It was a beautiful spring day. Seagulls flew overhead as the sun shone down onto the fjord below. Anna and Kristoff sat on the edge of a pier, watching the ships sail in and out of the harbor. Today, a ship had arrived from Spain, bearing oranges, olives, and delicious salted ham. Anna sighed with content, and Kristoff wrapped his arm around her and they sat there just like that, enjoying the moment.
Anna broke the silence. "Hey, Kristoff," she said. "Do you like it, here in Arendelle?"
"Do I, uh, do I like it?" replied Kristoff, looking back at Anna with a puzzled expression on his face. "I guess I never really thought about it. I mean, I live here. We live here. It's just home. I've never even been anywhere else."
"Yeah, but don't you wonder about it? Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but lately I've been wanting something more. Something different."
"Something different? We just got back from our trip up the mountain, and just last week we went to that village with Elsa! That was different!"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know, but it wasn't different enough! There's still the same old pine trees on the mountain, and in the village! When we went there, we still brought the same chocolate from Fredrik's, and the same bread from the bakery! I already know practically everybody in town! I want to meet new people, in a new place. Somewhere completely different."
Anna stood up, and gestured to the ships. "There's a ship coming in from Calais in two weeks. When it leaves, I want to be on that ship, and I want to be there with you. Kristoff, I want to go to France."
Kristoff frowned. "I don't know, Anna, it's a long way, and wouldn't it be expensive?"
"Expensive? Kristoff, I'm a princess."
"We don't even know the language!"
"You don't know the language," corrected Anna, with a grin spreading across her face.
Kristoff just looked at her. "Wait a second. You speak French?"
"Well of course! It's not like I just sat in that castle doing nothing for eighteen years!"
Kristoff paused in thought, and then spoke. "How long would we be gone?"
Anna brought her hand to her chin. "Hmm, well, let's see, it would be about four days there and four days back, and of course we'll have to go to Paris, too, and maybe also somewhere else, and well, oh, um, a month and a half!"
Kristoff was again quiet, and then after a long time, he said it. "Let's go."
Anna squealed in delight. "Oh Kristoff, I knew you'd say yes! I knew it! Oh my gosh, we are going to have so much fun! Oh, I could just kiss you!"
And so she did.
It was morning the next day, and Elsa sat in her study, poring over a report from the fishermen's guild. According to the letter, some Arendelle fishermen were driven off from their catch by a Southern Isles frigate, which claimed in turn that the fishermen were encroaching on territory belonging to the Isles. As always, it fell to Elsa to resolve this dispute, and she was about to get up and head to the library to look for a book on maritime law when her sister burst into the room.
"Anna? You're up early." said Elsa, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh? Yeah, I guess I am, aren't I?" said Anna. "I couldn't sleep. Uh, I actually have something kind of... serious to talk about. Something really serious, I guess. I couldn't sleep 'cause I was thinking about it."
"What is it?" asked Elsa, with concern in her voice. "I'm sure I can help."
"No, no, it's nothing bad!" said Anna, and Elsa visibly relaxed. "It's just, well, it's kind of a big step. Kristoff and I were watching the ships, and we were talking about things we did, like that trip to the village, and we decided we liked that but we kind of wanted to go somewhere else, and well, now I'm rambling, but maybe even a whole different country, and I thought about that ship from France that's coming, and I was thinking maybe me and Kristoff could go there, to France? For a trip?"
"France?" Elsa looked shocked. "Why?"
"Oh, I just thought it would be fun." said Anna, deflated. "You know I've never been able to travel before, and I just thought it would be nice if me and Kristoff finally got to, together. We would only be gone for a month and a half."
"A month and a half?!" exclaimed Elsa. "You can't just up and go to France for a month and a half. That's ridiculous. You're only eighteen years old, and you've never even been to another country. Your French is barely conversational, and I doubt Kristoff can even say 'hello.' I'm sorry, but you can't go to France."
Anna stared at her sister, mouth agape. "Don't you trust me at all? I already have it all planned out, and my French is fine! Honestly Elsa, why can't I go?"
A single snowflake fell in the space between them. Elsa opened her mouth in shock for a second, but closed it just as fast. Another snowflake fell, but not a third - Elsa steeled herself, and then spoke. "I'm sorry, but you just can't. You aren't ready. Now, could you leave? I'm very busy."
Anna opened her mouth to protest, but then decided against it. She gave her sister a hard look, and then left the room in a huff, slamming the door behind her.
Elsa buried her head in her hands and tried her hardest not to cry.
Kristoff frowned. He was looking down at his gold pocketwatch - one of Anna's many extravagant gifts. The thought of the watch made him want to smile again, but it was twenty-five minutes past 10 o'clock, and Anna was late. Not that she was always the most punctual person, but they had made it their routine to meet at the ice cream shop at 10 o'clock every Wednesday, and she had never been late before. Kristoff had figured that Anna would never be late when ice cream was involved.
Kristoff closed his pocketwatch and stayed seated in the corner.
She probably just overslept.
Kristoff resolved to head over to the castle if she wasn't here by ten-thirty. Luckily, his fears were assuaged when Anna entered the shop, but they returned when Kristoff saw Anna's face. She wasn't wearing her usual gleeful smile; in its place was a nervous frown.
"Hi, Kristoff," said Anna in a quiet voice. "Sorry I'm late. I didn't know if I even wanted to come today, but I figured I should."
Kristoff felt a weight in his chest, and he was worrying more than ever. Anna was never like this. "What? Why? What happened?"
"It's Elsa. She said we couldn't go to France. It's more than just that, though. When I asked her, we had this big fight, and ever since, it's like she's been avoiding me. She just stays there in her study with the door closed, working. I don't know why she's treating me like this, and I feel terrible. On the one hand, I can't believe she doesn't trust me, and even if I do get to talk to her, I don't know how I'm going to stop myself from getting angry. On the other hand, I don't know what I did to make her act like this, and I just want my sister back. Even if she does think I'm worthless."
"Well one thing's for sure - you will never be worthless," said Kristoff. "But you need to slow down. Tell me what happened. What did she say to you?"
"She said I wasn't ready," answered Anna. "She doesn't think I can take care of myself. I don't understand why after all this time she still refuses to just trust me! Ugh, I haven't been this mad at her in forever!"
"I think you just need to talk to her," said Kristoff. "You two love each other, right? When two people love each other, that much, I think things have a way of working themselves out - I've seen it before. I'm sure she can't keep avoiding you forever."
"You'd be surprised," said Anna. "But I know you're right. I should just talk to her. I'm just afraid that she'll get mad at me again. I don't want her to push me away like that, and I'm terrified it will go just as badly as last time."
"Don't worry, Anna. Just remember that she loves you. Just as much as I do."
Kristoff got up from his seat and took Anna into a warm embrace. They stayed like that for a while, but eventually Anna pulled away. After all, the ice cream couldn't wait forever.
Elsa was in her office, examining a letter she had written to send to the Southern Isles on the subject of the recent fishing dispute. She finished reading it, and then leaned back, brought a hand to her forehead and sighed. The letter was terrible. It was riddled with legal errors and shoddy arguments based on laws that barely applied. The queen could hardly remember a word of that tome she had forced herself through yesterday, and she couldn't seem to make herself stay focused. Elsa took the letter, looked it over one more time, and then ripped it in two, throwing the remains of the document in a nearby wastebasket.
Elsa was simply too worried to practice good diplomacy. That day when Anna had asked to go to France, Elsa had dined with her sister as usual, intent on pretending nothing was wrong. But at dinner, Anna had been uncharacteristically quiet, and when Elsa tried to engage her in conversation, Anna only shot her a glare and went back to her food. After that incident, Elsa had started taking her meals in the study, too ashamed to face her sister. The queen was afraid that she had really hurt Anna when she denied her request, and she didn't know what she could say to make things right.
There was a knock on the door, and then she heard a voice. "Elsa?"
The queen froze. She wasn't ready for this, not yet. She needed time to prepare, to figure out what to say. So that she wouldn't freak out again, and screw everything up. She took a deep breath, calming herself, and then spoke. "Not right now. I'm working."
On her side of the door, Anna hung her head and sighed softly to herself. Those five words had sapped her resolve more than the mightiest blizzard ever could. She stared at the door for a long couple of seconds, and then finally mustered the courage to speak.
"Okay. I'll just... I'll just go." Anna began the long walk down the hallway to the stairs, losing hope with each slow step. She wondered how she was ever going to get Elsa to come around. What was the right thing to say, the right words that would make her sister understand how much she needed her?
Anna got to the top of the stairs, and then stopped. She decided, right then and there, that she wasn't going to let a little setback like this bother her. Maybe it would be tomorrow, or maybe it would be the next day, but Anna was going to find some way to break through to her sister. And, she thought, she knew exactly how she was going to do it.
Just as she was starting down the stairs, Anna heard a noise from behind her. Creak. She turned around in an instant, and almost couldn't believe what she saw. The door was opening, and Elsa was there, calling out to her.
"Anna, wait! I'm sorry! I'm not busy, just come back, come in!"
"Coming!" called back Anna as she rushed back down the hall. She followed Elsa as she led her into the room.
"Now," said Elsa, smiling with relief. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
"Actually," said Anna, in a serious tone. "There is. You see, I've been thinking about what you said the other day, about how I'm not ready. And I wanted you to know that I am ready. To get ready. To learn how to be ready. I know you think I don't know how to do anything, that I'm not useful, or responsible, or experienced. I want you to teach me how to be all those things, so I can be ready. I want you to show me how to do everything you do, and to take care of myself, so that someday, you'll be able to let me do things on my own without worrying about me so much."
Elsa blinked. "What? No, no, you've got it all wrong. I know you can take care of yourself. You've done things that I would never have been able to do. I never meant... I never meant to make you feel useless. I'm so sorry, Anna. That day, when you asked to leave, I just panicked. I didn't know what to say, and I'm so sorry that what I did say made you feel like that. The truth is, you're not the one who isn't ready. I am. I'm not ready. That's why I said all those things, because I just wasn't ready for you to go. When you said you were leaving, it felt like a punch to the gut. I had to find something that would convince you to stay."
"Oh, Elsa," said Anna, relieved but at the same time trying not to cry. "You don't always need to be the strong one. You know I'll always be there for you, if you just show me that you need me. You don't have to be the Queen all the time. You don't have to be so perfect. With me, you can just be Elsa. And I'll be here for you. Always."
With that, Anna held out her arms, and Elsa collapsed into them. As they embraced, Elsa let out a tiny whimper, and Anna held her close and tight.
"It's all okay now," said Anna softly.
"I love you so much," whispered Elsa.
When they finally pulled apart, Elsa put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "Listen. You can go to France, if you really do want to. I can't keep you here forever. If you want time to be alone with Kristoff, I can try to manage alone. It'll be hard at first, but I'll survive. Just go, if it's what will make you happy."
Anna sighed, but still she was smiling. "Elsa, you still don't understand. I don't want to go to France anymore. I want to stay with you for as long as you need me. Until you're truly ready to be here without me, I'll never want to leave."
Elsa gave Anna a look of utter relief and adoration. "God, I just don't know what I would do without you. I love you so much, Anna. So much."
Anna just smiled. "I love you too, Elsa. Now, do you want to come down for dinner?"
"I'd like nothing more," said Elsa.