family crest, were being hung from every flagpole inside and outside the courtyard. Her coronation was only days away.
Elsa was terrified.
She took a deep breath and tried to steady her heartbeat before the blue glow could appear above her hands. Don’t let them see your powers, she reminded herself. You need them to think of you as the good ruler your parents raised you to be, not someone who can do magic, or else…She exhaled slowly and thought about the worst-case scenario: One wrong move and everyone will know the truth. I’m not like everyone else.
There was a knock at her door. “Princess Elsa? Your presence is requested in the dressing room for a final fitting of your gown.”
It was Gerda calling her from the hallway. Elsa was thankful for her presence, as well as Kai’s and Lord Peterssen’s, the past three years. Her room had become her sanctuary after her parents’ deaths, and they had respected that, allowing her to take the time she needed before she was ready to join the world again. She spent a lot of time in her room and the adjoining one that was her dressing area, but didn’t like to linger in the castle’s other rooms. She was still haunted by the memories of her parents.
“Thank you, Gerda. I’ll meet you in the dressing room,” Elsa called through the door.
Gerda understood her better than almost anyone, and yet she didn’t know Elsa’s secret. Only one person knew that.
“Oooh, look! You got more flowers!” said Olaf, walking through the door between her room and the dressing area with a large bouquet.
“Olaf!” Elsa pulled him through the door before Gerda saw him. “You know you’re not supposed to be in the dressing room. You can’t leave my room at all without me. Especially this week. There are too many people in the castle.”
“Technically, I didn’t leave your room,” Olaf pointed out. “The dressing room is attached.”
Elsa took the flowers from Olaf and placed them on her desk. “I know, but you promised me you’d stay in here.”
The snowflakes over Olaf’s head fell faster. “But it looks like so much fun out there! I peeked through the keyhole and saw someone pushing a cart with a chocolate cake.”
“I will have some cake sent to the room,” Elsa promised. “I know it’s hard, but we can’t risk anyone finding a talking snowman roaming the halls today.”
Olaf frowned. “You say that every day.”
She grabbed his twiglike hand. “I know. I’m sorry.”
There were no words for how sorry she was. Olaf was the closest thing she had to family. He had been her constant companion the past three years, and she never let him leave the room unless she was absolutely positive they weren’t going to be seen.
Occasionally, the two of them escaped her room. A few times she had stuck Olaf underneath a tea cart and wheeled him to the staircase so they could dash up to the attic. Repeated trips had turned up nothing on Anna. The mysterious trunk with the letter A held tiny dresses and bonnets, but there was nothing there that suggested A was for Anna, or that it was a clue to who Anna was. Elsa had exhausted herself searching for information on this lost girl Olaf was sure she knew. Visits to her parents’ library also turned up nothing, and there was no record in the castle chapel of an Anna being born. Once, she’d even mentioned Anna’s name to Lord Peterssen, hoping to get a reaction, but he looked utterly confused. The only one who remembered her was Olaf, and he apparently had memory loss.
“After the coronation, we will find time to let you poke around the attic again,” Elsa said brightly, and Olaf’s eyes widened.
“Not just the attic!” Olaf said. “Once you’re queen you can tell everyone about your wonderful gift.”
Gift. Sometimes the gift felt more like a curse. She’d learned to control her magic a bit in the past few years, but only when it came to what she could intentionally create. Snow mounds, yes. But if she found herself getting upset or anxious, she couldn’t stop snow from falling, no matter how hard she tried. “I’m not sure that’s wise.”
“Why not? Everyone would love some snow on a day as hot as this.” Olaf walked to the window, his personal flurry cloud following, and looked out. “They’re roasting out there getting everything ready for your coronation. Oh, look! They have lots of banners for you. Hi, people!”