Idunn stepped into the musty old library. It shut down years ago, when a new one had opened in Arendelle Proper. Here, she hoped to meet some very important people. People she hoped would help her in returning the Princess of Arendelle to her rightful status.
The first to enter was a Spaniard by the name of Mateo Garcia Lopez. The first in line to claim the throne in Spain, and Cecilie's best friend. Then there was Patrick O'Hare, an Irish man the late Crown Princess Cecilie protected from religious prosecution in his own country. Following him came Camilla Moen, granddaughter to Alfred Moen, and the third in Cecilie's childhood three musketeers.
Mateo, Cecilie, and Camilla were a devious trio at the Arendelle estate. Ever since their childhood days, the three had been inseparable. Now there were two.
The last person to enter wasn't as close to Cecilie as the other three, but closer in a very different way. The Royalty of Sweden and Norway were actually cousins. Thus, the Second-in-line Prince Lucas was Cecilie's cousin. He was the Duke of Corona, which was well on its way to seceding from Sweden. Cecilie had always supported him in his effort to secede.
What surprised the group most was the much younger girl trailing behind him. "This is my daughter, Rapunzel. She is going to be joining us today." A sense of unease settled among the group, a couple of the occupants shifting in their seats. But, that was all settled by Idunn.
"Nice to meet you, Rapunzel. Now, I believe you are all wondering why I called you here?" The group gave varying levels of assent. "Well, I've found her. Cecilie's daughter." The group grew feverish, buzzing with various levels of disbelief.
Mateo shouted out, slamming his hands on the wooden table they were seated around, "I cannot believe you! After 9 years of searching and all of the sudden she just shows up? It just can't be true!"
Idunn shook her head, "She's been hiding right under our noses for years, Mateo. Has anyone ever wondered why Sir Anders never removes his mask?" A gasp coursed through all of the people present, save for Rapunzel. "Sir Anders is Anna Lian, Rapunzel's peer in Sir Alden Lian's fencing class. Anna Lian is Anna Marie Anderson, the Lost Princess."
Camilla composed herself, hiding surprise under a calm façade. "Idunn, dear, as much as I wish to believe you, I can't just take your word for it."
Rapunzel butted in, "No! It's true! I've seen her, and there's no way they can't be the same person!"
Idunn nodded her thanks to the girl. "I have a video of Sir Anders removing his mask. You'll believe me when you see it." She pulled her phone out, pulling out a video she took a week ago. When Sir Anders removed his mask to reveal the freckled princess a loud gasp rang through the room. Nearly every person present was wracked with surprise.
"Lord in Heaven, thank you for this gift to us all," Mateo held the rosary close to his chest.
"Now now, before we do anything… I have confronted her about her identity, and she is in firm denial… And I don't know if she'll ever admit to it. Not with the devil lurching around the girl she loves."
The soon-to-be King of Corona slammed his hands down as he pushed himself out of his seat, "No! That man has done enough! How can he continue to torment the princess? He took her mother and father, and who knows what else he has done! Who is this girl? We must protect her!"
Idunn nibbled on her lip, "You see, Lucas, it's my very own daughter..." Everyone's eyes widened in shock, before the crowd burst into frantic yelling. Idunn called everyone's attention again, "They don't know that they love each other yet… Anna won't admit it to Elsa for fear of rejection, but I know my daughter loves her… The only problem is, her arranged marriage, thanks to my lovely ex-husband."
"Adgar? But how? He knows! He knows what that slimy fucker has done! How could he do this?" Idunn shook her head, signalling her own disbelief. "Well, when is the marriage?"
"That's the thing… Elsa has called it off. She refuses to, knowing he did something to Anna. We don't know what, but I have a sinking feeling that it wasn't just murder…" Idunn's body shook in disgust.
"Well… what can we do? We can't talk to Anna about it until we know exactly what has happened…"
An idea popped out of Rapunzel, "I've heard Elsa and Anna talk about a guy named Kristoff! I think Anna said she's been playing with him for years, he was like, her first friend or something! You could try talking to him!"
Lucas looks at his daughter, raising his eyebrow, "Bulda and Cliff's kid?" She nodded, unsure, "Bulda might be able to help then too… I went to her when you went missing… She seems to know a lot, and if not her, Grand Pabbie might…"
Rapunzel nodded thoughtfully, "I… I think we ought to stick with Kris… The closer to her the better…" The group gave a general assent.
"But who will we send out?" Patrick spoke up for the first time. A quiet man by nature, so much so that his strong voice startled the group into some semblance of sense.
"Well, Idunn can't go… And Rapunzel will be able to keep her eyes out from a distance… I need to return to sign the final documents of secession… So that leaves you, Mateo, and Camilla."
Mateo went to volunteer but was cut off by Camilla, "Mateo has a country to run, and I have a business. Besides, there's no one here more normal than you, Patrick." He looked contemplative for a moment before nodding.
He would be the one to confront Kristoff.
Anna stood, leaning against the heating unit on Oaken's roof. It had been a week since her confrontation with Elsa's mom. A week of stress and torment in Anna's mind.
She'd already sent the ladder down for Kristoff to climb up. When he'd finally arrived, he simply wrapped her in a bear hug, nearly crushing the bones in her body. "Jesus, Banana. You scared the living shit out of me. And then I don't hear from either of you for a week! Please don't do that again… My old heart can't take it."
Anna gave him a good natured punch in the shoulder, "Don't worry buddy. Things… Things are looking up… for the most part…" She mumbled the last part under her breath.
"What do you mean by that?" Of course, he heard her. He always heard her.
She shuffled awkwardly. Her eyes drifted to her torn up converse as she tapped the toe of her shoe against the roof, "Her mom knows… Everything. And… And I don't really know what to do about that, because now Elsa wants to know, but she's being so kind and accommodating… She keeps telling me that she'll wait until I'm ready to tell her myself, but I don't… It's not easy to just talk about, Kris… I wish she could know, but… Everything will change."
"You don't know that! You can't make those decisions for her, Anna. She… I think you guys really need to sit down and talk, because you're both knuckleheads. Remember when I found out?" Kristoff was holding her gaze, not letting her run from this moment. She chuckled uncomfortably, remembering the first time anyone ever found out about her secret.
9 years earlier...
Anna marched up the hill, Arendelle finally coming into view. Her eyes glanced back down the empty road. Moss Children's Home would be only another bitter memory. On her back, she carried her only change of clothes. On her feet, she wore shoes that were so worn down, the sole could hardly be considered that. At least I can really pass as homeless now, she mused to herself. It would be much easier to keep her identity under wraps. She didn't need to send a nationwide announcement of my disappearance. It's not like she really cares about me. Anna's bitter feelings towards her mother had been eating at her for the last 6 months. Feelings of abandonment and loss chipped away at her optimism.
As her feet carried her into Arendelle, the fatigue of her long hike to set into her tired body. Just on the outskirts of Arendelle, her legs collapsed under her weight, and her eyes drifted shut. The midday sun beat down on her freckled skin, the heat lulling into a sweet state of unconsciousness. On the edge of consciousness she could hear a smooth voice calling out, "Mama! There's a girl over here! I think she needs help!"
When she woke next she found her aching body in a small soft bed. The first thing she felt was pain, then fear. She shot out of the bed, but the moment her feet hit the floor, her legs crumpled again. She heard what sounded like a horse trampling into the room, but it was just a group of children, the oldest in front. "Mama! She's awake! I think she tried to run away!" Another pair of feet padded into the room, and a stout woman stepped in front of the group of children.
Anna looked wide-eyed at the large group, "W-where am I? Is this another children's home?"
The larger woman laughed deeply, "Oh no dear. These are my children. Speaking of, shoo shoo! Give this girl some room to breathe!" As the large group shuffled out of the door, the woman called out, "Not you, Kristoff, you found her." The oldest boy turned around, and Anna examined his kind face and messy blonde hair. There was something in his soft hazel eyes that made him seem trustworthy. "Now, dearie, we're going to have a little talk. First, I am Bulda, and this is Kristoff, my oldest boy. He's the one that found you while they were playing football just outside of the city. So, why was a young girl like you hiking around Arendelle?" Anna was unsure of how to answer, so she sat silently, avoiding the woman's eye contact. The stout woman sat on the floor next to her, "That's okay. I can see it's a sore subject, Princess." she winked at the girl.
Anna's eyes shot up to stare at the woman, surprise etched into her facial features, "Wh- How did you know? No! I-I need to go. Not again…" Anna tried to stand once more, but her legs were still too weak to carry her.
Bulda put a comforting hand on Anna's shoulder, "Don't worry, sweetie. Kristoff and I won't tell anyone, right?" The boy, who had been silent so far, locked eyes with Anna, and his gaze softened as he nodded. "I know you because your father brought you to my Grand Pabbie when you were just a wee child, but I'd recognize that hair and those beautiful eyes anywhere. You were having terrible nightmares every night as a child, and it caused you to sleep walk. One night you had a terrible fall because of it, too. The doctors wouldn't do anything, so he brought you here. Grand Pabbie is known to help people doctors can't. Your father was a good man."
Anna started to tear up at the memory of her father, "I- I miss h-him…"
"Princess Anna…" Bulda wrapped her in a warm hug.
"It's just 'Anna'… he d-didn't want me t-to think that I'm b-better than anyone because of m-my p-parents."
"Anna…" the ever silent boy spoke up, "Would you like to play a game of catch with me?" The question seemed so out of place in their conversation, but the kindness in his eyes led her to understand his true intentions. He simply wanted to give her a break. Still, she didn't trust her voice, so she only nodded. With shaky legs she stood. Her feet burned, and her legs felt like noodles, but she was finally standing. Though, as she began to walk, the strain crippled her legs, and she found herself falling into his arms. "Whoa there! Maybe we should just get you back in the bed." The boy, Christopher? didn't seem much older than herself, but he was clearly much stronger. He picked her up, and carried her over to the plush bed. He set her down with a lopsided grin, "You'll be up in no time, yeah?"
She found his smile charming in its own way, "Yeah…"
Bulda grinned at the pair wickedly, "Well I'll leave you two cuties alone, maybe my Kristoff, will be of help to you." Right, Kristoff.
He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "So…"
She patted the spot next to her on the bed, "Come on, sit down." Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes, or just her own loneliness, but she didn't really want him to leave. She needed someone right now, and he was the only one in her immediate vicinity.
He obliged her request with a small smile, "How'd you get all the way to Arendelle?"
"I walked."
He looked down at her shoes, "Well that explains why your shoes are so raggedy." Normally she would have puffed up at the slight, but instead his boyish grin brought a full-bodied laugh out of her. As her laugh faded out, he gave her another one of his grins, "You know, I don't think being a princess makes you all that special."
She laughed, much more subdued, "Yeah, maybe not… How'd your mama have so many kids?"
This time, he was the one to let out a bellowing laugh, "Oh, we're all adopted. She's got a big heart, and couldn't stand seeing us all so miserable in Arendelle's old children's home. She helped put that place out of business."
Anna nodded in understanding, "You can't tell anyone…" When he gave her a confused look, she elaborated, "I'm not the princess. I can't be anymore…"
"Why not?" Tactless. Completely and utterly tactless. But, there was an honesty in that. He was a curious boy, and Anna needed to tell someone.
"There's a bad guy in my mama's house now… He's trying to take Papa's place in her heart… I think he has something to do with Papa's… death… He has this look in his eyes… Pure evil… I don't know how she doesn't see it. She never even saw what he had tried to do… He's… Kristoff, he's a bad man, and mama… I don't know if she'll ever see it." He just nodded in acknowledgment, and for some reason, that was enough. There was nothing to be said on the matter. Nothing he could do, because he didn't know. He wasn't there.
"He tried to do stuff… I don't know what he wanted, but I know it wasn't good… he said… He said he could make me feel loved… I didn't like that, Kristoff…" Kristoff stiffened at her words. A fire lit in his eyes, and if he were a dog, she was sure his hackles would have risen. With soft eyes, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
When their gazes met, he visibly calmed, "Who would think you're a princess? You're just Anna." She smiled at him, leaning forward to give him a hug. He held her tightly against his chest.
"Thank you, Kristoff. I… I appreciate it."
"What? I didn't do anything." He smiled at her, rubbing her back comfortingly.
Anna stayed in that house for a week, and once the soreness in her body had finally left, she had a plan. Late at night, after the house had fallen into a peaceful slumber, she packed up her bag. Inside, she carried the hand-me-downs from Kristoff, including a pair of shoes. After slinging the bag over her shoulder, she wrote a note to the family that had been caring for her. It was nothing extravagant, but just enough to let them know she wouldn't leave town.
About two weeks later, Kristoff walked up to her spot beside Edna's atelier with a small bag of food leftover from their family dinner. He didn't say anything. Just sat next to her. That was enough. He was enough in that moment.
She picked out of the bag, nibbling on a little food, rolling it back up to eat the rest later. She didn't even know if he'd come back, "Thank you." He nodded. For the week that she stayed with him, he'd proven time and time again that talking wasn't his specialty. But, there was comfort in that. Comfort in knowing that he was always listening. They sat in a comfortable silence, just watching the sun set over Arendelle Proper.
"I got a job. The lumber mill. Only place willing to hire so young." His voice cut through the silence. She grinned at him.
"You'll do great, you big lug." She punched his shoulder.
He winced, "Hey! It's got me sore, you know!"
She grinned cheekily, "Good! They ought to toughen you up!" She drummed her hands against the sidewalk, humming a soft little tune, more to herself than anyone else. But Kristoff could hear. He was a listener like that.
"There's a guy at my work. He's teaching me guitar. He's got one he wants to get rid of… He said if I let him teach me, I could take it when I was good enough. I'd like to play with you sometime, Anna. If you'd sing along, that is…" He didn't look at her. Kept his gaze out at the setting sun. Maybe he was trying not to add too much pressure onto her shoulders. It was just an offer.
So she, while looking forward, nodded, "Yeah, sure." Not much, but enough.
Present day
Now Anna and Kristoff were best friends, playing together to entertain crowds. He spoke more, but never as much as Anna. Bulda still offered her food, which she politely declined. Kristoff still worked at the lumber mill. He still plays the guitar that old man gave him. Nothing changed. Nothing but Anna.
Anna had another home. Anna was moving on. Anna fell in love. Anna was letting Sir Anders go. Anna was forgetting the pain Solnberg brought her. Yet still, Anna was the same.
Anna was still the scared little girl. Anna still wouldn't embrace her past self. Anna still looked to the silent comfort Kristoff could offer her. Anna was still controlled by fear.
"Things were different then." Still in denial. "She doesn't need that weight on her shoulders." She hesitated, "Listen, I know how I feel about her. But… I don't think she'll ever be able to feel the same for me. Even if she could, her father would never let her love another girl. An arranged marriage for fuck's sake! Who does that? Jeez Kristoff… It hurts, you know that?"
He didn't say anything. He waited. Waited for her to continue. When she didn't, he spoke up, "Tell her. It will always hurt. But if you don't tell her, you'll be in pain with having never tried. You can only lose if you don't try. You might win the fair maiden's heart if you try." Anna laughed. It was strained, but she couldn't help but let it rumble her chest.
She struck her typical fencing stance, swinging an air sword, "Yes the mighty knight, fighting to win the heart of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle." Anna collapsed against the heating unit. "Yeah right, Kris."
He stood there, staring at her before a mischievous grin crossed his features, "Anna, could I see your phone for a second?" She gave him a questioning look, but tossed it over to him all the same. He scrolled through, finding Elsa's name with a heart beside it. It took all he had to keep the face splitting grin from taking over his mouth. He typed out a quick text to her.
「Hey, Els. Do you think we could meet at Oaken's at 4? I have a gig and would really like to have you there!」
He didn't really know what else to say, so he sent the message. After deleting the evidence, he threw it back to his best friend, "Sorry, needed to text Ma. We should get setup though. I already have a setlist in mind. No alterations to this one!" She nodded.
The stage was set up with a few more instruments than usual, but Anna ignored that, settling onto her seat. On top of her flannel, which she had cast to the side, a buzz went off signalling she'd received a text. She went to answer, but Kristoff lumbered on stage, guitar in hand. She opted for settling into her seat, a weird sensation bringing goosebumps along her bare arms.
3 songs in and Anna was feeling exhausted. They only had one more song to do before break time, and she was kind of excited for it. It was another one of those songs that was simply fun to sing and to listen to. Oaken volunteered to play the tambourine for them, and Kristoff pulled out the bass, handing his guitar to her. She poised her fingers in the first chord position. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, so she could truly invest herself in the song. As she played the intro, she opened her eyes, surprised to find them locked onto icy blue ones. She wanted to glare at Kristoff, realizing he planned this. But, then again, she found herself glad he pushed her to do this, so she held her gaze steady.
"So 1, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me
because you look so fine
and I really wanna make you mine."
"I say you look so fine
that I really wanna make you mine." She grinned at Elsa.
"Oh, 4,5,6 c'mon and get your kicks
now you don't need that money
when you look like that, do ya honey." She raised her eyebrows at the blonde, knowing she came from "that money."
"Big black boots,
long blonde hair,
she's so sweet
with her get back stare.
Well I could see,
you home with me,
but you were with another man, yea!
I know we,
ain't got much to say,
before I let you get away, yea!
I said, are you gonna be my girl?" She gave the blonde a look that she hoped conveyed that this was a purposeful effort. She was genuinely asking. For better or worse, Anna wanted to at least try. Maybe it was Kristoff's encouraging words, but no part of her could deny that look the blonde gave her back. Mixed somewhere between surprise and adoration.
With one more meaningful look, she sang out the last verse,
"Oh yea. Oh yea. C'mon!
I could see,
you home with me,
but you were with another man, yea!
I know we,
ain't got much to say,
before I let you get away, yea!
Uh, be my girl.
Be my girl.
Are you gonna be my girl?! Yea"
A/N: Wow, 100 followers! Well for all of you, I finally finished it! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! That song was by Jet, and it is called "Are you gonna be my girl?" Another bit of angst for Anna but we'll see what happens;) I enjoyed writing this chapter lots, so I'm glad to have it out for you all to read! A great thanks to my beta IceCreamIceQueen for being a great beta and friend ;) Reviews seriously speed up the process!
So with that!
Balticbard: I don't know how soon she'll find out… perhaps sooner rather than alter with this new development? ;)
Cedricthesorcerer: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this one too ;)
IceCreamIceQueen: Thank you thank you! Elsa's parents were very good friends with Anna's, until her dad's passing. Hopefully this chapter revealed some of that orphanage issue? Kristoff will be a very critical character soon :))))
Lord West Gordon: I think this chapter revealed a lot. I think you might be right about Elsa's father ;) I can assure you that you will not be dissatisfied with what happens to Hans ;)))
Blossom Charms: I hope this revealed a lot for you ;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and what it did for our favorite couple, and thank you for the help! :)))