{a/n: this chapter starts off rough bc wattpad deleted the first half so I had to write it all over and to avoid any confusion, this takes place three days after 'William' dissapeared.}

Chapter 9

Anna's POV

In Arrendale.

Three days ago, early in the bright morning, I saw another empty bed. The bedroom windows were open wide and a cold chilly air was clearly noticeable in the room.

My worst nightmare seemed to come true. She was gone. I hoped that it only would be temporary, because knowing my own daughter, she probably just went out to do a morning stroll through the woods. I waited and I waited, until I came to senses after day three.

Night was falling in Arrendale and I still remained in my daughter's bedroom. Day three and they still hadn't found anything. I was hoping, no praying that she just got off track during her daily trip through the woods.

Sometimes she stayed at the local tavern to stay over the night and meet the local people, but she would never be gone for so long. Two days tops, but never three. The fear was tearing me apart, leaving me into a hopeless and meaningless wreck.

A soft knock echoed through the familiar room I was in. In my old white nightgown, I sat in a rocking chair in front of the open window. It stayed quiet for a moment. I wiped away my tears of guilt and murmured a soft 'yes'.

I could hear the door softly creaking open, but since my back was facing the door, I couldn't see who it was. Timid footsteps stepped into the room.

"Anna please, it's getting dark. You should get some rest." My sister Elsa spoke softly. I turned around from the chair I was sitting on and saw my sister standing at the doorpost, holding a candle light in her hand. I stared into her bright blue eyes. A flash of sorrow and sadness was crystal clear.

She as well, suffered as much as we all did. Everyone blamed themselves, as they knew history was repeating. She slowly paced up to me and hunched down in front of me, taking my hands in hers.

"She is still out there." I spoke softly, letting a single tear fall down on my cheek. I looked out if the window, seeing that it was pitch black.

She was a tough and brave girl that's for sure, but a person is not a person without their limits.

"I know Anna. Kristoff and the guards are trying their hardest. We just need to hope for the best. Come on let's get some sleep. It'll do you good."

"How could you say that? She is still out there and has been for three entire days. She would never be gone for so long."

I looked at my sister and covered my face with my hands. I sobbed tears of pain and hurt. I felt a hand touching my shoulder carefully, but I didn't bother to look up. Elsa tried to comfort me, but it would be a lost cause anyway.

A life without your children is no life to live. You know how it feels to wake up without knowing if you'll never see you children again? Believe me the pain is even worse than what it seems. It's more horrid than any other ice spell. It demands more pain than you could ever realize.

"We'll find her, don't worry." Elsa said again, voice still silent and low. She took my hand and gently pulled me up.

"Get some rest, if we don't find her before sun rise, I think I know someone who can help us."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, confused.

"Don't worry, you know them. But first, let's just wait until Kristoff comes back, maybe he did find her today." She explained.

She was right. It's best for me to wait until Kristoff comes back, maybe he did found my lovely lost princess. He had been trying his hardest for the last couple of days and only came home when there was news to tell, which wasn't very often. And if he didn't managed to find her, we'd go with plan a B.

Nothing to worry about Anna... Nothing to worry about...

"Come on Anna, let's go." Elsa said, while giving me a reassuring smile. She walked back to my daughter's bedroom door and stopped at the doorpost, waiting for me.

Hesitantly, I glanced at my daughters unmade bed and messy unorganized room.

I was not ready to leave this room yet, it felt like giving up and I would never give up. I've made that mistake once and I swore to myself that it wouldn't happen again. Not her too.

My heart told me to stay and wait, while my head screamed for rest. My eyelids felt heavy and they slowly began to droop. It was already passed midnight and the sky was scary dark.

I decided that only a couple minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt a fly. But as I made this decision, it felt like I was doing something wrong. As if I was letting my only daughter down.

My feet felt really heavy as I tried walking towards the door. It felt like two heavy bricks were tied up to my bare feet, not letting me anywhere near to the bedroom door.

"I'll be out in a sec." I finally decided, while hesitantly smiling at my bigger sister.

Elsa left the room reluctantly and silently closed the door behind her.

my gaze fell upon my daughters unmade bed. That silly girl never cleans. It's as if she doesn't know how to hold a broom. Sure we have staff, but it is a thing she can easily do herself.

When I would ask her to clean up her room she used to respond with a unconcerned face: 'I can't think in a neat room.'

I know it's weird to think about her messy room, but I wanted to keep reminding myself that she could be home anytime soon. Silly thoughts like that, kept my weak hopes up. I know, it sounds weird.

I walked to her pink with gold accented four-poster and grabbed the sides of her lavender duvet to pull them straight.

I tried fluffing the pillows, when my hand touched something peculiar. I took the harsh object in my hands and looked at something I never thought I would ever see again in my entire life.

The navy colored book cover and big graceful golden letters I recognized immediately. It was a book that I used to read to my children every night before they went to sleep.

It was so different from all the other books I read to them. This- this one was... Magical.

I softly chuckled as I studied the elegant written title.

Peter Pan.

I remembered sitting in the garden, while watching them play with wooden swords that Kristoff made for them out of the trees that only grew in Arrendale.

It felt like it was only yesterday when their laughter filled the early spring morning. How they tumbled and made somersaults. How the eerie sound of wood clashed against each other. How they kept yelling; "you'll never get me!"

Our son, the cheeky lad he always was, always wanted to be the 'bad' guy so he pretended to be Captain Hook. It was a role that suited him very good.

Our daughter on the other hand, dreamed of being the first lost girl and always swept him of the ground without any trouble at year six. Those memories filled my heart with warmth.

I turned around the cover to see that something was written on it. My eyes scanned the all familiar lines. The sloppy handwriting I recognized immediately.

Dear sister,

I'm leaving soon. I hope you can forgive me.

With or without me, I know you're going to be the most beautiful and rightful princess I will ever know in my life. I know you probably don't believe me and I understand. But dear sister, all you need to do is believe...

Reading these words made my heart ache and gut churn. It was a painful reminder of my eldest son whose ship sank many years ago. He sailed away to a very important business meeting, but he never returned from his trip. It changed our family forever and had a great impact on everybody.

I slowly closed it, as my heart couldn't stand any more of the memories I pushed away throughout all those years. It was just too much to handle. I never liked to be reminded of my failures as a mother. If only I stopped him before he boarded, than everything would still be the same.

God, thinking about this, made the feeling of guilt return after so many years and what's even worse, is that it's happening all over again and there's nothing I can do about it.

I put the book back in her giant bookcase and stared at it for a while, before tiredness hit me like a lightning bold and I decided to leave the room.

That was one big trip down memory lane...