New Places

June 23rd, 1836

"Hey, Elsa! Are you awake?" Anna's booming voice from outside the room was enough to wake Elsa up.

For a moment Elsa forgot where she was until the events of yesterday came back to her. She sat up on the bed and rubs her eyes before letting out a yawn.

"I am."

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Anna entered the room, holding the clothes Elsa wore yesterday.

"How are you? Did you sleep well?"

"I think so. I'm not used to sleeping on mattresses."

"Well, now you all the time to get used to it! Anyways, breakfast is almost ready and I figure I'd walk you to the dining hall since you haven't lived in a while. Oh, and Gerda wanted me to give your clothes back. She washed them for you."

"Thank you." Elsa took the clothes.

"I'll let you get ready. I'll be waiting out here."

Anna exited the room. Elsa gazed at her clothes, noticing a pleasant scent coming from them. She then spends the next few minutes changing in her clothes and fixing her hair. Once she was done she join Anna outside.

The pair walk through the halls. Elsa took note of how wide they were. Some people who Elsa could guess were servants walked down and gave her a strange look as they passed. They arrived at the Dining Hall soon after. The setting was no different than it was last night but Elsa noticed new foods on the table. Though the smell from was pleasing on her scent, just like the food she ate last night.

"Good morning girls. You're just in time for breakfast," Agdar spoke to his daughters with a smile.

"All right, waffles!" Anna cheered. "You ever had waffles, Elsa?"

"Uh, I don't think so…"

"Well get your taste buds ready because they are one of the greatest food for breakfast ever."

Anna sat at the table with Elsa sitting next to her. After watching how to properly eat the waffle from Anna, Elsa cut off a small piece of the food with a knife. She took the small bit she cut and placed it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately widen.

"Sooooo….How is it?' Anna asked with a grin.

"This is delicious!" Elsa exclaimed she eagerly started cutting off another piece, which was larger this time.

"I told you guys she would like them!" Anna told to her parents she cut off her next piece. "By the way, where's Kristoff?"

"He said something about Sven not feeling so he's in the stables for the time being. Don't worry, we made sure to give him some food," Idun explained.

"I better make sure to stop by to check on them later." Anna took a bite from her waffle.

"In the meantime, there's something we need to discuss. Did you tell Elsa?"

"Tell Elsa what?" Anna said with her mouth full

"About her…arrangement."

"Oh. Oh! I forgot." Anna hurriedly finished up chewing her food.

"Take it easy, sweetheart. I suppose we'll tell her together," Agdar offered.

"What's going on?" Elsa glances at her family.

"You see, Elsa, when you were taken the entire kingdom was in shock. When we could not find you everyone mostly likely believed that you were…dead. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the kingdom believed that. You being here after fifteen years would no doubt be a shock to not only the kingdom but all across Europe as well. Many would no doubt have many questions. Everyone would want to know who you are, where you've been, how you survived, and all that. Such an ordeal would no doubt be an exhausting progress for you to deal with. Which is why, for the time being, we're withholding the news of your return."

"Why?" Elsa looked confused.

"We want to give you time to adjust." Elsa looked at her mother. "From what Anna told us, you haven't been around people for a very long time. Your return will spark the interest in many people, in and out of Arendelle. We figure you being back here, and so many wanting to see would be too much for you to handle at once."

"Which is why I came up with an idea! You're going to be my personal 'handmaiden'' Anna announced, giving a wink when she said, handmaiden.

"What's a handmaiden?" Elsa asked.

"You'll be my servant. Of course, you won't be a handmaiden. That's just a ruse that we'll tell people who you are. We wanted to tell you before relaying it to Kai & Gerda for them to tell the staff."

"Why tell them that I'm a servant when I'm not?"

"You already noticed the other servants giving you weird looks on our way here. Everyone working in the castle will no doubt be going to ask questions about why a random girl is suddenly hanging around me and mama & papa. Once we'll tell them you're my handmaiden they'll back off for sure."

"And should any of them ask why she was chosen? I imagine you have the answer for that?" Agdar looked at his youngest with interest.

"Ah…shoot. I forgot to consider that."

"Let that be your first lesson of Queenhood, Anna. Always consider every possibility no matter how unlikely it is."

"Yeah, got it…Right now I need to think of a backstory."

"You could tell them the truth," Elsa suggested.

"The truth?"

"That I saved your life from the blizzard back in February, and all of you granted me a job here as a gesture of gratitude."

"That's…not a bad idea actually," Agdar pondered.

"But wouldn't others wonder why you decided to show up now rather than back then?" Idun wondered.

"I'll just say I requested Anna not to tell anyone about me at the time. The reason is that I haven't had the best experience interacting with other people."

"...That is until I started secretly visiting you and got you to slowly come out of that shell of yours. And it was recently you finally gained the courage to visit Arendelle, and wanted to reveal yourself to my parents," Anna finished. "I think that may actually work. Sweet! So we got the backstory and the job!"

"There are still other matters, Anna," Idun brought up. "It's probably best if you don't tell people your name is Elsa. Most of the staff and guards here have been here for a very long time. Telling everyone your Elsa will no doubt would have them connect the dots rather quickly."

"So I need a fake name?" Elsa clarified.

"Only for the time being," Agdar assured her.

"Alright, let's think of names!" Anna pondered in her thoughts. "Eliza? Too close to Elsa. Elenor? No way. Zelda?...Nah. Mirabel? Cute, but doesn't feel right for you. Hmmm…Wait! I got it! Joan!

"Joan…I kinda like it."

"Then from this moment, at least around other people, Elsa you'll be Joan."

"Then that leaves up with our final point. Your magic. At the time you were taken, very few people knew about your magic. Due to an…event that happened many years before you were born, some may be skeptical about it."

"What happened?"

Agdar's expression went somber as he gazed downward. "I…rather not speak of it." Agdar recomposes himself. "But there may be others who might not react…positively."

"But with you being my handmaiden you'll be seeing a lot of people. They'll have the chance to get to know you. Then once you can show your powers they'll have no reason to be skeptical," Anna said.

"How long are you going to let me adjust?" Elsa asked.

"At least a few weeks, but we can wait longer if you want. It's entirely up to you," Idun told her.

"I think that's okay, for now. All of this is still pretty new. This castle alone seems like a maze to me."

"After today that won't be a problem! I'm gonna take you on a tour of the castle after we finish breakfast. I'll show you the library, the gardens, the kitchens, and the art gallery! You'll love it! So let's hurry up and finish."

Both girls finished their breakfast as quickly as they could, while enduring Idun's reminders not to eat so fast. When they were both done, both girls didn't even clean up their messes as Anna quickly dragged Elsa out of the Dining Hall.

"And there they go…leaving a mess" Idun looked at their dirty places with the displaced napkins and scattered utensils. "Elsa I understand, but Anna is old enough to know to clean up after herself."

"She's just excited to have Elsa here. Surely you can let this pass just for once," Agdar gently told his wife.

"Fair point." Idun took a few more bites of her breakfast. She eventually notice that her husband's face was deep in thought about something, as he barely ate his food.

"Are you alright?"

"I know that we agree to keep Elsa's presence quiet but…I feel as if we should others know."

"Do you have anyone in?"

"A few, actually…"

Elsa had figured that the castle was huge, but the outside didn't seem to show her the full truth. She didn't expect so many rooms to fit in here. True to her word Anna had shown her every room she could. First Anna had taken her to the kitchens since it was close to the Dining Hall. There Els got to see all sorts of food stored up in there. Anna had also taken the opportunity to introduce several of the kitchen staff to 'Joan'. Elsa really liked the head chef himself. A slim man that she recalled being called Remy.

The next place Anna showed Elsa around was the library. Never in her life did Elsa see so many books in one place. Anna showed her the many genres the books in the library had to offer. Some of these Elsa recognized as the ones Anna lend to her when she visited. This is a place Elsa could see herself hanging on in the near future.

Another location Anna, though briefly, is the training yard where the Arendelle guards go to train. Anna showed Elsa the armory where the many weapons used were provided. Some of which Elsa recognized such as swords & spears. Others were unfamiliar to her, which Anna happily explained. The younger princess also promised Elsa that she'll bring her back whenever the soldiers were having their training sessions so that Elsa could see them in action.

The other location in the castle that Elsa enjoyed was the castle gardens. It reminded her so much of the glen in which she, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf had their picnic not that long ago. There were many types of flowers that Elsa had never seen before. There was also a pong where several ducks were hanging around. One of which was a mother duck with little ducklings. The family waddles their way towards the princesses. Anna leaned down and cup her hands, allowing the ducklings to leap in her hands. After gushing over their cuteness, Anna urged Elsa to hold the baby ducks. Elsa was reluctant, because she never do so, and she was afraid she was going to accidentally freeze them. After some convincing from Anna. Elsa allowed herself to hold the ducklings. The baby ducks gaze at the ice wielder, giving out cute chirps at her. The mere sight of her was enough to give her a warm feeling in her heart.

"And next we have my favorite place in the castle: The Art Gallery." Anna opened the large doors leading to the next room in their tour. Elsa walked inside, footsteps echoing off throughout the room.

Many portraits were displayed throughout every inch of the walls. Each painting contains various figures in different styles of painting. One had a man & woman bowing to each other amiss of a celebration. One had a different man & woman enjoying a picnic, and another had a man kissing a woman's hand, and of course, a man pushing a woman on a swing, with her shoe flying off.

"All of these are so beautiful," Elsa complimented.

"Papa does have great taste in terms of paintings," Anna stated.

"How do people make these?"

"Well, they get a brush, a blank canvas, a palette of several colors and you get these."

"All of these were created just by using those things?"

"Along with patience and skill. Welcome to art."

Elsa continues her admiration of the gallery. She spotted one painting of a woman wearing armor, armed with a sword & sword, riding a horse into battle.

"That one's my favorite. Joan of Arc." Anna pointed out.

"And that's where my cover name comes from?" Elsa gave a curious look.

"Maybe…" Elsa could give out a giggle.

Two portraits caught the ice wielders' eyes. One consists of a dark-skinned man with a board structure. He had black hair, a beard and wore a green uniform similar to that of the guards around Arendelle. The other had a man with white skin, reddish hair, and a thick mustache. His uniform was also green, accompanied by a purple sash, cape, and light green gloves with the crocus pattern. This man somehow reminded Elsa of her father.

"Who are they?" Elsa called Anna's attention to the portraits.

"Oh, I know. They were people papa once knew." Anna went over to the portrait of the dark skin man. "This man is Lieutenant Destin Mattias. He served as papa's bodyguard when he was a kid. Papa told me he was the best soldier in the army."

"And the other man?"

"The other man was my-our grandfather! King Runeard Eriksen!" Anna announced with pride.

"What's a grandfather?"

"He was papa's…papa. He was the previous ruler of Arendelle. From what papa told me, grandfather was a great king and had the highest respect from the kingdom and everyone outside of it."

"Wow. They sound like great people. Where are they?"

"They, um, died when papa was about fourteen. Some sort of battle that happened. That's what papa told me." Anna made sure to leave out the whole enchanted forest thing. Mostly because that's still subject she still doesn't know enough on.

"What about his mother?"

"She died a few years before grandfather did."

"So…papa had no parents." Elsa cross her arms as she concluded. "I know what that's like..."

"And you don't have to feel it anymore. You have us now." Anna comfortably grabbed Elsa's hand, giving a smile.

The young women finished their tour in the Art Gallery. Anna of course shows Elsa other rooms, though they weren't as major as the other rooms. As Anna went on rambling a set of doors caught Elsa's eyes. These doors were familiar to her. Instinct leads her head on the door handle to open it. The room consists of a large window, with a model of a weird-looking ship, and a fireplace directly across from a large sofa. She saw a large desk, made from the finest wood. Nearby laid a large portrait. This one had a figure resembling her father. He held a round object in one hand, and a gold scepter in another. A gold crown resided on the top of his head where his face gave a neutral expression. It finally took her to realize where she was. This was a place where she often found her father whenever she sought him. Where she would cheer him up after bad days, or when he was working late and she came to him whenever she had nightmares.

This was her father's study.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice rang out before she entered the room. "There you are. I thought I lost you for a moment."

"Sorry…" Elsa apologizes solemnly.

"Hey…are you okay?"

"I used to come here a lot. Back before I was…I have so many memories of this room. It makes me think…how much of my life was robbed."

"You're here now. You still have the rest of your life to go through. That's what matters."

"Anna? Elsa?" Both girls turn to see their father in the study.

"Oh, papa. Sorry. We didn't mean to be in here."

"It's alright, Anna. You came here at the right time actually. There's something I want to discuss with you both." He closes the doors and instructed both his daughters to sit at his desk.

"What is this about, papa?" Anna asked

"I had this thought right around breakfast. I was thinking that we let some others in about Elsa's return. I know Kai, Gerda, and Kristoff are good people, but I don't think they would be enough to keep Elsa's presence here a secret while she adjusts. I wanted to run by you girls first before I make any moves. If this is something you don't want I completely understand. But I figure it would be easier if a few more people know."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Storstrand for starters. He's been here a long time so I think he has the right to know."

"Storstrand…That sounds familiar," Elsa muttered.

"He's been part of the Arenedelle guard since a few months before you were born, Elsa. You both have interacted several times before when you were here. I promoted him to captain several years ago. He's a good man, and loyal to our family. I trust him with my life."

"I guess it would make sense if he was in on it," Anna stated. "Who else do you have in mind, papa?"

"One of my council members should know as well. I was considering letting Councilman Gadd know."

"Oh, Josh. Course you can let him know."

"Josh?" Elsa questioned.

"His full name is Joshua Gadd. He's been on my council for as long as I have been king," Agdar simply explained.

"And the only member that isn't a stick in the mud." Anna looked towards Elsa. "That means he's the only one on the council that isn't boring." Agdar cleared his throat out loud. "But he and the others do excellent work of keeping the kingdom afloat."

"And they may answer to you one day. I certainly hope you remember that, Anna." Agdar reminded me. "Anyways, those are the two that I do intend to tell. But if there's anyone you feel can be trusted with this, you may share."

Anna pondered in her thoughts for several minutes. She thought through people that she could tell the truth about Elsa. Then recalled a conversation she had with a certain Bishop. Back when she was brought back from the wilderness in February.

"Bishop Ruud."

"Why him?"

"I…sorta told him about Elsa."

Agdar arched his brow as he leaned closer. "How much."

"Not too much. I just told him that she was someone that wanted to help. I didn't even tell him her name. He promised not to tell anyone about our discussion. And I'm assuming he's been keeping up to that promise for months."

"…He's been helpful to me when Elsa was taken. He's a man who keeps his word. We'll let him in."

"So it's going to be those three who know who I am?" Elsa questioned.

"Yes, Elsa. I promise you they will keep your presence a secret until you are ready to show yourself."

"Yeah. You have nothing to worry about," Anna assured.

"Alright. If you guys so."

"Then tomorrow morning I will inform those three," Agdar turned to his youngest. "Anna, why don't you inform Bishop Ruud that I want him to stop by here tomorrow morning."

"Not a problem." Anna stood from her chair. "Want to come with me, Elsa?"

"I actually wanted to talk to her for a bit, if that's okay with you, Elsa."

"S-Sure," Elsa crossed her arms nervously.

"Okay, I'll see you later, Elsa." Anna got up from the chair to make her way out of the room. Closing the door behind her left Elsa and Agdar alone in the room.

"What did you want to talk to me about, papa?"

"I just wanted to know how you're settling in."

"That's it?"

"Of course. I want you to be as comfortable as you want. Why else would I ask?"

"I guess I'm not used to other people asking me that, aside from Anna & Kristoff.."

"Elsa, it's my duty as your father to make sure this place is safe and comforting for you. This is your home. I want you to feel welcomed."

"In that case…I've been doing okay, so far. It's still a lot to adjust to. This place is bigger than my shelter. I'll be honest, I still don't know my way around."

"You have all the time to get acquainted with the castle. And we'll be here to help."

"Anna did give me a tour. There are so many rooms here, and they're big. The kitchen, your library, and even the gardens are huge! Like wow!"

"One of the perks of being royalty."

"Mama said the same thing about your bathtub as well."

"She's never wrong," Agdar chuckled.

"Anna showed me the Art Gallery. You have so many pretty paintings in there."

"I'm glad you like them. Art has always interested me since I was young. Anna likes that room as well. Were there any paintings that you like?"

"I did like Joan of Arc. I also like the ones of grandfather, and your bodyguard."

"You…you know about my father and Mattias?"

"Anna told me about them. She also said that they died in a battle when you were a kid."

"I see…" Elsa noticed her father's expression went solemn.

"Did I make you sad? I'm sorry I didn't mean to."

"It's fine, Elsa."

"What…happened to them?"

A breath escaped from Agdar. "It was about twenty-eight years ago. Ten years before you were born. It was supposed to be a peaceful expedition up north. But something went wrong. A battle erupted. Your grandfather, my father, fell off a cliff. Mattias I couldn't find so assumed he too perished. I saw it happen."

Elsa covered her mouth with her hands. "That sounds horrible. I'm so sorry."

"No need, Elsa. As I said, it happened before you were born."

Seeing the sad look on her father, Elsa wanted to change the subject. She decided to ask him another question.

"What were they like? Grandfather and Mattias?"

"My father…we weren't close. Mostly because he was often busy with his duties as king which I understood. Since my mother died when I was really little it was a often lonely. Father was a bit…strict at times but I know he loved me. Your grandfather was a good man and would do anything to protect Arendelle. Mattias, well, he was a second father to me. Whenever my father wasn't around, he was there to fill the spot. He would listen to my troubles, keep me company, and take me out in town whenever I wanted. He would even sneak me, sweets, before dinner."

"Do you miss them?"

"...Every day. Some days I wonder if they would be proud of me despite my…past mistakes."

"I'm sure they would, papa. You went through so many bad things but you're still standing. I mean, I think they would be proud that you never gave up."

"That's kind of you to say. Thank you." Agdar gave a small smile.

"Papa…" Elsa spoke after a few minutes. "Would grandfather and Mattias like me?"

"Of course they both would. Mattias especially would've adored you and Anna. Why wouldn't they like you?"

Elsa gazes at her hands. It took agdar a few seconds to realize what his daughter was referring to.

"Elsa, they would love you regardless of your powers. My father might've had some issues understanding magic but I'm sure he would've loved you regardless. Same with Mattias."

"My captor often told me that there are people that would've feared my powers, and would've hurt me."

"And there are people out there who don't fear them and would never hurt you. Anyone who tries to harm you in any way will answer to me, I promise you. But enough about that. Would you like to take a walk with me? You can ask me any question you like."

"I would like that."

The father-daughter pair exited out of the study. They walked through the long halls of the castle. Elsa stuck close by her father's side.

"You said I can ask you any question I want."

"Anything, Snowflake."

"Okay…how did you mama meet?"

"You really want to know?" Elsa nodded to her father. "It was shortly after my father died. I decided to take a stroll through town when I bump into this girl…"

Anna/Agdar: *talks about how great Runeard is*

Me who has watch Frozen 2: *laughs like a maniac*

So...How ya'll doing? How long has it been *looks at the last update date* that long huh? After 9 months of no updates, this is the best I can offer. Truth to be told, I had no idea how to write this chapter. Sometimes writing transition chapters are not easy. I'm trying to make Elsa's transition to being back with her family feel as natural as possible. No to mention the usual obstacles that is my life. I also have not one, by TWO other fanfics that I'm working on so there's that. Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

I have a question: I've had an account on Archive of Our Own (AO3) for quite some time, and I've been considering of posting this story on there. Should I wait till this story done, or just publish all the chapters I have at the moment?

Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!