Ariel pushed the small ice floe across the coast. Elsa sat cross-legged and cross-armed, like Ali Baba on a magic carpet. Her face remained grim.
The witch's words had given no comfort. She didn't expect to like it, but the vague words and ideas were little better than storybook fables. And they gave no resolution. She glanced back at Ariel, who had a similar grim smile.
Ariel flicked her tail and changed direction to a grassy knoll on a sandbar, allowing privacy.
"Phew." Ariel released the iceberg and shook her hands. "So cold."
"Ice usually is," Elsa said.
Ariel stuck her fingers in her armpits and shivered. "Do you still have the bottle?"
Elsa pulled out the stoppered bottle of red sludge. "You want to drink it now?"
Ariel turned towards the horizon, where the barest kindle of sun lightened the dark sea. "Let's wait until sunrise. I want to make sure it works."
Elsa smoothed her dress and sat on the sand. Ariel pulled up onto the sand next to her.
"So, this Ursula was a bad one?" Elsa asked, making conversation.
Ariel nodded. "I only went to her because I was desperate. I had this grotto where I kept all my human knick-knacks and thingamabobs from sunken ships. One day my father found out about it and destroyed them all." She held up the trident in her hands. "He was so... angry. He said 'So help me, Ariel, I am going to get through to you. And if this is the only way, so be it.'"
Elsa shuddered.
Ariel continued, "He just left me there, crying on a rock. I guess, when I went to her lair, I was trying to get back at him as much as achieve my own dream."
"Go to your father's enemy. Yeah, that would do it." Elsa mused. "My father was protective, but he was right to be. I almost killed my sister with my powers. She was able to get better, but it meant erasing her memory. From then on, he thought it was best just to not ever use my powers. That meant keeping my emotions under control." She heaved a deep sigh. "Conceal, don't feel."
Elsa dug her hand into the wet, cool sand, remembering the gloves she always used to wear. Grains like tiny fingers massaged her skin. With a quick flash, the water within froze. Elsa held up her hand. A craggy chunk of sand coated her upper arm. Ariel giggled.
"Are all kings like that? Stubborn and strict and over-protective? Or is it just fathers?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's both. I'm lucky to have known my father as long as I did. He died when I was eighteen. I know others who don't know their fathers or didn't grow up with them. My cousin didn't even know she had a father until she was eighteen." Elsa sat back on her elbows in the sand. "All part of being royalty, I guess. All the families and betrothals to form alliances or combine treasuries."
"I haven't met that many human kings. Eric isn't a king yet, but does most of the king stuff--meeting with people, doing treaties--that kind of thing."
"You haven't met that many kings? And you're a princess? What do you do all day?"
"Um..." Ariel scratched the back of her head. "You know, I just thought of something. I'm going to need some clothes after I drink this."
Elsa looked for any clothes on the beach, as if they would magically appear. "I guess I can go into town and find something. It's a little early though, I don't know if there'll be any shops open." She started up the sand hill. "Don't go anywhere."
"I won't," Ariel said. She slipped back in the water to keep her tail moisturized.
The walk to the marketplace wasn't long. Merchants busied themselves setting up their stands for the day--pulling out signs, arranging baskets of fruit, hanging goods. Elsa found one pulling out clothing from a wooden crate and asked if she were willing to make exchange this early. The clothier produced an elegant peasant gown with yellow fabric. It split at the waist, revealing the white skirt underneath and Elsa especially liked the taffeta below the neckline. She purchased it, along with some undergarments.
On the way back, she spied the town's wharf and realized they also needed a way back home. The harbormaster--a gruff, barrel-bodied man with a black mustache and striped shirt--stood near the marina's entrance, pointing and yelling at sailors not watching the rules. A stink-fog of salty sea garbage and dying fish surrounded them.
"Excuse me," Elsa said. "Are any of these ships heading to Arendelle today?"
"Arendelle?" He plucked his ledger out from his waistband. "Aye, there's a fishing vessel down the way. Ask for Captain Gunhild." He pointed down to a ship at the end of the dock. Elsa recognized its blue-green flag as one she'd seen in Arendelle's port.
Elsa thanked the man and walked toward the ship as gracefully as she could. It took all her concentration to keep her skinny legs on the warped wooden boards.
Various workers scampered around the ship like prairie dogs, knotting ropes and hauling crates. Elsa called to the man standing on the ramp.
"Is this boat going to Arendelle?"
"Eventually," he said. "Once we make a catch. Then we'll deliver it, sure as you're born. Why?"
"I need passage there."
Gunhild laughed. "This ain't no galleon, m'lady. It's a fishing vessel."
"I need to leave as soon as possible. Please. I can pay for passage."
Gunhild began coiling a rope. "I don't know. They say it's bad luck to have a woman on board. Pretty as you are."
"What does it say about two?" Elsa asked.
The supervisor stopped coiling. "Ummm..."
"I have another passenger coming with. And believe me, you will have no smoother waves than with her on board." Elsa smiled.
"Rather presumptuous for someone who hasn't even given me her name yet."
"Lady... Idun," Elsa said, thinking of her mother's name. She curtsied.
Gunhild stood straight. "A noblewoman? Please forgive me. I misjudged you by your clothes. My name is Gunhild, and my ship is yours. We'll be ready to undock within the hour. Can you be here by then?"
Elsa sighed. "That's fine. I'll go get my friend, and we'll arrive shortly."
They said their goodbyes and Elsa headed back to the beach. If she had given her real name, the captain would have accepted out of intimidation. People fawned or groveled in her presence. But behind her back, they feared, even when she'd hurt no one. And in numbers, they had mob strength behind them. Being a noblewoman was enough.
When Elsa set foot on the sand, Ariel poked her head out of the water. "Here you go." She handed the dress to Ariel. "There's ship going back to Arendelle within the hour."
"And from there, I can find passage back to my kingdom," Ariel said.
Elsa nodded. "But I think you should stay--at least for a little while--to help us figure out why this happened to us at the same time. I was originally going to Corona to find pyramite, but now..." Elsa looked into the distance. "I'm not sure there's a point anymore."
Ariel nodded. "Looks like the sun's risen." A visible gap lay between the ocean and the orange-red circle.
"Have you taken the potion yet?"
"I was waiting for you, just in case anything happened." She plucked off the stopper off and took a sniff. "Ugh. Well, down the hatch." Ariel tipped back the bottle and drained it as fast as she could. Her eyes squinched at the taste of lard, lemon, wax, acid, and sour candy. But still she glugged to the last.
She wiped her mouth and set the bottle back in the sand. They waited a long moment.
"Feel anything?" Elsa asked.
"... not yet. If that woman sc- HURRRK..."
Ariel doubled over, holding her stomach. Her insides felt like a bruised apple. Pain spread down her spine into her tail. It felt like a hot sword slicing her from groin to tail, separating each ligament and disc in her backbone. Hot fire spread from her midriff to her fluke, lighting every nerve hot.
But the pain in her abdomen began to fade. And then her hips. The sensation of agony ebbed to a stop. When she felt good enough to open her eyes, there were two bare legs where her mermaid tail had been.
"Phew," Ariel sighed. "That felt like giving birth. Not that I know what that feels like."
Elsa took off a decorative sash around her waist and handed it to her.
"Thanks." Ariel hoisted herself up. "I-" Her weight fell down her shins onto her thin feet. "Ow, I- whoa."
She tipped and fell into Elsa's arms. "You okay?"
"Feels like knives stabbing into my feet. It's okay, it's normal. There's no callus built up."
"Like your foot falling asleep," Elsa said. "Did this happen the first time."
Ariel nodded. "But I was having so much fun I didn't notice. The hard part was getting used to being vertical. I used to spend so much time horizontal."
Elsa smiled. She helped Ariel get her dress situated.
Rapunzel felt guilty for not crying as much as Anna.
It was a weird feeling. But the fact was she hadn't known her family for long. She didn't know her real mother and father until four years ago, let alone any extended relatives. She sympathized with Anna, but she had cried all the tears her body would permit.
Anna lay spread out on her bed, crying. All Rapunzel could do was sit next to her and rub her back. She'd hadn't stopped since the news. Her stomach muscles must have been sore. The pain of crying was a strange reflection of the pain inside.
"It sure looks nice outside," Olaf said, staring out the window. "The sun is shining. The ice on the leaves looks nice. Ha. The ice looks nice. I rhymed. See? Anna?"
Anna sniffled, head buried in her pillow. Rapunzel gave Olaf a look.
Between crying jags, Anna had been able to explain why a talking snowman lived in the palace. Now that Rapunzel was used to him, she found him a little annoying. His naïve and dreamy optimism never turned off.
A knock at the door interrupted.
"I'll get it," Olaf declared. He waddled around the bed to the door. "Maybe it's cookies. Cookies always cheer me up."
Olaf wrapped his twig around the doorknob. Prime assistant Kai stood at the door. His gray face looked like it had aged ten years.
"Oh. He has no cookies." Olaf's face dropped and he walked away.
Rapunzel stepped up to be inside the doorframe, shielding Anna from the conversation.
"A thousand excuses, my lady. But it is time for the royal appointment of ministers," Kai said.
"Does it have to be now?"
"With regrets, this is a rather timely need. The administrators of agriculture and medicine need to have their decrees signed into law. The positions have been vacant for some time. Queen Elsa made her decision some weeks ago. But it needs to be witnessed by a quorum of councilmen and judges. And we couldn't gather enough until now."
"This isn't the best time. Isn't there a sabbatical from all royal business for a period of mourning?"
"Yes, but right now, the queen's considered lost at sea. No one confirmed seeing her body, and all the crew returned. So many consider it too early to declare her dead. She may yet send word of her survival."
"I wish someone would tell Anna that," Rapunzel muttered.
"After a certain amount of time, the regent may declare her death in absentia. Until then, the government is continuing as before. Which means, if we don't make the appointment, we won't be able to pass certain charters we promised to have drafted by now. Land allocations and agriculture implements will be delayed. And I can't imagine the citizens would be happy hearing that. All that needs to happen is to make it official."
Rapunzel bit her lip. Anna's back shakily rose and fell with each breath.
"I guess I can do it. For now."
She followed Kai through the hall and into the throne room. A set of nine old men and women were milling around, talking in groups of two or three. They turned their heads to the opening door.
"Councilors. Acting queen regent, Princess Rapunzel of Corona."
Rapunzel leaned out from behind him. She waved.
"Hi. I hope no one minds. Anna's not here, but she and I are cousins, so I think I can still authorize important documents. It just needs to be signed, right?"
One of the judges nodded. "I heard you were helping the princess while the queen's away. And..." His eyes locked on the trail of hair leading into the hallway.
Rapunzel shook hands with everyone. "Yes, I didn't know about the disaster until I got here, but I'm trying to help where I can."
"If you have time, do you think you could formalize some of the other decrees that have been waiting?"
"I think I'd rather let Anna do that. She's the rightful ruler of the kingdom now."
"I'm not asking you to blindly sign them, of course. But some of have been sitting for months."
"I'm really just here for this one thing. Kai told me it couldn't wait."
She found the ministers of agriculture and medicine that she was about to appoint and shook their hands. The minister of agriculture was a kind woman with puffy, gray hair and thick glasses. The minister of medicine had a lean and hungry look, with small eyes and a thin goatee.
"Pleasure to meet you," he said. "Your hair is amazing. I didn't even know hair could get that long. How do you get it like that?"
"Oh, time and care," Rapunzel said.
"Is this a fashion in your kingdom? Does everyone wear their hair like that in Corona?"
"No, just me." She coughed. "Is there something I'm supposed to sign?"
Kai handed her the document, stating the date and name of the appointees with a long passage of legal boilerplate.
"It's already been looked over and approved by the judges." He pointed to the wax emblem in the lower left corner.
Rapunzel took the quill from Kai. "By the power invested in me by the queen regent, I, Rapunzel, princess of Corona, ordain this law binding to the people and state of Arendelle."
Rapunzel searched for where to make her mark and chewed her lip. Each signature was labeled with the signer's role--judge, councilman. If it said "queen" she didn't know what to do. But the label said "royal administrator" She guessed she could be that.
The people in the chamber politely clapped when she lifted her pen. While Kai rolled up the scroll, the new minister of medicine said, "To tell the truth, I'm not terribly sad to see you here."
Rapunzel raised her eyebrows. "Why?"
His eyes listed away. "Anna's never been seen as a great leader. Taking responsibilities from her would prove well for us all."
Kai interjected. "Her parents focused on grooming Queen Elsa, since she would be the one to take the crown. She took her lessons in Latin, history, mathematics. Meanwhile, Anna would be getting into some mischief or riding her pony or taking picnic near the coast."
Rapunzel guessed that since they had Elsa doing the work, they didn't put up much of a fuss to get Anna to study.
A judge said, "Last year, Elsa got the flu, so Anna had to take the throne for a few days. She even said 'how hard could it be'?" The judge chuckled to himself.
Seems like something Anna would say, Rapunzel thought. "What happened?"
"Not much. She declared war on all dandelions, for one."
The group burst into laughter.
"That afternoon," said another councilor, "was the knighting the captain of the guard. In the dubbing, she cut his ear."
"Her assistants had to 'school' her in proper terminology on the spot. She accidentally impeached the bed sheets. Then she appointed her pony as minister of finance. She had to excuse herself to the bathroom before it ended."
"I don't think there was one thing she didn't bungle one way or another," said a third councilor. "We started calling her 'her accidency' behind her back."
Rapunzel laughed along with the others, mostly to be polite. Were they treating her as a joke, or laughing in good humor? Did other citizens feel this way? As funny as it was to imagine, what would happen when Anna did come to the throne? "Maybe I will have a look at some of those documents."
Since the councilors had all gathered together, examining proposals didn't take long. In fact, it was kind of fun. The legalese didn't bother her, since she'd read all those law books. In fact, it was kind of fun finding where holes needed to be plugged in the constitutionality.
But then she remembered Anna and excused herself when a fair chunk of the work was done. At least she had saved the poor girl from some tedious labor.
Back in the Anna's room, Olaf was trying to tell a joke. "Okay, here's one I just came up with. Why do snowmen have such cold feet? Because they're brrrr-footed. Get it? I thought of that after seeing you and Rapunzel walking around. You two are like sisters... oh."
Anna's cries reached a new level of intensity.
"Maybe we should try giving Anna some time alone," Rapunzel whispered. She needed a break from mourning and Olaf needed a break from trying to cheer Anna up.
"Oh, sure," Olaf said. "I love walks. You get to see the sun, and all the flowers. Oh, well, not now. But the ice is nice too. Hey, that rhymed."
Rapunzel put on some cleated boots. Olaf's little feet fluttered while the other globes of his body remained still.
"It's a beautiful kingdom," Rapunzel said. "I wish I could have seen it when it was green."
"Pfft, Rapunzel, kingdom's aren't green. The grass is green. And leaves. And trees. And that thing on your shoulder."
Rapunzel noticed Pascal coming out of the warmth of her hair. He shivered. She patted his head. "Sorry, Pascal. This isn't the kind of weather you're used to."
Pascal croaked and gave a firm nod.
Olaf gasped. "Oh, look at him. He's so cute, he's like a tiny, green reindeer."
Guards opened the large double doors to the village proper. The aroma of smoke accompanied the crisp frost in the air. They followed their noses to the town square.
Townspeople stood around a campfire. They patted their sides and stayed close together.
"Ooh, fire's not so good for me. Even with my personal flurry," Olaf said.
But Rapunzel wasn't listening. She approached cautiously, figuring out what was going on.
"My fishes are fine, but everything else is almost gone. My berries, the sweet cream. I won't have any yeast for bread," said a townsperson in a baker's outfit.
"It's an insidious cold," his partner said. "Not enough to freeze, but not warm enough for comfort."
"Doesn't help that others are pinching their pennies. They know what happened last year."
Rapunzel interjected. "If there's food going bad, maybe we can get others to come. There's a warm fire here, and we can make it... sort of a party."
The two looked at each other and shrugged. "Might as well," one citizen said. "Going to waste in the larder anyway."
Olaf and Rapunzel split up and went door-to-door asking people to join them. Many declined, but Rapunzel mentioned how important it was to keep spirits high when everything looked drab and gray. Each citizen took what wood and food they had and contributed at the town's square.
Soon the bonfire was two persons high, and an assortment of strange but diverse food had been laid out. Pascal sat on a barrel, changing colors while boys and girls watched and laughed. He didn't mind, as they kept dropping chunks of bread and cream. The darting of his tongue delighted the children even more.
Olaf walked around the outskirts of the crowd, waving his twig at everyone. "Hi, hi there, how you doing? Liking the fire? Don't get too close. Very hot. First-hand experience."
Many wanted to talk to Rapunzel. They had seen her with Princess Anna and had questions for the girl with seventy feet of hair. And it gave Rapunzel a chance to listen to their sentiments.
"As far as I know, the treasury's got enough for a while. There aren't any big debts. The ground isn't frozen."
"There's no point to soft ground if there's no sun." The crowd grumbled affirmative.
"I'm sure we can find a way to get back in business. Maybe there's an advantage we haven't figured out. Mushrooms don't need sun to grow," Rapunzel grinned.
"Hmm, that's a good point," someone said.
"It's depressing though. Who wants to live in a world where it's always cloudy?"
"Further north, it's often night for months at a time," Rapunzel said, "And people live up there just fine. But I believe we'll think of a solution. These clouds are still lower than the mountains."
"What? Are you suggesting we climb to the mountain and kick the clouds away?"
"Maybe. Nothing's impossible," Rapunzel said. "We just need to think about it. With some hard work and enough people looking at the problem, I'm sure we'll come up with a solution."
"Maybe giant mirrors can reflect the sunlight," someone said.
"There you go. If we can't get past the clouds, we'll find a way to around them."
That got the pleasant, optimistic laugh she'd been hoping for. She left out that the kingdom's smartest people couldn't figure anything out.
Olaf turned his head backwards to the noise. Not looking where he was going, he collided with the barrel. It teetered back and forth until Pascal landed in Olaf's torso.
Pascal burrowed in his body, trying to find a way out, as Olaf squiggled around. "Ooh, that's an interesting sensation. Ah, ooh, ah, hey. Oh, that feels weird." The snowman held his torso, as if having stomach pains. Pascal burst out his head through his chest. Olaf pressed his hands to his temples and screamed. "Aaaaaah... oh, there you are."
Confident Pascal was okay, Rapunzel moved through the crowd, spreading her new attitude. First she talked to the bakers.
"No, really, I've done it before," she said. "It's six teaspoons of cornmeal, two of flour, a cup of scalded milk and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda."
"But there's no yeast. How does it rise?"
"It's the bacteria in the cornmeal and flour. It's denser and more crumb-y than regular bread. And it takes longer. But once you get the starter going..."
"Amazing," the baker said. "If it sells, we could double our production once the sun comes back!"
"Wow. A queen who bakes," an old lady said. Some of the elders who whiled away the hours had also joined in.
"Oh, I'm not a queen. Not yet. And not here," Rapunzel said.
"Maybe you should apply for an apprenticeship," the old lady joked.
Rapunzel shirked away, smiling. But the people around her expected a response. She didn't know what to say. They wanted to hear something she wasn't ready to deliver.
She didn't have to. At that moment, the whinny of a horse sounded streets away, followed by a blood-curdling crash of splintered wood.
The crowd ran toward the sound in a mass, filtering between alleyways until they came to the accident. A cart had overturned. Two horses rushed down the street, their reins flapping behind them. Behind them lay a broken cart, with a man pinned under.
"Cursed beasts," he shouted. "A tiny slip startles you?! You- ERGH!"
Rapunzel slipped through the mob. She gasped. "Are you hurt?"
"I've got a cart laying on me!" He coughed, sputtering something in his mouth. Rapunzel hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.
"Roll it off him," someone shouted.
"You fool, that will break his ribs for sure. A wrong shake might kill him."
"They're already broken. Someone find a jack."
"That'll take forever."
"Do something!" The man coughed again. "Feels like I'm drowning."
Rapunzel's eyes darted around the environment. She pulled her hair into a pile at her feet. One end, she handed it to a bystander. "Tie this around the shafts. Make it tight!"
Before he could say "wha?", Rapunzel ran off and shimmied up a lamppost.
"What is she doing?" someone murmured.
Bounding like a cat across the roof, she found two chimneys in adjacent houses. She tied a swath of hair around each, creating a pulley. With the remaining slack, she leaned over the roof. "Ready?"
The man tying the hair around the cart's axle gave a firm yank. "Ready!" He turned and saluted.
Rapunzel rappelled off the roof to the gasps of her audience. Her clean, smooth hair traveled with her. The cart trembled, but its front lifted only slightly. The man underneath groaned.
Rapunzel the hair as taut as it could get. "Little help!"
Townspeople rushed over and grabbed a handful, pulling like a tug-of-war. The cart's nose lifted into the sky, the front wheels spinning. Those who remained dragged the pinned man from underneath.
Rapunzel sighed. Someone untied the hair from around the cart. With a few whips, she unsnarled the rest from the roof, where it dropped into a neat coil beside her.
"He's not breathing," someone said.
Rapunzel's heart beat like a drum. The crowd rushed closer. "Is there a doctor anywhere? Can anyone heal him?"
A little boy in the crowd pointed at Rapunzel. "She can."
Rapunzel swallowed.
"I've seen it. It's her hair. It's magic."
The townspeople stopped. She could almost read their minds--"Is that true?" "Can she do that?" "If she can, she better do it quick, before he dies."
Rapunzel knelt down and wrapped her hair once around the man's chest. She took a breath and closed her eyes.
"Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine."
Behind her eyelids, the bright amber glow began. The hair under her hands grew warm like the sun.
"Heal what has been hurt. Change the fates' design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine..."
The man's throat rattled. He took a huge gulp of air.
Rapunzel opened her eyes to see the townspeople gaping at her. Olaf's jaw was practically on the ground. Rapunzel's body tensed as she remembered how the townspeople treated Elsa when they learned about her powers. A long moment past as she waited for their reaction.
One man clapped. Others followed, until it sounded like the whole town was applauding. Rapunzel stood up, while those around her clapped her on the back, hugged her, shook her hand.
No going back now, she thought.
It was a lonely breakfast.
Rapunzel could have ordered anything she wanted, but she asked for coffee and croissants. She didn't think there would be time for a big meal, given the way the staff was demanding her time. They were asking her to examine chronicles, make judgments, allocate treasury money--all things she shouldn't have been responsible for. But someone had to run the kingdom from day to day.
Gerda carried in a list of scrolls. "Here's the list of docket items today. Councilor of treasury." She put down one scroll. "Councilor of domestic affairs." Another scroll. "Religious affairs." Another. "War and warcraft." The last. "And wainwrights. Not bad for a Tuesday."
"Thanks," Rapunzel said.
"And don't forget to ask for help if you need it. We know this is hard, but we're all behind you."
Not long after, Kai entered with a tablet. "These are your sessions today. They take place after lunch. Two barons are requesting more land grants as a reward for their hard work. The infantry captain in the northeast is awaiting orders. And don't forget that tomorrow you are officiating the presentation of medals."
"A princess's job is never done, eh?" she smiled.
"Believe me, we all appreciate you. It's a great weight off our shoulders. Especially in these trying times."
As Kai left, Rapunzel looked into her coffee. Her reflection wobbled at her. "Is this how my life begins?" she asked. "I barely know my own country, let alone this one."
But she steeled her resolve. This was the sort of thing her mom and dad did on a daily basis. And they did it under the sorrow of a lost child, year after year.
After five minutes, in which she downed her coffee and croissants, Kai and Gerda poked their head into the empty dining room. "We're ready for you now. The first appointment is waiting in the throne room."
Rapunzel stood up. "Why don't we have it in the garden?"
Kai and Gerda goggled. "The garden?"
"It's a lovely day, even though everything's icy. I could use a walk. Better than spending all day sitting, right?"
"That's... not usually how the queen receives guests."
"If I'm to be ruler-in-stead, I get to make the decisions I want, isn't that right?"
They couldn't argue with that. Rapunzel spent the morning receiving guests in the garden. She discussed policies and grants and boundaries until one o'clock, the midday meal. No one joined her--Anna and Olaf were still in repose. Her meal was a small setting of broth and bread.
The evening yielded a much bigger feast. After an afternoon of reviewing military movements and supplies, new boundary revisions, and granting the blessing of marriage to one of the castle's knights, she prepared for the evening feast. Given the guest list of councilors and barons, it would be less about winding down and more about bending her ear.
Her dress didn't stray far from pink and purple, but it was much more elegant, with ruffled taffeta, lace, encrusted gold jewels, and some lovely ribbons across the shoulders. It was like her own favorite dress, but upgraded for a queen.
Kai held up his hand at the entrance to the dining hall. He opened the door and announced. "Presenting the ruler of Arendelle, Queen-Regent Rapunzel of Corona."
"Oh," Rapunzel whispered. "I don't know if I'm really the queen-regent."
"You're acting in place of Princess Anna. I thought it was the correct title."
Rapunzel met and greeted each member at the table. She sat at its head.
"Princess Rapunzel, if I might, where is Princess Anna?" asked Lord Augie, one of the barons.
"She is... indisposed at the moment." It wouldn't do for others to know their new queen had been an emotional wreck for days. "Luckily, I was here visiting so I've been taking on some of her duties."
The attendees nodded. A pallor of silence cast over the dining room, except for the clink of silver. Servers in white tunics moved wordlessly from station to station.
"All right, I'm just going to say it," said a man with a gray mustache and potato-like head. "What's with the hair?"
The already quiet room became more silent. Rapunzel touched her head. "Duke Werner, right?"
"Yes. Is it sorcery? Witchcraft? Some kind of magic wig? Do others in Corona have it?"
Rapunzel giggle. "It's my own hair. I was born with it. Surely you're no strangers to natural magic here?"
Werner looked away, ashamed. "I... I just... Then everything that happened today is true? You pulled a cart off of a person with just your hair? And then healed him with the same?"
Rapunzel nodded.
"That hair must be strong as steel," Werner said.
"Well, you braid anything right, the tensile strength increases. Even rigging ropes are just strings upon strings upon strings."
"And you decide to wear it down," said Councilor Tora, a short woman with thick glasses. "Is that the style in Corona? How long does it take to brush?"
"That's part of the magic actually. Nothing clings to it. Even dragging on the ground, it never picks up dirt."
"Speaking of magic, any progress on figuring out this ice storm?" asked Councilor Helene, a large woman in a purple dress and buxom breasts. She nipped at a sardine on her tiny fork.
"Still working on it. But at least the ice harvesters are doing a good job chipping it away," Rapunzel said.
"You can't chip away the clouds. I haven't seen the sun in days. It's so depressing. Even my cat is feeling it, she's sleeping longer than usual," Helene said.
"There's dark magic at work, I know it. My left toe bone starts tingling when weird things happen. It happened last summer," Tora said.
"We're all trying to figure something out," Rapunzel said. "It sky might be gray, but we can always look at the colors of the town."
Lord Bjorn, a fat man with glasses, interrupted. "Princess Rapunzel, this inconvenient weather is merely distracting from real issues. Could we please address the topic of rent prices? You recently passed a law stating that prices could be no higher than a percentage of the yield."
"I did?"
"Well, your predecessor did."
"I'm not going to repeal any of Elsa's decisions. She knows the country better than me, and I'm sure her actions had a reason."
This seemed to satisfy the lord, but he added, "If you do serve in the long-term, then I wish you would consider revisiting it. At least the numerical values."
"Sure. That'll give me time to see how it's working."
Councilor Helene jumped out of her seat. Her hair stood on end. "What is that?" she shrieked, pointing with her tiny fork.
Pascal sat on Rapunzel's plate, eyeing the food. "Oh, don't worry. That's Pascal."
"It just crawled out of your hair."
"Yeah, sometimes I forget he's even in there anymore. I've been so busy." She handed him a lettuce leaf. "Sorry, buddy. Crickets are kind of scarce in this weather. I'll find you something soon, I promise."
Councilor Tora leaned forward. "I've never seen one before. Do you keep other exotic pets?"
"He's not a pet, he's my friend. He's been with me through thick and thin, always cheering me up when I needed it. You've never seen one?"
"I think it's too cold in the winter for much reptilian life," Tora said.
"We certainly don't keep the little beasts in our homes," Helene said.
"That's a shame. You'll never meet a more loyal friend. And he can change colors. Pascal?"
Pascal gave her a look like "you expect me to show off for these people?"
"Please?" Rapunzel asked.
Pascal stepped onto the center of her plate and turned an egg-shell white. The dinner guests gasped.
"How charming," Duke Werner said.
He stepped onto the burgundy tablecloth and morphed into the same bittersweet color. The dinner guests held up the sleeves of their mauve and chartreuse dinner jackets against him.
"Do me next," someone near the end of the table shouted.
"Ahem," Lord Bjorn coughed. "Yes, yes, the lizard is cute-"
"Chameleon," Rapunzel corrected.
"Whatever. But we're here to discuss policy, are we not?"
"You're right," Rapunzel said. She ushered Pascal back onto her plate.
"One of the problems we have yet to address is law enforcement," Lord Bjorn continued. "This ice storm's going to force people into desperate situations again. It won't be long before food shortages lead to dissatisfaction with the government. And that leads to rebellion."
Duke Werner raised his thumb. "He does have a point. Yesterday alone, two stores were robbed. It's not that the storm gave them more favorable circumstances do so. It's that they're worried about having enough food. And after that you get black markets, corrupt guards, officers accepting bribes."
Bjorn interjected. "I recently proposed a new motion to the council--a task force made up of elite soldiers. The toughest, most merciless guys there are. They'll patrol the streets, letting others know that even in these desperate times, crime will not be tolerated."
"What, like a brute squad?" Rapunzel asked.
"I... I wouldn't call it that."
"Security used to be horrible in Corona's castle. A baby was kidnapped. A gang of thugs broke out a criminal before he was to be executed. And someone stole the princess's crown with nine guards in the room. But our new captain of the guards invented some new practices that really helped. Like strength training and daily meetings so everyone knows what's going on and they can bring up any obstacles they're running into. The best new thing is this break-in game. We separate everyone into two teams, aggressors and defenders. The aggressors try to infiltrate the castle and it helps find where the holes are."
The others at the table nodded. "How innovative. Maybe you could write to him and ask if he has any ideas?" Councilor Tora asked.
"Or better yet, send for him to come here." Councilor Helene said. "First-hand training for the regiment. The whole kingdom could benefit from his presence."
"I don't know. He has trouble staying upright in boats. He's a horse."
Everyone at the table stared.
"Sorry. Did you say... he's a horse?" Lord Bjorn asked.
Rapunzel nodded enthusiastically. "Maximus. He used to be the captain's steed.."
"What a promotion," Duke Werner said.
Rapunzel smiled. "I've never met any guard or soldier as dedicated or brave as him. As long as you treat him with respect. I think the fact that he's different has gone a long way. He's thought of things no human ever would."
Duke Werner coughed. "Um... if you don't mind my asking... how did a horse become your captain of the guards?"
"It's a long story. I met him while he was trying to capture my husband."
Lord Bjorn almost spit out his wine. "I'm sorry. He was trying to capture your husband? Was he a criminal?"
"Like I said, it's a long story," Rapunzel said.
"I'd like to hear it," Councilor Tora said.
"Me too," Werner and Helene said. All others murmured in agreement. It didn't look like she was going to get out of this without telling the tale.
Rapunzel described everything from her tower to finding her parents again. She answered follow-up questions and discussions about Arendelle's status throughout. Everyone stayed enraptured as each course was served. When someone remarked on the lateness of the hour, Rapunzel noticed how much the mood had lightened. She hoped that would trickle down to their constituents, to the citizens. There was hope after all.
Elsa was starting to get annoyed with Ariel.
She couldn't stop grinning at her new legs. After climbing back up the hill, she skipped and jumped along the dirt road through the marketplace. Shopkeepers held out necklaces and sugared fruits. Wool, grain, and scented oils blended into an aromatic stew, made tangy with the sea breeze chill.
At one point, Elsa lost Ariel in the crowd. But thanks to her red hair, the queen spotted her right away. She had meandered to a lutist using an over-turned washtub as his platform. He was crooning a romantic sonnet to the small crowd--mostly ladies--acting in such a way so each girl could think it was about her.
My lady left me once again
Left me in her prime
A paramour which I'd not contend
The suitor known as time
The grains of sand are falling
The sun is setting low
What loves have I lost
What riches did I pass
Lost in the endless flow
Set by cruel rhyme and runic meter
Forced forward without a sound
So many paths and routes untaken
Yet ne'er the right one found
The grains of sand are falling
The sun is setting low
What loves have I lost
What riches did I pass
Lost in the endless flow
I liv'd the life of a fool
Made choices by envy or fear
Slung arrows that I can ne'er take back
Dally and dawdle as fate draws near
Every leaf's a separate life
But no tree lasts forever
When the final tide washes on the shore
My wasted life to sever
The grains of sand are falling
The sun is setting low
What loves have I lost
What riches did I pass
Lost in the endless flow
Elsa dropped a coin in the man's case. She had to tug Ariel's arm twice before she would accompany her. "That was amazing," Ariel said. "That... twang-a-ma-jigger."
"It's just a lute."
"But the way he played it, it sounded amazing. I've never heard that kind of music before. And I try and see all the traveling musicians that come through."
"Doesn't that distract you from duties?"
"I can't resist. There's always something new to hear. Or plays or games or sports or books or... all those things they don't even have names for. Like the smell of rain hitting the ground and mystery stories and the swishy sound ball gowns make and fuzzy sweaters and..."
"Okay, I get it. Even after a year of being human, there's still a lot new to you."
Ariel nodded.
"But you're not the only one in this. The sooner we get back to Arendelle, the sooner we can start fixing this. We can't let ourselves get distracted by every little thing."
They descended from the marketplace down to the docks. Elsa pointed out Captain Gunhild, standing at the top of the ramp. Again she reminded Ariel that she was going under a false moniker.
"Lady Idun. It's a pleasure to have you on board. I hope our preparations didn't delay you," Gunhild said.
"We had some... errands to attend to first," Elsa said.
"And some shopping," Ariel laughed again.
"This is my companion, Ariel. I mentioned she'd be traveling with us."
"Indeed." Gunhild kissed her hand. "Please, follow me." The captain led them up the ramp to the main deck.
The crew was not like the gold-tanned roughnecks Ariel was used to. Each tossed their ropes and swung around poles with a smile on his face. They were like happy whales starting the migration again. Then Ariel noticed the hooks and harpoons. Wooden crates and metal cages were tied down all around the deck.
"This is a fishing vessel," she said.
"Yes, but we're heading to Arendelle first. We'll only haul out what we can find on the way," Gunhild said.
"Thank you," Elsa said.
Gunhild called out to look lively, they'd be shoving off. Sailors heaved rigging and pulled up anchors while Ariel and Elsa headed to the front to stay out of the way.
"How come you get a secret identity and I don't?" Ariel whispered to Elsa.
"Because you aren't well known as a queen who can decimate entire kingdoms."
Ariel couldn't stop staring at the labyrinth of ropes and chains wound around the cracked wood. Rusted hooks and reddish stains stained the deck as in a torture chamber. Fish fins and dismembered crab legs hid in the corners.
"Something wrong?" Elsa asked.
Ariel shook her head. "No, nothing." She turned her attention to the other clippers and galleons dotting the horizon. Were they all fishing vessels too? Were they out providing food and money for their families?
"What ho! Look down there," Captain Gunhild called out. "Seems we do have a bit of fortune after all."
Below, a herd of dolphins cruised alongside the boat, leaping with rhythmic precision in and out of the wake. Ariel and Elsa grinned. They watched for a while, glancing between the calming sea and their followers below, until they reached cruising speed.
"Could we see our cabin now?" Elsa asked the captain. She'd had as much of the ocean as she could take for a while. A craving for an intimate, enclosed space gnawed at her.
"You'll be using my quarters. I'll bunk with the men for the journey." Gunhild escorted the girls to sterncastle and held open the door for them. The captain's quarters held naught but a table with a navigator's map and a single bed.
"My apologies for the conditions. I assure you, it's the best I have to offer."
"This is more than adequate. Certainly more than I could ask. You've already done enough allowing us on your ship."
"Oh no, ma'am, it's my pleasure. If there's anything else, let me know, but now I need to return to my duties. I'll make sure no one bothers you."
"Thank you," Elsa said. Gunhild closed the door on them.
Ariel fell onto the bed. "I can't believe how tired I am. I just realized we've been up for more than day."
Elsa scooted out the chair. "You can nap. I'll read." The captain's desk had a small row of tomes, with navigation equipment as bookends.
"Are you sure? I can squeeze over."
"No, I'll be fine. I'm not that tired anyway." The truth was, Elsa wouldn't be able to sleep no matter how many beds there were. The only person she could sleep in the same room with was Anna. But with quietude and a book to dive into, she could reach a close approximation to sleep.
Ariel pulled up the sheets and, after a few good squeezes, nuzzled into the pillow.
Elsa pulled out a handbook on basic mapmaking. The author had written well enough to give any reader a firm grip on the basics. After finishing it, she bet she could do as well as any swabbie. She finished one more book on nautical navigation and astronomy, perused the captain's log, and then opened an old favorite--"Homer's Odyssey" Halfway through, she drifted off in the chair.
A knock at the door woke them both. "Begging your pardon, ladies, but we and the crew are about to start dinner. We ain't got no fancy royal feast, but there's hard tack and cheese in the galley for ye."
"That's just fine," Elsa said.
Ariel stirred and sat up. "Can't be worse than the last thing I ate," she said, thinking of the crimson potion.
"Er, I could bring ye each a plate up, so'sn ye wouldn't have to interlope with the roughnecks in the galley."
"Ooh, could we go down to the galley?" Ariel asked. "We've been in this room all day. I could use the company."
Elsa closed her book. She'd spent enough time by herself that she could endure others. The two of them followed Gunhild down the stairs to the mess. The crew was sitting at the table, elbows in the cheeks of their mates, reaching over for condiments.
"Oh, uh... forgive us for the smell. We don't entertain naught but ourselves down here," Gunhild said.
"We've been through far worse lately," Elsa said.
Elsa and Ariel sat on opposite benches at the end. A salty man with a white, scraggly beard and liver spots scooted over. "They say that having a woman on board is bad luck, but I think you're the exception," he said. "Between those dolphins and the calm seas... I can't put my finger on it, but there's something special about you two."
You have no idea, Elsa thought.
Captain Gunhild coughed for attention. "Crew, mind your manners. You are addressing a noblewoman. Lady Idun and Ariel."
"Won't we have a story to tell tomorrow morning," a broad-chested man said. "The boys at the harbor were must have thought we were the flagship in a grand procession." The men's laughter punctuated his joke.
Captain Gunhild set plates in front of Elsa and Ariel--a hard biscuit, dry salt pork, cheese, and raisins. "Apologies again for the state of the meal. I wasn't prepared to have more on board. Not nobility certainly."
"It's fine. You don't need to keep apologizing," Elsa said.
"Tomorrow, we'll have Cookie make our famous fish stew. We usually have it the night before we return to home dock, but this is a special occasion. It... well, it won't blow your mind, compared to what you're used to I'm sure. But it warms you up."
"Freshest fish you'll ever taste," the white-haired man, presumably Cookie, chimed in. "It's got tuna, haddock, lobster, clam juice, garlic, tomatoes-"
"And too much pepper!" someone shouted, making the crew laugh.
"And don't forget the secret ingredient." This elicited some faint chuckles from the crew, as if they weren't supposed to laugh.
"What's the secret ingredient?" Ariel asked.
"Whiskey," Captain Gunhild said. "Of course, it all depends on what we can haul in."
"Oh, I feel it in my bones," Cookie said. "It'll be a good catch this round."
"You always say that," one sailor said.
"How is the fishing these days?" Elsa asked.
The crew mumbled over their hard tack and water.
"We can't complain," Gunhild responded. "The problem is the other ships in the fleet. We're starting to get a reputation for pulling in less than the others, making shorter hauls, coming in late. It's almost as if the fish are getting smarter."
Elsa looked at Ariel. She raised her eyebrows as if to say "don't look at me, it's not my fault."
"And that stagnant wind didn't help," Gunhild added. "Last outing, we spent two days at sea longer than we should have. A quarter of our catch went bad."
"What if you started harvesting seaweed? Do you think people could learn to eat that?"
Gunhild laughed from the belly. "If I thought they would, I'd catch it. I can't even get my son to eat his carrots."
"Oh, there's lots you can make with kelp. Pasta, cookies..."
Gunhild gave her a condescending smile. "It's a good idea, but the vegetables and fruits on land all taste a sight better. From what I hear, farmers work hard enough as it is. I complain, but it's a good life."
"If you can find the ocean, there's always something to eat," Cookie said.
"Keeps a roof over our heads," someone else interjected.
Gunhild nodded. "When it's good, it's really good. I haven't seen my family in a month, because I've been trying for a big haul. And when I do, I don't have to worry when the door knocks."
A crewmember at the end pointed a pork bone at Gunhild. "Remember that time we stayed on shift the entire day. Surf was so high, wind was so cold. But we kept pulling them in, one after another. It was like they were jumping into our boat."
While the sailors related their stories about big catches, little catches, and practical jokes they played on each other, Ariel quietly stood up from the table and walked away.
"Hagar pulled out a perch that was fifty one pounds. He dragged it around the deck, saying he was going to marry it and have fish babies. Wouldn't let it go until each one of us kissed it."
Unlike the rest of the crew, Elsa noticed Ariel had gone and excused herself. For the most part, the main deck was empty. Ariel stood at the forecastle and stared into the ocean.
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.
"I just... I don't know. I'm so confused. I think I might have done a bad thing. But I didn't really do it, or... I don't know."
"Okay, calm down. Start at the beginning."
"I... there's only a few people who know I was a...you know... besides Eric. His advisor, the head maid, a few others. Just important people. Close people. But everyone else knows me as the prince's wife. We... Eric... he cares about me, you know. He wanted me to be happy."
"What did he do?" Elsa asked, biting her lip.
"He... we... passed an ordinance that banned all fishing. For any vessel in the kingdom."
Elsa's eyebrows shot up. As a queen, she knew what impact that would have. Any prosperous kingdom had to have access to a port of water. Part of the reason Arendelle regained so much in the past year was a bountiful ocean harvest.
"But it's not like we banned boats or anything. There's still trade, there's transportation," Ariel stammered.
"But people have to eat. They need fish meat and whale oil and salt and sponges. These are big items in times of famine."
"I know! I don't know what to do. I see places and people like this and my kingdom's struggling to keep food on the table. The treasury's draining so much it'll be gone in a year and a half. But what if one day I see someone that I used to say 'good morning' to."
"You ate the chowder last night. At the inn."
Ariel swallowed. "No, I left the fish pieces. I was too hungry not to eat the rest. But even then it tasted weird. I felt like a lamprey. I just... I couldn't."
"Don't fish eat other fish to live?"
That was true. They still ate along the food chain. Shrimp ate microbes. Spotfish and sunfish ate shrimp. Mackerel ate those. Tuna ate mackerel. And sharks ate everything. Even without the apex predators, crabs and seagulls ate other ocean-going creatures, and they were her best friends.
"Yeah, I suppose. But what if someone tries to serve me Sebastian? He opens the dinner tray and it's Flounder staring up at me with lifeless eyes."
Elsa presumed these were friends of hers. "No one's asking you to change. But you're human now. Your people need you to be a human. They're depending on that. The sea's not your home anymore. At least that's what you told me, right?"
"Right."
"When I was a kid, I saw a fox chasing a squirrel. I ran to try and save the squirrel. Before I knew it, a big icicle stuck out between them. The squirrel got away, ran into the bushes. But the fox... it just looked at me. It sat there and stared, like it was blaming me. Even though I might have saved the squirrel, I was letting the fox starve. Both were doing what they could to survive. And I interrupted that."
"But isn't there another way?" Ariel asked.
"Humans use natural resources to survive. The ocean is part of that. We can't keep going without it. A kingdom's ruler has one job: keep the kingdom going. Your people are looking to you to for that. You've got to do what's best for them. You can't use your authority to impose your own beliefs."
Ariel stood still.
"You know what I mean?" Elsa touched her shoulder. "Ariel?"
"That ship..." She pointed across the horizon to one of the sailing ships nearby. "That ship is still there. I don't think it's moved. I mean, it's moved, but..."
Elsa cupped her hands around her eyes. It had a red finish and dirty sails. "Is it moving with us? I remember it from this morning."
The flag atop the crow's nest lowered. A black skull and crossbones replaced it.
"Uh-oh."