Eye of the Beholder
Since he had been appointed Arendelle's official Ice Master and Deliver, Kristoff's job had never been better. He found that there were many people far and wide in need of his services. Everyone from the village of Arendelle, to the nobles who lived in the castle.
Yes, ice was indeed his life, and Kristoff couldn't be happier with it. But as much as he adored ice and everything about it, there was something new in his life that he cared much more about. It had been six months since the Great Thaw, and Princess Anna and him were happily in a relationship together. He had to admit, he never once thought he would have a woman in his life, let alone the princess of Arendelle, but life was surprising, and you never knew what was going to come your way.
Kristoff loved Anna deeply, more than he could ever say to be honest. Whenever he was with her, a feeling of pure joy fluttered throughout his body, wrapping him in a warm embrace that he never got tired of.
He and Anna spent most of their free time together. When Anna wasn't busy assisting Elsa in her duties, and Kristoff wasn't busy harvesting and selling ice, the two could often be found doing some activity with each other. They both enjoyed taking walks through the Arendelle village, skipping stones down by the pier, reading books, playing music, and any other activity that caught their interest.
Kristoff found that he was most happy when he was with Anna. Happier than he had ever been in his life. To think that he once thought that humans were nothing but trouble astounded him. He never imagined another person could bring such delight into his life, but that's exactly what Anna did. Everything about the princess was wonderful. From her warm smile to her clumsy nature, Anna had qualities that not only made her unique, but truly amazing as well.
One day, after returning from an ice harvesting trip, Kristoff went inside the palace to look for Anna. It was his last trip, so the two had the rest of the day to spend with each other. Kristoff thought he would take Anna fishing with him. The princess had told him that she had never been fishing before, but would love to try sometime.
With the sun shining bright in the sky, not a cloud in sight, and the temperate just right, today was the perfect day for it. As he made his way upstairs to the third floor landing, he started to hear voices coming from one of the rooms. He stopped in his tracks when he heard his name mentioned. Kristoff knew that eavesdropping was a very impolite thing to do, but he couldn't control his curiosity this time. He followed the sound of the voices to the door at the end of the hallway, and listened closely. It sounded like two servants talking.
"Is Princess Anna still dating that ice harvester?" the female servant asked.
"Yes she is, unfortunately," the male servant replied. "You think she would want to go after someone with more class, but instead she choosing someone of such low standards."
Kristoff frowned. What a jerk he thought.
"I know. Kristoff Bjorgman is a nice fellow, but he isn't of royal blood. For generations, this family has kept its nobility thriving, and now I fear that Princess Anna might break that tradition," the female servant said.
"I fear the same," said the male servant. "Mr. Bjorgman may be a nice man, but he isn't something to write home about. Not only is he not royalty, but he really isn't very handsome either."
Kristoff mulled over what he just heard. It was true, he wasn't the most attractive guy around, but looks don't matter in a relationship…do they?"
"Oh I know, especially the way he has his hair combed. It's like a blonde mop on the top of his head."
"And he always smells like reindeer, which can be quite unpleasant."
"And he only has a few sets of clothes. I've seen him wear the same shirt days at a time before, sometimes without even washing it" the female servant said.
"And if I must say, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed," the male servant said.
Ok, that one hurt. Truthfully, everything they were saying about him made Kristoff feel bad. They were right; Anna deserved so much more.
"Have you suggested to Queen Elsa about the possibility of Princess Anna starting a relationship with Prince Erik of the Northern Isles?" the female servant asked.
"Yes I have, and she told me that her sister is free to do whatever she wants. As long as she's happy, that's all that matters."
"I can't imagine how any woman, let alone a princesses, could be happy with a lowly ice harvester," the female servant said. "Especially when are so many better men out there."
Kristoff had heard enough. He calmly walked away from the door and went downstairs. Everything they said was true. He wasn't good looking, he smelled like reindeer, and he wasn't very bright. An amazing woman like Anna deserved someone so much better. As he walked outside to the palace courtyard, he saw Anna and Olaf sitting on a bench talking to each other. When the two saw the ice harvester, their eyes lit up.
"Kristoff! We were just talking about you! Come on over!" Anna cried.
Kristoff took one look at the two, tears starting to form in his eyes. He ignored their invitation, and walked away. Anna was quick to notice that something was wrong. Kristoff was usually overjoyed to see her, but for some odd reason he wasn't today.
"What's wrong with Kristoff?" Olaf asked. "Doesn't he like us?"
Anna smiled. "Of course Kristoff likes us, Olaf. It looks like something is bothering him though. I'm going to go see what it is. You wait here."
Anna followed the path Kristoff took, which led the gardens out back. There she saw him sitting on a bench, holding a flower, and picking the petals off it.
"Hey there!" she said, in a cheerful voice, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Hey," Kristoff replied, not even bothering to look at Anna.
Anna took a seat beside him on the bench, and watched as he pulled the last petal off of the flower. She noticed he had done the same to several others nearby.
"Why are you doing that?" she asked. "Flowers are pretty, you shouldn't destroy them like that."
"Why do you care? There just ordinary lilies, nothing special," Kristoff said.
"That's my favorite type of flower," Anna said.
"But they're so ordinary!"
"So what. What's wrong with ordinary?"
"Why settle for an ordinary flowers like lilies when there are dozens of other prettier flowers like roses out there."
"I think lilies are very pretty," Anna said, picking one off the ground. "Besides, no flower is better than the other. At the end of the day, they're all flowers!
"Then why do some people like some types more than others?" Kristoff asked, gruffly.
Anna noticed the sharp change of tone in voice. Something must have been really upsetting him.
"Kristoff, is something wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing, forget about it, Anna."
"Please tell me, I don't like seeing you upset," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.
Kristoff sighed. If she really wanted to know, so be it.
"A little while ago, I overheard some servants talking about you and I dating. They didn't like it. In fact, they think you would be much better off with someone of more…high class. I'm nothing special, Anna. I harvest ice for a living, I'm not that good looking, and to top it off, I'm not royalty!" Kristoff cried.
"They are right. Someone as amazing as you deserves someone so much better."
Anna was surprised at what Kristoff had told her. She never pegged him to be one who cares what others think of him, especially after living away from humans for most of his life. She smiled and scooted closer to him.
"Kristoff, you are special," she said. "You're kind, and funny, and you make me happy! It doesn't matter what your status is, or how you look. It's what's on the inside that counts."
"But not everyone approves our relationship," Kristoff protested. "You should have heard the way the servants talked about us dating. They acted like it was a sin!"
"Kristoff, I don't care what others think of us. I love you for who you are, and that's all that matters. Nobody is perfect. We all have our flaws, myself included. We're all unique, and that's what makes life meaningful. Don't compare yourself to others; accept who you are, and embrace it. I can assure you, that you are loved by many. And I wouldn't change anything about you at all. I love you just the way you are."
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The warm feeling that Kristoff always enjoyed instantly shot through his body. He felt a smile forming on his face as he turned to face Anna. The princess was smiling warmly in return, her teal eyes shining brightly in the sunlight.
Kristoff leaned closer, kissing Anna on the lips. Anna wrapped her arms around the ice harvester, and pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss. After a minuite had passed, the two broke apart and looked into each other's eyes again.
"I love you," Kristoff said, smiling brightly.
"And I love you," Anna replied, smiling in return. "Don't worry about what those servants said, they don't know what true love is when they see it."
"You're right. I'm sorry I ever doubted myself."
"It's fine, we all get down from time to time."
"Hey, I was thinking that we could go fishing today since it's so nice out!" Kristoff said, standing back and admiring the weather.
Anna's eyes lit up. "That would be great! I've always wanted to learn how to fish!"
"Well, come on then. Let's go back to my cabin and pick up some gear. Then I'll take you down by the docks and show you how it's done!"
"I can't wait!"
Kristoff and Anna exited the garden together, holding hands, and talking all the way. Kristoff no longer thought about what the two servants said. Instead he focused on spending the rest of the day with Anna. Something he always looked forward too.
I really like Kristoff and Anna's relationship. They make a really cute couple. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little one-shot!
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