Thanks for being patient. Here it is. Chapter 6. Happy reading :)

Chapter 6

"You better go home. That's one too many already." Paul the barkeep casually polished a glass mug across the wooden counter from him. Thinking the advice peculiar as he arrived a mere few minutes ago at The Fiddler's Green with Prince Ali, Kristoff raised an incredulous brow at Paul. While the mountain man hardly frequented taverns and similar establishments, he proudly asserted, though perhaps not as strongly tolerant as the Persian prince, that he not possessed such a frail constitution for liquor. So Kristoff dismissed the balding bartender's concern. To further emphasize his point, he chugged down his pint of ale in one large gulp and asked for another. Seemingly unimpressed, Paul merely shrugged in reply, "Alright. But I am not cleaning up after him."

Glancing to his right, Kristoff observed a stoic Al fixated on the half-empty mug of ale cupped between his hands. For a long tensed minute, the Persian quietly stared at his drink. Suddenly the mountain man heard Prince Ali curse under his breath before he firmly gripped the mug's handle, swiftly guzzled his drink, and forcibly slammed the empty glass down. Grimacing and shaking his head, the prince yelped in a drunken slur, "Okay! Give me one… Hold on. This ain't how…" Kristoff reflexively flinched when Ali suddenly faced him. Glossy eyes scrutinized him as the Persian prince incoherently stuttered out, "This ain't how… right? He does… me does things... The old me… Bring fun… others share drinks. Here… Buy lots and lots. Pitchers full. I go and I find. We be merry with nice ale… of company."

Unceremoniously Prince Ali dropped a pouch of coins in his hands. Then Kristoff amusingly watched the former John Doe ungracefully stagger off to some random table and exuberantly introduced himself to the group. Immediately the men at the round table created space for the prince and gathered around as one of their compatriots prepared for an arm-wrestling match with Ali. Though it appeared the Persian prince held up his own for long solid minute, he eventually, given his unconditioned state, discovered his arm slammed down hard against the wooden surface. Defeated Prince Ali merely chuckled, "Alright. As promise. This round is on me." Cheerfully the prince then signaled towards him, and politely Kristoff compiled, bringing a pitcher of ale with him to the group. Thus their liquor drinking, fun-sporting competitive games, and merrily singing filled evening kicked off.

Boisterous inharmonious caroling faded, and utter silence and darkness greeted them as they exited the tavern. Hazy eyes seeking the faint glow of streets lamps to guide his path, Kristoff then securely adjusted his grip on the cargo over his left shoulder before slowly shuffling off towards the castle down the empty and dimly lit street. As he glanced over at the slumped figure at his side, an exasperated sigh escaped his lips. While slightly sober than his companion, the mountain man struggled to drag the incapacitated Prince Ali back. Wishing he had heeded Paul the barkeep's advice sooner, he cursed his luck and grumbled, "If you cannot hold your liquor, then don't drink… Or at least, know your goddamn limit… And stop once you reached it. Even if it's one glass. Just why… Why force yourself?!" Exhausted Kristoff leaned against the bridge's rail to rest. He waited a quick while for a reply, but the drunk prince remained unresponsive.

Wearily shaking his head, Kristoff proceeded on his trek home with Ali leaning against his shoulder for support. As they crossed the castle's main gate, he heard the Persian prince mumbling something out under his breath. Curious the mountain man encouraged him to speak up and leaned closer to listen, only to whip his head back in surprise when Prince Ali unexpectedly shouted, "I MADE A MISTAKE! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE…" Quickly Kristoff placed a hand to cover the prince's mouth when the sounds of clanging metal and whispering men alarmed him. Hoping to avoid an embarrassing scene with the guards and a reprimanding lecture from the queen, he swiftly pulled Ali into the shadows and stealthily led the way to the stables. Thankfully the Persian prince appeared as keenly determined as him to escape detection, and so the two soon reached their destination without too much trouble.

Once he locked the barn door, Kristoff reached for a bag of carrots hanging on a wooden post. He strolled towards his best friend's stall and presented the orange vegetable to an eager Sven, who immediately chomped a chunk off. Securing a carrot of his own, the mountain man then tossed the bag inside the reindeer pen and leaned against the railing. While Sven promptly finished off the rest of the carrots behind him, Kristoff slowly munched on his as he quietly observed Prince Ali stumbling about before plopping down on top a pile of hay across from him. After a long while, the mountain man amusingly watched the Persian prince suddenly bolting to sit up straight and comically attempting in vain to shake off a straw of hay tangled among his locks of hair. Shoulders slumped Ali gave up on this endeavor and started to speak out loud.

"Goddamn it! Man god-like specimen… Piercing blue eyes. Wavy chestnut hair. Smooth creamy complexion. Strong chiseled chin. Perfectly well-groomed." Confused Kristoff raised an incredulous brow and asked for clarification, but the drunk prince continued to stare out blankly in a daze as he rambled on, "On my way… Talk to her… Questions to ask… Revelations to share… Feeling anxious… Excited… Scared… Find I the two sitting… Drinking tea… Chatting away… He in pristine white uniform… She ever radiant and graceful… Both elegantly poised… Majestic and noble-like… Picture Perfect… Low was I compared… Hand rough blister… Hair unruly scruff… No chance ran I… Hope only the past me… Become try I, but failed have… Cannot liquor drink… Though singing like he, yes! Excuse I borrow." Prince Ali suddenly darted out of pile of hay, swiftly snatched his lute hanging from its usually perch, and instantly barged out of the stable.

Helplessly Kristoff watched the prince escape. Due to his slightly liberated state, he failed to react on time, and only managed to scramble after the prince a few seconds later. So the mountain man aimlessly wandered around the castle grounds in search for Ali deep into the night. Resigned he nearly returned inside until his ears perked up at the sound of plucked strings. Locating the source, Kristoff strolled into the garden and glanced up to discover Prince Ali perched on the roof a couple stories above him. In a hushed tone, he urgently called out and sternly demanded the Persian prince to climb down. Unfortunately out of ear shot, the Persian prince ignored his pleas and continued tuning the instrument in his hands. Sighing the experienced mountain man closely surveyed the brick wall before carefully scaling up it. When Kristoff finally reached him, he watched Ali expertly strumming the lute and gently crooning out loud.

Tell me that you turned down the man
Who asked for your hand
'Cause you're waiting for me
And I know, you're gonna be away a while
But I've got no plans at all to leave

And would you take away my hopes and dreams and just stay with me?

All my senses come to life
While I'm stumbling home as drunk as I
Have ever been and I'll never leave again
'Cause you are the only one

And all my friends have gone to find
Another place to let their hearts collide
Just promise me, you'll always be a friend
'Cause you are the only one

Take my hand and my
Heart and soul, I will
Only have these eyes for you
And you know, everything changes but
We'll be strangers if we see this through
You could stay within these walls and bleed
Or just stay with me

Oh lord, now

Forgetting his previous intention to berate him, Kristoff simply sat next to Prince Ali and quietly listened to him play. The mountain man immediately picked up on the raw emotions complexly layered and strongly conveyed in Ali's voice. Slowly he pieced together and worked out the reason behind the prince's odd behavior and cryptic words that night. As the song progressed, Kristoff soon found himself lulled into a calming trance. Blankly he gazed out into the fjord night scape before closing his eyes and allowing the song to carry him further away.

I'm stumbling off drunk, getting myself lost
I am so gone, so tell me the way home
I listen to sad songs, singing about love
And where it goes wrong

All my senses come to life
While I'm stumbling home as drunk as I
Have ever been and I'll never leave again
'Cause you are the only one

And all my friends have gone to find
Another place to let their hearts collide
Just promise me, you'll always be a friend
'Cause you are the only one

Silence passed between them as the song's last note dissipated. At his peripherals, Kristoff observed the sullen prince who wearily sighed before facing him. With a small smile, Prince Ali handed the string instrument back to him and proclaimed, "Thank you, Kristoff, for lending me your lute. And for tonight in general, actually. You did not have to put up with my crazy antics tonight. But you did." For a moment, the Persian prince appeared lost in thought as he leaned back and propped himself up with his elbows. Then Ali pondered out loud, "Now that I think about it… Everyone in Arendelle have been very kind to me. Most especially you, Princess Anna, and… Queen Elsa… To a stranger like me, I find it hard to believe that someone could be so understanding, patient, and compassionate about my situation. No less someone as important as the Queen. After all this time… to this extent… why bother with such a bleak case… with a hopeless person like me?"

Shaking his head and crossing his arms, a baffled Kristoff exclaimed, "Seriously?! For you to ask such a blatantly obvious question… You know nothing, John Doe." At the mentioned of his old alias, the prince immediately tensed before sitting up straight. Ignoring Prince Ali's visibly agitated state, the mountain man argued, "You basically answered yourself just now. Think about it. Why would the Queen care so much about you? In the past two months since you met her… All those times you spent drinking tea and chatting together… How can you not notice anything?! There is no way someone can be this dense! The clues and hints are right there… What about your journey book? Have you finished reading it?"

Oddly Kristoff witnessed the former John Doe chuckle in response, "God, no! It is way too long. I do not share the same fondness for reading and writing as the old me. Besides, it feels a bit narcissistic of me to read about myself… As written by the past me." Prince Ali paused, stroking his chin in thought, before stating, "Though I do have some suspicions… There were a few entries I found intriguing. So I wanted to inquire Queen Elsa about them over tea… But I did not get the chance… I nearly interrupted a proposal from some prince… What was his name? Prince Georg… Prince Gorge… No… It was Prince Grigor! Yes, Prince Grigor of the Southern Isles. At first glance, I can tell… The prince seemed a bit up-tight… I do not particularly socialize well with pretentious people like him. He just appeared overly clean cut. It makes me wary… But it was more than that… He said some… disheartening truth… And so I left."

Curious the mountain man egged Prince Ali to elaborate on his story. Nervously the Persian prince combed his hair back as he related, "Well… He told her that… She should pick someone deserving to marry. Someone that will be a good match for her and the kingdom. Hearing him say that… Even though I reveled when the queen rejected him and wiped that smug grin off his face… I cannot help but agree with him. Because, despite the strange irrational misgivings I have about him… I hate how Prince Grigor is right… And I hate how this whole affair makes me so conflicted!"

Huffing in frustration, Prince Ali then paused for a moment to calm down before explaining, "I mean… Until now, I felt perfectly fine with the way things were progressing… But now… It is like there is an unreasonable weight suddenly constricting my chest… And a nagging voice in head relentlessly screaming at me to do something… I do not understand why I feel so pressured to act, and at the same time… I am at a lost… A piece of me believes I am somehow entitled… It unnerves me so. People are not possessions. And yet... there exists an undeniable compulsion for jealousy. What's more?! Twisted within all this confounding logic… Another part of me realizes… It matters not how… as that blasted journey book seems to imply… close Queen Elsa and I were in the past… An unrefined amnesiac… Especially one who…"

Growing ever more somber, Ali softly whispered, "The old me wronged the queen. He never should have… I never should have… It was a mistake. Me leaving… was a mistake. You can explain to me why, but I will never understand. Nor would I wish to. Whatever reason I may had at the time… Nothing can ever justify my actions… Not when she ends up hurt. Though she desperately tries to hide it, I plainly see it in her eyes. That twinkle of sadness constantly present every time we talk. It's maddening! I wish I can eradicate it with a snap of my fingers… Even though I am not sure how… Time and Pain. Cannot be reversed and taken back. Even still… In spite of this… Strangely I feel strongly obligated to… I guess set things straight between us. Make it right somehow. Whatever the hell that entails. So in that sense… As you said, Kristoff… I truly know nothing."

The Persian prince hollowly laughed, casually dismissing his words as nonsensical musings of a drunk. Meanwhile, Kristoff remained silent; a raging war ensued in his mind. He wanted nothing more than to reveal the truth to Ali, but that required disobeying the queen. Fretting over how the prince poorly reacted when they told him about his past, Elsa mandated an order of silence in order prevent such a mistake from happening again. Although he recognized the merit in letting the prince figure it out at his own pace and thus avoid spooking him, the whole situation utterly aggravated him. Especially when he knew telling Prince Ali would resolve all these misunderstandings.

Suddenly a flutter of movement snapped him out his contemplation. Kristoff observed the Persian prince yawn and stretch while relating his intention to return back inside. As Prince Ali clambered to stand up, he lost his footing, bonked his head, and slid off the tiled roof. Diving after him, the mountain man reached out to grab the prince, but failed to catch him in time. Carefully he crawled towards the roof edge and peeked below, expecting the worst. But instead of a grotesque and bloody scene, a flurry of snow rushed past his face and a pair of steel blue eyes pierced him in place.

Down below a herd of Elsa's miniscule snowmen, which she accidentally created once before when she caught a cold, hoisted the unconscious Persian prince off the snowy ground. Elsa's stern tone shifted his attention back to her, "Kristoff, there you are. I can take it from here. You should go to bed. If you require assistance coming down, then just jump. My little snow minions will catch you. We, Princess Anna and I, will speak to the two of you in the morning." With that said, Queen Elsa strolled inside the castle with half of her mini snow creatures carrying the passed out Prince Ali while the other half waited behind for him. As soon as the queen disappeared out of sight, Kristoff palmed his face and groaned; he was not looking forward to their conversation later.

Princess Anna silently observed her nervous sister and instantly frowned. A dusting of snow gently sprinkled over her head as the queen repeatedly rubbed her hands together while softly practicing her speech under muttered breaths. The last time she had seen Elsa so visibly yet subtly stressed was her coronation. No doubt her sister felt anxious about her anticipated announcement later tonight. But even still, the princess wanted Elsa to enjoy herself. Hooking her left arm around the queen's right, Anna playfully declared, "Relax Elsa. It's a party. Your birthday party. You should be having fun out there. And not frozen like some glorified living statue for all to behold. Although… those snowflake earrings I gave you do need a display… Never mind. Let's continue standing here and watch other people dance… And in general enjoy their time… Even more than the hosts are."

Acting as if the sarcasm escaped her – the coy glance and sly smirk betraying her icy façade – Elsa coolly retorted and firmly reminded the princess about the significance of tonight before returning her attention back to the sea of waltzing pairs and chatting bystanders. Presently the two stood side by side on the raised platform in the castle throne room with their party guests around them. It strangely felt like some kind of strange déjà vu, but this time, the princess hoped to avoid an awkward encounter with a plotting duke. Green eyes eagerly searching the crowd, Princess Anna beamed when she spotted Kristoff entering the ballroom with Ali behind him. Both appeared ever so dapper with the tailored suits she had specially ordered for this evening.

Turning to her left, Anna cheerfully noted the twinkle in Elsa's blue eyes as she, too, observed the two stroll in and linger outside the edge of the dance floor. The princess teasingly elbowed her sister and pointed an all-knowing look her way, causing the queen to redirect her line of gaze and feint disinterest. Exasperated Anna sighed at Elsa's stubbornness before she dragged her sister along while ignoring her not-so heartfelt protest. As they approached the gentlemen, Princess Anna caught a weary Kristoff stating, "For the last time… Ali, you look fine. Not a button or pin out of place." Despite the assurances, the Persian prince continued to fuss over his appearance. Wishing to prevent their discussion from escalating, Anna softly cough to interrupt and gain their attention. While she peeked her fiancée's cheek in greeting and wrapped her arms around him, the princess amusingly watched an intriguing interaction occurring.

"Queen Elsa. Happy Birthday. Sorry for showing up late to your party. Had a little trouble with my clothes. Umm… I hope I look presentable enough. And to your satisfaction." Nervous at first, Prince Ali clumsily raked his fingers through his slicked-backed jet black hair before swiftly straightening up in attention and rigidly positioned his hands behind his back. Oozing with confidence, the Persian prince flashed Elsa his trademark grin as he questioned, "I thought my invitation a bit odd. It instructed me to shower, trim my beard, and well… other strangely specific details as to how to properly groom myself for tonight's event. The whole thing really felt weird, but… nonetheless, I complied. Still… Do you always require such concise dress codes for all your guests, Your Majesty?"

Unfazed by the prince's jesting undertone, Elsa remained elegantly poised with her hands clasped in front and graciously replied, "No, Prince Ali. I'm not one to impose such silly demands. With that said, I also find this incident peculiar. If you would like, I can asked around. Perhaps it is merely a misprint, or… perhaps a snoopy little mouse swiped your invitation en route delivery." Her sister darted a pointed gaze her way, to which Anna sheepishly beamed and innocently shrugged in response. Rolling her eyes in disbelief, the queen then redirected her attention back to Ali and stated, "But if it is of any consolation… Kristoff is right. Your attire and the whole ensemble… This look… It suits you. Quite handsomely so. Your efforts are not wasted."

Then, much to her amusement, the princess observed Elsa engage in a playful banter with Prince Ali. Arms crossed in defiance, Elsa sternly declared, "Although… your appearance should be the least of your worries. After all… this is a ball. Tell me, Prince Ali. How's your dancing?" The seemingly casual inquiry spurred a spirited debate between them as the prince proudly bragged about his skills while her sister openly challenged he prove it. Soon the two shuffled their way to the dance floor together when Elsa dragged Ali behind her and exclaimed, "Just shut up and dance with me. We'll see if you are as good as you say you are." For a long minute, Princess Anna watched the pair go until Kristoff crossed her line of vision. Smiling she accepted his outreach hand and joined the others.

While they glided along to the rhythm, Kristoff softly whispered into her ear, "Suppose this is mission accomplished. I don't think those two will need any more prodding. Besides, it would not be good for us to intervene too much. If Elsa and Ali are truly meant to be, they will find their way to each other. So from now on… how about we focus on our upcoming nuptials? Frankly, progress have been stagnant lately… ever since we – more you, really, and me going along with it – decided to help those two reconnect. Although, I absolutely find it endearing that you wish to ensure your sister's happiness… I frankly think it is time we make our happy ending happen as well, and promptly set our wedding plan back on course." Princess Anna weakly nodded her head in agreement, gently leaned her forehead against his shoulder, and blissfully listened to his heartbeat.

Suddenly her serene moment with Kristoff abruptly ended when shocked gasps and hushed mutterings replaced light-hearted music. Curious Princess Anna pushed her way through the circling crowd. At the center, she witnessed Prince Grigor land squarely with his bottom on the ground before a charging Prince Ali roughly pulled him up by his shirt collar. Livid the red-faced Persian prince viciously shouted at Grigor's face, "How dare you talk about her in that way?! You fucking weasel! I ought to pummel your face bloody." With a raised clench fist, Prince Ali appeared ready to fulfill his promise until he noticed the sea of spectators, whispering and staring at him. Gruffly Ali shoved Grigor away and swiftly stormed out of the ballroom.

Then Anna watched Elsa emerge and attempt to pacify the startled crowd. Although duty-bound to remain with their guests, her wavering glances at the door clearly indicated her hidden desire to leave. Concerned Princess Anna approached her sister, encouraged her to chase after Ali, and assured her that she would take care of matters here. In response, Elsa gave her a grateful smile as she exited out into the hall. For a lingering second, Anna watched her sister's retreating back until a hoarse voice piped up, "Princess Anna, I request the opportunity to defend my honor. Even politicians have their own sense of pride. My image would be ruined if let someone who publically embarrassed like that get away with it." Standing behind her, Grigor sported a nasty bruise on his left cheek. Despite his disheveled appearance, Anna felt not a shred of sympathy for the prince from the Southern Isles.

Spinning around on her heels, the princess faced Prince Grigor and coldly retorted, "Very well. Feel free to openly repeat word for word what transpired between the two of you. Right here. Right now. I am awfully curious to know what exactly you said to merit such a volatile retaliation from Prince Ali. We, your peers, can then determine whether or not you deserved it." Sheepishly Grigor backed off, citing his stance for peace and wishing to prevent the situation from escalating. Although Princess Anna found his instant surrender peculiar, she decided to dismiss and ignore her misgivings about him. Besides, there were much more pressing issues for her to deal with.

After effectively resolving the predicament with Prince Grigor, Anna turned to address the crowd, "First of all… On behalf of my sister, Queen Elsa, thank you for celebrating this special occasion with us. With that said… Allow me to answer the very question that is surely in your minds. Many of you are here, because you may have heard about my sister's intention for courtship. Well, I am here to say… Those rumors are not true! What can I say?! Rumors are just that… Rumors. Even still, please do not think your trip a waste. I sincerely hope you all had a lovely time this evening. Once again, thank you for coming. But the party is over. I bid you all safe travels home."

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Took longer than expected. Had to deal with a few black outs. It's rainy season (well more like the American equivalent of hurricane season) where I am. Anyways, happy to finally get the chance to finish and upload this one. Let me know what you think of the chapter and story thus far with a review. Until next time :)

P.S. If you have not heard about it, I posted about my Music Story Challenge on both my profile and FB page. As you can probably tell by now, I get a lot of my inspiration and writing ideas from music. For instance, Ed Sheeran's "One" influenced the first half of this chapter. And another song at the latter half of the chapter, which I am purposely not mentioning so you guys can try to find out on your own. I present this challenge as an Easter egg hunt. Throughout my stories (so far "Journey to the East" and "Tangled Red Strings"), a lot of the scenes are directly or indirectly influenced by a song. Can you guess which ones? Feel free to send me your answers. Happy Hunting!