For the next week, Anna hid out in her room. She didn't know how to face anyone. If she saw Hans she knew what would happen. If she saw Kristoff she would feel guilty over what almost happened. If she saw her father she would feel pressured into meeting with Hans. If she saw her mother she would just want to run away from the whole situation.

So the only person she did see was Elsa.

"Anna, he has come and called for you almost every day this week." Elsa offered her sister a cup of tea.

"I can't. Besides, you've done a fine job of keeping him busy. I saw you all in the gardens."

"Yes, he had many kind things to say. But I'm not going to keep entertaining your fiance while you hide away."

"You do such a good job at it though." Anna whined.

"I did hear Kristoff was back in town." Elsa commented as she sipped her own tea.

It wasn't odd for Kristoff to be gone for days or even a couple weeks at a time. His work pulled him all over the place. And for once in their lives, Anna had been thankful he wasn't around.

Elsa managed to steal Anna's teacup back just before the redhead fell backwards into her pillows.

"I have to talk to him." She groaned.

"You also need to talk to Hans. I'm pretty sure he is going to send the royal physician over for you soon."

"I'll talk to Hans after I talk to Kristoff."

"Then you'll talk to mother?"

"Why would I talk to mother?"

"She is pretty concerned you are jeopardizing your engagement. It's all I can do to tell her otherwise."

"Yes," Anna sat back up, "I'll talk to mother too. But I need to get out of here and clear my head first."

"Code for I need to get out of here and see-"

"You don't have to be so loud about it!" Anna hissed, shushing her sister.

"Look who has finally emerged." Anna's father laughed as she entered the main drawing room of the home.

Elsa had helped her pull herself together and look somewhat decent.

"Yes, it's nice to see you hadn't withered away up there." Her mother commented from her sitting chair.

"Oh there was no danger of her withering away, I heard her sneaking down every night for food." Her father added another joke.

"I am feeling much better and I think I owe it to Prince Hans to return his kindness and visit him."

"Well," her mother's tone was suddenly much lighter, "I think that is a marvelous idea!"

"I'm glad you approve, mother. I'm going to be on my way now."

"I hope you thanked your sister for her kindness towards Prince Hans as well. Thank goodness for her and her gardens!"

"Yes, mother, I thanked Elsa. It was her who encouraged me to go visit Prince Hans as well."

"Well take the carriage." Her father chriped.

"Actually, I think walking and getting some fresh air and sunshine will suit me better. I will feel much more refreshed once I get there."

"I suppose the weather is fitting for a walk." Her father shrugged off the carriage idea and gave his attention back to the paper in his hands.

"Okay, then, I'll just be leaving. Bye!" Anna removed herself from the house before anything else could be suggested of her.

She wasn't sure why they called this drink liquid courage. She hadn't felt any more courageous since she drank it. None of the men who were drinking around her seemed more so.

She wasn't of age to be in an establishment like this, drinking drinks that are supposedly heavier with liquor than most, but her friend Mina worked as a server here. She'd ask if there was anything she could drink that would help her with her nerves.

Mina didn't bring her a full glass. In fact she brought her what looked like a teacup that was half full of brown golden liquid. Her friend instructed her to drink it slowly, but no sooner did Mina turn her back than did Anna pour the liquid down her throat.

Today was going to go one of two ways, either way she would need a stupendous amount of courage.

The drink burned her throat causing her to cough in an unladylike manner.

"I told you to drink it slowly, dummy." Mina hissed at her, in a way only a loving friend would.

Anna surveyed the room as she calmed her coughing, none of the men would make eye contact with her. But she heard their murmurs, catching the word 'prince' and 'bride' a few times.

There was nowhere she could go that people wouldn't know her.

She wasn't sure how long she sat in disappointed silence before someone finally spoke to her.

"What are you doing here?" Kristoff was looming next to her table.

He didn't look amused at her being here.

"I needed some-" She hiccuped, "Oh dear, excuse me. I needed some help."

"And you were going to find it here?" Kristoff motioned around to the drunken atmosphere of the place.

"I'm a coward, Kristoff! I heard all about this liquid courage so I came to try some!" Anna yelled, catching the attention of almost everyone in the room.

"I only gave her a little, just because she looked so pitiful." Mina suddenly appeared by Kristoff, "Poor thing. Trying to work up the courage to kiss her Prince."

Kristoff's eyebrow spiked at Mina before he turned his focus back to Anna.

"It's true." Anna's eyes were watering up.

"Well, that little bit apparently was too much." Kristoff chastised both women. "Come on, let's get you home."

"She can't go home like that, her mother will kill her!" Mina argued as Kristoff helped Anna stand up.

Much to his dismay, Mina was right.

"Well she can't stay here."

"I can hear you, you know. I'm fine." Anna stood up, pushing away Kristoff's help.

When her form straightened up, she felt like the room tilted some.

"Maybe I do need some water and fresh air." She steadied herself by bracing her hand on the table she had just stood up from.

Mina fetched a glass of water for her and Kristoff made sure she drank all of it.

"Now, lets get you out of here, before rumors start swirling around about the Prince's finacee being drunk at the local hole in the wall." Kristoff guided Anna, offering her his arm whenever she seemed off balanced.

"What are you even doing Anna?" Kristoff's tone was harsh.

He had put her in his wagon and got them out of the most populated parts of town because scolding her.

"I just" Anna sniffled and felt her throat get tight, "I just needed to have some courage."

"Well, that's not how you get it. Do you feel any more courageous now than when you went in there?"

"No." Anna squeaked. "Wait, why are we here?"

"Well, Anna, you can't go home until you can at least go 5 minutes without crying. I can't take you to your Prince with you acting like this. So I brought you here."

Here. The meadow. The most beautiful place.

Kristoff helped her out of the cart, "Remind me why you needed to get drunk again?"

"Because, I've hid out in my room for the last week being afraid to come out." She started down the path.

"Why?" Kristoff pressed. What had happened while he was gone?

"Because if I do, I'll have to kiss Hans."

"Haven't you already done that? Was it that bad?"

"No I didn't do it! I almost did and I can't believe-" she hiccuped "that I almost did."

"Anna, we've been over this-" Kristoff started.

"I want control over one thing in my life!" Anna turned and snapped at him, just before entering the meadow. "I want one thing in my life to be because I wanted it!"

"Did Hans do something?" Kristoff felt sudden anger at the idea that Hans forced something onto Anna.

"No." Her voice was back to normal, "But like you said, it's only expected. I just—just wanted this one thing I could choose to do. I mean I'll never get a choice again after I'm married. I barely get to even have an opinion in my own wedding."

"So what was your plan exactly?" Kristoff pushed her on into the meadow.

"I was just hoping I could find someone, of my choosing, and have my kiss."

"You were going to kiss some random person?" Kristoff bristled.

"What other choice do I have?"

"I don't know, kiss Hans?" Kristoff offered.

Anna didn't answer. She just took small strides until she was completely in the sunshine.

"Anna?"

"I'll have to kiss him for the rest of my life. Another choice that was made for me. This one was just going to be my choice. But it doesn't matter. No man in the entire kingdom will make eye contact with me. I'm branded. My fate is sealed."

"If you dread the idea so much, why are you marrying him?" Kristoft wasn't the one to make conversation usually, but he had just found Anna tipsy drunk and was curious.

Anna warmed her face in the sun for a few seconds more before turning to answer him, "Because I have too."

Kristoff stared at the redhead. She had always been the bubbly, never without something to say, laughing too hard at a joke that wasn't funny type. But it seemed like with each passing day she was losing that bright warm aura that never faltered with her.

"I love it here so much." Anna smiled before turning her face back towards the sun. "It is just so peaceful."

Kristoff's mind was chewing hard on the things Anna had said. If those were her real feelings, then she was truely going to be miserable and muted the rest of her life. That wasn't the Anna he knew. She bright and colorful. She had a million things to say about everything.

Anna's mind seemed to be swirling less now. The warmth of the sun made her feel a little more stable. The winds in the meadow blew some of the anxiety she was feeling away.

Maybe this was just the hard part of growing up everyone talks about. Where you have do the things you don't want, and sometimes marry the people you don't love. Maybe Anna could try to make it work with Hans, she'd always have Kristoff somewhere nearby to be there for her. And should the day come that Kristoff finds someone he wants to marry, Anna will be happy for him. She'll hate whomever it is, but she'll be happy for him.

"Anna?" Kristoff was at her side now.

"Hm?" She kept her eyes closed, swaying slightly in the sun.

"There is-someone" Kristoff blew a long breath out, "I mean there is a guy out there who will still make eye contact with you."

"Yeah, I know, Hans." Anna didn't bother to open her eyes still, though she did half laugh at him.

Kristoff pulled his shoulders back and took in a deep breath. His palms were sweating, yet he felt clammy at the same time.

"Not him."

"What?" Anna stopped basking in the sun and turned to her blonde companion.

She'd never seen him look so distraught or nervous. Or was it still the liquor playing with her mind.

"He isn't the only one."

"Then who? Everyone is afraid to look in my direction." Anna scoffed.

The pause was so long Anna was just about to return her attention to the sun.

"Me."

:O

:X

Thanks for hanging around! XOXO