1908
The Gardens of Linnea Castle,
Arendelle
"They got married, Grandpapa?"
"Why did the queen propose to the king? Why not the other way around?"
After several minutes, once the questions quieted down, Magda spoke up, brow furrowing. "I've never heard of that law, Grandfather. The one about high treason and death if an Arendelle monarch married into the Southern Isles. It doesn't exist. I've only heard the saying, I never knew it was once a law."
"Ah, but it did, Magda, love." He replied, eyes misting briefly. "It was written long, long ago, when Arendelle was still ruled by the great clans of Scandinavia; before kings replaced chieftains, and when Vikings still walked the earth."
"Vikings, Grandpapa?"
"Yes, Agnarr, Vikings. You know, both the monarchies of the Isles and Arendelle came from the Vikings. Rival clans took possession of the land that would one day be Arendelle, and a great battle ensued. One clan prevailed, and drove the other into the sea. The defeated clan found purchase on the islands to the south of Arendelle, and laid claim, calling it home. Out of the defeated clan came the House of WestergÄrd, who have ruled the Isles for centuries."
"And the other clan, Grandpapa?" Agnarr asked excitedly. The older man chuckled.
"They would become the House of Bekkerdahl-"
"They were from opposing houses, the prince and princess." Iduna whispered wistfully, and he sighed, seeing the excitement in her gaze. "Is that what the law was for? So they couldn't marry?"
"The law was put into place back when the clans still had control of the countries; it would be seen as treason for the chieftain of either country to marry into those specific clans, and so they looked for outsiders to marry into the clan. And while the Isles simply banished the one who broke that rule, Arendelle's punishment was more severe."
"They were put to death, weren't they? If they married?" Thyra spoke up, and he nodded.
"But I don't understand, Grandfather. If that law existed when the prince and princess were alive, they couldn't have married- one of them would have been put to death-"
He studied her silently for several minutes. She possessed the beauty of her mother, but often, if was her beloved aunt's mind that took control. Then again, this ancient of laws had been missed by both the prince and princess, and it had been her sister who had found it... "Even the most ancient of laws cannot stop two hearts deeply in love, Magda."
Silence fell among the listeners as they drank in his words, and after several minutes, Lisi turned to him. She tugged on his sleeve, and he met her gaze. "Keep going, Grandpapa, please? What happened next? When does the great queen arrive? Does she let the prince and princess marry?"
A soft chuckle escaped him, and he gently tilted her chin up. "Oh, Lisi, my snowflake, always hoping for a happy ending." He sighed. "This story is not one of your fairy tales, I'm afraid. After the prince became king and the princess became queen, they found themselves ripped apart. Once her coronation celebration was over, he returned to the Isles, promising to return to her one day."
"Did he marry her then, Grandpapa?"
"Lisi!"
"I'm afraid not, Lisi. They would not marry for another year. As for why she proposed to him instead of the other way around- she should not have proposed to the king. Because they were essentially forbidden from marrying, they both had to look past each others' borders to find mates."
"But they wanted to be together." Iduna spoke up, and he nodded at her.
"They did. By proposing to the king, the young queen was going against ancient Arendellian law, risking not just her crown but her very life, and the king, by accepting, was in a way, accepting permanent exile if it was ever discovered. And though they knew the risks, it did not matter, because they were in love, and they longed to be together, even if they could not rule together. They had fallen in love, and were going against everyone and everything to be together. He would never wear the crown of Arendelle just as she would never wear the crown of the Isles, but that didn't matter to them. They simply wanted to be together, to build a life and a family, regardless of the ancient laws."
"Did they have a family, 'papa?"
A moment passed, before he cocked his head to the side. "Ah, now, now, that would be jumping further ahead, Sofia. A proper story does not just jump forward, especially a story such as this." He smiled softly at the each in turn, noticing the little similarities; the blue of their eyes, the dimples in their cheeks, the upturn of a nose- he had never realized just how much each of the women looked like her, regardless of hair color or eye color. They were mirror images of her, and he couldn't help feeling a twinge as he realized the women were what she would have looked like had she lived longer. Oh my darling, you would be proud of them. "Now, where was I?"
"The king and queen, Grandpapa." Iduna spoke up, as a servant brought out a couple fresh pots of tea and pastries. Once the young woman had returned to the kitchen, he continued his story.
"Ah, yes, the young Southern Isles King and the newly crowned Queen of Arendelle. Well, as I said, they did not marry right away; they kept it secret, only telling the most trusted members of their households. They both knew that if they wed immediately, even in secret, suspicions would be raised. It would be best if the young queen remained within reach of other suitors, to give her both time to adjust to being queen and keep her council from suspecting anything. And so they returned to their correspondence, arranging occasional 'diplomatic' visits to each others' countries to see each other. The first visit to the Isles was considered the young queen's first major diplomatic visit as Queen of Arendelle, and a grand celebration was planned." He glanced at each of them, and for the briefest of moments, he could imagine the cheers and celebration she had faced upon arriving. "People lined the streets, music was played and the colors of Arendelle were hung to welcome her. Despite her high status, she was still a girl of eighteen, and it was all so overwhelming. But she did not have to fret; her younger sister had come with her, and the younger girl rejoiced in the revelry."
"Did the king meet her there?"
He met Iduna's gaze. "No. As you know, Duna, the royals courts have their ways in regards to visiting royals. She was to be presented to the king in the throne room, and despite her and her sister knowing him, for years, they had to play their parts and keep up appearances."
