Chapter One

The Coming of a Child

ANNA

Anna blinked. "What?"

The room was silent. Talya cast her eyes down as Peggy glared at her. Elsa and Kristoff were frozen in shock, mouths agape and eyes wide.

Anna's hand went to her stomach. "I'm pregnant?"

Slowly, Talya met her eyes with much sheepishness. "Yeah."

"I…" Anna found herself at a loss for words once again, first looking to Kristoff, then her sister, the latter returning her a bewildered glance.

"Shit." Kristoff muttered, growing red.

"I'm sorry," Talya began again. "I didn't mean to drop a bomb on you like that, but…"

"But what?" Peggy said exasperatedly. "You just decided to tell your ancestress she's pregnant to prove we're from the future?"

"You had a better idea?" Talya rounded on Peggy. "You think they would've believed us otherwise?"

"They believed me when I showed them the registry." Peggy hissed.

"How's that any better than what I did?"

"Stop," Anna felt faint all of a sudden and felt Kristoff's arms hold her up. He helped her to the edge of the bed where she sat, grateful to get off her feet. "I have so many questions."

"I think we all do," Elsa finally spoke up, gazing between Kristoff and Anna.

Kristoff's face was as red as a beetroot.

Anna looked up at Talya and Peggy. "Our entire world just changed. I need answers. You said you were our descendants?"

Peggy nodded. "We are."

She turned to Elsa. "And you knew about this?"

"I knew about Peggy, but I had my suspicions about Talya. I couldn't confirm them until just now."

Kristoff looked indignant. "If you knew, why didn't you tell us?"

"There was too much on everyone's plate," Elsa insisted. "Would telling you that our descendants from the future came back to help us in the war have helped you focus better on evacuating everyone from Fort Steinfall?"

"I guess not."

"You both would've been too distracted to do what needed to be done," Elsa went on. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, but it was the only way to keep you both focused. The Coalition needed you both to lead."

"What's done is done," Anna said, still trying to process everything that she'd just learnt. She fixed a stern gaze on both Talya and Peggy. "What I want to know now is why you're both here. Why come back to the past?"

"How do we even know they're telling the truth?" Kristoff asked.

"They are." Elsa answered.

"How do you know?"

"Because Peggy told me about Ahtohallan," Elsa said quietly. "No one outside this room knows Ahtohallan exists."

The room was silent again for a long moment.

"Fair point." Anna finally said, directing her attention to Peggy. "So you know about Ahtohallan? Who told you?"

"My great grandfather," Peggy began cautiously. "He's seen Elsa before."

"Seen me?" Elsa looked perplexed.

"It's a long story."

"We're not going anywhere," Anna said.

"I'm not sure I should even be…" Peggy trailed off.

"Tell them. Maybe this is how time needs to happen," Talya reasoned to her distant cousin. "If you don't tell them, Elsa might never know to find Jakob."

"Damn it," Peggy muttered as she turned to Elsa. "Alright. Your great grandson will be wounded in a war close to a century from now. Your granddaughter reaches out to you to get you to heal him, and you do, but you vanish soon after. He will ask about you, and your granddaughter tells him about Ahtohallan."

"Which means I must have told my family," Elsa concluded. "In the future."

"And your great grandfather told you about it," Anna surmised.

"He did," Peggy said.

"There's more." Talya continued.

"More?"

"We don't need to tell them more," Peggy hissed. "They know too much about their future!"

"You've come too far to stop now," Anna said. "Spill it."

"You know how I always say that I've heard so many stories about your exploits during this war?" Talya fiddled with her fingers. "I didn't hear them from across the ocean. Your exploits are in the history books. Children learn about them in school all over the world."

Anna's eyes widened. "You're not serious."

"The historians call you the Warrior Queen," Peggy said. "And you're all legends in the 21st century."

"Hell," Kristoff sat down on the bed beside Anna. "I don't think I want to know any more."

"So why come back to this time?" Anna asked.

"Because history has changed," Peggy glanced at Elsa. "Elsa already knows this."

Anna looked at her sister, who nodded tightly.

"In the future that we come from, the world is at peace," Talya explained. "After the war, Exon ceased to be an empire."

"You mean we win the war?" Anna felt hope rising.

"Initially," Talya went on. "But something's changed."

Anna's heart sank. "What changed?"

"Hans," Elsa said through her teeth. "He's found a way to change his fate."

"We found out he was supposed to die in exile after the Confederation won the war," Peggy said. "But he must have learnt about it somehow and taken steps to make sure that doesn't happen. It explains why things are so screwed up in the 21st century now."

Kristoff frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Empire rules five continents of the world, and the Emperor's face is everywhere," Talya said. "And when I mean the Emperor, I mean Hans Westergaard. He's still alive in the future."

"Yeah, he's immortal. I got the memo," Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. "So you're saying he found a way to change his future, and inevitably changed all of ours too?"

"Essentially, yeah," Peggy said. "That's why we're here. In this warped version of history, you were all supposed to die either in Exon or at the Siege of Steinfall."

Anna whirled to Talya. "That's how you knew. You saved our lives at Steinfall's coast."

Talya nodded. "This version of history says you died there, but we came back in time to stop any of you from dying."

"But why?" Kristoff asked.

"Well, first of all, you're our family. How could we let you all die? Plus, if we did nothing, the altered history would affect us and we ourselves would eventually cease to exist." Talya said. "Also, the world needs the Warriors. If we are to have any hope of fixing our past and setting history back on course, we need all of you." She turned to Anna. "I couldn't let you die. You're pregnant with my ancestor."

"Woah, okay. Shit. Time out," Anna rose to her feet, waving off Kristoff's help. "This…this is just too much to take in!" she headed out of the room and was halfway down the narrow corridor before someone took her arm from behind. Turning, she saw Kristoff alone with a worried look on his face.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in all at once," Kristoff said in a low voice. "Are you alright?"

"Frankly? No," Anna admitted. "I just found out that I'm pregnant, and my descendants from the far future came back in time to undo the mess that Hans has done. And then I learnt that the world we live in isn't even supposed to be this way. I'm sorry," she slipped out of her husband's grip. "I…I just need some time to process this. Alone." She walked away briskly, leaving Kristoff at a loss for words in the ship's corridor.

Absentmindedly waving away the salutes from soldiers whom she passed, the pistons in her mind fired non-stop and her heart thumped fast in her chest. There was no immediate danger, no, but the idea of everything she'd just learnt basically tore down her entire world and was reshaping it into something else entirely. And she didn't know what it would be. The fact that she was pregnant would've been shocking enough, but their descendants from the far future had travelled back in time to help them restore history?

What did it all mean? Anna placed a hand gently on her stomach. And what does it mean for my…child? She knew there was only one person left she could go to for advice. He would know what to do.

"The door's open," Frederick didn't look up as he pored over the countless documents piled up neatly across his desk. He didn't even realise Anna was standing opposite him till she cleared her throat. "Your Majesty!" he straightened and ripped off a parade ground salute, any trace of shock hidden from his calm features. "My apologies, I did not hear you enter."

"It's alright," she waved away his salute as she sat down opposite him. She noticed that he was still in uniform, crisp and ironed to perfection as always. His moustache had been neatly trimmed and his hair combed back to his usual immaculate standards. However, it looked like he hadn't been getting much sleep since the end of the siege and evacuation. "You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping?"

"Not much, thank you for asking," Frederick answered. "I've just been a little busy sorting out all these reports and ensuring that all our men are accounted for."

"What about your general staff?"

"They deserve a good rest after everything they've been through as of late. I thought I ought to handle this one on my own and give them a break," Frederick smiled in an almost joking manner. "I would hate for them to think I'm no better than a tyrant."

"We don't deserve you, Fred," she smiled back.

"So, Ma'am, what can I do for you?"

"It's nothing formal. I just needed to talk. I need some advice. But if this is a bad time-"

Frederick pushed aside his mountain of reports and folders. "Are you alright?"

"It's…" Anna paused, realising she didn't know how to start. She cast an anxious glance over her shoulder.

Frederick rose and crossed the room in a few great strides, shutting the door with a quiet click. He returned to his desk and sat down gracefully. "No one will disturb us. You may voice your concerns freely, Ma'am."

"Thank you," she said gratefully, placing her hands on the desk and leaning forward. "I…I honestly don't know where to begin."

"No hurry."

She breathed in deeply, contemplating how she ought to tell him about whatever she'd just learnt. "You've got to promise you'd believe me. No matter how crazy it sounds."

"Of course."

"Okay," she inhaled again and blew out a long breath. "I just found out that I'm pregnant."

There was a long silence as she and Frederick locked eyes. Trying to read his blank expression, she wondered if he was feeling shocked, displeased, or…

"My sincerest congratulations, Ma'am," he finally said with a smile. "Does His Royal Highness already know?"

"Yeah, he does. The thing is, we both don't know what to make of it. We never guessed that we would…you know…" she trailed off. "It's too soon. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, not until after the war ends at least."

"And you are worried for your child," Frederick said. "You are afraid for his or her safety in an age consumed by war and the dangers the Empire pose."

"Yeah," her eyes widened. "How did you-"

"Your fears are not unwarranted. I felt the same way too, once."

Anna hesitated. What did he mean? "You know, in all the years you've served our family, you've never really told us much about yourself."

"My point is," Frederick went on, evidently not wanting to discuss his own life. "I only want the best for you, Your Royal Highness and your child. The both of you cannot afford to let things fall apart, especially not when you have a child on the way."

"So what should I do?"

"Keep yourself and your child away from danger, now more than ever. As much as you love to make a difference on the frontlines, you can make a difference with the Confederation and army command, just like His Royal Highness. Do it for your family. I implore you."

"Thank you," Anna said after a short pause. "I will. And I know you don't like talking about your past probably because of some painful memories, so I won't probe any further. But for what it's worth, I'm sorry you went through…whatever it is that caused you pain."

"I appreciate it, Ma'am," Frederick offered a tired smile. "Thankfully time has healed some of the wounds. I'm an older man now, and have found many other joys in life over the decades."

"Like?"

"Well, for instance, my close friendship with your parents. And getting to look after you and your sister when you were both growing up."

Anna smiled. "I'm glad you were there for us. You always have been." She rose from the chair lethargically. "Oh, I just remembered."

He stood as well. "Yes, Ma'am?"

"You were friends with my parents before Elsa and I were born. How did they react when they found out they were going to be parents?"

This time, Frederick gave a genuine smile. "Would you believe me if I told you your father was as unsure of himself as you are now?"

"The great King Agnarr?" Anna snorted. "Pretty hard to believe."

"As hard as it is for your own child to believe the same about you one day, I'm sure."

"Point taken. But my father…he always seemed so sure of himself."

"And that was the trick," Frederick said. "King Agnarr was terrified at the prospect of being a father, but he and your mother made up the rules along the way as both you and your sister grew up. That's the truth about parenthood. You will never feel ready, but you will be when the time comes. Just like your parents, you and His Royal Highness will rise to meet the challenge and raise your child to be a champion just like all those who came before him or her."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Because I know you, Ma'am. Your child will grow up to accomplish wonders and uphold your legacy."

"Boy, you have no idea," Anna muttered beneath her breath.

"I beg your pardon, Ma'am?"

"Nothing." Frederick needn't know about Talya and Peggy. It was another thing she didn't want to heap onto his shoulders. She walked around the desk and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thank you, Fred. I knew I was right to come to you for advice."

"Anytime, Your Majesty," the stately field marshal said. "You will do fine. Of that I am confident."