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elsanna-shenanigans · 2 years

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December Contest Submission #3: Staying Inn

Words: ca. 4,500 Setting: modern AU Lemon: No Content: snow storm, the parents follow movie plot point (past), small cooking related shenanigans

The jingle of the bell atop the door interrupted the thrum of soft Christmas music playing over several conversations, alerting the occupants of Summer’s Inn. With it came not only a cold gust of wind and snow but an equally chilly blonde rushing to lock out the bad weather. The buzz in the air of the café froze as everyone turned to observe the newcomer. Elsa swallowed, not expecting to be scrutinized as she stamped out the remnants of the snow accumulated beneath her boots, and walked to the register. There a young, slender woman appearing to make what smelled like a fresh pot of coffee spun around aggressively to greet her, taking her by surprise.

“Welcome to Summer’s Inn. Merry Christmas Eve! How can I help you?” A cheery voice rang out among the murmurs behind her. The redhead caught her attention with such ease and Elsa paused for a moment to take her in. The cashier couldn’t have been more than a couple of years younger than her, but she was filled with a different kind of youthful energy that she herself lacked. Bright teal eyes gave her form a once-over. Elsa took a second to glance around the room, noticing the bakery-esque feel of the establishment. There were quite a few patrons in the quaint space peering not so subtly over their drinks to look at her. The woman noticed her apprehension. “Mind them, we don’t get very many strangers in town this time of year. Not that you’re strange! Just strange to me, but in a good way? Uh, so what can I do you for- I mean- what can I do for you?” The cashier blushed, chewing on their lip while tapping the counter with trim, polished nails.

The young woman’s rambling released some of the tension Elsa didn’t realize she was holding in her throat. Elsa tilted her head and chuckled with amused confusion. She couldn’t tell if this girl was naturally friendly or if she got hit on within a minute of getting through the door. If she were being honest, she’d place her bet on both whilst hoping for the latter. The teal eyes nervously gazing at her from across the counter were quite enchanting and contrasted the copper hue of her hair nicely. “My car got stuck in the snow outside, do you have a room open that I could stay in until the roads clear?”

The woman winced in response, preparing to answer her question when an older brunette carrying two steaming plates emerged from the swinging door to the kitchen, whizzing past Elsa to deliver food to hungry customers behind her. “Sorry dear, we are packed to the brim. My husband can help you get your car unstuck but it’s best you take a seat and wait for it to stop snowing.” “Mom, the snow isn’t going to stop until tomorrow at the earliest. We have to help her!“ The cashier yelled over her customer’s shoulder, eyes pleading to the woman who was too occupied with situating the hot plates to notice.

The mother raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, taking a final stance. “And where do you suppose we put her, Anna? In the shed out back? There simply is no room.” Elsa watched the family have a silent argument before her, trying to follow what exactly was being communicated through raised eyebrows and head jerks.

Suddenly, the elder of the two’s eyes widened, followed by a stern clench of her jaw. “Anna, no! We can’t give her his room!”

“Why not?” Anna gestured over to her.“He said he isn’t coming and she needs a place to stay. It’s not like you haven’t kept it pristine since he left. C’mon, please? For me?”

A red and silver-haired gentleman poked his head through the pass of the kitchen. “Iduna, let the girl have his room for the night. If Hans shows up we’ll figure something out. It’s Christmas Eve, show some holiday spirit.”

Elsa felt it was time to interject on the conversation deciding her fate for the night. “It’s no trouble. If you can help me get my car moving again I’m sure I’d be able to get to the next town over by tonight.”

Iduna sighed, wiping her hands on the sides of her festive sweater. “No, no. My son usually comes back for the holidays but he recently started at his new job and didn’t want to cause trouble for the senior staff. I was hoping he’d make an appearance for the Christmas festival. But that’s just wishful thinking. You’re more than welcome to stay.”

“That’s very thoughtful. I can pay extra for the hassle.”

Anna shook her head vigorously. “No, we don’t mind. Let me grab my coat and I will help you get situated upstairs.” //

Later in the evening after the café portion of the Inn had closed, Elsa found herself seated on one of the two stools at the counter, diligently watching Anna as she worked. Despite her initial awkwardness, she was very kind, making conversation with her every once in a while to save her from the onslaught of questions the rest of the patrons asked. She was by no means a celebrity, only coming in from the city to pack up the rest of her belongings. She called the realtor she expected to meet earlier to let them know she found a safe place to stay nearby until the storm cleared. They understood completely, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty about the whole ordeal. Moving out of her equally small town for college was liberating, and she knew that her parents supported that decision wholeheartedly. She was their only child, and after their deaths three years ago she knew it was time to move on. Now in the effort to do so, she was staying in the home of complete, though generous, strangers instead of going through with it. A labored sigh fell from her lips before a hiss of pain interrupted her sulking. "Are you alright back there?” “Who, me?” Anna answered from an area of the kitchen Elsa could not see. “I’m fine. Just uh- losing a battle with a hot krumkake iron, no biggie.” Elsa’s face perked up instantly. Of all the things she expected to dig up in her past from revisiting the region, this memory was not one of them. “Would you like some help? I happen to have fought and won a few battles myself.” Elsa wandered into the kitchen and searched for Anna hesitantly, not wanting to overstep any boundaries the establishment may have.

“Yeah, that would be wonderful. Over there,” Anna voiced from where she stood holding a burned finger under the faucet. She nodded behind her to the location of the counter where the offending iron was located and gave Elsa an appreciative smile. A disappointingly large pile of dark brown wafers sat next to the open iron littered with fine decorative grooves. “How the hell do you pick those things up without burning you or the damn krumkake? My mom usually makes them, but she is kind of upset about Hans not being here to help so I’m taking over.” Anna flicked off the excess water dripping from her hand and turned to see Elsa expertly pouring a tablespoon of the batter with a wooden spoon. “You just have to be quick about it.” Elsa grabbed a butter knife off of the counter. “After you get underneath it, it’s smooth sailing.” Once the krumkake was ready, she lifted the top of the iron and ran the utensil underneath it. Using a cone-shaped wooden dowel, she rolled the krumkake and placed it onto the plate next to her. “Like so. A perfect little cookie.” Anna made no attempt to hide her amazement. “No friggin’ way, that’s so smart! I’ve been trying to roll it with my fingertips like an idiot.” Anna poured another glob of batter onto the hot iron and tried to replicate Elsa’s instructions. She managed to make one burn-free, but it looked nothing like Elsa’s or her mother’s. A frustrated sigh accompanied the clamoring of metal onto the counter. “You made it look so easy! Why does mine look like a smushed bugle?” “Trust me, mine looked worse than that when I first tried. It takes a couple to get the hang of it.” “Alright, but that was my second batch.” Anna motioned to the pile of burnt and torn krumkakes. “I don’t have enough ingredients to fail a third.”

Elsa handed the wooden spoon and batter to Anna. “You pour, I’ll roll. No fourth batch needed.” They began to work in silence, Elsa enjoying the feeling of being a helpful teacher to Anna while the latter was relieved to not spend any more time fretting over burned digits. As they neared the bottom of the bowl, Anna struck up a conversation that Elsa was all too eager to have. “Who taught you to make these? Most people around here only get krumkake from us since they’ve never heard of it before.” Elsa grinned as she rolled another krumkake. “My mother. When I was a little girl she would always talk about her mother, my grandmother, making them for her and her siblings. One day she found the recipe and ever since on Christmas morning we would make them so they would be cold and crispy in the evening.” She waggled her eyebrows at Anna. “Then we’d fill them with whipped cream.” Anna smacked the side of Elsa’s arm as she chortled. “As if there’s any other way to eat them. Is that what you plan to do tomorrow?” Elsa’s smile dropped as if she had been physically struck, but she recovered quickly to not worry her new companion. “No. I haven’t in a while. My parents died a few years ago. I’m only here to sell the house we used to live in.” Anna covered her face, mortified. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up old memories like that.” “Don’t worry about it, how could you have known? I’m having a really good time reliving this one anyways. I kind of stopped doing all those little traditions I did with my family since I don’t have anyone to do them with, but making krumkake with you has been fun. Kind of takes my mind off of the whole selling my childhood home thing.” Anna gave her an inquisitive look. “You don’t want to?” “I thought I did, and I could certainly use the money back home. I thought it would be easier but the closer I am the harder it is to think about.” “I chicken out every time I consider moving out of here away from my family. I couldn’t imagine doing that only to come back in your situation.” “Don’t. It’s not fun.” A grumble from Elsa’s stomach disturbed the tension in the air as they finished the last krumkake. “Jesus, I forgot to ask you if you wanted anything before we closed. You go sit down and let me make you something real quick.” “No, it’s fine I should’ve ordered before-” Anna cut her off by pushing her gently in the direction of the door. Elsa waited patiently for the food Anna insisted on making her, and within ten minutes she came back to the front, sliding a plate of grilled cheese and tomato soup across the counter to Elsa. Her mouth watered at the sight of the offering. Elsa blinked at the plate, prepared to dig in when she remembered that this was a business, and she had been freeloading all day. “What do I owe you?” Elsa rushed to pull her wallet out of her pocket, scattering a few coins on the ground in her attempt to do so. Anna laughed as she rounded the counter to pick them up. She knelt before placing the change delicately into Elsa’s open palm, smiling up at her as she pocketed the money safely this time. “On me. I regret not asking you what you wanted anyway. City people always seem to have dietary restrictions. You’re not a vegan, are you?” Anna blew out a puff of air, relieved when Elsa shook her head ‘no’. Elsa took note of the freckles sprinkled on the cheeks of the young woman. She was close enough that given enough time, she could count them one by one, and Elsa found herself tempted to do just that. Anna lifted herself off the ground and made her way back to the kitchen, coming out with two mugs of hot chocolate. Immediately her nostrils were barraged with the scent of sugar and chocolate growing stronger as a mug was placed in her hands. Despite the warmth from the drink, a chill ran up from her hand to her spine as Anna’s fingertips brushed hers. “Can’t go wrong with hot cocoa, though.” Anna lifted her mug and took a generous sip, licking whipped cream remnants off of her top lip playfully. Elsa fought the urge to lick her own, watching the pink

tongue dart back in between the plump surfaces. She took a long sip, making eye contact with her server, holding back a hiss from the heat of the liquid. “You really can’t. Thank you, for everything. Today couldn’t have gone better given the circumstances and you are largely part of the reason why. ” Elsa picked up half of her sandwich, moaning as gooey cheddar hit the surface of her tongue on the first bite. The bread was toasted to the perfect degree, not too greasy nor dry. She dipped the corner of the grilled cheese into the soup which complimented the sandwich perfectly, as every grilled cheese should. “You, and the world’s greatest grilled cheese I’ve ever eaten.” “We get that a lot. I’m always happy to help a beautiful woman trapped in a snowstorm with me.” Elsa tried not to choke on her food. Anna was hitting on her earlier and is most certainly trying again right this minute. She wasn’t new to people voicing their attraction to her. It was almost unheard of to not be catcalled in the city by men. However, the women she liked usually were not the type to make the first move. Was it a Christmas miracle? Clearly not, seen as she was struggling to swallow the melted cheese in her mouth and muster a flirtatious rebuttal at the same time. A pause of silence grew between them. “Was that too forward? I-I’m just gonna finish cleaning up.” Anna jutted a thumb in the direction of the kitchen, taking a step backward to leave before the blonde held up a hand, halting the cashier’s exit with a clearing of her throat. “No, wait. I was… trying not to choke. I’m very flattered.” Elsa reddened, setting down the other half of her sandwich. “I wouldn’t have minded getting stuck in the snow if I knew there would be such a charming person ready to sweep me off my feet inside.” Instantly the redhead’s smile was back, and Anna leaned forward on her elbows to stare at Elsa over the counter, taking another delicate sip of her hot chocolate.

“Then don’t get too comfy. I was hoping you’d let me sweep you off your feet at the festival, too.” Anna winked over her mug, sending butterflies to the stomach of the blonde across from her.

Elsa tried not to act too excited over the invitation. “What festival? Is that where everyone disappeared to?”

“The Christmas festival right around the corner. We have one every year. If there’s ever a time to be in Arendelle, it’s tonight.” Anna checked her wristwatch. “Technically it’s an all-day thing, but the best part is in about an hour. No pressure.” Anna tucked a piece of copper hair behind her ear and looked everywhere but in Elsa’s direction.

Elsa pretended to think it over for a moment, before raising her mug. “I’d love to go with you, as soon as I finish this world-class meal.” Elsa smiled, sipping her hot chocolate.

“Great! I’m going to head upstairs to change real quick, and I’ll meet you back down here.” //

“You chose a great time to get stuck here, Elsa. This is the most eventful time of the year!” Anna waved her white wool-clad hands in the air as she walked backward along the shoveled sidewalk. She had changed out of her work shirt into a very flattering green turtleneck under her coat and white jeans, highlighting toned legs that dipped into tan boots. The sun had set and it was still snowing, though much slower than when Elsa had arrived. Anna’s father was nice enough to clear a path from the Inn to the festival for the patrons that was mostly functional even with the continuous layer of snow piling onto it.

“Where exactly are we going? Is the festival somewhere else?” Elsa rounded the corner with Anna, falling in step with her. Her mouth opened in awe as she noticed the gigantic Christmas tree in the center of the wide street lined to the top with various ornaments and tinsel spiraling around it. It was hard to tell, but Elsa could see a long cord attached to one of the buildings running to the tree’s base. Elaborate Christmas decorations spanned the entire street next to the Inn. Most of the buildings were small businesses showing off the products of their store, keeping the lights on to let them know they were still open.

“It’s right here. Most people come to the Inn to eat before everything starts. It’s kind of a tradition. Every year on Christmas Eve Kristoff-” Anna looked over her shoulder. “-I mean Santa Claus lets all the little kids take a ride in his sleigh around the block with real reindeer. Don’t ask me where he gets them from, all I know is that he “knows a guy”.

“Are they trained?”

“They must be, no one’s ever been bitten at least.” Elsa narrowed her eyes, muttering something about children’s safety that Anna thankfully didn’t hear. “All the businesses are open and like to give out free stuff. But be careful, the kids try to hit unsuspecting customers when they walk out of the door sometimes. I usually just throw one back.” Elsa searched for any little kids looking to pelt her with snow but most of them seemed distracted by the reindeer. “Speaking of which, do you have gloves?”

“No. The cold never really bothered me.”

“Lucky duck. Remind me to never get in a snowball fight with you.” Anna grabbed her bare hand and led her over to the reindeer where ‘Santa Claus’ was persuading newer town residents that they were completely safe to pet. Elsa, encouraged by Anna, even went as far as to pet one’s antler. Anna showed her all of the local businesses, where she was gifted several coupons, sweets, and given a mighty hug by Oaken, a very tall jolly man who could be mistaken for Santa had he been older and shorter.

They came across yet another storefront, this time with a small crowd of people hovering around them. Anna pushed through them to get a better view, offering a string of apologies to the onlookers. There, a snowman decorating competition was taking place. Olaf, one of the younger, more eccentric kids in town was trying his best to create a snow-reindeer, while two other children fixed buttons, scarves, and branches on their snowmen. The timer was winding down quickly, and before they knew it the judges called time. As expected, the reindeer likeness won the favor of the crowd, and the storefront owners prepared to select the next handful of contestants.

“He wins every year. We should try it, miss ‘I don’t get cold’.“ Elsa rolled her eyes but made her way over to the owners with Anna anyways. They were selected to go in the next round, head to head against a brother and sister duo observing them with fierce determination in their eyes. “Watch it, I’m pretty sure they are wood carvers,” Anna whispered in Elsa’s ear.

“Doesn’t mean a thing if this is snow,” Elsa smirked with unfounded confidence back in their direction. “Everyone loves a little friendly competition.”

The timer for thirty minutes was set, allowing both pairs to get started building foundations. Elsa and Anna both agreed that it would be best if they went unorthodox like the winner of the last round and decided to make a snow-penguin based on a picture Elsa pulled up on her phone. Anna’s gloves eventually became a cold, snowy mess and she stored them into her coat pocket to deal with later. “Seriously? This doesn’t bother you?”

Elsa looked at the redness of her hands. “No, the snow is hard enough to irritate my hands though.”

“Well my hands are freezing and I’ve been wearing gloves this whole time,” Anna spoke through gritted teeth from the opposite side of their snow sculpture.

Elsa suppressed a chuckle from seeing the adorable pout on Anna’s face. “I’ll hold your hand when we’re done.”

Anna squinted, suspicious despite smiling. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I’m a woman of my word.” Elsa stood up from her crouched position to survey their progress and the timer. “I think we should start decorating now.”

A few minutes later time was called, and both women pulled their hands away from their masterpiece decorated to the nines with a blue scarf, black buttons, and a carrot beak. They took a glance over at the other pair and noticed they went the traditional route for building their snowman. They stood behind their penguin as the judges scrutinized both creations.

“This one is a tough call. But I think this round goes to… Elsa and Anna!” The storefront owner clapped and offered them yet another coupon for their store to which they politely declined.

“We did it!” Elsa turned to Anna with both palms up for a double high five that was reciprocated with much more tenderness than she expected. Even more surprising was the fingers that laced themselves between hers as their hands suspended in the air.

“We did. My god, your hands are soft.” Anna pulled their interlocked hands between them. “We should sit, the tree lighting will start soon.”

“Is that the best part?”

“Of course.” Anna let go of both hands only to rejoin one of them in a proper handhold, leading them over to a bench a few meters from the dark tree in the center of the street. They sat flush against each other, cold from being outdoors for a prolonged period of time but cozy nonetheless. Elsa began to contemplate the events of the day. How was it possible to live so close by and still miss such a welcoming atmosphere? An unforeseen bout of sorrow filled Elsa’s heart as she remembered that she was not supposed to stay here. She was meant to be home, taking off from work to prepare her childhood home to be sold. The thought left a bittersweet taste in her mouth.

“What’s wrong?” Anna pushed into Elsa slightly. “You look… lost? I don’t know if that’s the word.”

“This place is great, Anna. You’re great. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in years and I can’t believe I lived so close and never knew about any of this. I guess it was my desire to leave. Now I can’t help but feel like I miss it, you know, small-town life. I can see why my parents never left.” Elsa watched the children behind the snowbank in front of them, making a ‘snow army’ for their snowball fight. For a brief moment, she recalls having similar fights with the kids in her town, wondering if it was truly as unnatural as she felt it was to not take part in such things as an adult.

“Hmm. The city is appealing. I wanted to go to New York for college, but I knew I would feel too out of place to make a home there. Arendelle is an extension of my family. And every once in a while someone new wanders in and falls in love with it, and my family grows bigger. I know I couldn’t let go of these memories so easily even after a few years. If that is something you need to do, then you should. But I know no reasonable person would ever say you have to let them go.”

“I meet at least five new people every day back home and I still wouldn’t be able to call a single one of them family. Is that crazy?”

“Very. Look, they are lighting the Christmas tree!” Anna sat up pulled Elsa with her. The mayor of their town, a very short old fellow, held two large cords in his hands. Everyone gathered around the tree as he counted down. Some people held their phones out to record the showing but Elsa was too enraptured with the feeling of Anna’s hand in hers to think to do so. After the countdown, a chorus of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ sounded out from around them, and Elsa gasped at the brightness of the Christmas tree. It was absolutely beautiful. The yellow lights basked everyone in a golden glow. Anna looked especially radiant, eyes gleaming up at her as she stood just a couple inches shorter than Elsa.

“Elsa?” Anna tilted her head and searched for something within her eyes, grabbing her other hand yet again as they faced each other.

“Yes?”

“You could stay, you know. I know we just met, and I know nothing of your life in the city. You came here intending to sell your parent’s place, which means a lot to you. Sure, Arendelle doesn’t look like much from the outside but some good people live fulfilling lives here. Even if you don’t want to stay, there’s no reason you should be forced to sell because you live far away.”

“Anna, it’s not that easy. I have a job back home, and friends.”

“There are jobs here. And you just told me you don’t consider any of those people you’ve met family. You could still visit these ‘friends’, or they could come visit you. Think about it.” Anna lowered her voice. “Are you happy? Really?”

“I don’t know…” Elsa murmured.

A thin line formed from Anna pressing her lips together. “I think that kind of answers my question. I might be being selfish in saying this, but I’ve seen quite a few new people walk into the Inn. I don’t make it a habit to advocate for them sleeping in my house, or escorting them to the Christmas Festival. I know next to nothing about you, and yet I find myself hoping you’d stay so I can get to know you better. Perhaps I’m being a little crazy…” The longer the younger woman talked, the more Elsa agreed. She was having an immense amount of fun spending the day with this girl, with who she seemingly had an instant connection. Even though the idea was insane, she knew she would regret it if she didn’t consider it. Elsa took a step forward, close enough to where the vapor of their breaths could mingle in the air around them.

“How about this. I’ll stay until New Year’s, and you can show me what more Arendelle has to offer to convince me.”

“And if I don’t?” Anna’s eyes flickered between the lips of the blonde’s.

“Well, I’d have to come back for a grilled cheese and hot chocolate now and then anyways.” Anna rolled her eyes before her chin was caught by a lustful blonde, and a sound kiss was placed on her lips. The redhead reciprocated quickly, massaging the blonde’s cold lips with her own. Elsa pulled away for a split second, breathless as she analyzed the dazed expression of Anna’s visage. “And maybe the world’s greatest kisser, too.” A few whistles echoed around them, but they both ignored it, choosing to deepen their connection further instead.

#elsanna #december 2021 contest #prompt: traditions

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darksidechick823 · 3 years

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Three Years and a Horse Bump Later

“Sometimes two people have to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together.” --Colleen Hoover

A/N: This is an alternate post-sequel AU that blends film canon with concept ideas from some of the deleted scenes. Plus my own “how-it-could-have-happened”. It is the first in a multi-part mini fic that will cover several different prompts of 2020’s @hansannafortheholidays.

While the “Meet-again-cute” is designed only for day 1 of the event, it’s actually the overarching theme for this entire fic.

Summary: Anna travels to the Southern Isles in December to escape her own kingdom for what would be a very painful holiday season. While she’s there, an unexpected encounter gives her a serious sense of déjà vu.

***

Anna of Arendelle always enjoyed Christmastime. There was a sense of charm to the holiday and the season in general, and not just because of her magical sister. Even in the years growing up apart from Elsa, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna always found a way to bring so much joy and excitement to Christmas. For her own part, she made sure Elsa had something to look forward to. Olaf was their pride and joy, and he was the subject of sisterly gift-giving for thirteen years.

Naturally, after the gates reopened, she and Elsa had even more to look forward to. Their first Christmas together brought forth some tough challenges, but also some wonderful new traditions. The simple return of the Yule Bell for the kingdom of Arendelle turned into a kingdom-wide venture to the forest where everyone got to take part in ice skating, caroling, hot chocolate, dancing and even decorating a massive magical Christmas tree. It was a fun, fantastic new way of bonding with not only Elsa, but with Kristoff, Olaf and Sven as their relationships grew over the years. They all became her new family, and she found herself in a special kind of high that she never thought she could possibly lose.

Until this year.

The autumn months brought forth so many challenges for Anna. A venturing into a northern enchanted forest destroyed everything that she considered wonderful and safe. Kristoff, her best friend and long-time suitor forcibly broke down and admitted a terrible truth to her—that aside from his feelings towards her, everything about his life—no, their life at the castle made him absolutely miserable, and that all he desired more than anything, more than her, was to escape back to the mountains with his reindeer. If that emotional blow wasn’t hard enough, she had also lost Elsa—gone off on her own personal mission only to ultimately sacrifice herself to save all of Arendelle. With Elsa gone, Olaf had flurried away with no magic left to maintain him any longer. Of the five of them to enter the forest, only three went home, but in reality, she returned alone.

Thrust into a new position without warning did nothing to help the situation. Kingdom stress did nothing to ease her grief or the pressure brought on by taking on the crown.

‘Long live the Queen’, they say…. Anna had sighed to herself on so many occasions. I used to be the queen of tripping over her own feet. Of breaking things. Of rambling on. Of awkwardness and impatience. Of tardiness. Of impulsive behavior. Now I’m the Queen of all of Arendelle. Of the people. Of courtiers with little confidence. No spares. No friends. No consort. No support.

Just me.

God save the Queen. Heaven knows she’s gonna need it.

Once December hit, the Arendelle castle never felt colder. Emptier. Lonelier. She may have gained a confidant in Lieutenant-now-General Mattias, her father’s former bodyguard and a man who she freed from the confines of the Enchanted Forest, but even his ear and wisdom didn’t fill the gaping holes left in her heart.

That’s why this year, Anna decided that she couldn’t stay in Arendelle for the holiday. It would be far too painful. In the many letters of condolences sent from all over the realm, one stood out further than the others. Representing the Southern Isles and their royal family, Queen Charlotte had been one of the first to send correspondence and offered for Anna to travel to the islands for Christmas. The two women had been friends since the Arendelle gates opened years prior and Anna didn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity to see a new land, get her mind off of her troubles, and maybe even learn some new cultural traditions to boot.

The Yule Bell rang at noon, and by sundown the following night, Anna was on a ship headed for the southern waters.

It didn’t even dawn on her until hours before docking what staying in the Southern Isles would really mean. The Westergaard family was a large, intimidating clan—with the exception of their queen… and maybe even a princess or two, depending on how many of the princes had married. If any.

Several days of her visit had come and gone, and she concluded that the Southern Isles was not quite what she expected it to be. It was a lot colder than she anticipated, and not just in temperature. Several of the royal princes were rather unkind. Being a queen, they of course treated her with respect, or at least, enough to scrape the bottom barrel of regal deference. But to each other? There was so much antagonistic behavior that she couldn’t fathom how the family unit functioned at all. King Frederick, the eldest brother, managed to rein them all under control when he was around, but she could tell that Queen Charlotte was quite worn down with dealing with some of their behavior. There were some good ones, though. Viktor and Georg, the older set of twins, seemed to enjoy harmless pranks, but even they knew when enough was enough, and when to act mature. They even managed to get quite a few hearty laughs out of her. Astor and Alexei, the Royal Ambassador and Naval Admiral respectively, were the most composed and mature out of the whole clan. But the youngest four in attendance: Tomas, Lars, Dirk and Derrick… they alone could give ruin to the entire family if given the chance.

Not that they really needed to. Someone already claimed that prize three years prior. The youngest Westergaard, and the one clearly not anywhere to be found.

Hans.

She was assured by Frederick that she would not be seeing Hans at all during her stay. There were no explanations of where he was or what he was doing. In a way, she felt better off not knowing. She really didn’t care to see him anyway. With the current state of affairs, her life couldn’t really get any lower. The last thing she needed was a reminder of more loss.

It was bad enough that just being around the Westergaard family showed her that while this unit was clearly dysfunctional, deep down they still had each other for support. It only further reminded her that she was alone. For the most part, she had a handle on her emotions and didn’t let the feelings overwhelm her. On this particular morning, only a week before Christmas, the loss really hit her hard. With the knowledge that she would be spending the evening attending a concert in the city with the entire Westergaard family, she decided to spend the first half of her day alone to air some of her grievances privately and get it out of her system.

It had snowed the night before, and she was surprised to see how much had accumulated on the ground when she glanced out her window. The sight of it brought forth a sense of warmth, a sense of home. For a brief moment, she was back in Arendelle among the wooded grounds beyond the main city where everyone gathered for the first evening Christmas celebration. She felt compelled to walk through the freshly packed snow, and properly dressed for the outdoors.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright, Your Majesty?” General Mattias had asked as he escorted her towards the castle’s southern entrance. “I can keep you company if you wish.”

As the snow crunched underneath her new boots, she turned to look over her shoulder. Mattias was still standing at the top of the steps with his hands clasped behind his back. His offer was politely declined. This was only going to be a private walk, she told herself. Something that simple, she could easily handle on her own.

She hoped.

Another glance behind her later showed Mattias had ventured back inside the warm castle. Now left to her thoughts, she ventured further off the path and tucked her hands up under her cloak. It didn’t take long for all of the pain she was suppressing to start bubbling to the surface. How she would manage to maintain any sense of composure later was beyond her. Still, she wiped some stray tears with her sleeve and kept walking.

“—‘tron, come back here. Where are you going?!”

She barely heard a voice shouting in the distance as she trudged her way through the snow. It wasn’t until she saw something advancing fast in her peripherals that she stopped walking. It was too late, though. Before she could even react, a large mass crashed right into her. Anna stumbled her way through the snow before ultimately falling flat on her back.

“H-hey!!” She cried out at her chilly impact on the ground. When she tried to sit up, she was met with a lemon horse nuzzling its face right into hers. There was something strangely familiar about this horse, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“What on earth has gotten into you, Sitron??” The voice from before was much louder now as the sound of snow crunching under quickened footsteps approached. “I’m so so sorry, Miss.” The man apologized profusely as he dragged the animal off of her. “Are you hurt?? I certainly hope not. I swear he’s never done this to anyone before—”

He kept rambling one apology after another in rapid succession, but she had stopped listening. She knew that voice. It was one that used to haunt her dreams for well over a year.

Hans??

Once the horse no longer obstructed her view, she tried her hardest to suppress her gasp. It was as if she was taken back three years to that fateful morning at the docks. He looked exactly as she remembered: auburn hair, the sloped nose, the freckled cheeks, the sideburns…. Still absolutely gorgeous. He donned a much warmer, chocolate brown greatcoat today versus the lighter grey one he wore in Arendelle, and he had thick black gloves over his hands, but overall, he was exactly the same. He had yet to actually lay eyes on her, so she took the opportunity to really observe him. From what she could tell from his profile, the three years hadn’t really taken a toll on him.

She got a better view of his horse as well, and instantly she got a sense of Deja vu. Getting knocked off her feet was how she and Hans first met, and Sitron was now the culprit both times. She was starting to doubt whether the first instance was really an accident or the horse’s doing.

“I suppose I wasn’t looking where I was going…” she said. “But I’m fine.” The words were out of her mouth before she even registered saying them. What was she thinking?? Those were the same things she blabbered to him the first time. It wasn’t her intention to make this awful moment even more awkward, but as usual she was succeeding.

“Oh, thank goodness.” There was immense relief in his voice. “Again, I’m terribly so—” His voice immediately cut off when his eyes finally left his steed and landed on hers. They widened like saucers as they fixated on her face for far longer than either of them would consider comfortable or appropriate. “A-Anna??”

The way he stared at her made her heart ache. Sure, there was the immediate shock—clearly, he wasn’t expecting to run into her. But there was something else, too. Wonder and awe, just like their first meet. She thought herself such a normal, ordinary girl then, and while she had dreams of meeting a handsome stranger tall and fair, she didn’t quite expect to crash into him so soon into the day. Yet there he was, standing over her in a rickety row boat, completely captivated by her. He even stumbled over his own name. It was cute and absolutely adorable. Those eyes, that memory of Hans, seemed to be staring at her now.

“H-Hi.” She said shyly and tucked a loosened strand of her copper locks behind her ear. The one corner of his mouth slowly started to curve upwards as his eyes scanned over her face, taking in every detail, every freckle peppering her cheeks. Eventually, they locked back onto her own eyes. It seemed her presence rendered him speechless all over again. Three years gone by, and a similarly chanced meeting still produced the same results. She couldn’t see why. Surely he knew that she had been staying in his home for the last several days. Was her appearance really that shocking?

Suddenly his head shook quickly, snapping him out of his daze. He reached down to gently take her arms and pull her to her feet. “A-Are you sure you’re alright?” His tone had drastically changed from when he first arrived at her side. He was far more cautious now. This was the Hans she was expecting to see, should she have encountered him. The Hans that was not only handsome and charming, but dangerous and conniving, too. Or at least, was dangerous. Was conniving. It’s been years. Perhaps he learned his lesson. He didn’t seem like the same man who donned the face of a heartless killer or of a cruel emotional manipulator. He looked… broken. And if she didn’t know better, almost fearful for being in her presence. Perhaps he thought Elsa would just pop out from behind a tree and freeze him to death. Maybe that’s why he was conveniently absent throughout her visit.

Well… if it had been Elsa… yeesh. What a nightmare that would be for him. But Elsa’s gone. It’s just me. It was always, and will always be… just me.

“I’m ok, really.” Anna tried to reassure him, and once he let go of her arms, she tried to brush the snow from her pleated skirts. “Um, are you?”

“I think I will be, once the shock wears off.” He offered a polite bow of the head. “P-princess Anna. It’s… it’s good to see you again.”

Anna bit her lip. “It’s um… it’s Queen Anna, actually. That’s… that’s a thing that happened.”

“Queen?” It took Hans a moment to fully register what that meant. When the weight of it sunk in, his eyes immediately widened and he dropped to one knee in a deep bow. “Y-Your Majesty!” Sitron, who had moved to stand right behind his master, also dropped to a respectful bow as well. His head had roughly bumped into Hans just as the prince was in the process of standing back up. Hans was forced to stumble forward to catch his footing, but his boot also slipped in the snow. Down he went, and since Anna tried to catch his fall, she ended up getting pushed back down into the snow as well.

“O-oh!” She gasped once her back hit the cold powder again and she glanced up to Hans. He had landed more-or-less on top of her. His arms braced around both sides of her head, and luckily he was somewhat propped on his knees or else he’d smother her completely. Her face was completely flushed now at their proximity. It was all an accident, of course, but it still sent a different chill coursing through her. Why was everything happening as it did before?

“Hi--again.” She managed to get out and tried not to cry at the ridiculousness of it all. Oh, if only she could be privy to what was going through his mind right now?

“Ann--er--Your Majesty--” he stumbled over his formalities as he quickly got off of her and helped her once more to her feet. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. And I apologize once again for my horse--”

“Hans!” She quickly waved her hands out to silence him. “Please. It’s okay. You don't have to apologize any more. Really. I’m not upset.”

“But…” he quickly shot Sitron a dirty look before softening his gaze to her again. “...there’s so much I have to atone for.”

She shook her head slightly. It was only a matter of time before one of them brought up their dirty laundry. She understood the reasoning, of course. Naturally, he would want to apologize for his misdeeds in Arendelle. But that was in the past. Right now, she didn’t want to dwell on it.

“I’m sorry--” he said again before she could even get a word in, “--not just about us-- I mean for you. If you’re Arendelle’s Queen… I suppose Queen Elsa is--”

“--yes.” Anna replied softly and quickly averted her eyes.

He sighed with a drooping of his shoulders and extended his hand towards her. It stopped just inches from her hand, as if he wasn’t sure if he should even try an act of consolation. In the end, he braved placing his hand gently on her forearm but kept his gaze on her face to gauge her expressions. “I’m sorry. Really, I am. Despite what happened between us back then… what I almost…” he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. “I know how much she meant to you. I think I might be the only person in this castle who truly does. And for that, I offer my sincerest condolences. You deserve to hear it from someone who actually cares.”

Anna bit her lip and tried to hold back a set of tears that were forcing themselves to the surface. A former version of herself wouldn’t want his pities. His sympathies. She would want nothing to do with him whatsoever, and after their tumble in the snow, she’d probably slap him for good measure and storm back to the castle with a ruined disposition that would last long after Christmas would end.

But… that version of herself died long ago; it withered at her and Kristoff’s break-up. It officially died along with Elsa. She was forced to pick up the pieces of her broken heart alone, and reevaluate a lot of herself in the process.

Standing here, hearing his heartfelt consolation really meant something. He was right. While Hans didn’t know Elsa very well in person, he learned a lot about the elder sister through her. Anna talked a great deal the night of the coronation about her and Elsa, their bond as children; and then there was the matter of the frozen summer in the first place… an unfortunate after-effect of a sisterly spat. And it wasn’t as if Hans really needed words alone to understand how important Elsa was. Anna’s own actions to go off on some impulsive quest to bring Elsa home, and even her ultimate decision to jump into the path of death just to save her spoke volumes in itself. All of that took place in a span of days. With an extra three years under their belts, it was natural for him to assume how much their bond as sisters would have grown.

And how much such a tragic loss would hurt.

“Thank you.” She replied softly. There was an awkward silence between them again. He was gazing at her once more, though this time he seemed more awestruck than surprised. She wasn’t sure what had captivated him so. She was still the same ol’ Anna. Sure, there was her title change, but it wasn’t as if she stood before him dripping in diamonds and jewels. “Um, why are you staring? Is there something wrong?”

“N-no.” Hans immediately shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” he shrugged as he struggled to come up with the right words. “I’ve never seen you with your hair down before. It’s beautiful.”

Her hands instinctively went up to run through her long locks. “Y...you think so?” He nodded, and she fought her hardest not to let heat rise to her cheeks. She had to keep a level head. “Well…I should warn you that flattering me won’t get you anywhere--”

“It wasn’t flattery, Ann--Your Majesty--” he corrected himself, “It was merely the truth. You were beautiful to me then, and even more so now.” His eyes softened as he tried to smile. “The last few years have been kind to you in that regard.”

She eyed him carefully. “You don’t seem to have changed much.”

“I have.” He replied. “It’s just something I doubt you would believe if I told you.” Hans cleared his throat and reached behind him to grab hold of Sitron’s reins. “Well. I suppose I’ll take my leave. I’m sure you’d rather spend your time in anyone’s company but mine.” He bowed once more from the neck. “Take care, Your Majesty. I’m... glad I got to see you again.”

She watched him start to tug his horse down the path back towards the castle, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out a ‘wait!’ He immediately stopped and turned around towards her with a puzzled look on his face as she crunched through the snow to reach him. “Where are you going?”

“My chambers… once I get Sitron back to his stall.”

She frowned. “Is that where you’ve been hiding all this time? Why haven't I gotten a glimpse of you until now?”

He nodded. “Frederick told me to stay out of the Queen of Arendelle’s way. I had assumed you were your sister, not that it really mattered in the end. I planned on staying in my rooms anyway.” His cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or embarrassment. “You see… you weren’t the only person I’ve been avoiding.”

“Oh?”

“...if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not get into it. At least not right now.”

Anna shook head slightly. “O-Okay, then.” She subtly bit her lip as her mind raced to come up with something to say. For whatever reason, she couldn’t bring herself to watch him leave. “I don’t suppose you’d be coming to the concert tonight then?”

“No. I’m not going.”

“Why not?” She asked and stepped over to Sitron to rub under his chin. The horse seemed to enjoy it and leaned to rub his face into her hands.

Hans’ head tilted curiously to the side. “There’s the delicate matter of staying out of your way. But even if you weren’t here… the family’s going. That’s reason enough to stay in.”

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. “So... what? You don’t go out anywhere then?”

He shook his head. “Not if they’re there.”

There was more that he clearly wasn’t telling her, but she didn’t want to pry. Yet. “Doesn’t that get rather lonely? Hiding away in your rooms all day and night?”

“Believe me, I’d rather spend my days alone after what I went through coming home.”

Anna swallowed. She wasn’t privy to his punishments, but she had her own personal experiences to go from. Up until this point, she could say with certainty that the three years between losing her parents and Elsa’s coronation were the absolute worst in her life. She had no one, and it felt as if she were a ghost in her own home. Castle courtiers were busy preparing Elsa for her role as queen, and she was left behind to her own devices.

Her mind flashed back to their night during the Coronation ball, when they bonded over their shared periods of loneliness; how he said some of his brothers ignored him for a few years. Now that she’s met the clan, she could see where that resentment came from. And she could also picture which brothers were the ones giving Hans a hard time growing up.

“You’ve met them.” He said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts. “My brothers. Surely you can understand why I want nothing to do with them.”

“Some of them are jerks…” She admitted. “But are they really worth isolating yourself for the rest of your life?”

“It’s what I deserve.”

When he made to leave again, she reached out and grabbed his arm. “Please don’t say that. No one…” she paused, and tried to keep her composure. “No one deserves to be alone. Nobody wants to be alone. Not even you.”

“You don’t really believe that.”

“Yes, I do.” She insisted with a trembling voice. “I know more about loneliness than you could ever imagine. My sister is dead. My most promising courtship ended in a disaster. And my best friend in the entire world literally faded away in my own arms.” She felt a few tears slide down her cheeks, and before she could bring her arm up to wipe them away, Hans had patted down his coat and pulled out a handkerchief from one of the pockets. “I would give anything in the world to have what you--”.”

“--You don’t want my life, Anna--.”

“--You have a family!” She cried out, snatching the cloth from him to dab her eyes. “For better or worse, you have people to fall back on! Brothers to support you! I know at least one of them would actually listen to you, so don’t go and give me that nonsense. Who do I have left?? A bunch of old men who will remind me to no end how I need to find a husband and marry sooner rather than later for the sake and future of the crown; how much better Elsa was at being a queen; how I’m doing everything wrong! That’s not what I imagined! That’s not what I want.”

“What do you want then?”

“Happiness! I want my life back!” Anna exclaimed and threw the handkerchief into the snow in grief. “I want to be loved! I want someone to love!” She trembled and hugged her arms close to her chest. “I’m so sick and tired of being alone. I can’t live like this anymore.”

She remembered the last time she uttered those pleading words. It was to Elsa at the thought of her life returning to the mundane day-to-day; a sister on the other side of a locked door; an empty castle; a sense of entrapment with locked gates. On that day more than ever, she sought out people. Friendship. Companionship. Even love.

A chill went down her spine as she realized she was right back to where she started. If she erased the last three years of her life, there wouldn’t have been much that changed. Yes, she would be the queen now versus Elsa, and there was no sister hiding in the castle, but what difference did it make between a physically and emotionally absent sister and not having one at all? No family, no friends. Just a young naïve girl not at all prepared for what life would throw her way.

Before she could even register what was happening, she found herself being pulled to him. His arms wrapped around her tightly as she pressed her face into his chest. Her hands slid up to clutch the outer lapels of his coat as she quietly sobbed into him. This was definitely not part of her plan. Sher came out here to air her grievances to the snow and the trees. To get a grip on her emotions and not appear weak in front of any of the Westergaards. Instead, she not only crashed into the one prince that shared an uncomfortable history with her, but she ended up breaking down and leaving herself completely vulnerable to him all over again, so soon after reuniting. He probably pegged her for being hysterical now.

“Oh Anna…” he whispered softly as his hands rubbed up and down her back. “Please don’t do this. Don’t cry…”

“Why not?” Her muffled voice broke through her sobs. She could feel the weight of his head resting on hers.

“You’re supposed to be the strong one.” Hans said softly. “Brave. Determined. Fearless. I can’t bear to see you so broken like this. Like… like me.”

“...who broke you?”

“You did.”

Confused, Anna blinked and pulled back slightly to glance up at his face. She expected him to name off at least one of his brothers. But her? She didn’t break people. She loved people. There was a big difference. “I don’t understand…” she said as she quickly wiped her wet cheeks dry with her sleeve.

“You punched me in the face.” He clarified with the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. “It was a while before my nose felt like normal again.” At her brief attempt at a chuckle, he removed his arms from her and bent down to retrieve the cloth from the snow. He wrung it about in his hands as he chose his next words carefully. “You know… I was always so sure about what I wanted in life. And then I crashed into you and everything changed.” He sighed, “You were the best thing to ever happen to me, and my selfishness just got in the way. I’ve been regretting every terrible decision I made back then for the last three years. I learned what love was through you, and because I carelessly tossed you aside, it’s something I’ll never experience ever again. That’s… that’s why I lock myself away in my room. Yes, I’m avoiding my brothers, but I’m also owning up to what I’ve done. I don’t want to risk the chance of meeting someone new. It would be a terrible dishonor to you. And… I don’t think any other girl in this entire realm could ever replace what you were to me.”

She was rendered speechless. “I… Hans…”

“Look, you don’t have to say anything. To be honest, I don’t expect you to understand.” He said dejectedly, “I always hoped that our reunion would be on much better terms. It really does break what’s left of my heart knowing how much you’re hurting like this.”

She turned away and opted to give some more affection to Sitron. “I thought coming here would help. You know… being around people. I’m friends with Queen Charlotte. But even she’s been so busy with the holidays and the kingdom, and most of your brothers are off doing their own things. This almost feels like I’m back home. Quiet castle, me just roaming the empty halls. I didn’t expect the loneliness to follow me wherever I went.” She wiped her eyes again. “It’s unnerving.”

“I can’t speak for what will happen when you return home, but while you’re here, you’re not alone. Should all else fail, you’ll always have me.” He reached out to gently take her hand in his. “I’ll never shut you out.”

“...do you really mean that?” Anna asked, glancing briefly at their joined hands. “That’s what you said the last time, too. Things… things aren’t what they used to be.”

“I know.” Hans replied. “As much as I’d dream of you loving me again, I know it’s impossible, and I won’t force anything on you. I’ll gladly settle for being your friend.”

She forced a smile at the thought. He seemed sincere enough, and she couldn’t help but feel a new wave of nostalgia at the offer. There was a sense of coming full circle. For the second time now, Hans seemed to be a sort of savior. Before, he appeared out of nowhere when her heart was full of hope and let her believe any, even all of her dreams could come true. He was her beacon of light in a very dark world and she clung to him for all it was worth. Now that she found herself in a new dark chapter, he offered a glimmering escape and a strange chance of rekindling some of what was lost so long ago. What were the odds that the very man she hoped to avoid would become her greatest reprieve?

And maybe… just maybe… spending time with Hans would help him heal, too.

“I’d like that.” She said softly as she looked into his eyes. They lit up at her response, and for a brief moment, it looked like a tremendous weight was suddenly lifted from his shoulders. Even Sitron looked pleased at their exchange and whinnied as he gently shook his mane. “I suppose I should let you go now. It’s getting late, and I’ll have to prepare for the concert soon.”

Hans nodded. “And I should get this troublemaker back to the stables before he tries to run over any other beautiful women.”

Anna stepped aside so he could pass. “Do… do you think it was fate that made us meet like this?”

“If fate’s other name is ‘Sitron’, then yes.” He said in a teasing tone. “I think he likes you. It’s two strikes now that he’s knocked me on top of you. It’s becoming a bit of a problem. Horses aren’t supposed to play matchmaker with their masters.”

She felt her cheeks redden. “What happens at strike three?”

“Then I’ll have to marry you.”

Her blush immediately deepened as her eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

“I’m kidding.” He chuckled, though there was something in his eyes, his facial expression, that made her doubt if he really was joking or not. Especially considering his next move was to take her hand and lay a tender kiss to the back of hers. “Good bye, Your Majesty.”

“A-Anna.” She said softly as his eyes locked onto hers. “Please. It’s just me.”

“Just you…” he echoed with the slightly shaking of his head. “Until we meet again.” He released her and tugged Sitron back onto the path in the other direction..

She watched them with a fond smile forming across her face. “We will, won’t we?” She called after him with hope creeping into her voice. “See each other, I mean? You won’t hide away forever? No locked doors?”

He half turned to smile at her over his shoulder, “Oh I’ll be tucked away, but should you need me, you’ll find me. You’ll always find me. For you, my lady, the door will always be open.”

As Anna crunched through the snow back to the castle, she couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth in her-- something that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She didn’t know what to call it, but she knew that this couldn’t be the only time she would feel it during her stay. If Hans was the cause, then she would have to seek him out.

She would look forward to it.

To be continued....

#hansanna #hansannafortheholidays2020 #hansannaholidays2020 #writing prompts #prince hans #princess anna #queen anna #the meet again cute #hurt and comfort #more angsty than fluffy #sets the mood for the rest of the event #long post #fanfics #frozen #The Most Difficult Time of Year

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