"Wait, what? You did WHAT?"
Anna's voice rang out in the castle's living room, mixed with surprise and indignation. Her gaze followed her sister, who had been pacing back and forth in the room while explaining what she had done. Elsa stopped in front of her, her eyes widened in surprise at her sister's reaction. Behind them, Kristoff, arms crossed, along with Olaf and Sven, watched the scene unfold without daring to utter a word.
"Anna..."
"And why did you bring him all the way here?" the redhead interrupted.
"Anna..."
"You could have left him with the Northuldra to take care of him! What were you thinking?"
"Anna!"
This time, it was Elsa who raised her voice. It silenced the new Queen of Arendelle, and she took advantage of the relative calm to continue.
"Listen, I know bringing him back here was reckless, but he was so weak that only Arendelle's medicine could help him. And besides... I would like us to keep an eye on him."
"But why, Elsa?" Kristoff asked, stepping beside his fiancée. "We're not really the best people to look after him."
Elsa fidgeted with her hands as she searched for her words, visibly nervous. Truth be told, she didn't really know why she hadn't left the stranger with the Northuldra. Her first instinct had been to bring him back to the castle, riding on Nokk, the spirit of water and her faithful mount. Finally, she took a deep breath and tried to explain.
"I know it may seem irresponsible, but he was really not doing well when I found him in the forest. I couldn't leave him there; he needed care that only Arendelle's doctors could provide. So I called on Nokk to transport him here."
It was Anna's turn to cross her arms, looking doubtful. She opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by Olaf, who joyfully rushed between them, exclaiming,
"Oh, it's like the time when Sven fell into a bush of berries, and we had to bring him here! We had a delicious berry pie for dessert that night!"
Elsa chuckled, and even her sister allowed herself a smile despite the seriousness of the situation. Kristoff laughed heartily as he affectionately watched his reindeer, who would have clearly preferred that incident to be forgotten.
"That's not quite the same, Olaf, but it's close," Elsa replied, laughter in her voice.
She regained her composure as her gaze returned to Anna, who was still waiting for explanations. She hurried to continue before being interrupted again.
"But that's not all. This man, he seemed to know me too. Before passing out, he said my name, as if he knew who I was. And more importantly... He has powers, similar to mine."
In unison, Anna and Kristoff's mouths formed a perfect 'O' of surprise. Again, the young blonde struggled to hold back a laugh at their astonishment. Even Olaf had stopped and was looking at her with a puzzled expression, his head tilted to the side. Then his face suddenly lit up, and he began bouncing around again.
"You mean he can make snow, too?" he exclaimed. "Awesome! It means we could have a new friend to build giant snowmen with and send snowball avalanches all over Arendelle!"
"Olaf, Olaf!" Elsa exclaimed, trying to calm him down. "An avalanche of snowballs all over the kingdom is not exactly what I would call a good idea, okay?"
She turned her attention back to Anna, who had regained her composure and closed her mouth in the meantime.
"But that's not what I mean. He doesn't have ice powers, but his hands created sparks, so I guess he has something to do with fire..."
She was - once again - interrupted when soft knocks sounded at the door. Queen Anna invited the person in, and one of the court doctors entered the room. The old man sported an impressive gray mustache that reinforced his aura of assurance. He bowed respectfully as he announced in a clear voice,
"I have tended to the man you brought to the castle. His wounds are no longer dangerous, but he remains weak. I administered him a tonic, so his awakening should not be long."
"Thank you," Anna replied simply.
As the doctor left, she gave Elsa a look that perfectly conveyed that she still had a lot to say. However, she said nothing and just called a servant to add a chair to the large banquet table set up in the town square, which would conclude the coronation day. The group then decided to visit the stranger who occupied one of the guest rooms.
Once they arrived at the door, Elsa hesitated for a moment before knocking softly. A weak but assured voice invited them in. The interior of the room was simply decorated, the curtains lazily fluttered to the rhythm of the cool breeze that seeped through the window, and the rays of the setting sun bathed the room, illuminating every corner, as well as the bed in front of which the group stood.
There, leaning against the headboard, the stranger looked out at the festive kingdom laid out before him. He was surrounded by a comforting orange halo of light, his profile standing out from the rest of the decor. As he turned to them, a tired but warm smile spread across his lips, and as he locked his deep blue eyes on Elsa, she felt a shiver of compassion wash over her. They exchanged a glance for a few seconds, then the stranger turned his attention to Anna as she approached him.
"Good evening. I'm Anna, the Queen of Arendelle. My sister Elsa found you unconscious in the Enchanted Forest and brought you here. How are you feeling?"
Despite her light tone, Elsa could perceive a certain wariness in her sister's gaze towards the stranger. However, he didn't seem to notice it and respectfully nodded his head to her, then to the young blonde.
"I'm fine, thank you. I am sincerely grateful to you for saving me."
"You're welcome," Elsa replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You don't have to thank us. We're just happy to see you awake."
She exchanged a meaningful glance with Anna and, after a brief silence, continued in a more serious tone, "We have some questions, if you feel up to answering."
"Of course, I'm listening," the man replied.
"Could you tell us your name? How did you end up in the Enchanted Forest without the Northuldra noticing? And, more importantly... You seemed to know me when I found you there."
The stranger's eyes wandered for a moment. Obviously, he was trying to gather his memories of what had happened before he woke up. His blond hair reflected the sunlight that continued to slowly decline. After a slight sigh, he raised his head to her with a sorry smile.
"Unfortunately, I don't remember anything. My last memory, before you found me..." He took a few more seconds to think before continuing, "I was on a small makeshift boat, in the middle of a storm. I was fighting the waves to avoid capsizing, and then... Nothing."
His face suddenly brightened.
"However, I can tell you that my name is Aodhan."
Kristoff, who had been standing back, approached the bed to stand beside Anna.
"There's something I don't understand, Aodhan. You say your last memory dates back to a storm at sea, but according to Elsa, she found you deep in the Enchanted Forest."
Aodhan fixed his gaze on the young man, his eyebrows furrowed. A glimmer of uncertainty briefly lit up his blue eyes as he thought.
"You're right, it's indeed strange," he finally conceded. "But I'm afraid my memories are still too blurry to offer a clear explanation."
"And there's something else," Elsa interjected, apparently eager to return to the subject. "You didn't explain why you seemed to know me."
"I can't explain that either, I'm sorry. All I remember is the name Elsa... The Queen of Arendelle... Who would have powers."
He thought as he spoke, and his eyes lit up again at the mention of Elsa's powers. He straightened up, apparently excited to remember.
"Yes! I set sail because I heard that the Queen of Arendelle had magical powers!"
Before he could add anything, a huge white mass leaped onto the bed. It was Olaf, who leaned over the young blonde, scrutinizing him with one of his wooden eyebrows raised.
"You built your own boat?" he exclaimed. "That probably explains why you had trouble in the storm! Maybe next time, you should consider traveling on a real ship, with a crew, big sails, and a sturdy hull? But I'm not really an expert in boats..."
Aodhan didn't respond. He was too busy staring at Olaf, his mouth wide open and his eyes wide, apparently barely holding back a cry of surprise. The snowman realized this and backed away, looking embarrassed.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, but I find clothes uncomfortable! I always forget to mention that!"
Aodhan finally closed his mouth and shook his head to regain his composure. He pulled his legs up, being careful not to dislodge Olaf, whom he still looked at as if he were sure he was hallucinating, and then sat on the edge of the bed.
"So, you heard that I have magical powers?" Elsa asked, intrigued.
"Yes, when I was told about the day of your coronation," he replied, nodding. "I had hoped that you could help me control mine... You see, since I was a child, I've had trouble mastering this strange gift, or curse, I should say."
He stared at his hands as if afraid that his powers might suddenly manifest and blow up the room.
"I can't control them. They appear unexpectedly, and sometimes, they frighten me."
Elsa tilted her head to the side and extended a compassionate hand to place it on Aodhan's shoulder, but then reconsidered. She understood all too well the young man's fear.
"I understand what it's like to feel alone with your powers," she murmured, exchanging a saddened look with her sister. "I can't promise you anything, but I'll try to help you."
As Anna looked at her disapprovingly, Aodhan gazed at her with tearful eyes of gratitude. She responded with a faint smile before continuing.
"But tonight, we must finish celebrating Anna's coronation. We are organizing a grand banquet, and you are welcome to join us if..."
The rest of her words were lost as a rumble escaped Aodhan's stomach at the mention of the banquet.
"Do you have fireworks planned?" Olaf exclaimed joyfully, rushing to the window to check.
He returned to them with a disappointed expression. Everyone chuckled softly, Aodhan more out of embarrassment than amusement. However, he accepted Elsa's invitation. Apparently, he hadn't eaten anything for several days on his makeshift boat.
As they said their goodbyes to give him time to prepare, Anna asked the servants to bring him an outfit. After closing the door to the guest room, she exchanged a reprimanding look with her older sister while letting out a long sigh.
"We have a lot to do tomorrow," commented Elsa.
"And especially a lot to talk about," Anna replied a bit abruptly. "But for tonight, let's make way for the celebration!"
She advanced, performing a few dance steps before turning to the rest of the group. Obviously, nothing could tarnish the joy of this coronation day. Especially when it ended with a banquet and her favorite chocolates.
