Thank you so much for your positive feedback guys! I never expected so many people to follow/favourite! I decided to post this chapter early since you're all so sweet :3
Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or its characters. I do, however, own the original characters who appear in the story, and the plot.
"Well, we can't just leave him here in the stable."
"We were ordered not to open the gates!"
"His parents are probably looking for him by now, we have to let him out somehow!"
Kristoff wakes to unfamiliar voices arguing. He sits up and rubs his eyes, forgetting for a few moments where he is. The servants stop talking abruptly and look over at the young boy, who has hay sticking out of his hair and a pink nose from sleeping in the cold. When he opens his eyes, he sees them staring at him with sympathetic faces.
"Good morning," he says without thinking.
"Good morning to you," one of them, the man, replies. The woman kneels down in front of Kristoff and speaks in a soft voice.
"How did you get into the palace?"
"I followed the ice," he admits. Princess Elsa's, no doubt, the woman thinks.
"Am I in trouble?" Kristoff asks as an afterthought. The man opens his mouth to speak but the woman cuts him off.
"Of course not," she says, giving Kristoff a gentle smile. "But I think your mama and papa might be expecting you home. We can take you, if you like."
"I don't have a mama or a papa. It's just me and Sven." He pats Sven, who is still asleep, on the back. The two servants share a look, and the woman's smile falters ever so slightly.
"I'll tell them," the man says, before walking out the stable door. Kristoff turns to the woman.
"Tell who?"
"The King and Queen." She can't quite put her finger on why, but she finds herself becoming fond of the boy. She knows this information won't alarm him, though perhaps that's because he's still almost asleep.
"Oh," he says simply. "Are they going to give out to me?"
"No, no! You were just curious, that's all. We all have our moments." In reality, she doesn't know what their reaction will be, but she knows they wouldn't give out to the boy because he hasn't done anything wrong.
"That's good. I didn't mean to come into the palace. Sven made me," he tells her. She laughs lightly.
"So this is Sven?" she asks, looking at the small reindeer sprawled across a pile of hay.
"Yeah! We're best friends," Kristoff says. He grins; he's waking up a bit more now. "Oh, I'm Kristoff!" He holds out his hand and she shakes it.
"I'm Mandoline," she tells him.
"That's a nice name. It's pretty." Mandoline smiles again.
"Thank you."
They are both startled by Sven, who jumps up without warning. When he sees Mandoline he hides himself behind Kristoff, peeking his head out slightly.
"He can be shy sometimes," Kristoff says. He turns then to Sven and pats his head. "It's okay, she's nice!" Sven narrows his eyes at Mandoline, causing her to chuckle, and then warily walks towards her. She holds her hand out to him, and after a moment he nudges it with his nose. She pats him reassuringly and he goes to sit beside her.
"I think he likes you!" Kristoff says.
"I hope so," Mandoline replies.
The man from earlier walks back into the stable, and Mandoline turns around.
"We're to bring him upstairs," he tells her.
"What about Sven?" Kristoff asks, looking worriedly at his reindeer.
"I suppose he stays here," the man says. Kristoff frowns. "He'll be alright, I'm sure. I bet he's brave like you." The man smiles.
"He's almost as brave as me," Kristoff replies. He stands up and points a finger at Sven. "Be good while I'm gone. No annoying the horses, and no stealing carrots." Sven nods, albeit disappointedly, and moves back to the hay to sit and wait. Kristoff looks back at the man, who motions for him to follow. He does so, and Mandoline walks beside him.
"Mister?" Kristoff asks as the man slides the bolt on the stable closed. "Who are we going to talk to?"
"We're going to the King and Queen. Well, you are. They'd like to talk to you." Kristoff feels his stomach clench into a knot. The man sees his expression change and adds, "they're not angry. They just want to know a bit more about you."
"Okay," Kristoff says in a small voice. Mandoline takes his hand as they walk and he holds it tightly.
When they reach the doors to the castle, Kristoff becomes even more nervous. They enter, and he gulps. It's not the building being so large that makes it intimidating, but its intricate designs and shiny surfaces. Everything is impeccably kept, and everything looks expensive. He has never been to a place like this before. He's almost scared that he'll dirty the carpets by walking on them with his boots.
He is led to a room upstairs. The man knocks on the door, and a voice tells them to enter. Mandoline opens the door and Kristoff walks in slowly, dragging her with him. The sight of the King and Queen of Arandelle standing in front of him makes him lose his train of thought, and not knowing what else to do, he simply bows to them. Mandoline curtsies as best she can with the boy's hand still grasping hers so tightly.
"Mandoline," the Queen acknowledges her with a small nod and a gentle smile. She turns her gaze to Kristoff, smile still in place. "Would you like to sit down?" He nods, and she gestures to a chair behind him. He sits down without letting go of Mandoline's hand.
"We've been told you don't have parents to go home to," the King says.
"That's right. I just have Sv- my reindeer, sir," Kristoff replies, his voice much quieter than he anticipated.
"A reindeer?" the Queen asks.
"Yes. He's in the stable. He's my best friend."
"Was he the one who brought you here?" Kristoff nods. "And you followed the ice, you said?" He nods again.
"The magic ice. That the princess made." The smile slips from the Queen's face and she looks at the King. They both look concerned.
"Did anybody else see the ice?" Kristoff shakes his head.
"Just me," he says quietly. He knows, the Queen thinks. He knows he knows he knows he knows -
"Will anybody be looking for you?" she asks suddenly.
"No. The other ice cutters don't really talk to me," Kristoff says, somewhat sadly.
"Well, mister..." she begins, looking at him expectantly.
"Kristoff, your Highness," Mandoline says. The Queen smiles in response.
"Well, Kristoff, what would you say to staying here?" The King opens his mouth to say something but decides against it, instead settling for a silent, worried expression.
"In the palace?" Kristoff sounds as surprised as he feels. He asks the first question that pops into his mind. "Can Sven stay, too?" The Queen nods.
"If it means you will." Kristoff grins widely and turns to Mandoline.
"I'm going to live in a castle!" She smiles at him.
"Yes, you are!"
"But," the King interrupts, kneeling down so his eyes are at the same level as Kristoff's. "You must promise us something."
"Yes, your Majesty."
"You mustn't tell Anna about the magic ice, okay? She can't know that Elsa makes it." The King's voice is firm, but still kind. Kristoff remembers him telling the troll this. Something tells him he should keep that a secret; the fact that he saw them with the trolls.
"I promise," Kristoff says, with all the sincerity he can muster. The King smiles.
"Good. Then we'll see you soon," he replies, standing up again.
"Come on," Mandoline says quietly to Kristoff, squeezing his hand. He gets up off the chair and lets her lead him out of the room. She closes the door behind them. The man had waited outside, and Kristoff pulls at his sleeve excitedly.
"Mister, mister! I'm going to stay here!"
"Good for you! I'm sure we'll see you around," the man replies. He grins at him and then at Mandoline. "You can call me Nils, by the way."
"Oh, I'm going to have to learn people's names!" Kristoff says. "And which faces they go with, and which doors go where, and what's in which room, and - I have to tell Sven!" He begins to pull Mandoline towards the stairs with him before he stops suddenly.
"Mandoline? Am I going to meet the princesses?"
"Yes," she says. "I suppose you are."
What do you think of my OCs? They will be appearing in the future, so I hope you like them...