Chapter 3

Kristoff moved with the crowd toward the church doors as the coronation ceremony came to an end, hoping for another glimpse of Princess Anna as she exited the ceremony with her sister. After a few moments, the doors opened, but the first person to exit was the newly crowned Queen Elsa. Kristoff tried to look around her and see if Princess Anna was there, but as his eyes passed over Queen Elsa, he suddenly felt a jolt of terrible, inexplicable fear. He took an involuntary step back and rubbed at his chest, where his heart was suddenly beating hard and fast. He looked back at the new queen, and his heart sped up again, and he suddenly felt short of breath. He couldn't explain it, but the sight of Queen Elsa filled him with panic. He bent down and braced his hands on his knees to try and catch his breath. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before - he felt like he was having a panic attack. But what was he panicked about? There was nothing to be afraid of here, in the bright sunny square on this happy coronation day.

Kristoff slowly and painstakingly made his way back to Sven and his ice cart, trying to take deep breaths. It was easier to breathe the further he got away from the new queen. He hadn't gotten to see Princess Anna again, which was a shame, but he was going to leave the town early. He wanted to get back to the Valley of the Living Rock, to ask Grand Pabbie what could be causing him to feel this way. He hoped it wasn't a premonition of disaster – especially not a disaster that might hurt or upset Princess Anna. He couldn't stand the thought of anything that would lessen the sweetness and joy he had seen her express as she danced around amongst her people that morning.

As Kristoff packed up the sled and turned back toward home with Sven, he noted that his breathing was easier, but even though the acute panic had receded, he couldn't get rid of a lingering feeling that something was very, very wrong.

…

"Announcing…Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"Oh no," Anna whispered to herself as she rushed down the hallway toward the Great Hall. Of course, she'd gotten distracted playing with some cute little kids in the town square on her way from the coronation ceremony, and now she was running terribly late for her grand entrance to the celebratory ball.

She slid around a corner and saw the back of her sister's regal, crowned head as she took her place of honor under the awning in front of the gathered revelers. Anna put on an extra burst of speed and managed to make it out the door just as her own name was announced. It wasn't a dignified entrance, as she bounced into place, but at least she was here. Well, almost here, she corrected herself, as the announcer directed her to stand closer to Elsa.

"Here? Are you sure?" Anna asked, unsure that Elsa would want her so close. She glanced out of the corner of her eye toward Elsa and noticed with surprise that Elsa was looking over at her, and didn't look angry at all. In fact, miraculously, she somehow looked like she was happy to see Anna.

"Hi," Elsa said, warmly.

"Hi, me?" Anna stuttered. "Oh. Um. Hi." She cringed awkwardly at those being the first words to her sister in years.

"You look beautiful," Elsa said kindly.

"Thank you! You look beautifuller!" Anna couldn't stop the excited word-vomit. "I mean, not fuller. You don't look fuller, but more beautiful."

"Thank you," Elsa said, laughing a little. Anna was bursting with joy that Elsa was finally, finally speaking to her – and didn't seem angry or annoyed at all, despite how annoying and weird Anna knew she was acting.

"So… this is what a party looks like?" Elsa said, eyes bright as she looked around the room.

"It's warmer than I thought," Anna said. She hadn't actually thought about how cold the castle always was until now, when she suddenly noticed she wasn't shivering.

"And what is that amazing smell?" Elsa asked, sniffing and turning to face Anna. Anna sniffed as well and looked over at her sister –

"Chocolate!" They said together, laughing, as they both recognized the delicious scent.

Elsa is so beautiful, Anna thought, taking this opportunity to really look at her sister for the first time in years. There was so much she wanted to say to Elsa, but she was sure it would come out cringy and awkward, like usual. Before she could pull her thoughts together into coherent words, they were interrupted.

"Your Majesty. The Duke of Weaseltown," said the announcer, as a small older man in tap shoes approached where Elsa and Anna were standing.

"Weselton," the small man snapped. "The Duke of Weselton." Looking at Elsa, he said, "Your Majesty, as your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your first dance as queen." He then did a weird flutter with his feet, followed by a strange little kick. Was he trying to show off his dancing skills? Or having some sort of seizure? Anna wasn't sure to laugh or be alarmed. He finished off with a deep bow, and as his head pitched forward, his toupee peeled off his head, exposing a large bald patch, and Anna couldn't hold her giggle in anymore. Elsa looked over at her, and barely managed to hide her own giggle.

"Thank you," Elsa said to the Duke of Weselton. "Only, I don't dance."

"Oh?" asked the Duke of Weselton, looking offended.

"But my sister does!" Elsa said, gesturing toward Anna.

"What?" Anna exclaimed.

"Lucky you," said the Duke, already moving toward her.

"Oh, I don't think –" Anna cried, but it was too late. The Duke had already grabbed her arm and was dragging her toward the dance floor.

"If you swoon, let me know, I'll catch you," the Duke said, spinning Anna around quickly and dipping her low. His breath smelled like fish. She tilted her head back to avoid the stench and saw Elsa on the dais, waving awkwardly at Anna and mouthing, sorry.

The Duke yanked Anna back up as quickly as he'd dipped her and began dancing around her. For some reason, all his dance moves seemed to be animal impressions, which was punctuated by his own exclamations that he was like an agile peacock, or a chicken with the face of a monkey. All of Anna's energy was spent trying not to laugh – and trying to avoid getting her toes stepped on. Her delicate little slippers did not provide any protection against the Duke's sharp little tap shoes.

Suddenly, the Duke was in her face again with his fish breath.

"Speaking of," he said, although she wasn't sure what he thought they had been speaking of. "So great to have the gates open. Why did they shut them in the first place? Do you know the reason? Hmm?"

"No," Anna said, truthfully.

"Oh all right then," said the Duke, and grabbed Anna again to spin her around and step on her toes some more. If this was what all dancing was like, maybe Anna wasn't so sad to have missed out on experiencing it all these years. She shot Elsa another look over the Duke's shoulder, trying to entreat her sister for help with her eyes. Elsa was trying to hold in her laughter, and Anna's heart lifted. She loved sharing funny moments with her sister. Despite her aching feet, she hadn't felt this good in so long.

When the song finally ended, Anna limped back up to the dais to stand next to Elsa again.

"Let me know when you're ready for another round, milady," the Duke called after her.

"Well," said Elsa. "He was sprightly."

"Especially for a man in heels," Anna responded, rubbing her sore feet.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked as Anna winced in pain.

"I've never been better," Anna answered honestly. She would go through physical pain a million times worse than this if it meant she could be friends with her sister again. "This is so nice! I wish it could be like this all the time."

"Me too," Elsa said, and Anna's heart soared. But then Elsa stiffened, and turned away

from her sister. "But it can't."

"Why not?" Anna asked frantically. "If –"

"It just can't," Elsa interrupted. Anna couldn't understand. Everything had been going so well! There was no reason this couldn't be the beginning of a new, happier, more open future for the kingdom and for the sisters, unless – of course. After all this time, Elsa still didn't want to have anything to do with her annoying little sister.

"Excuse me for a minute," Anna said, feeling herself get choked up. She didn't want to cry in front of her sister, and all these people. Elsa would probably just get more annoyed than she already was.

Anna pushed through the crowd, running for the nearest door. Tears were already blurring her vision, so she didn't see when a man stepped in her direction from the side, knocking her off balance so she started to fall. Right before she crashed into the floor, though, a hand caught her and pulled her back up. She whipped her head around and saw it was Prince Hans, smiling down at her.

"Glad I caught you," he said smoothly.

"Hans," she breathed, blinking away her tears in relief. Finally, a friendly face. Effortlessly, Hans pulled her up and spun her around onto the dance floor, and this time, she understood what people loved about dancing. He didn't step on her toes once.