"Anna! Anna!" cried Sophia happily. The two were running around the courtyard. Finally, the young girl fell into a hole laughing. Anna fell in after her.
"That was amazing!"
"Yeah!"
"Story time!"
"Yeah, story time! And make this one about a prince."
"Okay..."
"Named Hans!"
Anna bulked, "Uuuuummmm..."
"And he saves a beautiful princess and marries her to become king! The end!"
"...well that was quick."
Sophia smiled, "It's true love!"
Anna's face twitched, she knew it was time to tell her young companion, "Um... Hans, may not be coming back...
Sophia ran back through the courtyard. Hans was her family. When she first heard he wasn't coming back, she understood his position with Arrendelle was... hard. Complicated? Still, she had hope. But now she understood that he went to that place where people don't come back; like her mother. Like her father.
And now she lost Hans.
Sophia locked herself in her room. Now no one could leave her, because no one could get to her.
Miss Elsa came in with some nice guests who were going to help outfit her. Sophia got half a dozen beautiful new gowns, each one more lovely than the last. And many more on the way. When she had first come to the castle, Miss Anna had cleaned her, and given her clothes. This make-over was much more intense.
She was pampered thoroughly; receiving a massage before being moisturized. The chores previously assigned to her were given to someone else. A lovely old woman who smelled strongly of flowers spent the better part of an hour apply delicate amounts of make-up to the young girl's face. Finally, she put on her tiara and stared at herself in the mirror.
This should have been the happiest day of her life, but instead it was the worst.
"..."
"Sorry?" Sophia blushed, turning to Miss Elsa. The blond straightened, then rededicated herself to the situation, kneeling.
"What's wrong. Please, I can help you, just let me."
"...I," Sophia watched angrily as tears streamed down her face, "Have you ever loved someone so much, it broke your heart?"
"Yes..."
"And then they got hurt?"
"...yes..."
"Prince... Mr. Hans was my uncle."
Elsa swallowed. It was hard to accept that someone so... Sophia! could have anything to do with him. But...
"He saved me, and I think it's my fault he's dead."
Elsa's eyes opened slightly, then narrowed, "That's not true, I know that's not true."
"Then why?"
For the first time in her life, Elsa truly let go of herself. Not just emotionally, but physically too. She threw her arms around Sophia, "We don't get to know those things. But I promise you; Anna and I will always love you."
"And Kristoff?"
Elsa laughed, "Sure, why not." She paused, and stared at the girl, "I'm going to let you have a moment alone, okay?"
"Okay."
The queen walked to the door as the little princess walked to the window. While shutting the door behind her, she repeated her words in a whisper, but meant it more than anything, "I love you."
Sophia didn't need to hear it. She peered out the window about to sing about her loneliness when she saw it; a shadowy form watching her from down the road. It was her step-father's cloak, no mistake about it, but the form inside was far different.
"...Uncle Hans?"
As if he could hear her, he was gone in a flash. Perhaps she was not as alone as she first thought.