MERULA HAD NEVER seen the woman at hogwarts before & by the looks of her magic, it wasn’t the kind that she was used to. there’s something so fascinating about how she can just summon snowflakes on a whim. or, create an ice railing & turn an entire lake into a frozen paradise. she wasn’t afraid of her abilities. in fact, they were so remarkable that the witch found herself to be impressed more than anything else. after all, it wasn’t like merula was exactly the sort to be terrified of others. she was tough & would stand up to anyone or anything.
the way this stranger carried herself was like someone of importance, perhaps royalty. merula was never that great at holding respect for others until it was earned. she’s created a hard path for herself but it is one that will be taken no matter how long or impossible the journey becomes. her life is filled with ups & downs & sleepless nights. however, she still has faith in herself — faith that she can be a good person. that her heart can be filled with warmth rather than nothing at all.
at the sight of the smile that made it’s way to the blonde woman’s face upon realizing that merula held magic, it took her off guard. she hadn’t expected anyone to look that happy because of anything she did — whether it was a revelation or not. she looked to her wand & back to the woman, her expression quite uncertain. however, when the woman introduces herself as elsa, merula nods & offers a small smile. “ it’s nice to meet you, elsa. ” she admits, her hues turning back to her wand.
“ vermillious. ” she casts, watching the red sparks emit from the tip of her wand & into the sky. “ it’s my wand. i’m guessing you haven’t got the faintest idea on how this type of magic works ? you’ve got to be absolutely amazing at wandless magic to do what you’re doing, elsa. i’ve never seen magic like yours — it’s beautiful. ”
her cautious mind warns her not to relax, not to trust this woman all because she displayed magic. a first impression never told anyone the true nature of a person, & as queen of arendelle, she must know & live that lesson, if she's to survive her reign & keep her country as prosperous as it is. her story, her & her sister's story, even implies states such lesson, with prince hans of the southern isles being thought of as good & her being considered a villain until the last moment. but its the latter part of that thought, how she had been deemed a monster, a threat, that pushes her mind aside & in its place is her heart— a heart willing to trust someone who could have had the same problems as her, a heart willing to move close to someone holding a 'weapon' & expect that she wouldn't be attacked.
ice blue hues watch this stick carefully, noting the specific movements of her wrist, the directions the wood pointed at. before she could ask about them, wonder what each specific wrist flick is for, red sparks cause her eyes to shut close for a moment due to their brightness, only to quickly open & glance up as the queen realizes that its another show of merula's magic prowess. her mouth parts open in awe. slowly, elsa's understanding why her sister's so fond of gushing whenever she made her ice sculptures, why kristoff would look at her creations in such amazement, why the children of arendelle enjoy her magic. it truly is wonderful to see magic— magic untainted with her view of being a curse.
beautiful ? red taints her cheeks, modesty causing her to avert her gaze & lower her head. it may not be a compliment to her appearance, words she's far used to being a single reigning monarch, but it's so much more. her magic, for 13 years, was her most disgusting feature— the part of her she wished to get rid of, to hide. it may have been a year since she's fully thought that but it still lingers in the back of her mind. compliments to her powers are rare & very much appreciated.
“ thank you, ” she politely replies after clearing her throat, her attempts to lessening the heat on her cheeks— even via cooling them with her magic, failing. hands clasp in front of her & lay in front of her hips, elsa's conscious attempt to act like a queen instead of the awkward woman she is behind the doors. “ yours... yours are quite impressive. i've never been able to create light before or sparks. all of my powers revolve around the ice & cold. ”
her gaze flickers down to her hand once she's finished talking, wondering if she could do the same, create the same color & spark. she doubts she could, unless she aimed for less red & heat, & more of blue to bluish green frozen fractals. the cold circle her fingers, ice reflecting the light & creating tiny blue flashes. refraining from sighing in disappointment, elsa drops & hides her hand once more, “ those wand movements you did earlier... were they needed to create those sparks ? how did you learn them ? ”