Frozen Enchantment - Ch. 23

       The cold quiet of darkness has fully blanketed the kingdom with the onset of night, welcoming the sleepy town into their warm, cozy beds.  The castle is far from quiet, however.  The distinct sounds of laughter keep ringing out from a single room, lit with the warmth of a crackling fireplace.  Two girls are reclined against a large pile of pillows, allowing the young women to sit up as they eat their food, while being leaned against each other for comfort.  But their laughter keeps distracting them from their meal, despite the constant rumblings of their still empty bellies.

       Gerda enters the room with another tray, sighing with a smile as she sees that Elsa and I still haven’t finished the first things she brought us.  “Majesties,” she catches our attentions, our laughter dying into soft giggles as she places the new tray on the table beside us.  “You two really should eat; neither of you have eaten in two days.  Or is my cooking not to your liking?”  She gives us a mischievous smirk, one eyebrow raised, and fists on her hips, causing me to lean more against Elsa as I struggle to keep my giggle fit under control.

       Elsa somehow manages to keep a decent composure as she responds to her service matron.  “No, no!  Not at all, Gerda!  This soup is your best ever!  We’re just...happy to see each other again, that’s all.”

       I can’t help snickering more, as I nod in agreement.  “Yeah, the food is amazing!  And we’re probably just giddy with hunger and exhaustion, too.”

       Gerda’s smirk softens into her usual warm smile as she straightens her form.  “Well I’m certainly glad to have things back to normal.  You had us all quite worried, your highness, and we’ve all missed you terribly.”  I blush sheepishly, gazing away from the kind older woman as my cheeks twinge from too big of a modest smile.  Olaf and Pabbie are still silent in the corner, Olaf’s eyes closed as if in a trance, his body softly glowing with Pabbie’s magic.  My smile of embarrassment softens as I watch our dear friend being returned to normal, and I can’t help but sighing with content, leaning against Elsa even more as I swirl my spoon around in my bowl of soup.

       “Gerda’s right, you know,” Elsa breaks the silence, drawing my mind back to the conversation.  “We all really missed you...”  She leans her head against mine with a gentle bonk, and I merely press back with a quiet snicker.

       “Well I’m back now, and after having lost two days, there’s no more time to waste.  We have to go save Anna.”

       Elsa stops, immediately pulling away with concerned surprise at my words.  “W-wait, what?”

       “You heard me,” I chuckle my reply, as if this is nothing to be surprised over.  “I’ve done over a month’s worth of healing in just two and a half days, so I should be almost completely healed by tomorrow, if my body keeps up this same speedy rate at healing itself.  And I gained some new tricks during that fight, and better control over my powers.  So there’s no need for more training, which means there’s no reason for us to delay Anna’s rescue any longer.”

       Elsa holds a hand up as if to reason with me, a fearful smile on her face.  “Now Kendra, let’s be reasonable about this.  Anna’s—”

       “Fine?”  I interrupt.  “Elsa, she’s been held hostage by the Aesir for God knows how long, and that’s just too long in my book!  I’m not risking her life any further; we have to save her!”

       “Kendra please...if you would just listen to reason—”

       “Reason?”  I look at her incredulously.  “Elsa, this is your sister we’re talking about!  Your own flesh and blood, your one and only family member!”

       “No!  You’re my family too, and I won’t lose you!”

       This stops me short, but only briefly.  “And what about Anna?!?  Am I suddenly more important to you than her?!?”

       The moment they leave my lips, I immediately regret my words, having stepped over a line I know.  I feel my stomach plummet as I watch Elsa pull up short, the shock evident on her face.  She turns her gaze down to the forgotten soup bowl in her hands, resting in her lap, unable to keep her icy magic from slowly frosting the item and its contents.  I can see the struggle raging a war inside of her mind, her eyes closing as she chews her bottom lip and tries to take steady breaths.

       “E-Elsa...listen, I...w-what I said was...I-I didn’t mean...l-look, I’m sorry, ok...?  I’m really, really sorry... I didn’t mean it like that and...I guess I just had a slight fear that...you weren’t taking Anna’s safety all that seriously...and I was replacing her...but I know that’s stupid to think... I know better, and I’m sorry... I crossed a line and shouldn’t have said that... Please, please forgive me...”  My soft voice weighs heavily with my shame and regret, and I fear what Elsa’s response will be.  But when she suddenly takes a deep breath, face relaxing considerably and ice retreating from her now cold soup, I can’t help but swallow the lump in my throat, my anxiety suddenly spiking.

       “No, Kendra...you’re right.”  Elsa looks at me with bright eyes, brimming with a renewed fire and shocking clarity.  “Anna is my flesh and blood, and should always be my first concern.  But you’re a lot like her, which is how I got so close to you so fast, and worry so much about you...even though you have already proven yourself, simply by surviving your terrible injuries if nothing else.  You’re a lot stronger than I give you credit for...and I think it’s because you’re so much like Anna that I worry so much.  You’re strong, tenacious, and stubborn as all get out...but you’re also unique in your own ways.  You may be a lot like Anna, and having you around has helped to soothe the pain of her absence...but you are your own person, and Anna is Anna.  You both mean a lot to me, and both deserve to be loved in your own ways.”

       I can’t help smiling with pride, as well as my usual shy modesty, cheeks dusted with a soft blush.  “And you do love us both in our own special ways.  As we both love you, Elsa.”

       Her smile merely grows in response to my honest words.  “I can’t wait for Anna to meet you.  She’s absolutely going to love you.”

       I blush slightly with a silly grin, imagining how my meeting with the feisty princess may go.  “So then, what’s say we go save our little sister?”

       With a renewed sparkle in her eyes, Elsa’s face takes on an even more determined note as she nods with a strong smile.  “Soon as you’re healed, we save Anna.”

       “Like I said, with these healing powers of mine, I should be all healed up by tomorrow.”

       Elsa looks worried for a second, opens her mouth to speak, but stops herself, softly sighing as she shakes her head, her smile returning.  “Then...if you’re all better tomorrow, we’ll plan to set out for the Aesir’s base, and save Anna.”

       I smirk with determination, ignoring Gerda’s worried gasp beside us.  “Then it’s settled.  We set out tomorrow.”

       “No, we’ll use tomorrow to prepare ourselves, and plan a course of action.  We’ll set out the next day, how’s that?”

       “What?!”  Shocked and a little upset, I can’t help but sigh with disappointment.  But as I think on Elsa’s words, I realize she does have a point.  Setting out blindly tomorrow would be a bad idea, especially since I just came out of a two-and-a-half day coma.  “No, you’re right, Elsa.  We do need at least a day to fully prepare ourselves.  But I’m counting on us heading out the day after tomorrow!”

       Elsa nods with agreement, determination and optimism strong on her features for the first time in days. Gerda, however, glances between the two of us, her heart fluttering with worry, and can barely contain the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, or the soft whisper that leaves her lips.  “Oh dear...”

---

       The rest of the evening entails Elsa and me calming Gerda’s worries, eating more food to ensure we have full bellies, and reveling at Olaf’s return to normalcy.  Pabbie rolls up into a boulder to rest and regain his strength, while Gerda finally concedes with a sigh of defeat, laced with immense worry for our safeties.  But she knows that if I’m as much like Anna as Elsa claims, coupled with what she’s already seen firsthand, then there’s no stopping me, especially since Elsa’s going to be right there beside me the whole time.  That alone helps to calm her nerves, since she knows we’ll watch out for each other.  But she still can’t help but worry, as these evil forces are unlike anything imaginable.  She bids us goodnight as she leaves us alone with Olaf, and after we return her gesture, Olaf continues to quiz me with renewed wonder.

       “Ok.  So what’s your favorite color?”

       “Blue.”

       “Ooo, yeah I like the color blue, too!  Ok, next question.  When is your birthday?  Is it in the summer?”

       I can’t help but laugh at his question.  “No, it’s in the spring.  April 8^th to be precise.”

       “Oooooo...!”  Elsa and I snicker at his sing-song response of wonder.  We’re so glad to have him back to normal... It’s like a breath of fresh air.  “Ok!  So how old are you?”

       “Olaf!”  Elsa laughs out his name as she tries to gently chide him, but I merely stop her with a touch and a smile.

       “It’s ok Elsa, I don’t care for people to ask my age.”  I look back at the snowman, “I’m 23 years old, Olaf.”

       “Oh, so then, you’re older than Elsa.”  I nod to answer him, his eyes bright with joy and rapture.  “Ok!  What else can I ask you...?”

       As Olaf holds his face in his stick hand, Elsa chuckles once beside me.  “Olaf, I’m sure Kendra’s still feeling pretty tired from her condition.  She might not want to answer so many questions.”

       I giggle at her words as I wrap my arms around her.  “Elsa, you worry too much.  It’s fine; I really don’t mind if he wants to get to know me.”

       Olaf suddenly has his ‘ah-hah’ moment as his eyes light up.  “Oh!  I’ve got a question!  Where are you from?”

       This actually surprises Elsa and me slightly.  “Where am I from?”

       “Yeah,” he answers.  “Like, what’s the name of your home?”

       “Oh.  Well...since it’s in another world, there’s no way you will have heard of it.  But the land where I come from is known as America.  At least, that’s the name of the country.”  Even though it is Olaf and I trust him, I’m still wary about vocalizing too much of my home, just because of this overall threat with the Aesir.  However, Olaf seems perfectly content with what answer I gave him, as he nods with a big grin.

       “Oh yeah, that’s right!  I completely forgot you were from another world,” he giggles, which of course makes me and Elsa laugh right back.

       After that it’s just simple, random questions from the snowman, none worth mentioning, but enough to keep him enamored with my answers.

       Our attentions are suddenly grabbed as we hear a clock chime, the bells and dongs echoing their slow rhythm, signaling the time to all who hear.  We all stop and listen, each of us silently counting the beats.

       “...11 o’clock...” Elsa mutters, surprised at how late it became.

       “Man, where did the time go?”  I inquire.

       “Time sure flies, huh?”  Olaf responds to my words with his usual chuckle, his snow body moving with his laugh.

       “We’d better get some sleep then,” Elsa adds, climbing off the bed beside me.  I watch as she makes her way to the door, with her magical snowman right behind her.

       “Yeah, you two have a big day tomorrow and need plenty of rest, so I hope you both get a great night’s sleep!”  Olaf giggles after his biddings, causing Elsa and I to laugh in return.

       “Thanks Olaf, goodnight,” I chuckle back, still happy he’s back to his normal self.

       “Yes, goodnight, Olaf,” Elsa softly replies, closing the door behind him as he departs from the bedroom.

       She walks over to a dresser, her bare feet hardly making a sound on the thin carpet, before padding back to the bed.  She helps me into a very loose gown, then supports my upper body as she helps me to lower onto the bed.  No matter how much my injuries have healed, I still need help with movements, such as sitting up and laying down.  As embarrassing as it is to be so helpless, I’m glad I have Elsa to help me.

       I can’t help but sigh contently as my head hits the pillows, watching as she turns off all of the lights, and then simply climbs over me to get to her spot on the bed.  This of course makes me giggle, which in turn makes her giggle, but doesn’t stop her.  She climbs under the blankets, covers us both up, and snuggles up to me as best as she dares without aggravating my wounds, draping her left arm over my torso.

       “Are you alright?”  She inquires.

       “Yeah, I’m fine,” I smile back.

       “Am I...hurting you at all?”

       I snicker, “No, Elsa, I’m fine.”

       “Are you comfortable enough?  Warm enough?”

       This time I honestly laugh.  “I’m good Elsa, promise.  I’m comfortable, warm, and perfectly content, just how we are right now.”

       “Are you sure?  ‘Cause if you’re not, I can move—”

       “Elsa, I really am fine.  Stop being such a stubborn worrywart.”

       She softly giggles for a moment, and I can hear the smile in her soft sigh, tilting my head ever so slightly to lean against hers as she nuzzles against me even more.  “It’s so wonderful to have you back, it really is... I can’t really put it into words, even begin to describe, how happy I am that you’re awake...that you’re ok... I really was beyond worried, and I’m just so relieved to have you back again...”

       “I really am sorry for worrying you so bad, Elsa... I swear I didn’t mean it...”

       She takes my left hand in her right, and I return the soft grip as she pulls her head back, and starts tracing gentle circles, lines, and other shapes on my face with her other hand.  “It was beyond your control...and I know you did everything you could to prevent anything like that from even happening during the battle.”  She gently traces her fingertips over the faint line of a cut on my cheek, still there from when I was nicked on the broken ice when I fell through.  Oddly enough it hasn’t healed with the same rapid speeds as my other, worse injuries have, but she doesn’t focus on it.  “I know you would never do anything like that intentionally; nobody would.  And you don’t have to apologize.  Neither of us could foresee that Weselton guard working with the Aesir.”

       Her “drawing” stops when I turn my face towards her, our faces dimly lit by the fireplace on the other side of the room, and the moonlight pouring through the window behind the young queen.  “Elsa...”

       “Yeah...?”

       “...No matter what happens...we’ll get through this... We’re gonna win this... We have to...”

       Elsa softly sighs through her nose, squeezing my hand slightly and leaning her forehead against mine.  “We will...we will... Don’t you worry about that...”

       I cling to Elsa’s hand even tighter, the struggle in my soft voice all too clear.  “We have to win...we just have to...”

       Foregoing her earlier concept of caution, Elsa snuggles up to me as close as she physically can, wrapping her left arm snug around me and holding me close, her head pressed firmly against mine, trying to give as much comfort as she can without hurting me.  Surprisingly, there’s not a hint of pain from my wounds, nor a single ounce of protest from her touch or close proximity.

       “It’s ok...it’ll be ok... We have too much at stake to let them win... But they won’t win... It’ll be alright...”  I greedily take in every ounce of comfort Elsa is feeding to me, closing my eyes as she kisses my face, and starts gently rubbing my right arm.

       “I love you Elsa... Please don’t ever leave me...”

       “I love you too... And I won’t, sweetie...I promise... But you can’t leave me either, ok...?”

       I can only nod as I swallow thickly, finally taking my free arm and wrapping it across her as best as I can, clinging to her for comfort.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll be able to move better on my own...

       Elsa continues to soothe me by very gently running her fingers up and down my right arm, being very careful of my wounds, even despite all the bandaging.  My mom used to do this when I was a small child, and it would always relax me to sleep.  I gotta admit, having Elsa do it is just as I remember from my childhood, and even despite the bandages I can still feel it.  It’s just as relaxing as I remember it...

       Before I know it, I’m fading in and out of consciousness, almost as if my body is falling asleep, but trying to fight it.  I do that weird inhale you do when you’re half asleep, alerting Elsa, who is still awake.  “Falling asleep...?”

       “Mmm hmm....”  I barely manage to make the sounds to answer her, and barely nod my head in reply.

       Elsa kisses my head again, never ceasing her task of lightly stroking my arm.  “Well, get some sleep... We’ve got a big day ahead of us...”

       I inhale again, a little shallower this time.  “’Kay... Love you, Elsa...”

       “Love you too, sweetheart...goodnight...”

       “Nniiight...”

       The last thing I hear is Elsa silently chuckling, and the last thing I feel is her nuzzling against my head, before my body finally gives in, and falls under the blanket of a deep sleep.

---

       “Ok, are you ready?”

       “Yes sir!”  I mock salute the physician, causing him and everyone else in the room to laugh.  Of course, the only other people are Elsa, Gerda, and the two assistants.

       “Eager aren’t we today?  Alright then, here we go!”

       I giggle with a soft blush at the doctor’s words, watching as he peels away the last of the gauze from my wounds.  The room goes silent...and then simultaneously, we all gasp with joyous shock.  Yesterday when I woke from my coma, I still had the dark remnants of a huge bruise discoloring my entire torso.  Today, all that remains is a very faint shade of yellow kissing my skin, which no longer looks like raw meat.  In fact, I’d say I healed even faster overnight than I did during those two days!

       “Wwoooww!”  I breathe my word with utter amazement, the surprise in the room permeating every cell in my body.

       “Oh Kendra...!”  Elsa’s words are also breathy, the giant grin on her face proving to be contagious.

       I nearly squee as the doctor starts to laugh at the situation, my body having healed a lot more than we anticipated.  “My word...!  I honestly don’t know what to say!”  He looks to his assistants, who are also smiling happily, as I glance to Gerda, blushing as I see her dabbing at her eyes with a relieved grin on her face.  The six of us can’t help but laugh together, our hope beyond restored at my repaired body.

       The physician and his assistants set to a full examination, noting how the arrow wounds along my back are completely healed, leaving not a trace behind that they were ever there.  The puncture on my shoulder has nearly healed, barely more than a small, shallow mark on my skin.  My arms and legs are also completely healed, and my head even feels 100% back to normal too.

       As soon as the exam is finished, and the doctor claims that my discolored chest and stomach are the only injuries I have remaining, Elsa loses her self-control as she nearly tackles me in a hug, catching me completely off guard since I’m still uncovered.  I blush heavily, as does she when she realizes what she did, immediately letting me go as we laugh at the awkward and embarrassing situation.

       “Now Majesty,” the physician chuckles to Elsa, “though she is almost completely healed, she still has the remnants of that large bruise on her chest and stomach, and will still be pretty sore as her body relearns how to move again after 3 days of no movement.”

       Elsa blushes as she awkwardly laughs back.  “Yeah, sorry about that.  I was just so happy, and couldn’t restrain myself.”

       I laugh at her as she’s gently “reprimanded” by her own royal physician, but nearly cry out in surprise as I suddenly feel a very cold substance being rubbed along my back.  “Gnah!”

       The female assistant behind me tries to contain her snickers, but fails miserable when everyone else joins her.  “Apologizes, highness.  This medical cream is just extra assurance of your healed injuries, as well as providing moisture for your dry skin, and a soothing, deep comfort against possible stiffness in your joints, and any lingering soreness from the arrow wounds.”

       “Oh.  Well, thank you.  I just wasn’t expecting something so cold!”  Her hands shake with her laughter as she keeps rubbing all along my back, the cream absorbing into my skin at the slight massage, which feels quite amazing.  In fact, I hardly register everyone else laughing at my words as well, focusing as I feel my back muscles loosening under her touch.

       The physician dismisses his male assistant before bringing a small tub of cream to my line of sight.  “Alright, now while Diana here tends to your back, let’s take care of the front.”  I immediately blush and raise the nightshirt in front of my bare chest, shrinking at the thought of a man touching me.  Medical professional or not, even despite what he’s done as far as treatment, this seems a bit much.  The man however, just chuckles.  “I had a feeling this would be the case.”  He turns to Elsa, who already seems to be answering his unspoken question with her eyes.  “Majesty?”

       “Of course, I would love to help.”  She looks to me with a cautious, yet hopeful smile.  “If Kendra lets me, that is.”  I blush softly, but nod with a very relaxed smile that speaks all the words for me.

       The doctor nods as he hands her the tub of cream, or lotion, or healing aloe, or salve, or whatever it is.  A hand suddenly appears around my left from behind as Elsa holds the container to it, the assistant Diana dipping her fingers into the cream to get another scoop, before returning to rubbing my back with it.  It’s only then do I realize she’s sitting behind me on the bed, but still at a professional and respectful distance.  Elsa then sets the open tub down between her knees on the bed, before lifting her gaze back to me.

       I lift my gaze up to hers, and as our eyes meet, we both simultaneously start to blush a deep red as we realize what is about to happen.  After about three seconds, Elsa averts her gaze with closed eyes, and awkwardly clears her throat.  “I’ll uh, let you handle certain areas yourself. I-if that’s ok with you.”

       I also clear my throat softly.  “Yeah uh, that’s fine.  Totally not a problem.”  I turn to look to Gerda, only to find that she and the physician have stepped to the door to have their own quiet conversation.  I sigh to try and rid myself of my nerves, lowering the nightshirt as my blush increases.

       “It’s alright, highness,” Diana’s voice sounds from behind me.  “Just apply the cream liberally and rub it completely into your skin.”

       “Oh, uh, thank you, Diana.”

       “It’s my pleasure, highness.”

       I smile with a single chuckle.  “Please, just call me Kendra.”

       As she resumes her task, Elsa holds the container to me, allowing me to get some of the cream so I can apply it to my chest.  Meanwhile, Elsa helps herself to the cream, and starts applying it to my left shoulder and upper arm, pausing over my nearly-healed arrow wound, as if in respect or reverence.  This continues in silence for several minutes, as Diana continues massaging my back, and Elsa moves to my other arm while I take care of my way-too-ticklish stomach.

       Before we realize it, we find ourselves to be finished, and unsure of what do next.  Fortunately, Gerda has perfect timing as she and the physician return with a bowl of water and several wash cloths.  By wetting them in the water, Elsa, Diana and I are able to use the rags to clean our hands of any remaining cream, the physician sealing the container as Gerda sifts through a nearby dresser for clothes.  Before long, the physician (whose name I oddly still don’t have), and Diana, have left the room, while Gerda lays out several clothing options, before she too leaves to instruct the cooks to have breakfast ready.

       And just like that, it’s time I finally got my body moving after three days of being bedridden.  Elsa at least helps me into a shirt while I’m still in bed, and we’re both happy at how easy it is for me to move my arms today.  She averts her gaze as I somehow slip some underwear on under the covers, and then we both silently agree that now is the moment of truth.

       “You ready?”

       I take in a deep breath.  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

       Elsa nods, smiling encouragingly at me as she stands by my side, ready to help if needed.  I take a calming breath as I start moving my legs, drawing them to the side to slip out from under the covers, draping over the side of the bed as I start turning my body.  Elsa’s hands are hovering close to me, ready to help if needed, both of us feeling tense with uncertainty and apprehension.  Already my body is being moved in ways it hasn’t done for three days, and we’re both a little nervous as to how things are going to work out.  But we’re ready for whatever happens.

       I take a deep breath...and plant my feet on the ground.  My legs are a little wobbly as I slowly put more and more of my weight on them, carefully standing up as Elsa hovers in front of me, ready to support me if I need it.  I stagger a little, nearly dropping to the ground, but Elsa immediately hooks her hands under my armpits to steady me, and with her help, I’m somehow able to straighten my posture.  My legs feel weak beneath me, and I can feel them shaking a little as I stand there...but I’m too giddy to care.

       Elsa and I grin at each other, unsure if we want to laugh or speak or simply stand there quietly.  My hands are on her shoulders for support, her arms still hooked under mine as my body adjusts to being completely vertical for the first time in three days.  We finally settle for soft laughter as our bodies mesh together in a hug, arms wrapping around each other with an unspoken signal.

       “You did it...”  Elsa’s voice is soft in my ear, as she kisses the side of my head.  “I’m so proud of you...”

       I tighten my reach around Elsa’s shoulders, and she responds by tightening her grasp around my middle.  “This feels...so weird... My body being upright again...”

       “Well, that’s because despite being awake for a few hours yesterday, you’ve slept for three days.  Your body needs time to adjust.  That’s another reason I wanted to spend today preparing; I wanted to get your body used to moving again.”

       I softly smirk, “Yeah, but I can’t do that until I get some pants on first.”

       Elsa bursts out with laughter, though I laugh right along with her.  “Alright, hang on.”  She helps me sit down on the bed again, before reaching for the pair of pants laid out beside me.  She doesn’t even give me a choice as she gives the pants a single shake, before sliding them over my feet and up my legs.  She helps me stand again as I grip the hemline of the waist, holding me as I pull the fabric the rest of the way and fasten it in place.  I inhale deeply and sigh happily, and Elsa snickers at my response, knowing how uncomfortable I’ve been without clothes.  “Happy?”

       “Yes.  Very.”

       “Good.”  She pokes my nose, causing me to emit a sort of squeaking “m’ow” on instinct.  I’m not sure when I started it, but making little cat noises is something I do all the time now, and usually without thinking about it.  Elsa has gotten used to it, though it still causes her to giggle all the same.  “Come on, let’s go get some breakfast in that bottomless pit of a stomach you have.”

       “Hey!”  I respond to her teasing with a smile that mirrors her own.  “Breakfast isn’t my big meal, so I won’t be eating that much.  Besides, I’m not always a bottomless pit.”

       “Still~” she teases, causing me to roll my eyes in a failed attempt to restrain my own snickers.

       “Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Just help me to the food while my body learns how to work again.”

       The young queen can’t help but to giggle out her response.  “You got it.”