Chapter 2

Anna

The sun peaked through the cracked window, casting a small ray of light within the dark chamber. Anna reached up and yanked the window completely open, the motion letting fly some old dust which lingered in the sunlight. With a small grin Anna leaned out the window and looked both ways, down to the fjord and to the village beyond.

It had been a few days since she had escaped to this tower; ever since she learned of her parent's deaths, she had kept to her room but hadn't been able to stand the closed doors any longer. So she left and wandered the empty halls, occasionally stopping by her sister's door. She was always tempted to knock. Always tempted to say something.

But Elsa never responded. Anna was sure she'd have to be dying of some lethal wound until Elsa would open her door. Anna continued down the hall and made her way to her favorite tower, where only the occasional bird visited. The castle was always quiet, yet from the tower, she could hear the sounds from the village or the horns from the incoming ships, though even those were few.

Anna gripped the window sill and hoisted herself through, making sure her skirts didn't catch on the corners. It would be a quick and painful fall if she fell down, so the extra caution she took was worth the effort. Usually she would wear a loose gown free of petticoats, but her mourning dress was full of them and it would be her main dress for the next six months which she wasn't exactly looking forward to.

She settled down on the most level part of the roof, letting her feet dangle over the side. Birds chirped in the distance and the fjord's water beat against the rocks in light waves. There wasn't a cloud in the sky that morning, the sun soaking Arendelle in the warm blanket she had very much missed. The summers were always too short; soon she wouldn't be able to sit outside without a large cloak to keep her warm.

Absently she wondered if any of the villagers were mourning the loss of their king and queen. Did they miss the rulers of who barely made an appearance? The castle was shut tight from visitors, and vice versa. There was a time when this castle wasn't a prison, and it was a time almost forgotten. Now every day was a bleak repeat of yesterday. She did her studies, her hobbies, she ate, visited with the same people over and over again…

Often she would wander into the ballroom and just imagine crowds of people. She would sit by the wall and just close her eyes; people she didn't know, dancing around the room in a beautiful, fluid movement. She would stop herself and move on, because she knew it wasn't possible at that moment. There was little hope in thinking anything would change, especially now with her parents gone.

A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she realized there were horses in the courtyard. Everything was the same, yet there were several horses in the courtyard.

Visitors.

She stood up so suddenly that her foot slipped on the roof tile and she landed on her backside, grasping at the tiles in order to stop her descent, quickly catching herself. With a relived sigh she moved her way towards the open window, once again trying to keep her skirts from catching on anything. She closed the window on her way out and made her way down the tower, barely remembering to close the doors behind her as she went. Gerda would make a fuss if she ever discovered Anna liked to explore the rooftops. That was another lecture waiting to happen.

She made her way through the halls, passing the familiar paintings, having already memorized every single detail there is to remember about the paintings – one of the few things to do when kept inside castle walls – and headed for the throne room.

The great throne room was bare, save for the drapes hanging from the magnificent stone pillars lining the walls. The two chairs where her parents would have sat were empty, and Anna realized this was the first time she had entered the throne room since she learned of her parent's passing. The chairs were left as they were; identical to the other, and where the king and queen would rule over their subjects.

She bit her lip and headed next to the council room, stopping outside the large carved oak door, straining to hear anything from inside. There were voices, mostly men, but she heard something she hadn't expected. Her sister.

Without further thought she opened the door and looked for Elsa's face, and nearly gasped when she found her. Elsa looked worn out, tired, and skinnier than ever. Her already pale skin almost matched her white hair, and she looked like she was sick. Her mourning clothes made her look even paler than usual. "Elsa," Anna said, moving closer into the room.

"Please, tell her what we have decided," Elsa said with a bow of her head and headed out the back door without so much another word.

"Wait!" Anna darted after her, ignoring the looks the nobility gave her. They were mostly looks of pity, and she hated it. "Elsa, you can't just hide forever."

Elsa kept walking until Anna stepped in front of her, holding her arm out to stop her. "You don't look like you're faring well. I'm here to help you."

"I don't need your help."

"But I need yours – we just lost our parents. We're going through the same ordeal."

Elsa looked down, her gloved hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Leave me alone, Anna. Please. Duke Goran will discuss with you what the future holds."

"You can't just go back to your room," Anna huffed, exasperated.

"No, I cannot," Elsa said in a whisper, and dashed off to her room, her shoes clicking on the stone floor.

"Princess Anna, please, in here," Duke Goran called out, holding the door open for her. Duke Goran was one of the higher nobility in Arendelle, and had been close to her parents. Anna knew he was married, but he had never been allowed to bring his wife or children to the castle. He was only allowed over when it was for council meetings such as this.

Anna never thought him as old, but the bags under his eyes and the unkempt graying hair proved how old and tired he probably felt. He had lost his king and queen and Anna couldn't treat him with anger despite how she felt at that moment.

She went into the council room and sat down at the chair offered to her. Around the table sat men she recognized but did not know by name; men high in ranking who owned property or provinces. Men who depended on having their king and queen taking charge.

"We have decided upon princess Elsa's coronation in three years time, when she is twenty one years old. For now, I am the regent until then," Duke Goran said, bowing at the waist. "Elsa has agreed to take the throne. You do not need to worry about anything, Anna. Your future is secure."

Anna leaned back in her chair, twiddling her hair between her fingers. "When Elsa is queen, what will happen to the kingdom?"

"We are going to push for our gates to be open all the time. It has been too long since the villagers have been able to have their voices heard. Our alliances with other kingdoms aren't what they used to be. The king and queen were wise, but wanting to close the castle to everyone…"

Anna knew what the men thought. They thought it was foolish, but so did Anna. It was Elsa who continued to keep the gates closed. It was Elsa who feared the outside and what it could offer. She had questioned Elsa's motives countless times – but she wasn't the one with the power of choice. Elsa was firstborn, and whatever she wanted her parents gave her.

Apparently being forever lonely was her choice.

But it wasn't Anna's.

"I too will push for the gates to be opened," Anna said. "Thank you, Duke Goran. I appreciate all that you've done so far. Will you be moving into the castle?"

"As Elsa's request, I will be regent from my own home. The castle will be under guard, and you will have your steward and servants to take care of you."

Great. Anna closed her eyes and sighed. Three more years of the same people. She couldn't remember a time when the castle felt as small as it did right then.

"We will be leaving you and will keep in contact by letters." Each of the men stood up, bowed, and left the room until Anna was left alone.

Gerda had been kind and withheld studies for the past few days, but Anna wished for nothing more than to complete an assignment or do something to keep her busy.

Three more years until the gates could be opened. She had already lived for years within the castle with nothing to do; three more years wouldn't be any more different. All this meant is that she would have to find something else to learn. Perhaps fencing, or horseback riding. She had attempted sewing but had little talent for it.

The stables were a place where she could visit without technically leaving the castle; she had gone there once or twice in the past few years but she had never attempted to ride a horse. She supposed it was time and bit of outside air would do her good. Maybe she could eventually ride to where her parents were buried, once she was good enough.

She sighed and stood, dusting off her dress as she went. Three years was a long time to wait, but she was determined to make the most of it.