The cathedral was packed with people as the coronation ceremony began. An orchestra played and a choir sang while the royal procession walked down the very long center aisle. The bishop led the way, followed by Elsa, looking regal and serious, and finally Anna, holding the train of Elsa’s dress.
At the altar, Elsa and Anna faced the bishop. Near him lay a silver platter holding the royal crown, scepter, and orb.
Peeking over her shoulder, Anna spotted the handsome Prince Hans. He sat straight and tall, and a stranger was asleep on his shoulder! Hans waved at Anna, who giggled.
The bishop placed the crown on Elsa’s head. Then he turned for the scepter and orb and presented them to Elsa. She reached for the royal items, but the bishop cleared his throat. “Ahem. Your gloves, Your Majesty.”
Elsa took a sharp breath. If she took the gloves off, she might accidentally let out her icy magic. She hesitated, growing pale with worry.
Anna took that moment to look over at Hans and smile at him. She couldn’t wait to talk to him at the ball!
Elsa slowly removed her gloves and placed them on the satin pillow. With a deep breath, she took the orb and scepter into her hands. She turned to face the crowd.
“As the undoubted queen, protector of this dominion,” the bishop intoned, “keeper of the doctrine and government thereof from this day forward, I present to you Her Majesty...”
Elsa’s eyes widened as the scepter and orb began to freeze in her hands! She tried desperately to control her emotions. She was just so nervous!
“...Queen Elsa of Arendelle!” The bishop finished his decree.
The people in the church rose. “Queen Elsa of Arendelle!” they echoed.
Elsa quickly placed the orb and scepter back on the silver tray and grabbed her gloves. With a sigh of relief, she realized that no one had seen the ice on the orb or the scepter. She smiled at the cheering crowd. She had made it through the ceremony!
Later, at the coronation ball, Elsa and Anna stood side by side in a long receiving line at the entrance to the Great Hall. Elsa felt relaxed, almost content, now that the most difficult part of Coronation Day was over. Festive music filled the air as guests danced across the floor of the lavishly decorated ballroom.
“You look beautiful,” Elsa said to Anna.
“Thank you,” Anna said in surprise. A smile spread across her face. Her sister had actually spoken to her! “You look beautiful-er,” Anna replied. Then she realized how strange that had sounded and blurted out an explanation. “Not that you’re fuller. No. Just more beautiful!”
Elsa grinned. “Thank you.” Then she looked out at the crowded ballroom. “So this is what a party looks like?”
Anna nodded. “It’s warmer than I thought.”
“All the people, I guess,” Elsa said. “And what is that amazing smell?”
Both of them caught a whiff of a sweet aroma wafting across the room. “Chocolate!” they exclaimed at the same time. Then they looked at each other and started laughing.
Anna could hardly believe that Elsa was treating her so kindly. She was about to say more to her sister, but just then, a guest stepped up to be presented to the new queen and the princess. “The Duke of Weaseltown,” a royal attendant announced. “Weselton,” the Duke corrected him. Then he bowed his head. “As your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your first dance as queen.”
Elsa stiffened and clasped her gloved hands together. “Thank you,” she said. “But I don’t dance.” The Duke looked offended, so Elsa quickly nudged Anna forward. “But my sister is a marvelous dancer.” Anna was a little startled, but she allowed the Duke to lead her to the dance floor.
Unfortunately, the Duke was a horrible dancer. He couldn’t seem to take one step without crushing Anna’s toes. As he bobbed up and down, his toupee bounced back and forth on his head — and he never stopped talking.
“Bump-be-dump-bah! Look at me!” he crowed. “This certainly makes up for being shut out for twelve years for no reason. Do you know the reason?” he asked Anna. “No? Well, watch this: like a chicken with the face of a monkey, I fly!”
Anna cringed as the Duke danced around her like a dying peacock. Then she caught sight of Elsa watching from the side of the room, barely able to keep from laughing. Anna shot Elsa a number of “help me” looks, but there was no way out of it. She was forced to finish the dance, much to Elsa’s amusement.
After the dance, Anna limped back to Elsa. “Well, he was sprightly,” said the queen with a smile.
“Especially for a man in heels!” Anna replied. Both sisters giggled.
“Are you all right?” Elsa asked more gently.
Anna smiled. “I’ve never been better,” she said, glancing into Elsa’s eyes. “This is so nice. I wish it could be like this all the time.”
“Me too,” Elsa said wistfully. Then she caught herself and stiffened. “But it can’t.”
“Why not?” Anna asked, surprised at Elsa’s sudden change of attitude.
Elsa tensed. “Because it can’t,” she said firmly. Anna’s felt all her old disappointment rushing back. “Excuse me,” she said. Elsa watched sadly as Anna walked away.
第6章
加冕儀式馬上就要開始,大教堂里擠滿了人。樂(lè)隊(duì)演奏著音樂(lè),唱詩(shī)班演唱著樂(lè)曲,皇家儀仗隊(duì)沿著長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的通道走入教堂。隊(duì)伍的最前面是大主教,艾莎緊隨其后,看上去尊貴、嚴(yán)肅,最后則是安娜,雙手提著艾莎的裙擺。
在圣壇上,艾莎和安娜面對(duì)著大主教。他旁邊擺放著一個(gè)銀質(zhì)托盤,上面放著皇冠、權(quán)杖和王權(quán)寶球。
安娜扭頭一瞟,一眼就認(rèn)出了帥氣的漢斯王子。他正襟危坐,一個(gè)陌生人竟然倒在他肩頭睡著了!漢斯向安娜揮揮手,安娜傻傻地笑了。
大主教給艾莎戴上了皇冠,然后準(zhǔn)備將權(quán)杖和王權(quán)寶球交給她。她正要伸手去接,大主教卻清了清嗓子。“呃哼。您的手套,女王陛下。”
艾莎深吸一口氣。如果她摘掉手套,就有可能不小心釋放她的冰雪魔力。她猶豫了,因擔(dān)心而臉色蒼白。
安娜趁機(jī)把目光投向漢斯,沖他微微一笑。她迫不及待地想在舞會(huì)上和他聊天了!
艾莎慢慢地脫下手套,放在綢緞墊布上。她深吸了一口氣,拿起權(quán)杖和王權(quán)寶球,轉(zhuǎn)身面向人群。
“作為無(wú)可爭(zhēng)議的女王和我們領(lǐng)土的守護(hù)者,”大主教吟誦道,“從今天起成為教義和政府的捍衛(wèi)者,我在此向大家宣布女王陛下……”
當(dāng)權(quán)杖和王權(quán)寶球在她的手里開始結(jié)冰時(shí),艾莎驚得瞪大了雙眼!她竭盡全力控制自己的情緒。她確實(shí)太緊張了!
“……艾倫戴爾的艾莎女王!”主教念完了詔書。
教堂里的人們紛紛站了起來(lái)。“艾倫戴爾的艾莎女王!”他們高呼道。
艾莎趕緊把王權(quán)寶球和權(quán)杖放回到銀質(zhì)托盤上,重新戴上了手套。她長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)地松了口氣,好在沒人注意到王權(quán)寶球和權(quán)杖上結(jié)的冰,她向歡呼的人群微笑致意。她總算順利完成了加冕儀式!
在加冕儀式后的舞會(huì)上,艾莎和安娜并肩站在大廳入口接待的地方。加冕日最難的一關(guān)總算過(guò)去了,艾莎感覺很放松、很滿足。節(jié)日的音樂(lè)環(huán)繞在空中,賓客們?cè)谘b飾華麗的舞廳里翩翩起舞。
“你看上去很美。”艾莎對(duì)安娜說(shuō)。
“謝謝。”安娜驚訝地回答道,但臉上卻滿是笑容。她姐姐終于跟她說(shuō)話了!“你看上去肥常美。”安娜回答說(shuō)。說(shuō)完她意識(shí)到這聽起來(lái)有些別扭,便不假思索地解釋說(shuō):“我不是說(shuō)你肥,你一點(diǎn)也不肥。你是非常美!”
艾莎咧嘴笑了,說(shuō)道:“謝謝。”然后她看著人頭攢動(dòng)的舞廳,問(wèn)道:“派對(duì)就是這樣的嗎?”
安娜點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭,說(shuō)道:“比我想象得更熱鬧。”
“我猜所有人都來(lái)了,”艾莎說(shuō)道,“什么味道這么香?”
她們倆都聞到了舞廳里飄蕩著甜甜的香味。“巧克力!”她們倆異口同聲。兩人對(duì)視著,都笑了起來(lái)。
安娜幾乎不敢相信艾莎待她這么溫柔。她正要繼續(xù)跟姐姐說(shuō)話時(shí),一位客人走上前來(lái)向新晉女王和公主問(wèn)候。“這位是猥瑣屯公爵。”一位侍者介紹道。“威斯頓。”公爵糾正說(shuō)。說(shuō)完他點(diǎn)頭致意:“作為貴國(guó)最密切的貿(mào)易伙伴,我想我最適合邀請(qǐng)您跳加冕后的第一支舞。”
艾莎嚴(yán)肅起來(lái),戴著手套的雙手緊緊握在了一起。“謝謝,”她說(shuō)道,“不過(guò)我不跳舞。”公爵看上去有些尷尬,這時(shí)艾莎把安娜推向前:“但我妹妹是舞蹈高手。”安娜有些不知所措,但還是接受了公爵的邀請(qǐng),跟他一起走進(jìn)舞池。
可惜公爵跳舞糟糕透頂,幾乎步步都踩到安娜的腳。他跳來(lái)跳去,假發(fā)也在他頭上動(dòng)來(lái)動(dòng)去——而且他還一直說(shuō)個(gè)不停。
“梆梆-當(dāng)當(dāng)!快看我!”他高聲說(shuō)道,“這絕對(duì)能夠彌補(bǔ)十二年來(lái)被無(wú)端拒之門外的損失。你知道封鎖城堡大門的原因嗎?”他問(wèn)安娜。“不知道?好吧,看我這一步:我就像長(zhǎng)了一張猴子臉的雞,輕舞飛揚(yáng)!”
安娜有些尷尬,公爵圍著她跳舞,活像一只垂死的孔雀。她看到艾莎在舞廳一邊看著,笑彎了腰。安娜向艾莎比畫著求助的手勢(shì),但還是沒辦法脫身。為了艾莎高興,她不得不跳完這支舞。
舞跳完了,安娜一瘸一拐地回到艾莎身邊。“呵呵,他可真活潑呀。”女王笑著說(shuō)道。
“尤其還是個(gè)穿高跟鞋的男人!”安娜回答道。姐妹倆都咯咯笑了。
“你還好吧?”艾莎更加貼心地問(wèn)道。
安娜面露微笑。“我感覺好極了,”她邊說(shuō)邊注視著艾莎的眼睛,“真是太棒了。我真想能天天這樣和你在一起。”
“我也想。”艾莎若有所思地說(shuō)。之后她發(fā)覺自己說(shuō)錯(cuò)了話,態(tài)度立刻強(qiáng)硬起來(lái):“可我不能。”
“為什么?”安娜對(duì)艾莎突然轉(zhuǎn)變態(tài)度感到不解。
艾莎變得有些緊張。“就是不能。”她堅(jiān)定地說(shuō)道。安娜感到過(guò)去的那種失落又涌上心頭,她說(shuō):“抱歉失陪了。”艾莎傷心地看著安娜走開了。
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