Summary: You have five days to break the curse. Break the curse. Save her life.
Chapter One
- The End At The Beginning -
- The Fifth Day -
Anna never learned the trick of crying gracefully. When she cried there was a rawness to it; each tear was harsh and bitter, wrestling to break free and begin its long decent down her face. She needed to latch onto something for support, anything, like a twisted sheet or a table leg. When she did, she let herself go, and her whole body wracked with grief.
She wished she learned how to cry like her sister – so dainty and pretty and silent. Elsa's tears were pearls produced from eyes so luminous they could have held a candle's light. Each tear Elsa shed meant something to the person blessed enough to see it fall. If Anna cried like her sister then she could have done it in front of people, not hidden away in a darkened corner far away from prying eyes.
And so Anna stood, fists tightly clenched, desperate to hold back the howls of grief and despair formed behind her quivering lips.
Flowers lined the aisles and pews inside the chapel. They hung in great batches from the walls and windows, woven into laurels and snow flakes. Leftover symbols from a much happier time. The flowers by the door had wilted, and smelt so strongly of death and decay Anna placed the back of her hand against her nose and tried not to breathe too deeply.
A lone soldier stood vigil on the small step between the chancel and the nave. She was very pretty, with hair like molten gold that swept over her shoulders in ringlets so soft they could hardly be natural. The soldier's name touched Anna's lips, but escaped before she could give it voice.
"All is well, Princess Anna," the soldier said, voice wooden.
No, it's not, thought Anna, miserably.
The soldier stepped aside. "Would you like to be alone with her?"
"Don't you have to stand guard?"
"I can do that by the door, my lady."
I need to be alone. She could feel the tears fighting against the floodgates. Anna nodded slowly. The soldier saluted her and left. Anna watched him walk away, before she raised her hand and said: "Wait!"
The soldier froze. "Yes, Lady Anna?"
"What's your name?"
The soldier looked confused for more than half-a-second, and once again Anna thought that this was a name she should know. "It's Evangeline, my lady. Evangeline Gwynedd," she said, confusion passing.
The name triggered a memory Anna really ought to have remembered. "But you're the captain of the palace guard," she said. "Why are you here?"
Evangeline Gwynedd was momentarily silent. "I volunteered," she eventually said. And that was all she needed to say. She turned on her heel and left the chapel, closing the door gently behind her.
The flowers smelled much sweeter on this side of the chapel, but these ones had been freshly picked for this evening. Petals were scattered on the stone floor, leading towards the alter where Queen Elsa lay unmoving. She clutched her bouquet of pale blue flowers between rigid fingers. Fresh white flowers surrounded her body, protecting her from the harsh stone.
Eyes that once danced with light and magic were vacant and glazed with a grey film. Lips once so red and quick to smile were pale and touched with icy blue.
If Anna reached out and touched her shoulder, the queen would wake. She knew it – she hoped it. She couldn't be . . . she just couldn't be!
Anna fell to her knees beside the alter and felt tears flow down her streaked cheeks. "Don't leave me, Elsa," Anna begged. Her voice sounded so choked. Kneeling this close, Anna could smell the decay the flowers tried so hard to hide.
Fingers shaking, Anna touched her sister's impossibly grey shoulder. She's so cold.
Elsa did not move.
Could not move.
Someone that powerfully alive couldn't just disappear!
No. Anna's tears fell freely, staining the petal of one of the pale flowers.
She failed everyone.
Failed her sister.
Queen Elsa was dead.
Sleep, the voice crooned to her.
"Leave me alone," Anna breathed.
Sleep. . .
#
The Dream surrounded her – or whatever the place was. Blackened tendrils of . . . something bled from the edge of her vision, snaking towards her inch by creeping inch. They stopped when she focused on them; frozen, as if they were invisible to her eyes if they did not move.
She might have been frightened by them once.
But she had seen true darkness – the kind that robbed her of her best sense and replaced it with fear and grief so crippling she couldn't move or see or smell anything but corruption and decay.
"Do you see?" the voice cut through the blackness, and at once the tendrils drew away from Anna. It wasn't a voice in her head this time; instead it sounded like someone spoke to her from far-away, or from a glittering silhouette above the water while Anna sank to the depths.
"She's dead," Anna said weakly.
"Tis a blessing," the voice replied.
"'A blessing'," repeated Anna under her breath, then with anger born from the voice's apathy, she said, "How is her death supposed to be a 'blessing'?"
"Queen Elsa's death forestalls a century or more of suffering," the voice said. "Is one woman's death in exchange no fair price?"
"How," she demanded, "How is my sister dying a fair price for anything?!"
"Is one death not better than thousands? If Elsa lives then their misery is assured."
"Elsa would never hurt our people!"
"She is cursed with witchcraft – she will hurt those around her regardless of her desire."
Anna clenched her fists and choked back fresh, furious tears. "Elsa isn't like that!" she protested.
"You deny this?" the voice said. "You, who nearly lost your life at Elsa's hands?"
"I . . ." The voice struck truth and Anna couldn't deny it, no matter how much the memory stung. Then, a small voice in Anna's head took control. Lips quivering, Anna said. "I don't want my sister to die."
"The love you bear is a powerful thing," the voice said carefully. "'Tis a risk, yet perhaps it shall be enough?" Then, a note of finality entered the voice, as if a decision it had long been pondering had final been made. "Come to me, Princess Anna."
What?
Violet light pierced the blackness. The tendrils that had snaked around Anna's wrists and ankles reared back and fled. Anna squeezed her eyes shut, but the light drove through her eyelids and filled her mind. Anna clenched her teeth, and her head thumped so painfully it hurt too much to even open her mouth to scream.
Then it was over. When Anna opened her eyes she was lying on a floor made from marble tiles. Shaking with the remembered pain, Anna clambered to her feet and looked around the marble hall. Great pillars were erected on either side of Anna, stretching towards a roof so high Anna could hardly make it out through the purple sheen surrounding her. The chamber reminded Anna of Arendelle's Entrance Hall, but without the portraits and suits of armour.
"You have five days," the voice said to her.
Anna started. The voice always sounded disembodied before, but now it sounded like it was right beside her. She spun around and saw the man. He had the kind of face that stopped a girl in her tracks and made her momentarily forget herself and what she was doing. Chocolate brown hair fell lazily over his eyes though it was lank and tousled with grime. Strong and catastrophic eyes too large for his face regarded Anna curiously. He was impossibly thin, but that only served to make his angular features more striking.
"What?" Anna breathed.
The man regarded his timepiece and arched a perfectly thick eyebrow. "What you have seen will come to pass," he said. "In five days Elsa will die from a curse so terrible the world shall weep." The man grimaced and looked away. "The worst part of me rails against this warning. What is the life of one innocent girl in the face of what her death will prevent?"
"What?" Anna said again. "What are you talking about?"
But the man ignored her. "The vision of the next five days shall aid you. And you shall remember what you have seen, Princess Anna. You shall remember every detail as if it happened mere moments before."
Anna's frustration took control. She strode up to the man and said. "You're not making a single bit of sense! Visions? Curses? Are you telling me what I saw wasn't real? Does that mean my sister isn't really..."
The man went on as if Anna hadn't spoken. "This place shall be your refuge, somewhere where she cannot follow. The decision has been made: break the curse, and save Queen Elsa's life." His lip trembled. "And may God forgive me if I'm wrong."
"Who are you?" Anna demanded. "Start making sense!"
"Five days, Princess Anna." His voice echoed eerily through the empty chamber.
Five.
Five days.
Princess Anna.
You have five days.
Five.
You have five days, Princess Anna.
Five days to break the curse.
Don't fail.
And so help the land if you do.
"I saw Elsa die," Anna shouted at the man. "Are you telling me that was all a dream? Are you even listening to me?" She stormed towards the man and jabbed at him as hard as she could. The man swept away from her fingers, his body twisting and turning impossibly. Anna stifled a scream.
Break the curse.
Save her life.
BREAK THE CURSE.
SAVE HER LIFE.
"Anna, wake up!" A sing-song voice broke the violet light.
BREAK THE CURSE.
SAVE HER LIFE.
BREAK THE CURSE.
SAVE HER LIFE.
"Anna!"
The man grabbed Anna's shoulder and leaned in so close their lips almost touched. His breath smelt of sweet white flowers and heady decay. "Break the curse," he whispered softly. "Save her life. You have five days."
- The First Day -
"Anna," a sing-song voice called to her. "Anna, it's time to wake up!"
Anna moaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Violet light merged with the blackness retreating from the edge of her sight. Anna blinked and looked around blearily. I'm in my room, she thought, surprised. Did Kristoff carry me here?
The sound of a small fist rapping against the door filled the room. "Anna, come on, don't make me bust down this door." Is that? "I will, you know. This is my palace. I can get away with it."
Anna threw back the bedsheets and rushed to the door. It can't be, she thought, as she fumbled with the lock. It's impossible! The lock finally gave way and Anna threw the door open.
"About time," Elsa said, hands on her hips. She looked Anna up and down, one eyebrow perched critically. "You're not even dressed yet!"
"You're alive!" Anna said. She felt tears burn behind her eyelids.
"Um, Anna?" Elsa said stiffly as Anna wrapped her arms around her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm wonderful," replied Anna, body shaking as she sobbed. "Really, I am." A dream. Of course, it was all a dream!
"That's . . . good, then." Elsa patted Anna's back. "But you don't sound okay."
Anna choked back a laugh and released her sister. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and smiled as brightly as her teary face could allow. To Anna, this kind of happiness was a cloudless spring day. Innocent. Happy.
Perfect.
"I am," Anna insisted. "I'm happy to see you."
Elsa smiled and half-shook her head. "I'm happy to see you too, Anna. But I would be a bit happier if you were dressed." Elsa paused and sniffed. "Bathed too, I think."
"What do I need to be bathed and dressed for?"
Elsa stared. "You're kidding, right?"
What?
"Of course you are," Elsa laughed, looking more than a bit relieved. "I forget how well you can do that gormless look. I'll send the servants with a hip bath, Make sure you clean yourself, Anna."
"You're not going to leave, are you?" Anna said.
"Someone has to fetch the servants, and it shouldn't be you today. Don't worry, I'll be back to help you with your dress."
Just a horrible, horrible dream.
"Oh, I peeked inside the chapel," said Elsa, smiling cheekily. "There are flowers everywhere. Someone even scattered red rose petals along the aisle. It looks lovely. You'll love it, I know it!"
Flowers?
And then Anna remembered.
"I can't believe my baby sister is getting married today."
You have five days to break the curse, the man from her dream crooned in her ear.
Anna froze.
What?
#
Author's Note: I had this plot idea while watching Jurassic World. Weird, huh, totally unrelated. I smashed out this short chapter in a few hours and I'm keen to see where this takes me. There aren't going to be any dinosaurs in this story, but there will be a fair bit of other stuff! I'm still writing Canary, my other Frozen Fic, but this idea wouldn't go away!
Thanks for reading!