Shackles for a Daughter

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Author's Note: The trailer shows Elsa in chains and it is obvious that they are custom made specifically for her. So where did they come from?

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"Are you sure about this, husband?"

"No." The King of Arendelle said simply, folding the paper and carefully putting it away. "But there needs to be something in place if she loses control completely. Don't you think, for the sake of the kingdom?"

"I-I guess. The gloves work, she should be safe." The queen swallows. Their daughter did have occasional issues with her power. But she could control it most of the time. "How can we get them made? It is a frighteningly obvious what they are. I'm afraid that rumors would get out and that would destroy her and the kingdom."

"I know." The King sighed. "I am going off on a diplomatic mission in a few weeks. I should be able to find a smith to create them. I am hoping to find an elderly smith that might die soon to undertake it. For security reasons, I am planning on telling them there is a witch in the kingdom that needs to be captured and that should deflect questions well enough and keep them quiet."

The Queen's mouth twisted at that. It was sort of true, but she didn't like thinking of her daughter as a witch. The Queen sighed and nodded. "Okay, then what?"

"Then I bring them home and hide them away."

"I don't like this."

"Nether do I, but what choice do we have?"

"How can they be made? You aren't going to take her with you, she might get suspicious. She is still growing," asked the queen.

"I want you to go to the glover and have a tight pair of gloves made without embellishment. They can be used for a template." The king said. The queen nodded, it was a good plan, her daughter looked so much like her.

The evening sunlight slanted into the darkened smithy. The master blacksmith placed the large dark box on the rough table.

"Well, here you go. I'm no mage but given what you told me it should work. It required much intricate work to make sure it seals properly. It was very helpful you know so much about the witch's magic. Your Majesty." The Mastersmith said. He wasn't going to ask questions. He'd done a few unusual requests from various royalty. He'd talked to other master smiths when they met in conference. You asked the questions you needed, so you knew what it was you had to make and how to make it the best it could be, but a master smith knew to never ask why.

"Yes," said the King slowly.

The Mastersmith opened the box.

The King shivered as the heavy black shackles were revealed in the warm sunlight.

"As you can see they are hinged, these will lock down the fingers and this narrow section will go around the wrist preventing them from being removed. The ridges will seal around the arms and hands completely, as you explained about the magic. The rings will allow this shackles to be locked together or the ...subject to be further restrained." The Mastersmith explained the features of the shackles.

"Very good. They should be able to do the job." The king said staring at the shackles.

"Thank you, your majesty. Is there anything else?"

"No. Here is your payment." The king dropped a nondescript leather bag on the table.

"Thank you your majesty." No, no need for questions, the eyes told too much.

"I wish papa were here." said Elsa, princess of Arendelle.

"As do I, dear daughter, but things didn't work out that way." Said the Queen of Arendelle from her sickbed.

"Thank you, dear child. Now run along, Elsa dear, and deal with those pesky dukes for me now. I know you can." said the Queen of Arendelle.

"Yes, mother. Thank you." said the princess of Arendelle, who stood and gracefully strode out, giving her gloves a tug.

"Oh, and send in the seneschal I need some words with him."

"Of course, mother."

Before long the rotund man entered the royal bedchamber. "You wished to see me your majesty."

"Yes, thank you. I fear this illness is requiring me to do something I did not want to burden you with." said the queen after a cough.

"It is no burden to serve you, my queen." bowed the large man.

"You will not thank me for this."

The man blinked.

"We must hurry, before my daughter returns. Go to my desk, the bottom left drawer, in the teal box."

The man obeyed and brought over a key.

"Now, to the wardrobe the second to bottom drawer."

The key clicked and he removed the box that nearly filled the drawer.

The Queen patted the spot next to her and he placed it there.

"This is most secret. One last chance to back out."

He shook his head.

The Queen nodded as she brought forth another key.

"Open it." The Queen commanded.

The lock clicked and the box opened.

"W-what are they f-for?" he gasped as he saw the pair of long, heavy, black shackles in the box.

The Queen sighed bitterly, "My daughter is cursed with magic. She can control snow and ice. She controls it as best she can but sometimes it becomes too much for her. In case my daughter ever loses control or turns to evil, they should help contain the magic. I need you to care for these while I am indisposed."

"Of-of course, your majesty. Shall I take them to a different hiding place?" said the shaken man.

"Yes, please. I did warn you," chided the Queen.

"You did, but this is a burden you should not carry alone." He wondered if sharing this burden would help the queen recover. He could only hope so.

"No, but the burden my daughter carries, she carries alone." The queen coughed.

The seneschal looked around the great hall, several nobles were huddled in discussion around the Duke of Weselton, but off to one side was Prince Hans who had taken responsibility over the military aspects of the emergency. He was currently talking to the Captain of the Guard and some other military men.

He went over to the prince. "Prince Hans."

The young man turned, "Yes?"

"I have need to speak to you alone, now." The seneschal couldn't put to words what he wanted to say, but hoped the prince could understand that it was important.

Prince Hans looked at the man for a moment, realizing something important was going on, then nodded. Prince Hans turned to the others and said, "See how many men you can equip for a cold weather assault. Report back as soon as you can."

The men nodded and left.

Prince Hans turned to the seneschal. "I am at your disposal."

"Come with me." The seneschal turned and walked away.

Prince Hans shrugged and followed the man back to the seneschal's office.

"What are your intentions about Queen Elsa?"

"From what Princess Anna and Kristoff have told us it seems as though Queen Elsa has no intention of ending this winter. She needs to be stopped."

"Are you going to kill her?"

"I'd rather not. From what I learned of her before ...all this." Hans gestured to the window and the snow covered kingdom. "I would have said she was a good and caring person, if some aloof."

"So, you would try to capture her?"

"Yes, from what I know about magic killing a witch won't necessarily end the magic. We need her to do that for us."

The seneschal weighed the prince in his gaze for several long moments, then said, "A moment, please."

The seneschal locked the door to his office behind them. Then seneschal unlocked the wardrobe, and then a drawer and set a dark wooden box on the small desk.

He pulled out another key, and unlocked the box. "Since you are going to try to capture me queen, you will need these."

Hans gasped, "What are those?"

"Shackles. Specially designed by the former queen to ...contain the magic her daughter has. I was entrusted with these when the previous queen became ill. I am sure you noticed that Queen Elsa always wore gloves, they contained her power. I was ordered that if Elsa ever lost control these were to be used to contain her."

Hans nodded as he took one out and opened it. It was long enough to cover most of a person's forearm and had places for the fingers and loops for chains. He made a note to take locks and chains with them. Hans looked grim as he placed the heavy shackle back in the box.

"Please. I don't know why all of this is happening, but if you can, don't kill her. I've known Queen Elsa my whole life. I once thought she was arrogant and cold, but now I know she was protecting us. She is a good person at heart."

"Anna says so too, that whatever is happening to her is not Elsa's fault. I trust her. I'll do my best to bring Elsa home."

"Thank you. I know you will." Said the seneschal as he grasped the prince's hand.