Chapter 21

Prince Rollan stood in the box of his horse hanging up the leash of his horse, after he had unsaddled the stallion, thereafter he embraced the horse by the nose.

„Today you deserve a longer break. Eventually tomorrow I'll pass by for the food, is it okay, amigo?" Asked Rollan, then got nudged by the stallion and Rollan got out of the box heading to the main entrance of the castle, where he encountered Prince Hugo standing there talking with Kai, the counselor.

„Ah you're here too, Prince Rollan," Commented Kai making Rollan nod. „Our cook has made a cake for the guests, are you coming up as well to try it out?"

„Sure I will come," Responded Rollan, then Kai moved the door back to let the princes enter into the castle and followed them straight into the dining room, where one servant had set up on the table the cake with a few small plates piled up and cutlery beside it.

„Serve yourself," Spoke Kai making the two men nod and march towards the table, then Rollan let Hugo be the first one to cut down a piece of the light-yellow cake.

„Have you heard anything about the queen?" Questioned the Belgian prince making Rollan shake his head.

„No and you?"

„Nada," Responded the Spaniard moving after the blonde to cut for himself a piece of cake and sat down on the next free chair near the prince.

„I don't think any of us is going to get anywhere far with her. At least until she's got this with her sister solved," Theorized Hugo making Rollan shrug his shoulders.

„Perhaps you're right. It is understandable though. She's the only one from her family, who's alive. Then there's this wizard that cursed her sister and that confusion of her wandering off with a farmer to…..I don't remember where,"

„Somewhere in Sweden, I know only,"

„Exactly," Added Hugo taking a bigger bite off the cake, making Rollan grin at his expression, then the door got opened back and Rollan looked along with the second prince at the door to see Elsa's friend Gerda enter into the hall.

„Good afternoon," Greeted Gerda passing behind the boys, placing her hand on the back of the chair. „How does the cake taste?"

„I like it," Commented Hugo, then glanced at Rollan who nodded and gave Gerda a gentle smile.

„Were you two out on a ride?" Questioned Gerda cutting for herself a slice and pushed a chair out for her to sit on. „I haven't seen anyone of you today,"

„I was around the village," Commented Hugo.

„I went out of the village," Added Rollan. „I returned to the mountain we were up on together because the field out there seemed really infinite and I just wanted to avoid getting us lost,"

„I've seen on the map, if that's the place I'm thinking about it just leads you across the land to the ocean. There's nothing on that side," Commented Hugo making Gerda nod.

„He's right," Commented Gerda. „On the south side beside the castle, there is another village far away from us, which belongs to another kingdom. Otherwise, we don't have any neighboring places on land, just off away over the sea,"

„Yes," Responded Rollan watching Gerda take a bite of her cake, then noticed her having a crumble on the side of her lip making him chuckle. „How was your day?"

„Mine?" Asked Hugo, then Rollan moved his eyes at Gerda that took another bite and noticed Rollan look at her, then she understood he meant her.

„Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you meant Hugo," Avowed the blonde. „I spent the rest of the afternoon helping Gerda make a plan for the possible return of Princess Anna,"

„What will be about her curse? Will she have it defeated by now or do you know nothing about it yet?"

„The only thing I know is about her being around with the farmer as stated by the guards. Nothing more,"

„Right, she's said that," Spoke Rollan neutral.

„I hope Queen Elsa returns safe and sound. I'm not quite safe from knowing there's this powerful magician around," Spoke Hugo.

„Or the princess. All this because of the kingdom," Added Rollan making the blonde woman nod.

„Well you two are basically here for the same reason or…..as your dads sent you,"

„I'm here on my own will, but I don't think Elsa and I are a match," Commented Prince Hugo. „We can talk normally with one another. I just think both of us only can work as friends,"

„I'm here because of my father," Commented Rollan. „As my father's only son I'm already the next heir in our line, I just don't have found a partner yet. My father only accepted this chance, because of the bonding,"

„Wouldn't it be okay for him if you married somebody from Spain?" Questioned Gerda making Rollan shake his head.

„My father warned me, that it had to be someone from a royal family. Nothing else," Explained Rollan, then Hugo got up and walked at the window to look at the outside. Rollan cut another piece to eat, then he glimpsed at Gerda, which hadn't finished her bit yet, and remembered the night he had brought her to the waterfalls beside the castle. „About yesterday…...how did you feel up there on the rock?"

„Good. Why are you asking?" Questioned Gerda watching Rollan pass his hand behind his neck.

„I've been thinking about…..this is going to sound strange or even crazy, but I've thought about yesterday night. I…..the kiss you gave me was meant as a show of gratitude, wasn't it?" Asked Prince Rollan making Gerda nod, feeling a little unsure about where the conversation is going.

„True, but there's one thing….I have been feeling a wee bit weird on the moments we both were together and yesterday night I began to understand, that I might have a crush on you," Commented Gerda a little hesitant. „I kissed you with the expectation I would awake your interest in me and I felt like I had done it,"

„Actually, you did it," Admitted Rollan. „I just hesitated first, believing I was dreamy at that moment," Concluded the Spaniard making Gerda chuckle, then the door of the hall opened to reveal Kai standing there looking around to spot Rollan and Gerda.

„I'm sorry Gerda. I know it's your break, but I'd need your help right now. You can continue afterward," Ordered the man making Gerda nod.

„I'm coming, Kai," Responded Gerda getting up, as Kai left and she gazed back at Rollan. „I have to go," Spoke Gerda making Rollan nod.

„See you later, then," Said Rollan making Gerda smile and reach her nose on Rollan's to poke it, then made her way out of the dining room. Rollan grinned embarrassed at her deed, then looked across the room to see the Belgian prince stare surprised at what he had witnessed before, and to avoid odd contact with the Spaniard he moved his head back.


Hans, Anna, and Donny had gotten together to the restaurant at night, where they had reserved a dinner for two. At that time, they had encountered a few other couples that had done their reservation as well and waited for someone to attend them.

„The guests here don't seem to be the first time here I feel," Commented Hans listening to the conversation of a quartet, that stood on the outside of the restaurant's terrace.

„They're talking in Swedish, right?" Questioned the princess making Hans nod.

„It's a bit similar to English, if you already know English before you won't have lots of trouble learning it," Commented Hans, then noticed Donny sit down and pick up a scent, which made the man smile. „I bet you've scented something delicious,"

„No I can smell another presence of a dog," Corrected Donny, then looked around to see in the far a couple come along with a Swedish Vallhund, that was checking the ground with its nose, afterward Donny gave out a bark calling the dog's attention. The cattle dog ran towards the Husky, thereafter began to sniff Donny on his face, while he stood quiet to allow the short-legged adult to check him. Donny began to scent the corgi-like dog from the side as Anna and Hans together watched the two canines interact afterward Donny sat up to look at the young adults.

„This is Boll. He's 9 months old," Introduced Donny, then the Swedish breed got with his front paws down and moved his butt up wagging his tail. „Can he play with me?" Questioned Donny, then Hans looked at Anna, which smiled and looked at the husky to nod.

„Of course. Have fun together you two," Wished Anna making Donny pant, then got down on his front legs as well, causing the older puppy to bark and ran away, followed by the Russian breed making Anna chuckle. The owners of the Vallhund came along and waved at the duo with the brownish-colored hair.

„You've got a nice puppy over there," Commented the man. „Is he your first pet?"

„Well mine it is," Commented Anna. „But Hans here has got a farm and owns a few farm animals. Donny he had saved from a bad guy, that had mistreated him,"

„Oh the poor little boy," Commented the wife looking at the playing dogs, as her husband nodded at the revelation. „Our little Boll he received from our brother. His bitch gave birth to four puppies and gifted us one,"

„They sure are precious, when they're little," Commented Hans making Anna smile, which agreed with his opinion.

„I definitely would get a little one as well, if I could," Commented Anna making the woman smile, thereafter from the restaurant came out the owner and clapped with his hands to catch the attention of the clients.

„Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm glad to welcome you to our special occasion this weekend the Unique has to offer you. As my friend already described it to you, we will all go along the beach and get on top of a specially prepared wooden board, that guides you above the water. You're wondering now, is that heavy?" Questioned the man, then he moved his index finger as a response. „No, it won't. Cause it's held up by half-cut tree trunks and floats above the water like a little boat. Before we go, I suggest you to take off your shoes and boots, then leave them here beside the terrace. Afterward, you can all follow be along the beach,"

The guests began to take off their footwear, then followed the man one after the other, and Hans, which had taken Anna's boots as well and placed them on the terrace looked at the playing dogs, then glimpsed at the princess, which waited for Hans.

„You think he will know, where we are?" Asked the Danish man watching Anna look at the playing dogs and Donny managed to push the dog down to bite him on the ear playfully.

„Donny, will you be okay here?" Questioned the princess, then Donny looked up at the two, afterward got up to approach the duo and sit in front of the two. „Hey, you still can play with your new friend. I just want you to know that Hans and I will be there with the others at the beach,"

„Alright," Enunciated the husky, followed by being jumped by the other puppy playfully, making Anna beam.

The Norwegian stepped with bare feet on the sand with an ardent smile as she felt the feet sink slowly into the sand and she gazed at the farmer.

„The sand feels a little cool," Commented the strawberry-blonde making Hans nod, then walked along with the princess behind the other guests to cross the beach.

„You know, if we had summer the sand sure would still be warm at this time," Commented the brunette man. „Where the harbor is, that delivered Falsterbo with goods from Denmark for example, my father Gustav took me a few times there, where I also learned to swim. The edge of the land had just like here sand and when we walked on it we could feel the warmth of it. It wasn't as hot as walking on asphalt barefoot,"

„This sentence now reminds me of when I was little and got out on the balcony without any footwear, then jumped back in because I burnt my feet there," Spoke Anna making Hans grin. „I think there was even this one time Gerda warned me about doing that, cause I would end up sick and I didn't listen to her. Do you know what happened next?"

„Let me guess….you got sick?"

„Yep," Answered the blue-eyed woman. „I spend about 8 days locked up in my room because I had caught a terrible cold. I wasn't allowed to get to see Elsa…..by the way, this happened where we still shared our bedrooms together. I was 6 or 7 I think,"

„How did Gerda react to your sickness?" Questioned the farmer making Anna shrug her shoulders.

„She didn't say anything, but I assume she would have. In the first days my mother was around, so she mainly was with me, before Gerda took care of me for the rest of the week,"

„Okay," Commented Hans, then the group stopped to see beside at the beach over the water the several boards floating above the water. Each board was attached with a rope with the other one and the last ones from both sides were attached with the rope on a pole to prevent it to swim away. On top of each board stood in the middle a wooden delivery box turned upside down and its top covered with a white tablecloth. Parallel to both sides of the box was a half-piece of a wine barrel that served as a seat. On the table there was placed an iron-made stand with a thick, burning candle in the middle and above it was a hole for the flame to look out. Also, the top of the stand was flat, so on top of it, the pot could have been placed with the melted chocolate, which was tonight's menu for the guests.

„As you see the boards are connected with each other and the poles on the sides have a longer rope, which allows us to let you float further and pull back," Explained the owner of the restaurant. „Right now the only thing we have prepared for you before was the table decor and the candle. In a moment our service staff will come along with the fondue and soon as everyone has been served we will let you out on the sea, so you can enjoy this dinner. The one of a kind way,"

The man walked towards Hans, passing beside him to grab the hands of a young woman, making the man beside her drop his mouth at the sudden hand contact.

„What's your name?" Questioned the chef making the woman grin a little embarrassed.

„Jennifer," Responded the woman looking at the man beside her.

„And who is this lovely guy beside you?"

„My boyfriend Aaron," Added the woman, then the chef held out his hand to show the duo the first board off the beach.

„Welcome aboard. Each of you, step up above the boat and take a seat," Offered the man getting up on board with the first couple to lead them on their seats.

Princess Anna and Hans walked together to the fourth board, then got up on it and watched in different directions to see the other guests get on top of it, admiring the view they had at the village. Anna stared at the beach to see Donny watch his new friend Boll dig a hole on the sand looking for something, afterward she placed her hand on Hans' shoulder to move his attention to the pets.

„They're both entertained I see," Affirmed the farmer, then looked at their table and watched Anna admire the puppies, then Hans gently grabbed the princess by her hand earning her attention, then he rolled his eyes at the table making Anna nod, allowing the farmer to lead her at the table and watched her sit down slowly while holding his hand. Hans went down on his knees to push the bench forward, causing it to screech causing him to flinch his teeth, followed by making Anna bite her lips at the noise.

„I think you can skip that part," Warned Anna still bothered by that noise, and lifted up the barrel to get closer to the table, therefore Hans sat down vice versa to her, and took the seat carefully to the table and parked his hands above the table.

„Here we are," Commented Hans making Anna smile courteously, then observed the couple they met before getting on top of a board farther away from them, while nearer to the two friends got up another couple, that had arrived earlier than the two. „It looks like we are enough people to fill all the tables here,"

„Yeah, I've been actually wondering about that," Spoke Anna looking around to see the other guests, and at the second row the chef laugh along with a man, that was sitting with his life partner on the board. „This idea, mostly for the summertime would be magnificent,"

„It sure would win more guests as well. They wouldn't even need to wear a coat like us right now. Could sit down with the feet into the water as well, right now at the moment it must be really cold," Commented the farmer making Anna nod, afterward they heard someone jump up on their board and they saw it was the owner of the restaurant.

„Oh this couple looks very lovely," Commented the man approaching the table of the two. „You're not from here, right?" Questioned the man watching the two shake their head. „Who wouldn't have guessed. So you two must be recently married, you two look young and aren't from here. You two are sure on a honeymoon," Guessed the man making Anna chuckle.

„No," Responded the woman. „We're just going back home and heard about this place here,"

„So then you're boyfriend and girlfriend? Fiancés, Exes….."The man recounted making Anna begin to chuckle at his guesses.

„I don't think anyone would come here with their ex," Commented Hans cackling a little, then the chef clapped Hans on the shoulder.

„With 38 years I have witnessed a lot in my life. I have seen at least four former lovers return to each other here during dinner. I knew around 30 divorced people, but eight out of them all managed to reconcile,"

„That sounds great, but Hans and I are actually just friends," Commented Anna making the man chuckle.

„That's fine. Friendships are one of the greatest gifts there is, no matter what gender, and the best thing about them is some bloom with the time into something better," Quoted the man watching Anna and Hans look away from the man at each other after hearing the comment. The chef moved further to the next board, then Anna passed her hand above her ear thinking about the chef's comment.

A moment later the service staff came along bringing the dinner at each table, making Hans and Anna exchange excited looks at the arrival of their chocolate fondue. A blonde man got on top of their board carrying a pot with the chocolate in one hand and the other one he carried two forks and placed it on the table of the duo. The blonde returned to the ground to meet up with another co-worker, which held on each hand three plates and allowed the blonde to take three out of them to serve it the friends on the table, afterward took the last ones to put it on the other side of the pot and took a final look on the table and gave his work partner a thumb up.

„I wish you two a grandiose evening and bon appetite!" The blonde jumped down and stood in front along with the other man, waiting for the rest of the servicemen and women to get down off the board. The team raised their left hand to state, that they were done and the chef untied on the left side the rope off the pole while on the other side another worker did the same and together the two men extended the rope gently and the servants pushed the boards off the sand watching it glide slowly above the surface, making a few guests beam pleased at the departure.

Anna laughed amused at seeing the board move above the water, then she moved her head around to watch the boards swim randomly on the shallow moving into diverse directions nearly forming altogether the shape of a hill on the water from the sight of Anna and Hans' board. Both were one board away from the center, thereafter the princess looked at the large ocean to see the emptiness and glimpsed at the farmer, which was looking at the village, then returned his eyes at Anna and smiled. Anna mirrored his facial expression, then looked down at their dinner and grabbed her fork.

„I think it's about time for us to start eating," Spoke Anna making Hans smile and hold up his fork for Anna to see, then both looked at the six bowls. To the side of the village, the three bowls contained butter cookies, nuts, and a mixture of several cookie sorts. The other side contained fruit only, one with blood orange cuts, the second one with avocado, and the last one pear mixed with apple cuts. Hans picked up a piece of cookie, while Anna picked up a piece of Avocado and together both dunk their forks into the pot, then stirred the hot liquid to avoid it getting burnt down on the ground.

„Nyd dit måltid" Said Hans making Anna tilt her head misundertanding his words.

„I beg your pardon?" Commented Anna making Hans cackle softly.

„Nyd…. Dit….. måltid," Repeated Hans, then Anna understood, what he meant.

„Oh you said bon appetite in Danish, right?" Asked the princess making him nod. „Nyt måltidet," Wished Anna in her native language making Hans smile.

Mange Tak!" Replied the auburn-haired man and took the cookie into his mouth, while Anna took her fruit into her and moaned after she tasted the avocado with the chocolate.

„Oh wow, I totally forgot how hot chocolate tasted like," Admitted Anna swallowing her first bite down, then stung her fork onto a butter cookie to dive it inside the chocolate.

„I have to admit, it tastes better than I remember," Commented the farmer taking a piece of orange to dive after Anna. „This was a good choice. A really good one,"

Anna nodded, then looked at the other side to see the walnuts, then stab the fork into the bowl to pick out a nut, causing it to push the bowl off the table shrieking Anna and Hans immediately reached his free hand to catch the bowl from above watching four nuts land on the board.

„Perhaps the nuts we should stick them by hand on the fork," Suggested Hans placing the bowl back on the table, afterward picked the walnuts, that fell on the ground and kept them to use for himself. Anna followed Hans' idea then saw it had worked and placed it inside the pot, then stirred it along with Hans, which had as well added the same ingredient into it. Anna looked at Hans moving the cutlery inside the pot, then spoke up to start a conversation.

„Hans, one question….Have you ever thought about…..you know get back to your old life as a prince?" Questioned Anna. „Or somehow bring up that title and be in another kingdom instead?"

„Eventually I considered it once when I was younger, but after all that drama I preferred to be where I was," Answered Hans taking out his fork. „When I was younger there, I wanted everyone there to know I wasn't weak. I wanted them to know, that I can as well be strong and confident. Almost every one of my brothers had set in their mind to marry into another kingdom when they had a chance to become a king. At that time I left I think three of them had made it. Caleb, the oldest one, he would inherit the throne of my father. He was at that point married to a princess from a neighborhood island near the Southern Isles. I as the 13th and any of my brothers who's interested in becoming a king as well would have to look outside our region for a potential love interest, that would be first in line of that kingdom, but as my father said, it would get harder for us, because of other princes from other kingdoms being on the same thread as us looking for a kingdom to marry into it. I didn't have any high hopes into making it into finding someone, who would be first in line, mostly if we all would have to leave Denmark for that matter," Explained the former prince shoving the fork into his mouth making Anna nod and remove her fork to get out her walnut. „You know the good thing about this, as I'm not a prince or a king, you don't have people eyeing every move of yours when you're out on a speech or anything. I haven't had any speeches before there on my time, but I know my brothers had and my father and his assistant would be very rigorous about it,"

„Yes, as we're the ones representing our royal family and ourselves, we have to make always a flawless impression. No matter how you feel," Commented Anna. „I really don't know how I pulled it off to keep a serious posture throughout the entire ceremony of my parents' funeral. All I wanted to do there was to let it go, but I was literally not allowed to do so,"

„Outside of our royal lives we could have," Commented Hans. „We're humble villagers as any other one,"
„Exactly," Agreed Anna stinging her fork into a piece of fruit along with Hans, then dipped it together into the sweet fondue. „In your life as a farmer or well a simple villager, you don't have to worry about being always perfect to everyone out there,"

„You can be yourself, the real you. The you, you couldn't always show. Doing mistakes, whether they're simple or not are a part of the life. Everything you or your Kai mentioned to be bad can be shown. You can be a woman skilled in archery or swordsmanship and I could for example…..show my emotional side, which as you know my father addresses as weak," The farmer explained making Anna nod and shove her fruit piece into the mouth.

„I'd give anything to have the life you have. Even if it was for a couple of days," Commented Anna neutral making Hans grin.

„Technically, you're already having it for a few days. By counting the day you used the bow for the first time," Mentioned Hans making Anna snicker.

„You're right and I really enjoyed that," Confessed Anna. „Yesterday I've done it too and if I compare it with my first day, I feel like I've gotten better,"

„The third day, you've worked on the aim really was great. You managed to get the hang of it with your hands on the thread. You've done it better than me after the first time,"

„I believe my grip with the fingers is slightly better than yours due to our hand size. At least this is my theory," Commented Anna opening her hand to Hans, afterward he lied his hand beside hers to see his was the double of her own hand.

„I think you have a point. My hands are thicker. But most of the men I know have it. Don't ask me anything about my brothers, I don't have seen them now,"

„Perhaps they're similar?"

„I think so," Commented Hans making Anna giggle, then Hans looked at the thin, little hand of the woman and smiled amused at the sight and moved his face up to look at the blonde, which had as well moved her face away from the hands to look at the green-eyed man. Hans smiled amused at the princess, eyeing the woman beam fascinated thereafter she sank down her head as she felt her cheeks warm up. The farmer moved his hand up on Anna's, then closed his hand together with the woman locking their fingers together. Anna gazed enamored at the farmer's eyes, biting her lip, then Hans leaned forward with the princess mirroring his movement meeting each other's lips. Anna smiled during the act, then felt Hans grab her hand gently while pressing deeper onto her.

Both departed from each other with a charmed facial expression, thereafter Anna bashfully looked down at the water to see their reflection on it, noticing that Hans as well had shown her the same amount of affection inside his eyes as she had for him. Anna glimpsed back at the man, which shove the avocado bowl closer to the princess, making her shake her head and move her other hand to put it over Hans, locking it in it.

„We got plenty of time," Commented the princess making Hans smile, which clammed his hand around Anna's which made an angelic smile.