IMPOTANT: Please Read!
Hey so I went ahead and just consolidated Chapter 1 Pts 1-3 into one big long chapter. If you are new to this fanfic and are just now joining in, Welcome! You will find all three updates I have written in this one chapter. For those of you who may have read the first one or two updates and are returning to this story, fear not, nothing is missing, just be sure you know for sure that you have read all three parts. (I added the last update on November 23rd and have consolidated all three parts on November 26th) Otherwise, you might be a little confused reading the next chapter update when it is released.
Blessings
Shiro
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians and I do NOT own any of its characters or past, present, or future content. I also do NOT claim full ownership of any set 'plot'. Any relation to past, present, or future content/plot (including any content from ABC's Once Upon a Time) either belong solely to their respective producers and or are purely coincidental. I will however lay claim to THIS particular FanFiction which is subject to change titles, plot, and or end completely upon my discretion.
"Well when you put it that way…" Elsa averted her eyes from her advisor's gaze and chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Stop this Elsa! She scolded herself sternly. You are the Queen of Arendelle; it's time to start acting like it! With that the queen took in a deep breath, lifting her chin and straightening her back bravely. "Very well," She agreed at last. "Inform the King of Rior that I accept his proposal. Feed his men and their horses and offer them our finest accommodations for the night, and provide them with the recourses for their return home in the morning." Elsa commanded with a nod of her head. With that her advisor turned and started to leave, but just then Elsa remembered something and holding up her hand she called him back. "Oh! Aleksander?" The tall, well-dressed man turned in half step to face his queen again. She smiled at him, a warm smile, and her eyes, tender and sincere. "Thank you."
Aleksander blushed, his cheeks turning a shade brighter than his feather swept hair, tucked neatly beneath his tall boxy black military cap. He nodded and returned a shy smile. "Of course your majesty." He replied before quickly, but not too quickly, striding from the throne room and closing the massive and ornate double doors behind him.
Elsa was well aware of her sister's wide green eyes on her, but she did not look back at her. She knew Anna would not approve of her decision, she could practically feel the look of horror pinned to her sweet round face. Elsa closed her eyes, clasping her hands neatly in front of her and let out a soft sigh. "I know what you are going to say-"
"How could you just accept that!?" Anna exclaimed passionately, interrupting her sister, as she felt free to do now a days. Ever since the whole 'eternal winter' incident, Elsa and Anna had finally been able to reconnect and reform the bond that had been lost when they were children. No longer bound by fear of her powers Elsa was free to live a relatively normal life. Between public hearings, paperwork, and other queenly duties, Elsa and Anna enjoyed spending a lot of their free time together as just regular teenaged sisters, catching up on lost times. When Elsa wasn't busy running a kingdom and Anna wasn't busy helping Kristoff with his ice deliveries, the two sisters could often be found ice skating in the courtyard or horseback riding through the forest together.
Elsa turned to her sister, who was standing at the bottom of the short staircase that surrounded both of the thrones in front of which Elsa was standing. She gave Anna a look of defeat. She knew no matter what she said the innocent princess would never understand. "What choice do I have Anna?" she asked rhetorically.
"There has to be another way! An arranged marriage? That's not fair!" with that Elsa started losing her temper. As hard as she tried to keep herself calm under pressure, Elsa's patience was thinner than the ice over the lake after the first storm of winter. Anna especially knew how to try her patience and it never seemed to fail how easily she could get Elsa to snap.
"Not everyone can marry for love like you did!" Elsa snapped in a calloused tone. "I have more than just myself to think about you know," Elsa suddenly remembered herself and forced herself to regain her composure. She lifted her chin again and looked away the way she did when she had made up her mind, and you knew then there was no changing it. "I have to do what is best for my kingdom."
"By marrying a complete stranger from another country?" Anna looked at her sister in desperation. Her eyes gleamed with tears like wet emeralds. She clenched her fists and cast her glare to the end of the long velvet carpet that cut its way up the center of the room.
"By forging a union with the strongest neighboring kingdom to the north." Elsa replied looking back at Anna who was no longer looking at her. Elsa let her stance relax and her gaze soften. She stepped lightly down the three steps from the thrones' stage to the floor to stand in front of her sister. Her long blue gown shimmered like fresh powder under a full moon and draped behind her as she walked, tiny glass heels making gentle clicks on the polished marble stair.
"It will be ok Anna, I promise." She assured her. She gently slipped her hand under Anna's chin and lifted her face so their eyes would meet. She smiled that tender smile again. The one that melted the hearts of even the strongest of her people. Anna stared at her sister silently for a few moments and then blinked, a smaller, sweeter smile lifting in the corner of her lips.
"There's that beautiful princess we know and love." Elsa said softly. Anna suddenly threw her arms around Elsa and the two of them hugged each other tightly, Anna covering her face on Elsa's shoulder.
"Please don't go through with this." The younger of the sisters begged in a cracked voice, but she knew it would be no use. The choice had been made, the date would be set, and the day the queen would meet her king, would be on their wedding day.
Elsa stepped back and held Anna at arm's length. She reached up and pushed an escaped strand of her brown hair back behind her ear. "Look at you all sour faced. Aren't you supposed to be meeting Kristoff at sundown by the fountains?" she asked with a glint of mischief in her eye.
Anna suddenly gasped, her eyes going wide. "Oh my gosh, you're right!" she reached up and patted her head with both hands. "My hair!" she looked down frantically at her dress, which was just a simple green and white gown bound by a tight leather vest laced up the front of her bodice. She pulled out the hem of the skirt from around her ankles and looked at it in horror as if it were merely rags. "My dress! I'm nowhere near ready!" she fretted
Elsa let out a giggle of laughter which rang through the hall like the chime of a bell. "Anna dear, you've already won the man over, must you always fuss like this?"
"You don't understand! He- I- I just"
"He married you didn't he?" Elsa asked with a lift of one brow and an amused smirk. Anna looked back at her sister unamused and opened her mouth to retort back.
"You know why I-" But before she could say another word the doors suddenly burst open and slammed wide, much faster than they should have been physically able to, and a short misshapen snowman came waddling quickly and jubilantly up the carpet.
"Elsa! Anna!" Olaf exclaimed cheerfully. Both sisters' eyes lit up at the sight of their magical snowman friend. His lopsided smile and disproportional charm, accompanied by his contagiously enthusiastic disposition, could always lighten the darkest of moods. Immediately all negativity was banished from their thoughts and all the stress over the impending and unwanted marriage was forgotten.
"Olaf!" The sisters cried in unison, joyful smiles on their bright faces. Anna knelt as Olaf made his approach and gave the snowman a gentle hug. Flurries of snowflakes came to rest in Anna's braided hair as she bent under Olaf's little magic storm cloud that kept him from melting. But Anna didn't mind. Snow and ice had become not a symbol of death and despair in the land of Arendelle, but of new life, and new beginnings.
Olaf gave his cute little giggle as Anna sat back on her heals, releasing him from the hug. "Is Kristoff here already?" she asked the silly little creature, conjured up and brought to life by Elsa's amazing ice powers.
"Yeah! He and Sven are waiting for you in the courtyard with a bouquet of flowers and half eaten carrots!" Olaf suddenly gasped and covered his mouth with his stubby little stick hands. "Oh but I am not supposed to tell you that because it's a surprise!" he whispered urgently then he looked up at Elsa. "Don't tell Anna."
The queen and the princess both giggled and shook their heads. "Could you go back and let them know I will be right down. I have my own surprise for Kristoff." Anna said with a wink. Olaf bounced from foot to foot with excitement clapping his hands together.
"Ooooh! What is it? What is it? Tell me!" he insisted quiet fervently, inciting another round of giggles from the girls.
"You'll know soon enough." Elsa put in before Anna could get too excited and spill the beans to the worst secret keeper this side of the mountains. Anna looked up at her older sister her eyes gleaming with joy. "Come on Olaf, let's go wait with the boys while Anna gets herself cleaned up."
"Ok! This way!" Olaf waved his arms up and down and charged his way back toward the doors. Anna stood upright and smiled at Elsa gratefully. With an understanding nod of her head and an unspoken word of comfort, Elsa followed Olaf down the hall. While Anna turned and retreated through a back door that lead to the living quarters where her and Elsa's rooms would be found on the next floor up.
The halls of the castle were quiet now. The gates had been open for almost a year now and on a typical day the ball room would normally be holding a casual feast where townspeople and travelers, young and old alike, would gather for respite from the daily grind. Elsa was known to make an appearance in the midday when the sun was at its highest to greet her people and hear their concerns. Aleksander, her trusted advisor, was always at her side to record the accounts so that the busy queen could address them at a more appropriate time.
There was of course the occasional ball as well, a formal affair that accompanied special days or the turning of the seasons, days such as a holiday or the winter solstice for example. These were some of Elsa and Anna's favorite times of the year. No expense was spared when the royal sister's planned a ball, this task quickly being reappointed to a financially wiser staff member to avoid nationwide bankruptcy. The agreement had been that the party planning would be left up to the professionals under the one condition that the guest list remain open ended. Elsa had made it very clear that all were to be welcomed and to be treated equally under her roof. So, although not every party was warmed by the scent of endless fine chocolate, it was well known that the Arendelle balls were a place of peace and merriment for every person.
On any given day the main corridors would be bustling with diplomats and foreign ambassadors discussing politics and forming trade contracts. It seemed these days the northern kingdoms; that was the lands where ice and snow were more of a constant, had taken a new interest in the Kingdom of Arendelle. Rior and Larnarvik in particular tended to monopolize the grounds on a regular basis, sending even their nobles and in the case of this day the King himself to conduct business under the hospitality of the Ice Queen. A name Queen Elsa had begrudgingly accepted for the simple fact that, contrary to what the title may suggest, her compassion and wise use of her powers had made her a much loved heroine among her people. Meanwhile, the presence of the southern kingdoms, where the sun's influence reigned supreme and where snow was a foreign concept, had begun to dwindle and in some cases fade away completely.
Tonight however the castle was empty save for the King of Rior and his men staying peacefully in the guest quarters. The diplomats had returned to their respective countries after a month long political campaign hosted within the castle walls. During this thirty day business 'party' all access to the royal grounds was restricted to the participants of the campaign and the participants alone. No balls or feasts were held and no common folk besides the staff and servants of the foreigners were permitted beyond the gates. But now the dark empty corridors practically echoed with silence. Elsa made her way down the hall lost in thought with a carefree Olaf waddling and humming at her side. She shivered and hugged her arms to her chest, not from the chill of the evening rather, but because of the chill gripping her heart. Her mind raced and her thoughts swirled and tumbled around the grim reality of her situation. There is no other way. She thought. This is the only way to avoid a war.
During the previously mentioned month, gossip spread like wild fire on the hushed whispers of the uncouth. From the lips of offhanded servants to the ears of their masters whose indiscreet murmurs caught the attention of several military advisors among the fray, tales of an uprising against Arendelle were formed. Yet no one thought to warn the queen of the impending threat except for one. Concerned with the accuracy of the rumors Rior took it upon themselves to investigate the claims further and by the near end of the month an alarming report was submitted to the King of Rior. On the last day of the campaign, while the castle was being emptied of the last of its visitors, the King himself rode in to town with a modest company of his most trusted men. From the description he gave to Aleksander, it seemed war was unavoidable. But King Edmar, the leader of Rior, came personally to offer a solution that would benefit them both. Unite the kingdoms with a contract of marriage between the Prince of Rior and the Queen of Arendelle. By doing this the joint military pressure would likely discourage and possibly prevent the enemy forces from attacking.
"God I hope so." Elsa mumbled to herself quietly.
"What's that?" Olaf chirped. He started to skip merrily ahead, twisting his head one hundred and eighty degrees to look back at Elsa.
Elsa smiled one of her warmest smiles to hide the turmoil under the surface. "Nothing dear Olaf," was her controlled reply, a satisfactory response which the untroubled snowman happily accepted and then pressed on. There were other more important matters that occupied his one track mind at the moment, and that was simply just being with his friends. So, without another thought Olaf picked up his head and placed it back on his body correctly then stormed forward the last few steps to the front entrance, throwing it open like he had in the throne room. Elsa cringed, half expecting the hinges to shatter and the colossal doors to fly to the other side of the courtyard. They didn't.
Olaf bounded down the steps calling out "Sven! Kristoff! I found her!" Elsa followed behind more slowly, lifting her gown so it did not drag on the cobblestone and taking each step at a carefully measured pace. Kristoff looked up startled, caught off guard while in the middle of wrestling his awkward reindeer friend by the antlers, trying to get him away from the fountain. Sven looked up too, his tongue hanging loosely from his mouth in mid slurp. Immediately Kristoff dropped what he was doing, literally, and Sven went crashing head first into the fountain. Water splashed in all directions, narrowly missing Kristoff who had stepped forward to address the new arrivals.
"Um, Olaf, you brought me the wrong sister." Kristoff sighed, sounding somewhat annoyed.
"Oh, is the Queen of Arendelle not suitable enough for you Mr. Bjorgman?" Elsa asked with a teasing smirk as she approached. Kristoff looked surprised and immediately bowed to Elsa politely.
"Forgive me your majesty, I didn't mean-"
Elsa interrupted the poor frazzled man with a soft giggle. "It's ok Kristoff, I was only teasing you." She assured him as she held out her hand to him. Kristoff smiled, taking her hand and kissing it respectfully anyway. "It's good to see you again Kristoff." Elsa said warmly, truly delighted to be in the company of a good friend.
"And you, Queen Elsa. I trust all is well with you and the kingdom?" Kristoff asked out of simple curtesy.
Elsa hesitated. Then she gave a curt nod and said "Yes, everything is peaceful as always."
Kristoff gave Elsa a skeptical look. He glanced over at Olaf who had abandoned the boring conversation to play his and Sven's favorite game, sneeze fetch. Confident the two of them were too preoccupied to overhear, Kristoff pressed forward cautiously. "That doesn't sound very convincing." He said, dropping formality and speaking as friends now.
Elsa's brow furrowed in concern and she bit her bottom lip, debating with herself what to say next. Finally she spoke. "Arendelle is under military threat from the south." She admitted in a hushed tone.
"The Isles!?" Kristoff clenched his fists in an immediate reaction. "It's that coward prince isn't it?" he growled angrily.
"It's not just him; the Duke of Weselton has pledged allegiance with the Southern Isles. Apparently Hauns' brothers were not too happy with the treatment of their youngest sibling by our kingdom. They supported his tyranny and have granted him full access to their military and unlimited funds to begin planning a war."
"What!?" Kristoff gasped, appalled. Elsa nodded in confirmation.
"Their first move was to recruit Weselton, whom you know were not too pleased with the decree to cut all trade ties with their country."
"Well obviously we are going to fight!" Kristoff responded a little too loudly. Elsa balked, quickly checking to make sure Olaf and Sven were still in their own little world, then simply held up her hand to calm him and shook her head.
"The Kingdom of Arendelle is a peaceful nation. We are not equipped with the military means to engage in a massive war. If it comes down to it yes, we will fight to protect our people, but by any means necessary I will first fight to avoid war altogether."
Kristoff looked at Elsa sideways, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What do you mean by any means necessary?" he asked.
Elsa took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and let it out slowly, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "King Edmar of Rior has offered an alliance with the kingdom of Arendelle, and I have accepted."
"You don't mean…" Kristoff's eyes widened in horror. Elsa cringed, recognizing that same look of horror on her sister's face just minutes before. She nodded.
"Yes, in three months' time I will be wed Mikael, son of Edmar, Prince of Rior."
Kristoff's dark eyes softened with sadness. He wrestled with what to say to the queen. "Your majesty I-"
"Am I interrupting something?" Came Anna's sudden sweet voice from behind Elsa. Both Kristoff and Elsa looked startled and Elsa quickly stepped sideways to allow her sister into the group. Kristoff's mood instantly lifted and he beamed from ear to ear at the sight of her.
Anna stood before her sister and her husband with her small mitten covered hands folded lightly in front of her. She wore a light winter gown that fell softly to her ankles where her high heeled leather boots took over and wrapped snuggly around her calves. The black skirt was embroidered with red and blue flowers along the hem with a light blue half apron tied around the front by red and white woolen tassels. The bodice was red with long roomy white sleeves, bunched tightly around her wrists, and black leather ties in the front that laced up to just above her cleavage, exposing most of her bare chest. Her shoulders sported a small red shall, embroidered similarly to the skirt with small red tassels along the edges hanging just below her shoulders. A matching red bonnet adorned her head where two perfectly placed brown braids slipped out from underneath and in front of her shoulders, not a hair out of place. Anna's rosy cheeks were lifted by a bright smile that gleamed all the way into her baby blue eyes.
"Not at all!" Kristoff interjected before Elsa could speak a response. He stepped forward and took both of Anna's hands into his. "You look absolutely stunning!" spreading her arms out wide he let go of one hand and raised the other above her head, allowing her to twirl in a tight circle. She giggled adorably as they did this spontaneous little dance, pure joy radiating from every inch of her. Just as she was about to complete the turn the heel of her boot caught in a coble stone and with a startled cry she tripped backwards. Quick to react, Kristoff's arms flew out to catch his bride in mid fall and she landed softly in them without injury.
"Oops." Anna said with a soft chime in her voice. The two gazed at each other lovingly. Faces close, and growing increasingly closer, they went started to go in for a kiss.
"Nice catch!" Olaf shouted from across the courtyard, making Kristoff and Anna both pull away suddenly, their faces red with embarrassment. Elsa simply watched her sister, sincerely happy for her. Anna deserved to be this happy after all she'd been through, after all Elsa had put her through. She deserved to have true love, for real this time, and she deserved the precious gift she was about to share with Kristoff. The bubbly snowman came bounding back over to the group, his carrot nose crooked and misplaced, and Sven trotting goofily behind him. "Can I have a turn?" he asked excitedly.
Kristoff rolled his eyes and shook his head with a smirk as he placed Anna lightly on back on her own two feet. Anna smiled and knelt down as Olaf approached. She quickly took hold of his head and righted his nose.
"Of course you can have the next turn." Anna said, knowing full well Olaf's short attention span would work in her favor at this point. "But first, I have a little surprise remember?"
"Oh! Oh! Oh! I remember!" Olaf paused, his face frozen with a wide blank eyed grin. Elsa and Anna both smiled with amusement at the snowman while Kristoff looked down at Anna with one eyebrow raised with interest. Sven panted heavily with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth in a lopsided grin, even more oblivious to the situation than the commonsensically impaired Olaf.
"A little surprise?" Kristoff inquired quizzically.
"Well, it's actually more of a big surprise." Anna said as she stood and swayed, motioning with her hands to one side and then the other, the way she did when she argued with herself out loud. "But sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest surprises. Like the surprise itself could be something small but the effect of the surprise could be mind-blowing!" the entire time Anna was babbling Kristoff could only stare at her in a bit of a confusion. He had just been surprised with the news of Elsa's betrothal that was expected to stave off a potential war between the North and the South, what more could the royal sisters possibly throw at him in one night?
"Anna dear," Elsa chuckled and reached out to touch Anna's arm lightly before she could get lost in another rant. "Don't leave the man in suspense. Just tell him already."
Anna stared wide eyed at her sister, suddenly terrified. Up until now she thought she had it all planned out. She knew exactly what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. She had seen it all play out perfectly in her mind. But now, faced with the reality of what she was about to tell her husband, she froze. Her throat closed up and the words she had planned were gone, her mind went blank. For the first time in forever, Anna was speechless.
"Anna?" Kristoff pressed, suddenly worried by the expression on her face. Elsa bit her lip, also a bit worried, but not for the same reasons Kristoff was. She knew what the surprise was and she knew there was nothing to worry about there. But the way Anna suddenly clamed up was unusual. Granted, she supposed, this type of surprise did leave room for a bit of sudden panic. Life was about to change forever after all.
Anna took a deep breath and turned to Kristoff. "Kristoff…" Her voice cracked on his name so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Kristoff, have you ever dreamt of things like, oh I don't know, the pitter patter of little feet?"
"Sure, every time Sven tries to sneak into where we store our carrots in the middle of the night. Trust me I don't sleep through-"
"Kristoff, I'm pregnant." Anna suddenly blurted out.
Silence…
Kristoff stared at Anna, stunned, his mouth gaping in mid-sentence. Sven's goofy grin vanished and his jaw dropped about half a foot, seeming to comprehend what Anna had just revealed before anyone else did. Olaf just stared, still smiling uncomprehending.
More Silence…
The silence dragged on for a whole minute, the longest most painful minute of Anna's entire life to date. Anna's heart raced suddenly worried that Kristoff was going to be upset. She looked to him desperately willing him to say something, anything.
Suddenly there came a loud exaggerated gasp that jolted everyone practically out of their skin. All three of their gazes snapped to Olaf who seemed to have finally understood what Anna had just said. His tiny stick hands were over his huge mouth and he bounced and giggled uncontrollably with sheer delight. "Anna's going to have a baby!" he exclaimed
"A baby…" Kristoff breathed in disbelief, suddenly lightheaded he began to sway on his feet. Sven quickly ducked his head beneath his lifelong best friend allowing the stunned man to slump into his antlers. Kristoff pressed one gloved hand to his forehead while his other arm clumsily over one of the reindeer's branches. Anna bolted to her husband's side, reaching for him with concern.
"Kristoff!" she gasped. "A-are you ok?"
Seeing that Sven was quickly faltering under the heavy man's dead weight Elsa stepped in and with a flure of her hand she conjured up a small mound of snow in the rough shape of a kitchen stool directly under Kristoff. Sven backed away so he could sit up for himself again and watched the couple carefully.
"Ok?" Kristoff asked as if she should know the answer. "OK!?" this time a little louder. Anna stepped back, unsure if Kristoff was mad, or happy, or even coherent for that matter. "Are you kidding me!? I'm great!" Kristoff suddenly jumped to his feet and rushed Anna laughing out loud. He grasped his wife by the waist and lifted her high above is head, turning in a complete circle as he did so and eliciting a squeal and some laughter from her as well. Elsa beamed, her hands to her lips as she laughed joyously along with them, while Olaf and Sven pranced around all three of them in their own special version of a happy dance.
"This- This is incredible!" Kristoff exclaimed as he set Anna back down on her feet. "How long have you known?" he asked
"A couple weeks, but I wanted to wait to be sure before I told you." Anna admitted, visibly relieved at Kristoff's reaction. They were about to start a family together, and neither one of them could be any happier about it.
"Just wait until Grandpappy finds out!" Kristoff exclaimed, and with that the whole lot of them burst into uncontrollable joyful laughter.
Hey, just wanted to remind you again that, though it's not required, reviews do encourage and inspire me to write more. It's kind of nice to know that people are reading and whether or not they enjoy what they are reading. Thanks so much. Hope to hear from you soon.
Blessings
Shiro