(Edited the description to fit it a bit better:)

It is a time of change. Anna and Hans become engaged and Arendelle is currently a land of peace under the rule of Queen Elsa. Unbeknownst to her, there's a plot to remove her from power and she finds herself losing control over her own kingdom as Hans's older brothers make themselves known, in pursuit of their own power. She and Kristoff, brought together as friends in an unusual circumstance, must find ways to defend themselves and their country if they want to survive.

Chapter 6

Kristoff

The morning after the random meeting with the queen, Kristoff cleaned the small wounds on his shoulder, realizing it hadn't really been a total dream. It hadn't been a dream at all, in fact – the queen had magic. His wounds were proof of that. After she left, he had moved to the haystack where she had been sitting, and collapsed on it. He hadn't figured anyone would come to the stables that night, thinking he could get a free night's stay in the kingdom. The inns had boosted their prices because of all the visitors, a price to which he couldn't afford.

So he had went to the stables and found the queen in his would be bed.

Kristoff dismissed it as happenchance, probably never going to be able to see her again. But it solved a mystery he had had ever since he was younger: the first night he had met the trolls had been the night he had witnessed the trolls' magic. There had been ice, and plenty of it.

And suddenly it clicked why the whole kingdom had been closed off, and now that the queen could no longer hide… he suspected this wouldn't be the last time he heard of her magic. One way or the other word would get out.

He just hoped she was ready to face that.

His reindeer suddenly snorted, catching his attention.

"Someone's coming this early in the morning?" Kristoff sighed and gathered his bag, slinging it over his good shoulder. The sun had just peaked over the mountains and barely anyone would be on the streets. Maybe the stable master just liked to come early, nonetheless it meant he had to go.

Keeping an eye out, he kept his head below the stall doors and was out the back entrance, but curiosity got the better of him and he peeked through a window, watching for whoever was coming.

"What's she doing back here," he muttered, seeing the white-blond head of the queen.

Dressed in a long sleeved robe and even wearing gloves at the early morning hour, Elsa looked tired and defeated, but still kept her back straight and moves simple, just as every noble person was. Head held high and ready for responsibility. She stopped in front of the stall and in her hands she held long white bandages. At the sight of him not there, she turned to leave, looking more distraught than ever.

"Are those bandages for me?" Kristoff huffed out, making himself known. He jogged up to her and held out his hand. "Aw, you shouldn't have." He almost laughed at her spooked expression.

Elsa put the bandages in his hand. "I'm sorry for what I did last night."

"Have to say you make an almost frightening first impression."

She blanched at the comment, which sent Kristoff backpedaling.

"No! I meant you made a good first impression, it was just painful. No, no." Kristoff sighed and buried his face in his hands. "I can tell you're kind and you're under a lot of stress. What you did last night was an accident, so don't let what happened to me bother you."

"I can't help but think…" Elsa started, twiddling with her hands. "But you're fine?"

"Fit as a reindeer." Kristoff motioned to his beloved reindeer, the large animal taking up half the walkway with his antlers. "Meet Sven."

"Oh!" Elsa didn't move to touch him; in fact she took a step back. "I've never been up close to a reindeer before."

"Handsome little fellow, isn't he?" Kristoff cooed, scratching Sven under the chin. "Been with me ever since I can remember."

"Yes." Was that a hint of a smile? Kristoff couldn't really tell. "Well, I better be going. I hope to see you again… Kristoff."

"If you want ice, just ask for me," he grinned. "It's what I do."

"Something we have in common, then," Elsa said in a small voice, then made her way through the stables. It was lighter now as the sun shined through the windows and cracks, lighting up the stables in a yellow glow. The scent of hay and horses still lingered in the air, a bit stronger than usual that morning.

The stable hands would be in soon to begin their work. Kristoff put the bandages in his pocket and directed Sven to the outside of the stables where his sled was, and he began to hook him up. He was all out of ice at the moment and had to replenish, which would mean he would be gone for a few days. It was a long trek up the mountain, which he knew practically by heart. Sven hardly needed direction up the mountain.

First he would need enough supplies for the few days at the mountain. He was out of carrots for Sven, and out of food for himself. With the kingdom bustling with people, he was sure to find some stock for him to take with him.

Arendelle was his home; he had grown up here, wandered the streets as an orphan. He couldn't remember his parents or really remember how he started out as an ice apprentice to the ice harvesters. It had all worked out for the best, though, and he had a loving family he only got to see every so often.

By 'family' he meant trolls. By 'trolls' he meant mythical rock creatures he couldn't talk to anyone about. They had accepted him into their family, raised him, provided for him, but ever since he reached an age where he could take care of himself, he kept on in the ice harvesting business. That way he wasn't completely outside of the human world. Trolls were silly creatures, but he missed the rocks. Maybe during his trek up the mountain he could stop by; they weren't very far. Sven would be quite happy to see them too.

He led Sven into the markets, already chirping with bustling people. The tall, bright wooden buildings surrounded the brick pathways, with strings of flags connecting each of the buildings. Smells drifted into the airs of the different treats and food being cooked up for breakfast. Kristoff was distracted by the smell of ham and potatoes, walking towards the building with his nose up in the air. He hadn't had a good breakfast in a long time, but time was money. He would have to buy food and leave. Usually he could recognize a face in the crowd, but there were just too many new faces. He headed for the shop he was familiar with and bought himself supplies of bread, cheese, and dried meat, enough to last a week.

As he was gathering some of his food in a pack, several men walked up to the shop deep in conversation. Wearing matching stiff clothing of a different style, Kristoff regarded them as young men from another country, and their speech confirmed it. He couldn't understand some of what they were saying, but the language of the Southern Isles wasn't much different from Arendelle's. He took his time, eavesdropping on what he could.

"Prince Hans wants to stay. He's given the captain word to stand by for the next two weeks, maybe longer, which mean we're to stay here for that long."

"Two weeks? I have a wife back home!"

"And the rest of us don't!" Most of the men were grinning, with the married man the only one with a frown. "Arendelle isn't too different from the Southern Isles. We still have our jobs…"

"There's the red quarter," another man put in. "As we discovered last night."

"We're going to be quite busy the next few weeks."

"But why does prince Hans want to stay?" the married man went on, frustration clear in his voice. "There's nothing for him here."

"He's probably weaseling his way into court right now," one of the men shrugged, snagging a piece of fruit from the stand and taking a bite. "That's what all the nobles do. Go to court, fight at court, stay at court. It's likely we won't be seeing the Southern Isles soon."

"We're due to report back," the married man huffed. "We're still required to do our job." He turned on his heels and left the men without another word.

The men begrudgingly headed back to the docks after one another.

"Much as I love seeing our kingdom open again, it does bring the worst kind of people," the shopkeeper said, rubbing his hand on his jacket. Kristoff had seen this older man throughout his life: always out at dawn, ready to sell his fruit and veggies. Grey, thin, and bearded, he reminded Kristoff of an older grandpa who's ready to retire but not quite willing to.

"Nothing this kingdom can handle," Kristoff responded, putting the bag of carrots over his shoulders.

"Our queen is new and was hidden away from the world. What does she know?" the shopkeeper eyed him warily, one eyebrow bushier than the other, which Kristoff had never noticed nor considered before. It made him look a bit odd.

"I think she should be given a chance," Kristoff reasoned.

"She's had a chance these past three years to come out and introduce herself after the king and queen died."

"Isn't there always a reason?"

"I suppose. But unlike this younger generation, I want proof of a good queen or king. Queen Elsa's king had proof, evidence, and he kept us safe. What does Elsa have? Nothing. She has nothing except the good word of her father and the regent Duke Goran."

"I still think she should be given a chance," Kristoff said, quite aware why he was defending the queen. She needed help and all the support she could need, but convincing one old geezer probably wasn't going to help her any, so he waved a hand in goodbye. "Till next time."

The old man grunted but didn't bother to say goodbye.

The journey out of Arendelle was like all the others, the morning sun guiding their way as they traveled through the paths and up the mountain. The few months of summer they had would be replaced by snow, meaning he wouldn't have to travel so far to get ice. He was never without work but sometimes he missed the times in winter when he could just ride up the mountain, harvest ice for a day, then be back down the next day.

In summer, he had to find his way up to the mountains and it took several days to complete the whole process. Once he retrieved the ice he would make his way down the hill as quick as he could: ice melted, of course, and he couldn't waste time to make it down the mountain and sell it to his usual buyers. Of course there were ice houses throughout the mountain here and there which saved melting time. Ice was needed everywhere with food, houses, and the like.

It was in winter where he met up with everyone else and worked almost non-stop. Ice was exported almost everywhere from Arendelle. They gathered it all up and sent it away in boats – it was a tough job but Kristoff was more than equipped to handle it.

This trip to the mountains was like any others: travel, sleep in the sled, dig out the ax, harvest a foot by foot of ice, and carry it back to the sled. Doing this was actually quite dangerous by oneself, as ice varied. It could be thin in one part and thick in another; he had seen several men fallen into the water because they couldn't tell how thick the ice was. It was a job he had grown up on and one he wouldn't give up – so he kept at it, no matter the risks.

By the third day the sled was full of new ice, and he was off back to Arendelle, covered in a well-worn heavy linen in his sled to ward off the cold wind. Sven loved to run the descent down the mountain and had no quarrel with going as fast as he could. The other ice harvesters had always questioned his reindeer, as they used horses, but they stopped complaining once they saw how loyal and fast Sven was.

The morning of the fourth day he was standing in the midst of the market square, dressed in looser clothes and selling his ice to the passer byers. It was still as busy as it was before, with nobles from all the different countries still sticking round to have their time with the queen. Kristoff supposed he could cheat and go find the queen in the stables, asking her how everything went.

But it was a certain nobleman who reminded him of his place that day. A man of the Southern Isles walked by dressed in a white jacket, white pants and black boots. Cut in the finest pattern and fabric, he looked every bit the prince he was, with his kempt red-golden hair and sideburns to boot.

"Want some ice?" Kristoff began with the nobleman, unknowing of who he was. "Keeps those meat and veggies fresh, houses cool… anything you could think of."

The man's eyebrows shot up quizzically. "What would I need of ice?"

"Just what I said so, good sir."

"No. I mean what would I, a prince, need of ice?" the man tilted his head. "Speak to my servant if you wish to discuss ice."

Kristoff bit his lip from a sarcastic remark. "Of course, prince…"

"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Keep your eye open, ice man, and you'll be seeing a lot of me."

Kristoff watched the man wander off, his back arched straight with his hands behind his back. Was that a noble trait? Walk stiff and look snobbish? Elsa certainly pulled it off, but in a good way. When prince Hans did it, it looked like he was judging you for just existing.

"Oh he's a prick," Kristoff said in a low, sarcastic voice he usually used for Sven, who kept eating his pile of carrots. "He's definitely not getting any of our ice!"

"But he probably would pay well!"

"But he's a pompous idiot," Kristoff ended in Sven's voice. He cleared his voice and spoke normal to reason with himself. "Whoever wants ice, gets ice. Whoever's a pompous idiot, is a pompous idiot. What matters to me is the depth of his wallet." He looked lovingly at his sled and patted the engraved wood lovingly. His had gotten well known for his ice business – not just in Arendelle's kingdom, but for the surrounding, smaller villages as well. That business meant he had been able to buy the sled, which he had just finished paying off the week before. It was a super proud feat for him.

Once his ice was sold that day, or most of it, he stored his leftovers in the ice house outside the village. His curiosity got the better of him – he left Sven at a stable that wasn't the castle's, and headed off to the castle's stables. If the queen was there, she would probably love to know his shoulder had healed well over the past few days. The wounds hadn't been deep, nor life threatening, so all that was left were scabs. The past few days of ice harvesting had definitely taken a toll on his injured shoulder, but it was on the mend.

He arrived at the stables near nighttime – he would have thought it would have been tough getting into the royal stables, but the guards were almost non-existent, which was how he got in the first place. The castle itself was out on a small island surrounded by water, connecting to land by sturdy brick bridges, while the stables were on the outskirts on the main land for the village.

He waited in the empty stall for the queen to show at the stable, knowing it was foolish of him to expect she would come. They hadn't agreed to anything; they hadn't even agreed to be friends. They had just agreed to keep her magic a secret, and perhaps that was enough for her. But he couldn't help but feel he had a duty to let her know of his feelings of Hans and his men: it just didn't sit right with him.

From the sideburns to his fancy-dancy clothing, Hans couldn't be trusted, that much Kristoff was certain of.

With the moon high in the sky, Kristoff left, a bit sad the queen didn't show, but he had a life to continue and ice to harvest.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't be back tomorrow night.

I don't know why but writing a chapter for Kristoff was difficult. I had to rewatch the movie today to help me get his character figured out.

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