"Hi"
The voice was timid and uncertain.
Anna turned quickly towards its source to find a young woman with short brown hair hovering in the doorway. She looked familiar. One of the guests from the party?
"Hi" She smiled back, standing up from her window seat and hurriedly composing herself. "Are you lost?"
"Oh, no, no I just...I saw you leave and I...well...I shouldn't have followed, I mean this is your home and clearly you wanted some time alone and I'm sorry..."
Oh...she hadn't realised anyone had seen her leave. It wasn't that she was trying to be rude or antisocial. She just...there had just been so many people. You would have thought after so many years alone she would be happy to finally be around people but the reality was just so...overwhelming. Especially after recent events.
"Um...no, no its fine, I'm...well I'm the host right? or at least my sister is, so...me too, sort of and I shouldn't have been sneaking off, we um...we should probably go back" She suggested nervously.
"Sure" The girl smiled. "but...I just wanted to...are...are you ok?"
Anna's eyes widened in surprise "Me? I'm fine...of course I'm fine...all good here...why wouldn't I be fine?"
"I don't know" the girl admitted quietly. "Why wouldn't you be?"
Anna frowned. Why indeed?
She knew everyone knew.
The story hadn't exactly been kept quiet. The foolish princess who had agreed to marry a man she had just met, gave him control of her kingdom and almost gotten herself and her sister killed. She knew this girl knew who she was and what she had done and why she might not be all that ok...not that it mattered because she was...ok, that is...she was fine. All good.
"No reason" she said quickly.
She knew this girl knew.
"Do you...want to talk?"
No.
"Talk? About what? I'm fine. It's all fine. We should..."
"Did you love him?"
Anna froze. The question stung. She had been stupid. She knew that. She didn't need everyone else telling her.
Ever since things had returned to normal Anna had seen them everywhere. Guests and servants and people of the kingdom all watching her, talking in whispers, about her, about him.
"No" She said harshly. "Of course not. It was just...a stupid mistake. It was never love. It wasn't real"
She was so not having this conversation. Even Elsa hadn't been able to coax her. She just...couldn't face it. Couldn't face the pity in people's eyes. Couldn't face the judgement.
"Maybe not for him...but was it real for you?"
No! She wanted to shout but couldn't. Anna felt the tears brimming in her eyes. Why did she feel like this? It had been weeks. She was fine, she had Elsa, she had Kristoff. Hans was just...he wasn't anything. A mistake. A stupid mistake. Her stupid mistake. She hadn't cried since that day, she didn't need to. She was fine.
The princess turned as the first tear escaped and trailed a hot path down her cheek. "It wasn't real." She said, whether assuring the girl or herself she wasn't sure. "I just...I thought..." She trailed off barely able to breathe.
"I get it"
Anna forced herself to turn back. To look at the girl who had followed her here. To meet her eyes. Look for the pity, the laughter. Stupid girl, falling in love with a villain. What must this girl think of her?
But there was no pity.
Just honest sadness.
Sympathy.
The girl reached out and took her hand gently. Running a thumb over Anna's in a comforting manner. "Trust me. I get it."
Anna sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve in a very un-princess like way. "Who are you?" she asked quietly.
The girl smiled sadly. "I'm someone who knows what it's like to love a villain. To honestly think they love you back" Anna stared at the girls open green eyes. They looked as vulnerable as she herself felt. "I'm someone who knows what it's like to learn the truth. How much it hurts. How no one understands how real it was, even though it wasn't. Because they were lying but you weren't. For you it was all true. True love." Anna felt her heart clench in agony.
The girl squeezed her hand firmly, grounding her.
"My name is Rapunzel and I understand"