Chapter 4 – At the Marketplace

Anna retrieved the picnic basket from the kitchen while Elsa tracked down Olaf. They met at the causeway.

"I love the marketplace!" Olaf said, waddling ahead of them.

"Today is going to be perfect!" Anna agreed. It would have been even more perfect if Elsa had agreed to ride horses, but she could live with the delay. At least Elsa had tried. The ice had stopped too, without freezing the corral. Anna had always known Elsa could control the ice if she'd just quit being so afraid all the time.

"How long have the ice harvesters been back?" Elsa asked her.

"I saw Kristoff yesterday when he delivered a load of ice to the castle. I told him he had to stay and go on our picnic today. The other ice harvesters have already left again. Kristoff said the lake wasn't frozen as deep as they'd hoped and they're going up the north peaks this time," Anna said. She'd had to insist Kristoff stay behind. He would have been gone again if she'd let him. But he'd been gone for weeks already. She'd hardly seen him since the ice skating party and she was dying to spend some time with him. Besides, he and Elsa needed a chance to realize they were really good friends in spite of everything that had happened.

"Anna, I need to tell you that I won't interfere with your choice. I'm sorry about last time," Elsa said. She had her arms folded again.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I told you that you couldn't marry a man you'd just met. I was wrong to take over your life like that."

"Actually, you were right," Anna said. "Prince Hans was horrible."

"It still wasn't my decision," Elsa said.

"Kristoff kissed me when I gave him the new sled," Anna blurted out.

"Oh?"

"It wasn't a true love's kiss though. It was more of a thanks-for-the-sled kiss," Anna admitted. "And I don't need to marry the second man I've ever talked to. I mean, what if there are three men in the world who are willing to talk to me? Or four?" Anna was laughing and brushing it off. She never had been able to admit to deep pain. Elsa was the one who had suffered. She was just the happy, carefree sister whom nobody had to worry about. "I think we should adopt Kristoff as a brother, don't you? I already told him that I consider him a brother and that you will too as soon as you get to know him."

"It would be nice to have a brother and friend, but I think he's still angry with me for hurting you," Elsa said.

"Oh, quit worrying about that. I told him everything is fine now."

Elsa didn't look like she believed her, but she'd see soon enough. Everything would be fine. It had to be.

The causeway ended at the marketplace. At the far side, a pile of stone salvaged from the north wing of the castle lay, awaiting the stone masons who were going to build a decorative archway leading into the Village Green, where the clock tower presided over two story buildings with a shop or office on the main level, and living quarters above. The arch would be very fine once it was finished, but for now, it was only a pile of stone. The late summer air hung heavily over the day. The mountainside was still deep green, forming a beautiful backdrop for Arendelle Village.

At the marketplace, Olaf ran off to get some raspberries, giving the potato seller a wide berth. Anna and Elsa went the other way to the ice shed. Kristoff was napping in the straw while Sven placidly chewed his cud.

"Wake up, lazybones!" Anna said cheerfully, kicking his foot lightly.

Elsa stepped into the shed and looked around at the plank walls, rough shelves, and tools.

Kristoff sat up. "I'm not lazy. I just got told I couldn't go back to work today."

"Oh, stop that. You can get back up the mountain soon enough. But when else are we going to be able to go on a picnic?" Anna replied with a laugh and a dismissive wave.

He put a piece of straw in his mouth and just looked at her.

"You know Elsa, right?" Anna chirped at him.

"I know Elsa," he agreed with a shrug. "Not really, but it's kind of hard to avoid knowing who she is."

Elsa gave a tiny nod, arms folded and eyes still darting around the unfamiliar surroundings.

Anna gave both of them a frustrated look and decided to let that pass. At least Elsa hadn't told him to call her 'Your Majesty,' and Kristoff hadn't splattered her when he spit-polished his sled and then told her she had poor judgment. Really, Kristoff was a bit of an oaf until you got to know him. But that's what today was for! They'd be best friends by the end of the picnic.

"Ice? Is there any ice?" A skinny man with an empty bucket and ragged, dusty clothes approached the shed.

Kristoff spit out the straw. "Sorry, Felix. Everything we could haul down the mountain went into ice cellars. The lake wasn't frozen as deeply as we'd hoped. Replacing every bit of ice in Arendelle is going to take us a couple of trips. Arendelle is experiencing an ice shortage, which is really ironic, considering." He flicked a glance towards Elsa and not even Anna could pretend it was a friendly look.

Elsa turned away and pretended to be deeply engrossed in the rusty pile of broken tools in the corner.

"I just need a bucketful. Even shavings would help. Our daughter has been feverish for days now. My wife says ice will help," Felix pleaded.

"Try the butcher shops. They're the first places we filled up. Ask at Ulf's place. They're friendlier," Kristoff said with a shrug.

Anna was staring at Elsa, willing her to figure it out before she had to say something.

Elsa pulled off a glove. Her fingertips barely brushed the lip of Felix's bucket and he staggered at the sudden weight. He gasped in shock at the bucket, mounded high with a block of ice, then searched the shed. Felix dropped to his knee. "Your Majesty."

"No need for that," Elsa murmured, replacing her glove. "Take it home quickly. Take care of your daughter."

"Yes, your Majesty. Thank you, your Majesty. Thank you." Repeating his thanks again and again, Felix backed away, bowing, lugging the heavy bucket with both hands.

Anna was ecstatic. That couldn't possibly have gone any better! Now Elsa would see that her powers were actually a good thing, and Kristoff would see that Elsa had everything under control and he didn't need to be surly anymore, and everything would be perfect.

"You could put me out of business so fast," Kristoff said flatly, staring at Elsa.

"I wouldn't," she whispered, shrinking away from him.

"She's your best customer, Kristoff, back it up a bit," Anna flared.

"I don't need to be patronized," Kristoff snapped back.

"Are we going yet?" Olaf interrupted, running in.

"Yes, we're going right now, right this second," Anna said. She spun and left the shed, skirts twirling. Blinking hard against the tears, she clutched her picnic basket. It would get better at the meadow. It could still be a perfect day. It just had to be.

Author's Note: This story is part of a series. You can follow the plot without having read anything else, but there are a couple mentions of details from other stories. In "Olaf's Marketplace Adventure," I wrote that when Elsa thawed Arendelle, she thawed everything in Arendelle, including all the ice blocks the ice harvesters had stored in the village. That's where Kristoff's comment about the ice shortage comes from.

Also, you remember that part in the movie where Anna hits Kristoff in the face with a bag of carrots? I thought he totally deserved that. He hasn't picked up any social skills since then. Shall we see if he ever does?

As always, reviews and comments are welcome.