different. (Page 67)

All of this is technically true, up until the very last line about them being “more alike than different”. Agnarr and Iduna’s lives are nothing alike. Iduna is a poor, indigenous girl who had everyone she ever knew or loved either killed or permanently taken away from her, stolen from her home and forced to spend the rest of her life living in a foreign kingdom rife with people who actively, consistently threaten her safety. While Agnarr, on the other hand, is a white male member of the royal family, heir to the throne, and extremely wealthy. The novel doesn’t shy away from this (at least on Agnarr’s part), and doesn’t hesitate to show us that Agnarr is royalty and will never experience what Iduna has to endure. But it behaves like Agnarr’s relatively petty, temporary, and incomparable ills are just as heartbreaking as Iduna’s and focuses significantly more time and energy building up empathy for him and his woes. This extends from small things like the book asserting that the few times Agnarr needed to stay in his castle, to avoid political assasination was comparable to Iduna’s family being trapped in the mist (against their will for 30+ years); to more concerning issues like claiming Agnarr’s separation from his parent’s is just as distressing as Iduna’s separation from her entire people. Now fleshing out Agnarr and his relation to parents is a good thing, since it can provide crucial character motivation and make him more of a well rounded character. But when Agnarr’s suffering is presented as more relevant and worthwhile discussing than Iduna’s it, by extension, implies that the frustrations of an affluent life and being separated from parents that did not value you in the first place (Runeard and Rita) is somehow more or just as pressing as facing the brunt of the most violent and terrifying forms of colonialism. Agnarr’s story may be tragic, but it is nowhere near as horrific as Iduna’s and the book should acknowledge and reflect that.

- (3/5) Has a rudimentary understanding of racism and how if affects the people who perpetuate it

Dangerous Secrets’ understanding of racism (and how to deal with it) is summed up very concisely in a conversation between Lord Peterssen and young Prince Agnarr. Agnarr asks his senior why the Arendellian towns people are so obsessed with blaming magic and the spirits (magic and spirits being an allegory for real world characteristics that are unique to one culture or people) for all their problems, and the following exchange insues:

“People will always need something to blame for their troubles”, he explained. “And magical spirits are an easy target-since they can’t exactly defend themselves… “So what do we do?” I asked. “We can’t very well fight against an imaginary force!” “No. But we can make the people feel safe. That’s our primary job.” (Page 132-133)

Though Lord Peterssen is supposed to be a flawed character, who puts undue pressure onto Iduna and Agnarr to uphold the status quo of Arendelle, this line is (intentional or not) how the book actually views racism and how it expects the characters (and reader by extension) to deal with/understand it. Bigotry is portrayed as something that is inevitable and something that should not be quelled or disproven, but accommodated for. Agnarr, as king next in line, should not worry about ending the unjust hatred in his kingdom, or killing the root of the problem (the rumors). Instead he should tell his people their suspicions are correct, and put actual resources and time into abetting their dangerous beliefs. Even later on, at the very end of the novel, Agnarr treats the prolific bigotry and magic hatred of his people as an unfortunate circumstance he has found himself in, and not something that he, as king, has the power or civic responsibility to change.

This could have been an excellent line of flawed logic, representing how privileged people tend to avoid/project the blame of racism, and prioritize order and peace over justice. Which would work especially well for Peterssen and Agnarr since they are both high class nobles with the power to actually make a difference, instead choosing to foist responsibility onto Iduna (in the case of Peterssen) who was only a child, relatively impoverished, and the one with the most to lose if she spoke out. Or, in the case of Agnarr, they do disagree with the fear mongering, but only for personal reasons (Agnarr because his father used it as an excuse for his lies); refusing still to actually work to improve his society. But the key detail is that this needs to be portrayed as wrong, which this book fails to do. Agnarr nor Peterssen are ever expected to disprove the townsfolk’s bigotry in any meaningful, long lasting sense, Peterssen is never confronted seriously for his cowardice and victim blaming, and Agnarr is never criticized for his anti-bigotry being based entirely on his own personal parental issues and not in the fact that he knows with 100% certainty that the Northuldra are innocent.

This flawed understanding of bigotry also applies to how the book depicts the Arendellian townsfolk, who are awarded no accountability whatsoever for their actions. The townspeople spend the entire book threatening to kill any Northuldra they find and Peterssen, Agnarr, and Iduna are constantly afraid that they would immediately destabilize the government if they found out their king was close to one. But somehow this does not translate into any contempt or distrust in our protagonist or the reader. In this novel, we meet only four openly bigoted individuals: the two orphan children playing “kill the Northuldra”, the purple/pink sheep guy (Askel), and the allergy woman (Mrs. Olsen). The orphans are dismissed wholesale because they are literal children who also lost both of their parents in the battle of the dam (so they were killed by Northuldra; somewhat justifying their anger). And the other two townsfolk are joke characters, whose claims are so unbelievable that they aren’t supposed to be seen as a serious threat. Not only that but Askel is rewarded for his bigotry when Iduna offers he sell his pink sheep’ wool (which he thought was an attack from the Northuldra) as beautiful pink shawls. These are the only specific characters that show any type of active bigotry in the entire kingdom besides Runeard, whomst is dead. Every other character is either an innocent and friendly bystander (the woman at the chocolate shop, the new orphans Iduna buys cookies for, the farmers Iduna sells windmills too, the people at Agnarr and Iduna’s wedding), has no opinion at all (Greda, Kai, Johan), or is portrayed as someone who is just innocently scared and doesn’t know any better (the rest of the townsfolk, especially those who fear the Northuldra are the sun mask attackers). Even the King of Vassar, the most violent and dangerous living character of the story, doesn’t even hold any prejudice against the Northuldra, and simply uses their imagery to scare Arendelle into accepting his military rule.

So according to this book, bigotry and racism come not from the individual, but from society and the system you live in, but also not really because the people in charge of that system (Peterssen, Agnarr, and eventually Iduna) are also virtually guiltless. This, of course, is not true at all. Racism is a moral failing which exists on all levels of society, from individuals who chose to be bigoted, to others who tolerate bigotry as long as it doesn’t inconveniance them. It's not just an inevitable fear of what you don’t understand, but an insidious choice to be ignorant, fearful, and unjust to the most vulnerable members of society. It is malicious and irrational, and the more you tolerate it, the more dangerous it becomes.

- (4/5) Presents Iduna’s assimilation to the dominant culture as a positive

As the romance plotline of Dangerous Secrets really starts to get underway, Iduna’s life seems perfect. Her romance with Agnarr blossoms, she has her own business, and is becoming accustomed to her new surroundings (in order to make the coming drama more exciting). This is her internal dialogue as she returns to town one day:

I couldn't imagine, at the time, living in a place like this. But now it felt like home. It would never replace the forest I grew up in… But it had been so long now, that life had begun to feel almost like a dream. A beautiful dream of an enchanted forest… There was a time I truly believed I would die if I could never enter the forest again. If the mist was never to part. But that time, I realized, was long gone. And I had so much more to live for now… And my dreams were less about returning to the past and more about striking out into the future- (Page 128-129)

Again, I understand that the point of Iduna being content with her life like this is to be the “calm before the storm” of the romance arc, but the fact that Iduna is almost forgetting her old life, and that it is presented as a good thing, is extremely distressing. At only 12 years old Iduna lost everything she ever had besides the literal clothes on her back; she would never forget that. Not only that, but the real world implication that a minority should cope with their societal trauma by spending the rest of their life working for said society that unapologetically wants to kill them (and get a boyfriend) is horribly off putting. It strikes a nerve with many people of color and indigenous readers because telling minorities to “get a job” or “get a life” (especially when said jobs ignore/are separate from their own cultures) is commonly used by privileged folk to blame them for their own dissatisfaction/unhappiness with the society they live in. The idea is that minorities should continue to suffer, but busy themselves, so they stop criticizing dominant culture and defending/uplifting their own. This is part of cultural erasure, and the book plays into it, by commending Iduna for “having more to live for” than cherishing/wanting to return to her original home, for prioritizing Arendelle over herself, and for forgetting her heritage/playing it off as nothing but a dream. Devaluing indigenous culture like this, especially through an indigenous character, is extremely disrespectful.

Not only that, but it’s completely antithetical to Iduna’s character, since she claims to be proud and unashamed of who she is, but happily assists the townsfolk who hate her, and rarely mentions her heritage besides when she’s caught in a lie or actively being persecuted. This is another failing brought on by the lack of understanding of how racism affects its victims. Being a minority plays into all the decisions you make and all the interactions you have; it’s not something that you can just turn off unless directly provoked. Iduna’s would be constantly fretting about who she talks to, and who she is with because if she gets too close to the wrong person, she could have put herself in serious danger.

Nowhere is this lack of realism more obvious than the scene directly after Iduna rejects Johan’s proposal. Iduna spends a long time thinking about whether marrying Johan or Agnarr would be better for her, and not even once does being a Northuldra play into her decision making. This should’ve been front and center because your husband can be your strongest ally or your greatest enemy. If Iduna was outed, what could she do to defend herself against or alongside her partner? If she was ever going to consider marrying for anything other than true love, her chances of survival should have been her first priority.

What I’m not saying is that there needs to be a complete overhaul of Iduna’s personality, or that she needs to be frightened and suspicious at all times. Iduna can project strength and caution. She can be kind to the townspeople, but reserved in order to keep a safe distance. She should cling to the few pieces of her culture she has left, despite what society tells her to do. Or, on the exact opposite side of the coin, Iduna’s personality could be kept relatively the same, but the book needs to acknowledge that this is a terrible thing. Iduna is being assimilated against her will to a society that doesn’t value her and that is a tragedy. In a futile attempt at survival, Iduna buries her culture away and lives her life as a perfect, contributing, model Arendellian citizen, but they terrorize her regardless.

- (5/5) Negatively depicts the indigenous Northuldra as murderous invaders

In Chapter 34 of Dangerous Secrets it is revealed, during a flashback, that Iduna lost her parents and her entire family group in an attack by a separate group of Northuldra invaders. This scene is completely unacceptable regardless whatever narrative/story purpose it was supposed to achieve for several reasons. Firstly, because this book is about colonialism, which we as a society already know the consequences of and how colonizers, in an attempt to rid themselves of blame, react to it. One of the very first things a colonizer/privileged class will do to make themselves feel less guilty for the atrocities they perpetuate is bring up acts of violence/wrongdoing on behalf of the oppressed. The sole purpose of this is always to make the victims look less sympathetic and less deserving of justice, equality, or attention because “they’re not so innocent, they did wrong things too, so maybe we shouldn't feel that bad for them/maybe they got what they deserved”. And of course this mindset is absolutely horrific and unforgivable when you’re talking about a group of white colonizers actively trying to destroy and indiscriminately slaughter a large group of indigenous people, including their children.

The second reason is because the author is a non-indigenous white person, and therefore benefits directly from the downplaying of indiginous pain. I’m sure this wasn’t intentionally malicious on her part, but that’s what she wrote; these are the consequences.

((Also the fact that one of the Northuldra groups are murderous invaders means that Iduna was actively lying the entire book about the Northuldra being peaceful.))

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In conclusion, any book that incorporates the culture and experiences of a group the author is not a part of, should absolutely hire a sensitivity reader to ensure accuracy and respect. As a Frozen superfan myself, I actually enjoyed this book a lot and I was delighted to see the lore, worldbuilding and romance. I loved Agnarr, Lord Peterssen, and Princess Runa and certain pieces of dialogue and imagery were beautiful. This novel just desperately needed someone to check it. All this book needed was a bit more of a critical gaze on some of the character decisions and motivations (I truly believe Agnarr and Peterssen would have been even more intriguing and likeable characters if they were actually called out, and given time to reflect on their hypocrisies) and it would’ve been much stronger and more palatable to diverse audiences. Some elements did need to be cut out completely, but a sensitivity reader would’ve easily been able to point this out and offer alternatives that preserved the spirit of the novel, without including any offensive and distasteful implications.

#dangerous secrets #Frozen 2: Dangerous secrets #agduna #iduna frozen #agnarr frozen #iduna #agnarr #frozen #frozen 2 #dangerous secrets review #frozen reviews #frozen review #frozen analysis #frozen 2 analysis #Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets Review

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yumeka36 · 4 years

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The Frozen 2 prequel novel, “Dangerous Secrets: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr,” is scheduled to release on November 3rd. A preview excerpt was just released via this article from Insider.com. I pasted it below, with my thoughts following:

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THE STORM IS GETTING WORSE.

Lightning slashes across an angry black sky, soon followed by the crash of thunder. Waves pound against the ship's hull as I grip the wooden rail with white knuckles. Fierce gusts of wind tug my hair free from its braid, and damp brown strands whip at my face. I don't dare let go to brush them away.

Instead, I keep my eyes on the sea. Looking for her.

In some ways, I've spent my entire life looking for her. And tonight, my journey may finally come to an end. Unfinished. Unfound.

Ahtohallan. Please! I need you!

Perhaps she never existed at all. Perhaps she was simply a myth. A silly song to lull children to sleep. To make them feel safe and secure in a world that's anything but. Perhaps I was a fool to think we could simply go and seek her out. Learn the mother's secrets.

I do know something about a mother's secrets.

Another wave sweeps in, bashing against the ship's hull, sending a spray of icy seawater splashing at my face. I stumble backward, momentarily blinded by the salt stinging my eyes. A strong pair of hands clamps down on my hips; a solid chest at my back keeps me upright.

I turn, already knowing whom I'll find standing tall behind me. The man who has been with me almost my entire life. The man who has made me laugh—and cry—more than anyone else in the world. My husband. The father of my daughters. My enemy. My friend.

My love.

Agnarr, king of Arendelle.

"Come, Iduna," he says, pulling me around to face him. He reaches out, clasping my hands in his. They are as warm and strong as mine are cold and trembling.

I look up, taking in the sharp line of his jaw. The fierceness in his leaf-green eyes. If he's frightened, he's not showing it. "We need to go below deck," he says, shouting to be heard over the furious wind. "Captain's orders. It's not safe up here. One rogue wave could knock you overboard."

I feel a sob rise to my throat. I want to lash out, protest the orders. I'm fine. I can take care of myself. I'm not some silly girl frightened by the elements.

But what I really want to say is, I can't leave. I haven't found her yet.

If I go below, I may never find her.

And if I don't . . .

Elsa. My sweet Elsa . . . My dear Anna . . .

Agnarr gives me a pointed look. I sigh, untangling my hands from his, and begin stumbling toward the stairs that lead to our cabin below, on legs unaccustomed to rough seas. I'm almost there when the ship suddenly pitches hard to the left and I lose my footing, grabbing on to the railing to save myself. I can feel a few of the crew watching me with concern, but I push forward, keeping my head held high. I am a queen, after all. There are certain expectations.

Once below, I push open our cabin door and move inside, letting it bang shut behind me. The captain has given us his cabin for the journey, which I insisted wasn't necessary, but I was overruled. It's the only cabin suited for a fine lady, he protested. Because that's how he sees me.

That's how they all see me now. A fine lady. A perfectly poised Arendellian queen.

But now, at last, Agnarr knows the truth.

I ease myself down on the bed, reaching to grab my knitting needles and my half-finished project. An inappropriate task under the circumstances, but perhaps the only thing that might steady my hands—my pounding heart. I can hear Agnarr push open the door, his strong, solid presence filling the room. But I don't look up. Instead, I start to knit as the ship rocks beneath my

feet. It's dark down below, too dark to really see the delicate yarn, but my hands are sure and true, the repetitive motions as natural and familiar to me as taking in air. Yelana would be proud.

Yelana. Is she still out there, in the Enchanted Forest, still locked in the mist?

Only Ahtohallan knows.

Suddenly, I want to throw my needles across the room. Or collapse on the bed in tears. But I do neither, keeping my attention on the unfinished shawl. Forcing myself to let each stitch lull me into something resembling comfort.

Agnarr pulls out a wooden stool from the captain's desk, sitting down across from me. He picks up a corner of the unfinished shawl, running his large fingers across the tiny stitches. I dare to sneak a peek at him, realizing his eyes have become soft and faraway.

"This is the same pattern," he says slowly. And I know what he means without asking. Because of course it is. I hadn't even realized it when I started, but of course it is.

The same pattern as the shawl my mother knitted me when I was a baby.

The shawl that saved his life.

"It's an old Northuldra pattern," I explain, surprised how easily the words leave my mouth now that the truth is known. "Belonging to my family." I pick up his hand and place it on each symbol in turn. "Earth, fire, water, wind." I pause on the wind symbol, thinking back to

Gale. "It was the Wind Spirit who helped me save your life that day in the forest."

He gives a low whistle. "A wind spirit! If only I'd known," he says, reaching up to brush his thumb gently across my cheek. Even after all these years, his touch still sparks a longing ache deep inside, and it's an imperative, not an option, to drop my needles to return the gesture. To run my fingers against the light stubble of his jaw. "It would have made my stories to the girls so much more interesting."

I smile at this. I can't help it. He has always found a way to help me find sunshine amidst the gloomiest of days. It's strange, though, to realize he knows everything now. After a lifetime overshadowed with secrets, it should feel freeing.

But in truth, it still scares me a little, and I find myself glancing at him when he doesn't know I'm looking. Trying to see, trying to know whether the truth has changed his feelings toward me. Does he resent me for keeping so much from him for so long? Or does he truly understand why I did it? If we survive this night, how will things change between us? Will the truth bring us closer together? Or tear us apart?

Only Ahtohallan knows. . . .

I reach out and take Agnarr's hands in mine, meeting his deep green eyes with my blue ones. I swallow down the lump in my throat that threatens to choke me, and force another smile.

"I will never forget that day," I start with a whisper, not sure he can even hear me over the tempest outside. "That horrible, wonderful day."

"Tell me," he whispers back, leaning in close. I can feel his breath on my lips. Our faces are inches away. "Tell me everything."

I swallow all the words that threaten to jump out of my throat in a hurried rush, throwing myself back on the bed, staring up at the wooden-beamed ceiling. After I breathe calmly, I say, "That might take all night."

He crawls onto the bed, lying down next to me. He reaches out and curls his hand into mine. "For you, I've got forever."

I swallow hard, tears welling in my eyes. I want to protest: we don't have forever. Or even all night. We may not have an hour, judging from the way the wooden beams of the ship are creaking and cracking. But at the same time, it doesn't matter. It's time. It's long past time. He deserves to know everything.

I swipe the tears away, rolling to my side and propping my head up with my elbow. "You have to tell your part, too," I say. "This story isn't only mine, you know."

His arm curls around my waist, his hand settling at the small of my back as he tugs me closer to him. He's so warm. How is it possible that he's still so warm? "I think I can manage that," he says with a small smile. "But you must start. It all began with you, after all."

"All right," I say, resting my head on his chest, his steady heartbeat against my ear. I close my eyes, trying to decide where to begin. So much has happened over the years. But there is that one day. One fateful day that changed the course of both our lives forever.

I open my eyes. "It all starts with the wind," I say. "My dear friend Gale."

As I speak, the words begin to course through me like the forbidding waters roiling outside. And like the waters, I will finally make myself heard.

Agnarr will listen.

He's always been the storyteller in our family. But not this time. Now it's my turn to tell the tale.

---

What stood out to me:

- It seems like Iduna revealed her past to Agnarr around the time they set sail for Ahtohallan, not the night of the accident with Elsa’s magic as Jennifer Lee, and I believe other sources, have implied. Of course, with “spin-off” content like this where the original creators aren’t involved, there’s bound to be inconsistencies. But Jen never stated that the time of Iduna’s reveal was definitely the night of the accident, only that she believes it’s that night though it could have been another night (I think this was part of the podcast interview she did several months ago). So yeah, the exact night it happened isn’t terribly relevant.

- This excerpt also reveals that Iduna revealed some of the truth to Agnarr early on, but then reveals everything in detail during their last moments before the ship goes down. So maybe she did reveal some of it the night of the accident but not all? We’ll see.

- Iduna knew Yelena. That makes sense considering Yelena’s age and the importance she seems to have in the Northuldra tribe.

- Iduna uses feminine pronouns for Ahtohallan, reinforcing the theory in my Frozen 2 book that Ahtohallan was viewed as a goddess of sorts in Northuldra culture

- Iduna also calls the wind spirit “Gale.” Obviously we all thought that was the name Olaf gave her but apparently Iduna did as well. Coincidence?

- The book is written in first-person perspective from Iduna’s point of view, unlike the previous adult-aimed Frozen books “A Frozen Heart” and “Forest of Shadows” which are written in second/third-person.

- Iduna was in the process of knitting another scarf while on the ship. I wonder why.

- The cover art for the book changed slightly from the original version, with the main image in the center being of Iduna and Agnarr when they’re younger instead of when they’re king and queen.

- I’m curious as to what kind of order the book will present the events of the timeline. Obviously this excerpt is from the end of Iduna and Agnarr’s lives, so will it start here and show everything else via flashbacks? Seems weird they’d choose the end of the book for this preview so my guess is that things will be revealed out of order.

#frozen 2 #frozen #disney frozen #frozen2 #queen iduna #agnarr

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justfrozenthings · 3 years

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Don’t Run Into Fire

Rating: G

Pairing: Anna/Kristoff

Word Count: 1,024

Notes: As usual this has not been edited so I apologize for my poor grammar and spelling mistakes.

Summary: Kristoff expresses his concerns about Anna’s safety to her after saving her from the fire.

Anna fell to her knees in a coughing fit from the purple flames around her. She had seen Elsa run into the fire and attacked quickly to run after her. She should’ve thought through it first. She knows that, but when it comes to her sister it was impossible to do so.

She could feel her vision getting blurrier as she fell closer to the ground.

Now fully on her hands and knees with one hand holding her cape over her face to hide her coughs, she could hear her name being called in the distance.

“Anna!” It was worried, panicked, and deep. She knew immediately just who it belonged to. Kristoff.

Anna felt as if she were on her last breath. Great, she thought to herself. I’m going to die and I’ll never get to see him again. Reget bubbled up in her stomach. She was so worried about Elsa she didn’t even think to check to see if Kristoff made it out safely. Not only that but she didn’t think about him in general, and his feelings into account. And as she saw what looked like Sven and Kristoff through her smoked stained eyes, she wished she could turn this moment back.

It surprised her when instead of death, she was met with the embrace of familiar muscular arms and the canter of a reindeer. He saved her. Kristoff had saved her! But all she gave him to show her gratitude was calling out to Elsa, “No! Elsa!”

Her body racked out another coughing fit. Anna was mad at herself and Elsa.

She was mad at Elsa for running into the fire, and herself for once again not thinking of Kristoff and his feelings. A second ago she belittled herself for not considering his feelings. Telling herself that if she could turn the clock back she would. And here she was, calling out to Elsa once again. Ignoring the fact that she could’ve died and worried about her instead of the man who just saved her life.

Sven slowed down to a trot and once they got off him and got themselves situated Kristoff pulled her to the side. “May I talk to you please,” he looked around taking the Northuldra and Arendellian soldiers surrounding them into account. “Alone.” The tone of his voice reminded her so much of Elsa’s when she had told her those same words at her coronation.

Anna’s heart broke when she saw the fear in his eyes and could only muster up a small nod in response.

He took her lightly by the hand and walked until they could see no one else around them. Being careful to not stray too far from everyone.

They were hidden by trees and Kristoff’s back was to her. She saw his shoulders rise up and down as he took a deep breath, “What were you thinking?!” He threw his arms out to the side, “Running into the fire like that. Anna, you could have died!” She knew he had every right to be mad at her but she couldn’t help raising her own voice as well. “How did you know I ran into the fire?! You weren’t there to see me! Maybe I just got caught in it!”

“Anna I know you ran into the fire because I know you.” Kristoff’s voice had quelled but was still agitated. “Plus, Elsa was in the fire. When it comes to her you make rash decisions. Such as the one you displayed today.”

Anna took a deep breath, “You’re right Kristoff. I did run into the fire because of Elsa. I’m sorry for yelling. But, it was only because I was so worried about her.”

“Anna,” Kristoff placed his hands on her shoulders, “I know you love Elsa and don’t want her getting hurt. But think of what it must’ve been like for me to see you being completely engulfed by flames.” Anna could see his eyes start to swell with tears as his hand cupped her cheek, “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you, Anna. I can’t live without you.”

Anna wrapped her arms around his strong neck, tears streaming down her pale freckled ash stained face. “I can’t live without you either. When I saw you running towards me I instantly regretted my decision and wished that I could turn back time.”

Kristoff stroked her downy red hair, knowing that this was one way to help calm her nerves. “I’m sorry Kristoff. Truly.” She muffled into his neck.

His chocolate brown eyes locked with her teal blue ones. “I forgive you. I know it was only because you care for your sister’s wellbeing. But Anna,” he tilted her chin up a little, “please never do that again.”

She smiled softly at him, “I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. Next time I’ll make sure to think before I act.”

“Let’s hope there won’t be a next.” He chuckled, Anna joining him, her giggles sounding like the most beautiful bells in the kingdom.

He kissed her soft pink lips and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you.” He whispered against her lips.

“I love you too. So very much.”

There were a few seconds of silence before he spoke again, “I guess we should head back.”

“Yeah,” she whispered back “don’t wanna get left behind.” He laughed at that as he kissed her head. Together they strolled back together, hand in hand only to discover that nobody was there. Kristoff started to panic a little until he saw further down into the forest. They seemed to be watching something, wait no, someone. Through the mass of people, Kristoff could barely make out Elsa’s blue outfit and platinum blonde hair. As she stood up and began walking Anna looked up at him with pleading eyes, asking for permission to go see her sister, When he gave a small nod she sprained over to where Elsa was, enveloping her in a tight hug from behind. He smiled, and as he walked to go join the others he could feel the ring he got for her bouncing in his shirt pocket.

Ao3

#kristanna #kristoff #anna #my fanfiction #fanfiction #kristoff and anna #kristanna fanfiction #frozen 2 #frozen fanfiction

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ana-jasso-maximoff · 4 years

Text

DANGEROUS SECRETS.

"THE STORM IS GETTING WORSE."

Instead, I keep my eyes on the sea. Looking for her.

In some ways, I've spent my entire life looking for her. And tonight, my journey may finally come to an end. Unfinished. Unfound.

Ahtohallan. Please! I need you!

I do know something about a mother's secrets.

My love.

Agnarr, king of Arendelle.

"Come, Iduna," he says, pulling me around to face him. He reaches out, clasping my hands in his. They are as warm and strong as mine are cold and trembling.

I feel a sob rise to my throat. I want to lash out, protest the orders. I'm fine. I can take care of myself. I'm not some silly girl frightened by the elements.

But what I really want to say is, I can't leave. I haven't found her yet.

If I go below, I may never find her.

And if I don't . . .

Elsa. My sweet Elsa . . . My dear Anna . . .

That's how they all see me now. A fine lady. A perfectly poised Arendellian queen.

But now, at last, Agnarr knows the truth.

feet. It's dark down below, too dark to really see the delicate yarn, but my hands are sure and true, the repetitive motions as natural and familiar to me as taking in air. Yelana would be proud.

Yelana. Is she still out there, in the Enchanted Forest, still locked in the mist?

Only Ahtohallan knows.

"This is the same pattern," he says slowly. And I know what he means without asking. Because of course it is. I hadn't even realized it when I started, but of course it is.

The same pattern as the shawl my mother knitted me when I was a baby.

The shawl that saved his life.

Gale. "It was the Wind Spirit who helped me save your life that day in the forest."

Only Ahtohallan knows. . . .

I reach out and take Agnarr's hands in mine, meeting his deep green eyes with my blue ones. I swallow down the lump in my throat that threatens to choke me, and force another smile.

"I will never forget that day," I start with a whisper, not sure he can even hear me over the tempest outside. "That horrible, wonderful day."

"Tell me," he whispers back, leaning in close. I can feel his breath on my lips. Our faces are inches away. "Tell me everything."

He crawls onto the bed, lying down next to me. He reaches out and curls his hand into mine. "For you, I've got forever."

I swipe the tears away, rolling to my side and propping my head up with my elbow. "You have to tell your part, too," I say. "This story isn't only mine, you know."

I open my eyes. "It all starts with the wind," I say. "My dear friend Gale."

As I speak, the words begin to course through me like the forbidding waters roiling outside. And like the waters, I will finally make myself heard.

Agnarr will listen.

He's always been the storyteller in our family. But not this time. Now it's my turn to tell the tale.

#frozen 2 #agduna #frozen #queen iduna #agnar and iduna #king agnar #Dangerous Secrets #frozen books #frozenii #frozen2spoilers #frozen2

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the-dubious-salamander · 4 years

Text

Three fanfictions. I surprise myself sometimes. Also I have accepted the fact that fanfic writing is actually really fun.

The movies never really explored the guilt that Elsa must have felt after striking Anna (at least the second time), or how she felt about her interactions with the guards. They hardly addressed it at all, so I wrote an angsty elsamaren fic to see what would happen. Enjoy!

Always

The stew was practically stirring itself. The simmering pot held no interest in Honeymaren’s mind when compared to Elsa’s breathtaking countenance.

She said yes.

The ice queen, one half of the bridge between mankind and the spirits, the ethereal Arendellian. Elsa was all of these things and more, yet she agreed to be Honeymaren’s partner, to share her life with her. Honeymaren, a humble Northuldra warrior.

A smile imposed its will upon her face as Honeymaren absently prepared dinner for herself and for others of her tribe.

It had taken Elsa far too long to pick up on Honeymaren’s hints, nearly to the point of frustration. On the few occasions when she did, she responded with an adorable blush, her words getting caught in her mouth, leaving Honeymaren to fill the uncomfortable silence with some meaningless distraction. Although, in fairness, it had taken Honeymaren nearly as long to figure out why Elsa lost her regal composure so quickly around her in the first place.

It’s a wonder I was able to tell her at all.

But once she had, the light in Elsa’s eyes had made every moment worth it.

Honeymaren’s reverie nearly allowed the pot to boil over.

With the crisis averted, and the stew finished cooking, she scanned the camp for a sign of Elsa. Unlike the children who rushed to grab a share of their dinner, the elusive ice queen was nowhere to be found. Her brother soon appeared by her side and ladled himself a bowl of stew.

“Ryder,” Honeymaren looked up at him. “Have you seen Elsa?”

He thought for a moment. “I think I saw her head toward the lake, but I’m not too sure.”

Honeymaren thanked him before striding off to determine the validity of his claim.

It wasn’t long before she found the large, flat rock that overlooked the lake, serving as a quite suitable diving point for a would-be swimmer. Gentle footsteps alerted Honeymaren to someone’s presence, and she soon spied Elsa, pacing, hugging herself. Snowflakes glittered in the moonlight around her.

“Elsa?”

The ice queen turned with a start, evidently unprepared for a visitor.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice shook slightly, though she made an attempt to hide it. Elsa remedied her posture, placing her hands delicately in front of her, her back and shoulders rigidly straight.

Something is wrong.

“I was looking for you,” Honeymaren looked at the woman, trying to catch her eye, but her gaze remained fixed on the ground. “What are you doing out here? Are you hungry?”

Elsa hesitated. “I needed somewhere to… to think. I will join you shortly.”

Did I do something wrong? Maybe she doesn’t feel the same way that i do, maybe she wasn’t thinking straight when she answered…

“Do you need anything? I could bring you some stew, if you’d like.” Elsa’s blue eyes flickered up to Honeymaren for a moment. She seemed surprised by her offer.

“Please, go. I’m all right.”

Honeymaren stood frozen to the spot. She should honour Elsa’s boundaries and return to camp. She clearly did not want company, so why invade her privacy by staying?

But what if she needs me?

Another moment’s hesitation. Elsa’s hands wrapped around herself again, and she continued to stare blankly at the ground. The rising moon only served to outline her melancholy in his pale, white light.

Honeymaren took a step forward. “What’s wrong, Elsa?”

“That is none of your concern.” The quivering in her voice returned, accompanied by an unexpected harshness. “Please respect my wishes and return to the camp.”

The flurry surrounding her intensified noticeably.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong,” Honeymaren carefully kept her voice level. “But I will not leave you alone out here.” Resolute in her decision, the Northuldra woman sat down, leaning back against a fallen log. Her eyes traced the ice queen, searching for signs that might warrant concern. The increasing snowfall was to be noted. Elsa’s body swayed from side to side, almost undetectably, as though there was a small part of her that was willing to disclose whatever secrets she had locked away.

The uncomfortable silence persisted for an indeterminate amount of time.

Come on, Elsa. Do something.

At last she did. Without meeting Honeymaren’s eyes, she sat down next to her, keeping her distance. The Northuldra woman shivered at the temperature drop, hoping Elsa wouldn’t notice.

“Are you okay?” Honeymaren asked tentatively, prompting nothing but continued silence from the ice queen. “You know, if we’re going to be together, we’re going to have to open up to one another a little bit.”

Elsa hugged herself tighter, bringing her knees to her chest. Sadness crept into Honeymaren’s gaze.

How can I be there for you if you shut me out?

Elsa spoke reluctantly. “I… don’t want to mess things up… y-you and me.” With these hushed words, the reserved, yet commanding woman seemed suddenly so small, looking as though she could fade into the shadows if not watched carefully, and Honeymaren wondered if that was what she wanted to do in this moment.

“You won't mess things up, and if something does go wrong, we can try to find a way to fix it.”

Elsa paused for a long moment. “I don’t want… to hurt you.”

“Elsa… by whatever miracle, you told me that you loved me. How could you ever do anything to hurt me?”

The spirit’s icy blue eyes became cold as she turned to face Honeymaren. “I loved Anna, didn’t I? I hurt her twice! The second time, I thought she had died!”

“You didn’t mean-”

“Oh? Then let’s recall the two guards whom I nearly killed. In my rage, I fully meant to send the ice through that man’s neck, and the fact that the other guard wasn’t pushed off of my balcony was no fault of my own!” Elsa’s face was unrecognizable in her pain, contorted into an angry snarl. The snow around her became a light hail, dancing and bouncing against the stone. Then, all at once, she deflated. Her shoulders slumped, following the path of her eyes, which returned their gaze to the ground. The hail became snow once again. Her body trembled as she hugged herself, becoming smaller than before. “I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have said that…”

Honeymaren moved to offer a comforting hand, but Elsa recoiled. Her next words were spoken softly.

“Ahtohallan told me that my powers were good. A gift for my mother and father. Yet I still brought harm to others, and to the one person who showed me love. If my powers are not to blame… Then I am.”

Honeymaren remained silent, choosing her next words carefully. Elsa retreated further into herself, her anguished face hardly visible through a thick snow.

“Elsa… Please listen to me as carefully as you can. You are not to blame for any harm that you have done. I only know as much about you as Olaf has explained - albeit in considerable detail - but I can hardly believe that an eight-year-old girl would intentionally harm her own little sister. And I know how annoying siblings can get.” The joke left no impact on Elsa, unfortunately. “The first time was an accident, you were only trying to have fun. You aren’t to blame for the second time, either. From what I understand, you were going through a lot of stress and fear, and Anna’s heart was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.” Elsa remained quiet. “And with the guards, you were being attacked. You were still stressed, afraid, and angry, and you had every right to be. It isn’t your fault that it got out of hand.”

Elsa spoke in a pained whisper. “‘Conceal it, don’t feel it.’ I’m supposed to control my emotions, and my powers. When I don’t, other people pay the price.”

Honeymaren took Elsa’s chin in her hand, turning her so that they locked eyes. “Powers or not, spirit or not, you are still human. Humans have emotions, and for thirteen years, you weren’t allowed to have any. Yes, for you, the consequences can be worse, but I’m sure you’ve learned so much in three years. Elsa… you are allowed to feel things.”

The blue eyes, once cold, now glazed over, tears spilling and tracing a path down her pale cheeks. Honeymaren pulled her close in an unwavering embrace, and Elsa cried softly into her chest.

I will always be here for you.

Always.

#elsamaren #elsaxhoneymaren #honeymarenxelsa #fanfiction #fanfic #frozen 2 fanfiction #frozen #frozen 2 #angst #poor gentle elsa #she deserves so much love

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joannevixxon · 4 years

Text

Love Comes At A Cost

An Elsamaren fanfic by JoanneVixxon on AO3

Summary:

The Fifth Spirit is one of many myths that came to life. And, not all myths are meant to be saviours in times of woe.

Just as Arendelle welcomes Queen Anna into her reign, the Northuldra wade through their newfound freedom under Elsa’s protection. Unbeknownst to them, lurking behind shadows awaits a monster whose anger finds peace in the demise of innocent lives.

[Chapter 1: Anna’s Astute Mind]

Preview: “How ever cold a fortitude of silence Elsa bore, it melted, came undone at the seams, shed its mask of immaculate armour, once Elsa leaned forwards to rest her elbows languidly against the railing, as if to ask for back rubs instead. Like a steed to its master, the Queen of Ice and Snow bowed her head ever so slightly to her Northuldra companion.”

[Chapter 2: This Warmth Has A Name]

Preview: “This warmth. It has a name. Proclaimed at times most opportune. Sometimes it teeters at the edge of one’s lips— nothing more daunting than to have its existence brought center stage. It had always been there in Elsa’s life. Lurking behind curtains when Anna met her closed doors. Burning bright in her mother’s lullabies. It was Elsa’s oldest companion. The hot to her cold. The light to her dark. The quencher of her fears.”

/////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Chapter 2: This Warmth Has A Name

It all started three weeks before, when Elsa had just turned twenty-six.

Along with Honeymaren, Ryder, Yelena and the others, Elsa celebrated her “sorta-quarter- of-a-century birthday”— as Anna proclaimed it at every seizable opportunity— in Arendelle. A full week and a half whizzed through before anyone could fully revel in Christmas celebrations and solstice festivals. For the first time in forever, Arendelle stood hand in hand with the Northuldra, to ring in the winter season with a Yule Bell that sat atop the castle’s facade.

It flourished into a jubilant eleven days, complete with every variant of chocolate-drenched dessert imaginable— fruits with chocolate fondue, chocolate mousse, chocolate tiered cake, chocolate parfait, you could go on forever. The doors to the Great Hall were kept open for the citizens of Arendelle to dance, savour the taste of scrumptious treats and seek refuge from the crisp winter air. As per Queen Anna’s request, the castle kitchen stocked a hefty supply of lutefisk to keep Elsa’s cravings at bay for another week or two.

Elsa honestly couldn’t have dreamt of a more perfect occasion for which she could spend time with her family and friends, Arendellian and Northuldra alike.

She returned to the Enchanted Forest at night, welcomed at last by the quiet noise of forest critters and sea breeze. Though her body was tangibly there, kissed by the smoke wafting from campfires, Elsa’s mind had remained to saunter through the hustle and bustle of Arendelle’s winter parties. That was, until she realised how pensive Honeymaren had been throughout their journey to Northuldra.

The two had yet to reach the level of intimacy that Elsa and Anna shared. Despite the stark contrast in their characters, the two sisters could detect each other’s disquietude in as much time as it did a whiff of chocolate from the kitchens— in other words, immediately. Aside from a chilly draft whisking into the room, Elsa had the habit of pressing into her palm where her gloves used to cause an itch, arching shoulders, vacillating around any space you’d call a window or a balcony. Anna usually stammered her way into a blabber, biting her bottom lip, flailing her hands and pacing in a spot altogether.

But what about Honeymaren?

Elsa dawdled her way to Honeymaren, who sat quietly on one vacant bought at their usual spot around the campfire, petting the nape of a baby reindeer.

“Is this seat taken?” asked Elsa out of courtesy.

Honeymaren lips curved into a weary smile as she shook her head. Hesitantly, Elsa plopped down beside her.

“Honeymaren,” said Elsa, trying not to sound like an overly concerned parent. She settled with a tone of affability, with just a hint of nonchalance. “Are you okay? You’ve been a bit quiet,”

Honeymaren paused to survey their camp. Young brothers and sisters were plagued with a fit of giggles as they chased one another down on winter-crusted soil. In the large, oddly extravagant shed of ice— courtesy of none other than Elsa— reindeer herders could be seen sharpening their spears and daggers. Nourishing the camp with youthful music were the elders, who were either blowing into fadno flutes or plucking zithers. The night was as lively as it was serene.

“I’m okay. Just tired,” said Honeymaren. “Thanks for asking, Elsa. I appreciate it,”

Elsa tensed at the curt response, as she gently petted the baby reindeer’s hind. Somewhere amidst the reindeer’s soft coos of bliss, she hoped to find a balm to her fluttering heart. “Was Arendelle... a bit too much?” asked Elsa, though her question aimed furtively to the droopy-eyed calf. “I understand if it’s too noisy and colourful and overwhelming—”

“What? N-No, no at all, Elsa,” stuttered Honeymaren. Quickly peering into Elsa’s eyes, she placed a hand on Elsa’s back. “I love coming to Arendelle. The things you do with lingonberries! Who knew they could be tastier than they already are? And those boxes that magically tell you the time—?”

“Clocks...?”

“Clocks! They’re amazing!” Honeymaren let out a chuckle.

Every tendril of muscle in Elsa’s body melted as Honeymaren rubbed her back. Any average citizen of Arendelle wouldn’t dare to come three feet into Elsa’s space, let alone rest a finger upon her cool skin. But, the Northuldra saw physical contact as a means of sharing one’s innermost sentiments, relaying passions upon the slightest brush of one’s shoulder, speaking louder than words, unvarnished and raw.

“I’d go there everyday if I could...” said Honeymaren wistfully before looking away. There it was again. The look of apprehension shot to the ground, as if the hook of a piercing gaze could fish a fickle dream out from the barren soil. “I want to know everything there is about Arendelle... And the world beyond...”

This restless demeanor was anything but foreign to Elsa. She’d seen it countless times in the eyes of a young blonde, trapped on the other side of her mirror. The Forest to Honeymaren was perhaps what queendom was to Elsa in its dying months. A cage with its doors left ajar. A set of chains with its keys jangling by one’s feet. A trap, tattered, loose and unhinged.

The prospect of breaking free from a prison that was once home, was becoming less and less an elaborate fantasy to Honeymaren and more an optional reality.

And it terrified her.

The unknown.

“I should bring you over more often,” said Elsa, before realising what had tumbled out of her lips. “I-I should introduce you to everyone. Give you a tour around the whole kingdom. See my favourite views, my favourite hiking trails...”

“Really?” Honeymaren’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’d do that? For me?”

“Of course,” said Elsa in a daze. “Anywhere you want to go in Arendelle. I’m more than happy to bring you around,”

Honeymaren’s smile stretched from ear to ear. Just as Elsa opened her mouth to ask what had truly ruffled Honeymaren’s feathers, the brunette cradled the baby reindeer in her arms and rose to her feet, never leaving Elsa’s eyes unattended. “I want to show you something,” She cocked her head to the side and extended a hand.

Elsa stood, her hand fastening in Honeymaren’s. For someone who could triumph over her brawn of a brother in a spar, who could hang from a tree upside down, who could hold a baby reindeer then in the crook of one arm, Elsa never found Honeymaren’s hands any less delicate in her clasps. Elsa caressed her thumb over Honeymaren’s, making sure to come off as habitual than deliberate. Sure enough, her skin was just as soft as her touch.

“What is it?” asked Elsa, curiously.

Honeymaren bumped shoulders with Elsa and winked. “You’ll see,”

Fingers intertwined, Elsa let Honeymaren lead her to whatever it was she wanted Elsa to see, stealing glances to the back just in case her snowflakes had stalked them from above.

Elsa was in control. For now.

Into a small clearing, they entered, greeted by the soft amber light of a solitary campfire, on top of which perched a steaming pot of burbling stew. Several wooden shafts neatly lined the outskirts of the area, adjoined by several twines knotted in perfect bows.

Had Yelena decided to bring a semblance of Arendelle’s lamp posts into the forest as decor?

Once Honeymaren drew Elsa to the campfire, she jogged back to the tents to deposit the slumbering baby reindeer. It suddenly struck Elsa that Honeymaren had brought the reindeer along as an excuse to leave Elsa for a moment.

Something was about to happen. Something special. Elsa sensed it. Hoped for it. Wished upon a thousand stars.

Out from the thick blanket of looming shadows, Honeymaren reappeared, with what seemed to be everyone else from the camp. Elsa fidgeted with loose strands of hair as the area flooded with family after family— little boys and girls, mothers and fathers, and elders. All eyes locked on her. With Elsa’s tension palpable from miles away, Honeymaren hastily returned by Elsa’s side with a reassuring smile, clasping one of Elsa’s hands with both of her own. For the first time since fleeing from her coronation ball, Elsa’s heart yearned to burst free from her rib cage.

Could everyone see her tremble? Was she freezing the floor? Was that her snow?

Yelena finally stepped out, wearing the widest grin Elsa had seen from her. She took Elsa’s other hand, as did everyone else with each other’s shoulders, forming a human spiral.

“Elsa,” said Yelena, her deep voice stoic yet tender. “You and your sister have granted our people a freedom we have long abandoned in our prayers. For all the despair that has consumed us for the worst part of thirty-four dark years, you have kindled a flame of hope within our hearts, motivating our people to take steps in mending old wounds, to discover what lies beyond this sacred forest, to unite and thrive together as a community, and to live to our fullest potential. For your undying love to our families, we dedicate a vuelie to you, as a symbol of eternal gratitude,”

In an instant, the camp broke into song— into a vuelie that Elsa hadn’t heard before.

Yet, its lilt was as foreign as it was familiar. Elsa’s magic pulsed through her veins to a rhythm not so different. Its cadence reverberated through Elsa’s bones, lulling her storm of thoughts to the peaceful voice she heard ringing in her ears.

Her mother. Her siren. Her call.

This was a vuelie, specially made for Elsa.

Elsa opened her eyes, to see the forest painted in a blue haze, by the ocean of fireflies buzzing behind barren trees, by the moonlit sky splashed a river of stars, by Bruni’s fire which blazed along the posts and their ropes.

Elsa felt her entire body shrouded in warmth. This warmth. It has a name. Proclaimed at times most opportune. Sometimes it teeters at the edge of one’s lips— nothing more daunting than to have its existence brought center stage. It had always been there in Elsa’s life. Lurking behind curtains when Anna met her closed doors. Burning bright in her mother’s lullabies. It was Elsa’s oldest companion. The hot to her cold. The light to her dark. The quencher of her fears.

Breathing life in as far as it echoed, the vuelie hushed too soon after it began and so did the soft buzz of forest critters. Elsa blinked into space, floating into reverie.

Yelena shot Honeymaren a glance, before turning to look at Elsa again. “Also,” continued Yelena with a smile. “Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year, Elsa,”

This warmth. It was Love. It swaddled her, as if to celebrate her own being— once Princess of Arendelle, once Queen, now Fifth Spirit, now Elsa in her truest element. Elsa felt loved. For all her beauty and flaws, she was loved.

Years of preserving queenly composure crumbled as tears rolled down Elsa’s cheeks. The entire camp stood dumbfounded in silence.

Yelena seemed like she contemplated a gesture of consolation— a squeeze on Elsa’s shoulder, perhaps. In the end, she simply coughed into a fist. “It was Honeymaren’s idea,”

“H-Hey—” stuttered Honeymaren, panicking as Elsa’s weeps turned to sobs. “Elsa, are you—”

Elsa pulled Honeymaren into a tight embrace, knocking the wind out of Honeymaren’s lungs as their chests collided. They had never been this close, whimpers seeping into Honeymaren’s ears, shoulders trembling against Honeymaren’s chin.

Worrying others for her personal turmoil was a peeve of Elsa’s that stood the test of time. And yet, she prayed for all that she felt bellowing within the confines of her tightening chest to find its way to Honeymaren’s heart. To have the burden of inexplicable pain be carried in companionship, than in solitude. To be taken care of. To be shared. To be understood.

Careful arms wrapped around Elsa. First hesitant, then resolute, Honeymaren rubbed Elsa’s back in a way she knew best— with fondness. Slowly, Elsa’s hug grew limpid. Her sobs lulled to heavy breaths. The weight of her arms rested on Honeymaren’s shoulders.

She felt at ease.

If Decadence made itself the crux of one’s love, it would’ve taken the form of a human being named Honeymaren. She was as sweet as her name suggests. As soothing a balm as honey.

“Thank you, Honey,” mumbled Elsa into Honeymaren’s collar. “ I love… I loved it,”

Yelena snickered, ambling away from the two. “Told you,” she said to another elder in a loud whisper. “If it’s Elsa, ‘Maren’ is never going to be her nickname,”

Elsa pulled away an inch, blushing. “Honeymaren,”

“Yes?” replied Honeymaren, eyes widening.

“I-I meant to say ‘Honeymaren’,” Elsa looked furtively to the crowd around them, voice still cracking. “I don’t know why I said ‘Honey’. Well, I-I mean I do know. I just thought about how sweet you— t-this— was. You can be sweet. You are sweet. Goodness gracious. I didn’t mean—”

“Elsa,” said Honeymaren softly, wiping the tears off of Elsa’s pink cheeks. “You can call me Honey,”

“Oh... Oh, okay,” Sniffling, Elsa threaded her fingers through her blonde hair. “Only... if you want me to...”

“I’d like that very much, Elsa,” Honeymaren stroked Elsa’s knuckles with a thumb, blotting out any certainty Elsa had in the furtiveness of her caresses just moments before. Honeymaren hugged Elsa again. This time tighter. Warmer. “I love… I’d love that very much,”

__________________

Turns out that pot at the centre of the camp had bidos simmering away. It was a Northuldra stew that Elsa took delight in but had mixed feelings for— what with the carrots, potatoes… and reindeer meat. The thought of eating Sven, or the dozens of baby reindeer she coddled every morning with warm hugs and icy fractals, had always hovered above her head when she ate bidos, too nebulous to be tucked away, too vile to be hidden and ignored.

Herding reindeer for sustenance was just something that irked Elsa. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t reindeer herding, but the sad reality that furry creatures live in as both epitomes of cuteness and victims of slaughter. Would she feel the same way about whitefishes used for lutefisk or chickens used for roasts, had she lived this close to her food?

“Onto your second helping?” teased Honeymaren, sitting beside Elsa. She pretended to thoroughly inspect Elsa’s bowl of bidos. “How unlike you,”

Elsa daintily covered her mouth with her fingertips as she swallowed, snapping out of her ponderance. “I like it,” said Elsa with a simper. “I want to… relish in this moment,”

“Oh?” said Honeymaren, intrigued. “And what kind of moment is this for you?”

Elsa’s eyes fluttered closed as she attempted to immerse herself in her five senses. The past year of meditation practices had proved this to be second nature. “I can see everyone having fun, dancing in the moonlight, chatting around the campfire… I can hear the echoes of my vuelie ringing in my ears.... The waft of embers tickling my nose…”

Honeymaren rested her chin on Elsa’s shoulder at this point. Maybe it was sisterly instinct, or better yet, a jolt of courage bestowed by the gods of sympathy themselves. Either way, Elsa found herself stroking Honeymaren’s head.

Elsa figured that fatigue had washed over the brunette, being the mastermind of Elsa’s surprise. Elsa herself had a hand in planning a surprise for Anna’s 19th birthday and that culminated with a snowgie-infested cold.

Surprises were no easy feat.

Elsa felt grateful but guilty, indebted to Honeymaren’s acts of kindness, compelled to repay her with the same sweet type of affection. A strong compulsion then surged into her conscience, coaxing her to try something that she’d seen Anna do to Kristoff time and time again. Gulping, Elsa threaded her fingers through Honeymaren’s thick black hair, and slowly, gently, casually, massaged her scalp.

Honeymaren was pleasantly warm to the touch, like blankets that had been soaked overnight in body heat, or carpet tassels lazed before hearths. As if Honeymaren’s own body had betrayed her adamancy to not respond— not through the weakest of whimpers or the softest of sighs— she grew warmer and languid as Elsa’s fingers leisurely ventured their way from her crown to the spot behind her ear, before finally adding pressure right where her head met her nape.

Her silence was stifling to Elsa. Perhaps, there would’ve been no harm in continuing with a description of this moment. Which human sense was this? Touch? Once a taboo to Elsa. Now, an unspoken language of Elsa’s deepest desires. “The feeling of… your hair… in my hand,”

Honeymaren chose that moment to flinch away, staring intensely at the crowd, whose backs were all that could be seen from their seats. Elsa figured her caresses had truly gone unnoticed this time. Did Honeymaren hate head massages? Did Elsa cross a line? She should’ve asked. She wasn’t thinking through…

“I-I’m sorry,” stammered Elsa, hoping to squeeze some wisdom out of her thick skull as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I shouldn’t have— Not everyone— I’m sorry,”

Something tickled Elsa’s wrist. Looking between her fingers, Elsa found Honeymaren trying to clasp her hand. Her soft grip seemed to say “look at me” and “look away”, all at once.

“Sounds like four senses,” whispered Honeymaren, her hot breath tickling Elsa’s ear. “That leaves taste,”

Elsa’s shoulders arched. “O-Oh… Well... I can taste bidos... lingering on my tongue,”

Honeymaren peered downwards, paying no heed to Elsa’s awkwardness. “I haven’t had the chance to... have a taste,”

Elsa took a deep breath.

One thing she’d learned from Anna and Kristoff was that couples spoke in code, like a cypher of romance. Just that, she didn’t know if Honeymaren had actually meant to use it.

They were merely friends after all.

So, was Honeymaren flirting? Or… Was she asking for a bowl of bidos? Was Elsa supposed to lean forwards and kiss her? Or stand up… and… grab Honeymaren a bowl of bidos?

Should she ask what Honeymaren meant?

That would’ve been pathetic.

An embarrassment.

Time stood still, arms crossed, as Elsa listened to the cacophony of her thousand bickering thoughts. Her silence reeked the scent of docility. It was tempting. Magnetising.

As if their proximity wasn’t all too indicative, Honeymaren inched closer.

Not before long, a strong gust of wind suddenly meandered its way through the crowd, taunting them with a sweep of dust and leaves.

“Mama!”

“Be careful of the fire, sweetheart!”

“What the...?”

“Is that—?”

“It’s winter! The last thing we need is wind!”

“Hush! Do not anger the spirits!”

In a heartbeat, the gust of wind halted before Elsa and Honeymaren, circling in a spot by their feet. Everyone spun around to trail the beast of a breeze, as Elsa and Honeymaren shifted away from each other, putting enough room to fit a reindeer between themselves.

Honeymaren dipped her face into her palms.

“G-Gale?” called Elsa, acutely aware of everyone’s curious stare. The change in mood hit her like a whiplash. “Is that you?”

Gale swivelled around Elsa’s wrist, yanking her by the arm. Stumbling forwards, Elsa found herself falling on all fours, palms digging into dirt.

“Gale? What’s wrong? What happened?” asked Elsa, flicking dirt away from her hands. She could tell how frightened the Wind Spirit was by its frantic whiffs.

The breezy spiral around her arm brought with it some dark liquid. As the embers of the campfire flickered across the soil, Elsa caught sight of a red tinge.

It was blood.

“Water has memory…”

Holding her breath, Elsa blasted a small stream of ice, letting Gale reconstruct a scene they had witnessed. Building layers upon layers, the snow congealed into ice, and the ice crystallised into a sculpture of intricate detail.

The crowd broke into murmurs of fright and confusion.

The sculpture took the form of a Nothuldra man with his back against a boulder. A dagger was unsheathed, perched atop unclenched fists. There was only so much that could be deciphered. But, that figure was as lifeless as it could have been for an ice sculpture.

His hair was unkempt, nose wide, brows thick and chiseled.

Everyone made no mistake in thinking that it was Ryder.

Elsa didn’t dare turn to face Honeymaren.

She shut her eyes and grimaced, bracing for a shriek, a swooning body, a clambering towards the sculpture, as she had done with Anna’s frozen form years ago. Instead, she found Honeymaren seemingly turned into a statue herself, speechless and riveted to the ground.

Elsa felt as if her body was dunked into the depths of Ahtohallan.

“Honeymaren,” called Yelena, squeezing her way out from the crowd. She trotted to the two young women. “Honeymaren. What’s Ryder—“

“The reindeer,” stuttered Honeymaren, her voice suddenly small. “The herd… was missing one or two reindeer. He went to look for them where they were last grazing on lichen,”

Jumping to her feet, Elsa strode to a stream trickling down close by. “Nokk!” called Elsa, voice laced with panic. “Nokk, we have to go! Gale, lead the way,”

Amidst the yelps of awe and shock from the crowd, a vehement neigh echoed throughout the forest and a ferocious water horse emerged with a splash. Gale circling beneath her soles, Elsa mounted Nokk without an inkling of hesitation.

Elsa was about to click her heel when Honeymaren ran towards them with a staff in hand. “Lemme come with you,” said Honeymaren, as a statement rather than a request.

“Honey,” replied Elsa, her heart aching. “It might be dangerous. I—“

“No! Stop!” Honeymaren tugged Elsa by her knee. “He’s the only family I have left! If anything happened to him, I need to see it with my own two eyes. Please.”

Elsa paused as those very eyes filled with hot tears. She’d do the same for Anna. How obtuse must Elsa be to deny Honeymaren this right?

“Okay,” said Elsa, extending a hand. Time was of the essence. “We do this together,”

#frozen 2 #elsamaren #honeyelsa #elsa #honeymaren #frozen 2 fanfic #post-frozen 2 #frozen #disney frozen #frozen fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #my fanfic

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justlookatthosesausages · 4 years

Text

“Lift the Spirit” :: a post-Frozen 2 Elsamaren fanfic

Chapter 4: On the edge of the abyss

“You are… Going to fight with those?” Muttered Ryder.

“Yep.” Smiled Anna with a proud pout.

“Those are… Yours, Kristoff’s and Eydis’ weapons?”

“Yep.”

“Should I be concerned if you three ever get angry at me?”

“...Yep?”

They looked at each other, then burst out of laughter.

“Come on”, giggled the Queen as he closed the chest. “It’s time to eat.”

He followed her to the spot where their extended family was relaxing, and Eydis was already serving lunch.

Ryder sat happily between Anna and Honeymaren, who had Elsa on her lap.

“Ahh, the powerful trio of the three strongest women of the country!”

The referred women frowned in confusion.

“Excuse me?”

The brown-haired man grinned. “Well, Maren is the tribe leader, Anna the Queen of Arendelle, and Elsa the guardian of Ahtohallan. So yeah, you three are the most amazing women I’ve ever met.”

There was a silence, and they exchanged unsure gazes.

Ryder blinked. “Unless one of you doesn’t identify with the term ‘woman’? It’s fine then, just ask me and I’ll change.”

Anna chuckled at his kindness. “I think we’re good with the woman appellation.”

He sighed. “Okay. Cool. Sorry for panicking. I’ve spent a lot of time with Olaf on last Yule, and he kept talking about genders and pronouns, and…”

Honeymaren tapped his shoulder affectionately. “You’re doing great, Ryder. Here, take some soup before you have a cardiac arrest.”

Anna and the brunette laughed openly, however Elsa remained quiet.

Despite her blatantly essential duty, she couldn’t help but think that she was less important than Honeymaren and Anna, who had game-changing roles that required more leadership than her. Also, they had to manage people, while Elsa had to manage magical beings. Those were just as stubborn as humans, if not more, but at least Elsa could feel their emotions and presence anytime. All of their exchanges were sincere, transparent. There was no way to be lied to in such a relationship. With the Northuldra and Arendelle, on the other hand… Not that the blonde considered them fervent liars, far from it, but one could never know about a human’s real opinion. Elsa had been Queen for 3 years, and in that experience, she had learned that people - especially male politicians - weren’t always trustworthy.

She got jolted out of her thoughts by Eydis heavily sitting down next to her, and the princess sighed longly.

“There. I hope you will all like it.” Smiled the little blonde, despite a clear stress, to the Northuldra present around them. “Bone at the teeth.”

They nodded, and Elsa chuckled discreetly. “It’s ‘bon appétit’.” She whispered to her ear.

Eydis frowned. “Isn’t it what I said?”

“Never mind.” Smiled her aunt.

They all drank their soup in silent content, and it was quite good, which they didn’t miss to tell Eydis.

The princess started to daydream, looking in the horizon at the beautiful landscape they could admire from here. She saw two Earth Giants smile at each other as they exchanged their positions, switching to watch over the Northuldra land and prevent any surprise attack.

“Auntie?”

Elsa stopped staring at Honeymaren to turn to her niece. “Yes?”

“How does the Earth Spirit works? I just saw two Giants communicate with each other without even saying a word.”

Elsa grinned, and followed her gaze. “That’s because they use magic, just like I do when I communicate with them. We could call that telepathy. The Giants even have a way faster system to talk between them, as they are parts of one and only Spirit.”

Eydis nodded longly. “So, it’s like a hive mind?”

The blonde smiled at her cleverness. “Yes, exactly. Well, I’d say more like… An archipel. Because the Giants are like the visible islands on the surface, who actually are connected to each other in one and only land underneath.”

Anna snorted. “You spend way too much time with Nokk. Water metaphors are heavy.”

Honeymaren intervened as well. “Nah, that’s just Elsa. She’s a bookworm and her metaphors are constant.”

“Uhm, I’m sitting right here.”

She indeed was on her lap, and the brunette held her closer for cuddles, proving that this was just tease.

“Anyway”, Elsa said, turning to the Giant who was guarding the place they were looking at on the horizon. “That’s Pebble.”

Anna laughed openly. “Oh gosh, sorry, but… Damn, the names you give them. See? That’s the proof you spend too much time in the water.”

“No, that’s the proof that he spends too much time with Nokk. They keep playing together. And in fact…”

She closed her eyes and frowned slightly as she focused, tying a mental bond with the Giant despite the long distance. Eydis watched as the magical being named Pebble turned a bit to their direction, like he got called.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Chuckled Elsa as she opened her eyes again. “He was hanging with Nokk before arriving for his shift.”

“That’s cute.” Commented Honeymaren, though the Snow Queen couldn’t tell if she was referring to the Spirits being good friends or to Elsa casually sharing a mind connection with a 12-meter tall being.

“Hey, Maren, speaking about bookworms, did you read the novel I gave you on last Yule?” Asked Anna.

“No, not yet. But it’s in the hut. On the nightstand, actually.”

Kristoff snorted at his wife’s intentions. “Are you turning the camp into a book club?”

The redhead laughed. “No. And no mockery! You know that the times I go to the Arendelle library on Wednesday nights are the only time of the week when I’m leaving you at peace.”

Kristoff smiled. “I love hearing you rambling about your recent readings on Thursday breakfasts, though.”

The Queen grinned lovingly.

Elsa was happy to see that Anna had made friends with townspeople. Arendellians were very open minded and knew how to forget that she was their sovereign to casually chat about novels with her in a public building.

“So, Honeymaren, are you going to join the book club once you’ve read her novel recommendation?” Laughed Kristoff.

“Oh, no, it’s not really my kind of thing anyway. I’m not much into reading.”

“Wait, what?” Frowned the redhead. “But you’ve finished several novels I told you about though.”

“I know. It’s because Elsa is the one reading them. She reads them aloud to me at night. I can’t resist it, she has the softest voice in the world.”

“Aaaaawwwww.” Melted Anna.

Elsa blushed, a bit pouty. That was a private habit…

“She does have a soft voice.” Admitted the redhead. “The kids want her to read a bedtime story everytime they can. Well, Isak at least. Eydis says she’s too old for stories now.”

She gave a look at her daughter behind Honeymaren and Elsa, and the young blonde grumbled.

“Though, the other night, she was listening to the one we told her brother. You’re still a fan, aren’t you?”

“Mooom!” Frowned Eydis, grumpy.

“Who wouldn’t be a fan of stories? You know, I’m certain that even animals love stories. You should see when we talk around the campfire. It’s like the entire Forest stops living to listen carefully.”

She even remembered the occasions when Elsa talks about her day to the reindeers, and the same phenomenon happens every time: rabbits, birds and squirrels gather near to listen to her from behind the bushes. Nevertheless, Honeymaren refrained herself to share this enchanting trivia with the others, because she realized that her wife was tense since she had talked about the reading sessions. She caressed Elsa’s back gently, and kissed her bare shoulder. The blonde looked down at her, and their eyes met. She gave her a forgiving sigh, but her azure blue irises sparkled as a warning. Honeymaren grinned, her lips stretching but still in contact with her skin.

They finished eating happily, until Anna stood up and slapped her thighs in both determination and excitement. “Alright! Let’s go scout around the camp.”

Kristoff blinked. “Can’t we take a nap first?”

“Heroes don’t nap.” Huffed the redhead.

Honeymaren giggled. “She’s kind of right. Also, I’m not saying we should tempt the devil, but if we walk around, it will give the possibility for Victor to attack, and we’ll catch him at his own game.”

They agreed and stood up along. “We’ll make two teams. I’ll go with Eydis and Elsa down the valley.” Suggested the Northuldra leader. “You two, with Ryder, across the woods.”

“Excellent.” Beamed Anna.

As they parted ways, she walked up to Honeymaren. “I trust you earnestly, but please make sure that Eydis is safe.”

“Don’t worry.” Assured Honeymaren, winking. “I’m responsible.”

Elsa scoffed sarcastically.

“What?” Frowned the brunette.

“The very first thing you taught my niece was to climb to trees, and how to hang up upside down with her legs without falling.”

Honeymaren gasped. “And isn’t that a practical thing she still uses today? That she could use in this very battle? It is, so stop staring at me like that.”

The two sisters eye-rolled. Eydis intervened to defend her aunt.

“I still thank you for that, actually. It’s not the kind of thing I’d learn from a princess royal training routine.”

“See?” Flinged Honeymaren.

“Eydis, you’re not helping right now.” Said Anna.

“I will keep an eye on your daughter, fire head. I promise.”

The princess turned at the nickname. “Hey, by the way, why do you call her ‘fire head’?”

Elsa giggled. “Because when she met your mother, it was the first time she ever saw someone with ginger hair. Nobody in the Northuldra tribe has such a hair color, you see?”

“Oooh.”

“This isn’t the only reason.” Precised Honeymaren. “When I have fight practice with Anna, her face gets all red from the effort.”

“My face doesn’t get all red. My cheeks are like, slightly more red than usual, at most. If you tease me one more time with that, Maren, I swear that we’ll have a training session right now and it will get very real.”

Ryder laughed behind them. “Liar. You secretly love that nickname. Because it sounds like a war title.”

Anna shrugged in admission, and Eydis grinned. It did have a ring to it.

She also noted how Ryder, Anna and Kristoff called Honeymaren ‘Maren’, while Elsa went for ‘Honey’. This family was really weird. She sighed.

“Shall we go, then?”

=======

“I just want to be a cooler uncle than Honeymaren to Eydis.” Insisted Ryder.

He never had gotten the chance to talk about that topic, because his niece was always around when he saw Anna and Kristoff in Arendelle. Now that they were in separate teams, it was the perfect time.

“Just tell me how!”

Kristoff laughed openly at his struggle. “It’s not something that we can advise you on, my friend. You’ll have to trust your instincts on that.”

“You know, the coolest aunt badge is already taken by Elsa.” Giggled Anna, sarcastic.

“Figuratively and literally.” Grinned the blond.

Ryder gave them a death stare as they all walked among the trees. “Can’t you help me instead of being sassy?”

Kristoff shrugged. “To be honest, Eydis is starting her teenager crisis years. So anything that we adults say to her is never ‘cool’ enough. She’s a bit indifferent to Elsa’s powers now.”

Ryder widened his eyes in shock. If she found the Fifth Spirit mundane, how could he ever compete?

Cogs turned in his mind as he thought of something.

“Having a digestive walk in the Northuldra woods, your Majesty?”

Suddenly said a voice behind them, and all three startled and turned around.

Someone was approaching, at a low and assured pace. It was a man, given his silhouette, and he seemed old, but also fit, like a retired guard.

“Are the Arendelle’s castle gardens too small for your taste? Not that you belong there anyway…” Said the mysterious man in a low voice.

He was wearing a dark purple cape, almost black. As he walked to them, and they were standing still, he took off the hood. Now they could see his face, that he didn’t plan to hide; Victor Eiglatson in person was standing in front of them.

“You…” Frowned Anna.

In her mind flashed images of his threats, his arrestation, his assaults described by Kristoff, Honeymaren, Elsa and the Northuldra, and, more importantly, the two innocent men who had died after his first attack.

“You will pay for what you have done!” Shouted Ryder, and he approached the old Arendellian.

Victor flicked his right wrist up to down in the Northuldra’s direction, and a dark slime blow hit his head from above. In a swift shock, the man groaned and fainted, falling head first in the grass.

“RYDER!!” Exclaimed Anna.

She then twirled to the enemy, her long red hair waving with her like a mane.

“I’ll have you killed for that!!”

Victor eye-rolled. “Calm down, Queenie. He’s only unconscious. I’m not gonna waste my magic on some random guy. You, on the other hand…”

Kristoff followed his gaze. He was strictly staring at Anna.

“Why are you interested in me?” Hissed the woman in question.

“That’s really obvious. You’re the Fifth Spirit’s biggest weakness. I’ll have her at my feet once I’m done with you.”

Anna frowned at his plan. She also wondered why he didn’t call her Elsa, but pushed that thought away to focus on clenching her fists.

“Well I’ll beat you up, you old--”

Kristoff’s arm stopped her in her momentum. She was strong, but he was even more muscular, so he easily held her in place.

“You’ll have to go through me first.” He threatened.

Victor didn’t even flinch at his sentence. “That can be arranged.”

He flipped his wrists, and a burst of dark slime spluttered out of his palms. Two liquid monsters formed on each side of him, and started running to them. He cackled like a maniac as they immediately ran for their lives before the creatures touched them with their long crooked fingers.

Kristoff was dragging Anna along his run, but soon understood that there was no need; she was even faster than him.

He gave a peak behind to check if there were safe, and saw to his biggest fright that the arm of the closest creature changed of form. When the goo assembled at the end of its fingers and solidified in the shape of a long blade, Kristoff’s heart leaped.

“WATCH OUT!”

He tackled Anna, and they rolled in the grass to dodge away from the attack. They stumbled to stand up, and he stared at the monster which had its blade planted to where they had been standing, now struggling to take it off. So it was solid.

Since when could they do that? Did they evolve? Did Victor learn from his past mistakes? Was he able to upgrade his creations, just like Elsa did? He gulped in apprehension.

The second creature quickly made him come back to reality; it used the same technique, but with both arms. Two black slimy blades cut through the air, whistling in the woods, and the two Arendellians jumped back to avoid being sliced in half.

They hadn’t plan this walk correctly, and Kristoff looked around to search for anything that could be used to repel the enemies.

The King then saw a trunk on the ground next to them, and he ran to it. He quickly valued his actions: he could use a fallen tree, right? He wouldn’t disrespect Nature, for this was a dead tree anyway. Kristoff nodded to himself and put his right foot on the trunk, then grasped with both hand the thickest of its branches. It was so wide his thumbs didn’t even touch his fingertips, but he managed to pull and pluck it out with a loud grunt.

Immediately, he twirled around and started to swung the branch in the direction of the creature.

He could effectively stop the left blade of the creature, but it got stuck in the wood, which surprised both him and the monster. It didn’t wait for another blow, though, and made its second blade sing in the air, aiming right at his throat. Kristoff frowned, and thought faster than light; he grabbed his stick with his hands in reverse order, and moved it towards the creature’s elbow moving in his direction. In a swift shift, the monster accidentally planted its blade in its other arm. Looking a bit dumb now, it had both arms tied together, and Kristoff pushed its body with a strong blow of the branch.

The monster fell on the ground. It then was confused on how to stand up now, with its arms like that, and it looked like it was punished and sitting with handcuffs on.

Anna grinned at the state of the enemy, and when Kristoff turned around, panting, his happy brown eyes suddenly widened in terror.

“What?” Said the redhead.

“Duck!!”

In any other context, Anna would have allowed herself a joke about the animal. Now wasn’t the time. She shrieked, curling down, and Kristoff jumped above her crouched body to slam the head of the monster who was about to spike his wife.

The racquetball-like move was given with all his strength, and the creature was stunned, losing its balance and falling backwards. Anna stood up slowly, looking at the two outperformed monsters. She breathed out with a gasp at the shock to have been close to death, and stared at Kristoff from head to toes. She made a pause to admire his muscles glistening with sweat, and his intense stare due to adrenalin.

“Gods I love you.” Sighed Anna, staring at him with arousal.

They stared at each other, and walked the meters separating them with their gaze lost in the ocean of the other’s, like the entire world had ceased to exist around them.

The approaching steps of the enemy brought them out of their reverie. Victor clapped his hands slowly with sarcasm. “Waow, truly effective, your Majesty. But you’re aware that you can’t beat them, right?”

He snapped his fingers, and the stunned creature toddled up, standing up again, while the other saw its arms vanish, then be created again. It went on its feet too.

Kristoff twirled his thick branch around, ready for round two. However, it now was covered with black magic ink, so he dropped it in a disgusted wince before he would get infected.

The Queen whinged at how they now were defenseless again.

“Why didn’t we take the weapons we brought?!” She exclaimed, blaming herself. “I’m so stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“Now is not the time for self-undervaluation, feisty.”

Anna grumbled, for he was right. She immediately placed her hands on each side of her mouth, lifted her head and sang the Spirits Call, as loudly and clear as she could. It rang in the woods and filled the air.

Victor burst out of laughter.

“What are you trying to do, nightingale? The Spirits cannot interact with my magic. Those are basic Nature rules.”

Anna gave him a side look that was overcharged with sarcasm. “I’m aware. Elsa, however, received Ahtohallan’s blessing. You’re screwed, Eiglatson.”

He shivered at her confident teal blue eyes. She wasn’t bluffing.

The old man looked around frantically, now fearing the worst. They had split up in groups, but Elsa could arrive in no time. He gritted his teeth and made his creations disappear with a hand flick.

“You’ll regret this. Deeply. Next time, I’ll have no pity.”

He stared at Kristoff and his wife, and turned around, running away. The blond frowned, not agreeing to let him escape. He ran after him, following his dark cape floating in his move, dashing through the woods. The King followed the man for a long time until the cape suddenly vanished, like it was made of the same goo than the monsters.

“Shit.” He muttered.

He had been fooled. This was an illusion. He grunted loudly, and punched the nearest tree in disappointment.

Anna helped Ryder stand up, and looked at where her husband had been running, wondering if he had managed to catch him. Though, she thought, Victor had magic, and if he was as skilled at Elsa, he would be able to disappear without a trace if he didn’t want to be followed. She knew how effective that was.

“Did he hurt your head?” Worried the Queen. “Did your skin get touched by it?”

“No, I’m okay. I had my hat on, thankfully. I knew that it would save my life one day.” Chuckled the Northuldra nervously.

Ryder retrieved his balance, when suddenly something blurry and white arrived at high speed right next to him, and he shrieked with a jump.

“ANNA!”

The blonde grasped her sister’s arms in less time that it took him to blink.

“Are you okay?! What happened? Why did you call?!”

Before Anna could even answer, Elsa counted only two persons out of three, and inspected the woods. “Where is Kristoff?!”

Gale arrived in a woosh, and made a noise, looking down at Elsa. Kristoff was okay, they said, but angry because he couldn’t catch the enemy in time.

“I’m fine, Elsa.” Assured the Queen.

“Okay, good. Good.”

“Can you please put me down now?”

The Snow Queen blinked in confusion and realized, in her panic, that she had been holding Anna by the arms like a clamp. The younger sister was stuck in her grip with her arms rigid along her body, her legs hanging in the air.

“Oh, sorry.”

She put Anna on the ground, and the redhead smiled sadly. She took Elsa’s hands in hers. “Breathe. It’s okay. He’s gone now.”

“But I couldn’t catch him!” Hissed Elsa, upset.

“I know.”

“Now we know how he looks like, and his fighting style.” Said Ryder, angry as well, so he switched his mind to an analysing mode. “Anna, tell me everything that had happened while I was unconscious. I’ll inform the warriors, and we’ll prepare.”

“Yes.” Encouraged Anna. “And this time, we will have our weapons at the ready.”

She put her hands on her elder’s cold shoulders, resolutely.

“Elsa, our next encounter with him will be the last. I vow to it.”

=======

Anna cracked her knuckles once they all gathered in the armory hut.

“Okay. Briefing the Northuldra, check. Updating their positions, check. Ours, check. Now…”

She rubbed her hands excitedly, and Elsa lifted an amused eyebrow when she recognized where she saw that expression.

“...Weaponry.”

With an excited - and a bit evil and scary - laugh, she opened the chest that they had brought on their wagon.

“Isn’t it a weird that a Queen who swears to be a pacifist and to never lead her kingdom to war is this thrilled about a battle?” Mocked Honeymaren.

“That’s because you haven’t seen my armor.” Winked Anna. “Also, a lady got to be busy. My hobbies include fight, what can I say?”

She opened the chest wide for everyone to observe, and took out weapons one by one.

To Kristoff, she gave his axe, and it shone in the soft light of the hut, its cheek and blade bright blue. The whole head that was normally made of the finest Arendelle metal had been crafted in ice, and could only had been done by one person. Elsa smiled proudly and admiratively, as her work of art got enhanced by the sun rays and floating dust that surrounded the weapon when Kristoff happily made it twirl.

“Perfectly balanced. As always.” He winked to the Snow Queen.

Elsa blushed. They bantered a lot about ice, and spend a considerable time talking about harvesting and such, but when he complimented her unique customizations, she felt a bit shy. But she deserved that praise; she had spent a lot of time on crafting the ideal addition for their weapons. She smiled bashfully and nodded, approving that her ice blade married perfectly with the wood haft. Victor’s monsters could be killed by her ice? Let it be so. But with some elegance, please.

Elsa’s eyes looked down at the grip that had Arendelle crocuses engraved on it, while Kristoff held the axe with both hands to inspect it. The blonde then congratulated herself on the density of the ice, which she could feel in the air from where she was standing. The back of the head, that had a hammer poll, looked more solid than anything despite its transparency. Since Ryder had laid eyes on the axe when Anna had showed it to him before meal, he couldn’t help imagining how Earth Giants themselves would be groggy if they got hit in the face with it.

Anna smiled and bent down again to pick up the next weapon. To Eydis, she gave her mace, whose numerous spikes shone so well that they seemed like sparks. Magically sharp, actually even sharper than razors, the blades glittered in the same way than Kristoff’s axe head, with a beautiful transparency that also scared by its density. Eydis’ mace had a classical grip, but all eyes were obviously staring at the top of it; it alternated between a blade and a spike, making it a fearsome item.

Honeymaren grinned. “So, your weapon of choice is a mace, uh? That’s a nice nod.”

“A nice nod?” Repeated Eydis. “To what?”

“Well, with what happened with Thor years ago. Did you pick this one because you’re at ease with hammers?”

The princess snorted. “Maybe. It’s handy in every meaning of the term.”

Just like her father, she spun the weapon in all ways once Anna gave it to her. She hit the air around in several expert ‘woosh’s, practicing her moves.

“I like the way it feels during fight.” Grinned Eydis.

Ryder widened his eyes at the sight. Yep, she was her mother’s daughter. However, when he saw the careful gaze that Anna was giving her, he could tell that Kristoff was definitely the one who approved on this mace. Nevertheless, Ryder would bet that Anna simply sighed and shrugged when Eydis asked for permission to make this her weapon.

The Queen returned to the chest.

Finally, she took the last weapon, hers, which was to no one’s surprise but to everyone’s honest impression, an enormous sword.

While the Northuldra siblings gasped in admiration, Kristoff sighed longly. “You had to bring your biggest sword, uh?”

“After seeing Victor Eiglatson earlier, I absolutely don’t regret it, dear.”

Honeymaren’s jaw dropped, and she came closer to observe it. Anna made quite a show when she tried it out. Obviously, the whole blade was made out of ice as well. Elsa smirked from where she was. It shone around as Anna wielded it, and even reflected on the wood walls of the hut. It was, out of the three weapons, the one with the biggest amount of ice, so it made a great impression.

Honeymaren was impressed as always by the beauty of her wife’s magic. Though, despite all of that, what impressed her the most was how effortlessly Anna was lifting the sword. It was an impressive work of art that surely weighed more than Honeymaren would even expect. How the heck did she make it seem effortless?

Eydis gasped excitedly. “Awesome! I never got to see this one close before!”

When Anna put it down against the wall of the armory hut to look for their battle outfits, the princess eyed the sword with envy, walking to it.

“Can I borrow it to try it out? With auntie’s ice blade, it’s gorgeous.”

Anna turned around and was about to give her answer, but Eydis, in her iconic nerve, already lifted the sword up. She rose it to see the cross-guard closer, but the blade was way heavier than she thought, and the weapon tilted. With a yelp, she lost her grip, and the sword fell forward to the floor.

“Holy hell!” Muttered the princess.

Anna smirked as she caught it. “I was about to suggest you to not lift it. This sword can’t be wielded by anyone, sweetheart. There is a reason why Elsa custom-made it for me.”

She approached her astonished daughter. “Only I am able to use it. It actually took a lot of training to master my moves. Also, see how long that grip is?”

“Yeah, it’s longer than any sword I’ve ever seen.” Murmured Eydis.

“That’s because it’s a two-handed sword. You lifted it with only one, so it was a foregone conclusion.” Smiled Anna.

She placed it back against the wall.

“So you put both hands on the grip?” Asked Eydis, curiosity and enthusiasm making her voice high.

“It depends on the move or feint you intend to make. Most of times, I place one hand on the grip…” She showed it to her. “And the second one on the pommel.”

Her hands now covered the pine green grip and the pommel proudly engraved with the Arendelle crocus. With its green hilt and its purple round hilt end in each hand, it gave the Queen an astonishing aura by reminding the flag’s colors. She demonstrated the easy twirls that this two hands position allowed to do.

“It’s the most beautiful sword I’ve ever seen.” Exhaled Honeymaren, in awe.

Anna smirked proudly while Elsa blushed with a soft smile.

“Elsa made it entirely for me.”

As if the entire ice blade wasn’t enough of a hint, the rain-guard - which, just like the grip, was made of high quality leather dyed green - had a embedded snowflake symbol. It was the upper half of the snowflake, and it gave the feeling that it introduced the upcoming blade to sight when one observed the stunning weapon. The scabbard, which Anna had discarded next to the chest after she proudly made the sword sing by taking it off, was breathtaking as well. All along were traced drawings that seemed to have been made by both Elsa and Anna. Honeymaren wondered if they had been crafting it together, and easily imagined them giggling as they did in a warm sharing moment.

“Why a two-handed sword, though?” Asked Ryder.

“I suggested it to her since that stubborn idiot refuses to use a shield.” Smirked Elsa.

“A really good suggestion.” Said Anna, who preferred to ignore the derision.

They went out of the hut for Ryder to show them the staff that he would be using. None of the Arendellians commented negatively on how simple his weapon was compared to them. First because they were nice and enough open-minded to not judge ahead, and second because all three of them actually knew the aching pain that followed a hit in the shins. Ryder didn’t train often, but had won a few rounds thanks to that. From what they had seen, Victor Eiglatson wasn’t wearing any armor, and that might even be the blow that would take him down. After all, the most effective attack is the one one doesn’t expect, and Ryder was an expert at sliding down to hit weak spots.

While they were outside and Elsa and Honeymaren started to chat a bit further, Eydis came close to her mother.

“Will auntie be okay? During the fight?”

Anna frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve never seen her truly be mean in her blows. She’s not very direct. She’s a bit scared to be offensive, no?”

The redhead blinked as she stared at Eydis, then suddenly laughed loudly, her head wiping back. “Oh dear, you truly have no idea, do you?”

“What?” Grumbled the princess.

Anna coughed as she tried to retrieve her breath. “Yeah. Right. Sorry. You can’t know, because Arendelle and Northuldra have both always known peace since you were born. So you’ve never seen her actually fight.”

Eydis was upset by her mother’s giggles. “What is so funny?”

The Queen smiled. “Let me search for an example… Well, you have a big snowball fight with her at every Yule, uhm? Remember last year when you asked her to stop holding herself back, to have an actual challenge, and you came back to the castle exhausted?”

Eydis scoffed. “It’s not that amazing, I remember I got to touch her once or twice with a snowball.”

Anna smirked. “Because it was a game. Now imagine what she does when it’s a fight. Did you see Elsa pick up snow from the ground when she, for once, didn’t force herself to slow down?”

The little blonde widened her eyes at that realization. Elsa had been crafting those snowballs out of thin air. “No.”

“Did you see her being out of breath, just for one second?”

Now Eydis gulped. She had been able to hit her aunt several times, but was panting once the game was over. On the other hand, her aunt was perfectly fine.

The princess got suddenly aware that she had been fooled all along. Elsa had only pretended to be hit to make her happy. How dumb was she to not have understood this before? Her aunt was astonishingly athletic, she knew it. Once, she had seen her race with Nokk on the fjord shore and she had been running faster than them. And they have the shape of a horse.

Eydis’ jaw dropped. “Okay, now that is just creepy.”

Anna nodded with a smirk. “You don’t have to worry any second of her abilities on a battlefield. She could kill us all in our sleep, trust me.”

Kristoff approached to put a hand on Anna’s shoulder and a kiss on her cheek.

“I’m gonna go train with Ryder, we’ll see you later.”

He was happy for such a context, and his wife snorted. “Don’t wear yourself out. It’s better if you’re in good shape for the upcoming fight. Be careful, okay?”

The blond man smiled at her care. “I will.”

He followed Ryder to the training area, and not even two full seconds later, he tripped over a root, and almost fell to the ground.

Eydis burst out of laughter as her father grumbled. Anna remained serious to not make him feel ashamed.

“Damn, I lost my ice harvesters reflexes.”

“Too many king activities?” Teased Ryder.

“If you want, I can show you how to use an axe again.” Laughed Eydis.

“Don’t mock me, you two!”

Eydis bit her lip to hide her smile.

“Sorry. Well, I’m not gonna lie, you taught me all I know about resourcefulness in the wild and how to be an ace at ice harvesting. So I can’t demean you.”

Kristoff gave her a smile, then rejoined Ryder.

Anna went to Honeymaren and Elsa, where the brunette was preparing her bow for the battle.

She was intrigued when she approached the leader.

“Wait, don’t you usually have a bigger bow? Where’s the one you hunt with?”

Honeymaren smirked. “Judging on sizes, your Majesty?”

Anna snorted. “Of course not.”

The Northuldra made the bow twirl left to right and back with her hand on the grip. “This bow is a warrior one, that’s why the size is different.”

“Uhm, excuse me, a what? As much as I love this name, I’m confused. Why ‘warrior’?”

The brunette smiled. “It’s the type of bow. You know, they come in all shapes and sizes, just like people…”

“Stop with the tease, dummy.”

She got a smirk in return. “The one you see me use during hunt is a long bow. Very long, in fact. It’s optimized for stealth, with a light wood and silencers on the string to be as discreet as possible. We also craft them that long because we use them from a very far distance. With those features, we do not frighten the animals, and therefore are respectful of Nature. We have a more tender meat as their death was quick and without fear.”

Anna gulped at the powerful statements.

“This one...”, said Honeymaren, lifting the bow she was holding. “Is quite exactly its opposite. Notice how its wood is way shorter and curved three times, even at the tips. It’s optimized for fighting. I’m not a fan of what it represents and the context it’s used in, but it’s very effective. As we stand closer to the target, we don’t need a long bow, and this size allows faster recharge.”

“A bow for warriors on the battlefield…”

“Yes. Its unique asset is its main default, however. As we can’t draw the bow very much because it’s shorter than the usual, it only is for close range.”

Anna blinked, retrieving from those incredible details. She then smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you a window to shoot.”

“I count on it.” Smirked the brunette.

She went to pick up new material in the craft shed to change the grip of the bow and make it brand new. On her way, she passed by Eydis, who was staring at the stunning collection of bows all hand-crafted by the tribe.

“You don’t have those bows in Arendelle, uh?” Grinned the proud leader.

Eydis puffed. “Even if I did, I can’t buy a single thing in the kingdom without thinking of mother, anyway.”

“What, she scolds you when you buy useless things? A bow is far from being useless.”

“No, because there’s her face on every coin.” Snorted the princess.

They both laughed.

“She never scolds me for anything I buy. I could ask a chocolatier for my weight in candies and she would even encourage it.”

They laughed again.

She saw that Honeymaren had sit down at a table to extend a band of leather and cut the parts she needed. She would be using the dagger she had at her waist, and that all adult Northuldra were wearing constantly, for how multifunction it was a for a people living in the wild.

“Hey, could you do the trick again?”

Honeymaren, who was about to simply take the dagger of its sheath and casually use it, smirked. She untied the leather pouch, twirled it in the air, then placed her wrist under it to make it spin around, and took out the dagger with expertise and elegance. The whole movement had been smooth, and Eydis’ eyes sparkled.

“Never gets old.”

Honeymaren waved her eyebrows and turned the knife between her fingers before getting to work.

A few minutes passed, and Eydis admired all the weaponry. Several ice arrows were on a table near the wall, and she approached her hand.

“Waow, those are superb. Look at the very precise and intricate heads…”

“Don’t touch that!” Exclaimed Honeymaren, rushing to her niece.

Eydis’ admirative eyes switched to angry ones. “Damnit! Why can’t I touch anything?!”

“Language.” Scolded Anna from afar.

“Sorry, Eydis.” Said the Northuldra leader with a pout. “Those are extremely sharp. Elsa upgraded them since the last time I used them, and even myself have to be very careful when handling them.”

She slowly placed them back in her quiver, and wondered why she had been leaving them there. Northuldra children could have hurt themselves… When they joined a whole stack of others in her quiver, she realized that in fact, Elsa had been crafting new ones after their meal.

She admired her wife’s dedication and work on their weapons. Each of them had been enhanced with Elsa’s unbreakable ice. Their efficiency against the monster would be unprecedented. Even Ryder’s staff was covered with a thin layer of ice to strengthen it, keeping the traditional way of fighting.

When Elsa had announced that she would be using a spear entirely made out of ice, and she had crafted it under their eyes, Honeymaren’s knees had almost buckled at the flashing image of how attractive her wife would be when she would fight with it. The spear was blue - obviously - and had - as usual - intricate details, for Elsa couldn’t help being extra. The shaft had all the colors of the Spirits spreaded on it, with the four diamond shapes and their symbols proudly displayed along. The head of the spear wasn’t the classical one but a four pronged trident, inspired by the four Spirits’ harmony. The blades were long and placed facing each other two by two, forming a round cross and looking like the cardinal points. Anna had made the remark that if she crafted this quadrident spear while on Nokk, she would look like Poseidon, but Honeymaren didn’t get the reference.

The odds for the fight were really good. Honeymaren smiled proudly and positively when the two sisters joined them.

“With Elsa’s expertise, we will defeat Eiglatson in no time.”

Anna wanted to support her positivity, but she shivered. “‘Next time, I’ll have no pity’, he said. I just hope that we will be strong enough. May the gods be on our side.”

Elsa nodded, then suddenly widened her eyes. It was like she had remembered or realized something out of nowhere.

“We will be prepared, Anna, don’t worry.” Assured Honeymaren with a firm leader voice.

They all agreed. Anna suggested to help Honeymaren refine the Northuldra warriors’ strategy, and Eydis to sharpen their weapons.

Elsa was the only one not to move, and she remained oddly silent, staring down.

Anna turned to her, and lifted an eyebrow, about to ask what was wrong.

“I need to take a moment alone before the fight.” Said the blonde, forcing herself to smile. “I’ll take a break in Ahtohallan.”

Her sister nodded. Elsa certainly needed to recharge in every meaning of the term; as an introvert with a bubble of calm, and a magical being with the ancient glacier. She had noted long ago how better the Snow Queen’s mood was after meditating in the magical source.

Honeymaren watched her lover go, slightly suspicious. But she shrugged and walked with Anna to the hut where they had spreaded a giant map on a table.

“Okay… Strategy thinking…” Mumbled the redhead, and Honeymaren got amused by her pout. “Maren, do you consider yourself lucky?”

The Northuldra leader snorted. “Well, I got to marry a Spirit who also is the most beautiful woman in the world, so… I certainly am.”

Anna eye-rolled comically. “I meant, if we make a back-up plan based on chance, would that be in your favor or not?”

“Yeah, sure.”

The Queen stared at Honeymaren, because now she had been silent, and the distance separating them from the hut was long, so that would soon be awkward between them. Anna noticed that the brunette was fidgeting with something on her left hand, but didn’t get to ask.

“You must think that I’m a hopeless romantic, uh?”

Anna smiled. “No, not at all. I mean, yes, you really are, but I don’t mind it, if it’s what you’re afraid of. I find your couple adorable. And you know already how Elsa’s happiness deeply matters to me, so to know that she’s living a perfect married life with you fills my heart with joy.”

Honeymaren smiled. “I’m the thankful one, I swear. You know, she changed my whole world.”

She rose her hands, showing the woods surrounding them. “First, by freeing the Forest, and then, by teaching me on her first night in the camp that constellations had names. It was barely hours after I discovered the existence of stars. Imagine how overwhelming that was.”

“I easily do.” Grinned Anna. “She’s a real nerd. I’ve known her for such a long time - I can’t say my whole life, that would be lying - and she still teaches me stuff about science and physics. It’s crazy coming from someone who also defies those laws with magic.”

Honeymaren chuckled tenderly.

“Once, she crafted a sextant for a little girl in the village.” Continued the redhead.

“A sex… What?”

Anna burst of laughter.

“It has nothing to do with sex. It’s a navigation tool, based on the position of stars.”

“Oh, I see. Old Northuldra told me that our people used to watch the stars to find their way.”

“All people used to.” Smiled Anna wisely.

Honeymaren nodded. It was also true figuratively. Elsa was the brightest star that ever shone to her eyes. She could follow her everywhere, like her true north. The brunette fidgeted with her ice ring again at the image of her wife giggling when she ran after her stunning figure in the fields, and Elsa turning around with a smile that warmed her heart like nothing else did.

“Mareeeeen…” Called Anna’s voice, probably not for the first time, and finally succeeding in bringing her back to Earth.

“Oh, sorry, you were saying?”

When she turned to the redhead, she was smirking. “Uhm, correct me if I’m wrong, but the hut is that way, no?” She said, pointing the other way.

Honeymaren blinked and look at where she was heading. Three more steps and she would bump head first into a tree.

“Y-yes, yes, I was… I’m coming.”

She cleared her throat, and followed her smiling sister-in-law to where she was supposed to go.

=======

When they went out of the hut more than two hours later, Anna stretched next to Honeymaren, then she suddenly heard a neigh in the distance.

She saw a familiar horse, gleaming between the trees, and trotting through the camp in their direction.

“Oh, hi Nokk!” Smiled Anna, waving. “What are you doing here? Isn’t Elsa with you?”

She then saw that someone was on their back, but not seated like they rode them; that person had been picked up and transported.

Nokk stopped walking in the middle of the camp, about twenty meters away from them. Honeymaren’s eyes widened at the platinum blonde hair of the of woman.

“Elsa?!”

The blonde groaned, shook her head and massaged her forehead. She forced herself to sit up, but she clearly had difficulties.

“Elsa, are you okay?!” Panicked Anna, staring at the blonde.

Nokk neighed loudly.

“I’m fine.” Murmured Elsa, getting down from the Water Spirit with as much composure as she could.

Nokk neighed again, insistent.

“Okay, I may not be.” Muttered the Snow Queen, and only the horse could hear that.

She let go of Nokk’s neck and lurched along the path. Anna and Honeymaren had come close, sensing that something was wrong.

“Elsa, you’re usually pale, but now you’re white as a sheet. What happened?” Worried her sister.

“Do you need help to walk?”

“I can walk, it’s okay…”

Honeymaren didn’t insist, noticing how stubborn Elsa was. However, as her and Anna gave way for her to walk through the camp, her knees suddenly buckled.

“Elsa!!”

She collapsed to the ground, and Honeymaren rushed to catch her. The blonde fainted in her arms, her head dropping back, and Honeymaren lifted it up.

“ELSA!!” Screamed the brunette a second time, starting at her lover’s face with alarmed wide eyes.

She shook Elsa’s body desperately. She pressed her ear to her chest to hear if her heart was beating, but her own heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t focus on the right sound. To make it even worse, Anna had fallen to her knees next to her and was breathing faster and louder each passing second, inspecting her elder’s face.

“ELSA!!”

The Snow Queen didn’t respond, still unconscious, her eyes closed. Honeymaren kept her hand behind her head and fumbled at her belt with the other. She grabbed the knife at her waist and drew it in one swift move, then contrasted with that speed by delicately placing the blade under Elsa’s nose. Time seemed to hang in the air while both Anna and Honeymaren stared desperately at the metal, until it covered with condensation. Elsa was breathing.

They both sighed heavily, their shoulders slumped. They now were sitting on their heels, gripping the blonde’s body. Honeymaren shook her arms.

“Please, please open your eyes, Elsa. Please stay with me. Please stay with us.”

She shook her body again, and Elsa blinked tiredly, opening her eyes very slowly.

Honeymaren gasped and held her tight, muttering a long line of prayers and gratitudes to the world for bringing back her wife. As she hugged her, she felt the ice and snow clothes under her fingers, and she only realized then that it should have been the best clue to know that she hadn’t left them; the magic fabric would have melted away otherwise.

“I like it when you hold me in your arms like that…” Muttered the voice of her lover next to her ear.

The Northuldra leader detached from the hug, and kept her wife in her arms, but away enough to stare at her face.

“What happened to you??”

The Snow Queen’s weak features twitched in a smile. “I found the password, Honey…”

“What?” Blinked the brunette.

“‘Only time itself will tell’... Kronos. It was Kronos.”

Anna and Honeymaren remained silent in confusion. What the hell was she talking about?

“Kronos… The greek god of time…” Murmured Elsa with a weak, almost imperceptible voice.

She however had an obvious sly smile, and Anna blinked.

“Wait, what? What are you talking about?”

Had her sister gone mad? She sounded delirious.

Honeymaren, on the other hand, had connected the dots. She shook her head, as stunned as Anna, but for a different reason. She sighed at the brilliant mind of her wife.

“You’re incredible, Elsa, I swear… In all meanings of the term.”

The blonde allowed herself a grin despite her lack of strength.

“Would someone care to explain?” Frowned Anna, upset that she was missing something that clearly was important.

“The code word that would unlock the repressed memories of the previous Fifth Spirit… It was ‘Kronos’.” Said Honeymaren.

Elsa felt happy as the two people she cared the most about exchanged a gaze with huffed smiles. Though, when their eyes reverted to her, her forces left her; her eyes turned up again and she plunged back into darkness.

=======

When Elsa regained consciousness, she slowly opened her eyes, recovering her sight in blurry steps. She first saw the floating blue candle jars hovering just below the ceiling of the hut. So she was in her bed. At the idea, a feeling of warmth invaded her heart. She then saw, as her vision sharpened, Honeymaren looking at her in distress, then deep relief as she sighed when she saw her wife smile.

The brunette cuddled next to her and pressed her forehead to her temple.

“Thanks Ahtohallan, you’re alright.” She murmured.

“Actually, what happened is Ahtohallan’s fault…” Pointed out another familiar voice, filled with reproach but also concern.

Elsa’s smile went larger as she turned her face and saw her sister bent over her as well on the other side of the bed. Anna’s sarcasm left her face to quickly be replaced by happiness when she crossed her elder’s gaze.

“Hey you.”

The blonde winced. “Actually, it wasn’t entirely Ahtohallan’s fault.”

Anna sighed. “Yeah, once again you had to go to far, and now you regret it. Seriously, is she this alluring? Is the need to know the truth like a drug or something?”

Honeymaren and Elsa chuckled.

“Gotta say, the Spirits call can be breathtakingly beautiful sometimes. I can’t imagine how attractive it is when it comes from the source itself.” Admitted the Northuldra leader.

“And in addition to your dorky snoop personality…” Smirked Anna.

“Says the one who keeps asking me about gossip!” Gasped Elsa.

“Well, at least, I’m not risking my life when I ask!”

Elsa eye-rolled. The sisters grinned, and hugged each other warmly.

“You scared me a bit there.” Murmured the Queen against Elsa’s ear.

“It’s a good thing you’re used to my drama then.”

“True.”

After Anna detached from the hug, Honeymaren stared at her wife in a scolding expression.

“You really shouldn’t have done that! Don’t make me quote the song. When will you finally...”

Her frowned eyebrows suddenly shot up, the rest of her sentence vanishing in her throat as she realized what she was doing. “Oh no. I shouldn’t be angry at you. You could have died, and I’m lucky enough for you to be alive…”

Elsa’s hand quickly slid on the sheets to hold hers. “You’re my wife, Honey. That’s what married life does. You get deadly worried about the other.”

Anna winced at the word ‘deadly’.

“You care about me with all your soul, and you’re angry because you weren’t there to protect me.” Continued Elsa.

“So you agree that it was extremely dangerous.”

The blonde winced. “Yes.”

“Your hella curious personality will be your undoing, Elsa.” Grumbled Anna.

“Without my curiosity, we wouldn’t have known about Runeard’s plan!” Reminded Elsa coldly.

The two other women couldn’t deny it, and remained silent.

Honeymaren sighed in an upset way. She didn’t like how Elsa purposely went to Ahtohallan alone right when she figured the code word, because she would definitely have prevented her if she was accompanied.

She passed a hand in her wife’s hair, retrieving her smile.

“So the previous Fifth Spirit was a nerd as well, uh?”

Elsa frowned as she was sitting up with her elbows.

“Why do you say that?”

“Oh, don’t go ‘anyone could have guessed the Kronos password’. You know that none of us would have found it. Did you see memories of him making jokes about Orion’s belt?”

Elsa slapped her arm, and she grinned.

“Those jokes would be so bad that he probably put them in his repressed coded memories, though.”

She received another slap, and this one was stronger.

“Well, I’m glad to see that your regained strength.” Laughed Honeymaren, rubbing her bruises.

Elsa couldn’t help but smile, and shook her head.

“Can you stand up?” Asked Anna.

“I think I can.”

She however put her hand in Honeymaren’s stretched one, just to make sure that she wouldn’t fall if her knees buckled. Nevertheless, she could step easily through the hut, and even started to go outside. As a double reward, the Northuldra who were working near the hut turned to her and beamed to see that she was okay. Elsa smiled back, and she felt infinitely better. Now that she knew all the truth and was replenished, she felt ready to fight Victor.

“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised that Ahtohallan gifts each Fifth Spirit with sarcasm, drama and nerdiness.” Smiled Anna’s voice behind her as she and Honeymaren got out of the hut.

Elsa gave her a stare. “Don’t encourage her.”

The two women simply shrugged, amused. Though, Elsa’s sudden serious face changed the mood.

“Actually, let’s go back inside. We need to sit down.”

“Uhh, what? Are you okay?”

“I’m alright. But I have to tell you all the truth about Victor Eiglatson. And it’s best if we do it privately.”

The Northuldra and Arendelle leaders exchanged a worried glance, and followed her back inside, closing the door behind them.

Elsa then proceeded to explain that they got a lot of things wrong about him, as they sadly expected.

“He has been planning his revenge on the Fifth Spirit for years. Longer than any of us three was born.”

“This is a really spooky introduction, thank you very much.” Commented Anna, her eyes wide.

“I’ve had access to every single memory that the previous Fifth Spirit had been ashamed of and hiding, even to himself, and…”

Elsa shivered. That meant a lot coming from her. Honeymaren understood now that her weak state wasn’t only because going far in the secret past had impacted her magic; it was an emotional wreck as well.

“I’m gonna explain it from the very beginning.” Told Elsa. “So, first of all, Victor Eiglatson had a wife, called Niks.”

Her sister puffed. “How could a man like him have been married?”

Elsa gave her a stare.

“Anna, I love you with all my heart, but I’m begging you to not interrupt me until I’m finished.”

The redhead pouted in a sullen expression, and Honeymaren bit her lip with a smile. ‘Let her continue’, she said with a gaze.

“Victor and Niks both were merchants, who traveled around the country, and they both had dark magic.”

“What? How??”

“Anna…”

“Okay, okay, I’m quiet.”

Elsa resumed.

“While Victor kept it low profile, Niks kept using her dark magic for larceny. Robbery, bullying… She kept wielding her powers for evil ends. One day, they were delivering supplies to the Northuldra, and she had threatened the people during the night. The Fifth Spirit had noticed, and spied on her to see if she would do it again. He saw her doing it repetitively each night Victor and her had stayed in the camp, as they had asked for board and lodging for a week.

Two days before they left, the Northuldra leader told her that he knew what she was doing. He warned her, stating that the next time she would use her powers for such acts, he would have to punish her. She didn’t take him seriously at all. On the following night, she blackmailed a young mother and her child, saying that she would send monsters and hell on the poor family if they didn’t give her half of their crops by the next time they would do business here. The Fifth Spirit saw everything. On the morning after their departure, he followed their caravan, and…”

The Snow Queen interrupted her story. It was a bit sudden, so the others wondered what had happened.

“He…” Elsa stopped to gulped. She took a few seconds, then retrieve the needed courage. “He killed her. He killed Niks with his ice and snow magic.”

Anna and Honeymaren let out synchronized gasps. Anna’s hand flew to her mouth. Elsa closed her eyes and lowered her head.

“I saw everything. I mean, it was in ice statues form, but… Still. And as he used the same magic than I do, I could almost… Feel what I saw. He impaled her in one go.”

Honeymaren’s throat tightened, a ball forming in her throat, and she guessed that it was the same for Elsa. She placed a tender hand on her shoulder, and the blonde squeezed it tenderly. After a breathe in, she continued.

“Victor saw everything. He was boiling with sorrow and rage. He wanted to kill the Fifth Spirit right away, but he froze his lower body and walked away, returning to the camp. He said that it was what needed to be done.”

Elsa’s hands had returned in her lap, and she clenched her fists nervously.

“He didn’t even apologize. Victor had spend the day screaming and shouting until the ice melted with the heat of the sun. Once it had vanished, he realized that he had to bury his wife properly before setting off to the camp to murder the Northuldra leader. On her tombstone, he swore to avenge her, and built a plan. Only, when he came to the Forest days later…”

She looked up at the ceiling, like she could see the sky from where they were.

“The mist had fallen.”

She shrugged sadly. “He tried all he could, poured all his magic into his efforts, but it was in vain. As you know, only Anna and I can open the mist. Only the Bridge can. Only the Fifth Spirit can. And the Fifth Spirit… Had just died in turn.”

Elsa looked at the wall absentmindedly as she remembered the ice statues. “Victor learned about his death through rumors as he came back to the kingdom. He noticed how some soldiers were hateful towards the Northuldra, and he enrolled in the army to train for the day the mist would lift. He planned and planned and planned, and his dark magic got better and darker each passing year. The only thing that separated him from his revenge was a wall of smoke.”

Her eyes lifted to Anna. “Years later, he learned that I was the Fifth Spirit. In fact, that we both technically were. He started to shout to everyone that we did not deserve to be Queens of Arendelle for that reason. You know the rest. He got sent to prison for such words, but he escaped with magic. His goo monsters slipped through the bars really easily…”

She once again couldn’t help but let out a little bit of admiration for his creations, despite some disgust.

“It was less than a month ago. He had trained a lot since. But… Despite hating the Fifth Spirit with all his soul, and his promise to avenge his wife’s death... He actually doesn’t plan to kill me.”

Honeymaren gave her a look that meant ‘Let me guess, it’s way worse?’

“His goal is to rip my magic out of me.”

The two other woman widened their eyes in utter astonishment. And to make things worse, Elsa kept going.

“He cleverly thought of that because with his research, he understood that the Fifth Spirit reincarnation is a cycle. Ahtohallan gives the ice and snow powers to a new person each time the previous dies, for them to be the only one to read her memories. And if he kills me, the chain would not stop, it would simply continue. However, by absorbing my magic, his revenge will be complete.”

Anna had at least a hundred of questions burning her lips at Elsa’s statements. Yet, the elder lifted a finger.

“Wait, that’s not all; I also saw a memory on his frieze that wasn’t there the last time we checked it with Honeymaren. It was the most recent one. From this afternoon.”

She gave a pause, and gulped. “He’s planning to attack Ahtohallan’s tonight, and rot it to the core with his goo magic.”

The two women let out the same gasp, quickly replaced by a deep groan. No one would touch Elsa, and no one would touch Ahtohallan. For Anna, the magic glacier was the source of her magic and who she was and had allowed her to be fully proud of her identity. For Honeymaren, it was this and even more; Ahtohallan was her deity, a representant of the sacred laws of Nature, and she would never let anyone profane the entity that the Northuldra worshipped since forever.

“We’ve got to unite all of our forces and prevent him from crossing the Dark Sea.” Stated Elsa with emotion.

A silence fell, and she looked at them with sad eyes.

Anna didn’t dare to react verbally yet.

“Uhm… Are you finished?”

Elsa sighed. “Gosh, I hope so. Yeah, you can talk.”

“Well, I don’t even know where to start.” Exhaled the Queen.

“The only thing I retain from all of these news is that I call dibs on the first shot to Victor’s heart.” Grumbled Honeymaren, fire in her hazelnut eyes.

“Honey, no.” Calmed Elsa. “Violence is not the solution. I mean, of course we’re going to fight him with all our forces, don’t look at me like that, but we’re not going to kill him. This is not who we are. He’s the murderer, not us. He will have to face justice.”

Honeymaren sighed in a pout. Elsa was right.

“M’kay.”

She didn’t seem so convinced, but admitted that shooting arrows at a human’s heart wasn’t really the way to show a good example.

Anna passed a hand in her hair, and tucked it behind her ear. “So… People with magic can… Rip magic out of other magic people?”

Elsa gave her a sad look. “I didn’t even know it was possible until today. And I’ve been exploring the abilities of my magic since the Great Thaw, so for nearly 20 years. Never would I have thought that I could extract magic out of someone’s soul…”

A silence floated in the room. Honeymaren and Anna exchanged a gaze, not daring to ask the question. Finally, Anna did.

“And… Do you think that you…”

“No. I would never do that. I don’t want to learn how to do it, and I never want to do it.” Stated Elsa, her voice firm and strong.

Her azure blue eyes had been so intense that the two other women got stunned by it, then they had grateful smiles. Elsa had god tier powers, but never would she commit such an act.

However, guilt roamed the Snow Queen’s body as she remembered that the previous Fifth Spirit, on the other hand, had come to a decision of this gravity.

She looked down as she passed her hands on her arms, curling a bit on herself. “First my grandfather… Now him… I’m tied to criminals.”

“Don’t say that!” Exclaimed Anna.

“He killed, Anna. My previous incarnation killed someone.”

“He’s not you. You are not defined by his action. You’re you own person, even if you have identical powers. You’re no evil, Elsa. Do you hear me?”

The redhead had been grabbing her sister’s arms for impact, but also to make her stop cowering.

“You’re literally the most gentle, nicest person I’ve ever met.”

Elsa blinked sadly. Honeymaren nodded firmly next to Anna, and passed a soft hand in her hair and along her face.

“Yes, you are, snømus. Would I have made a murderer my wife? I don’t think so.”

A snort escaped Elsa’s sad lips.

With the way her sister and lover were holding her, she could cry instantly, so humor was a good way to prevent that. She took a long inhale, and stood up.

“Yes, it’s no time to get emotional. Victor is cruel and reckless. Tonight we face him with all that we got.”

The Snow Queen walked to the entrance of the hut, opened it, and turned around to face the two women who looked at her in undeniable awe. With the light passing by the wood slits and the candles projecting blue hues on her face, she looked like a fierce Valkyrie on the warpath.

She gave their stunned faces a big grin.

“Let’s suit on.”

A second of impressed silence fell. Anna let out an amazed puff. “Waow, look at who’s all confident about conflict now. Who are you and what have you done with my forever insecure sister?”

The blonde gave her a judging look. She had just ruined her epic attitude.

“I’m not saying that negatively.” Assured the younger. “Only… Damn, you’ve become such a badass. What happened to you?”

Honeymaren put a hand on Anna’s shoulder.

“She married me.”

Elsa smirked.

=======

Anna helped Eydis to put her armor on, then Elsa helped Anna with hers. Sometimes, the redhead had so snap her sister back to reality, because she was admiring the beauty of some steel pieces and taking a lot of breaks.

“Elsa, you’ll get plenty of time to admire my armor once I have it entirely on.”

“Yeah, sorry. Am I too slow?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s actually touching that you love it so much. I like to have your opinion on those kind of things. But right now, I’m starting to lose my balance.”

Elsa hurried to place her boot correctly. She then asked for Anna to turn around to tighten her brigandine. Anna had a proud grin as she stood with her hands on her hips while Elsa was busy.

“With it, there’s no way those monster’s dark slime will touch my skin.”

She was about to turn to look at Elsa, when an annoying noise came from her neck. “Damn, my gorget keeps squeaking. Can you do something about it?”

Elsa turned once she was done with the bodice.

“Well, my magic may do a lot of miracles, however ice and snow are everything but oily. So I’m afraid I can’t.”

“I was talking about actual grease, dummy. Do you have some?”

“Oh. Yes.”

Anna smiled as Elsa went to get some in the shed. It was funny how, long ago, the Snow Queen would never have dared to use her magic for anything, and now it was her default option.

“A Northuldra is using it next door, he will bring it back. Apparently, Kristoff have the same problem.” Smiled Elsa. “I know it’s a good sign, but when was the last time you two wore armors?”

“It’s not that it’s rusty”, defended Anna. “They are pure work of art from Arendellian’s best craft people. But they need some… Restoration?”

The blonde grinned. She kept helping her sister place the armor’s pieces one by one, picking them up from the chest where only hers had remained. Her smile faded when she saw how red Anna’s face had gotten when she lifted the faulds and was about to place them.

“What is it? You seem uncomfortable.”

Anna looked away with a little pout. “It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s something. Your freckles almost are disappearing under your blush. What’s wrong?”

The Queen looked at the faulds. “They’re very large, aren’t they?”

Elsa blinked in incomprehension. “Uhh… Yeah, they’re meant to go around the waist and hips to protect them. So, by definition, they are.”

“No, I mean…”

She was unable to finish her sentence. Elsa frowned as she tried to understand. “You mean your hips and waist are very large.”

Anna looked away again, and nodded silently. The Snow Queen put away the faults in a brisk move, which the redhead interpreted as revulsion. That’s why she was confused when both her hands got seized in hers.

“Anna, look at me.”

The redhead had startled at the touch, and she turned to her sister. “What?”

“You can’t possibly be saying that you don’t like your body, right?”

The teal blue eyes went down. “So you agree. You think I’m fat too.”

“Oh Ahtohallan, no, Anna, hey, look at me.”

She quitted holding her hands to place soft palms against her cheeks. Anna looked at her, and she was on the verge of crying.

A silence passed, and Elsa’s gaze switched from one eye to the other.

“What if you are.”

“Excuse me?”

“What if you’re fat?” Said Elsa.

Anna blinked. It surprised her so much that her tears went away.

“Yeah, what if you’re fat. Does it matter?” Asked Elsa.

The redhead blabbered. “Well, of course it does!”

“No it doesn’t. Stop me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that Kristoff has seen you naked a couple of times or more, didn’t he?” She asked, half-teasing.

Anna blushed. “Uh, yeah.”

“Did he ever say anything negative about your body? In 10 years of marriage?”

“I… No, quite the opposite.” Muttered Anna. “But he could be lying.”

“Oh. Sure. So, allow me to ask: when was the last time Kristoff has ever lied to you?”

Anna was speechless. Why was Elsa so good at this? How did she knew exactly which arguments do use? How did she knew precisely what Anna had to be reassured about? The elder sister brushed her cheek with her thumbs to take her out of her thoughts.

“Anna. You gave birth to two beautiful, amazing children. Your body changed from that. There is nothing more normal in the entire world. Nature gave you the space to bear children.”

As if those touching words weren’t enough to wreck Anna’s entire soul, Elsa’s left hand went to Anna’s lower belly. “You carried life. Life is the most beautiful thing in the world. Don’t you think that life deserves as much space as possible? And you carried it with love. Love is the most important thing in the world. Don’t you think that love also deserves as much space as possible?”

The redhead’s lips trembled, and she could barely talk as they stretched in a smile.

“Y-- Yes.”

“Then cherish each and every single ounce of your body that fills that space today.”

Anna’s eyes closed and her tears fell, then she launched herself in Elsa’s arms for a tight hug. It was truly tight with her armor, but the blonde couldn’t care less. She closed her eyes as her little sister’s doubts faded away, and she could almost feel how lighter her soul was.

“Thank you so much, I… I…”

Anna had troubles breathing, and gasped over her shoulder.

“Hey, take your time. It’s okay.” Elsa said gently, rubbing the back of her hair.

Anna soon detached from the hug to rub her tears and sniff. “I should stop crying though, or this armor really will get rusty.”

Elsa smiled. The Queen stared at her resolutely.

“You know, you often say it for yourself, but I swear that I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Nonsense. You rule a kingdom. And are the most admired monarch of Arendelle’s history.”

A silence passed, and they looked at each other with sighs, until Anna stopped sniffing. Elsa picked the iron piece from where she had left it.

“Now, can I please put your faulds on?”

“Yes.”

They kept going with smiles, continuing component after component.

“Can you promise me you won’t tell anyone about what just happened?”

Elsa smirked.

“Sure, don’t worry. I’ll take your secret to the greave.”

Anna stared at her sister, then down at the piece of armor she was holding around her leg, then stared at her again, and this time in a judging way.

“Was that a pun?”

Elsa wheezed, not able to retain herself. “It was a good one, admit it!”

“I can’t freaking believe that my sister just made a joke about a grave. Oh my gods. Hey, stop laughing. No, don’t fall to the floor. Elsa!! Put the greave back on my… Ugh. You’re impossible!!”

She grunted as she placed the piece herself, shaking her head at her elder’s giggles. With the shake, the gorget squeaked, which made Elsa howl with laughter even more. Actually, the blonde’s laugh was so contagious that Anna laughed as well.

“That really was an awful joke. I hereby declare, Queen Anna of Arendelle, that you are not allowed to enter the kingdom’s territory anymore. We don’t tolerate this bad humor.”

Elsa snorted. “Oh, come on. Everyone knows how acclaimed I am in Arendelle. People would riot if they don’t hear my stupid jokes from time to time.”

Anna sighed dramatically. “Granted.”

“You wouldn’t get rid of me that easily anyway.” Smirked Elsa.

Anna kept going on her drama.

“I know. That’s my burden. Being stuck with you as my sister for my whole life.”

She turned to the door when she heard Eydis come in the hut to pick her gauntlets.

“Eydis, could you come over here please?”

“Why?” Frowned the princess, wondering what her mother was talking about from behind the changing screen.

“Would you grab your mace and kill me? I can’t stand Elsa anymore.”

The girl knew her mother’s ramblings enough to understand that she was joking, and didn’t even lift her head from the gauntlets she was tying up at her wrists.

“Sure. Do you want to be knocked on the head or in the face?”

The sisters laughed.

“Gosh, she’s a future mercenary.” Chuckled Elsa.

“She’s actually aiming for ice harvester mixed with sailor.” Shrugged Anna.

Soon, they were finished. “Come on, let’s go outside so I can admire it in the sunlight.” Beamed the Snow Queen.

=======

“So now you’re the one in need of a tissue. Do you need one?” Grinned Anna. “We probably packed some.”

Elsa breathed in and out heavily as she blinked to chase her emotional tears.

“You just look… So great, in this, Anna. I’m…”

She let out a noise that was a mix of a gasp and a squeal. “I’m really proud of you.”

The Queen of Arendelle smiled widely at the compliment. “Thank you, sis.”

Anna’s armor was entirely polished with a matte golden color, and it made her look like a stunning legend. The absence of reflections gave her a serious aura and the detailed finishing touches showcased her. Each joint of the metal and seam of the reinforced garment were engraved and embroidered with ivy motives. On both of her shoulder pieces were drawn Arendelle crocuses, one in green and one in purple. Her plackart proudly displayed the kingdom’s flag, and it married perfectly with the gold color of the whole outfit.

Gods, was it hard for Elsa to not burst into tears at the whole sight.

She approached to wrap her arms around the redhead. It was rare that Elsa was the one to initiate embraces, so it meant a lot to Anna, and it warmed her heart.

When they finished hugging, Elsa held the face of her little sister in her hands, sniffing at her beauty. “You’ve become a wonderful woman, Anna. A passionate Queen, a devoted mother, and a hero with a heart of gold.”

The redhead snorted modestly. “You’ve only seen me in that armor for like, two minutes.”

Elsa shrugged. “And yet, I can attest you that you would look way better on a Joan of Arc style portrait than I’ll ever do.”

Her younger laughed. “This might be the best compliment in the world.”

“Looking really good, Anna!” Approved a voice behind them, and they turned to see Honeymaren with a thumb up.

Anna giggled and thanked her with a comical curtsey.

“I’ll join you in a moment, I’m gonna suit up too.” Informed the Northuldra.

“Okay.”

She disappeared in the armory hut, and the Snow Queen smiled when her eyes landed on the redhead again. “With Kristoff and Eydis, you three look absolutely amazing. This really looks like the Arendelle flag was brought to life.”

Anna smiled. “Let’s hope that it will fly forever, then.”

The exchanged a gaze, their eyes sparkling with emotion.

Elsa looked over to where Kristoff and Eydis had been standing, and the sisters spent a long time talking about the specificities of each. Kristoff’s one definitely was a mix of a knight armor and an ice harvester outfit, while Eydis’ one seemed like a miniature of her mother’s, but in silver. With her blonde hair, she was really pretty. All the armors, in their own way, demonstrated how talented Arendelle’s craftspeople were.

“I like how we got those armors made to measure.” Said Anna. “It allows easy movements, while it assures efficient protection.”

“Yeah, it’s…”

The blonde’s answer vanished in her throat. Elsa suddenly disconnected from reality as she stared behind Anna, but it was like she was staring at nothing. Or rather, at something divine.

“Hey, are you with me?” Said her sister, snapping her fingers in front of her eyes. “Did your brain fry in Ahtohallan or what?”

Elsa didn’t respond. With a frown, Anna turned around to follow her gaze, and when she saw Honeymaren step out of the hut, it was like the Forest itself had stopped its activity to stare in awe.

The brunette was wearing a traditional war outfit only wore by Northuldra leaders, and it suddenly became very clear to Anna why Elsa hadn’t been able to make words. Anyone had to admit that Honeymaren was giving a stunning impression with that attire. Anna’s jaw dropped when the brunette took a few steps outside and looked over the tribe with a stare that made her aura matching the one of a falcon, except that her eyes were filled with pride and care for her people. The redhead then realized that she was looking for Elsa among the crowd that was staring at her, and when she finally recognized the platinum blonde woman behind Anna, her satisfied smile went larger in a beam. She made her way to her, and the Queen wondered if Honeymaren was ready to see up close the ravenous look that Elsa was giving her, and if Elsa was strong enough to not faint right when the leader would be breathing near her.

With amusement, Anna’s eyes darted from one woman to the other, and it was certain now that Elsa had never seen Honeymaren wearing that outfit. Which made sense, given the current peaceful times.

It was a mix of a tunic and an armor made of hard leather. The latter fabric clearly had been reinforced with an unusual thickness that was reserved to battle gear, and Anna was impressed by the details that however had been drawn on it. How much time did the Northuldra have spent on this? It required a lot of expertise and talent for a tribe that only used manual tools. Several bands of lighter leather crossed Honeymaren’s torso and fell from her shoulders to land on her hips, both holding her weapons and assuring that the flexible armor would stay in place. A large band of thick leather crossed the leader’s belly and juxtaposed her traditional belt, to which was still attached her usual dagger. Beautiful darker pieces were covering her forearms so she could easily protect herself from the blows, and Anna noticed the sames on her thighs and shins, tied above her tunic. Her left wrist was protected on the inside as well, the leather also serving as a guard to avoid any injury when archery is involved. The outfit was objectively magnificent with all its practical yet sophisticated pieces, all dyed with different natural colors that made it soar. Some were pitch black, others a deep brown interlaced with ochre bands - which highlighted her chestnut eyes - and others, especially her tunic, were bright beige.

Honeymaren had completed the outfit with her bow in her back and her quiver at her waist, and it looked like she was ready to slay. In fact, Anna was almost considering the idea to let her go to battle on her own and take care of everything. Who could stand up to her?

Elsa let out a noise when her wife arrived to her level, and it betrayed the fact that she had forgotten to breathe for a moment.

“H-- Hey-y… You.”

Both Anna and Honeymaren bit their lips to hide their giggle at Elsa’s rare fluster. For a very articulate person, she seemed to have lost all her vocabulary.

“H-Honey…”

She tried to say a full sentence, but was simply unable to.

Bruni trotted nearby and squeaked, and Anna smirked. Was it to admire the Northuldra leader and compliment her outfit, or to check that the Fifth Spirit wasn’t on fire?

“Are you okay?” Grinned Honeymaren, teasing, though a bit concerned. Now wasn’t the time for Elsa to faint again.

“I-- I’m beautiful. I mean… I’m not... I’m super-- I’m great.”

Anna giggled, but she managed to hide it behind her palm. Elsa was too busy staring deeply at her lover to even notice it.

“Breathe, love.” Smiled Honeymaren, passing her hand along the blonde’s cheek.

One could think that this would make her arousal even deeper, but the brunette actually succeeded in taking Elsa out of her transe. She gulped as she retrieved her normal behavior.

“Yeah, uhm… Uh… Let’s get ready, shall we?”

She coughed and turned around, inviting the others to follow her.

“Auntie, what will you wear for battle?” Inquired Eydis, running a bit to go walk next to her, her mace bouncing on her shoulder.

Her little eyes were sparkling as she imagined the most amazing armor possible. Elsa recovered from her fluster and looked at her niece with a smirk.

“Why, my work outfit of course.”

As she walked, and there was no need for her to stop nor slow down, she flicked her wrists up in unison. Gusts and twirls of glittering magic appeared from her palms and went in two ways. One move went down from her wrists and added layers of protection to the casual white tunic she had been wearing. The other move went up like embers of ice that floated in the air, which then deposited on her bright white outfit like petals. The magical dust formed new shapes on her shoulders, knees, chest, belly, hips and shins, creating the most perfect ice armor. It couldn’t be more custom-made, and it obeyed each and every motion she made, being comfortable and ergonomic. It also was incredibly beautiful with its breathtaking details and decorations, once again reminding the four other Spirits. Most of the parts were diamond-shaped. Despite the whole piece of art it made, its transparency didn’t fool anyone; the armor was sturdy, if not more than regular ones. Elsa admired her own work.

“...With a few additions, I’ll admit.” She smiled.

Honeymaren’s chestnut eyes got lost at the sight, having not missed any of the show while she walked on Elsa’s other side. That was, for the lack of any other word, a divine transformation. Her eyes filled with tears. Were they due to emotion or because the outfit was bright white and gave the feeling to stare at the full Moon herself? She blinked to dissimulate them.

“Not very stealthy, but I guess what we’ll have to deal with it.” Shrugged Honeymaren, to joke about it and switch her mood.

She giggled when she received a white-covered elbow nudging her ribs.

Elsa shook her head, then looked at the horizon. Her gaze now was more focused than ever.

“Okay, Victor. You wanted to face me? I’m not alone anymore. Here we come.”

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hafanforever · 4 years

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The Men with Two Faces

When Frozen was released almost seven years ago, I fell in love with it and the love hasn’t stopped since, especially with the following of Frozen Fever, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, and last year’s Frozen II. I am very proud to be in this fandom and have enjoyed expressing my love for it by writing analyses about them, and my friends and followers can rest assured I will never stop doing it, especially as long as there is more material for me to discuss! 😁😁😁

One of the reasons I fell in love with Frozen was because of Hans and the fact that he was a surprise villain. Disney introduced him by making us think he was another typical heroic prince: benevolent, noble, brave, caring, selfless, and kind. Hans tells Anna that he is the youngest of 13 sons from the kingdom of the Southern Isles, and in being the youngest, he has apparently faced ignorance, neglect, and abuse from most of his brothers, if not his entire family. But then in the third act, we discover that Disney had purposely misled all other characters, and even the audience, about who Hans really is. He reveals himself as a truly ruthless, sadistic, dishonest, power-hungry, selfish, two-faced sociopath whose only goal is to become king and gain the status, power, admiration, and respect he apparently never received from his family, and would never gain as the 13th heir of the Southern Isles. So he plotted to take control of Arendelle by marrying into the throne. He initially wanted to marry Elsa just because she was the oldest and rightful heir, which would give him a legitimate chance to become king. However, he decided to pursue and marry Anna when he realized that Elsa was an antisocial recluse, and planned to kill Elsa to get her out of the way and rise to power with him as king and Anna as his queen.

When I first saw Frozen, I was very shocked that Hans was the true villain, though at the same time, there were a few moments that made me suspicious of him. After seeing the film a few more times, I realized there were subtle clues of his villainy in many of his preceding scenes, so his villainous revelation did not come totally out of the blue. But Disney using the twist and idea of having a hidden main antagonist, one that was a prince, who is stereotypically a heroic character in fairy tales, no less, was something I very much enjoyed about Frozen because it was something so new, different, unexpected, and very unique, particularly for a Disney fairy tale.

When I saw Frozen II, I wasn’t expecting it to have a villain, hidden or not, since the trope of surprise villains by Disney, which started with Wreck-It Ralph, had been waning and it was getting easier for me to figure out who they were. Needless to say, when Runeard was revealed to be the film’s main antagonist, I was very shocked. I wasn’t shocked in the same way I was when Hans revealed himself to be an evil prince, but for different reasons. For one thing, Runeard only appears on screen as a living character during Agnarr’s story about the Enchanted Forest in the prologue, then as a snowy ice figure Elsa discovers in Ahtohallan years after his death. He has the shortest time on screen than any other villain in the Disney animated canon, yet Runeard also has a major effect on the film’s plot. He is one of the few Disney animated villains who affects the flow of the story from the very beginning, and is rather unique in doing so because he is a POSTHUMOUS main antagonist, the first one from Disney animation. In fact, Runeard is the Greater-Scope Villain of the Frozen franchise as his heinous actions against the Northuldrans not only led to the main events of Frozen II, but also to what became of his bloodline and what led to the events of Frozen. The fact that Runeard has such a short time on screen while simultaneously impacting so much to the story makes his actions even worse than those of Hans.

While the revelation of Runeard being the main villain has received mixed reception from fans and critics like that of Hans did, I can still focus more on the positive about the former’s villainy than the negative. Heck, when you look at both films and both of their main villains, Runeard and Hans actually have quite a lot in common, even though Runeard is far less developed as a character and has a much shorter amount of time on screen than Hans.

Both are monarchs who present themselves as kind, generous, noble, charismatic, benevolent people to the public, while in private, they reveal that are really nothing but cold, obsessive, ruthless, sadistic, two-faced men who are successful in concealing their true dark natures in order to gain the trust of others for their own selfish interests and benefits. In fact, when they make their first appearances in their respective movies, Hans and Runeard wear their benevolent masks when they meet with people, and both are wearing gloves as they do so.

Both prove themselves to be very competent rulers of Arendelle (though Runeard was a true king of Arendelle while Hans briefly acted as its reigning monarch in both Elsa and Anna’s absence), and are kind and generous towards the people of whom they are in charge. In truth, however, both they are very power-hungry individuals who do not care for anything except the power they have/crave, and are willing to do whatever it takes, including treachery and murder, to get what they want and expand their power.

Both have brief scenes in which they reveal their true colors to a single person and sadistically smile as they explain how the plans they have set in motion will be carried out and satisfy their ruthless, selfish desires. The difference between them is that Hans reveals his secret to Anna as he indirectly attempts to murder her, while Runeard reveals his secret to his second-in-command and doesn’t try to murder him (though he apparently instilled fear into the officer and swore him to secrecy over the true purpose of the dam’s construction).

Both plan to kill people who they see as being in their way and a threat to their goals. They sneak up on their victims when they (the victims) are seated on the ground (Hans on Elsa, Runeard on the Northuldra leader) and raise their swords over the victims’ heads, ready to murder them. As I said in “Striking Resemblances”, the difference between both moments is that while Hans failed to kill Elsa due to Anna’s intervention, Runeard succeeded in killing the Northuldra leader because no one else was around to witness and intervene.

And while it’s not part of their characters and actions within the movies, both mens’ true natures were kept a complete secret from viewers prior to the release dates of their respective films, especially during promotional material. Hans was labeled as “The Nice Guy” in the first theatrical trailer for Frozen, while Runeard was completely omitted from pre-release storybook merchandise, and Jeremy Sisto was revealed as the voice of the character for the first time at the world premiere of Frozen II.

The fact that Runeard killed the leader of the Northuldra while Hans didn’t kill Elsa suggests that Runeard is potentially a darker example of what Hans could have easily become if he had succeeded in his goal to kill both sisters and become king of Arendelle. But in the months since Frozen II came out, another possibility on how Runeard is suggested to be a darker reflection of Hans, with the former having succeeded in the past where Hans failed in the present, has been suggested by fans. As I’ve said before, Runeard was the founder and first king of Arendelle. Prior to this accomplishment, perhaps like Hans, he was once a prince who was overlooked and neglected by his family, and he craved power, respect, and admiration after having never received them from his family and/or the majority of his kingdom. Or perhaps Runeard was just a commoner, a poor nobody who still craved power and respect after never having received it, or even anything fine and desirable, in his life...and he ended up getting what he wanted when he created his very own kingdom and was proclaimed its king. AND when he became king, Runeard was set on expanding as well as protecting his power, with his only concern being his own status as a monarch.

Runeard and Hans both have underdeveloped backstories as villains and what makes them as such, even though it feels easier to figure out that of Hans based on what he does reveal to Anna. But considering how much they do have in common, perhaps Runeard WAS once in the same position Hans used to be, and he managed to succeed where Hans did not. With all we do know about them, though, Runeard appears to be far more evil and despicable than Hans, given his bigoted, judgmental, paranoid, hateful behavior towards the Northuldra and the magical spirits and his actions against them.

Hans briefly gets his chance of being a leader when he takes over as temporary ruler of Arendelle in both Elsa and Anna’s absence. He successfully wins the hearts of the Arendellians by acting as a kind, caring, benevolent ruler during the harsh conditions brought on by Elsa’s magical winter. The fact that he earned the trust and respect of the Arendellians and acts very competent as a ruler suggests that Hans really could have been a very good king. However, as I said in “Tyrant Terror”, while Runeard was revealed to be a ruthless, power-hungry, obsessive king in secret, he used the same kind of benevolent mask that Hans used when he appeared in public. Runeard apparently was also very competent as a ruler since he knew how to run the kingdom while pretending to be a noble leader to the public. He led the citizens, the guards, and the castle staff on to believe that his kind facade was his true nature.

Because getting power and respect for himself was all that both men ever really cared about, I have absolutely no doubt that, had he succeeded in stealing Arendelle’s throne, Hans also would have become the same kind of secretly ruthless, power-hungry, selfish tyrant that Runeard was before him.

Now the biggest difference between Hans and Runeard’s villainy is what motivates them to carry out their evil plans. Runeard seeks to destroy the Northuldra because they have ties to magic, something he detests, fears, and towards which he holds bigotry, since he believes it to be a threat to his royal rank and authority. The fact that the Northuldra are peasants who follow magic rather than a government ruled by a king is also how Runeard saw them as a threat. He presumably believed that the Northuldra might try to use their magic to one day plot to usurp him and take over his kingdom. Consumed by his hateful, bigoted, and paranoid feelings towards the tribe and their magic, Runeard decided to destroy them to prevent any chances of them trying to destroy him first.

In Hans’s case, he obviously viewed Elsa as a threat to his plans since she was the legitimate heir of Arendelle, and he plotted to kill her to get her out of his way. When Elsa accidentally revealed her powers and caused the eternal winter, Hans was just as shocked as everyone else. However, while his motive to kill Elsa expanded so that he also wanted restore summer to Arendelle (and appear to be a hero in the eyes of the Arendellians for doing so), Hans was always presumably indifferent to Elsa’s powers. Throughout the whole movie, he never once shows any true feelings of prejudice towards magic or fear that her magic makes Elsa so powerful that she is a greater threat to his goal of taking over her kingdom than he initially believed. The best example of this is when he reveals his true nature and plans to Anna, who says “You’re no match for Elsa!” and Hans callously retorts “No, you’re no match for Elsa!” Hans knows that Anna means that Elsa is more powerful than him with her magic and she could use them to bring him down, but Hans is completely unconcerned and unconvinced about this concept. If anything, by this time, he has realized that Elsa was scared of her own power and of losing Anna...and he knew how to use both of her fears against her.

So unlike Runeard’s fear of magic being his overall motivation to destroy the Northuldra, I don’t believe Hans ever feared or was prejudiced towards Elsa for being magical. He only wanted to kill her just because she was in his way of gaining access to Arendelle’s throne.

As with any Disney villain, though, in the end, Hans and Runeard’s confidence and arrogance ends up being their downfall, and they end up being forever ruined due to their actions. Hans extinguishes all heat sources in the library, then locks Anna in so she will die from her frozen heart. But because Olaf helps her escape the castle, Anna intervenes in the nick of time when Hans attempts to kill Elsa. After the winter is lifted, Hans is humiliated and defeated when Anna reveals that she survived, and many witness the punch she gives him to his face. Hans is then apprehended, imprisoned on a French ship headed back to the Southern Isles, and banished from Arendelle forever. He is later shown working in the royal stables in his kingdom, cleaning up after the horses.

Though he makes no further appearances in the franchise, Hans’s betrayal has undoubtedly ruined him forever and he will probably never be allowed to leave his kingdom in order to try his plot all over again. Furthermore, the allusions to and mentions of him in the sequel shows that he will never be forgiven by Elsa, Anna, and their family.

Despite having succeeded in murdering the tribe leader, the war that Runeard instigates leads to him falling off a cliff to his death and causing the angered spirits to cast a mist over the Enchanted Forest, trapping the people, including his surviving soldiers, in it for decades. Though he is long dead by the time the main events of the story take place, what remains of Runeard’s evil reign is finally brought to an end when Anna and Elsa destroy the dam. This act lifts the mist and frees the Forest, and a true union of peace is at last established between Arendelle and the Northuldra.

In life, Runeard had been desperate to protect his power, status, and legacy from being ruined by the Northuldra and their magic. But in great irony, his misdeeds caused his own fear to become reality (though not like he had envisioned), and his legacy is now forever ruined by his betrayal.

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queen-iduna-of-arendelle · 4 years

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Wolves kill Birds

Chapter 1: New what?!

Northuldra has been conquered. Many people died in battle and the rest were brought to Arendelle to work as slaves. And in all of this is Iduna, her hatred of all Arendellians is the only thing to keep her going, for she won't surrender even if everyone else did.

AO3 ff.net

Iduna was furiously cleaning the way too big windows. She's carrying a lot of anger around since 'that day' and would rather smash that stupid window into pieces! But she knew if she did he'll throw her into the dungeons again and let the soldiers beat her up into a bloody pulp.

Wouldn't be the first time...Her body was covered in different scars and bruises, most of them not only a day old. Her back had scratches from a whip, today she even had a black eye.

Oh, how she hated these Arendellians! Lying their way into their place, promising friendship, just to betray them, kill most of them -even her grandfather, who was their chief, and her father too- and locking the rest into the dungeons. After a while in the dark cells they decided to have them as slaves and forced them to work for them. It was either that, or death. Well, a slow death.

Her mother and aunt were with her and maybe it's because of them that she was still alive after all this time...

The Northuldra that were captured and enslaved weren't enough to fight back, too outnumbered by the enemy, so they had no other choice but to obey if they wanted to live. But was that really a life? They survived, but they didn't live. And the memories of her home, of their forest, slowly began to fade as well. It's been three years since they've been captured, but Iduna was still as rebellious as she was at the first day.

“Hey.“ Iduna jumped when she suddenly heard a voice behind her. She turned around to see the painfully oblivious and naive prince. Oblivious because he seemed to have no idea what his father did to them. But that's no excuse, he was just as guilty. The young woman didn't say anything and just went back to her work. “What happened to your eye?“ He asked, which actually sounded worried, but the Arendellians knew how to lie.

“Nothing.“ She mumbled, her eyes avoiding him. “I fell.“ Iduna knew that's a stupid excuse, but she still said it. Also talking with the prince was pretty much forbidden. Last time they beat the crap out of her for this, even though he was the only one to talk. Maybe it was because he didn't know better and the king didn't want him to know the truth. But as she said, no excuse. All Arendellians were bad and cruel people. All of them deserved the wrath of the spirits. But they've been awfully quiet for years...

“That doesn't look like you fell...“ He said, but she remained quiet. Then, to her surprise, he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the halls.

“H-hey!“ Just a moment later they were in his bedchamber. He made her sit on his bed, while he vanished for a second to get something. Then when he came back, he knelled on the floor and held a wet, cool cloth against her black eye. To be honest, Iduna didn't know what to think of this. That surely was just another trick.

“How does it feel?“ He asked pressing the cloth gently on the black spot. Although Iduna didn't answer and avoided his gaze the whole time. She couldn't deny that it felt nice, but there were other spots that hurt more, and even more will come.

And then, just on cue, the king appeared at the door. “Agnarr.“ He said, but then stopped when he saw her. The king glared at her and she couldn't help but shudder under that gaze. As much as she wanted to make him pay, she was just as afraid of him. “What is she doing here?!“

Iduna quickly looked away, an icy shiver went down her spine, when she thought about what other punishments she'll get now. He'd surely make her suffer till she wished to be finally dead. Wouldn't be the first time either. The prince stood between them. “I brought her here, father. She has a black eye. I just wanted to-“

“This is not your concern, son. Accidents can happen while doing their chores.“ Even with her eyes fixated to the ground, she still felt the king's glare bore holes into her. “Now go back to your work!“

Iduna gladly went towards the door. She really wanted to flee this situation, maybe try to stay hidden for the rest of the day. The castle had a few secret rooms that she used to tend to her wounds. But the prince stopped her. Holding an arm out to block her path. “Father, I want her as a personal maid.“ Both she and the king looked at him in shock.

“What?“ Said the king in disbelieve. “Why would you want someone as incompetent as her?“ He asked and for once she had to agree with him.

“You said I could choose anyone I want.“ Iduna couldn't see the prince's expression, but he sounded determined to get what he wanted. Disgusting. But on the other hand...maybe she could see her mother and aunt more. They're downgraded to maids, too. But Iduna was sure at least her aunt was still fighting, too. They've got the same temper.

“Fine.“ The king spat, obviously not pleased about this. Well, except that she might see her family again, she wasn't very happy with that either. “But make sure she's dressed as such.“ With that said, he went to the door. “And get ready, you're coming to the council meeting with me.“

When the man left the room, a big tension left with him. But not all of it. There was still the prince, and there was practically no time to relax or let her guard down in general. She's been like this, tense and on guard for three years. It was very tiring. It felt like having a permanent headache. Only in sleep could she get out of this, but it all came back when she woke up again.

The prince turned to her, but she still avoided his eyes. She knew, if she looked at him she'll snap. And if she snapped at any of the Arendellians this meant a day or two in the dungeons, physical punishment and of course no food. And Iduna already had two days without food and she'd really like to eat something today.

“I'm sorry...what's your name again?“ Asked the prince and she barely held herself back to raise an eyebrow. Of course he wouldn't remember anyone's names, but that he's apologizing for it was new...

“Iduna.“ She said loud and clear, since the last time she mumbled or replied halfheartedly she got a fist into her gut.

“That's a very beautiful name.“ He complimented her, that Iduna didn't accept. Who knew what he planned? “Uh, are you hungry?“ He asked then. It looked like he's trying to have small talk with her or something. Iduna shook her head, but her stomach betrayed her by growling loudly. The prince chuckled, much to her annoyance and then she was face to face with a wrapped piece of chocolate.

She stared at it with wide eyes, before daring to look up at him. He was smiling at her in a disgustingly friendly way. “Sorry, I don't have anything else right now.“ That guy always seemed to have chocolate with him. Whenever she or one of the others met him, he'd give them chocolate. Apparently to 'thank' them. But for what? For letting the king enslave them? “Go on.“

Iduna was hesitant. None of them ever took his 'gifts', they were all too afraid he'd poison them, so they all threw it away immediately. But this was so tempting now. And she was very hungry...“I know my father's very strict about anything...But I'm not like that. I don't mind if you eat outside these weird plans. I think they're really stupid anyway...“

He really was naive. She could hold on till she's allowed to eat. But she was worried they might poison the food. Even just to torture them more. Seeing that she was still not taking the treat, the prince unwrapped it and took a bite. “See? It's good.“ Iduna frowned. He wouldn't eat a poisoned chocolate, would he? “Say 'aaaahhh'.“

He's just fueling her anger now and she opened her mouth to say that she didn't want this and that he should get lost. But maybe it was good that she didn't get a chance to say it, as he just put the chocolate into her mouth once she opened it. Iduna looked away and chewed the chocolate. She didn't want to admit it, but it was amazing. If she could she'd probably just eat chocolate for a month. Or longer. “Is it good?“ He asked, and she just answered with a nod.

Iduna tensed up again, when the door opened. “Your Highness.“ Said an all too familiar female voice that made her look up instantly. At the door was her mother, dressed as a maid. Her mother looked just as shocked when she saw her. The prince noticed it.

“Do you know each other?“ He asked, before apparently taking a closer look. “Are you two related?“

“She's my daughter, Your Highness.“ Answered her mother and Iduna saw the prince's eyes widening.

“Really? I didn't know...“ Now that he had his back on her, Iduna could finally roll her eyes. Of course he wouldn't know. Her mother shot her a warning glare, which she ignored. “Uh, Álvá could you get Iduna some new clothes? She's my personal maid now.“

Her mother raised an eyebrow. “She is?“

“Yes. I, uh, just decided that. But if I knew she's your daughter...“ Iduna frowned at the exchange. She didn't bother to listen, but the way they talked with each other...it's like they're friends or something.

“And what about you, Your Highness? Shouldn't you get ready for the meeting?“ Asked her mother in an almost teasing way that made her chin drop to the ground.

“I'm old enough to dress myself, thank you.“ He teased back, and that shocked her to her core.

“Very well.“ Her mother took her hand and practically pulled her out of the room, since she was paralyzed from the shock. Iduna wanted to scold her as soon as they were outside, but she waited till they went into Álvá's room. “W-what was that?!“ Iduna practically yelled.

“What do you mean, sweetie?“ Asked her mother innocently, as she grabbed some maid clothes from...where the hell ever.

“I mean the way you spoke with him! You talked with him as if you're friends! What's going on?!“ In that moment Iduna was wondering who's the child of them.

“Sweetheart...“ Began Álvá and cupped her face in her hands. “I know you've been in big trouble until now. Maybe it's about time to...stop fighting.“

Iduna immediately pulled away from the soothing touch of her mother. “What?!“

“Iduna, nothing will change if you keep fighting. Whatever happens, we're still outnumbered and Runeard won't let us leave. I know you don't want to hear it, but I stopped fighting a long time ago. For the most time I'm just with the prince and he's nothing like his father. He doesn't even know what happened. You see, he's been traveling for two years and completely missed the events that happened here. I had enough time to watch everything and saw that even Runeard's lying to him so that he won't know anything about it.“

Iduna couldn't believe what she's hearing there. Surely the Arendellians did something to make her think that. “I don't believe you!“ Even if her mother was right about Agnarr being away for two years -she wouldn't know, as she spent most of her time in the dungeons and started working this year- that didn't change anything! That's no excuse! “Do you really want to live that way?! Locked inside? Serving some royals who think they're better than anyone? Murderous people who took us away from our home and killed dozen of us?“

Her mother sighed and looked away. “You sound like Yelena.“

“Good, at least one of us does.“ Her mother didn't react to it. Yelena was her aunt and should've been their new chief after her grandfather died. Iduna always admired her aunt's strength and leadership, maybe that's why they're both so similar. “There will be a way to get out of here-!“

“Iduna!“ The young woman went silent at her mother's outburst. “What can we do? Tell me.“ Now confronted with the question, she tried to think of something, but she couldn't get any realistic idea. “See? There's nothing we can do. And those who fight, will be killed. I've lost just as many as you did and I don't want to lose you, too. Don't you understand?“ Iduna looked to the ground. “Please. Don't let yourself get killed. I don't think I could handle loosing you.“

Iduna had no idea what to say. Yes, her mother was right, she knew it! But it still didn't make her lose hope that one day they could escape this hellhole. To be honest, Iduna never thought of any drastic measures. But now...“What if we just poison him and his brat of a son?“ She asked, but then was slapped immediately after it.

Her mother never slapped her before...“Are you even hearing yourself?!“ Álvá scolded, glaring at her. “If anything happens to him they'll blame us and then we're all gonna die!“

“No one will notice if we're leaving...“ Iduna tried, but it was no use.

“Do you know how many guards Arendelle has? Enough to see a bunch of us running away right after the king died!“ Iduna winced. Yeah, she knew her mother was right, but...Was there really nothing they could do? “Don't get any more crazy ideas, Iduna. Nothing you come up with will change our situation for the better.“

Iduna bit her lip. Her pride prevented her from giving up, but her mama was right. It looked like...they just had to keep surviving...

#slavery #violence #eventual fluff #agduna #iduna #agnarr #yelena #álvá #fanfics #fanfiction #frozen #disney

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hb-pickle · 4 years

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~°•☆Frozen Headcanons x2☆°•~

+ Culture Shock +

Ft: Honeymaren & Elsa

- I really like the idea of the Arendellians and Northuldra going through a culture shock / being really suprised by the other groups food, culture, etc. So here are a few I thought of based on IRL things:

- Honeymaren doesn't like chocolate!! ~Gaspu~ Apparently European and American chocolate is very different concerning cocoa percentages and sweetness. So I imagine Elsa gives Honeymaren some chocolate and she instantly starts having an "Idris Elba hot wings" style breakdown because the chocolate is simultaneously to spicy and too sweet. Its especially rough because she's never had chocolate before and is now scarred for life lol

Honeymaren, while choking: You didn't say it would be spicy!

Elsa, confused and distressed: It's not supposed to be spicy?!

Honeymaren, even more concerned and desperate: W H A T?

I'm sure Honey would try really hard to like chocolate, since Elsa likes it so much, but it's just very very different to her lmao

- - -

+ Elsa & Snow Babies, Mother's Day +

Ft: Elsa & Olaf

- Elsa celebrates Mother's Day with Olaf, the Snowgies, and Marshmallow! We know that even though Olaf can't technically eat food, he can still taste stuff and likes sweet things (In Frozen Fever he eats part of Anna's ice cream cake and in OFA he "taste" a candy cane and eats a fruit cake). So I assume the snowgies + Marshmallow do the same(The snowgies are also shown eating a bunch of the cake slices)! So what I headcanon is that Elsa and Olaf make a bunch of "Canadian Maple Taffy" for them (Its literally just maple syrup poured onto snow on a stick). I chose this treat because its sweet, snow themed, and pretty cheap to make (which would be ideal for creatures who literally cannot eat food).

- Anna and Kristoff don't notice when Mother's Day starts getting close (F for orphans orFans amirite). So they just come home one day and see like 500 of these things laying in snow banks (made by Elsa).

They're all confused and like wtf, but Elsa just explains that she's preparing them for her trip to the North Mountain/Ahtohallan tomorrow~~ Olaf can be pouring the tea kettle full of syrup and Elsa has the sticks ♡♡♡

- - -

- As y'all may or may not already know, I headcanon Yelena as Honey and Ryder's mother (I read a pre-F2 speculation article referring to them as a "family of three" and it stuck with me ♡). So here are some nice Yelena mom headcanons~~

- She very quiet, reserved, and caring (just like in the film), and mostly leaves Honey and Ryder to their own devices, but she does go out of her way to mildly annoy and embarrass them. Not in the cringey early 2010s kids TV sort of way, but like in a more realistic way (all of these are based off stuff my parents did to me). Some things include:

- Wiping lotion or some foolishness on your face in public while loudly chastising you for not taking care of yourself. So the Frohana gang come to visit Honey and Ryder and Yelena doing this sh*t to Ryder (in front of their house so everyone can see):

Honeymaren: Ha that's what you get for never washing your face properly.

Yelena, jabbing Honeymaren in the butt knowing full and well Elsa is watching in the corner:

Honeymaren, mortified: MOTHER!

(Doggo caption doesn't really fit with what I'm going for lol)

She'd do all this with a completely straight face, but she and her kids both know she's playing ♡ (but they still hate it regardless).

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agent-barnes40 · 4 years

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Frozen 2

Frozen || , I absolutely fucking love that movie. It touches on a lot. This is full of spoilers so, be warned.

Iduna talking about the river of memories in All Is Found, magical lullaby and I’m not ashamed to say that I use it as a lullaby myself.

Elsa getting scared by Kai and just leaves handblocks on the railing.

Elsa hearing Ahtohallan singing, since she’s a spirit.

Kristoff telling Sven that he has to propose to Anna for him, It’s alluded to in Some Things Never Change. Listen to it all the way to the end.

“The winds are restless. Could that be why I’m hearing this call? Is something coming? I’m not sure i want things to change at all. These days are precious, cant let them slip away. I cant freeze this moment but i can still go out and seize this day!”

Elsa getting distracted by Ahtohallan during charades

Anna lulling Elsa to sleep with All Is Found, and Elsa singing along while, “I know what you’re doing.” And falls asleep not even five minutes later.

Into The Unknown, enough said.

The air seemingly getting sucked out of Arendell

The alarm as everyone watched as the fire went out along with the water.

Elsa getting even more alarmed as she tried to evacuate the kingdom when the air suddenly started to push everyone out and the roads started to roll.

The trolls rolling up and telling Elsa, who is in a night gown, that’s there is no future.

Elsa and crew suddenly have outfits.

Going to the mist and Elsa putting her hand in it and it just Yeets them inside.

“Samantha?”

Meeting the Northuldra and Arendellian guards

Olaf retelling the events of F1 as if he’s Deadpool or someone

Elsa and Anna realizing their not only Arendellian but also Northudran.

Olaf deciding his best spot for protection if from Elsa

Kristoff immediately going to protect the Reindeer

Anna running into fire for Elsa and it emotionally drains Elsa trying to protect Anna.

HONEYMAREN AND ELSA

LOST IN THE WOODS all im gonna say about this too.

Olaf singing for Ahtohallan along with elsa and deeming Elsa as “Pitchy”

Elsa wanting to see her parents last moments (WHICH I TOTALLY DO NOT AGREE ON! BUT I’LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER!)

Elsa and Anna separating on Elsa’s terms to go after Ahtohallan

Elsa pumping herself up to cross the sea to Ahtohallan

Elsa going after the Water Nokk

Olaf realizing that he’s angry and upset at elsa for separating them

Elsa playfully going through Ahtohallan

Elsa heading to her mother, which is ultimately shown as Ahtohallan

Elsa’s tears at seeing her mother after six years.

Anna’s heartbreak at Olaf getting Thanos snapped

“The Next Right Thing” is something i need to talk about, so please wait for those at the end of this along with the other ones i need to talk about that this movie brought up.

Anna waking up the Earth Giants to break the dam

Kristoff immediately telling Anna that his Love isn't fragile

Anna’s little “Kristoff” When she sees him.

Mattias realizing that Anna is Queen when she tells him that Elsa is “Dead”

Anna curling up to Kristoff after the dam breaks

The water rushing toward Arendelle and Elsa just makes an ice wall

Elsa sending a flurry to Anna as she heads back toward the Enchanted Forest.

ANNA FUCKING CRYING LIKE A NORMAL PERSON ALL SNOTTY AND SHIT

ANNA BECOMING QUEEN OF ARENDELLE

Okay, heres where I talk about multiple parts of the movie, and this is going to get a little personal as i heavily relate to a shit ton of shit that happened in this movie.

Elsa deciding to see their parents last moments is a huge bad idea for her mental state which we could clearly see decline from that scene to the next, disregarding her entire personal safety. Her decision to go into Ahtohallan was so much deeper than All Is Found, Into The Unknown and seeing that ship, it goes down to her childhood, she was treated unfairly for having magical abilities.

She was angry at the fact that because she was different, new rules had to be made for her, everything had to be made for her. New gloves as she got older, new food seeing as she immediately froze the food she received, new everything. “Normal Rules did not apply” Is what she specifically said in “Show Yourself”

She’s worked so hard after these three years to work on her abilities and grow into them and still have time to be queen as well. She works so hard on being both herself and being queen. If you notice at the beginning of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, you’ll notice that Elsa is decorating along with the servants and had probably woke up Anna seeing as Kristoff was working with Sven to get the Yule Bell. She worked on immediately going to find Olaf after he went to find a tradition for the royal sisters.

Elsa has worked so hard for her position, to prove even though her starting two days as Queen she was considered a traitor. Her entire council was preparing to execute her before even considering who she was due to Anna’s trust in Hans.

Anna immediately knew what was happening to Olaf when he flurried. Olaf was frightened and she immediately went into mom mode for him and held him, that was probably a huge hit in Anna’s mental state. She had also known the implications of Olaf flurrying, Elsa is dead. We knew it, she knew it, it was only a matter of time for Anna since she knew where Elsa was going to go, she was going to Ahtohallan and she drowned. That is all Anna knew.

Anna knew that because she was probably taught at adolescent years on how to be queen along with Elsa, even though they were separated, in case Elsa out right denied the crown and throne or if somehow Elsa died too. Anna knew she was next in line and she went onto her next task after Elsa’s death. Saving Arendelle, Arendelle was second in her line of things to do on the way to the Enchanted forest.

Elsa was her first, keeping elsa safe.

Arendelle is always going to be her second.

Arendelle’s safety will always be in Anna’s mind as thats what she was probably taught as a young child and on. Elsa has always been Anna’s first concern, her first priority, its probably why Anna sleeps in all the time because she worries for Elsa at night.

Anna has always felt inside Elsa’s shadow because her parents focused on Elsa so much from the incident on all the way to their deaths. Its probably way Anna has a such a fierce want to protect Elsa, she went so far into the outside of Arendelle after Elsa, all the way to the north mountain and almost died for her.

Anna follows after her every moment after that, to keep a close eye on her sister. She’s protective over her, she’s her shield, she never leaves Elsa alone unless its diplomatic needs that has her leaving the room.

Elsa and Anna has seen so much for being so young, the two Northuldran and Asgardian royalty shouldn't have been seeing as much death and danger as they have.

#frozen #elsa #frozen 2 #Ahtohallan #AHHHH

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yumeka36 · 4 years

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Frozen 2 story/lore complete analysis

Foreword: Even after writing my review a few days ago, there was still so much more I wanted to say about Frozen 2. Since the movie had its worldwide release, I've seen many posts by fans debating and interpreting the events of the plot and posing the same questions and concerns over and over. But so far I haven't seen anyone attempt to tackle everything in one comprehensive "guide." Since I'm the type of person who doesn't like posting bits of my thoughts here and there and would rather just say everything all at once in one big post and get it over with, that's what I'll be doing here: examining every major plot point of the movie in somewhat chronological order and giving my detailed interpretation. I'll be using evidence from the movie itself and the limited official sources we have such as the recent Into the Unknown podcast with Jennifer Lee, The Art of Frozen 2 book, and a few others. I'm writing this not only as a means of getting out all the thoughts and feelings I still need to express, but also to help others understand and appreciate this imperfect but still beautiful movie. I've written heavy lore analysis posts about other fandoms before (Five Nights at Freddy's lore was way harder!) so it's something I'm familiar with and enjoy doing. I think I'm pretty good at dissecting answers using even the most minute story details

-Note- there's a high probability that as the months and even years go by, we'll get more official evidence through books, interviews, merchandise, and maybe even new animated shorts and sequels that may invalidate some of the things I describe below. I'm considering coming back to this post at a future date to correct myself if enough of what I say is proven wrong. Let's see how long my interpretations can last!

King Runeard and the dam: Because King Runeard feared the magic of the Northuldra, he came up with a plan to construct a dam that would weaken their resources, under the guise of it being a gift, a bridge between the two villages. The dam disrupted their water sources, causing negative environmental effects on the forest. Since he feared the power of the spirits, it made sense he'd try to destroy the Northuldra in a subtle way rather than wage a war. The dam probably took many months to construct, so we can make the assumption that the group of Arendelle soldiers he brought to the forest as seen in Agnarr's flashbacks stayed with the Northuldra for a while. Further evidence is scenes of the Arendelle soldiers and Northuldra doing reindeer riding together, plus the memory in Ahtohallan of Iduna talking to Agnarr when he's reading a book. Obviously the two of them forged a good relationship during the months Agnarr stayed there. As this time went on, the Northuldra leader began to realize that the dam was doing more harm than good, so King Runeard had to make his final move. Once the war broke out, Iduna made her decision to save Agnarr and "stowaway" on an Arendelle wagon that managed to escape before the mist covered the land. One of the memories seen in "Show Yourself" is young Iduna calling to the spirits for help. We saw in another memory Elsa encounters, as well as Agnarr's flashback in the beginning, that Gale answered her call for help and carried Agnarr into the wagon, and Iduna followed. Since the Northuldra and Arendellian soldiers left behind in the forest were still at odds with each other, and the symbol of the atrocity, the dam, still stood, the spirits remained angry and kept their magic dormant, no longer letting the Northuldra use it. The elements still existed and behaved normally, but no longer in the magical ways the Northuldra were using them for.

The four spirits: The movie tells us that the four spirits are air (Gale), fire (Bruni), water (Nokk), and earth (earth giants). But we also are given the impression that they do a whole lot more than just use their elements. First off, it's discovered that they gave Elsa her powers as a gift because Iduna did the right thing by saving Agnarr even though he was the Northuldra's enemy (Anna put the pieces together and told Elsa during the shipwreck scene). It was a sign that the two sides could learn to get along again so they wanted to give Elsa the ability to find out this truth (use her ice to freeze the water's memories) should she choose to. This is also supported by the fact that the spirits evacuated the people of Arendelle in anticipation of Anna and Elsa discovering the truth and choosing to destroy the dam: the spirits wouldn't want to kill the people of Arendelle as not only would that be pretty evil, but the idea is for the Aredellians to realize the wrong their people committed and correct it, not to die for the sins of their ancestors. But again, this means the spirits – as in Bruni and the rest – did all this, and yet they don’t seem like creatures that make rationale, moral decisions (seriously, Bruni is a baby~). Like, I'm imagining the four of them having a "spirit meeting" (they probably communicate telepathically) and Nokk is like "yo, that Iduna girl did a good thing, let's give her daughter ice powers so she can come back and freeze all the water memories and discover the truth" and Bruni's like "sounds good" and Gale's like "let's do it!" Joking aside, I know even though they're represented as being non-human-like, there's more to them than that. It's similar to Japanese Shintoism in which gods and spirits can exist everywhere and take many forms, often animals, but that doesn't mean they don't have wisdom and power beyond that form. Bruni and the others must be like that too, a certain omnipotence beyond their physical form. Obviously they can control the elements in areas where they're not present (when they stopped all the elements in Arendelle at the beginning of the movie) as well as other godlike phenomena like granting powers to humans. Again, the exact nature of the four spirits and how they can carry out these extraordinary actions/decisions is one of the plot elements I mentioned in my review that's glossed over because there's simply not enough time to delve into it as it's the kind of thing that would take Harry Potter-sized books to fully flesh out. Like any other magical element in fairy tales, it doesn't pay to try and understand the exact "whys" and "hows" of the four spirits in Frozen 2 – I think what we're given in the movie and a little creative interpretation is enough.

Iduna and Agnarr: What did Iduna do immediately after she and Agnarr escaped the forest? The only evidence we have is a scene in Ahtohallan where she tells Agnarr (when they're both adults) that she needs to tell him who she really is and where she's from. This makes it clear that she separated from him after she saved him and stayed away until she had grown up enough that he wouldn't recognize her as the girl who had saved him. Interestingly, the Frozen 2 Junior Novelization book includes an extra memory Elsa passes by in Ahtohallan where she sees young Iduna in an orphanage in the woods outside Arendelle and a voice that says "No one knew who you were, you didn't have any family with you" (the book doesn't say who the voice is). The book also says that Iduna had put on some Arendelle clothing in the wagon she stowed away on with Agnarr. This further solidifies the fact that she was able to hide her identity as a Northuldra and somehow met up with Agnarr many years later after they had both grown up (exactly how she went from an orphan to meeting and then marrying the king of Arendelle is a story for another time). At some point the memory we saw played out where she finally confessed to him about who she was. Exactly when this happens though I'm not sure but the timing doesn't have a big impact on the plot. Obviously it'd have to be some time before they set off to find Ahtohallan. I'd like to think she confessed some time after Elsa accidentally struck Anna with her magic. They then spent many years secretly researching magic in a hidden room, as is described in The Forest of Shadows book (it's likely Agnarr was the only person who knew she was Northuldra). Eventually they made the decision to try and reach Ahtohallan themselves under the guise of going to the Southern Seas.

The voice: I've seen two interpretations of who the voice is – either the voice is within Elsa herself or it's Iduna's ghost/spirit calling to her from Ahtohallan. In the Into The Unknown podcast, Jen says that the voice Elsa hears is her mother's but doesn't go into detail. I don't think Iduna's ghost is literally calling to her but rather the magic side of Elsa, her mother's side, is what's calling her to Ahtohallan. When Elsa reaches the final chamber in "Show Yourself" after embracing her role as the fifth spirit, she's able to reveal the memories there…and the first memories she sees are Iduna's memories. The Iduna we see singing with her doesn't seem to be a memory since it's addressing her directly, so I think that Iduna's spirit/ghost lives on in the depths of Ahtohallan, waiting for Elsa to discover who she really is. Since we see young Iduna in the memory doing the voice (from when she's calling Gale to help her save Agnarr) the melody of the voice must be a universal call for the spirits that Iduna knew, being a Northuldra. As for why it took so long for Elsa to start hearing the voice, she was too consumed by fear and notions of isolation in the first movie to even think of her powers as a gift and what purpose they could serve. It took three years of being accepted by Anna and the people of Arendelle for her to reach a level of comfort that she could start thinking of grander things, like wanting to learn the origin of her powers and if there's some greater purpose she was meant to use them for. These feelings triggered the "magic side" of her, her mother's side, to starting crying out as a voice in her head. When she finally decided that she wanted to follow it, the spirits sensed that desire and awoke, then proceeded to evacuate Arendelle, in anticipation that she'd discover the truth and choose to do the right thing.

Why ice powers? As I described earlier in the post, although it's stated in the movie that Elsa's powers were a gift from the spirits, it was not stated specifically why they chose ice powers. I kinda like that we weren't spoon-fed that answer but once you think about what Elsa does with her powers throughout the movie it becomes clear: since water has memory, ice magic can freeze those memories and give them physical form, creating visual "moments in time" that can be used to discover the truth. No one but Elsa could have used her magic to freeze the memories in Ahtohallan and elsewhere in the enchanted lands to show the past events.

The shipwreck: It was revealed that Iduna and Agnarr were headed for Ahtohallan because they believed they could find out the secrets of Elsa's powers, evidenced by what Iduna wrote on the map and their final words during the shipwreck: "Ahtohallan must be the source of her magic" and "We keep going for Elsa." Olaf questions how they were able to get through the mist, suggesting that maybe they perished before the boat actually got to the enchanted forest, but the map reveals that they knew where the mist was and took a detour through the Dark Sea (this is better described in the Frozen 2 Junior Novelization).

Ahtohallan: Although the lullaby states that Ahtohallan is a river, we find out that the water is actually frozen, forming a huge glacier that still retains all memories. The main clues we have for exactly what Ahtohallan is lies in the notes Iduna wrote on the map that Anna and Elsa find in the shipwreck: "The end of the ice age, the river found but lost, magic's source, Elsa's source." The "ice age" could be referring to the fact that Ahtohallan, once a river, somehow froze during an ice age (when this ice age took place is unknown) becoming a glacier that drifted out into the Dark Sea. "The river found but lost" means the river still exists but is "lost" in the sense that all the memories are now hidden in the glacier instead of a free-flowing river. This could also refer to the fact that even if one finds the river, unless they have powers bestowed by the spirits, the memories will still be "lost" if they don't have the required magic to decipher the memories. The part that refers to Ahtohallan as "magic's source" is the most interesting. Ahtohallan isn't only the source of memories but of magic, evidenced by the fact that we see each of the four spirits connect with Elsa in Ahtohallan, with each of their elemental symbols becoming part of her as she takes her place in the center. Her transformation into the fifth spirit couldn't have taken place anywhere but Ahtohallan – it's a "hub" for the spirits' magic, since magic is required to reveal the memories there. The last part of the note, "Elsa's source," reinforces this: as I described in the section above, the power to manipulate ice and freeze water is essential for finding the secrets of Ahtohallan, and this power is what the spirits gave Elsa. How this actually works isn't too complicated: all the memories we see are either of Elsa's own memories or of people close to her, like Anna and her parents. I think it's logical to conclude that all memories exist in Ahtohallan, but the further away those memories are from you – i.e, memories of someone you don't know, memories from a long time ago, or memories that very few people know about – can be considered "deep" memories that require going further and further into the depths to uncover, running the risk of going "too far." (Ahtohallan memories are different from memories she revealed in the forest: there she froze the memories that existed in that spot specifically whereas Ahtohallan contains memories unbounded by time and space, but with the risk of going too deep). This is why she had to go to such lengths to find out what really happened with King Runeard: not only was this a memory from someone she never actually met from decades ago, but it was a secretive memory only a couple people knew about. But even though Elsa has ice magic, there's no reason to assume she's invulnerable to other ice magic, especially the "ultimate" ice magic straight from the original source, Ahtohallan. This is why even she succumbed to the consequences of going too far into deep memories – the lullaby states "not too far or you'll be drowned," but since Ahtohallan is a glacier now, you get frozen instead. @spicylove4ever wrote a post interpreting Ahtohallan too, I recommend it.

The fifth spirit: Elsa's role as the fifth spirit is probably the most debated topic in Frozen 2 – out of all the plot points I describe here, it's the one that has the least information to go by. All we know of the fifth spirit is that it’s a bridge between humans and the magic of nature. By the end of the movie, Elsa is shown to have a closer bond with the four other spirits and her magic has gotten stronger, but that's about it. She was shown to tame the spirits during her journey, but she never tamed the earth giants, which makes me believe that taming them was not a prerequisite for becoming the fifth spirit: the spirits became active and sought her out, being drawn by her magic, and she tamed the ones she encountered. She probably would have tamed the earth giants too if Anna hadn’t stopped her. But we see that even the earth giants are friendly to her after her transformation, so I feel their connection to her is the result rather than the requirement. But now that the wrong of the past has been revealed and corrected, as far as what she does everyday in the forest and how much of it is "duty" vs "self-fulfillment" remains unclear. But one thing that is clear to me that people are concerned about is whether she's still human or is now a literal goddess/spirit. I think the term "spirit" is purely figurative. She never actually transforms into another type of being or appears to ascend to some astral plane beyond the human world – she literally just gets a new dress and hairstyle, just like the first movie, and besides being more powerful and more confident in herself, everything else about her is the same. She wasn't immune to dying to Ahtohallan's magic either, showing that she's not immortal and didn't gain ultimate powers over all. Jen even states in the podcast that she considers both Anna and Elsa the fifth spirit/bridge, further showing that the term is used loosely and not meant to be taken literally. Another point is how different Elsa is compared to the other spirits: they have a sense of being ancient, ethereal creatures that have existed unchanged for who knows how long. Unless something outrageously different about Elsa is revealed now that she has this new role, all evidence still points to her being a normal human that happens to have magical powers. Another interesting point is that there doesn't seem to be a fifth spirit until Elsa came along, so one could make the assumption that fifth spirits are humans like her who are given special magical gifts when the need arises. So they don't exist all the time, and since they're human, they have the lifespan of one and don't live on forever like the other four spirits. If another human was the fifth spirit before Elsa, they probably lived long ago, before even King Runeard's time. Honeymaren said that people thought they heard the fifth spirit call out the day the forest fell, but we know that cry was actually young Iduna calling to the spirits to help her save Agnarr. I don't believe Iduna was the fifth spirit before Elsa since there's no evidence that she had powers, only that she used the spirits' powers the same way the other Northuldra did. And if she was the fifth spirit, why couldn't she have gone to Ahtohallan to reveal and correct the past instead of Elsa? No, the fifth spirit has to have magic in order to utilize Ahtohallan, it has to be a human born with magic to have both the human side and magic side. So whether there was a fifth spirit before Elsa and who it was, or if there wasn't, why is a fifth spirit needed now and what that role entails, are questions that have stumped even me. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for any events and panels with the Frozen 2 creators in the coming months/years, hoping for an opportunity to get these answers from them…assuming they don't get answered beforehand in future franchise installments (otherwise debates like this will continue forever with no resolution!) @vuelie-frost also wrote a good post about Elsa's transformation into the fifth spirit and what it means so give it read.

Destiny and choice: A common criticism of Elsa's story arc in Frozen 2 is that she was forced into her destiny as the fifth spirit and didn't really have a choice, since the only way to get the voice to shut up was to go to Ahtohallan. This is true, but the important part is what happens after that. She no longer hears the voice once she finally realizes that she's the fifth spirit, so once the forest was saved and everything was resolved, she definitely had a choice at that point to return to being queen of Arendelle or stay in the forest and cultivate her connection to the other spirits. If I were in her position and had that kind of incredible power, no matter how happy I am with my life, I'd always want to know why I had such a gift and if there's a higher purpose I could use it for. In the podcast, Jen said that Elsa was a good queen but had an even higher calling and one she eventually feels more comfortable with. She also mentions that she still considers Elsa an introvert, further confirming that she still retains her humanity and didn’t suddenly become “perfect” after her transformation. Elsa's obviously overcome with joy when she finds this out in "Show Yourself," so is it really that outlandish that after this emotional self-discovery she decides to continue exploring this newfound purpose? And again, it's not like she's completely giving up her family for this new role because she still sees them often. She can now satisfy both of her desires – learning more about her powers and connection to the spirits while still maintaining her bond with her family. I really wish the movie made this a bit more clear – even just one more short scene of Anna and Elsa together after Anna becomes queen and a few words on how they each feel about their new roles would have put minds at ease. But for what they gave us, it can still easily be interpreted this way.

The flood: Another criticism I've heard for Frozen 2's ending is that Arendelle should have been washed away in the flood, showing that they had to make a true sacrifice to right a past wrong. One of the pages of The Art of Frozen 2 describes an alternate ending where Arendelle castle (it just says "castle," not sure if the rest of the kingdom was spared) was destroyed in the flood and then rebuilt, incorporating some Northuldra elements. With the way the movie actually ended, nothing was sacrificed…but why do we need a sacrifice? I know the mythology book that leaked months before the movie's release said that Pabbie predicted that a sacrifice had to be made…but that same book never actually described the flood and said that Arendelle was saved in the end, so who knows? But whether the sacrificing of Arendelle was something early in the story's development that was eventually scrapped, I think the outcome we got now is just as valid. The final version of the movie had no hinting of any sacrificing that needed to be made, only about discovering the truth and doing the next right thing, which is just what Anna and Elsa did. But in a way, they did make sacrifices, or at least they intended to, with Elsa going too far into Ahtohallan so she could uncover the truth, knowing it could lead to her death, and Anna destroying the dam, knowing it means destruction for Arendelle. And because they were willing to go that far to set things right, the spirits rewarded them by saving Elsa who could then save Arendelle. While the message of the alternate ending was "a sacrifice must be made to right a past wrong even if the current generation had nothing to do with it," the message we actually got was "if you do what is right and true even if it means making a sacrifice, things may still turn out better in the end." I think both messages have merit but the creators eventually decided to go with the latter, which isn't any points against it in my opinion. Of course, the flood still could have hit Arendelle accidentally, for example, Elsa wasn’t able to reach it in time. But considering all the hardship and grief the girls had gone through and how the movie already went to a pretty dark place in “The Next Right Thing,” I can’t fault the creators for wanting to make the ending as happy as possible, with Elsa feeling triumphant that she was able to keep her promise to protect Arendelle and Anna not having to lose her homeland.

The bridge: When Honeymaren explains the fifth spirit to Elsa, she describes it as a bridge between humans and the magic of nature. This makes it seem like Elsa herself is the bridge (since she's a human with magic), but as she says to Anna at the end, a bridge has two sides and their mother had two daughters. After giving it some thought, I realized that yes, Elsa is the embodiment of the fifth spirit, but the bridge part of it comes from Anna…as in, Elsa could not have succeeded with her goal without Anna's help. Even Jen confesses in the podcast that Anna is definitely the bridge part but she considers both of them the fifth spirit in a way. Perhaps the spirits knew that magic alone wouldn't be enough, they knew that in order to discover such deeply hidden memories, one would have no choice but to "go too far" into Ahtohallan. More evidence for this is that the mist only parted for Elsa when she was holding Anna's hand (we don't see them each alone try to pass through but we do see Elsa shoot her magic into the mist only to have it bounce back). If Elsa were to do this alone, she still would have discovered the truth but she definitely would have had to sacrifice herself to do it…and in doing that, who would there be to act on the truth and destroy the dam. Even if she was able to relay the message back to the others via ice magic sculptures the way she did for Anna, would someone like Matthias who's still bitter towards the Northuldra and fiercely loyal to Arendelle go through with destroying the dam? That's why Anna had to be there: Elsa was the part of the bridge that used magic to discover the truth and Anna was the human side that had to carry it out. When Anna chose to do the right thing and destroy the symbol of the past wrong (the dam) even though it meant flooding her homeland, the spirits rewarded both sisters’ actions by saving Elsa who was then able to save Arendelle before the tidal wave hit. It's not clear whether the spirits influenced Anna's birth the way they did Elsa's just for the sake of all this, but it's possible. And this all goes back to the major emphasis the filmmakers have made about Elsa being a mythical character, Anna being a fairy tale character, and how, similar to the first movie, Elsa would have the typical tragic fate of many myths were it not for Anna's fairy tale influence saving the day. Of course, Elsa’s statement at the end that “they did this together” is true, but when she follows-up with “and we’ll continue to do this together” and, later, Anna says as the statue of Iduna and Agnarr is unveiled, that their “land and people are now connected by love” can only imply that the sisters will be working together to mend the relationship between Arendelle and the Northuldra. We don’t actually see this unfold in the epilogue due to how limited it is and, assuming it takes place not too much later (a month maybe?) it’ll take time for the two sides to truly start mingling. But this, along with how our beloved sisters adapt to their new roles, are stories begging to be told in Frozen 3. Keeping the faith that it will happen someday~

Sources:

Into the Unknown podcast with Jennifer Lee

The Art of Frozen 2

Frozen 2 Junior Novelization (thanks @99884321 for the screenshots!)

#frozen 2 #frozen 2 spoilers #frozen2 #frozen #disney frozen

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