{ @notalone-butfree || cont. }
Five years all she had seen was the same house. It was small, with a few darkened windows, three residents; Elsa and two men whose name she never got. Even after she was rescued, they were never caught, but she was sure they wouldn’t try to capture her again.
The first year she thought being stubborn would set her free, but it didn’t help. No matter how much she spoke against them, or how hard she tried to free her hands from the ropes that tied them to the chair, she couldn’t break free and they wouldn’t listen.
Slowly they broke her, she wasn’t the strong Queen she had once been. After two years of being tied to a chair, they cut the ropes and she was allowed to walk around the boring living room, gloved hands still tied behind her back, while they still waited for someone to pay for a queen with special powers.
She was weaker than during her worst teenage years. She could only sleep, eat and cry. Her body still covered in bruises, from the times she tried to leave, from the times she yelled at them, from the times she had succeed in taking her gloves of and covered the whole room in frost.
Finally she was home, people had been celebrating for weeks, invited other royals, ambassadors and politicians. And all Elsa could do was fake a smile, pretend to be okay and talk like nothing happened. But it did happen and she remembered it all too well.
When she went to bed and took her clothes off, only to see her body, black and blue. When someone tried to touch her and she panicked. When she accidentally froze something when around others, because she was scared, and all she could do was beg the other not to touch her… And even when the kindest, sweetest and most gentle person she knew, apart from Anna, approached her, Elsa backed away.
She had been sitting on her bed, a few dresses beside her, as if she had been choosing when something had distracted her. When hearing a voice behind her, Elsa jumped up and walked back, widened eyes staring at Rapunzel until her back was pressed against the wall.
“R-Rapunzel.” Elsa faked a smile anyone could see through. She slowly straightened her posture, folded her hands in front of her body and took a single step closer to her former friend, ignoring her question when she spoke again. “It’s so good to see you. How are you doing?”
She stood in her place and avoided taking another step closer. It was clear that Elsa was scared. Oh no, more than that. She was terrified, and contrary to what everyone wanted to believe, it was clear that Elsa had been scared for longer than her comeback and little had she saw from an attempt of treating the wounds in her mind as much the nurses were taking care of the wounds in her body.
Somebody should know better, she thought. Somebody should put a little effort to stop this party nonesense and focu on what really was important.
“Good. Everything... well, we have been a little busy back at home, but nothing to worry about”
Faint smile took over her lips as she avoided the details of how had been to live knowing she was been tortured somewhere else. Everyone had worked so hard, every soldier and villager had put everything the had for the quest. Mother and father had contacted every kingdom they had relationships with while Eugene and her went on a personal search along with her friends at the Snuggly Duckling. Sleepness nights and years veiled in shadows were over and it was a task for everyone to conceal for the Queen of Arendelle to feel better now that she was home.
“How...” No, stupid question. Not something she should ask right now. “Oh, those are nice” She pointed to the dresses she had over her bed with an encouraging smile. “What are we getting ready for”
Better for her to distract a bit now. Sure she had a lot to talk with Elsa, but she couldn’t stand watching her so scared right now.