Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She remembered a little... Just the cold. Little icy droplets dug into her skin beneath her fingernails. The chill is all-encompassing. Absorbing. She saw the blue sky above her when she opened her eyes. Only snowflakes fell to the ground slowly on her face. She slowly raised her hand, only to find it pale and shrouded in ice. “Elsa!” She could hear it from afar. Who was calling her? Who wants to see her? Her head and torso both rose from the ground. Around her, cool branches cracked. When she finally sits up, she looked around. It's completely deserted. There were no people in sight, just a landscape obscured by fallen tree leaves. She slowly rises to her feet. She wore a white dress that glistens in the sunlight.

Her steps are hesitant. She tracks snow and ice with each step. “Elsa.” She's on her way. She needs to figure out who is calling her. Her fingers tingle. Someone is expecting her. When she emerges from the forest, she notices a deserted clearing where another girl is standing. "You're here already, sister." The girl exclaims enthusiastically. She's at a loss for words. What is her name? "You must have gotten up just now. Look at yourself, you're not awake yet."

“I...” her voice sounds both soft and so alien as if it doesn’t even belong to her. “I hope you haven’t forgotten. This is your job.” She looked around, only to get a glimpse of the ravaged camp. All burned to the ground. All that remained were a few statues and skins. She looked at one statue. It was a statue of a woman. Someone had attached a small mirror to the back. That was the first time she saw herself. “Elsa?” A pale face with even paler hair looked at her. Her cheekbones jutted out, accentuating the girth of her face. It was almost unnatural. Elsa looked in the mirror, trying to make sense of what had happened. She set the statue down. The other woman was still smiling at her. “Now it’s your job.” What exactly was her job? She could just feel an incredible chilling force flowing in her blood through her palm.

A chill ran through her veins, all the way to her head. Everything around her was shaking. Leaves in the wind. Dead and falling to the ground. She lifted her palm and a white blanket of snow spread around her. It covered every blade of grass and every tree. Her hair fluttered in the wind, tangling into one large bun adorned with glittering ice. “Elsa?” She opened her eyes, only to look back at the woman beside her. Her shining red hair and she wore a green dress adorned with flowers. “We’re part of nature now.” Elsa was frightened. Behind the two stood a woman with brown skin. “I am Moana.” She said with a smile. “I am the spirit of Summer.” Her clothes played with vibrant colours and golden beads glistened in her hair. “You must be Elsa and Anna.” Anna, of course. That was her... “Yes, that’s us.”

“I understand your confusion.” Anna smiled at the girl, who held a wooden paddle in her hand. “No, actually I understood everything when Yelena explained it to me.” She turned, only to see an already old woman dressed in reindeer skin. The wind whipped around her legs. The old woman’s hair was already grey, but there was still an alluring glow in her eyes. “Moana.” The woman said and walked over to the girl. “I’m glad you’re trying to meet the other spirits.” Spirits? Moana smiled. “I am Yelena. The spirit of autumn. I’m the oldest of you. My people walked this land for many years before they found this hallowed ground.” No. She would not listen to this. The ice advanced toward her fingertips.

She remembered a little... Just her name was Elsa. She is the spirit of winter and the Lady of the North. Her sister Anna, whose hair was the only thing that looked familiar to the white-haired girl, was the Lady of the West and the spirit of Spring. Moana, the Lady of the South, and the spirit of Summer. Finally, Yelena. Lady of the East and the spirit of Autumn. Elsa, in her veins, could feel that magical power flowing, the one that turned water into ice and everything warm into the cold. With one wave of her hand, she could cover the entire landscape with a blanket of snow. Cool the air so much that it stung the cheeks. Elsa tried to control the extent of her magic. Yet, in the beginning, nothing is easy. She felt like she was just a portable vase for snow. Her magic did whatever it wanted. Gradually, though, she learned to control her powers. She hadn’t seen a human soul for a long time, except for their sisters. Yes, she had to call the others her sisters, for they were her only family now.

Then finally, after a few long years of solitude, she visited a human village. Her feet left no trace. She walked barefoot most of the time, anyway, enjoying the way the icy air wrapped around her feet. She felt much more confident now in her control over the ice and cold. The people in the village were wearing strange clothes. Most of the men wore iron armour. Children in dirty grey dresses scurried about. Elsa had seen nothing like it. She came closer to see one horse dressed in coloured fleece and iron armour. As soon as her fingers touched the iron surface, however, she saw a glow. Elsa was frightened and bumped into someone. But she felt no pain or the weight of the stranger’s body. The person simply passed by her as if she were air. She struggled to talk to anyone. Only people were deaf to her voice and only perceived her icy touches and footsteps. These formed an icy blanket that caused people to slip on her and subsequently let out a mountain of vulgar words from their mouths. She asked Yelena and the others about it. Yet, her sisters didn’t answer her questions. Instead, there was only nagging. “Why do you want to talk to someone? You’re a supernatural being now. Your mission is far more important than a mere mortal can comprehend.” After that, she didn’t ask Yelena any more questions.

She remembered a little… Just her sister as a little girl. “Elsa. The sky is awake, so I am awake, so let’s play. “

“Go play yourself. “

“Do you want to build a snowman? “

Wherever she shared these memories with Anna, her sister just smiled at her and ran her palm over the tree bark, which at that moment turned green. “Elsa, we are creating something new and stunning. So, why do you want to talk about the past?” And so, they have survived for a century.

So, Elsa, the mighty lady of the North and snow, had learned to walk among the people as a limp ghost. Though she did not forgive herself for watching the little children who played in her snow. Some of them were building a snowman. She used to build a snowman, too. She was shorter and younger, her skin was pinker, and her body had warm blood running through it. Now, she was a grown woman, her skin pale, without colour, without feeling. Her icy creatures could come to life if she wished. One day, she wanted to make some children who were playing in the snow happy. She made a dog out of ice. Once the dog came to life. He went excitedly to the children. They looked at the dog curiously, and one of them even petted it. Suddenly, then an elderly man came along. He pushed the children aside, watching in horror as the ice puppy wagged its tail and looked lovingly at the man. The man, full of fear, grabbed his flint and lit a long branch with it, which he threw at the dog. A sudden rush of agony shot through her body. The dog whimpered. The dog’s torso melted into a puddle of water. Its icy intestines fell out onto the snow with a crying puppy trying to escape the effects of the fire. However, it was already too late. His hind legs melted, and the little puppy’s entire face melted like butter in a frying pan. Icy eyes rolled across the frozen surface of the pond, only to end up in a bush. And then? Then was silence. The only ones crying now were the children. Elsa slowly walked over to the puddle. The man was gone, and she was standing over the dead body of her creation.

She remembered a little… Just the fire. Bright and big. Smoke that rose to the heavens. Bright yellow and orange. She had to walk closer to see the big bonfire people had built in the middle of the square. It reminded her of the bonfires she loved to dance around. Elsa closed her eyes. Some of her memories come as incredible pain. All those feelings and untold childhood memories. All shrouded in a grey mist. She held out her hand, but she felt neither the flames nor the heat that emanated from them. Her gaze moved from the burning logs to the middle of the flames. Someone was standing there. Tied to a long stake. “Please, good people.” A woman cried. Only the others couldn’t hear her. A man dressed in a black robe stepped out of the crowd. “In the Bible is written, you shall not let the witch live.” And with that, the surrounding people crossed themselves. Ignoring the poor woman’s cries. Elsa didn’t know what the woman had done. That was so terrible that she deserved to end up on the stake. One time it was a noose, the next a cage lowered into an icy lake.

She remembered a little… Just a group of reindeer standing on the plain while she sat by the fire talking to someone else whose face was indistinct. She feels that these memories are important, but she doesn’t know why. They all say to her, “Let it go.” And they go on about their duties. Elsa has learned not to ask unnecessary questions, either. Because she couldn’t get answers from anything or anyone. It’s her time and people don’t like her snow. Only the little kids. She walks in the woods. She touches the branches with her fingertips, and they freeze at that moment. This makes her happy. Just playing with ice and snow. Somewhere in the distance, a branch snaps. Elsa turned to see an elderly woman sitting with her husband by a pile of snow. “You know if we had a baby.” She said sadly. The man looked at the pile of snow. “Come on, let’s go build one.” And so, they both set to work. Soon the woman is holding a small snowman that is as big as a new-born baby. “I’d hold it every night. Singing a lullaby.” Tears stream down the woman’s face. Elsa didn’t like to be around anyone sad. She thought her sadness would bring on a great blizzard. The man took the woman home. Elsa walked closer to the little body. All they want is a child. Then let their wish come true. With the movement of her hand, she created a little girl. With white hair and skin as pale. The girl looked around before she laughed and ran off in the direction where the elderly couple went. Elsa then just watched as the girl hugged the woman with an excited scream. She looks at her in surprise and then hugs the girl as well. “God granted our wish. He gave us a girl.” The woman exclaimed, full of joy.

For the rest of the winter, she watched the couple take care of a little girl made of snow. The mother taught her to speak and write. Her father taught her how to use tools. Soon they found out that the heat was not good for their daughter, so they tried to keep their child cool. It was the end of winter when the parents went to the square. “Wait here, Snowdrop.” Said the mother with a loving voice. The girl stood there waiting for her parents to return. And Elsa watched Snowdrop. Her white hair floated in the winter breeze. Then Snowdrop noticed the children playing by the big fire. Elsa should have assumed that her creation would be curious and naturally go to investigate what was giving off such an enormous light. Elsa followed the girl, but then just watched helplessly as the young boys coaxed Snowdrop to jump over the fire as well. “No,” Elsa whispered. Only her creation couldn’t hear her. “No. Stop, snow child.” Again, nothing. Spurred on by the chanting of the other children and the joy she felt during this game. Snowdrop jumped over the fire. “NOOOO!” Elsa’s scream faded in the strong wind that took much of the snowflakes with it. “Snowdrop! Snowdrop! My baby!” Her mother screamed, falling to her knees. With tears in her eyes, she clutched in her hand the rest of Snowdrop ‘s fingers. The man could only comfort his wife while he was on the verge of a breakdown. The couple stood over the puddle that had been their daughter. Elsa walked slowly towards the puddle. She felt an icy tear roll down her cheek.

Anna walked over to her sister. “Elsa, what happened?” She looked down at her hands, which were shaking. She could feel her magic spiralling out of control. “Elsa breathes!” Her sister grabbed her arm and hugged her. When was the last time they hugged? She couldn’t remember that either. “Anna.” She whispered unhappily. “I just wanted them to be happy.” Like the spirit of Winter and the Lady of the North, she was supposed to be icy and heartless. Only Elsa felt connected to each of her creations. She could feel the flames burning the little girl’s skin. She smelled the smell of cooking flesh that had evaporated. The cracking of bones, and finally, the gut-wrenching screams that nearly choked her. “It’s okay.” Her sister’s voice soothed her, and for the first time in centuries, she felt like a human being. A hug from her sister is just what she needs right now.

 “Buy matches. Buy matches for your family, or even just to stock up.” A girl with black hair stands on a street corner. Her clothes are shabby and barely held together. She offers matchboxes to people who walk around here. Her hands are shaking with cold. Elsa has been watching this girl for some time. She always has that bright smile on her face. Elsa wonders what gives that girl so much optimism in life. She’s shivering in the cold. Spirit can see she’s not dressed for a wintry day, let alone an even colder night. Elsa walks closer to the girl to get a better look. She has already lived through a century where she regretted her decision to bring a human being made of snow into the world. Her sadness, however, did not last long, for Anna made her happy. “Open your eyes,” Anna said excitedly. Elsa then obeyed her sister and the Spirit of the spring. She sees a white flower blooming tiny in the tall grass. “I named it Snowdrop,” Anna said, and Elsa can only look at her with admiration in her eyes. She didn’t deserve this gift, and yet it brought her a sort of sense of peace and happiness. Later, she would even learn that the elderly couple who had so tragically lost their only child were the ones who had suggested the name for the first flower to bloom in the spring.

Elsa was getting on better with Anna. It was the way Elsa kept bringing up memories of the past in her. Except the same is not true of Yelena, who constantly reminds the other spirits of their importance and supposed actions. But now Anna has visited the troll valley, where she met a creature raised by trolls. Kristoff is the half-troll. One half-stone troll, one half-fairy. Moana is not interested in what Anna does in her spare time or who she falls in love with. She has been seeing her dear friend, the half-god Maui, for a century. Yelena never speaks about her lover. One day Elsa overhears some fairies talking about a creature who wore a deer skull on his head and walked around the entire forest with it. This was most likely an acquaintance of Yelena’s, but as mentioned, it was all conjecture.

“Would you like to buy matches?” The girl’s pleasant voice asked. “No thank you,” Elsa replies automatically, however, puzzled that the little girl with the matches even noticed her. “You see me?” the girl looks sad at that moment. “Excuse me, ma’am, but I can’t see very well. I just heard someone’s footsteps, so I approached you.” The girl blushes and her voice hiccups a little. These words surprise Elsa. Until this moment, she was an invisible individual to humans. This girl was changing everything. Was it possible for more people to see her? “What are you doing here so late at night?” Elsa asks in her soft voice. The girl plays with the hem of her tattered apron for a moment. “I’m not supposed to come back until I’ve sold everything.” She spoke. At this, her eyes nervously darted to the right side. “Who told you to do this?”

“My father. He’ll beat me if I don’t bring the money for the matches.” Now Elsa noticed the purple stains on the poor girl’s palm. Unmistakable evidence of rough treatment. “You must be cold.” The girl just laughed, and her laughter surprised Elsa. “I’m used to it, ma’am. This is the third time as a street match salesperson.” Winter Spirit just shook her head helplessly and strolled away down the street towards the fountain. For the rest of the day, though, she can’t get the girl out of her head. So, in the evening, she goes back to where she last saw the girl. The girl sits on the doorstep of the house, trying to warm herself over a lit match. Her lips are already a little bluish and her fingers covered with frosting. Elsa sees that the girl is shivering and grinding her teeth. However, as soon as she gets closer, the girl stands up. “Who’s there?”

“It’s me,” Elsa said in a calm voice. And the girl smiled. “The lady from this morning.” The girl was about to remark something else, only for her lips to quiver. “I could keep you warm.” Elsa smiled at her. The Spirit of winter then embraces the girl, and she continues to grind her teeth until Elsa closes her eyes. Someone’s mumbling awakened her in the morning. As soon as she gets up, something thuds onto the stone pavement beside her. She only turns around to see the dead body of the girl who fell asleep next to her. The girl’s body was all frozen. Her skin blackened and icicles tangled in her hair. The people looked at the dead body until the men who had carried the body came and took that body away.

Elsa didn’t want to get too close to people from then on. It was better that way. She preferred to walk in the woods or villages. There was a childlike cheerfulness whenever it got cold. The years passed, and it seemed like only an hour to her while the world around her changed. Anna joyfully announced that she was getting married. All the magical creatures and fairies came to her wedding. Elsa just hated to say goodbye to her little sister. However, Anna was already the ruler of spring and could rule it with a firm hand. That night in the enchanted forest, merriment broke out as Elsa stood on a hill looking off into the distance.

She remembered a little… Just the day she became a winter spirit; it was cold, and her village was glowing. The light was blinding on one hand and warm and welcoming on the other. She was just walking in the woods. Her palm-painted flower patterns on the house’s windows. She enjoyed it, except for creating ice sculptures to brighten her otherwise dull days. There was a large house on the edge of town. One that could fit an army. Elsa often went to this house. Probably because it made her feel comfortable. Suddenly, there was a noise from somewhere. A woman dressed in a colourful dress came out of the house. At least five boys ran out after her. “Richard, don’t you go licking trees again.” Said the mother sternly, while her children scattered around the neighbourhood. The woman sighed and walked to where Elsa was sitting. The woman was holding a small baby in her arms. It twitched and made babbling noises. The woman walked back and forth for a while before finally stopping under a large tree. “A birch tree stood beautiful in the forest, like a rock.’ The woman sang in a faint voice, and the baby opened its little eyes. They glowed a rich green. The baby looked at its mother for a moment before it got distracted by falling snow. Elsa looked at the woman and her baby. She got close enough to touch her. Just then, she felt something warm on her dress. Elsa jerked, only to find the baby looking right at her with its pupils. The baby laughed and tried to wave its little hand at Elsa. She couldn’t believe it. Another baby that had seen her.

“Elsa, you should have seen the waterfall was full of fish and the mountains.” Anna combed her hair while telling her sister about her honeymoon with Kristoff. “I never thought I could create such a colourful palette with flowers.” Only Elsa was oblivious to her sister. Instead, she was looking at the spot where the little child had touched her. “Elsa is something wrong?” she just turned to her sister and smiled. “Nothing.”

She remembered a little… Just the figure of a man. He had come to their village and demanded something from them. Then there was the fire. When she mentioned it to Anna, she just shook her head. “I remember nothing, Elsa.” And she had to accept it. She went to the house again. This time, more children were playing outside. She counted them. There were twelve boys, one already older. The smallest of them was leading the even smaller thirteenth child by the hand. The latter was looking around, pointing at everything that moved. “No, Hans, that’s not a rabbit. It’s just a mound of snow.” The boy shook his head. Then a snow war broke out among the others. The older brother let little Hans out of his sight and joined in the fun. She came a little closer to see the red curls. Red as was the fire in her village. A village full of screaming people. Houses burned to the ground, and the natives were dead. Something grabbed her arm. She jerked. Her eyes fell on the little boy holding the hem of her sleeve. “An angel, an angel?” the little boy babbled, keeping his eyes on Elsa’s face. “I’m not...”

“Little angel... has wings. Does she fly, does she fly?” the boy chattered on while bouncing happily. She didn’t want to spoil his fun. “Why not? Yes.” The boy laughed and pointed to another pile of snow. “Deer.” Elsa smiled. “That pile is too small for that.” The boy continued to look around and pointed to a tree covered in snow. “The castle and the princess.” She had to admit, the boy, Hans? He had a vivid imagination. The boy suddenly grabbed her again. “Princess?” He chirped. Elsa laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed like that. “I’m an angel, aren’t I?” she asked, kneeling in the snow that covered the ground. “An angel.” The boy laughed happily and ran away. She just watched him disappear inside the house.

She found that she enjoyed spending time with Hans and his chatter. As Hans grew, however, his expression improved, and she found that she enjoyed listening to his voice. As he read to her from a thick book. Late one evening, Hans, only six years old, sneaked into the kitchen. There he stole a bowl and put in it some bean porridge that was meant for the pigs. She still was already outside and looked at the house, which was completely shrouded in darkness. Then she heard stealthy footsteps. “Angel?” A boy’s voice asked uncertainly. “I’m here.” She said, turning her head towards the boy with the red hair. He strolled across the frozen grass. Then he spread a piece of blanket on the ground and sat down on it. “Honeymaren made bean soup today.” He remarked, picking up a spoon. Slowly, he ate the contents of the bowl. It reminded Elsa of the time Hans had stolen food from the kitchen to offer her afterwards. At first, she had not wanted to refuse the little boy, but one day the cook Honeymaren, caught him in the act. That day, they forbid him to leave his room and dine with the others. After this experience, Elsa told Hans that she didn’t need food, and Hans, though he protested at first, accepted it.

“Richard wants to get married,” Hans announced after a pause. Elsa knew about the relationship between the boy and his brothers. They had not treated him well. Their father had been a wealthy nobleman, but after he died, it turned out he owed many people. It forced his mother and brothers to move and sell all their land. Often it was Hans who wore his brothers’ clothes, and it was he who was left with only scraps of food. That was the reality. His eldest brothers were already working and trying to become independent. “He’s supposed to introduce her to us next week.” Hans stuck his spoon into the porridge. She wished she could taste human food again. It was one of those things she missed from the human world. Too bad she couldn’t talk to one of the magical creatures about it. Most didn’t understand her anguish and longing for humanity. “I think I’ve figured it out.”

“Figured out what?” Hans stood up, pointing at her with his spoon. “You’re a winter fairy.” Elsa blinked her eyes in surprise. Then she laughed. She walked over to Hans and ruffled his red curls with her palm, making a tangle. She rarely touched people because of her abilities, but she always abandoned her self-control with this red-haired boy. “What gave you that idea?” Hans straightened proudly. “I was talking to the pastor.” That didn’t sound good. Hans could get in trouble for her. “I asked him if all angels have wings.”

“What did he answer you?”

“That they always have them in holy pictures. Therefore, they must have them.” Hans put the bowl down, ignoring the snowflakes that fell into his food. “Moreover. You always disappeared when spring started. I didn’t even see you in the summer, let alone in the fall. Thus, I figured that God gave you a task. To take care of winter.” Hans paused and looked at her to make sure she was still listening. “It’s just that you never showed your wings. So, I went to the library and read.” That was the only place his brothers didn’t bother him. “I read that some fairies don’t have to have wings. So, I concluded that you must be a winter fairy.” That sounded logical. She liked Hans’ imagination and his passion for knowledge. It was just that his surroundings left him with cuts and scrapes. Hans had one just like it under his eye.

Her fingertips touched the wounded area. A cool coating formed on the purple-black eye, easing Hans’ pain. “What happened?” Hans turned away from her. “Nothing.” She rolled her eyes and frowned. “It doesn’t look like nothing.” The boy knew he would not win this argument, so he sighed helplessly. “Steven said you weren’t real. That I made you up to draw attention to myself.” Elsa hung her head. It wasn’t the first time Hans had gotten into a fight over her. Several times, his brothers had caught him talking to her. They called him a weirdo and one of them said something about Dr Weichen. Later, she learned from Hans that he was a village director of a sanatorium in a nearby town. “Hans, I’m glad you’re protecting my honour like this, but...” Hans looked at her with his green eyes and she had to do her best to remain calm. “It’s unnecessary. Rather, be careful not to get into another fight.” No sooner had she finished speaking than the door opened and one of Hans’ brothers came out of the house. “There you are.” Hans’ eyes filled with anger. “What do you want, Völs?” His older brother frowned. “Staying up late again, as I see.”

“What do you care?”

“I’m your older brother, and besides, you should be in bed by now. We go to church in the morning. Walsh grabbed Hans by the arm and was already dragging him inside. The boy could do nothing but look at her desperately. Elsa didn’t like his eldest brothers. Probably because they were jerks who deliberately destroyed the birdhouses and feeding racks. As the Spirit of winter, she made sure the animals were happy in the winter. Anyway, she heard Völs opening the window in the upper room. “I’ll let some air in, then you can close it.” Hans did not protest, knowing that his insubordination would lead to a punishment of five strokes of the cane or house confinement. “Will mother go too?” He asked suddenly. Völs paused. His hands passed slowly over the surface of the window frame. “Mother is not filing well.” He said dejectedly. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?” Hans remarked angrily. “Nothing’s wrong, just mother is sick, and that’s the end.” With that, he left the boy’s room. Elsa sat on the window frame and watched Hans put his stuffed animals next to his bed. “Good night, Mr Murmur, Sir Gulliver, Lucky.” He put teddy bear after teddy bear away like that. She liked Hans’ plush companions. She had seen many children in her life who had teddy bear friends. But none of those children was Hans. He was special. He saw her, had a great imagination, and in the end, he loved winter. Her eyes scanned the inside of the boy’s room. She wondered if she’d ever had a room like that.

She remembered little… Just that her mother was a tall woman with black hair, and she was shouting something in her direction. That was before the flames engulfed her body. The man who had ransacked her village was already elderly and limping. When she mentioned this to Anna, her sister just shook her head. “I think we had a mother, but where she went or where she came from, I don’t know, sis. Let it go.” Anna hugged her sister. I wish it were that simple.

Hans stood in his black dress near the church. Elsa stood beside him. “I’m sorry.” She spoke. The boy just shook his head. Countless people had already told him that. He needed to absorb the fact that his mother was currently being lowered into the ground in a coffin. He tried not to cry, but he wasn’t very good at it. “What do you want from me?” One of the eldest brothers shouted. “We’re just warning, Bren. As the eldest. It is your responsibility...” Völs warned while frowning at his eldest brother. “Ha, like I have any interest in that old hovel!” Bren said pointedly. “For me, that house can burn to the ground. I’m leaving for America.” With that, Bren put on his hat and walked toward the exit. She could not understand how one sibling could disown the others, let alone his own house.

“Stupid donkey.” Said another of the brothers, puffing smoke from the cigarette he was currently smoking. “What do you think is going to happen to me now?” Hans looked at her with those green eyes, reminding her of the colour of Anna’s dress. “I don’t know.” She was always honest with him because he needed it.

She remembered little… Just the man who carried her and her sister on his back and played hide-and-seek with them. Those were her favourite memories. They reminded her of a time when everything was simpler. Hans’ brothers were gradually leaving the house. Eventually, only five of them remained in the family home, with the eldest, Archibald, due to marry soon. “I told you, it’s Agatha,” Archibald said, blowing smoke from his cigarette into the air. “Are you going to move in with her?” Hans’ brother gave his younger brother a sceptical look. The other brothers had gone with their brides to a foreign country or another city. Most often, it was the former case. None of them wanted to take care of a building that represented a miserable time. Most often, they chose rich brides. If some of them were beautiful, that was just an advantage. “No Westergaard die like a rat.” His eldest brother often told him when he lived with them. The Winter Spirit looked at the house from afar, which was only half lit up now. Soon there would be another room with blank walls and furniture covered in white linen. “I was thinking of going to France to see Leonard. I hear he’s created a first-class vineyard there.” Hans glanced in her direction. His fifteen-year-old boyish figure towered over the asymmetrical mounds of snow. Archibald crawled into the house, but Hans stayed outside. She walked closer to her friend. Yes, friends, indeed they were.

“You know you’ve always been there for me, so it’s only right I call you friend.” Said Hans to her. It brought out a warm feeling in Elsa. “I don’t like being treated like a child.” He complained, leaning back against the tree. “I was thinking...” she followed him to the tree he was leaning against. She ran her fingertips along the trunk.

“I’m joining the army.” She didn’t need Hans to explain to her the meaning of the army. She’d seen a lot of wars and battles in the time she’d been alive. Some of them were very bloody. Soldiers freezing at Russian roadblocks without supplies or heat. Fear filled her heart. “Are you sure?” She asked him. He must have read the concern on her face because he placed his hot palm on her cold cheek and spoke. “I know you are worried, my winter fairy, but trust me. Plus, if Winter comes, you’ll be able to keep a protective hand over me.” This struck her as utter foolishness, but she understood that Hans felt like a superfluous member of his house. “I’ll come back tonight and tell you how I did.” She nodded her head in agreement and then just watched him walk away from the garden. Elsa sat down on a snowy stone and took a deep breath. Lately, whenever she was around Hans, she could feel the heat in her heart spreading throughout her body. Her cold eyes shone with lively happiness. Was it the way Anna had said it? Perhaps she was in love. She shook her head. She couldn’t think of such things, mainly because Yelena had always said that relations between mortals and supernatural beings were forbidden. So, the Winter Spirit closed her eyes and let the wind lull her to sleep.

Chapter Text

When she opened her eyes again, it was evening. Hans was still away. Should she go looking for him? She knew how he could be when he got angry. When he was a boy, a bunch of boys used to tease him. They laughed at him for his imagination. “They say he’s friends with a fairy.” Said one boy, throwing sand at Hans. “Don’t you have a bear that talks as a friend too?” That’s when it ended in a fight and Hans came out hurt and dirty. His brothers weren’t happy about it, and even through the closed window, she could hear Henry’s voice reproaching Hans for both his behaviour and his imagination. “You need to stop making things up. Or you’ll end up like the boy in the wolf story.” He told him then. Hans told her the story that evening. It was about a boy who kept crying out for help. Even though he didn’t need help. So, people learned not to hear his cries, and once when there was real danger no one came to the boy’s aid, and he died.

She heard someone’s footsteps. Archibald and a young woman entered the garden. They discussed something. Archibald pressed his palms against those of the girl, but she turned away from him and walked towards the woods. Archibald’s face was full of tears and pain. Then suddenly Archibald’s face darkened. “Wendy, wait!” He called to the girl, but she had already entered the forest. Archibald followed her. He caught up with his lady. “You can’t end us like this!” he shouted. “I can and I must. Did you not understand? We’re not meant to be. What you feel is not love for me, but an only obsession. It clouds your mind.” The girl tried with all her might to get out of Archibald’s grasp, but he was too strong. “You’re not serious?” his hands pressed her against him. “Archi, it hurts. Let go of me!”

“Not until you marry me.”

“I’ll do no such thing!” He pushed her away so violently that the girl ended up on the cold ground. “If you don’t want me, no one else will have you.” Archibald grabbed his staff and struck the girl in the head with a powerful swing. She screamed. Yet, before she could let out another scream, he hit her again. Her body went limp. Archibald breathed heavily. He pulled a knife from his pocket and bent over the motionless girl. “No one, no one.” He repeated over and over. Red blood spilt across the snow, staining the snow and the grass beneath. He cut the girl’s body open. Her intestines pulled out and spread around. He impaled her stomach on a gnarled tree. Heart stuffed into the girl’s mouth. Archibald walked back into the house, never looking back.

She examined the girl’s entrails and a corpse with interest. She had never seen a human being like this before. Yes, she had seen human remains scattered on the battlefield. A man bleeding from wounds on his arm or leg. A slit stomach. Never anything like this. She couldn’t stay here. Hans will come and... “Fairy!” she heard his voice and something inside her flared. However, she got overwhelmed with fear. “Fairy are you here?” his voice sounded unhappy. Was he worried about her? That brought another rush of heat to her. “I’m here.” Elsa stepped out of the woods to look at Hans. He was all battered and dirty. “They didn’t take me.” He said while taking a handkerchief out of his pocket, which he then blew his nose into. “I’m sorry.” Hans just smiled. “You know, I thought I might be good for this. I could make something special.” She listened to him, but a part of her was still with the dead body in the woods. “Today was so hard. I need to clear my head.” Hans took a step towards the forest. In the very direction where the dead girl’s body lay. With quick steps, she stood in front of him. “Not this way.” Hans blinked in incomprehension. “Why not fairy?” her heart was beating wildly, and the rustling of bare tree branches sounded in her head. “Elsa.” She blurted. The young man tilted his head to the side and raised his eyebrows. “My name is Elsa.”

He gaped at her. She could count all the freckles he had on his nose. “Why are you telling me this?” She breathed, feeling something prickle in her chest as she did. “Fairy? Elsa, what happened?” She didn’t want him to be affected by the scenery that was hiding behind her back. Only he pushed her away, anyway. She didn’t resist, she could freeze him if she wanted to. Hans returned a moment later and vomited into the bush. She was close to him, cooling the back of his neck with her hand. “Do you understand now?” Hans straightened up and coughed. “An animal didn’t do that.” She just shook her head. “You’ll see more bodies like that in the war, some even worse.” Hans straightened up and wiped his mouth with the other handkerchief he’d pulled from his jacket pocket. “You saw it, didn’t you?” He knew her very well. In the time they had been talking, they had read each other like in the book. Elsa just shook her head in agreement. “Who?”

“Your brother. Archibald.” Hans leaned against the tree, then his body gradually slumped to the ground. For a moment, there was silence in the icy landscape. “I should have figured it out.” He said in a voice that wasn’t quite typical of him. “He often punched me in the face, you know. I thought it was part of an educational punishment, but...” he paused. A puff of mist came out of his mouth from his breath, encountering the inhospitable environment. “If Völs hadn’t stopped him, I don’t know what all he would have done to me.” She hated to hear that. She couldn’t interfere in people’s lives. Even talking to Hans was against the magic code. Yelena and her codes could go to hell. She had witnessed several deaths, not only of humans but of animals as well. “I’m sorry.” A crunching sound came from his chest. It wasn’t a laugh or any sound she had ever heard. “You don’t have to. I know who my brothers are. At least now I have proof of one of them.” He stood up and took a shuffling step toward the house. “I don’t want to stop trying to get into the army.” He looked over his shoulder. Elsa just nodded her head. She watched his figure disappear in the doorway. Then she made her way over to the mutilated body. Elsa didn’t want to leave the poor girl at the mercy of the ravens. With a wave of one hand, she created a blanket of ice that covered the entire body. Once spring came, the body would be gone. Only a few bones and nothing else.

She remembered little… Just their mother singing something to them. Then Anna clutched her. Her eyes were full of worry. “It’s going to be all right Anna.” She reassured her even though she wasn’t sure of the truth of her words. She hadn’t seen Hans for a few days. These weeks she had been aimlessly going from place to place, peeking into people’s houses. In one such house, there was a beautifully decorated tree and underneath it was boxes wrapped in shiny paper. That was the only time people loved her during winter and willingly spent their time outside. On that day, she gave Anna a gift. “What is it, Elsa?” The Lady of Spring asked with interest. She held an ice cube in her palm, and with one wave of her hand, it melted. A small snowman appeared in her hands. Anna watched him with interest. The little snowman suddenly came to life and moved. “Hi, I’m Olaf.” The snowman said excitedly and waved to Anna to say hello. She looked at the creature in surprise. “How come he didn’t melt?”

“It’s a spell I’ve been working on for a while.”
“That’s wonderful Elsa.” Anna smiled at her, and Elsa hugged her. Anna stood like a pillar of salt for a moment before she recovered and hugged her sister as well. “Fairy? Elsa?” Hans? Elsa pulled away from her sister and walked towards the house she knew so well, smiling.

Indeed, the building was still the same. They boarded only the upper windows up with wooden planks. Hans and his brothers didn’t use them for a long time. “I thought you’d disappeared.” She turned to the familiar voice. A man in a blue uniform stood before her. Elsa hadn’t thought until this moment that ghosts could lose their breath, but she was wrong. “Hans?” the man laughed. “I know you haven’t seen me in a while. Ten years, right?” She shook her head in agreement. Hans took a step towards her but gritted his teeth as he moved. Something wasn’t right. “Hans?”

“It’s nothing.” He picked up a long black stick from the ground and leaned on it. With a limp, he walked up to it. He laughed. It was the laugh she knew so well. Only it wasn’t joy she felt, but concern. “Your leg.” Hans looked at his right foot. “I got into the navy, Elsa. You won’t believe where I’ve been. I must tell you all of it!” His mouth twisted in pain as he took another step. “Oh, I am sure that you are going to sit down right now, sir.” She said sternly, holding up her palm. The wind blew the door open. She walked through the hall to the main room. A track of frost formed on the red carpet. Hans couldn’t believe it. She had never done this before. Only Hans had never been hurt like this before. He sat down and put his cane down on the table. At her command, the wind opened the window so she could sit on the frame. She stared at him for a moment without speaking.

Hans straightened up in his chair and picked up his cane. “It’s made of real elm wood. The top should resemble a lion, but honestly, it looks more like an octopus that decided to swallow a ball.” She frowned; her heart beating faster than it ever had before. “What happened to you?” She asked bluntly. For she figured Hans himself wouldn’t start talking about his injury. His eyes focused first on her direction than on the red carpet that was partially covered in ice. “During one battle, the shooting started.” He paused. “They wouldn’t surrender, and our captain wanted us to...” He paused again; at the same time, his gaze went to the extinguished fireplace. “He wanted us to set fire to the enemy’s ship. A ship which was full of innocent people. Our captain wanted to use it as a distraction and a collection that would benefit our side.” His palm trembled. “I refused.” He looked up at her. “I refused to obey an order and submit to a captain who decided based on fear. I didn’t want innocent people to suffer because of us.” His staff fell to the ground. “My captain wanted to call me a traitor, but...” His fist clenched. “He shot me in the leg and threw me overboard. If it hadn’t been for the other ships, I would have died.” She said nothing in response. She just sat and listened to his words. “Hans,” she said sweetly. “They discharged me in two days. I could only take my things and leave the barracks. So...” he hadn’t even finished when she came up to him and hugged him. A chill ran over his skin. “I ‘m glad for the way you are, Hans.” She spoke. A bitter chuckle came from his lips. Then the two individuals just sat there, having seen each other for the first time in a long time. “You haven’t changed at all.” He remarked, his gaze staying on her face as he did so. “Spirits and fairies don’t age.” Sometimes she wished they did. Often, she felt so tired of time and snow that she just wanted to lie on the ground and let the white flakes bury her.

From the corridor came the sound of strange footsteps, and one of Hans’s brothers entered the main hall. “Oh, Hans, you should have waited for me. I would have helped you get home.” Hans turned to his brother and stood up. “Well, I didn’t feel like waiting, Edgar.” Edgar looked at him with indignation. “However, from now on, I will give you regular walks and some medicine to ease the pain.” Hans shook his head in agreement. “I often forget that you are a doctor, Edgar. However, what has happened in the time I have been away?” Edgar stepped closer to Hans and examined his face. “Do you mind if I look at that leg?” Hans just nodded and sat back down in his chair. Edgar took his foot in his hands and removed his shoe. “It’s been just the two of us living here lately. Me and Völs. Neither of us wanted to leave.” He rolled back his pant leg to get a better view of the wound in his leg. It was all red and had several stitches of thread. She observed the wound, her fingers tingling with the desire to touch the damaged area. “Mark came back to us three years ago. He brought Rose and Jack with him. We gave them each a separate room.” Edgar’s eyes watched the bullet wound. He muttered something to himself before rolling up his pant leg and putting his boot back on. “The Galashiels have moved out. The whole family left for the city to find work.” He put his foot on the floor. “That’s it?” Hans asked suspiciously. He was right, of course. His brothers had lied to him many times about matters concerning the family. Edgar rubbed his eyes, then resignedly sat down in the chair opposite the one Hans was sitting in. “Archibald killed himself.” He said with a pause. He waited to see what Hans would do, but he remained motionless. “We found him hanging in the attic. They have buried him behind the cemetery wall. At least Völs had his name carved there.” Edgar’s hands trembled weakly. “Völs is ill. It hasn’t fully manifested itself yet, but...” he drew fresh air into his lungs. “He probably has the same illness as a mother.”

There was nothing more to say. Hans checked into his old room and devoted his time to his recovery. He often went for walks with Elsa. She told him about her memories. She didn’t remember exactly why. He listened with interest and then offered to write everything down. It gave him at least some activity. He told her about all the countries he had been to, who he had met and where he had gotten what scar. There were not exactly a few. Most of them were on his back. “Mistakes in fencing. It took me a long time to learn all the sword fighting tricks.” He also told her about a horse he’d received as a gift from a merchant. Only the horse had to stay in the military stables. She felt wonderful again. Her visits often extended into the evening. She saw Edgar propping up the Völs. The two of them walked together in the garden. Völs was pale. His eyes darted from place to place, and his breathing was heavy. Edgar had to do his best to hold him up. Fortunately, Hans needed no such help.

She remembered a little… Just that her mother had argued with their father about where they lived. She could well remember every detail of her mother’s and father’s faces but the rest. That was still a blur. Her sister was worried about her. “Where do you keep going?” she looked at her in surprise. “I have a friend I visit.” She didn’t tell Anna more about it.

Hans was just outside, and two small children were outside with him. One little boy and one little girl. Both children had sun-tanned skin and black hair. The girl could laugh loudly. The boy could whistle on his fingers. They were both cheerful children. Hans enjoyed their presence. It didn’t matter at all that he had an injury he still allowed the children to jump into his arms or challenge him to a speed run. The kids always won it.
She liked to see him smile. She wondered if Hans had found his girl. Could he have had a mistress waiting for him somewhere? Her eyes darkened at the thought. What might Hans’s child have looked like? Red hair just like his. Green eyes or perhaps neither. It would have white hair. She paused. How did she even think of that? “They’re little rascals.” She shuddered with fright. She hadn’t even heard him come up to her. “It may not seem like it, but...” Hans looked at the children, who were currently making a large snowball. “They like to explore unknown places.” She smiled at him. “You talk about them as if they were your children.” His face fell a little. “I don’t know if I’d make a good father, Elsa. My brothers have made my life hell, and I’m afraid...” He stared off into the distance. “That I’d take it out on that innocent child. All the taunts and unfair treatment.” He spoke sincerely. It showed in his eyes. “Maybe in time I’ll be able to settle down and have a family, but I’m not thinking about those things yet.”

“Who are you talking to, uncle?” The boy interrupted their conversation. His eyes were on Elsa’s stomach. “Well... I’m talking to the winter fairy.” The girl’s eyes lit up. “There are fairies here? What do they look like?”

“Well...” Hans looked Elsa over. “They are very tall and have long, flowing hair. Also, their wear clothes according to what season they are from. This one has a dress woven from ice crystals.” The two children listened intently and before she could blink, Hans was telling them a story about a fairy kingdom where there is a fairy queen who sets the fairy rules. The fairies form large groups and divide tasks among themselves. Some take care of the plants in the spring, while others take care of the winter snowflakes. The children were so preoccupied they didn’t even notice their father had just arrived. “Rose, Jack, come here!” the children obeyed their father. Mark sent them into the house. Hans waved a greeting before his brother shouted at him. “I don’t wish you to feed my children with that fancy mumbo jumbo you hear!” He said sternly. “Mark I was just...”

“I don’t care! I don’t want them to pick up manners from you.”

“They’re just kids. I don’t understand why...”

“Exactly, they’re my children and I decide what’s good for them. No more fabrications, Hans. Do we understand each other?” He could do nothing but nod his head. “Hans I...” she started, but he didn’t ‘t let her finish. He walked to the other end of the garden. There he stood and stared at the upper floors of the house. “It’s all right.” He said calmly. “No, it’s not okay.” She said angrily, cupping Hans’ face in her hands. “Your imagination is who you are. It’s your gift.” His lips lifted in a slight smile. “Thank you, Elsa.” He whispered, letting her hand cup his cheek. “Too bad you’re the only one who thinks so.”

She remembered a little… just her father arguing with an older man. The man looked tired, his small eyes crinkling in anger. “So that’s how it is, then.” He stated before stepping closer to her father. “So, you’ll throw everything away just to be with that whore!” Her father clenched his hands into fists. “It hurt me.” Her father, however, straightened up to stare straight into the older man’s face. “You do not control my destiny.” The older man turned his whole figure dejected. “That’s right. If it’s as you wish, then we have nothing more to discuss.” With that, the elderly man left. She didn’t know exactly who the man was. She just had a feeling she had seen him once before in her memories.

This time she decided to stand near the window while Hans sat on the Jew’s chair and read aloud to her the letters lying on the table. When he put the last letter down, Elsa sighed. “I think you should write to Miss Breadkind. Tell her that her dreams about their life together will not come true.”
“I know that. I told Völs to write Amanda a heartfelt letter. Only he hasn’t done it yet, and he’s probably afraid it will lower him in her eyes.” Elsa shook her head helplessly. Hans put all the letters aside. “Edgar told me he will employ a nurse to his medical office today.” Elsa wondered why several men had moved a good deal of furniture, especially things that looked like instruments of torture, into the house during the early winter months. Hans explained to her they were medical instruments for Edgar. He had set up his medical office in one room where the other villagers visited him. Honestly, he was the only doctor in the area, so people couldn’t comply. Unless they decided to go into town. “Besides Mark, met a woman called Hedwig.” Elsa nodded her head. “I don’t think Mark needs to get married. From what I’ve seen, he can take care of the children together with you.” Hans grabbed his cane and gripped it tightly in his palm before leaning on it and standing up. “Damn, my leg.” He cursed. She was afraid that he would fall, or worse, yet the wound on his leg would reopen. She propped Hans up but remained standing outside the window. “Mark, he says children need a mother.” As if that should be a convincing argument.

A bell rang from the Main Hallway. “That might be her.” Elsa slowly walked over to the main entrance only to get a glimpse of a pleasant-looking girl with red hair. She was smiling and from her position, she came from an excellent family. Elsa didn’t hear what Hans was saying to her, she just focused on the shade of red that reminded her of the colour of her sister’s hair. Elsa didn’t want to get involved in the family’s business, so she went to the garden instead. For the last while, Hans had been telling her all the ideas for the stories he had been writing. Most of them were imaginative. He got a lot of inspiration from their walks in the woods and from their stories. She honestly had a lot to say about magical creatures. The problem was that as technology grew, people cut forests down in large numbers. So, some creatures had to go elsewhere. The world was changing before her eyes. Smoke shrouded the sky, strange machines moving on iron wheels. Sometimes she was glad she stayed with Hans. She had to shake her head again. Again, her mind decided that Hans was something that automatically belonged to her. She had heard many a story about fairies who took a liking to a living being. Often these fairies took this being into their realm and cared for it there. Yet, in the land of the fairies, the living creature languished and suffered. The lack of sunlight made these beings grey, drooping shadows. Not enjoying anything the fairies offered them. Several times, they even attempted suicide. But the fairies who took a liking to them watched them closely. Often locking them in their houses so they couldn’t escape. She would never have treated Hans like that.

Her train of thought was interrupted just as she heard breaking ice. Hans stood in the presence of a young lady with black hair. Her eyes focused on the piece of ice in her palm. “I have seen nothing more beautiful.” The woman remarked, continuing to inspect the chunk of ice. Hans noticed Elsa’s presence and walked closer to her. “Can you not believe the turmoil that has occurred in our house?” She tilted her head as a sign that she was listening. “The woman who came, you know, just as I was reading to you. You know, I thought she was a new acquaintance of Mark’s, so I laid out for her all the vices she could expect from my brother. Then, of course, another woman came along who introduced herself as Lori.” He smiled and made sure the brunette was still watching the ice. “Lori turned out to be Mark’s new acquaintance, so nod Hedwig as I thought. And the woman with the red hair. That was the new nurse. I have to say, they both laughed a lot at the misunderstanding.” She listened to him, but her eyes were still on the black-haired girl. “Elsa?”

“Who is it?” she asked, and her voice didn’t sound friendly. A feeling of anger was building up inside her. The woman was in Hans’s presence. He was hers. She had no right to something that belonged to the Lady of the North. “Elsa?” her train of thought stopped, and she landed with a thud on a nearby fir tree. Hans leaned toward her, concern in his eyes. What was going on? Elsa felt as if anger and a sense of shame were coursing through her body at the same time. She had felt nothing like it. She pressed her right palm together and her eyes watched the snowflakes falling on Hans ‘s black boots. “Elsa.” She looked up. Hans was close to her. Too close. She was about to shout at him not to touch her, but it was too late. His hands touched her face. A sudden electric charge ran through her body. Her face warmed and her skin turned pink. This surprised both her and Hans. “Is something wrong, Mr Westergaard?” asked the black-haired woman, who was now standing next to Hans. He turned in her direction. “Just... It’s nothing, Miss Felis.” The woman, Felis, however, frowned at Hans. “You don’t need to worry. I won’t judge you.” Hans looked at Elsa in mute question. She didn’t want the woman to know of her presence. She had a hundred urges to turn her into an ice sculpture. “I am talking to a fairy.” Felis stood watching Hans in complete silence. “You see fairies?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that. She’s a spirit. A supernatural being.” Felis didn’t move. Instead, she looked intrigued. “I heard you were at war.” Hans ran his hand over the cane he still held in his palm.

She couldn’t stay there. The woman was awakening urges in her. She had to leave. Far away. Elsa stopped at the top of the mountains. She let the snowstorm obscure her view of the forest below. She would never hurt Hans, but the same couldn’t be said for the women who were around him. Her feelings scared her. She took a breath. Her lungs filled with acrid air. Let it go. Ignore all the feelings. Focus on your role. When she reappeared in the garden, Hans was standing alone. When he noticed her, his lips dropped into a frown and his eyes filled with anger. “Where have you gone?” His anger was incomprehensible. “I have my duties as well as you.” She replied just as angrily. “I felt like a total fool.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry you embarrassed yourself in front of young Miss Black hair.” His expression suddenly relaxed. He laughed suddenly. “That’s the point.” He shook his head. “I never would have thought...”

“I don’t understand. What are you getting at?” Hans leaned closer to her. “You’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous. Why would I be jealous of an ordinary human being?” Hans reached out and took Elsa’s hand. Another electric charge passed through her body. It carried with it a warmth and a tingling in her stomach. His smile brought a warm feeling to her heart. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t plan on marrying Felis or any other woman.” Her eyes watched as her skin turn to a healthy shade of pink. “Why?”

“Do I have to tell you?” This time she looked up at him, only to see his green eyes and smiling face. She didn’t move. Hans sighed loudly. He pressed her hands to his heart. Her magic was unresponsive. “Because there is only one in my life who owns my heart.” No, what is he saying? “It’s you.” His sincere gaze and the beat of his heart told her Hans was telling the truth. Only she couldn’t love him. As Mistress of the North, she couldn’t be with a human.

No one knew what would happen if a powerful being have a baby with a human being. Although there were rumours about fish gods that lived off the coast of America. Their colony was small and awareness about them was even smaller. They were creatures that could live underwater but were not as beautiful as mermaids. Their faces were monstrous and frog-like. Their supernatural power was also that they could communicate thoughts together, and some individuals also possessed the ability to manipulate the human mind. It was with these fish creatures that humans decided to interbreed. The results were, sometimes, unkind. Some children looked like human ones and only after reaching a certain age did, they resemble their ancestors. In the latter case, babies were born mutilated, with distorted faces, or with gills for lungs.

She had to remain silent for a long time because Hans was no longer in front of her but beside her. “Elsa?” She tried to smile. “Hans, I care about you...” she began, but paused, for those words were harder for her than controlling her ice magic. “Know that my heart rejoices when I am near you. With you, I experience feelings I have never experienced in my long life. However, I am afraid.” She paused. “Of what?” He asked. “What our relationship might bring? I can’t love you as a human woman. I can’t share a bed with you or bear you a child.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Ancient laws forbid relationships, and yet I feel like putting them behind me. Only what consequences would that lead to?” She paused. “I can feel for you the affection I felt for you before. I can only honour you with psychological love, not physical.” She had to wipe the tears from her face. “I am not meant to bond with a human being.” There was silence for a while. Then Hans smiled at her. “Very well, I will respect your wish.” He squeezed her palm. “It will be enough for me if you are my companion until my death, as you have been until now.”

“You don’t know how glad I am that you say that.” Hans hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. Elsa ran her fingers over the kissed spot in surprise. She felt she needed to give Hans a kiss of similar significance as well. So, she kissed him on his hair. It wasn’t until Hans was walking back into the house that she noticed a few white strands of hair between his red curls.

She remembered little… just Anna’s body lying motionless in their hands. She was crying, but she didn’t know why. The big man her father had argued with was bending over her. His eyes were full of remorse and anger. “I’m sorry.” He spoke. Anna wondered why her skin was pinker than before. And she couldn’t answer her. When she stood in the garden again. It was just sunny noon, and the young red-haired woman was outside with Völs sitting in a wheelchair. A group of children were playing nearby. Hans had a book open and was writing something in it. “You look nervous.” Hans turned to her. “Oh, Elsa.” He rushed over to kiss her on the cheek. She kissed his hair again. His hair turned a little white again. “It’s my first presentation.” She didn’t know what it would be like. Lots of kids with parents listen to stories about magical creatures and spells.

Mark came out of the house and stood next to Völs. He kept his distance from Hans. “So, Mark hasn’t changed his mind?”
“No.” Hans sighed and frowned, looking at his brother out of the corner of his eye. “The show is standing its ground.” She smiled at him. Now Hans needed someone to back him up. “You can do it, Hans. Your imagination is amazing, and I bet your book of fairy tales surpasses even the one by that Danish writer.” His laughter filled the space between them, carried through the tree branches. It was one of those things that pleased her. Crowds of people walk into the garden, along with the children. Hans swallowed nervously. Finally, he stepped in front of the audience and started. “This story begins with two sisters...”
She remembered little… Just that the sun shone that day, and her mother kissed her on the forehead. That was before all hell broke loose. The dead bodies of their friends lay crushed on the cold ground. Some houses had been burning and others were torn down. She could hear Anna crying, but she couldn’t quiet her.

Life in the house still went on. One day, Hans came out into the garden wrapped in black clothes. “The ox is dead.” He just said, and his eyes filled with tears. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only bad news that day. After several years of searching, a letter reached the remaining Westgard brothers about the tragedy that had befallen their family. Five of their brothers had recently become victims of alcoholism. Their addiction had reached the point where they needed someone to watch over them. To make matters worse, their brothers had put their wives and the rest of the family in debt. So, it was no wonder that most of them went hungry during the winter. After reading about these terrible events, Hans and his two brothers sat down in the main hall and there they just sat in silence over the open book.
“I will not say that I miss them. For that would be a lie.” He said as they met together in Hans’ room. “Just looking at all those old memories made us look back and consider all our options.” For the moment, his family did. Seven brothers and their children. That didn’t apply to his and Edgar’s case, as they were the two left without partners. “You know, sometimes I think about the two of us.” Elsa looked at him with a surprised expression. “About what our children might look like.” He smiled sadly. Her eyes followed the row of teddy bears that still guarded the tall wooden cabinet. “You still remember them.” He smiled and strolled to the closet. Hans picked up one of the teddy bears. “I don’t remember their names much anymore. He smiled at the toy, which stared at him with its button eyes. “This is Cuddle,” Elsa said confidently. If there was one thing she could remember for several years, it was the names of children’s toys. How many of those had she heard in her lifetime?

“I think our child would give them alternative names.” She didn’t deny that she hadn’t thought of their potential child, either. A little girl who would have white hair and bright green eyes. Icy hailstones skittered down her cheeks. “Sorry.” Hans put the toy in its place before sitting back down on the bed himself. “You know, my father was a heavy drinker. He used to throw full bottles at my brothers sometimes. Maybe, it’s a good thing, that I didn’t know him.” It was a sad day for them. So, she couldn’t help but tell Hans what she remembered about her parents. As always, he listened to her. “So, you don’t know what happened to them?”

“No. And the others have advised me not to dwell on it, but sometimes a childhood memory comes up so suddenly and unexpectedly. And I can’t just ignore it.” Hans leaned over and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re confiding in me, Elsa.” Another icy tear slid down her cheek.

Year after year passed like water in a river. Hans’s hair turned white from the many kisses he received from Elsa. His brothers left and came again. Sometimes the house was full of rejoicing children. “Uncle Hans, tell us about the girl and her red dog.” Hans smiled at the children and took out his book from the library, from which he read the text so familiar to him. Elsa listened too and felt at home.

She remembered little... until now. Anna and Elsa were the daughters of a black-haired woman named Iduna and a red-haired man named Agnarr. The day the soldiers came to their village, their mother hid them under the roots of a large tree. “Whatever happens, happens. Don’t come out!” Elsa’s eyes filled with fear, and her mother noticed. “Don’t worry, Elsa, everything will be fine.” They waited on the cold ground, hearing only screams from far away. Anna burst into tears in her arms. She couldn’t blame her. This was an unfamiliar experience for both. When all the screaming stopped, the girls ventured out of their hiding place. “Elsa?” She squeezed her sister’s hand and looked up at her with a smile. “I’m here Anna.” They both looked down at the blackened ground. They left nothing of their village but embers and snow. “Mom?” Anna ran between the blackened wood. “Wait, Anna.” But her younger sister didn’t look back. Neither of them noticed the man who had come in the meantime.

Elsa pressed her palms to her chest and watched her sister rummage through the dust with worry in her heart. “Mommy!” a child’s voice cried unhappily. Suddenly, something grabbed Elsa by the arm. The girl cried out before the man lifted her into the air. “What have we here?” The man’s face darkened, his black hair and moustache dirty with soot. When his eyes took in Elsa’s face, he let go of her and she fell into the icy snow with a thud. “One of that native bitch’s leeches.” He barked through his teeth. “Of course, she hid you.” He chuckled to himself. “It looks like I must exterminate you myself.” He held out his other hand with a sword. Then his weapon cut thru the air. She was ready for the pain, for the feel of the iron tip of the sword in her flesh. What she wasn’t prepared for was her younger sister’s scream.

With incredible speed, Anna ran to her older sister and threw herself in front of the sword. At that moment, red blood covered her. Her blonde hair was now red. The upper half of her sister’s body lay about a meter away from the lower one. The only evidence that these parts had once formed one body was the intestines. It stretched across the ground from her feet to her head. “Anna?” Her hands cupped the still head of her loving sister. Her skin was still warm, but the light had faded from her otherwise bright eyes. The man wiped his sword on the snow. “Never mind. I have one more try.” Before he could draw his sword again, however, Elsa’s father burst out of the forest. Agnarr threw the man to the ground. The two struggled like this for a moment before standing up again. “What have you done?” Agnarr shouted. His voice filled with rage. Tears stained the icy ground and his mouth revealed white teeth. “I’m saving our clan.” The man replied, leaning on his sword to get back to his feet. “That woman has cast a spell on you. There is no way you could...”

“But I loved her FATHER!” What? The man who killed Anna and her mother is her grandfather. “You can’t understand. Magic is a dangerous son. It took your mother and...” this time the man’s face turned sad. “And you.” Agnarr drew his sword and pressed his father against the tree with all his weight. “The only one to blame for mother leaving was you. I leave Arendelle because of your fear of magic.” Agnarr threw his father into the snow and then attacked him. Elsa watched in fear as her father and her grandfather fought. They both approached the abyss. Now she understood everything. Her father had abandoned his duties to be with the woman he loved. With that thought, she stood up and ran towards the men. The little white-haired girl jumped on the old man, thus not only startling him but also throwing him off balance. The man fell over the edge, and he and the girl fell into the abyss. Before her head met the sharp edge of the stone, the girl remembered the faces of Anna and her mother.

“Elsa?” She opened her eyes. She was sitting on the snowy bench Hans had built for her. She looked around. Snow lay everywhere, with no ash or blood. She looked at the man standing in front of her. “Hans?” She smiled at the old man leaning on his cane. “You are finally awake.”

“I figured it out.” Hans brushed the snow off the bench, then placed a rough piece of cloth on top of it. “What did you figure out?” he asked, sitting down next to Elsa. “Who I am.” She smiled. He smiled back at her, his eyes full of love. “I’m glad. You know, some people don’t figure out who they are until they die.” He couldn’t say things like that. She couldn’t lose him. Not now that everything was so clear. “You know they keep offering me money for this house. They’re scoundrels. They only want it to expand their logging operations.” Suddenly, there was the squeak of a gate. “Speak of the devil." A middle-aged man entered the garden. He had black hair and a goatee. Besides, a mischievous smile played on his face. “Hello, Mr. Westergaard. You are stretching your bones, I see.” The man laughed, but Hans’ face was stony. “What do you want, Mr Perkins? I already told you I won’t sell the house.” The man Perkins shook his head. “Sure, it’s just that we’ve come up with a new offer.” The man pulled a map out of his coat that showed a small cottage. “Your house for this cosy place and some money, to boot. This log cabin is near the railroad tracks, so you can pick up and visit your relatives anytime. Also, there’s a constant supply of water and electricity.” Hans stood up and walked slowly over to Parkinson. He looked over the map before grasping it in his palm and tearing it into small pieces. “You’ll have to get me out of my house in a coffin first.” Perkins’ smile faded, replaced by a dangerous grin. “Consider, Mr. Westergaard? You can’t take care of the house alone anymore...”
“I said no!” he threw the pieces of the tattered plan at Perkins, spitting on him as well, just to be sure. Elsa just laughed. “Don’t you ever get scared?”

“Of what? Those scaredy-cats aren’t up to anything.” She just shook her head.

It was quiet around her in the evening. She already imagined going back to Anna and telling her everything. She hadn’t seen her sister for a long time. It was strange that no one was looking for her. Had everyone learned to ignore the human world the way the human world had learned to ignore mythical creatures? The sound of shattering glass brought her out of her reverie. She glanced toward the house, only to see someone jumping from the lower window leading into the main room. She stood up to get a better view of what was going on. As she walked closer to the broken window, she recognized traces of blood. With fear in her eyes, she shouted his name, “Hans!” a cough came from the right side. She spun to see Hans’s crawling on the ground, but his body was unharmed. “Elsa, fairy, angel,” Hans whispered before he fell into the snow. “Hans, what’s wrong?”

“Elsa my heart. I can’t... catch... my... breath...” his breathing was irregular, plus he had to gasp at every word. She took his palm in hers. He ignored the fact that Hans’ palm had turned into a block of ice. “I got him, Elsa. He didn’t even hit me...” he coughed again, blood spilling from his mouth. “Ha-ha, I was excellent.” She stroked his hair while her other hand rested on his head in her lap. His breathing was getting shorter. She could feel the sparkle fading from his eyes. “You know Elsa...”

“No, you need to save your strength. You’ll be fine, my dear.” Hans laughed at that. “Do you know how beautiful that sounds coming out of your... mouth?” Another burst of violent coughing brought more drops of blood. “He must have hurt you somehow.” Her eyes searched for a loophole or just a wound she could cool with her snow. “That’s not important. Elsa, look at me!” his finger ran over her cheek. She obeyed him and gazed into his green eyes. “You know I’ve only ever loved you. You’ve been my mentor and guide. If you were a living woman, I would have married you.” Elsa was so engrossed in the pulse of Hans’ blood that she didn’t even notice the droplets of water running down her cheeks. Not icy hailstones, but actual tears. “My angel. You have always been the light of my life and I am so glad to have met you. But before I go...”

“No, you won’t. You’ll be here for a long time.” He laughed again. Then he takes a deep breath. “Please do me the honour of giving me your kiss. Which you would give me if we were married.” Elsa nodded and slowly leaned closer to Hans’ face. Their lips met in a single kiss. Suddenly, she felt the coldness on her skin and the wetness of the snow melting beneath her. She could hear the ravens squawking in the treetops. Most of all, she felt the regular beating of her heart, which brought the blood back into her body. Elsa opened her eyes, only to look at her reflection in the ice. She looked like a living woman. Her soul had returned. With this knowledge, she looked joyfully at her lover. But he could no longer share her joy. His breathing ceased and his body became still. “Hans?” she whispered before her cry, followed by a cry of pain, echoed through the forest.

Anna was just walking inside the cave, touching the colourful flowers with her fingertips. They were keeping company with a small snow creature playing in a small wooden enclosure. Anna laughed as she watched Olaf. It filled her with a strange yet so familiar feeling. “Anna.” She turned to get a glimpse of her sister. Elsa wasn’t as pale as she always was. Instead, her skin was a healthy pink and her lips were red. “Elsa, you...” She wondered what to say. “You’re beautiful.” Her sister laughed. Elsa walked over to her sister to take her palm and share the warmth she was now full of. Together, they sat down, and she told her little sister everything she remembered. Anna listened to her sister to the end. Then she stood up and hugged her sister for the first time in a long time by herself. Even her body is now full of warmth. Her heart set in motion, and her hair took on the colour of red fire. “What shall we do?” She asked uncertainly. “Now?” Elsa took her sister’s palm. Anna looked up at her, uncertainty in her eyes. “Am I interrupting?” Kristoff asked, standing uncertainly at the entrance to the rock. For a moment, his eyes scanned both his wife and her sister. “What’s the matter?” He asked. Elsa smiled first at him and then at her sister. “We’re going home.” She said and hugged her sister again.

The two sisters entered the place where their village was in ancient times. Now there was only a forest and a herd of reindeer grazing nearby. Elsa walked slowly to the middle of the place that was among the trees. In the old days, it had been a square. Here she touched the ground and slowly formed a large snowball. Anna watched her sister and then, laughing, she grabbed Kristoff and together they created a second snowball. In the end, they built a snowman together. Just like the one they had built when they were little girls. Elsa kissed her sister on the forehead, then sat down on a fallen tree trunk. Anna sat next to her. Elsa hugged her sister before looking off into the distance. “Don’t worry, Hans, my love. We will meet again soon.”

In the middle of the old woods, where the clearing leads to the rocks. Where rock mice dwell in the rocks. Where there are four stone obelisks. It is here that you can find the strange sculpture of two women. One was carved from stone, the other made of white quartz. The two women are holding hands. The woman carved in the stone has one of her hands wrapped around the trunk of a tall and strong ash tree. She holds it as well as she would hold her fiancé. The woman carved in quartz is looking into the distance, just as the sun is setting. Everyone says something different about her: Some people say she is looking out for their family. Others say she’s guarding the area against the enemy. All I know is that when the sun rises or sets, she always gets a glimpse of the reddened skay.