FROST
Chapter 4: The Bluebell Woods
Birdsong broke the silence of the night, and the fingers of dawn spread over the emerald valley with the sun lighting the sky in a blend of colors. The shadows of the trees lengthened amongst the threads of grass that were sprinkled with dew. Inside the palace, Jacques sat with his guests for breakfast, and sipped quietly at his cup of coffee. "How is everyone doing here? Is there anything I can get for any of you?" a servant asked when stopping before the table. Jacques looked at the visitors, then shook his head, "No, I think we're fine." "Alright then, let me know if you need anything," the servant nodded, and then turned to walk away. "We should leave within a couple hours for the ship," Kristoff said, glancing at the grandfather clock along the wall, "We're expected to be there by ten o'clock." "Well, in that case, you should plenty of time to relax before you leave," Jacques said while looking at his timepiece, and then he glanced up, "Would anyone like to see the royal gardens inside the courtyard?"
"Checkmate," Jacques said, taking Kristoff's white king. "Good game," Kristoff replied, forcing a smile. "So, do you like the castle?" Jacques asked him. "Yeah, it's nice here," Kristoff answered. "I'm glad you like it," Jacques smiled back at him. "Kristoff, do you mind if we go take a walk?" Anna asked him suddenly. "Why's that? Didn't we take a look around earlier?" Kristoff had a slightly baffled look on his face. "Oh, well… there's something I wanted to show you," Anna looped her arm into his and pulled him up, "You probably didn't notice it before." "Um… alright," Kristoff said, and Anna led him up a set of stone steps. "So, what is it that you want to show me?" he asked her. "It's nothing really; I just thought we should leave Elsa and Jacques alone, if you know what I mean," Anna leaned in to whisper to him. "What do you mean?" Kristoff asked. "Kristoff, do I have to explain everything to you?" Anna asked, looking slightly irritated. "I guess they abandoned us," Jacques said while glancing over his shoulder, then looked back at Elsa, "Well, this is awkward." They exchanged looks for a moment. "So… would you mind a game of chess?" Jacques asked, looking slightly uncomfortable, "Or do you not know how to play?" "I know some things," Elsa said. "Well, that helps," said Jacques, then he offered, "Would you like to take a shot at it?" "Sure," Elsa nodded, giving her approval. "Alright, I'll allow the lovely lady to go first," Jacques said, "You can play white, and I'll play black."
Elsa made her opening move with a white pawn and moved it two spaces forward to E4, and Jacques made his with a pawn moving to G6. Elsa moved another white pawn to D4. Jacques stared down his friendly rival, sliding his black bishop diagonally across the board from F8 to G7. He smiled slightly, folding his hands on top of the table, then watched as Elsa moved her white knight in an L-shape from G1 to F3. He tapped one of his fingers, lost in thought, then made the simple move of shifting one of his black pawns forward from D7 to D6. Elsa then moved her bishop across the board from F1 to C4, and Jacques moved one of his black knights from B8 to D7. To Jacques's surprise, Elsa was open to move her bishop from C4 to F7, and captured one of his pawns. His king moved to F7 to take the white bishop, but was then suddenly cornered Elsa's white knight that moved from F3 to G5. He raised his eyebrows, looking stunned, "Wow, you set me up with a Fianchetto?" "I certainly did," she said with a smile. "Impressive," he nodded with a smile, and then stared at the chess table, "I don't know how I'm going to get out of this." Elsa smirked a bit. He clicked his tongue, surveying the board, uncertain of where to go, "Let's see…" He considered his options, yet he realized that whatever decision he made would put him in a bad spot. He moved his king back to F8. Elsa moved the white knight to E6, which put both his king and queen in a fork.
"Checkmate," Elsa smirked at him. "I made a bad move; I shouldn't have gone to D7," Jacques said, "I would have probably beaten you if I hadn't." "Huh, I thought you had more experience than this," she said teasing him. "I just woke up," Jacques replied, "I'm not a morning person!" "That's an excuse!" she said, "I still beat you!" "Alright, how about a rematch?" Jacques asked, "I was just going easy on you there. Next time I won't be making any bad moves." "Oh, I know what this is about," Elsa said, "Men don't like losing to women?" "Well, it's not really like that," Jacques replied, "Guys just… don't like losing, period." She stared at him. "I'm not making a big deal out of it, really," he said, "You should see some other guys when they lose. If they lost to you, it would be a pretty big deal. It would be a complete surprise to them." He laughed a little, only to see that see wasn't amused. "Hey, I think you're misunderstanding something. All I'm saying is that I know some other chess players who can be cocky when it comes to playing the game," he said, explaining himself, "I'm not saying you're not good, and if it seemed that way, my apologies. In fact, I was just kidding about going easy on you, because I hadn't paid as much attention as you did." "Well, thank you," she smiled, accepting the compliment.
"So, do you still want that rematch?" he asked. "Oh, if you insist," she said with a small sigh, "But I bet you're just mad that I beat you." "I'm not mad; I was just asking for a rematch. What's so bad about that?" he asked, then said, "It's your move. That is, if you want to start this game." She moved a piece, and so did he. "So, tell me about yourself," Jacques looked up from the board, asking, "What do you like to do?" "Well, I enjoy reading," Elsa said with a smile. "So, you like reading," Jacques returned the smile, "Apparently you like chess. What else?" "Hmm… I like to sing," she told him. "Singing? Nice. I don't really sing, but I played the piano growing up," he said, "What else?" "Um… nature I guess," she replied. "What do you like about nature?" Jacques asked inquiringly, "The sun, the birds, the stars? What?" "Everything," she said with a passionate look in her eyes. "Everything?" he repeated, and moved a chess piece, "I like everything, too. Almost everything." "What do you like about it?" Elsa asked him. "Me? Um… well for one thing I like to fish," Jacques pondered momentarily, "It's relaxing. The best times are at dawn or sunset. It can get boring, but its well worth the wait if you catch something. And I enjoy going for walks and watching sports outside." He waited for her to make a move, and then slid a piece down the board, "Let me ask you this. Is there something you suck at, or is there something you're really not good at?"
"What? Why are you asking me that?" Elsa glanced back with a surprised look on her face. "It's just a question. I mean is there anything you're not good at?" he asked her, then confessed, "I'll be honest, I suck at archery. Seriously, I can't ever manage to hit the targets." "Jacques, really, I don't know how to answer your question," Elsa replied. "Oh no, you have to be bad at something! Just say something, anything. Pretend I'm you," Jacques pointed at himself, and then tried to imitate her, "I tell really bad jokes." "Jacques, stop," she said. "I can't draw well," Jacques ignored her, "But I really can draw well, I just don't know about you." "Seriously, what are you five? You're insulting me and we've only just met?" she looked slightly offended. "I'm terrible at dancing," Jacques said with a plain expression on his face. "Are you mocking me?" she asked in a calm, angry tone. "No, I'm just trying to figure you out," he said. "This isn't funny!" she crossed her arms, pursing her lips. "Oh, come on! Lighten up! I'm just kidding!" Jacques smirked at her, "Just tell me though, what's something you're bad at?" "Math," she said, "I'm bad at math." "Math? Wow, that's cliché," he exclaimed, "Math! Almost everyone is bad at that, or they're good at it and they hate it." "Well, that's what I'm bad at. There's your answer," Elsa replied.
"Okay. I thought it would be a little something different, but I guess not. Let me think of another question to ask," he thought for a second, "Do you prefer cats or dogs?" "Um… I don't know," Elsa pondered for a minute. "You look more like a cat person to me," Jacques said presumably. "How do you know if I like them?" she raised an eyebrow. "Do you?" he asked her. "I suppose they're cute, but they're also mean," she answered, "Then again, it depends on the cat." "So you like dogs?" Jacques continued to question her. "It depends on the dog," she said, "There's some I don't like." "I like dogs when it comes to watching hunts. Owning one? I'd rather have a cat. Dogs are too much work, they smell, they create all sorts of chaos. I have enough to deal with when it comes to horses," Jacques said, "Of course, I have servants who can take care of them for me, so I've lucked out being born into royalty." "A man who likes cats?" she smirked at him. "What's this? I'm not manly, is that what you mean to say?" he asked, then responded defensively, "I like cats mostly because they're easier to take care of, and they're cute. But that's just me, everyone's different."
"Sorry, do I talk too much?" he asked, looking a bit nervous. "Not as much as my sister," Elsa replied. "Oh," Jacques said in response, "Does she make you run for the hills?" Elsa stared at him, "Um… I suppose." "Oh, so she made you run for the hills?" Jacques raised an eyebrow. "Yes," Elsa laughed. "That's unfortunate," he responded dryly, "So, who's that girl you came with? And her boyfriend?" "That's my sister," she said answering him. "Oh that's your sister?" he blinked, "I thought she was your friend." "No," Elsa shook her head. "Huh, I don't think I've met too many sisters that actually like each other," he commented, "Or do you really like each other? Because I thought you said she made you run for the hills." Elsa laughed a little. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Elsa looked curiously at him.
Jacques stared for a moment, going silent. "Wait, what's wrong?" Elsa asked. "Well, um," he hesitated for a moment, "I had a brother, an older brother. He died while traveling through the mountains because he was thrown off his horse." "Oh," Elsa felt a twinge of guilt, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked." "No, it's fine," he brushed it off, veiling the hint of sadness that was in his eyes, "Don't even worry about it. His name was John by the way. He was really cool. You would have liked him." She smiled, listening attentively. "I guess things haven't been the same without him," he added, "I haven't been the same without him." "I know how it must feel to lose someone you really care about. I lost my parents while they were at sea," Elsa said sympathetically. "Well, I lost my parents, too," Jacques said, "To illness." "Oh," her eyes went wide, "Gosh... I..." She looked ashamed right then. "Um... do you have any family members that you're close to?" she asked, looking embarrassed. "Well, no," he replied, "I mean, there's my uncle. I don't really like him, to be honest. He just bosses people around, thinks he's right about everything. Selfish." "I'm... sorry to hear that," Elsa said, trying to comfort him.
A question suddenly crossed her mind, "Wait, what time is it?" Jacques glanced at his timepiece, "Oh… a quarter past nine." "I'm sorry, I need to get going," Elsa suddenly sounded a bit worried, "But thank you for having me stay, and for everything else." "Oh no, it's alright," Jacques replied, "But I suppose we should stop talking if you want to get to the ship in time." "Right," she stood herself up. "I guess that means we should stop playing chess, too," he said, and then looked at her, "You know, I actually liked having you here today. It's been really nice." She smiled, "Thank you." "And thank you," he smiled back, "I really appreciate it."
Outside the castle, a horse-drawn carriage rolled onward and came to a halt before the front gate. "What brings you here, sir?" a guard asked. "I am here for Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle… and for the Royal Ice Deliverer Kristoff," the coachman replied, taking a moment to look at an unraveled scroll, and then showed him, "They stayed for a night in the castle." "Oh, yes," the guard answered with a smile, "They've been expecting you." He pulled down a lever, opening the gate, "You're free to go, sir." The coachman passed over the castle threshold with the horses. Meanwhile, Anna pulled Kristoff by the arm, "Is our ride here?" She watched the horses from afar draw nearer, "Oh, there he is! Now, where's Elsa?" She spun around, seeing her walking beside Jacques. "Oh, good! Perfect timing!" Anna said eagerly. "Hop inside if you wish to board the ship to Arendelle in time," the coachman said with a smile, opening the door to the carriage a moment after he stopped.
Anna and Elsa were about to be escorted inside the carriage, when Jacques cried out, "Elsa!" She turned around. "Do you have a moment?" he asked, "I just need to ask you something." "Sure, anything," she nodded, but then warned, "But be quick about it, I have to go soon." "I know," Jacques said, "I wanted to ask you if…" He stopped short in midsentence, and then Elsa asked, "Ask me what, Jacques?" "Would you write to me?" he asked, "I mean… would you like to write letters to me?" "Oh, sure," she nodded in response, but then asked, "For what, though?" "Um…" Jacques stared blankly, and remained silent momentarily, "Because… we could be partners." Elsa blinked with surprise and stared at him. Jacques noticed Anna and Kristoff staring at him, and went red in the face, "Uh, trading partners. That's what I meant to say." "Trading partners?" Elsa raised an eyebrow, "Sure, we can trading partners. And I'll write to you as much as I can." "You will?" he sounded a bit surprised, his face breaking into a smile, "Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. That is, thank you for agreeing to trade with me." Elsa nodded, and then winked at him. "Are you ready, Elsa?" Anna asked. Elsa turned, responding, "Yes, I'm ready now." She allowed the coachman to usher her into the carriage, and he softly closed the door. "Farewell for now," she gave him a delicate wave, and Jacques watched her lips curve into a smile. "Farewell," he smiled back gently, waving her goodbye. The horse broke into a trot, and he gazed at the carriage as it rolled away along the path. "Farewell… Elsa," Jacques said in a whisper.
A month had gone past since leaving the kingdom. Back in Arendelle, Olaf came scurrying down the castle bridge that ran down the moat, panting with exhaustion. He stopped a moment to breathe, "Phew!" A guard suddenly noticed him, stirring awake from his mundane task of standing as stiff as a tree. "Open the gate!" he said, calling to another guard. Once the gate opened, Olaf rushed past, hollering, "Thank you!" He hurried across the stone courtyard, and into the walls of the castle. "Kristoff!" he shouted, "Kristoff!" "Hey Olaf," came Kristoff's deep voice. "Kristoff! Hey! Sorry I'm late!" Olaf grinned, but panted a bit, "I had to run all the way here, came back from town. So, are you done delivering ice for the day?" "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," Kristoff said, "Sven and I are beat from traveling all over the place."
"Oh, I forgot to ask," Olaf said, reminding himself, "Have you proposed to Anna yet?" "Proposed to Anna?" a look of surprise crossed his face, "Oh, no I… I haven't proposed to her yet." "Why haven't you proposed to her yet?" Olaf cried, waving his arms, "How much longer are you going to make her wait? You said you would a month ago!" "Look, I've been busy with my ice business, not to mention I had to compete in a couple more races with Sven. That's why I haven't proposed to her yet," Kristoff said, explaining to Olaf, "Besides, I planned on proposing to Anna after I found the perfect place to do it." "And what perfect place might that be, if there is such a perfect place?" Olaf asked, in a mocking tone of voice. "The Bluebell Woods," Kristoff said. "Where's that at?" Olaf's eyes widened with surprise. "Behind the Valley of the Living Rock," he told him, "You know, where my family lives, the trolls." "The Bluebell Woods," Olaf repeated the name, "I've never even heard of that. That's here in Arendelle?" "Of course," Kristoff said, "Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not there." "Oh! Can you show me this place?" Olaf exclaimed, clasping his hands together. Then he frowned slightly, "Oh, let me guess… not until you show Anna." "Right," he said, "You know what? Could you do me a favor and go get her for me?" He pulled out a diamond ring from his pocket and showed it to Olaf. Olaf gasped, and then smiled brightly, "I would be honored to go and fetch the girl of your dreams!" "Wait here," he said, looking serious for a brief moment, and then rushed excitedly away, "Oh boy, this is gonna be good!"
The sunlight was dwindling down into twilight. Kristoff, Anna, and Olaf rode into the valley, mounted on top of Sven, and then Kristoff swung over and lifted Anna to place her onto the ground. "Stay here Sven," Kristoff warned him, "Don't go running off." Sven snorted with an annoyed look on his face. Olaf hopped off, looking at the sky, "Ah, what a glorious sunset! I wish it was always this beautiful." "Anna, could you please just wait here for a minute?" Kristoff asked pleadingly. "Wait, why?" she asked, looking a bit baffled. "Well, there's something I need to tell my mom," he explained. "Um, alright… if that's what you want," Anna shrugged her shoulders slightly. Kristoff and Olaf walked off. As they approached the edge of the valley, the earth seemed to tremble as the ground rumbled beneath them. The rocks popped open into stone trolls.
"Kristoff!" Bulda exclaimed, and rushed over to tightly grasp his legs. "Oh… um, hi… mom," he said in a low, embarrassed voice, his cheeks glowing red. "Welcome back home, my boy! What brings you here?" she asked, looking eagerly at him. "Um, about that, Anna and I…" he began. "Oh, Anna!" Bulda cried her name with glee, and then leaned in on Kristoff in a whisper, "What is this about?" She leapt on top of his shoulder and perched on it, roughly grabbing his head and smashing his cheeks together, "Did you and Anna come to pay a visit and talk to us?" "Mom, if you would just let me explain!" Kristoff interrupted, mumbling through a pinched face. "What's with the nice clothes? You look handsome by the way!" "If you'd please stop squashing my face, then I could maybe tell you something!" he snapped angrily at her. She let him go, "Well then, fine! Tell us!" "You… you mean them?" asked Kristoff edgily, looking at the gaping crowd. "Yes! Yes! Tell them! Tell them why you came!" she beamed at him. "It's, it's, it's… it's none of your business!" he cried out.
"Okay, seriously, what is this about? Why are you making me wait? It's been well over a minute," Anna said, walking towards the crowd. Everyone blinked. "Anna!" Kristoff said with a small laugh, "I told you to wait for me." "Are we here to talk to your family?" she asked. "No," Kristoff said. "Hey, what gives?" grumbled a troll. "Listen, Anna and I are just cutting through here, okay?" he told them. "Oh, so he's leaving us," said another. "Alright, if everyone would please just give us a moment, or a bit of time to ourselves, that would be greatly appreciated," Kristoff said, his voice sounding a bit uneasy. "Alright, have it your way!" came a voice from one of the grumpier trolls, sounding irritated.
"Close your eyes," Kristoff told her. "Um, alright," Anna said, and then asked, "Wait, what for?" "It's a surprise," he said. "Oh! I love surprises!" Anna smiled, "Now you've got me wondering what the surprise is!" "Just be patient, and promise not to open your eyes until I tell you to. Okay?" Kristoff asked. "I promise," Anna said agreeing to it. "Just follow me as best as you can, and try not to fall. I'll try to prevent you from falling. In fact, I'll catch you if you need me to," Kristoff said. "Oh, it's fine! Don't worry so much," Anna said, and she felt him take her by the hand. He guided her up the small hill, and passed under the hood of the shady trees and followed down the dusty trail that snaked through the forest. He came to a halt, and then Anna asked, "Can I look now?" "Yeah, you can look now," Kristoff said, giving her his approval. Anna opened her eyes, and all around, she could see that there were bluebells gathered near their feet like a violet sea. She stared awestruck, mesmerized by the flowers' beauty, and its sweet fragrance pervaded throughout the woodland.
"Oh, Kristoff, it's…" Anna looked speechless, "Beautiful." She walked towards the blossoms to get a closer glimpse of them. "What are these, violets?" she asked curiously, inspecting the flowers. "Bluebells," Kristoff said, "They're bluebells." "But they're not really blue, they look more like purple to me," Anna said, observing them. "Well, they are a bluish purple," Kristoff said with a smile, "But they are bluebells." "They're lovely," Anna told him, "Why, I've never seen anything like this before. It's so… different. In a good way different, I've just never seen a forest with so many flowers." She looked up at him, and for a moment they remained silent. Shafts of light from the fading sun broke through the trees.
"Anna, there's something I have to tell you, or rather there's something I should show you," Kristoff said. He burrowed deep into his pocket, only to find that it felt empty aside from there being a hole in the cloth. His face paled and went stark white. "Show me what?" Anna looked at him a bit baffled, "Sorry, what was it you were going to show me?" "Um," Kristoff gazed up at her, but was lost for words, "I… uh, I… oh, shoot!" "What?" Anna asked with a concerned look on her face. "I had something for you, but…" Kristoff rubbed his head, dumbfounded that his lost item was nowhere to be found, "I no longer have it." "Oh… well, ok. Wait, you mentioned that you were going to tell me something?"
"Tell you… what?" Kristoff looked at her uneasily. "Wasn't there something you were going to tell me?" Kristoff could suddenly hear fits of laughter behind him. His eyes perked up with an unpleasant realization that the trolls were behind him. His suspicions rose. "Wait here," he said urgently, then rushed over to the two giggling trolls behind a tree. "Psst! Guys!" Kristoff whispered. The trolls turned their attention to him. "Have either of you seen a ring? One with a diamond? I think I just lost it!" he asked, looking desperately at them. "A ring? You mean like a shiny rock?" one troll named Gus said, "One of us must have eaten it… or perhaps it was your reindeer." "What?" Kristoff suddenly looked frantic. "Yeah, I remember I saw it somewhere on the ground, I gave it to Bruce," Gus replied. "Where is the ring?" Kristoff demanded angrily. "Perhaps it was him that ate it," Gus nudged playfully at his friend, and he let out a laugh. "This isn't funny!" Kristoff cried out frantically. "Oh, but it is…" Bruce smirked gleefully. "Kristoff?" Anna called his name. "Okay, you two are responsible for getting me another ring! You've ruined this whole evening because you had to go and swallow it!" Kristoff ranted, although he tried to remain quiet. "Alright, alright! We'll get you a new ring! Pabbie's probably got something, he's got all sorts of rings," Gus said, "We'll be back."
Kristoff walked over to Anna. "Kristoff," Anna looked angrily at him, "Can you please tell me what is going on?" "Anna," Kristoff sighed, drooping his head, "I have to tell you something." "Alright, what is it?" she asked with a look of impatience. "Well, see, I had… this ring, and now it's gone," he sighed, and then mumbled softly, "I was going to propose to you." "Really?" Anna's eyes were filled with surprise, but then suddenly looked downcast, "Oh, I see now." Kristoff forced a smile. "We could always buy another one," she suggested. "Yeah, but this was supposed to be special," he said softly. "Kristoff, I'm sorry," she said sympathetically. "No, don't be," Kristoff told her, "It was supposed to be yours." "Right," Anna replied, and then smiled, "But thanks for trying. That's very sweet of you." He smiled genuinely this time, and drew close to her. She looked up at him, and then shied his gaze away from her for a second.
"Princess Anna of Arendelle," Kristoff forced the words out, looking back at her, "Will you marry me?" Anna's eyes went wide. She gasped, and Kristoff looked awkwardly at her awaiting her response. "Kristoff, I thought you'd never ask me!" Anna raised her voice with excitement, and then squealed with delight, "Yes!" "Yes!" Kristoff's voice brightened. "Yes!" Anna embraced him, and he lifted her off the ground and spun her around in a tight circle. "It's been four years," Anna said, "I didn't know when you would ask me to marry, or if for that matter." "Anna," Kristoff looked at her, "I know you're thinking that we should get married soon, but we should be ready for this. It really is a big deal, and I asked because I just wanted to let you know that I want us to be together and I don't want to lose you."
"Kristoff!" the trolls called his name in the distance, and then ran towards him. "Hey Kristoff! Look at the new crystal I found!" said a little troll gleefully with a wide smile. "Hey, Bubba, I need that!" Bruce said, looking irritated. "No, it's mine! I found it! Finder's keepers!" Bubba stuck her tongue out at him. "Gimme that!" Gus snatched it from her, "Here Kristoff! We got you a ring for your wife!" "Fiancée," Kristoff said, correcting him. "Oh, right," Gus replied, "Fiancée. Anyways, here it is." He dropped it in the palm of Kristoff's hand. "Alright now, go on! Propose to her!" Gus said. "But I already proposed to her," Kristoff said. "You can't do a proposal properly without a ring!" Gus rebuked him, "Get down on your knee and ask her!"
"Kristoff!" Bulda shouted, and Kristoff and Anna saw more trolls, as well as Olaf, approaching them. "Oh, we heard the news that you were proposing!" Bulda exclaimed, "Your snowman friend here told us." "Olaf!" Kristoff glared at him, speaking through gritted teeth. "What? I'm just trying to help!" Olaf said defensively. "Well? You've got the ring, so now we're all waiting," Gus said with a look of impatience. "This is supposed to be between us," Kristoff told him. "Ask her!" Bulda screeched. "Ask her!" the troll named Cliff said, grinning widely. "Fine!" Kristoff sighed, and then he took Anna's hand, "Princess Anna of Arendelle, will you marry me?" "Yes!" Anna beamed at him, and he slid the ring carefully onto her finger. Suddenly, the ring lit up like the sun, and Anna looked startled by it. She gaped in awe at her hand.
"No!" came a hollering voice in the distance. Everyone looked startled. Pabbie rushed in a frantic hurry, panting and screaming, "No! You fools! Give the ring back at once before it's too late!" "What's wrong?" Anna asked with a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong? These two blasted nitwits stole a powerful ring of cursed magic! That's what's wrong!" Everyone gasped. "Oh, this can't be good," Olaf said aloud. "Bruce," Gus glared at him. "Oh, sorry Pabbie," Bruce said with a small laugh, a look of guilt worn upon his face. "Sorry isn't good enough! Look what you've done!" Pabbie raved at him. "I… I…" Bruce was speechless, looking confused and afraid. "Why did you take it?" he asked, demanding an answer. "Well, Kristoff needed a ring," Bruce explained in a trembling voice, "And I just saw one all by itself." Pabbie shook his head gravely, "That is a ring with fire magic!" The other trolls gawked at each other, exchanging worried looks. "You fools nearly set the whole forest on fire!" he said, shouting at the quivering trolls.
"Fire magic?" Anna widened her eyes. She slipped the ring off her finger, handing it back to Pabbie, "Here, take it back! I don't have to own it; Kristoff can just buy a new one." "You don't own the ring," Pabbie said, "The ring owns you." "Wait, what?" Anna asked, looking utterly surprised, "But… what is that supposed to mean?" "It means this," Pabbie began, "The ring is bound to your heart, and now it feeds off your emotions. I can guarantee that you will feel tempted to wear it, and as much as you may try to control it, the ring will gravitate towards you. If anything, you must not have another ring, for this one will become jealous if it is trying to be replaced. It will become destructive if not properly taken care of." "How is it jealous?" Anna asked, "I mean, what exactly does that mean?" "The ring was created to bound someone through marriage," Pabbie further explained, "Of course, when this ring was given to someone, that person feared its power and tried to get rid of it. To make matters worse, he found a new ring for himself, and the Ring of Fire, so it's called, took this as a sign of unfaithfulness. It was created so that the bearer of the ring would never leave the one they were supposed to love." "I… I can't accept this," Anna said, "What if it hurts me or everyone else around me?" "I fear that you have no other choice than to accept it," he replied with a grim look on his face, "The only thing you can do is to find a way to control your emotions, most of all, your anger. The ring will become more powerful if it is angry, or if you are angry." "What about fear?" Anna asked tensely, looking at Kristoff. "Fear?" Pabbie said, "Fear does not seem to have the same effect. Yet, if you fear the ring too much, then it will certainly become angry and bring chaos to everything around it. It does not like to be ignored for too long of a time. Yet, I believe that almost everyone who's had this ring has even slightly feared its powers. It even seems to like it if it commanding respect."
"And what about the fire? Will it hurt Anna?" Kristoff asked. "No, it won't hurt her as long as she is wearing it. She will be immune to fire, even to intense heat. But it can hurt her if she doesn't wear it." "Well then, how do you get it to cool down?" Kristoff asked, demanding an answer. "Talk to it," Pabbie told him, "Like you would with a person, but be careful what you say to it or if you might provoke it even further. Just try to be mindful than this is no ordinary ring, and it likes to be treated well because it has feelings." Pabbie looked at Anna, "I am so sorry, my dear. I am afraid that there is nothing I can do to fix this. I have only kept it in my possession to prevent it from causing any havoc as it can be a force to be reckoned with. Just do what you can to be happy, and then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. And if you are angry, find a way to calm yourself down. That is the best advice that I can give you." "Well! That went well!" Olaf said sarcastically, "Anna, Kristoff, perhaps it's time that we should head back to the castle. It'll be dark soon." "Perhaps its time that we should," Kristoff said, then forced a smile at Pabbie, "Thanks." "Farewell, Kristoff," Pabbie said, "I hope all goes well. Come to me if you need anything."