Anna was met with another set of beautiful blue eyes. They belonged to her older sister.
"Elsa?"
Elsa stood up and brushed off any dust that possibly could have clung to her green dress.
"Oh, Anna. I was looking for you."
"Why? I mean, that's so sweet of you, but I thought I would come to you."
"I finished with my paperwork early and figured you and Kristoff would be coming back inside the castle so I decided to go find you. I thought if I found you, we could spend a little extra time together."
"Oh. Well. What do you want to do?"
"How about I fix your hair in my room?"
Anna looked at her braids and noticed they were a little askew. She couldn't believe Kristoff didn't say anything.
"Oh. Okay."
Elsa spotted the flower in Anna's hair and plucked it out.
"I like the flower though. It's a nice touch."
Anna felt around the place around her ear where Elsa took the flower from. "Oh. I hadn't noticed it."
Elsa twirled the flower in her fingers admiring its simple yet powerful beauty before putting it back in Anna's hair.
"Kristoff must have put it behind your ear while you were asleep."
Anna was all flustered and subconsciously tucked a stray strand of hair. "Well, I did take a nap in the garden."
Elsa covered her mouth before she could let a laugh erupt from her delicate mouth.
"I can't believe you fell asleep during the day."
"Hey! It's not funny! I was tired."
Elsa continued to stifle a laugh. "Hay is for horses, Anna."
Anna got all red in the face. She wanted so badly to be mad at her sister, but the more Elsa struggled from falling into a fit of giggles, the harder Anna had to fight her own laugh attack. Soon, both sisters couldn't hold it any longer and doubled over in laughter. Some time elapsed before the two sisters calmed down and looked at each other.
"And Elsa, that 'hay is for horses' joke is so old."
Elsa cracked a small smile. "That may be true, but it still works."
Anna shook her head in disbelief and amusement. But she was glad to see her sister in such a friendly and playful mood. She rarely saw her sister act in such a way. The only time Elsa acted this way more than once a blue moon was when they were children before the day she shut her out for thirteen cursed years of separation. Just thinking of the lost years with her sister, Anna felt a slight pang of guilt and hurt, but then she pushed past those years and focused on the present moment she was having with her sister. Anna presented Elsa with the same kind of smile she gave her.
"That's true. Want to go to your room?"
"Of course, Anna. Come on."
Anna trotted over to her sister's before they walked to Elsa's room. On their way to the bedroom, Anna looked over at Elsa. She felt a little nervous. She wanted to apologize for bumping into her.
"Um, Elsa?"
Elsa kept her eye in front of her, but had all her heart in every word she directed at her younger sister.
"Yes, Anna?"
"Um….I'm sorry for bumping into you. I wasn't looking where I was going. Big surprise though. I usually do something that leaves me-"
"Anna."
"Yes?"
"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to bump into me."
"Oh. Um, thanks. And just so you know, I was going to look for you. I mean, I'm sure you knew that, it's just that-"
"It's fine, Anna. I know."
"Okay. Are you okay, Elsa?"
"Yes."
"Oh, good. I'm fine because I'm used to falling on my butt. I mean, bottom. Sometimes, I trip and then catch myself and sometimes I cause a domino effect where I trip and fall on something which falls onto another thing and so on and so forth. But don't worry, nothing I knocked over were vases. Luckily. They're mostly paintings and tables and sometimes relics… But my point is that I'm okay. I'm used to it."
"I know. You were always full of energy. But I'm relieved to know that you're not hurt either, Anna."
Anna turned to Elsa in question. Did she hear her sister correctly? After all she had confessed about the messes she would occasionally make while growing up and still do, Elsa only care about her well-being? Anna was somewhat baffled by her sister's calmness.
"What do you mean by that? Don't you care that I screw up sometimes?"
"I do care when it's necessary, but there's nothing more important to me than your well-being and the kingdom's safety. Those are my two top priorities."
"Elsa?"
Elsa grew deathly quiet. She didn't want to remember why she was so concerned for Anna's well-being in the first place. Of course she had always care for her sister's safety since she was born, but her concern only increased tenfold when she accidentally hit Anna in the head with her powers, when everything went wrong. Anna tried again to bring Elsa back to her senses.
"Elsa?"
Elsa ignored her sister for a brief moment as she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. She walked inside her room with Anna trailing behind her like a puppy following its owner. Elsa sat on her bed and patted down on the mattress for Anna to join her. Anna closed the door and walked over to the bed. Elsa scooted back to give her sister room and Anna sat down in front of her. Elsa took one of Anna's braids and proceeded to undo it.
"Anna, please understand, I just you to be safe. I know you're going to trip and fall and maybe you might a few scratches and bruises, but that's expected when someone is as spirited and energetic as you. What I'm more concerned about is you falling ill, being heart-broken, and seriously injured either from a mortal wound or from….my magic. I never meant to hurt you with my magic twice."
It took Anna a moment to realize what her sister was referring to. She thought back to a few weeks ago when Elsa told her why she had kept her powers for so long and why she had refused to play with her. Once Anna knew the whole truth, she had hugged Elsa and mumbled apologies in her sister's neck. At the present time, Anna remembered that Elsa had accidentally hit her in the head as a child and again in the heart when Elsa had left Arendelle in an eternal winter. Anna allowed Elsa to gently tug at her hair as she found her voice. She wanted to make sure it didn't squeak or crack afraid she would raise fear in her sister's heart and she didn't want that to happen.
"It's okay. You didn't mean to."
"I know, but I want to be able to control my powers completely so I never have to worry about accidentally hurting you again and if I can, I would also like to use my powers to protect you from danger."
"I'm sure that won't happen."
"I know. I just want to be sure."
"Yeah, yeah. But I rather you used your magic for fun."
"I think that both of us would rather that I use my magic for entertainment purposes."
Elsa made a neat little knot with Anna's hair tie for her right braid. She then worked on the other braid.
"So…"
Anna twiddled her thumbs trying to think of something else to say to her sister.
"So, what happened between you and Kristoff today? Did you guys have fun?"
Anna was in shock. She wasn't expecting for Elsa to start off a conversation. But she was pleasantly shocked. She like it that he older sister was slowly coming out of her shell.
"Kristoff and I did have fun. We went into town and had sandwiches for lunch."
"What did you guys do in town?"
"We did some window shopping and played with some of the local kids and threw rocks into the fjord over the docks."
"Sounds fun."
"It was. Then we relaxed in the garden where I fell asleep. And then I bumped into you after Kristoff kissed me goodbye."
"That was nice of him."
"It was. He's a great guy."
"I know."
"I mean, he's WAY better than Hans."
"I could imagine. I did briefly meet him, you know."
"I know. I wish you and Kristoff could become better acquainted though."
"I wish we could, too. But I have to make decisions on who I rather see or what I have to do. I have to attend to my duties as queen and Kristoff is busy being an ice harvester and you, Anna, you're….busy being you. You can go in between me and Kristoff. You have the freedom of spending time with both of us and greeting the people and helping me and Kristoff when you can."
Anna fell silent. She didn't know what to say to Elsa. All she could do was feel the soft pull of her sister's hands as she tightened the end of her braid. Elsa absentmindedly pushed the braids to the front of Anna's chest.
"What I don't understand is how you could be tired after what you described to me what you did today. Did your playing with the children use up half of your energy?"
"No."
"Then why did you become tired? You used to be so energetic."
"Well, maybe that's just it. Maybe I've grown tired."
"That can't be it, Anna. You had plenty of energy going up the North Mountain to find me even if you had some help from Kristoff."
"That's probably because of my drive to meet you and bring you back home in Arendelle."
"Anna…"
Anna sighed out of fatigue and leaned back toward the soft mattress forcing Elsa to lean back with her. She dropped her head on Elsa's chest and rested her hand on her sister's flat stomach. A frown curled in placement of her typical cheerful smile.
"Anna."
Anna curled and uncurled her index finger against her sister's stomach again and again.
"I'm just worried about something."
"About what?"
Anna nudged her nose close to Elsa's neck.
"I'm worried about if I screw up tomorrow."
Elsa was worried that Anna heard the news about them expecting guests the next day. She was hoping that she wouldn't hear from the staff so she could tell Anna about them and give her a little pep talk. Elsa knew what do to confirm her suspicion.
"For what?"
"Our guests tomorrow. I heard from Gerda that the King and Queen of Denmark are coming to visit us."
"Oh. So you heard. Is that why you're tired? Because you're worried of what they might think of you?"
Anna stopped curling and uncurling her finger against Elsa's stomach. She simply nodded her head.
"Yes. But I'm not just worried about me."
"What do you mean?"
Anna looked up at Elsa and pressed her hand firmly on her sister's stomach in a comforting way.
"I'm also worried about what they think of you and your powers. Do they know?"
"I'm sure they know. If they don't then I'll explain to them."
Anna shifted her body so her face was now across from Elsa's. Her fingers slid off Elsa's stomach as she did so.
"Are you sure?"
Elsa looked down at her younger sister and drank in her features. She saw how cute Anna's nose looked all scrunched up with a kiss of freckles highlighting her fair skin. Elsa noted the genuine concern weaving in-between Anna's irises and pupils of her blue eyes. And her frown was the cherry on the top. Elsa's heart broke and warmed at the same time just looking at her sister. She felt lucky for Anna to show such concern for her, but she also wanted to get rid of pain from Anna's heart. She gave her sister a gentle smile and pulled the flower out of her hair and brushed it across her freckles. Anna couldn't keep her frown on her face for long for she let a giggle or two to slip from her mouth. Elsa allowed a lighthearted chuckle float out between her lips. But then Anna stopped laughed and grew serious once more.
"Elsa, please."
The flower that was in the queen's hand had floated down on the mattress. Elsa cupped a hand against Anna's face and locked eyes with her.
"Everything will fine. You have nothing to worry about, Anna."
"Promise?"
Elsa kissed Anna's nose. "I promise."
Anna's mouth broke into a radiant smile and her arms flung around her sister's neck. "I love you, Elsa."
Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna and patted her sister's back. "I love you too, Anna."
The two sisters pulled away from the embrace but still held one another in the other's arms and smiled. A calm quiet fell upon them and they were comfortable how they were. They were children wrapped in blankets huddled near their mother while she read them a bedtime story. Yet the comfortable silence was cut in half as they heard a knock on the door. Elsa rose from the bed while Anna just sat up. Elsa opened the door. She was greeted by the sight of Gerda.
"I apologize for disturbing you, Queen Elsa, but do you know where Princess Anna is?"
"She's in here with me."
"Oh, good. Well, I would like to inform you that dinner is ready, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Gerda. Anna and I will be down soon."
"Very good, Queen Elsa. The kitchen staff will be waiting for you and Princess Anna."
"Thank you, Gerda. You may go now."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Gerda curtsied to Elsa before leaving.
Elsa turned toward Anna. She raised her eyebrows at the sight in front of her. Anna was sitting up with her legs spread apart and her hands pressed on the mattress in between her legs.
"Anna, what are you doing?"
Anna innocently looked at her older sister as if she didn't see anything wrong with how she sat.
"What do you mean? I'm sitting on your bed. Isn't it obvious?"
"But you're not supposed to sit like that. Gerda could have seen you."
"So what? She didn't see me and thus is does not matter. I'm sure no one was going to see me anyway like this except for you."
Elsa rolled her eyes at her sister's shenanigans. "Could you please act like a princess when we leave the room?"
Anna scooted off Elsa's bed and joined her sister at the door.
"I will," Anna assured as she walked through the door. Elsa followed her and carefully closed the door behind them as she came out. Elsa turned toward Anna.
"I'm just saying, Anna, you should do your best to act ladylike while in the presence of dignitaries, royalty, and our servants. They may act professional just like us, but I'm sure they rather act differently just like you and me. Please, do it for them since they do it for us."
"Fine," Anna replied in a calm voice before raising it along with her arms, "but there are so many rules!"
Elsa breathed through her nose. She gently pressed her sister's down at her sides and then brought herself in front her sister.
"You can act like the biggest goofball all you want when in you're in the privacy of your room or when you're with Kristoff and Olaf, but for now be a lady."
Anna was about to protest, but then she saw the pleading look in her sister's eyes and dropped her defenses.
"Okay, Elsa. I'll do it for you and our loyal staff."
A tiny smile graced Elsa's face. "Thank you, Anna."
A huge, mischievous smile exploded on the princess's face.
"But for now," Anna playfully tapped the tip of Elsa's nose, "we race each other down the stairs!"
Anna began to run toward the stairs. Elsa was in complete shock. It took her some time register to what happened before she could lift the skirt of her dress and run after her sister.
"Anna! No running!"
Anna was a few steps down with her arms spread out like eagle wings and laughing like a child-loud, jubilant and youthful.
"You're gonna have to catch me first!"
"Anna!"
Elsa's pink cheeks turned a shade of red almost to the color of blood. Yet her frustration towards her younger sibling didn't last long since it was feigned. She joined her sister in laughter after failing miserably from suppressing her sincere delight of their boisterous behavior.
Throughout the castle, the staff could hear an unfamiliar sound. They heard delighted laughter bounce off the walls of the castle and took them some time to recognize the laughter as belonging to their beloved Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. They listened intently as if their laughter was like listening to music for the first time-pleasant and magical; new and exciting. They were reminded of the music box laughter that the two young women once hiccupped when they were little girls. For the first time in forever, they heard the combined laughs of their kind and wise ruler and her dedicated right hand woman. The staff secretly hoped they would ketch the two in the act without them knowing, but when they would see the royals they would be perfect ladies by the time they would reach the bottom of the stairs.
To Be Continued…