Day 3

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Gingerly, Anna sat up. Her eyes grew wide as a fresh wave of shivering overtook her small body. Elsa wasn't sleeping—she wasn't there! And she wasn't the only thing missing from their shared bedroom. All of Elsa's things—the dresser full of pretty clothes and shoes, the vanity, with its elegant mirror and matching stool, even Elsa's collection of toys—were gone. In their place was Anna's smaller furniture, rearranged to try to fit the empty spaces. It was as though her sister had never lived there at all.

Worried and confused, Anna pushed off the covers and struggled out of bed. She swayed on her feet for a moment as blood rushed to her head and made her dizzy. When the moment had passed, she pulled open her door and looked into the hall. All the candles were lit, their flames making shadow shapes on the wall. Grateful for the light, Anna took a deep breath and began to tiptoe down the hall. Passing by a series of large doors, she turned the corner that led to the East Wing of the castle. This was where her parents slept and where the larger bedrooms were found. The nursery, which Anna had always shared with her sister, was located between the East and West Wings—the perfect place to sleep when you were between a baby and a grown-up, her mother told her.

Standing in the East Wing now, Anna wanted nothing more than to put her hands on her hips, stomp her feet, and throw an adult-sized tantrum. Where is Elsa?she wanted to shout. Why isn't she in our room, and why is all her stuff gone?But before she could open her mouth, she saw the door to her parents' room open. A stream of light illuminated the ornate carpet in front of the room, the royal purples and golds bright against the surrounding shadows. A moment later, her mother and father appeared. To Anna's surprise, they were dressed in their riding clothes. Her mother's hair, which was usually styled and smooth, was coming loose from its bun, the wisps of brown catching the light and making it appear as though there were a halo over her head.

“Mama?” Anna said, racing forward. “Mama, where's Elsa? Why are all her things gone?”

The queen didn't respond right away, and Anna felt her chill deepen as she saw her parents exchange serious looks.

Suddenly, Anna's chill was replaced by fear as a new thought entered her mind. “Is ... is Elsa ... okay?” Anna asked. “I'm sorry we went sledding. I know we weren't supposed to, but I just love sledding, and I didn't know we were going that fast, and ...” Her voice trailed off. She had been so focused on how strange it was that her sister was gone that she hadn't even thought about why she might be gone.

Kneeling down, Anna's mother gently touched her cheek. “Your sister is fine, dear heart. She's perfectly safe.”

“Then why isn't she in our room?” Anna asked, her lower lip trembling. “Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No one did anything wrong,” her mother insisted, although now she was looking at the king. Then she turned back to Anna. “It was just time for Elsa to move out of the nursery. She needs her own room now that she's older. Aren't you excited to have the nursery all to yourself?”

Anna shook her head violently. “No! No! NO! I am NOT excited. I want Elsa to come back. Can't she come back? I promise I'll be good. I'll never go sledding again. I don't even need my own dresser if that would help. I just want Elsa back!” As she spoke, her voice got higher and higher and the words came faster and faster. None of this made sense. Why would Elsa move out so suddenly? Unless ... Another thought popped into her mind.

“Does Elsa not like me anymore?” she asked in a tiny voice.

There was a long pause, during which Anna's mother and father seemed to carry on a silent conversation over Anna's head. She was just about to collapse with sadness when her mother finally spoke.

“Your sister loves you very much, Anna. I promise you,” the queen said. “This is just what needs to be done. You must trust me that this is the right thing to do. Someday you'll understand. Now, you should go back to bed. You need your rest.”

“But—”

“Bed, Anna,” the king said.

Sighing, Anna turned to go. “Please, Anna. Trust us,” her mother said behind her.

But as Anna made her way back to her room, she felt anything but trustful. It was as if a piece of herself had been taken away, and her parents' only words of comfort were that she would understand “someday.” Anna wanted to understand now.

Just then, she heard a thud. Looking up, she saw two men carrying Elsa's armoire into the empty bedroom down the hall. Rushing forward, she saw that all the missing furniture from the nursery was, in fact, now in this room. And standing there, in the middle of the big space, was Elsa herself.