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Once upon a time…
There were two little girls. Sisters and princesses.
The younger sister was named Anna. She was lively and always excited. Ready to greet every new day with a smile and a dream.
The elder sister was named Elsa and she had a wonderful gift. The gift of winter magic. She could easily summon snow with the wave of her hand and if she wished it, it would never melt.
The two little girls had two loving parents. Their mother, Queen of their land, Arandelle and their father the King.
While the girls loved both their parents dearly, it was clear to everyone that the girls just had a special spot for their father and their father for them.
The king of Arandelle was a man known for mischief and laughter. Every room he entered was soon filled with joyous mirth. His white teeth shone through his always present smile. The man was wild and unbound, with an innate ability to turn any frown upside down.
He was well loved by the people of Arandelle. But no one loved him more than his daughters.
Anna and Elsa were his disciples in everything fun and adventurous.
They sought him out every opportunity and he never disappointed them. He gave them his undivided attention and taught them all he could about the science and importance of having fun.
He taught them how to slide down banisters, how to slide down the halls in socks and how to do back flips.
But his most important lessons came during the winter. Snowball fights, building snowmen, ice skating and riding sleighs down the hills. During the winter, their father came alive in a way he wasn’t during the rest of the year.
Little Elsa was quick to notice this and she wanted her papa to be this happy all the time.
Realizing this was what brought on her powers one evening during dinner and she made it snow.
Everyone was understandably surprised.
Where did this power come from? What does this mean?
But her father never questioned it. He was ecstatic by the revelation and accepted his daughters’ abilities without question or caution.
He was quick to help her figure out her abilities and explore her limits.
In what felt like no time at all, there were snow ball fights every evening, sleigh rides every morning and mischief any given moment.
‘How do you know how to do all this, Papa?’ Anna asked one night before bed.
The king had helped Elsa figure out how to direct small bursts of snow in a pointed direction. There were destroyed targets in the other room to prove Elsa’s increasing ability.
‘I’ve seen magic used before’ he said
‘Really?’ Elsa sat up (after just being tucked in) ‘There are others like me?
The king returned to Elsa’s bed and re-tucked her in. ‘Those born with magic each have their own special abilities. Even those born with the same kind of magic, like snow for example, would have different abilities.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like… like the way you make those snow figures for Anna. Someone else with winter magic might not be able to do that. But maybe they could fly on a winter breeze.’
‘That would be a great ability’ Anna says wistfully.
‘I agree.’ He said
And Elsa saw it. Or thought she saw it. It was so quickly, that sadness that crossed his face. Perhaps she had just imagined it.
As Elsa’s powers grew over the years, so did her mother's worry.
‘What if it becomes too much for her to handle?’ she asked her husband.
‘Then we’ll help her.’ he responded calmly.
‘What if she hurts someone? Or herself?’
‘Then we’ll work to fix it. Listen, the important thing is to not let fear get to us. So long as this family is there for each other, everything will be ok.’
One day, the girls found a shepherd staff in their parents’ room. Tucked away in a corner. The girls took it out to play with. Nearly breaking it in their fun, as Elsa dropped it from a height.
‘Woah, there!’ their papa flies seemingly from nowhere, saving the staff, catching it ‘Now what are you girls up to?’
‘Elsa was going to save the day with her magical staff.’ Anna explains
‘Well, maybe the heroine can find another magical weapon to use.’ The king says as he taps the staff on the ground. When the girls joined him they saw staff tower over their father. They knew it was upon finding it, but seeing it beside the man they considered tall, they were a little awed by how it reached and arched over his head.
‘Why's that?’ Elsa inquired ‘Why can’t we use the staff?’
‘This staff is old.’ Papa explains ‘I don’t want to risk it getting broken.’
‘Is it yours, Papa?’ Elsa asks
‘Yes, actually.’
‘You were a shepherd, Papa?’ Anna squeals in this new discovery
‘For a little while, yes.’ Their papa begins walking away and his dutiful disciples follow.
‘Did you stop because you became king?’ Elsa asked
‘No. I stopped long before I married your mother. Before I even met her.’
‘Why do you still have it?’
‘I’m sentimental. I keep it for the memories it carries’.
They’ve arrived to the bedroom and the king set his old shepherd staff back in its place.
‘Promise me you won’t take it again. Please?’
‘We promise, Papa.’ the girls respond in unison
‘Good. Now, tell me what this adventure of yours is about.’ A smile spreading across his face.
‘Papa! You have white hair!’
Anna squealed after a play fight that left her papa exhausted.
‘What?’ the king asked still laughing
‘Your hair. Here.’ Anna tugs at the white hair at the front, at his hairline. ‘You have lots.’
Her papa stopped laughing then, looking confused. Without a word, he put her off his lap and stood up. He found the closest mirror and looked at his reflection.
Anna followed her papa to the mirror and watched as his face went slack. Slowly, he reached up and felt the hair.
‘Papa, are you ok?’
Papa blinked rapidly and looked at her ‘Yes,’ he answered ‘yes, I’m ok.’
‘Do you want to keep playing?’
‘Actually… I- I think hurt… my hand. Yeah, I hurt my hand.’ Papa makes a show of clutching his hand and holding it close to his chest ‘We’ll play some more later, ok?’
‘Ok, Papa.’
‘Why don’t I tell you some stories?’ His smile returning
‘Oh yes, Papa, yes! Tell me the one with the bunny and his eggs!’
Then it happened. Anna was hurt by her sister's magic. Her hair whitened where she was struck.
‘What do we do?’ the queen clutched her youngest daughter, panic rising to the surface.
'It'll be alright.' her husband reassured her 'I know where we can take her.'
Horses were quickly saddled and the royal family set off into the night. An icy trail following behind them.
The queen rode her horse with Elsa at her front, following behind her husband who had Anna.
‘My love,’ she called out to him ‘Where are we going?’
‘Trust me.’ Was all he said
Trolls. Her husband led her to a troop of trolls.
It didn’t surprise her to learn they existed. She knew magic existed and therefore, magical creatures.
What surprised her was that her husband knew where to find them. And that the trolls recognized him.
‘Spirit.’ The leader said ‘it’s been so long.’
‘Please, Grand-papy, another time. Right now, I need your help. My daughters.’
Her husband dismounted his horse in one fluid motion and brought Anna to the troll he called Grand-papy.
The queen dismounted with Elsa and they followed him to the center of the troll circle.
‘Can you heal her?’
‘Not quite, Young Spirit. I can stop the process. But we’ll have to rearrange her memories.’
‘Memories of what?’
‘The magic. I’ll take out the memories of the magic. But don’t worry, I’ll keep the fun. I know how important that is to you.'
When the royal family returned to the castle and the daughters are seen to their beds, the Queen rounds on her King.
‘You said things would be ok.’
‘And they are.’
‘But Anna-’
‘Is alive and well.’
‘But her memory-’
‘Is fine, it’s only the magic she doesn’t remember. She’ll come back from this.’
‘How can you be so sure? Are you not at all worried?’
‘… I do worry. More so lately than for that last 20 so years. But I stand by what I said. So long as this family has each other and we have hope and don’t give in to fear and remember to have fun, everything will be ok.’
‘Oh Jack, you can’t have fun all the time.’
‘Actually, I can. I think it’s time I told you about who I really am.'
‘Look Papa!’ Anna squeaked next morning ‘Now I have white hair too!’
‘So you do!’
‘We match now.’
‘We sure do my snow angel. We’re the white-haired bandits. Stealing from the greedy and giving to the poor!’
‘Yay, bandits!’
The were sisters growing apart.
The younger did not understand why.
The elder was afraid of hurting her sister again and exposing her magic.
Their father would not see their sisterhood fall apart.
‘Play with her.’ he insisted
‘But Papa-’
‘She misses you Elsa.’
‘But what if I hurt her again?’
‘You won’t. What happened was an accident. You know how to keep your magic in yes? Just come with me to play a board game.’
‘No, Papa.’
‘Listen to me, my little snowflake. I know you’re afraid. You love your sister and you want to keep her safe, I understand, I really do. But you shouldn’t let that fear keep you back.’
‘But what can I do papa?’
‘We’ll do what we did when your magic first manifested. I’ll help you learn.'
Take deep breathes in, hold it, then slowly let it out.
Count back from ten.
Focus on your surroundings. List what you see.
Go find Papa if it becomes too much.
These were some of the things her papa taught her to keep fear out.
Papa always knew what to do.
‘If you need a moment to yourself, don’t hesitate to say something and step away.’
‘Let your sister hug you. If you’re too nervous, come find me, I’ll hug you.’
‘Doesn’t my cold bother you?’
‘Snowflake, look at my feet. How often do you see me wearing shoes? The cold never bothered me.’
But she never had to look far for him. He was always nearby. For both her and her sister. He was the bridge that connected them and kept Elsa’s head on her shoulders.
One night, he took her out into the woods.
‘Papa? What are we doing out here?’
‘We,’ he flashed her his mischievous grin ‘are going to have some fun.’
‘Fun? Now? At night? Why?’
‘Well, Snowflake, I noticed you never use your powers anymore.’
‘You know why. I don’t want to trigger Anna’s memory or… cause another accident.’
‘I know, but do you Elsa, know that your powers are a part of you?’
‘What do you mean?’
They finally came to a stop by a tree and Papa leaned against it.
‘You know how much I love winter?’
‘Yes.'
‘You know how the people of the town are so confused about why I refuse to wear shoes? Even in the snow?’
‘Yes.’
‘You know how all the guests we have had whisper about how I can never take things seriously and just want to ‘act the fool’ as they say.’
‘Papa what does-’
‘Have you ever wondered how I never stopped.’
‘Stopped what?’
‘Stopped being so weird, stopped being the strange man I am. I continue to have fun, despite what people whisper behind my back. How I continue to go shoeless despite all the looks I get.’
No, Elsa never thought of that. She only ever thought of her papa being her papa. The strange man with oddities is forgiven instantly by anyone ever thought of it because of how he made those same people smile.
‘Elsa, all those things make up who and what I am and I am not going to let anything stop me from being me and doing what I do.’
He came and knelt in front of her now, so they were eye to eye.
‘I want that for you, Snowflake. I know you’re worried, but what have I said about fear?’
‘To not let it hold you back.’
‘Yes, exactly. Take a look around Elsa, are there any people here?’
‘No Papa, it’s just us.’
‘You’re right, it is just us. Who could you hurt out here?’
‘You.’
Papa laughs ‘Oh Snowflake, you could never hurt me, I’m much too quick for you.’
‘You don’t know that!’
‘Oh but I do.' he stood and walked for the tree 'I recall winning almost every snowball fight I had with you girls.’
‘We win sometimes.’
‘Well, I doubt you could win now,' Papa looked over his shoulder with a teasing grin 'since you’ve been sooooo out of practice.’
Elsa knew what her papa was trying to do. He always took that stance, that tone, with the quirk in his brow meaning he issued a challenge and was expecting to be met, determined to win.
Elsa rose to that challenge and despite being in the middle of summer, threw a snowball at him.
He dodged easily ‘That all you got, Snowflake?’ that mischievous smile made its appearance.
They were out there for two hours, throwing snowballs at each other until Papa called for it to end because her mother would have his hide if he kept her out there all night.
Anna didn’t understand what was happening with her family.
First, her sister suddenly grows distant.
While it was confusing at first, it wasn’t so bad. Thanks to the help of Papa, her sister slowly came back to her. She still had her moments of wanting ‘alone time’, but Anna let her have it. She’ll take whatever her sister was willing to offer in exchange of giving Elsa her space.
But then her mama started acting different.
It wasn’t obvious at first, but she eventually noticed how her mama spoke less at dinner and asked for Papa less and less. But then Papa was busy helping Elsa with… whatever her problem was. So, it couldn’t be that odd.
At least she thought not, until one day, she saw the servants move Papa’s things into another room.
‘You and Mama switching rooms?’ she asked
Papa dropped the box he was carrying on the bed ‘Oh no, actually. I’m uh… getting my own room.’
‘But I thought Mamas and Papas shared a room.’
‘Normally they do but uhh… I’ve been snoring lately and your mother wants some peaceful sleep instead of waking up at night to my growling snores’ Papa then demonstrates his snores by letting his head dangle, as if he was asleep, and proceeded to make the monstrous sounding snores Anna ever heard that Anna is in a laughing fit.
Her husband has been distracted lately.
Husband.
She won’t deny that she still loves him, even though she was hurt by his secret. Made her confused about the world she thought she knew and worry about the future of her daughters.
But she still loved him.
Even though she asked him to sleep away from her and not tell anymore of his stories about magic to the girls and no longer included him in her royal duties.
He complied with her wishes.
And she still loved him.
She still watched him, from afar with a small smile always tugging at her lips. She watched him play with the girls, mingle with the staff and brought laughter to her people.
But that was his true purpose, wasn’t it?
To bring laughter and fun to those around him.
Maybe knowing this was what made her realize he hasn’t been himself.
More than once has she caught him, looking out windows, up at the sky. She walked up behind him and looked out, but she could not see anything.
‘Jack, what are you looking at?’
Her voice made him jump ‘Oh, I didn’t hear you come up.’
Another out of ordinary for him.
‘What are you looking at?’ she asked again.
‘Oh nothing. Just got lost in thought.’
Jack was never lost in thought. At first glance to those who didn’t know him, he seemed to never think. Just spring right into action.
Jack took her arm ‘Come on, I believe we have to be somewhere?’
Royalty almost always has to be somewhere.
Papa’s hair had more white in it.
‘Where’s all the white hair coming from?’ Elsa asked at breakfast.
‘From old age.’ Papa answered.
‘You’re not old enough for white hair.’ Elsa countered, thinking of the people she knew with white hair. They were all much older than Papa.
‘Neither’s your sister, but she has white hair.’
‘Yeah, Elsa.’ Anna said ‘Not everyone with white hair is old. Papa and I are just special. We’re the white bandits.’
‘Yes we are,’ Papa smiled.
‘Hey, maybe Elsa will get white hair like us too.’
Papa glanced at Elsa ‘Honestly, if she did get white hair, we wouldn’t know. She’s so blonde, it’s almost white already.’
‘Is that enough for her to join the white bandits?’
‘I believe so, yes.’
‘Yes! We got Elsa!
‘Do you think Papa’s sick?’ Anna asked Elsa.
They were in Anna's room, sharing a book.
‘What makes you think he’s sick?’
‘He hasn’t been eating much. Jenny told me when her son was sick, he wouldn’t eat and the kitchen staff have been whispering about how he hasn’t eaten what they’ve served him. Papa’s also gotten pale.’
‘Hmm.' Elsa said thoughtfully 'I don’t think Papa’s sick. Actually… I don’t think he’s ever gotten sick. Ever.’
‘So he’s not sick now?’
‘I doubt it. He’s as active and crazy as he’s ever been.’
‘Ok.’
But when they met Papa the next morning for breakfast, he didn’t eat a thing.
‘Aren’t you going to eat Papa?’
‘No, I ate already.’
‘So you’re just going to sit there and watch us eat?’
‘Well I was going to sit here and talk to my daughters but if they don’t want this old man’s company…’ he began to rise out of his seat.
‘No!’ the girls cried ‘Stay Papa, we’ll talk to you and you're not old!’
The man chuckled as he lowered himself back to his seat.
Elsa was taking a break from her studies when she noticed Papa sitting by the fountain in the courtyard.
She went out and joined him. His eyes were closed and his held tilted up to the sky.
‘Enjoying the weather papa?’
‘Hmm.’ He smiled ‘Very.’
‘Is it cold enough?’ she asked him.
‘It’s cold enough.’ he said content.
She sat beside him to feel the cold breeze.
‘When do you think it’ll snow?’
It was something she loved asking her father during the fall. Her father loved winter so much that he learned how to guess when the first snowfall was.
She used to ask him how he did it.
His answer was 'magic'.
Today, he answered her with ‘It’ll snow in about 2 weeks, 5 days and 11 hours from now.’
‘Wow, Papa. That’s specific. Even for you.’
‘I used to be really good at predicting snow back in the day.’ He opens his eyes to look at her ‘Let’s hope I get it right.’
‘I’ve got my fingers crossed Papa.’
Elsa counted the days her Papa predicted the snow would come.
Elsa loved winter, more so now than she did as a child. Having to keep her powers hidden, winter provided the perfect cover to stretch them out.
Her Papa was making his rounds saying goodnight to his girls on the night of the 10th day when he said something.
‘Remember what I told you about fear?’
‘Don’t let it hold you back.’ she responded dutifully.
‘And what happens when you are afraid?’
‘Take deeps breathes, count back from ten, re-center myself.’
‘And remember, your abilities are a gift. They are a part of you. Never be ashamed of them.’
Why was Papa bringing this up now? They hadn’t talked about it in a couple of years and Elsa was more comfortable with herself now than before.
‘I know that Papa. Is something wrong?’
‘No. Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t want you to forget.'
'How can I, if you’re going to be there to remind me again?’
‘Well, I won’t always be there, you see.’
‘What do you mean?’
A sad smile appeared on his face. It was a sight she could not remember ever seeing before.
‘Parent’s don’t always get to be there for their kids.' he explained 'I’m far away from the village I grew up in and your mother’s parents passed away before you were born.’
Their parents weren’t there.
‘But...’
Elsa didn’t want to think of what life would be like if her Mama and Papa weren't there.
‘I just want you to be safe and prepared and happy and…’ His head drops and he runs a hand through his hair. The white has spread significantly. Only the top and back were dark brown.
‘Oh, Snowflake,' he said 'there’s so much I want for you and I want to be there for you at all turns of life but… I realized I won’t be there all the time, even though I want to be. I just… I just want to be sure you and your sister are happy and safe and I want you’ he looks at Elsa right in the eyes ‘I want you, to never be afraid. Not of the world, not of hurting your sister and especially not of yourself.’
There’s silence. Elsa has never seen her Papa so close to tears. Had he ever cried before?
‘Promise me, you’ll remember everything I taught you.’
‘I promise Papa.’
‘Especially remember everything I taught you about having fun. That’s very important.’ Papa tries at a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
It hurts Esla's heart.
‘I promise Papa. I promise.’
‘And I promise you, that even when you can’t see me anymore, a part of me will always be with you. Always.'
Over the next 5 days, the King of Arandelle wasn’t himself.
No one had ever seen him so withdrawn. Never had seen him go so long without a smile.
He spent most of his time outdoors. Sitting somewhere where the cold breeze could hit him. The servants and staff watched as he sat in silence with his eyes closed. The peculiar thing though, was the shepherd staff he had with him. Dark wood, taller than him and the curve at the end wasn’t carved smoothly like the shepherds of the kingdom used. It was bent with sharp angles. Like it was just pulled from the tree and stripped of leaves and that was that.
When the princesses were released from their studies, he spent the rest of the day with them. Playing games, telling stories, even just holding them as they read.
The kitchen staff said he stopped taking meals.
The cleaning groups said he had gotten so pale, it was almost unnatural.
Rumors had been spreading that the king was ill. Maybe those rumors were finally coming to fruition.
The Queen grew worried for her husband.
One night, she knocked on his bedroom door. He retreated to his chambers straight after seeing the girls to bed. She thought he might be asleep and worried she'd wake him.
But he answered in the moment after her knocking.
'Jack,' she said, surprised 'I thought you'd be asleep.'
'Haven't been sleeping well, I'm afraid.'
She looked him over. He wasn't in sleeping wear. Just a loose shirt and his pants.
'Are you ill?' she asks worriedly.
She reached her hand out to his cheek. He leans into her touch.
His skin was ice cold.
'I'm fine. I promise.' he tries to assure her.
For a moment they don't speak. The Queen looks into his eyes. They were brown, but she leaned forward a bit and saw something sparkle behind them.
She takes in the white hair, the pale skin, his bare feet.
'It's something else isn't it?'
He nods.
'Are you going to tell me what?'
He doesn't answer right away.
'I'd actually rather not talk about it.' he says
She sighs. She had a feeling he would say that.
'Is there something else you would rather do?'
'Lie down. I'm not really sleeping, but I still get tired. I'd like to rest.'
She nods her understanding 'I'll lie down with you then. I think some company would be better than staring at the dark in silence.'
The King considers her words for a moment, surprised she would offer after being so distant.
In the end, he saw it for what it really was and let her in.
When it was 4 days ‘til the Kings prediction of snow, the King was gone.
He wasn’t present for breakfast. Even when he didn’t eat, he was present to be with his daughters. The queen herself went to his chambers to check on him.
But he wasn’t there.
The staff searched the entire palace.
He was not there.
The search groups spread out into town and then into the surrounding forest.
He was not there.
He was not anywhere.
The town was in upheaval.
The Queen was distraught.
The Princesses were scared.
Trying to find some solace, the two princesses went into their fathers’ bedchamber. They crawled into his bed that still smelled of him. A winter breeze and pine needles.
It wasn’t ‘til morning, when the eldest woke up and took a look around the room, that she realized her father’s shepherd staff was missing.
3 days and 11 hours later, Arandelle had its first snowfall of the season.