Snedronningen, a Fantasy story

Ice

"I do not have much time before Kay and Gerda awaken and come looking for breakfast," fru Edda exclaimed as Sigrid entered the kitchen. "Why did you come?"

Sigrid closed the door softly behind her. "Why is breakfast so urgent this early in the morning?" she asked, watching the elderly woman rush about the kitchen, making a meal.

Fru Edda sighed, placing a lid over the pot on the stove. "Today is their seventeenth birthday, and it has been family tradition ever since they were young that both Gerda's and Kay's families have all three extravagant meals together. Unfortunately, Gerda, Kay, and I are the only members of the family that are still alive to continue the tradition."

Sigrid's heart ached as she wondered how it was to have a family. "In any case, I have important news to share with you." Two years ago, fru Edda had approached Sigrid and informed her of a magic mirror in the land. The mirror had been created by a troll who had used strong dark magic, and it was to be used to reveal the ugly truth about everything. The mirror had been broken and lost, and its shattered remnants scattered throughout the earth, the largest falling in Sumetr. "You requested that I find the Blakfrodleikr for you. In exchange, you promised to help me discover what happened to my memories."

"Yes, yes," fru Edda cut in, "I did. You remind me of my promise each time we meet. Have you found the mirror? I understand it is easier for you to investigate the possible locations of the Blakfrodleikr while it is winter because you can use your ice magic, but two years of winter is attracting attention from other magical creatures. I would rather you find it quickly."

"As a matter of fact, I believe I have. A friend of mine has discovered a town in which there is a large mirror rumored to possess dark magic."

The corner of fru Edda's lips quirked up in a halfhearted smile. "Good, good." She turned her head to look out a window. "It is growing late. My grandchildren are returning now." The elderly woman pushed Sigrid out the door before the young woman could say another word.

I must find the mirror quickly, she thought to herself. Fru Edda would be pleased when she gave her the mirror, and then, perhaps, fru Edda would find a way to return her memories. Sigrid decided to visit her friend Erika to inquire about the mirror. As she used ice magic to teleport herself, someone in a bedroom above fru Edda's kitchen caught her eye. A half-dressed boy stared at her with startling blue eyes and mouthed a word before Sigrid disappeared into the blizzard.

Snedronningen. Sigrid hated that name yet loved its power.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Erika scowled as she exited her cottage to greet her friend. "Sigrid," she began disapprovingly, "have I not asked you to please stop appearing in the middle of my orchard with snow? My cherries will fail to ripen if you continue this."

Sigrid dismissed her friend's request quickly, saying, "I have come for the Blakfrodleikr."

The witch threw her arms up and exclaimed, "You have not even given me the pleasure of asking for the reason for your visit!" She sighed. "I managed to locate the mirror in an obscure witch village in the East. Had the mirror not been in a witch village, I would have forced you to retrieve it yourself. However, because you are not a witch and thus are unable to access the village, I successfully tricked those vile sisters of mine and took the mirror with me. Follow me, if you will." She turned on her heel and walked into her home.

The snow queen trailed behind her. "Thank you for helping me, Erika. I do appreciate your kindness."

"Of course you do," the witch replied haughtily. "My service is not free, however. I want more land in order to expand my garden. Will you thaw more snow for me?"

Her lips curled into a closed smile. "My name is Snedronningen, is it not? What is but a little snow and ice compared to the snow queen?" She waved a hand through the air playfully. "It is done. Will that be all?"

Erika replied with loud peals of laughter. "You amuse me, Sigrid. Wait for the rest of my request." As Sigrid nodded, the young witch produced a mirror from behind a shelf of potions. "Here you are." She pulled the mirror out of Sigrid's reach when the young lady moved to take it. "Do not be so hasty, my dear friend. You never told me why you need the Blakfrodleikr so urgently. You are aware of its dangers, are you not?"

Sigrid paused, unsure of how to respond. Erika might not have understood that she just needed to deliver it to the old woman in order to regain her memories. After all, the witch had retained memories of all twenty years of her life, while Sigrid only possessed two years of those twenty. Also, Sigrid had never told Erika about her predicament, and she did not wish to do so at that moment. "I have my reasons, Erika, and I do know the implications of owning the mirror," the woman finally answered.

The witch sighed and relinquished the mirror. "If you say so, Sigrid. Forget not that you are indebted to me."

"Never," the snow queen breathed before using her magic to teleport herself again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sigrid had exhausted herself by teleporting so often in one day. It simply would not do if she lost control of the land simply because she visited so many people. Thus, she had gone home to procure a sleigh on which she could ride to the town. She promptly headed back to fru Edda's house to deliver the mirror.

The old woman had smiled widely at her. "Good, good, my dear. However, it will be troublesome if I attempt to conceal the mirror in this small shack. I will allow you to safeguard for me in your castle."

Sigrid had nodded back. "Thank you, fru Edda. Have you found my memories yet?"

The grandmother's eyes darkened as she said, "Now, now, dear, let us not be so hasty. I will have you know that these things take time and consideration," and she waved a hand dismissively, ordering Sigrid to leave before her grandchildren returned from the town.

The woman rode by a group of boys playing in the snow. A few had attached their sleds to carriages and sleighs and used those as free rides around town, always sure to untie themselves when the drivers noticed. Sigrid wished she could remember what it had been like to play so freely and recklessly.

She soon noticed that her reindeer were putting just the slightest bit of extra effort into continuing at their previous speed and turned around to see the cause. A rather tall boy had tied his sled to her sleigh. Tufts of his nearly white-blond hair poked out of his woolen snow hat, and his bright blue eyes held a glimmer of mischief. She recognized him from that morning at fru Edda's house.

His eyes widened considerably as he realized she was looking back at him. Frantically, he tried to unfasten his sled from her sleigh, but she tried to give him a kind smile. Sigrid decided that she would enjoy his company. However, she could not decide on the best way to invite the boy onto her sleigh. Would he be frightened if she did so? Perhaps that did not matter in the slightest. After all, she was already dragging him around behind her sleigh.

She made up her mind to simply stop and ask him if he was going somewhere. Perhaps she could help him by allowing him to ride on her sleigh. Sigrid stopped the sleigh, turned back to the boy and smiled again, hoping to appear friendly. "Hello!" she called cheerfully, descending from the sleigh.

He grimaced, forcing her to drop her smile. Acting cheerful and friendly had not worked as well as she had hoped. He untied his sled and approached her cautiously. "Good afternoon, fröken. I do 'pologize for the inconvenience. I'll be on my way now." He quickly began to walk away.

"Please wait!" In the spur of the moment, Sigrid summoned a large gust of wind that blew the boy back to her, and he fell on the ground in front of her. I'm sorry! she cried in her mind, but she knew she should not admit her status as the Snedronningen aloud in such a public place. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she chose to ask instead.

He nodded, staggering slightly as he rose. "No, I don't think so." The boy suddenly cried out in pain, clutching at his eye. "Oh, nevermind! There's something in my eye!"

"Please, allow me to help you," she insisted, touching his arm.

The boy jumped back. "You're so cold!"

Sigrid wanted to frown. She supposed she felt cold because she possessed ice powers, but she found it difficult to believe that he actually thought she needed to be warmed. She was, after all, wrapped in furs, a personal favorite method of appearing warm to others. "Do allow me to examine you." She stepped closer and peered at his eye. Sigrid breath caught in her throat as she realized that two small fragments of the Blakfrodleikr had lodged themselves in the boy's eye and heart. She opened her mouth to tell him but quickly shut it because she could not articulate her findings in an acceptable way.

He blinked a few times. "It's gone now." The boy shivered. "I think I'll go home now. Thanks for the ride."

She grabbed his elbow, saying, "Allow me to make it up to you. I insist." She removed her fur coat from her shoulders. "Please wear this if you are cold."

He hesitated before taking the coat. "Well, all right. You can pay for the roses, then."

"It would be best if I allow you to ride on my sleigh." Sigrid climbed back onto the sleigh and took up the reins as the boy followed. "I have a friend who grows the most beautiful flowers. Perhaps she will have roses for you." She paused before adding, "Why must you buy roses?"

"They're for Gerda! It's our seventeenth birthday today," he replied, grinning widely. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock. "I do 'pologize, fröken! I'm Kay, and Gerda's practically my sister. 'Cept she's not really because we're not blood-related, but Grandmother Edda adopted her when our parents died in the blizzard two years ago." He gave a nervous laugh. "I guess I've said too much."

Sigrid's head was spinning. She supposed that the fact that the boy had been Kay made sense because she had first seen him in fru Edda's home. However, she was completely stunned by Kay's comment about his parents. "How did your parents die?" she inquired, hoping to appear conversational.

"Ah, yeah. Both Gerda's and my parents were out in the fields harvesting grain because they worked for a farmer, you see, and then there was this huge snowstorm because the Snedronningen created this eternal winter two years ago. It was so sudden that they froze over." Kay clenched his fist tightly, and Sigrid cringed inwardly. "She's just pure evil, you know? What did she want, freezing everything like this? It's April now. Summer will come soon, and it should've been warming up. But that snow queen just had to decide she only liked winter. Everything's frozen over. I'll never forgive her!" He turned back to the lady beside him. "Ah, I do 'pologize, fröken. I get worked up so easily, 'specially because I know Gerda cries every night over her parents' deaths. I never want her to cry because she's like a sister to me." The glint in his eyes darkened maliciously. "I'll kill the Snedronningen, I swear."

Sigrid turned away and offered a feeble laugh. "Is that so?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sigrid struggled to concentrate on preventing the snow from melting. Because July was one of the hottest months in Sumetr, the snow queen needed to continue to maintain her winter weather twice daily. However, she found it very difficult to focus on days that she had planned to meet with Kay. He was, after all, one of her few precious friends.

Finally, the weather had reached a temperature below zero. She hoped that it would remain that way until nighttime in order to make it easier to maintain the cold weather. Sigrid quickly donned her soft furs and headed toward the town on her sleigh, eager to speak to Kay again. She found his way of speaking amusing, and he always told the best stories. Also, the warmth in his striking blue eyes was a welcome contrast to her cold castle walls.

"Sigrid!" a voice called out to her as she approached the town limits.

The corners of her lips involuntarily curled up slightly when her eyes found the source of the voice. "Good evening, Kay," she greeted as she neared him.

Kay leaped onto one of her reindeer. "I finally got Gerda off my back. She's just such a clingy girl, and it annoys me, you know? I know we've grown up together and all, but it's not like we're even actual family. She's so annoying."

Sigrid nodded, secretly glad that Kay had chosen to spend time with her rather than Gerda. However, she was slightly concerned about the influence of the mirror fragments trapped in Kay's body. Over the course of three months, she had observed the gradual increase of malice in Kay's personality, and she was certain that mirror was exercising its magic on Kay. However, she said nothing of it because fru Edda had instructed her to remain silent about the matter. According to the old woman, the whole topic would cause "complications" in her plans, though Sigrid knew them not. She urged her reindeer forward, hoping to have a satisfying mug of warmed milk.

Kay continued to speak badly of Gerda, saying, "Ugly, too. She's always crying so unpleasantly when she speaks to me, and her cheeks are always pinched because of the cold. I suppose the Snedronningen would be like Gerda, though, because I hear she's made of ice. Maybe that's why she likes it so cold; maybe she'll melt if it actually turns summer. Wouldn't that be something? I hope the weather warms up enough to resemble summer."

"I work diligently to prevent warm weather, and I would appreciate your appreciation for my effort," Sigrid muttered carelessly.

Kay's eyes snapped up to hers. He frowned. "What did you just say?"

Sigrid could not force her mouth to form words. Her chest tightened, and she was unable to take a breath.

Kay stopped the reindeer on which he was seated. "Sigrid, repeat what you just said."

Sigrid's vision turned blurry as her mind was enveloped by a haze of panic. Without considering the consequences, she summoned a large gust of wind and snowflakes that enveloped the sleigh. Her reindeer reared in protest, but Sigrid had lost control of her powers.

"Sigrid, stop it already!" Kay cried out as he fell from the panicked reindeer.

The snow queen failed to understand his pleas. The temperature plunged well below zero as her hysteria worsened. The small storm that she had summoned grew fiercer until Sigrid reached exhaustion. She panted heavily, realizing in horror what she had done. "I do apologize," she whispered as she wrapped the dangerously cold boy in her furs. "I do apologize, Kay." She kissed his forehead, using what little magic she possessed at that moment to erase the cold from his senses. "Please forgive me." She kissed his forehead yet again in order to erase his memory, but she knew not how much of his memory she had taken.

She lifted the boy onto her sleigh and commanded that the reindeer take them home at once. Until she could properly choose her next course of action, Sigrid would have to keep Kay in her castle. He was nearly unconscious as she helped him into her bed. She supposed that allowing the boy to sleep and warm himself again while she consulted fru Edda for advice would be best.

She stole one last glance at the shivering figure under her blankets before riding back to the town.

3: Water

Water

“You foolish girl!”

Sigrid gasped as she collapsed on the floor. Her cheek stung from the pain that fru Edda’s blow had dealt. “Fru Edda, I apologize very sincerely. I made a—”

A swift kick to her stomach cut off the young woman. “Mistake?” the old woman cackled, seating herself at the small table. “Of course you have made a mistake. It may cost me everything.”

Sigrid felt the sudden urge to cry at the expression of hatred and repulsion that fru Edda was currently wearing.

“Did you say that Kay is in your castle at this time?”

“Yes, fru Edda.”

The room was silent as the grandmother made her decision. “You will have to keep him there. We are still uncertain of whether you managed to take the right memory or any memory at all, considering your horrendous state.” Her nose wrinkled with disgust, and she narrowed her dark brown eyes. “You also must make sure that Gerda does not find Kay.”

“Why must I do that?” Sigrid dared to ask, knowing that the question risked another blow from fru Edda.

Fru Edda stood abruptly to open a window. “You will require assistance.” A crow landed on her outstretched arm. “This is Aleister. He will help you.”

“Thank you very much, fru Edda.” She bowed, wondering why the older woman had ignored her question.

“Are you the asinine fool whom they call the Snedronningen?” the crow suddenly queried. His voice was surprisingly deeper than Sigrid would have expected. Of course, she had not expected the crow to possess a voice.

Sigrid could not utter a response to the crow’s insult.

“I suppose the answer is yes,” Aleister sighed. He turned to fru Edda, expecting a faster response from her. “Does the girl go by any other name? Snedronningen takes a longer time to say than I have patience for.”

“You may call her Sigrid, if you wish.” Fru Edda gestured to the back door. “The both of you must leave now. That girl may be asleep in her home next door, or she may be at the door to inquire about Kay’s whereabouts.”

“What will you tell her?” Sigrid was fearful of fru Edda’s answer.

The old woman stared into the snow queen’s eyes with a closed-lip smile. “I will tell her the truth, of course, that the Snedronningen captured Kay.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The witch hesitated. “Sigrid, I—”

“I cannot stop Gerda without your help, Erika,” Sigrid cut in. “I apologize for the inconvenience. I had been under the impression that you and I were friends.”

Gerda had chased after Kay sooner than Sigrid had expected. Only a day had passed since his disappearance, yet here the girl was, floating down the river on a small boat.

Erika sighed. “Fine, Sigrid. I will see what will be within my power to halt the girl.”

Sigrid concealed herself when Gerda’s small boat washed ashore near the orchard. She simply watched as the witch deceived the young girl.

“Come in, my dear,” Erika cooed softly to Gerda. She led the girl into her home. “You must be terribly tired and hungry. Were you lost on the river? How did you manage that?”

“Have you seen Kay?” the girl asked, fidgeting incessantly with a wilted rose.

Erika smiled kindly. “No, I have not. Perhaps he will pass by soon. Would you like to wait here for him with me?”

“I suppose I could, for a little while.”

“My name is Erika. What is yours?”

The girl’s blue eyes darted around the room as she answered, “I am Gerda.”

“How old are you, Gerda?”

Her small fingers brushed her golden hair behind her ear and tucked the rose into her hair. “I am seventeen years old.”

“That is not far from my age at all!” Erika exclaimed excitedly. “I am twenty years old.”

There was a lull in the conversation as Gerda continued to nervously observe her surroundings until Erika broke the silence.

“I have fresh cherries that no man can resist. Would you like to eat some?”

Gerda paused for a moment before replying with a nod.

“You can wash and dry yourself while I prepare those cherries for you,” Erika decided, leading the girl to the bathroom. She addressed Sigrid once Gerda was busy washing herself. “I suppose this will cure my loneliness.”

“I am very grateful, Erika.” Sigrid transported herself back to her castle.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sigrid was put off by the sight of Erika. The witch was clearly distraught, and Sigrid could understand why that was so.

“I cannot believe that she would just leave me!” Erika cried. “After all, it has been two years, and I may have placed an enchantment on her to ensure that she would forget about that boy, but I promise that that was only because I thought it would lessen the pain in her heart. I know she must feel betrayed because I used magic on her, but I really do love her! She was my closest friend.” Erika continued to sob.

The snow queen frowned. “I apologize, Erika, but I doubt there is much to do about the matter now. Do you know which way Gerda has gone?”

“I believe she continued down the river,” Erika replied. “It is completely unfair, Sigrid, that you have your Kay, but my Gerda has left me in search of your Kay!”

The young woman nodded at her friend but was unable to console her. “Aleister, please follow Gerda. Perhaps you will be able to direct her off course,” Sigrid whispered to the crow.

The crow flew away briskly, only too happy to leave behind the blubbering witch.

“I will miss you, Gerda,” the witch whimpered.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sigrid observed the interaction between Aleister and Gerda through the Blakfrodleikr in order to monitor the crow’s progress.

“Good day, child!” the crow greeted in his deep voice. “I am called Aleister.”

Gerda politely curtsied. “Good day, crow. My name is Gerda. Have you seen Kay?”

Aleister tilted his head to the side, peering curiously at the girl. “No, I am afraid I have not. However, I have heard from my love that he is in the royal castle of Sumetr.”

Love? Sigrid had never heard of Aleister’s love in the two years that they had worked together to prevent Gerda from finding Kay, but she supposed the crow was allowed to have his own secrets. Sigrid had no doubt that this love of Aleister’s was simply another one of fru Edda’s crows.

“The royal castle? Why is Kay there?” Gerda questioned. The girl was obviously puzzled by this new development.

Aleister hopped a few times. “I heard that he married the princess.”

“Kay?” the girl exclaimed. “What are you talking about?”

“If you will listen to my tale, it will all be clear. The fair princess of Sumetr, Regina, is very clever, as you must know. In fact, she is so clever that she outwitted all of her suitors until none of them could do anything but utter the last word she said. This created a massive problem because she had begun to refuse to marry a man who could not hold a single conversation with her two years ago. However, on the third day, a young man of about seventeen years with hair lighter than yours and eyes brighter than yours arrived at the castle.

“His clothes were tattered, and the boy himself was covered in filth. He must have been very cold. He carried nothing but a knapsack—or perhaps it was a sled. My ladylove could not have been too certain—on his back, but he was very handsome and carried such a royal air about him that the guards gladly let him into the castle. At once, he engaged in conversation with Princess Regina, and they conversed until the next morning. He wanted to hear her wisdom, not ask for her hand in marriage, and the princess liked that. My love said he was very smart.”

“That must have been Kay!” Gerda exclaimed. “He has always been very clever, you see, and he could do fractions with mental arithmetic. He was always in the advanced classes at school.” The girl enthusiastically skipped down the snow-covered path. “Come, crow! Let us find Kay!”

Sigrid laughed at Aleister’s grumblings as he flew ahead of Gerda. She turned her attention fondly to Kay, who was trying to solve a puzzle behind her throne. He had been her closest friend for the past two years, much like Gerda had been to Erika.

“I have heard the news about Gerda’s escape.”

The snow queen’s eyes swiftly turned back to the mirror, landing on fru Edda’s face. The young woman did not understand how fru Edda took command of the mirror and could communicate through as she wished. Her best guess was that fru Edda was a witch, though she had no evidence of any magical powers other than controlling the mirror. Sigrid supposed that that was enough.

“Your friend who was ‘taking care’ of the girl must have been very incompetent,” fru Edda remarked flippantly.

Sigrid strangely felt indignant about that comment. “Erika managed to stall Gerda for two whole years. I do not believe that that is a sign of incompetence.”

“She managed to keep the girl hostage for two measly years, yes. However, does not the girl roam free as she likes now?”

“Aleister is with her at this moment, steering her away from Kay and toward the royal castle,” Sigrid informed the old woman.

“Good, good. Aleister can take care of the girl. Make sure she never finds Kay or the mirror.”

Sigrid had not wanted to question fru Edda’s orders, but she could not seem to stop herself from bursting, “Why are you so adamant about keeping Gerda away?”

Fru Edda’s expression morphed into one of fury, causing Sigrid to shrink back. There were a few moments of silence before the old woman finally answered. “Gerda is in love with Kay.”

“Of what are you speaking?”

“Gerda loves Kay,” fru Edda replied, decisively. “She wants to take him back home. That much you already know. However, blinded by her misguided love and jealousy, she wants to kill you, too.”

Sigrid’s eyes widened.

“Oh, do not do that. It is not so much of a shock as you think it is,” fru Edda snapped. She glanced to her right. “I must go quickly now. Remember that Gerda must be stopped.”

“Wait! What of my memories?” Sigrid cried out.

The old woman frowned, annoyed. “I do not know. I must go now.”

Sigrid slumped in her throne, disappointed. Perhaps she would never recover her memories.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Gerda rode on into the forest, too impatient to wait for the guard. Aleister beat his wings furiously to catch up.

“Gerda, wait! Robbers have been rumored to live in these woods!”

The girl laughed, urging her horse to go even faster. “It matters not! I hope to find Kay soon. We have already wasted three months in the blasted royal castle.”

“Magnus and Regina will be saddened to hear you say that.”

“They know I love them.”

Suddenly, the two were trapped in a large net. A ring of bandits surrounded them, warily holding up knives and swords. A young woman of approximately twenty-one years approached the girl and the crow. It appeared she was the leader.

Sigrid narrowed her eyes at the mirror, enraptured. The woman looked so familiar to her, but she was unable to place exactly where she had seen her face before.

“Ah, look, boys. Royal scum have graced our woods with their presence,” she taunted menacingly. “With—what’s this? Expensive fur gloves and boots? I think I like what they have to offer.”

“Shall we kill the girl, take the horse, and release the crow, m’lady?” one of the robbers asked.

The robber girl tilted her head, giving Gerda a mocking grin. “No, that won’t do. I’d like to keep them as pets. You boys can divide up the loot.”

The thieves cheered as they searched through Gerda’s belongings. The robber girl knelt in front of Gerda.

“Hello, wench. I’m Ingrid. You’re mine from now on.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sigrid gazed at the Blakfrodleikr in wonder as she watched the robber girl force Gerda, Aleister, and the horse into her cave. Ingrid shoved the crow into a cage, an act at which Sigrid was sure Aleister would be furious, and tied Gerda to the bed. The horse was also tied but with the other animals rather than by the bed.

“Now, my pet, explain what you were doing in my woods. Make it good.”

Gerda gulped visibly as Ingrid stroked her with a knife. “I-I have been searching for my childhood friend. His name is Kay. Have you seen him?”

Ingrid laughed. “I doubt it, pet. Now, c’mere. Tell me stories of your friend, will you?”

Gerda reluctantly complied, coerced by the knife, and Sigrid listened to her stories of Kay’s childhood while watching him attempt to solve the puzzle, eager to hear about the boy so dear to her heart.

4: Vapor

Vapor

“Perhaps I will cut your hair tomorrow,” Sigrid murmured, playing with a long lock of Kay’s platinum blond hair.

The boy failed to reply. His mind was focused on the puzzle only.

“Why do you only focus on that puzzle, Kay?” the snow queen wondered aloud although she knew he would not answer. “I know I told you that you would regain your memories and freedom if you spelled ‘eternity’ with the ice, but do you not like it here in this castle with me? If you would only stay, we could talk and spend time together forever.”

Kay’s now dull blue eyes never left the puzzle.

Sigrid sighed, turning her attention to the mirror. It was her only piece of solace at the time because Kay failed to speak with her, as he had for the last year and a half. Perhaps he had stopped paying attention to her even before Gerda had been taken by the robber girl, Ingrid.

Sigrid did not know who Ingrid was, other than that she was a robber girl, but she appreciated Ingrid’s keeping Gerda hostage. Sigrid did not wish to die nor be parted from Kay, no matter how unresponsive he might be, and she enjoyed hearing the stories Ingrid forced Gerda to tell each night.

However, Sigrid could not shake off the feeling that Ingrid had been someone she once knew. She had seen that light chestnut hair and those light amber eyes that Ingrid possessed before, but she knew not where. Sighing, she stared at the Blakfrodleikr. A young twenty-four-year-old woman with pale blue eyes and stark white hair stared back at her, a sad look upon her face.

Sigrid pushed her confusion to the back of her mind as she manipulated the reflection to watch the robber girl’s cave. She was not expecting the cave to be in turmoil.

Ingrid pushed Gerda down onto the ground. “How did that crow escape? Did you let ‘im free? Tell me now!"

The younger girl whimpered. “N-no, I did not. He simply opened the cage on his own. I swear I am telling you the truth.”

The robber girl let out a cry of frustration. “If a stupid crow could get free, then anyone could!” She collapsed on her bed. “C’mere, Gerda. Tell me a story. I’m very angry now.”

The girl timidly climbed into the bed and let Ingrid stroke her hair. She began to tell the story of her pursuit of Kay, one of her personal favorites. Sigrid knew because of how often Gerda told the story. When Gerda had finished her story, Ingrid rose quickly without saying a word, reaching for her knife. She raised it up high above her head. Gerda let out a cry of fear as Ingrid swung the knife down.

Gerda’s cry was cut short when she realized Ingrid had only cut the rope that tied her to the bed. Gerda could have run away if she was not so frightened from earlier.

“Now, pet, I’m setting you free. You seem to care for your friend Kay a lot, and I really want to ‘elp you.” Ingrid moved closer to the mouth of the cave. “Hans!”

A robber appeared. “Yes, m’lady?”

“I wanna help Gerda out a bit, so would ya take ‘er to see the witch, please? She’s gonna need advice to fight the Snedronningen.”

Gerda jumped up and wrapped her arms around the robber girl. “Thank you, Ingrid, thank you!”

Ingrid laughed. “It was nothin’, Gerda. I just got tired of you, that’s all."

Sigrid knew not what to make of this development. She knew that Ingrid had grown increasingly fond of Gerda, but not to the point of setting her free. Also, she knew that the battle against Gerda was now inevitable. If Ingrid trusted that this witch would be able to help Gerda find her and kill her, then Sigrid knew she could not escape.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sigrid tracked Gerda’s movements with the mirror. She was shocked to see Hans deliver Gerda to Erika’s orchard. There was no way that Erika would help Gerda kill her.

The witch ran to meet the girl. “Gerda! How have you been, dear?”

Gerda smiled at Erika. “Hello, Erika. I am not here for simple pleasantries, however. Ingrid told me that you would be of assistance in my quest to defeat the Snedronningen and take Kay back.”

The witch hesitated. Sigrid waited with bated breath for her response.

“That girl does not need that witch’s advice, and the witch knows it. She is already powerful enough,” fru Edda’s voice hissed into Sigrid’s ear.

The snow queen shifted away from the old woman but did not cry out in surprise at the woman's sudden appearance. Her chest tightened around her heart. “Is that so?”

“Yes, yes. Now, we must hurry and escape before the girl arrives. I doubt it will be very long now; the witch is bound to give the man’s horse herbs to speed up the journey.”

Sigrid glanced at the display on the mirror and saw that she was correct. Erika was brewing a potion for the girl. She felt her breath escape her, not to be returned, and could not seem to stop the tears from pooling in her eyes.

Fru Edda grabbed the mirror. “Quickly, quickly.” She urged Sigrid out of the room.

“What of Kay?” Sigrid exclaimed, turning around.

“We will have to prepare the sleigh first! Let him alone until we are completely ready; otherwise, he will just be in the way.”

Sigrid nodded uncertainly and prepared to leave. When the reindeer had finally been tied to the sleigh and the provisions packed neatly, she headed back to the throne to fetch Kay.

“Where are you going?” fru Edda called out.

“Kay is still in the throne room!” Sigrid replied. She quickened her pace but was surprised when the old woman stepped into her path, accompanied by Aleister. “Fru Edda, what are you doing?”

The old woman glared intensely into the snow queen’s eyes and released loud peals of laughter. “I do apologize for my rudeness, fool.”

Sigrid could not utter a word, nor could she breathe or stop her heart rate from elevating.

“You were just so easy to control. All you wanted were those memories that I stole from you. It was always memories, memories, memories. Are memories not just the loveliest things?” she cackled.

Sigrid did not understand of what fru Edda spoke, or, perhaps, she refused to understand.

The old woman stopped her laughter. “Aleister, kill her. I no longer find her useful.”

The crow nodded as he dove toward the young woman. “As you wish.”

“Wait!” Sigrid finally cried out, dodging the crow’s attack just in time. “Please explain this to me.”

Fru Edda let out a heaving sigh. “You were always a dimwitted one.” Aleister’s assaults on Sigrid grew fiercer and more frenzied as the old woman continued to speak. “I am a norn. I am not a witch, as I know you suspected, but a norn. I can manipulate time and destinies. I was present at your birth. Thus, I manipulated yours. I carefully watched over you to develop your powers, though I had hoped they would be more powerful than just ice powers, and kidnapped you the moment you turned eighteen. It was the opportune time. You must understand. I took your memories to make sure you completely under my control, and it worked. You should know the rest. After all, I have not taken any of your memories of the past six years.”

Sigrid could no longer understand her surroundings. All she knew was that there was a turbulent storm inside of her that threatened to escape, and she allowed it to do so.

Fru Edda cursed as a violent storm engulfed the castle. “Aleister!” she screamed. “This is taking too long! I will help you!” She muttered an incantation to a spell and laughed as Sigrid cried out in pain. “There are your beloved memories, you fool,” she whispered with glee.

Aleister took advantage of Sigrid’s pain and delivered a crushing blow to her head. He flew after fru Edda as they used the sleigh to escape.

Sigrid clutched her head as she struggled to drag herself to the throne room to reach Kay. Her physical wound did not hurt as much as her mental wound did. Her memories poured into her head all at once. She could see her sister and herself playing in the meadow during the summer. She could see herself calming her sister down after a nightmare with a mug of warm milk. She could see herself wrapping her sister in a bundle of fur coats before going out to play in the snow.

She now knew who Ingrid was. How had she failed to see the similarities? Of course, her physical traits had been manipulated by her ice magic, but she still looked very similar to her younger sister.

“Ingrid, I am so sorry,” Sigrid sobbed. “I have failed you as an older sister.”

“That is true.” Sigrid turned to see that Ingrid was standing right in front of her. “How have you been, sister?”

Sigrid screamed in pain as memories continued to flood into her mind. “I-I have been better. How are you, Ingrid? What brings you here?”

Ingrid crossed her arms, glaring at her older sister. “I’m here to help Gerda and Kay escape. You’re gonna tear the castle apart with your snowstorm.”

“I apologize for that.” Sigrid groaned. “Please help me, Ingrid.”

“Save it. I don’t care.” The younger woman crouched down in front of Sigrid. “I stopped caring about you a long time ago. You know, I actually met you once after you disappeared on me. But you brushed me away like I was just so insignificant.”

“No, no. I am so sorry. Please help me.” Sigrid pushed herself up to a seated position.

Ingrid stood, laughing humorlessly. “Like I said: save it. I don’t care about you anymore. Now you’re only the enemy of my friends. What were you thinking, taking Kay like that? Gerda was worried sick about him.” Ingrid kicked her older sister back down. “Ah. But you don’t care, do you? All you wanted was everything to yourself, huh? I’m done with you, sister. Leave Gerda and Kay alone, and I never want to see you again.” Then, she was gone.

Sigrid screamed yet again. How had it come to this? All she had wanted was her memories, but she had never imagined it would be anything like this. She could not believe that she had let fru Edda take advantage of her, but how could she have known?

Clawing blindly at the floor, Sigrid managed to drag herself out of the castle. She spotted a dark blur in the white snow and used the last of her energy to propel herself toward it using the snow.

“Ah! It is the fool, Aleister! She has arrived!” fru Edda cackled mercilessly. “How are your memories? I presume they are all that you wished for.”

“Help me,” Sigrid moaned. She hated that she was now asking the one who had used her for help, but there was nothing else she could do. “Please help me.”

The old woman’s eyes hardened, but Sigrid could not see them. “Sigrid, my dear. Do you not understand? This is the happy ending. Gerda will rescue Kay by solving the puzzle with him, and Ingrid will rescue Kay and Gerda, and the Andersen brothers will take them back to Ingrid’s cave, where they will have a tearful farewell. Then Hans and Christian, upon Ingrid’s request, will take the two to visit the prince and princess, Magnus and Regina, in the royal castle, where they will celebrate the birth of the royal child. Then, they will return home, where I will be waiting patiently, ready to celebrate their twenty-first birthdays. I can see the future, Sigrid, and this is what it is.”

“Help me. Please.”

“No, no, Sigrid. You will die here. You are the evil, wicked villain. Do you see how many people you have hurt? You must die, Sigrid, and then all will be right with the world.”

“Please.” Her voice had cracked, as if it signaled that her body was giving up completely. The pain was close to unbearable.

The grandmother sighed. “Yes, yes. I suppose I will. Aleister, if you will do the honors.”

Sigrid was in pain no more.

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