A/N- Hey guys!
Happy Wednesday! Hope your week is going well lovely's 3
Shadowhunterakira- Yes Elsa's mood was pretty harsh! I am eager to see what you all will think of her after this chapter and the next few O_O...
NoblePlatypus- AHA! Yes why were they holding it...seems strange..that Elsa had the necklace yet...hmm...:)
Claire Cooper- Silly overprotective parents are holding back a lot from the Knight of Adlai!
Guest- So far Anna has only concerned herself with the title! I don't think she's too concerned with gold at the moment, but there is a possibility she can help Kristoff later!
LeFrozenFire- Anna has a lot to prove! Her work is cut out for her, especially with the Princess of Adlai ^_^
So many kind reviews! So many good questions! You guys are so sweet, curious and pretty observant ^_O I'll have to remember that...
Anyways, hope you guys like the chapter! (I am falling asleep at my laptop at the moment...). Next update shall be the weekend!
Here we go! -Talk Pillow
Kristoff waited and waited for Anna to return, the guards at the gate giving him a questioning look as he and Sven stood before the castle. "Fucking royal's..." he spat, ignoring their stares. They always assumed the worst out of everyone or at least himself or the other members of Arendelle Camp. Often times the traveler would come across a royal who would quickly hold tight to their belongings or turn away from him as if he were scum, all assuming he was going to either steal from them or attack them just because they were of higher stature and he was a poor misfit. Kristoff may have been this but he was an honest man, stealing was something he didn't take to often if at all. Amongst these thoughts, he felt Sven tug at his shirt, whining softly as he looked between the castle and him.
"Sven I'm sure Anna will at least come back to tell us about her new Knight title.." Kristoff commented, patting the reindeer softly on the head. Sven gave him a look, unconvinced. "Have faith buddy..if it gets too late then..we'll just come back tomorrow..she'll have to send for us eventually either way, we are her best friends!" he tried to sound confident, or at least excited for the situation, if anything for Sven. But as they continued to stand there and Anna still hadn't returned from her discussion with the royals of Adlai, Kristoff started to grow just as impatient as Sven. "I mean…hopefully we'll still be her friends after all this..she will be a Knight now, much better than misfits like us.." Kristoff sighed, looking down to the ground.
Sven nudged his head into Kristoff's, this time being the one to cheer the other up. The reindeer made some noise, hopping around as he looked off towards the castle again. His eyes looked hopeful and Kristoff could imagine he was saying something similar to what he had just said, "Have faith..".
"Yeah, yeah..I know.." Kristoff laughed, pushing the reindeer away as he continued to pry. Their laughter seemed to bother the guards, each grunting loudly in response. Kristoff and Sven silenced themselves then, glaring at the two as they glared back. "Fucking royals…" Kristoff spat again, turning to Sven as he nodded. "Anna's too good for them..especially.." he trailed off as he noticed the guards turn and the large doors of the castle open up before them all. Kristoff smiled brightly as he saw his friend slowly walk out of the castle, only to falter as he took in her image, looking quite defeated. "This can't be good Sven.." he whispered out, warning the reindeer before she approached.
Sven pouted, his eyes looking sad as he took Anna in. He seemed as if he wanted to speak up then, to say something along the lines of "Are you alright Anna?" or "What happened?". Reindeers were much kinder than people, especially with consoling.
Sighing, Kristoff offered his arms open for a hug, "Bad news?". She must have been denied the wish or at least the prize, for reasons Kristoff was already trying to figure out as she stepped up to them.
"Worse news..but I did get my title!" Anna said through a smile, causing Kristoff's face to fall. He was happy for her but upon seeing the girl and the way she came out, he hoped she didn't get the job so she could stay with him and Sven in Arendelle Camp. Clearly that wasn't happening any time soon. "But getting the title..is another story." Anna explained, sighing loudly as she leaned against the sled.
Kristoff looked to Sven who offered him a kind smile of support. The two of them had to be supportive, as best as they could, especially seeing as the camp would be anything but supportive to Anna. As much as they wanted Anna to stay with them, continuing the friendship they had together, the girl was struggling and being the best friends that they were to her, they would do anything to help her out. Even if it meant saying goodbye.
"Okay, spill!" Kristoff laughed, trying to get the girl's story rolling, pushing his mood aside. "Tell me how the meeting went with the royals of Adlai!"
Anna nodded her head, trying to recall every detail. "So to make it short, the prize was all a fake...and if I want to become a knight I've got to take the Princess of Adlai to her new husband over in the Southern Isles!" Anna spat, clearly becoming angrier as she spoke. Before her discussion with Elsa she would have been fine with the job, now she couldn't find it in her heart to bring her anger back down. "This would be fine...but going over there means being in the same area as my family..meaning I have to constantly watch my back!" Anna explained, bringing a hand up dramatically. Kristoff's eyes widened, recalling the girls parents and how she had explained to him of their unaccepting ways. Kristoff couldn't imagine parents such as these, although for the longest time he tried to imagine what it was like to have parents at all. Something he refused to think of right then and there.
"Damn..." Kristoff breathed, trying to ease off the tension the moment was having. "So did you take the job?"
Once again Anna nodded, "Of course...they said they'll offer me protection and allow me to become a knight like I want...but the Princess...oh the Princess..". Anna shook her head as she trailed off, her jaw jetting out as she tried to find her words. "She's something else.."
"She hot or something?" Kristoff asked, trying to figure out why the girl was taking so long to explain. A harsh stare silenced the question immediately.
"The opposite, she's cold..rude even!"
"Cold?"
"Cold!" Anna repeated, "And stubborn and she does this stupid little thing with her eyes when she's trying to be smart and she acts like she knows everything!". Anna's hands came up as she was explaining, flying this way and that as a smile crept across Kristoff's face, knowingly. Anna liked her, regardless of the mean words she was using at the moment; she was already making that quite clear. He turned to Sven for a moment, the reindeer recognizing this as well, showing a cheesy smile as Anna continued. "You can also tell she's spoiled, like she wouldn't even let me touch her the other night when..."
"Why were you trying to touch her?" Kristoff practically laughed out, "Wait..other night, you met her before?". Anna stalled, trying to explain but finding it difficult. She had forgotten that while Kristoff did know the story of the other night, both of them didn't know the girl who had helped her was a Princess. Let alone the Princess of Adlai. Said fact was much more difficult explaining than Anna had anticipated and when she had opened her mouth for the fourth time and no words came out, a deep blush fell on her face and silence grew between them. The break in the conversation caused Kristoff to burst out laughing.
"Kristoff, it isn't funny she's ridiculous!" Anna stamped her foot, angrily as Kristoff tried to recover, the man clearly not understanding. "And I didn't mean to touch her, it was an accident..she was going to tell on me!"
"Maybe that's why she's mad then, maybe you set off something by touching her?" Kristoff joked, earning him a hard slap on the shoulder. He was being ridiculous, he knew this, but he couldn't help it when it came to Anna. The girl, for being as bold and honest as she was, had the hardest time with women. Something they both enjoyed. Whether dating them, meeting them or just passing by them Anna managed to have a harder time with girls than he ever did. The Princess obviously being no exception. "Maybe you should stop trying to touch girls Anna, clearly they can't handle your charm." He teased again, this time dodging her attack.
"That's not what I meant by touching, I meant I grabbed her arm and she flipped out on me...anyways we're getting off topic!" Anna stammered, looking from Kristoff to Sven. "She's crazy and I have to take her to her husband, I have to be her personal knight for a year and she hates me!" at the end of her words, Anna's face fell, taking it all in. The girl she had met the night before had been kind to her, even when she didn't deserve it. If she had known she was the Princess she would have been so much more formal with her, much kinder, and perhaps the girl wouldn't have such hard feelings of her then. "If I mess this up I can never be a knight...I'll have to return to being a Pri.." she paused, correcting herself. "I'll have to be a regular person..."
The man's arm came around and found its way onto Anna's shoulder, squeezing it tightly. "You are far from regular Anna, you're pretty spectacular actually." he said, trying to make the girl feel better. Sven came around to the other side and nuzzled his head into Anna's shoulder, softly encouraging her as well. "I'm sure this Princess will see that and before you know it..you two will be friends!" Kristoff smiled as the three stared up at the castle, "Knight Anna of Adlai, its gonna happen...even if you've gotta go through hell for it!"
Anna smiled, taking in the man's words as he spoke them. She knew she could do it, she knew taking the Princess on was a small feat compared to its reward. But actually doing it was another story. "Thanks Kristoff..." Anna smiled and turned to give the man a full hug, facing the castle. As she did she noticed someone staring out of the second story window, her hand pressed against the glass. Anna strained her eyes to look closer and she saw Elsa just as she turned and disappeared from the window. Not before giving a harsh, yet curious, look before she did. "Gods be with me.." Anna whispered, unsure more than ever on the trip she was about to complete.
The three friends spent the rest of the late afternoon, what little was left, preparing for Anna's journey and spending the last moments they had together. Anna knew the three of them would meet again, hopefully in a year's time, but none could be certain when it came to Arendelle's camp. The camp itself was a wandering tribe, constantly changing routes and traveling where the majority saw fit. They had only come to Adlai area because of the need of a job, the chance being much less everywhere else and bountiful here due to the ice. "We'll look for you." Kristoff said, as the topic arose between them, "Send messengers out to all the kingdoms, I'm sure once you're a knight you can do whatever you want!"
Being a knight did not mean doing whatever she wanted but she was sure she would find Kristoff and Sven someday, eventually.
Anna's sword was sharpened, her pack was stitched, her clothes were washed and they even spent a little extra money to get some supplies such as medicine and food for the trip. All of these things caused Anna to protest, but Kristoff nor Sven would hear of it. "I'm sure the castle will supply you with enough junk...we just want you to know that we support you as well Anna, we want you to be completely prepared!" Kristoff stated as he placed wrapped bread inside the pack. Anna felt a smile fall upon her face, already missing her kind friends.
They ended the day by having some fun at the beach, or what was left of it from all the ice and snow. They built snowmen and looked at the ocean, partially frozen, and just enjoyed the others company. Knowing when morning came that they would be separated for some time and moments such as these would be only memories.
"Hey Anna.." Kristoff said suddenly, when they all decided to sit along the beach and stare up at the stars that were forming. Anna turned her head away from the twinkling sky to find Kristoff staring back at her, his eyes glistening as a smile came across his features. "I think you and this Princess will be good.." he said, his voice sincere. "You may not realize it yet..but I think she maybe kinda likes you." the man laughed, although Anna couldn't figure out if he was joking then or not. Either way, a blush spread across her cheeks and she shook her head trying to erase it.
"That girl will be lucky if I don't send her off on that ship alone honestly.." Anna sneered, trying a bit too hard to be mean. "She may like me but she has a hard time showing it." she added, leaning back on her hands and wincing at the cold that shot up her fingertips. "Cold..", the coldness reminded her of the moment in the library and how she felt a terrible chilling pain rise up into her arm as she touched the Princess. The same thing happened when she left out of the room, coming across her face as though the wind had slapped her. The happening would have gone unnoticed if it had only occurred once, but Anna had found this incident twice now. Both when she was around Elsa.
Kristoff looked at the girl as her mind processed, "Thinking about her?" he teased. Anna shook her head, lying to him.
"Have you ever heard of someone possessing the power of cold?" Anna asked, trying to get the topic off of the Princess. Kristoff's mouth twisted and he looked out into the ocean, truly processing the question before giving an answer. Anna waited patiently, looking out towards Sven as the reindeer galloped around. He had been sitting with them, rather nicely, but now he grew bored and wandered around making his own fun. The girl chuckled softly; the reindeer was always quite the character.
"I haven't...but that doesn't mean there aren't people in the world who possess such a thing." he started off, "We've seen sorcerers and other people of magic before, it isn't uncommon...why?". His question felt like it burned her, like she hadn't expected to see his curiosity in this topic.
"Just curious..I heard people talking about a girl with such a power..I didn't believe it." she laughed, swallowing the lump in her throat. Swallowing the lie she was telling.
The man smiled and nodded his head, "I would, that's an unlucky power to have, I can't imagine who would want to simply make it up?". Anna had to give him that. "I honestly wouldn't wanna cross someone with such a gift either…she might just freeze you solid!" he laughed. The laugh shook Anna, still she joined him.
"Yeah me either.."
Anna returned to the castle late into the evening after saying her final goodbyes to Kristoff and Sven. The group hugged longer than they expected, internally begging the other to keep the hug as long as they possibly could. "You know we don't do sappy goodbye's Anna..and since we'll be seeing you in a year..I better not see any tears either." Kristoff stated, nudging the girl as they came apart. Anna knew this; she knew the weight of leaving the two would eventually come along with the tears. But as she stood before the two, the both of them looking at the girl with their love and support, Anna couldn't of felt happier as she realized how lucky she was to have the men in her life.
"Here I was just about to say the same to you?" Anna teased back, folding her arms across her chest. Kristoff looked to Sven, both rolling their eyes before waving goodbye. Anna waved as well, watching as they walked off into the night, leaving her there with her new title. "See you later guys.." she whispered out, slowly going into the castle.
The large doors opened up, creaking loudly in the night, making Anna wince as she came in from the cold and straight into the heat of the massive home. No sooner had she taken her first few steps into the castle, a guard arrived at her side and was pushing a map into her hand. Looking up to him the guard was rather skinny, had dark brown hair and bright eyes. He looked much too weak to be a guard, but Anna quickly dismissed that kind of thinking to the back of her mind. To anyone she was too much a girl to be a Knight, yet here she was.
"Good evening Miss...this is a map laid out for you by the King himself...they've instructed that I go over the land with you and make sure you are seen to your room." the guard spoke, his voice low and to the point. "The King also apologizes for not being able to meet with you on the matters of the trip…The Queen and King are busy with other matters at the time." He added, "I am very skilled in these endeavors though Miss Anna, I can assist you in any questions you may have over the map!".
"That won't be necessary, I know this land like the back of my hand.." Anna laughed, unfolding the map before her and examining it. She wished all the times Kristoff, Sven and her had traveled that they would have at least of had this simple map, often losing their way on more than one occasion. "My partners and I have been all around these parts..I'm sure I will be able to find my way to.." she trailed off, following the line to the last kingdom the girls would be heading to. "To Nuriah...wait Nuriah...why not ship out at the CalonCoast?" Anna questioned as the guard led her towards the staircase.
CalonCoast wasn't far from Adlai, but the distance made a significant difference in temperature. While Adlai experienced winter most of the year, Calon coast experienced it half of the year and had months where the weather were more fall than it were winter meaning the waters were going to be fine to ship out at. Going to Nuriah was going to take an extra month at the very least, that is if they did nothing but ride straight there, and would be the last Kingdom before they reached open water. It was like they were planning on Anna going from the very edge of this land, Adlai, to the very top which was Nuriah only to travel across and up to the Southern Isles. When they could just set out from Calon and make it there much sooner.
He came to look at the map and pointed where the kingdom of Calon Coast lay, "Calon is just as Adlai is...their waters are experiencing the same frozen problems we are...we will have you travel towards Nuriah...that's as far as you can go without reaching more waters...and the hottest it will get until spring." he admitted. "Our lands are experiencing winter a bit earlier this year..I even heard it may reach Nuriah in the next few weeks, typically the Kingdom hardly ever experiences cold weather at all!" he laughed, almost bitterly.
Anna brought her hand to her chin as he spoke, "But I just came from outside of Adlai...and although it isn't warm it doesn't mean that it's..." she trailed off thinking for a moment. "Who designed this route?" she questioned, even though she did hear the guard say earlier the King had made it.
The guard turned and smiled, "Well the King did!" he laughed, reminding her. "Well actually the King and his daughter did, he had the same idea as you did Miss about trying a port along the way..but the Princess was very insistent on Nuriah." the guard spoke, causing Anna to clench her teeth. Why was the Princess trying to prolong their trip? Anna knew that the weather was normal at Calon, it had to be for this time of year. They were barely getting into winter here where as Calon was experiencing Fall. Anna and Kristoff either had somehow missed a giant snowstorm and freezing in the day or two they had been in Adlai, or the Princess was lying through her teeth.
As if she were summoned then by Anna's growing thoughts, Elsa made her grand appearance right before the two as they walked down the hall. The guard immediately stopped, bowing before the Princess, while Anna glared at the girl. The map was tight in her hand.
"Oh William, I see you're taking our guest to her room.." Elsa smiled, directing it only at the guard before her and avoiding Anna's eyes purposefully as she continued. "I hope she isn't giving you too much trouble?" she asked, acting as if Anna were some loose canon. Only with Elsa she was.
The guard seemed taken aback that the woman was speaking to him and bowed once more, stumbling over his words. "No m-madam…not at all!" he laughed, rather awkwardly. "B-but..I've a-also discussed with her the details of the map and h-how you will be traveling up to N-nuriah." he stuttered, Elsa giggling at him as she turned to focus on Anna. The girl swallowed, the blue eyes staring deep into her own.
"Good, I'll show Miss Anna to her room now..thank you William." Elsa stated and was walking down the hallway well before William nor Anna could complain. Anna quickly bowed to William and thanked him as she took off after Elsa, who was already down the next hallway by the time she caught up to her.
William smiled and waved the girl off, returning to his duties with a sense of pride while Anna tried to fight internally with herself. Begging herself not to bring the topic of the route up, something she knew she desperately wanted to do. She knew mentioning the route would only cause a bigger strain on their relationship, but not mentioning it could mean allowing her this win. Allowing the girl to keep their trip as long as possible, something Anna wasn't sure she could do. The future Knight sighed and worked up her courage as she walked beside the Princess, eyeing her up and down.
"So, Nuriah hm?" Anna stated, almost angrily. She was fine if this girl didn't want to get married, prolong the trip as long as she wanted, but not on her watch. She wasn't going to waste years off her life avoiding a wedding a spoiled Princess pretended she wanted.
"Yes. Nuriah is the only choice for us now..in the coming weeks, everywhere else will be frozen." Elsa stated simply, practically egging the girl on.
"How do you know?" Anna questioned.
"Because.."
"Because why...are you a weather predictor?"
"No but I have my ways of knowing."
"Like?"
"Are you trying to accuse me of something Miss Anna of Arendelle camp?" Elsa scolded, her hand reaching out to a door suddenly. Anna watched as the girl opened the door slowly and a plush greenish guest room came before her eyes. The sight would have made Anna grow weary if not for the fight she was having with the Princess right then and there. "I have the best intentions of getting to the Southern Isles as you do, especially as soon as we can." she breathed, her hands tightening slightly.
Anna wanted to roll her eyes then, "But you're lying, Calon isn't even close to freezing it's waters..my camp just came from there and I've traveled to the Kingdom more than enough times to say that this time of year is impossible to even worry about freezing!" she laughed, her arms coming to fold across her chest. The Princess raised an eyebrow, that stupid eyebrow raise of hers, and waited for Anna to continue. Anna didn't disappoint her. "I think you're prolonging our journey so you don't have to meet this..Southern Isles man." Anna laughed, confidently.
Silence followed them and Elsa's face gave her a cold stare. Anna knew she was lying then, too stubborn to admit it. The girl went to open her mouth, to deliver another rude comment to the Princess, when she saw her take a step towards her. Anna held her breath, frozen in place as the girl descended on her and reached into the side of her blue dress.
The proximity startled Anna and she wasn't sure if she wanted to take a step closer or move two steps back, her inner battle struggling as the Princess pulled something out of her pocket. The two were so close, Anna could feel the woman's hot breath on her face as she brought a neatly folded piece of paper up and pushed it into Anna's hands. Anna looked between Elsa and the paper, unfolding it slowly. It was a letter, from the CalonCoast, urging the Princess to make other plans regarding her travels. Anna swallowed the lump in her throat, "Crap..." she thought, wanting to flee the situation before her.
"I sent this out weeks ago, well before the games…well before I ever met you." Elsa sneered, rubbing the fact in Anna's face. "Calon is experiencing a winter that they have never faced before...their waters are starting to freeze as they are here..just as I said." she trailed off to take a few steps back, eyeing Anna as her face turned bright red. "Like I said, I am more than excited for my new life...my new husband..and I plan to get to him as quickly as I can." the words fell off her mouth quickly and the girl was turning to leave before Anna could find her confidence to speak again. "We will be up at dawn; I hope you won't keep me waiting." Elsa finally called down, her voice heavy as it rested on Anna's heart.
