Featured image art “Generations” by Arute (@ast05water)
By Michael, Trade Minister of Arendelle
Things are really busy here in Arendelle! Not only is Queen Anna’s plan finally being put into action to find that mysterious “Elixir of Life” for Prince Yixin, it’s also the Christmas season as well! The Yule bell was brought out once more at Castle Arendelle, and rung to bring in the season of good tidings to all! Everyone, including Elsa, the Fifth Spirit of Northuldra and Ahtohallan, along with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, Princess Danny, Countess Viola, Hilde, and Tess, along with Selene and General Mattias, came out for the celebration as Queen Anna and Snow Queen Elsa pealed the Yule bell for all to hear.
Afterwards was the party, which was moved into the courtyard as the weather was unusually mild. Not bad for an outdoor celebration. As the party went on, I saw Elsa and Anna, enjoying themselves and getting a break from the activities of our next adventure. As I watched them, I remembered the first Christmas they had after their reconciliation and reunion. Everything from after they rang the Yule bell to when they found Olaf after his adventure! It was spectacular when everyone came together in the clearing when Olaf was found. It was also found out that Anna did drawings and even a straw doll of Olaf that kept them close, even as doors kept them apart.
Speaking of doors, the one painful part of this is when the memories of Christmases past came in and the years of their separation came back to Elsa, as she blamed herself for all of the traditions being snuffed out when her parents, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, ordered the gates closed.
Elsa sadly walked away from Anna, closing the door behind her leaving a dejected Anna.
I was coming down the hallway as I saw Elsa in the hallway, looking a bit sad. I said: “Hello Elsa, are you alright? Why the glum face?”
“Not really, I guess,” Elsa replied.
“Want to talk?” I asked my Snow Queen niece gently.
“Well…” Elsa said, tensing up a bit.
“Just take a slow breath and tell your old Uncle, if you want.”
“I… I’m sorry.” She started. “I just feel badly about… well… ruining our Christmases because of me.” Elsa confessed. “It’s all my fault. Anna and Olaf asked if we had any family traditions for Christmas. I remembered when we all would ring the Yule bell to bring in the season with Momma and Pappa. I said that it all ended when we separated and closed the gates, and apologized to Anna for not having a tradition, because of me.”
“I remember those days before I left. I didn’t exactly depart on the best terms, and I wince a little when I think back to that time, too,” I said. “I had to convince your Pappa and Momma to let me come and visit again just after the gates closed. Mom convinced him because you and Anna missed having me there. But mostly, I missed seeing and visiting all of you badly.”
“We missed seeing you as well.” Elsa said. “You let us sit together and you hugged me without fear of me hurting you.”
“I’m an old softie, I guess,” I said as we chuckled. “I just couldn’t stand it in my heart seeing you suffer in fear by yourself, keeping everyone back away from you. I wasn’t having it. You needed someone to hold you and let you cry on a shoulder.”
“If you freeze me, I’m going to Heaven! If not, I’m going to hold, comfort and love you!” Is what you told me, Uncle!” said Elsa as we laughed and smiled.
“And I’m still like that today!” I said comfortingly. “That was a bad time, all those years,” I continued, a bit more seriously. “I know how much it scared you when you accidentally froze Anna. It scared all of us. I wish we could’ve done more to show you how to handle your fear with more love, instead of isolation. It’s easy to blame yourself for all of the things in the past. Don’t blame yourself. A lot of it was beyond your control. I’ve got good news though.”
“What’s that?” Elsa asked.
“It’s all in the past. Let the past be the past,” I urged. “Since you two made up, it’s been a new day for you both. Don’t sweat that past garbage. You, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven, you all now have a clean slate to make new traditions. Maybe you and Anna might find something here in the Castle. Even if you don’t, you still have the best Christmas tradition here, family and friends to share Christmas with and make good memories with.
“Thanks, Uncle Mike,” Elsa said. I have to find Anna and apologize for earlier.”
“You’re welcome, Little Snow.” I said. Elsa hugged me and gave a frosty kiss on the cheek as she went to find Anna.
And now you know “the rest of the story.”
Trade Minister and Uncle of the Diarchy
Michael
The Arendelle Guardian 
I know it’s Christmas soon, but I also want to give a shout out to the Winter Solstice (incidentally, also the day of Elsa’s birth). The Chinese & Japanese make little glutinous rice balls filled with sweet bean paste and soaked in sweet syrup to celebrate the season. It’s a literally sweet reminder that families should stick together (like the sticky rice!) and be whole in the hardest times of harsh winter. For the Chinese, this dish is also prepared on the last (fifteenth) day of the Lunar New Year celebration.
I leave this cultural tidbit here because this post is nothing but sweet, and by happenstance, we are now in a giant crossover spanning half the circumference of the earth from the Arctic Circle to the Far East in AG Land.
There dances he with the wild one; they dance as whirls in a waterfall!
Filled with pride and intention; they dance as whirls in a waterfall!
Season’s greetings! To Chief, and Alan and Mike! (your names are in alphabetical order :D)
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