Beautiful beyond imagination. There was magnificent landscape of the Realm, through the gleaming capital city, modern yet timeless.
The palace rose countless stories tall, gleaming with an other-worldly majesty, towering high above the Realm sprawled out before it.
This was Arendelle, ruled by King Harald and his Queen Sonja.
They had three daughters, the eldest being the heiress, Ingrid. Ingrid had long silver hair that she wore in a braid down her back and an imperious face with high cheekbones and silver hawk-like eyes. She wore a white silver filigree dress and was always protecting her two precious sisters, especially little Gerda.
Helga, the middle sister, was the most beautiful. She had long wavy blonde hair, worn in two braids down her back. She had blue eyes full of wisdom and knowledge.
Gerda was the youngest, with red hair piled in braids on top of her head. She had adorable freckles dotting her nose and bright green eyes.
The three of them were playing in the castle courtyard.
"Look, Gerda! Helga!" Ingrid said, pointing out a punctured kite. "It's so beautiful!"
Gerda and Helga looked at it.
"It's so sad and broken." Helga said.
"Not that sad! Look at these beautiful ribbons!" Gerda said.
She and Helga began playing with it.
A boy walked over. "That kite belongs to me? Can I have it back please?"
Helga's eyes narrowed, but kind Gerda handed it over.
"Ha!" The man grabbed Gerda, hoping for a ransom.
"Sister!" Ingrid ran forward. "Give her back NOW!"
A stream of ice rushed from her hands, breaking the tree branch and knocking the scoundrel unconscious.
Little did they know that this scoundrel was a young Pitch, who was at this time a human boy called Patrick. He had now begun his neverending vendetta against the magic of Arendelle.
Ingrid gazed at her hands. "What have I done?"
Helga helped up Gerda and the two started toward Ingrid.
"No! Stay back! I'm a monster!" Ingrid insisted.
"You are wrong, Ingrid. That was very brave what you did to protect us!" Helga countered.
"That's right!" Gerda nodded emphatically. "We won't tell anyone at all! It's a sister's promise!"
"We'll help you conceal your powers. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know." Helga chanted.
Helga and Gerda took the three ribbons from the kite and they wrapped them around their wrists and all three chanted. "A sister's promise."
Xxx
Dancing and merrymaking were going on in Arendelle. It was King Harald's birthday celebration.
The princesses were all of age, and they all had many suitors.
It was Ingrid alone who declined a dance with any of them.
Helga danced with Patrick, her suitor, while Ingrid kept a watchful eye. She had never liked him. They way he looked at all three of them, like they were a prize to collect.
Ingrid clenched her fists as he met her gaze, and the snowflakes began to fall.
Ingrid immediately stood and withdrew from the ballroom.
It was Helga who noticed her sister's absence first. She went to Gerda, and took her to the bedchamber.
"What are you doing?" Helga asked.
"Leaving." Ingrid said. "I am dangerous. I have not improved at all!"
"You can't leave! You are the heir to Arendelle!" Gerda protested.
"Gerda, you will be a better leader than I could ever be." Ingrid said. "I leave the throne, and Arendelle, to you."
"Enough!" Helga said. "There is a place in Misthaven, a powerful sorcerer there by the name of Pitch. We will go to him, together. He can help you control your powers."
Xxx
A great castle rose out of the mists. Misthaven was well named. This castle was hung with ivy and blossoming with flowers that grew into a great garden in the courtyard; Pitch was a well known herbalist.
Gerda clung to Helga. "Are you sure we should go to him? He is a sorcerer after all."
"People say that." Helga said. "I am sure he is just misunderstood."
"You think so?" Ingrid said sarcastically as a dark man appeared in the mists.
He stood taller then the three princesses, and held a staff with an orb on it. His eyes were fathomless and his hair was dark. After a moment of consideration he let out a disconcerting laugh.
"Well don't stand there in the fog all morning." Pitch said. "Come in, daughters of Harald."
The sisters entered the vast castle and sat in the lush chairs at the huge table.
"Lord Pitch, we would like to ask a favor." Helga said.
"I know why you are here." Pitch said. "I am prepared to help you, for a price."
He laughed his lilting laugh again. It was quite unsettling.
"What do you want from us?" Ingrid said imperiously.
"Nothing sordid my dear." Pitch said. "The ribbons that bind you together. You always keep them with you. Give them to me, and I will help you."
The sisters exchanged a look, then consented, handing over the kite ribbons.
Pitch headed into what seemed to be a vault like the one in Arendelle. He returned after a time with gloves and an urn.
"These gloves will seal your powers." Pitch said. "As long as you wear them, you will cast no ice. And the urn will seal you yourself away; if you become...dangerous."
She smiled, showing all of her teeth in a fearsome way that had Gerda quaking and clinging fast to Helga.
"We don't need the urn." Helga protested. "We would never seal our sister away! And we are appalled that you would suggest—"
"Helga." Ingrid stopped her. "Pitch is right. Who knows what sort of monstrous demon I could become. We will take the urn as well with our thanks, Lord Pitch."
"But—"
"I am the eldest." Ingrid said dangerously. "You will not go against me in this matter again. If I threaten innocent life, you must put an end to me.
The last thing they heard was the high lilting laugh of Pitch as they exited the castle. They heard it over the misty waves as they returned to Arendelle. His laughter at a cruel joke and an ominous foreboding.
Xxx
Ingrid stepped into the royal garden, admiring the white roses.
She took her gloves off to feel the petals between her fingers. She watched frost dance over the petals.
"Beautiful flowers, aren't they, princess?" A voice said.
Ingrid spun to find Patrick standing before her. She knew he was Helga's betrothed, and soon to be brother to her, but he always gave her a bad feeling.
But Gerda had always said to be kind to every member of their kingdom. Kindness makes a good Queen.
"Almost as beautiful as you." Patrick whispered, his hand tracing over her cheek, down to her neck, tracing her bodice.
Horrified, Ingrid panicked and blasted him away with a stream of ice. She backed away against the garden wall, shaking in terror and sobbing.
"Ingrid? Ingrid!" Helga rushed in, and upon seeing Patrick, glared at him, knowing Ingrid would only have used her power if he had harmed her.
"Sh-She attacked me! This sorceress!" Patrick cried. "She tried to proclaim her love to me and I refused her, as you are my only love—and she attacked me!"
Ingrid looked pleadingly at her sister, saying nothing in her own defense.
"You fool! Do you think I would believe your lies?" Helga shouted. "How dare you lay your filthy hand on her and then try to shame her! You are no longer my betrothed!"
"Shame her?!" Patrick laughed. "This sorceress...this WITCH! You will regret spurning my affections! I will tell all of Arendelle what our future Queen is—a MONSTER!"
"I am NOT a monster!" Ingrid screamed, attacking him again.
This time, however, Patrick was ready. He grabbed the defenseless Helga and used her as a shield. The ice struck her and she became an ice statue, and then shattered.
"No...no...Helga..." Ingrid sobbed and held the shards of ice. "Helga please...Helga I'm so sorry..."
"I told you." Patrick said. The shadows burned his disguise away. "You regret it don't you? I am Pitch. Now that you see what it costs you; you fear me, and you fear your power. You will learn! Fear will always be your enemy! I will always be your enemy! And the enemy of all who wield ICE!"
Pitch vanished.
"Ingrid...what happened?" Gerda stood in the entryway.
"I...I killed her..." Ingrid shakily explained what had happened. "Oh Gerda it's all my fault. I killed Helga..."
"No. You didn't. This is Pitch's doing." Gerda said after Ingrid explained. "He shall be punished. Ingrid you did nothing wrong. He did this to her. Please...you must calm down. Everyone will understand if we just explain."
"No. No..." Ingrid said, as ice skittered around them, frosting her favorite white roses. "Gerda remember your promise. You must entrap me before I kill again."
"I-I cannot! You are my sister! We promised to protect our secret!" Gerda said.
"I am cursed. I am a demon, a monster. You swore not to go against me again!" Ingrid said. "This is the last thing I ask of you. The only thing I shall ever do for this country as it's Queen! Entrap me, Gerda, save our people!"
Gerda wept, and entrapped her sister with the magical urn.
Somewhere in the darkness Pitch laughed.
Xxx
The years that passed were torment on Arendelle.
In the end, the new Queen Gerda came to Grand Pabbie of the Troll Kingdom, and begged him for aid.
"Erase these horrible memories. End this pain!" Gerda begged.
Grand Pabbie looked at her sadly. "If I do this, your kingdom with forget Helga and Ingrid ever existed. And Ingrid herself may also be affected; who knows what she will think when she is freed!"
"She must never be freed!" Agnarr said. "We cannot ever have a monster in our kingdom again!"
"You may regret your words, my king." Grand Pabbie said, frowning.
"Let it be done." Agnarr said.
A pulse went throughout the kingdom, and the pain and sorrow of the three sisters of Arendelle faded into distant memory.
xxx
Ingrid awoke inside the urn, placed her hands on the cage. Her sister had betrayed her and locked her away.
She opened her eyes and watched as the sun burst through.
The cold swirling in, but it never bothered her anyway.
Ingrid knew why she had awoken the only thing that could weaken the spell; another with magic like hers was being born right now.
Xxx
Baby Elsa smiled up at her mother and the snow burst into a blizzard outside.
Still unknown to them, the powers she tried to hide.
Gerda looked down at her daughter and saw her sister reflected there; a memory almost grasped but somehow touching air.
Beautiful bright blue eyes and pale hair. She looked so like Ingrid the memories pulled at Gerda's heart.
But her soul belonged to the ice so did it follow that she too, like Ingrid, possessed a frozen heart.
Was she a monster?
Xxx
A scream of rage could be heard in the caves of northern Arendelle.
Deep in the frozen wasteland Ingrid tried so hard to break free.
But nothing could be done without a powerful group of three.
Still in the night, she quietly waited.
Until she sensed in a far away land, another soul of ice; Jack Frost.
Ingrid reached her magic out into the Enchanted Forest and stirred up the ancient Elemental Spirits. They would sense danger and call on the young Guardian.
And in the castle young Elsa slept the second to her plan.
She only needed Jack's power to unlock the door and set her free.
One more.
The Power of Three.
Xxx
The morning broke with bright sunlight.
When Anna was born.
Ingrid was overjoyed.
The final piece to the puzzle.
Soon...
Soon...