The Sins of the Father

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Light

The Empress watched in horror as Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff mourned Jansarnen's loss. He died saving us! Saving me! I didn't even know who he was! Why would he give himself up for someone . . . someone he didn't even know?

She quietly walked toward the trio, her eyes downcast. "I . . . I am sorry, Elsa," she whispered. "Because of me, your friend . . . is dead . . ."

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff rose, turning to the Empress. The usually confident Empress now trembled in terror. They're going to reject me now! They'll hate me! They'll leave me alone, just like I've always been!

Elsa moved toward the Empress, bringing her hand to her face. "It is not your fault, sister. Your grandmother is the only one to blame. Her hatred is what killed Jansarnen, nothing more." She gently wrapped her arms around the Empress. "You already carry so much guilt inside of you. Don't add more to your conscience." She thought for a moment. "I have made that mistake myself. Don't let your fear and guilt consume you."

The Empress shook her head. "How?! How do you and Anna do it? You carry so much inside of you, Elsa, and yet you are able to keep the darkness from consuming you! How?! Please, tell me your secret! Tell me how I can do this, so I . . . I . . I don't have to worry about hurting anyone."

Anna took Elsa's hand, squeezing it gently. "We love each other," Anna said. "We are there for each other. When we stumble, we pick each other up. When we cry, we cry together. When we laugh, we share the laughter. That's our secret. It's really not a secret at all. We just are!"

The Empress felt fresh tears pouring down her cheeks. "I've done so much wrong for so long. How can I ever atone for it? How?"

Elsa brought the Empress to her side, wrapping her arms around Anna and the Empress's shoulders. "By living the best life you can, defending those who cannot defend themselves, helping those less fortunate than you. By remembering that life is a gift to be shared, not locked away. By always remembering to place your needs below those of others." She smiled, glancing at the ring on her finger. "By remembering: 'Family before self. Honor above all.' A very wise, good man once reminded me of this. His goodness resides in you as well, sister. Honor that goodness every day by making each day better than the one before."

The Empress, for the first time in ages, truly smiled with contentment. Please, never let this moment end. For the first time in my life, I have a family!

Anna looked at the Empress. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name, exactly? I don't think we should be calling you 'Empress' all the time."

The Empress backed away, the fear rising inside of her once more. "I have no name," she whispered. "The name my grandmother gave to me is not a title I wish to retain." She spoke her name aloud for the first time in years. The harshness of its consonants, the grating of its vowels made Anna cringe.

"That . . . That's your name?" Anna whispered.

The Empress nodded sadly. "It means 'unwanted one.' That is all I have ever been. Undesirable. Alone."

Elsa took the Empress's hand, stroking it gently. "If it is all right with you, may I . . . may I offer you a new name instead?"

The Empress's eyes widened. "You . . . You mean that?"

Elsa nodded. "I do." She thought for a moment, considering what title to bestow upon her newfound sister. Finally, it came to her.

"You fear the darkness so, sister, much as I do. So much so that you are terrified you will sink into it, never to return. With the name I now give to you, I protect you from that fate. Your name is no longer 'Unwanted One.' Instead, it is now 'Bearer of Light,' for that is what you are: a shining example of the goodness that is possible for all men to achieve. In the ancient language of Arendelle, that name is spoken: Alúvelin."

The Empress gasped. The sheer beauty of her new title washed over her ears, absolving her of all her past transgressions, making her reborn from the terror of darkness into the warm comfort of the light.

"I . . . I love it, Elsa. Thank you!"

Elsa smiled. "Now, Alúvelin, Empress of the brann wielders, let us proclaim your new identity to your people. I hope this means our three races—ice bærers, brann wielders, men—can now live together in peace and unity." She paused. "Am I correct?"

The Empress . . . Alúvelin smiled. "For all time. Our nations shall know war against each other no more."

Jansarnen was buried in the ancient graves of the heroes of the brann wielders. His ever-present knife was preserved, stored within the sacred hall of the dead. His name became the first of a foreign race to be inscribed upon the wall within that shrine, an honor for which he would be eternally remembered.

Empress Alúvelin, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Arberish stood within the shrine, bowing their heads in silence as they honored their fallen comrade.

"He . . . He was a good man after all," Anna said. "He made some very poor decisions, but he redeemed himself in the end." She turned to Kristoff. "What do you believe? Do you believe he is resting in the halls of his fathers? Do you believe he did enough in the end to earn that privilege?"

Kristoff nodded. "He was many things when we met him, Anna. Selfish, greedy, amoral, no concern for others. Yet, over the few days we spent with him . . . I think he revealed there was more to him than he led us to believe initially. I also believe . . . I believe it's not where you start in life that determines your fate, but where you finish. In Jansarnen's case, I think he showed who he really was when he chose to lay down his life for the three of you. A lesser man would not have dared to do what he did. For that, I believe he earned that privilege."

"I agree," Arberish said. "He was a rogue, but a braver rogue I have never known."

Alúvelin nodded. "He will always be remembered among my people for his courage. They will sing his name in celebrations of the dead for generations to come."

The five of them left the shrine, walking toward the throne room. Sensing that her older sisters wanted a moment alone, Anna turned to Kristoff. "Well, I suppose we should go get the horses ready now. We do need to get back to Arendelle, after all."

"Didn't you hear?" Kristoff asked. "They only have extra-large saddles here. Something about how it builds strong leg muscles—"

Anna's face paled. "You're joking, right? Please, tell me you're kidding."

Kristoff smiled. "Of course." They walked further down the corridor. "Maybe."

"Stop it!"

Arberish turned to the Empress. "Your Majesty, if I may, I will take my leave and begin my new assignment."

Alúvelin smiled. "Very well, Minister Arberish. You . . . You honor me to agree to serve our people in this capacity."

"The honor is mine alone, Majesty," Arberish replied. "I have lived the life of a solitary mercenary for far too long. Now, I have found my new purpose. I wish to assist you in restoring our nation to its former glory."

He turned to Elsa. "Farewell, Snow Queen. I . . . I must admit, I have grown quite fond of you."

"And I you," Elsa replied. "I look forward to working with you to build a world of peace for both our nations."

Arberish bowed before her. "You are an incredible woman, Elsa. Don't ever forget that." Turning, he moved toward his new office, eagerly awaiting the beginning of his new career.

Alone, Elsa turned to Alúvelin. "You heard Anna. We do need to get back to Arendelle. We have stayed far too long as it is. My ministers will have grown worried."

Alúvelin frowned. "I wish you could stay, if only for one more day. I . . . I have grown fond of having you with me." She sighed. "What do you believe, Elsa? Do you believe I can rule my people? Do you believe in me still?"

Elsa gently placed her arms around Alúvelin's waist. "You did not have the privilege of knowing our father, but I know he would be proud of you right now. You have grown so much, Alúvelin. Trust in yourself. Listen to the voice of right that beats within your heart. Follow it, and you will always make the right decision."

She held Alúvelin's hand, stroking the newly-resized ring upon her finger. "Family before self."

"Honor above all," Alúvelin whispered. She embraced Elsa. "Thank you! Thank you for everything!"

Elsa pulled her sister close to her, letting the warmth from her sister's body meld with the chill of her own. "Do not hesitate to visit whenever you can," Elsa said. "You are always welcome within Arendelle."

"And you here," Alúvelin replied.

Elsa bowed before her. "Farewell, Your Majesty."

"No," Alúvelin said. "Farewell . . . sister."

Three months later . . .

Elsa stood in the corner of the newly-remodeled ballroom, alone with her thoughts. Kristoff and Anna were dancing their first dance as husband and wife. Elsa smiled as she watched Anna twirl about the ballroom floor, Anna's gaze focused solely upon her new husband. They look so happy! Elsa thought. It's so wonderful!

It had been a beautiful, intimate ceremony. Held within the palace chapel, attendance had been restricted to only a few people as Anna had requested. It had been only Elsa, Andersen, a few other ministers, their closest servants, and a few townspeople, as well as several members of Kristoff's . . . family. That was a little awkward, Elsa thought. Still, they were very polite and wonderful to talk to. She wondered, for a moment, just what trolls ate. Glancing about the ballroom she realized the answer had to be "anything," for one of them was eagerly consuming silverware and linens as if there was no tomorrow.

She heard footsteps approaching her. She turned. "Minister," she said, smiling as she looked upon Andersen.

"Majesty," he said. He turned to look upon Anna and Kristoff along with Elsa. "She looks beautiful," he said. "More beautiful than ever."

"Yes," Elsa said. "Yes, she does."

Andersen paused. "Is everything all right, Majesty?"

"What? Oh, of course. Everything is fine. It's just . . . Oh, it's silly."

Andersen laughed. "Coming from you, I can hardly believe that."

Elsa sighed. "It's just . . . What if Anna never wants to see me again? What if she becomes so busy being a wife and mother that she forgets about me? I want her to be happy, but . . ."

"You're having difficulty letting go," Andersen said, completing Elsa's thought. "Majesty, I may be an old man, but I have learned a few things over the years. One of those is that love comes in many forms, at various times, depending upon the circumstances. Just because the Princess is married now, it does not mean she loves you any less. Your relationship will be different, of course, but you will still love each other." He laughed. "And, knowing Her Highness, I am quite certain there will still be snowball fights and lighthearted romps in your future." He paused. "Does that make sense, Majesty?"

Elsa nodded. "It does. It does indeed. Thank you, Minister. You . . . You really are a good man, Minister. I wanted to make sure I told you that. A good man."

Andersen bowed before her. "Thank you, Majesty." He rose then stopped, remembering something. "Oh, of course! I almost forgot!" He handed Elsa a letter. "This came for you today."

"What is it?" Elsa asked. "Surely, any matters of state can wait until—"

Andersen smiled. "I believe you will want to read this now, Majesty." He bowed once more, then rose, leaving Elsa alone.

The Snow Queen opened the letter, smiling once she recognized the now-familiar handwriting.

Dearest Sister,

I wanted to pass along my congratulations to our little sister on the occasion of her marriage. I wish I could have been there, but travel is impossible at the moment. We are working hard to forge relationships with the outside world for the first time in centuries. Our progress has been slow, but each success provides motivation to continue this important work.

You, Anna, and Kristoff must visit again soon. The weather is beautiful this time of year in the mountains. We would be honored to receive you again. I would love to talk to you face-to-face once more.

Your last letter suggested that you feel a sense of guilt for having the opportunity to spend time with our father, whereas I did not. Do not feel guilty, Elsa. Isarn came into your life at that moment for a reason. Without him, you would not be the woman you are today. Likewise, you came into my life at precisely the right time. Without you, my people would have been lost in darkness forever. So, in a way, I have met my father. I have seen the man Isarn was: I see him in you, dearest sister. Never forget that!

I look forward to our next correspondence. I cannot wait to hear from you. Please, plan on bringing our sister and her new husband with you on your next visit. We would . . . I would very much enjoy that.

With deepest affection and love.

Your grateful sister,

Alúvelin

Elsa folded the letter, clutching it to her heart, a small smile forming on her lips. Although lost in her thoughts, she still knew who was behind her when she heard the familiar footsteps.

"Hey!"

Elsa turned, smiling at Anna. "Hey!"

Anna tilted her head toward the letter in Elsa's hand. "Alúvelin?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes. Things are going very well for her. I . . . I couldn't be happier for her."

Anna looked at Elsa, quizzically. "And you? How are you doing?"

Elsa paused, uncertain of how to respond. "I . . . I'm fine. Really."

Anna glared at Elsa, crossing her arms. "Elsa. You know I can tell when you're lying . . ."

Elsa sighed. "All right. I admit it. You're going to think this is stupid, but . . ."

"But what?" Anna asked, gently placing her hand on Elsa's shoulder.

"I'm worried," Elsa said. "I'm very, very happy that you're married now, but I'm worried . . . that I'll never see you again. That you'll be so busy taking care of Kristoff and your kids and everything else that you'll . . . forget about me."

Anna laughed. Elsa looked at her, slightly hurt. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, Elsa," Anna said. "It's just . . . I can't believe you're still worried about this."

Anna pulled Elsa close to herself, holding her in her familiar warm embrace. "You know I'll always have time for you, don't you? Because if you still don't realize that by now, I don't know how much clearer I can be."

"You . . . You mean it?"

Anna held Elsa's face in her hands. "Of course! Always!"

After a moment of looking into each other's eyes, reminding themselves of the love they shared, Elsa looked around. "You should probably get back to the party. People will be looking for you."

"Let them," Anna said, taking Elsa's hand and holding it tightly. "They can wait. Right now, in this moment, this is where I want to be. With you. Just the two of us."

The two royals held each other's hands for what felt like hours, not caring what anyone else thought, content simply to be with each other. Family before self, thought Elsa. Honor above all. She smiled. We're going to be fine after all.

AN: This story has been the most emotionally draining story of the three I've told, yet I couldn't be prouder of it. The two stories in two different eras was something I really wanted to challenge myself with, and I think I made it work as well as I could. I do not know what more will come from my mind, but expect some more stories from this universe I've created. As always, special thanks to FlashFreeze0, Loridhhp, and jade254 for your continued support and encouragement, as well as to anyone else who posted a review. I will be back at some point to continue writing, but for now, this is goodbye! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!