Forever Frozen
Kristoff was troubled as he approached the Queen's bedroom door, he wished Olaf was with him, but the little snowman decided to remain with Marshmallow and his new brothers for a couple of days. It had been over two hours since he had just returned from the North Mountain when he had spotted Anna entering the stables. He had tried to talk to her, to find out how she and Elsa was, but she had told him Elsa was resting in her room. When he had questioned her about how she was personally, she had just requested to be left alone. Anna, the most sociable and rambunctious person he knew (and loved) had wanted to be left alone…the look in her eyes was unsettling and he had wondered what had happened in the course of a day that had caused this change. It was like she had been crying and her horse, Pharis (if Kristoff remembered correctly), shot him a look as if he had caused his friend to be distressed.
So after he had taken care of Sven and had gotten cleaned up, he sighed heavily as he approached a white door with snowflakes on it and knocked, "Come in," came the response.
Kristoff entered the room, "Hey how are you feeling?" He asked gently as he entered and she placed a bookmark in her book.
Elsa smiled at him, "Much better. The doctor was just in to see me and told me that I could probably start working again on Monday. Which is a relief, because I am bored already." She then frowned a bit as she looked at the clock, "Speaking of bored, Anna was supposed to have a meeting and then be back to tell me about it. Have you seen her?" She asked him curiously.
Kristoff looked away as he bit his lip, "I did see her…about two hours ago…" He said eventually after a few moments of silence.
Elsa was immediately on edge as she looked at her sister's potential boyfriend, "Kristoff," her tone was forceful, the very one that she used as a no 'nonsense' voice, "where is my sister?"
Before Kristoff could formulate a response there was another knock on her door, "Come in." Elsa called out as she continued to stare Kristoff down.
Kai and Gerda both entered the room, each wore an expression of anger and sadness; almost like they had been arguing, "Queen Elsa," Kai started as he bowed.
"Kai, is everything ok? Where is Anna?" Elsa asked not liking the look on their faces.
Kai shifted uneasily, but Gerda gave him a whack on the shoulder and shot him a look. Coughing he said, "Princess Anna left two hours ago…as soon as the meeting was done."
Elsa got up out of bed quickly. However her motion was too fast and she started to feel light headed. Kristoff, being the closest reached out to help steady her, but she waved him off and recomposed herself, "What happened to Anna? Why did she leave?"
"The meeting is the reason. You see she-" Kai started to explain when…
"I am fine." Everyone's heads snapped to the voice and they turned to see Anna coming into the room, looking like a drowned cat.
"Anna!" Elsa and Kristoff yelled in shock, while Gerda had took action to run into Elsa's bathroom and came back with a towel.
"You're Highness-" Kai said flabbergasted.
Anna held up a hand to silence the man. She shrugged the towel off, much to Gerda's charge in, and held up a hand to Kristoff and Elsa, who tried to approach her, "As I said, I am fine." Elsa did not like the tone her sister was taking with them, and out of the corner of her eye she had seen Kai wince…actually wince! Turning her attention back to her sister, she saw Anna reaching into a seemingly dry satchel bag. She pulled out a couple of pieces of paper and handed it to Kai, "These are the people that wish to contribute ideas for the festival. If you could put them-achoo!" Anna sneezed as she turned her head to cover her face, "In my office, I'll look those over…"
Elsa and Kristoff exchanged looks, "Anna what happened? Why are you soaked?" Elsa asked as she took a step forward.
Anna however took a step back, "Elsa I am fi-" Anna turned her head again ready for another sneeze, but it was a false alarm as she turned to face her sister, "fine."
"That is not what I asked." Elsa stated firmly.
"Did Pharis throw you into the fjord?" Kristoff asked as he also took a step towards her.
Anna again took another step back into the hallway, "No, now nothing major happened ok? I just got back and was on my way to my room to change when I heard your voices and wonder where I was. Now just drop it so I can change, eat, and finish-" Anna let out a cough as she turned her head. Once she was done, she turned to face them again, "the paperwork."
Before anyone could say anything, Anna faced Kai, "Remember what we talked about." She followed up with a warning look to him and then retreated to her room.
"Ok what the hell was that?" Kristoff asked motioning to the path Anna had taken.
"I do not know," Elsa responded before turning to the Head of House, "but I want to hear about that meeting."
"Princess Anna-"
"Tell her everything." Gerda ordered, and Elsa raised a brow in her direction never hearing that type of anger from the woman before, "Now."
"Princess Anna ordered me-"
"I am countermanding it." Elsa said cutting him off, "What happened at the meeting?"
Kai sighed heavily and started to spill everything, and with each word he spoke the castle became colder and colder.
Twenty minutes later Elsa found herself leaving her room with the three people on her heels. Just as she approached Anna's door, Anna herself came out. Seeing the look on their faces Anna sighed, "You told them everything…didn't you?" Anna asked Kai.
"I am sorry, she countermanded your order. She is the Queen, and-"
"I am the spare." Anna muttered out softly, but everyone heard.
Elsa turned to Kai and Gerda and nodded to them; they bowed and left them alone. Kristoff looked between the sisters and Elsa looked at him. This look said that he could stay, "Anna-" Kristoff started to say.
Anna held up a hand, "Can we talk at the table or rather not talk at all and just eat?" Anna suggested, although why she bothered to ask was anyone's guess, because the answer was…
"No. We need to talk about this." Elsa said sternly as Anna just pushed past them and started to walk down the hallway.
"No I do not think we do. Obviously Kai told you everything, so why would I want to waste both our times and effort into having a meaningless conversation?" Anna asked trying to sound professional and calm. Then as if realizing something she asked, "Shouldn't you be resting anyway?"
"The doctor said I can move around if I take it easy. Just no work until Monday; but we are not talking about me. We are talking about you." Elsa responded as they entered the dining room.
"I wish you wouldn't." Anna said taking her place at the table.
"Anna, how can you say that?" Kristoff asked before Elsa could continue to argue with her, "Of course we would want to know what had happened and what has upset you."
The servants started serving the meal, to which Elsa and Kristoff noticed that Anna had yet to start eating right away. Elsa and Kristoff stole looks and Elsa spoke again, "Anna what happened?"
Anna started to laugh, although it was a bitter sounding laugh, "What happened she asks…what happened…you want to know?" Anna looked up at them, "The same thing that has always happened every time I tried anything or rather I had done something wrong. There is a reason I am called the spare you know."
"Anna I do not want-"
"Why do people call you that? I never heard of anyone calling you that." Kristoff cut in.
Elsa and Anna looked at him and then at each other, "Do you know what they call a child born into a royal family? I mean a single child?" Anna asked as she broke the eye contact from Elsa.
Her voice was void of emotion as he looked at her and then at Elsa, "The only child?"
"No." Elsa spoke this time seeing Anna was not going to respond, "Traditionally they are called an heir. The eldest child that this born into a royal family is called the heir because-"
"They inherit the throne." Kristoff finished as it dawned on him now. Since he never really lived with other people, he never knew had a chance to understand social hierarchy, "But what does that have to do with-"
"Kristoff if that single child is called an heir, why do you think a royal family has so many children, not just one?" Anna asks this time.
"So that way there is a back up to the throne?" He answers hesitantly in a question like tone.
"Exactly." Anna nods, "Spares. Which is what I am. Elsa inherited the throne being the eldest, and I was born second so I am the spare. If something happened to Elsa I would take the throne."
"But that sounds like a good thing…at least I would think that is a good thing for the royal family." Kristoff says as he was trying to be careful with his tone and words, "It would help keep the peace with the people and the family would be able to keep power."
Anna snorted, "Yea it could be a good thing if it wasn't used in a derogatory way."
"Anna what do you mean?" Elsa asked.
Anna pushed her uneaten plate away and sighed, "After you wouldn't talk with me I started acting out. Long story short my grades slipped, I refused to listen, and did the opposite everyone told me to do. Even though no one said it to my face, they all talked behind my back and one day I had overheard one of our tutors talking that I was impossible to work with and that it was a good thing you would have taken the throne considering how useless I would be. In other words I was the useless spare."
"Anna…" Elsa and Kristoff whispered.
Anna waved them off, "I got used to it though, I mean what they said was true. I am not perfect, I am a far cry from graceful, and let's face it I screw almost everything up."
"That is not true!" Elsa yelled out, "Sure you make mistakes, but so does everyone! Look what I did!"
Anna shook her head, "Yea because of me. I made you lose control. I stole your glove, I did not listen when you had told me to leave you alone at the palace, and I got Hans involved which he almost…"
Anna did not need to finish that last statement because they knew what almost happened. Granted they had not told each other everything, only enough to get the basic understanding. Anna had not told them exactly what happened in the study, and Elsa had yet to tell what happened in the dungeon and on the fjord. Kristoff had not mentioned how he almost did not turn back for Anna. Each person looked away at this point, "Anna it wasn't-" Elsa tried to say.
"Please do not try and sway my mind. I know I was mainly responsible for the Freeze and for getting ourselves almost killed. I also know I am responsible for the accident…"
"Anna honey it was not your fault, none of that." Elsa said now looking at her sister, "Besides if anything it was mine. I was and am the oldest, I should have stopped you rather than encouraging you. As for the Freeze, I think it was destined to happen one way or another."
"But it had to be me that did it right? I was the straw that broke the camel right?" Anna asked bitterly.
Kristoff looked at Elsa and shook his head, telling her not to speak. Then looking at Anna he asked, "What happened at the meeting?"
Anna shook her head, "Lord Marcus and I got into a fight; although it was not the first, it was still rather bad. Please do not make me tell it if you already know." Anna begged at the end.
Elsa nodded as she pulled away from the table, her plate half eaten, "Ok, so I will go summon him and the council."
"Wait what?" Anna asked surprised, "No don't!"
"Anna they are not allowed to talk to you like this! It is absolutely un-"
"I already took care of it, as Kai had told you I put the man in his place and took care of it." Anna said firmly, "Besides I threatened them with treason if the Southern Isles and Weselton hurt you."
"Wait what? What do you mean Southern Isles and Weselton?" Elsa asked now her turn to be surprised.
"Oh he didn't tell you that part? Oops." Anna said and before she could begin to speak, Kai came into the room.
"Your Highness, I am sorry to interrupt but the Parson family is here to see you. Something about wanting to thank you?" Kai said.
Anna sighed, "I told them not to bother, why can't people listen…"
"Anna what is going on?" Kristoff asked before Elsa could.
"Come on, no doubt you are going to find out." Anna said defeated, but trying to put on a happy face. Kristoff and Elsa looked at each other and together the three of them followed her out of the room.
