Nightmares & Bad Memories
Meanwhile...
The blizzard rages all throughout the town of Arendelle. The streets lay deserted as many had taken shelter from the storm in their homes. The inhabitants in the castle were no different. Though the cold was the last thing on everyone's minds within the castle walls.
Many were all still worried about the current state of Princess Anna. They all hope for the princess's safe return. However, with the circumstances that had occurred, many had doubt that she was still alive at this point. With the raging blizzard occurring, they can't find out her fate until it clears out.
In the meantime, many in the castle had tried to bring their focus onto other things. Idun was in the dining hall eating the food on her plate. Join at the same table with her was Kristoff. Idun and her husband were kind enough to give the young man and his reindeer shelter from the storm, knowing his living habits. It was the least they could do since he wants to find Anna, and is her friend. Not to mention, it would be cruel to leave him out to fend for himself in the blizzard.
No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't really eat much off of their plates. They both ate rather slowly since their mind was still on Anna.
"Your majesty," Kai entered the room.
"Yes, Kai?" Idun replied.
"Your husband wanted me to inform you that he won't be able to attend dinner. He's rather...busy in his study at the moment."
It was the words Idun didn't want to hear.
"Have someone bring some food to him at least. I don't want him to go hungry."
Kai lightly bowed his head. "Of course, your majesty."
The servant left the dining hall, as Idun went back to her thoughts. Her worry for her husband grew. For she recognized the signs. She had seen this kind of behavior before.
"He's shutting everyone out and refusing to eat. Just like before, after Elsa..."
Even though it's been years, the topic of Elsa's disappearance was still a sensitive subject, especially for those who were close to her. But no one had been affected as Agdar was. Agdar loved his family very much. So much so that Idun firmly believed that he loved them more than his own life. But he and Elsa had a close relationship. Even before Elsa was born, Agdar had already adored her. He spent every moment he could bringing Elsa all his attention and doted her with his love. They had an unbreakable bond. When Elsa had been stolen, it had changed him. It had only gotten worse when had to call off the searches.
15 years ago...(April 1821)
Idun walked through the halls. The sun outside had been blocked out the clouds, leaving a gloomy sky, which perfectly reflected the mood. It had been about almost 2 months since Elsa was taken, but it still felt like yesterday. She had not seen her husband today, which worried her. Just yesterday he made the hard, difficult choice to end the searches since they were going nowhere. No one had seen him since.
Finally, she arrived at the door the led to Agdar's study. Before she knocked, she felt the kick inside her pregnant stomach. She placed one hand on it and gently rubbed it, as she used the other to knock on the door.
"Agdar?" She called, though she didn't get a response. "Please, I know you're in there. People are worried about how you've been."
No response.
"You're distraught, and I am too. I'm right out here for you, just let me in."
Still no response, Idun leaned on the door on her side.
"We have to focus on the future. Not just you and me." She rubbed her stomach. "What are we gonna do?"
There was still no response. Idun slid down to the floor. She decided to try one more thing to hopefully get him out.
"Do you wanna pick baby names?"
The continuing silence had finally made her slightly break down. She knows saying something like that was dire, but Idun honestly didn't know what else to do.
"Please just...come out. For me. For the baby," she lightly sobbed. "For Elsa..."
Little did she know this was only the beginning.
"Queen Idun?" Kristoff's voice snapped Idun out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yes, I am," she replied. "And Kristoff, I've told you before that you don't have to refer me by my title. You are my daughter's friend after all."
"Of course. Anyways, are you sure you're fine? You look…unsettled after Kai left."
"I'm just worried for Anna."
"And Agdar as well."
"I should've gone with her," Kristoff spoke up.
"We can't dwell what happened then. What we can do is think about what happens next," Idun said with a tone of comfort. "There was no way you would've known what would happen."
"Do you think she's okay?"
For a moment, Idun didn't speak.
"I do hope so. But we can't be certain until the storm clears up."
Kristoff seemed to agree and they both resumed eating. As they did, Idun wandered in her thoughts about Kristoff's words. The past fifteen years had taught her to not let her hopes rise up and always be prepared for any possible outcomes in any type of situation. But she, of course, wanted her daughter to be okay, as any mother would when their child is in a dire situation.
Agdar, on the other hand, would no doubt not stop unless he had concrete proof that Anna was dead. Idun knew very well how stubborn and feisty he can be. It would seem those traits were common on his side of the family, given Anna tended to be the same. Contrary to what some may think, Anna was like her father in some ways. She could only hope that Anna's stubbornness will keep her going through the storm.
For now, all she can do is wait and hope for the best.
Darkness…
It was the only thing Agdar can see. He walked around, hoping to see something. When nothing still didn't turn up, he decided to call out.
"Hello?" Only silence had responded. He decided to try again. "Anyone there?"
"Papa?" came a voice of a young girl who sounded afraid. One that Agdar recognized.
"Elsa?"
"Papa, where are you?"
"Hold on, I'm coming!"
And so Agdar ran to the direction of Elsa's voice. He kept running and running. Then, he stopped. In front of him was a 3-year-old Elsa. Fear was written all over the young girl's eyes.
"Papa?" Elsa looked at her father. "I'm scared..."
"It's okay snowflake. I'm here now," Agdar kneeled to her level.
"Don't go away, please."
"I'm not going anywhere." Agdar stroked her cheek. "Everything is okay now."
Agdar then wrapped his arms around Elsa. However, she vanished into thin air.
"Elsa?!" Desperation & terror overfilled him as he frantically looked around. "No. No! NO!"
"Tell me. How does it feel?" came a dark feminine voice spoke with venom, that sounded familiar.
"Who's there?" Agdar called out.
"How does it feel to be responsible for the loss of your child once again?"
"What do you m-?"
"You failed her. Just like you failed Elsa. It's because of you that she's gone." The voice sounded closer, but Agdar couldn't see anyone.
"No! What happened to Elsa wasn't my fault!"
"What about Anna?" The voice brought up. Agdar grew silent. "Ah, yes. Poor sweet Anna is lost out there. Probably most likely dead, just a few months before turning 15. True, she should've listened to your warnings. Then again...she only went to the woods because of you."
Footsteps then echoed. Which direction they came from, Agdar had no idea.
"You drove her into those woods. You put pressure on her, and now she's gone too. You call yourself a good king, yet you can't even protect your own daughters. Anna was your second chance and you blew it. How many more children must you lose due to your carelessness?!"
The footsteps got closer until they finally stopped. Agdar turned around. What he saw was truly horrifying.
It was a teenage girl, but her appearance is what frightened Agdar. Her left side of her body had her dress torn up, and her body was covered with cuts, huge gash marks, and savage wolf bites. Her left braid was messy, and her face had a claw mark on her eye, leaving her pupil colorless. The right side of her body was different. Everything else looks perfectly normal. Except for the fact that her entire right side was made of ice.
Agdar couldn't move. He cannot look away from the half-mauled, half-ice girl. He was further horrified once he realizes who the girl was the suppose to be.
"Anna?!" Agdar muttered, completely speechless and terrified.
"This is your fault," 'Anna' said. In her left hand held a sharp looking object. She started walking towards him.
"No."
"You did this to me." 'Anna' kept walking.
"No…" Agdar attempted to move, but he couldn't.
"You failed me. Just like you failed Elsa." 'Anna' lifted up the sharp object. Agdar can see it was an icicle in her hand.
"Anna. Please, no."
"Shut up and admit it!" 'Anna' grabbed him roughly. "Your daughters are gone! Because of YOU!" Was the last thing she had said before she shoved the icicle into his heart.
"ANNA, NO!"
Agdar bolted up, clutching his chest. He breathed heavily and was covered with cold sweat. For a moment, he sat still in confusion as he looked around. He was sitting at his desk in his study. That, along with some drool he felt on his face (and a small puddle on his desk) was enough to realize that everything he was just a dream and took a breath of relief. He most likely had dozed off while he was looking over the map on his desk. On it where locations that he had planned to look for Anna, while others had been crossed out.
A knock on his door snapped him out of his daze.
"King Agdar?" a female voice called.
"It's open," he said as he quickly wiped the drool off his face.
Entering the room, was Gerda holding a tray that had some food. She had a look of concern.
"Are you alright your majesty?" Gerda asked. "I thought I heard a small shout coming from in here."
"It's nothing, Gerda. I'm alright," Agdar lied. "What brings you here?"
"Your wife was concerned that you would go hungry, so she wanted some food sent up here."
"Of course she did. God bless that woman," Agdar thought.
"Give her my thanks, please."
"Will do. Anything else I could do for you while I'm here?"
"No. Thank you, Gerda."
Gerda was unconvinced, though she did not show it. Nonetheless, she respected Agdar's wishes and left. Once again Agdar was alone. He glanced over at the food on his tray. There were a couple of small sandwiches. One of his favorites, next to chocolate. Yet he managed to barely get a nibble.
His thoughts were on his terrifying nightmare. Agdar was, unfortunately, no stranger to nightmares. They were common during the first few months after Elsa's disappearance. He remembers waking up in the middle of the night practically screaming Elsa's name. Over time, they dwindled down and he would get them only once in a while. Most of which were the same.
This nightmare was different. It had started like his usual ones, with him looking for Elsa only for her to disappear once again. It was the other half is what made it completely different. Seeing Anna's half-mauled and half-ice covered form was truly haunting. That image will no doubt will stick on to him for a good while.
Though it was just a dream, it felt all too real. He can still remember the words that had stung him. Almost every one of them. One sentence had stuck onto him the most.
You failed me. Just like you failed Elsa.
Elsa…
Even though it had been a decade and a half, it still felt like yesterday when his eldest daughter had been stolen. Agdar would be lying to himself if he said he didn't blame himself. Despite everyone he knew saying Elsa's disappearance wasn't his fault, and even when Agdar himself knew that very much, part of him never really stopped believing it.
Hearing Anna in the dream saying that he had failed her and Elsa just broke his heart. It hurt even more that Agdar had not told Anna about her lost sister. As Anna gotten older, Agdar had kept holding back telling her believing that she wasn't ready to know. Now she may never know.
And it was his fault.
Gerda had been walking in the halls back to the servants quarters. It was eerily quiet in the castle halls. 15 years prior, the same type of silence had plague these halls. Gerda certainly hoped that it would never come back. As she walked she saw her husband, Kai, who immediately noticed her.
"Hello Gerda," Kai greeted.
"Hello dear," she greeted back. "I just delivered the food to the king."
"How is he doing?"
"Well he insisted that he was fine, but I know how bad of a liar he is."
"How bad was he?"
"He had bags underneath his eyes. I think he dozed off at his desk before I came in, judging by the drool puddle he left on his desk."
"Well, our king does have a terrible drooling habit whenever sleeps."
Gerda couldn't help but chuckle at Kai's remark. Given how the past two days had been, she could honestly use some humor.
"In all seriousness though, I'm quite worried about him. I haven't seen him like this since...y'know." Gerda quickly got back on topic. "I still remembered how his majesty was after the search for Elsa was called off."
Kai didn't need to be clarified about his wife meant.
The longtime servants were very fond long lost princess. They had even seen her as a daughter they never have, especially since they were unable to have children of their own. Come the day Elsa was taken, Kai & Gerda were just about as heartbroken as Agdar & Idun were. While they didn't have children, they could not imagine the pain of losing a child like that. When the search for Elsa was called off, things had gotten from bad to worse.
They remembered Agdar had started behaving differently. First, he had refused to step foot out of his study, except for meals, meetings, and sleeping. He practically shut himself out from the world. When he was out, it was different.
He became somewhat short-tempered and a little impatient. The couple would remember moments where Agdar would slightly lash out to others for small things. It wasn't anything cruel and he would always apologize soon afterward. As the days went on he seemed to become angrier. Seeing a kind man like Agdar going down that path had truly frightened them.
Yet...they couldn't blame him. While Agdar was a man of high status, he was still human. Not just a human, but a father that was angry and hurting.
One day, however, was a day everyone close to the king was perhaps a day that will forever haunt them, even Agdar himself. It had dubbed as 'The Incident'. It was the dark memory that Kai & Gerda would rather not revisit.
Kai wanted to assure her that everything will be fine. That Agdar wouldn't allow himself to go down that path again. Yet, he couldn't. He too was afraid of the aftermath. Especially the aftermath if things don't turn out well. Anna's birth was all it took to fully bring back the man the servants knew. Her death could bring back the person they feared.
So here we get an insight on how Elsa's kidnapping had affected those close to her. I'm no parent but I can very well guess that losing child is a pain that is unimaginable. Its more likely worse when said child is taken, with the parents having no idea what fate their child had met.
I figure a nightmare sequence was inevitable for this story (Just in time for Halloween :P). Who better have it than Agdar himself. Hope I didn't made his dream too scary for you guys. Anyways, I always figure that he and Elsa were very close. The movie implied that Elsa was somewhat of a daddy's girl (Aww!). So Agdar took Elsa's disappearance REALLY hard. (I'm really making the poor guy suffer a lot through this fic, aren't I?).
I would also like to say that I suck at writing songs (nonetheless making parodies of them) but I really wanted to add it. I do hope you like this fics version of the final verse of 'Do wanna Build a Snowman' though (whether Idun was singing or not is up to you). You guys are welcome to suggest better versions for this fic if you want. Maybe other songs as well.
Originally the chapter was suppose to end with Agdar, but I realized Kai & Gerda had barely appeared in this story. So I decided finish the chapter with them.
Thank you for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy reading.
