Elsa stepped into the grand hallway of the princesses’ vacation castle, expecting warm hugs, soft music, and the gentle scent of lavender that used to drift through the corridors like a promise of peace.
But silence welcomed her.
Cold, watchful silence.
The chandeliers no longer glowed with warmth—they flickered weakly, as if unsure whether to shine or surrender. The golden wallpaper had faded, and the marble floors echoed too loudly under her boots. Even the light filtering through the stained-glass windows felt pale… drained.
The walls loomed taller than she remembered. The once-bright portraits of noble queens and young princesses seemed to stare, their painted eyes hollow, their smiles stretched too wide.
Shadows clung to corners like secrets.
A chill crept up Elsa’s spine. Something was off.
She spotted one of the castle maids dusting a window frame. “Where is everyone?” Elsa asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
The maid’s hand froze mid-motion. She turned slowly. “Gone, my lady.”
Elsa frowned. “Gone where?”
The maid hesitated, then looked down, as if afraid the walls could hear. “They’ve all… married.”
Elsa blinked. “What?”
“Most of the princesses here. They married men they barely knew. All within days of arrival.”
Her words fell like stones into the silence.
Elsa’s stomach twisted. That couldn’t be right. Just last week, she had received letters from her friends. Joyful letters about garden strolls, painting sessions, and midnight snacks in the west tower. There was no mention of weddings—no talk of men at all.
And now… they were all gone?
Elsa hurried through the east wing, past familiar doors and velvet drapes. But all she found was stillness. Doors left ajar. Rooms half-cleaned. Teacups cold. As if everyone had vanished mid-moment.
The only sound was her own heartbeat.
Then she saw her.
Princess Serina.
Standing at the tall window, still in a bridal gown. Her veil hung loosely over her shoulders, untouched by wind. Her hands rested on the window frame like stone. She didn’t move, even when Elsa called her name.
Elsa rushed forward. “Serina! What’s happened to you?”
Serina turned—slowly. Her eyes looked past Elsa, foggy and distant. Like she was still inside a dream.
“They came in our dreams,” she whispered. “And we said yes.”
Elsa felt a chill settle in her chest. “Who came?”
Serina’s lips trembled. “He did. The one in silver.”
Elsa stepped back. “Who is he? What did he do to you?”
But Serina only whispered, “You’re next. He’ll visit you tonight.”
That night, Elsa locked her chamber door and piled books against it. She lit every candle she could find, placed protective charms near her bed—just like the ones the old priestess taught her.
But when sleep came, it came like a tide she couldn’t fight.
In her dream, she was barefoot in the grand ballroom.
Alone.
The chandeliers above spun slowly, though there was no wind. The air shimmered—too quiet, too perfect.
And then he came.
A man draped in a silver cloak, faceless. His steps made no sound. His presence pulled the room into stillness, like the moment before lightning strikes.
“You are different,” he said. His voice was smooth, but icy. “But the crown needs you. Say yes, Elsa, and be more than just a girl in a castle.”
Elsa’s heart pounded. “Who are you?”
He raised his hand. In it lay a silver ring—simple, elegant, and engraved with her name.
“Say yes,” he whispered, “and all burdens will disappear.”
Suddenly, behind him, the room filled with music.
Soft. Hypnotic.
And her friends appeared—princesses in bridal gowns, gliding like dancers, each holding hands with men whose faces flickered like candle flames. Their eyes were distant. Their smiles—frozen.
Too wide. Too wrong.
Elsa backed away. “What did you do to them?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, the walls began to change—melting into mirrors.
Elsa saw herself in one—dressed as a bride.
She turned to see who stood beside her.
Not a prince.
But a man dressed like her father.
Not truly him—but something wearing his form. Cold. Controlling. Eyes hollow as if he had never been alive at all.
Elsa screamed.
The mirror shattered.
So did the dream.
She jolted awake, gasping.
Her room was silent. The candles had all gone out.
But in her lap… lay a ring.
The same silver ring from the dream.
With her name engraved in it.
Still cold to the touch.
And outside, somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard wedding bells.
But no one was getting marri
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