Parade

When Elsa was five years old a man had tried to kill her father. Her mother explained it was called an "assassination" when someone killed a powerful person. The attempt didn't work, however the man was working with or for warned the castle staff who immediately disposed of the poisoned reindyrsteik and informed the king. The man was imprisoned and though no one would tell Elsa what happened, she knew enough to know he was probably executed.

Many, man years later Elsa herself was queen and presiding over her first official May Day Parade. And the last thought in her head was of poisoned food or assassinations.

"So like…the point of this is…" Kristoff said.

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff were seated in the royal box above the parade root. While Elsa was content to just sit and enjoy, Anna was practically bouncing to join the parade, and Kristoff looked bored out of his mind.

"To celebrate spring Kristoff," Elsa answered, not taking her eyes off the parade. "The holiday is older than Arendelle."

She heard him sigh and slump into his seat. This was secretly part of a test Elsa was conducting on Kristoff to see how well he could handle royal events like this. If he intended to become Anna's husband one day, as Elsa strongly suspected would be happening sooner rather than later, she needed to get all his eye rolling and huffing out now.

"I haven't watched one of these since I was five years old," Anna sighed, smiling at the crowd. "I would sometimes have my own parade for the portraits in the first floor gallery."

Elsa cringed. She recalled getting many "invitations" slipped under her door cordially requesting her presence for "Princess Anna's May Day Parade Spectacular."

"Yes I recall you broke our only bust of great-great grandfather King Erik II," Elsa said.

"Well if someone just let me out to go watch the parade maybe that awful bust would still be skulking in the hall and haunting our nightmares," Anna giggled.

Elsa smiled at her. It had been nearly a year since Elsa's coronation and she and Anna had finally reached a point where they could laugh about the past. Though the twinges of those scars still flared every now and again in Elsa (and she knew for certain it happened often for Anna), they came to a mutual and silent understanding that if they couldn't laugh at their mistakes in the past then what was the point.

The day was warm, just bordering on too warm for Elsa who hid herself under an awning, away from the sun, unhindered in the sky by clouds. A light breeze carried through the town bringing with it whiffs of delicious food cooking farther down in the town square. Anna was captivated by two men on stilts juggling assortments of fruit, Kristoff was pretending to be interested for Anna's sake, and Elsa was content.

And then it went wrong.

No one noticed the man swiftly and silently moving through the crowd in the direction of the royal box. He seemed to the people he pushed out of the way to be nothing more than a man trying to get to his family or a better seat to see the festivities. But then again, no one noticed the gun tucked into his jacket, the way he sweat profusely, the look of pure hatred on his face as he turned to look at the box.

While Elsa debated with Anna at which acrobat was better, Kristoff shuffled off to the side, noticing something.

"Okay Elsa let's see you do a backflip," Anna said.

"I'm not saying I could do better. Just that I saw him slip on his landing," Elsa said.

"Hey Elsa?" Kristoff called from the side.

Elsa's reply to him was cut off by Anna who pointed and practically shouted when Elsa's chosen favorite acrobat himself slipped on a move. Elsa was too busy chastising Anna to notice what Kristoff could see. But her attention was drawn when shouting began in the crowd next to the box, people yelling, being shoved, and then a very gaunt and angry looking man appeared.

"Long live freedom! Long live democracy!" he shouted.

Elsa didn't even have time to raise an eyebrow before the revolver was out. Her eyes widened as time slowed down and she couldn't force herself to move. Kristoff was faster though. As soon was the gun was out he was in motion.

"Elsa! Get down!" he shouted.

Then he turned around, he pushed Anna down and then he dove, tackling Elsa to the ground just as the gun cracked and the ensuing thunder silenced the entire parade. Somewhere Anna had let out a scream but Elsa couldn't move with Kristoff's entire weight overtop of her.

"Protect the queen!" a guard shouted and suddenly five soldiers were in the box.

There were other shouts as members of the crowd and guards rushed the man, at least that's how it sounded. Another gunshot never went off.

"Elsa!" Anna practically shrieked.

Kristoff off of her just in time for Anna to take his place. Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa, both hugging her and dragging her to sit up. It was only when Elsa was sitting that she realized she was hyperventilating. The box was quickly filling with frost.

"Elsa, calm down," Anna said stroking her face, "You're okay, it's okay."

Elsa closed her eyes and did her best to steady her breathing. She turned her head to see the bullet meant for her lodged in the back of her chair, wood around it splintered out as her own skin might have been if Kristoff hadn't been quick.

"Are you hurt?" Elsa asked Anna, sitting up farther. Anna shook her head but there were tears in her eyes.

"Kristoff?" Elsa asked, turning to him.

He smiled and shrugged, pulling at his back shoulder where a clear tear in his clothes, accompanied by a spattering of blood.

"He snagged me, but I'm fine," he assured. But Anna immediately rushed over to him and looked at the wound on his back. Elsa stood with the help of a nearby soldier and heard Anna insisting Kristoff get the graze cleaned and looked at. She had a point, the man might need stitches.

The royal party was escorted from the parade and Elsa ordered her guards to remain in town.

"Your Majesty, our job is to protect—" the captain protested.

"Your job is to follow orders," she said sternly, "And I'm ordering you to protect my people." The guards obeyed and Elsa entered the castle with Anna and Kristoff in tow.

That night Kristoff got stitches in his back (and whined about the entire time), Elsa began feeling bruises forming on her back where she had made hard contact with the wood of the patio. Anna bounced between Kristoff and Elsa making sure both were okay every ten minutes.

Elsa should have known better. A wave of democratic reform was sweeping Europe. France was rife with it, in Russia riots in the streets were demanding freedom for the serfs. It was only a matter of time before Arendelle was dragged in. The next time she was at a public event she would have to be more mindful.

Elsa gave Kristoff a room for the night in the guest wing (and secretly told one of her valets to make sure he stayed in that room). And as everyone was separating, heading off to bed, Elsa pulled Kristoff aside.

"Thank you. Words can't—You….saved my life."

He nodded. And then he hugged her. When they first met Kristoff seemed very unimpressed with Elsa, even angry at her for the winter and for what she had done to Anna. Perhaps the parade would mark a turning point in their relationship. After all, one day he would probably become her brother-in-law.