Elsa glanced up at the sky. The sun was just peering over the rooftops and shining into the courtyard. Elsa wiped her brow. It did seem a little warm, but the icy fountains would help keep the courtyard feeling just right.
One thing was missing, though. Elsa glanced around in a momentary panic…until she saw the baker. Thank goodness! He had just delivered the birthday cake and was now assembling it and adding the final touches.
“I put chocolate ice cream into the mold first,” he explained. “Then I added chocolate fudge sauce, and then the vanilla with the vanilla fudge sauce, and then the chocolate mousse, and then a layer of white chocolate with a hint of strawberry, and—”
“It’s beautiful!” Elsa exclaimed. “I bet it’s tasty, too. Anna will adore this.”
“Oh, yes!” the baker agreed. “We’ve got it covered, Your Majesty.” Very carefully, he lifted the fourth and top layer onto the cake. Once the layers were in place, Elsa’s powers would keep it cold until it was time to eat.
“Don’t forget to come to the party later,” Elsa called as he left. She gazed at the cake, taking it all in. The last part of the decoration was up to her.
“Okay, here we go,” Elsa murmured. She waved her hand in the air, and as she did, icy magic swirled, encircling the top of the cake. A moment later, there was a little frozen statue of Anna at the very top!
It was beautiful, and it looked like Anna, but—
“So lonely,” Elsa muttered. Again, she gave a flourish. The ice magic swirled, and this time the cake topper became a little statue of Anna and Elsa standing together. But the sisters looked very formal.
“Stiff,” Elsa said, frowning.
She started again, going for a likeness of the two sisters in an action pose. The magic glittered, and there it was, a little statue of Elsa hugging Anna, just as Anna was blocking a blow from—
With a gasp, Elsa realized she had just re-created the moment from a year ago, when Anna had let her body get frozen completely so she could save Elsa.
“No,” Elsa said. “I can’t do that!”
One more time, the queen changed the ice sculpture. Now the cake topper portrayed a scene of Anna and Elsa ice-skating happily. Nice, but was it appropriate for a birthday?
“Come on, Elsa!” she told herself. “It’s for Anna. You can do this.” She raised her hand in the air again, ready to try something new.
“Relax,” someone called out. Kristoff was perched on a ladder nearby. “It looks great.” He and Sven were putting the finishing touches on a birthday banner. Sven was holding several buckets of paint on his antlers.
“I just want it to be perfect,” Elsa said.
Elsa turned back to Anna’s birthday cake and added some swirls to the sides, and icy flowers along the lower layers.
“Speaking of perfect, check this out!” Kristoff said.
He reached out to hang the last section of the HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA banner. The banner had multiple panels, and each one had a letter on it. The letters were strung together, and they hung sloppily on a straggly rope that stretched across the entire courtyard.
Elsa gasped. There was paint splashed everywhere!
She quickly composed herself and walked over to Kristoff. After wiping paint off his face, she glanced at some paint dripping from the sign and onto the ground. There was a lot of cleanup to be done. “Kristoff, are you sure I can leave you in charge here?” she asked.
“Absolutely!” Kristoff replied. He glanced at his banner proudly.
“Because I don’t want anything to happen in this courtyard,” she added. She had worked so hard to prepare for the party. Everything needed to be perfect for Anna.
“What could happen?” Kristoff asked. “It’s all set.”
Just then, Elsa spotted Olaf standing next to the birthday cake. He swiped his little twig fingers across the frosting.
“Olaf, what are you doing?” Elsa cried.
Olaf turned. “I’m not eating cake,” he protested, though his cheeks were bulging.
Elsa frowned.
“But…but it’s an ice cream cake,” Olaf said, still looking hopeful.
“And it’s for Anna,” Elsa scolded. Olaf looked so sorry that it was hard to stay angry. Elsa sighed and walked away, freezing the fountains as she went.
Behind her, Olaf pulled the frosting out of his mouth and patted it back onto the cake.
Just then, the morning bells chimed. The sun was peeking over the high mountains that edged the fjord. It looked like the start of a beautiful day.
Elsa shivered, feeling excited. The big moment had finally arrived!
“Are you sure you’ve got this?” she asked Kristoff.
Kristoff nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Don’t let anyone in before we’re ready!” Elsa called to Kristoff. She froze a gargoyle on the side of the castle for good measure.
“I won’t,” Kristoff said. His hat and clothes felt itchy since his morning bath. He wanted to lean against a pillar and scratch—
“And don’t touch anything!”
Kristoff blinked. “I’m just going to stand here,” he reassured her.
“I’m probably going to walk around a little,” Olaf announced. He loved seeing all the decorations, with all the frost and the icy things and the cake topper and the cake.…
“Keep an eye on that cake!” Elsa called back to Kristoff. Then she ducked inside the castle’s main entrance.
Kristoff looked at Sven. He lowered his voice and pretended to speak as the reindeer: “She thinks you’re an idiot.”
“Well, clearly she’s wrong,” Kristoff said in his real voice. He turned back to work—and slammed into the cake table. The cake teetered precariously.
“Ooh! Whoops!” he said, skipping back and forth with his arms outstretched, ready to catch the cake if it fell. Finally, the cake settled. “Everything’s fine,” he told himself in relief.
Nearby, Olaf was looking at Kristoff’s handmade birthday banner. Each letter of HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA was flapping in the breeze. Olaf cocked his head as he studied the letters. He really wanted to read the banner, but it was hard. He squinted and tried to sound out each letter. Then he shook his head.
“I can’t read…or spell,” he concluded.
Kristoff relaxed a bit. He just needed to hold things together a little longer.
Elsa hurried along the castle hallway, finally reaching Anna’s bedroom. Cracking open the door, she tiptoed over to her sister’s bed. Anna was sprawled across her large mattress with her sheets tangled in a mess. Her mouth was wide open, and she was snoring loudly.
Elsa whispered, “Psssst! Anna.”
Anna yawned and stretched her arms, but her eyes stayed closed.
“Yeah?” Anna mumbled, still half asleep.
“Happy birthday,” Elsa said gently.
“To you…” Anna sang, automatically finishing the birthday song in her sleep.
Elsa smiled. “It’s your birthday.”
Anna opened her eyes groggily and sat up. “To me…” she sang again. Then she fell back onto her pillow. “It’s my birthday.”
“Come on,” Elsa urged.
Suddenly, Anna’s eyes flickered open. “It’s my birthday!” she exclaimed happily.
“Mmm-hmm. And it’s going to be perfect.” Elsa pulled her little sister out of bed.
Anna’s eyes widened with happiness as Elsa led her to the closet. The first step was a brand-new dress. Elsa had worked with Arendelle’s finest seamstress to create something extra special. She just hoped it would fit as perfectly as the seamstress had promised.
Anna gasped with delight when she saw her new dress. It was beautiful: a teal skirt decorated with bright yellow sunflowers, with a darker bodice featuring a flower design in the center. And on top of it all was a short jacket, covered with embroidered flowers.
“I love it!” Anna cried, twirling. “It’s perfect for the summer solstice. Elsa, did you know that it’s the summer solstice right now—I mean, toda
y?” She hugged the dress.
“And also your birthday!”
“I know, but this dress—it’s perfect for both. I love the sunflowers!” Anna exclaimed.
“Achoo!” Elsa sneezed.
When she sneezed, two tiny snowmen popped into existence just behind her. Neither sister noticed as the two creatures spun in midair and tumbled to the ground. They scampered out the door.
“Bless you!” Anna said.
“Thank you,” Elsa replied. Then, with a magical flourish, Elsa created a new dress for herself, too. It was a long, frosty, pale green gown.
“Whoa!” Anna said.
With a smile, Elsa waved her hand and added an icy glow to Anna’s dress as well.
“Fancy!” Anna added.
This truly was her best birthday ever.
Then Elsa held up a piece of string that trailed onto the floor. She smiled and handed the end to Anna. “Just follow the string!”
“The string?” Anna stared. Then a happy grin grew across her face as she realized that it was part of her birthday fun.
She quickly followed the string out of her room and into the hallway. Elsa laughed, watching Anna crawl under a large chair and over a small table. The string kept going! Finally, Anna stopped at a suit of armor, where the string went right into the helmet.
Curious, Anna reached inside the helmet—and pulled out a beautiful sparkly bracelet.
“Woo! I didn’t expect this!” Delighted, Anna placed the bracelet on her wrist. It fit her exactly. Of course it did. Elsa had planned everything.
Anna turned to hug her sister. This was turning out to be a wonderful birthday!
Elsa laughed. Then, with a mischievous smile, she pointed. And that was when Anna realized there was more string to follow! The birthday treasure hunt was not over yet.
Anna’s heart raced. The string extended from the armor all the way down the hall. She ran to follow the string, slipping on the floor. She was having so much fun!
“Be careful!” Elsa laughed. “No need to rush.” It was hard to tell who was more excited—Anna or Elsa.
Anna unraveled the string from a giant brass doorknob and followed it under a rug. She went into a hallway and saw that the string was wrapped around a small plant.
Anna followed the string into another room, where she found a huge armoire. It had lots of drawers and knobs, and the string was wrapped around all of them. It was a trick to unravel everything, but the string finally led Anna to a small door at the top of the armoire. She opened it and peered into the dark space.
“Oh, look!” she cried. Inside was a little Olaf cuckoo clock! The clock began to chime as Anna pulled it out of the armoire. Suddenly, a tiny Olaf figure popped out of the clock. “Sum-mer!” it announced.
Anna giggled.
“Not finished yet!” Elsa said.
Anna picked up the clock and kept following the string. This time it led her out onto the balcony. There were sunflowers tied to the railing!
Elsa handed Anna a huge bouquet.
Anna was delighted. Then she saw something. “Oops! Little bee,” she warned Elsa.
Elsa turned. Her eyes went wide. A bee sting could ruin Anna’s birthday. Elsa moved to shoo it away, and—
“Achoo!” she sneezed. Well, that scared away the bee, Elsa thought.
At the same time, several wriggling little snowmen appeared in the air and dropped off the balcony. Neither sister noticed.
Down in the courtyard, Kristoff was still working with Sven and Olaf.
Suddenly, Olaf gasped. A group of cute little snowmen was scurrying into the courtyard! Each one was made of a few small snowballs.
“Little brothers!” Olaf yelped happily. He reached out, scooped up a few of the little guys, and gave them a big welcoming hug. He didn’t know where they had come from, but he loved them!
Kristoff eyed the snowmen doubtfully. “Olaf, I don’t think they should be in here. We still have things to do for the party.”
“But they’re so little,” Olaf replied, patting one of the snowmen on the head. “And I think they want to help!”
Kristoff didn’t look convinced.
Inside, Anna and Elsa had already run all through the castle, following the string. Now they were outside, standing on a window washer’s wooden platform.
The platform bumped against the side of the castle, very high up. The two girls held on to the ropes, grinning with excitement. Anna still had the string in her hand.
When she tugged on the string, a pulley brought up a picnic basket—with something yummy inside. Anna examined it more closely.
“Ooh, sandwiches!” Anna exclaimed, grabbing hold of the basket and pulling it onto the wobbly platform.
The wobbliness gave Anna an idea. She placed her foot on a pillar and pushed the platform away from the building. It was like a swing! “Woo-hoo!” she shouted.
“Whoa!” Elsa gasped. But then she kicked off, too. It was fun!
As the girls swung past a window, Anna glanced inside. “Look!” she cried. It was her room. “Gerda’s tidying up my room! Oh, hi! Thank you!” She waved at Gerda and almost lost her balance. Luckily, Elsa steadied her.
Inside Anna’s bedroom, Gerda thought she heard a voice calling from outside the window. She looked up and saw the tops of two heads—one with red hair and the other blond, swinging outside below the windowsill.
“Oh, my! KAI!” she hollered. She flung open the bedroom door and ran into the hallway. “I think I just saw Princess Anna and Queen Elsa outside the window!”
On the other side of the wall, the girls were laughing so hard, their stomachs hurt. They quickly worked the ropes and lowered the platform so they were out of sight.
“Hang on,” Elsa said. She adjusted the pulley and lowered the platform all the way to the ground.
At the end, the rig slipped and the platform knocked into the ground with a thump.
Elsa’s feet hit first, and the momentum sent her rolling onto the grass. Anna was right behind her, tumbling into a heap. When they sat up, the window washer’s rope dangled nearby, and the picnic basket was upside down on Anna’s head.
They both giggled as Anna set the basket aside. “Hey, let’s make snow angels in the grass!” Anna laughed. She spread out her arms, moving them over her head. When she stood up, there was an imprint in the grass.
“Hang on. I can help,” Elsa said. She lifted her hands and created a little snow flurry over just the two of them. The sisters stretched out on their backs in the light, fluffy snow and made snow angels.
“This really is my best birthday ever.” Anna reached into the picnic basket and pulled out her birthday sandwich. “Are you ready for lunch? I am.” Anna took a bite. “Befff!”
“I know.” Elsa reached for the other half. “Best sandwich ever! Right?”
“Umff,” Anna said, her mouth still full.
The sisters sat side by side on the grassy slope, finishing Anna’s birthday lunch. Then they lay on their backs again and looked up at the sky.
“Those clouds up there, see?” Anna said. They look like Olaf!”
“Oh! So do those ones!” Elsa pointed.
“Huh,” Anna said. “They all kind of look like Olaf.”
“Well, some of them look like Marshmallow,” Elsa added, referring to the giant snowman she’d created to protect her ice palace the previous year. Both girls laughed.
“We’d better get going,” Elsa said, getting to her feet. She gave a little cough.
“Are you feeling all right?” Anna asked.
“I’m great!” Elsa replied. “Come on, let’s go.” She needed to keep Anna moving.
Anna’s eyes grew wide with astonishment. “There’s more?” she asked.
Elsa grinned. “Yup!”
Elsa held up the string again, and Anna laughed when she realized it was now leading them in a whole new direction.
After the picnic, Anna followed the string back into the castle, down a hallway, and, finally, to the ro
yal portrait room. The birthday string went under the furniture and around and above each of the paintings.
“Wow! That’s high. How did you get up there, Elsa?” Anna asked, climbing onto the back of a couch to reach a section of string.
“I have my ways,” Elsa answered.
“Hmm.” Anna teetered on her tiptoes, jumping a bit to pull the string down.
“I got it—whoa!” Anna fell, and so did a vase! But Elsa caught them both. “That was exciting,” Anna said in relief. “Thanks.” After she was back on her feet, she turned to Elsa. “Okay, really. How did you get the string so high?”
“If you must know,” Elsa said in her most regal voice, “even a queen has to bounce.”
“What?” Anna started laughing as she watched Elsa climb onto a long, cushioned settee. Then Elsa began jumping up and down! Anna quickly joined her. The two bounced and laughed. As they bounced, Elsa pointed to one of the pictures.
“A family portrait!” Anna exclaimed, plucking the painting from high off the wall. Elsa had commissioned a new portrait of herself and Anna—plus Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven!
The sisters collapsed in the cushions, grinning at each other. “I love our family!” Anna said.
“Do you remember our last family portrait, with our parents?” Elsa asked.
That portrait was painted many years before. The royal artist had finished it just before the king and queen left on their final voyage. Back then, Elsa had been afraid that she might hurt someone and didn’t want to leave her room. But their parents had insisted that she sit for the painting.
“Don’t worry,” the king had told Elsa. “Just wear your gloves.” He and the queen sent the royal artist to Elsa’s room. He painted her separately from the rest of the family.
“I remember when we sat for that portrait,” Anna said. “Mama and Papa were so happy.”
“I remember, too,” Elsa said.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
“Well, now our family has grown.” Anna smiled. “And really, who else has a snowman and a reindeer in their family?”
Frozen Fever Page 2