Anna walks briskly through the city's streets, or runs, it depends on the point of view really. She's a rather lively girl after all and it seems to her that the world and its people move at too slow a pace. Maybe that's because they want to experience things more fully? But they don't seem to give their undivided to anything much at all! Are they are happy with what they have? Do they not want to feel more, experience more? Or maybe it's just her, and the fact that the world is quite a novel place for her. The castle is nice, of course but not too lively a place.
It figures that everything just went and mucked itself up on the day they were supposed to go outside and see the wonders of the wider world. She kind of wanted to take a trip to the forest and gather blueberries a day after coronation. Oh well, that's what you get for making such far-reaching plans. They rarely work as you want them to, why bother? Hmm, some things? Sure, in a few instances they are good to have, like the harvest. Anna sees importance of that, then again. Elsa happened and so it all went down the drain anyway. Maybe that is why people look so... busy. They must make sure their families are fed, safe. Or are they making plans for the winter? Her sister is.
She tries to help her older sibling in what ways she can but she's not the best there is for administrating... well, anything. She attends to her duties as they come, reports, math, trade deals, balls and other royal duties? Of course she could manage, she's a princess! But she considers it all dreadfully boring, she thought balls were entertaining, once, before she participated in one. The stories always make them sound so interesting. That is probably the point she supposes, the real thing? Not even close to being any fun.
But come on Anna, that was just one of many you will attend, the others may be more interesting. And less of a viper nests. It can't possibly be that everyone there is either a deceitful snake or a not-so-sneaky-as-they-think-they-are-would-be-murderers. There is Rapunzel! See? It's not all bad. Eugene was a thief and has this roguish attitude of his that makes him fun too. So that's... two people (because Hans doesn't count) that are some kind of fun. Pity she got to know them only after the whole affair, or maybe better? The islander prince was up to no good so she managed to expose him at least... unintentionally- but still! So it is all good, her first party ever and while on its own it would not score too high on her fun list, what followed was the greatest experience of her life!
Never minding the fact they got frozen into the statue, almost got killed by that mean, mean ice thing that her sister made, almost got her sister killed and had her blueberries hunt ruined. It was great! The aftermath is a pain but nothing they can't handle. They have made friends with Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, and the trolls too, what a lively bunch they are. And the most important of all, Elsa isn't hiding any longer! So yes, some hiccups along the way but overall a wonderful adventure.
She slows down her walk (run) as she approaches the port, she is, eh, was really (given how she is now late), supposed to meet her sister and bid the foreign guests their farewells. Like that weasel fellow. She is a bit sad that her new friends must leave already but no other place like home right? And they have their duties too, besides, they will meet again, their kingdoms are only a sea away and will likely be signing some kind of agreement of free trade or something like that according to Rapunzel. Anna doesn't like letters, she can't write as fast as she thinks and forgets what she plans to write before ever beginning the next sentence.
So for a time it will be only her, Elsa, Snowflake, Olaf and Jack in the castle. Maybe not Jack, he comes and goes as he pleases. Kristoff will be coming back tomorrow, he had to check his house and what's left of his ice business. Which reminds her, they must buy him a new sleigh. They promised him as much when they broke his old one. It has to be nice too, he helped them three so much. Hey is that Hans being pushed forward by two guards? nice cuffs, they suit the bastard.
Ah, there is Elsa. And Rapunzel with Eugene too. Where is the rest, oh. She just missed them it seems, their ships are now sailing out of the bay. No big loss, they didn't seem to like them much, giving them both weird looks, especially Snowflake. It's like they haven't seen a talking bunny before. Strange, they are everywhere after all.
Elsa rolls her eyes when she finally arrives as she was meant to do twenty minutes ago. Anna has no idea how does her sister manage to make the gesture look so dignified. A good word to describe her for sure. Always graceful, always beautiful. Even her new hairstyle makes her look more so instead of messy. How does she even do it? She bets that if she barged into her sibling's room in the middle of the night her hair would look better than her own after brushing and braiding and everything. Oh! It could be magic, she's a sorceress after all. Huh.
"Hi Elsa, are you using magic to manage your hair?"
Instead of answering she just puts her gloved hand to her mouth and snickers behind it. Corona princess seems to be a little thrown off, her husband just rises his brows. What, what did she say?
"Why hello to you too, nice to see you finally show up. And no, I'm not using magic for that. What took you so long?"
"Erm" The younger girl feels her cheeks heating up "We kind of got distracted by Jack, we swear we didn't mean to though, just lost sense of time, sorry for that." She says as she picks her friend out of her satchel and presses him to her chest.
"Yeah, not our fault really, that little menace got Anna chase after him when he stole her hairbrush, and she only just got up, couldn't have her look like a mess could we?" Snowflake says resourcefully.
"Eh, you would be bored out of your mind anyway, I swear it's like they got a stick up their-"
"Eugene! Language, please, mom gets antsy when you speak like that and you always forget." scoffs him Rapunzel "What he meant to say is that you missed nothing important, we're still here after all, waiting for you. Didn't want to leave without a proper goodbye now did we?" She glances at Eugene.
"Not a chance." Supplies her husband.
"Really? Oh it's so nice of you!" She launches herself at them both and hugs the both of them, kind of hard to do with one arm but she manages, she's a natural at this.
"It was so, they wished to stay for as long as it took you to arrive." Elsa says whilst looking a bit gloomy. She probably wants to join them but can't. Poor Elsa, all these years in isolation took their tool on her. She never told Anna but the younger girl knows nonetheless that touch is an unpleasant thing for her. Snowflake pointed it out too, even anyone's close proximity makes her nervous. She does seem to have a higher tolerance for her sister but that's not saying much if what happened the other day is to be any clue. It saddens the younger of the siblings, it saddens the older too, she can tell. They both want to be close to each other, be what they used to be. She wanted so badly to just hug Elsa when she was quaking in fear, an unseeing look in her eyes. But all she could do was move away and try to console her with words.
"Yes, really. It was nice to meet you. And we'll meet again, be sure of that." Rapunzel smiles. "But for now we have to sail home, the news about what happened here will reach my parents soon and they worry about the silliest things."
"Of course, goodbye Rapunzel, Eugene."
"See you!" Adds Snowflake.
"Queen Elsa." They both say as one bows and the second curtseys. After that they move to their ship. Anna waves at them until they sail far away enough not to see their faces.
She hears footsteps behind her only a moment before Hans shoves her side, causing her to let go of the bunny. Her eyes widen and for a couple of seconds she freezes in place, mind blank. Snowflake can't swim, he always drowns like a rock (she tried to teach him many times). Only after the initial shock does she hear his sputtering as he quickly disappears beneath the water. It's more reaction than any conscious thought that makes her dive after her best friend.
The water is still cold, hadn't had the time to warm up yet. But it's of no consequence, Snowflake will drown if she can't catch him quickly enough, he's small enough not to be noticed if he were to sink too deep. She can't let that happen, she won't!
Her vision is blurry and her eyes sting from the contact with water as she frantically looks around, she knows how to swim, somewhat. She was taught when she was four. She catches the sight of a white shape sinking deeper and deeper, but a couple meters away from her. But her moves are sluggish and unpracticed, her dress not helping matters any, heavy with water. Never mind that, she can do it. She only has these couple of meter to go.
And although she moves closer indeed, they are both diving deeper and deeper, for the stuffed toy never stops its fall.
Anna's lungs are burning with need, her ears hurt under pressure and her mind is foggy as she finally catches her now unmoving friend. She stuffs him beneath her vest and looks around in panic, not knowing in which direction the surface is. Disoriented and slowly suffocating she takes direction in what seems to be the surface, but as she franticly tries to resurface, her moves are becoming clumsier and slower. Ultimately, she can't take it any more and cold water flows through her mouth as it opens in a desperate attempt to take a breath that is not there.
She doesn't feel cold any more as she slowly stops moving and her mind goes dark.
...I had no idea this would happen when I began this chapter.
Revised on 11.04.2015