The warm tingling of light poured over her eyelids, causing the last strings of unconsciousness to be cut. She had a nightmare last night of her parents. A curtsy, a storm pulling their ship under the waves, a funeral, and a coronation; her heart ached.

"Elsa, it's time to awake. The day has already started without you," the Queen said sweetly and softly to her from the previously curtained window.

Elsa groaned and rolled over on her stomach, putting the pillow over top of her head. It couldn't have been much past six for the sun was barely off the horizon. Rubbing the memory of the dream out of her eyes, she sat up on her bed to see her mother's soft smile beaming at her.

"Today is a very big day for you, Princess. Your father has planned the entire day out for you."

She looked across the room to see her blue and black, floor length dress upon the manikin in the corner where Anna's bed once resided. Small, twisting flowers of delicate design reached down the long sleeves seemingly grabbing towards her fingers which were to be covered with white gloves laced in blue satin. As her mother gave her a leaving smile and headed out the door, Elsa walked to her mirror and examined the person trapped inside the glass.

There stood a skinny girl with skin as white and soft as her hair, with puffy blue eyes still sore from the tears of sleep. A girl with a small pointed nose, rounded jaw-line, thin eyebrows, and hints of freckles stared her hard in the face. True, the girl was beautiful, but there was something dangerous about her. Was it the abnormal whiteness of her hair? Maybe it was the piercing blueness of her eyes? No, it was none of that. It was the draft of cold ice that emancipated from her body, the chill that would sweep across anyone who dared to come near her. It was the deadly ice that would shoot from her fingertips.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and Elsa jumped with a gasp. The King poked his head in from behind the door and gave her a weary smile which she tried desperately to return. He glanced above her at the small falling flakes of ice before stepping into the room and closing the door behind his feet.

"Elsa?" he asked with a small quiver in his usually commanding voice. "Are- Is everything okay?"

"Yes, father," she bowed her head slightly and twisted her fingers behind her back.

He reached out for her but Elsa stepped back in sync with his movement. His hand dropped and he let out a sigh. She wondered, was it a sigh of relief or disappointment. She felt his eyes on her face as she did her best to avoid eye contact. The silence persisted for what seemed to her as hours.

Don't let it show.

"I'm going to get dressed for the day, father." She tried to sound confident, but her voice betrayed her with small shaking.

The King banished the space between his eyebrows and looked to the floor. Elsa took the moment to take a deep breath. He nodded solemnly and turned on his heels to make his leave.

As he was closing the door behind him, Elsa caught a glimpse of her sister's face. Anna was fifteen now, and absolutely beautiful. She let her mind capture this one frame to contemplate. Anna looked so much like her father, from her red hair to the awkward way she walks. Elsa allowed herself to slip a few tears for her sister before pulling herself together to prepare for the day.

The gloves were the final thing she put on. Without the gloves, Elsa could hurt everyone and everything she came in contact with. She felt as if she was a small child hiding under the covers from the monsters outside the blankets safety; only the monster was inside of her.

"Anna, wait! Slow down!" Elsa called to her sister as she went to jump higher, giggling.

The neigh of a horse pulled her out of the memory. She walked to her door and grabbed the handle. It suddenly iced over and she recoiled quickly, grabbing the hand that was missing its glove. A lump of air was stuck in her throat as she frantically searched for the missing glove. The sound of her own pulse pounded painfully in her ears and blocked out the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She turned and the glove lay limp on the dresser, the footsteps stopped outside her door and she reached desperately for the glove.

The slightly cracked door creaked open as knuckles rapped against the wood. Two gasps.

"Oh! Elsa, I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I didn't know, the door just," Anna stood in the frame of the door to Elsa's room with wide, scared, and apologetic eyes. Thankfully, Elsa had just been able to slip the glove upon her fingers as Anna's face was revealed behind the door.

"I just wanted to tell you that he's here," Anna said blushing and tiptoeing away.

Elsa took a deep breath. What if things had been different? What if her parents had died in that storm? What if she had become of age and taken the throne? What if she didn't have to marry Prince Hans?