Iduna opened her eyes to find herself in the infirmary in the middle of the night – and felt a sense of déjà vu.
Still groggy from sleeping for how long, the first thing she did was to recount her last memories. She called upon the Nightmare Spirit to draw it away from Agnarr and into herself, check. It tormented her with visions of the battle at the Enchanted Forest, which she fought back, check.
It was during the midst of that when a sudden pain lashed at her back, the moment the Nightmare Spirit let out a terrible scream that knocked her out. And now she was laying here, face down in the infirmary bed…. That should be a good sign, right?
"Iduna… are you awake?"
Iduna nearly leaped out of bed as Agnarr's voice sounded very close, and she immediately bolted upright to find the young King leaning on the bed next to her… whose face was suddenly red as he averted his eyes to the side.
"I - ah!" Exclaimed Iduna as she realized that the only cloth she had on her top was a bandage that circumvented her chest and back, and quickly pulled up her blankets to her face that was too close to exploding.
"S-sorry! I didn't see anything!" Stammered Agnarr as he turned around with crimson ears, and Iduna would've found the gesture endearing if it weren't for her own embarrassment. "I… I'm just glad you're awake at last. You've been sleeping for three days straight, you know."
"I have?" Mumbled Iduna, then she remembered that the last time she saw Agnarr he was being tormented by an evil spirit. "Are… are you alright, your Majesty? What about the rest of the kingdom?"
"Everyone's okay, thanks to you," assured Agnarr, though there was a hint of sadness in his smile as he turned back to Iduna. "The only one who didn't leave this event unscarred is you, Iduna. I'm so sorry."
At that Iduna felt around her bandaged spot under her blanket, and winced as a dull pain came from a spot on her back.
"You were so brave when you fought back against the Nightmare Spirit," continued Agnarr and his eyes trailed to the floor in guilt. "You were pushing it out, and its core came out through your back. I… I had to destroy it to save Arendelle, but I hurt you in the process… the doctors said the scar would remain. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, your Majesty," replied Iduna quietly, though she still found it hard to meet his gaze. "One scar for all of Arendelle, I'll take that deal any day. It's not like it's on a spot that shows, anyway."
"… Thank you," sighed Agnarr as he looked back up at her. "I guess that's twice you saved my life now. I shouldn't make this a habit, or I'll be too indebted to you."
"Well, you kind of saved my life this time too," returned Iduna, glad for his effort to lighten the mood. But there was still an issue she felt like she had to address: "You… you're not wondering why I had to leave the kingdom?"
"Hmm," hummed Agnarr, looking a little taken aback by her words. Then he said: "I'll be lying if I said I'm not at all curious – you were sorely missed by everyone, Iduna… including me."
"Then…" Iduna began, even as she struggled to find the right words. How much could she tell him? What could she tell him about the journey without revealing her heritage or what she can do?
Agnarr must have noticed her hesitation, for he held out his hand for her to stop.
"I won't force you into telling anything you don't want to," he said quickly. "What's important is that you're back, and… and you're not going to leave again, are you?"
"No, I can promise that," answered Iduna immediately, smiling a little. At least that much she was certain of.
"Oh, okay. Good," answered Agnarr, and an awkward silence fell between them. What was going on? Iduna wasn't used to this kind of atmosphere.
The young King's eyes were fleeting elsewhere again, and Iduna took the chance to steal a glance at him as he fidgeted nervously… nervously? What would he be nervous about?
"You know, you're pretty popular throughout the kingdom, do you know that?" Agnarr started out nonchalantly, though the anxiety didn't leave him completely. "Most people are just happy to have you back, no questions. I think it proves that you've been really good for them ever since you came here."
"Most…?" Asked Iduna timidly, not missing the implied note there. Obviously, someone was bound to correlate her actions and the magical events that had been happening to Arendelle all this time.
"Well, yes," admitted Agnarr, his expression betraying that he hadn't expected the words to come out like that. "There will always be ungrateful people who likes to talk behind people's backs, as if you have something to do with the latest tragedy and all."
"Oh," was all Iduna could say, trying to sound nonchalant. She couldn't blame them, anyway; they weren't THAT far from the truth, after all.
"Well, you shouldn't worry about it. I'll make sure you're protected from those stupid suspicions," blurted out Agnarr with a force that startled Iduna; she hardly ever heard the normally soft-spoken King assert something like that.
"How?" Asked Iduna mostly out of curiosity, and there was that nervous look again. What was going on?
"Well, you see…" began Agnarr as he finally gave up leaning on his bed and began pacing back and forth in front of Iduna. "Um, not that I'm trying to boast or anything, but, since I'm nineteen, my official coronation will be in two years. And, well, you're three years younger than me, so by then you'll be eighteen, which means you'll come of age… but wait, I haven't been thinking about your intentions… not that I don't think your opinion matters of course, Iduna! I just… well…"
Iduna felt her eyes getting wider by the moment at the flurry of words from the young King's mouth. Besides the fact that she had no idea what he was talking about, it was almost… endearing to see the usually composed man so utterly flustered. She just wished she could better understand what had gotten him in this state.
"Um… your Majesty? I'm not really following." So she decided to be honest for once, even though she inwardly winced for being blunt when Agnarr stopped short, looking as he'd been hit on the head.
"… of course, I've been rambling, haven't I?" Sighed the young King with a wry smile as some of the tension left him. "Ugh, and I've been practicing for this too. Guess I'm really bad at planning these things out, after all."
"You're planning something for me?" Asked Iduna with a sudden pang of fear. What was so important or grave about it that it would take this long for him to get to say it?
"Well, yes, though it's more like for you and me," corrected Agnarr as he took a step closer to Iduna – which made her reflexively pull up her blanket a little higher. "Alright, I won't make a fool out of myself anymore. I'm going to say what's in my heart, Iduna."
The sincerity in his gaze almost took the breath out of Iduna, and she had to struggle to hear his words over the roar of blood that began pulsing under her ears.
"Before I met you, Iduna, I was just a scared boy who could only pretend that he could be a good King, someone who could only put on a show," admitted Agnarr as he took another step, taking him right in front of Iduna's bedside. "My father was a strict but strong King, and seeing him fall so… helplessly… it gave me nightmares every night."
Iduna blinked as she drank in the King's words. She'd never seen him talk this freely about his insecurities, even around Kai and Gerda.
"But you made them go away, didn't you?" Agnarr's words nearly had Iduna leap out of her skin in shock. How did he… "You really thought I wouldn't notice if someone was singing me a lullaby almost every time I had a bad dream?"
"… I'm sorry," was all Iduna could say as she buried her face into her blanket with a scarlet face.
"For keeping my nights safe?" Asked Agnarr with an amused chuckle. "I know it was selfish to pretend I didn't know, but I… I really appreciated it, Iduna. You brought me peace when I needed it most, and for that I can never thank you enough."
And then, slowly but surely, the young King got down to one knee so that his eyes would be level with Iduna's.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that the Nightmare Spirit returned so soon after you were gone," he said quietly, holding her transfixed with that gentle (and, she dared to hope, caring) gaze. "You are my peace, Iduna… and I want to be selfish enough to keep it that way for many nights to come."
Iduna blinked at the strange confession, not getting it for a second. Then she felt blood rushing up to her face again until it felt like it would burst. She must be imagining this. Did he just…
"Technically I shouldn't be asking you this now, since you're still sixteen, but…" continued Agnarr with a sheepish smile as he pulled something tiny and shining out of his pocket. "I can wait for two years, Iduna. So I'll ask… will you do the same for me?"
Iduna could only stare at the little ring stunned, and finally recognized that look in his eyes – it was the same thing that welled up in hers whenever she looked at him.
Only a months ago, Iduna had mentally whipped herself for falling in love with the King. Was it too much to believe that this hopeless love was being reciprocated?
"… Everyone in Arendelle has been so good for me ever since you brought me here," began Iduna, the words just rushing out of her mouth without time for her brain to proofread them. "But I never felt like I truly belonged here… until I left, that is."
"Did you miss this place?" Asked Agnarr, though an uncertain look briefly passed his eyes when she didn't answer his proposal immediately.
"I missed my home," answered Iduna as her left hand slipped out from under her blankets, gently touching his hand that held the ring meant for her. Then she dared to add: "And my home is here… with you."
"Then…!" Exclaimed Agnarr, and the pure joy on his face was enough for Iduna to be glad she said yes.
"Are you sure you're okay with me as the Queen of Arendelle, though?" Iduna couldn't help but ask, even as Agnarr slipped the ring onto her finger with such ease that she wondered if he'd been practicing on that too.
"If you don't qualify, I don't know who does," replied the King smoothly as he kissed her hand – such an odd sensation, even though it was pleasant. "And even if you weren't… I don't really care at this moment."
Seeing the ring sparkling on her hand the realization finally hit Iduna – the man who gave her a home, taught her love, the man she loved… was hers. The thought brought tears to her eyes, but it also made her want to sing.
"I could hug you right now, but my hands are full at the moment," she managed to joke through her sobs, still clutching on her blankets to stop her unclothed top from being exposed.
"Good thing mine aren't, then," chuckled Agnarr as he leaned in, wrapping his strong arms around her as his lips met hers in a warm kiss. Iduna could only close her eyes and let herself drown in her mirth. Just for that moment, nothing mattered for the fact that they were there together, and that their love had finally found each other.
She was home, and she was at peace.
Well, there we have it; the grand conclusion to my interpretation of their first adventure. Chapter 19, the last chapter, will jump forward a few years to the epilogue. Thank you in advance for everyone who enjoyed this fic!