The Next Unknown

8 – Some Look for Trouble

OoOoO

Elsa didn't know why she'd worried about getting lost when her memories were unshakeable, pulling her down the familiar terrain as distinctly as the first time she had visited the valley. This bend, that creek. She even had the niggling feeling that she was dismounting Kjekk in the same place her parents had left their horses all those years ago. Only this time, she didn't have her father helping her down; she could—had to—reach the ground on her own.

Kjekk nickered nervously.

"Don't be scared. It's safe here and the sun will be up soon. How about another apple?"

Twitching ears immediately perked up.

"You're definitely Anna's horse, aren't you?"

Last night, Yelana had thrust a sack of cured meats and fruit onto her, with her only parting words being, Don't be like Iduna. Make sure you come back. Then she'd retreated into her hut before Elsa had been able to thank her or make a promise.

Go back there and come back here, Anna had said.

Yet this was neither Arendelle nor Ahtohallan. This was the midpoint between her two homes, and Elsa had never come here alone before. Not without Anna and Kristoff. Not without her parents.

Where would they all be now, if she hadn't missed that night?

Leaving Kjekk crunching happily on an apple, Elsa stepped into the Valley of the Living Rock.

The trolls were asleep, so she tread quietly until she found the only moss-covered boulder she could recognise despite Kristoff's extensive lessons. "Pabbie?"

A long moment passed. Elsa wondered if she'd gotten it wrong and was foolishly talking to a non-sentient rock after all.

Then there was a gravelly shudder. "Ah, Elsa. You've come."

She crouched down with a smile as Pabbie shook himself out. "Good morning. I'm sorry to wake you."

"No, no. I was already awake. Mostly. I sensed the Earth Giants' movements, you see." Pabbie peered at her. "You, though, look far less well-rested. Shall we get Bulda to make you a stew?"

"No, thank you. I only rode through the night because I wanted to reach you before the auroras faded. The Earth Giants were kind enough to arrange shortcuts for me." Convincing Kjekk to cross them had been another matter, though.

"Never a dull moment with you, is there? Sit, Elsa. Yes, right there is fine; it's just a rock." Pabbie gestured, and Elsa placed her hand in his cool ones. "You have come seeking answers about the Water Spirit," he deduced.

"I couldn't see anything in Ahtohallan. It draws on all five spirits and the Nokk is… missing."

"Unable to access the past, you thought to seek the future. You have always been a wise one. But you must know by now, Elsa, that the future is a venture into the hypothetical. You will find no answers, only more questions."

She saw flashes of red in the dark sky, tearing into itself as she cowered in her father's arms. Am I a monster?

But there was also her mother smiling down at her, beckoning her homeward bound. There was her sister saying, You always make everything better.

She heard herself say, "I believe I can find the answers myself—if you'll show me the right questions to ask in search of them."

Pabbie smiled, as if that was already the correct answer. "Very well. Let me see what I can see."

He waved his hands across the sky. Almost immediately, a shimmering raven took flight, circling the moon.

Pabbie hummed thoughtfully. "I sense ancient magic at play. Sorcery. There is desperation. Ambition. Fear."

The lights pulled into a familiar form that made Elsa's chest ache. Rippling hooves and the flick of a liquid mane.

"A spirit enraged. And another—" A clash of ice. "—once more gone too deep."

A shiver shot up her spine and lodged in the space between her heart and lungs, stealing away her rush of hope. "You mean me."

"Questions, not answers," Pabbie reminded her, though his grey brow remained furrowed. "Choices await."

But could she still trust herself to make the right ones? Wasn't a part of her still frozen in the depths, holding the truth in one hand and her heart in the other?

Had Vuos been given a choice?

Then the lights shifted again. From the look on Pabbie's face, he hadn't expected it. "A kingdom in strife…"

An endless array of sails. Two women reaching for each other across an abyss.

"Sisters sundered…"

The strike of a sword. A figure on the floor, not rising.

Elsa's wide eyes met Pabbie's as the lights vanished.

"… and a bridge untethered," he finished softly.

"Please," she whispered hoarsely. "Please say that was me."

His hesitation hit her like a sinking stone. "Elsa… you know better than anyone that a bridge has two sides."

She ran.

OoOoO

"I don't trust the horses."

"Me neither, pal. But we're going by wagon and that's way below your pay grade. That's why I need you here, to look after Anna. She's already a lot safer since Kjekk isn't around to throw her… oh geez, I hope he hasn't thrown Elsa."

"Elsa's good with horses."

"Good point. She tamed the Nokk."

"Who went missing."

"Sven!" Kristoff said exasperatedly. "It's too early for pessimism."

In fact, it was too early for anything at all. Kristoff was used to setting off at dawn for ice-harvesting trips, but the overcast sky and heavy clouds made for a morose morning. Another reason not to look forward to this trip.

He tugged at his collar. "How do I look, Sven?"

"Ridiculously charming."

"Why thank you… wait, what?" Kristoff turned around just as Anna wrapped her arms around him, bed hair tickling his chin. "Oof. Someone's up early."

He felt her reach blindly around him to pat Sven. Her voice still sounded thick with sleep. "Only because someone couldn't keep his promise to say goodbye before he left."

"I haven't left yet. Someone needed her rest because she didn't sleep well last night."

"I did too."

"Did not."

Anna's head popped up. "Seriously? Again?"

He wished he could give her anything but the truth. "Again."

Last week, they had still been able to lie awake on the same pillow talking about their days. He'd play lazily with her hair while she chattered on, and her fingers would skip across his chest as if recreating the steps she'd walked that day, here and there.

Now, Kristoff couldn't remember the last time they had both gone to bed at the same time. Warm it up for me, they'd say instead of I'll wait for you or Be there soon, because they both knew those were promises neither of them had the energy to keep anymore.

They both had shadows under their eyes, but only Anna's were puffy and swollen.

Her nose wrinkled. "But I don't remember anything."

Kristoff hid a grimace by kissing her brow. "Good. Heard anything from Elsa?"

"Well, I wrote to say she could release the ice in the dungeon because, you know… we don't need it anymore. And I don't think she had a pen with her, because she just sent me a hug."

"A hug?"

"Yeah! Gale gave me a big squeeze. Lots of snowflakes. I was in a meeting and gosh, you should have seen the councillors try to keep a straight face. Mattias and I cracked up afterwards."

"I feel sorry for them. Just when they got used to Elsa's powers, she came back with a horse made of water, and you started talking to thin air."

"Don't be silly. I definitely introduced Gale to them."

Kristoff tried to picture the councillors awkwardly bowing to the invisible Wind Spirit. "Since Gale's back, I hope that means Elsa isn't far behind. I don't like the thought of you sleeping alone."

"Mm. Me neither. Cold bed."

"Anna."

"Kristopher."

"You need to talk to Elsa."

"They're just dreams, silly. I don't even remember them." She stepped back to brush lint off his jacket. "Why are you wearing an ascot?"

"To look like Prince Kristoff."

"You are Prince Kristoff." Anna sniffed him. "Oh my goodness, I just noticed—are you wearing cologne?" She reached up and tugged at his hair. "And gel. Oh, honey. You'll be in the carriage for a while and there will be time to freshen up before you see the Duke. You don't need to make yourself uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable."

Sven head-butted him.

Anna raised an eyebrow.

Kristoff grumbled, "I figured looking the part would help me play the part. It's my first time representing Arendelle—representing you—without you or Elsa to clean up after me. I don't want to come off like a barbarian who kills wolves with my bare hands and eats their hearts."

"Um, that's awfully specific."

"According to Oskar, that's my reputation down south."

"Now that's a story I want to hear." Anna looked at him. "You know it's not too late to change your mind, right? I could send Olaf instead. He can read now and no one will think he kills wolves with his bare… branches. Actually, never mind; his hands are way sharper than they ought to be. I was carrying him the other day and nearly lost an eye when he suddenly pointed at a cat." Then she added more seriously, almost hopefully, "Or I could send Mattias."

"No, you can't. You need him here."

"I do need him here." She sighed. "Why is this so hard? I mean, I'm not trying to be suspicious of anyone—well, except Hakon, and that's only because he's asking for it. But it's like… back then, I thought Elsa only made me ambassador to give me something to do, but now I understand: it had to be me because she couldn't—I can't—afford to trust everyone the same way. Not when Arendelle is on the line. I don't like that feeling, Kristoff. And I don't like that you're the only one I trust to keep an eye on Hakon right now. I'm sorry."

"Hey, come on." He raised her chin so their eyes could meet. "We've already had this talk. I signed up for you, and if you have to deal with this stuff, then so do I. But there is one thing I need to know."

Her lips twitched. "Yes, I love you, you wolf-killing barbarian."

She might be the queen and the law—but that smile on that face, and those words in her blissfully drowsy voice? Unfair.

Kristoff hated knowing what his question would do to that sunny expression. "Love you, too. But… what exactly do you want me to do with the Spelling bloke?"

Clouds rolled back onto Anna's face. "It's 'Erling'," she corrected in a defeated tone. "And hopefully, nothing. If he's really planning something, he wouldn't be giving it away by making such an obvious jerk of himself. He definitely won't appreciate you tagging along—he doesn't like anyone so don't take it personally—but he's been loyal to Arendelle way longer than he's been loyal to me or Elsa. I just think… if he's still the Hakon I know, he'd never do anything to put the kingdom in danger."

"And if he does?"

"You mean, if he sabotages the negotiations with Weselton? Or sends some sort of message to Caleb?"

Anna hoisted herself onto the low gate to Kjekk's empty stall, head lowered as her heels knocked against the wood. "Crazy how I have to think about these things now, huh? Elsa made everything look so easy." Then she cocked her head to one side in thought. "Actually, she made some things look easy. Other stuff, she completely over-complicated. Like getting enough sleep, for starters."

Kristoff pointedly cleared his throat.

Ignoring him, Anna slanted forward to rest her head on his shoulder. "You know Petra, right? She was trapped in the Forest with Mattias?"

"Of course I know Petra. We play cat and mouse with her every time we sneak into the village for date night. Those damn senses of hers."

"I know, right? She's ridiculous. Mattias and I double-teamed her once, and she still gave us a whooping. Anyway, she and the other guards will only take orders from you, so you can rely on them to have your back if you run into any trouble. Not that I think Hakon is a threat or anything—"

"Whoa, hold up. You put Petra on my guard detail?"

"What's with that reaction? I thought you liked Petra."

"I adore Petra, but that's not the point—Anna, she's part of your Queen's Guard."

"And? Elsa sent her entire Guard with me each time I left Arendelle."

He couldn't keep the exasperation out of his voice. "That's different; Elsa can take care of herself."

Anna looked over her shoulder at Sven. "Can you believe this, Sven? He's saying I'm hopeless! To my face!"

"No, I'm not!" Kristoff turned around to face her. "I'm saying I'm not hopeless and have been taking care of myself all my life, so Petra should stay with you. I already promised I'd be careful, didn't I?"

"You did. But sometimes it's not up to you." Anna reached for his hands and squeezed, speaking slowly. "Elsa put her best guards on me because she was the queen and I was her weakness. But now I'm the queen and—"

"I'm your weakness," Kristoff finished softly.

A wince. "I-I'm not saying you're a burden! It's just—you'd only be a target because of me, so if something happened to you…"

He'd be an expensive ransom. Or, more likely, an unfortunate accident in a dark corridor because who would miss a mountain man from nowhere in particular?

But he would miss out. On waking up to find his wife's arms and legs thrown haphazardly across him, blankets on the floor. On people-watching with Elsa when they both ducked out of a crowded ballroom for a break. On sharing carrots with Sven and learning new words with Olaf. He'd miss out on growing old with the family he'd finally found, and the family he and Anna could have had together.

So he wrapped his arms around her, muffling the rest of her jumbled sentence against his jacket. "I get it. Petra comes with me this time."

"Every time," she mumbled.

Kristoff rested his chin on her head and gently began untangling her bed hair. "You make it sound like I have wanderlust. Which I don't."

"There's a big chance you'll catch it, being Arendelle's official ambassador and all. You'll get to visit cool places and eat funny-looking foods we don't have."

He froze. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope! In France, they have this amazing dessert with a layer of melted sugar, and the chef told me to crack it so I took a big swing and kind of broke the plate but it still tasted divine—"

"No, no, rewind. To that bit about me being ambassador." Kristoff drew back, his stare dumbfounded. "Please tell me you're not being serious."

Anna smiled sheepishly. "You can say no if you really don't want to do it. But it's a little too late for this trip. You didn't think I'd send you all the way out there just to babysit one moody councillor, did you?"

Coughing, Kristoff turned to pat Sven.

Who traitorously used his antlers to spin him back towards Anna.

Her joking expression fell away as her mouth dropped open. "Wait, seriously? You thought you were just an errand boy? Kristoff!"

"It's fine!" he blurted. "I know I'm not much good at anything else. That's why I volunteered. Elsa would obviously have been the better choice but since she's got her own problems, I figured this was one thing I could definitely help you with… um… Anna? Honey?"

Her eyes were even redder now, and the dangerous part was that Kristoff couldn't tell if it meant she was upset, angry, or incredulous. Or what he was supposed to do if the answer was all of the above.

"How could you—I can't even—" Anna sputtered. "Who did you think you were, Kristoff?"

"Uhh… a no one who somehow became a someone?" Seeing her expression, he hastily amended, "His Royal Highness Prince Kristoff Bjorgman of Arendelle?"

"No! I mean, yes, but… oh, I can't believe you."

Kristoff couldn't look away; couldn't do anything except brace himself for the explosion of words he could see gathering behind that fierce gaze like a nebula of disappointment.

Except Anna just sighed, "You dork," and stepped lightly onto his polished shoes, fingers fluttering along the nape of his neck, making him shiver despite their warmth.

She was the queen in her rumpled nightgown and slippers. He was the ice harvester in clothes that cost more than a sled.

As he bent down to meet her halfway, head tipped to the left, always the left, Kristoff heard echoes of a night spent huddled on the orphanage's doorstep, dwarfed by adults who kept asking, Who are you?

They'd been asking for his name, but the familiar curve of Anna's smile against his lips asked for something entirely different.

Who are you?

"Yours," he whispered.

"Mm?"

"Nothing."

It was everything.

OoOoO

"See, what I don't get is why they can't see themselves the way I see them. It's like I'm seeing the real, capable Kristoff and Elsa, and they're off looking at a blurry photograph of themselves. Which is nuts, because I'm the one who is always blurry in photos. It's actually a big problem; I let kids draw on the dud ones so I at least get something to stick up in the office instead of just wasting film. Turns out I look pretty cool with a moustache. What do you think?"

"I think you'd look dashing with a moustache, ma'am."

"Not that, silly—Kristoff and Elsa!" Anna spun around to pull a face at Mattias. "And how many times do I have to remind you? Stop ma'am-ing me when it's just the two of us."

Mattias stopped walking and snapped into a crisp salute. "Yes ma'am! Please forgive this forgetful old soldier, ma'am!"

"Okay, now you're just doing it on purpose."

"Wouldn't dream of it, ma'am. Now please turn back around before you trip and leave me to explain how our queen fell off a cliff on my watch."

"Bold of you to assume that facing forward does anything for my coordination. And we're not at the cliffs yet. Almost, though." Anna flashed a teasing grin. "Hope you're not getting tired already, General."

It was hard to tell if his wheeze came from amusement or genuine breathlessness, because Mattias didn't have Elsa's dry smile or Kristoff's self-conscious chuckle. Anna's favourite thing about Mattias was the way he laughed generously and infectiously with all his being. "Hey now! I'll have you know I used to sprint up these hills when I was a boy. Fastest kid in the village."

"Only because I wasn't born yet."

"You'll have to try harder than that to goad me into chasing you. Also: branch."

Anna ducked without looking, still walking backwards up the worn trail. She now knew Arendelle's paths and bends so well that it felt a lifetime ago that she'd only known her kingdom through a window, and her sister through a door.

If she could go back in time, she would tell her younger self that Market Square was nothing like the view from the watchtowers. It was so much bigger yet also smaller because the streets bustled with people. People who never stopped smiling and showering her with free pastries and fruit and chocolate. Her people.

If she could go back in time, she would understand that Elsa's door meant to lock in, not shut out, and maybe then it might have opened to her sooner.

If she could go back in time, she would hug their parents so tightly they wouldn't have been able to board that ship, and maybe then the four of them could have had conversations instead of secrets.

But if she did go back in time, she was afraid that she would blame their parents for everything.

"It's you."

Anna's boot caught on a root. "Ack! Sorry—what's me?"

Fault. Her fault for asking to build a snowman that night.

Mattias steadied her with a look of amusement. "Kristoff and Elsa. I think you don't just see them differently; they're different around you. You bring out the best in them."

Anna's eyes narrowed. "I love you, Mattias. But if you're trying to say my husband and sister are anything less than amazing without me in the picture, I will chase you up this hill swinging the biggest branch I can carry."

"And I'm sure you could pick up a whole tree if you put your mind to it. But I'm trying to say you have a tendency to bring out the best in everyone."

"Oh. In that case…" Anna slipped her arm through Mattias's. "You sound like my father. He used to tell me that, too."

"Did he now? You know, I've been wondering. What was Agnarr like as an adult?"

"Oh, he was so clumsy—worse than me, can you believe?"

"Very easily. Boy was incredible with his hands, but teaching him how to wield a sword? Absolute hazard."

"I know! Totally crushed my childhood dream to train with him and look cool together. I had to get my weapons training from the guards. Sometimes Mother watched and gave me archery tips. She never touched a bow herself, so I thought she'd learned it all from books. She taught me how to climb trees and hang from the branches. We had to do it while Father was in meetings, because otherwise he'd just stand below us and freak out. Oh, but he was really good at fixing things. He used to get so excited when I broke my bike."

"He was like that as a kid, too. Loved to read and learn. He'd take things apart to figure how they worked, then put them back together again."

"Maybe that's where Elsa gets it from. She's great at figuring out how things work."

"So now the question is: can Elsa tie her own shoelaces?"

"Shoelaces? I don't know; she's always in heels or flats… no, wait, she can! She used to lace up my boots for me when we were little. Are you saying Father couldn't? Seriously?"

"Seriously! He was awful with names and faces, too. It took him six months to stop calling me 'Bartholomew'. We were all worried he'd cause a diplomatic incident one day."

"Oh my God. That explains so much. Father kept heaps of notes in his pockets; sometimes he'd even write them on his arm. Maybe they were—"

"Names!" they both howled.

Mattias wiped tears from his eyes. "We should ask Elsa to confirm it. Ahtohallan knows everything about the past, right?"

Anna struggled to get her giggles under control. "I wish. She says she can't choose what it shows her, unless it's her own memories. If the memory belongs to someone else, they need to be there as well, or Ahtohallan apparently only shows her what it thinks she needs to know. Which isn't a lot now that we're getting along with the Northuldra. Besides, I don't think Elsa wants to dig too deeply into our parents' memories just yet."

"Ah, yes. Sometimes it's best to leave the past in the past."

It was. She knew that. But still… "What about my grandfather? What was he like?"

Mattias's head turned in surprise.

"Never mind," Anna said hastily. "Look—we're here!"

She skipped ahead towards the edge of the cliffs, greeted by the familiar sight of Arendelle sprawled below. She inhaled deeply. Home.

Mattias drew up to her side.

Without looking away from the view, she said, "I used to think Arendelle was massive and that I'd get lost in the village if the gates ever opened. But now I know how tiny we are in the grand scheme of the world. If the Southern Isles attacked—if any army seriously attacked us…"

"It's happened before. Your grandfather's forces were outnumbered each time, but he managed to defend Arendelle."

She sensed his gaze on her as he added, "King Runeard was a strong commander and a brilliant strategist."

"I know."

"What else do you want to know about him?"

Would he have let me call him Grandpappy? Would he have taught me how to ride and fight? Would he have shared embarrassing stories about Papa over dinner? Would he have accepted Mama? Would he have loved Elsa?

But she already knew the answers to those questions, didn't she?

"His tactics, duh! That's why we hiked out here, right? So you can just show me and save us both a few paper cuts from the writing and reading."

Mattias's gaze lingered on her a while longer. Then he cleared his throat and studied the fjord with her, its crystal waters studded with fishing boats and trading vessels sailing languidly into the harbour.

"Arendelle may be small, but we're blessed with a strong defensive position. We no longer have to worry about the Northuldra, and coming up from the south, King Caleb will hardly waste time circling around to march through the mountains. So we can reasonably rule out a northern approach. The only other land border we share is with Vesterland. Not only are we on good terms, the terrain between us is too rough to sustain an efficient supply line. We would still have to watch out for foot soldiers if Vesterland falls, but cannons and trebuchets wouldn't be able to get through."

"Those would be on the fleet," Anna deduced. "With the castle sitting on the fjord, we're in big trouble if we let them come within range."

"Exactly. That's why King Runeard's greatest successes came from using our environmental advantage to weaken ships before they could reach us. Spikes and boulders to shred hulls. Old ships sunk in the waters as a barricade. Archers to keep up the pressure. See those cliffs opposite us? They narrow further out, creating a funnel. With barrels of oil, some aim, and a lot of luck, we could send a few ships up in flames. And that bend there, where the passage opens up? There's room for an ambush. Chain shot to take down the masts, then swarm. Depending on the scale of their attack and the effectiveness of ours, they could be down to half their forces by the time they reach the harbour."

"That sounds great and all, but what if we're still outnumbered? Arendelle was smaller back then, but we have fewer soldiers now than in Runeard's time. Father ended the conscription when they realised the Northuldra were trapped in the Forest and couldn't attack."

"I'm aware."

"You're thinking it, aren't you?" Anna asked softly. "That we need to put swords and crossbows in everyone's hands."

Mattias sighed, running a hand through his greying hair. "We should at least teach them how to defend themselves."

"We can. We will. But unless Florian the baker touches a hammer and suddenly discovers he's Thor incarnate, our civilians are as good as fodder on the front lines. And I'm not going to put them there just so we look stronger, when they could be safely evacuated instead. What will our soldiers have left to fight for if I've already sent their loved ones to certain death?"

"Anna, I'm not saying—"

"I know," she said helplessly. "I know, but I think I need to say this, and I can't work it out. Because the people are Arendelle. There's no point saving a bunch of buildings if no one is left to live in them. I know Elsa wanted Councillor Belland to teach me how to make tough decisions like these, but I just can't do it. And I don't think Elsa could do it, either. It worked for Runeard, but I don't want it to work for us, and I just… I wish… urgh!"

Anna flopped down onto the grass.

After a moment, there was a muffled grunt as Mattias lowered himself down beside her. They gazed down at the peaceful streets in silence.

"You think I'm naïve, don't you?"

"That's not a bad thing."

"But I shouldn't be. Because Runeard wasn't. Caleb isn't. "

"Again, not a bad thing. You have something they don't, which means your soldiers also have something theirs don't."

Anna cracked a rueful grin. "Is it good looks?"

Mattias smiled back. "And belief. Did you know most soldiers fight to die? We look at the enemy and size up how many we can take down before our time runs out, because it's usually sooner rather than later. War is colossal and we are small; it's a tide that can't be fought. But you, Anna? You remind us every day that our lives mean something to you—that we fight for a queen who expects us to come home in one piece.

"If King Caleb's fleet sailed into the fjord now, they would see a helpless little kingdom with an army only a few hundred strong. What they won't see is that every single one of those few hundred soldiers will fight like they are indispensable, because they know that's what you think of them. When a pawn feels like a hero, they will do crazy, unpredictable things to stay alive. And they won't simply fight for survival; they will fight for you because they trust you with their lives. That's what makes you dangerous, Anna. You are young and idealistic—but when your enemies make the mistake of underestimating you? Hell, you might just run them over with your little army of stubborn heroes."

Anna stared at him.

Mattias blinked, then looked chagrined. "I-I'm sorry, was that too dramatic? Halima says I can get carried away."

She shook her head with a grin. "You're dramatic? Have you seen my sister? She makes ice palaces complete with chandeliers."

That got her a snort. "And she rides home on the Water Spirit itself. You got the gist of what I was saying, though, right? That you're doing great and no matter what happens, no one is going to say you could have done any better?"

"I got it. Thanks, Mattias."

"Good. Anything else bugging you?"

It hit Anna that she hadn't told him about the Nokk. Or Oskar. She should.

But when she opened her mouth, a yawn came out instead.

She hadn't exactly lied to Kristoff that morning; she didn't remember her sleeplessness. But as she absently watched trading vessels glide across the water, she had to pinch herself to keep her leaden eyelids from falling shut.

She wondered if Kristoff and Hakon were getting along.

She wondered what Elsa was doing, and if she'd liked the sandwich.

She wondered if there was a way to be five years old again, lying on a picnic mat with her parents and sister, unperturbed by the future's unknowns.

Wait.

Anna shot to her feet, staring down at the fjord.

Mattias's hand flew automatically to his sword. "What? Are we under attack?"

"I read the shipping manifests over breakfast," Anna blurted distractedly as she counted. Two. Why were there two?

"Is that it?" Mattias sounded relieved. "Err, good on you?"

"I usually forget but Kristoff left early so I was bored and… oh, what am I saying?"

Blavenian flags. Why did that send a tingle down her spine? Why did she feel like she was forgetting something? Why were there always more questions than answers?

She knew one thing, though.

"Those ships—they're not supposed to be here."

OoOoO

"Did you know that drinking hot cocoa two times a day improves your memory?"

"Don't care. Don't like chocolate. Stop following me around."

"I'm not following you, I'm accompanying you! Anna said we should run these errands together, remember? In case you get lost!"

"You got us lost. Six times."

"Actually, I got us side-tracked. Semantic accuracy is very important, Oskar. Wasn't it so fun playing hide-and-seek with Hedda and her friends?"

"No."

"You looked like you were enjoying it. You were fantastic at hiding!"

"And you were horrible at it," Oskar deadpanned, unfolding the list. "Now zip it so I can figure out what this says."

Gate… goof… How could a queen's handwriting be so atrocious?

Olaf creepily lifted his whole head up to see the list. "Ohhh, goat! We need to figure out whose goat got into Rolf's garden. But first we gotta find out which Rolf it is, because there are twenty-three Rolfs and Anna didn't write down which one."

"What? You're insane."

"No, I'm Olaf! Come on—let's start with Rolf the dockworker!"

Scowling, Oskar shoved the list back into his pocket and went back to the pull-along wagon, which let out a teeth-grinding screech as its rickety wheels struggled over the cobblestones.

This has been with me for a long time, Anna had said proudly. I used to fill it up with all my dolls and take them on a tour of the castle. Now that I think about it, it's probably the only thing with wheels I haven't broken yet. So take care of it—oh, and look after Olaf, too!

He was not a pageboy or a babysitter. But before he'd been able to give her a piece of his mind, she'd run off with the general, calling over her shoulder, Don't forget we'll have a riding lesson before dinner!

In the Southern Isles, nothing good came out of finding yourself on the king's agenda.

In the Southern Isles, he wouldn't be caught dead pulling a childish wagon laden with miscellaneous parcels collected from an illegible list, 'accompanied' by an irritably talkative snowman.

Scratchy twig fingers tugged at his hand. "Did you know warm hugs not only make you feel happier, but are scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve your immune system?"

Oskar rolled his eyes. "I don't need a hug. I'm not sad."

"Well, Anna gives really good hugs."

You're okay, Oskar.

"I know."

"My favourite hug was the one she gave me when Elsa died and I melted."

The wagon knocked into the back of Oskar's leg as he stopped abruptly. "She what? You what?"

Olaf obliviously walked on. "Oh, you know how it is. We went on a big adventure because Elsa heard a voice calling to her, and we found out that the spirits of nature had trapped Mattias and the Northuldra in the Enchanted Forest for thirty-four years, and when we went to find out how to fix everything, Elsa sent me and Anna away because she thought it was too dangerous. So we ended up in this big cave and suddenly whoosh! Elsa sent us a message with the truth and Anna figured out we had to break the dam, but then I started flurrying and that meant Elsa wasn't okay, and the last thing I remembered was Anna holding on tight to me. And then a bunch of important things happened, but all that matters is that Elsa and I are alive again!"

Olaf spun around with an indulgent smile. "Any questions?"

Oskar groped for logic and words. "Her sister died? And came back to life?"

"Technically, she unfroze because she froze when she went too deep. It's all about the semantics, remember?"

"And Anna knew her sister was dead because you died, too? In her arms?"

"Pretty much!"

What do you know about loss? he'd shouted at her.

"There's Rolf! Hello! Would you know anything about a goat?"

Still frowning, Oskar looked up to see that two large merchant ships had pulled in, overshadowing most of the dock. And his heart halted.

Olaf was waving at a man in overalls, who was holding a clipboard and talking to someone who had disembarked from the first ship. Someone who stood tall and thin in a crisp suit. Hooked nose. Auburn hair.

Prince Gregory?

But it wasn't.

He grabbed Olaf before he could call out to Rolf again. Ducking behind a crate, he clamped a hand over the snowman's indignant protests and finger to his lips as he strained to listen.

The sound of rustling papers. "Looks like we were indeed expecting a shipment of spices, but I've got that scheduled for next week. I, uh, can't seem to find you on today's manifest, sir."

"Tell your queen," came the gravelly reply, "that Prince Niklas comes bearing gifts from King Gustav of Blavenia."

"Ooh, gifts!" Olaf whispered excitedly. "And his name is Niklas! Are we hiding from Santa Claus?"

"That's no saint," Oskar muttered. Because a lion could change his name, but it didn't mean he could masquerade as a mouse. "That's my uncle."

A/N: Thank you for reading (and waiting)! Hope we're all coping and staying healthy.

There were a couple of scrapped scenes for this chapter that I've put up on my tumblr as usual. There was an 'Anna's turn to call Kristoff out for doing an Elsa' snippet that I'm sad I had to cut out haha.