Winter came early that year. Only early December and my kingdom was already covered in snow. At least this time I didn't have anything to do with first months of my reign went without a hitch. I did my duties and everything worked perfectly. Anna seemed to be taking her responsibilities seriously too, she hadn't even thought of the word "marriage" throughout these last months. Kristoff still courted her, but he hadn't asked me for her hand yet, which meant they were taking things slowly, and that meant one less thing for me to worry about. But, as my father always told me, the storm will always find its way.
It came one morning with a letter. The Duke of Cordale was asking for an audience. Apparently his home had been destroyed and he was seeking shelter.
"But how can a castle be destroyed? Did a dragon attack?" Anna was always with me at court. Her opinion was just as important as mine and I never made a decision without her counsel.
"A fire," I answered her as we entered the empty courtroom. "Though, they don't know what caused it."
"Maybe a dragon started it."
I tried not to laugh. "Try to take it more seriously, Anna. They are homeless and we must offer them our help."
Anna sighed. "Right, sorry."
I sat down on my throne with Anna on my right and an empty throne on my left, the one my mother used to sit on. At first I insisted that Anna should sit there, but she refused claiming that that was my future spouse's place, not the princess's. I tried to persuade her but her mind was set.
After only a few moments, The Duke and his family made their entrance. The chaos they went through was very present in their appearance. There were dark circles around their eyes and they were covered in ash. The father, Vilhelm, a tall man with pale skin and light hair, had soot on his forehead and bloodshot eyes. The mother, Dagny, who was usually a very outgoing woman, looked like she wanted to disappear inside her furs. She was shiverish and looked like she'd been crying. The oldest son, Teodor, who was as tall as his father, had his right hand in bandages. But something was off. I remembered there being two boys, Teodor and Kai. But instead of Kai, there was a girl whom I had never seen before. She caught my attention mostly because, unlike her family, she wasn't wearing furs or anything to protect her from the cold. She wore a simple long-sleeved dress and leather gloves, which on their own were a strange thing to see in a young woman. And on top of that, her hair was deep red, not auburn like Anna's. Hers was as bright as the Sun. I stared at her longer, trying to remember her face, and I thought I saw a drop of sweat trickling down her temple, or maybe I was just seeing things.
"Your Majesty." Vilhelm's words brought me back to the real world. "Allow me to introduce my oldest son, Teodor."
The young man bowed lightly. "My lady. I suppose you don't remember, but we've met before, a long time ago."
"I do remember," I said with a soft smile. "It was on Anna's first birthday. We were very little."
"Indeed" he replied, returning the smile.
"But I also recall a younger boy. I believe his name was Kai." There was a collective flinch between the Duke's family and I knew immediately that I touched a delicate subject.
Just before the awkwardness in the air became unbearable, Vilhelm spoke. "We lost Kai in the fire, Your Majesty. He did not make it out."
I noticed the red haired girl had started to tremble. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
Vilhelm simply bowed his head. "It would ease our pain to know we have a place to stay while our home is being repaired. We have heard of your kindness and your merciful heart. We're begging you. We have nowhere else to go."
I offered him a kind smile. "Of course. Your friendship with my father goes back a long time. I would be betraying his memory if I refused to help you. You and your family are welcome to stay here in my castle for as long as you need to."
"Thank you, Queen Elsa" he said.
I gave him a nod and turned to my butler. "Bernard, would you please show our guests to their rooms?"
"Of course, Your Majesty" he replied with a slight tilt of his head. "Right this way, please." He headed out of the courtroom with the Duke and his family right behind him, and I was still wondering who that girl was.
Anna seemed to be more relaxed now that we were alone again. "Anna, do you know that girl?"
"The redhead? No, I don't think I've seen her before. And they didn't even introduce her…" She made a pause.
I frowned. It shouldn't bother me that much, but I knew firsthand what it was like to be left in the dark. Everything about that girl sparked my curiosity, but it seemed almost like her family didn't want me to know her…
