This chapter may be a little long (sorry) just felt like going off on one! I hope you're still enjoying this story! Please don't forget to leave suggestions for me because they are great! Enjoy!
Emma and Elsa discarded their clothes under their beds and made for the exit through the servants quarters of Arendelle's palace. Emma's clothes did them well, for their dresses came with hoods which they did up so no one would see their strikingly blonde hair.
Arendelle's servant's quarters were remarkably well designed, and poorly lit. A huge underground network kept the castle (which only housed 3 proper residents) alive. Emma felt reassured that the castle's staff were being so nicely looked after, for all the rooms seemed pleasantly decorated, with plush armchairs and large wooden desks.
"That's where all the old furniture goes." Elsa whispered, she was surprised to think that she had never even thought about areas of the castle like this. Anna had probably visited this place a thousand times, but of course, Elsa on the other hand, spent every day finding out new things about the place that she had previously grown up in.
They turned a corner, and Elsa bumped into a man carrying two guns, and he dropped them to the floor.
"I am so sorry!" She exclaimed, bending down to pick them up, before looking at who it was. Emma held her breath.
"That's okay." Kristoff said as Elsa handed back the guns to him. Elsa felt her heart flutter a little, but she looked away, he didn't remember her, not now. "You ladies have a safe journey home, the Queen's put up quite a chill." He chuckled to himself and walked off in the opposite clutched Elsa's hand and kept pulling her along the corridors.
"Ready?" Emma whispered as she pushed open the door to the outside, where they could cross the bridge as two unknown villagers. A sharp gust of wind hit Emma and Elsa in the face, along with a few snowflakes, until they were pushed outside by a passing beefy guard, who shouted at them for keeping the door open too long.
Elsa squealed and stuck out her tongue, catching a few snowflakes on it as she revelled in the glory of being back outside in the snow again.
"Come on, over the bridge, lets feel truly safe again." Emma willed. She could see fake Henry in a tree ahead. Emma and Elsa ran across the bridge, holding hands in case they slipped.
Emma stopped and pointed, pulling off her hood. "There he is."
"Emma," Elsa turned Emma to look at her in the eyes. "Remember, it's not really him. Please!"
"I know, I'm just going to try and be his friend." Emma looked deadly serious. "Trust me, I know what he likes."
"Maybe Storybrooke Henry, but this is Paul, not Henry. They might have completely different interests." Elsa said, sighing as Emma tried to pull away. Elsa reluctantly let go and let Emma join the crowd that had gathered at the foot of the tree that fake Henry had climbed.
"C'mon Paul give us the kite back!" A boy called up to him.
"Yeah, all we want to do is play!" Another shouted. Fake Henry looked down at the crowd and smiled enigmatically, just the way Emma remembered him. All at once, all over again, Emma felt herself fall back in love.
"Fine!" Fake Henry called as he dropped the kite from high above and scrambled back down the tree. The other children ran off but Emma waited at the bottom of the tree for him.
"Hey." She said as he reached the ground.
"Hi..." He replied, looking around for his friends.
"You're pretty good at climbing trees then." She commented
"Yeah..." Fake Henry put his hand above his eyes, shielding himself from the sun rays.
"What's it like to climb them?" EMma asked, she already knew, for Henry had told her a thousand times.
"You're being awfully inquisitive for someone I don't even know." Fake Henry looked over at Emma. He looked shocked. "You're that Princess!"
"No! I mean...what?!" Emma said suddenly, reaching out to touch fake Henry's shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" He said, stepping away. "You'll try to hug me again, or worse! Use your magic!"
"I'm not, honest!" Emma replied "I don't have magic." She repeatedly stuck out her hand to prove it to him, but he hid behind his hands, stepping away from her.
"Prove it!" Fake Henry cried.
Emma felt a hand on her shoulder, Elsa hand rushed over to her side, her hood up.
"Excuse me sir," Elsa said in an accent. "I promise you this isn't the Princess, for why would she be wearing such plain old clothes which such terrible stitching." Elsa lifted up the hem of the dress to prove it. "Anyway, didn't you see the three horses leave a little while ago? The royal family have gone out." Fake Henry moved his hands away from his eyes and watched as Emma repeatedly showed him that she could not make magic.
Elsa retreated and watched as fake Henry let Emma play ball with him. Elsa made sure her hood was over her face, for if two people recognised different Princesses the guise would be up. Elsa watched as rich men stalked the harbours and checked over the traded goods whilst market stall owners haggled in the streets beyond the square. Life was thriving, which is what Elsa had had wanted if it was her real Arendelle.
"Excuse me, miss." A young man, dressed in sailor wear was knelt at her feet, a flower in his hand. "But I thought this matched the colour of your skirt."
"Why," Elsa blushed as she lifted the cape slightly to get a look at the man's face. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, like the sea he sailed on. "Thank you, sailor."
"Tom," He replied, sitting next to Elsa on the bench overlooking the boats. "You can call me Tom." Elsa sniffed the red rose he had given her. "And what shall I call you?"
"Anna." Elsa gulped. It was the only name Elsa could think of under the circumstances.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He smiled, and Elsa got a glimpse of his white teeth.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Elsa laughed. "What brings you to town?"
"Well, I'm a sailor, and I go where my captain believes the best trade will be." Tom shrugged. "And the best parties. We're going to the ball on Tuesday night."
"A ball!" Elsa cried, pushing her hood back entirely. "Where?!"
"Why!" Tom looked surprised. "At the palace of course! You didn't know?"
"No, I...I didn't!"
"That's strange for a girl who lives around here."
"I don't live around here." Elsa picked her hood up again after running her fingers through her hair "Well, it depends who you ask."
There was a whistle from afar and Tom spun his head around.
"But you're going to be at the ball?" Tom asked hurriedly as he stood up "Please say yes, Anna, please!"
"Well, I suppose I'll have to be now." Elsa smiled as she watched Tom grin and run back to his post where he saluted his captain and boarded the ship before turning back and waving at her.
Elsa started making her way back over to Emma before the commotion started. A large fanfare, followed by horses and a man shouting his loudest for people to get out of the way for the Queen.
Elsa ran to Emma and pulled her away from fake Henry.
"We have to run! Ingrid is back!" Elsa whispered, pulling both their hoods up.
"Already?" Emma glanced to the clock, she was back for tea?
"Yes!" Elsa looked around "Follow me."
Elsa pulled Emma through the crowds and back towards the bridge. People were waving, clapping, shouting as the Queen rode by, smiling at them. She rode over the bridge and through the gates as Emma and Elsa ran through the open servants door. The maze of corridors back to their bedroom was less funny this time and they bolted past people, and often crashed straight into them without apologising. It seemed to get colder and colder every second Emma and Elsa were late for tea, and as they pulled on their Princess gowns.
"Help...me...with...my..." Emma panted as Ingrid kicked open their bedroom door.
"Tea?" She asked as a troop of servants laid out a table and poured tea for the three girls, before leaving them alone.
"I was shocked to not find you in the dining room but sometimes you can take tea elsewhere I guess." Ingrid said as she sipped her tea. "Please, take a seat."
Emma and Elsa silently sat at the table and politely drank the tea that had been served to them.
"Did you find what you looked for?" Elsa asked
"Oh yes, and much more." Ingrid smiled. Emma turned away and Elsa saw the remnants of a rag coming out of the back of her hair. She reached to grab it but she was too late, Ingrid had seen the material already.
"Emma, you have something in your hair." Ingrid used magic to pull it out and into her hand. "Oh, it looks like a rag." She stood up and walked to the window. Elsa and Emma held their breath. Ingrid tapped her long fingernails on the window. There was a long pause and she exhaled a few times.
"Looks like a rag of the clothing of the villagers." When Ingrid turned back around her eyes were a frosty white. "You snuck out." She snarled. Emma and Elsa stayed silent. "I told you not to! I trusted you! I am protecting you! As a sister!"
"You are not my sister!" Emma shouted as she stood up
"Yes I am! I was your goddamn Mother once Emma, and we were happy! Same with you Elsa! Don't tell me we weren't!" She shouted
"I was never happy with you!" Elsa and Emma screamed
"You ruined everything!" Emma shouted
"No Emma!" Ingrid's rage had picked up, and a snow storm was whirling around the room. Ingrid reached into her pocket. "You loved me once!"
"Prove it!"
Ingrid blew on the stones. The room turned an ugly, misty shade of purple and then they all blacked out.