Honey and Venom

The 40 Foot Case of Conspicuous

Anna retired to the room they'd provided for her. She was sat at a window, bored, though still taking in just how beautiful this place could be. The celebration lanterns had long settled, and the lights of the city were dim... but the moon. The newly, ominous moon, had this glow around that just seemed so... strange?

The colouration of it, made the moon itself almost look this... pale blue. Oh so pale. If she didn't know any better she'd have thought it was.

Kristoff stayed away much longer than he said he was going to. He probably fell asleep using Sven as a pillow, or something, knowing him...

She would be asleep, too, had it not been for that bewitching half-moon. She sighed.

Who stayed up when they were in much need of sleep all because a moon caught their eye? A moon who plagued their thoughts. Their mind. Their body, their spirit- Anna made a yell as out of nowhere through the window a letter was brought to her hands, by wind. It sung in a high frequency.

She calmed with a sigh. "Hi, Gale."

Gale greeted.

She looked at the letter. Shaped like bird. She unfolded.

Dear Anna,

I hope you're in Corona safe and sound. Send my congratulations to the bride and groom if they'll take it. I keep thinking I should have come. I'm still sorry I didn't.

I know most of Arendale forgives the event of my coronation as queen, but I hardly know the Coronan royals. The thought of trying to speak to them and offer congratulations in person feels like it would be a lot. They may not care to really hear from a woman who freezes her kingdom once she's become queen then in a year she's already abandoned it.

Just know if you need me there, I'll get there as soon as I can. As always I'm proud of you. I miss you. Gale will be happy to send a letter back to me, and I'd be happy to receive it.

-Elsa

Anna sighed. "Yeah, sure, I'll write a letter..." she wheezed. She stretched... and laughed, thinking of Elsa being too hard on herself. "Sure... she froze her kingdom. I mean, sure she also resigned as queen... but these people are our family, right? Every family has their ups and downs... Rapunzel had magic hair! Maybe." She tapped at the window sill. "Oh, Gale, get me some paper?"

Gale obliged, whirling to the corner of the room, and then back to her, sliding it into her hand. "Thanks..."

She got up, and went over to a desk and sat, getting ink out. Gale began flicking through a stack of pages that were now next to her. "Well, look, I need to get my thoughts together holding the paper first, okay? Thank you, you've been a help."

Gale chimed, sounding annoyed. "We can't all be as clear headed as you, Gale," she said. Anna paused..."Ah!" She got her mind to click in place. She began writing.

Dear Elsa,

I will pass on your congratulations. I understand why you were worried, and I understand why you didn't want to come. I just want to assure you again, that I don't think they hold anything against you.

Not that I'm saying that to make you get yourself over here. I just want you to know that. They're our family.

I know that shouldn't mean they're automatically good. But they invited you. They must care to see you here. They must care to establish some sort of familial trust, again. Or strengthen one they think is there?

Sorry I'm not on track. Me and Kristoff are fine. I'm happy to hear from you. I hope everything is well.

-Anna

She sent her letter on its way, after folding it into a bird, thanking Gale.

She had thought about mentioning what she was wondering about the hair, and the moon to Elsa... but Elsa had enough to worry about, Anna was sure. She was probably busy. That, honestly, was probably most of the reason she hadn't come. Sure... She wasn't exactly a people person... but she would have forced herself to come had she not been busy.

Anna... took a look at her bed, considering sleeping. But she found herself feeling too wired...

She got up, and... hesitantly, made way for the door, that hair on display, on her mind; that advisor of the princess, had said it was proof... evidence, of Princess Rapunzel's magic. She didn't know about that, for sure. But she wanted to get another look that wasn't a part of a quick tour. She wanted to take her time with it.

So... she went on a, stroll. A harmless stroll. Nobody in the halls but a few patrolling guards every so often.

She was at a casual pace, so that her eagerness didn't seem out of place.

And then... soon, she found it. Encased in a 40 foot case, a proposed 70 foot swath of brown hair, folded neatly. A small engraving on the case reading 'in honour of the sundrop'.

How could this amount of hair be fixed upon a human's head...? It must have been such trouble to carry around- Anna didn't even want to think about the pain it would have been to brush! But... Anna had no way of verifying if it was real. Sure, it looked real... but maybe they could fix a fake. And if it was real, who was to say that made it magic? Maybe they were just... really, really good at growing hair, whoever this had belonged to, if not the Princess...

What it did... was heal; supposedly. With golden, power. But, then there were rumours Rapunzel had somehow used it to ward off a demon. And that just seemed a little crazy.

Had Anna seen magic? Yes. Was the magic frightening? A little. Had she seen fantastical creatures? Yes. Were they frightening? Sometimes. But never anything inherently evil, like a demon.

Then there were rumours, again, of the woman with the moon's gift. Anna couldn't tell if said woman was meant to be separate from the demon in the story. People talked of her poorly- civilians- and when Anna asked somebody who this moon woman was, they wouldn't say. They seemed uncomfortable with the question.

It seemed a sensitive issue. And... Anna wondered, if the princess with the gift from the sun, was actually separate to the woman with the gift from the moon. Elsa's fear was her enemy. Was Rapunzel the same? Did her people shy away from the subject hating who she had become, but not who she was to her core?

Either that's how Rapunzel's people felt, or it really was another woman, and that woman had instilled intense fear within the public. Maybe it was either, and the civilian she asked was only uncomfortable due to Anna being –unfamiliar- royalty, though...

She wanted to ask the princess, open, and honest. But she needed to time it well. And she needed to have a good rapport with her... or else she knew it would likely go sour with Anna's wonderful skill at slipping her foot into her own mouth.

She... lingered, a little longer at the prized case, before, she made way back to her room. She watched the sky again, this time sat on her bed, and wondered to herself if, caring about this magic was even worth it, with no real connection to Rapunzel other than blood relation and neutral kingdoms...