Soft voices whirled around Anna's head. She was dressed in her finest gown. A table hosting an extravagant cake stood not too far from where Anna was. People danced around her. Laughs and the din of conversation filled the atmosphere, but the sound was jumbled, as if put through a strainer.
She was at… a party?
But for what, she did not know. A birthday party, maybe?
She could hear a song come and go in her head. She could see the arms that encircled her in a dance. The fingers that brushed her cheek. The giddy excitement.
She could feel these things, but the vision was foggy…
—-
"Physically, she shows no signs of trauma."
Anna's eyes snapped open. Had she been dreaming?
The woman responded with a sigh. It sounded defeated.
"Are you absolutely certain that you missed nothing in your examinations?"
Anna listened closely. Two people were conversing just outside the door. The woman's voice sounded like the one from earlier: Elsa.
"I have done all that I can. Unfortunately, there is no cure for amnesia. She will regain her memories in due time, or…"
Anna could hear the hint of sadness in his voice. "In rare cases, not at all."
Elsa choked back a sob, and there was the shuffling of clothes, and then feet.
"I've taken a blood sample to run some tests. I'm not sure what it could reveal, but time will tell."
A few moments passed, and then Elsa thanked the doctor before both sets of feet moved down the hallway before disappearing altogether.
—-
Anna hadn't even realized she had fallen back asleep again until the chirping of birds roused her from her slumber. When she opened her eyes, however, the room was gray, signaling that the sun had only just begun to rise on the horizon.
How long have I been asleep?
Just like everything else, she had no idea.
"Hi."
The voice was soft, and deep, and Anna was surprised when she didn't jump at the sound of it. She turned to see a man sitting at the foot of her bed.
"Hello," Anna replied cautiously. The sight of him made her body feel warm. She could feel her face flush when her gaze met his.
"I'm glad you're awake," the man said softly, a relieved smile playing at the corners of his lips.
The sun was making its way over the horizon now, and sunlight began to filter into the room, illuminating the strange man's features. He had a boyish face, and a study build. His hair was a golden blonde, not as pale as Elsa's. His large hands rested on his knees. Anna felt the need to hold those hands, but she wasn't sure why.
"I know you," Anna said thoughtfully after a moment.
The man looked surprised, then quickly changed his expression.
"Elsa said you lost your memories."
Anna nodded. "Yeah. I don't remember anything. But you seem… familiar. We've met before, haven't we?"
The man nodded back thoughtfully. "My name is Kristoff."
Anna thought hard, but no memories of Kristoff came to mind. She sighed.
"I'm sorry. I don't remember you. But I know that I know you."
Anna swore she saw a hint of despair flash across his eyes, but Kristoff only chuckled in response. The sound tinkled in her ears like music.
"How long have I been asleep, Kristoff?" Anna asked.
"About three days," Kristoff grimaced. "The first day… the day we found you… you had a really bad fever. You were hypothermic, close to death, plus your body seemed to be purging something else, some other virus, from your system. We couldn't even let Olaf or the Snowgies near you for fear your body heat would melt them."
The offbeat joke went unheeded by Anna. Kristoff shook his head and continued.
"You talked in your sleep. A lot of nonsense, really. Towards the end, it sounded like you were having conversations with your parents. I… the doctor was afraid you wouldn't make it. And then, almost a full 24 hours after we found you, your fever broke."
Kristof opened his mouth to speak some more, but changed his mind and closed it.
Anna wondered vaguely where her parents were, and why they hadn't come to see her yet. She decided to save that question for her sister.
Suddenly, Anna made the connection.
"Kristoff… my sister said– Elsa said that you were the one who found me?"
His body seemed to stiffen. "Yes. I did."
"What happened?"
Kristoff remained rigid. He took his time, thinking of a way to tell her. The subtly of his resistance was not lost on Anna and she sat up straighter in her bed, staring at him with pleading eyes. Kristoff wiped a clammy hand over his face and slicked his hair back, exhaling a deep breath before speaking.
"The Queen organized a search party for you. She was worried sick. The entire kingdom stopped what they were doing to aid in the search. As an iceman, I know the mountains in the area well, so she put me in charge of the expedition to the mountains. I– we found you in a stream, not far from the trading post. One of the men from our squad had the fastest horse in Arendelle, and so we sent you back here with him, so you could receive immediate treatment."
Anna didn't know how she could tell, but he wasn't being entirely truthful with his story. Why does he feel the need to lie?
She'd have to ask him later. For now, another part of his story was tugging at her thoughts, and she needed clarification.
"The Queen… was worried about me? Was I– am I important or something?"
Kristoff grinned. A sad smile.
"Of course you are. You're the princess. And your sister is the Queen."
