Anna's eyes opened.
She was surrounded by the now familiar weight of water. Anna looked around her, the depths of the suffocating abyss no longer ominous; she couldn't see the Nokk anywhere. Water rushed by her ears as she clawed at her surroundings, the sunlight that warped down to her grew closer and closer until she-
She woke up.
The morning sun was glinting through the large window in the room, it danced across every surface, creating this beautiful, warm scene. Anna looked beside her as she pulled herself up in the bed. Kristoff was still curled up, body moulded to where Anna had found comfort against him in the night. She found herself smiling again before the memories of her dream came back to her in an ugly flood. Suddenly the warmth of the sunlight across his features did nothing but remind her of the contrast of her coldness. With every soft breath he took, her's felt heavier, and shorter and harder. Anna was almost sure she could see her breath coming out in cold puffs.
But Kristoff shifted and Anna snapped out of it.
…
Once the meeting was over, Anna wasted no time in retreating to Arendelle's docks. The air was fresh if only a little cool, the smell of salt water refreshing and familiar all at once. A few people - her people- greeted her in her passing and she returned their words and gestures in a sort of casual-formality that she had found herself using for a while now. Anna never had been so royally inclined like her older sister- it was so easy to just pretend that she was Princess again, a spare, just her. Somethings never change but so many other things always do.
Anna watched the way the gentle waves lapped against the stone of the pier, the dream still replaying in her mind.
Gale breezed by her cheerily, carrying a little, folded paper bird. She forgot the pull of the water for a moment as the paper fell into her hands easily "thankyou, Gale."
Anna opened the paper and found her sister's handwriting inside; it read:
Dear sister,
I'm going to be visiting Arendelle tomorrow, I miss you and I can't wait to see you again.
My love always,
Elsa
Though the words were certainly stiff, she smiled at them and pressed the letter over her heart.
Anna's eyes fell back down to the water. She had the sudden urge to jump in- like everyone did, in the back of their mind- but a voice in her only told her louder and louder, tempting her, urging her. She appeased the voice by sitting on the edge of the docks, swinging her legs over the side.
Anna peered down deeper into the clear water from her spot and not a second later the Nokk's head had emerged and was staring back at her.
Only the reflection of your lie is what keeps you waiting…