A/N: chapter ended up much longer than anticipated.. Enjoy!
Elsa POV
The sun is slowly setting, and I look at the time. It has passed too quickly, and now I have to go and change for the dinner. I groan. I don't want to see Prince Harald again, let alone actually have a full conversation with him.
Sighing, I walk back through the gardens and to the castle.
Anna POV
Where is Elsa? Kai told me that we all need to be ready by 6:30 in the dining hall to meet with Prince Harald and discuss matters. It's already 6:15 and she isn't here yet. I should know; I've been waiting outside her room for the past half hour.
I've been ready for a while. I'm wearing a simple but formal green dress, and my hair is done up in a fancy bun in the back.
I don't know where Kristoff is; I can only assume that he is still straightening his tie or whatever guys do to prepare for something formal.
I look back up at the clock. 6:18! Elsa is never this late! I hop from foot to foot, waiting, waiting, waiting, when I'm nearly knocked over by a sprinting Elsa. I shriek.
"Woah, sorry, Anna!" she says worriedly and helps me regain my balance again.
"Well," I say. "Someone's in a hurry."
"I know I'm late, I was in the gardens. Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Elsa says desperately.
I chuckle a little. "You'd better get changed, then. We've already wasted two minutes standing here talking." Elsa gasps, opens her bedroom door, and rushes in, hurriedly digging through drawers.
"I better not wear my ice dress, it's a little too casual. No, not that one, too fancy, no, not that..."
I laugh a little and walk in to help her.
Elsa POV
I gasp and run into my room, searching frantically for a dress. "No, not that one, too fancy, no, not that..."
Anna comes in and helps me look. Soon the piles of dresses grow and grow, and I still have not found anything suitable.
"Here's a good dress," Anna says, giggling. She's holding up a dress I probably last wore when I was 7.
"No, Anna," I say seriously, yet still laughing a little. "We need to find an actual dress. It's already 6:24."
"How about this?" I look up, expecting to see something else ridiculous, but instead I see the perfect dress hanging from Anna's hands: not too casual, not too formal. A deep blue color, not too tight but not too baggy. "Perfect!" I exclaim. "Now help me put this on, we don't have much time."
Anna turns away as I take off my ice dress and quickly hop into the other one. "You can turn around now," I say. She turns and hurries over.
"Here, I'll finish the corset. You'd better get started on your hair." She starts to lace up the corset and I attempt to redo my braid neater. "There, all done," Anna says, satisfied. "Now, let me just put your hair in a bun and we're set."
I hold up my braid. Anna twists it and pins it in place. "Perfect!" We say at the same time, both giggling. I look up at the clock. "One minute to spare!" Anna remarks. "We'd better get downstairs."
We make it there just in time. Kristoff is already there, and Prince Harald is standing off to the side a little uncomfortably. Uggh, the prince.
Anna goes to stand by Kristoff. I take my seat, and the others follow suit: me at the head, Anna to my right, Prince Harald to my left, and Kristoff next to Anna. "Cooks, you may bring in the the first course," I call. The silence that follows after is a little awkward. I decide to break it.
"So, Prince Harald, which number brother are you?" Oops, came out wrong. Luckily he seems to understand.
"I am the tenth prince of the Southern Isles," he replies. "My father is still king. Next comes Thomas, who is first in line for the throne. Then Erik, second in line if Thomas has no children. Then Leif, Petter, Alexander, Dominik, Edouard, Filip, Mattias, me, Stein, Stefan, and Hans."
"I see." I pause for a moment. "Were you ever close to Hans?" Now, here comes the interrogation. I need to figure out his real intentions of coming here.
"As a matter of fact, I was." His answer startles me. "You see, Hans was the baby of the family. The closest brothers to his age were Stefan and Stein, but they were twins and did everything together. I was the next closest in age. We were great friends."
I hesitate for longer. "How do you feel about his actions here a few months ago?"
He stares at me, like the answer should be obvious. "I was very astonished by it. I mean, he was never like that as a child. When he was younger he was a loving, sweet boy. I never thought he would do something like this, and I am dreadfully sorry for the damage he had caused on this kingdom, your majesty."
"Thank you." I process the information. He certainly is charismatic, and seems to be telling the truth. I'm about to ask another question when the food arrives. That puts a stop to the talking.
Now, though, I'm interested in seeing Kristoff's and Anna's reactions to this. Anna certainly doesn't look nervous, what with being around one of Hans's brothers, but you can see the doubt on her face. Kristoff looks neutral. Not much expression. No look of pure hatred, luckily, but no look of complete trust either. Hmm.
Soon, everyone has finished eating and we are waiting for dessert to arrive. I resume the interrogation. "Prince Harald, please be honest with me. What are you real intentions on coming to Arendelle?"
He turns slightly pink, but then regains composure. "I- I was hoping to find work, your majesty." He fidgets with his glove. "You see, everyone in my home country hates the royals now because of Hans. They hate us so much that I've been driven from my kingdom! I've been to other places, and they've all turned me down too. You're my only hope, Queen Elsa! I do work hard, I promise." He appears to be telling the truth. I pause, then reply, "Thank you, Prince Harald. I will definitely consider hiring you."
Dessert arrives. We all eat in silence. When everyone is finished, I stand up and push in my chair. Everyone else does the same. "I assume you know where your room is?" I ask Prince Harald. "If not, Kai can show you the way again.
"Oh no, your majesty, I remember. Thank you, though. The dinner was lovely." He bows respectfully and walks off down the (thankfully) correct hallway to his room.
I turn to look at Anna and Kristoff. I'd nearly forgotten they were there, they'd been so silent.
"Well, what'd you think?" I ask them. Kristoff immediately starts to speak. "He seems nice enough, but-" Anna cuts him off. "Don't trust him, Elsa! I can tell he's lying! Don't trust him!"
"Woah there. You can't make assumptions just like that," I say.
"I can tell!" She insists. Kristoff takes a deep breath, and says again, "He seems nice enough, but there's something funny about him. I wouldn't hire him." Anna nods vigorously.
I slowly say, "I'm not sure. I'll have to think for a bit. Thank you for sharing your opinions."
Anna yawns. "I guess it's time for bed now."
Kristoff yawns too. "That dinner took up a lot of time."
I try to stop myself, but I can't. I yawn as well. "It seems to be contagious. Well, goodnight, guys. See you tomorrow." We walk down the hallway in silence and each go to our separate doors.
Anna POV
"Don't trust him, Elsa! I can tell he's lying! Don't trust him!" I know how I feel about this, and Elsa needs to know too.
"Woah there. You can't make assumptions just like that," she says. Argh! Can't she tell? I could!
"I can tell!" I insist. Kristoff starts to speak. "He seems nice enough, but there's something funny about him. I wouldn't hire him." Yes! He agrees with me!
Elsa thinks for a little bit. "I'm not sure. I'll have to think for a bit. Thank you for sharing your opinions." How can she not be sure? It's obvious! However, there's something even more important on my mind now: sleep.
I yawn. "I guess it's time for bed now."
Kristoff yawns too. "That dinner took up a lot of time."
Elsa also yawns. "It seems to be contagious. Well, goodnight, guys. See you tomorrow."
We all walk towards our bedrooms in silence, parting ways at our separate bedroom doors. I quickly change into my nightgown, but instead of hopping in bed, I go out onto the balcony.
Kristoff is already there. "Elsa shouldn't trust him!" I whisper immediately.
"I know," he says. "I can just tell he's lying, you know? I've just got a bad feeling."
"Me too," I say. "However, my brain is feeling really tired right now so I think I'm going to..."
He laughs. "Goodnight, Anna."
"Goodnight," I say, and peck him on the cheek before disappearing back into my room.
Elsa POV
Sure, I feel tired, but I can't sleep. There's too much on my mind. Should I hire him? Is he trustworthy? Anna and Kristoff definitely seem sure that he's lying, but I'm not sure.
He just seems so nice. Charismatic. Persuasive. There's just something about him that makes me think I should hire him. I don't know.
It's too hard to fall asleep with so much on my mind. Should I hire him or should I not? Should I or not? Should I or not? Should I or not? Finally, I've made my decision. The case is resolved.
I fall into a deep sleep, nothing on my mind at last.
A/N: chapter 5 will be up in the next couple of days. You'll find out Elsa's decision and a bunch more stuff. Please read and review, thanks!