Of any complicated roles of each of the political entities found in the Southern Isles, it seems strange to state that each and every one of them had two goals; one was to find a golden fox, while the other was to get their hands on Princess Sophia. The only problem with this being... Sophia was the fox.
Once that magical comb wound its way around her hair, she started to transform. It was a wonderful freeing feeling, like all the excess that had been piled onto her- an abusive father, a duplicitous uncle and an overbearing aunt, all melted away leaving just her, just Sophia.
Unfortunately, being just Sophia turned out to be extremely dangerous. Now that she was a fox, and an extinct one everybody on the island just so happened to try to be killing no less, she had to run away. So now she was totally alone, something she'd never experienced before.
The sensation was not as wonderful as she expected. Ever since learning she was to be a queen, Sophia felt like she was trapped, her destiny set. But now that she was no longer a princess...
Why did freedom have such a high cost? Why couldn't she just live in a castle, and decide for herself who she would allow into her life?! How dare they decide who she should marry, and who she should love.
"Wait..." She thought to herself. This sounded extremely familiar. Back when Uncle Hans was her daddy... he used to tell her the story of the Black King. Something about being turned into an animal, right?
"And only a beautiful woman could save you?" Of course, human words were not coming out of her mouth, just fox sounds like yipping and barking. After all, no one knows what the fox says.
(a.n. Yes, it is cool with me if you groan at that, I did when I wrote it.)
That's all she had to do- find a beautiful young... woman... to break the... oh, this was a problem. There weren't that many fair maidens to begin with, and if the smell of burnt rat on the breath of every citizen was not a sign they would kill and eat her, the price on her hide would undoubtedly tempt anyone who could help her.
But... Elsa would, right? Her adoptive mother was nothing if not cordial. She wouldn't just kill an animal for peace, would she? Perhaps she might, if she thought it would bring back her murderous, wayward husband!
Sophia's ears moved of their own accord. She found the fox's brain quite... reflexive. It listened, smelled, and even schemed. She would need such help to survive.
And right now, the fox smelled an enemy; a wolf.
Sophia had been watching the altercation with the ship from a hill near the castle. Once the smell of dog hit her nose, she dove into the nearest hole, which just so happened to be in said building.
The teenaged princess fox found a tunnel in the bottom of a, ahem, 'fox hole'. She followed it down, smelling damp earth.
"Where am I?" The fox brain didn't have much in the way of answers. It was a bit damp, and just small enough for a young person to fit into. The war had done nothing to help preserve the place. A small layer of ash and dust rested across some of the items. Sophia looked through them with light interest. Her aunts had forced an education of the Southern Isles on her from a young age, but the only physical representations of it were locked in her adoptive father's library.
First they were locked away because they were dangerous for a young girl like her to use, then they were locked away so they wouldn't give her nightmares of her father's death... then Elsa just refused to visit the room once... once...
"He left," She said to herself, drawing her eyes from one piece of a boy's childhood to the next. Toy soldiers were standing at attention for decades, marching across a small map. A couple of stuffed animals (obviously hand-me downs) were in the corner. Untouched board-games were used as shelves.
"Poor kid," She said. Somebody had been down here, alone. And by the amount of stuff; pillows, blankets, toys, books... the boy had been down here all alone...
"Not exactly alone," She thought. There were drawings of a girl. She was really pretty. The images appeared a bit crude, at first, but with lots of light and shadow to them. The girl was changed a thousand ways, different height, different weight, even the eye color was changed. The only theme that remained was... was...
Sophia gasped in her hiding place when she noticed that one board game was still out: A chess set.
No.
The girl- the one thing that never changed? Her snow WHITE hair. And a chess set. It couldn't be.
"Uncle Hans?"
She could see him, down here, alone, playing soldier and talking to his stuffed animal. Playing ghost chess against a girl he would chase forever. At first, Sophia was thrilled; the Black King had found his White Queen. And now the two were married.
Then she remembered how that had ended. Hans had to go to war for her. She was abandoned, "He left."
Suddenly, no matter how many toys, or drawings, or even little poems she found about snow in this little hole, the entire place seemed... so sad. So lonely.
Still, it was warm, dry, and relatively safe. Sophia curled up in some blankets, looking for the security she used to feel with her beloved uncle. His scent was everywhere, like a wall around her. She could hear echoes of voices, drifting down through the castle.
One in particular stood out; strong, commanding, and queenly. It could be none other than Queen Elsa. Sophia decided to leave her hiding place to go see her adoptive mother. Going up through cracks in the ceiling, she found a room adjacent to the queen's.
"Uncle Hans is dead!" Exclaimed a rather rude voice. Sophia's heart stopped mid-beat. She would never see him again. They never... she thought she had time, that somehow everything would turn out okay.
"Fine. Call the twins, we have business to discuss," Elsa did not seem too bothered by the news. It was her queenly strength: the power to ignore all selfish impulses regardless of circumstances. Or maybe she knew something Sophia did not.
The young princess peered out of the doors as James made his way down the hallways. The years had been unkind, very unkind to him indeed. What used to be a scowl had now turned into a permanent frown. His shoulders were squared, but tensed, like he was constantly on guard. His hair needed to be combed, and, overall, he just needed to be... well, nicer. He was very handsome, but his entire attitude screamed unapproachable.
Sophia let out a scoff, her fox mouth obliging. She'd been told for years not to be unapproachable, but this psychotic, murderous prince was allowed to get away with it! What had Hans been thinking? Or Elsa? Hans likely wanted nothing more than to produce a perfect assassin/king. Elsa... what was she doing?!
Josepp and Jonah made their way down the halls, walking at a brisk pace in front of James, and behind a bishop. Sophia crept forward silently, hoping her presence would be unnoticed.
She hoped in the quiet part of her heart that today would be the last day of separation between Hans and Elsa. The two hadn't seen each other in so, so long.
The twins gave Elsa an insultingly short bow. Apparently in this country regicide was okay, so rudeness was allowable.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Said Elsa diplomatically. She created an ice throne for herself, "Before we continue, is there any unsolved business?"
Josepp pointed an accusatory finger, "Your murderous husband is finally dead!" he laughed viciously, waiting for pain to cross her features.
Elsa frowned, "Oh...?"
Josepp stuttered, confused, "You... witch! Don't you even care?"
Elsa flicked a speck of dust off her dress, "I don't think Hans would want you to say that. So if you're really, really, really sure... say something else to me," Her eyes glared, "Go ahead- shock me!"
Josepp shut his mouth. It was Joran's turn.
"We have heard the rumor, your majesty!" He said, peering down at the queen. She smirked in return, used to Westerguards threatening, manipulating and... flirting?
"Perhaps you require a new king?" He said, scooting closer before kneeling a little too close to her legs.
She sent him a falsely sweet smile, "...I didn't need the last one. He was just really, really..." She smirked, "...oh, don't you worry about him."
Joran swallowed nervously. Hans was dead, right?
Elsa smirked again, "Well... rest in peace, husband. I thought you were referring to the golden fox?"
Everyone, including James, exchanged a look, and grasped for invisible weapons.
"Westerguards," Sighed the queen. They were all the same, "Boys, if you're done pulling swords that aren't there, we do have the issue of the hunt to discuss."
Joran snorted, "Tradition demands it happen in winter!"
Elsa motioned to the outside, "...well today is perfect then."
The twins exchanged a glance, "...we were hoping to see our niece..."
The temperature of the room plummeted. The fire went out, and the sun was blotted from the sky.
Elsa spoke clearly, quietly, and without any fluctuation of tone. It was terrifying.
"My niece is none of your concern. And shall not be," She threw James an ice-cold look, artic, even, "Until as such time as I believe that your concern towards her is... well, concern."
No one felt the urge to challenge the ice queen. Whatever courage they had was quickly put to the quick as they recalled that, though she was diplomatic, her husband, who was supposed to be dead, was NOT!
So, between respect for her, and fear of her husband, the Westerguards feel silent on the issue- for now.
"But I feel it is my duty," Said the queen, "To inform this council of a secret kept for far, far too long," She held up a leather belt. Sophia couldn't breath as she realized what had happened. Elsa was showing those assembled proof that Hans had killed her father.
The White Queen had betrayed the Black King!
As the rest of the group gathered to inspect the evidence, Sophia let out a loud 'yip!' of protest. Every soul in the room turned to see her.
Whoops!
She took off, listening to people calling for arms and armor. This was so, so, so much worse! How could this have happened?!
The princess wondered whether Elsa really loved Hans, or whether she had just been waiting to get rid of him... just another Westerguard she'd been forced to deal with. Just like... Sophia wanted to cry. There was truly no such thing as compassion, or love.
The men would hunt her down and kill her. And that would be that. The Southern Isles would have a king, and then Elsa would go home and live with her sister, free from having to deal with anyone else's problems. Anger and darkness clouded the heart of Sophia.
Meanwhile, across the seas...
Anna walked the halls of Arrendelle, shushing her infant niece.
"Oooooh... if you weren't adorable all the time, I'd want to throw you into the fjord!" She grumped. The infant kept wailing. Anna kept walking. This was ridiculous. Yes, there were servants who were more than willing to look after the four-year-old, but this was a different kind of task altogether. Firstly; this was family. It would do Sarah ill to find parental concern in the servants. That's why she had the sisters. And Kristoff.
Maybe Hans counted. Anna was unsure of how she wanted to file him in to the category. Even if he was her father, the fact of the matter is that he was still a horrible person.
Still, the four-year-old insisted on crying for mommy, even though mommy was busy risking life and limb for her stupid husband's stupid family who insisted on maiming and killing innocents.
"Stupid-heads," She growled. The baby did not find this soothing.
There were other reasons Anna insisted on calming the baby. Mommy might be gone for months. She had promised to return by year's end, but... so had Hans, once upon a time.
"Stupid heads, the lot of them," Muttered Anna. Sarah got tired of crying and started to rest against Anna, building up enough energy to cry again, "Sh... sh..."
There was one more reason that Anna had to keep Sarah close; Elsa had insisted. For whatever reason, about the time of Anna's wedding, Elsa had just gone crazy. She stopped hiring new servants, started reinforcing the doors to their rooms, and even went so far as to put down mandates that gave only the Arrendelle royals access to the princess and their collective chambers.
"Your mommy is coo-coo!" Anna said in a baby voice, "Can you say 'coo-coo'?"
"Mommy!"
Anna rolled her eyes in amusement. Yet another precious memory she got that Hans wasn't there for. How did he live with himself?
Still, Her Majesty's little sister kept bouncing the baby in order to get it to sleep.
"Need a hand?" Anna found a very maternal-looking servant right behind her. Weird.
"Sorry, my sister said I can't ask for help," Anna chuckled. The servant gave her an odd smile.
"Then let me show you a trick," She led her through the castle to a kitchen as Sarah started crying again, "Here," She stuck a bottle in the child's face. Sarah, smelling something sweet, started drinking, which silenced the crying, "Kids cannot cry and drink at the same time."
Anna laughed, impressed. Soon Sarah forgot the whole reason she was crying, but was too exhausted to try and remember. She laid her head against Anna and went to sleep.
"I'm Mary," Said the stranger, "You must be Princess Anna."
The royal gave a sheepish smile. This was a pretty poor way to meet someone; by showing ineptitude, "That's me," She said.
"Well, if you ever need me again, I'll be around," Then Mary put a reassuring hand on Anna's shoulder, "Come on, Ivan, it's time to go."
Ivan was a cook that had been working for the castle for about four years now. He had large scars across his face, and was approximately the size of a bear. He bowed to the princess before leaving.
Anna shook her head. Elsa desperately needed to get back here.
a.n. My mom actually used that 'can't cry and drink at the same time thing' on me and my siblings. I'm a bit angry about it now that I've learned she did it all these years late, 'cause I remember having to make the choice between fussing and apple juice... and I love me my apple juice.
And to be honest, after drinking all my apple juice, I no longer felt like crying. Bleh. :P ;P :p