Chapter 1:

To Arendelle

Elsa

"I want to thank you for inviting me over," Elsa said, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"After everything that's happened, I think it was well deserved. Besides, you're family," Rapunzel replied. She smiled back at Elsa.

Elsa chuckled, looking to the mid-morning sky where the lanterns had been the night before. "The floating lanterns are quite beautiful. I'm sorry Anna couldn't make it. Her pregnancy makes her quite ill out on the sea."

"It's okay. I understand." Rapunzel rubbed her own round belly. "Eugene and I have been trying for so long and we're happy to finally be with child. Just be sure and tell Anna that I expect a full report from her when she has her baby. Oh, and tell her I'm deeply sorry for missing her wedding."

Elsa waved her hand, shooing away the apology. "Oh, don’t worry about it. She understood. Traveling from Corona to Arendelle can be quite treacherous." Elsa’s smile faltered. Her eyes softened and fell to the ground. The thought of her parents being lost at sea still perturbed her. "...our family especially should know," she added softly.

Rapunzel pursed her lips. She wanted to quickly change the subject. She didn't want her cousin leaving Corona on a doleful note. Rapunzel narrowed her eyes. "What did you say the husband's name is?"

"Kristoff," Elsa replied, lifting her eyes to meet Rapunzel's again. "Anna met him on her trek to the North Mountain when she came to bring me home."

"Adventure and love... is there really any better way to find someone?" Rapunzel turned her head to look back at her husband, who was making conversation with the King and Queen of Corona.

A rueful smile spread across Elsa’s lips. "You have Eugene; Anna has Kristoff.” Elsa shrugged, inhaling a deep breath and then exhaling slowly. “At least I have a sister who loves me enough to save me from myself."

Rapunzel reached out, placing her hand on Elsa's bare shoulder. Her hand was warm on Elsa’s skin. "There's someone out there for you," Rapunzel said softly. "You just have to promise not to give up."

The corner of Elsa's lips tugged upward at Rapunzel's words. "Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around Rapunzel and did her best to hug her cousin, but her enormous belly made it awkward and impossible for Elsa to hug her completely.

Eugene came running up to the two young women with a pout on his face. "Elsa! I know you're not departing Corona without giving me a hug as well."

Elsa giggled. "Oh, come here!" She threw her arms around Eugene.

Rapunzel giggled as she watched her husband and her cousin embrace. Elsa pulled away and Eugene took his wife in his arms. He nuzzled his lips into the crevice of Rapunzel's neck and shoulder. "I love you," he whispered, running his hands along his wife's belly.

Elsa grinned at the couple. She extended her index finger and twirled it above their heads. A dusting of snow sprinkled down upon them. "You two are too adorable.”

Eugene stuck his tongue out collecting snowflakes. Rapunzel giggled again. "Have a safe trip, Elsa. We'll be sure and visit as soon as our baby is born."

Elsa nodded. "I look forward to it." Elsa turned around and made her way to her ship. Two Arendelle guards stood on the dock. They escorted their Queen up the ramp leading to the ship. When Elsa was safely onboard, she turned and looked back to Rapunzel and Eugene and waved. "Bye!"

"Bye," Rapunzel and Eugene shouted in unison. "I love you!" Rapunzel added.

"I love you, too!" Elsa shouted. Elsa turned and nodded at the guards. "Let's go home."

"Yes, your Majesty," one of the guards replied.

Another guard turned his attention to the captain of the ship. He shouted, "Take us back to Arendelle, Queen's orders."

The captain saluted and began belaying orders to his crew. Moments later, the ship left the Corona harbor and set sail for Arendelle.

# # #

That evening the ship coursed through the still waters. The stars twinkled brightly across the dark, cloudless sky, the moon casting a silvery glow across the ship’s surface.

Elsa stepped out of the Queen's Quarters. She lifted her arms high in the air and bent her back stretching her body. She inhaled the cool night's air, relishing the salty sea breeze and taking a moment to enjoy the beautiful reflection of the celestial bodies upon the vast expanse of water. Her mouth opened and she released a yawn. "How are we doing with time?" she asked.

A guard standing outside the Queen's Quarters replied, "We're right on track, your Majesty. We should be back at Arendelle in just a few days."

"Did you enjoy your stay in Corona?"

"I did, your Majesty."

“Corona is a beautiful kingdom.”

“It is.” The guard leaned ever so slightly toward Elsa. His voice fell to a hushed tone. “If I’m being completely honest, though, your Majesty, I believe Arendelle is far more beautiful than any other kingdom.”

Elsa grinned, patting the guard on the shoulder.

The guard added, “Personally, I think Arendelle looks even prettier in the snow.” He straightened up, never once averting his eyes from before him.

Elsa chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She turned around and went back to her bedchamber. She stood in her room all alone. Her room was bathed in a dim, orange glow from an oil lantern that hung from a hook jutting from the wall furthest from her bed. The flame flickered and danced at the end of its wick.

Elsa waved her hand over her ice gown and a pool of water gathered at her feet. She stood in the middle of her room naked. She walked over to the large, wooden dresser in the corner of the room and opened a drawer. She slipped into a pair of panties and then pulled a nightgown from the drawer, one of her favorites that she had made sure to pack.

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The gown was a deep shade of purple and smooth as silk. Just like her ice dress, it left her shoulders exposed and traveled down her chest in a V-form, meeting just above her breasts. The gown was form-fitting on her torso and loose from her hips down, making it a comfortable gown in which to sleep.

Once dressed, she stepped toward the lantern and pressed her finger against it. Ice shrouded the lamp and it quickly melted, extinguishing the flame. The bedchamber was enveloped in darkness. Elsa laid down in her bed and stared into the pitch-black room.

She thought back to Rapunzel and how she had Eugene and then thought about her sister and how she had Kristoff. Elsa stretched her arms out to either side of her, but aside from her, the bed was otherwise empty. She took a deep breath. What it must be like to have someone. I guess I’ll never know. She sighed, releasing the air in her lungs.

Rapunzel's words echoed in Elsa's head.

"There's someone out there for you. You just have to promise not to give up."

Elsa's eyes fluttered shut as sleep slowly overtook her, with one last thought coursing through her mind.

I just have to promise not to give up...

# # #

Elsa jerked awake as her body slammed into the wall next to her bed.

She screamed.

The door to the Queen's Quarters opened in a fury. The guard standing outside her door shouted down to Elsa. "Your Majesty!"

A sharp pain ripped through Elsa’s shoulder. She ran her hand over it and caressed the spot. Elsa shook her head trying to pull herself out of her sleepy haze. "What's going on?"

The guard came rushing downstairs holding an oil lantern. "There's a storm. It's a terrible one. Waves are crashing into the ship and lightning is striking all around us."

"A storm," Elsa muttered in confusion. "But the sky was perfectly clear—"

"The storm came from the north. We rolled right into it, your Majesty."

Elsa stood up. She was limned by the orange, flickering light emitting from the lantern. Her platinum blonde hair appeared as orange as her sister's but retained its natural elegance. Thunder crashed outside followed by the pulsing, bright light of lightning. The ship was struck by another wall of water and Elsa was thrown over her bed and against the wall, as was the guard.

In the midst of the thrashing sea, the lantern was dropped, the glass shattering, oil spreading across the wooden floor and igniting. The room erupted in a heat of orange blaze. Elsa groaned, rubbing her head. The guard was knocked unconscious. Elsa watched as the fire spread, consuming the room with an orange glow and torrid heat. Thick, dark smoke quickly filled the room.

Elsa acted quickly. She blasted spurts of ice at the flames. The fire however spread too rapidly due to the spilled oil and became too much for Elsa to handle.

She jumped up off of the bed and darted around the fire. Lying still on the floor was the guard. Elsa stopped and watched as he didn't move. She couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. With how quickly the flames were consuming the room, she had two choices: get out of the room alone and save herself or risk her life and try to lift the man up the stairs.

Elsa didn’t dwell on her options long. She knew if she ran without at least trying to save the man—her own Royal guard—it would weigh heavy on her conscience. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Elsa knelt down as smoke billowed up the stairway and escaped out of the Queen's Quarters. She managed to tuck her arms under the guard's and began to heave and pull. The heat in the room was immense and Elsa's cool, pale skin had become hot and flushed. Sweat escaped from every pore on her body and drenched her night gown. She tugged and heaved, but made very little progress going up the stairs. Smoke filled her lungs and her eyes and chest burned, nearly causing her to lose consciousness.

Elsa tried yelling for help, but it came out as a series of coughs instead. She knelt down, gasping for a fresher breath of air. This time she was successful as she let out a loud yell.

"Help!"

Thunder boomed outside and the rain poured, drenching the surface of the ship. Waves crashed relentlessly into the side of the vessel. The fire raged on in the Queen's Quarters and her voice was drowned out by the commotion all around.

Elsa was exhausted. She was running out of fresh air to breathe and the blistering heat was growing intolerable. Her eyes began to flutter, her body was heavy, and she wanted to lie down and sleep. Her cousin's voice rang clear in her head.

"Promise not to give up."

Elsa clenched her teeth, narrowed her eyes, and flared her nostrils.

I won't give up!

With all of her strength, Elsa lifted the man and carried him up the stairs.

I won't give up!

She trudged through the thick, black smoke holding her breath for as long as possible.

I won't give up!

Her lungs and muscles ached. She wanted to take a breath, but she knew she couldn't. Her resolve strengthened with every step she took.

I—won't—give—Elsa reached the stop step. "...up!" She stumbled out of the Queen's Quarters and the guard tumbled off of her back. She landed face first into a puddle of seawater and rain that coated the floor of the ship. Elsa lifted herself up and inhaled a deep breath. The smell of rain and salt water filled her aching lungs. Her gown was drenched with sweat and rain. She rolled over on her back and stared up into the dark, menacing sky. Lightning danced across the canvas of black above her, followed closely by the booming of thunder.

A loud explosion erupted from the Queen's Quarters. The flames had completely engulfed the room. Thick, black smoke continued to billow out of Elsa's bedchamber.

Elsa sat up, startled at the sound of the loud explosion. She surveyed her surroundings and noticed that nobody was present. All she heard was the storm above and the sea below and no one was rushing to her aid. That's when she realized the guard that came to her aid was the last guard left on the ship. Elsa had no time to mourn their presumable deaths; she had her own life and the life of the remaining guard to worry about.

Elsa stood up and looked back at the black smoke pouring out of the Queen's Quarters. She had to make a decision and fast. She spotted the guard lying near the edge of the ship and quickly ran to him, kneeling down. He let out a groan.

Elsa's eyes widened. He's alive! She shook him lightly. "Hey, wake up."

The guard slowly regained consciousness and his eyes fluttered open. "Ugh, where—what happened?"

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

"The storm—" The ship suddenly jerked sideways and Elsa and the guard were thrown against the side railing. Elsa let out a scream as her shoulder hit the side of the ship. The guard was not as fortunate, however, and he let out a bloodcurdling wail as he toppled over the side of the ship.

"My Queen...!"

The raging sea swallowed him.

Elsa stumbled to her feet and looked over the edge of the ship. He was gone. Tears filled her eyes and her jaw trembled. Each breath was heavier than the last, faster than the last. Her heart pounded in her chest. Yet again she found herself all alone.

Lightning coursed through black clouds and lit up the ship and its surroundings. A massive wall of water loomed high above the vessel. A tingling, numb sensation raced through Elsa. She stood with bated breath.

"I won't give up," she muttered under her breath.

The wave slammed into the ship. Elsa was thrown back and she landed against the wooden pole that was the mainmast. Ice ejected from her hands and climbed up the pole, cracking and shattering the wood until it split, causing the pole to topple over. Elsa darted out of the way as quickly as possible but the sails and shrouds came down with the pole. She was too slow, though, and was swept up under the sails. The pole crashed hard enough to break through the floor of the ship, taking the sails, and trapped Elsa into the depths of the sea. Elsa unleashed spurts of ice in the hopes of providing enough buoyancy to stay afloat like an iceberg. Unfortunately, the pole in addition to the drenched sails was too heavy, swiftly dragging the ice as well as Elsa down toward the bottom of the sea.

Cold, salty water enveloped Elsa. She struggled fiercely under the sail to get free. Flashes of Anna appeared in her head. Her sister's red, braided hair, her freckled cheeks, her swelling baby bump—she would miss all of it if she couldn't get free.

The loud, booming thunder was soon drowned out by the water above her as she sank lower into the dank abyss. She held her breath for as long as possible. And though her lungs ached, she held in that breath of air—the breath that kept her alive and still fighting.

She continued to struggle but was quickly growing weak. She wanted to exhale and take in a breath of fresh air so badly. She needed to breathe again.

Anna's child would never know their aunt. Poor Anna, a soon-to-be grieving sister would have the entire kingdom of Arendelle thrust upon her, as she would become queen in the wake of Elsa's death. Elsa wanted none of this for Anna. She didn't want to put her beloved sister through any more torment. She didn't deserve it, not then, not now.

Elsa couldn't go on; she was tired of struggling. She told herself she wouldn't give up, but she couldn't fight it any longer. The roar of the ocean faded into an eerie silence. It was her cousin's voice that gave her warmth in the final seconds before her body went limp and her consciousness faded to oblivion.

"There's someone out there for you. You just have to promise to not give up."