For as long as Death could remember, humans had feared him; his presence alone was enough to fill them with dread.
This fact never changed despite their many advancements over time. Even with the enlightenment, which progress carried, they never came close to solving the mystery of what came after life. And rightfully so. It was not for the living to know.
And what the living did not know frightened them.
But by that reasoning, they should fear life as well! After all, who knew what dangers awaited them? Who knew when tragedy might strike next?
There were so many unknowns when it came to life, yet he was the chosen villain. Again and again, they drew back in terror whenever he visited. Some turned their back and ran away as far as they could. Others resisted him until the very last moment. All of them constantly fought for life, tooth and nail.
Why? Why would they do so, despite knowing that his visit was inevitable? What made them cling to life so much, despite its many hardships?
These questions were his constant companions. He had observed humans for a long time, yet still, the answers escaped him.
However, he had a few theories. And one of them stayed unchanging to the test of time: human connections. And when inquiring the dead about the meaning of life, they seemed to reinforce this idea. Be it family, friends or lovers. Those ties might come close to explaining why humans value life so much. But even those were great unknowns themselves. Families could break apart, friends could leave, and lovers could betray one another. The result of such incidents could be devastating.
Why would humans place so much meaning on something so uncertain? Why would they cling to something that could break so easily?
After pondering these questions for so long, he concluded that it was not for a being like him to understand. Only mortals could know the answer.
He thought that would be the end of his musings.
He thought wrong.
Instead of appeasing his curiosity, it left him dissatisfied. Not only that, it added another question to his list:
If he were to experience life, would he finally understand what made humans reluctant to leave it behind?
What had started as a curious little thought became a serious contemplation over time.
To experience life, he would have to become human. That was the only reasonable conclusion. But what kind of human? Those that seemed the happiest were those of wealth. They did not lack food or shelter, and with so many opportunities to travel the world and meet different people, they seemed to be in the ideal position to live life to its fullest. They were also the ones who feared him the most. So, if he were to become a wealthy human being, who? Who would he be? Where should he go? There were so many possibilities, and it took him quite a while to settle on a solution.
He looked here and there in search of the perfect place. Each time he came to collect souls, he would linger just a bit longer to observe his surroundings and listen to the people.
It did not take long for him to pick up on a rumour about an upcoming coronation in some distant kingdom. At first, he brushed it off and continued his search. Soon enough, he heard of it again. And again. And yet again.
Arendelle. That was the name of the kingdom which caused so much excitement, even in faraway lands. Apparently, it had its gates closed to the outside world for a long time. The reasons for that were unknown, and the royal family kept its secrets closely guarded. This element of mystery stirred the imagination of many. Since they decided to finally open the gates for the coronation of their young queen, countless people desired to attend the festivities.
After hearing so much about this place, his curiosity grew. He did pass by it once and had to agree with at least one of the rumours: the scenery was beautiful. The castle and its surrounding village sat near the waters of a fjord, and the mountains around them rose to the skies forming a protective barrier against the vast Northern Sea. Despite its modest size compared to other kingdoms, it seemed to flourish. The people of the village were full of chatter and laughter - their excitement was almost contagious. They, too, were eagerly awaiting the day of the coronation.
He thought about how many other guests would arrive and imagined the extravagant decorations and the festive atmosphere surrounding such events, especially when as much anticipated as this one. What better way to experience life than on a day when many people from different countries come together to celebrate? It would be the ideal place and time to conduct his little experiment.
But who should he be? Not just anyone could attend, so he would need to plan carefully. Fabricating a new identity might be difficult: he could not just insert a new member into an existing family, and creating someone of high standing with a name no one had ever heard of might cause even more trouble. Then there was the problem of a mortal body. He could not create life; it was not his domain. He was Death, after all.
The solution to his problem appeared much sooner than he expected. It arrived in the form of a calling: another soul to guide to The Great Beyond. Pirates had ambushed the ship of a duke, and despite their valiant efforts, the frantic crew had not been able to fight them off. In the heat of the battle, said duke was mortally wounded - he would not survive.
Like so many others, this mortal was very reluctant to leave. There were several beloved ones he was leaving behind, and he dreaded the chaos his passing would create in his duchy.
Another regret of the duke surprised Death: his inability to attend the coronation in Arendelle, which was in less than three days time from now.
What a coincidence! It must be a sign for him to proceed with his peculiar idea! He would be a fool not to grasp this opportunity!
But he might be a fool if he were to rush things.
As he escorted the duke to his destination, he pondered this strange alignment of circumstances. Caution made him hesitant to act impulsively.
Should he wait? Should he search for something else?
Maybe there was a different way to execute his plan. He might even search for another place.
But then he would have to start all over. After millennia he was finally close to getting his answers. He might have all the time he needed, but his patience was not infinite.
It did not take long for him to reach a final decision. So after he finished his mission, he returned to where he first met the duke.
And thus, three days later, came the moment he had been preparing for quite some time now: the one when "Duke Pitchiner" finally set foot on Arendellian ground.
I recently watched "Death takes a Holiday" and was immediately inspired to write this little story!
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Until next time~