Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Frozen characters. Disney does.
The rest of the day went on without a hitch. The next thing to happen was a feast, which took a few hours of the day. I met new people who were all happy to see me and Elsa and were saying how they were so glad the gates were open now. After the feast came the dances. One song played before Elsa and I were introduced.
"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," Kai announced as the new queen formally walked in on his left side and gave a small nod to the group, who were all bowing. "Princess Anna of Arendelle," he said, and I rushed in, but slowed my pace as I stood in front of the guests. I stopped at the base of the stage and waved. One of the ladies waved back, but Kai came up to me and cleared his throat, leading me over to where Elsa was standing.
"Oh, here?" I asked. "Are you sure? I don't think I'm supposed to-," before I could finish, he picked me up and set me right next to Elsa. "Oh, okay." I said, then took a step away from the new queen. The guests stood up and clapped before going back to their dancing. I cleared my throat and pushed a hair back, not sure what to do. I hadn't been this close to Elsa since we were very young.
"Hi," she said calmly. I turned in surprise. Did she just talk to me? Or was I imagining it? "
Hi- hi me?" I asked, and she nodded. I wasn't imagining it! "Oh, um, hi." I said, before turning my gaze away.
"You look beautiful," she commented.
"Thank you. You look beautifuller!" I said, then began stammering again. "I mean, not fuller. You don't look fuller, but more, more beautiful," I finished, having found what I wanted to say. Elsa gave a faint laugh.
"Thank you," she said, before diverting her attention to the crowd. "So, this is what a party looks like."
"It's warmer than I thought," I commented. It was true. Not just in the temperature, but how everyone was acting. It was really nice.
"And what's that amazing smell?" Elsa asked. We both took in a deep breath, drinking in the scent. "Chocolate!" We said together. I opened my eyes to see she was looking right at me. We both laughed and looked back to the crowd. I tried of thinking what else to say. When I opened my mouth to say it, though, Kai came up with one of the guests.
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Weaseltown," he introduced.
"Weselton!" The Duke strongly corrected, then calmed his tone. "The Duke of Weselton. Your Majesty, as your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your first dance as queen." He did a few strange moves, then bowed with an outstretched arm. As he bowed, his toupee fell down, and I gave a slight laugh. Elsa cleared her throat, and the Duke stood upright again.
"Thank you," Elsa politely said. "Only I don't dance."
"Oh," the Duke said, a little disappointed.
"But my sister does," she continued. I tried pushing it off, but it was too late.
"Well, lucky you!" He said, wrapping his arm around mine.
"What?" I asked. Before I realized what was going on, he pulled me away and into the party. "Oh, I don't think-," but it was too late. I tried reaching out for Elsa to help me, but she didn't. She just gave me a little "sorry". The Duke stopped pulling me when we reached the middle of the floor. He did some more weird moves, coincidentally stepping on my feet. "Ow, ow." I said.
"Speaking of," he said, "so great to have the gates open. Why did they shut them in the first place? Do you know the reason? Hm?" He asked, getting all up in my face.
"No," I answered honestly. I really didn't know why anything in the past thirteen years happened.
"No. All right. Hang on!" He said, dipping me backwards so I had a clear view of Elsa, who began laughing. "They don't call me the little dipper for nothing." I gave her a "help me" look, but I was lifted up and spun around before Elsa could do anything. The Duke continued his own little dance throughout, spinning and dipping me here and there as he continued his strange talk to match his strange moves. The music then stopped, and he bowed. Taking that as my cue that I could leave, I walked through the crowd, fixing my dress.
"Let me know when you're ready for another round, my lady!" I heard the Duke say. Elsa laughed as I walked up to stand next to her again.
"Wow, he was sprightly," she commented.
"Especially for a man in heels," I answered, rubbing my sore feet.
"Are you okay?" Elsa asked. That was something I hadn't heard from her in a very long time. I stopped rubbing my feet and gave my full attention to her.
"Yeah. This is so nice! I wish it could be like this all the time!" I said, talking both about the party and this closeness with my sister.
"Me too," Elsa said, but then frowned when something dawned on her. "But it can't." She turned away. "
Why not? I mean-," I began trying to persuade her, but that wasn't going to work in this case.
"It just can't!" She said, turning her back to me and brushing her hands through her hair to keep herself calm. I took a couple steps back in sadness.
"Excuse me for a minute," I said, walking into the crowd. I thought about all that had just happened. Elsa wanted to be closer to me, but something was holding her back from doing so. But what? I was just about to cry when someone bumped into me and I went tumbling and tripping. Just before I fell, someone grabbed my arm. I looked up to see who had caught me.
"Glad I caught you!"He said.
"Hans!" I said, glad to see him. He set his drink on a tray, then pulled me up, leading me into a waltz. We danced around until that song was over, and then we walked outside of the ballroom.
"This is your castle, huh?" Hans asked.
"Yeah. It was pretty lonely here. But I would have the whole parlor to myself and slide!" I said, accidentally slapping him in the face. "Oops, sorry. I didn't mean to hit you." I apologized, but he shook it off.
"It's fine. I get whacked and punched by my twelve older brothers all the time, so I'm used to it," he said. We had begun walking again, and we were at the castle entrance.
"Your physique helps, I'm sure," I said.
"Um, yeah. That's part of it," he answered. "But you really just get used to it."
"Yeah. I never really got that experience. I only have a sister," I said. We walked in the garden in silence. Then Hans started nudging me, and I nudged him back. We did that a couple times before he stopped, noticing something.
"What's this?" He asked, pointing at my hair. I realized he was talking about my white streak. I brushed it back before answering his question.
"I was born with it," I explained. "Although I dreamt I was kissed by a troll."
"I like it," Hans said. I smiled at him gratefully. That was the first time anyone made a comment about my streak and complimented on it. We continued on our walk, and something caught me off-guard. I smelled chocolate again! "Do you want to get something to eat?" I asked.
"Sure," he answered, and we walked into the dining room. I grabbed some chocolate desserts, along with some other delicious foods. I noticed Hans was eyeing something curiously, and noticed he was looking at the krumkake. "That's krumkake," I explained. "I can teach you how to eat it." He nodded and grabbed a piece. "Come on! I know a great place to eat!" I grabbed his arm and led him upstairs to a balcony. I opened up the doors, revealing a beautiful view of the kingdom. We sat on the ledge and ate almost in complete silence, only talking a little bit here and there.
"So, this is a krumkake," Hans stated, picking up the last item on his plate. "How do you eat it?"
"Oh, that's easy. You just pick it up with your hands and put the whole thing in your mouth," I explained.
"The whole thing?" He asked in astonishment.
"Yep, the whole thing," I confirmed and watched in amusement as he tried putting it in his mouth. "You've got it!" I encouraged, and then laughed when a few crumbs fell. He set the plate down. Eager to start up a conversation, I asked, "You have how many brothers?"
"Twelve older brothers," he answered. "Three of them pretended I was invisible, literally, for two years."
"That's horrible," I said, but I knew the feeling. In fact, two years was nothing compared to how long I was shut out.
"It's what brothers do," he said, shrugging.
"And sisters," I added. "Elsa and I were really close when we were little, but one day she just shut me out, and I never knew why." I looked away unable to meet his gaze. But then he put his hand over mine.
"I would never shut you out," he told me. I looked up at him, grateful.
"Okay, can I just say something crazy?" I asked.
"I love crazy!" He said, and I stood up from the ledge.
"All my life has been is series of doors in my face," I said, closing the balcony doors to show what I meant, then turned around to face him, continuing to sing, "and then suddenly I bump into you."
"I was thinking the same thing!" The prince exclaimed, standing up. "Because like, I've been searching my whole life to find my own place. And maybe it's the party talking, or the chocolate fondue," he said, and I giggled.
"But with you!" I sang.
"But with you!" He repeated, and added, "I've found my place."
"I see your face!" I say, then we both sang in unison. "And it's nothing like I've ever felt before!" We had jumped onto a different balcony and spun around, then I led him to the tower and burst through the doors. "Love is an open door!" I ran one way, but when I turned around, he wasn't there. Then I felt someone come from behind and spin me around as I had continued singing. I shook my finger at him, then we ran back downstairs. "Let's slide!" I said, taking off my shoes and sliding down the wood floor. Hans followed my lead, and we helped keep each other's balance. "Love is an open door with you!"
"With you!" He said.
"With you!"
"With you!"
"Love is an open door," we said in unison as we hid behind the door from the guard. I gave a faint laugh, then pulled him away to retrieve our shoes and climb onto the rooftop. We watched a shooting star flew by, then Hans began singing again.
"I mean it's crazy," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"We finish each other's -," he began, but I interrupted.
"Sandwiches!" I concluded, then jumped off the roof. Hans followed me down onto the bridge ledge where I had been walking on earlier today.
"I've never met someone," I began, and then Hans joined in for the last part, "who thinks so much like me." I turned to face him. "Jinx!" We said in unison, entwining our pinkies. "Jinx again!" We said, doing the same with our other pinkies. I ran away to a clock and stood in front of the face of it. I noticed some little mechanical figures come out, and copied their movements. When Hans finally caught up with me, he did the same. "Our mental synchronization can have but one explanation," we sang together.
"You," he began.
"And I," I continued.
"Were..."
"Just..."
"Meant to be!" We finished together. We danced and spun around, going from one place, to another, to another, and finally landing at the lighthouse.
"Say good-bye," I continued.
"Say good-bye," the prince repeated.
"To the pains of the past!" We sang in unison. "We don't have to feel it anymore!" I led him down to the stables, but hid behind one of the doors, leaving him the task to try and find me. "Love is an open door!" We sang, as I opened the door, then closed it again before Hans reached it. "Love is an open doooor," I opened up another door, and then he came rushing over, picked me up, and spun me out of there. I led him to a waterfall that I had seen earlier that day. "Life can be so much more," we continued.
"With you!" I said first.
"With you," he repeated, holding me close.
"With you, I said, bending back a little.
"With you!" He repeated again, making me stand straight again.
"Love is an open," we sang together as I put my hands in sort of a circular shape to copy the moon.
"Door," Hans said, putting his hands on top of mine and making a heart.
"Doooor," I finished, looking up at him. He put his arms down and stood in front of me.
"Can I say something crazy?" He asked, and I gave a little chuckle in approval, and I watched as he went down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" I gasped, taking a couple steps back, then regained myself.
"Can I say something crazier?" Without waiting for an answer, I said, "Yes!" And bit my bottom lip. I had always read about these in the books, but never in all of my years did I ever think it would happen to me. Now I just needed to talk to Elsa.