Frozen 3

Chapter 19

Kristoff

Six p.m. Still nothing on the horizon. The sun had long since set. It was still snowing. An icy air coming from the north announced the approach of a storm. I had learned to recognize the signs of nature. She could no longer deceive me. I knew it too well.
We had left all the lights of the palace on, hoping to guide the one we were waiting for to us. Anna couldn't take it anymore. She had been pacing back and forth in the Grand Salon for three hours, stopping regularly at the window to look out. As soon as she realized that there was still no one in sight, she would leave again, looking crazy with worry.

 

"Hey... I'm sure everything's fine, don't worry," I said, taking her in my arms.

 

My attempt to soothe her didn't seem to calm her down. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest against me. She was panicked.

 

"What if something had happened to her, Kristoff? What if she was lost, alone in the blizzard?"

The young woman's voice betrayed her anguish. She looked up at me with reddened eyes. She was close to tears. I gently placed a hand against her warm cheek and kissed her forehead. I put on a reassuring smile that I wanted to be as natural as possible. Deep down, I was no more reassured than she was. I hoped that nothing had happened to Elsa, but her tardiness was seriously starting to become worrisome.

 

"She'll be here any minute, I'm sure," I tried again.

 

Anna gently pulled herself out of my embrace, sighed and dropped into the sofa in front of the big fireplace. I watched her. She was slumped so that only her head and upper back were touching the backrest, and she was crossing her arms like a little girl waiting impatiently for her parents to return. I knew how important this reunion was to Anna. Her sister was all the family she had left. They had been through everything together, the hard times and the happy times. This was the first time in many years that they were separated again. Anna found it very hard to bear, despite what she let on to others. She couldn't fool me. I knew her as few people could boast. I knew that this new separation brought back painful memories that she would have preferred to forget forever. Elsa had often put herself ahead of me in her priorities. I understood that. The bond that united the two sisters was stronger than anything. Nothing could break it. Not even me. But that didn't bother me. I understood perfectly how important Elsa was to Anna, and vice versa. They had each other's backs, no matter what. That was what had always made them strong.
I turned to the window behind me, taking my eyes off Anna for a few seconds. The flakes swirled in the dark night. The light from the palace reflected off them, making them stand out in the darkness. Suddenly, a violent gust of wind shook the window. A piece of paper got stuck in the gap of the window.

"What the..." I said, surprised.

I pulled the handle and opened it wide. The leaf was then thrown inside by a new gust of wind. I grabbed it on the fly, not giving it time to go any further. I heard Anna get up and approach.

"What is it?" she whispered over my shoulder. "I don't know, but it looks like... a letter," I replied as I unfolded the piece of paper.

The young woman leaned in closer.

"It's Elsa's handwriting!" she exclaimed, recognizing her sister's neat, round style almost immediately.