The morning after was an unusually quiet one for the Queen of Arendelle. When everyone had retreated to their sleeping quarters, Elsa was fully prepared for her little sister to announce herself in her usually loud and excited manner the next day. However, her morning wasn't met with a barrage of knocks much like the day beginning their journey. Instead, today was met with a cheerful whisper.
"Elsa." A voice was heard directly behind Elsa's back as she laid in bed.
"Psst!" The voice persisted. Barely awake, Elsa could feel something crawling over from the bedside and quickly making its way on top of her sleeping form. A smile began to creep across her cheeks.
"Elsa!" The perpetrator of the event was no longer hiding her presence and was now sitting directly on top of the queen as she began to shake the blonde girl's shoulder. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
"Anna, go back to sleep." She replied with a smile, briefly opening her eye to look at her sister as well as how much daylight was shining through the room. She immediately determined that the sun wasn't even over the horizon.
The redhead let out a disgruntled sigh. "I just can't!" she complained just before plopping her entire body onto her older sister. "The sky's awake. So I'm awake! So we have to play!" Anna extended both her arms on opposite ends as she looked up to the golden sun painted on the ceiling of the room. She had a joyous smile just thinking of what the day would bring.
Without warning, Anna began to feel some shuffling from underneath her. Before she could react, she felt two arms protrude through the cloth and wrap around her waist, covering and encasing her in the purple silk blanket. Elsa had a cheeky grin on her face as she began to squeeze the life out of her little sister, holding her in one of the tightest embraces that only left the two in a fit of giggles.
"Now you're trapped and can't go out to play." Elsa teased. The imprisoned girl did her very best to wriggle herself free from the clutches of the queen.
"No fair! I wasn't ready for that!" Anna shouted with glee. In her defense, she really wasn't ready for it. As a kid, she was usually met with a shove to the side and a tumble to the floor.
As Elsa turned them on their sides, entrapping the poor girl even deeper more within the blanket, she began to loop the blanket underneath her sister and quickly summoned a layer of ice to enclose the redhead nice and snug without a way of getting out.
"There, much better." She tried desperately to hide her smile as she rose from bed and watched as Anna continued to shimmy to get out. She couldn't help but laugh a little as she began to compare her baby sister to that of a fish on land or a bug in a web.
"I will get free, Elsa! Just you wait. When I do, you will rue the day you dare imprison me!" Anna threatened rather nonthreateningly while looking at the ice clearly keeping her at bay. She tried to either break the ice or wiggle out of the blanket. However, it was proving far more difficult than simply wiggling out of layers of cloth or simply breaking magical ice. The snow queen did not seem fazed by the threat as she made her way to the mirror to clean herself up.
"So, my dear sister whom I should release but refuse to because it's far too entertaining, what do you have planned for us today?" Elsa asked as she began combing her hair. She heard a sudden thud that caused her to quickly turn to see Anna now lying on the ground, free of the ice shackles but still desperately fighting the fabric.
"I was hoping to do a lot of shopping!" The princess finally rose from the ground, victoriously holding the silk blanket spread wide across her body. "I'd like to get lots and lots of souvenirs before we return home. Maybe try some new food or buy a new dress!" She tossed the blanket over her shoulder and draped one end around her waist as she posed herself seductively against the bedframe.
"You just want to try the chocolate here, don't you?" Elsa peeked over at her sister playing with the blanket to form all sorts of dress variants.
"Well, duh! So do you. Oh, what about a pet! Oh we can buy a pet! I've always wanted a puppy!" Anna cheered as she sprinted her way to Elsa's side and tossed the blanket over her sister's shoulders. Elsa simply shrugged and let out a deflated sigh, allowing the fabric to fall to the carpeted floor.
"We already have pets, Anna."
"Name one pet!" The spry girl immediately demanded.
"Olaf?"
"He's more like a little kid than a dog!"
"Sven?"
"Sven's practically Kristoff's best friend, if not brother! He's not a pet, he's family."
"How about Jack?" Elsa gave a sly grin. She could clearly see Anna attempting to hold in her laughter with her hands cupped over her mouth. The princess suddenly burst out, unable to contain herself as she began rolling on the ground. Elsa also couldn't hold it in either.
"Alright, alright, maybe Jack." The redhead agreed, wiping a tear that formed in her eye from their giggle fest. "Speaking of Jack, where is he?" Anna questioned. She began wisping all across the room in search of the mischievous guardian and where he could possibly be. The closet maybe?
"What? Do you think he slept in my room last night?" Elsa replied with an overtly sarcastic undertone, continuing to brush her hair.
"Yes?" Anna replied rather bluntly, tilting her head in slight confusion once learning that that wasn't the case. The older girl's movements stifled with a blush spanning across her face. She had a dumbfounded look on her that Anna immediately picked up on from Elsa's reflection in the mirror.
A devilish grin crept over her face as she thought of her impending vengeance. Moving ever so slowly towards the defiant blonde hair, making absolutely certain she could clearly see her making it over to her side. Crouching slightly forward, she momentarily rested her chin on Elsa's shoulder, her grin not wavering for even a moment and never breaking eye contact through the reflection.
"Didn't he spend the night with you the whole time on the-"
"Anna…" Elsa warned with a very low and monotone voice, averting her gaze slightly from the mirror, her face still flushed. Damn him, Anna was taking after Jack.
"I wonder what you two were doing in-"
"He was asleep the whole time." She defended, trying her hardest to ignore her sister. Focus on the hair. Focus on the hair.
"Then, I wonder what you were doing to him while he was-"
"Anna!"
"Elsa!" a new voice cheered as the door to her room swung open. Both sisters' heads jolted towards their new guest in the room. Standing happily in front of the open door was the all too loveable talking snowman that Elsa could not be happier to see in that very moment of time.
"Good morning Olaf." Elsa immediately greeted as she quickly rose from her seat, causing her sister to stumble several steps backwards.
"Hi Elsa! Hi Anna! So when are we going shopping?" He greeted and grinned at the two, waddling his way to them.
"After Elsa gets dressed we can-"
"I'm already set." Elsa quickly replied. While Anna was focused on the little snowman, Elsa casted her ice to wrap herself in her all too familiar sequin-like blue ice dress draped with a semi-transparent cape behind her. Her hair loosely braided and settling just over her shoulders.
Anna was left in slight amazement as she watched the finishing touches of the attire take shape. This was the first time she had actually seen her sister materialize fabric before her very eyes. However, her only thought was how unfair it was that her sister could make any dress that she wanted while poor ol' Anna had to buy them. She pouted her lips at the thought. Her hair even braided itself!
"Ice powers are so unfair…" She stated begrudgingly, her pout did not go unnoticed as she looked away. The queen quietly giggled before taking Olaf's hand and wrapping her arm around Anna's.
"Come on then, let's go explore, shall we?" She smiled.
Instantaneously, Anna perked up and pressed her shoulders against hers, her face beaming from the thought of finally visiting the town. Without hesitation, she rushed through the doors, still locked arms and ran down the hall as quickly as she could so that they could enjoy the sightseeing sooner.
Only Elsa's little sister could instigate such a rigorous morning exercise without even realizing it. The amount of energy in her baby sister has always been infinite and unyielding. However, Elsa saw no reason to deter the excitement as she too was waiting in anticipation of the days to come. The stories of Corona were a joy to hear from her mother and father. "The kingdom blessed by the sun" her mother would always say. Seeing it for the first time was truly astounding.
The floating lanterns were the second thing she had always wanted to see. Though she did not learn of its dark connotation until much later in her years, the image of hundreds and hundreds of lights taking to the sky did fuel many of her dreams during her childhood.
"I see the queen, too, is a morning person." A husky voice caught the attention of the two sisters. Turning their attention to the man they had unknowingly passed by, they found themselves in the presence of a tall man with brawny features. He was both clean cut and rugged with a powerful presence to him. Anna was taking her time in recognizing who he was but it was instant for Elsa. She knew immediately who this man is.
On instinct, she straightened her posture and stood attentively before him. She is a queen. She must uphold a strong image for her people. A difficult task when in the presence of her amazing sister and loving creation.
"Good morning, King Thomas." Elsa gave a petite smile. The oblivious sister finally put the pieces together, realizing that kings sometimes don't normally wear their crowns indoors. They were in the presence of royalty. Though she was also royalty, it did not stop her from becoming overly anxious. She immediately adjusted herself, overcompensating a bit with her stance, leaning more towards military than monarchy. Her face scrunched, contorting into an odd mixture of serious and delighted and anxious. Truly impossible for anyone other than herself, really.
"It's- uh- it's a pleasure to meet you- er- majest- your majesty, Sir- I mean King! King Thomas!" She must have taken on twenty different expressions trying to go through that one sentence. Proper etiquette when referring to titles had slipped past her mind.
How was it she could feel so open with the princess but so pressured by the king? He wasn't that much taller than Kristoff but not as bulky, though more so than her father. It was the beard wasn't it? It had to be. Damn beards and their ability to make someone look all the more impressive. Maybe the eyebrows too? Nah, just the beard, though the eyebrows helped. What the hell was her head getting at? She mentally face palmed when she peeked at her older sister looking at her worriedly. She was having a hard time facing the king again.
However, he simply smiled. "It's good to meet you Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and your little friend too." He looked down to see their little guest completely unmoved by the new company. Olaf began hopping and waving energetically, his other hand still holding onto Elsa's. "What is it that has brought you up and about this fine morning?" the king asked with a course but gentle voice.
"We will be exploring your lovely kingdom, as we did not have the chance due to our late arrival last night." Elsa affirmed.
"Yep!" Both Anna and Olaf replied, Anna finally relaxed several tiers.
"I see. May I suggest you visit the lower district by the bridge? They sell magnificent apples. It also has quite a lovely view."
"Hi Dad! Hi Anna! Hi Elsa!" A person shouted from down the hall. The group turned their attention to the princess running towards them. She planted a kiss on her father's cheek and crouched down to hug Olaf before standing between the sisters and her father. "I heard you guys are going to the town. Want me to guide you?" Her smile was as bright as Anna's. The two were remarkably similar in mannerism and excitement level.
"That would be wonderful." The queen grinned, both because of the open hospitality that emanated from Rapunzel as well as Anna's face lighting up even more. Rapunzel also extremely thrilled with the approval before looking around them.
"Where's Kristoff?" She questioned.
Anna shrugged. "He's sleeping. He made fun of me for loving beds but he's the one that ends up refusing to leave it." She pursed her lips as she recalled him making fun of her most of the night. The brunette began chuckling.
"Yeah, Eugene's also out cold." She moved in closer, trying not to garner the attention of her dad right behind her. "We were up really late last night talking with Nightlight." Her smile grew larger still. "Also, where's Jack?"
"Right behind you." Jack announced, standing directly behind the king. The girls' necks snapped to attention, all completely aware of his abilities and invisibility. They tried to feign ignorance in the presence of the King of Corona. However, the sisters knew the tricks he played.
"I- I think we should get moving, don't you?" Anna stated anxiously but with a smile as to not alarm the king.
"Right! Yes, right. The shops should be opening soon." Rapunzel's smile was now slightly forced as she quickly turned to the two behind her. They nodded eagerly, also wanting to put as much distance as possible between them and King Thomas before Jack tried anything.
"Hi Ja-mrph!" Olaf was quickly silenced by Anna as she abruptly picked him up from the ground and held him in her hands.
"Let's go! No time to waste when we have so much to see!" She nudged her sister. The trio looked to the king and gave their farewells before disembarking. Rapunzel went in for a quick embrace before she rushed to Anna's side. They walked at a brisk pace down corridor.
Jack was fully aware of their flustered and agitated mannerism and knew full well as to the reason behind it. Laughing heartily, he slowly followed behind them, playing with the walls, slightly coating it with frost but making it light as to not draw too much attention to it.
"The wind and the snow, the hail and the rain."
Jack paused as he heard these words behind him.
"That make such a bustle and noise in vain."
Turning his head slowly, he wondered who the old guy was talking to. He could see the king looking in his direction but was unsure of whether he was simply looking at the females escaping. A smile was buried beneath his facial hair.
"But I'll be as busy as they!" He continued. His voice was low but powerful and he let out a hearty laugh. Jack was still unsure of whether or not he was trying to reach group that had just left. Jack tilted his head as he looked at the king both confusingly and curiously. The larger man finally turned around in silence and started walking away. Jack had the urge to call out to him. To try get his attention. Was it possible he could see him? The large man chuckled before he finally disappeared around the corner.
Throughout the entire instance, Jack was only left to wonder what it was all about. He wasn't sure what was more bothering, the fact the man was seemingly talking to himself or the contents of his words. He was only brought back to reality when a sudden blur passed through the window adjacent to him. From the corner of his eye, he had caught a glimpse of something that, for some reason, seemed familiar. Stranger still was that he was several floors up.
Several days passed since their arrival to Corona. If Anna thought her imagination couldn't possibly be met with reality, she was sorely mistaken, literally. Her feet could not handle the amount of walking, skipping, jumping, and sprinting she had been doing. Truly her expectations were trumped by the reality of Corona.
One thing the sisters immediately took notice of were the multitude of lanterns that laced the frames of every building and stall. It looked as though everyone had their very own floating lantern at the ready and then some. The numbers started small but grew exponentially with the passing time.
Next were the streamers that draped over the roofs of every building, all with flags that showcased Corona's emblem of the ever shining golden sun. Here they thought Arendelle was a bit excessive with their flower crest but this was on a grandiose scale. This did not change too drastically in comparison to the lantern but it did not mean the numbers were any less impressive.
However, what really took them for a loop were the stalls. Stalls upon stalls upon stalls lining the streets. From hats and dresses to flowers and chickens, both live and dinner. The amount of shops did not change throughout the days because it was already insurmountable.
"No more food until lunch!" seemed to be the chant each morning for Anna but somehow ignored due to sheer impulse of trying something new. There was a lot to choose from. Early on, Elsa attempted to mitigate her sister's indulging but, as time went on, no one saw the need to restrict the excited individual. They simply enjoyed it all with her. It was a time of celebration, screw reservation.
"An, erreyun iz eein erry ize ooh you." Anna commented with a mouth full of numerous treats that had been given to them through their journey down the town. The brunette looked at her quizzically, trying to translate the words. Elsa pressed her hand to her lips to hold in her amusement, aware of Rapunzel's confusion.
"She said that everyone treats you very kindly, Princess Rapunzel." The queen translated. Rapunzel gave an 'oh' expression.
"Ehya!" Anna presumably agreed. Rapunzel's cheeks widened. The two had noticed a trend with the people. The first day they would occasionally be offered free treats, souvenirs, or trinkets. However, the trend was becoming greater with people being even more insistent about them accepting the offer. Today was without a doubt a shower of gifts at every turn.
"Yeah, everyone here is very nice to me! Especially now since today's my birthday." She stated nonchalantly.
Suddenly, Elsa and Anna gave a shocked expression at this sudden new information. Anna did her best to swallow the rest of the food filling her mouth. With a loud gulp and a painful gasp of air, she ran straight in front of the princess in pink.
"Your birthday?! You birthday is today? I mean 'your'. Your birthday is today. Yeah, that sounds right… Your birthday is today?!" Anna almost shouted but somehow kept her voice down. Rapunzel also looked at her with a little surprise.
"Yep! Today is when we will release the floating lights."
Anna continued to look at Rapunzel before turning to face Elsa.
Did you know? Anna mouthed the words silently.
Elsa was slightly bug eyed and shook her head. The information had also passed by her. The thing was, she knew the date of the event and she was previously informed about this prior to their invitation and journey here. However, with the days filled with constantly interacting with something new and different, the whole reason as to why they were there had completely eluded her.
"I'm terribly sorry, I should have given you your gift, had I known." Elsa was genuinely ashamed by the thought of forgetting. She found relief in Rapunzel taking her and her sister's hands to quell their worries.
"It's alright. You've been hanging out with me all this time while you were here. That's more than I can ask for. Having some friends to be with." Her smile was soft but loving.
Anna's eyes were about to water as the emotions began to drown her. Friend. This was her first, down to earth, actual human being and legitimate friend not related to her or dating her or manifested from snow. Something that seemed almost impossible when put on a pedestal known as royalty. Elsa also found great warmth in her words. In the past week, she felt more open than ever before with someone new. Completely out of character, she embraced Rapunzel, not entirely sure why but, regardless, had the urge that needed to be satiated.
Anna was caught off guard by the act. Her bewilderment immediately changed to glee as she embraced the two in an overwhelmingly tight hug. Hugs are nice, warm, and cuddly and should always happen all the time. Olaf was rubbing off on all of them.
With Rapunzel's head nested on Elsa shoulders and her arms wrapped around the two sisters, she noticed several kids running their way. They were hugging in the middle of the town and she was becoming even more aware of the situation. As they broke apart, she noticed the kids run around Elsa's cape. However, one little girl did not seem like she was planning to detour. More alarming was Elsa was about to back into the little girl's path.
"Careful!" Rapunzel reached her hands to the pale fingers and pulled her slightly forward.
As the child ran over the icy fabric, an older lady started running in their direction.
"Mary! Watch where you're running." The lady grabbed hold of the little girl. The child looked slightly confused.
"I'm sorry momma."
"Your majesty, your highnesses, I'm so sorry. She's young and doesn't know any better. Mary, apologize to the young lady." She turned to her daughter expectantly. The child looked even more confused as to what she had done wrong. She turned to face Rapunzel.
"I'm sorry Princess Rapunzel." The girl said truthfully but still a little puzzled. Rapunzel shared the same expression.
"Um, it's alright but you really should be apologizing to her." She looked to Elsa who was thrown off by the situation. The child turned to face Anna and Elsa's direction.
"I'm sorry." The child said solemnly, now slightly upset with herself.
"It's alright, I'm fine." Elsa smiled. The little girl's expression did not change in the least, still dejected. There was silence among the group in her lack of a response. Anna made her way to the little girl.
"It's fine, just be careful where you're running, alright?" the redhead gave a kind smile as she held the child's hand. The girl had a huge grin on her face.
"I will!" She announced. Very happy that she was not upset with her. Anna's lips continued to curl.
"Now go and have some fun. It's the princess's birthday after all!" The redhead encouraged.
"I will!" the girl cheered again, smiling at the princess then at the mother. After several thank yous from the older lady, they made their exit.
The three lamented the event in silence, glad that no one was hurt but Rapunzel was still a bit confused about the entire thing. The way the girl reacted seemed strange to say the least and she couldn't understand why. Pushing the thought from her mind, she turned to Elsa.
"Are you okay? Is your dress okay? We can clean it if you want."
Elsa looked behind herself and looked at her cape. Though she knew about the children passing by her, she didn't realize the little girl had run over her cape. She didn't even feel the steps on her attire. There wasn't even any evidence of the incident. "I think it's fine. Let's keep exploring." She reassured.
With a breath of relief, Rapunzel continued to guide them through the town. However, Elsa did not feel the same comfort. The event had cemented certain behaviors she had been noticing while traveling through Corona, especially from the younger children.