I was nervous. Even after the ceremony and into the party, I was nervous. Nervous about meeting people, about socializing, about seeing Anna face to face for the first time in over three years. But I couldn't let it show. It was my duty to be the Queen above all, and I couldn't let my fears ruin the evening for everyone else.
Dignitaries came and went, all a blur of the same mindless chatter. It wasn't until Anna spoke to me that the feeling I was dreading got stronger. I wanted to have a conversation with her, I wanted it to be like when we were younger, but how could it? I kept the conversation light, phatic, no more interesting than someone commenting on the weather; but she wanted more and that was something I couldn't handle. She tried again to break the ice, but a sharp comment sent her into the crowd. I regretted it, but I had no other choice. After all, it was my duty to protect the kingdom; and that meant protecting Anna from myself.
I hardly noticed she was gone; honestly, it was hard to notice her around after being isolated from her for so many years, but the crowds of people dancing and the constant stream of praise from the other kingdoms kept me occupied for much longer than I had ever imagined. Everything was running smoothly, and the fear that was shaking my confidence had subsided for the time being. No one knew, no one was going to know, and by the end of the evening, all would be back to the way it was.
It wasn't until Anna returned with Hans by her side that the feeling I dreaded started mounting in leaps and bounds. Steadying myself with the steely face of a sovereign, I prepared for the worst. Every word that she said made things worse; the anxiousness grew and even though I was nothing more than shocked on the outside, inside I was scared. Scared that I couldn't control myself forever, scared that despite best efforts, someone would end up knowing my secret.
I attempted to walk away, to diffuse the situation and keep things in check, but Anna was persistent. When she took my glove, panic arose. It was the one thing that was even remotely keeping me from destroying my kingdom's untarnished name. It was then that the fear started to take over, and in a fell swoop, my anger got the best of me, and I lashed out at those who tried to work their way into my life. I lashed out at my own sister . The people stopped dancing, and the fear that hung in the air seemed trivial compare to the fear inside me. I ran, hoping to distance myself from the problem, but the people outside the hall didn't know, and they greeted me with the same cheery praise that I had been subject to earlier. When Anna showed up on the doorstep, I couldn't hide it anymore. I begged those involved to let me do what I thought was best, to let me go and not get involved; but my sister refused to take the hint.
Panic-stricken, I bolted through the crowds. After what they knew I was capable of, there was no stopping me. I knew I shouldn't have let the emotion get the better of me, but it was too late now. If fear was going to get me out of Arendelle, I was ready to walk that path. I took one last glance at the castle when Anna called my name, and leaving everything I loved behind, I flew across the frozen fjord and onto freedom.