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“All of you here know me,” Lord Chester Mormont exclaimed as he walked passed the city defenders who were standing at attention.  “Some even fought by my side thirty-five years ago when the lands of this region were under constant threat from raiders and bandits.  We fought hard and bravely back then, but even at our best, we found ourselves in desperate need.”

He then turned and addressed all who were assembled – from the city guard on the streets, to the last archer stationed upon the ramparts.  “And in that desperate hour, who came to Lithia’s aid?”

As if with one voice the city defenders cried,  “KING THOMAS!”

“And when his only daughter was kidnapped as a babe from her crib, who did the city of Lithia mourn and search tirelessly for to bring back his heir?”

“KING THOMAS!”

Esme shouted at the top of her lungs – one of five hundred others caught up in her father’s speech.  If he had decided to become a bishop during his young years, the man would have driven flocks of people into the arms of God.  Despite being nervous for the coming battle, the thought of him in a priest’s tunic made her smile.

“And after years of searching, our prayers were finally answered when the good king’s daughter returned home to Corona.  Now as our queen, it is she who needs the strength of Lithia to stand beside her as darkness descends upon the kingdom.  Across the river, the hordes of Arendelle assemble like thieves in the night to steal from our lands what we have rightfully reaped for our families and our queen.  Will you let them take from us that which they have not earned?”

“NO!”

“Will you stand along side me and defend what is ours?”

“YES!”

The deafening roar that followed solidified the city’s support for Lord Chester Mormont.  Esme couldn’t help but feel a genuine swell of pride for the comradery the people of Lithia maintained for her family.  The Mormonts had always been lords who dealt even-handedly with those under their charge, and it had been reciprocated in kind by their governed.  Now it would be those bonds that would hold both commoner and noble together in the coming storm.

Turning back to her position, Esme resumed her watch on the northern ramparts.  Gazing off into the distance, she could still see the flames from the bridge as the fire greedily consumed what timber remained.  As her father had told her when she’d returned, her actions had given the city’s morale a much needed boost as preparations continued for a long siege.  Arendelle was delayed for now… but eventually they would come.  They just had to be ready for it.

She’d been so lost in thought, that she hadn’t even notice that someone had taken up the position right next to her.

“Your father’s got the entire city guard eating out of his hand, my lady,” Sir Thomas said.  “Between our actions at the bridge and your father’s speeches – I think we could hold our own until Christmas.”

Esme chuckled.  “He is really good, isn’t he?”

“The best.  When I first joined…”  Sir Thomas suddenly stopped in mid-sentence and began rubbing his arms.  “Geez… did it just get cold all of a sudden?”

At first, Esme thought he was just engaging in playful banter… until she noticed that her breath was becoming visible.  He was right – it was getting cold.  But how could that be?  It was the second week of June!

Looking towards the bridge, Esme noticed that the entire northern valley was engulfed in a fog that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.  Even the bridge fire had become an indistinguishable glowing ball that seemed to blink in the distance.

“What the…?” Sir Thomas said as the rest of the defenders on the ramparts took note.  Soon a nervous murmur began to spread amongst the men.

“Defenders of Lithia, stand fast!” Esme shouted to those who could hear her.  “Keep your eyes open for anything!”

“Out there!” shouted a man further down the line.  He was pointing off into the distance.

Esme turned her attention towards the river… and saw something moving near the bridge’s flames.

“My Lord,” shouted Sir Thomas.  “There is movement near the river’s edge!”

“Arendelle is fording already?  That’s impossible!”  Lord Mormont replied.  “Esme, tell me what you see.”

The lord’s daughter kept her eyes fixed on the mysterious shape as it emerged from the fog.  In that moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“It looks like… a woman, Father!” she replied.  “She’s already across the river!”

In that moment, Esme’s eyes widened with a silent dread.  She couldn’t hear what her father was asking now, nor could she understand Sir Thomas as he tried to speak to her.  Their voices had become nothing more than echoes in the back of her mind as fear begin to gnaw at her.  If this was indeed a woman… then there was only one person whom it could be.

“Oh no…” Esme whispered.

***

Before her boots had even crested the water, the river had turned into a solid sheet ice by a mere flick of her right hand.  She was a goddess – a queen of snow and ice made flesh by the fates of this world.  The cold and wind alike were slaves to her will.  But even a goddess had trappings that needed to be lifted in order to harness the fullness of her potential.  It was time for her to shed constraints and let go.  So with her left hand, Queen Elsa of Arendelle reached up and unclasped the braid that held her hair in place.  Gently tossing her head allowed the long and beautiful ponytail to fall into place across her shoulder.   Now she was ready.

Behind her, the heat from the burning bridge bathed her body in unfamiliar warmth; a soothing balm before the storm that was to come.  Closing her eyes for the briefest of moments allowed her to savor its gentle caress; adding even more to the smile that already beamed upon her ruby lips.

The city of Lithia lay before her.  Even through the fog, the queen could see the flicker of torches that lined the top of the city’s walls… along with the dark silhouettes of its defenders.  She had already been successful in clearing one obstacle for her army.  Now it was time for her to achieve the second and open the gateway to Corona.

Slowly walking towards the city, Elsa began humming a melody as she raised her hands.  The familiar cold began emanating from them and soon both were glowing brightly with her power.  All around her, the air began to chill like a winter’s night.  The trees in the distance rustled wildly amidst the howl of the wind.  As the surrounding moisture from the air began to freeze, all of it collected around the palms of her hands; swirling together with winds as strong as a mighty blizzard.

An object suddenly skidded harmlessly across the ground in front of her – an arrow that had been frozen solid.  Others quickly began to fall like glass from the sky, but Elsa remained untouched as she continued gathering more power; ever expanding the size of the bright white light that surrounded and protected her.  And as she did, she began to sing.

 “There was a friend-ly but naï-ve queen,

Who met a nast-y riv-al queen,

The first was loved, buuuut…

The other was feared.” 

Leaning forward, Elsa summoned every ounce of power she could muster and shot forth a layer of snow and ice in the direction of Lithia.  As the wintry mix crashed upon the walls, it began to build on top of itself.  Layer upon layer continued to grow around the city’s northern wall until the ice began forming a wall of its own along the length of the ramparts.

And through it all, the queen of the north continued her song.

 “Till one day wak-ing with a rude-ly start,

The queen found her king-dom torn a-part. 

She lost her crown, aaaaaand…

Her dear-est love.”

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