Hi everyone and welcome to my new story. This is a Princess Diaries AU with some additional scenes and tweaks to the plot and characters. I also want to mention that this is not an Elsanna story and the main pairing here is slowburn Kristanna. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy the first chapter. :)

Chapter 1

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Seventeen year old Anna Christensen's eyes fluttered open at the piercing sound of the alarm clock. Lifting her head up from her pillow, Anna let out a small groan in response. A loud bang of her fist and the clock went dead a few seconds later. Just how Anna wanted it. With a satisfied smile, she dropped her head onto her pillow and closed her eyes for just a few more...

"Anna! Anna dear time for school!"

"I'm awake!" Anna answered back and the smile she wore slowly disappeared.

The young woman sat up with a large yawn and wiped the slip of salvia from her chin. She then swung her legs over the edge of the bed and moved with a zombie's pace across her room. Near the vanity, Anna reached for her brush and her eyes fell on her freshly washed school uniform that was laid out on her chair.

Someday, I'm going to wear whatever I want to school. Something better than this. Anna thought as she starred at the unattractive dark blue cardigan, light blue blouse, plaid skirt, black stockings, and black shoes. She grudgingly slipped off her oversized nightshirt and dressed into the outfit. Once she was dressed, Anna turned to her small IPod on her desk and her frown turned into a sudden smile. She reached over and shuffled through her music until she came across Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City's "Good Life." Turning up the volume, Anna grabbed her brush, a few hairbands, and a new headband.

In front of her mirror, Anna winced as she ran her brush through her hair and managed to braid it into its usual two plaits. Once she looked somewhat presentable, Anna threw her schoolbooks and folders into her bag, tucked her IPod into her cardigan pocket, and made her way out of her bedroom to brush her teeth.

"Good morning!"

In the kitchen, her guardians Kai and Gerda turned at the sound of her approaching steps. The frowns on their faces disappeared as Anna set down her bag on the fourth chair.

"We almost thought you'd sleep in. Then what would we do with all these chocolate chip pancakes?" Gerda wondered.

"You know I'd still eat them." Anna giggled and slipped into her seat at the table. She watched Gerda as she approached her with the plateful of warm pancakes and her stomach growled in response. One of the many things Anna loved about Gerda was her cooking. She never made anything that Anna did not like.

"Thanks Gerda." she said and grabbed her fork and knife. As she began to eat, the older couple approached the table with their own plates and sat down.

A somewhat awkward silence filled the kitchen as Anna ate, Kai did the morning crossword, and Gerda looked over the mail. Once she was halfway done with her second pancake, Anna straightened and turned to her guardians. She set her silverware down, wondering if something happened. Kai and Gerda were usually never this quiet. There was always something to talk about – the weather, sports, the neighbors, school, work, anything other than silence.

"So…I got my big debate today. You know about the school dress code and whether or not we should have it." Anna spoke up, trying to break the awkward silence.

Gerda looked up and her lips formed into a nice smile. "I'm sure you'll do wonderful dear."

"Gerda's right, you're always so friendly and outgoing. Everyone will love it." Kai added as he filled in a four letter row with the word sour.

"Yeah but I'm not so good in front of large crowds, and if you saw the people in my debate class then you'd freak out too." Anna admitted with a small sigh. Just imagining it was making her belly churn in sudden nervousness. She took a sip of her orange juice.

"So what are your plans for today?" Anna asked curiously after she set her glass down. She perked up and her frown turned upside down as she looked at the couple.

Her guardians straightened in sudden surprise and Anna's brow rose when she noticed Gerda's cheeks flush a slight pink. Kai hesitated and set his pencil and book down. He then turned to Anna and cleared his throat.

"Anna dear…you've been with us your whole life."

"Ever since you were a tiny baby." Gerda spoke up.

"And we love you very much." Kai said hesitantly.

Anna looked from Kai to Gerda, the uncertainty inside her growing and her hand tightening around her glass. "I love you too."

Is something wrong with me? I'm not eighteen yet. Do they want to kick me out? Anna forced herself to push the latter thought away. No Kai and Gerda would never throw her out. They just told her that they loved her.

Gerda bit down on her bottom lip and reached out to grip Anna's hand. "Anna, what we want to tell you is that well…we took you in even before your first birthday."

Anna swallowed hard at the anxious look on the older woman's face. "I know."

"And well we…we never actually sat down with you and told you the truth about your past. About your real family." Gerda continued.

"No you didn't." Anna whispered and looked down at her lap. All her life she had assumed that Kai and Gerda were her real parents because they rarely brought up her real family or her past.

Across from her, Kai looked down at his plate. "You see Anna…before we took you in as our own, we lived in a small country called Arendelle."

Anna crinkled her nose and titled her head to the side. Perhaps she did hear of such a country once back when she learned geography in elementary school. "Arendelle…where's that again?"

"It's a small country in Europe, to the west of Norway." Gerda answered.

"And I…we….my family lived there?" Anna asked slowly.

"No, you were born in Arendelle and your parents were Adgar and Idun." Gerda explained. She stopped and turned to Kai, who looked just cautious as her.

"Adgar and Idun, they sound so formal…so wealthy." Anna admitted, unaware of Kai and Gerda's hesitation. And suddenly Anna really wanted to know more. Who her parents were, where they lived, if they really were wealthy, if she had siblings…

'It might seem crazy what I am about to say. Sunshine she's here, you can take a break."

Anna straightened and fumbled with getting her phone out, just as a sigh of relief escaped from her guardians. Anna looked down sighed wearily at the name on her screen. Did Rapunzel really have to call now when things were getting interesting?

"Hold on I gotta take this." Anna pressed the ANSWER button and brought the device to her ear. "Good morning Punzie!"

"Hi Anna! Are you coming? I'm waiting outside." her best friend said on the other line.

Anna's cheeks flushed red and she face-palmed herself. She got so wrapped up in the information about her family that she lost track of the time. "Crap I totally forgot! I'm so sorry I just got sidetracked. I'll be out in two."

Hanging up, Anna glanced at Kai and Gerda. "I gotta go, Punzie's waiting for me and I wanna to grab Kristoff some breakfast before school."

"That's okay dear." Gerda said with a small smile.

"We'll talk more when you return later." Kai assured her.

Anna nodded and stood up. "Okay, definitely."

She swung her backpack over her shoulders and smiled warmly, yet inside she felt a little glum that they left her hanging. Anna made a mental note to remind them to continue with this discussion later. She could not just let this slide. This was her lost past they brought up! Any child would want to know about his or her real family.

"I'll see you later. Love you both!" Anna exclaimed. Coming around the table, she threw her arms around both Kai and Gerda and pecked a kiss on their cheeks.

"We love you too. Good luck on your debate." Gerda bidded. She and Kai both watched the cheerful girl move out of the kitchen and to the front door.

Once the door shut behind her and the house was silent, Kai turn and meet Gerda's uneasy gaze. "We should've told her this sooner."

Gerda sighed and looked up at her husband. "I know, and now it might be too late."

"When her sister comes this evening then we'll tell her everything. We have to make sure we leave nothing out. Anna has to know everything about her past and who she really is." Kai explained. He stood up from his seat and moved to refill his coffee mug.

Gerda let out a short sigh and turned to the small silver phone on the kitchen table. She had a somewhat uneasy feeling that Anna was not going to take the news lightly.

Ring! Ring! Ring! The sudden noise startled the older woman as she eyed the phone on the table. The screen was bright and the caller's name flashed bold and black. Turning to her husband, Gerda straightened and picked up the phone. The ringing soon stopped as she answered the call.

"Hello Elsa dear."

"Is something wrong Anna? You're strangely quiet." Rapunzel admitted.

At the moment the two girls stood at the corner of the street and waiting for the crosswalk light to turn on. Around them, San Francisco was bustling with morning life. Men and women dressed in casual business suits were walking along the sidewalk on their way to work. Construction workers were busy patching up a roof on a nearby building. Cars, taxis, and buses crowded the streets in the morning rush. The lingering aromas of freshly brewed coffee and pastries filled the girls' noses as they stood right beside the nearest café. Inside, a long line of customers was already formed and the baristas were working quick at the bar. Fortunately for Anna, she managed to get a muffin and coffee before the hassle.

To her right, Anna blinked and turned to meet her best friend's gaze. "Huh? Sorry I was just thinking."

"Yeah I can see that." Rapunzel giggled, brushing a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear. "Care to share?"

The red pedestrian light flickered on and the girls began to walk across with the rest of the morning crowd.

"It's just that Kai and Gerda are acting really weird. They were quiet at breakfast and then out of nowhere they brought up my real family." Anna explained.

"Your real family?" Rapunzel's eyes widened in sudden surprise. "What did they say?"

"They said that I was born in a country called Arendelle. Do you remember learning about it at all?" Anna asked her.

Rapunzel thought for a moment before she shook her head. "No, it sounds like something out of a children's storybook."

"That's what I thought too. But Kai and Gerda sounded dead-on serious. They said it was attached to Norway."

"What else did they say?" Rapunzel asked as they crossed the busy street. Once they were on the other side, they began to walk in the direction of the large garage where their best friend Kristoff Bjorman worked.

"You'll hear the rest when we meet Kristoff."

Approaching the building, Rapunzel opened the door and stepped aside to let Anna pass. They stepped in and walked past three cars waiting to be fixed. The smell of oil and rubber filled the air as Anna made her way to a rusted red Dodge Ram and slipped around it. A sudden smile appeared on her face as Anna blinked down at the long legs that stuck out from underneath the truck. She could hear a faint whistling from underneath.

"Nice tune. Coldplay?" she spoke up.

There was a faint thump and a muffled curse before Kristoff pushed himself out from underneath the truck. His weathered jeans and brown T-shirt were streaked with oil and his dark blonde hair was disheveled. The deep frown on his face immediately disappeared when he looked up at the girl.

"Hey." he greeted with a small smile.

"Hi!" Anna chirped and held up the warm paper bag and tall cup of coffee. "I brought you breakfast. Your favorite – a carrot muffin with cream cheese frosting and a tall latte macchiato with a caramel drizzle."

Kristoff's smile grew as he scrambled up from the floor and took the offering. Like Rapunzel, Anna and Kristoff's friendship went back to elementary school. He lived a few houses down from the Christensens and like Anna, he was also adopted as a young boy. He did not go to high school with Anna and Rapunzel, but was in his second year at the local community college. In addition to going to school, he also worked part time at the garage.

"Thanks Freckles. You look really nice." he admitted, his cheeks flushing at the pretty smile on Anna's face. And there was that new sunflower headband she had slipped in her strawberry blonde hair. Like always, she looked beautiful in his eyes.

Anna tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a timid grin. "Thanks Kristoff."

"So what's up with you two? You look strangely cheerful for a boring old Monday." Kristoff noted as he reached into the paper bag.

Rapunzel giggled. "Oh we are, tell him Anna."

Anna rolled her eyes at her best friend and turned to the young man. "Kai, Gerda, and I had a small talk about my real family at breakfast."

Kristoff's dark brown eyes widened as he bit into his muffin. "Your real family? What did you find out?" he asked in between bites.

Anna shrugged. "Oh nothing much, except that I was born in a country called Arendelle and that my parents' names were Adgar and Idun. Heck I don't even know if I have a brother or sister."

Kristoff chuckled. "Did you try Ancestry dot com?"

"Kristoff I'm being serious!"

"So am I."

"I'm sure they'll tell you more about them later, they can't let something this big slide." Rapunzel insisted with a small smile.

"It's definitely interesting that they decided to tell you today out of all days." Kristoff said with a nod. "They never brought it up before?"

"No not really other than the fact that I was adopted. After that I sometimes wondered about my real parents until I asked Kai one day and he…." Anna stopped suddenly and pressed her lips together.

Rapunzel and Kristoff turned to her, wondering why she stopped. A few seconds later Anna looked up at them and the intrigue and curiosity was replaced with a sudden sadness.

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked, clasping a hand on Anna's shoulder.

Anna sighed and swept a hand across her eyes to get rid of the sudden tears. "He told me that my parents died when I was ten months old, and after that he and Gerda took me in."

"Oh Anna." Rapunzel gasped. She wrapped her arms around her best friend and Anna leaned in to squeeze Kristoff's hand for comfort.

"It's fine." Anna said, pulling back and straightening her shoulders. "I mean I know it's sad but I'm happy that I have Kai and Gerda and you two. I don't know what I'd do without you guys." she said, her lips curving into a grateful smile.

"And we're so happy to have you Anna. We'll never leave you." Rapunzel smiled and grabbed the girl in a fierce hug.

Kristoff grinned and stood off to the side as Anna returned Rapunzel's hug. After a few moments, the blonde boy cleared his throat. "I hate to break the tender moment but don't you have an important debate today?"

At the mention of her upcoming assignment, Anna's eyes flew open and she scowled at her best friend.

Kristoff chuckled and crumpled up the pastry bag with his free hand. "You'll do fine Freckles. It's not like you're a queen and you have to speak in front of an entire kingdom."

"Kristoff's right, just pick a spot on the wall and stare at that…or just imagine everyone in their underwear." Rapunzel added with a small giggle.

A few hours later, the bell for fifth period rang throughout the hallways of the high school. With a bowed head, Anna moved past her classmates and slumped down in her chair. This was it. The big debate of the semester. Taking out her notebook and pencil, Anna pushed back a loose strand of hair and stroked down her shirt.

You'll be fine Freckles. It's not like you're a queen and gotta speak in front of an entire kingdom. Kristoff's silly advice flowed in her head, and Anna could not help but smile. Stealing a quick glance at the front of the room, she took out her phone and decided to send Kristoff a quick text.

A : Almost time to debate. Wish me luck!

Turning back in her chair, Anna saw Rapunzel sit down in her chair three seats back. The moment she lifted her eyes, she noticed Anna smiling at her. Returning her smile, Punzie lifted up her hands and showed her two thumbs up.

"Good luck. You'll do great." she mouthed.

"Thanks." Anna returned. She turned back to the front just in time to hear the familiar ping of a new text.

K : Good luck!

Anna chewed on her bottom lip and tucked her phone away.

"Okay class let's all settle down so we can begin our debates!" the speech teacher Mr. Follows spoke up as he approached the front of the room.

Pushing his large glasses up his nose, the older man looked down at the list in his hands. "Okay the first debate is focuses on the dress code and the two participants are Anna Christensen and Jamie Jules. Anna will be arguing against the dress code, while Jamie will be arguing for it."

The students began to clap as Anna and her opponent stood up from their seats and moved to the two podiums at the front of the room. Two dozen pairs of eyes fell on the two girls as Anna straightened and set her notebook on the podium. Across from her, she sensed that the optimistic, straight-A student Jamie Jules was ready to go – judging by her erect posture, neatly arranged notecards, and wide grin. She looked so much more comfortable than the strawberry blonde to her left.

"Who would like to begin?" Mr. Follows asked as he got comfortable in a desk at the very back of the room.

"I can go first Mr. Follows." Jamie offered, stealing a quick glance at the other girl.

Mr. Follows nodded in approval and Jamie began to speak. Five minutes later, Jamie ended and the class broke into applause. Jamie flashed her audience a bright grin before setting down her index cards and patting down her long blonde tresses.

Mr. Follows smiled in approval and turned to Anna. "And now we will hear the opponent Anna Christensen's rebuttal. We're ready when you are Ms. Christensen."

Anna swallowed hard and gave her teacher a simple nod. "I'm ready sir."

"Okay then, your five-minute argument starts now." Mr. Follows turned on the timer and all eyes fell on Anna.

Straightening her shoulders, Anna sucked in a large breath and rolled her eyes down to her notes. Breathe. Just breathe.

"Today I'm going to take about why we shouldn't have school uniforms."

Dark blue eyes rolled up from her notebook and Anna stiffened at the intense gaze of her classmates and teacher. In her seat, Rapunzel was gesturing her to continue, yet Anna found herself avoiding her glance and instead watching two girls whisper and giggle at her.

"Look at her, she looks like she's five in that headband."

"I wonder where she got it, probably Gymboree."

Oh boy this is not starting off good. Anna thought as she looked at the girls.

"M-my first point on why we should not have school uniforms is because it um…" Anna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at her notes. She could feel her palms start to grow sweaty against her sides.

"My first valid point is that we shouldn't have school uniforms because it it strips students of their creativity and originality."

The junior stopped and forced herself to breathe, yet she could already hear her classmates snicker and whisper. Her hands grabbed at her skirt in a sudden panic.

"Is she okay?"

Anna looked up and swallowed at the sight of the smiling, beautiful, brunette Louisa Branson, also known as the most popular girl in school. Her blonde best friend Julia giggled and clasped a hand to her lips. Seated beside them, the popular and handsome Dylan Calhoun was watching her with a bright smile that made Anna even more nervous and flustered than she already was.

"Look at her face! She's as white as a ghost!" Louisa brought up.

"Is she gonna faint? Someone should get ready to catch her!" Julia snickered.

"Quiet please everyone!" Mr. Follows bellowed.

Anna opened her mouth once again, her fingers letting go of her skirt. She could do this. She had to do it. "Well you see the uniforms strip our originality because it…" No you know what I can't do this.

"Yup she's definitely gonna faint." one boy insisted.

"Someone get the nurse!" Louisa exclaimed.

As more students began to whisper and snort, Anna felt the nervous bile rise up in her belly. She couldn't do this anymore. Not with everyone already sneering and laughing at her. Why did Louisa and Julia have to be so mean? Weakly, she reached out and clasped a hand on her stomach, hoping no one would see the unease.

"Excuse me!" she stammered.

And without another word, the girl moved away from the podium and towards the door. As she began to run down the hallway, Anna felt the warm tears prick her eyes and she could hear the applause and hoots coming from the speech room.

After her horrendous debate, Anna forced herself to survive the rest of the school day. The moment her last class was over, she hurried out of the building and caught the first bus home, suddenly wanting nothing more but to change into her comfortable pajamas and to slip into her bed. What was she supposed to tell Kai and Gerda when they asked about her speech? Anna hoped they would not bring it up.

Approaching her house, the glum girl made her way up the steps to her front door.

"I'm home." Anna announced, opening the front door and stepping in. She dropped her backpack on the floor and shrugged off her cardigan just as Gerda appeared at the kitchen door.

"Hi dear, how was your day?" the older woman asked.

Anna met her glance and forced on a light smile. "Fine, the debate was good."

"That's nice to hear." Gerda smiled and nodded at the kitchen. "I've made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Come have some and meet our guest."

"Thanks Gerda." Anna whispered, her frown slowly fading at the mention of cookies and a guest.

Kicking off her shoes, Anna turned to the small mirror on the wall and adjusted her shirt. Anna then walked into the kitchen and suddenly stopped, her eyes growing wide.

Seated at the dinner table was a beautiful young woman with long platinum blonde hair that was pulled back in a neat French bun and dark blue eyes. Dressed in a crisp white blouse, a light blue knee-length skirt, and dark blue pumps, the woman sat erect and poised with one leg tucked into the other. At the sound of Anna's approaching steps, the woman looked up and her pretty smile disappeared. An unreadable look passed through her face as she acknowledged the younger girl.

"Hello!" Anna greeted with a new cheerfulness. Standing behind the woman, Kai and Gerda watched the whole scene with held breathes.

The woman suddenly stood, her pretty blue eyes growing wide. Anna's smile remained on her face, yet the woman's face was clouded with sudden emotion. For a long moment neither she nor Anna spoke, filling the kitchen with a strange, uncertain silence. Finally, after what appeared to be a few long moments, Anna straightened and held out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you ma'am. I'm Anna."

The blonde woman's lips trembled and for a split moment Anna thought she was going to break into tears. She braced herself, yet instead the woman straightened and her lips curved into an emotional smile.

"Anna…I can't believe it's really you." she whispered.

"Of course it's me." Anna shifted in sudden surprise. "Um do I know you?"

The woman shook her head quickly and looked down at her fumbling hands. "No I don't expect you to, you were only a baby when we were separated."

Wait what? Anna's mouth flew open and she felt herself take a large step back. Her head began to swim in confusion. She suddenly remembered her conversation with Kai and Gerda this morning. The conversation about her real family.

"W-who are…"

"Anna." Gerda spoke up, stepping around the table.

Anna watched in growing shock as her guardian walked over to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"This is your sister Elsa."