The finished book of TBB (auch in deutsch!) for mature audience is now available for download as a pdf and epub file on my Google Drive.
Note: 1058 pages as pdf screenread version (not formatted as a typical book). Next I plan to work on the pdf in book formatting, based on this version for print out.
In comparison to the Tumblr version of my novel it's without images (except for the cover) and I corrected many issues, mistakes and typos, re-formatted everything, added a Table of Contents at the beginning and the character list plus glossary at the end.
And here's the epub3 version as e-book, directly exported from LibreOffice writer, best for reading on a smartphone/tablet (I highly recommend the ReadEra app) or on computers (I recommend Calibre V7):
Attention! These are the 18+ versions including the hot Elsamaren and Kristanna sex scenes! So if you're under age it's better you keep your fingers off!
Since October 2024 it's on AO3 as well, as complete work, including fanart, my edits and aditional notes. In comparison to the Tumblr version everything is corrected, partly slightly rewritten and spell checked.
I would love to see your comments there.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Für die deutschen Leser gibt's jetzt auch die fertig korrigierte deutsche Version (ebenfalls inkl. 18+ Inhalte):
und als epub3 für's Smartphone (ich empfehle dringend die App ReadEra, manche andere Reader zeigen die Datei nicht korrekt an) oder für Computer (dort empfehle ich auf alle Fälle Calibre V7). Diese Version enthält übrigens auch viele der Bilder inkl. Warnbanner für die 18+ Inhalte zum Überspringen dieser Szenen:
Do you still remember my plotline of my OC, Elin the orphan? And now just imagine this once was Elin's house on the Arendelle farmlands! See the horror she must have went thru in that night.
Warning: this is going to be a very long text, starting with a little personal analysis of Frozen II, but I want you to understand what ultimately motivated me to write "The Broken Bridge" and what was actually behind it.
If the following is too long for you, you can skip straight to the end, to a special invitation for my most loyal readers. But if you want to read on ... who knows, maybe I can give you some motivation to write your own fanfic, or I can give you some inspiration to keep writing and never give up. Let's start now ...
When I published my very first idea about a sequel to Frozen II on my main blog as a ficlet or prologue on May 24th 2020, I had no intention of writing this fanfic myself at first. Instead, I asked the fandom who of the experienced writers would like to do it and later wrote additional thoughts about it. Below is a list of links to my main blog and the beginnings:
Link 1 , Link 2 , Link 3 , Link 4 , Link 5 , Link 6 , Link 7
Link 8 , Link 9 , Link 10
At that time I didn't have a title for it either and simply called it "Frozen III plot / fanfic" or "frozen au". But none of the fanfic writers jumped at it, despite 67 likes including many comments. A few days later I had a discussion with one of my favourite writers on Tumblr, telling him that I was hesitant to continue writing because I just thought I was a bad writer at the time and also because of doubts about my English skills. I received lots of tips and words of encouragement from him and the writing duo.
Nevertheless, I was on the verge of giving up after publishing only 2 chapters. It wasn't until June 2nd that I put my third chapter online, but still as an F3 plot idea and without a title. However, once I found my beta reader (he had contacted me anonymously on Tumblr), I continued until chapter 11 for the time being, until the end of July 2020, when I stopped publishing on my main blog due to a lack of comments and likes. At that point, I was disappointed with the response and was about to give up.
It's no easy feat to convincingly and believably expand the world of Disney's Frozen II in such a way that you're drawn in from the very beginning — just like in the film — and can literally immerse yourself in an epic storyline that keeps you gripped until the very end. But not to the point where you drown in it (pun intended), of course, but that takes a lot of work and ingenuity.Frozen II had many wonderful highlights, but also its flaws, which ultimately divided the fan community — literally! However, one thing fascinated me from the start and that was the introduction of a completely new world in the Frozen universe, which is the main part of my plot in the novel. It's about the Northuldra (inspired by the real Sámi people) who live in an enchanted forest, along with the four nature spirits who are part of a greater whole: the deity Ahtohallan, guardian of all memories and source of Elsa's ice magic.
But this is precisely where the film's weaknesses lie, because unfortunately these remarkable people were given far too little time on the big screen, when they deserved so much more and an incredibly multi-layered potential would have opened up for Disney. As everyone knows, the team had negotiated with the Sámi Parliament in advance and received authorisation — on the condition that the Sámi were portrayed respectfully.
Apparently, however, much of this was too complicated for Disney to realise, especially when it came to customs, beliefs and myths. Ahtohallan in the film, for example, was something that was originally planned quite differently and — as far as I could tell from the concept art book "The Art of Frozen II" and the D+ documentary — was originally linked to Sámi shamanism, specifically their Noaidi.
The deleted scene of the originally planned prologue, for example, showed us a shapeshifter with reindeer antlers. This was presumably an old Sámi myth and the saga of a figure called Myandash. You can read this story online.
(Note: In my novel, Myandash was the model for Kolgrimr's father and I called the human Northuldra wife of the shapeshifter Gyda and made her the evil Noaidi).
What remained
The fact is that the Northuldra and their great role model, the Sámi, were very well received in the Frozen fandom, as can be seen from the countless fanart images, fanfictions, discussions and even the Elsamaren Ship (Elsa + Honeymaren). And not only there, the Sámi themselves also took a liking to Frozen II.
All of this and the actual, ultimately somewhat disappointing realisation in the film was hardly surprising to me, as this is, after all, a Disney film with a target audience that ranges from young children to the age of puberty, but at most to teenagers under the age of 18. What can you expect in terms of an in-depth plot?
This applies not only to the style, with sidekicks such as Olaf, Sven, Bruni and Gale, but above all to the plot and duration of the feature film. Many in fandom later said that Frozen II was told far too hastily and left far too many questions unanswered, especially about the main aspect, Elsa's powers. However, the entire Frozen franchise is all about Elsa's magic — right from the start. At its core, this is what has always fascinated fans about it and, of course, the characters of the royal sisters themselves.
It's a great pity that Disney didn't appreciate the older cinema audience — especially the Frozen fans among them — when producing the second part, but instead behaved as if it were a completely new audience of children. In the meantime, ten years have passed since the first instalment, six of them after the first, so there were already many loyal fans in their twenties who expected more and hoped for answers — something that Disney has unfortunately failed to give us to this day. Admittedly, a completely different approach was originally planned — as you can see from the deleted scenes and from the documentary on Disney Plus — far darker, more serious and actually aimed at older fans, just as Jennifer Lee had once promised to us. But in the end, everything was decided at Disney from the highest level, over the heads of the filmmakers, and thrown overboard. The logic, seriousness and complexity of the plot fell by the wayside in favour of a very young audience, who — as you could hear in the documentary on D+ — were not old enough to understand the movie. No wonder, when you show the test screening to five to twelve-year-old children and expect them to leave the theatre enthusiastic and completely satisfied without any further questions. The original plan was probably just too demanding.
How often has it happened that even adults didn't immediately understand a film and instead pondered it for weeks afterwards? That's what makes a good film. But to reset everything to zero immediately after the first screening test, to completely discard the originally planned plot and to put the entire film team in a difficult position to just make the deadline for an extensive and elaborate production within just a few months? For a film that normally takes three years to produce? No! This makes no sense at all and is only due to the greed to earn as much as possible at the cinema box office. Never mind the plot, the main thing is to make it family-friendly! What a pity!
In addition, the vision of the film makers was ignored. Ultimately, it hurt everyone involved, especially Jennifer Lee, who shortly afterwards was no longer a director and is now only available in an advisory capacity for the planned sequels. Honestly, I would have thrown in the towel myself after such treatment, which, at least judging by her presence on Twitter, she actually did. Presumably mainly because of the hate speech from toxic circles of the fan community that she was constantly confronted with there because of the end of Frozen II. None of us fans know the real reasons though — one day her account there was simply deleted.
But enough with my opinion on the film.
My vision
We have now arrived at the reason why I wrote "The Broken Bridge" primarily for older Frozen fans, the novel is even partly aimed at an adult readership from 18 years upwards. There are scenes with explicit language, violence and sex scenes, simply because the plot required a realistic, logical approach. But each chapter is specially labelled, at least in the chapter overview, and the most violent LBGT scene is even linked to a separate 18+ blog. So no one gets to read that unless the reader specifically follows the link.
Of course you can't please everyone, as one reader in particular showed me with his behaviour, who had commented on every chapter so far, but suddenly stopped from the part with "18+ content" onwards, presumably for reasons of age. I'm really sorry about that! On the other hand, I received statements on various platforms from readers who made it clear to me that I had not only hit the mark, but that their tastes had been fully satisfied and that they were simply delighted (for data protection reasons, I won't mention any names below).
Reader statements
On Discord: "Oh...that Frozen 3, the broken bridge novel right? I've read it all and it was EPIC. Well done."
On Twitter/X: "I've been following your Frozen 3 Fanfiction since the beginning, and I love that the story is really believable and totally follows the universe of the two films, and that it could very well work as a 3rd film...I can't wait to read the next part !!" (Note: this was at the end of the third part of the story, after my hiatus in the fandom)
On reddit, as a recommendation to other fans: "Greetings, I started reading an amazing story about Queen Anna and her sister Elsa some months ago. It's a long but terrific story. Tbh, This level of work and details in the narration is worth to be considered a sequel to Frozen2."
On Tumblr to chapter 81: "This is a beautiful, genuinely remarkable closing for such a novel. ..... I truly enjoyed reading about Anna's wedding. It was like watching a short that Disney Animation should have given it to the fans years ago!"
On Tumblr to chapter 66: "Goodness...what a chapter! In my mind I was thrown back and forth between Star Wars vs Robin Hood style fights! Yeahhh Elsa off to the monoliths? Get her power back! Go girl!Brave Anna! And what a loss for the Arendelle side. War is always such an unnecessary way.... but then... they fought for justice! Well done!"
On Tumblr to chapter 43: "I love how you connect your stories with few official books, love to see 'A Perfect Night' from Elsa's pov, it looks like an official frozen book"
...and many more great comments from you readers, which have really motivated me immensely and encouraged me to keep writing. Some days I just couldn't stop!
Admittedly, I love the concept of cliffhangers, something that many other fanfic writers avoid in order not to keep their readers in suspense. So: sorry, my dear readers, you couldn't wait for the story to continue next week. But it turned out that I was able to maintain and even increase the suspense from chapter to chapter in this way.
Speaking of plot ... in my novel there are up to ten different storylines that intertwine, making the story very complex and exciting, and there is something for every reader that he/she particularly likes or has looked for in vain elsewhere in the Frozen universe. But ultimately, there's no accounting for taste.
Some people seem to have only picked out specific chapters. Unfortunately, this means that the coherent overall picture of the story falls by the wayside and my vision of a sequel to Frozen II escapes them completely in this way. But it's hard to tell who of the many followers on my fanfic blog has even read all the chapters if I don't get any likes or comments on them. I can only guess.
However, I have to admit that the novel wasn't completely planned out. They say there are two different types of writers, those who meticulously plan every detail from start to finish (plotters) and those who just start writing and only have a rough idea of the plot (pantsers). I count myself among the latter and write from the gut. However, I imagine every scene as if I were watching it in the cinema — with all kinds of details and make lots of notes on new ideas. So there was some rough planning. Sometimes it was the case that my characters themselves dictated the plot, I just had to follow them.You may remember that I write in my native language, German, and only translate everything later. I use DeepL online for this and my English-speaking beta reader HeinrichVSA corrects it afterwards where necessary. But what you probably don't know is that I wrote every single chapter on my smartphone during long train journeys. Until I was completely satisfied, I read through what I'd written again and again in the days that followed, adding scenes, rephrasing phrases and correcting anything I didn't like.
A large part of the story also required a lot of research on the internet, about everything I don't know much or anything about. I wanted to describe everything as realistically as possible and get the facts right.
This was especially true when it came to the Sámi people in the 19th century: their customs and traditions, their shamanism and beliefs, burial rituals and folk beliefs, clothing, crafts and dwellings, everything about reindeer herding, bear hunting and also about skalastet, or stick fighting. Incidentally, the idea of fighting with the Rope-Dart for Honeymaren comes from Asia, so it was added by me, and works exactly as described. I know everything about traditional archery from my own experience and also a little about bow making and crossbows.
I also had to do a lot of research on sailing ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. It's a tricky subject to portray properly and convey a credible feeling for it. For me, the topics were not only ship types and rigging from this era, but also the hierarchy and crew types. Basically everything about sailing itself on board such large ships, changing of watch, typical speeds and distances that could be travelled per day and which terms and commands were usually given on deck and by whom.
Warfare eventually became a topic for me as well, something not mentioned anywhere in the Frozen universe so far. HeinrichVSA was able to help me enormously with his profound historical knowledge and I had to find out what of my ideas worked and what did not. In these chapters I used methods from different eras and settings, including Asia and Ancient Europe. Even topics such as illnesses and healing methods from this period were important for a coherent description and so much more, right up to Norwegian wedding customs and also about signs of pregnancy in the middle of the 19th century, when there were no tests.
So what started out as a small idea has developed over the years into an enormously complex project with huge challenges, and more and more characters have been added.
My OC’s (my own characters)
Various roles had to be filled in the course of the story and since — apart from in comics — hardly any characters are mentioned who fulfil important tasks in the castle or accompany "the gang" on their adventures, I had to invent them. The more relevant a character became, the more important it was to research a suitable name for them ... and there were more and more. Depending on whether it was for someone in the city or among the Northuldra, I drew inspiration from Norse or Sámi names. Often I even researched the deeper meaning of the name, which matched the character's nature as closely as possible.
Of course, I also used almost all the well-known characters from the Frozen books and comics that were more or less relevant for the interaction with the main characters or who enriched the ambience.
The places in the story
Arendelle or the Northuldra camp were not enough, as I quickly realised the deeper I delved into the story. For some areas there was no description in the Frozen universe and the available official maps didn't give much information either. I therefore analysed the movies again and again and also consulted the many comics to get an idea of where the action takes place and what it looks like, feels like or how difficult the terrain was. I made up the rest with the help of logic and real places. Unfortunately, Disney has never told us which real country Weselton, Corona, Vakretta, Snoob and the many others correspond to. But as soon as I was relatively sure of an approximate position on the world map, I was able to research the real conditions of this country.
Small statistics on “The Broken Bridge”
My image edits: 40 plus 5 poster, 2 letters, 2 newspaper articles, 1 self-made map
Fanart: 4 (1 unpublished)
Storyline: Prologue, 81 chapters in 5 parts, epilogue and acknowledgements totalling almost 437,000 words (excluding acknowledgements) (about 1000 pages)
Very first novel title: "The Only Star", inspired by a sentence Anna sang during "The Next Right Thing": "The only star that guided me was you." Of course, I had her close connection to Elsa in mind.
I later discussed final title ideas for my novel with HeinrichVSA, and in the end we had 43 different titles to choose from, with the subtitle "A post Frozen II Novel". As far as I remember, @annaofthenorthernlights confirmed our previous favourite title 'The Broken Bridge', in reference to the 5th Spirit and the bridge that connected Anna in Arendelle and Elsa in the Enchanted Forest. That was the final start for the publication on my fanfic blog.
Commissioned fanart images by HARU (@xlayers): 19 (12 unpublished), all with the maximum image width of 800 pixels.
Title ideas for the chapters: mostly HeinrichVSA came up with them while correcting the texts, but of course a few were also my own ideas. It was always difficult to find a good title because the storylines in the chapters often overlapped.
Characters:
16 original characters
15 characters from Frozen books and comics
38 OC's (own characters)
23 locations
Plot period: for the main part (without flashbacks): over a month, followed at the end by 2x three months in chapter 81 and a few more weeks in the epilogue
Embedded YouTube music titles: 287
Reboot of the novel with final title (June 25, 2021) as an epic dark AU novel on the fanfic blog: June 19, 2021. originally planned for 1 year with 52+ chapters.
In the last two months since the Acknowledgements were published, I have been working on the preparations for AO3. I had to rewrite the first chapter (prologue) a bit to make it fit the following plot, corrected and formatted everything in detail again, made changes here and there in the chapters and wrote down the links for the pictures — plus prepared comments. I very much hope that in the end everything will be as I imagine and hope it will be!
~~~
Invitation
I would like to invite my most loyal readers, who regularly left me their wonderful comments on every chapter, to discuss with us — my beta reader HeinrichVSA and me — on my newly founded Discord server, ask questions, share ideas and much more. As you know, I wrote a question mark after the words "The End" at the end of the novel. Maybe you would like to participate in a possible sequel? Who knows ...
Just send me a short message as a DM on my fanfic blog and I'll reply with a Discord invite link for you.
Thank you so much again for sticking with me until the end!
When I think back to the beginnings of my novel, which was initially just a little ficlet about four years ago, around Anna's birthday, I realise that it was all born out of the single idea that for some reason Elsa no longer had any magical powers. It's also a fact that I was terrified of writing it at the time, so I asked on Tumblr who of the experienced writers there wanted to take my idea and write a multi-chapter fanfic. But no one was willing to do it and so I had to make the decision to try it myself - without any experience for a project of this size. At the time, I didn't even realise how big it would be!
To cut a long story short, I am glad that I dared to take this step!
But it was a long road - with many setbacks at the beginning. First i had to learn how to write and motivate myself repeatedly. There were so many days when I was just a finger's breadth away from simply giving up. If it wasn't for some fans and writers who encouraged me, gave me lots of tips and convinced me that my expectations for reactions from the Frozen fandom were a bit too high. Fortunately, I had also found a first beta reader from these ranks who helped me with the production of the first two chapters.
Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank @fericita-s and @the-spaztic-fantastic once again. Also a big thank you to @the-sky-is-awake for the encouraging words during my very first attempt to write a fanfic (which I did not finish after the release of Frozen II, by the way).
Also, at that time, an anonymous reader who — to this day — doesn't have a Tumblr account, wanted to help me and who later turned out to be my most loyal fan and beta reader and became a real long-time friend. Our chats and planning — first on Twitter, later on Discord — are so extensive that it would fill more than an entire book. But we also talked about many private things. By the way, the idea of including music in my chapters came solely from him. The music later helped me a lot with my writing and thinking and it was not uncommon for me to have tears in my eyes when reading the finished chapters.
Thank you, HeinrichVSA, for the many years we worked together, for your friendship and, above all, for always believing in me. Until today! You've always cheered me up in bad times and motivated me to keep going and never give up. Thank you also for your advice on historical matters and for contributing some scenes in some chapters yourself and for creating the OC character Oswald Monrad and his daughter Stella for me. THANK YOU for everything!
Without the motivation provided by the comments from my loyal readers, I would probably have given up long ago, but the consistently positive feedback from them — even I always asked for criticism at the end of each chapter — has really given me immense pleasure and encouragement. With your comments, you all confirmed time and again that I must have done something "right" with 'The Broken Bridge'.
So many thanks to:
@true--north
@dronning-formynder05
@annaofthenorthernlights
@karma26 (up to the beginning of part four, where the adult content began).
You have made my many days sweeter and thank you for staying loyal to me all these years. The novel would not have been possible without you!
Outside Tumblr I have to thank especially to lolita @_lola_lola on Twitter aka X, chainzsw on Discord (alias Winterdust--76 on Tumblr) and Kongelig_Historian on reddit.
Many thanks also to HARU @xlayers for the commissioned wonderful fanart to many of my chapters.
Thanks also to all the Disney book and comic authors who have been a source of many of my ideas and have enriched the story. Especially when it comes to certain characters, such as Thord from "Lur Thief" by Georgia Ball, who unfortunately never received any recognition from Disney for her extraordinary comic book story, nor permission to write a planned sequel. Unfortunately! In my novel, I have tried to do my best to realise this and give Thord a well-deserved comeback as a villain.
But none of this would have been possible without the magic of the Frozen films, and all Frozen fans and fanfic writers would agree with me. We all love this magical world and would love to live in it. But at least in our stories we can bring this dreamland to life.
Let's all hope that the two planned Frozen sequels open up as big a world and as many new possibilities for new stories as the first two films did.
Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar
Rating: M over all
The following days and a half were a testament to their resilience, as the newlywed couple were exhausted but essential due to the presence of so many illustrious guests. They dedicated their entire day to friends and ambassadors from abroad kingdoms, engaging in numerous conversations. Kristoff, in particular, was a focal point, as he was now officially the closest most influential person to the Queen of Arendelle. Almost everyone was eager to get to know the queen's husband better.
He tried his best to be diplomatic, as his new position demanded, but his naturally open manner sometimes shone through. Anna, always by his side, was there to gently remind him of his new role and the expected behavior. This adjustment was a challenge for Kristoff, but he quickly realized the weight of his new responsibilities. He no longer had a choice and now — probably for the rest of his life — had to do what was expected of him as the crown prince. The realization of this new reality was both daunting and exciting for him.
It was definitely a challenge for him, especially when it came to table etiquette. He was always so grateful to have Anna there by his side, gently nudging him back in the right direction when needed. Unlike him, Anna grew up in the castle as the daughter of the monarchs of Arendelle and was accustomed to it from a young age.
Kristoff quickly realised how much he still had to learn. It was like a completely new life for him. The moment he put the ring on his beloved Anna in the presence of the world, it was too late and there was no going back to his previous life. But this price was worth it to him to spend his life at Anna's side and — God willing — to steer Arendelle's destiny together with her in the future.
Two days later, at lunchtime, Mattias and Halima finally said “I do” in the castle chapel. However, unlike Halima, his guest list looked very modest, but that didn't matter to him, because after more than thirty-four years of anxiously waiting in the enchanted forest, he could finally marry the love of his life and adopt a lovely girl with her.
A period of joy and excitement commenced for the adoptive parents. Mattias, with unwavering dedication, fulfilled his promise, transforming the small picture in Elin's pendant into a grand portrait, a work of art by the royal painter. This portrait now graced the corridor of Halima's house, a constant reminder for Elin of her beloved birth mother.
Anna, Elsa and Kristoff were the first to congratulate them and invited them to celebrate in the castle. As Halima mainly had her acquaintances and friends in the city, the celebrations were cheerful and informal. Elin was there the whole time and experienced for the first time how her new parents celebrated, danced, laughed and had fun together. It was a special experience for her, but it was already over for her by nine o'clock in the evening, simply because she was still too young to stay awake any longer.
As the festivities ended and most of the foreign guests had already departed, it was time for Anna and Kristoff to embark on their honeymoon. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement as they prepared to leave for their new adventure together, leaving behind the familiar environment for the unknown Brinnon.
Anna still remembered well how she had watched her parents packing before the big goodbye. Mama and Papa had a lot of luggage with them and had packed a lot of it into large travelling boxes. It was the same for Anna now. Only Kristoff didn't need so much storage space as he didn't have very much yet. A few items of clothing and, above all, his old lute, which was his favourite possession. He said goodbye to Sven, who unfortunately wasn't coming with him, but who would be lovingly looked after by the stable boy Lars. The memories of her parents' departure were bitter, but she was determined to make her own journey a happy one.
Baron Macik had previously assured them to wait for them with his originally planned early return journey. To the couple's surprise, as they were about to board, Princess Mari waved to them from the railing, with Francis standing right next to her, smiling down at them.
Anna, filled with genuine joy, enveloped her in a warm hug, expressing her heartfelt congratulations on her decision to join them. With their luggage safely stowed away, everyone eagerly anticipated a few blissful days on deck, basking in the most beautiful weather.
Mari's father had insisted that she was not allowed to travel without an escort. So there were now two more bodyguards on board, two in uniform from Vesterland and two in plain clothes from Arendelle, for whom Mattias was responsible — Kristina and Trygve. The two had become good friends over the last few months and, therefore, saw the trip more as a personal holiday than as a personal bodyguard service.
Every day, Francis and Mari sat with Anna and Kristoff in the officers' mess with the captain at dinner and listened to the sailors' stories that were told there.
It was a delightful voyage and the bride and groom were already looking forward to what Francis promised would be a cosy and secluded little cottage on his Lackshirewood estate. The cottage, surrounded by serene greenery and with a nearby lake was perfect for a peaceful trip on one of the small sailing boats, was a haven of tranquility for the bridal couple. They would have the opportunity to cater for themselves and shop in a nearby small village. There was also a herb and vegetable garden behind the cottage from which they could harvest fresh ingredients for the meal.
Kristina and Trygve found accommodation in the village, explored the area together and came round every few days to check on things. Francis had also assigned two of his guards from the country estate to do their rounds incognito from time to time. They had clear instructions to keep their distance and not to disturb or even observe the couple. However, they were to shadow suspicious persons and those unknown to them and take action if necessary. Here on the baron's land, everyone knew everyone else and strangers would immediately attract attention.
Francis visited them himself every two or three days, together with Mari, to bring them food and drink and to take them on trips together in his carriage — just as he had promised. He really wanted to show them his country and drive around a bit. He waxed lyrical about the beauty of the countryside and the couple had the impression that Mari was becoming increasingly fond of him, as she either leant against him in the carriage or they held hands as they walked. Her looks at him were quite clear and easy to interpret. Mari was definitely in love with him.
On one of the weekdays, they all went on a long trip to one of Brinnon's larger towns and took the train. Anna had already told them back then about the railway line across the kingdom when she had visited Queen Valorai. Kristoff really liked it and was thrilled by the fast journey. They went shopping at their destination and bought all kinds of goodies and souvenirs.
They had planned a total of two weeks for their honeymoon, while Elsa, Kai and the rest of the royal council took care of Arendelle. However, Anna had hinted to her that they might stay for another week or two.
Brinnon held a wealth of undiscovered treasures, and the couple was eager to uncover them all. Anna and Kristoff, disguised in plain attire, were indistinguishable from the locals. They roamed the countryside, a pair of honeymooners relishing in the freedom from their royal duties, and Kristoff took pleasure in tending to Anna's needs as a regular person.
It felt like they had all the time in the world to themselves. They didn't have any distractions, and Anna could finally relax and make the most of every moment. During the day, they enjoyed cooking together and taking leisurely walks through a scenic, sparsely populated green area. They often swam naked in the lake, then sunbathed in the lush grass on the shore and watched all kinds of animals or even went out on the boat.
In the evenings, they sat cosily by the fire, their hearts warmed not just by the flames but also by the company. They made tea or hot chocolate, or opened a good bottle of red wine that Francis had brought them. Kristoff serenaded Anna on his lute, reflecting his love, or simply sang old songs while Anna read a book she'd brought with her and glanced at him from time to time. They laughed a lot, lay outside on the grass close together, their bodies near and their hearts even closer, with nothing above them but the clear starry sky. At night, they lay together in the cosy, rustic double bed and made love deeply, unleashing the deepest longings within them for days and days.
They were both overjoyed with each other until the day of their departure finally came three weeks later. Francis picked them both up with Mari and drove them to the harbour. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to come himself for business reasons, but he had organised a fast gaff-rigged sailing boat that would sail to another destination in the south after Arendelle. Everyone said goodbye to each other and Anna was deeply moved by the tender kiss Mari and Fran, as she called him, shared. Then they finally boarded the ship together with their guards and the journey home began in what continued to be beautiful summer weather and calm seas.
~~~
Five weeks later …
Everything was as usual in Arendelle. Kristoff started his first lessons in various subjects and received daily instructions on everything a monarch of Arendelle had to know for his daily task as a regent. Kristoff did his best while Anna and Elsa went about their daily duties.
Everything was as usual … but only almost.
Kristoff was the first to notice that something was wrong with Anna. She had become very moody over the past few days and her moods fluctuated wildly between elation and depression. Sometimes she just sat there tired and looked sadly into space, lost in thought. She had become hypersensitive to everything he said or asked her and he often had the feeling that he was getting on her nerves. So Kristoff withdrew a little and kept some distance from her to give her more space and instead focussed on his lessons, reading a lot and often being with Sven rather than Anna to share his thoughts and worries.
The following week, he saw servants carrying a strange mixture of pickled herrings and chocolate on a tray upstairs to her study. When he bumped into Elsa, he asked her about it and she thought nothing of her sister's recent craving for it. However, she had also noticed that Anna seemed very stressed and told him that Anna often disappeared into the bathroom for long periods of time — even several times a day — and that she had once even observed Anna feeling dizzy. Elsa had, therefore, asked her to get some rest and sleep for a few hours while she took over Anna's work. But days later, the severity of Anna's symptoms only seemed to escalate, causing Elsa's worry to deepen.
Kristoff and Anna used to share the same bed at night, but Anna's habit of crawling under the covers very late often made it difficult for them to have longer conversations. In addition, despite the mild weather in Arendelle, Anna obviously felt uncomfortably warm and quickly stripped off the thin duvet. Kristoff thought to himself that the only thing missing now was for her to ask her sister if she could use her magic to cool down the bedroom.
In the mornings, when they got dressed together, Kristoff began to notice that Anna had changed slightly physically and that her breasts looked a little different than usual.
Kristoff's growing concern for Anna's health led him to urgently summon Doctor Magnus. He felt it was better to be safe than sorry, and thus, he shared every detail he knew about Anna's condition and the observations he and Elsa had made over the past weeks.
Kristoff, who could hardly bear the tension, paced nervously up and down the corridor outside Anna's room with echoing footsteps. The longer the investigation went on, the more his anxiety grew.
About an hour later, Elsa happened to pass by and asked curiously why he was waiting outside Anna's room and what had happened. Just as Kristoff was about to answer, the door opened and Dr Magnus came out. The doctor invited them both in.
Anna's sudden rush towards Kristoff and her fierce embrace, with tears streaming down her face, surprised both Elsa and him. They were equally shocked and confused by her uncharacteristic emotional outburst.
“What's going on here? Is my sister seriously ill and I don't know about it?” Elsa asked the doctor in a trembling voice and turned around to him. But Dr Magnus's look didn't match her fears. He shook his head and smiled.
“No, no … Your Royal Highnesses, Her Majesty is well, not to say perfectly healthy! She's just a little overworked and her current physical condition means something completely different and is quite normal.”
Elsa and Kristoff looked at him, puzzled, while Anna cuddled up to her husband with a grin.
“I have examined Her Majesty and asked her many questions, to which she could provide detailed answers. Based on my experience, I am quite certain about her symptoms. I believe there is only one thing left for me to do, to offer my warmest congratulations, as Her Majesty is expecting a child!”
~~~
The End (?)
~~~
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Remark: I hope you enjoyed the epilogue! I'd be delighted if you'd leave a comment and I'd love to know your thoughts on it.
Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar
Rating: M over all
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Three months later …
Spring had finally arrived in Arendelle, painting the landscape with a vibrant palette. The last snow in the lowlands and valleys had almost completely disappeared, revealing a carpet of green. The first harbingers of spring, especially Arendelle's landmark, the crocus in its various blossom colours, were in full bloom. It was the season of renewal, sprouting the first buds on the trees and dappling the hillside above the town with bright colours in the light of the morning sun. The citizens were delighted by the colourful little flowers in the planters outside their windows, which exuded their delicate fragrance, permeating the air throughout the city. It was still very chilly, but the sisters were already looking forward to this season and had the windows in the castle dining room wide open as they and Kristoff sat cosily together at breakfast.
“It's barely spring and the work is already piling up on my desk again and I can hardly get out of the castle to enjoy the season to the full,” Anna lamented, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration, “Some of the farmers can't agree on anything regarding the new crops to sow and are arguing with each other. I wonder if that will ever stop?”
“Well, sis, that sounds very familiar to me. There's never a dull moment when you're the queen. The work usually doesn't finish until late in the evening, as I'm sure you remember well from my time as queen, back in your current study,” Elsa said, her voice filled with shared understanding. Anna nodded, her eyes reflecting the bond and empathy between them.
“Honey, I got an idea. I could go up to the farmland with Sven, maybe I can find a solution or two and help these farmers in their dilemma,” Kristoff suggested. “Then maybe we could undertake something together?”
“That's sweet of you, darling,” said Anna, who was sitting right next to him, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “That will definitely help me and …”
Out of nowhere, a sudden a gust of wind suddenly swept through the room, sending the sisters' hair flying. But it didn't stop there, because Elsa's long, golden braid lifted into the air and made it dance up and down.
“Gale?” Anna asked in astonishment, “What are you doing here? Hello, my windy friend!”
Elsa closed her eyes briefly and then said, “Not only is Gale here, Nokk has also just arrived and is waiting for me down at the little jetty. I can feel that I'm needed, Anna. He wants to take me to the north.”
“Has something happened at the Northuldra?” her sister asked anxiously.
“I don't think so, but I don't know for sure. The nature spirits don't talk to me the same way we talk to each other, instead it's always just feelings and images. But it's still easy for me to understand.”
While her sister pondered this new information, Elsa fell into concentrated silence for a moment with her eyes closed. Anna now knew what the expression on her sister's face meant, that she was communicating mentally with the two nature spirits right now. Kristoff was also aware of Elsa's behaviour, which was still somewhat unusual. Then Elsa opened her eyes.
“Ahtohallan needs me and I must answer the call, guys. I'll try to be back as soon as possible.”
She stood up and the two others did the same.
“We'll accompany you to the castle garden,” Anna said with an inviting sideways glance at Kristoff, who nodded, “I haven't seen Nokk for a few months.”
A little later, as they stood side by side on the jetty, the water spirit rose majestically from the harbour basin and stepped onto the fresh, short grass with his typical elegance, but dripping wet. Elsa grabbed his head and rested her forehead against his in greeting. Instead of speaking, she thought her following words, “Hello, Nokk. I got the message and I'm ready for the journey.” In the next moment, she used her magic to make the watery nature spirit take on a more solid form and swung herself skilfully onto his back.
“One day I'd like to ride it too,” said Anna, a little enviously, looking admiringly at the horse with Elsa on it in her spirit dress.
“You will do that, sis, I promise. See you both soon, then.”
“But please promise me not to do anything on your own if the worst comes to the worst, Elsa; we're here for you, as you know. Take good care of yourself!” Anna called after her as she turned Nokk round and rode off splashing. Elsa turned back once more and waved. Gale said goodbye in his typical manner and disappeared too. After that, everything was as if nothing had happened. Only a few guards on the southern rampart had been watching everything and were now watching Elsa on the fjord as she sped away at breathtaking speed.
“Yes, you can get envious,” Kristoff admitted and put an arm around Anna's shoulders. “This connection between your sister and the nature spirits is truly remarkable. Nothing will happen to Elsa today; she is now back to how she was before, with all her memories and powers back. She'll be back soon, don't worry, darling.”
~~~
Elsa had rarely thought of Ahtohallan since she had decided to stay in Arendelle at her sister's side. But she was still the fifth Spirit, and since their enemies had all been defeated, the bridge between the magic of nature and the humans had been restored, with Anna on one side and herself on the other. Elsa therefore did not rule out the possibility that she would be on hand immediately should she be needed in the enchanted forest. Just not all the time and being separated from her sister. A lot had changed for her in the last few months and now she was eager to find out why Ahtohallan had summoned her.
It had to be something important and Nokk hadn't told her, or rather couldn't show her in clear pictures. This was regularly the case when it came to matters concerning Ahtohallan itself, which didn't happen very often in the past. As expected, they did not ride to the upper beach near the Northuldra camp, but further north, directly towards the glacier.
As soon as Nokk had dropped her off in front of the entrance and they both bowed briefly to each other as usual, she remembered the last time she had stood here completely naked and freezing to the bone. But that was because she had lost her powers or no longer knew how to use them. Everything was back to normal this time and the cold no longer bothered her. Furthermore, the path to the triangular entrance was now clear again and nothing stopped her from going inside.
She entered the glacier and walked to the junction that ultimately led to the hall of memories. As always, the ice walls lit up before her and showed the way. She slid down the narrow corridor to the abyss, where the pilons she had created still towered. However, this time she didn't jump from one to the next to get to the other side, but created a narrow surface while still gliding along, which connected them all. She was over there in no time at all and entered the vestibule.
Elsa hurried ahead and finally reached the Great Hall of Memories, which was still in darkness. She stepped onto the glowing surface with the symbol of the fifth spirit in the centre. At the same moment, the whole dome lit up and the image of her mother appeared on it, just as it had on the day of her appointment to the fifth spirit.
“Mother!” cried Elsa in surprise and took a few steps closer.
“Hello, my little snowflake. It's so nice to see you safe and sound again. A belated happy birthday to you too!”
“Thank you very much, I'm very happy to see you too, Mama, but tell me, why don't you appear to me like last time and are only visible as an image on the dome instead?”
“Well, we're not here in the intermediate world where our consciousness is directly connected. This is the real physical world and therefore the only way for me to communicate with you here. I am in direct contact with Ahtohallan today.” Elsa realised and nodded.
“I see. So you are Ahtohallan's voice today and it wants to tell me something very important?”
“Yes, Elsa, that's right. Ahtohallan has not yet been able to thank you for his liberation and, as you can imagine, has not been able to help you with the prophecy because of the magical wall of mist, as its connection to the world was cut off. You can therefore be sure of its great thanks and apologies, which also applies to Anna. It is pleased that you could fully regain your powers and memories and that Anna did everything in her power to help you. It also understands your promise to your sister to stay by her side in Arendelle.”
“Thank you for that, but surely that wasn't the only reason I was here today, was it?”
“Indeed, for Ahtohallan has a new mission for you as its fifth Spirit, Elsa. It is something extraordinary. To be honest, I'm very excited about what I'm about to tell you.”
Elsa took a step closer, full of curiosity, and her nerves were now stretched to breaking point.
“However, there is one thing you should know about Ahtohallan first. As you know, Ahtohallan was and still is a river of memories and the source of your magic. But there is more and that is why you were summoned.”
‘Here it comes’; Elsa thought to herself and clung to Iduna's lips.
“Ahtohallan can not only see into the past, but also into the future and wants you to stay by Anna's side in Arendelle for the time being and support her in what will happen there in the near future.”
“Something is going to happen in Arendelle? When? A new threat?” Elsa asked, worried about Anna and her friends.
Iduna smiled sympathetically at her, “Not what you think, Elsa, nothing bad. Still, Anna will need you very much.”
“But I'm not supposed to know exactly what's going to happen yet? Please, Mama, I need to know! Especially when it comes to my sister.”
Iduna smiled sympathetically and nodded. “Perhaps it's better if I show you Ahtohallan's visions and explain what the images of the near and distant future are all about.”
At the same moment, moving images appeared all over the high dome, showing scenes from different time periods and locations. Iduna explained exactly what was happening and her gaze on certain scenes helped Elsa to understand. Elsa stared at the visions open-mouthed in complete surprise and suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind them and why she was the only one who could help Anna. Ahtohallan had undoubtedly made the right decision and suddenly everything made a lot more sense. Elsa began to smile.
“Thank you, Mama, for showing me the future. I now understand Ahtohallan's decision and I promise to take care of it in time.”
~~~
Elsa talked to Iduna for a while afterwards and asked many questions before letting Nokk take her to the upper beach. She had seen many more pictures of a future that showed her the events of the next two years, but had nothing to do with the other matter.
The beach was not empty and she saw Joná and two other fishermen unloading their morning catch from the boats. Everyone watched her with wide eyes as she stepped down from Nokk, bowed to him and the mighty nature spirit dissolved into the sea immediately afterwards. She greeted Joná and asked him how things had gone with his fiancée. He told her enthusiastically that everything was fine and that he would finally be able to marry Ikka in autumn with her parents' approval. Joná could hardly wait and was visibly excited.
When Elsa passed the weathered tree trunk a little later, she couldn't help but think of Honeymaren. She mumbled to herself as she thought back to her dream and imagined what Maren was doing, “I hope you're well, Maren. I'll see you again in six months' time.”
Elsa took her time and when she smiled as she walked into the Northuldra camp, she was greeted happily by everyone. Many of the children noisily unringed her and asked her all sorts of questions. She was eventually invited to lunch and met Yelana at one of the campfires.
“Hello, Elsa. I did not expect to see you today. You look very happy today, how come?”
“Oh, I've just heard something exciting from Ahtohallan. It wants me to stay in Arendelle because of it.”
“So it's finalised now and you're no longer planning to stay in the forest with us,” Yelana said a little sadly.
“Yes, it is and I'm looking forward to it. But when I look around here and see the faces, I notice that your people are doing very well and everything is as it was before. That's good. But don't worry, of course I'll always come to visit and help immediately if something happens that requires the fifth spirit. Honeymaren will be back soon too and will take over your role, Yelana.”
“Yes, that's true, but it was also good that I was here for the last few months and was able to experience the turn of the year with my people. We've discussed a lot of things since then.”
“By the turn of the year, you probably mean the solstice, right? What did you do on that day?”
“Exactly, and that was also your birthday, as I remember. Happy birthday to you. Well, we had a bonfire at our sieidi, we made offerings for a good future.”
“You call the four monoliths a sieidi now?”
“Since Alena, we now know the name for it, before it wasn't necessary and we only knew this one sacred place. But since the fifth monolith was uncovered, it has become something extraordinary. Alena is a noaidi and knows all the rituals like no other. She had told me all about sieidis before she left for the north and, above all, about the incredible number of other places with such a sacred site. There are many hundreds of them, can you believe it? The sieidis are everywhere in nature, in different regions and in the most diverse forms, as special stone formations or as old trees. To be honest, I've never given it more thought than necessary since I was young.”
“That gives me an idea, especially because Ahtohallan knows your plan for the new meeting house in Arendelle and wants this building to be completed as soon as possible.”
Yelana's jaw dropped. “Ahtohallan knows about my idea? That's …” She was at a loss for words and shook her head in amazement.
“Yes, and there's even more. A good reason why we should talk about it in Arendelle soon.” Then Elsa grinned, “Which brings me to the next question, Yelana, because you were planning to return this month.”
“You amaze me today, Elsa, but you're right. Until Honeymaren returns, I have chosen some of the oldest, wisest and most trusted persons in our community to take my place until that day. I was planning to leave for Arendelle in three days.”
“Well, then I have a surprise for you, if you like at all, of course. That's entirely up to you.”
“But now you've made me curious, and as you know, hardly anything can surprise me.”
Elsa laughed and then asked bluntly, “Fancy riding back to Arendelle behind me on Nokk? I'll make sure he's not too fast for you.”
“You would do that for me? Really? Nokk has helped some of our people cross a larger body of water from time to time, but none of us have ever ridden him. It would be the greatest honour and, to be honest, it would be a great dream come true for me at the end of my days!”
“So it's a deal then, I'm glad. I can tell you more about the news on the way. When do we want to leave?”
“I want to say goodbye and pack my few things. In the afternoon?”
“Of course, Yelana. I'm also going to have a chat with your people, especially Ryder and Linnea. Honeymaren's brother might also have an exciting job in the future, but I'm not telling anyone yet.”
Yelana paused for a moment and thought about what had been said. Then she looked round for a moment, leant over to Elsa and asked quietly, “Ahtohallan showed you the future? That's possible?”
“I didn't know it until now either, Yelana, but it's true. But this must remain between us, yes? No one must know about it!”
Yelana nodded thoughtfully and made a rarely used Northuldra gesture, indicating that her lips would remain sealed.
~~~
Another three months later …
Early summer in Arendelle brought visitors arriving on large ships. They were invited guests from the most distant kingdoms of Chatho, Eldora, Selinia, Zaria and even Yuwabe, who had set sail a little earlier in order to arrive in time for the big wedding. However, the date was still a whole week away, so Anna had to assume that they must have planned a stay in Arendelle.
After Anna had greeted them personally, she ensured that all the delegates were accommodated correctly and provided with everything they needed in the castle. Most of them were already familiar with the capital from previous visits, while others had barely left the castle before their departure and were now able to explore the city and the surrounding area.
Just two weeks earlier, Anna had been busy planning her wedding and reading many books about traditional wedding rituals. Most of them were about wealthy farmers who spared no effort to organise everything for the occasion and actually celebrated for up to seven days. Of course, everything was organised in a strictly regulated order and with the necessary seriousness behind the festivities.
This would all be far too stressful for Anna and she didn't need to imitate it for a royal wedding. A formal monarchical wedding was strictly regulated, but nowhere near as exaggerated and extravagant as a wedding in the countryside, where the focus was on having fun. She read the journals to see how her royal predecessors had handled it. The further back she turned the pages, the stricter, but also the more boring it became. Sometimes she wondered whether the weddings of monarchs were done out of love at all and not purely for the purpose of forming a necessary alliance with other kingdoms.
It had probably been the same between her grandfather and Rita, about which she could hardly find anything in the journals. One day Rita simply disappeared and was never seen again, that much Anna knew. Runeard was furious and banned everything that reminded him of her from the castle, even going so far as to impose draconian punishments on anyone who said a word about Rita or even mentioned her name. Anna was sure that her grandmother did not marry out of love, but was forced into it. She had been heartbroken about this throughout her life in Arendelle, as she later learnt from Peterssen's diary, which she read with Elsa. It also reminded her of certain terrible details in Runeard's notebook, which they had discovered in the secret room, and made her sad.
It was extremely interesting to see what Lord Peterssen had witnessed back then and where he himself wanted and had to intervene. All for the good of the Crown, of course. He also wrote about Anna and Elsa's parents, but especially about her mother. He knew about her secret from the very beginning and had advised her, or rather forbidden her for the good of the kingdom, to ever speak about it, not even to King Agnarr.
When Anna and Elsa were still little, their father had told them about the enchanted forest and his mysterious saviour. But he hadn't known about Iduna's secret, that she was a Northuldra and had saved him. Mama could have told everyone back then, the whole family. After all, she had sat on the bed that night when Papa told his epic story; Anna thought and sighed. But Iduna had kept quiet and most probably took the truth to her watery grave during the shipping accident.
However, in the end, their parents' marriage was the complete opposite of any previous royal wedding and the sisters were delighted to read page after page of the diary and discover many an unknown secret. Mama and Papa had married out of deep love for each other and conventions about how and why had not mattered to them. Even the guests they invited were limited to Arendelles citizens. They had been closer to the people than any other royal couple before them.
Anna was keen to emulate one of Arendelle's old traditions, namely raising the first Kransekake ring with Kristoff. Anna wanted at least the same number of rings to remain on the first one, if not one more. But that depended on chance.
“And what will you do if you only lift a single ring?” Elsa had asked and she had only looked at her sister seriously and replied, “Then Kristoff will get a beating from me!”
They laughed heartily at her joke, but Anna was serious about having more than one child. She hadn't yet decided on a name either, although she had been thinking about it for weeks.
Anna leant back in her armchair and closed her eyes. If it was a girl, maybe she would name her after her mother, who knows, and if it was a boy then maybe … she just didn't know. Let Kristoff choose and I'll just say yes or no to it, she thought, putting the problem aside for now. There was still enough time for that.
~~~
Then the big day finally arrived and both Anna and Kristoff were more excited than ever. Kristoff had been practising dances for the ball for weeks and had taken every opportunity for dance lessons. He wanted his wedding to be perfect, had had his hair cut, his fingernails manicured and practised his oath over and over again for when he would walk down the aisle as Crown Prince of Arendelle with his beloved Anna by his side. The closer this hour approached, the more nervous he became.
Anna, on the other hand, was not a bit nervous, because everything was finally in order, including her white wedding dress with the rose crown, from which hung the long, semi-sheer and delicate train with embroidered crocus. She also wore a sølje, a brooch made of silver. She stood in front of the large standing mirror and admired herself in Maren's latest masterpiece. She tidied her crown and an unruly strand of her loose hair. Then she nodded contentedly and thought about everything again.
While Kristoff had chosen his friend Ryder as best man, for her it was Elsa, her sister and the only remaining member of the royal family besides herself. Kai would act as master of ceremonies for the celebrations afterwards and had already taken care of everything important in advance. The palace staff had been instructed and the two large halls had already been prepared for the onslaught of illustrious guests. Even the seating arrangements had already been organised and small signs had been placed at the place settings. There would also be enough ushers in livery for the delegates and special guests.
As a large number of citizens were expected, the staff had set up tables in the castle courtyard along the covered walkways to the front and left of the castle, which would later be filled with all kinds of delicacies, cakes and drinks for the visitors during the celebrations and also offered enough space for gifts for the bridal couple. For the traditional ceremony after the wedding, a table with the large Krumkake would be located between the chapel and the castle entrance to minimise the distance for Anna and Kristoff and so that everyone could see it clearly.
What else would there be to think about? Had she perhaps forgotten something? But nothing could be changed now anyway, she realised and took a deep breath as she looked at the smiling faces in the mirror, those of her maid and the bridesmaids standing behind her.
Anna smiled contentedly and walked slowly towards the window to look down. Her dress rustled softly on the carpet.
The town was bursting with visitors from near and far. The shopkeepers were undoubtedly doing the business of their lives. The streets and houses were a sea of flowers; there wasn't a single spot in Arendelle that wasn't decorated. A multitude of different ships were anchored in the harbour and even in the Arenfjord, adorned with the colourful flags and pennants of all kinds of countries and kingdoms. The fishing boats of Arendelle even had to make way for them and now bobbed moored at the end of the harbour.
Anna was mesmerised as she looked down from the window and observed a vast throng of citizens, visitors and royal guards from the castle guard. “Kristoff, you wanted a big wedding? Now you're getting one!” she giggled softly to herself, trying to imagine his face when he saw that down there.
This was their day! At last!
Then the longcase clock behind her struck eleven o'clock in the morning and Anna turned round, beaming with joy. The time had come and it was time to go downstairs!
Elin's proudly smiling face gazed back at her as the girl and the other two grabbed Anna's train and held it up. Elin had immediately asked Halima if she could be one of Queen Anna's bridesmaids as soon as Halima had told her about the custom. Anna had of course agreed and now bent down to Elin.
“Elin, my dear, I have another special task for you when we all stand at the altar later. You are allowed to hold my bridal bouquet during the ceremony so that I have my hands free. Afterwards, you simply hand it back to me before we leave the chapel. Would you do that for me?”
“Really? I can hold your bouquet?” Anna nodded with a smile. “I would love nothing more for you, Anna! You make me very happy, you know?”
“Well then, it's settled. But we should go downstairs now, I'm sure everyone is already waiting for us.”
When Anna opened the door, her sister was already standing in front of it, grinning at her from ear to ear. Olaf stood next to her and beamed at her excitedly.
“Well, nervous or just happy?” asked Elsa.
“Well, what do you think? Happy, of course!”
“That pleases me, Anna. You look beautiful, by the way. Kristoff will be out of his boots when he sees you.”
“Well, I hope he's wearing normal shoes this time,” laughed Anna.
When they stepped out of the hallway onto the top of the stairs to the small hall, her groom was already waiting at the bottom with the bridal bouquet in his hand. Ryder next to him, in his Kofte festive attire, saw Anna first and immediately gave his mate a shove that made Kristoff look up, startled. His adoring look at her was priceless; Anna thought to herself and beamed at him.
Kristoff was not only wearing normal shoes, as Anna had hoped, but also a full traditional bunad that was undoubtedly tailor-made for him. Over a white linen shirt with a wide collar, he wore a green woollen waistcoat with two rows of silver buttons. Over this was a double-breasted coat with as many silver buttons, knee breeches over white woollen stockings with colourful pompoms on each side, and black leather shoes with silver buckles. Finally, Kristoff also had a flat hat on his straw-blonde hair and the crocus symbol of Arendelle was embroidered on the lapel of his coat. Anna was very impressed and thought that Kristoff looked rather well dressed.
As she walked down the last step beside him, she told him so.
“And you look just fabulously beautiful,” he replied quietly, handing her the bouquet and admiring her from top to bottom. “I'd love to just kiss you to the ground right now,” he joked.
Anna leant towards him and whispered with a grin, “Later, my darling, later.” They gazed into each other's eyes for seconds, enamoured.
“Come on, you lovebirds, the wedding guests and Bishop Ulriksøn are already waiting in the chapel,” Elsa reminded them kindly but firmly and gave a wave to someone near the entrance.
The bride and groom's faces flew around in surprise as the lilting notes of a Hardanger fiddle rang out and the musician began to play the traditional wedding march. Behind him they could see the crowded castle courtyard and every citizen there craned their necks to get a good view of the bride and groom.
Anna wondered if this was her sister's idea, glanced round at her briefly and saw her nodding and winking with one eye. Anna had to laugh. Apparently Elsa had read the same book.
Kristoff held out the crook of his arm for her to hook under and Anna immediately complied. The five of them, including Olaf, then walked down the wide staircase with measured steps and smiles and were greeted with applause.
An alleyway formed among the many people, without any help from the castle guards. Flower children came running up, scattering white and purple crocus flowers on their way to the chapel as they followed the fiddler. The fiddler kept happily turning round to them as he played, while the audience started clapping to the beat and now singing the traditional rhyme. Their best men and Olaf hurried ahead
Then they entered the packed chapel with all the delegates, invited guests and good friends of the bride and groom. The fiddler interrupted his playing. Instead, the choir took over and sang an equally traditional wedding song. They walked slowly towards the altar, where Bishop Ulriksøn was already waiting for them on the platform with a narrow, open book in his hands.
Elsa and Olaf stood to his right, opposite Ryder on Kristoff's side. As the bride and groom were about to walk up the steps to the altar, Anna handed her bouquet to a beaming Elin, who, looking at the smiling faces around her, jumped up and down a few times in happiness and then looked back at Anna. Then it became quiet in the hall, the bridal couple had stopped and were now looking intently at the bishop.
He looked first at his queen, then at Kristoff. His penetrating gaze lingered on him for seconds, then he looked back at Anna without saying a word. He blinked briefly, then raised an eyebrow questioningly, exchanged quick glances between the two and cleared his throat quietly.
Anna looked over at her fiancé, puzzled, and then realised what the bishop was trying to tell her.
She gave Kristoff a light kick and whispered to him, “Kristoff, your hat!”
Kristoff startled in sudden realisation, said with a sheepish grin, “Oops …”, took off his hat and handed it to Ryder.
Ansfrid Ulriksøn nodded in relief and began his lengthy speech from his book, which, in addition to the religious aspects, also dealt with the royal house of Arendelle and the bride and groom standing before him and their love for each other, until he finally came to the crucial part of the vows and closed his book. He handed it to his waiting young altar boy and said, “Please join hands now.” They turned to each other and did as he asked. Then he placed his own hand over it and spoke solemnly in a loud voice, “Kristoff Bjorgmann, will you take Queen Anna of Arendelle as your wife to live with her in holy matrimony, to love, honour and comfort her and to stand by her in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live? So say “I do”.”
After Kristoff had said the words, the bishop repeated the question to Anna and she also said “I do” without hesitation.
The bishop released his hand and recited the usual marriage vow, starting with Kristoff, who not only repeated it word for word loudly and flawlessly, but also went down on one knee in front of Anna, looking at her enamoured but serious at the same time and placing his other hand over hers. Kristoff even went one step further and added his personal oath to Anna, adding a little more quietly, “You are my life, Anna. I will always be there for you, love you and - if necessary - defend you to the death with my life. I swear that to you!” He then stood up and a tear ran down Anna's cheek as it was her turn to repeat the bishop's words.
“Now put on your rings and repeat after me …”
In keeping with tradition, Kristoff and Anna slipped the rings from their left hands onto the ring fingers of their right hands and repeated the bishop's words simultaneously, “I give you this ring as a sign and pledge of our enduring loyalty and lasting love.”
“Now join hands. By the power vested in me by the laws of the Kingdom of Arendelle, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss.”
The moment Anna and Kristoff kissed and embraced, the audience rose to their feet and a standing ovation erupted, which spread out into the castle courtyard as soon as the sound reached the outside world. Everyone there immediately began to cheer loudly. Elsa, Olaf and Ryder were the first to congratulate the bride and groom and they hugged each other.
Anna now looked at Elin and nodded to her. The little girl handed her the bouquet and immediately helped to hold up the train with the other two bridesmaids. As they stood outside, they let the remaining guests stream past them from the chapel and received congratulations from everyone.
Anna's thoughts now turned to the Kransekake's rings, but first she had another tradition to fulfil. She wanted to throw the bridal bouquet, which one of the unmarried ladies was supposed to catch, thus promising a possible next wedding according to custom.
She took a few steps forward and everyone made room for her, while Kai took care to guide the female guests in question behind Anna, at least those who wanted to. Anna turned round after them briefly and looked into their expectant faces. She also spotted Princess Mari among them, who looked a little apprehensive, but nevertheless stood by and surrendered to chance. When their eyes met, Anna smiled sympathetically at her. Then she turned around, closed her eyes and threw the bouquet in a high arc behind her.
Everyone in the castle courtyard followed the trajectory eagerly and “oohs and aahs” could be heard. When the next round of applause could be heard, Anna turned round and saw Mari's stunned face as she held the bouquet in her hands in disbelief. Before looking round, she gave Anna a reproving look, but then laughed when she saw Francis' benevolent face in the crowd and her father, King Jonas, standing not far from him, smiling and applauding her. Finally, she approached Anna, who immediately embraced her.
“Congratulations, Mari, you really did catch it.
“It was well aimed of you, I just had to spread my hands.”
“Oh no, just pure chance,” laughed Anna, but she wasn't so sure, as she was always very accurate when throwing snowballs and using a bow and arrow. But she was glad that it was Mari and no one else. She knew that Francis and she had become close and their strolls had become longer in the recent months.
“But since we're on the subject and coincidence seems to have played a part … what do you think about accompanying us to Brinnon? The baron has offered to take us on his ship and provide an escort later. Kristoff and I will be there incognito for a fortnight on our honeymoon and he would like to take the opportunity to show us his country estate. Wouldn't that be a good opportunity for you to get to know Francis better?”
“Well, I have to say, Anna, you're not a bit sly, are you?” They both laughed out loud and Anna could only shrug her shoulders with a grin.
“I didn't mean it like that, of course, but I've noticed that you two seem to get on well. Francis is a real gentleman. He is handsome and charming, but that is not all, he has powerful connections not only in the royal house of Brinnon, but in their parliament as well, to boot. I think you two are a good match and if you think about it, a chance like this and a real baron on top of that is always better than a stupid, immature Westergaard prince you don't know at all, isn't it?”
Mari was speechless, but realised that Anna was absolutely right and had also judged her interest in Fran quite well.
“Let's both go over to the Kransekake table for the ceremony. Wish me luck, Mari,” Anna said without waiting for her answer and put her arm around Mari's shoulder in a companionable manner.
Kristoff, Kai, Gerda and Olina were already standing there waiting and smiling at them. All the other onlookers made way for their queen and wished her good luck.
Anna finally stood in front of the big cake, Kristoff right next to her. They were both smiling in great anticipation, although Anna had the impression that he was very nervous.
“Nice and slow, darling,” she whispered to him as she placed her hand on the first ring and he did the same on the opposite side.
They both took a deep breath and when she said “Now” they slowly lifted the smallest ring. The second ring moved and caught on the first, then they moved on. But just as it looked like it was going to be two Kransekake rings, it half detached and finally fell back onto the pile.
Olina and Gerda called out the result almost simultaneously, so that everyone around them who didn't see it themselves knew that an heir to the throne had been predicted.
Anna grimaced in disappointment for a split second, but immediately smiled again and everyone around her congratulated the bride and groom.
“I'm sorry it wasn't two or more, darling,” Kristoff whispered to her.
She nodded slightly, not letting on, and whispered back, “It's not your fault, darling. Apart from that, it's just a custom and the prediction often doesn't come true. Besides, we both make our own destiny, darling.”
Then she turned round and exclaimed loudly, “Thank you for coming for our celebration. Let's get this party started! Have fun, everyone!”
~~~
It was planned and customary for a royal wedding that the celebrations would last three days and that the bride and groom would not only be present in the castle at all times, but would also be seen in the city on the third day at the latest.
Tomorrow was also the second most crucial event after her coronation, which meant that Kristoff had to be elevated from commoner to noble status. Not only would he be officially presented as Crown Prince of Arendelle in front of all the dignitaries from the other kingdoms present, but he would also receive honours and a title. He also had to swear an oath to the crown and in front of all those present. In the future, Kristoff would be addressed as Royal Highness.
Anna had to smile, because for him this also meant that the serious tough side of life was about to begin and with it a whole host of new duties. But she was sure that he would fulfil all the requirements needed - certainly not immediately, but definitely over the coming months and years.
But first they would have a party, celebrate the wedding dance and have a lot of fun tonight.
~~~
The wedding celebrations lasted past midnight, but at some point Anna's feet started to ache from standing for so long. Kristoff kept asking her to dance, partly because he was keen to try out all the dances he had learnt with her and the other reason was because he felt a little uncomfortable at the table among all the guests and they were constantly being asked to kiss in the traditional way.
The latter was Elsa's idea, which she had read about in one of Anna's books on old wedding customs. Not that Kristoff and Anna had anything against it, quite the opposite. His desire for Anna’s lips was like an everlasting flame, but the pressure to kiss in front of everyone started to be uncomfortable for them both. He preferred to be alone with his new wife for such intimacy and enjoy the rest of the evening with her dancing, twirling her around, and holding her close, enjoying every minute of their wedding celebration. Something that both had desired and wanted for many years.
In the end, they were both relieved that most of the guests had finally gone to bed. This was also gratefully welcomed by the somewhat stressed castle staff. After saying goodbye to the last few remaining guests and they could finally go to sleep in their room and snuggle up together under the duvet. They were just too tired to do anything else, even though they really wanted to.
Early in the morning, there were several knocks and when Anna finally said 'Come in' with sleepy eyes, Elsa entered the bedroom.
“Good morning, you two,” she called cheerfully as she went to the window to let the bright and warm sunlight into the bed chamber.
Kristoff grumbled as the morning sun shone directly on his face, turned round and snuggled up to Anna. By now she was sitting up in bed with the covers pulled up and yawning unroyally loudly. As usual, her long hair was all tousled.
“Morning, Elsa, can’t we have just some minutes more of sleeping? I was having a pretty good dream,” she said and blinked at her sister with a grin.
“Oh Anna, something never changes, even after being married …,” Elsa chuckled. “It's already eight o'clock on this beautiful sunny morning. Maybe that's why you should get up, because we have a full agenda today, as I'm sure you know, sis,” Elsa said with a playful tone, casting a knowing glance at Anna's newlywed husband.
“Yep, that's it,” Anna sighed with a smile. “We'll be right down for breakfast.” She gently shook Kristoff and teased, “Come on, dreamy boy, time to get up!” Then, she carefully freed herself from his embrace to get dressed.
Elsa only now realised that Anna was totally naked before her sister hurriedly disappeared behind the paravent. At the same time, Elsa’s face turned red, and she decided to flee the room before seeing her brother-in-law suddenly stand naked in front of her too.
Elsa cleared her throat, “See you soon, I'll go ahead. Don’t be late.”
“All right, sis, see you later … but it may be a while yet.”
Elsa giggled softly and closed the door audibly behind her so that Kristoff could hear. But deep in her thoughts, she realized why Anna and Kristoff were exhausted after a very ardent night, just saying for herself: 'Newly married couple, I bet that that’s normal. At least Anna is happy.'
Three quarters of an hour later, the newlyweds finally entered the dining room. Elsa was already drinking her third cup of tea, but hadn't touched the food at the table because she wasn't hungry.
Kristoff turned up for breakfast in his new dress uniform and Anna wore her royal gown with the train and crown on her head to match the occasion.
“We're not really hungry, Elsa … after all the cake we ate yesterday,” said Anna, demonstratively holding a hand over her stomach.
“I can understand that, but I'm not really hungry either. How about we head downstairs after you've had a cup of tea with me? The celebrations are going to continue in the afternoon. Our citizens brought so many presents in the form of cakes and biscuits yesterday that I'm starting to wonder who's going to enjoy them all,” Elsa giggled.
Anna joined in with a laugh. “We've still got Mattias and Halima's wedding in two days' time, so their guests could also enjoy it.
“Well, let's see … and who knows what other sweet desserts will be added today.”
“By the way, have you seen all the presents our guests from faraway kingdoms have given us?”
“Not yet, Anna, but we can have a look together this afternoon. I bet there are some really cool dresses in there, right?”
Anna nodded, “I wonder if there will ever be a suitable opportunity to wear them?”
Elsa gave her a playful wink and said, “Who knows… maybe you could try some of these on for your honeymoon. I'm pretty sure your husband will love the idea, don’t you think, Kristoff?” After taking the last sip of tea and standing up, her eyes were fixed on Kristoff with a grin. “Ready for your big moment, Kristoff?”
He knew, of course, that he was to be officially presented as crown prince to the delegates and closest trading partners present today, and nodded cautiously. But he didn't know the exact procedure, if he was honest with himself. At the latest when his wife laid his new uniform on his bed earlier, he knew that it was not going to be a normal day. Afterward, he had to swear a public oath before the people of Arendelle.
He hadn't wanted to research all these details in the Crown's records in the days before, and it hadn't occurred to him to ask Anna either. The anticipation and novelty of it all made him decide to embrace the surprise and maintain his composure for the occasion. It seemed like Anna sensed his apprehension and gave him a reassuring peck on the cheek while softly saying, “Don't worry, darling. You'll be fine.”
~~~
The small hall was almost empty, with the exception of a few servants who were already setting the table for lunch. The high doors to the throne room were closed and two castle guards stood on either side. It seemed that all the ceremony guests were already inside, which made Kristoff a little nervous.
“Would you wait here for a moment, Kristoff?” Anna asked with a hand on his forearm. He nodded and she signaled to the guards, who promptly opened the doors for her and Elsa, then closed them again. Kristoff caught a glimpse of a few people holding glasses, looking towards the royal sisters. He also spotted the bishop's red bonnet. This sight puzzled him. Why was he there; Kristoff wondered.
It was another fifteen minutes before one of the doors opened again and General Mattias came out.
“Your Royal Highness, everything is ready. The Queen and the distinguished guests await you now. Please follow me,” he said with a bow.
Why was Mattias suddenly so formal with him? He had been quite different before to me, Kristoff wondered, raising his eyebrows as he pondered while he followed him closely. The sound of closing doors added to the tense atmosphere. Further ahead, two dozen high-ranking guests from distant kingdoms stood with serious expressions, making the situation even more intense for Kristoff.
Anna was seated regally on the throne, her hands folded composedly in her lap. Elsa stood at her left, while Bishop Ulriksøn stood at her right, holding a precious cushion with a few unrecognizable gold objects. Behind the bishop, additional items were on a chair, and a red silk cushion lay gracefully on the floor in front of the throne platform, seemingly intended for Kristoff. Kristoff pondered what awaited him on this significant day.
Kristoff stopped right in front of it while Mattias now joined Elsa's side. Kristoff looked around and now recognised Yelana and the treasurer of the crown, all members of the royal council, which was still incomplete but nonetheless fully present. There was a tense silence and many turned their heads to the queen, who slowly rose and moved towards Kristoff. Kristoff had never seen this expression in Anna's eyes before.
The gazes of the foreign diplomats and royal council members were locked on them as Anna glanced at him with solemnity and regal dignity in her eyes and then spoke solemnly, “Kristoff Bjorgmann, royal ice master and supplier, and now crown prince of the kingdom of Arendelle, please kneel before your queen and all present here to receive your honors and titles, to swear the sacred oath of fealty to the crown and to receive the blessing of the church.”
Kristoff swallowed nervously as he knelt on the scarlet cushion before her.
Anna accepted a ceremonial sword from Elsa and gently lowered the blade onto each of Kristoff's shoulders in turn, bestowing her recognition and promotion.
“Rise now, Lord Kristoff of Arendelle, Aide-de-camp of the Royal House, Lord of the Valley of the Living Rock, Knight of the Order of the Crocus and Crown Prince of Arendelle.”
Anna now had Bishop Ulriksøn hand over to her, one by one, what he had so far held ready. She first took a narrow golden crown from the pillow and placed it on Kristoff's head, a moment that filled her with pride. Then she slipped a signet ring with Arendelle's crocus symbol onto the index finger of his left hand, a gesture that made her heart swell with hope. Next, Mattias put a belt with a sword on him, a symbol of his new role, and Kristoff felt a mix of excitement and trepidation. Mattias then had a short royal cloak handed to him, a weight that he was ready to bear. and put it around Kristoff's shoulders. Finally, Anna put a sceptre in his right hand and the orb in his left, and Kristoff felt a surge of responsibility and determination.
General Mattias, as a senior member of the royal council, now stood before him, unrolled a parchment and read out Arendelle's royal letters patent, which listed the crown prince's future titles and officially confirmed him in them after he had taken the oath.
“Kristoff Bjorgmann, are you ready to swear the oath to the crown? Now take it before your Queen and the witnesses here present, and from this moment on you shall be addressed as Your Royal Highness.”
With the moment finally arriving, Kristoff confidently recited the words he had diligently memorized. His heart pounded, but he took a deep breath and spoke loud and clear.
“I, Kristoff Bjorgmann, solemnly swear that I will be faithful and loyal to Her Majesty Queen Anna of Arendelle, her heirs and successors. I promise to live and, if necessary, to die defending Her Majesty and the sovereignity of the Kingdom of Arendelle with all my heart. So help me God.”
This was the sign for the bishop to pronounce his ecclesiastical blessing on him.
Now Anna smiled and some of the dignitaries present applauded him. Kristoff, his disbelief slowly transforming into joy, couldn't quite believe it yet, but a stone had just fallen from his heart, because now it was official. He gave Anna a loving look.
What was still missing was for him to appear before the people and officially recognize himself as crown prince. But first, the hall was buzzing with anticipation as everyone wanted to shake his hand and congratulate him.
But it was Elsa, always one step ahead, who reached him first. Her hand on his shoulder, her eyes locked with his, she smiled and said, “Congratulations, brother-in-law. Welcome to the royal family!”
~~~
---
Remark: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you liked the story, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms. If you want to be tagged as soon I publish the next chapter please let me know, except you are already tagged :-)
Note: Sorry that i was late with this chapter but life came inbetween. This was the final chapter of "The Broken Bridge", which will be followed by the epilogue and my afterword in a few days.
Additional note: In the Norwegian tradition, the engagement and wedding rings are usually one and the same and made of gold. During the ceremony, the engagement ring is then transferred from the left hand to the ring finger of the right hand. I didn't realise this in chapters 61 and 62 and described it in the wrong way. It is now correctly described here.
The last two scenes have been a co-writing of me and my betareader HeinrichVSA, who helped me a lot on this topic, as an historian.
The last picture is my version of "The Accolade" and it took me two full days to create it. I hope you like it.
I know i'm late and i only wait for the checked last chapter. Today i also made my last big edit for the last scene in chapter 81 and i worked on that for the last two days.
So, please have mercy with me and give me one more day ...
Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar
Rating: M over all
Publishing cycle: around every 2-3 weeks
Remarks: all my chapters contain carefully selected music tracks (try to use headphones). It’s your own decision if you want to use them or not while reading. The purpose is to musically support the respective mood of the plot. If you can please use a browser for reading (not the Tumblr app) due to the text formatting and music.
Elsa was still fast asleep and had a very vivid dream. She was trudging through deep snow in the freezing cold and heard the loud crunching of the frozen snow with every step she took. The view ahead at dusk showed an endless white expanse in the bright moonlight, without contours and without any dwellings in sight. A beautiful winter landscape spread out before her, above it the bright greenish wafting northern lights and a herd of reindeer and many people who looked like Northuldra pulling sledges behind them.
Elsa didn't know how long she had been trotting behind them, but footsteps beside her made her glance to the side. She saw Maren trudging through the snow beside her, not two steps away. Maren looked very thoughtful and tired, but her expression also showed Elsa determination and a touch of sadness. She wondered what she was thinking about.
Elsa reached out a hand to her and was about to address her, but the images of the dream were already beginning to fade and something was pulling at her. The next moment Elsa realised that she was lying in bed in her room and unfortunately it had only been a dream. How much she would have loved to be at Maren's side on the journey to the far north.
It was still dark in the room, before dawn. Something must have woken her up, but she was sure no one else was in the room apart from her.
She listened to her inward thoughts, sat up and peeled herself out of the thin duvet to get out of bed. An inner feeling suddenly told her that winter had arrived in Arendelle, and the darkest season had begun with it. She could almost feel it in her bones, as she always did at the end of the year. As soon as the first frost came, the Yuletide began and with it all the festivities and preparations surrounding Christmas.
She blew into the barely existing embers in the fireplace, started a small fire and lit a candle. She took off her night robe and, with one of her typical hand gestures, dressed in a midnight blue dress with a thin, airy robe over it that featured sparkling diamonds in the four colours of the elements. She didn't want to wear her white Spirit robe and loose hair every day, but she didn't mind the meaningful adornments she had received since the one night of Ahtohallan that appointed her as the fifth Spirit. She then plaited her typical long braid and let it hang over her left shoulder as usual. Some things never changed and she had got used to the braid over the last few years and liked it very much.
Elsa went quietly downstairs into the small ballroom, pulled open the first large double-leaf door to the castle courtyard, took a quick look into the corridor next to it, where the stairs led up to the bell tower, and pulled open the last two doors that led outside. Elsa made her way past the chapel and into the castle garden. A few guards were silently making their rounds at the top of the battlements. As she stood in the garden, she glanced up at the triangular window of her old childhood bedroom and remembered watching her little sister trying to skate on the frozen duck pond without suitable footwear. The next day, she surprised Anna by giving her real ice skates incognito and made her very happy.
Elsa had to giggle softly at this wonderful memory as she finally knelt down in front of the pond and touched the thin layer of ice on it. Yes, once again her instincts had not deceived her, the first frost had arrived and so the Christmas season would begin in four weeks' time.
One of her favourite traditions in recent years had always been a weekly picnic with Anna, which lasted from summer into the depths of autumn. Until the last leaves fell from the trees, signalling the approach of winter. But since last autumn, everything had changed, because she had become the fifth Spirit, stayed in the enchanted forest and, apart from the equally traditional games evenings with Anna and the others on some Fridays, there had unfortunately been no more time for it. She swore to herself that they both had to revive it.
Elsa walked on and stopped at the end of the small jetty in the icy air. The water of the fjord was still warmer than the cold surrounding air and a thick fog had formed over it. It was so dense that even the view of the opposite mountain flank of the Vestvidda plateau was obscured. In the harbour basin, the fog had spread in gently moving swathes as far as the waterfall, but was not quite as impenetrable as on the fjord. It was an almost magical sight in the pale light of the moon and the twinkling starry sky above her.
At that moment, Elsa couldn't help but think back to the impenetrable, magical wall of mist around the Northuldra region last year, and how it had prevented Olaf and Kristoff from attempting to cross it by vehemently pushing them both back again and again. It was almost as if the fog was alive and had a consciousness.
Only when she touched it herself, holding her sister by her other hand simultaneously, did the previously impenetrable barrier open, revealing the four tall monoliths in front of them that their father had told them about and inviting them all to move on. But the magic of the phenomenon obviously had very special plans for them. They were suddenly all pulled in and something pushed them forcefully through to the other side, right into the centre of the enchanted forest that no one from outside had seen for over three decades.
Elsa couldn't help but carefully touch the natural mist in front of her with an outstretched finger, expecting something special to happen. But nothing of the sort happened. She only felt the natural humidity on her skin, nothing more. Almost disappointed, she wanted to withdraw her hand again, but then had a crazy idea.
Elsa used her magic and froze the mist before her into a wafer-thin layer of ice that spread across the entire harbour basin and hovered there motionless. The layer was so thin and smooth that it formed a perfect mirror, reflecting the moon and the stars. It was almost as if Elsa was now standing above them in the sky and looking down on them. Now the whole event was indeed magical! She couldn't help but laugh quietly with joy at the sight. It was just a shame that Anna wasn't here to see it now. Kristoff would certainly have enjoyed it too, because ice was his life, as he always liked to claim. But by the time they woke up, this natural spectacle would have vanished into thin air.
Elsa briefly considered whether she should just leave her ice formation floating here for them until they got up, but this fantastic sight simply wouldn't be the same in daylight and so, after a while, she sadly flicked her finger at the edge of the fragile layer. The sight of the starry sky shattered quietly, clinking into millions of tiny pieces that drifted slowly and sparkling away on the surface of the water.
~~~
The next day, the sky had closed in and thick snowflakes floated down onto the roofs of Arendelle. In the following hours it began to snow more and more heavily and would not stop. The white season had finally arrived and within just a few days it covered everything in a thick blanket of snow that drowned out all the sounds of the city. Many citizens of Arendelle prepared themselves for a long winter, quickly stocked up on wood and made the most necessary purchases, and when one looked down on the quiet, dreamy town with its smoking chimneys in the evening and the candlelight in the windows cast yellowish glowing spots on the glistening snow in front of it, Arendelle showed itself from its most beautiful and picturesque side. It almost looked as if the city had become a colourful collection of gingerbread houses covered in sugar.
For the children, the most beautiful time of year had arrived and they were given the next few months off school. On their last day of school, the teacher told them, as she does every year, about the tradition of St Lucy's Day, the day of light, which was coming up soon and which, along with the ringing of the Yule bell the following day, was the most important day in the dark season.
Then the teacher told the children another story, about the old tradition of giving Tomse porridge with butter mixed in on Christmas Eve so that the little gnome, who usually lived with the farmers in a barn, would look after them well the following year and make sure that nothing happened to them or their animals.
“But you shouldn't eat his bowl of porridge,” she said with a raised index finger. “People say that you'll be beaten by him for it and have to dance with him all night long. That's what happened to a poor servant girl who was found almost lifeless by the farmer the next day.”
At home, most of the children prepared for the event with their parents, dressing up as St Lucy or Tomse for a trial run in his peasant clothes with the red pointed cap on his head. Elin, who to the delight of Halima and Mattias had become close friends with a few girls, also wanted to participate in a candlelight procession for the first time.
In the afternoon, children's laughter could be heard throughout the streets and alleyways as they rushed out to play in the snow. They had great fun and had loud snowball fights. Elin was also there, playing all sorts of mischief with them or lying next to them in the snow, laughing and making snow angels with her arms and legs.
The next day was hardly any different, only today the children had a royal audience.
Anna stood next to Elsa on the balcony and watched the hustle and bustle down on the market square with her.
“When I look down there, I wonder if you remember what we promised each other in the Northuldra camp a little while ago?” she said with a mischievous smile.
Elsa looked at her and nodded with a grin, “Of course, sis, how could I forget something like that? Let's go downstairs right after breakfast and find out if you can win against me this time.”
“Great! Kristoff should join in though and can help me out a bit and … wait … I've just got an even better idea. What if we form two teams with the children? That would be great fun. It'll even things out a bit against your snow magic and it'll be the first competition of the Arendelles Winter Games.”
“Well, we'll see,” laughed Elsa. “But let's have a cosy breakfast first.”
A little later, the three of them were surrounded by a crowd of children, Anna and Kristoff on one side and Elsa on the other. They whispered to each other and drew up a battle plan. The aim for the sisters was to be the first to get behind their opponent's line in order to win. Whoever took too many hits in the team had to sit out. Kristoff would play the referee. Anna had wrapped herself up in thick winter clothing, so the whole thing could take a little longer.
As many people in the streets had already shovelled away the snow as best they could, they all walked together up the long mountain road almost to the mill. The children were already very excited to organise a snowball fight with the queen and her sister.
To make it a little more difficult for Elsa and her team, she had to try to win uphill and she wasn't allowed to magically whisk away approaching snowballs. Anna's team built two snow barricades on the path and a few of the smallest children ducked behind them unnoticed. Her plan was to trick Elsa, but of course in a nice yet unexpected way. They all stood not too far from each other, mainly because of the children's reach.
Kristoff finally gave the starting signal and dozens of snowballs instantly flew through the air. Elsa moved closer and closer with her ten children, ducking again and again, and Anna redoubled her efforts. She grabbed one snowball after another from the prepared pile and threw them rather unerringly at anyone who got too close. Two of the children from Elsa's group rushed forward, but caught more than five snowballs at once. That put them out of the game for the time being, as Kristoff called out, and Kristoff also took out three on the other side. Elsa signalled to her children to follow her and attack all at once. She formed a giant snowball in the air and ran towards her sister, laughing, to scare her and the others in the team.
It worked at first and many of them backed away in fright. Anna grabbed as many small snowballs as she could carry in the crook of her arm and also backed away, throwing one at her sister again and again, but missing. But that was the plan and as soon as Elsa had passed the barricades, two of the youngest children stood up behind her and threw their snowballs at Elsa's back in quick succession.
“Elsa's out!” Kristoff shouted with a laugh, unaware of Anna's plan, and Elsa stopped in mid-stride in surprise. She let her now useless snowball plop down on the path in front of her.
Anna raced past her, giggling, and threw her last few balls, ducking away again and again. She reached the back of her opponent's line unhindered and threw her arms in the air triumphantly with a ” Hooray!”.
“Team Anna has won!” Kristoff shouted to loud cheers from all the children on both teams, nodding in approval.
Laughing, the sisters immediately hugged each other and were embraced by a dozen children's arms.
“Well, what do you say now, sis?” asked Anna, smiling from ear to ear.
“That was a clever move on your part and really came as a surprise to me. Congratulations, Anna. You've actually beaten me.”
~~~
It was the thirteenth of December, the day of St Lucy. The snowfall had stopped overnight and it was getting noticeably colder. It also remained very dark and the sun barely rose above the horizon, only shining for a few hours a day. The streets were already decorated for Christmas. Men were leaning ladders against all the lampposts in town, hanging banners and richly decorated evergreen wreaths, and the first houses were traditionally decorated with straw-woven Christmas bucks, Gävle goats, straw wreaths and bundles on the front doors and walls. Of course, all the banisters on the staircases were lovingly and festively wrapped and all the preparations were made inside the houses for the various family traditions.
Even Oaken had come into town with his sauna wagon to give everyone a chance to warm up in the cold. Later, of course, he would celebrate with his family in his trading post with sauna, but for now he wanted to keep his new little shop open for a few more days and offer coffee as well as hot gløgg.
In the evening, the melodious children's choir could be heard from the castle chapel, white candles were burning everywhere in Arendelles cemetery and behind every window in the city. It was the darkest time of year and it was only during the winter solstice that the cycle was reversed. As the teacher had already described to the children, joyful candlelight processions now occurred throughout the kingdom, not just here in town. Columns of children dressed in white with candles in their hands, led by a girl with a crown of candles, walked through the streets singing merrily, enchanting all the citizens of the city, giving away the sweet Lucy buns to all the good and dearest people in Arendelle and setting the mood for the thirteen days of Christmas, which would begin tomorrow at noon.
For the first time in a long time, Elsa created her unique ice decorations on and around the castle. The only thing missing now was the return of the two ships with the much-needed supplies and the sisters were beginning to worry about that.
Kristoff, meanwhile, had other things to worry about as he wondered whether he would be entrusted with putting the Yule Bell in its place in the tower this time too. He was already unofficially married to the queen and technically already the crown prince of Arendelle. Still, no-one apart from the castle staff knew this fact yet - nor could anyone until the summer of next year, when the official big wedding would take place. Therefore, in theory, he would no longer have to do it in his new position; he thought.
But basically he looked forward to it every year, with the possible exception of the first time when the clapper of the bell was lost through his fault; at least that's what he thought. It would therefore possibly be the very last opportunity for him, because after the marriage he would pull the rope on the bell together with Anna and Elsa to ring the bell.
Kristoff knocked on Anna's study, entered and found both sisters there, having a lively discussion with a hot cup of chocolate in their hands.
“Hello, you two, am I interrupting something?” he asked, leaving the door half open to be on the safe side.
“No, not at all. Why don't you come in and join us, darling,” said Anna, pointing to a free chair. “We're just wondering where our two ships are. Both captains, Holmstein and Dahlberg, had promised that they wanted to be back before the yule bell rang, and that's tomorrow at noon!”
“Oh, they'll make it by tomorrow morning,” Kristoff replied confidently and sat down with them. “After all, they wouldn't want to miss the event for the world, would they?”
They both looked at him a little uncertainly until Elsa finally nodded and said, “I'm sure you're right, let's be hopeful until tomorrow, especially as there are still so many supplies missing in the city.”
“And for the winter ball,” Anna added. “But tell me, why were you looking for us, Kristoff?”
“Erm, well, I was wondering if I could look after the Yule Bell this year, as I have done in previous years.” He briefly explained his concerns.
“Oh darling, but of course you can! Nobody can forbid you to do that, whether you're only engaged to me or already married. We're relying on you,” said Anna, leaning over with a sympathetic smile and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“We'd love you to ring the bell with us this time,” Elsa added.
Kristoff's face began to glow with joy and he could only say “Thank you” with relief.
~~~
Next day, as if Kristoff had foreseen, the signalling bell rang out at breakfast time at the top of the watchtower. It was rung three times twice, signalling the arrival of three ships.
Anna, Elsa and Kristoff, surprised and happy at the same time, left everything at the table and rushed out onto the west balcony to look out over the fjord.
On the way up, Anna called out to the others, “Three ships? I really didn't expect that, did you?”
“No, Anna, me neither! Are they foreign ships? But no, it can't be, because then the bell would have sounded the alarm. Who could it be?”
“Visitors from another kingdom,” Kristoff surmised and was absolutely right when they spotted them standing next to each other on the balcony.
The two ships in front bore the flag of Arendelle on their main masts, while the third, surprisingly and without any doubt for the sisters, was recognisable as a ship from Brinnon.
“Brinnon?” Anna asked half aloud in a puzzled voice. “How can that be? Is Queen Valorai coming to visit?”
“I don't think so, because then there would be another flag flying on the mast, identifying the vessel as a ship of the crown, and besides, it wouldn't be coming alone, but with an escort,” Elsa realised, “No, there must be a dignitary on board or … to be honest, I have no idea.”
“Let's greet them down at the harbour at once while you, Kristoff, let the staff know that they should be ready for a distinguished visitor and prepare everything they need,” Anna suggested. “I just need to get changed quickly.”
A short time later, they were both standing on the pier, curiously awaiting their arrival. The ARN Crocus had already dropped anchor in the fjord, while the other ship from Arendelle, the ARN Sunflower, entered the harbour. Captain Dahlberg was letting himself be transferred in a dinghy when Captain Holmstein already disembarked and bowed to the sisters with the usual greeting.
“Good news, Your Majesty. Our mission was highly successful and the ship's belly is filled to the top with food for the capital citizens and the cattle. On the way back we met the Crocus by chance and both sailed to our final destination. But Captain Dahlberg had better tell us about that, he'll certainly be there soon and have a lot to say.”
“That's great news indeed, captain, thank you very much. I'm pleased that both ships made it to the ringing of the Yule Bell in time and, I hope, safely, just as promised,” said Anna, impressed. “But say, we saw another ship from the castle that …,” Anna glanced briefly past the bow, “… is just about to enter our harbour. What's it all about? Do you know more about it?”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, it's been an exhausting few weeks at sea, sometimes with heavy weather, but the ship and crew are safe and sound and I'm looking forward to seeing the family again. But now to your question. The last place we visited was Brinnon and as far as I could tell, Ole was approached by a lord who is probably aboard the ship. I can't say exactly why, but I'm sure Ole will tell you everything else in a moment.”
“I'm really looking forward to that,” said Elsa.
When the captain of the Crocus had finally climbed out of the dinghy, greeted everyone and brought equally good news, the sisters decided to listen to both reports together in the castle in peace with a hot cup of tea and the warmth of a fire. There was enough time for this until midday.
Shortly after, the third ship docked at the same pier, only on the other side, and after a few minutes a couple of the foreign sailors had moored it. The gangway was lowered and a tall, elegantly dressed man disembarked. Judging by his clothes and his confident demeanour, it must be someone from Brinnon's upper class. His eyes were fixed on Anna the whole time as he approached and Elsa wondered why. Anna was wearing her royal green and black day dress, but not her crown. Did he recognise her from her previous visit or had she been described to him by someone, possibly Queen Valorai herself? Or was it just Anna's red hair that captivated him?
He pulled his black cylinder off his head with his left hand as he stood confidently but respectfully in front of Anna, revealing parted, light brown hair that reached down to his ears. He bowed deeply and then did something very surprising as he took Anna's hand and gallantly indicated a kiss on the back of her hand.
“May I introduce myself, I am Lord Francis Macik of Brinnon, fifth Baron of Lackshirewood and I am delivering a letter from Queen Valorai to Her Majesty Anna of Arendelle. I presume this is you, from the description I received from her,” he said with a smile and a pleasant voice.
Anna cast a fleeting glance at Elsa, who was smirking as she scrutinised him. He had green eyes, was clean-shaven and wore a half-open, calf-length overcoat made of the finest wool, which suited the cold weather. Underneath, he wore a patterned, light-coloured silk waistcoat over a white shirt with a high collar. The chain of a pocket watch dangled from the pocket of the waistcoat. He also wore a matching bow tie under his chin, light-coloured trousers and high, polished leather boots. All in all, his appearance was impressive, with the respectful demeanour of a baron to match.
“Indeed, Baron Macik, I am Queen Anna of Arendelle and here beside me is my sister Elsa.”
“Your Highness,” he said with a small bow to Elsa, pulling an envelope from an inside pocket of his coat and handing it to Anna.
“What brings you to Arendelle? Not just because of your queen's letter, I suppose,” Anna asked. “But what am I talking about, it's cold here at the harbour and you surely want to warm up. Why don't we go to my castle, where we can talk about everything else in a cosy atmosphere?”
~~~
Kristoff and Frederik the blacksmith were already hoisting the Yule Bell into place. This time it only had to be taken out of the storage room behind it and hung in the front. Frederik may not have been very tall, but he was very strong. Together they managed it after half an hour. The blacksmith quickly checked its function and sound, but everything was fine and he nodded with satisfaction. At the end, the bell rope was ready to be lowered.
Kristoff then went to his room and changed for the ceremony. The collar was still far too tight and itchy, but he would get through it. He then went in search of Anna and Elsa and found them all in the fireside parlour talking to the two captains and a stranger, no doubt from the ship Brinnon. The three men had been served hot, wonderfully fragrant gløgg and let it warm them up. Anna had also already dressed festively. Elsa wore her spirit dress and her hair down.
“Hello everyone,” he greeted, “I just wanted to let you know that the bell is now in place and ready for the ceremony.”
“Kristoff, come and join us,” said Anna. “May I introduce you to Baron Macik from Brinnon? Baron, this is Kristoff Bjorgmann, my fiancé.”
The baron stood up and they greeted each other with a handshake before Kristoff pulled out another chair and sat down next to Anna.
“The Baron has come to Arendelle to experience a really deep winter and watch our midwinter festivities, perhaps even join in?” Anna continued, looking at him questioningly.
“I'd rather not, Your Majesty, I'm afraid I'm not that sporty, but please just call me Francis in the future.”
“With pleasure … Francis. How long are you planning to stay, if you don't mind me asking?”
“Well, my business in Brinnon is not so urgent at this time of year, not until spring, when the trade routes at sea are safe again due to the weather.”
“Wonderful. May I perhaps invite you to attend our winter ball? A guest room has already been provided here in the castle, so you don't have to take accommodation in the city. Your luggage on the ship can be taken upstairs by our servants.”
“That's not necessary, Your Majesty, I have my long-time assistant and confidant with me who can take care of it and it's not too much.”
“Anna, I think it's about time,” Elsa interrupted the conversation with a glance at the longcase clock, referring to the start of the Christmas season in Arendelle.
“That's right, it's our most important issue at the moment and has been a tradition in our kingdom for decades, Francis. You are welcome to join us. The castle courtyard should be filling up with the citizens of Arendelle right now. My sister, Kristoff and I want to greet everyone, as we do every year.
“Well, let's go down then,” said Kristoff and everyone rose together.
~~~
The castle courtyard was filled to the brim with the capital’s people, dressed in their best festive attire. Everyone was cheerful and chatting with each other until the sisters came out with Kristoff and greeted many of them personally.
In a few minutes it would be time and Kristoff went up the stairs to the tower to lower the bell rope through the small opening under the Yule bell. A quick glance at the clock tower in the city told him that he had to hurry. Just in time, he stood next to the sisters, who had now been rejoined by Olaf, just like the year before. As always, Gerda, Kai, Olina and another member of the castle staff stood behind them.
The two captains had mingled with those present in the front row, while the Baron from Brinnon watched from inside through the window. Then it was time and the tower clock struck midday. This time, four of them pulled the rope and rang the bell. The beautiful and long sound enchanted not only them, but the whole capital.
As it slowly faded away, everyone clapped and their queen stepped forward to make the traditional announcement with a smile. For Anna, it was the second time in her role as queen and she smiled from ear to ear as she exclaimed loudly, “Let the Holidays begin!”
~~~
Of course, royal duties at this time of year were completely different from usual, because instead of being buried in the study under piles of documents and dealing with them plus the concerns of the citizens of Arendelle from morning to night, Anna was now out and about in the city with Elsa. They wanted to take care of the planned competitions. Therefore they took a lot of time to be close to the citizens and asked many people if they wanted to be part of the jury to select the winners of the various competitions in the Christmas-decorated city. Elsa and Anna wanted to take part in the fun of the events, hence needed trustworthy citizens to do so. In the end, the two Diaz blacksmiths, the baker Blodget, the librarian Oddvar and, of course, Oaken, who was already looking forward to it, agreed.
The ice harvesters had brought enough ice blocks down from the North Mountain to enable many people to carve ice for the annual competition. The figures would be viewed in the light of many fire baskets and lanterns on the square in front of the clock tower.
The biennial night-time sledge race would also finish nearby, at the lower end of the mountain road. The chosen route, starting at the bridge in the north, not too far from the city, would be lit by lanterns at long intervals, not just on the sledges themselves, and would lead through the woods, the upper stone gate and down the winding mountain road to the festively lit city.
The highly challenging three-day Arendelle Cup would not take place until spring, when the days were longer again and therefore more daylight was available. In midwinter the competition would be far too risky for the participants and then the sea routes would be safer again.
However, Anna had considered a third major competition in compensation for this event and as well as an addition to the children's competitions, which could well take place in one of the next few days. It would be the very first of its kind and would not be feasible without some preparation. However, she not only needed the help of Elsa and her ice magic, but also the active support of some citizens.
Meanwhile, the streets of Arendelle were filled with the singing of vocal societies and choir groups, musicians were happily making music and since new supplies were available, the bakers and confectioners had their hands full making all the necessary treats for Christmas. As usual, the Waffle Brothers fought over who had the best cake and many treats and breads were made privately for the neighbourhood. The traditional Christmas beer was sold and the streets soon smelled of delicious pastries and hot gløgg.
In the meantime, Kristoff had travelled to the farmland with Sven to check on the progress of the building work, as promised. He was pleased to see that everything was almost finished and that the cattle were finally being looked after. This meant that nothing stood in the way of a happy Christmas for the families there.
The fishermen had also had a good catch. The fishing shops in the town were buzzing and lots of fish of all kinds and crabs were passing over the counters.
Olaf also felt in his element, travelling here and there, appearing all over the town, playing with the children he met or reading them stories in the public library.
Mattias and Halima also decorated their house and thought about their own traditions for Yule, which this time finally promised time together with a daughter they loved, albeit an adopted one. So this year they were not only thinking about presents for each other, but also for Elin, who was feeling very happy. Of course, Olaf also came round a few times and tried his hand at painting on canvas for the first time under Elin's guidance.
Anna spent her free time thinking about a special birthday present for Elsa. It would be on the night of the solstice and that was only a few days away. When her sister had left the castle to use her ice magic to create an ice rink for young and old in the city, Anna crept into her room and searched for the jewel that Mattias had received from Honeymaren before the war and had given to Elsa.
She didn't have to search very long, borrowed it and took it to the best jeweller in the city to have it made into a necklace with a pendant and a tasteful box to present it to her as a gift. However, she didn't want to let a hole be drilled in it, but rather have it set in silver. She also wanted to return Honeymaren's gift on the same day, as unnoticed by her sister as possible. She then wanted to finish the necklace herself on her birthday and the surprise would be perfect. Anna hoped that Elsa wouldn't be mad at her for rummaging around in her room without being asked.
~~~
The sisters met up in the city and watched the skating, even joining in for a while themselves.
”Hey, I need your help with a new idea of mine in the next few days, sis,” Anna asked as they walked leisurely back to the castle.
“Of course, Anna. Whatever you need. What idea did you have?” replied Elsa.
“I thought we could organise an Arendelle biathlon, with skiing and archery, just like our ancestors used to hunt, only as a sporting competition, you know? It would be the very first biathlon ever here.”
“Oh, Anna, that's a wonderful idea! So that's what you were planning in your study a few weeks ago. I'm absolutely sure it will create a buzz in the city!”
“Thank you. Well, here's what I had in mind, because it's always so dark during the day now, just like in the old days when you still had to go out hunting in winter to survive. So if you could put your glowing ice crystals on the trees along the route as markers, like on the day we were both looking for Olaf - remember?”
“But yes, how could I ever forget that day. That's no problem at all, have you already chosen a suitable route?”
Over the next hour, they planned everything together, the route, the number of participants, the criteria for the competition and the judges, who would make notes of the shooting results on the straw targets, also the number of these spots and where the final shooting was to take place. In the end, they would both take part themselves and it would be the second competition between them this winter.
The whole thing took finally place just before Christmas Eve and the eight participants, including the sisters, were brought to the starting point by sledge. They followed the planned route and Elsa created her glowing crystals on the trees about every fifty meters. The start time was set and when everyone had put on their skis and strapped the bows with the arrow quivers to their backs, the start signal was given.
It was a silent and beautiful ride through the snow, with only the dipping of the ski poles and the steady grinding sound of the skis to be heard. The group spread out further and further, with Elsa and Anna in the middle of the pack. Half an hour later, the first lantern-lit post came into view. Anna was the first to fire her two arrows, strapped everything back on her back and skied on immediately afterwards. Minutes later it was Elsa's turn, but unfortunately she didn't score as well as expected and hurried to catch up with Anna. From now on it was a relatively steep downhill and she was actually able to gain ground until Anna appeared in front of her. Her sister was pretty sure-footed on her skis, she turned every bend with confidence and used her ski poles from time to time.
At the next station, they both shot almost at the same time and this time it was Anna who had to look after her because Elsa set off faster. At the next two stations, Elsa was well ahead and the city was already in sight. They came down the hill to the south-east of the harbour basin, drove over the narrow bridge above the now frozen waterfall, past the mill and down the mountain road to the castle, for the last arrows in the castle courtyard.
Two competitors had been faster than her and their arrows were already in the targets. This time, Elsa was able to take her time and hit the bullseye. She was then able to watch in peace until the end of the competition. Anna also hit both arrows in the bull's-eye again and approached her with a smile to watch the others with her.
“How do you feel about your presumed final result, Elsa? Are you satisfied with yourself?”
“Not really, because you're simply much better at archery than I am. Well, we'll see, it was exciting anyway, sis. Thank you for this great idea and this new experience.”
Later, everyone met in the square in front of the clock tower, looked at the ice sculptures and finally the participants of all the competitions gathered in front of the judges' table to find out their results. Many of them cheered when they were the winner and the audience clapped every time. Then it was the sisters' turn. Neither of them was among the winners, but Anna at least came second, followed by Elsa in third place. Nevertheless, they hugged and applauded each other.
~~~
Two days later, two ships docked in the harbour. One was from Vakretta with Mitya and family on board, who had travelled to the upcoming Winter Ball and wanted to spend a few wintery, beautiful days in Arendelle. The other one was from Akerselva in the south, below Snoob, with the Baron and Baroness and their son Caspar on board. The Baron of Snoob had also travelled with the Baroness, accompanied by Captain Søren and his wife. Two surprise guests from Snoob were also on board, Kai's brother Karl and his wife Hanna.
The Crocus and the Sunflower had already returned to the naval base days earlier. The crews wanted to spend Christmas Eve with their families. But the captains promised to return with their wives for the Winter Ball, presumably on the day of the Polar Festival. As did the young captain of the Voyager, who was still unmarried.
It was the day of the winter solstice and also Elsa's birthday. Anna was the first to congratulate her at breakfast, followed by Olaf, Kristoff and the castle staff who met her in the following hours. In the festively decorated castle, presents from and for all the staff were already waiting under the Christmas tree in the library, and while Elsa helped with her very own decorations in the castle courtyard in preparation for the Polar Festival, Anna sneaked into her sister's room to get Honeymaren's memento. Shortly afterwards, she finished it off as a pendant on a silver chain in her study with the help of a small pair of pliers. She held it up in front of her and was extremely pleased with the result. Everything fitted perfectly and she could now put the necklace in the box and wrap it all up as a birthday present with a gold-coloured bow around it.
Anna went downstairs and found her sister standing on the steps to the courtyard, pondering over the results of the preparations. She tapped her on the shoulder from behind and Elsa turned round in surprise.
“Come with me, sis. I've got something for you that not everyone needs to see right away,” Anna said mysteriously.
Elsa followed her with a raised eyebrow. When they arrived in the currently empty throne room and went to one of the empty tables there, Anna took out the present and held it out to her sister with both hands.
“Happy birthday again, Elsa. I love you!”
“A present for me instead of a party?” Elsa giggled, but accepted it with a smile. She then carefully unwrapped it, placed the packaging on the table and slowly and expectantly opened the box. However, she hadn't expected the content and her mouth and eyes opened wide in surprise. Then she took the necklace out of its case while Anna took the now empty box from her.
“Oh Anna, that's … I …,” she was speechless. Then she simply hugged her sister tightly. “Thank you, that's so sweet of you and a really extraordinary idea. Why did I never think of it?”
“Now you can always carry something of Maren with you, right above your heart, Elsa. When Kristoff sailed to Weselton, I felt incomplete and terrible. So I know it must be painful to be away from her. But I'm sure that Maren feels the same and misses you very much. But be patient, before you know it a year has passed. And sorry for just rummaging around in your room. But I couldn't ask about it.”
Elsa let go of Anna again, shook her head with a smile in agreement and a small tear rolled down her cheek. Anna stroked it gently and sympathetically, then took the necklace from her hand and placed it around her neck. Elsa looked at the pendant again and her thoughts wandered off into the distance.
“I had a dream about her just a short while ago …”
“You mean the two of you together and at the, erh…”
Elsa giggled, “No, no, not what you think. I saw her in the deep snow, following her people and the reindeer, with only the stars and the bright Northern Lights above her.” Elsa paused and Anna took her in her arms, nodding.
“Come on, let's go outside and put the finishing touches to the festival together.”
~~~
The polar festival was a rotund success and the castle courtyard was full of visitors from the city until after midnight. Unfortunately, there were no Northern Lights to be seen this time, but the atmosphere in the torchlight and lanterns was still very good.
The sisters spent the following Christmas Eve with Kristoff and Olaf in the cosy fireplace room. They told each other stories or read books. Most of the castle staff spent the evening with their families, if they had one, or those of friends. It became quiet everywhere and thick snowflakes began to fall again.
The last big event the sisters were looking forward to would take place in the great throne room after the holidays. The last guests arrived in the morning, including Princess Mari and her father with a small entourage. They had travelled overland and changed for the winter ball in their guest rooms in the early evening. Mari loved the colour purple, so it was no surprise that she wore a pastel, loose-fitting dress in this colour, high-cut to the neck with a white crinoline underneath. Over this was a dark blue stole and a necklace around her neck with a set, faceted amethyst as a pendant, matching the colour of the dress.
Maren and her team had worked hard for Anna and Elsa over the last few days and customised a new ball gown for each of them. With her help and that of a few servants, the sisters now got dressed for the ball.
Anna's floor-length ball gown was a dark green, with deep pleats at the waist and gold-coloured crocus symbols at the hem. Underneath was a crinoline for a narrow bell shape that allowed less underskirts and more legroom for dancing. A tight, low-cut top with semi-sheer, airy sleeves and, starting at the waist, a two-piece V-shaped overskirt that fell in airy waves over the dress underneath and featured gold-coloured, wide embroidery at the hems, with semi-sheer white lining on the inside. It looked truly regal. Anna wore her hair pinned up with her crown on top and a silver necklace with a small blue pendant made of light blue moonstone around her neck.
Elsa's dress was simpler and much more figure-hugging. She didn't like it when her gowns had too many layers and were therefore too warm for her. Nevertheless, for this occasion she preferred a ball gown made of actual fabrics to a dress created with her ice magic. The dress was made of thin fabrics, tailored in several pieces in graduated shades of light blue, with a tight bodice that, transcending the usual conventions, emphasised the bust and hips, then cut out at the front and flowed wide from the knees to the floor. In addition, starting at the waistband from the lower back, an airy train in sky blue spread out in waves to the floor. Apart from the train, almost the entire dress was embroidered with ornaments and decorations in pale gold and silver. Elsa wore her long golden hair loose and Anna's necklace, the pendant of which was hidden in Elsa's cleavage.
When they had finished dressing, they looked at each other with satisfaction in the high mirror in the dressing room.
“Anna, you look simply marvellous!”
“Thank you, sis. Yours is really amazing too and it suits you perfectly … but quite daring. You're guaranteed to get the looks of the evening, I bet. But it doesn't look like you want to dance in it, am I right?”
“You know, Anna, that I'm not particularly good at dancing. I prefer to stay in the background.”
“Well, honestly, staying in the background looks a bit different to me,” laughed Anna.
“Maren, I must say you've made your most beautiful dresses for us so far. They both look simply stunning. You and your team have done a great job and I hope that you will also appear at the ball. I'm sure the guests will have plenty of questions about your masterpieces.”
“Thank you, Your Highness, perhaps we'll join you a little later,” Maren replied and left the room with the other girls just as the large longcase clock struck seven o'clock.
~~~
For the sisters, it was only the third ball including the two after their coronation ceremonies, so it was something special for both of them. They strolled slowly down the grand staircase side by side and promptly attracted a lot of attention from those present. The small hall at the front was occupied by a long table filled with hot and cold dishes to suit the time of year and season. This room was also intended as a retreat from the dancing and loud music, as the evening would surely last until after midnight. The inner doors to the castle courtyard were closed because of the cold, but someone always was outside to open them for guests coming in from the city or the harbour. The cloakroom for the overcoats was conveniently located in one of the two side corridors.
The ballroom slowly filled up and everywhere visitors were chatting in small groups or in pairs while holding plates of sweet pastries or a glass of champagne. Many of them had not seen each other for a whole year or longer and therefore had a lot of news to exchange. There were certainly around sixty ball-goers present, all dressed in their finest clothes for the occasion, and the large hall echoed with their conversations. It took the sisters a while to greet everyone and make their way to the throne platform. Envious glances were cast after them, both by the men and their female companions, especially at Elsa.
Kristoff was already waiting by the podium and his jaw dropped when he saw them both approaching.
“Well, Kristoff, my darling, you're speechless, aren't you?” said Anna with her most beautiful smile.
“You bet, darling. You look simply fantastic. And you Elsa, … um … quite daring … but in a good way, of course,” he added quickly and kissed Anna on the cheek. Elsa grinned.
King Jonas and Princess Mari had been standing a little to one side, but they approached now the three of them to greet them. Both had two glasses of champagne in their hands. Mari handed these to the sisters and her father gave the other to Kristoff. Then they greeted each other and clinked glasses.
“Mari, I don't think I've ever seen you in an evening dress, but you've stayed true to your favourite colour, I really like it on you,” Anna said admiringly and the princess curtseyed to her with a smile.
They then all looked around and enjoyed the good atmosphere in the hall and the scent of chocolate that had spread everywhere.
To the right of them were two tables filled with the best treats Arendelle had to offer, including hot chocolate and a variety of fine drinks. The aroma was too tempting to resist, and the most reticent guests were lured there. Even rare and expensive wines from Albert Monrad's cellar had found their way here, on Kai's advice, due to a lack of available alternatives for the illustrious guests. The sisters didn't like it, but in the end they had no objections, because Kai was the only one who had always looked after the wine stock in the castle cellar, tasting and selecting it. This time there was even a sommelier to advise the guests and pour the wine, which would convince even the most discerning ball guest.
In between, the musicians had set up their instruments, this time even including a piano. They quietly played some traditional melodies, but without being too loud so as not to drown out the conversations in the hall.
However, the time came and Elsa signalled to the musicians to stop playing for Anna's speech. Elsa then flicked her champagne glass a few times with her fingertip and the conversations in the hall gradually fell silent. Everyone now looked forward expectantly to the royal sisters.
“Honoured guests from near and far. I would like to thank you all for coming and wish you all a very merry evening!” She was not the only one to giggle softly and some even applauded. “But before that, I would like to say that my sister and I are extremely pleased and happy that we seem to have overcome the terrible events of the last few months. Not least thanks to the support of all our friendly kingdoms, who have unceremoniously supplied us with everything Arendelle so desperately needed in the way of food for the capital’s habitants and their livestock. I would therefore say that Arendelle is out of the woods and I would like to sincerely thank all of our supporters here today!” She cast a meaningful glance at those addressed.
“But now I wish you lots of fun. The Winter Ball is now officially open, enjoy!”
Anna took Kristoff's champagne glass and handed it and hers to Elsa to put away before hooking up with him and making their way to the centre of the dance floor for the opening waltz. Everyone made way for them and as soon as they were in position the musicians played. Kristoff led Anna across the floor with confident steps. She looked into his eyes with a smile and was pleased to see that his dancing lessons had made a big difference, as he hardly made a mistake and kept the rhythm pretty well. It was really amazing what he had learnt in such a short time, she thought. Elsa hadn't missed it either and she watched them in awe.
More and more people joined them and soon a wide circle of dancers formed on the dance floor. Only a few held back like Elsa, including the guests from Vesterland, Brinnon and the young captain of the Voyager, who didn't find a dance partner for himself, as there were hardly any women present without husbands. He felt a little lost.
“I'm going to have a look round the delicacies,” Mari said to Jonas and Elsa after a few minutes and made her way to the tables.
Baron Macik, who had turned up for the evening in a black tailcoat, was nibbling one of Olina's chocolate pralines and watching the proceedings calmly. As he turned round to shove another one in his mouth, he noticed a steaming pot over a teapot, took the ladle and poured the tempting-smelling hot drink into a cup that was standing next to it.
Princess Mari stood not far from him at the same table and eyed him curiously but unobtrusively as she placed two pieces of krumkake on her plate and poured herself some more champagne. She was unfamiliar with his style of dress and wondered what country this gentleman might be from.
Francis took a cautious sip and let out a loud “Hmm, exquisite!” with relish. He took a deep breath of the aroma emanating from his cup and took another sip. Then he noticed Mari's amused eyes on him.
“Excuse my behaviour, but I've never drunk anything like this before. What's the name of this delicious beverage?”
Mari had to smile. “It's gløgg, our traditional Christmas drink for cold days,” she replied, taking a step closer to him. “But the way it smells, this one is quite strong and made with Akevitt, so you'd better not drink too much of it. It's usually served with pepperkaker, our traditional gingerbread biscuits, which are on the plate right next to it.”
“I really must take a few bottles of this with me before I sail back.”
“Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?”
“How rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Francis Macik, fifth Baron of Lackshirewood, a beautiful stretch of land in Brinnon. And with whom do I have the honour, pretty lady?” he said, smiling at her.
She considered whether she should make herself officially known and whether this gentleman would then perhaps be more reserved towards her. At the moment, he seemed to be quite open towards her. Let's see where this conversation would lead.
“I'm Mari from Vesterland.”
“Vesterland? Is that a long way from Arendelle?
“No, not at all, it's just half a day's journey from here near the Arenfjord, a region with many forests and nature.”
“That sounds like you're a nature lover. Are there lots of butterflies there in summer?”
Mari was a little surprised by his interest in these little creatures. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, I've been collecting and studying them for many years.”
“How can you collect butterflies? What do you mean by that? You don't kill these beautiful insects, do you?”
How stupid of me; Francis thought to himself, did he have to blurt this out in front of someone who obviously loves animals? He quickly explained the purpose of the whole thing, that he was just an amateur researcher for a society in Brinnon and only did this scientifically and only when he had discovered a new species.
Mari nodded cautiously and thoughtfully. “We even have a large animal sanctuary that actually belongs to Arendelle, so I'd be careful about mentioning your research in front of the queen. If you like, I can show you around Arendelle and its surroundings.”
“Thanks for the tip. I'll be happy to take you up on your kind offer in the next few days.” He thought about it for a moment and asked, “But first, may I ask you for the next dance?”
“Why not, it's a ball after all.”
~~~
Anna and Kristoff had finished their dance and the musicians were already playing something new and lively. They rejoined Elsa, next to whom King Jonas was still standing, but he seemed to be distracted by something.
She followed his gaze while saying to Kristoff, “You've become quite good at dancing, darling. We should … oh, look.” She gave him a light peck and spoke more quietly now, “Mari must have just met our baron from Brinnon!”
When they arrived at the throne platform, Jonas was just asking Elsa, “Do you know the gentleman Mari is dancing with, Your Highness?”
“That's Baron Macik from Brinnon, he's here to establish trade relations and enjoy the winter in Arendelle. Apparently he's a great cloth merchant, but he's also a member of the Brinnon parliament and probably has good relations with Queen Valorai,” Elsa explained.
“I've never been to this kingdom, how can I imagine?”
“Well, I haven't been there myself, but Anna has. She told me about a very modern country that even runs a railway line across the country and has a large fleet of sailing ships. Brinnon seems to be a very powerful kingdom.”
Jonas began to ponder the possibilities for Vesterland and, apart from thanking Elsa, said nothing more for the time being.
Anna whispered in her sister's ear what would happen if Mari took a little more interest in Francis over the next few days. Elsa nodded and whispered, “Maybe, he would definitely be a good match for her. Let's wait and see, but please don't be too nosy in the near future. Mari will be fine.”
~~~
---
Remark: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you liked the story, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms. If you want to be tagged as soon I publish the next chapter please let me know, except you are already tagged :-)
Note: The next and last chapter of "The Broken Bridge" is in the works and already half written. Together with the epilogue and my last words i hope i can post it in about two weeks.
Announcement: The Broken Bridge will soon come to its end.
For the next and final two chapters, I have created many edits and based on them, commissioned some posters from the wonderful @snowflaketale12 especially for this post.
About tough decisions to use the right music track to a specific scene
Not all readers of "The Broken Bridge" listen to the hand-selected music tracks for my scenes(*), but I want to go into a little more detail in this particular post so you can see how much effort can go into just one scene.
As you may know, HeinrichVSA, my beta reader and friend, and I work closely together to select certain music tracks. I write and he finds the music tracks that I end up choosing to use. It's not always easy, because on the one hand the length has to fit the scene and on the other hand it has to support the mood as perfectly as possible. I listen to the music while I read the scene at the same time, checking whether the dynamics match certain actions precisely and then I determine the sentence in the story where exactly the music should start. A perfect result would be if the track stops exactly at the end of the scene and the dynamics in it can emphasise certain actions. This doesn't always work, but sometimes it is desirable for the music to cover several scenes.
I can't use many titles simply because they involve singing or speaking, or because there is clapping from the audience at the end. This distracts from reading. So far I've only used two songs with vocals in "The Broken Bridge", but only as bonus tracks at the end of the chapters. With the exception of titles where the vocals are untranslatable and part of the music (Sámi Joik, for example). Watch a film and see how the score is used in certain scenes to heighten the drama, then you'll understand what I mean.
In the last chapter, "Corona", I wanted you not only to read about Fabian's joy at being back home and reliving a childhood memory, but to literally feel his emotions. Everyone knows the scene in Tangled where Rapunzel dances with joy in the square in front of the church and draws other people around her into it. In my opinion, it's one of the best scenes in the film and I love this song.
My only problem with it was how to integrate the relatively short song into the already written scene in such a way that it both emphasises Fabian's thoughts and feelings on the way through the town and ends exactly when the dance is over. The increasing speed of the dance also had to fit in as closely as possible with what had already been written.
So I started looking for alternatives over the next few days after finishing the chapter. Some YouTubers extended the song, but either it lost its original dynamics, or you could hear too clearly where the song was edited or it was simply extended in the wrong place. There were also two very well-made remakes from fans to choose from, but either just as short as the original (2 min 20) or unfortunately with adverts at the end. In the end, I decided in favour of an extremely well-made extended version that met all my criteria.
(*)
Many Frozen fans on Tumblr don't read fanfics on a computer, but on their smartphone. Tumblr unfortunately has the stupid habit of simply stopping embedded songs in posts when you read with the app. This doesn't happen if you read my chapters in the blog on a laptop, for example.
Here are the songs from Tangled Fans that I sorted out, but which are still great:
Heinrich's 1st choice, the Tavern Edition:
My find, as a violin duet, unfortunately with adverts for more of their videos at the end:
My previous favourite to use song in the chapter, 16 seconds longer than the original, but still extended in the wrong place:
And an alternative track that would have worked in theory, but was unfortunately too long and had applause at the end:
The remaining alternatives with edited originals are only given here as links:
youtube.com/watch?v=d6o9u0a3GJ8 (Kingdom dance (extended, doubled and tripled chorus))
youtube.com/watch?v=81GocqvwTMg (Kingdom Dance crossover with "How To Train Your Dragon" at the end)
Someone even came up with the idea of editing this track for a real dance with a length of 4:02, but the dynamics are totally lost in the process: youtube.com/watch?v=cGnhmA3BNbI
The following were also up for selection:
youtube.com/watch?v=VI-JynUarrs (Rapunzel's Exordium by Frostudio Chambersonic)
youtube.com/watch?v=sMCwW0TcBYk (Reels, irish dance music, good but far too long)
youtube.com/watch?v=u9veEEnax-k (Reels traditional, by Katie Grennan, same as above)
youtube.com/watch?v=tIQjHeMYBfg (Slip Jigs, by Katie Grennan, too long, wrong instruments for the scene)
and a few others
This one is funny for the dance performance starting at 4:19 (Apollo's Fire - O'Carolan Dance scene), but too long as well, laughing in the audience plus applause and too slow over all: youtube.com/watch?v=1OD4jAOp5So
youtube.com/watch?v=givlwY9d9UQ (animated movie excerpt, but sadly with spoken words in it)
Last find for the Tangled fans here, a video with animated Corona scenes for relaxing Tangled music to study & relax, with a length of nearly one hour!
Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar
Rating: M over all
Publishing cycle: around every 2-3 weeks
Remarks: all my chapters contain carefully selected music tracks (try to use headphones). It’s your own decision if you want to use them or not while reading. The purpose is to musically support the respective mood of the plot. If you can please use a browser for reading (not the Tumblr app) due to the text formatting and music.
Not much seemed to have changed; Fabian thought to himself as he walked through the narrow streets of Corona, glancing up at the castle repeatedly. At least some of the high towers with the onion domes were always visible from almost anywhere in the city, making it easier to find the way there. The sun was high and the domes shone in their bright green colour. Some of the castle's side extensions looked so impossibly cramped that you couldn't help but wonder what the rooms behind them looked like. Did anyone live there at all or were they just rooms for storing precious things, with a small window for a view of the city below and to let in some light?
Fabian had never been to the castle himself, not even on the days of civic occasions, for regular audiences with their Majesties or simply for court hearings and other official occasions. However, today would be the very first time this would change for him and he was already quite excited and curious at the thought of it. He walked on slowly and curiously, taking in the impressions of the city and refreshing his memories.
Here in Corona, no two houses were the same and almost without exception they were all lovingly decorated, had specially shaped windows and front doors and some roofs were covered with tiles while others were elaborately decorated with several layers of thatch and often a small turret in between. In the lower part of the town, where he was currently standing, the buildings were mostly lower, usually with shops of various kinds inside and offering at most one storey above. Further up the hill and on the right-hand side of the island, there were buildings with up to three levels and wider streets, as far as he could remember.
The further Fabian progressed into the town, the busier it became and he often struggled to find his way among all the people. Many of them were carrying their shopping home or were at work in front of the shops, florists lined the paths and offered all kinds of flowers, plants and herbs on artistically crafted carts or in front of the shop windows. Fabian couldn't help but inhale the beguiling scent. The noise level also increased the further he progressed. Laughing children ran towards him, mothers often followed with loud admonishing voices and raised index fingers and, last but not least, the unmistakable music of flutes, lutes, violins and drums once again cast a spell over him.
An old memory suddenly appeared before his inner eye and he saw himself as a child standing with his father in the large market square, with the round fountain in the centre, cheering and clapping to the musicians, even dancing with the other children. That must be where the music was coming from and he followed the sounds in a sudden rush. Above him, garlands of flowers hung down over the street and colourful pennants with Corona's emblem, the sun. He knew this song and would not miss out on the coming experience for the world.
Fabian remembered and now knew exactly where he was going and where to turn. Then he had reached the place where the musicians were playing, but it was not the market square with the fountain on it, but the semi-circular square in front of the church, on which the oversized sun symbol was emblazoned with white cobblestones.
It was almost like back then and he watched with great joy as many people danced and jumped to the sounds of the music in a circle around the sun symbol, while the spectators all around clapped their hands rhythmically. It was a moment of pure joy and Fabian couldn't help but clap along loudly, smiling ear to ear. The next moment, for some unknown reason, he had caught the attention of two young female dancers and, laughing, they pulled him into the circle of dancers. It was a good thing that he had observed their dance steps carefully and, in the end, his training as a fencer probably helped him too; he thought as he joined the circle and danced along. The rhythm pulled him with it and at some point all the dancers raised their hands in the air and clapped to the increasing speed of the music.
Fabian felt free and at home, clapping and jumping around the circle with people he didn't even know and didn't want to stop, it was so much fun. Then the dance got even faster. The dancers ran and jumped through the circle of the sun below them and pulled him along with them, laughing. He couldn't help it and tried to keep up as best he could. The clapping above their heads grew louder and louder. Fabian spun around on his own axis and left no doubt about his joy. The joyful faces that gazed back at him as he spun around even intensified the great feeling inside him. The dance finally ended with loud applause and cheers and many of the dancers even hugged each other afterwards.
When Fabian finally caught his breath, he wondered and hoped at the same time that this hadn't been a dance competition. He laughed out loud at himself as he walked on, but this time to the fountain he remembered. Exhausted, he sat down on the edge, dipped his hands in the cool water and slapped his sweaty face. He still had a broad smile on his lips, which some of the bystanders also returned.
Fabian wondered what would have become of him if he hadn't had to flee back then, if this unspeakable incident with his father's death had never happened. Of course, he wouldn't be alive today anyway, but would he have joined in the dance just now or at least clapped enthusiastically to him? Fabian's expression had changed back at these thoughts and instead showed thoughtfulness. His gaze wandered around and finally caught on a nearby mural. It showed a happy-looking young woman with an equally young man beside her, and standing behind them were King Frederic and Queen Ariana with their hands on their shoulders.
Was this the missing member of the royal family? Fabian remembered a day that was repeated every year and on which the king and his wife had ordered thousands of lanterns to be released into the sky at night. If Fabian was not mistaken, this was supposed to be a sign for their daughter so that she could find her way home again one day. So that there on the wall had to be the missing Rapunzel and apparently she had found her way back to her parents after all. Fabian nodded to himself. If he was lucky, he would be facing her in the castle today.
His stomach grumbled and reminded him at that moment that he hadn't eaten very much during the days on the ship. Moreover, it was no comparison to the food here in Corona. He somehow missed that flavour and even Arendelle couldn't offer him that, the two kingdoms were too different when it came to culinary delights. He looked around and tried to remember the way to a good tavern. But his steps surprisingly led him straight to the Brotherhood's fencing school
Why the heck did I end up here of all places; he asked himself and looked around in alarm. Being discovered and recognised now would not be very helpful, quite the opposite. He walked quickly into the next best alleyway and a good distance further on. However, this path led away from his destination, the royal palace. Fabian was about to turn back or look for another route when a very familiar scent wafted around his nose. He followed it and finally stood in front of what he had been looking for — the tavern. Without much hesitation, he entered and sat down at a free table. Now, at lunchtime, the place should be more crowded, but he had ended up in the east of the city, away from the busy parts of Corona.
Fabian shrugged his shoulders, took the menu that the landlord offered him as he walked past and took the opportunity to order a drink whose flavour he could barely remember — a cold beer. Then he read through the menu and came across a dish that made his mouth water. He ordered sausages with sauerkraut and a portion of grilled pork. While he waited, he looked around. It was a little dark in here but not uncomfortable. Only a few guests were present and he avoided eye contact with them.
Shortly afterwards, the landlord had two plates in his hands, one of which he placed next to Fabian and the other next to a guest at the next table. The aroma wafting towards Fabian was spicy and he guessed it was the chilli dish that was on the menu with a little warning. Well, let's see how that turns out, he grinned to himself.
As he savoured the first few bites of his delicious meal, he heard a startled gasp next to him. Fabian had been right in his assumption, because the other guest was waving air into his wide-open mouth with both hands, panting loudly and his face was bright red. His ears seemed to be burning up and the next moment he drained his tankard of beer in one go. Then, waving desperately at the innkeeper, he croaked for another glass of beer.
“Perhaps you'd better eat dry bread to counteract the spiciness,” Fabian half whispered, “and don't drink anything liquid. That just makes it worse, you know?” Then he had to laugh out loud at the astonished face this guest made, quickly changing his order and asking for half a loaf of bread instead.
One table over, another guest's head whipped round and searched the room for the source of the laughter, as Fabian noticed out of the corner of his eye, but thought nothing of it and continued to eat in peace.
“You! I know you!” suddenly said a dark, powerful voice in front of his table.
Fabian looked up in astonishment and found himself face to face with the person whose attention he had just caught.
“Oh yeah?” Fabian replied after swallowing his bite.
Both stared at each other inquiringly and thoughtfully for a moment and while an evil grin stole into the face opposite him, which was adorned with an old, long scar, it slowly dawned on Fabian and he realised with horror who was standing in front of him. He knew him only too well from his nightmares! This guy was none other than his father's murderer, whose face Fabian was able to mark with a swipe of his sword tip at the very last moment before he escaped with his mate. Fabian was unable to run after them at the time due to his leg injury, but this memory, which had tormented him for decades, now returned in one fell swoop with elemental force.
Fabian slowly stood up and the next moment the other man had a long dagger in his hand, grinning slyly. At the last moment, Fabian was able to dodge the thrust, grabbed the mug of beer in the process and slammed the glass with full force against his opponent's temple. He collapsed with a disappointed, loud cry and in the next moment Fabian was already standing over him and kicked him with the tip of his boot, right in the attacker's face.
He was about to grab the dagger to finish the job once and for all, but his opponent was still quick and alert enough to kick his weapon under the table out of Fabian's reach and scramble up.
A fierce fistfight broke out between the two in the moments that followed. Fabian landed a targeted and brutal blow on his nose, which cracked loudly. Next, he felt the kick of one of his opponent's boots in his privates as he fell over backwards and the fountain of blood from his broken nose sprayed into his face. Fabian groaned, the other guest fled in a hurry and the landlord shouted at both of them.
However, neither of them had realised that three royal guardsmen had been at the back of the room and were now pressing the brawlers to the floor with all the force they could muster. They had appeared out of nowhere and both of them were both extremely surprised and deeply disappointed. Both could not finish the job and now found themselves in the custody of the royal guard.
When Fabian and the other man were finally interrogated in the castle, which was not entirely without blows to the face, the young captain of the guard joined them. He held a wanted poster in his hand, which he now held under Fabian's nose with sparkling eyes.
“We've finally caught you! After so many years,” he said proudly to Fabian. “You'll be put in our deepest dungeon for life! This is the last daylight you'll see,” he added gloatingly. Then he turned to the other prisoner, “And as for you, you'll end up in a cell and be interrogated until you can credibly tell us what it was all about down in the tavern and why he smashed his beer glass in your face and then kicked you! There must be a good reason for that and don't you dare lie to us, because we'll soon find out the truth.”
~~~
At the same time, a lone rider arrived at the palace gates and caused a bit of a commotion among the guards who were on patrol there.
As the tall rider dismounted from his young stallion, a guard from the royal house came running towards him.
“Good evening, commander. We didn't expect to see you again so soon. Was your mission successful?”
“Yes, there will be no further difficulties with the merchant guild, provided they keep their word to regulate the prices of goods in the city in future. However … was there anything urgent at the palace during my absence? Does Her Majesty require my presence in the throne room immediately?”
“No, we have received no such message from Her Majesty, but …,” the guard appeared somewhat nervous and was noticeably hesitant to continue with his report.
“What is it, lieutenant? Judging by your face, there was an incident while I was away, right? I can smell something like that.”
“Indeed, commander. Something has happened in fact. The recently appointed Captain Ernst has thrown us into quite a turmoil. Two hours ago, some of our men arrested two people who were fighting in a tavern.”
“So what? What's so special about that? When people fight in the Snuggly Duckling Pub, it's not a surprise, it's perfectly normal.” He shook his head reprovingly. “Ernst should know well enough by now that such cases are all too common in this establishment,” the veteran adjutant added coldly.
“You're certainly right, sir, except that this incident didn't happen there, but in the middle of our city centre. The main problem with this matter is that one of these two men appears to be a former refugee of our kingdom. Captain Ernst has therefore assigned two guards to search the archives for wanted letters from the last 20 years, and indeed he can be found in the files; such a person was probably involved in a deadly duel back then. But as if that wasn't enough, the accused claims to be an ambassador from Arendelle - he even wants an audience with Queen Rapunzel!”
The old man turned pale. “Where are Captain Ernst and this supposed Arendellean diplomat now? Take me to them immediately.”
“In the interrogation room, please follow me.”
~~~
Fabian received a slap in the face from the young captain because he could only answer the same thing over and over again.
But before the captain could continue, another commanding voice sounded behind him, “That's enough, you hothead!”
He was undoubtedly referring to the young captain and pushed him aside.
Fabian couldn't believe who he suddenly had before him, but didn't let on.
“I know this man and would put my hand in the fire for him at any time. If there's anything he's guilty of, I'll find out personally. The accusation on the wanted poster is long gone, because the perpetrator was caught years ago and died in the process. Have you forgotten, Captain, or didn't you check the records personally? Furthermore, a foreign ambassador is protected by royal decree, he can't be arrested nor be processed by any means. Now, by my position at the Royal Council, I demand you to set free this man at once!” Then he looked disparagingly at the other prisoner. “You can lock this one up for interrogation later. One more thing, Ernst, you and I will have a serious conversation about this incident and the lack of your performance in this situation.”
The men of the guard saluted him and followed his instructions without a word, only the young captain hung his head in disappointment, nodded and pushed the prisoner very roughly in front of him.
Fabian and he looked after them and then Fabian's shackles were released with the words, “What are you doing here after all this time in Corona, fencing boy?”
Fabian raised his eyebrows because he hadn't heard that nickname for a long time.
“I'm on a very important mission on the direct orders of the Queen of Arendelle, horse tamer,” he replied with a grin, using an equally elegant nickname and pulling a sealed letter out of his boot, which he waved in front of his old childhood friend's face.
“So that's where you've been all these years, I see. I wouldn't have thought of that, I thought you were dead instead. Apparently you made yourself there though, if you have contact with the queen there.”
Fabian nodded, stood up and gave his old friend a pat on the shoulder, “I wouldn't have believed I'd ever come here again either.” Fabian told him what the job was about and how it came about. “But tell me, how is it that you can deal with the captain of the guard like that?”
“Oh, that's a long story. Just this much, I held that position myself for years until it became too strenuous for me at my age. Now I've been promoted to royal adjutant, I'm subject to the direct orders of Their Majesties and my word is just as good on their behalf as if they were giving the orders themselves. But wash your face first. You can't go under the eyes of the Queen like this. Follow me.”
They continued talking in the castle staff washroom while Fabian wiped the blood from his face.
“Didn't you once have a wild horse called Maximus? What happened to him?”
“Unfortunately, my faithful friend is no longer alive, but he has a very lively colt and has passed on his best qualities to him. He's still too young for the hard training, but I love this horse. I call him Magnus now.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't know that.”
“How could you, you've been away for how long now, fencing boy? Thirty years or more?”
Fabian nodded.
“We should keep in touch in the future. What's it like in Arendelle? I heard from rumors. It's supposed to be very nice there in summer. Maybe I'll come and visit you with my daughter one day,” he said as they left the room.
“You have a daughter?” Fabian blurted out, visibly surprised.
“Adopted daughter, and now grown up, to be precise. Her name is Cassandra.”
“I can see that a lot has happened in my absence. You need to tell me everything in peace and quiet, and yes, I would really love a visit from both of you. Arendelle is indeed very beautiful, especially the high mountains there. But the old and beautiful memories of Corona have almost overwhelmed me today. I miss my home so much, to be honest.”
“Maybe we can go to the castle gardens later or somewhere else for a beer or two. Then we can catch up on some news, can't we?”
“I'd love to, my friend. I have something very important to tell you about the other prisoner in particular. But before that, I would like an audience with the queen, if possible. I'm a bit nervous about my history, though.”
“You don't need to worry about that any more. Not even about the Brotherhood, who withdrew their accusation after a witness who knew your father well and knew you were his son turned up. He witnessed the fight and exonerated you by credibly confirming that you acted in pure self-defence. The death of one of the attackers caused by you was in the heat of the moment and was therefore not a deliberate murder, he said. It's just a pity that you fled afterwards to an unknown destination and we couldn't tell you about it now that I know.”
Fabian sighed audibly and his relief was clear to see. The former captain patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. “Follow me to the throne room, I'll announce you with Queen Rapunzel and you can now meet her without any worries.”
He was back a short time later. “She's expecting you now, Fabian.” This was the first time he had addressed him by his real name, but he was deep in thought and didn't even notice.
Instead, he asked, “What's she like? Down in the city, I saw a mural of her when she was young, with her parents and—”
“—her husband and saviour, Eugene Fitzherbert,” his friend added with a smile. Well, she had an eventful past and has matured a lot since she reappeared in Corona as the daughter of the old regents, which was on the morning of the annual Lantern Night. She also had quite a turbulent time afterwards as a newly minted princess, but now she has two children, a son and a daughter, who have even been to Arendellle for the young queen's coronation.” He interrupted briefly, “Well, you'll meet her yourself in a moment and I'll see you afterwards. Good luck with your mission.”
Fabian entered the enormous hall and walked slowly and with dignified steps towards one of the two thrones, the other was empty. In the background, he could see several men of the bodyguard in splendid uniforms. He bowed deeply to the queen and inclined his head before speaking, “Your Majesty, as your adjutant has no doubt already explained, I am Master Fabian from Arendelle on behalf of Queen Anna.”
“Welcome to Corona, Master Fabian. Rise to your feet. How can I help you?”
~~~
Far north of Arendelle, in the Northuldra region…
A small sailing ship with a small crew and Yelana on board dropped anchor off the southern sandy beach. Also on board were the Arendelle's master builders, who had the royal commission to inspect the Norting building and meet with the descendants of the builders to rebuild it in Arendelle.
A small dinghy ferried the group of three across and Yelana led them past the four monoliths, illuminated by the afternoon sun, and into the camp. Neither of the two men, who were loaded down with measuring equipment, had ever been to this area before, but of course they knew all the stories about it. They stopped briefly at the tall stones with the symbols of the four elements and looked up in awe. The uncovered fifth monolith, whose actual mass was deep underground and only showed its smooth upper side, also attracted their attention. In the meantime, a wooden fence had been erected around it so that nobody, especially children, would accidentally fall into the pit and nobody would think of entering it.
There was something striking about the fifth monolith that the two men didn't quite understand: in contrast to the snow-covered surroundings, its surface was clear and dry. It seemed to radiate warmth that immediately melted away the fresh snow. Yelana explained its meaning, making the connection to the nature spirits clear and thus also to Elsa, the fifth spirit.
“We've heard a lot about it, including the four nature spirits. Is there any chance that we will see them? We've already seen the water horse Nokk when Arendelle was rescued, but not the fire and wind spirits, let alone one of the earth giants,” asked one of them on the way to the camp, looking around with interest.
“There's no guarantee of that,” she replied, “certainly not for the earth giants, but maybe Bruni, the fire spirit, who often helps us with the firelight in winter, will turn up.”
“What do they actually look like, these earth giants, how big are they?” asked the other.
Yelana had to laugh, “Terrifyingly big and so heavy that you can hear their footsteps and feel them in the ground before you even see them.”
A little later, they reached the first huts. Yelana was greeted and surrounded, beaming with joy. She explained the purpose of their being here, introduced them to the master builders of Arendelle and asked that the two old Northuldra master builders come to the norting house later for a chat.
“Yelana, will you stay with us? Since you and Honeymaren left, our people have been without leadership,” said one of the Northuldra and others echoed his sentiment.
Yelana pondered, for this was indeed a valid question.
“Let me think about it in peace. I'll let you know later at dinner.” Then she continued on her way to the secluded meeting place.
The two master builders were very impressed by the construction and the almost magical sight. They talked and gesticulated, then one of them took out his sketchbook and began to draw, while the other made comments and pointed out certain details. Yelana found herself somewhat superfluous, they were already so engrossed in their work, but as soon as her own masters arrived she would leave and go back to camp.
She pondered the question from earlier. Actually, there was nothing wrong with her staying here for a few months. She would help with the planning of the new building in an advisory capacity, but construction couldn't begin until spring anyway, if not later. The new royal council also had to be formed first, so she had no official duties in Arendelle at the moment. Besides, winter had only just begun and would last for several months. The two Arendellians could sail back on their own and she didn't need many personal items that weren't already in her travelling bag. She got everything she needed from her people.
She was leading the master builders inside the building when the two elderly Northuldra men appeared. She introduced them all and then said goodbye, telling them that dinner would be served soon and that she would organise a hut for them to sleep in in the meantime. Everything was now underway and her plan for Arendelle seemed to be taking shape. Yelana was satisfied.
In the camp, she called some people to her and announced that she had decided to stay here for a few months. Everything else would follow. She also learnt on this occasion that the reindeer had recently moved to lichen meadows. Yelana suggested that perhaps they should also explore the eastern region for new grazing grounds, after all, they were no longer trapped under a magical bell of fog.
Everyone was happy to hear the good news and agreed to her suggestion. Finally, Yelana took possession of her old kota again and threw her personal belongings inside before sitting down by one of the cooking fires and relaxed.
~~~
Anna became increasingly anxious and could hardly concentrate on her daily duties after she and her sister returned from Vesterland. There was still no news from the dispatch rider who had been tasked with finding out Kristoff's whereabouts. Kristoff had never behaved like this before and that could only mean one thing - that something must have happened to him.
Elsa couldn't comfort her any more than Olaf could, and even Olina's chocolate couldn't cheer Anna up. Hadn't someone once claimed that chocolate would make you happy? Anna was far from it and paced up and down her study, restless and brooding.
She reviewed the last three days. First, as Mari had promised, four supply wagons arrived with provisions for humans and animals. After everything had been distributed, the sisters sat together in the evening and read Lord Peterssen's diary. It was a fascinating read, but they left most of it aside and focussed mainly on preparing for the conversation with King Jonas. They saved the rest of the diary for later, as time was pressing.
Peterssen's handwriting was pleasant, accurate and detailed, which said a lot about his character. His records went back to King Runeard's time, including mention of Vesterland and his plans to involve that kingdom in the financing of his dam project. But the Southern Isles and the royal house of Westergaard were also mentioned. There he wrote about facts and rumours of the time, as well as the king's marriage plans for his sons. Hans had not yet been born at the time, but some of his older brothers were already married or engaged to princesses from other kingdoms.
Peterssen drew conclusions about the kingdom's expansion plans in preparation for possible trade relations and to inform his king in good time of possible dangers and political entanglements. Anna and Elsa also learnt about Rudi Westergaard and consulted another book from the library, which contained information on other kingdoms. They looked at each other in amazement. Apparently this Rudi was the only one besides Hans who had not yet married. He was also not considered to be particularly intelligent and King Jonas certainly didn't want someone like that on his daughter's side.
The next day, they travelled with Mari to Vesterland. The talks with her father went quite well with the help of this information and the descriptions of their personal experiences with the Westergaard royal house, and King Jonas promised to give them serious thought. He had also promised to come to Arendelle's winter ball with Mari. All in all, the sisters were quite pleased with themselves and Mari thanked them warmly with a big hug.
That had been yesterday and now Anna had time to think about other things again and couldn't help but be very worried about her Kristoff.
There was a knock and she rushed to the door to open it. Surprisingly, Kai was standing in front of her and she could only stare at him for seconds in surprise. He looked rested and smiled at her, completely relaxed. Kai must have only returned from Snoob in the last few minutes, Anna surmised. Then she simply took him into her arms in an unkempt manner, casting a worried glance left and right into the corridor. But there was no sign of Kristoff.
Kai stiffened at this extremely unusual greeting from his queen and cleared his throat.
“Your Majesty, … er … is something wrong?”
Anna let go of him and shook her head. Then she invited him in and closed the door behind him.
Once they were both seated, she said, “I'm so glad you're back, Kai. To be honest, I've missed you. But please don't think wrongly about it now, because you really deserved your holiday with your family. But tell me, do you know where Kristoff is? He didn't come with you, did he? Did something happen to him in Snoob?” Anna looked at him worriedly.
Kai shook his head in amazement. “Isn't he here already? I thought that after he travelled on to the royal naval base on the advice of the Baron of Snoob, he should have been back by now. A messenger from Arendelle was in Snoob yesterday morning and also enquired after him. He followed his travel route.”
Anna replied in the negative and shared her concerns with Kai.
“It will be all right, Your Maj … er, Anna. What could happen to him there, or on the way there. He was probably just delayed and is already travelling back with the messenger. Do not worry.”
Anna nodded, “I'm sure you're right, but still, it's so unlike him to keep me in the dark all this time.” She paused for a moment and realised that it was actually a bit rude to Kai to just ask him about Kristoff. “What do you have to tell? I'm curious, how are Karl and his wife — what's her name?”
“Hanna,” he replied, “they're both doing really well.”
“Oh yes … her name almost sounds like mine, how could I have forgotten that,” she said with a soft giggle, “and what else have you been up to?”
Kai talked about long conversations, the pleasant atmosphere in Snoob, even while Kristoff was still there, before he left after the talks with the Baron, long walks and the refreshing of old memories in his homeland. In the end, he told Anna about the outcome of the talks with the baron about the candidates for the new royal council.
“That sounds very promising, Kai. Thank you for your efforts and I'm also pleased that you had such a pleasant time with the family. You look refreshed.”
“Thank you, Anna, it was—,” he began, as someone knocked energetically.
“Come in,” Anna said and stood up expectantly.
It was the messenger, who bowed low as he entered, but left the door open. Anna began to hope and expected to see Kristoff at any moment, but then why had the messenger knocked and not him and left the door open? Except … Anna turned pale.
“Your Majesty, I have just returned and can bring you the following report. Your fiancé, Kristoff Bjorgmann, arrived safely at the naval base, but he left the peninsula on a ship. After that, his trail was lost and I could not be informed of his destination due to a lack of written instructions from you. Unfortunately, despite my assurances, I was refused this information. I'm sorry.”
Anna could say no more than, “I see…”
Then he bowed again and left the study. This time, however, he closed the door behind him.
“What the …,” she began, but then changed her mind because of Kai's presence, who had also got up and was now looking at her very sadly.
“Would you please leave me alone, Kai? I need to think. Oh, and please send Elsa to me when you see her, but there's no hurry.”
“Very well,” he said and left her study with an understanding nod.
~~~
Three days later …
The first ship to moor in Arendelle's harbour was the ARN Voyager. Elsa and Anna made their way to the harbour to meet Master Fabian in person. Both were quite curious to see if he had been successful and what else he had to report about Corona. After all, it had been a while since they had been in contact with this kingdom.
Fabian's news was extremely positive and Voyager's cargo hold was filled to the brim. Reason to celebrate. They invited him to the castle for dinner and a cosy evening in the fireside lounge. He obviously had a lot to tell them and they were both eager to learn more.
“You look different somehow, Fabian,” Anna realised. “I can't put my finger on it, but the way you talked about your old home, the almost rapturous descriptions—,” she left the sentence open.
Fabian exchanged glances with both sisters, who were sitting cosily on the sofa in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate. He had made himself comfortable on an upholstered chair near the fire so that he could look them both in the eye as he spoke.
“Well, it's true, the visit to Corona has changed me in some ways after such a long absence and … well …,” he paused a little before continuing, “I miss my old home very much and since an old matter was finally resolved there, I'm seriously considering whether I should return.”
The sisters were silent for a few moments and just looked at him.
“We would miss you dearly, Fabian,” Elsa finally said, “but I can understand your feelings.”
Anna nodded, “That's true. But tell me, what old thing were you talking about? I mean … I don't want to be too nosy and you don't need to tell us about it … um.”
Elsa giggled, “You bet you're nosy, Anna!”
“Sorry,” Anna grinned back.
Fabian waved her off, “No problem. I'm so relieved about it myself and to be honest, it was me who was mistaken.”
Then he began to tell his long story and the sisters, who hadn't known nothing about it before, hung on his every word. It ended up being a long and satisfying evening full of surprises for everyone.
~~~
The following morning, another ship arrived in the harbour. An elegant schooner brig headed for the berth right next to the Voyager, which would be completely unloaded today. Nobody knew this ship and it looked as if it had just come from the shipyard, with brightly shining sails, a long, waving banner with the crocus symbol on it and a hull that had certainly not often seen the seas. Curious onlookers formed on the quay wall, some pointing their fingers as they chatted with their companions and some even waved to the deck crew. Eyes were squinted to recognise the ship's name. ARN Draba was an unusual name for many and undoubtedly the newest ship in the Arendelles Royal Fleet.
Commands rang out on deck and the sailors hurried to carry out the orders. Slowly the Draba glided closer and when she was moored, a blond mop of hair appeared at the railing with the antlers of a reindeer beside him. Next, a wagon was hoisted over it and the gangway lowered.
Only minutes later, Anna had also been informed of the arrival by Kai in her study. She was almost on her way to the dining room to have breakfast with Elsa, but stopped in the middle of the room. While Kai left again, she was confusingly torn between two completely contradictory feelings. On the one hand it was a great relief that Kristoff was still alive and would probably be knocking on the door any minute now, and on the other, anger that he had let her down so badly and caused her so much worry without a single bit of news.
She clenched her fists and slowly the second feeling took over. Anger was building up inside her. Should Kristoff come to her himself, she would not run into him this time. Anna was eager to hear his excuses and at the same time extremely curious as to where he had actually been all this time. Had he simply come on board for the ship's maiden voyage? Had he not given a single moment's thought to the consequences of his actions?
It was another half an hour before there was finally a knock. Anna, who was now sitting back in her armchair with an annoyed expression, recognised him by the way he knocked and instead of simply saying 'Come in' she walked slowly to the door and finally yanked it wide open. It was indeed Kristoff and his broad grin vanished instantly when he saw Anna's annoyed face. He carefully entered without taking his eyes off her.
Anna slammed the door behind him so loudly that he was startled and visibly flinched. Anna slowly stepped towards him, pleased with his reaction and the look on his face, until he had to back away a little and slumped into the armchair in front of the table.
~~~
Nobody slammed any doors in Arendelle Castle, especially not at this time of day! Elsa flinched just as she was about to shove a spoonful of boiled egg into her mouth and the yolk dripped down onto the table.
The sound seemed to have come from above. Elsa stood up to clearly reprimand the person responsible, left the dining room and walked along the corridor towards the stairs, where she could see a few running feet scurrying up.
What was going on today, she asked herself with furrowed eyebrows and followed those feet upstairs. Once there, she couldn't believe her eyes because she saw several girls from the castle staff listening at the door and whispering to each other. But it wasn't just any door, it was the door to the royal study!
Elsa quietly stood behind the group, crossed her arms in front of her and then asked loudly, “What's going on here?”
Everyone in front of her flinched violently and turned to look at her with wide eyes.
“You're listening at the Queen's door? Are you completely nuts? Where are your manners! Troll yourselves and get to work, but fast! … shoo, shoo …” Elsa made a gesture with both hands as if she wanted to chase a pigeon away from the windowsill. “And not a word to anyone, understand?” she called after them.
The girls fled with bright red faces and Elsa had to shake her head in disbelief. She was already putting one hand on the door handle when an angry tirade rang out from behind it — from Anna! Elsa immediately hesitated and couldn't help but listen at the door herself.
She couldn't hear much through the thick door, only that Kristoff was in the room and had to listen to a first-class lecture. Were they having their very first marital quarrel? Not that Elsa had ever witnessed one herself, but she had heard about it. She didn't want to be in Kristoff's shoes right now. But she had never experienced Anna like she was now. She screamed at him and was beside herself with rage, that much was clear.
Should she just burst in and try to save what could still be saved, or should she let things take their course? It was a difficult decision and she first had to think about what would happen. But no, as queen, Anna was not allowed to overreact like that and she could only feel sorry for Kristoff.
Elsa knocked loudly three times and it became quiet inside. Only then did she open the door and quietly pushed it shut again behind her. Her eyes flitted back and forth between the two of them. Anna was standing in the middle of the room with a bright red face, her expression furious. Kristoff, on the other hand, sat facing Anna in the armchair in front of the table and hung his head. Elsa crossed her arms.
“I don't want to disturb your full-blown marital quarrel, but never before has anyone in the castle slammed a door so hard that you can hear it all the way down to the lowest floor. I've just had to shoo five of the new maids away from your study because they were eavesdropping, Anna. Eavesdropping! Honestly, what's got into you?”
Her sister rolled her eyes and pointed at Kristoff with an outstretched arm without looking at him. Her eyes were fixed on Elsa instead. “Because of him!”
“Anna, you can't be in your right mind to behave so childishly. Have you forgotten that you are the Queen of Arendelle?” Elsa had become a little louder, but didn't want to start an argument with her sister. She was old enough to realise her own mistakes. “Well … I realise what this is about, but you can't treat your husband like this just because he didn't send you a message and came back later than expected, can you?”
“Well, then let him tell you where he was.”
“Kristoff?” Elsa looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
He sighed, “In Weselton, with the Duke's nephew.”
Elsa's jaw dropped and Anna just said tersely, “See?”
“Uhh … I hope you haven't arranged any new trade treaty with the Duke, Kristoff, have you?”
“Not that, but … well, let's put it this way … I promised to put in a good word for them for helping me, er, Arendelle.”
“Wait a minute … I …,” Elsa was speechless. Then she grabbed a chair from the wall, placed it in front of Kristoff and sat down. “You should sit down as well, Anna. Let's talk about this bit by bit, calmly … all right?” She looked at her sister encouragingly and she finally complied with her request.
”All right, let's take it in turn and start from the beginning, Kristoff. Just tell us everything.” Elsa spoke in a reassuring tone and looked at Anna admonishingly.
While Anna sighed and nodded, Kristoff began to talk about his idea, his desire to help in the current kingdom emergency, his experiences at the naval base, the sea voyage and everything that happened there. He also said that it was ultimately not his fault that the return journey was delayed, but because of the captain's decision. Next he came to the experiences on Weselton and ended with the two people who were mainly responsible for the help and, above all, why they did it.
”So, … Leopold and Lutz, I remember them well,” said Elsa, “don't you too, Anna?” She nodded with a somewhat confused expression on her face. “You see, if you'd only let Kristoff explain, it wouldn't have come to the situation we had earlier. I guess we're even with those two now.”
“But still, Elsa, a little message to me and I wouldn't have been so worried.”
“Well, if you were so worried about Kristoff, then there must be love behind it, so please make up with each other, all right? But please promise me that you won't slam any more doors like that, and you, Kristoff, should perhaps think a little more about Anna on your next excursion.”
“As for that, I did think about her a lot and brought something special,” Kristoff replied and stood up.
He walked round the table towards Anna and reached into a small shoulder bag, which the sisters only just noticed.
“I'm really sorry, darling. It won't happen again, I promise. Look what I've carved for you on the Draba. It was only finished today.” Kneeling down, he handed Anna the love spoon. “Strictly speaking, we're already married, but I wanted to make up for this gift before the official wedding anyway. After all, I had plenty of time to do it on the ship.”
Instead of saying anything, Anna knelt down to him with a smile and simply hugged him tightly. Then she said, “Thank you, honey. It turned out really nice and this traditional gesture is really sweet of you. I forgive you.”
They both stood up and kissed.
“Oh, and I have a further little present for you that I saw in a shop in Weselton. It looked familiar to me somehow, but I don't know where it came from. But I thought it was cute and immediately thought of you.”
When Kristoff pulled out the little felt bird and held it out to Anna, she wasn't the only one with wide eyes.
“It looks almost exactly like—“
“Sir JørgenBjørgen!” Elsa added in surprise and immediately joined the two of them to compare the stuffed bird with hers. Kristoff looked back and forth between the two, somewhat perplexed.
“You already know the puffin and have even given it a pet name?”
“Elsa has one that she inherited from Papa. It's a long story,” explained Anna.
“It looks a bit different and without the same beady eye. That's nice. Now you've got one too, Anna. I wonder what name you'll give him.”
“Hmm…” She looked at Kristoff, pondering. “I think I already know … now that you've told us about the tour with the duke's nephew and that he supposedly has two talking magpies. I'll call him Sir Rupert, then I'll always know where he's from.”
Everyone laughed and Elsa said, “Good choice, sis.”
~~~
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A few hours later, the sea had calmed down again and the Draba glided gently over the waves. Commands on deck could be heard all the way down to the sleeping deck and Kristoff, who was lying snuggled up to Sven on the ship's bare planks, woke. Sven was still asleep and his breathing was calm and even, Kristoff realised with relief. He stroked him between the ears and thought about all the adventures they had lived together since they were little.
Sven was only a few years younger than him, but Kristoff knew that the average life expectancy of reindeer was only about twenty years, not much more. Sven had long since reached that age and he now wondered how much longer he could stay by his side. He was his best friend and the idea of Sven leaving him one day tormented Kristoff.
He threw off the blankets without waking the reindeer, wrung out his wet clothes and put his clammy things back on before seeing the captain. He urgently needed something dry to wear and hoped that the captain could help him out.
A short time later, he knocked on the captain's cabin and heard a 'come in'. The skipper was surprised to see him instead of one of his sailors. He rose from his chair.
“Your Highness, you're all wet and your clothes are even dripping. We really must do something about that, otherwise you'll catch your death. Sit down first, please.”
He briefly left Kristoff, who had just sneezed, and returned shortly afterwards — with the ship's doctor and one of the ship's boys, who had a bundle of clothes over his arm.
“This is Otto, one of the best physicians in Her Majesty’s Navy, Your Highness, he will examine you after you have changed in my bunk. I could never forgive myself if you became seriously ill on my ship. This way, please …”
He led Kristoff into a narrow compartment separated by a curtain and the ship's boy handed him the dry clothes before he drew the curtain shut again.
Kristoff was grateful that it had worked out so quickly without words and after putting on the spare clothes of an officer who must have been about his stature, he stepped out of the bunk, sneezing loudly again, and sat down in front of the captain's table. The ship's boy had left in the meantime and the two others looked at him with concern. The doctor began to examine him without further ado.
“Nothing to worry, Your Highness. It's just a normal cold. Besides that you're frozen and dehydrated. Nothing that a warm meal with plenty of fluids, fruit and warmth over the next few days can't fix,” he said.
“How did this even happen, Your Highness? Have you been on deck the whole time in this weather?”
Kristoff nodded and explained everything.
“That's partly my fault,” the captain admitted, “because I should have ensured someone got you to safety below deck in good time. You are my passenger and I am responsible for your well-being while you are on board. Please forgive my inexcusable negligence.”
“That's all right, Captain, I should have reacted more quickly and was probably too careless. However, I am worried about Sven,” Kristoff replied.
“Sven?” asked the captain in astonishment.
“Sorry, my reindeer. He doesn't seem to be feeling well. Could you go and check on him?” He looked at the doctor questioningly.
“I'm not a vet and we don't have anyone else on board who knows anything about reindeer, as far as I know.”
“Please. Just a quick look.”
The doctor and the captain looked at each other doubtfully. Finally, the doctor relented.
“All right, I'll take a look at him and check his heartbeat,” the doctor sighed in agreement.
Kristoff jumped up gratefully and grabbed his clothes, which he had put down next to the chair. As he did so, his carving fell to the floor unnoticed. The captain realised, however, and frowned as he picked up the unfinished work and turned it over in his fingers.
“Wait, Your Highness. This is supposed to be a love spoon, isn't it? What are you using to carve it? A normal knife?”
Kristoff nodded and took it from his hand with relief.
“I'll let the carpenter know and he'll bring you more suitable tools.”
“Thank you, Captain. The spoon is indeed very important to me and I would like to have it ready when I disembark in Arendelle.” Kristoff waved the carving in front of his face to emphasise his words. Then he nodded gratefully and led the doctor to Sven.
Sven had already woken up and was back on his feet. As he trotted happily towards Kristoff when he came in with the doctor in tow, he hugged him joyfully and promptly received a wet tongue across his face and Sven sniffed in surprise at Kristoff's unfamiliar clothes.
“Oh, Sven…”
“Well, I'd say he's fine,” the doctor said with a grin. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I must fulfil my duties on board.” Then he bowed briefly and left.
Kristoff grabbed a couple of blankets for himself and Sven and led him up on deck.
“Come on, Sven, it's too gloomy down here and we both need some fresh air.
Once they reached the top, they were greeted by bright sunshine and a cloudless sky. The large, white sails billowed above them in a cold, steady breeze. All the sailors they came across gave the sailor's salute when they noticed the officer's uniform and he smiled back.
Later, he asked one of them to hang his wet clothes in the rigging to dry and received a puzzled shake of the head, but he was helped without asking further questions. Sven hopped across the deck, rejoicing and looking down here and over the railing into the spray of the displaced waves. Kristoff asked a sailor when they would reach Weselton and learnt that the Draba would drop anchor there tomorrow evening.
Around midday, the ship's bell rang and the ship's boy from this morning brought him an invitation from the captain to dine with him and his senior officers in the wardroom. Kristoff accepted with thanks, but first fetched some food for Sven from his wagon.
In the afternoon, a carpenter's assistant brought the tools promised by the captain and Kristoff began to work on his love spoon again with Sven at his side and warm blankets over both of them. This time they had chosen the raised aft deck, where they were not in anyone's way and the carving progressed faster and more precisely than before.
~~~
Meanwhile, Elsa and Anna had a lot of fun with Mari and tried to take her mind off things.
The dinner of home-gathered mushrooms had been delicious and, as expected, Olina had shown her cooking skills and given the dish her distinctive flavour.
Later, they sat in the lounge for a long time with a cup of hot chocolate and chatted about this and that, mostly trivial things that had nothing to do with Mari's problem. But the siblings didn't forget, and after Mari said goodbye for the night, they planned the next steps for the coming day. Elsa would look after Mari, while Anna had to deal with the usual queen’s duties.
After Anna had taken care of the most important things the next morning and Elsa was out and about in the city with the princess, she searched the archives and the library for a solution to Mari's problem. But she needed peace and quiet and didn't want to be constantly disturbed by Olaf's comments on some new fact from a book while he was in his favourite place, the library.
A few servants who met her on her way through the castle were surprised at the pile of books that Anna was dragging along the corridor to her study, stacked up to her chin. Once there, she heaved the pile onto the table and then dropped into the armchair, panting.
She wanted to go through the books, journals and Arendelle's Laws later that evening with her sister to find solutions, or at least come up with some good ideas. But there was enough time to start now. She grabbed one book after another from the pile and leafed through the first few law books while she pondered.
If Kai were here now, she would probably only have to ask him and he could give her the answers she needed without hesitation. But he wasn't there and she had to search for them herself.
She remembered how mum and dad were about to get married. Wasn't he originally supposed to marry a princess he didn't know and then everything turned out differently? But what had been the reasons for him marrying a commoner instead of someone with royal blood? She and Elsa had never talked about it, it was just the way it was; and Mother hadn't mentioned anything about it on their trance journey either. But now that Mari had brought it up, she had to think about herself and Kristoff.
She had never questioned it and since Elsa had appointed her as her successor and she had been crowned, there was simply too much to do to have time for it. Something was constantly coming up and she was fully occupied with all the unfamiliar duties at the beginning, all the appointments with delegates from other kingdoms and, of course, the worries and needs of her citizens.
Kristoff had proposed to her even before she became queen; and she had said 'yes' with relief and joy. But now that she thought about it, she realised that it was obviously no problem for a Queen of Arendelle to marry a commoner. Technically, they already were. She had never expressed any reservations to Elsa, and her sister had never mentioned anything about possible problems of this kind herself. It was just the way it was and she was very happy to marry someone she had known and loved for a long time and who didn't need royal blood to fulfil her criteria. She shuddered at the idea of taking a prince she didn't know as her successor to the throne.
Just as she picked up the next book to find answers, there was a knock. It was Gerda, bringing her a tray with snacks and something to drink. She frowned at all the books and could barely find room to put the tray down on the table. Gerda knew Anna very well and of course knew what she needed as nourishment, so the chocolate, which she liked so much, was not missing.
“Thank you, Gerda, that's exactly what I need right now,” she said with a little sigh and popped a chocolate praline into her mouth before leaning back in her comfortable armchair and letting the chocolate melt on her tongue with her eyes closed.
“You look very stressed, Your Majesty. I hope it has nothing to do with new problems for Arendelle,” Gerda remarked in a worried voice. “When I see all these books here …”
Anna opened her eyes, swallowed the rest of the chocolate and shook her head as she looked at Gerda. “No, no, don't worry. I'm just looking for something about the succession to the throne and the regulations on marriages of monarchs.”
Gerda raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Can I perhaps help? Kai and I were able to give your parents answers to this question back then. I don't want to offend you, of course, but if you're wondering whether you as a queen are allowed to marry a commoner, I can confirm that you are. Nowhere in the laws of Arendelle does it say that it has to be a prince.”
Anna's jaw dropped in surprise. Then she stood up and gave the astonished Gerda a big hug.
“Gerda, you're a darling! That was exactly the answer I was looking for. Thank you!” she said, holding her at a distance again to look her in the eye. Gerda looked a little embarrassed, but then smiled happily at her.
“Yes, I saw the same relieved expression on your father Agnarr's face when Kai and I could give him the good news after hours of research. He was overjoyed that he was allowed to marry for love … and not a foreign princess.”
Anna nodded, now she knew the details of her parents' marriage. “Gerda, can you send someone up to take all these books back to the library?” she said with a sweeping gesture over her desk. “I don't need them any more.”
“But I'd love to. Is there anything else you need?”
Anna shook her head and doubts arouse again in her mind after Gerda had left the room. Mari's situation was different from that of her parents or Elsa and herself in one crucial respect. On the one hand, her father was still alive and therefore presumably had the right to decide on the terms of his succession. On the other hand, it was a matter of Vesterland, a different kingdom - as Elsa had already said - with different laws and customs.
Suddenly, Anna had an idea. The annual Arendelle Winter Ball in the castle was coming up at Christmas time. What if Mari met someone there, someone she was attracted to purely by chance and who might also be a nobleman? That would also avert the risk of one day having a Westergaard on Vesterland's throne with Mari.
Anna had to go through the planned guest list with Elsa soon anyway, perhaps her sister had another idea. It was at least a possibility.
A sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. From the sound of it, it must be a male person with an urgent matter, but she wasn't expecting anyone at this time. Perhaps Kristoff had returned and there was a problem?
“Come in!” she called, standing up expectantly and anxiously at the same time.
Captain Einar entered somewhat hesitantly and bowed. “Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, but there's an unexpected problem in the dungeon with Albert Monrad.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. “What kind of problem, captain?”
“Well, as you may know, we've put the three war criminals from the Misty Pass incident in Monrad's cell, in consultation with General Mattias I might add.” He explained their plan in brief words.
“So?”
“Well, it wasn't Albert Monrad who wanted to get out of the cell and finally confess, as we had expected and hoped, but these three other prisoners.” Anna raised her other eyebrow as well. “They insist on their right, as they say, to remain among themselves and not to be overheard by some unknown fellow prisoner, whom they believe to be a spy for the general, until their trial begins.”
Anna sighed, “I see, and since you haven't been able to prove anything about Monrad's brother after days or find any evidence in his house, you now want my advice on how best to proceed with him, right?”
Einar nodded a little sheepishly, “I'm sorry, but yes. I'm running out of ideas and, to be honest, we can't keep a presumably innocent man in prison forever. Besides, there could be an unpleasant incident in the cell, who knows …”
Anna looked broodingly at the window for a moment, then turned back to Einar.
“All right, let him go. But keep him under observation as unnoticed as possible. I don't trust him any more than you do, Captain Einar.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.” He bowed and left the study again.
Anna sat down and thought about this supposedly innocent wine merchant. Something was nagging at her and she couldn't shake off a vague feeling of unease about the matter.
~~~
In the afternoon, Elsa turned up and entered the study with a quick knock as a warning to Anna, who had returned to her normal royal duties. The desk looked the same as before and all the books had been removed.
“There you are again,” Anna said after looking up briefly, but then continued writing on her document until she had finished. Meanwhile, Elsa sat down opposite her.
“So, what have you two been up to in the city? How is Mari?”
“She's doing well. We visited the places where you two were looking for a … “purpose” for each other before I suggested the ambassador thing for both of you. Do you remember?”
Anna raised her eyebrows. “That was a long time ago, though.”
Elsa nodded, “Well, and now you're the Queen of Arendelle and Mari has made herself over the years too. You've both grown over the years and I'm proud of you, especially you, Anna.”
“Thank you, sis!” Anna stood up and walked round the table. “Oh, and about that and Mari's problem … I've been poring over a few law books today, looking for a solution.” Anna told her about Gerda and her announcement about the marriages.
“I already know, Anna,” Elsa said tersely and her sister could only stare at her in bewilderment.
“What, you knew about it and you never told me?”
Elsa shrugged her shoulders, “Well, I thought you already knew that. You're usually so well informed about everything and …”
“No, not at all in this case. You shouldn't have kept me in the dark or perhaps reassured me as a precaution, especially after my idea about the emergency wedding with Kristoff. He's a commoner too, just like Mama was for Papa back then. Or to put it another way … did you already had the plan to put me on the throne before or after Kristoff proposed to me?” She pressed her arms to her hips, as she always did on such occasions, and put on a matching expression.
Elsa twisted the corner of her mouth regretfully and thought “Oh dear, now she's upset“. Then she stood up and gently placed a hand on her sister's cheek.
“I'm sorry, Anna. I just didn't realise. Back then, I almost had to memorise all of Arendelle's laws until … until the accident happened.”
“Which, as we now unfortunately know, wasn't an accident at all,” Anna added and her eyes began to fill with tears. Elsa took her in her arms as soon as she saw it and hugged her.
“Yes, but he'll pay for it for the rest of his life in never-ending agony, I'm sure of it. I know it's only a small consolation …”
“… but still. And once again, we have saved Arendelle and the Northuldra — together,” Anna added, sniffling. Elsa nodded into her shoulder.
They had never wanted to talk about Kolgrimr again, but now the feelings were returning — for both of them.
After they had regained their composure, Anna said, “Oh, and I thought of another crazy idea for Mari.” She talked about the upcoming winter ball.
“Actually … it's not a crazy idea at all, Anna. It could actually work. But we'd have to invite both of them, including King Jonas.” Elsa thought for a moment. “What do you say we accompany Mari tomorrow and talk to him together?”
“Good idea, Elsa, and this time no one can turn us away at the gate. Nevertheless, we should still look for more ideas and arguments tonight. Who knows what we'll need to convince him.”
“Indeed we do. Maybe we'll find something in the secret library about Vesterland's laws.”
“That reminds me … didn't we want to leaf through Lord Peterssen's diary?”
“Anna, you're brilliant!”
She smiled mischievously and remembered something else, that she had wanted to send a messenger to Snoob two days after these two supply wagons arrived, to find out where Kristoff was staying for so long. He could at least have sent a message. Before she left for Vesterland, she absolutely had to take care of that.
~~~
Kristoff looked up from his carving as soon as he felt a few raindrops on his head; it was also getting noticeably windier. He stood up and looked around so that he could quickly disappear below deck with Sven if necessary. But the sea around him showed no sign of an approaching storm. He hadn't been paying much attention, but the Draba seemed to have made good time in the last few hours.
When a sailor called out “Land in sight” from the lookout shortly afterwards, the sailors on deck began to stir. A little later, the captain came up and pulled apart his telescope. Kristoff stood next to him as he gazed into the distance.
“Are we there yet?” he asked him, “I thought we wouldn't reach our destination until tonight.”
The captain nodded and pushed the binoculars back together with a clacking sound. “You're right, Your Highness, but the wind has carried us well. That is indeed Weselton up ahead. We can drop anchor there in just under two hours.”
“What awaits me there? I mean, what's Weselton like?”
“Hmm, Weselton is probably a paradise for birdwatchers and sheep breeders, perhaps also for nature lovers. But it's very barren there and the bad weather in the winter months is really no fun, at least for someone who isn't used to it or knows it from long boat journeys.”
“How big is the island?”
“Oh, it's not just one island, there are dozens, but only a few of them are inhabited and Weselton is the biggest of them all.”
“Sorry to ask so many nosy questions, but it's my first time and I don't know too much about this place. How many people actually live there?”
“You don't need to apologise, Your Highness. The duchy certainly doesn't have more than half the population of Arendelle's capital, but I don't know for sure. You'll soon see for yourself.” The captain had not looked directly at him until now, instead casting scrutinising glances ahead and into the gathering clouds above them. Now he looked directly at Kristoff, “Are you planning a longer stay?”
Kristoff shook his head. “No longer than absolutely necessary.”
“That's good. We'll take on fresh supplies and in two days' time at the latest, once we've made landfall and the winds are favourable, we intend to head for another island in the west before returning to Arendelle. Plenty of time to take your supplies on board, if Weselton can spare any. Well, you'll see for yourself.”
Kristoff was surprised and realised that his calculation of the journey time had been quite wrong. But he had to admit to himself that he was only a passenger and couldn't expect the Draba's only task to be to drop him off at his destination and return with him immediately afterwards.
“How long to get there?” he asked.
“If the wind is fair … hmm, about three more days. Back to Arendelle will be almost six in total.”
Kristoff swallowed and nodded, sighing softly. There was nothing he could do about it now. Things were not going as he had imagined. The captain noticed his disappointed expression.
“But please don't say you didn't know about it and the admiral didn't warn you.”
What should he say to that? Kristoff hesitated. Then he raised his shoulders apologetically. The captain shook his head in disbelief and thought to himself that His Highness probably still had a lot to learn. But he also knew that it was Kristoff's first major voyage and now everything was starting to make a lot more sense.
“Don't worry, you may have the opportunity to take a ship from Weselton for the return journey - or you can just accept the longer journey and stay on board when we leave. It's your decision.”
~~~
Shortly before dropping anchor in Weselton's sheltered harbour, the main sails were hauled in and the command was given to loosen the ropes and plumb, causing the ship to slow down. Kristoff stood in the bow of the Draba with Sven at his side, taking in the sight before him.
The island had rugged, high cliffs and the hills and the only visible mountain behind it were treeless, smooth and green with vegetation. A multitude of gulls and other birds circled cawing over the Draba or clung to their nests in the cliffs. The sky above was grey and cloudy, the sun had faded and a light drizzle wetted Kristoff's eyes as he looked up.
The houses on the hillside above the harbour basin were as grey as the sky, topped by a large grey castle with a blue and white flag fluttering on a mast on the highest wall in the stiff breeze.
Kristoff had never seen this type of construction before, instead of being made of wood, as in the capital of Arendelle, everything here was built of rough stone, almost as if it had grown together with the rocky ground. Only a few houses were painted red, blue or green, but everything here looked dreary and deserted, which could of course be due to the weather; he mused.
The Draba entered the harbour alongside a large brig flying Weselton's flag, the rest were more or less large fishing boats, the most impressive of which had a long harpoon at the bow. All the sails had been taken in and the boats bobbed along lonely and without any crew.
"Ready to anchor!" shouted the skipper from his elevated position on the aft deck and the crew responded with "Clear fore and aft!", followed by the helmsman's command, "Drop anchor!"
The anchor on the chain was lowered slowly but noisily into the harbour basin until hand signals were given that it had reached the bottom. Then all the other sails were hauled in and shortly afterwards, the ship was moored and the gangway lowered onto the pier.
Kristoff saw the captain waving to him and Sven and he moved towards him, ready to disembark. Kristoff's heart was pounding with nervousness and when he looked down at the gangway, some of the inhabitants were already standing there waiting with astonished faces, their eyes wide open and looking upwards. A few more people were now also gathering at the top of the quay wall.
Kristoff followed their gaze upwards and then he suddenly realised why they all looked so astonished. The flag of Arendelle was flying prominently on the main mast.
Kristoff couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since Weselton had been visited by Arendelle. His eyes fell on Sven and he put his head in both hands.
“Sven, it's probably best if you stay on board for now. The gangway is steep and I don't want you to slip and plop into the harbour basin. You've had enough excitement on the way here, all right?”
Sven looked at him sadly and made a plaintive sound, which prompted Kristoff to hug him and then scratch him between the ears.
“I'll be back soon, be patient and be a good reindeer.”
Kristoff carefully walked down the wide plank with the crossbars and after briefly introducing himself to the first person he met, asked to speak to the duke's nephew.
This man pointed to the only way up through the small harbour town.
“Just follow the road to the castle, you can’t get lost. Their lordships can be found there.”
Kristoff nodded and wordlessly followed his advice. The man had just spoken in plural, so the Duke was probably also present. Kristoff felt a little uneasy.
He took his time and looked around curiously. Some of the citizens he met made the sailor's salute on their foreheads and he assumed they were probably fishermen or crew from the brig. Until he suddenly realised why. He was still wearing the uniform of an officer, probably a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. No wonder they showed him this gesture of honour.
He passed by various shops, mostly for groceries or fishing supplies, but also one or two taverns from which there was an audible sound of bustling activity. He stopped curiously at a knitwear shop, where cute animal figures made of felt were on display in the window. One of them seemed somehow familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it. It showed a small bird with a large red beak next to sad-looking beady eyes and red waddling feet like a duck.
However, this harbour town didn't exactly look like a wealthy place, more like an oversized fishing village with a farm, as the number of chickens and sheep on the way up to the castle told him. A wide variety of birds were also constantly looking for food around him, making all kinds of noises from chirping to cawing. The captain had not promised too much in this respect.
Kristoff was curious to see what the inside of the imposing castle looked like. He saw only a few window openings, most of them unusually narrow, and the walls seemed to be more than half a meter thick. There wasn't really a castle courtyard to speak of here, just a large paved area in front of the entrance flanked by two guards and a pompous, unharnessed carriage in front of it. A few buildings were clustered nearby, one of which looked suspiciously like a stable and two horses in front of it that looked more like ponies, small as they were.
When Kristoff was a few meters away from the entrance, the guards in an unusual appearance for him crossed their halberds in front of it.
“Halt! What is your desire?” asked one, scrutinising him from top to bottom.
Somehow this situation seemed familiar to Kristoff, only this time he was dressed more appropriately, it seemed to him.
“I am Kristoff Bjorgmann from Arendelle and I wish to speak to Lord Rupert Wolfgang. And no, I don't have an appointment for an audience,” he added as a precaution.
“Please wait a moment, I'll announce you,” said the other of the two, leaning his ceremonial weapon against the castle wall and disappearing behind the double-leafed high door.
It took him less than five minutes to return, and with a distinctly different expression on his face, for he smiled as he held the door open and said, “Please come in, your lordship, the young lord is already expecting you.”
Aha; thought Kristoff, this promises to be interesting, nodded briefly to the guard and entered the castle.
Inside, it looked more like what one would expect from the residence of a duchy. A high entrance hall, thick tapestries, oil paintings, animal trophies and various types of weapons adorned the walls, with sconces placed at regular intervals in between. A few pieces of polished armour stood here and there and an enormous chandelier hung low from the ceiling with burning candles.
At the front, Kristoff was greeted by the warmth of a wide fireplace with a crackling fire and a leather suite with a table in front of it. To the left and right, two wide, curved staircases led up to the balustrade, behind which half a dozen closed doors could be seen.
Only now did Kristoff notice a younger man sitting in front of him by the fireplace, smiling and leaning around the back of his leather armchair.
“Please come closer, my lord. I am very pleased to have a visitor from Arendelle,” he said and stood up. “My uncle is upstairs and has a family visit, he probably doesn't even know that someone has arrived from Arendelle.”
Kristoff stepped closer and offered him his hand, which the duke's nephew returned with a vigorous and extremely friendly shake.
“But I suppose you didn't want to speak to him yourself, did you? Because, as the guard told me, you asked specifically for me. How did I get the honour? Arendelle's attitude towards the Duke is therefore unchanged, I assume? I really must apologise for my uncle's behaviour back then. He really didn't make any friends. But please sit by my warm fire. May I offer you something? Wine, brandy or something else? Please…” He made an inviting gesture towards the armchair opposite.
There seemed to be no end to the nephew's torrent of words, Kristoff thought. The admiral had undoubtedly hit the nail on the head. Annoyance really did seem to run in the family. However, Kristoff was very glad that he would probably not have to face the duke today.
“Thank you, Lord Wolfgang, a glass of wine would be fine,” Kristoff replied.
“Why don't you just call me Rupert? May I call you Kristoff? Casual encounters are always my favourite.” He stood up briefly and poured Kristoff a glass of wine from a bottle on a nearby side table with all sorts of other spirits on it and placed it in front of his guest.
“What is your request, Kristoff? How can I be of assistance? I very much hope I can, if it is within my power. My uncle is very particular about some things, as you can well imagine. I apologise again. But if necessary, I'll be happy to ask him to join us later, only if you wish, of course, Kristoff. But we can also take a tour of our beautiful island, or a little carriage ride perhaps?”
Kristoff had only had the chance to utter a single irrelevant sentence so far and was increasingly annoyed by this kind of conversation, if such a dialogue could even be called that.
“I came here on my own initiative, without an official commission from the royal house, but Arendelle has a … little supply problem with food and animal feed. I am therefore travelling on a private mission to help Arendelle and ask for support. If—”
Kristoff didn't get any further, however, because a loud voice near the entrance interrupted him.
“Visitors from Arendelle, what a nice surprise!”
Two tall men approached them, one blond with a large handlebar moustache, the other brown-haired with a protruding chin beard and round glasses.
Kristoff recognised them immediately because they were Leopold and Lutz, who had taken part in the Arendelle Cup, the annual sled race, a few years ago and had to be rescued from an avalanche by Anna and Elsa.
They all greeted each other, shaking hands, before they both sat down.
“Your Highness, what an honour that you are visiting Weselton. May I introduce myself? I am Leopold von Amstel and the gentleman next to me is Lutz,” Leopold said gallantly and the duke's nephew's jaw dropped at his address.
“Yes, I've seen you both before in Arendelle, but it's been a while,” Kristoff replied, nodding.
“Wait a minute … Your Highness?” Lord Wolfgang asked in astonishment.
Kristoff looked at him. “That is indeed my title now,” he confirmed, “for I am the … the queen's fiancé,” he improved just in time, as the official wedding had not yet taken place.
“Sorry, I didn't know that, so please forgive my direct behaviour, Your Highness. That was probably a little inappropriate.” He chuckled uncertainly. “However, you also left me somewhat in the dark … um…”
Kristoff waved him off, “That's all right … Lord Wolfgang, but I've hardly had a chance to say anything so far.” He grinned and Lord Wolfgang turned a little pale.
“What brings you to us?” Lutz asked in between and Kristoff continued with what he was about to explain before he was interrupted.
Everyone listened attentively and wondered a little about the reasons for this supply bottleneck.
“Well, a fire broke out on the farmland, which unfortunately spread to the grain silos and the barns where the loaded wagons were waiting for the planned autumn festival,” he explained, but refrained from going into the real reasons, “which we unfortunately had to cancel for the first time in Arendelle's history.”
“That's terrible,” said Lord Wolfgang and the other two expressed their regret and sympathy.
“So you can see that Arendelle urgently needs supplies. Can Weselton perhaps help us with this?” continued Kristoff, looking round.
“Well, to be honest, Arendelle broke off all trade relations with Weselton of its own accord back then. But if this could be changed, the duke would certainly not say no,” said the nephew. “Besides, we don't have that much ourselves that we could do without, and—”
“Oh come on, Rupert, you almost sound like your uncle! And you're always apologising for him, no matter where you go. We both, Lutz and I, are deeply indebted to the Queen of Arendelle because she—”
“Saved your lives back then?” Kristoff added bluntly to Leopold's sentence.
He and Lutz looked down in shame and Lord Wolfgang rolled his eyes.
“And only because we were arrogant enough to think we could win the Arendelle Cup by playing tricks,” Lutz admitted. “Stupid of us and we're still sorry about it today.”
“The queen and her sister don't hold grudges and in the end we were all friends again, weren't we?” said Kristoff.
“Indeed we were! So, Rupert, how can we help His Highness?”
“The duke doesn't need to know anything,” Lutz added, twinkling one eye at the duke's nephew.
~~~
The following day, friends Leopold and Lutz organised the undercover transport of goods from various villages and farms on the island to the ship from Arendelle. Meanwhile, Lord Rupert showed Kristoff around the island, including the nesting sites of the cute puffins. However, Kristoff did not want to spend the night in the castle the day before, because if he had bumped into the duke there by chance, the support would have been denied. Kristoff also decided to set sail on the Draba, as he didn't want to push his luck by asking for a passage on a ship from Weselton.
In the end, dozens of bales of hay, baskets of winter vegetables and a few sheep ready for slaughter were stowed in the Draba's hold, along with crates of wool to make warm blankets for the winter in Arendelle's capital.
Kristoff was very pleased with the successful outcome of his mission and the farewell was suitably warm. He promised to put in a good word with the queen in favour of Weselton to re-establish trade negotiations, but could make no promises beyond that. However, he thought the chances of the duke ever setting foot on Arendelle's soil again were very slim and wouldn't even bring it up there to avoid incurring any wrath.
At dawn the next day, the Draba cast off and somehow Kristoff was very glad to leave Weselton and return home, albeit much later than planned. Hopefully Anna wouldn't be angry with him in the end, but at least he would finish the love spoon by then and bring this cute little puffin figurine from the shop as an extra present.
~~~
Around the time the Draba left Weselton and was on its way to another island in the north-west, another ship arrived at its destination.
Master Fabian stood in the bow of the ARN Voyager and enjoyed the view of his old home, Corona.
Many thoughts flashed through his mind, old memories inevitably making their way back and making him feel both joy at his temporary return and a shudder that made the hair on his arms stand on end. An uneasy feeling crept up his spine to the back of his neck, because back then, decades ago, he had been a fugitive. About to be thrown into one of Corona's infamous dungeons! He remembered that the royal house had not exactly been squeamish with prisoners accused of murder and he had been sure that the Brotherhood had brought this very matter to the authorities.
He hadn't thought much about it before, even though he'd spent enough time on the Voyager for days, but now, at this breathtaking sight, he couldn't help but wonder what consequences he would face - if any. On the one hand, would anyone recognise him, and on the other, would he have to give his real name as soon as he set foot on land and presented his request for an audience with the royal family. After all, he had been sent on behalf of the Queen of Arendelle and not on his own initiative and just for fun here in Corona.
Fabian sighed; it would all work out somehow.
Commands were called on deck and the topsails were hoisted. The ship slowly glided towards one of the longest landing piers on the right-hand side of the huge arched bridge that connected the almost circular island to the mainland. Fabian had recognised seven piers around the island, but suspected that there were just as many on the far side of it. He had never been there himself, but perhaps there would be a good opportunity for a long walk in the next few days.
Every space on the island was tightly built up, with no room for parks or food growing areas. That was all over on the mainland and — as far as he remembered — this led to a constant back and forth of transport vehicles over the bridge or by boat. All the citizens on the island were more or less well-off and the wealth of Corona spoke from everything here, even the smallest details. The poorest and less well-off inhabitants had their homes and huts on the mainland and that was where even the dodgier characters hung out. One of their favourite meeting places was a disreputable tavern in the middle of the woods that not everyone knew about. Fabian had never been there himself, but as a child he had literally soaked up all the exciting stories about robbers and pirates that came to his ears.
Despite the time of year, the sunny weather here in the south was excellent and all the picturesque houses that wound their way up the high mountain to the royal castle shone in all their splendour. How Fabian had missed this beautiful sight and a broad smile stole across his face.
As they came closer, he could also clearly recognise the flags of the other tall ships. Most of them were unfamiliar to him, but some of the ships of various designs bore the emblems of some of the kingdoms with which Arendelle had trade relations, including two from Zaria and Vakretta. Even a beautiful ship from the distant desert kingdom of Eldora had docked here. Fanciful names adorned its bow and stern and he tried to make out details of the crew and other things on deck. It had all suddenly become so exciting for him.
Finally, the anchor rattled into the water and the crew prepared everything to take supplies on board for the onward journey. When the gangway was lowered, Fabian took a deep breath and was the first to disembark. From now on, he had to watch out like hell. His attentive eyes darted left and right, registering every reaction of those he passed as he walked slowly along the pier, standing tall and with the pride of an elderly fencing champion.
~~~
---
Note: my edit of Weselton Castle is based on a historical picture of Scalloway Castle on the Shetlands, colored by me. The added flag also is based on the real flag of the Shetlands. For me the location of Weselton seems to be the Shetland Islands in our real world.
Remark: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you liked the story, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms. If you want to be tagged as soon I publish the next chapter please let me know, except you are already tagged :-)
Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar
Rating: M over all
Publishing cycle: around every 2-3 weeks
Remarks: all my chapters contain carefully selected music tracks (try to use headphones). It’s your own decision if you want to use them or not while reading. The purpose is to musically support the respective mood of the plot. If you can please use a browser for reading (not the Tumblr app) due to the text formatting and music.
While Elin was still sleeping soundly in her new cot, holding her doll close to her, Halima and Mattias set off for the orphanage. They had told her the previous evening that they would both be out of the house for about two hours in the morning and then go to school together. At least if Elin finally agreed. But the little girl was overjoyed with her new room and had hugged them both tightly after looking around and curiously touching many of the things here.
As usual, a few children were playing outside the orphanage when the general entered with his fiancée, who was hitched to him, and headed straight for the matron's office. Liv was sitting at her desk, engrossed in reading some documents.
Mattias cleared his throat discreetly after they had both stood there waiting for a few seconds. Liv raised her head and smiled at them.
“Hello, Halima … General Mattias. I wasn't expecting you two today and thought you might be coming to story time with Elin on Friday.”
“Hello, Liv,” Halima began, “We're here because there's news—,”
“—and we want to sign the adoption documents,” Mattias continued. “Good morning, Liv.”
Liv looked a little surprised at first, but then smiled again, this time beaming with joy.
“I knew you'd love the little one from the start, but please have a seat.” Liv made an inviting gesture to the two chairs in front of her table. “I'm so glad that you want to adopt her now and, as I've already heard in town, you've become very good new parents for her and Elin feels very comfortable with you.”
“Yes, indeed she does. Even in the bakery, people ask me about her from time to time and what nice things I'm planning to do with her that day. Mr. Oddvar is always happy to see her when she comes to his library with Olaf.”
Then Halima began to talk about everything she had already discussed with Mattias and that they were going to visit the school with her today.
“Oh, I'm sure she'll feel very comfortable there soon, you two shouldn't worry about that. But I hope the first impression today will make Elin curious and she'll agree,” Liv replied.
“We hope so too, but we think this step is simply necessary now and we both, Destin and I, have to work during the day,” Halima explained. “Once she's settled in and maybe even made some new friends, things will be a lot easier for all of us.”
Liv nodded, “That's true, especially after you two get married. Has the date been set yet?”
Halima and Mattias looked at each other and he took her hand. “Next year, Liv, after the queen's official wedding. Maybe a week or so after that. We'll see … won't you, darling?”
“I wish you the best of luck! Now, shall we all get down to business and sign the document?”
~~~
When they both returned to Halima's house, Elin was already awake, sitting outside on the steps to the open front door and taking a hearty bite of a large apple.
“Hello, Elin, here we are again,” Halima called, waving, and the little girl immediately got up to run towards her.
“And we have very good news, Elin,” Mattias added as Halima hugged her, waving a sheet of parchment in front of her.
Elin looked up. “What is it?”
“We became your new parents this morning when we signed the adoption contract at Liv's earlier,” Mattias replied, “and it's official, little one!”
Halima knelt down in front of Elin and looked her lovingly in the eyes. “Hello, my dear and clever daughter, you can finally call us Mama and Papa!”
Elin's face lit up and Halima gave her a kiss on the cheek. When Mattias knelt down and stroked her hair tenderly, the girl hugged them both.
“I'm so happy…” She looked them both lovingly in the eyes in turn. “… Mama and Papa!”
~~~
On the way to the harbour, Elin ate the rest of the apple and looked at her mother, wondering what she should do with the rest. She didn't dare just throw the apple core on the street, because the little girl hadn't missed the fact that the whole town was always so clean and, apart from horse manure, there was never anything lying around.
“Give me that, Elin, we can throw the rest of the apple in the grass over there, I'm sure it will rot very quickly. But you took good care, I'm proud of you,” said Halima.
“Who actually cleans up everything that the horses drop?” asked Elin as she placed the core house in her open hand.
“There are people whose job it is to keep everything in the city clean,” she replied. “Every morning, these people drive through the streets with a cart and collect these horse apples. That's what the previous king and queen decided back then.”
“Horses … apples?” Elin asked in astonishment.
“Agnarr ordered that back then, Halima?” asked Mattias afterwards.
“The horses' manure is called that, my dear Elin. By the way, even I sometimes collect it from the street as fertiliser for my cold frames in the garden,” she replied, leaning down to Elin with a smile, then turned to Mattias, “I think that was more Queen Iduna's decision, Destin. ”
They both nodded thoughtfully.
Then they reached the junction to the school and could already hear the laughter of the children playing on the small arched bridge, trying to catch a fish with a thin rope and a hook. They didn't pay any attention to Elin, they were so busy, but Elin watched the children playing all the more. She looked at them curiously as they walked past until they entered the classroom.
The teacher was sitting at her desk in front of a large blackboard on the wall behind her and there were low tables with a chair in front of them all around the room. On each one were a few books, sheets of paper and writing utensils. On the walls were colourful drawings and various other illustrations. Elin looked around curiously and leafed through one of these books while her parents went to the teacher and spoke to her.
“Elin, will you come here? The teacher would like to meet you,” Halima called out after a while.
Elin closed the book and walked slowly to the front. She and the teacher, who was still quite young and pretty too, as Elin thought, looked at each other curiously until the girl stopped in front of the table.
“Hello, Elin, I'm Mrs Halverson and I'm the teacher at this school,” she greeted and Elin returned a somewhat shy 'hello'.
Mrs Halverson smiled and said, “You don't need to be afraid, Elin. Your adoptive parents told me you came from the orphanage and would like to go to school? Well, I'm very happy about that and I'm sure the other children will be too, when they have a new playmate and can learn together with her. At the moment there's a break before lessons start, but of course you don't have to decide straight away. Or you could just sit over there by the window and listen to everything. Well, what do you think?”
Elin didn't say anything back and instead looked up questioningly at Halima, who put a hand on her shoulder encouragingly. “Answer the teacher yourself, Elin.”
“Well … I'm curious, but I'd like my parents to stay there too. Is that possible?”
“Well, normally parents aren't allowed to be here during lessons, Elin. Hmm … Could you leave us alone for a few minutes? You can go outside and watch the other children while we talk, yes?”
Elin nodded and strolled towards the entrance.
When she was gone, Mrs Halverson asked about her background, her age and whether she could read and write. Halima and Mattias took it in turns to tell her everything in brief, as they didn't want to keep the little girl waiting too long. Besides, the lesson would start in a quarter of an hour. Mrs Halverson was moved by Elin's story and promised to take good care of her if she became her new pupil.
Halima then brought the girl back and teacher Halverson suggested that she should sit at the last table by the window. From there, she would certainly get a better impression of everything if she simply pretended to be part of the class. Mrs Halverson would explain it to the students and was very curious to see everyone's reactions.
When Elin had taken her seat, Halima and Mattias stood next to her for a moment before they were about to leave.
“Elin, we'll stay close by and have a coffee at Oakens near the harbour. Afterwards, we'll pick you up again in an hour or so, all right? You really don't need to be afraid if you're here on your own for a while. I'm sure it will be very interesting and you don't have to take part in the lessons yourself yet, just watch and listen,” said Halima
“But you have to promise me one thing, my little girl,” Mattias added and laughed. “Try to have fun!”
Elin nodded several times, said “I will!” and waved to them as they disappeared through the entrance. Shortly afterwards, a bell rang somewhere and one by one many children poured in. They all eyed the new pupil curiously before sitting down at their desks after greeting the teacher and opening the chapter in their books announced by Mrs Halverson. Elin also had one on her table and followed the example of the others.
And so began Elin's first trial school day.
~~~
Kristoff enjoyed the voyage on the Draba, especially looking after Sven, who was a little nervous about taking a long sea voyage on rough seas for the first time. Kristoff wondered what Anna was doing right now, and he bet that with winter approaching and the annual events in Arendelle at this time of year, she might be planning the upcoming competitions in the capital. He thought back to his ice carving competition with Anna and Elsa, and then a brilliant idea suddenly came to his mind as he remembered his conversation with Anna under the old willow tree before they unleashed their deepest passion.
She had told him what King Agnarr did to propose to his loved girl, Iduna, presenting her with a self-carved love spoon. Kristoff was a little sad because he had missed the opportunity to do the same for Anna because of the emergency wedding a few days ago. It was a little late, of course, but as a special gift it would still make Anna very happy; he thought, so better late than never. He could carve it now, here on the ship, right now!
He grinned. All he needed now was a piece of wood and that was certainly available from one of the carpenters here on the ship. He had his jackknife in his boot and two days at sea should be enough to make the spoon. Actually, twice as many days, because the return journey was still ahead of him; he corrected himself.
“Sven, I'm just going below deck to see one of the carpenters. I've just had a great idea for a present for Anna. I'll be right back.”
Sven looked after him and then put his head back on his front legs to continue dozing.
The carpenter was a little taken aback by Kristoff's desire, but he couldn't refuse His Highness such a request. So he sawed off a suitably large piece from one of the spare beams intended for the mizzen boom and handed it to Kristoff.
Back on deck, Kristoff visualised the shape and immediately began to carve the first rough outlines on the wood. Not so easy when you've never done anything like this before; he mused, but he was confident and preferred to work slowly and accurately.
Kristoff was so focussed on his work that he didn't even notice the tip of his tongue playing at the corner of his mouth, causing one of the sailors walking past to grin broadly.
~~~
At the same time, on an Arendelle road …
Elsa, Anna and Mari were sitting in a royal carriage on the way to the royal Summerhus, where the two sisters had spent many summers with their parents when they were young. It was Anna who had made the suggestion and Elsa had enthusiastically agreed. Mari was to be one of the few people outside the royal family ever to be invited there today and she was very honoured accordingly.
“We've never picked mushrooms there before, but if my memory serves me right, the woods there were full of them,” Anna said, explaining her choice of picking location.
“Yes, I think you're right. Mama and Papa have certainly collected mushrooms there too, I'm almost sure of it,” said Elsa, trying to remember how they used to play explorers with Anna in the big forest, at some point convinced they were lost and then climbed a tree to find their bearings. In the end, they saw their parents sitting in the grass of a large meadow just a stone's throw away, having a picnic. Elsa had to giggle as she recalled this scene.
“What are you laughing about?” asked Anna, “I want to be able to laugh with you.”
Elsa told her and Anna grinned. “Oh yes, it was funny how surprised we were back then, thinking we'd never find our way back.”
“I was afraid that our parents would be angry with us if they had to look for us.”
“Maybe even in the middle of the night,” Anna imagined and Elsa nodded.
Mari hadn't said much so far and the sisters realised this almost simultaneously. They both looked at her, who was looking out of the carriage window opposite them, but her gaze revealed that she wasn't looking at the passing scenery, but seemed to be somewhere else entirely, thinking about something that was perturbing her a lot.
“Are you all right, Mari? You look so … I don't know … almost scared?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Mari's head jerked to the side and she looked clearly caught off guard.
Now Elsa was worried too. “You do have something, Mari,” she said with her eyebrows furrowed and leant forward a little. “It's plain to see.”
Mari looked at them both in turn and then sighed, “Yes, it's true. I'm actually very worried and even very terrified about it.”
“What is it that worries you so much?” Elsa asked curiously and Anna added, “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“I don't think so and that really annoys me, because I'm probably all alone with this problem and no one is able to help me out of it. A miracle would have to happen!”
“So now you've really unsettled us both. Do you want to talk about it or at least hint at what it's all about?” Elsa asked with a worried undertone and gently placed a hand on Mari's knee opposite her.
She looked at her seriously, determined to help in whatever way she could, because Mari was a good friend to both of them. Anna in particular was very close to her, who now had an equally serious expression on her face and, listening attentively, waited for Mari's explanation.
“All right … I'll tell you, but please take this seriously, because that's what it is for me and it really isn't a joke.” Mari had to swallow before she continued with quivering lips. “Father wants me to…,” she had to pause for a moment because her emotions were starting to boil up again. She took a deep breath and then spilled the beans. “Father wants to marry me off … to some prince or other profitable suitor.”
“Wait, what?” Anna blurted out, completely taken aback, and Elsa's mouth fell open.
“Yes, it's true. As princess, I am the heir to the throne and therefore obliged to act for the good of the kingdom and … its profit,” she spat out the last word, “to take a prince from another kingdom as my husband. Father is firmly convinced that Vesterland needs a male heir to the throne after me. And I … shall bear him.”
The sisters were too perplexed and shocked to answer immediately. Instead, they could only stare at Mari.
“Does she really have to, Elsa?” Anna asked, looking helplessly at her sister.
“I don't know, Anna, I'd say other kingdoms, other rules … maybe.”
“But that's so unfair,” said Anna, shaking her head in a tone of conviction.
“Yes, exactly, I think so too, Anna! Just because Father thinks he can decide that just like that … without any warning. We're not living in the days of the founding fathers, are we?” Mari replied, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Anna immediately sat down next to her, gave her a comforting hug and looked over at Elsa. “There just has to be a solution, doesn't there, sis?”
“Who does your father have in mind? Which prince from which kingdom?” Elsa asked instead.
“I don't know his name and I don't know what he looks like. All I know is that it's probably a powerful kingdom and he's one of thirteen heirs,” Mari replied.
The sisters froze and Mari could feel it clearly in Anna's suddenly tense hand on her shoulder. Mari looked at her shocked face.
“What…?” she asked.
“The southern isles … a Westergaard!” Anna then blurted out. “Oh my God!”
Elsa's features had hardened at Mari's revelation and she pinched her lips together until they were just a line.
“We will seek and find a solution, Mari, be sure! Having a Westergaard prince in the immediate vicinity of Arendelle as the new king of Vesterland is simply unacceptable! We have a say in that too,” said Elsa quietly, but with deep conviction.
“If it's Hans, then even more so …,” Anna murmured quietly with her head bowed.
“Hans? You know one of them, Anna?” Mari asked in astonishment, wiping a tear from her face.
“Oh yes, Mari, we both know him. Four and a half years ago, he wanted to kill us and take the throne of Arendelle by himself!” Elsa replied angrily.
“He almost succeeded,” added Anna.
“Hans was thrown into the brig of the next ship after his failed coup and banished from Arendelle. Since then, we have severed all trade relations with the southern isles. Perhaps I should have let him freeze into a block of ice back then …”
“But then there would have been war, sis. No matter what he tried to do to us,” Anna replied and Elsa nodded.
Mari had looked open-mouthed at both of them in turn and was more than just amazed at how much the sisters had to say about it and what a terrible experience they'd had.
“You can't trust a Westergaard, Mari, and we'll do everything in our power to convince your father and put a little pressure on him if necessary. But either way, I hope there is another way to convince King Jonas not to inflict such a fate on you. I'll look into it and investigate as soon as we get back to the castle tonight. I promise, Mari!”
“And I'll help you with that, Elsa,” Anna said firmly, planting a fist in her side.
“Thank you both. But now tell me what happened back then. I want to know everything!” said Mari and grabbed the sisters' hands.
~~~
As promised, Mattias and Halima picked Elin up from school an hour later.
“So, how was the class, little girl? Did you like it?” asked Mattias, after taking one of Elin's hands and Halima's other to walk the girl home between them.
“Yes, it was very interesting and I had a lot of fun. The other children have … homework from Miss Halverson and they have to draw a picture at home until next time.”
“Oh, that makes me very happy, Elin,” Halima said with a smile and gave Mattias a meaningful sideways glance. “What kind of picture do you want it to be?”
“How we imagine the future. I also got a note for you from the teacher,” Elin replied, briefly letting go of her new dad's hand and pulling a folded piece of paper out of the sleeve of her dress to give to Halima. She then took Mattia's hand again and smiled. “I want you to get me some things.”
“Wait, does that mean you've decided to go to school now?” he asked in amazement.
“Yes, I think so. The other children have been friendly to me too and some around me have even whispered curious questions to me during lessons about who I am and stuff.”
Halima smiled broadly and Mattias nodded in approval. “See, I told you, it's all half as bad. I'm happy for you.”
“And so am I,” Halima added and they both felt the girl's handshake increase in wordless acknowledgement, while Elin again made little leaps of joy between them.
~~~
Once everyone was home, they explained to the girl that they both had to work now, but would be back in the late afternoon. At least Halima would. Mattias reckoned it would be a longer day, but promised to be back for dinner at the latest.
Elin had no problem with this and hurried to her room to start on the mentioned painting straight away.
Halima and Mattias briefly discussed who would get the school supplies on the note and then they said goodbye with a kiss and a happy hug over Elin's decision.
While Halima made a small diversions to run errands before starting her workday at Hudson's Hearth, Mattias headed to the castle. Today he wanted to organise the arrests of the three war criminals. He hoped that they had not yet suspected anything and that the witness was safe, as Fabian had assured him.
They'll make eyes at him, he thought to himself as he crossed the castle bridge.
Shortly afterwards, Captain Einar was briefed and three teams of guards were formed to arrest all three simultaneously if possible. One of them was to find out the whereabouts of each of them unnoticed before they struck.
It ended up being easier than expected, as all three war criminals were sitting together in a tavern having lunch.
~~~
“What do you mean it's going to be cramped in the dungeon now?” Mattias asked the captain after his comment. “Surely there's enough room for three people, even if not too much.”
“Four, General, we've already had a suspect in there for five days who is under interrogation on suspicion of aiding and abetting treason.”
“Another one? Why don't I know anything about this? Who is it?”
Einar explained to him and also that unfortunately nothing could be proven against him so far. “I want to soften him up and put him under pressure,” he added. “I have strong doubts about his excuses so far and he's very cunning in proclaiming his innocence.”
“I see,” Mattias mused. “Perhaps that will help when Monrad's brother Albert realises what company he suddenly finds himself in in the small cell. An innocent man would protest and want out immediately. But if he is guilty and the accusations against him are correct, then perhaps he will chat, because he is likely to feel quite uncomfortable in the presence of three soldiers of the Crown. They are facing trial and have nothing to lose now. For their loyalty to the royal house, the three of them even walked over a dead body by executing the enemy in the most brutal manner.”
“Perhaps the guard who brings Albert his food every day should drop a note to that effect,” mused Einar.
“Excellent idea and definitely worth a try, Captain Einar. That's how we do it.”
~~~
“Lunch, prisoner!” said one of the two guards to Monrad's brother after the other had loudly unlocked the door to the cell and was now holding it wide open for him.
He placed the tray next to the prisoner on the cot and Albert once again wrinkled his nose at the sight. The food wasn't bad, but it was very simple and lovelessly prepared. He knew Olina's cooking skills from his visits during the wine delivery and the tasting by Kai. But the dish on the tray had definitely been prepared by someone else and was not at all to Albert's discerning palate.
“You'll have high-ranking company today, Albert, and you'll have to make some room, because there are three soldiers of the crown and even a veteran officer among them,” the guard remarked, grinning mischievously.
“What are they being accused of?” Albert asked, seemingly calmly and with an inconspicuous expression on his face, but a slight panic rose up inside him. Was this a dirty trick by Einar? For the life of him, Albert couldn't imagine why these three and an officer among them would end up with him in the dungeon.
“What are they accused of? Phew … they're here for a war crime. They allegedly brutally tortured an enemy at the Misty Pass and then hung him from a tree until he was dead. They're not to be trifled with if that's true, that's for sure. You'd better eat up quickly, because they're about to be brought down.”
The guard made room for a third guard, who manoeuvred another cot in, then loudly slammed it on the floor and kicked it against the wall before leaving the cell again with an annoyed look on his face. Albert swallowed and could only stare in bewilderment.
“Have fun,” the guard said with a grin as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.
He was now alone again, but he had lost his appetite after this announcement. If this guy told the three new arrivals that he was here on suspicion of aiding and abetting treason, then his worries were justified. The colour slowly drained from his face.
~~~
Kristoff's stomach rebelled when, unexpectedly for him, the Draba ran into rapidly increasing, heavy swells near the dark sea. The ship swayed and plunged in and out of wave troughs at steep angles. Spray splashed over the railing, submerging the entire deck in a matter of seconds. It wasn't a real thunderstorm, but the wind and the whipped-up waves were still strong enough to frighten an inexperienced passenger.
The sailors had their hands full lashing the equipment to the deck, adjusting the rigging to the weather conditions and holding on tight so that they weren't washed overboard. It was enough to make you sick just watching.
Normally Kristoff had no problems travelling by ship, but this was a voyage on the high seas and in notoriously treacherous waters. Sven was just as bad, if not worse, than Kristoff felt at the moment, as he could clearly see. He had stowed his carving under his gakti and was now helping Sven to his feet. Then he called for help to get the reindeer to safety below deck. He couldn't do it alone and twice it threw them both off their feet.
“You shouldn't have waited so long to go below deck, Your Highness. The weather can change extremely quickly on the high seas,” said a sailor who rushed to help and now called for more sailors. Sven vomited with a heart-rending, wailing sound and Kristoff unfortunately couldn't do much to help him. It literally tore at his heart to see Sven like this. Kristoff therefore wrapped his arms around the reindeer's neck and tried to calm him down somehow.
Luckily for Kristoff and Sven, the companionway below deck was only a few steps away and after a few minutes of joint effort, five of them got Sven down to safety.
Of course, the ups and downs were just as noticeable below deck, only here you didn't get a constant shower of salt water. Nevertheless, the water dripped and sloshed in near the stairs. In contrast to the massive figure of the reindeer, Kristoff could at least climb into a hammock, which made the rocking a little more comfortable. However, Sven slid back and forth on the planks with every violent movement of the ship and of course couldn't hold on to anything like a human, and it was just as impossible for him to climb into one of those hanging mats. But Kristoff wouldn't be Kristoff if he cared more about his friend than himself.
So he got some ropes from the end of the sleeping deck as quickly as possible and secured Sven as best he could. He then lay down next to him and talked him through it.
Sven looked at him pitifully but also gratefully, because Kristoff wasn't leaving him alone right now.
Kristoff hoped it would all be over soon and his whole body shivered from the cold of the icy water that had soaked him on the unprotected deck. He grabbed a couple of blankets from two hammocks nearby, rubbed Sven dry as best he could and then undressed himself to wrap himself in the dry, warm fabric. Kristoff was used to the cold in the mountains, especially when harvesting ice, but icy cold water that seemed to penetrate to the bone was new to him and made his teeth chatter.
~~~
The sisters hadn't been back to their parents' Summerhus for what felt like an eternity. Too much had happened in recent years and they hadn't had time to look after it and reminisce about old memories. At least a trusted person from the nearby small village came around a few times a month, kept the house clean and tidy and stoked the stove in winter so that everything didn't freeze. There was also always a forester nearby who acted as a guard and regularly patrolled the neighbourhood.
While Elsa and Anna recounted their tiresome experiences with one of the Westergaards royals to Mari, who was very curious for good reason, the carriage bumped along winding forest paths, not far from the capital, past tall conifers and increasingly mountain spruce as the terrain became higher. The unmistakable scent of scattered cedars wafted in through the window and Elsa remembered very well that her mother loved that smell as she inhaled deeply and smiled.
At some point they passed through a tiny village, drove past a small, traditionally built stave church onto the market square and shortly afterwards over bumpy cobblestones that wound their way up to the Summerhus. The coachman drove in a semi-circle up to the entrance and shouted a loud “Brr” as a command for the horses to stop. They gave a grateful snort as the carriage came to a halt.
“We're here,” Elsa announced, still smiling.
“Here again at last,” Anna added, “after so many years.” She looked cheerfully at her sister and Elsa nodded knowingly.
They heard the coachman jump off the trestle, then the sound of him folding down the side steps and finally he opened the door for his royal passengers to alight.
“Our honoured guest first, please,” Elsa said to Mari and pointed outside with an inviting gesture.
Mari nodded curtly and got out first.
The sight was not quite what she had expected, for the Summerhus was a log cabin built entirely of sturdy wooden beams, with bright red decorations and a roof completely covered in sod, leaving only the brick chimney protruding.
All around stood squat spruce trees and in front of the entrance was a mown meadow where they now stood. But the fact that this was the royal summer residence was unmistakable. The front door was adorned with a relief of Arendelle's emblem and the crocus symbol was emblazoned on a wooden semicircle directly above it. The Summerhus looked very cosy and rustic with its mullioned windows and the flower boxes in front of it. Mari couldn't help but smile.
“I like your Summerhus,” she said as the sisters stood next to her and the coachman audibly closed the door behind them. “It looks so …”
“… cosy?” Anna added with a grin and Mari nodded.
“Yes, it does indeed. It's a lovely refuge.”
“Well, let's go inside and make ourselves comfortable before we go into the forest to collect,” said Elsa, who was already holding the front door key in her hands.
At that moment, an elderly man came out of the forest, who turned out to be the forester who regularly passed by the house.
He greeted everyone in a friendly manner and gave the sisters a brief report of what had happened so far. But there was nothing serious to report, because apart from a few animals sneaking around the house in search of food, only two travellers had passed by a few weeks ago and peered curiously through the windows. However, he kindly asked them to move on. After his report, he said goodbye again and disappeared into the forest.
Elsa unlocked the entrance and pushed the heavy door inwards. When she touched it, another memory immediately flashed through Elsa's mind: when she and Anna were little, they always had to push this thick door open in pairs because it was too heavy for one girl alone. She paused for a moment and felt Anna's hand on her shoulder. Elsa looked at her smiling face.
“I've just remembered that too, Elsa. There are a lot of memories waiting for us in there.”
Inside, everything was dark and only the light from the entrance illuminated the living room with its central table. The sisters first opened the windows to fold the shutters outwards and let in a little more light. Elsa then lit the oil lamps and Anna took care of the large fireplace. There was still plenty of wood and so it only took a few minutes for her to get the fire going. A cosy warmth immediately spread through the cold room and it instantly became more comfortable.
Everything looked just as the sisters remembered it, nothing seemed to be missing or had been rearranged. It was as if they had left the house only yesterday and just as clean, only many, many years had passed. They looked at each other meaningfully and while Mari looked around curiously, Elsa and Anna did what they always did first back then. They each lit a candle by the fire and hurried upstairs to their child's room under the gable.
Here, too, everything was just as they had left it. With a tiny difference. Their two favourite dolls, which were usually in the little toy chest next to Elsa's bed, were now lying on the pillows of their beds. They both put their candles in the holders on the little table next to them and lifted their dolls up.
“Oh, Elsa, if only Mama and Papa were here now,” Anna said quietly and tears began to gather in her eyes as she held her stuffed double to her chest.
Elsa went to her and took her in her arms.
“I miss her so much too, Anna,” she said softly in her ear and the image of the figure from the shipwreck stole into her mind, but she immediately suppressed it with narrowed eyes and focussed on her younger sister's feelings again.
“I remember that time so well and somehow it feels like Mama is downstairs in the kitchen right now, making tea for us and about to call upstairs 'Tea's ready, are you two coming?'. She tried to imitate Iduna's voice and Elsa laughed softly.
“Yes, that's right … that's exactly what she used to call out, just like that.”
Then Anna could no longer hold back and she sobbed unrestrainedly into Elsa's shoulder. Her body shook and Elsa held her a little tighter, stroked her hair and whispered, “It's all right, Anna, it's all right. Let it all out … just let go.”
~~~
In the meantime, Mari looked at the oil paintings on the wall, which depicted some of Anna's and Elsa's ancestors, and occasionally picked up a beautiful gem from the shelf to take a closer look. A handsome collection of valuable plates were lined up on a high shelf and a handful of violins hung ready to play in holders on the wall. Books and family games were stacked in the corners. Mari could well imagine how the sisters had played together with their parents at this table when they were children and were happy.
Mari suddenly realised what a great favour the sisters had done her with this invitation, what great trust they had placed in her to share these highly personal memories with her. She wondered who had played these instruments on the wall for them and guessed their father. A very personal insight into the life of a king! She looked around again. Everything here radiated love! The love of the regents of Arendelle for their children, who presumably left their duties behind for several weeks a year just to spend time together with their daughters, completely undisturbed. Here in this lovingly furnished house, which served only one purpose … to be together as a family.
“Well, this is what it looks like in our cosy Summerhus. Living room, kitchen and two bedrooms upstairs. Nothing special really, but every square centimeter here is full of memories, Mari,” Elsa explained behind her as she returned quietly and unnoticed.
Mari flinched a little, startled, and let out a sharp cry when the large grandfather clock suddenly struck loudly.
“Oh my goodness!” Mari exclaimed with one hand pressed to her heart and Elsa giggled.
“Sorry, I should have warned you. But strange, someone from the cleaning staff must have wound it up regularly. That wasn't their job at all, I don't think.”
“That's all right, I should have guessed, after all, you can't miss the clock. Is Anna still upstairs? I heard a staircase creak earlier.”
“No, she's in the kitchen preparing tea for us, I'm sure she'll be here soon.”
What Elsa didn't tell her was that her sister also wanted to clean her face because she had been crying and didn't want Mari to see it. Elsa fetched cups and saucers and a warmer from the shelf and prepared the table.
Two minutes later, Anna came in with a teapot and a small kettle, which she hung on a hook by the fireplace and swivelled over the flames. She then placed the pot on the warmer and sat down. The room was now cosy and warm and she leaned back comfortably on the high, upholstered chair.
“It's so nice and quiet and cosy here. I can well imagine how you can hear the birds chirping here in summer when the windows are open. A place to relax, to get away from the daily hustle and bustle and worries,” Mari realised and also sat down at the table.
“And the summer meadow behind the trees in the clearing is lovely when the weather is nice, ideal for a picnic on the grass, with all the wildflowers and even a field of sunflowers further down,” Anna enthused.
”Her favourite flower,” Elsa added with a grin as she also sat down and Anna nodded thoughtfully.
“Can't wait to go outside later and pick mushrooms in our adventure forest. I've found a few baskets in the kitchen and have already prepared them for us with three small knives and some cloths,” said Anna, smiling in anticipation and crossing her arms behind her head.
Anna behaved almost as if she was still young and looking forward to reliving the old days, Elsa mused with a small smile. But Elsa allowed her these thoughts and also to completely forget for a day that she was now the Queen of Arendelle. Anna deserved to have some fun and feel young again.
“But first, let's have a nice cup of tea. Then in the afternoon we can warm up here again and maybe even play one of the old board games,” Elsa suggested, casting a sideways glance into one of the corners of the room with its many games.
“I'd rather just chat with you two,” Mari replied, “now that I have a lot of time for you and no one will miss me for the next few days.”
“You're right, Mari. Let's not waste the day playing games and instead share our thoughts, that's more important now,” Elsa said and fetched the kettle to pour the tea.
Anna looked at Mari and nodded in understanding. Just chatting to each other didn't have to mean that they couldn't have fun together.
~~~
They set off about an hour later. Elsa put a few wood logs on the fire and Anna fetched the baskets from the kitchen.
They walked northwards to where the forest was thicker and simply followed their noses. As they walked comfortably side by side in no great hurry, soaking up the smells of the forest and listening to the birds twittering in the treetops above them, they told each other stories and their experiences over the last few months since Mari's last visit to the city. But they all kept their eyes open and looked behind every large tree on their way so as not to miss any edible mushrooms. Anna was the first to spot a promising patch near a clearing ahead and quickly ran to it, eventually shouting back that she had found lots of mushrooms. Elsa and Mari followed her and then spread out among the trees around this small clearing. Everyone was now fully occupied with collecting and it didn't take very long before everyone had an almost full basket. Afterwards, they made their way back to the Summerhus.
“I'm already looking forward to Olina's mushroom soup tonight,” said Anna, licking her lips in anticipation.
“But there are far too many for the three of us,” said Elsa, “you should take a basket full home with you, Mari, and treat your father to something tasty too. I can well imagine that he doesn't come to pick mushrooms himself or think about sending someone else out to do it. I'm sure he'll be delighted with your find, and who knows, maybe it'll be a good opportunity to talk to him in peace about your future as you imagine it. I hope that we will have found a solution for you by then and that he will at least seriously reconsider his plans for you.”
Mari looked very sceptical, but replied, “I hope so.”
~~~
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Remark: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you liked the story, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms. If you want to be tagged as soon I publish the next chapter please let me know, except you are already tagged :-)
stormborns
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