So this is my first ever Frozen fic... I'm sorry for the terrible boredom this first chapter induces, I just wanted to establish my storyline! I promise I have good ideas for where this is going! Please bear with me if you can stand it...
Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or its characters.
The night air is cold around him as he hides himself behind a small rock, Sven following his lead. He peeks over the top and sees the King and Queen and their two daughters, one of which, the younger one, looks like she's asleep. Or at least, he hopes she's only asleep. She is cradled in the Queen's arms. By the worried faces of the family, Kristoff knows there is something wrong.
Between trying to keep himself and Sven hidden and not being very close to the conversation being had, he can only hear snippets of what is being said.
"Born with the powers or cursed?" the troll asks the King, holding the older princess's hand.
"Born," the King explains. "And they're getting stronger." So, powers? Kristoff thinks. She can control the ice? Create it? The thought fascinates him.
"You are lucky it was not the heart," the troll says, moving closer to the small princess held by the Queen. "The heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded." He somehow conjures up images, which float in midair, of the two princesses playing in the snow, as he explains that he will remove all traces of magic from the girl's mind. This will include her memories of her sister's magic. He brings his hands closer to the young princess's head, and his images condense to a glow that disappears into her. The older sister looks upset and says something Kristoff can't quite make out, so he leans closer.
It's difficult, through the distance and the thumping of his heart, but he hears the princess being told that her powers will grow stronger, more beautiful. Then the troll's tone changes.
"Fear will be your enemy," he warns the princess. His floating images change from depictions of delicate blue snowflakes to angry red figures. She gasps, stepping back from him. Kristoff frowns slightly. It isn't really necessary to frighten the poor girl at such a time.
She is told she must learn to control her powers. The King says she will learn, but promises also to keep her locked away in the castle, her powers hidden from all those around her. After making this promise, he mounts his horse, his daughter sitting in front of him. The Queen mounts hers also, the now-healed princess still sleeping in her arms.
"Duck!" Kristoff whispers, putting a hand on Sven's back and pushing him down. The royal family rides past on their horses. A new trail of ice begins behind one of the horses, following as they ride, so Kristoff hops on Sven.
"C'mon, Sven, let's go!"
They follow the ice trail, slipping in places, but remaining unnoticed by the others. It's a long journey, but Kristoff wants desperately to find out how this is even possible; the magic, moving ice.
He rides Sven all the way back to the palace gates. Before he makes the decision to sneak in or leave before he's seen, Sven continues to follow the horses and the gates shut behind them. Kristoff quickly directs him to a crate for them to hide behind.
"What were you thinking?" he hisses at Sven. "The palace? How are we going to get out?" He's never seen the palace before, but he's too preoccupied with staying hidden to admire it properly. "We can't escape until at least the morning, and even then I don't know how we're going to do it." He pauses to sigh. "So where are we going to sleep? Because we can't sleep out here in the open or someone will find us."
Kristoff looks around them for anywhere to sleep that provides some cover from prying eyes. There are guards and servants all over the place, probably because all the rulers of Arendelle had rushed out in the middle of the night. He sees one of them returning the horses to their stable, about ten metres away.
"That's it! The stable, we've got to go there," he says to Sven. He waits a moment until the servant moves away and then motions for Sven to follow him. They creep across the concrete, hiding behind each box and cart they come across on the way, until they reach the stable. Kristoff has to jump to reach the handles. Thankfully, the only thing locking the stable is a sliding bolt on the outside. After a few jumps he shimmies it open and the two tiptoe inside.
One of the horses neighs loudly as they approach it, catching the attention of one of the servants outside. Kristoff jumps behind a hay bale as he hears the footsteps approaching, and Sven jumps into the hay itself. A moment later the door opens a crack and a man looks in. He glances around at the horses but sees nothing out of place.
"I could have sworn I locked this," he says, confused. He sighs and leaves, closing the door behind him. When Kristoff hears the bolt sliding back into place, he lets out a deep breath he hadn't realised he was holding. The noise of shuffling hay lets him know that Sven has also sat up.
"That was close," Kristoff whispers. He reaches out a hand to pet Sven on the snout. "Now I guess we make a plan in the morning." Sven nods, and Kristoff lies down in the hay on the floor. "Goodnight, then." He yawns, closes his eyes, and drifts off to sleep with his hand still on Sven.