This time Hans didn’t bother keeping the bitterness out of his voice when he laughed and said, “What eligible maidens? You know Father isn’t planning on marrying me off. I am just waiting for the moment he orders me to take a vow of silence and join the Brotherhood of the Isles, where I will live my days in the same silence I have lived them here.”
WHOOSH!
Behind them, the door to the library flew open, causing a few papers on the nearby table to blow to the floor. The twins stood in the doorway, their faces red and their eyes wide. “Lars!” they cried in unison, completely ignoring Hans. “Lars! Have you heard? The king and queen of Arendelle are dead! Their ship sank to the bottom of the sea.”
“The king and queen of Arendelle?” Lars repeated.
“Yes!” Rudi confirmed. “Both dead.”
“Father wants you to mark their passing in the royal annals,” Runo added. “So…do that.”
Their news delivered, the twins left the room as quickly as they had come.
For a moment, Lars and Hans were silent, each processing the news in his own way. To Hans, it seemed a tragedy for the kingdom of Arendelle, nothing more. But judging by the intense expression on Lars’s face, it meant something more to him.
“Hans,” Lars finally said. “This could be your chance.”
Hans raised an eyebrow. “My chance for what?”
“To marry!” Lars said. “Don’t you know anything about Arendelle?”
When Hans shook his head, Lars sighed. “I really do need to have a talk with the tutors. They are teaching you absolutely nothing of import.” Walking to his bookshelf, he pulled out a book and began flipping through its pages. Finding what he was looking for, he walked back over to Hans. He pointed to a map. “This is Arendelle. It is a lovely kingdom known for a decent trade and good port. It is not extremely powerful, nor is it of huge importance to Father. It’s just too far away. But it does have a princess. Rumor has it she is beautiful but mysterious. She apparently doesn’t leave the castle, and while of marriageable age, she has yet to take a suitor.”
Lars paused, his face glowing with excitement. “Hans, don’t you see what this could mean? You could be her suitor!”
Hans let out a bitter laugh. “As if Father would ever allow such a thing.”
“True, he would probably try to marry one of the twins first. But they are so stupid, I guarantee they don’t even know about the eligible princess Elsa. But you do. So use that to your advantage. When the time comes for Elsa to take her place on the throne—”
“I can make sure I am the one Father sends as the Southern Isles representative,” Hans finished.
His mind reeling, Hans turned toward the window. This plan meant getting his father to trust him and then convincing a woman he had never met to marry him. Neither task would be easy. It would probably take years to prepare. He would have to stop spending his days daydreaming and learn how to become more conniving. After all, his brother was implying a political game of sorts. But, Hans thought, getting more and more excited as a new fantasy began to form in his head, what do I have to lose? If I don’t try, I’ll be stuck here anyway. At least this way, I might have a chance to change my path.
Turning back to his brother, he smiled. “I think it’s time for a history lesson. Tell me everything you know about Arendelle. Starting with this mysterious princess Elsa. And when we’re done, I’m going to go have a little chat with Father….”
What was I thinking? Hans thought as he stood outside the door to his father’s study. He rocked back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists nervously. It had seemed like such a good plan when he had been talking to Lars. Learn what he could about Princess Elsa and get his father’s permission to go to Arendelle when the time came—without telling him why he wanted to go. One, two, three…done.
He had just neglected one big important thing: his father hated him. What were the chances he was going to let his youngest son go sailing off to Arendelle just to attend a stranger’s coronation? The answer, Hans thought now, was slim to none. Somehow he would have to earn his father’s respect—or at least his tolerance—in the time it took for Elsa to schedule a coronation. That should give him a few years to work with, right?
For one brief moment, he thought about turning around. Walking away and dropping the whole thing. But then he heard his brothers’ voices in his head. Of course you’ll turn around, he could hear Rudi say. You don’t have the guts to do anything. And then Runo would add something like Princess Elsa wants a real man, not a boy. Why don’t you let us go after her and you can stay here, where you belong?
With renewed determination, Hans put his hand on the doorknob and turned it. The door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. The king didn’t even look up from the pile of papers he was reading.
Hans cleared his throat. “Father?” he said, wincing when his voice cracked nervously. “May I have a word?”
The king still didn’t bother to look up. “What is it, Hans?” he said. He turned over the page he was reading. “As you can see, I’m rather busy. The third isle is behind on its taxes and I still haven’t gotten the promised fish from the fifth isle. I don’t think people understand that I can’t help them if they don’t help me. And now our dear neighbors the Blavenians are threatening to stop trading with us. So as you might imagine, I don’t have time to listen to you whine about your brothers being bullies again.”
A protest formed on his lips, but Hans stopped it. “That sounds tedious. I wonder if perhaps…I could help.”
His father looked up. “Help?” he repeated, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How do you propose to help me?”
“Any way I can,” Hans said, ingratiating himself as much as possible. “I think it is time I made myself useful to you. My brothers are busy with their weddings and babies and other jobs. I have the time. And you have the need for someone with time to travel. Perhaps I can be that someone.” Stopping, he held his breath and waited.
For one very long, tense moment, the king said nothing. He just stared at his son as though trying to read his thoughts. Finally, he looked back down at his papers. Shuffling them around, he pulled out a yellowed parchment. “You say you want to help….”
“Yes, sir. Very much,” Hans said too quickly.
“And you would be willing to do anything I ask? Anything at all?”
Hans hesitated. There was something in the way his father said “anything” that sent a nervous chill down his spine. Still…“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Anything.”
“Well, then, we might be able to work something out. I have a little issue that needs to be taken care of immediately. There is a villager on the third isle. I’ve been told he has been saying rather, well, unsavory things about me. I can’t have my own people talking behind my back. It isn’t good politics. I would like you to go and speak to him. Make it clear he is doing himself no favors by getting on my bad side.”
“I can do that. But…” Hans paused, weighing his next words. “But what if he doesn’t listen to me?”
The king raised an eyebrow. “Then I expect you to make him listen. One way or another.”
“Make him?” Hans repeated.
“Yes,” the king said. “Now, if you have no further questions, I’d like to get back to my work. And I would like you to get going on yours.” He dropped his head back to his papers. “You can see yourself out.”
“Yes, Father,” Hans said, turning to go.
“Oh, and, Hans?”
Hans looked back over his shoulder.
“Don’t disappoint me,” his father warned, not bothering to look up. “Again.”
“I won’t…sir,” Hans replied. Then he walked out of the study, shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked in the lock, Hans sagged back against the wall and let out the breath he had been holding.
What, he thought over the beating of his heart, have I gotten myself into?
ANNA WAS HAVING the most wonderful dream. She was si
tting in the middle of a huge field of the brightest green grass. The sky above her was a picture-perfect blue, and the air was warm, a slight breeze bringing with it the smell of freshly baked pastries from a nearby picnic basket. Hearing a familiar laugh, Anna turned to her right and smiled at her mother and father, who were talking in hushed, happy whispers. Turning to her left, she saw Elsa lying on the ground, blowing at a dandelion. The small puffy white tufts blew slowly into the air, making it look as if it were snowing in the middle of summer.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Lying in her bed, Anna groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to let go of the dream.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
There was another knock, and this time Anna heard Kai call out, “Princess Anna!” The voice sounded distant through the thick door. “Sorry to wake you, ma’am, but…”
“No. You didn’t,” Anna called back. “I’ve been up for hours.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes drooped closed and she began to drift off. She felt the warmth of the sun and saw her sister and was about to pick another dandelion when…
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Anna sat up, startled, the last of her dream fading away. In its place was the reality that her parents were still gone and her sister still wanted nothing to do with her. For the first few months after the king and queen had been lost at sea, Anna had hoped that her sister would reach out to her, offer her comfort during such a terrible time. At least once a day, Anna would go to Elsa’s door and knock tentatively, hoping for a reply. But Anna only found silence.
After a while, Anna stopped trying as often. Instead of once a day, she would knock once a week. And sometimes not even then. The months dragged into a year, and then another year, Anna growing older and lonelier. At least when her parents had been alive, they had gone beyond the castle gates and brought news back. Even though Anna never left, she hadn’t felt so completely shut in. But since they had died, the gates hadn’t been opened. It had been years and years since she had seen the kingdom in anything other than the maps and books that lined the library walls. At times she felt like she was stuck inside a very fancy prison with really good food and a lot of reading material.
Sighing, she rubbed her eyes groggily and tugged at her messy hair. She didn’t need to look in a mirror to know she had a serious case of bed head.
“Time to get ready!” Kai called out.
“Ready for what?” Anna said, her thoughts still caught someplace between her dream and her musings.
“Your sister’s coronation, ma’am,” Kai clarified.
Anna’s eyes flew open. Elsa had recently turned twenty-one, and after years of hiding away, it was time for her coronation! Today!
Anna slapped her forehead. How could I have forgotten? she thought as she leaped out of bed and ran over to the wardrobe. Her coronation dress sat waiting for her on a dummy, the brilliant green gown bright and spotless—which was not something that could be said for most of Anna’s clothing. “I’m just effervescent,” she told Gerda whenever the maid good-naturedly grumbled at another stain created by one of Anna’s more enthusiastic moments. “It’s hard to keep all this…this…bubbliness inside,” Anna would tease. Then she would give the little maid a kiss on the top of her head and bounce off, forgiven as she always was.
“You are going to be careful with this dress, Your Highness, aren’t you?”
With her fingers still clutching the soft, rich fabric, Anna looked back over her shoulder. While she had been ogling her gown, Gerda had slipped into the room. She was now making her way toward Anna, stopping every few feet or so to pick up a stray hair ribbon or a lone shoe.
“Oh, Gerda, of course I’m going to be careful,” Anna said. As she spoke, she whipped around and a button on the dress snagged her dressing gown. Anna gasped and froze. “A little help?”
Sighing patiently, Gerda gently untangled Anna from the dress. When the two were at a safe distance, Gerda looked up at Anna and raised an eyebrow.
“I mean starting right now I’m going to careful. Just you wait and see. When I get back from the ball today, there won’t be a spot on it.” Anna smiled sheepishly when Gerda looked at her in disbelief. “Well, a girl can try, right?”
Gerda nodded. “I know you always try your best, Your Highness. But we really should get you ready. We don’t want to be wasting this day, after all.” As she spoke, she gingerly took the dress from the dummy.
“Oh, Gerda, can you believe it?” Anna asked, clasping her hands to her chest and twirling about. Her dressing gown flared out around her, nearly knocking over a hamper. “I thought this day would never come. It’s been forever! Well, almost forever. I didn’t think Elsa would ever go forward with the coronation! And then bam! She asks the bishop to show her the ritual, and she gets you to send out the royal invitations, and here we are! I swear that was the most Elsa has talked to anyone since…” Her voice trailed off.
“Since your dear mother and father passed,” Gerda finished for Anna. She reached up and gave the princess a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. “They would be proud of you girls today. Very proud. Especially your mother.” She smiled, her words easing the darkness that had started to creep in on Anna’s mood.
Anna smiled. “Today is all about new adventures, Gerda! I am going to be able to go outside! Beyond the gates! For the next twenty-four hours, the gates will be open, and I’ll be able to do whatever I want!” She paused, suddenly overwhelmed by the concept. “What am I going to do first?”
Gerda shrugged as she helped Anna into the dress. “You can do what you want, Princess,” she said, guiding Anna’s legs through the hoopskirt. Then she straightened the bodice. “You used to love going to the docks when you were young. You always wanted to be the first one to greet the sailors when they arrived in port. Maybe you could go there?”
“Oh! Yes! I do remember that!” Anna said happily. “I want to do that! And I want to go to that candy shop where you always took Elsa and me when Mother and Father were away. I loved the yummy—OOH!” She let out a groan as Gerda tightened her corset. Struggling for air, Anna waited while her rib cage adjusted to its sudden confinement. When she was sure she could breathe again, she narrowed her eyes at Gerda. “A little warning next time?” she teased.
The maid pretended to look contrite, but Anna saw a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I’m just trying to make you as beautiful as possible, Princess. After all, you aren’t just going to be seeing new things outside the gates. You are going to be seeing new people. New single people. New single people who have never seen you before. You’re eighteen now. You want to make a good impression.” The royal maid waggled her eyebrows teasingly.
Anna blushed. She hadn’t even thought of that possibility. But now that Gerda mentioned it…Anna smiled. Maybe it would be just like in the stories she made up about the paintings. Anna, for once fetching and put together in her beautiful gown, leaning up against a wall. She would be sophisticated and graceful. Calm and collected. And then, across the room, she would see a handsome stranger. He would be tall, with a quick smile and kind eyes. She would walk over to the stranger and introduce herself, and within moments, they would be laughing, sharing stories, and talking about their future. It would be as though they had known each other forever. The pain and loneliness Anna had felt since her parents’ death would fade away, and soon Anna wouldn’t be able to remember a time when her life wasn’t full of love.
Shaking her head, Anna brought herself crashing back to reality. “That’s crazy,” she said to Gerda. “I only have twenty-four hours. There is absolutely no way I’m going to fall in love.”
“You never know unless you take the chance,” Gerda said. “There are many kinds of love out there. You loved your parents. You love your sister. All I’m saying is that you never know where or when love will find you. You only can know that it is there—waiting. It will find you one way or another.” She paused as though she wanted to say more, but then she shook her head.
“But what if I don’t meet anyone?” Anna asked, suddenly worried.
“Living isn’t just about loving someone. Living is enjoying what you have as you have it. You still love your parents, do you not?” Gerda asked. Anna nodded. “But their loss hasn’t made you stop living, has it?” the royal maid prodded.
“It’s made Elsa stop living,” Anna said, somewhat sadly. “And loving. At least, she stopped loving me.”
“Your sister handles her grief differently, Princess. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.” Gerda gently turned Anna so that she was facing the full-length mirror. “Now go ahead and look at yourself.”
As Anna stared at her reflection, her eyes filled with happy tears. She was a young lady. And for the first time in forever, she actually did feel beautiful and special. The gown fit her perfectly. Gerda had done her hair in a simple updo and she had only the barest touches of makeup. Still, she had to admit, she looked regal.
“Oh, Gerda, thank you!” Anna gushed, throwing her arms around the woman. Then she straightened up and brushed her hands over the skirt of her dress nervously. “Well, guess it’s now or never. Real world—here I come!” Taking a step forward, she yelped as the toe of her new shoe caught on the dress. Windmilling her arms, she regained her balance and looked sheepishly over her shoulder at Gerda, who was watching in amusement. “Okay, let’s try this again.” Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and carefully looked out into the hall. The clock was ticking. She didn’t have a moment to lose!
Bursting into the hallway, Anna practically collided with a servant rushing past. In his arms was a pile of clean white linens. Another person flew by, holding a pair of matching silver candlesticks. Anna let out a laugh. The castle was alive! It was the most amazing thing to see. Unable to stop herself, she began to skip down the hallway.
On either side of the long hall, the curtains had been drawn back and the windows thrown open. Outside, puffy white clouds dotted the blue sky. Anna could hear the sounds of people rushing over the cobblestoned courtyard. A horse let out a loud whinny, and Anna could have sworn it sounded like the animal was cheering.
A Frozen Heart Page 4
