That night after dinner Kristoff was led up to a large, empty guest room in the castle. After the staff cordially welcomed him and left, he removed his hat, coat, and boots, which he had senselessly refused to remove earlier, and sat awkwardly in one of the room's chairs.
The room kept feeling smaller and smaller, like the walls were coming closer. It was way too hot. He had never slept in the heat like this. He had never slept inside at all, at least that he could remember. He was staring unblinking at the impending wall when he heard a brisk knock on the door.
"Kristoff!" rang Anna's sweet voice.
"Yes?" he called from inside the closed door, way more huskily than he had intended.
Anna giggled, feeling butterflies. "May I come in?"
Kristoff tried to make himself look comfortable, sinking down in the chair and spreading his knees farther apart. He ran his fingers through his hair. The last thing he wanted was for Anna to know he was such a wimp, afraid of sleeping inside. "Come in."
Anna opened the door and stepped in, still wearing her daytime dress from earlier and carrying a bundle of cream-colored cloth. She inhaled sharply when she saw him. He had made himself at home, stripping down to linen trousers and a cream-colored thermal shirt, stretched tight across his broad shoulders and wild arms.
He jumped up, rushing over to her in concern. "Is something wrong?"
He had completely misread Anna's expression. "Oh, no," she said, "It's just, I looked all over to find some pajamas that I thought would fit you, but it looks like you've already found some."
"This?" Kristoff gestured to what he was wearing. "This is just the bottom layer under all the clothes I always wear. But you don't need to go to the trouble of finding me pajamas. I always sleep in all my clothes."
Anna's nose squinted up. "Say, when's the last time you washed those?" Kristoff's eyes darted about as he tried to remember. She held up her hands in surrender. "Never mind, I don't want to know. You definitely need these pajamas, then. Here," she said, holding them out for him.
"Thank you," he smiled as he took them from her hands and held them up.
"I actually had a hard time finding some that would be big enough for you," Anna blushed. "These are actually my father's. He was smaller than you but he always liked his pajamas to be way too big."
Jokingly, Kristoff scoffed. "Are you calling me fat?"
"No!" Anna laughed, tossing her hand at him. "You look fine."
"Fine? That's it?" Kristoff teased.
Anna blushed hard. "Just try them on to make sure they fit."
Kristoff looked around. "Where can I go to try them on?"
"I don't care, anywhere," Anna said, distracted. She turned around and crossed her arms, nervous to ask the silly questions that she wanted to. "What do you want me to say anyway? That you're dashingly handsome?"
"Don't start lying now," Kristoff joked, beginning to change since Anna had turned around to give him some privacy.
"I didn't say you were handsome!" Anna objected, back still turned. "I wanted to know what kind of compliments you expect me to give you."
"Sincere ones," he quipped.
Anna gave a smart retort as if by reflex. "What if I don't have any?"
"Actions speak louder than words."
Kristoff could not believe he had said that out loud. "What do you mean?" Anna asked as she spun around to face him.
He was wearing only the fleece fair-isle pajama pants she had given him, and he reflexively covered his bare chest like a girl. "What are you doing?" he demanded. Quickly Kristoff put his hands down, embarrassed for that silly move but still feeling uncomfortably exposed.
Anna screamed when she realized that he had been changing. Did that mean he had been completely naked at one point behind her and all she had to do was turn around? "I had no idea that you were changing!" Anna screamed, so loud Kristoff was afraid someone would come to check on them.
"I thought you turned around so you wouldn't see me!"
"I didn't know you would be so stupid as to take off all your clothes in a room alone with a princess!" She exclaimed. She couldn't admit to herself that that idea excited her more than anything. Her breath was starting to quicken without explanation. She couldn't take her eyes away from his thick, chiseled abs, his thick neck above his exposed collarbone. She suddenly felt angry at Kristoff for making her feel this way, for making her feel about him as she'd never felt before about anyone. "I am leaving."
"Anna, wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything," Kristoff began, gently grabbing Anna's arm. Anna ripped her arm away and stormed out the door.
Kristoff sat back in the chair, alone. He wished he could talk to Sven, who was stories below in the castle stables. He kept picturing Anna storming away. How had he ever convinced himself that she felt about him as he did about her? He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, mumbling to himself, as if Sven could hear, "I guess actions do speak louder than words."