2/10/23: Started
6/18/23: Complete
NONE
Chapter Summery: To Anna and Elsa's delight, Rona visit's Arendelle for the first time, however, the truth of the visit slowly comes to light.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Frozen, Tangled or any other Disney characters or locations that appear or are mentioned in this work of fiction, Disney does.
NOTE: I will be making a correction in this chapter, it may be insignificant to some, but I want to point it out. Initially, I was under the miss-impression that the open room that Arendelle castle lead into (the one with the big stairs at the start of Olaf's Frozen Adventure) from the front doors was the Great Hall, (where little Elsa headshots Anna at the start of Frozen), instead, it's the Ballroom. Ugh, wish there was an accurate layout of the castle somewhere.
NOTE 2: I can confidently say that the third part will be posted within the week.
- 2:12 P.M. -
- Arendelle -
"Thank you for letting me borrow your wheelchair." stated Anna as she stood in front of the male homeowner rolling the wheelchair into their home and out of sight off to the side. "It was a big help."
"You're welcome, and I'm happy to hear that it was useful, you're Highness."
"It was. It also made me realize how unfriendly to wheelchairs the castle is." replied Anna. "Elsa can mitigate it with her magic, but on the way to returning your wheelchair, I noticed how many homes have stairs leading to their doors. I know not everyone uses a wheelchair, but for those that do and have stairs outside their door, it must've been a real inconvenience to bring your loved one outside."
"It was a bit." answered the man. "My wife could still walk a little when she was around, so she could still make it up and down the steps with help." he added, before chuckling. "I intended to have a ramp replace these steps, but my wife insisted that I didn't, saying she liked me helping her up and down the steps."
"That's sweet." replied Anna. "Well, I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing before I arrived."
"Alright, have a nice day, Your highness."
"You too, and thanks again for the chair." stated Anna as she waved good-bye as she began to depart, which was returned by the home owner as they closed their door.
Minutes into walking through town and greeting those she walked by, with no particular destination in mind, but currently in the plaza; Anna soon felt a light breeze swirl around her in particular, and a familiar whistle on the wind.
"Gale?" whispered Anna.
The spirit didn't respond, but Anna felt herself lightly pushed in the direction of the castle, to the curious gazes of some of the people, which prompted Anna to chuckle nervously before heading towards the castle. Upon reaching a few paces onto the bridge and away from people, Anna heard Gale speak.
"Sorry for the interruption. Figured it would be better if it didn't look like you were talking to nobody."
"Oh, well, thanks." replied Anna, before walking to the edge of the bridge, looking out to the water. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" she asked, before a light gasp left her, "Has something happened?"
"No, no. Since Nokk isn't very welcome, I was sent to deliver a message."
"Oh, ok then."
"Your grandmother, Rona, has requested you and Elsa's company."
"Really!?" gasped Anna delightfully, before gasping and looking towards the town, but seeing that she hadn't alerted anyone, Anna still departed from the edge of the bridge and headed towards the castle. "Really?" asked Anna again in a calmer tone.
"Yes. Also, have you made any progress on making a wheelchair?" asked Gale, the question bringing an immediate smile to Anna's face.
"Wait, so Grandma wants to visit!? Already!?"
"If you can make the wheelchair, she's willing to visit today. Otherwise, she just wants her grand-children's company for a little while, if it's not too much trouble."
"I'd be more than willing to spend time with her! And on the matter of the wheelchair, I succeeded in making one earlier today, so grandma will be able to visit in comfort!"
"Wonderful. I've already informed Elsa of this."
Upon hurrying to Elsa's room and excitedly knocking on her door and being let in, Anna saw Elsa sitting at her desk, facing her with a smile.
"I see Gale found you." commented Elsa.
"Yep! Grandma wants to visit!" declared Anna happily. "Are you busy?"
"Not really." answered Elsa, looking at her desk where a small stack of documents lay. "Just some business I need to look over. It won't take me long though. I can come with you, take care of this when we return and I'll catch up with you two for the rest of grandma's visit."
"Great! I'll go get my glass!" replied Anna happily.
"Ok." stated Elsa as she stood. "I'll gather some cushions. We can leave from my room."
"Alright, I'll be right back!" replied Anna delightfully, before quickly departing.
Once Anna leaves, however, Elsa's smile fades to a look of sadness. She hadn't questioned Gale about the sudden request, too afraid of the answer, but she had her suspicions on why, and seeing Anna so happy about the visit and seemingly unaware of the possible implication, couldn't bring herself to share it.
- 2:34 P.M. -
- Enchanted Forest -
Following the icy portal opening, the sisters walked through into the forest; Anna giddy with excitement as four large glass orbs hovered to her right, while Elsa held two pillows under her left arm. Elsa also chose not to wear her usual ice dress, instead, a 'normal' dress, similar to the one she wore during her coronation, minus the cape.
"We should be about a five-minute walk from the camp." commented Elsa, as she closed the portal.
"Alright, let's go!" happily added Anna as she walked ahead and Elsa followed with a smile.
By the time the two arrived at the Northuldran camp, greeting those that spotted their arrival, Anna had combined her four orbs into one, which, of course, drew many curious eyes; particularly, a couple of kids that ran up to Anna pointing at the orb in awe.
"What's that?" asked one boy.
"It's so pretty!" added a girl, which prompted a light chuckle from Anna as she stopped to answer the kids.
"It's glass. Remember our first visit here, and I wore my glass coat? This is what it looks like when I'm not using it for anything- well, this is a lot more glass than I had before."
"Wow..." replied the kids in awe, before a boy asked...
"Can we touch it?"
"Sure, it's solid right now, so you can touch it." replied Anna as she lowered the orb down for the kids to touch it and comment...
"It's so smooth."
"... And warm."
"It's really big too."
"Why'd you bring it here?"
"Well..." replied Anna. "We got a message from Gale that our grandmother wanted us to come visit her, and she said she'd like to visit Arendelle. So I'm gonna turn this glass ball here into a chair with wheels so grandma wont have to walk."
"Whoa!" gasped the kids, before a girl asked...
"Can you do it now?"
"Yeah, show us!" added a boy.
"Oh, well..." replied Anna hesitantly, before smiling. "Sure, I'll need to do it anyway." she added, before she lifted the orb and moved it off to the side, before she spent a few moments recreating the wheelchair, to the awe of the kids, and a few of the adults watching. "Annnd, done." stated Anna as she finished, and lowered the completed wheelchair to the ground. The only change from before was a slight recline to the back of the chair.
The children were immediately interested in the chair, and one girl asked if she could ride it, which quickly prompted a boy to comment that he wanted to ride it too, which brought a nervous chuckle from Anna.
"Uh, well, I'm gonna have to deny that request, sorry." replied Anna, which prompted a round of disappointed groans from the children, which caused Anna to add, "Sorry, it's just, our Grandma's home isn't that far away, so even if I did let one of you ride it, it would only be until we reach our destination, and going back to if I did let one of you ride it, then it wouldn't be fair to the others who'd want to ride it."
Another round of disappointment followed from the children, but they all understood Anna's reasoning and didn't push the issue.
"Thanks for understanding." added Anna, before the kids left and the sisters waved them goodbye, before continuing on, with Anna pushing the chair instead of deconstructing it.
Upon reaching Rona's home, Anna placed the chair off to the side while Elsa knocked on the door.
"It's Elsa and Anna." announced Elsa, before giving the pillows to Anna, who placed them in the chair.
After a moment, the door opens as Magna greets them with a smile.
"Hello you two." greeted Magna.
"Hey!" greeted back Anna happily. "We received Gale's message that grandma wanted to see us, and even visit Arendelle! We got a chair ready for her too!" she added, directing a hand towards the chair, which Magna spotted with a smile.
"Good, come in." replied Magna as she opened the door fully to let them in.
Upon entering, the sisters see Rona lying down in her usual spot, as well as Iduna kneeling beside her, back facing them.
"Hello Mother." greeted Elsa.
"Hi Grandma." added Anna, as she and Elsa walked towards them and knelt beside Iduna, Anna to her right and Elsa to hers.
However, despite the greeting, Iduna didn't return it, and nearly immediately, upon the sisters kneeling beside her, silently stood and turned away from them, hiding her teary face before promptly leaving and Magna following her out. Their mother's odd departure prompted curious gazes from the sisters, prompting Anna to look at Rona and ask...
"Is something wrong?"
"Just a reminder of my limited time." answered Rona with a smile. "It struck Iduna particularly hard before you two arrived."
"Oh..." replied Elsa and Anna together in understanding, while Elsa remained silent, looking back at the door as she thought...
'So, is what I thought true?'
"Are you in pain?" asked Anna, moving to where Iduna knelt beside Rona. "Gale told us you'd like to visit, but if things have changed between then and now, and your not up to it, we can wait; there's no rush."
"Thank you for the consideration." replied Rona with a smile and lifting her right hand up for Anna to take, which Anna does with both hands. "I'm not in any pain though. And yes, I would like to visit. I just hope such a sudden request isn't too much of a bother."
"Not at all!" delightfully replied Anna. "I was actually hoping we could do it today. Didn't really expect it, but here we are! I learned how to make the chair too, and Elsa brought cushions so you'll be comfortable."
"Well, that's wonderful to hear." stated Rona, before Elsa commented...
"There's a small matter I'll need to take care of in the castle when we get back, but I'll join you two soon after."
"Oh, sorry for the interruption then." replied Rona, prompting a light chuckle from Elsa as she shook her head.
"Don't worry, it's no bother. It's just reading and signing paperwork. I just don't want to put it off when it'll just take ten minutes or so; then I can spend the rest of the time with you and Anna, showing you around."
"Alright then." replied Rona with a smile. "Perhaps our first stop could be a tour of the castle?"
"Sure!" happily answered Anna. "I'd love to show you around our home."
"Do you need anything before we go?" asked Elsa.
"Nope, just me." answered Rona.
"Alright, let's get you on your feet." stated Anna as she reached under Rona's back to help her sit up. "Can you walk?"
"I should be able to." answered Rona, as the sisters helped her to her feet, proving that she did have the strength to stand.
With Anna bracing her, they guided Rona out of the house, with Elsa leading, opening the door for them, and saw that Magna had remained besides the door, before Anna and Rona stepped out.
As Anna led Rona to the chair, Elsa adjusted the pillows, one on the seat and the other she held against the backrest as Anna positioned and carefully lowered Rona into the chair, who quickly commented on the comfort of it, to the sisters' delight.
"We're happy to hear that." stated Elsa.
"Yep!" added Anna as she walked behind the chair and took hold of the handle. "Just to make sure, there's nothing you need to bring with you? Maybe some medicine or blanket?"
"Hehe, no, no, I'm fine." replied Rona with a chuckle. "You don't need to dote on me that much."
"Yeah, maybe I don't, but I just want you to be comfortable." stated Anna.
"I am, thank you." replied Rona.
"Ok then." stated Anna, before she looked to Magna, and a small gasp left her. "Oh, Magna, do you wanna join us?"
"Thanks, but I'll pass for now." replied Magna with a smile. "There's some stuff I need to take care of while Mother is enjoying herself in Arendelle."
"Alright." stated Anna. "Ok Elsa, let's go."
"One second, Anna." replied Elsa as she walked up to Magna. "I wanna ask Magna something. How about you push grandma around, see if the ride is smooth for her."
"Oh, good idea. Don't take too long." replied Anna as she began to depart back towards where they came from. "How is it, grandma?"
Watching the two depart for a few moments and out of earshot, Elsa sighed before looking at Magna and asking...
"Is there another reason for this sudden request or, am I just overly worried?"
Magna hesitated for just a moment, averting her gaze and sighing as well, before meeting Elsa's gaze, and placing a hand on her shoulder with a smile.
"Just make sure she enjoys herself."
Elsa was silent at the non-verbal confirmation, lowering her gaze and closing her eyes, fighting against the tears, before she took a slow, long breath, and met Magna's gaze again, and gave a pained smile.
"I will."
Magna replied with a continued smile, and patted Elsa's shoulder before turning and walking away, leaving Elsa to repeat the slow breath to calm herself. She didn't want to tip Anna off that something was wrong, and ruin Rona's visit before it even began.
Upon collecting herself, Elsa joined up with Anna and Rona, who were on their way towards the edge of the camp.
"Hey, I'm back." announced Elsa, jogging up to and walking to Anna's right.
"Hey." greeted back Anna. "What did you have to ask Magna about?"
"I was just wondering how Mother was."
"Oh."
"So, grandma, hows the chair?" asked Elsa. "Comfortable even with the movement?"
"Yes, I like it quite a lot." answered Rona. "Are chairs like this common in Arendelle?"
"Well, I wouldn't say they're a common sight." answered Elsa. "But Wheelchairs are a thing that's commonly known about, and can be acquired."
"Well that's nice." stated Rona. "Although I can still walk, I don't have the energy to do it for an extended period of time. Being able to enjoy a stroll and visit my grand-children's home is a wonderful treat."
"Yeah..." added Anna. "And if we're stopped someplace, like the bridge connecting the castle to the town overlooking the water, we'll help you out of the chair if you want, so you can admire the view better."
"Thank you."
By Anna's suggestion, the group left the camp before Elsa made the return portal, to Rona's wide-eyed amazement at the magical door.
"Ohhh, wow, that's incredible." gasped Rona at the icy doorway in front of her, showing a large building, so large she couldn't see it all, prompting Elsa to smile back at her and Anna to chime in...
"Yep, it really is."
"And that's your home there?" asked Rona. "It's so big I can't see it all."
"Yep." answered Elsa, before she walked though the portal and turned to face them, before Anna pushed Rona through and her mouth hung open in awe at the castle in front of her, filling nearly her entire view, before she turned her head side to side, looking at everything in the castle's courtyard.
"Oh my goodness!"
Anna then giddily joined Elsa's side in front of Rona and cheered...
"Welcome to our home, Arendelle!"
"It's so big..." stated Rona, returning her gaze to the castle for a few moments, before turning her attention to Elsa and Anna with a smile. "It's also quite lovely."
"We're currently in the courtyard." stated Elsa. "The townspeople sometimes assemble here for announcements, or even parties." she added, before Anna gasped and returned behind Rona.
"Oh, I can turn you around to see the whole area." stated Anna as she began to push Rona in a circle once, giving her a full view of the courtyard.
"This is an impressive sight." stated Rona as she returned in front of Elsa. "But why the walls?"
"It's for protection." answered Elsa. "The town, and castle specifically, are on the water. We're not expecting anyone to attack us, but it's better to be prepared than to have our home unprotected."
"Ah, I see..." replied Rona, "It's like establishing a perimeter around a camp."
"Yeah." added Anna. "... and there's a similar wall that surrounds the whole town. You'll see it when we head to town." she continued, before Rona pointed to the chapel and asked...
"What's that there? A smaller castle?"
"No." answered Elsa with a chuckle. "It's the chapel. It's where we hold our religious services."
"Oh, so it's a sacred place. I see." replied Rona with a smile. "If you don't mind, would you tell me a bit about it?"
"Uh, the chapel or our religion?" asked Elsa curiously.
"Your religion." clarified Rona. "I'm just curious."
"Oh, uh, sure." replied Elsa, clearly not expecting such a request. "Well, the religion we follow is Christianity, which is centered around the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the son of God." explained Elsa, before Anna added in, joining Elsa's side.
"And if we've been faithful and good servants of God, our souls go to heaven when we die. Where you live in eternal peace with friends and family that also made it there."
"Well, that sounds lovely." replied Rona, briefly thinking back to meeting her husband. "What happens if you haven't been good?" asked Rona.
"Then you go to Hell." answered Anna. "Where your soul is eternally burning and tortured by the Devil."
"Well, that does NOT sound lovely." replied Rona, before lightly chuckling, joined by Elsa and Anna and Elsa added...
"No it doesn't. I hope to steer VERY clear of it when I eventually-" however, Elsa abruptly stopped, given what she knew, this was perhaps not the best topic to be talking about right now. "Uh, actually, how about we change the subject?"
"Oh!" gasped Anna, as she placed her hands over her mouth. "Right, sorry about that."
Rona, however, just smiled and shook her head.
"It's quite alright, death isn't a topic I'm adverse to."
Elsa found herself unable to reply, seeing her grandmother's smiling face after such a comment, feeling a pang of sorrow grip her chest, before she promptly turned around and began walking, despite tightly closing her eyes, tears still found freedom.
"Some of us are." stated Elsa.
Anna, only noticing Elsa's odd, abrupt departure, not her emotion, was about to ask her what was wrong before Rona commented...
"I'm sorry."
"What, no, don't be." replied Anna, before she returned behind Rona and began to follow behind Elsa. "I should be the one apologizing. Ugh, bringing up death like that, considering the situation. This is supposed to be a fun, happy visit, talk of death just sours the whole mood."
Rona briefly said nothing, lowering her gaze to her legs.
"I guess it does for most."
As they neared the castle, Elsa created a ramp over the steps, but paused in her walk to turn to face Rona with a little smile.
"Grandma, I want to apologize if what I said came off as rude."
"It's alright." replied Rona, before a small sigh left Elsa and she added...
"It's just, given your... situation, the topic of death is an uncomfortable one for me to be so open about."
"I understand." replied Rona. "No more talk of it during my visit."
"Thank you." replied Elsa with a smile, which was joined by Anna as she pushed Rona up the ramp with Elsa walking beside them. "Besides, there's plenty of other things we can talk about."
"There sure are." agreed Rona.
However, amusingly, Rona hadn't even made it into the castle before Elsa opened the front doors and Rona gasped in silenced awe as she gazed into the castle and was speechless as she entered, taking a moment to look down the large halls to her left and right, as Elsa welcomed her with...
"And finally, welcome to our home."
As she advanced past the immediate entrance and through another set of doors into the Ballroom, while Rona looked around in awe, almost overwhelmed by everything to see, her gaze was drawn to what seemed to be the centerpiece of the room, a set of wide stairs that advanced up and split into two directions along the wall above and behind them.
"Oh... my... goodness." gasped Rona. "The outside was already impressive, but it's even bigger inside." she added, prompting a chuckle from the sisters and Anna added, walking in front of her.
"Honeymaron said something similar when she walked in here."
"Are you two and your parents the only ones that live here?" asked Rona, which prompted a chuckle from the sisters, before Elsa answered...
"No, no, a few select staff live here too."
Anna then followed up with...
"Most days aren't really busy with activity, so that's why you haven't seen anyone yet, but that'll certainly change as we show you around."
"Well, I look forward to meeting the people here." replied Rona, before Elsa commented...
"How about we head upstairs towards my room where we'll briefly part ways? We're sure to run into someone on the way, and we can still show grandma around."
"Sounds good to me." answered Anna, then looking at Rona. "You ok with that?"
"I am."
"Alright then!" commented Anna delightfully as she returned behind Rona and Elsa led them to the stairs, before she created a large sheet of ice on the ground in front of it, large enough to accommodate all three as Anna wheeled Rona onto it.
Although Rona was silent as Elsa lifted them up to the top of the steps, she still delightfully looked around, and upon reaching the top, looked over the railing down to the first floor where they had arrived.
"Even from here, it's an impressive view." commented Rona, before Anna added...
"It's even more-so when there's a bunch of people. Like during Elsa's coronation, everyone was in the throne room, dancing to music and having a good time."
Rona didn't reply, but she briefly imagined many of her fellow Northuldra gathered in the room, enjoying their visit, just as she was. However, her smile faltered a bit as she remembered she would not be part of such a day.
"That sounds lovely." commented Rona, solemnly.
Although Anna wasn't in a position to notice the slight change in Rona's expression, Elsa, who was in front of her, did, but said nothing as she looked out to the room along with Rona, who added...
"I can just imagine the others sharing my amazement at this place."
"I look forward to that day." commented Elsa, smiling at her grandmother, who smiled back, and Anna added...
"Me too! There's still Ryder and Magna, who haven't visited yet. I'm sure they'll have the same reaction."
Immediately following Anna's comment, they all heard the sound of a door opening below them, and the sisters both peeked over the railing to see a familiar bald man's head.
"Oh, Kai, hey!" announced Anna, prompting the stout man to look up and greet back with a smile.
"Oh, hello Anna, Your Majesty."
"Our Grandmother's visiting. Come meet her! She's here with us. She's in a wheelchair right now, so she can't see you from here."
"Well, I'd be delighted to." replied Kai, before he made his way up the steps to join them and Anna turned Rona around to face him, who knelt with a smile and a slight bow of his head. "Hello Madam, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kai, the overseer of the castle."
"I'm Rona." greeted Rona as she offered her right hand. "It's very nice to meet you." she added, as Kai took her hand and shook it.
"So..." stated Kai, returning to his feet. "What's the occasion?"
"It's just a simple visit." answered Rona. "I wanted to visit while I'm still able. I was just fortunate enough that Anna and Elsa had the time to spare." she added, before Anna chimed in happily.
"We'll always have time to spare for family."
Meanwhile, Elsa said nothing. A slight look of worry on her face.
"Oh, that's right." replied Kai, a bit more somberly. "Anna and Her Majesty did mention that your health is in decline. So you're unable to walk?"
"Hehe, no, no." replied Rona with a chuckle. "While yes, my health is in decline, I can still walk, just not long distances. So Anna was thoughtful enough to make this chair for me."
"Oh, well that's wonderful." replied Kai. "It would be a shame if you were to depart from your grand-daughters' lives so soon after meeting them. I hope you have many more days ahead of you." he added, which prompted a smile from Rona and she simply replied...
"Thank you."
"Well, I won't take up any more this precious family time. If you happen to need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask one of the servants here." stated Kai.
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you, Kai." replied Rona, before the man gave a slight bow to Rona, then the sisters, before he departed back down the stairs and out of sight. "Well, that was pleasant." commented Rona.
"Yeah, Kai's been here since we were little." stated Anna, as she turned Rona around and Elsa walked ahead to open a nearby door and Anna headed towards it with Rona. "He's really nice, and was one of the few staff that remained employed during the years long lock-down of the castle." she added, before she lined up the chair with the door to pass through it, and to her surprise, found that the chair was barely thin enough to fit through, scraping at the edges. "Well, that was almost an embarrassing mistake." she commented as Elsa closed the door.
"It wouldn't have been that big of an issue." commented Rona, as she and the sisters headed down the hallway, which Rona admired. "I could've gotten out of the chair."
"Yeah, but it's a bit embarrassing that it's a small detail I overlooked. Now I know it's something to be aware of though, so that's good." commented Anna.
As they headed towards Elsa's room, while admiring the decorated hallway and some paintings hung on the wall, Rona met a few of the castle's staff, who happily introduced themselves and expressed delight in meeting her, which Rona was also happy to do so as well.
"Well, here's my room." stated Elsa, as the trio arrived at the door to Elsa's room. "... and where we'll part ways for a bit."
"Alright." replied Rona. "We'll see you a little later then while Anna shows me around."
"See ya later, Elsa." added Anna, while Elsa simply smiled and gave a parting wave of her head as she departed into her room.
Closing the door behind her and leaning back against it, Elsa let out a heavy sigh as she tightly closed her eyes, as the tears streamed from her eyes as a light flurry fell around her, while at the same time, she heard Anna's cheerful voice behind the door...
"Alright, how about I show you my room?"
"I'd like that." answered Rona.
Previously having planned to briefly part with them, Elsa was glad to have a private moment to herself. She feared she wouldn't have been able to keep up the smile to hide the sadness of this likely being Rona's first and last visit.
On the way to her room with Rona, they encountered a couple more people, who happily welcomed Rona, one in particular being Isabelle, who they nearly walked into turning a corner.
"Oh, hello Anna." greeted Isabelle, before her gaze quickly lowered to Rona. "Whose your guest?" she added, however, rather than Anna, Rona answered...
"I'm Rona, her grandmother."
"Oh!" gasped Isabelle with a smile. "I'm Isabelle. It's wonderful to meet you." she added, offering her right hand, which Rona takes.
"Same here." replied Rona, before Anna added...
"Izzy's Elsa's Handmaid, so she does stuff like helping Elsa get dressed if she needs it, doing her hair, taking care of her worn clothes, stuff like that."
"And recently..." added Isabelle with a smile. "Conversation. So where is Elsa, by the way? Does she know your grandmother is here?"
"Yeah, she knows." answered Anna. "She had some work to take care of, so she'll rejoin us a little while later, before we head into town. In the meantime, I was going to take Grandma to my room and show her around."
"Ah, I see." replied Isabelle, turning her gaze to Rona. "So how have you enjoyed your visit so far?"
"It's wonderful." replied Rona. "I couldn't imagine a home so big before coming here."
"Hehe, yeah, the castle is pretty big and there's rooms everywhere." stated Isabelle. "How long will you be staying? I can have a room set up for you if you want."
"Hehe, thanks, but that won't be necessary." replied Rona. "I don't intend to stay for more than a couple of hours, and I'll likely be with my grand-daughters for all of it."
"Oh, alright. Well, if there's anything you'd like to request, don't be shy, the staff here would be happy to accommodate you."
"Thank you."
"Well, I won't hold you two up any longer." stated Isabelle as she stepped to the side. "Maybe we'll see each other again before you head to town." she added, as she gave a farewell wave of a hand.
"Perhaps." replied Rona as she returned the wave.
"See ya later, Izzy." added Anna, as she resumed pushing Rona down the hall, while Isabelle simply smiled and continued on her way.
Reaching the double doors of her room, Anna stopped about a yard from them as she walked ahead of Rona to open them, as she commented...
"Good thing we don't need to worry about the chair fitting or not. There's plenty of extra room."
However, after fully opening the doors and heading back to Rona, she spoke up.
"Wait a moment, I'd like to stretch my legs. Can we leave the chair out here?"
"Oh, sure." replied Anna, before she maneuvered the chair beside the open door and it's back against the wall, before she took both of Rona's offered hands and helped out of the chair and Anna was about to drape Rona's left arm across her shoulders, but Rona resisted, commenting...
"You don't need to do that. With as flat and even the floor is, just give me your shoulder." she stated as she placed her hand on Anna's shoulder.
"Alright." replied Anna with a smile.
"Hehe, I can still walk after all. I just need help on uneven ground, and my energy isn't what it used to be."
"Ok, sorry if it seemed like I'm being extra careful or babying you."
"Hehehe, that's alright. I know you mean well. As long as you give me these moments, I'm ok with it."
"Alright then." replied Anna, before she began to guide Rona into her room, who had a very similar reaction to Anna's room that she had walking into the Ballroom.
"Wow... your room is as big as that room we first entered." gasped Rona.
"Hehe, yeah, it's big, but my room isn't THAT big." replied Anna. "Originally, Elsa and I shared this room when we were kids. Then stuff happened. She moved out, but I stayed here. Elsa's room is about this size, maybe even a bit bigger. Her room used to be our parents' room." she explained, while Rona looked around the room with a smile.
"There's so much open space. Since you said you and Elsa used to share this room, do you ever feel lonely here?"
"I used to, but not anymore." answered Anna. "Besides, I sometimes sleep with Elsa in her room."
"That's sweet." replied Rona, before Anna gasped and pointed towards the large glass window ahead of them and commented...
"Hey, wanna see a pretty view? My room has a great view of the ocean."
"Sure." answered Rona, as she let Anna lead her to the large window that granted Rona a view that left her momentarily speechless.
"Wow..." gasped Rona as she admired the view of the ocean, while Anna smiled at her grandmother's awe. "It's such a beautiful sight."
"Yeah, it is..." replied Anna. "At night too, when the moon is bright, reflecting off the water and the moonlight fills the room."
Anna continued to watch Rona admire the sight, until she saw what appeared to be a saddened look briefly come to her face, and Anna placed her left hand to Rona's on her shoulder.
"Is something wrong?" asked Anna, which Rona's smile returned as she looked at Anna, and answered.
"No, nothing's wrong."
"Are you getting tired?" asked Anna. "We can rest on my bed, it's really comfortable."
"No, I'm not tired, but I will accept your offer." answered Rona, before Anna led her to her bed, but along the short distance, Rona noticed two particular objects in the room, Anna's bed, and the fireplace. "Everything is so big here, even your bed and where you light fires."
"You think so?" asked Anna. "I think my bed is pretty normal sized."
"Hehe, yea, it's big to me." replied Rona, before they reached the side of Anna's bed.
"Just climb on, and make yourself comfortable."
"Hehe, I don't think there's much climbing in my future." commented Rona with a smile.
"Oh! Sorry!" gasped Anna. "The bed is a bit tall. You can just sit then." she added, before briefly parting from Rona as she climbed onto her bed and faced Rona with her hands reaching out. "I'll help you up."
Rona simply smiled and turned around, placing her hands back on the bed, before Anna reached her arms around her waist and pulled Rona up to sit on the bed.
"Good?" asked Anna.
"Yeah." replied Rona, caressing the fabric of the bed cover. "You're right, your bed is comfortable."
"I can let you lie down and get the full experience." offered Anna, with a smile.
"Maybe later." replied Rona, before she placed her hands on Anna's arms still wrapped around her. "I'm satisfied with this right now." she added, prompting a chuckle from Anna as she hugged Rona in earnest.
"Ok." stated Anna.
The two sat in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the others' presence. However, given Anna's position, she failed to notice a somber look come to Rona's face as she lowered her gaze to Anna's arms wrapped around her.
'I've seen so many new things already.' thought Rona. 'I haven't even left the Castle. I've met new and friendly people, and seen the delight on Anna and Elsa's faces.' she added as she closed her eyes with a smile. 'It's a shame that I'll be leaving them. There's still so much I could experience with them.' she continued, before a calm sigh left her. 'I'm ready, but... this is my one regret; missing out on their lives.'
Moments into the silence, Anna's face had a similar expression as she hugged Rona a little tighter, before she asked, almost reluctantly...
"Grandma... are you... afraid of... dying?"
Anna heard a light chuckle from Rona as she felt her pat her arm before she answered.
"No, I'm not. It is sad when a loved one departs. Yes, but just as we are born, we die. It's the natural process of life. It's a journey we will all take. Some leave in less than pleasant ways, but I will not. I will have my family with me." replied Rona, before a smile came to Anna's saddened face.
"Elsa and I will be with you too."
"I welcome that." replied Rona. "I'm very lucky to have lived long enough to be reunited with Iduna, and to meet you and Elsa. To be honest, I may not be afraid of dying, but I do regret not being able to stick around, and share in my grand-children's lives."
Upon hearing that, Anna, almost by reflex, responded that she didn't have to leave, but forced herself to stay silent, closing her eyes as tears welled up.
'She's already made her choice... I have to respect it.' thought Anna. 'Besides, she's still walking and talking and laughing, she's not dying anytime soon, especially not today, so there's nothing to worry about for now. I just need to make sure she has an enjoyable visit.' she added as a smile returned to her face.
"Then we'll just make sure the time you have left with us is fulfilling." commented Anna, prompting a small chuckle from Rona.
"I'd like that."
"Oh, speaking of filling..." added Anna. "I can introduce you to some of the food and snacks we eat. Have you heard of chocolate?"
"I have, but I've never eaten it." answered Rona. "Emory offered me some from the bag that you had given her, but I turned her down at the time."
"Oh, then you HAVE to try it! It's so sweet and creamy, and it just melts in your mouth, and it smells good too!"
"Hehe, then I'll have to try it before I return if there's time."
"You can try it now!" quickly added Anna. "I keep a little pouch of chocolate in one of my drawers."
"Alright then."
"Can you sit up on your own?"
"I should be able to, but I'd like to take your previous offer and lay down, get the 'full experience' as you put it." answered Rona.
"Heh, alright." replied Anna as she removed her arms from around Rona and allowed her to slowly lay back on the bed, her legs still hanging off the side, while looking up at the canopy as she moaned in delight.
"Oh wow, this is comfortable."
"Told you." replied Anna, before she removed herself from the bed. "I'll just be a sec." she added, as she briefly departed to her clothing drawer to retrieve a small green pouch and rejoined Rona on the bed, laying on her left side, to Rona's right. "Here." commented Anna as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a single chocolate chunk and offered it to Rona, who leaned over on her right and took the treat, briefly examining it before placing it in her mouth and just a second passes before Rona's eyes widen in surprise as she placed a hand over her mouth.
"Oh wow, that is good!" gasped Rona. "That has to be one of the sweetest things I've ever eaten!"
"I'm glad you like it." replied Anna, as she helped herself to a piece of chocolate. "If you like that, you're going to love chocolate cake. We can save that for a future visit though. Like I told Emory, eating too much of this when you haven't before could make you sick, so, given your situation..."
"Heh, I know." replied Rona. "That treat was quite delicious, but I'll stop at one."
"Alright." replied Anna, before Rona asked...
"So, that young woman we met earlier... Elsa's helper."
"Izzy?" asked Anna.
"Yeah, her. Do you have someone similar?"
"Oh yeah." answered Anna with a smile. "Her name's Elly. She's currently not working here right now; she's taking care of some personal stuff, but she'll be back soon. If we're lucky, we might even run into her when we head into town."
"That would be nice." replied Rona, before Anna gasped lightly.
"Oh, I know I'm just assuming we'll go to town, but if that's too much, or you don't feel like being around a bunch of strangers, we can just stay in the castle."
"Hehe, thank you for the consideration, but I'm OK with it." answered Rona.
"Ok then, but if things change between then and now for whatever reason, just let us know, there's no rush."
"I will, thank you." replied Rona, before Anna simply smiled at her briefly, before commenting...
"I gotta say Grandma, this is the most active I've seen you, you're talking so normally and walking; it doesn't even seem like your ill."
The remark prompted a small chuckle from Rona, before she reached out her left hand to caress Anna's cheek.
"Today's a good day for me, luckily. I have them sometimes. Heh, and like I said before, I CAN still walk, just not very far." commented Rona, prompting a smile on Anna's face. However, she had a saddening thought...
'Then tomorrow may be a rough day for her.'
"I hope you have many more good days than bad ones." replied Anna, to which Rona simply smiled at, before Anna noticed Elsa walk in front of her open door, along with Olaf at her side, as she knocked on the left door.
"Hey." greeted Elsa with a little smile at the sight of Anna and Rona lying in bed together. "Am I interrupting?"
"Hey Elsa." greeted Anna back as she sat up. "Hey Olaf and no, we were just talking." she added, before noticing Rona attempting to sit up and quickly aided her, taking her by the hand and placing her free hand on Rona's back.
Upon successfully sitting up, Rona smiled with surprise as Olaf happily walked up to her.
"Hi, I'm Olaf!" greeted the snowman happily.
"Hehe, hello there." greeted back Rona. "Elsa and Anna have told me about you." she added, before Elsa commented, walking up behind Olaf...
"I ran into Olaf on the way here after I finished my business, so I asked if he'd like to meet you."
"Well..." continued Rona, looking at the snowman. "I'm told you like hugs."
"Yep!" replied Olaf. "Warm hugs are my favorite! I won't ask you for a hug though. Elsa told me you're sick and since I'm cold, I don't want to make you feel bad."
"Heh, how considerate." replied Rona with a chuckle, before she looked at Elsa and reached out her left hand to her. "Can you help me off the bed." she asked, which Elsa does so, along with Anna taking Rona's right hand, before Rona slowly knelt down in front of Olaf and extended her hands out to him. "A single hug from a cute snowman would do me more good than bad."
Olaf was clearly delighted by the offer and looked to Elsa, who smiled and commented...
"If Grandmother's fine with it, go on."
Olaf then happily stepped into Rona's embrace, who smiled with a light giggle, feeling his cool body against hers, and his twig arms hugging her back. The hug was brief, but enjoyable, and another chuckle left Rona as she patted Olaf's head.
"I can say I've hugged a living snowman." commented Rona, before she reached out her hand to Anna, who helped her to a standing position, before Elsa asked...
"So, was there an issue with the chair?"
"Nope." answered Anna. "Grandma wanted to stretch her legs, since the floor here is flat; plus, as she has told me, she can still walk."
"Yep." added Rona. "Just not very far. No jogging or running for me though."
"Oh, well, ok then." replied Elsa with a smile. "Well, if you feel like walking more while your here, just let us know."
"I will."
"So, do you wanna head to town or stay here?" asked Elsa.
"I'll head to town." answered Rona. "I'm looking forward to seeing the sights with you all." she added, smiling down at Olaf, who smiled back, before she placed her right hand on Anna's shoulder, and the group began to head out of the room.
However, just a few paces in, Rona made a step with her left foot, and gasped when all strength suddenly left the limb, and she nearly brought Anna down with her as she quickly grabbed Anna's upper arm tightly, but saved herself from falling to the floor as Anna and Elsa gasped in shock, and Anna quickly wrapped her left arm around Rona's waist to support her as Elsa rushed in front of Rona, kneeling and asking...
"What's wrong!?"
"Hehe, it's fine, it's fine." commented Rona, before offering her left hand to Elsa, who took it and helped Rona up on her right leg. "My left leg just gave out. Thanks to Anna, I didn't fall and hurt myself."
"But you might've sprained it, and can't feel it." warned Anna. "So don't put pressure on it, we'll help you to the chair."
"Alright." replied Rona, as she allowed Elsa and Anna to help her out of the room, while her own heart raced at the possible implication that her body may be starting to falter and fail; It was something Kaj warned her about after all. Upon being helped into the chair, Rona gave a light-hearted comment, "Thanks to that little event, I'm sure you two will be too worried to let me walk again, huh?"
Elsa seemed hesitant to answer, while Anna knelt in front of Rona and gripped her calf lightly.
"Can you feel that?" asked Anna.
"Yes." answered Rona, however, what she left out was that her leg from the knee down tingled with light numbness, before Anna lowered her hands down to Rona's ankle, raising the leg of her pants to reveal the skin, which appeared unblemished and gently gripped it.
"What about now? Any pain?"
"No." answered Rona, before she moved her foot around to emphasize the point. While Anna let out a sigh of relief as she lowered her head with a smile, however, Anna noticed something she wasn't sure was normal or not, an odd coolness to Rona's ankle.
"Your ankle is a little cold though." commented Anna, before lifting her hand up to Rona's calf and feeling the same coolness.
At this comment, Rona's heart raced again at the seeming confirmation that her body was starting to fail, but didn't let it show on her face and smiled.
"This is normal. I'm fine." commented Rona. "My legs just get a little cold from time to time. There's nothing you need to worry about."
Hearing that comment though, Anna was moments from pulling her hands away, before she detected lies within Rona's entire statement, and froze.
'What... why would she lie!?' thought Anna, immediately worried, given Rona's comment. 'This isn't normal? I SHOULD be worried? Why? What could be the-' Anna couldn't finish the thought before dread came over her, and she tightly closed her eyes, forcing back the coming tears. 'No! Don't go there! Grandma's fine, her leg just gave out; heck, it's happened to me before. Yeah... that's it, that's all this-'
Anna's thoughts were interrupted when she felt a familiar twig hand touch her shoulder and Olaf asked with concern.
"Anna, what's wrong?"
Briefly looking to her right where the snowman stood, Anna realized he was in direct line of sight to see her distressed face.
"Yeah..." added Elsa. "Why are you still kneeling, Grandma said she's fine."
'I need to go calm down!' thought Anna. 'Or I'll end up ruining this!' she added, before taking a breath, and standing with a smile. "It's fine, I was just concerned for grandma. "I'd hate it she got hurt. Since Grandma's legs are a little chilly, I'm going to go get a blanket."
"That's not necessary, Anna." commented Rona.
"I insist." stated Anna. "Just for my piece of mind, and until we're out of the castle. Olaf, come with me." she added, before taking Olaf's hand and pulling the confused snowman into her room with her before she closed the door, leaving Rona mildly puzzled by the quick retreat, commenting...
"I don't think she needed to close the door to get a blanket." Commented Rona, while Elsa looked on in concerned suspicion.
Closing her door behind her, Anna closed her eyes as the tears quickly fell, while thoughts swarmed her mind, crumbling the excuse she had made up. She managed to walk a few paces away from her door, before she fell to her knees silently sobbing, to the confusion of Olaf.
"A-Anna?" asked the snowman worriedly, with a hand on her shoulder.
'The sudden visit...' she thought, before recalling the encounter with her mother as she lifted her hands over her face. 'Mother's reaction... Grandma's...'
Anna didn't finish the thought before Olaf's light shaking of her drew her attention.
"Anna, what's wrong?"
Sniffling, Anna returned to her feet and took Olaf by the hand, leading him further into the room, away from the door, stopping beside the window as she sat down, and wiped her tears.
"Olaf..." began Anna in a whispered tone. "I don't think grandma... has much longer... and she knows it."
"Much longer for what?" asked Olaf, however, Anna only looked at him, teary-eyed, before Olaf gasped with an "Oh." soon followed with a wide-eyed, "O-Oohhhhh..." as his expression saddened. "Well, is there anything I can do to help you?"
Despite the distress she was under, Anna smiled at Olaf's kind offer.
"Thank you Olaf, but I just need a moment to think."
"Ok." replied Olaf, as he sat in front of her, before Anna took a deep breath and slowly exhaled in an attempt to calm herself as she wiped her tears.
"Alright..." commented Anna in a whisper, looking down at her lap. "Grandma's time is nearing..." speaking those words, Anna felt the tears coming again and wiped them away. "... And she knows it, but hasn't told us. Why? She requested to visit though, despite it. So, does she not want to ruin the visit by telling us? Does... she just want to enjoy what's possibly her first and last visit without us being an emotional mess?"
Closing her eyes as tears fell again, a smile slowly came to Anna's face.
"Ok..." commented Anna. "If that's how grandma wants to spend the limited time she has left; with us, showing her around our home, then that's what she'll get. Besides, she has a few days left in her at least, people near the end aren't walking and talking like grandma, right?" she added, before lifting her head to Olaf for confirmation, who looked surprised and confused by the sudden question.
"Uh, sure." answered Olaf.
"Y-Yeah..." replied Anna. "She may be getting weak, but she's not on her deathbed yet. I still have time to mentally prepare myself. Until then, I can still happily show her around." she added, before wiping her tears away again and standing, joined by Olaf. "Yeah, grandma wants a happy visit, not one covered in gloomy sadness." she continued, before taking a deep breath. "I can do this. I can. Olaf, we keep this between ourselves, we can't let Grandma and Elsa know we know, at least until the end of the visit and Grandma returns home."
"Ok!"
Anna then walked to her mirror and wiped the tear-streaks from her face to be sure she wouldn't alarm Elsa or Rona by her crying. After another slow breath, Anna smiled, before retrieving a blanket and heading to her door.
To be continued...