Chapter 13

After a brief moment of confusion they both looked to the door.

"What was that?" Elsa asked.

Aaron's brow furrowed slightly as he thought about the sound. "It… it almost sounded like someone knocking on the front door…" His voice trailed off when he realized that was exactly what it had been. Someone had just knocked on the door to the palace.

Taking a step back and giving him a nervous look, she asked, "What should we do?"

He couldn't begin to describe how badly he did not want to go answer the door. Every fiber in his body wanted to pretend as though it hadn't happened so they could pick up where they'd just left off. But someone was out there, and this late in the day it probably wasn't by accident. Summoning all the patience he could muster, Aaron tried to force a reassuring smile and said, "Why don't you wait here while I go see who it is?" He crossed the room to the door as he spoke and turned to look at Elsa.

She hadn't moved from where she was standing and still had an uncertain look on her face. "O-okay. Just… be careful, alright?"

Flashing a cocky grin, he replied, "When am I ever anything but? Now don't you go nowhere. I'll be right back."

Only when she gave him a weak smile did he step into the hall and head for the stairs. However, the second he was out of her sight his face dissolved into a scowl and both his hands clenched into fists. There was so much frustration building within him it felt like he was going to spit fire. We've been up here for days without seeing another bleeding soul! he thought as he stormed down the hall. And just when things are going so well, now, NOW someone shows up?! If whoever it was wasn't careful he might just set them ablaze purely out of spite.

Pausing at the top of the stairs he closed both eyes and tried to compose himself before heading down. He took a few deep breaths and unclenched his hands before continuing forward. While still furious, at least now he didn't feel like burning down a forest quite so much. Stepping onto the landing, he was expecting whoever it was to still be outside. That was why he stopped in surprise when that was not the case.

Standing in the center of the room was a young woman with her back to him and staring up at the ceiling. She was wearing a magenta wool cloak and matching hat as well as a blue winter dress. Complete with a pair of high boots and mittens, she looked well dressed for winter weather. Her red hair was bound into a pair of pigtails which hung behind her as she continued to look up at the white snowflake above.

Aaron heard her whisper, "Wow," as she stared and couldn't help smiling. Whoever she was, at least she could appreciate something extraordinary when she saw it. But his smile dissolved when he remembered that she'd come at a very inopportune moment. Stepping up to the railing and placing his hands on it, he spoke.

"Ma'am, would you like to explain what you're doing here?"

She spun at the sound of his voice and seemed startled to see him standing there. "Oh." Her spirits recovered quickly as she gave him a small wave and smile, saying, "Hi."

He gave her a curt nod in response but didn't change his expression. "If you could tell me your name and business for being here, that would be great," he said with a tart tone.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that I wasn't expecting a guy when we finally-" She seemed to notice that she was rambling and quickly stopped. Giving a small curtsy, she said, "My name's Princess Anna of Arendelle. Yours?"

Princess? He blinked in surprise. What was royalty doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? Never the less, he'd never dealt with someone of royal birth before and wasn't sure how to respond, so he simply gave a short bow. "Your highness. What a pleasure to have you here. My name is Aaron." He looked back up at her. "But, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing this far from Arendelle?"

As he said this a small question surfaced in his mind. Didn't Elsa say that her sister's name was Anna?

Anna smiled brightly and waved his words aside. "Please, you don't have to bother with the bowing and the 'your highness's. Just call me Anna. Anyway, I'm here looking for my sister. She left Arendelle a few days ago and hasn't been seen since."

Now Aaron started to get nervous. Didn't Elsa leave Arendelle just before she came here? One fact could be a coincidence, but two? Could Elsa actually be… royalty? The thought seemed absurd in his mind, but there was some pretty compelling evidence standing right in front of him that suggested she was.

He was about to ask what Anna's sister's name was when he heard Elsa's voice behind him. "Anna?"

They both looked to see Elsa standing in the threshold to the stairs with a look of surprise on her face.

"Elsa! Oh thank God!" Anna quickly rushed to the base of the stairs, looking relieved. Her expression changed as she looked Elsa up and down. "Wow. Elsa, you look… different. It's a good different!" She quickly added. "And this place… it's amazing."

Smiling, Elsa walked over and joined Aaron by the railing. "Thank you." The smile vanished. "But you should probably go."

"But I just got here."

Elsa's face fell slightly. "You belong down in Arendelle."

"So do you," Anna replied, her expression turning serious.

"No, Anna, I belong here." As she spoke Elsa placed her hand on one of his own. "With Aaron. Where we're alone and I can't hurt anyone."

Anna's eyes flipped from her to Aaron. After looking at them for a moment she seemed to piece something together and gave him a suspicious look. However, she was still talking to Elsa when she said, "Elsa, the people of Arendelle need their queen."

Aaron didn't catch Elsa's response as one particular word that Anna had said seemed to be ringing in his ears.

Queen.

Anna had said the word queen. And since she'd already told him that she was a princess that could only mean…

He just stood there for several seconds without moving or blinking. In fact, he was hardly even breathing. His eyes simply stared blankly at the far wall as one thought flew around his head.

Elsa's a QUEEN?!

It wasn't clear if he should start panicking or just pass out on the spot. If she'd been royalty he would have been able to cope with that. Even being a princess wouldn't have been so bad. But a queen?!

Since she wasn't wed that meant that she was the sole ruler of an entire kingdom, with thousands of subjects and millions of acres of land. Not only was she capable of controlling snow and frost, she was already the most powerful person in all of Arendelle. And when she did marry, whoever it was would be crowned king. As such this person would also have to be royalty, seeing how no one would allow a commoner to marry directly onto the throne. Much less a loner from the mountains…

"Aaron?"

Elsa's concerned voice dragged him back to the conversation to find that both women were giving him nervous looks. Elsa was nervously clutching her hands together as she watched him. He then looked down to see that he was gripping the railing so tightly that it was starting to crack.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she gently placed her hand back on his.

Trying to pull his shattered mind back together, he turned and gave her a forced smile. "Me? I'm abso… I'm doin… I…" After failing to speak several times he looked back at the wall and fell silent.

She began to rub the back of his hand comfortingly. "What's wrong?"

"Uhhhhhhh…" His voice grew dark as he tried to think of how to word his thoughts. After clearing his throat, he spoke as nonchalantly as he could. "Well, Elsa, it's just that I don't seem to recall you mentioning the fact that you were a queen."

Her voice was quiet. "I know I didn't. It's just that…" The rubbing stopped and her tone became worried. "I… I wasn't sure how to tell you."

He couldn't stop his temper from flaring as she offered what he saw as a flimsy excuse. "Yes, well, at the very least a hint would have been nice."

"I know."

"I mean, think about the position this puts us in, Elsa!"

… "I didn't think it would matter to you."

"Maybe you should have thought of the fact that-" He stopped talking the second he looked back at Elsa. Tears were welling up in her eyes and her lips parted in a silent gasp. She looked so anguished it was as though he'd struck her. Anna still stood at the base of the stairs, one hand over her mouth as her eyes flipped fretfully between them.

After seeing Elsa's expression Aaron's anger instantly became regret and he frowned, bowing his head with a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It's just that… you're a queen, Elsa. What do you want me to say? That I can just look past something like that? Or that we can just ignore it?"

When Elsa spoke she was so quiet he could barely hear her. "No. But I don't want to be queen, Aaron. I just want to be with you."

Aaron gave their joined hands a long look. All he wanted was the same thing. For fire and ice to become one and leave the rest of the world to fend for itself. In a perfect world they could… but this was reality. Here the things he wanted didn't necessarily always come true. And Aaron knew that he would never be king.

At that moment he heard the door swing open and looked up to see something he wasn't expecting. All he could do was say the first thing that came to mind. "What the hell is that thing?"

Running towards them was what appeared to be a short little snowman, complete with even a carrot nose. It was made completely from snow, stood only a few feet off the ground and had sticks for arms, and yet somehow appeared to be alive.

Joining Anna at the base of the stairs, it turned to him and Elsa and said with arms wide open, "Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" When the only response it got was a couple of shocked stares it leaned over to Anna and whispered, "Yeesh, what did I just walk into?"

That seemed to defuse some of the tension in the air as all attention was on… whatever this thing was. Anna knelt down beside it, saying, "Elsa, Aaron, this is Olaf. We found him wandering around the mountains." Turning to Elsa she said, "He's just like the one we built as kids."

Aaron heard Elsa quietly say, "Olaf?" as she peered curiously at the snowman.

His face turned anxious as he said, "You built me. Remember that?"

Elsa's eyes flashed to Aaron and back in confusion. "Well, of course, but… you're alive?"

Olaf looked down at himself. "Uh… I think so?"

That didn't seem to help as she turned back to Aaron and asked, "How is that possible?"

His heart was still heavy from the new revelation about Elsa, but he had to admit he was intrigued by this bizarre creature. Unfortunately, he was as dumbfounded as she was. Shaking his head, he replied, "I have no idea. My powers can't do anything like this."

"Wait." Anna jumped in before he could continue. "What do you mean your powers can't do anything like that?"

He and Elsa shared a quick look. When she gave him a small nod, he looked back to Anna. "Like your sister, I too have mystical abilities. Only, instead of wielding ice and all that entails, I wield fire." With that, he held out his hand and allowed a flame to appear.

Anna jumped back with a yelp while Olaf's mouth instantly dropped into a large smile. "Ooooo!" he exclaimed, slowly reaching one hand forward.

Of all the reactions Aaron was expecting, that was not one of them. Anna had reacted with fear, which was a natural response, but… excitement? After looking at the snowman's odd reaction, Aaron glanced at Anna. "What's with him?"

She didn't answer him right away. Instead she just stared at him with a look of confusion and dread. Exactly how most people would react if they encountered a pyromancer. When it became obvious she wasn't going to say anything anytime soon Elsa said, "It's alright, Anna. He's like me. You can trust him."

Anna gave her sister an uncertain look but seemed to accept her words. Still giving Aaron a nervous glance, she said, "He seems to be infatuated with the idea of summer and heat. I think this is the first time he's seen fire."

Aaron's eyes darted back to Olaf. "He's infatuated with heat? Him?"

"We've just been going with it."

Aaron was about to ask Olaf something but he stopped we caught on to something she'd said and let the flame vanish. "Wait. 'We?' There's more of you?"

Anna's eyes widened with shock. "Oh, shoot!" She turned to the door and was about to yell something when she stopped. Looking at Elsa, she asked, "Is it alright if I invite him in?"

Elsa's expression turned slightly cold. "'Him'? Your companion is a man?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, he's really sweet. I'm sure you'll like him."

She seemed about to say something hostile in response, but then Elsa held her tongue and glanced at Aaron. Her face seemed to soften slightly as she looked down at their joined hands. Appearing to come to a decision, she said, "Very well, Anna. Call him in."

Anna smiled and said, "Alright," before turning back to the door and shouting, "Kristoff?! It's okay, you can come in now!"

After a moment it cracked open and a head poked in. "Are you sure?!"

"Yes! Now get over here!" Anna yelled, suppressing a giggle.

"Uh… okay!" The blonde haired man stepped the rest of the way inside and walked towards them, marveling at the interior as he went. Joining the other two, he gave Aaron and Elsa a curious look. Slightly taller than Aaron and wearing rustic garb, it looked like from his build that he too had spent some time in the mountains.

Seeming to be still nervous about introducing this newcomer to her sister, Anna said, "Elsa, this is Kristoff. Kristoff, this is my sister Elsa. And her … friend, Aaron." Her voice held some trepidation when she said his name, revealing that she clearly didn't actually trust him yet, despite what Elsa had said.

Aaron felt exasperated from the sudden turn of events. A few minutes ago he was wrapped up in the most extraordinary moment of his life. Now he was wrestling with the fact that the woman he cared for was actually royalty and, on top of that, also had to meet three new faces. Rubbing his eyes with a hand, he asked, "Are there any more of you?"

Kristoff shrugged. "Just Sven. But he can't come in."

"Why not?"

"He's a reindeer."

…"Oh."

Silence fell as Aaron looked at the three people in front of him. Or rather, two people and a… snowman. Still haven't gotten used to that one. This was not how he'd thought this evening was going to go. While it was true that he hadn't known what to expect, it certainly wasn't this.

The silence was just beginning to turn awkward when Olaf suddenly asked excitedly, "So when do I get to touch the fire?"

Kristoff was the one who answered. "That might not be such a good idea," he said apprehensively.

Turning to look at him with a puzzled expression, the snowman asked, "Why not?"

"Because…" He looked as though he was trying to think of an answer to give before he gave up with a sigh. "Never mind."

After shaking his head in confusion at the exchange, Aaron glanced at Elsa. She seemed to be reacting to the new guests in the same way he was. With puzzlement and a great deal apprehension. When it became clear that she wasn't going to be the one to speak next he looked back at them and cleared his throat so he had all their attention. "Well, it's getting dark now, so I guess you can all stay here for the night."

Kristoff and Elsa reacted instantaneously, him with an eager "Really?" and her with a shocked "What?"

Elsa gave him a guarded look as he leaned over and muttered, "Come on, Elsa. She's your sister. You can't send her out onto a mountain in the dark."

After a moment she conceded with an irritated, "Fine." Turning back to the trio, she said, "Unfortunately there is only one bedroom left available."

"That's fine," Anna replied. "I'm sure Kristoff and I will be fine sharing a room."

This time when both Elsa and Kristoff responded simultaneously they both gave a deadpanned "What?"

Seeing that both were clearly uncomfortable with this idea Aaron quickly stepped in. "Or! Or I could give Anna my room and just go sleep out on the balcony."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Anna said. "Besides, it'll be cold out there."

"Cold doesn't bother me."

"On account of the fact that you're a…"

"Mm-hmm."

After that brief exchange everyone seemed to look like this was a sufficient compromise, though their expressions showed that they clearly weren't all happy with it. Elsa looked very uneasy to have other people staying here, while Anna kept nervously glancing between her sister and Aaron as though she wasn't sure which one to be more afraid of. Kristoff, on the other hand, just looked confused and Olaf seemed to be happy just being a part of the conversation.

"Very well," Elsa said. "If you would follow us, Aaron and I will show you to where you'll be staying.

As she turned to walk towards the stairs, though, she moved to hook her arm around Aaron's like at the lake but he shifted his aside, blocking her. He just wasn't able to come to terms with this new part of who she was. Wooing a queen was not something he was prepared for. So, in answer to her confused expression, he simply gave her a wordless frown and subtly shook his head. Her eyes turned sad but she gave him a slight nod and kept walking.

Luckily none of the other three appeared to notice the exchange as apparently Olaf had said something that left Anna laughing and Kristoff just shaking his head. They all followed Elsa up the stairs until they reached the hallway and Aaron looked to the dining room, remembering what they'd left behind. Turning to the others, he said, "You all go on without me. There's something I need to take care of. Oh. Anna, Kristoff, one of you feel free to use my bedroll. I won't be needing it."

One of them said, "Okay," as he turned away. As he did so his eyes met Elsa's and they shared another crestfallen look before he walked into the dining room and quietly closed the door behind him. Turning to the table and seeing the still-lit candles and the half-eaten food, he heaved a heavy sigh. So much for all this.

Instead of simply extinguishing the candles with a wave of his hand, however, he slowly walked across the room and blew them out, one after the other. As the darkness flowed into the room he let his face fall into his hands and gave another sigh.

What am I going to do? He thought to himself gloomily. Elsa's a queen. When no answer presented itself after a few moments he dropped his hands, picked up the wine bottle and took a swig. Walking over to the far wall and falling against it, he slowly slumped to the floor and looked dejectedly into the black of the night. No, this evening had not gone at all like he'd hoped it would. For now, unfortunately, he would have to settle for whatever solace wine could give him.