After begrudgingly agreeing to go to Arendelle, Helen was already regretting the decision. The airport had been stuffy and crowded, the plane ride over to the country no better. Jack-Jack kept crying, and Dash wouldn't stop jumping up and down in his chair.
Now, she was wishing she bought a heavier coat, for although the skies looked full of sun, the ind was chilling, nipping her to the bone. As Helen followed her family to their hotel- which provided a stunning view of the countryside, no less- she pulled her thin, mint green sweater tighter around herself. The kids and Bob, however, were paying the weather no mind, Bob having to reprimand Dash about trying not to run as fast for the third time once hey got inside the hotel lobby.
"Dash, you need to calm down, bud!" he said, "I don't think we want to have a bill sent to the house!" Dash pouted, crossing his arms as he reluctantly left whatever he was doing to go sit next to Violet.
"Thank you, Dash," Helen ruffled his hair, turning her head to eye the grandfather clock that sat across the lobby. The walls were red and had golden crocuses alternating between thin stripes of yellow. Bouncing Jack-Jack on her hip, she took a seat on the other side of Violet, who was trying to straighten her back as well as she could. Bob had approached the front desk, signing them in to their rooms.
"Well, this is exciting!" she tried cheering them up, erase the glum looks on their faces.
"Sure is," Violet agreed, her voice dripping with boredom. Helen scowled.
"Oh, don't be like that, Vi!" she chastised her daughter, you'll have fun- from what Kai told us there'll be dancing, food-" Violet nodded absentmindedly, kicking her feet under the bench. Kai- Princess Anna and Queen Elsa's butler- had filled them in on party details, what to wear, how to greet the esteemed guests- basically act like someone who was not, well, them.
"Okay!" Bob coped his hands awkwardly, getting their attention, "we have officially signed in, why don't we go visit the castle?" Helen raised and eyebrow at him. Jack-Jack gurgled, drool dripping off his chin.
"Already?" she asked, "but we haven't even gotten the luggage-"
"Kai apparently took care of it," Bob said, straightening his tie.
"What about Lucius?" Helen reminded him.
"Said he came over two days before we did," Bob said nonchalantly, "and we have a limo waiting for us out front, so we don't want to keep them waiting!" At the mention of 'limo', Dash and Violet immediately raced out the lobby door, almost knocking into a heavy-set woman wearing a pale blue gown, a purple feather boa around her neck. Quickly apologizing, Helen and Bob ran after them.
"Damn these shoes!" Helen spat as they made it to the car, slipping inside. The balls of her feet ached as she rolled her ankle around inside the shoe- a green satin peep-toe heel- and smoothed down the skirt of her dress, wiping baby drool off the pale green sleeve.
"Nervous, Mom?" Violet asked, grinning slyly.
"Well duh," Helen smirked, "we're about to walk into the castle of a Queen, after all." Nodding, Violet tucked her black hair over her shoulder, fidgeting with the orange headband she wore. It didn't really match the pearl pink dress she was wearing very well, but wearing the headband was better than having her hair hang in her face. Helen thought Violet had gained a new air of confidence after their stint as a family of superheroes that it was hard to revert back to her old self.
"Honey?" Bob broke through Helen's thoughts, peering out the window of the limo.
"Yes?"
"You better check this out!" a child-like grin spread across her husband's face as the limo slowed to a stop, the chauffeur coming out and opening the door to reveal a rather large stonewall castle. The tiers were an icy blue over brown and grey speckled stone, and orange streamers hung on every corner lamp post. Green and purple flags flapped in the wind, some depicting an image of a crocus flower, others bearing the profile image of a young woman with a long braid over her shoulder, bangs pulled back to look like flames licking her skull.
Wow, Helen thought, stepping out of the car. Jack-Jack was getting heavy in he arms. The pavilion floor was made of rough cobblestones, her heels clicking on the ground as she waked with her family. Helen opened her mouth to say something when:
"You made it!"
Turning, they followed the voice to see a young woman, Princess Anna from what Helen could remember, racing towards them, her hair down in twin pigtail braids. She wore a dress with a deep blue skirt, light blue sleeves to match. She had someone in tow, a bright, exuberant smile on her face.
"Uh, Your Majesty!" Bob managed to get out, Dash staring at the princess in awe.
"I'm so glad! We have so much food, I really don't think I could eat it all myself!" the princess rambled, her eyes going suddenly wide as she turned to her companion, "Kristoff- let's go see if Kai set up the ice cream bar!"
Kristoff, a tall, muscular man with a mop of blond hair, scratch his head and shrugged, the seams of his blue sweater pulling out of the red and purple cloth waistband of his pants as he pulled his arm up. "Anna, shouldn't you wait until dinner first?" Anna blew a raspberry at him, playfully smacking his arm.
"Oh, we'll just sneak some chocolate then if you're so worried!" she laughed, then to the Parrs, "thanks so much for coming, I'll see you later!" They watched as she pulled Kristoff along, shrieking with laughter as the man suddenly swooped her up in his arms, pecking her face with kisses.
"Well," Helen said, "they're cute!" Violet rolled her eyes.
"A little immature if you ask me," she said blatantly.
"It wouldn't be immature i it were you and Tony Ridinger!" Dash trashed, grinning as Violet grabbed for his ear. He easily dodged, running ahead in a blur to hide behind a nearby lamp post.
"Get back here you little insect!" she shouted, running after him, but with his powers, there was no use in ben trying to catch him- he'd be just one step ahed of her each time she got close. Exchanging looks with Bob, Helen followed her kids, cooing nonsense into Jack-Jack's ear as he pointed at flags and grabbed at fistfuls of his mother's short brown hair.
This was going to be a long trip for sure.