Elsa and Joanna arrived in Arendelle on the back of the Water Nokk. Joanna was wearing her Northuldra clothes, including a hat that partially obscured her face. When they reached the castle, Elsa dismounted the Water Nokk then helped Joanna down.
"Joanna, listen," Elsa said officiously. "This is very important. If the townspeople see who you are, you know what they'll do."
"Yes, I understand," Joanna replied as she looked away.
"Okay, so you apologise to Anna, then stay in the castle while we figure out how to get you home," Elsa told her firmly. Joanna quietly nodded in reply. Together, they walked into the castle courtyard and found Anna. Joanna continued to look sheepishly at the floor.
"Elsa!" Anna cried out happily with her arms open. Elsa opened her arms and smiled back. They met and Anna gave Elsa a huge hug. Joanna stood there and said nothing.
"It's so good to see you!" Anna beamed. "We got your note, I'm so happy that Arendelle is safe again! But what happened to Freya? How did you stop her?"
"I stopped Freya in Ahtohallan," Elsa replied slightly forlornly. "We don't need to worry about her anymore."
"Oh," said Anna, clutching her hand to her chest. "I see..."
Anna turned her attention to Joanna.
"And who is this young Northuldra girl?" Anna asked Elsa. "I thought I'd met all of them. Hello young lady!" she said while bending down towards Joanna.
"I'm sorry Anna," Joanna said while slowly looking up at her. "I'm sorry for burning Arendelle and ruining your wedding." As Joanna lifted her head, her forlorn face became visible as it was no longer covered by her hat.
"Freya?" Anna said while squinting at her. She saw her unmistakable green eyes, became alarmed, and started to back away. "Elsa, this is Freya?"
"Was," Elsa assured her as she stood next to Joanna and held her shoulders. "Her real name is Joanna, and I was right about her. Ahtohallan showed her the truth about her past. Her parents took a potion so that she could be born, but the potion also gave her fiery powers," Elsa said before letting out a sigh. "She was born cursed."
"Born cursed? Oh, that's awful!" Anna replied as she stared at Joanna and raised her hands to her mouth.
"She fell into the Chamber of Emptiness and lost her powers," Elsa continued. "She's just a normal sixteen-year-old girl now!"
"Just a normal sixteen-year-old girl," Joanna muttered under her breath as she continued to look down at the floor. Her eyes welled up with tears again.
Anna didn't know what to think. She knew that the girl standing in front of her had destroyed her home and ruined what should have been the happiest day of her life, but now here she was, vulnerable and apologetic. After switching her gaze between Elsa and Joanna for a few seconds, Anna cleared her throat and adopted a stern manner.
"Well Joanna," Anna began, "is 'sorry' all you have to say for yourself?"
Joanna looked up at Anna. "I...I never meant to hurt anyone," she insisted. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you…"
Anna thought for a second. "Well, the cleaning up has started. Maybe you could help with that…"
"Oh, can I?" Joanna said enthusiastically. "Please! I'll be so grateful!" she insisted.
Elsa sighed. "Just, wait a second," she said while closing her eyes and holding out her hands. "No one else can know who Joanna is."
"It's okay Elsa," Anna replied while folding her arms. "No one will know it's her in those clothes. After all, I didn't realise that the girl who burned my home and ruined my wedding was standing right in front of me!" Anna declared as she scrunched up her face and gestured towards Joanna, who sheepishly took a step back.
"On the other hand," said Elsa, "I think it would be appropriate if Joanna helped to clean up while we figure out how to get her home. We need to keep her in the castle though."
"Kai is leading the clean up," Anna said. "I last saw him at the back of the courtyard."
"Then I'll take Joanna to him now," Elsa declared. With that, she began to walk to the back of the courtyard, Joanna following close behind.
"You keep that hat on," Elsa told Joanna. "If anyone asks who you are, you tell them that you're a friend of mine from Northuldra who wanted to help clean up the castle. Okay?"
Joanna quickly nodded. They found Kai, who was finishing talking to one of the castle staff. He noticed Elsa and walked over to her.
"Your Highness!" he gently enthused. "I see you are back from Northuldra. Is all well?" he asked, leaning over slightly.
"Very well," Elsa replied. "Freya has been stopped. We don't need to worry about her anymore."
"Oh, wonderful!" Kai replied, almost showing emotion. "I trust the queen will address the people with this excellent news?"
"In good time!" Elsa smiled. "In the meantime, my Northuldra friend here would like to help with the castle clean up. Would you be able to give her something to do?"
"Of course, Your Highness!" Kai gave Joanna a broom, and she eagerly set to work sweeping the floors.
Anna and Elsa went into the castle to see how the cleaning up was proceeding. As they walked through the charred rooms, Anna shook her head and sighed. They went to an upper floor and looked through a window where they could see Joanna hard at work.
"How are you feeling?" Elsa softly asked Anna.
"Um, okay, I guess?" Anna replied with uncertainty. "The important thing is that we're all safe now. Aren't we?"
Elsa sighed and smiled. "Yes we're all safe!" she said gently. "We don't have to worry about Freya anymore. Now that you've met Joanna, what do you think of her?" Elsa asked.
Anna flung her arms out. "I...I don't know!" she replied. "She seems so different. Is she really the same girl who ruined everything?"
"Well, yes!" said Elsa. "But now she isn't burdened with her powers. She has to be herself. I know she is truly sorry for what she did, and in my heart I've forgiven her. Do you think you can too?"
Anna tutted and gently shook her head. "That's asking a lot Elsa. She hurt me. Badly."
"You haven't seen her like I have, Anna," Elsa continued. "You should have been there last night! We were with the Northuldra, and she was so apologetic. She knows what she did was wrong."
"I need to think about that Elsa," said Anna before looking out at Joanna and shaking her head. "One thing bothers me though," Anna said as she narrowed her eyes. "It was something you said about the Chamber of Emptiness. You said Joanna 'fell into it'. How does that work? I thought it had a door?"
Elsa tensed up. "Ah, well you see Anna," she stuttered. "It's, um, kind of complicated…"
Anna could tell where this was going. "Oh no," she said sternly as she started to wag her finger. "We promised not to shut each other out, Elsa. Now you tell me what happened. You owe me that!"
"Well, okay," Elsa replied gingerly. "But please, promise me you won't get angry."
"I promise I will get angry," Anna snapped, "because every time you tell me to not get angry you say something that makes me angry!"
Elsa held her hands up. "Okay, but just remember everything worked out for the best," Elsa said before taking a pause. "When Ahtohallan told her that her parents took a potion that gave her her powers, Joanna became angrier than anyone I've ever seen before. Her powers became even stronger than mine. She thought that only I could stop her, and that's when she attacked me."
"Wait, what? She attacked you?" Anna exclaimed as she glared at Elsa. "Well, then what happened?" she asked tentatively.
"I got her to follow me to the room above the Chamber of Emptiness. She was standing next to a hole that led into it. I was falling into it myself, so I reached out and took her with me," Elsa replied solemnly. "She lost her powers straightaway."
"You mean, you've been in the Chamber of Emptiness? How could you take a risk like that Elsa?" Anna asked hurriedly. "What if we lost you?"
"I had to stop her," Elsa sighed. "That was more important than anything. She was too strong, and she wasn't herself. If she left Ahtohallan then no one would have survived."
Anna stopped and looked at the floor, trying to come to terms with Elsa's act of self sacrifice.
"Okay, okay," Anna said slowly while holding up her hands. "You sacrificed yourself in Ahtohallan. Again. I guess that's just what you do. But you rode here on the Water Nokk. Why do you still have your powers and Joanna doesn't?" she asked.
"I found out more about the Chamber of Emptiness after I fell into it," Elsa replied. "I couldn't use my powers when I was in it. But when I came out, they were still there. My powers are a part of who I am. No powers, no me," Elsa said as she held her arms out. "But Joanna's magic was a curse. Once that was gone, it couldn't come back."
Elsa looked distant as she remembered how pitiful Joanna was after she left the Chamber of Emptiness. "After that she was so...helpless. She thought I wanted her gone. She thought it was the end for her."
Anna almost looked aghast at Elsa's revelation about Joanna.
"We need to give her a chance Anna," Elsa continued as she placed her hand on Anna's. "She's had such a tough life, maybe even tougher than ours. She doesn't know compassion. She doesn't know...love."
Anna placed one hand on her chest and looked up at Elsa. "Oh, I see," said Anna softly. "Well, if you've forgiven her after all that…"
Elsa gave Anna a hug, hoping that she would do the right thing.
"But Elsa, how can we help Joanna now?" Anna asked.
"We need to take her home. In the meantime, we should give her what she needs, and that's attention," Elsa replied.
"But how will we get her home?" Anna asked worriedly. "You heard what Kai said, Rizucia is closed to foreign ships!"
Elsa smiled. "I think they'll make an exception for their princess!" she enthused. "And besides, who could refuse the Queen of Arendelle?"
"Oh, you want me to go too?" Anna asked. Elsa nodded. "Well, okay," Anna continued, "I guess it would be good to get away from Arendelle for a few days."
"Exactly!" Elsa replied.
"Not really the honeymoon I had in mind though!" Anna joked. "Okay, I'll make sure my ship is ready for tomorrow," she said as she smiled.
"Oh my!" Anna put her hand to her mouth as she suddenly realised something. "What if someone else recognises her? You know what she did to our kingdom. Everyone saw her taken to prison, if they know that she's free they'll be furious! She's more unpopular than surstromming!"
"Let's make sure she stays in the castle for now," Elsa said as she tried to remain calm. "She is so different to how she was. Her hair is down, she's wearing Northuldra clothes and people can't see her face. Even you thought she was Northuldra!"
"Yes, until I saw her eyes," Anna admitted. "And look at Kai!"
Just then, out of the window they saw Kai give Joanna some more instructions on where to sweep next.
"You're right," said Elsa as she looked out of the window. "He is none the wiser."
Elsa placed her finger on her chin and thought for a second.
"Okay, I have an idea," Elsa told Anna. "We'll keep her in the castle for now, she mustn't be allowed near the town. She will need new clothes. This evening, we'll invite her to dinner with you, me, and Kristoff. If Kristoff doesn't recognise her, then no one will."
"Wait, so you're going to test how stupid my fiancee is?" Anna asked.
"No, not at all-" Elsa began to say.
"Joking!" Anna exclaimed as she smiled and nudged Elsa in the arm. Elsa giggled.
After the two sisters shared a chuckle, they thought about what they needed to do next.
"You'll need to address the people," said Elsa. "They need to know they are safe now, and they'll need to hear it from their queen."
"I know, I know," Anna said softly. "I just haven't worked out what I'm going to say yet. Can you help me, Elsa?"
"Of course!" Elsa replied. "We might have to be a little...creative in places!"
Once Anna had worked out what she was going to say, Anna and Elsa went to find Kai.
"I need to address the people," Anna told him. "We need everyone to go to the town square."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Kai replied while bowing.
Kai rounded up all the castle staff, and together he and Anna led them all to the town square. Elsa stayed behind for a moment with Joanna.
"You stay here, okay?" Elsa told her while holding her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. "Everyone else has gone to the town. You will be safe here. Just keep yourself busy."
Joanna quickly nodded and didn't say a word. Elsa nodded back, then set off to catch up with her sister.
Anna found Kristoff in town, helping to clean up Blodget's Bakery. Sven had a bucket of soapy water dangling from his antlers.
"Hi honey!" Anna said as she ran up to her and gave him a kiss. "I have a princely job for you to do. I need you to gather everyone and bring them to the town square. I have some good news!"
"Okay, great! We could all do with some good news right now," Kristoff said anxiously as he carried on scrubbing a soot-covered wall. He then caught sight of Elsa as she ran up behind Anna. The tension in Kristoff's body evaporated. "Elsa's back? Why didn't you say!"
Kristoff ran towards Elsa and gave her one of his bear hugs. "Elsa!" he smiled. "You're okay!"
"Yes, I'm fine!" Elsa said as she grinned at him.
Just then Olaf, wondering what the commotion was, toddled round the corner. A huge beaming smile came across his face and he raised his stick arms to his mouth. He then ran towards Elsa.
"Elsa! You're back!" he yelled as he ran towards her. She picked him up and gave him a big hug.
"So can you tell us all about your new amazing adventures?" he asked.
"Soon, Olaf, soon!" she replied as she put him down and ruffled his twig hair.
"Everyone to the town square!" Kristoff bellowed. "Queen Anna has an announcement to make!"
The townspeople gathered in the square to hear what Anna had to say. Despite the town still bearing the scars of the great fire, there was a buzz of expectancy. People stopped sweeping and leaned on their brooms, ready to listen.
"Queen Anna of Arendelle!" Kai announced.
"Hi everyone!" Anna said while giving a little wave. "I have called you all here because I have some good news. Arendelle is once again safe. Thanks to my sister Elsa, the girl known as Freya, the one who attacked our kingdom, is no more!"
A cheer went up from the crowd and people started applauding. Once the applause had died down, Anna continued to speak.
"It wouldn't have been possible," Anna continued, "if our favourite little snowman hadn't discovered her weakness. Let's give Olaf a round of applause!"
Olaf blushed as everyone cheered for him. He shuffled awkwardly where he stood.
Anna giggled at Olaf then went to finish her speech. "I want to thank everyone for their hard work in helping to clean up after the fire. I know we should all be celebrating something else right now, but we can all be happy that Arendelle is safe again! Thank you all!"
As Anna concluded her speech, the crowd gave her another warm round of applause. Anna went back to Kristoff.
"Are you staying in town honey?" she asked him.
"Yes," Kristoff replied. "There's still a lot to help out with here. I'm happy to do what I can. I'll be back at the castle later," he declared.
"Don't be late for dinner!" Anna told him as she gave him a peck on the cheek. "Love you!" she called as she headed back to the castle.
"Love you too!" Kristoff called back as he waved.
While Anna and Elsa were on their way back, some happily curious townspeople had some questions for them. General Mattias was among them.
"Your Majesty, how was Freya stopped?" he asked.
"Oh, it was my sister's doing!" Anna replied. "It's all magic, and you know me and magic!" she gushed.
"We battled in a magical land far away," Elsa said, trying not to reveal too much. "It was difficult, but eventually ice prevailed over fire!" she said happily.
With that, the townspeople went back to their business and the sisters returned to the castle.
Meanwhile back at the castle courtyard, Joanna was still sweeping up, but something else was on her mind. She placed her broom by the front door, and crept into the castle. While there, she confronted what she had done. Walking around the picture gallery, she saw the damaged paintings. Some were just singed, others were burned beyond recognition. She went to one that was at ground level, and held out her hand to it. As she contemplated it's charred beauty, she began to cry. She walked to the middle of the room and looked round. Soon, she felt like her head was spinning. She looked at all the faces, all the scenes, and thought about how long each one must have taken to create. The work. The effort. And she had destroyed it all in a moment of rage.
Her face aghast, Joanna stumbled to the corner of the picture gallery, curled up into a ball and sobbed. "You did this," she told herself. "You are a monster!" She pulled her hat over her face and tried to shut the world out. For a few minutes, she sat in the corner and wept. Then, she heard noises from the castle gate. She leapt up, adjusted her hat, ran outside and grabbed her broom. She went back to sweeping before anyone came into the courtyard. Luckily for her, Anna and Elsa went back into the castle to attend to more business there, leaving Joanna to her work.
Later, in the early evening, Kai was with Anna and Elsa in the castle courtyard, reporting on the clean up. Joanna, still in her Northuldra clothes, stood next to him holding her broom. She had a smile on her face that suggested she was happy with having done a hard day's work.
"So you see Your Majesty, the clean up is progressing well, both in the castle and in the town," Kai said officiously. He turned to Joanna. "And I must say, this young Northuldra is very handy with a broom. Would you like me to find food and lodgings for her for tonight?"
"No that's fine, we'll take care of her," said Anna kindly.
"As you wish," Kai bowed as he turned and went on his way, leaving Joanna with Anna and Elsa.
"Now Joanna," said Anna, "we've been thinking about getting you home."
"Oh that's okay," Joanna replied happily. "I came over on a small sailboat. If I could borrow one I'm sure I could make it there on my own…"
Elsa laughed a little as she interrupted. "No, no! We'll take you home on Anna's royal ship!" she insisted.
"Really?" Joanna replied, sounding surprised. "You'd go to all the trouble just for me?"
"Yes!" said Anna. "And besides, we'd like to meet your parents!"
The mere mention of her parents made Joanna forlorn. "Oh. Okay. I understand," she said sadly.
"But first, you need travelling clothes. Come with me!" Anna took a slightly bemused Joanna by the hand and led her into the castle. They walked quickly through the corridors until they reached the door Anna was looking for.
"Here we are! This is where my dressmaker works. I hope she's in!" Anna said excitedly before knocking on the door.
Joanna became very nervous. She leaned over and clutched her hands to her chest. "But what if she recognises me?" she asked Anna.
"It'll be fine!" Anna enthused as she dismissively waved her hand. "Just keep that hat on!" she joked.
The door opened and the dressmaker appeared. "Good evening, Your Majesty," she said, sounding a little tired.
"I'm sorry, I know it's late," Anna said apologetically. "May we come in?"
"Of course, Your Majesty!" the dressmaker replied earnestly.
Anna and Joanna stepped into the dressmaker's room. It had clearly been badly damaged in the fire, but some considerable effort had been made to clean it up. The dressmaker worked neatly, all the material was nicely arranged on the shelves. In the corner stood a dummy with Anna's wedding dress on it. Joanna laid eyes on it and looked down at the floor, feeling very guilty.
"And what can I do for you, Your Majesty?" the dressmaker asked Anna.
Anna thought for a second about how she was going to refer to Joanna. "My...friend here needs a travelling dress for a sea voyage tomorrow," she told the dressmaker. "Just something quick and simple."
"I see. I guess she can't go very far in those Northuldra clothes, eh?" the dressmaker replied, "No problem Your Majesty, I'll just get her measured up. Arms outstretched please dear!" she said to Joanna.
Joanna lifted her arms, and the dressmaker set to work measuring her. Joanna was enjoying the experience, she'd never had a dress made for her before.
"Now, what colour would you like it to be dear? I'm afraid I haven't got that much material, but if you say a colour, I'll tell you if I've got it!" the dressmaker said while taking measurements.
Joanna didn't know what to say. The idea of choosing what to wear was completely new to her.
"Er...what do you think would look good on me?" Joanna asked nervously. The dressmaker stood back to get a good look at her.
"Oh, hasn't she got lovely green eyes?" the dressmaker said to Anna. Joanna and Anna both bit their bottom lips. Joanna took a sharp breath.
The dressmaker tapped her chin with her finger and thought for a second. "I do have some nice green material that would go really well with them, how about I use that dear?" she asked Joanna.
Joanna exhaled, smiled and nodded, relieved that she hadn't been recognised. She was still finding it hard to believe she was being asked questions about what she'd like to wear.
"Alright then, if you need it done by tomorrow I'll set to work on it straightaway," the dressmaker said cheerfully. "It won't take me too long, Your Majesty."
"Thank you," Anna replied with a smile. "See you tomorrow!"
"S-see you tomorrow!" Joanna stuttered, trying her best to curtsy.
The dressmaker gave them a little wave as Anna and Joanna made their way back down the corridor.
"Well, I guess Elsa was right!" Anna said as they walked away. "You do look very different!"
"I guess I do!" Joanna said enthusiastically. "That was fun! I've never done anything like that before. Thank you!"
Anna was pleasantly surprised that something as simple as a dress fitting could make Joanna so happy. She smiled to herself as they walked down the hallway.
"Now, are you hungry?" Anna asked Joanna.
"Yes…" Joanna said nervously.
"Alright, let's go and get something to eat. It's time for dinner!" said Anna.
Anna and Joanna arrived in the dining room where Elsa was waiting for them. Joanna sat next to Elsa, and Anna sat on the other side of the table next to where a place was laid for Kristoff.
"Did you get fitted for a dress?" Elsa asked Joanna through a smile.
"Yes!" Joanna replied enthusiastically, "I had a great time! In fact…"
Joanna saw that a butler was bringing food in, so she pulled her hat down and stopped talking. He placed a plate in front of each of them, including one at Kristoff's place.
"Oh, fish!" Anna said excitedly. "The boats must be going out. That's good news!"
Just then, Kristoff came in. "Sorry, I'm late everyone," he said looking at Anna before giving her a kiss then sitting down next to her. He stared at his food and rubbed his hands together. "The clean up in town is going well. Blodget tells me they might start baking again tomorrow! I tell you, everyone's so happy that awful Freya is gone. Okay, I'm starving!"
Kristoff leaned over his plate and shoved a potato in his mouth. He started to chew then looked up. He saw Joanna's green eyes and glared at her as he realised who he was looking at. Joanna looked back and a pitiful frown came across her face. Everyone stopped.
The next few seconds saw a huge flurry of movement. Kristoff quickly swallowed his mouthful, slammed the table then rose to his feet with a cry of "You!" directed at Joanna.
In turn, Joanna yelled "I'm sorry!" and got up before cowering behind Elsa's chair. Elsa also got up and shielded Joanna while glaring at Kristoff. Anna rose from her chair and stopped Kristoff from going to the other side of the table.
"Honey, I need to talk to you," Anna said to Kristoff as she whisked him out of the room.
Joanna sat back down and started crying. Elsa comforted her. "It's okay, it's okay, Anna will explain everything," Elsa said consolingly.
Outside the dining room, Kristoff was furious. "What's she doing here?" he demanded to know. "That girl set fire to the castle, the town, and she ruined our wedding day. You said she was no more. Now she's having dinner with us? What's going on?"
Anna raised her hands and tried to calm Kristoff down. "No, honey, listen, it's okay," Anna insisted. "She isn't Freya, her name is Joanna. Elsa took her to Ahtohallan, she lost her powers, we found out she was cursed."
"Cursed?" Kristoff said worriedly before calming down. "So, she didn't know what she was doing?"
"Not exactly," Anna replied with uncertainty, "but I've spent some time with her, it's like she's a different person. She feels terrible about what she did, she wants to make it up to us. She even spent time sweeping floors. Please, just give her a chance."
Kristoff mulled it over for a second. "Well, I'll think about that," he replied, still unsure.
"Can we go back in now?" Anna asked quietly while pointing to the door.
Kristoff nodded. They returned to the dining room. Kristoff sat back down at the table and crossed his arms, occasionally glancing at Joanna while narrowing his eyes.
Elsa cleared her throat to break the awkward silence. "Shall we eat? We don't want this to go cold!" she said, trying to sound upbeat.
Joanna took a small bite. "Actually, mine is a little cold," she whispered to Elsa. Joanna put her palm over the plate and tried to warm it up. Realising her mistake, she put her hand down on the table and looked up at Elsa, giving her an embarrassed smile.
"Of course, I can't do that anymore…" she said. She whipped her hands down by her sides and didn't know where to look.
"Don't worry, you're still adjusting!" Elsa reassured her as she placed her hand on Joanna's arm.
Anna and Kristoff looked at Joanna, then looked at each other. They both smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to make of Joanna's confused display. They both then realised what it meant. Her powers were truly gone.
After that, they all tucked into their dinner. As they ate, they talked about Joanna's journey home.
"I'll come too," said Kristoff. "I want to keep an eye on her," he said gruffly as he stared at Joanna, who shuffled awkwardly in her seat.
After they had finished eating, Anna took Elsa into the next room, leaving Joanna with Kristoff. Neither Joanna nor Kristoff knew what to say, so they just sat there awkwardly.
"That went well," Anna said sarcastically. "Kristoff recognised her straightaway. What if someone else does?"
"The dressmaker didn't recognise her, did she?" Elsa asked.
"Well, no…" Anna said as she looked to the side.
"And Kristoff didn't notice her until his mouth was stuffed with a potato…" Elsa interrupted.
"Okay, point taken," Anna replied.
"So tomorrow will be fine!" Elsa insisted. "She will have new clothes, we can give her a new hairstyle, and we'll keep her away from people. We only have to get her to the docks!"
"I suppose so," Anna sighed. "We'd better go back in."
Anna and Elsa went back into the dining room and Anna sat down next to Joanna. She thought it was time for her to get some rest.
"Come with me," Anna said to Joanna, "I'll show you where you're sleeping tonight."
Anna led Joanna into the bedroom where she would spend the night.
"This is one of the least damaged bedrooms," Anna explained. "The bed just about survived, with clean sheets it should be very comfortable. We found a night dress for you, everything you need should be in here."
Joanna felt overwhelmed. Just the very idea of sleeping in a bed filled her with joy. She threw herself on it with her arms outstretched.
"Wow! A bed!" she exclaimed before sitting up. "Anna, can I ask you something?" she said.
"Of course!" Anna replied as she sat down on the bed next to her.
"Well...can I stay here in Arendelle for a few days?" Joanna asked. "I don't know if I can face going home. What I did in Rizucia is at least ten times worse than what I did here. And besides, I want to keep on helping to clean up, and there are so many people I want to say sorry to…"
Anna took Joanna's hand. "The most important thing right now," Anna said, "is to get you home to your parents. They will be worried about you, and putting it off isn't going to help anyone."
"I...I guess you're right," Joanna replied nervously.
Anna paused. She had something that she wanted to ask Joanna.
"Look, Joanna," Anna sighed, "I know that you must be tired, and I know that you've been through a lot, but would you be able to tell me why you did what you did? It would really help me."
Joanna swallowed hard. "Yes of course," she said, "I want to tell you. No one has listened to my story before."
Anna shuffled a little closer to Joanna. She was ready to listen.
"I always knew I was different," Joanna said while looking blankly forwards. "When I was growing up I only ever saw my mother and father. I even asked them 'Are there other people?'. I got so confused. I'd get so frustrated and angry. One day my anger and my powers were too much for my parents to take. They threw water on me, then locked me in the castle tower. Then I didn't even see my parents that much. I was almost completely on my own," she said as her voice became high pitched.
Anna could tell that Joanna was pouring her heart out. She squeezed her hand and urged her to continue.
Joanna took a second to compose herself before carrying on. "My only glimpses into the outside world came from the tiny windows in the tower. Sometimes I could just about make out people in the town. Whenever I saw someone I thought about how lucky they were. They didn't have power over fire, they didn't have parents who hated them, they were free to go outside. I became so jealous."
Joanna looked down at the floor with her eyes closed. She was finding it hard to keep going.
"As the days went by, I became angrier and angrier. But I didn't know who to blame. So I did the only thing I could. I blamed the world. I blamed everyone. And I spent every minute alone working out how I would take my revenge."
Anna looked at Joanna and struggled to imagine herself in her situation.
"That's why I never wanted to hurt anyone," Joanna continued, "I only wanted to burn everything that they treasured. They needed to see how lucky they were. I wanted them to know what it was like to be me, what it was like to have what I had."
"And what did you have?" Anna asked. Joanna stared at Anna, shook her head and said one word.
"Nothing."
"Oh," said Anna as she looked to the side.
"But you seem to know things about the outside world," said Anna, sounding puzzled as she looked back at Joanna. "When you said your name was Freya I thought to myself 'Where have I heard that before?' and now I remember. She's the Norse goddess of fire. That can't be a coincidence, can it?" Anna asked.
"No, it's not," Joanna replied, sounding a little hoarse. She cleared her throat. "My mother read me a book about Norse mythology when I was younger. Ahtohallan reminded me of it!" she said while raising her eyebrows and almost laughing. She gently shook her head.
"I didn't like my real name," Joanna continued, "it was too nice, too pretty. I thought Freya suited me better."
"Well it doesn't anymore!" Anna declared softly. "So, what other books did you read?"
"Oh, all kinds of things," Joanna replied.
"What were your favourites?" Anna asked curiously.
"I liked anything to do with fire," Joanna said.
"Of course you did!" Anna said while shaking her head and laughing a little. Joanna looked down and almost smiled.
"I know it's silly," Joanna continued, "but my favourite book was about the aurora borealis. Fire dancing in the sky. It sounded so magical. Oh, if only I could read that book again…"
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
"I burned it," Joanna sighed. "I always burned my books. If I liked the book, I'd read it then burn it. If I didn't like it, I'd just burn it straight away. I burned everything..."
Joanna looked down at the bed. "My parents put a bed in the tower. I burned that too. I was so angry."
"Was that the only reason you set things on fire?" Anna asked nervously.
"No," Joanna said as she shook her head, "I wanted people to pay attention to me too. The solitude was unbearable. The longer I was trapped in the tower, the more convinced I became that I was a monster. And I thought to myself 'If I'm a monster, I'm going to show you all how much of a monster I can be'," she said as she scowled and pointed her finger. "I practiced using my powers as much as I could in the tower. You know how I can turn myself into a fireball?"
Anna raised a slight smile and patted Joanna's hand to make her realise her mistake. Joanna gushed a little.
"Sorry...could," she corrected herself, "I used to turn into a fireball and fly round and round the tower. It was exhausting, but I knew I needed to get better at it. Eventually I could do it whenever I wanted, and I got faster and faster. I learned how to control my other powers too. I could throw fireballs that exploded, and I could shoot jets of flame from my hands. One day, I knew I was strong enough, ready to be the Fire Queen. I threw a fireball powerful enough to blow the door from its hinges. That's when my reign began. I burned down everything I could in Rizucia. I called it my kingdom of ashes", she said as she looked wistfully upwards and ran her fingers through the air.
Anna smiled softly at Joanna and rubbed her hand. She thought about how she had also grown up on her own, but not like Joanna had. She still had questions.
"But why me?" Anna asked. "Why my wedding?"
"When I found out that I'd arrived in Arendelle on the day of a royal wedding I couldn't believe my luck," Joanna replied. "I'd only seen weddings in books. When I went into the chapel, I was so jealous. You had everything. A beautiful dress, a handsome husband, and the world at your feet. I couldn't let you have it all. It wasn't fair."
Anna briefly closed her eyes and thought about how lucky she was, despite everything that she had lost.
"And when I heard that kings and queens from all over the world were there, I had to make a move," said Joanna. "What better way to announce myself to the world than to ruin a royal wedding? Everyone was looking at me. I got the attention I craved."
Joanna stopped to look up at Anna.
"That's why I ruined your wedding Anna. And I am so, so, sorry."
Anna looked at Joanna, gently nodded and smiled sympathetically. She could tell that she was sincere.
"But the girl who ruined your wedding is not who I am now," Joanna declared. "I thought I would have to be Freya forever. Losing my powers was what I dreamed of. When I had them, nothing mattered. I did what I wanted, said what I wanted, I didn't care. But maybe now I can have a future. Maybe I can put things right. I don't think like I did anymore. That wicked girl is gone."
Anna took a deep breath. She looked at the floor, then Joanna. "Listen, Joanna, I've got something to tell you, and it's very important, okay?" Anna said softly yet seriously. "You hurt me badly. You burned our castle, our town, and you ruined my wedding. But now I can see that you are a sweet girl who just wants to make things right. I understand how sorry you are, and I forgive you."
Joanna was overwhelmed and didn't know what to do. She looked at the floor, gasped, then looked back up at Anna.
"You know, when someone says something like that, they usually hug!" Anna said while holding out her arms.
Joanna started to cry tears of happiness, and she threw her arms around Anna. "Thank you! Thank you!" she said through her tears as she held on to Anna tightly.
"It's alright," Anna whispered. "Everything's going to be alright. For all of us."
As Anna hugged Joanna, she felt satisfied, as if forgiving her was the right thing to do. She thought about how Elsa had convinced her to see Joanna in a new light. After a few seconds, Anna and Joanna's embrace came to an end.
"Now, you need sleep," Anna told her, "We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning!"
Anna got up and went to the door. "Good night Joanna!" she said gently.
"Good night Anna!" Joanna softly replied.
Anna carefully closed the door and went off down the hall. Kristoff was waiting for her.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. "You were in there with her for a long time."
Anna looked at Kristoff. "Yes, everything is fine," she replied. She then looked sideways. "I think...I kind of like her."
Kristoff just stared at Anna with his mouth open. He looked dumbstruck.
"Oh, don't look at me like that honey!" Anna giggled. "Come on, I'll tell you all about what happened!" she said as she led him down the corridor.
In her room, Joanna was alone at night for the first time since she lost her powers. She changed into the nightdress. It was a little big on her, but she didn't mind. She was just ever so glad to have been given it.
Joanna climbed into the bed, and was amazed by how comfortable it was. She was so happy that Anna had forgiven her and she was ready to go to sleep, but then she looked around. She could see the fire damage that she had caused. The window was boarded up and the walls were charred with black soot. It reminded her of everything that she had done.
As Joanna tossed and turned, the thoughts rushing through her mind wouldn't let her sleep. She remembered the screams she heard as the fires she started raged on. Then she thought about individuals, and that was worse. She remembered the horrified look on Anna's face as she set fire to the chapel and ruined her wedding day. How kind she was to forgive her!
As Joanna lied there, more faces appeared to her. She saw her Northuldran guard encircled in fire, Yelena defiantly scowling at her, and poor Henrik unconscious on the floor. She was tormented by the memories of her own selfishness. And then there was her parents. What would she say to them? How could she even speak to them? So many questions and regrets paraded through her mind. Eventually, her tiredness caught up with her. She placed her palms over her eyes, and cried herself to sleep.