Baby On The Doorstep ------chapter 3 Princess Winter of Arandalle "How do I introduce her?" I ask Anna in a mad panic. Anna shrugs bouncily, "You just...do, I guess. Just say, hey, this is my daughter Winter, and she is your princess and future heir. Done." I glare at my sister, "I'm the Queen of Arandalle. I'm supposed to have a way with words, I'm supposed to have prepared a speech. Oh, good god, I should have prepared a speech! Why didn't I prepare a speech?" "You were busy." Anna points out, "Winter is a very noisy baby." "And yours won't be?" I say, raising my eyebrows at my sister who is currently drumming her fingers on her small baby bump absent mindedly as if she doesn't have a care in the world. "Oh, I'd be disappointed if my baby didn't talk all the time." Anna says in surprise, "I mean, I don't want a quiet child. That would be boring." She looks out the window, "They want you to go out now. They are screaming your name." "But..." I whisper, looking down at my new baby girl who was currently playing with the end of my loose braid I always tied my hair back in. I take a deep breath. "Oh...okay, let's just do it." Anna bounces over to the doors and flings them open so they slam into the balcony, making me flinch and Winter murmur in my arms. She seemed to only like it there, and she screamed if I put her down anywhere, her crib, in Anna's arms, Kristoff's arms, Kai or Gerda's arms, or even her play mat, she was only ever happy in my arms, which I secretly found comforting. I liked having her in my arms anyway, it made me feel as if she was safe there, I wanted to protect her always. I take in a deep breath, and then stride out onto the balcony, many people gasp when they see me, but I ignore them all, "Ladies, and Gentlemen. Residents of Arandalle, may I present to you, Princess Winter of Arandalle." A murmur goes throughout the crowd and I look to my sister anxiously and hug Winter close to me, were they not going to accept her, simply because she did not have royal blood pulsing through her veins? Anna looks a little scared too, and looks to Winter in a panicked gaze. I take a deep breath, "She is my daughter." I say. "But, Queen Elsa, there was no suitor!" Someone calls from the large crowd. "Of course there was no suitor." I say, "There did not need to be a suitor. I adopted her, is that such a problem?" I give them an icy glare, one that I was good at. Rumors had spread among the residents of the town that I did not want to marry or have my own biological children, simply because I was afraid of passing on my powers throughout the royal legacy, and I will admit, I was a little scared, but the truth was I just didn't want to marry because I was worried no man would accept me for who I was, a ice queen. "Where did you find her?" One exclaims. I sniff, "On the doorstep, late at night-" "Actually, it was early in the morning!" Anna interrupts in a chirpy tone. "Yes, yes, thank you, Anna...I did not know who sent her, but I am glad that they did, Winter is now my daughter and future heir of Arandalle. I wish for you to treat her with respect, as she is the princess, and if I hear any rumors or gossip, I promise you, you know you do not want to make the ice queen angry." Anna snickers and I give her a look, making her fall completely silent. "Well, thank you, subjects, and goodbye." I say, and then stride back into my castle, Anna shutting the doors behind me. "I think someone fainted." Anna giggles, sitting on the arm of a chair. "Don't be silly." I say, with a large roll of my ice blue eyes, "It wasn't that shocking." "Most queens don't adopt, look I'm not saying it's bad, but I bet some people were pretty surprised." Anna sings, "You are just strange, Elsa." "I'm not strange, you are." I sniff, "I am the sophisticated, graceful one around here." "But I'm having a real kid." Anna giggles. "Winter is a real child." I say, rocking my daughter in my arms gently. "But this child is actually royal." Anna argues. "So is Winter." I snap. "IS not." "Is too." "Is not." "Is too." "Is not." "Is too." "IS NOT!" "IS TOO!" "IS NOT!" "IS TOO!" "Ladies, stop arguing, you'll aggravate the whole house." Kristoff says coming into the room, "And I bet little baby Winter is far from impressed." "Oh, hush." I say, and stride out of the room. I leaned against the door, I don't care what Anna says, winter is my daughter, I cradled the baby in my arms, and she always will be.