AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, here's chapter 2 after almost a month! This one is a bit longer than the first chapter & a lot goes in it. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Elsa sat across from the council minister, hands neatly folded on her lap. The office was decorated in a rather extravagant style: on the wood-paneled walls hung portraits of famous former government officials, photographs of the minister with various dignitaries, memorabilia, and other items he'd collected over the years. Across the room were massive bookcases and glass cabinets full of more memorabilia; there was even a suit of armor standing in the corner. The vaulted ceiling was painted an unlovely green color and a large chandelier hung from it. Elsa waited patiently for the minister to say something. She smiled softly at the large Arendelle flag that hung behind him.
The minister, a pale and pudgy man by the name of Jespers, was hunched forward in his highback chair, intently studying the case file spread before him. Elsa had made his acquaintance several times before at various high-powered functions she had attended. Business and politics always mix no matter how hard you try to avoid it, she thought. Corporations want something favorable from the politicians and the politicians require something in return, quid pro quo, on and on again.
"Have you spoken with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yet, Miss Ekdahl?"
"All they seem to know is that my sister is missing. They advised me to speak to you, sir."
"What about our embassy down there, and the consulate?"
"Well, with their currently busy schedule and such, they advised me to speak to Foreign Affairs, who as I've said, told me to come to you. After numerous phone calls and speaking with a variety of different people, you're the first human being I've had an actual face to face conversation with regarding this whole situation." Elsa clenched her jaw.
"Ah yes," muttered Jespers.
"May I ask you a question, minister?"
"Certainly."
"Seeing as we've had the sanctions on Weselton for a while, it strikes me as a bit odd that we can have things back to normal with them so quickly, especially given their current political climate, don't you think?"
"Yes, well…you see…the nature of these kinds of situations is very delicate. Geography and politics and—"
"Sir, I understand these things perfectly well. I'm sure you knew my mother…"
"I certainly did. She was one of the finest civil servants Arendelle has ever known, and we are all most grateful for her contributions. Now, about your sister Anna…why exactly was she in Weselton?"
"She was there for a philanthropic mission. She had read or seen something about how poorly the people were living down there and wanted to help, I guess."
"You didn't approve, I take it?"
"That's…immaterial, really."
"Is philanthropy Anna's occupation?"
"I suppose so. She's never really had an occupation in the traditional sense. She has an arts degree, though."
"I see. Well, Miss Ekdahl, there's only so much I can do about this situation from where I stand, given the facts. That's not to say that I don't care—quite the contrary, with you and Anna being Arendelle citizens and members of my constituency. What I'm going to do is set you up with an official appointment with someone from Foreign Affairs who has greater access to the information." He rose from behind his desk and walked around to Elsa.
"Rest assured, this government will do everything it can to find your sister."
"Miss Ekdahl, after our investigation, this government can find no trace of your sister."
Elsa just stared at the man sitting adjacent to her at the table, nearly forgetting to blink. He and his assistant exchanged a nervous look.
"What exactly does that mean?"
"Well, you see, the government of Weselton does not have a record of any, ah, Anna Ekdahl leaving the country. Like any country, you see, they keep track of –"
"Yes yes, I understand that. But what you're telling me is that they're not looking, is that it?"
"No ma'am, certainly not. The proper reports have been filed with the local police there. With their current political climate, their resources are rather strained. That's not to say anyone's given up on her. We're putting diplomatic pressure on them to speed results."
"Can you tell me why exactly she was let into the country? I'd assume they wouldn't be too keen on accepting Arendellian passports."
"That is their prerogative. We certainly have no control over that." The minister shuffled through some papers. "What I can say is that your sister and her companion, one Kristoff Bjorgman, were granted a diplomatic status through the work of a third party, a Rapunzel Vollmer. She is the daughter of the Coronian—"
"Prime Minister, yes. She was the one that initially phoned me about the situation."
"It appears that Miss Vollmer had their endeavor classified as an international organization under the laws of her country, which afforded them the specific diplomatic status I mentioned."
"But shouldn't that prevent this kind of thing from happening? The way I understood it, as my mother did, is that—"
"Yes, well, the minutiae of international law regarding diplomatic procedure is very…academic. And as I've said, the situation down there is rather hectic, which further hinders things." Elsa rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"Look here." She produced an article on her tablet and showed it to the minister and his assistant. "This article says that my sister was arrested by the local police. It also says that many people, Arendellians and other foreigners and even their own citizens included, have been arrested for what they call high crimes and treason against the Weseltonian government."
"Yes, we are aware of that article. Your sister's friends Mister Bjorgman and Miss Vollmer reported that. They'd been pestering the embassy. At least that's what I was told." The minister softly chuckled.
"Kristoff…er, Mister Bjorgman is Anna's longtime boyfriend. He confirmed to me everything Miss Vollmer said."
The assistant spoke up. "While they were some citizens of our country that were arrested, and most of them wrongfully so I might add, they've all been released thanks to the diligent efforts of our embassy. The last two were," the assistant shuffled through some papers, "a couple of journalists, Sven Haraldsson and Olaf Solstrand."
"Friends of Anna," the minister added.
"And apparently Mister Solstrand left the country without even thanking the embassy."
The minister smiled at Elsa. "Miss Ekdahl, this is going to take some time. I suggest you go back home, relax, and let us handle it."
Elsa was becoming accustomed to the bland interiors of government buildings. The giddy lens of childhood from when she accompanied her parents to work had made the offices seem like otherworldly places of power. And now that view had faded to a sober reality of bureaucracy. These places were just a means to an end.
She sat on the cold metal bench in the lobby, idly sipping a cup of coffee. She'd been waiting for about twenty minutes when a young man in an ill-fitting suit came up to greet her.
"Miss Ekdahl? I'm Rupert Lange, the executive assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister. Nice to meet you. He's carved out some time in his schedule to meet with you. This way please." He led her down another hallway. "I was just an intern when your mother held her office. She was a fascinating and intelligent woman."
"Thank you, Mister Lange."
"Have you met Minister Rasmussen before?"
"We've met a few times before. I doubt he remembers me."
Lange opened a large wooden door and led Elsa into a large wood-paneled office, much like the ones she'd been in before. Several secretaries sat at computer consoles, their attention fixated on whatever task lay before them.
"Do you mind waiting here for a moment?"
"Certainly." Lange went through a door on the opposite side of the room. Elsa walked over to the windows and looked out. A light rain was falling.
"Elsa! How nice to see you again!" She turned around, startled. Rasmussen approached her, arms open for a hug. She braced herself. He was a large man. After the hug ended, he kept an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the platoon of assistants, who watched eagerly.
"Everyone, this is Elsa Ekdahl, one of our country's finest businesswomen and the eldest daughter of one of Arendelle's most devoted civil servants, whom I had the honor of serving under a long time ago." The assistants all clapped. Elsa managed a quick smile before slipping out of Rasmussen's grasp.
"Thank you, minister. Could we discuss my situation?" She gestured towards his office.
"Do you mind if we walk and talk?" He began walking towards the main door, his assistants following in a flock behind him. Elsa followed them.
As they went down the hallway, Lange handed his boss a file, who flipped through it.
"So what's been said?"
"Well, you see—" Elsa began. Lange interrupted her.
"We believe she is in hiding somewhere in the country.
"That's not what—" Elsa replied.
"Hiding, you say?" Rasmussen interjected.
"Yes sir, we think she may reveal herself once the situation down there has cooled down."
"Elsa, what are your sister's politics?"
"I suppose she's aligned to the left. She's certainly of a caring nature, full of good intentions—"
"Normal left or radical left?"
"I don't think that…does such a thing matter?"
"No, not really," Rasmussen chuckled. The group had stopped. An assistant held open another door, through which the minister entered. He turned around to face Elsa.
"You needn't worry, Elsa. We'll handle this. Now if you'll excuse me."
The minister nodded and walked away. Each of the assistants shook her hand and said goodbye. The last one closed the door in her face. Elsa stood there for a moment. She looked back down the hallway. They had travelled only a hundred feet or so from where they started and she had no better idea of the situation than from where she began.
She took out her phone and dialed a number.
"Petra? I need you to book me the next flight out to Weselton, no matter the cost." She paused. "A week out? Is that all? Ugh, yes, I'll take that one. And start rearranging my schedule to fit around it. Tell whomever whatever you need to, it's important."
Anna sat on the porch enjoying the cool morning air. She, along with Kristoff and Rapunzel, were staying at the home of a friend of a friend. Since arriving in Weselton, they'd been expanding their network diligently and had made contacts and acquaintances with a number of people and organizations. They had wanted to visit the countryside outside the city and asked around about where they should go. One thing led to another and they ended up here. They arrived the night before and were planning on exploring the town and the area the next day. It was a nice house in a nice mountain town and their hosts, Gerda and Kai, were quite affable.
The front door opened and out stepped Gerda, carrying two mugs of coffee. She sat down next to Anna, handing her one.
"Thank you."
"So, enjoying the view?"
"Yeah, it's so lovely. You're so lucky to live in a place like this."
"We love it out here. The husband and I always said once we made enough, we'd retire and take everything and move out into the country somewhere. The cities are nice and all, but…it's so much different here, so much better."
"Again, thanks for letting us stay. We really appreciate it."
"Oh, don't mention it. Once my cousin explained who you were and what you were doing, it felt like the right thing to do. I should be thanking you. I'm sure a lot of people are." Anna smiled.
"Can I ask you something, Gerda?"
"Certainly."
"How bad was it in Weselton? I mean, after the whole incident." Gerda sighed heavily.
"Well, it was a lot worse in the cities, I can tell you. The stock markets fell, the price of food went up, people were losing their jobs…it was horrible. Weselton had other trade partners, so the country didn't rip itself apart. But having Arendelle isolate us like that really changed things."
"Were the people here mad at us for that?"
"Some were, I suppose. But the majority of us were mad at the government. Still are. The truth came to light fairly quickly, I mean. Their support started to die off rather fast. There were protests and riots every other day, it seemed. Yet those bastards hung on." She paused, looking off into the distance. "Weselton was a madhouse."
"I'm sorry."
"Oh it's not your fault, love. It's the government. But Weselton still prevails. Things have gotten better." She patted Anna's knee maternally. "Now, how about you help me get breakfast going, yeah?"
The trio had spent the morning exploring the town and all its charms. Little curio shops and boutiques sprinkled the cobblestoned downtown streets. There were delis and bars and bakeries and an open-air farmer's market, much like any other place. They had a delightful art gallery and even a trolley car that did a loop around the main part of the town. Anna had taken many photographs, nearly three rolls worth.
They had stopped at a café for lunch. They were seated in a booth near the back where Kristoff was busy scarfing down a burger and fries while Anna and Rapunzel shared a pizza.
"So have you heard any news from your parents about getting more supplies?"
"Officially, no. But I've bugged them enough to get them to help in an unofficial capacity if you get my drift. We're just saying that it's all my idea, as a personal thing, just so Corona doesn't get into any kind of diplomatic mess with Arendelle."
"That much trouble, huh?" Rapunzel shrugged.
"The joys of being the prime minister's daughter."
"Pass the pepper please," Kristoff said through a mouthful of food, managing to not spray it everywhere. Anna obliged him, smirking.
"Have you heard anything from Elsa?" Anna looked down at her food, shaking her head.
"I've sent a couple emails, no reply. I figured that would be easier than a phone call, seeing how her work takes up her time."
"She never liked this whole plan, did she?" Anna shook her head again.
"I spoke to her a while back about it. She…she wasn't too enthusiastic, to say the least."
"I'm sure she'll change her mind once she sees the results from down here." Rapunzel squeezed her friend's hand. Kristoff slipped an arm around Anna.
"She's right, babe. They're gonna call you a hero when we get back, you'll see. I bet there's even some award they'll give you too." She blushed as he kissed her cheek.
It was then that two men approached their booth. One was tall, bearded and ruggedly handsome while the other was much shorter, pale with a shaved head. He spoke first.
"Sorry to bother you folks, but we couldn't help overhearing you…I mean, we're not eavesdropping or anything…"
"What he means is that a minute ago you mentioned Arendelle. You see, we're from there and we write for a magazine called Seminar."
"Yes, I've heard of it!" Anna replied.
The short one spoke again. "I'm sorry, we should introduce ourselves. My name is Olaf Solstrand and this is Sven Haraldsson. Pleased to meet you."
"I'm Anna Ekdahl and this is my boyfriend Kristoff and this is—"
"Rapunzel Vollmer," Sven said. "Funny thing meeting someone as famous as you in a place like this."
"I'm sorry, did you say your last name was Ekdahl? Any relation to the Elsa Ekdahl of Arendelle Capital Group?" Olaf asked.
"We're sisters."
"Well how about that. Are you three on some kind of vacation here?"
"No, not really. Well, maybe for a couple days right now. We're actually on a philanthropic mission," Anna replied proudly. "Regardless of the sanctions Arendelle has put on Weselton, we've decided we should help the people here and try and restore some good will between our countries."
"And Corona too, huh?" Sven said.
"In a manner of speaking, yes," replied Rapunzel.
Kristoff spoke up. "So you said you guys write for a magazine. What are you writing about?"
"Well, it's kind of similar to what you all are here for. You see, we're writing a long-form piece about what life is like throughout Weselton under the sanctions. We've been here for several weeks now, travelling across the country, interviewing people, taking photographs, and putting our story together. Would you three mind being a part of it…?" Olaf and Sven leaned forward. Anna, Kristoff and Rapunzel all looked at each other. Anna smiled.
"Sure, why not!"
"Fantastic! Let's get started." Olaf pulled a notebook and pen from his bag and pulled up a chair. Sven did the same. They interviewed the trio for much of the afternoon. They even had more food brought over, which they graciously paid for. When they were done, the sun was dipping towards the horizon.
"So in your opinion, I mean since you've been here longer, how bad off is Weselton?" Rapunzel asked.
Sven and Olaf looked at each other for a moment. Olaf replied, "It's gotten better, we think. And it'll continue to now that they've got all these new mines opening up."
"Mines? Like gold or diamonds or something?" Kristoff asked.
"Iron ore, actually," Sven replied. "It'll be a nice jump to their steel industry."
"Where are they at?"
"Just up a bit higher in the forests outside the town here. We can show you guys if you'd like." Kristoff nodded.
"Where are guys staying? We can pick you up tomorrow and drive up there. We've taken up enough of your time today."
"We're staying with some friends here. I can give you the address." Anna wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Olaf.
"Great! We'll see you tomorrow then!"
Anna leaned back in her seat, taking advantage of the fact that it was an open-top jeep they were riding in. She watched the sunlight dancing through the canopy of the trees, taking a photograph when the feeling took her. The road they were on wound its way through the forest, up and down, slowly gaining altitude as it went along. She sat in the back seat with Kristoff and Rapunzel while Sven drove and Olaf talked to everyone from the front passenger seat.
They really encountered few other vehicles on their way in, but they passed many vehicles in the other lanes. Convoys of large trucks belonging to the state mining company, usually along with a car or jeep from the military with armed soldiers and ranking officials. Anna took some photos of those too. She leaned forward and spoke to Olaf.
"Have you noticed a lot of army types around lately? We've seen a lot in the city."
"Yes we have, ever since we flew in. Especially up here with the miners. And we've heard they've got a large presence in other places around Weselton, too. Really strange."
"What do you think they're doing?"
"No idea, really. Could be anything."
Sven leaned in to speak as he drove. "What he's not telling you is that we've spoken to some people, and we're still in the process of verifying it, but we've spoken to some people who have said there's dissent in the government that's been brewing for a while." Olaf nodded in agreement.
"What's the trouble you think?" Rapunzel asked.
"Something to do with the sanctions, I'd imagine," Olaf replied.
Sven added, "There's a growing faction within the Weseltonian government that's angry at the Duke for not taking a more proactive stance against the sanctions and against the government of Arendelle. They claim to be responding to the will of the people. They want him out and they've got the military on their side."
"That's a coup," Kristoff said. Everyone went momentarily silent. The road went up a steep incline. At the top, Sven found a place to pull off the road. The group had an unfettered panoramic view of the area.
"Look down there," Sven said. He pointed down into the valley below. The side of a mountainous wall had been stripped of trees and the rock gutted. It was a vast and intense mining operation that was happening. Hundreds of miners were working, both outside and inside the tunnels that wound their way inside the earth. Monstrous machinery churned, processing the rock for the precious metals held within. Large dumptrucks and bulldozers roared around the site, rumbling along the makeshift roads. Further down the valley, they saw more operations toiling away. They even heard the distant blasts of dynamite echoing across the valley walls as new mines were being dug. It all resembled some kind of mechanized hell, Anna thought. She took photos of the scene, switching the lens on her camera when needed. It was all a sight to behold.
"It's been like this well before we ever arrived. They go around the clock, day and night. There's military guys around always. I don't get it. I mean, it's good for their economy with all the new jobs that it generates. And not to mention all the steel they can export and sell now. Weselton steel has a great reputation. But the military, man…" Sven trailed off.
"They could use that in the fight. Not an actual fight, but a metaphorical one. Propaganda. 'Hey look at us! Weselton is back! Damn the sanctions!' Stuff like that," Olaf replied.
More trucks rumbled by them, their occupants staring down at the group. Sven started the jeep back up. "There's something else you should see," he said. "It's on the other side of the mountain, another town."
The next town was much like the previous one in many respects. Sven drove slowly and carefully through the streets.
"Notice anything?" he asked.
Anna and the others looked around. Like before, they was an alarmingly large military presence for such a small mountain town. Soldiers walked along the sidewalks, in and out of shops as if they were the town's only citizens. Jeeps and other vehicles crowded the streets.
"They swarm like ants," Rapunzel replied.
"Just one more thing and then we'll take you home." Sven began driving out of the town again.
They followed the winding road again for a few more miles when Sven drove off the road into the forest a short distance. He turned off the ignition and turned to everyone.
"Now we take a little walk."
The five of them walked through the forest for a little while, Sven and Olaf leading the way. The forest was quite lovely and full of life. Birds chirped and flew overhead while small furry animals scurried across the ground in the near distance. Anna couldn't help but take photographs when she could. The trees began to thin out, and up ahead she saw a small valley slowly come into view. As they got closer, she saw it opened up to the ocean, with a stretch of sandy beach.
Sven pointed and said, "Take a look down there."
Further up the beach, there was a large house atop a treeless hill. Out front of it were many cars, both civilian and military. Squinting her eyes, Anna saw milling around in the grassy yards surrounding the house. There were many more gathered on the patio at the back. It looked like some kind of party was going on: there were tables of food, people dancing, and children playing in the pool. Sven handed her a pair of binoculars from his bag. She got a better look at the people; there seemed to be a lot of wealthy & important people gathered there, mingling with the ranking military types. Upon closer inspection, Anna saw some of the officers' uniforms were from the Arendelle military. She gasped.
"What's wrong?" asked Kristoff. She handed him the binoculars.
"Look. Recognize some of those outfits?" she replied. He scanned the crowd.
"What the—"
"You saw some of our own people, didn't you?" Olaf replied. "Funny, isn't it?"
"Why would your country's military be involved down here? I thought they all hated each other." Rapuznel asked. Olaf turned to her.
"That's what I'd love to know too. I wish we could get closer."
Anna had switched the lens on her camera to a telephoto and began snapping pictures. Looking through the viewfinder, she caught sight of a man whom she swore she'd seen working at Elsa's bank, a colleague of some sort.
"This reeks," she said.
Sven began walking. "Come on, let's get you all back before nightfall."
The walk back to the jeep had been fraught with terse talk and speculation over exactly what was going on. With the various bits of information that Olaf and Sven had gathered, none of them could put a definite idea together. As they approached the jeep, they heard voices. Cautiously, they moved forward and saw four armed soldiers inspecting it. Upon hearing them draw near, a soldier turned around quickly, rifle raised. The others did the same.
"We're friendlies!" Olaf cried out.
"Is this your vehicle?" a soldier asked.
"It is," replied Sven.
"What were you doing out there?"
"Just a nature hike, that's all."
"Identification please."
The all moved towards the soldiers slowly, producing their passports, which were taken by one of the soldiers, who reviewed them.
"Wait here," he said and went back to his truck while the other three kept their guns trained on the group. Anna saw the first soldier on a telephone, relaying their passport information. After a few minutes he came back and gave them their passports.
"Be on your way."
The soldiers gathered into their truck and left promptly. Anna and the others stood there and let out a long breath before getting in Sven's jeep and driving away. They drove in silence for most of the way. After a while, they stopped at a gas station. As Sven filled the tank, Anna stepped out to buy something to drink. As she searched among the coolers inside the station, she noticed a bulletin board on the far wall with many photographs pinned to it. She stepped over to it, curious. The people pictured were from all walks of life, young and old, men and women. Written below their photographs, which were mostly candids, were phrases such as MISSING SINCE and HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Anna noticed that the dates these people had been missing since were all within the last few weeks. She studied their faces, her own face falling as she saw their happiness and thought about how distressed their families were. Where did you go?, she wondered.
Kristoff poked his head in the door. "You ready babe? We're leaving."
"Yeah, just a second." She quickly paid the attendant and left, the thought of the missing still on her mind.
As the plane landed, Elsa looked out the window and noticed a large amount of armed soldiers patrolling the grounds of the airport. There were just as many inside the airport, she noticed. The terminal interior was a sight to behold, a sort of controlled chaos. The amount of people leaving and arriving baffled Elsa. What the hell is going on?, she thought. The wait for her luggage was terrible, and on her way to Customs she noticed a man in a suit directing people to either keep walking or to enter another lobby in a seemingly arbitrary fashion.
Once at Customs, the official took his time to process her, periodically looking up with what she thought was a suspicious glint in his eye. Without saying anything, he left his post and disappeared into a back office, where he reappeared after a few minutes with a grey-haired military official following him. This man took her passport and motioned Elsa to follow him over to an empty cordoned area on the far side of the room. He waved over two soldiers.
"Empty your bag out onto the table please."
"What for? I've done nothing wrong," she replied.
"Do it, please." The two soldiers raised their guns at her. Shocked, Elsa opened her suitcase and began taking out the contents. Just then, a thin man in a grey suit ran over waving. He had slicked-back blonde hair and wore wire-frame glasses.
"Colonel! That won't be necessary, thank you!" This man took Elsa's passport away from the colonel and handed it back to her.
"Thank you gentlemen that will be all." The colonel and his soldiers walked away. "I am so sorry about that, Miss Ekdahl. They were just following their standard protocol. I'm Lars Angstrom, the Arendelle consul. The Department of Foreign Affairs called to let us know you were coming. Pleased to meet you." He quickly shook her hand. "Here, let me help you with this." He began helping repack her suitcase.
"Standard protocol for what?"
"Right this way please. I have a car waiting for us."
"Have you heard anything from my sister?"
"Ah, no, but I believe we have a good grip on the situation. If you'll follow me please."
As they made their way out of the airport they passed a family in the midst of being split up by a group of soldiers. Completely ignoring the impassioned cries of the mother and children, they hauled away the father kicking and screaming in front of everyone. One of the soldiers gut-punched the man with the butt of his rifle to shut him up. Elsa motioned to the situation and said, "You would think there was a war going on."
"Well there is, sort of," the consul replied.
"I thought the coup was over?"
"It is and it isn't."
Once outside, Angstrom waved over his driver. As they waited for the car to pull around, Elsa noticed a distraught older woman, a grandmother perhaps, running up to people, showing them a photograph of a man that she desperately clutched in her hands. She wailed, "Have you seen my son? Have you seen him? He's been missing for many days now, please help me!"
The car reached them and the driver quickly got out and took Elsa's suitcase, placing it in the trunk. Angstrom held the door open and gestured Elsa in.
"I don't understand why you'd want to work in such a place, Mr. Angstrom."
"It's not such a bad place, really. Just a confusing time right now."
"How long have you been here?"
"Let's see…four years, five months, two weeks and three days."
Elsa laughed. "Eager to leave, huh?"
"At some point, yes. I'd love to be stationed in Agrabah someday. Now what hotel were you staying at again?"
"The Brandt Hotel."
"If you please, driver."
Before the car sped off, the elderly woman with the photograph pressed herself against the window and yelled, "Please!"
Along the way, Elsa took in what she could see of the capital city. Some parts were better than others, she thought, and all had the military running about. She noticed the sides of buildings marked with bullet holes and graffiti, saying things like LONG LIVE FREEDOM and DOWN WITH THE DUKE. In some places people were painting over such things at gunpoint. There were buildings that were blown up into rubble, some still on fire and smoking. She saw trucks carrying full loads of protesting civilians and others being pulled out of their homes. There were some even living and sleeping on street corners, the difference between the normal homeless vagrants and the newly homeless Elsa could not tell. She sneered at it all. This country has brought it upon itself, she thought.
They arrived at the hotel about twenty minutes later. As they pulled up and the hotel staff helped, Elsa noticed Kristoff and Rapunzel standing nearby, scanning the crowd. She stepped out of the car and waved.
"Kristoff! Rapunzel!" They turned and saw her, running over.
"We're so sorry we couldn't meet you at the airport, Elsa!" Rapuznel exclaimed.
"We've been waiting on this Admiral Hoftstadt all day so we could speak to him and it's been so…I'm glad to see you, Elsa." Kristoff hugged Elsa, much to her surprise.
"Mister Bjorgman, Miss Vollmer," the consul began, "how are you today?" The duo regarded him with blank expressions. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Rapunzel replied, "We're fine."
"Good good…ah, Miss Ekdahl, the ambassador will see you at three this afternoon, so we'll pick you up at two-thirty, yes?"
"That will be good, thank you consul."
Angstrom got back into the car and it drove away. The baggage clerk carried Elsa's bag and gestured for the group to follow.
"I thought you all were staying in an actual house," Elsa said.
"We were. It's just not safe there anymore," Kristoff replied.
Once she was checked in and arrived in her room, Elsa began to unpack. Kristoff and Rapunzel joined her and sat quietly by the windows. It was a large room, one of the hotel's top suites.
"How was your flight?" Rapunzel asked.
With a long sigh Elsa replied, "Absolutely delightful."
"How's work?" Kristoff asked.
Puzzled by the question, Elsa said, "Work is fine." She walked around the room inspecting things. There was a long moment of silence.
"Do you blame us?" Rapunzel asked, her voice quivering. Elsa remained quiet.
"Did you learn anything from your government friends?" Kristoff asked.
"Well, no unfortunately, but Angstrom says everything is in good hands." Kristoff and Rapunzel both scoffed aloud.
"No? Why do you think that?"
"Elsa…she's been gone almost three weeks…" Kristoff replied.
"And every single time we talk to the police or the embassy, they always tell us the same things, over and over again. I really don't expect a whole lot from them anymore," Rapunzel added.
"Look, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get here. Things on my end weren't that easy to set up at times. I did the best I could, given the circumstances. I apologize for the wait."
"She could be hurt somewhere…or tortured…they don't care about her…" Kristoff trailed off, his eyes on the verge of tears. Rapunzel hugged him tightly.
"Look, I don't need to hear your paranoid fantasies about kidnapping and torture and all of that, okay?! I certainly got enough of crazy stories from growing up with Anna. There's an explanation for all of this," Elsa snapped. She felt her whole body tremble. "If she had thought more carefully about this whole trip, then we wouldn't even be in this situation." Elsa pointed at Rapunzel. "And where did you get the idea to go about and use your status to pull strings and help her achieve this…this damned insanity!" Elsa pulled back once she saw them both start silently weep.
"Please don't cry." Kristoff and Rapunzel wiped away their tears, sniffling.
"I'll find her," Elsa said. She went back to unpacking. She pulled out a small gift-wrapped box and handed it to Kristoff.
"It's her favorite chocolates. I thought she might like them." He forced a smile.
Elsa walked over to a window to draw back the curtains and let some more light in. The scene down below in the street was the same thing she'd been seeing since arriving in Weselton. She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the windowpane.
"What did she do?"
"What?"
"What did Anna do? What stupid thing did she do to get arrested, or need to go into hiding?"
"Elsa, Anna's not stupid. She'd never—" Kristoff began.
"Well she's not too smart! Getting into such a mess that I have to fly nine hours into a hellhole like this just to help figure it out." Elsa took a moment to calm down. She turned to look at Rapunzel and Kristoff. "Sometimes I think that girl is completely incapable of living a normal life. Unless her idea of normal is to give idealistic speeches to poor people and write travelogues of her journeys."
"Well why don't you go back home and let us find her?" Rapunzel snapped back.
"Look, I'm very tired right now and the trip over wasn't that pleasant and this whole situation has me very stressed out, so I'm going to rest for a bit and then I'll be downstairs. Meet me in—" Elsa began, but before she could finish, Kristoff and Rapunzel were out of the room, slamming the door behind them.
The Arendelle embassy was located in a large and rather old mansion that had been converted for its new purpose, located on well-landscaped grounds and surrounded by high, reinforced brick-and-metal walls. The car pulled through the massive iron gate, which was guarded by Arendelle soldiers, who also patrolled the grounds, Elsa saw. She smiled, secure in the notion that her own countrymen would have the answers. Kristoff and Rapunzel merely frowned at the place.
Angstrom guided them into the building and down the lushly carpeted halls. The interior was well-decorated. The consul open a large set of oak doors and motioned them in. Three men stood up from where they were seated and approached them as Angstrom made the introductions and everyone shook hands.
"Miss Ekdahl, please meet our ambassador, Soren Van Der Lyle. And this is Captain Hammerstahl from the Arendelle Army. He's our senior military officer here. And this is Colonel Wyndgarde our Defense Department attaché." Van Der Lyle was a large, well-coiffed man dressed in a very expensive-looking dark navy suit. Hammerstahl was a stout man with salt-and-pepper hair and dressed in a modest black suit while Wyndgarde was a short, thin, and balding man dressed in full Arendellian military regalia, complete with medals and everything.
"Pleased to meet you all," Elsa said, smiling.
"I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far, Miss Ekdahl," Van Der Lyle replied. "Mister Bjorgmann, Miss Vollmer, how are we today?" Kristoff and Rapunzel nodded and mumbled a greeting.
"Please, let's all be seated," Angstrom said. Everyone took their seats. "Shall I begin?" he continued.
"Yes consul, but before you do," Van Der Lyle turned to face Elsa, "Miss Ekdahl, I want to say, on behalf of the Arendellian government, we are very concerned about your sister's disappearance and are using and will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring Anna home safely where she belongs."
Elsa's smile grew twice its size. "Thank you very much, ambassador. I was hoping to hear that."
"Consul, please begin," Van Der Lyle said.
"Well sir, we've conducted an extensive investigation. Captain Hammerstahl and his staff have interviewed the residents of the area where Anna was last seen while Colonel Wyndgarde has been in constant contact with the local police and military authorities. But after analyzing all the data we've collected, we still conclude that she must be in hiding."
"In hiding from what?" Kristoff snapped.
"A very valid question, Mister Bjorgman, and one we'd also like answered," Van Der Lyle replied.
"Look, we've been through this a thousand times already. You all know she's not in hiding. The whole neighborhood saw him get picked up by some Army squad," Rapunzel retorted, angrily crossing her arms. Elsa look surprised at their outbursts.
"The military swears they don't have her in their custody," Hammerstahl said.
"Miss Vollmer, I've personally been to the central police station as well as many of its branches, along with the Weseltonian Department of Investigations, and I even managed to get into the main prison, which is no small feat given the current circumstances, and Anna is simply not in anyone's keep," Angstrom replied.
Van Der Lyle leaned forward. "So you see, Miss Ekdahl, the hiding theory is the most logical explanation, at least for the time being." Elsa nodded in agreement.
"That's stupid. If she was in hiding, she would've called us by now and let us know she's okay," Kristoff declared.
"Maybe she can't," Wyndgarde uttered, "there's been large numbers of civilian…accidents…and injuries."
Rapunzel rolled her eyes and sneered. Elsa was about to speak when a series of loud gunshots rang out from beyond the open window she sat near.
"Were you going to say something, Miss Ekdahl?" Van Der Lyle asked. She focused her attention.
"Ah, yes. As the Colonel said, if Anna was possibly injured, it stands to reason that she could be in a coma, or suffering from amnesia perhaps." She turned to Angstrom. "Have you checked the hospitals, consul?"
"I've checked some of them and—"
"Why not all of them?" Van Der Lyle asked. More gunshots were fired, breaking Elsa's concentration. They sounded closer this time. Noticing her discomfort, Hammerstahl got up and closed the window.
"Well you see, some of these hospitals are rather hard to get into right now, and—"
Rapunzel leaned towards Elsa. "What he means to say is that it's hard to walk around in them because of all the bodies stacked up." Rapunzel glared at Angstrom, who nervously paused.
"Well, what we know is where Anna isn't." He smiled at Elsa, who smiled back.
"I may have some new information, at least after tonight. I'll be having dinner with the head of the Weselton government's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Hoftstadt," Hammerstahl added.
Kristoff laughed. "That excuse again? Haven't you seen him yet?"
Hammerstahl forced a smile. "These people are quite busy."
"I'm sure they are," Kristoff muttered.
"By the way, Kristoff, have you got that list I asked you for?" Hammerstahl asked.
"What list?" Elsa said, turning to Kristoff.
"I've asked him for a list of Anna's friends and associates so that we may conduct some more interviews and get more information regarding your sister's whereabouts, Miss Ekdahl."
"Oh, I see," Elsa replied, smiling, "I'll be sure you get it later, Captain. Ah, Kristoff, didn't you say earlier that there were some others from Arendelle that Anna knew who were contacted by the military after she was, ah, supposedly arrested?"
"Yes, there were and they all called the consulate," he replied.
"Telephone calls?" Van Der Lyle asked.
"I was unaware of any calls, sir," Angstrom replied.
"Yes you were," Kristoff angrily replied, "one of your assistants showed me the call logs!"
Angstrom slapped his forehead. "Of course, you're right! I had completely forgotten about it." He turned towards the ambassador. "I apologize sir."
"Consul, please look further into that. And we'll all meet again in a few days to discuss our findings. Is that acceptable for you, Miss Ekdahl?" Van Der Lyle asked.
"It certainly is sir, thank you," she replied.
After everyone said their goodbyes, Angstrom led them out of the building where a car was waiting.
"Miss Ekdahl, thank you for your patience and in the meantime, if you have any questions or need anything at all, please do not hesitate to call us." He gave her a business card.
"Thank you very much. And I'll see to it that you get that list of names."
"No they won't," Kristoff muttered under his breath. Elsa glared at him.
"So I'll look more into the phone calls and contact the hospitals and let you know."
"Thank you, consul."
"Please, call me Lars." They shook hands, and he walked back inside. Elsa turned to Kristoff and Rapunzel.
"What in the hell is wrong with you two?!" Rapunzel groaned out loud.
"Why won't you two cooperate?"
"We are cooperating!" Kristoff replied. "We've been cooperating the whole time! We're just tired of being strung along by these people!"
They all got in, slamming the doors as the car drove off.