AN: The AU of the movie isn't starting just yet. I had another scene to address first. Sorry.
It had been only a week ago that Kristoff had turned fourteen.
Birthdays were really of little significance to being as long lived as trolls. Kristoff doubted they understood why the Princesses had wanted to have a party for him, but he had enjoyed it very much.
He would see them again soon. He was on his way to the palace. The King had requested to see him.
When he arrived, the princesses greeted him like always, with hugs; One of them holding onto each arm as they ushered him to the Kings chambers.
Kristoff was a little worried about why the king wanted to see him. Had Elsa said something about their last ice harvesting trip, about the kiss she gave him, well more likely Anna had said something. Those two kept nothing from each other and Anna may have let something slip. Maybe the King wasn't happy with that.
Would he hear, "Those comments about you being a troll Prince were just friendly jokes. You are not fit for that kind of relationship with a Princess, much less the crown Princess. You must distance yourself from the girls."
But he was getting ahead of himself; making up a disaster where none existed, at least as far as he knew.
Kristoff entered the chamber and greeted the King with a bow. "Your Majesty, you wished to see me."
"No need to be so formal Kristoff, but yes, I do need to talk to you. As you know my niece, Rapunzel has been missing for fourteen years now."
"Yes Sire, I know."
The King nodded. "It's time you joined in the search. With your knowledge of this area and certain gifts given to you by your grandfather you would be uniquely suited to cover the area around Arendelle much more thoroughly than we have so far."
"Yes Sire. I'm kind of surprised that Pabbie told you about the gifts."
The King smiled. "It was part of his reason that you should stay here instead of going to Corona."
"Yes Sire, I can keep up the search no matter how bad the conditions become."
With a kind smile the King then asked. "Tell me Kristoff, did your grandfather give you that gift because of your ice harvesting vocation, or because you are close to Elsa."
"Both Sire," Kristoff answered. "It relieves her of any worry when we're fooli...uh, goofing around."
The King smiled at the young man's nervousness. "Well that brings me to another, more personal, matter...Kristoff, you're quite close to my daughters, aren't you?"
"Yes Sire, I care for them very much."
The King nodded. "But not in the same way, I think. One of them loves you as a brother. The other I think has come to see you differently."
While it was true that Kristoff couldn't freeze, he could sweat, and he was doing that now. "Um, Sire, I..."
The King held up a hand to silence the young man. "The Queen and I agree. You're good to them, and good for them. Continue to be so, whatever course your relationships with them may take."
Kristoff bowed. "Yes Sire. I will."
"Of that, I have no doubt," The King said. "Now go, Elsa and Anna will want to see you off on your mission."
Kristoff went to the courtyard to see palace staff already loading supplies on his sled. In front Sven was enjoying the attention of the Princesses. As soon as they saw Kristoff both ran to him, once again throwing their arms around him. He returned the gesture.
"We're going to miss you Kristoff," Anna said.
"I'm going to miss you too," he replied.
In a dramatic tone Anna said, "You will find the Princess, sweep her off her feet and ride off into the sunset together." Anna cast a sidelong glance at Elsa to see what reaction that got.
She saw what she'd expected, Elsa looked...uncomfortable, at the idea.
"Anna," The elder Princess chided. "That's in fairy-tales."
"Yeah, you're right," Anna said, adding. "Besides, we wouldn't want to lose him."
"And you won't," Kristoff assured her.
"Well just to make sure, I want you to hold onto this," Elsa said, then took out one of her gloves; handing it to him.
As they looked in each others eyes she said, "just remember I need that back." She sighed slightly, somewhat nervously.
Kristoff knew that she didn't need the gloves very often anymore, and she had another pair anyway. The real message was very clear.
"Don't worry Princess. I'll bring it back to you."
Anna thought frantically as her sister was talking to Kristoff.
'I don't have a glove...a sock… No that's weird, and kind of gross...A shoe, still weird, besides I need my shoes.'Then she hit on it. Frantically she took out the ribbon that held one of her ponytails.
"And I need this back." She held it out to him.
"You'll get it back. I promise," Kristoff told her with a smile.
Supplies on his sled and favors in his pockets, Kristoff was on his way to join the search. It had, as the King pointed out, been fourteen years since Princess Rapunzel had vanished and really, Kristoff thought, after all this time it was unlikely that he would find anything that previous searchers didn't.
But maybe the King was right. The trolls had given him certain advantages over other searchers.
As he traveled his mind had time to wonder.
It went to the interesting coincidence that he, Elsa and Rapunzel were the same age, born within a few months of each other. Not a matter of any importance but still a curious fact.
He wondered what she would be like...If he were ever to meet her that is. Would she be anything like Anna or Elsa.
Who would he be looking for anyway? How would he know if he found her?
He's looking for a blond woman about his own age...Who probably doesn't know she's a Princess and had probably been taught a hostility to the King and Queen. What does he tell everyone if he finds her, and she wants nothing to do with her parents?
It was no wonder that the royal couple of Arendelle always insisted on heavy security for their daughters. No one knew why Rapunzel was taken, if she was alive...or if other royal children might also be targeted.
Not his Princesses, he vowed to himself. Not if he could help it. He remembered the gifts that the King had referred to. Pabbie had given them to him for duel reasons. One, because he wouldn't give up his ice harvesting but also because he spent so much time playing with Pabbie's other student, Princess Elsa.
The two played as children will, chasing each other, snowball fights, tickle fights; Kristoff chuckled as he remembered how Elsa found out quickly that she was at a disadvantage with that last one. He and Anna had taken full advantage of it to. Of course, there was also hide and seek, sledding with Sven, and every other kind of game. But Elsa always seemed hesitant, nervous.
It was because of that and the dangers of ice harvesting, that Pabbie used some kind of Troll magic and now Kristoff can't freeze.
Oh, he didn't have powers like Elsa, but no force, natural or magic, can freeze him. The gift wasn't so much for him as it was for her. A friend she could let her guard down with.
Elsa had hoped with joy in a way more typical of Anna when she found out. She had someone she could relax with and not worry about hurting.
Then there was the other gift, exceptional strength. Oh, he couldn't lift mountains or anything, but he could, for example, lift a reindeer. Pabbie told him that it was given to him to protect himself and the princesses, and Kristoff promised that he would.
Kristoff headed to the north mountain, where the winter weather was the harshest. He thought that Rapunzel's captors might become less vigilant knowing that searchers would have to turn around.
For the next four years Kristoff's stops in town would be few and far between. He couldn't help but wonder if this had been the Kings way of keeping him away from the princesses.
Yes, he was friendly and seemed to be okay with what ever kind of relationship he had with the girls. But a corner of Kristoff's mind kept saying, 'actions speak louder than words' and, well, on the Kings orders, he was far from the palace.
Of course then again, the King and Queen never kept him from seeing the girls when he did come into town. Sometimes his mind just wouldn't let him accept that the royal family would tolerate a common man like him. It had been the source of a few very unhappy dreams.
One day, as Kristoff was traveling, he noticed something in the sky. Floating lanterns like the ones he knew were used each year on Rapunzel's birthday, only today was not her birthday, and this was not Corona. No this was the signal that all searchers were told would announce that Rapunzel had been found.
When he arrived at the source it was confirmed. The lost Princess was lost no more. Time to go home.