her legs to carry her, away from the castle, the village, and the only life she’d ever known.
Anna was alive.
Nothing was more important than finding her.
A cold wind whipped her purple cape in front of her face, blocking Elsa’s view. She pushed it aside, trying to get her bearings. She didn’t know where she was, but it didn’t matter. She had to keep going so she wasn’t followed. Another gust of wind sent her sideways. The howling whistle sounded like voices.
Monster! Monster!
The Duke’s words echoed inside her head. It was coronation day, but instead of being crowned queen, she had revealed her powers and fled Arendelle. The kingdom was hidden under a deep freeze she had somehow caused. But how? Her magic allowed her to create ice. Could it also change the weather? The idea was awe-inspiring and worrisome at the same time. It was the middle of the summer. People weren’t prepared for snow. How would they manage? Were they frightened?
Elsa thought again of that mother shielding her baby from her. Monster. Was that what her people thought of her now that they knew the truth? She remembered Lord Peterssen’s face when ice had grown around him like daggers. Hans had looked equally astonished when a blue glow appeared above her hands and snow blasted into the room. She could only imagine what the Duke of Weselton was saying about her to anyone who would listen. They’d all thought they knew her. The truth was no one did.
Would Anna?
That was when it dawned on her: Did Anna know she was a princess of Arendelle? Or had she been kept in the dark, as Elsa had been? Why was Anna’s existence a secret in the first place? Her parents had obviously wanted her to find out about Anna, or they wouldn’t have hidden that canvas and letter in her lockbox. Why were they being kept apart?
How could I have left without that letter? Elsa cursed herself again. And Olaf! What if someone found Olaf in her room? Her heart started to beat wildly at the thought. A blue glow appeared above her fingertips. She shook out her hands and tried to concentrate. No! She couldn’t let her powers control her.
The only way to save Olaf and retrieve the letter was to go back to the castle. Elsa turned toward home—or at least she thought she did. Arendelle was obscured by the blinding snow. She couldn’t find her way back if she tried.
And even if she did…Monster. That was what the Duke had called her. What if Lord Peterssen and the advisors agreed with him? She’d be sent to the dungeons. She’d lose her crown. She’d never find Anna.
Just breathe, she reminded herself, and the blue glow above her hands disappeared.
Olaf was a pro when it came to hiding. Over the past few years, they’d worked out a number of places in her room for him to disappear to if anyone came calling. Now if he just heard a voice outside her door, he’d spring into action. Besides, no one had entered her room since her parents died. Chances were they weren’t going to look in her room now, either. Hopefully Olaf had heard the commotion, grabbed the letter, and hid. When things calmed down, she’d find a way to go back for him. Olaf knew she’d never abandon him. That just left the problem of the missing letter.
Think, Elsa, she willed herself. What do you remember reading? She’d been so excited she’d only skimmed it the first time, looking for what was most important: proof that Anna existed. But she had noted a few other phrases. There was something written about trolls. That made sense. In her vision, she’d seen a large group of trolls and their leader, called Grand Pabbie. The family had traveled far by horse to find him, crossing a river and climbing into the mountains to a valley. The mountain range ahead of her was remote and imposing. Maybe that was where Grand Pabbie was! In the distance, the rocky face of the North Mountain loomed, large and impressive. Even in the summer, the peak was covered with snow. Few had attempted to climb it, which meant no one would follow her up there. The mountain was a kingdom of isolation, and it looked like she was the queen. She’d keep going in that direction until she found the trolls or her legs gave out. She wasn’t even tired. And the cold never bothered her, anyway.