Love Turned Cold

Chapter 12

No matter how many times Anna stepped foot inside the ice palace, she was still blown away by all its glittery, icy majesty. Every now and then the sisters would return to the palace, and Elsa would touch up, sometimes adding new details.

It was Soleil and Robert's first time inside the palace, and they were utterly speechless. Gerda craned her neck up, seeing the rainbows cast on the floor from the clear ceiling above.

"It's so... magical." The child whispered in awe. Kjerstin and Jonis hadn't been here since they were kids, but those memories came flooding back.

Anna recalled her first time here and seeing her sister emerge from the top of the grand staircase, revealing that so well known blue dress. But the retired queen did not feel the courage to call out for her sister. She didn't think she could come this time.

Suddenly Robert lost his footing and slipped, falling on his butt. Groaning, he lay back for a moment, utterly exhausted and frankly overwhelmed. Kjerstin rushed to her husband's side, helping him up.

"Don't worry, I got you." She assured.

"So what do we do next?" Soleil asked, beginning to shiver a bit. In response, Jonis wrapped his cloak around hers, since he was more comfortable in the cold anyway.

"Uh, just make our way up and find mom and go from there." Kjerstin replied with a shrug. Anna craned her neck up at the staircases leading up to the second floor. Recalling that first time coming here, seeing the palace in all its majesty, naively thinking it would be easy to convince Elsa to come home with her.

She still reeled in that moment, how fast everything went. She mindlessly began climbing the stairs, her instincts telling her to just go. Elsa wasn't coming home any faster by just standing there. She didn't hear her niece and nephew calling after her, the sound of their steps echoing through the ice, making it almost sound like it was singing.

Soleil noticed the sound, remembering her time away alone, her travels around the forests of the north, and the oddly comforting sound of hearing the ice crack in the deep of winter. It was beautiful, in nature's own strange way. It truly sounded like singing, and sometimes, the young fire weilder missed it.

"Aunt Anna! Wait for us!" Jonis called after her. Blinking, Anna refocused, retracing her steps to the grand hall.

She paused though, thinking she heard something.

"Hello?" Came a soft male voice. Anna's heart sank into her stomach, it couldn't be-?

"KAI!!!" Gerda yelled, bursting out from behind the group, "Kai! It's me!" The little girl spied a figure peeking out from behind an ice pillar, his reflection distorted by the ice. It was Kai.

Anna gasped softly, the little boy's hair was turning white, and his skin was deathly blue, snowflakes covering his clothes and skin. She knelt down and held her arms out for him, and he slowly waddled his way over to her, falling into her warm, motherly embrace.

Anna held him close.

"I hope my sister hasn't caused you more anguish than she already has..." He shook his head.

"She didn't mean to. She was really sad. I was just there. I know she didn't want to hurt me. She has been really nice."

"Has... she said anything about her family?

"That she's sorry... and she misses her husband." Kjerstin's face fell, putting her hand over her mouth.

"Oh Elsa..."

"Mama? It's me, Jonis! We... we came here, we want to bring you home. Please come out." The young man stepped forward.

"Please..." Kjerstin whispered. There was silence, only the sound of the wind whistling through the ice hallways. Then, there was a different sound. Fabric and the sound of heels clicking on the floor. Anna knew that sound. Only a slight turn revealed Elsa emerge from a hallway to her far left.

"Elsa..." Anna stood, keeping little Kai next to her.

"Anna? Wh- what're you doing here?" Elsa was surprised to see her children and son-in-law with her sister too.

"Mama!" Kjerstin exclaimed. The young queen tentatively stepped forward, "we came for you and Kai... to bring you home." Elsa shook her head.

"No, no I... I don't belong in Arendelle... not even in the forest. My powers just keep hurting other people." Elsa hugged herself, holding her hands close to her body, like she used to, all those years ago. Anna could see her sister's hand tremble, even when slightly out of sight.

"But it's not your fault, you know that? We're all here because of Hans. He pushed you over the edge, and he will face justice, one way or another. But you should come home... you should be-"

"I should be the one to kill him. Just another person I will kill using my powers." Elsa finished flatly.

"But... isn't justice against Hans what you want?" Elsa paused, pursing her lips.

"Yes... but, I don't want to kill him. I don't know, okay? I don't know anymore. I should not be in any decision making. Anna, just go home... take care of it for me."

"No. I will not. I am your sister, and as the former queen of Arendelle, I ask you to come to Arendelle with us, to exact justice on someone who has so deeply wronged our family. It's the right thing to do."

"But Conrad wouldn't-"

"I think in this circumstance, papa would've agreed with aunt Anna. It's the only solution." Kjerstin interrupted. Robert came up behind her, feeling that he had to have a say about his father.

"Elsa, please, listen to them. Hans may be my father, but he's a horrible person. My family should have done something about him long ago. He should have had a more severe punishment, and the lack of has lead to more pain in your family, and that is not fair. You and Anna have every good reason to do something about it, you especially. Even though I am his son, I am asking you to be the one to end him, for good this time. As king consort, I'm begging you. I am your family now."

Frankly, to say Elsa was stunned, yet impressed with her son in laws words was an understatement. But the inner turmoil within her, the pain of having lost Anna once was just too much. She didn't even want to think about killing another human being, no matter how despicable they were. She just didn't have it in her.

"I... I can't. I know you want me to, but I can't..."

"Elsa-" Anna began. Elsa looked up sharply, with a new kind of coldness in her eyes.

"I. Said. No." She hissed. This sent chills down Kjerstin's spine. She had never heard her mother speak in such a way. She put a hand on her aunt's shoulder and gently pulled her back. Behind them, they heard Kai cry out in pain. Initially, the ice seemed to dissipate as Elsa was talking and seemed calm. But with this new surge of emotions, it had come back and was worse, ice and frost slowly covering every inch of Kai's body.

The little boy managed to gasp, trying to say something to Soleil and Robert, who were trying to keep him warm. Gerda came up closer to him, attempting to hear what he had to say.

He barely managed to mumble about something in his chest. Suspicious, Robert unbuttoned his vest and was shocked to see a shard of ice sticking out of Kai's breastbone. It was pulsing with magic, and every heartbeat sent a burst of icy magic through Kai's veins. This is what was killing him, and they had to get it out.

Despite trying to yank it out by hand, it didn't help.

And hearing Kai wail made Elsa feel even worse. Soon, a storm of wind and snow began to blow around, circling the grand hall, trapping Anna, Kjerstin, and Jonis within it.