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Anna - Chapter 9

Anna stood by the side of the throne of Arendelle, wearing a long white dress with lace sleeves that resembled a wedding gown and a necklace of pearls, horribly aware that it was missing its usual occupant. Kristoff was to her left and she could tell he was itching to drape his muscular arms around her in support. Unfortunately, the rules of royal protocol restrained him. Before them was the head of the search party Anna had sent out. Previous attempts had all been futile.
“Did you find any trace of her?” she enquired, and she flinched at the anxiety in her tone.

Elsa had been missing for two weeks.

Anna had been the one who had discovered her sister’s bed empty and informed the palace. Everybody had assumed that the Queen had simply left on some kind of impromptu business. Nobody would have ever dreamed she would be gone for this long.

The meaner of their subjects had been heard whispering that their ruler had abandoned them. They thought that perhaps she had lost control again. They thought she had ran away again. Anna knew they couldn’t be more wrong. She knew Elsa better than she knew anybody. Her sister would never leave her or her people. Not now. Not when she had been happy, for the first time in forever. She and Kristoff and Elsa and Sven and Olaf had built a good life for themselves in Arendelle. Elsa would never have left willingly.

Which meant one thing: Her sister was in trouble. And Anna didn’t seem to be doing anything to help her.

“No, princess Anna. We were once again unsuccessful in our attempts” he replied gravely.
He pulled off his hat, as if he was lamenting the dead.
“I am so sorry”

Anna felt like her heart had been frozen all over again. This man thought she was dead. He had given up hope.
“I thank you for your service. Leave us now” Anna managed to choke out.
She hated the thought of crying in front of her subjects.
The searchers rushed out of the door. In truth, Anna thought they were glad to leave. She wasn’t exactly being a merry monarch, and Arendelle had seen so much tragedy already.

“Oh Kristoff” she whispered and that was all it took.
He swept her into his arms and hugged her tightly against his chest. A sob burst from her lips and soon the tears were falling like snowflakes in a blizzard. She felt so broken, so damaged.
“Elsa will be fine Anna” Kristoff comforted her “If anybody can survive by herself, it is Elsa. You know how strong she is”

Anna yearned to believe him.
“I can’t lose anybody else Kristoff. I can’t. So why am I sitting here and not looking for her? I found her last time. I can do it again I know it” she told him.
She had been thinking it ever since Elsa had gone missing but she had not wanted to say it aloud.
“Anna you know you can’t go after her. Elsa means a lot to you and I loved her too. But you have to do what is responsible. You have to do what is best for your people first, Elsa second. If you leave, Arendelle has no ruler. What if history repeats itself?”

She had not told Kristoff how she felt for exactly this reason. She had known that he would have talked her out of it, convinced her to be a dutiful princess.
“If she never comes back and I did nothing, how will I ever forgive myself?” Anna muttered.
Suddenly, her eyes were full of tears again.

Suddenly, Kristoff stiffened. His warm eyes were full of determination.
“We are not going to do nothing. She is not in Arendelle, so we will widen our search to neighbouring kingdoms. I promise we will find her” he announced vehemently.

For the sake of her happiness, Anna let herself believe that everything would work out fine. But that night, when she slept, her dreams were full of forests, witches, snowstorms, blood and Elsa.



Aurora - Chapter 10

The castle in Dun Broch was not as lavishly furnished as her own palace, but Aurora could easily see the love and pride that had gone into the Queen’s private chambers. Everything from the polished bow hanging on the wall to a huge tapestry screamed Scotland and Merida. It reminded her of the cottage she had grown up in. It didn’t feel like a castle but it felt like a home.

“Perhaps we should start from the very beginning” Merida suggested, pulling up a wooden chair and gestured for her to sit “What exactly is the council and why was it so important to my mother?”
Merida herself headed towards her bed and perched on the end of it. Her bedchamber was an odd choice for a meeting place, but it made Aurora trust her a little more. It seemed like she had nothing to hide.

Momentarily, Aurora paused and pondered the best way to formulate a reply. She didn’t want to say anything that would worry such an unorthodox Queen and a potential friend and ally.
“The Council of the Queens was a group of 12 Queens who came together in a time of great peril to bring peace and unification of the kingdom. It had once been both Queen Leah’s and Queen Elinor’s dream to reunite the kingdom in such a way. Now it seems that wish has become ours to try and make into a reality” Aurora explained.

Merida nodded curtly, and for the first time Aurora found her eyes fixing on the girl’s hair. She had not noticed how bright the colour was before. It reminded her of autumn in the forest.
“That makes sense, but what peril is the land facing now? Dun Broch has seen the best years of its history”

Aurora smiled. Trust Merida to see the battle side of the Council.
“None and hopefully it stays that way. But as a group there are many big issues we can tackle. If somebody is in trouble, the others can help”
At that point, Aurora reached forward to take the other Queen’s hand. She could tell Merida wasn’t the sentimental sort but she wanted to offer some form of comfort if she was able. She knew what it was like to lose a parent and inherit a crown.

Merida’s eyes were a little red and she wiped at them with an irritated expression. Aurora guessed she was the sort to hate crying in public. Most people were like that way, but Aurora had learnt that tears were nothing to be ashamed of. Emotions like love and sorrow, bravery and fear, were what made you human. To hide them was to defy your very nature. Though Aurora had to admit she wasn’t surprised by Merida’s actions. If she was anything, Merida was defiant.

“It all sounds good in practice, but how do we go about orchestrating all of this? How do we pick the 12 Queens?”
Luckily, she had already thought of all that.
“The 12 Queens from the 12 biggest kingdoms shall sit on the council. And as for how we organise this, I suggest we simply send letters asking or visit Queens personally.”

“If they refuse?” Merida demanded.
Aurora smoothed down her jade skirts.
“I don’t think it is in their interest to refuse, but even if they do and this all fails, I know have still gained a most orphic friend”
At that Merida stood and walked to the window, her face hidden from view. She hadn’t meant for her declaration to move her but she was glad she said it all the same.

Merida was her friend now. For better or for worse.




Rapunzel - Chapter 11

She didn’t know for how long she had been sat at Eugene’s bedside, his hand grasped firmly in her own. The arrow had been removed from his side but he had lost a lot of blood. He still had not woken up. The worst part was there was nothing she could do to save him. She had lost her power to heal. She was useless and powerless and she was watching Eugene slip away right before her fingers.

Inadequacy had always been one of her biggest fears but Eugene had made her feel important. Needed. He had always had complete faith in her but now she knew it was misguided. The sky had never seemed so dark and her future had never looked so bleak.

There was a knock at the door but she ignored it. She didn’t want to be reminded of all the things she was shutting out to be her by her husband. Eugene had to come first but it was more than that. Part of her was afraid that if she left the room, she would not be there for him when he died.

The knock came again, more insistent.
“Your majesty” a voice announced, one of her guards or stewards probably, “I have some urgent news”
Rapunzel entertained the idea of ignoring him but thought better of it.
“Come on in but keep your voice low” she said.

Tentatively, the door swung open. She kept her large green eyes on Eugene because everything meant little to her at the moment but him.
“What news do you speak of?” she whispered.
The man cleared his throat nervously. Rapunzel wondered if he was intimidated then was saddened when she realised he had reason to be.
“We have had a request from the kingdom of Dun Broch. She has proposed a grand meeting of all the monarchs in-”

She held up her hand to silence him and he cut off abruptly. Rapunzel squeezed Eugene’s hand.
“Stop right there. I don’t want any news unless it helps my husband, clear? He is my first priority right now”
She knew she might be making a slight mistake, but how could she face the other monarchs while Eugene had been attacked in their very own home? She had to deal with that first.

“V-very well”, the messenger stuttered, “then the second bit of news may interest you. A visitor to Corona has claimed to have seen something. She said she was walking around the outside of the castle when she saw a girl with wild flames for hair and a bow in her hand. She suspects that it was this girl who killed Eugene”.
Instinctively, Rapunzel’s eyes flickered to the arrow wound.
“Send out wanted posters immediately, the girl must be found. Give my thanks to the visitor, what was her name?”

“Lady Tremaine” the steward answered.
He bowed and left the chamber, leaving Rapunzel to her despair.