Chapter 1

-Manhattan, December 15, 2019-

Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!

"Ugh," I rolled over on my side, slapping the alarm clock with a glare. "Just five more minutes…" I nearly dozed off again, but was soon interrupted by the same, annoyingly loud noise.

Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-

I smacked the thing straight off my desk, turning over with a groan and squishing my face into the pillows. Ugh...do I have to get up? Why does the world have to be so cruel? I sigh loudly before sitting up and untangling myself from the peach-colored sheets, bringing my legs over the side of the bed and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I slowly made my way over to my closet, deciding on a long sleeved, light blue button-up shirt and dark black, high-waisted jeans for the day, complete with my favorite maroon coat that draped a little too low in the back. I always loved it, as it was the warmest one I owned, even if it was a little too big for me.

I quickly brush my teeth and my hair, which seemed to stick in nearly all directions from sleeping. My phone buzzed beside me and I went to check it.

From Kristoff, 7:38 A.M.

Hey, u coming to the library today?

To Kristoff, 7:39 A.M.

Yeah. U?

From Kristoff, 7:39 A.M.

Yep, see u there :)

I put my phone in my pocket, quickly putting on some black flats and heading out the door, a small clutch draped over my shoulder.

I unlocked the door to the library, setting the keys on a nearby table, and walked over to the counter where Kristoff stood, waiting. "Hey, there you are. Ready to open up?"

"Yeah," I responded, turning over a sign that read "open." He went to the main door and unlocked it, coming back to where I stood. "So, I heard we just got more shipments in."

He rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately." Brushing a hand through his blond locks, Kristoff looked over to a number of boxes, laying idly in the corner of the room.

Kristoff and I met a few years back, both volunteering at a local bookstore. The moment I met him I knew we would get along well, and ever since then we've hung out and even become best friends. And the bookstore hired us as actual workers! Life's been great since then, and I hope...maybe we can be more than friends one day…

"Want to start shelving those?" Kristoff asked, bringing me out of my stupor. I looked into his soft, amber eyes and instantly felt my cheeks burn. No, Anna! He's just a friend...a good friend, but still!

"Oh, y-yeah, I can do that." I awkwardly brushed past him to the other side of the room and started unpacking the boxes. Some were labeled, "Donations" and others were just shipments brought in. A ton of books lay inside each box, varying from Romance, Comedy, Mystery, and even Politics. I sighed, knowing just how long it would take to have these all on the shelves by the end of the day. Finally, I managed to get all the books out of the first box, placed in a neat stack beside me. Or so I thought, because as I moved to place the box aside, a small book fell onto my lap. What? I don't remember seeing that…

A thick layer of dust covered the top of the book, but I could still see a hint of dark emerald underneath. Blowing away the dust, I coughed and looked to the cover. It wasn't titled, nor did it have an author's name written on it. Interesting…

The cover had numerous, golden flowers and leaves etched into its surface, slightly faded. It looked old, like it had been sitting out forever in someone's old library, never taken out or read in some time. I felt drawn to it for some inexplicable reason, wanting to reach out and read what was inside.

I brought my hand up and placed the book next to me, continuing on with what I was doing. No time for dilly-dallying, Anna! And yet my eyes kept darting to its mysterious cover, feeling drawn to it. Maybe I could just…

I quickly snatched the book and reached the register, placing a few dollars into one of the slots. That should take care of it. I stuffed the book deep inside my clutch, setting it on a nearby table.

I went to lock the door, placing the key inside the hole and hearing a click. "So…" I started, smiling over towards the blond, who now leaned against the side of his truck. "Do you have any plans for tonight?"

He visibly winced. "Yeah, I have to take my dog, Sven, to the vet later. Sorry." His amber eyes filled with regret, but also a hint of something else I couldn't quite place. A strand of blond hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it away with a nervous smile.

"Oh, no, it's alright! I-I should probably get home myself. Uh, goodnight, see you tomorrow!" I waved his direction and made my way to my car, blushing profusely and feeling my heart racing in my chest. Why was he able to do that to me? Just one look in his eyes seemed to make me weak in the knees. I sighed happily, placing my clutch in the passenger's seat. A flash of emerald stuck out and made me do a double-take. Oh, yeah...I forgot about that.

The drive home was silent, not even my usual music blaring through the speakers. I was focused, trying to distract my mind from that book by concentrating on driving.

Once I was home, I quickly dashed inside and locked the door behind me, leaning against it for a few seconds before removing my coat and shoes, changing into a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a faded, oversized shirt that read, "Keep Calm and Read Books" in big, bold letters. It was a gift from my aunt years ago, but I still sometimes used it for pajamas.

Opening my clutch, I pulled out the dark, emerald book and curled up on my favorite chair in the corner of the room, overlooking the city. Lights from the buildings nearby flashed and illuminated the night, cars zooming past on the streets. I sighed in content, opening the book to the first page. But what I saw next made my jaw go slack and my eyes widen.

It read,

"Property of Queen Elsa of Arendelle…"