Joanna and the King and Queen of Rizucia stood at the steps of the castle while they waved away Anna, Elsa and Kristoff's carriage. For the first time, the king and queen were alone with their daughter who was no longer burdened with her fiery curse.
"Dad, what do we do now?" Joanna asked as she looked at him.
"We take things one step at a time," he sighed. "Elsa was right, we need to think carefully about how we announce you to the kingdom. When the time is right, the people will learn that they have a wonderful, charming young princess," he said as he stroked her face. Joanna smiled and looked into her father's eyes.
"But first," the king declared, "your mother and I need to go to the town square. I have an announcement to make!"
The king went to find his handler and gave him some instructions. Immediately, a makeshift platform was constructed in the town square. The townspeople gathered around it, curious at the new activity.
The king and queen waited for the royal carriage to arrive in the courtyard. As they got in, they left Joanna at the castle.
"Won't be long!" the king bellowed as the carriage pulled away.
Joanna went into the castle and looked around. Once again, she could see the damage she had caused, the walls were scorched and there were gaps where paintings should have been. This time, she did not feel the despondency that she had felt before. She found a chair, sat down and sighed, knowing that things were bad now but they would soon get better. She had her parents. Everything would follow on from that. She thought about how she could make things up to the people of Rizucia.
Meanwhile, the royal carriage made its way to the town square, escorted by a few soldiers. It arrived at the platform, and the king and queen got out, accompanied by their handler. An excited murmur went through the crowd, and everyone anticipated a speech from the king. The king and queen confidently strode onto the platform, their handler standing next to them. He cleared his throat.
"King Sigurd of Rizucia!" the handler declared. The crowd fell silent. He approached the top of the platform with the queen by his side.
"My friends, good day to you all!" the king bellowed. "I expect you're all wondering why an Arendellian ship was docked here earlier?" he asked everyone rhetorically. A slight mumble went through the crowd.
"Well, as you know, for sixteen years this country has been closed off. Why? At this moment, I cannot say," the king boomed as he looked down a little. He quickly raised his head back up again. "But, Queen Anna of Arendelle and her wonderful sister Elsa have been able to rid us of the...curse that has befallen this land."
The king paused. The crowd muttered to each other. Stig was amongst the crowd. "Cursed?" he said to himself. "I didn't know we were cursed. What does that mean?"
"However," the king continued, "thanks to Elsa of Arendelle, the country can be opened up again!" he shouted as he raised his arms and pumped his fists.
The crowd couldn't believe it. They smiled at their king and talked amongst themselves in astonishment.
"Yes, you heard me right!" the king assured the crowd. "Carpenters, set to work on building a new fleet of cargo ships! Merchants, go out and get all of your goods together! We're going to trade with the world!"
A huge cheer went up from the crowd. They couldn't wait to get to work, but the king had one more thing to say.
"As I speak, Queen Anna is heading back to Arendelle, where I'm sure she will instruct Arendelle's traders to sail to our shores," the king continued. "In a few days, you will be able to buy all manner of Arendellian goods! We are no longer closed off! Onwards Rizucia!" he shouted as he raised his fist in the air.
The crowd cheered again, and they threw out a chant of "Long live the king!"
The king and queen made their way back to their carriage and returned to the castle.
"Ah, wonderful to give the people some good news for a change!" the king told the queen as the carriage made its way through the streets of the town. "Now, with any luck we'll be trading with everyone in a few weeks. By then the people will be so happy that they won't mind hearing about Joanna!"
"Sounds like a plan!" the queen enthused. "Now, if we're going to present her I need to get her ready!"
"Why certainly!" the king replied. "Take all the time you need!"
When the king and queen returned to the castle, Joanna was waiting for them. She smiled as she ran to them and gave them a hug.
"Hello!" she said to them. "What have you been doing?" she asked as she looked up at her father.
The king put his arm around the queen. "We've just told everyone that the country is open!" he told Joanna as he smiled. "Everyone is so excited! Hopefully trade will make people happy, then we'll be able to tell them anything. We'll be able to tell them about you!"
Joanna smiled. "Oh, I do hope that will work!" she enthused. "But I've been thinking. There are some things I'd like to give to the people when I finally get to see them. Can we get them from Arendelle?" she asked.
"I suppose so," the king said as he shrugged his shoulders. "But why don't we talk about that another time?" he suggested. "How about we relax for now?" he asked.
Joanna nodded and smiled at her parents. "Anna and Elsa taught me how to play some card games, do we have a deck?" she asked.
"Card games?" the king exclaimed. "What a marvellous idea!" He walked over to a cupboard and quickly found what he was looking for. They all sat down at a table.
"Now then, what shall we play?" the king asked as he shuffled the deck.
"How about we start with Snap?" Joanna suggested as she laughed a little.
"Oh alright," the queen said. "One game of Snap, but maybe something more sophisticated after that?"
"Oh, okay!" Joanna replied, as the newly-united family settled down to an evening of card games.
A few days passed. Rizucia fast became a hive of activity. Lumberjacks hacked away in the forests to get wood to make a new fleet of ships. Carpenters eagerly constructed the ships at the docks. And all the while, the repairs to the buildings in the town continued. Then one day, a fleet of Arendellian ships appeared over the horizon. They docked, and around a dozen traders got out and set up their stalls. Amongst them was Oaken, an enormous, ginger-haired man who had an established business in Arendelle.
"Yoo hoo! Rizucians!" he cooed to the gathering crowds as he gave them a little wave. "Come and buy your Arendellian goods here! We have cloaks, cuckoo clocks, remedies, and personal saunas! All of the best quality ja?"
The Rizucians eagerly mingled around all the Arendellian stores, marvelling at everything they had to sell. They were all doing a brisk trade, especially Oaken. In amongst the fervent activity came the royal carriage.
"Make way for the king!" an accompanying soldier shouted. The carriage stopped and the king emerged. The king took in a lungful of bracing sea air.
"Ah, trade has returned to these shores!" he declared. With his guards, he stepped up to Oaken's stall.
"Arendellian traders, welcome to Rizucia!" he boomed with his arms out.
"Your Majesty!" Oaken called as he jogged over from behind his stall. He bowed to the king. "My queen has told me to give you something special ja?"
"Oh, I can't wait to see!" the king said as he rubbed his hands together. Oaken trotted back behind his stall and retrieved a beautiful winter cloak. He held it up for the king to see, then passed it to him.
"Oh, it's exquisite!" the king exclaimed. "I absolutely love it. What a wonderful piece of craftsmanship!" The king then sidled up to Oaken to ask him a delicate question. "How much do I owe you for it?" he asked.
"Nothing, it is a gift from the queen," Oaken confirmed.
"My, how generous the Arendellians are!" the king said to Oaken. "Oh, but take this for yourself will you?" he said as he handed Oaken a small pouch of money.
"Thanking you!" Oaken cooed in reply.
While the king was at the docks, Joanna and her mother were back at the castle. They were in the drawing room, and Joanna's mother was trying to train her to be a proper princess. Joanna was struggling with the exercise her mother had devised.
"Tell me again, why do I have to balance this book on my head?" she asked as the book fell to the floor once more.
"It's for your deportment, sweetheart!" her mother enthused. "The book will help you with your balance!"
"But this one is too heavy!" Joanna complained. "Can't we use a different one?"
"I suppose we could," her mother mused. "Let's go to the library. Follow me!"
Joanna's mother briskly walked to the library with a smile on her face. Joanna struggled to keep up.
"The library?" she asked. "Wasn't everything in it destroyed in the...you know...incident?"
"I've had it restocked with books from all over the kingdom!" her mother replied. "And I have something special to show you. Come on, we're nearly there!"
As they went into the library, Joanna gasped with astonishment. The brand new shelves were indeed stocked with plenty of books.
"Wow!" Joanna exclaimed. "I can see myself spending a lot of time here!"
"There's a very special shelf I want to show you!" the queen said. She led Joanna round the corner to a small shelf hidden away from the main aisle. Joanna was shocked when she saw what it was. She raised her hands to her mouth.
The small shelf contained about two dozen books, and pinned to it was a hastily-handwritten label that simply read "Joanna's books".
"I used to notice what you liked to read," the queen admitted. "I knew that if you didn't burn a book straightaway, that meant you liked it. I've been saving copies over the years, hoping that one day you'd be able to read them again."
Joanna excitedly looked over the books. "Aurora Borealis, Norse Mythology, my favourites are all here!" Joanna exclaimed. "Even Baby's First Alphabet! Aw, I remember reading that from when I was little!"
Looking up at her mother, tears formed in Joanna's eyes. She had come to realise something.
"So…" Joanna said as her voice trembled, "through all that time I was in the tower...you really did care about me?"
"I always have, sweetheart," her mother said softly. She opened her arms and they embraced.
After that, Joanna excitedly thumbed through her books.
"Oh look!" she exclaimed. "Aurora borealis! Fire dancing in the sky! Isn't it magical?" she said as she pointed to the pictures.
Her mother nodded and smiled. Joanna picked up the book on Norse mythology and began to skim through it.
"And look, all of the Norse gods!" she enthused. "I remember you teaching me about these!"
Her mother laughed a little and sidled up to Joanna to look through the book with her.
"Yes," Joanna said as she skimmed through the pages. "There's Loki. I remember him, so mischievous! And Thor, look at him with his hammer!"
Joanna turned the page and her face quickly went from excited elation to despondency.
"And there's...oh…" she said as she snapped the book shut.
"What is it?" he mother asked. "Are you okay?"
"It's just...nothing…" Joanna said as she looked up at her mother and tried to smile.
"No sweetheart, what's the matter?" her mother said as she opened the book again. "Why did you close the book when you got to Freya? You can tell me!"
Joanna shuffled awkwardly and ran her fingertips through her hair.
"Well, okay, I'll tell you," she said hesitantly. "When I first got to Arendelle, I told everyone my name was Freya," Joanna said softly. "I thought her name suited me much better than my own."
Her mother put her arm around her. "Thank you for telling me sweetheart," she said as she gently closed the book. "We both know those days are behind you, don't we?"
Joanna quickly nodded.
"We don't have to read about Freya for now," her mother assured her. "Now, let's find a book that's the right size for you to balance on your head!" she smiled.
Together, they found a book that was just right for Joanna to practice her deportment. They went back to the drawing room to continue her exercises. After a while, Joanna got much better at balancing the book on her head.
"Right then," the queen declared, "your deportment is much better! Now for your posture. Where's that broomstick got to?"
Joanna groaned at the thought of doing more exercises, but after a time, she soon got the hang of it. Before long, she knew how to carry herself off as a true princess.
Two weeks later, the gates of Rizucia castle were opened. The people walked in, curious to find out why. Word got out that the king was about to make a speech from the balcony and everyone gathered round it.
Stig was amongst the crowd, and he and his friends used the opportunity to show off what they had bought from foreign traders to each other.
"Look what I got from that Arendellian merchant!" Stig declared as he held up a small cuckoo clock. He wound it forwards so that the mechanism was activated and the cuckoo sprung out.
"Ha! How delightful!" his friend enthused. "Hey! What do you all think of this?" he said as he produced a small parcel. He unwrapped the paper, revealing a lump of cheese. "I bought it from a French trader. Get a good whiff of it!" he said as he wafted it under his friend's noses.
"That stinks!" another friend said as he held his nose. "I hope you didn't pay too much for that!"
"Ah, it may smell," the friend explained, "but it tastes incredible!"
"Well I bought something even more exotic!" the other friend declared. "All the way from South America, these are purple potatoes!" he said as he took a few of them out of his pocket.
"Neat!" Stig exclaimed. "What do they taste like?"
"Oh, I don't dare eat them!" the friend admitted. "They were so expensive, they're just for show!"
"Oh," Stig exclaimed, sounding confused.
Eventually, the King of Rizucia appeared at the balcony with the queen standing next to him. Everyone cheered, eager to hear what we had to say.
"My friends," the king bellowed across the courtyard. "Thank you for being here today. As you all know, several weeks ago a great tragedy befell our kingdom. I'd like to thank everyone who has helped with the repairs following the Great Fire, and I am eternally grateful that no one was hurt."
The king paused for a moment. The crowd could see that he was sincere in his words.
"But now, onto happier news!" the king boomed as a smile came across his face. "Sixteen years ago, the castle gates were closed. I can now proclaim that the gates will remain permanently open!"
The crowd clapped and cheered, happy to hear some more good news as they stood in the castle courtyard that still bore the marks of the Great Fire. Once the applause died down, the king continued his speech.
"And now my friends," the king continued, "I would like to tell you why they were closed to begin with. Sixteen years ago, the queen and I were blessed with a child."
The crowd gasped at this revelation.
"A child!" Stig exclaimed as he turned to his friends. "How did we not know that?"
"But our joy was short lived," the king continued, taking a more somber tone. "The child was cursed with dark magic. Fiery...magic."
"Oh, here we go!" Stig said to his friends as he folded his arms. "We should have guessed!"
"We did the only thing we could to protect both the child and the kingdom," the king said, looking down at the crowd. "The gates were shut and the country closed off. We did our best to look after the child on our own. For sixteen years, she was our sole burden."
The king closed his eyes and looked down, trying to convey the fact that the country's isolation was not out of choice. He sighed.
"As the child grew, her powers became stronger. A few weeks ago, they became too strong for us to contain. That's when she...attacked the kingdom," he said solemnly as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
The crowd gasped and began to mutter between themselves. The king raised his arm and the crowd fell silent again.
"Since then, we had a chance encounter with the wonderful Queen Anna of Arendelle," the king said as a smile came across his face. "Her sister Elsa knew how to strip the curse from our daughter. She is no longer who she once was. We have been lucky enough to spend some time with her. Without the curse, she is the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful daughter we could ever have wished for."
The king paused. He took out his handkerchief and dabbed away a tear. All eyes were on him.
"And now, I can happily say that she is here today. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, our daughter, Princess Joanna of Rizucia!"
Standing in the crowd, Stig was sceptical.
"So we're going to meet the girl who burned down our kingdom are we?" he said to his friend as he folded his arms once more. "The girl who forced me to sail to Arendelle? Yeah right! When the crowd sees her, they're going to...oh my!"
There was a collective gasp as the people caught sight of Joanna. Stig was so shocked that he let go of his cuckoo clock, and it shattered on the floor. The people were stunned by Joanna's beauty. She was adorned in a flowing, sophisticated yellow dress, and she wore a necklace containing a magnificent emerald. Great care had been taken to put her hair up in a braid, and she wore a simple yet elegant tiara. She was completely unrecognisable from the girl who stepped off Queen Anna's ship all those weeks ago. She smiled nervously and gently waved to the crowd before gracefully gliding over to her father.
"And now, Princess Joanna would like to say a few words," the king declared.
The crowd stared at Joanna, some with their jaws on the floor. They were struggling to take everything in. The king and queen had a daughter. Her curse meant the country had to be closed off. Mere weeks ago, she attacked the castle and the town. Now, she stood before them all looking like a true princess. There was so much for everyone to process.
Joanna stepped forwards and cleared her throat. She looked down at the crowd and saw everyone looking up at her. "Good day to you all," she said clearly and eloquently. "At a time like this, it is difficult to know what to say. Yes, I was born cursed. Yes, I was locked away in the castle all my life, and yes, I attacked the kingdom," she said as she raised her hand over her top lip.
The crowd were still stunned. Some were beginning to judge her.
"But," Joanna continued, "without my curse, I see everything differently. Before, I saw no hope for myself, and no future. Now, I know I can help put things right. I know I can do good. I know I can serve each and every one of you as your princess. So please, I am not asking for forgiveness. All I am asking for is a chance to show you all who I really am. Thank you."
As she finished speaking, Joanna impeccably placed her hands in front of her and smiled nervously at her mother. The crowd remained silent. Then, a lone man began to applaud. The person standing next to him applauded, and soon a ripple of applause spread throughout the crowd. A few people even started to cheer. Joanna smiled and began to wave. Her parents took a stride forward and her father put his arm around her. The king and queen waved to the crowd as well.
In the crowd, Stig was also gently applauding. He turned to his friend.
"Well, I'll give her a chance," he said. "I can't believe that's the same girl who threatened me with fire, but it kind of makes sense, I guess."
The king was ready to conclude his speech. "My friends, thank you again for being here today. Let us write a new chapter in our country's history together. Onwards Rizucia!" the king shouted as he triumphantly raised his fist in the air.
The crowd responded with a cheer and people began to chant "Long live the king!" The royal family waved to everyone from the balcony for a few minutes before going back inside, arm in arm.
In the days that followed, the royal family prepared for some public engagements. The king hosted a banquet for the lords and ladies of Rizucia, which Joanna was present at. All were impressed by her grace, table manners and ability to hold a conversation.
A few days later, Joanna was sitting reading in the drawing room. A handler came up to her with a message.
"Excuse me Your Highness," he said. "The shipment you requested from Arendelle has arrived."
"Thank you!" Joanna enthused as she shut her book and leapt to her feet. She went to find her father.
"Dad," she said. "The things I wanted from Arendelle are here. I think I'm ready to go out into the town and meet the people," she said as she smiled nervously at him.
"Very well," the king declared as he put his hand on her shoulder. "I will arrange it as soon as I can."
Word went out in the town that the Princess wanted to meet people who had suffered in the Great Fire. People came forward to the castle staff, and they arranged who the Princess would meet. The staff took their plans to the castle and told the king.
Joanna and the king stood by the front door of the castle. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" the king asked.
"No dad," Joanna said as she looked at him and shook her head. "This is something I need to do myself."
The king nodded and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "And I know you can," he said as he smiled at her.
Later, Joanna emerged from the castle with an escort of soldiers, staff, and a horse drawn cart following behind her. The top of the cart was covered with a tarpaulin, so its contents remained a mystery.
As Joanna walked through the charred streets, the mood was sombre. Joanna held her hands in front of her while people in the streets had their heads bowed. A frown came across Joanna's face as she confronted what she had done. She wanted to cry, but she swallowed hard and tried to be strong.
One man couldn't contain his anger. He was filled with anxiety as Joanna approached. When she walked past, he took his chance.
"Monster!" the man shouted as he pointed. "She burned down our town!"
The rest of the crowd gasped. A soldier thrust his lance in the man's direction. Joanna put her hand on the lance and pushed it down. "No, please, it's okay," she said to the soldier. She turned to the man.
"I know I was a monster," she said solemnly. "I know what I did. But please, I'm not who I once was. I want to make things right. Please, just give me a chance," she implored as she put her hand on her chest.
The man relaxed his shoulders, then nodded. Joanna awkwardly smiled back at him, then continued walking.
People gathered round as Joanna reached her first destination. "Your Highness, this is Mr and Mrs Jansen. Their bakery was destroyed in the fire," her handler gently announced.
Mr and Mrs Jansen stood there politely with their young daughter who was staring at the ground. For a few seconds, Joanna stood awkwardly, trying to think of the right words to say. Instead, Mrs Jansen spoke.
"You look wonderful, Your Highness," she said softly.
"Th-thank you," Joanna stuttered as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm deeply sorry for what happened to your bakery…"
Mr Jansen sighed. "I'm sure we can rebuild," he said. "Thank you for coming to meet us, it means a lot."
"It's the least I could do," Joanna said nervously as she held her hands out. She turned her attention to their child. "What is your daughter's name?" she asked.
"She's called Petra," Mrs Jansen said through a slight smile. Joanna squatted down so that her eyes were level with Petra's. Petra looked up at her with a face like thunder.
"Are you okay, Petra?" Joanna asked with a slight smile. Petra shook her head.
"Aw, I'm sorry," Joanna said softly. "Did you lose a lot in the fire?"
Petra looked down and nodded. "I lost all my toys," she said forlornly. "And I lost my favourite dolly," she said as she started to cry.
Joanna looked at the ground and sighed. She then looked up at Petra and smiled. "I've got something for you," Joanna said as she stood up. She went to the cart, lifted up the tarpaulin, rummaged around and took something out. Before Petra could see it, Joanna put it behind her back.
Joanna walked back towards Petra and squatted down in front of her. "This is for you!" Joanna exclaimed as she took her hand out from behind her back and presented Petra with a brand new doll.
Petra's face lit up. She looked up at her mother who gestured towards Joanna. Petra looked at the doll, walked forwards and took it from Joanna. She hugged it, then looked up at Joanna and said thank you.
"Would you like a hug as well?" Joanna asked her. Petra nodded, and she hugged Joanna while holding the doll in her hand.
People in the crowd wiped away tears as they looked down at Joanna hugging Petra. Once the hug was over, Petra went back to her parents.
"What a beautiful doll!" her mother said to her. "Does she have a name?" she asked.
"Her name is Joanna," Petra said while looking at the doll's eyes.
Joanna felt a warmth in her heart, and clutched her hands to it. Everyone else looked on, gently smiling at her.
"Thank you!" Mrs Jansen mouthed to Joanna, who nodded back, trying to hold back tears.
Joanna's handler gently walked up to her. "Your Highness, next is Mr and Mrs Nedergaard. They lost their house."
Joanna tried to compose herself. She quickly nodded at her handler while running her fingers through her hair. She turned to the Nedergaard family, whose three children stood in front of them.
"Your Highness, that was a very kind thing you just did," said Mr Nedergaard.
"I just wanted to give something back," Joanna said weakly as she held her hands out and shrugged her shoulders.
"You certainly have," Mr Nedergaard declared as he softly smiled. "It means a lot to us. To all of us, doesn't it?" he asked as he looked around at the crowd. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Joanna gushed. "You're all so kind…" she whispered as she tried to hold herself together. She looked at the cart, then walked over to it. She beckoned the Nedergaard children over.
"And what would you all like?" she asked them, bending over slightly.
"Toy soldiers!" the eldest son said excitedly.
"A skipping rope!" the daughter yelled.
"Marbles!" the youngest son said while jumping up and down.
"Let's see what I've got!" Joanna said as she rummaged under the tarpaulin. She quickly found the toys she was looking for and handed them to the Nedergaard children.
"Thank you Princess Joanna!" they all said as they ran back to their parents with beaming smiles, eager to show off their new toys.
Joanna looked around, and could see many children expectedly looking at the cart with wide eyes. She smiled at them as an idea came to her.
"Oh, what does it matter!" she exclaimed as she whisked the tarpaulin off the cart, revealing dozens of brand new toys. "Help yourselves everyone!"
The children present ran towards the cart and each one of them took out a toy, until there was nothing left. They went out and started playing, and soon the streets were filled with the sounds of joyous laughter. Joanna let out a contented sigh as she witnessed the happy scene.
"Thank you Princess Joanna!" Mrs Nedergaard said as she walked up to her. "I think we've all seen how kind you really are. It's hard to believe you're the same person who did all this," she said as she gestured towards all the fire damaged buildings.
Joanna looked out over the street and started to see the charred buildings differently. Her despondency went away, and a look of steely determination came across her face. She knew what she needed to do.
"There's still so much to be done," said Joanna as she wiped away her tears. "I want to help, but I can't do it alone!" she exclaimed as she began to climb on top of the cart. She had a speech prepared, and she knew exactly what she was going to say.
"Today, I am founding the Royal Volunteer Society!" she called as the people listened intently to her. "With your help, we will restore this town. We will make it as good as new!"
The crowd murmured excitedly as Joanna gave her speech.
"Who will join me?" she called. "Who will step forward to help me rebuild our town?"
"I will!" shouted Mr Nedergaard.
"And me!" called Mr Jansen.
"Me too!" said Mrs Jansen.
Soon, dozens of people had raised their hands and come forward. The royal handlers took their details. Joanna hopped off the cart and walked to the people with a spring in her step.
"I must return to the castle now," she declared, "but I will be back soon, and we will rebuild. Together, we will make our kingdom even stronger than before. As my father would say, onwards Rizucia!" she called as she raised her fist in the air.
The crowd cheered. They began to chant "Long live Princess Joanna" as she made her way back to the castle.
The King and Queen were waiting for Joanna at the castle gates. Joanna looked at them with a sweet smile.
"Well, how did it go?" the queen asked. She could see tears in Joanna's eyes. "Oh, come here sweetheart!" she said as she held her arms out. Joanna fell into them.
"Everyone was so kind," Joanna said through her happy tears. "And I'll never forget the looks on the faces of the children when I gave them their presents!"
"Well done Joanna!" the king said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I can tell everything is going to be alright from now on."
Joanna turned to her father and smiled. "Yes dad," she said softly. "I think it will!"
After they finished hugging, Joanna looked up at her mother.
"I'd like to write a letter to Elsa," she said gently. "I want to tell her about everything that's happened. Can you help me with my writing?" she asked her mother.
"Of course I can sweetheart!" her mother said as she placed her hand on Joanna's cheek. "I think that's a wonderful idea. I'm sure Elsa will love to hear about what you've been up to. Come with me!"
In the weeks and months that followed, Joanna made good on her promise to help put things right. Through the Royal Volunteer Society, she helped clean up and rebuild what the fires had destroyed. She made a lot of friends through it, and everyone in the kingdom was impressed with how hands on Princess Joanna was.
By the time winter arrived, Rizucia was in much better shape. The castle had been cleaned up and almost restored to its former glory, while in the town only a few gaps remained in the streets. Winter arrived, and the royal family looked forward to the holiday season. The king announced that this one would be very special, and he told everyone to gather in the castle courtyard. Rizucian winters could be chilly, and Arendellian cloaks were the order of the day. The king wore his with pride.
"My friends, it's that time of year!" he boomed from the balcony to the expectant crowd below. "And what a year it's been! Our Arendellian friends have sent us a very generous gift. Please, bring it in!" he called to the castle gates.
Through the gates came a sparkling new Arendellian yule bell. Workers wheeled it in and installed it in the castle. The royal family made their way down to the courtyard and prepared to ring the bell, each of them placing a hand on the rope.
"Let this be our new holiday tradition!" the king cried. "This bell represents the new found friendship between the kingdoms of Arendelle and Rizucia. Now, let us ring in the season together!"
All at once, the king, queen and Joanna tugged on the rope at the same time, and the peel of the bell rang out across the courtyard and the town. The crowd applauded, and the royal family waved to them.
Spring saw Joanna's seventeenth birthday. The king was keen to make up for all the birthdays that she had missed, so he threw a huge party that all of her friends were invited to. As Joanna sat at the head of the table in the courtyard, she truly felt like a princess. The table stretched out across the courtyard with dozens of people sitting on either side, and it was laden with all manner of party food. The king and queen stood next to Joanna.
"Thank you so much for all of this, it's amazing!" she said to her father. "I feel so spoiled!"
"Well, we've got one more surprise for you," the king told her. "We've arranged for a very special guest to visit!"
Joanna beamed as she guessed who it could be.
"They've just arrived. Look over at the gate and you'll see them!" her mother enthused.
Joanna looked and saw a woman with long blond hair wearing a flowing white dress. She knew that it could only be one person. Joanna shot up out of her chair and ran towards the gates.
"Elsa!" Joanna cried as she held out her arms.
"Happy birthday!" Elsa calmly replied as she opened her arms out. Joanna ran up to her and grabbed her round the waist. Elsa hugged Joanna while Joanna held her tightly.
"It's so good of you to be here!" Joanna said as her voice was muffled by the hug. She let Elsa go and the two of them walked back towards the table.
"I don't need to ask you how you are, do I?" Elsa joked. "I can see it in your face. You look so happy!"
"I've still got you to thank for all this!" Joanna enthused. "I have a life now! Everything is going so well. And I'm lucky to be able to call all these people my friends!" she said as she gestured towards the table. The people looked up from their food and happily waved at Joanna and Elsa.
"Ah yes, the Royal Volunteer Society!" said Elsa. "I've read all about them in your letters. I love receiving them by the way, you won't stop writing will you?" Elsa said as she winked at Joanna.
"No, I love writing letters!" Joanna replied.
"Well that's good to hear!" Elsa enthused. She and Joanna walked back to the head of the table.
"Elsa!" the king boomed.
"Your Majesty!" she politely replied.
"Wonderful to see you again!" the king said as he gave her a gentle hug. He put his arm around her and turned to the guests.
"Everyone, this is Elsa of Arendelle!" he declared.
The guests turned to face Elsa with smiles on their faces. They remembered the king's words from when they first saw Joanna, and whispered to each other in anticipation.
"Yes, Elsa is the one who took away Joanna's curse!" the king boomed as Elsa smiled nervously and gave a little wave. "Her mastery of icy magic is quite breathtaking!" He turned to Elsa and spoke gently. "Would we be lucky enough to have a demonstration, perhaps?" he asked, quickly nodding his head.
Elsa giggled. "Okay, seeing as it's Joanna's big day!" she smiled. As Elsa walked towards two large, ornate fountains, she cast her magic and turned the water into two beautiful ice statues. The guests gasped in astonishment. Elsa returned to the king and whispered something in his ear.
"Oh yes, of course!" he replied. "Let's all wish Joanna a happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday Joanna!" everyone said in unison.
"This is from everyone in Arendelle!" Elsa said to Joanna as a huge, five-tiered ice cream cake was wheeled in.
"Wow! That's so kind!" Joanna enthused.
A butler cut the cake up and everyone had a slice.
"Now, who's ready to skate?" Elsa asked. The guests looked at each other in confusion. With a stomp of her foot, Elsa covered the courtyard in a thick layer of ice. To everyone's delight, she then made ice skates appear on the feet of each one of the guests. They got up and began to skate.
Joanna struggled to keep herself steady, so Elsa went over and helped her. They glided through the courtyard together.
Joanna looked into Elsa's eyes and smiled. "Best birthday ever!" she declared.
The future looked bright for Rizucia. The castle gates, like the country, were open. Trade helped the country prosper. The king and queen were seen regularly, addressing the people from the castle balcony. As each day passed, Princess Joanna became ever more popular with the people. One evening, the royal family were playing cards. Joanna laid her cards on the table.
"And I believe that means I've won!" she politely declared.
"Indeed you have!" the king concurred. "Well done Joanna!"
"Well done sweetheart!" the queen added. "You certainly know how to win with grace!"
"Another game?" Joanna asked.
"Actually," the king said awkwardly, "your mother and I have something we need to talk to you about."
"Oh?" Joanna exclaimed.
"Yes, and this isn't easy," he mother said, "but it needs to be said."
Joanna's face suddenly became deadly serious.
"There comes a time," the king said sombrely, "when every monarch has to seriously consider...succession."
"Oh," Joanna said, realising how important this was.
"Your mother and I, we won't be around forever," the king admitted. "We wanted to tell you that we've been very impressed with you. We know you've worked hard at everything a princess needs to do, but more than that, the way you run your Royal Volunteer Society has shown us something very important. You're a natural leader."
Joanna smiled slightly and nodded at her father.
"We need you to know this," her father said seriously. "You're ready to be queen."
Joanna raised her hand to her mouth. They all got up and hugged.
"Thank you," Joanna said as her voice quivered. "I just hope I won't have to be queen for some time…"
"I know one thing," the king said softly. "The future of our kingdom is in safe hands."