Frozen 3

Chapter 31

Anna

The afternoon sun was beating down on the palace windows. A few rays of light landed on my face, giving my hair pretty red highlights. I smiled and closed my eyes, feeling their gentle warmth on my skin. May was fast approaching. It was finally here! I was going to get married soon! At this thought, I felt little tingles of excitement in my lower stomach. The prospect had never seemed so close. I opened my eyes again, coming back to reality. I saw the many piles of files on the desk in front of me and sighed wearily. How could my sister have taken on so much during her reign, without ever batting an eyelid? I wasn't as courageous or diligent as she was. These official letters bored me to tears. I opened the letters one by one, skimming through their contents without paying them any further attention. Then I realized that Kai, the butler, had carefully stacked the invitations to my wedding with Kristoff on a corner of my desk. All that was missing was the royal seal before I could send them to the representatives of the surrounding kingdoms to invite them. I then dutifully marked each invitation with a seal. It's official, I said inwardly after sealing the last invitation.

"Kai!" I called.

I heard hurried footsteps in the corridor, then saw the servant appear in the doorway of the study I was in.

"Did you send for me, Your Majesty?" he asked politely.

I held back a laugh as I heard the solemn tone the butler took every time he addressed me.

"I'd like you to send these announcements of my forthcoming marriage to the neighboring kingdoms as soon as possible," I said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll see to it that the boat carrying them leaves first thing in the morning."

He took the packet of letters I handed him. I noticed the exasperated look on his face, as he seemed increasingly resentful of my marriage to Kristoff. As the days went by, his face and expressions grew colder and colder when we broached the subject. Before I could even give him a thought, the butler bowed slightly and left as quickly as he had arrived. No sooner had he left the room than I slumped into my seat, unable to sit upright for another minute. I massaged my temples, hoping to alleviate a headache that was returning with increasing frequency. I turned my head to the clock on my left. Six thirty-five. Come on, cheer up, I motivated myself.

***

A few hours later, I found myself gazing sadly at the setting sun from my bedroom balcony. The last rays of light made the water of the fjord sparkle. The sky had taken on a pretty orange-pink hue. I sighed at the magnificent sight. I missed Kristoff terribly, even though I had sent him to fetch Elsa. Then I remembered the last kiss we'd shared before he left for the Enchanted Forest yesterday afternoon. I closed my eyes, imagining his warm, soft lips against mine. I smiled at the thought. He must surely have arrived by now, I assumed. A knock on my door brought me out of my reverie.

"Come in", I said, disappointed that I couldn't enjoy this brief moment of happiness any longer.

It was Kai again who opened the door.

"Dinner is served, Your Highness," he announced.

"I'll be right there."

I looked out one last time. The sun had disappeared over the horizon.

***

An hour later, I returned to my room and threw myself flat on my back on the bed. I had eaten far too much. The meal had seemed extremely long without Kristoff's company. With no other distractions, I'd gobbled up everything I'd been presented with. How many times had I had a piece of chocolate cake? Five, six times? I wasn't sure.

I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. I felt terribly empty, even after swallowing so much food. No, it wasn't related, it was a more intense, deeper, more painful feeling. I'd never felt anything like it before. I finally understood what love was, tender and painful, joyful and sad, passionate and hateful. It multiplied our feelings tenfold, whether they were the worst or the best. I'd never been so happy and sad at the same time. I loved Kristoff more than anything else in the world. The best moments of my life had been and were being spent with him. But whenever he wasn't there, I felt an inner wrench so deep that I found myself almost dead and unable to live in his absence.

I got up and left my room, unable to calm my confusion. The corridor was dark and silent. Everyone was asleep. I was alone. I moved as quietly as possible. My bare feet on the parquet didn't make a sound. The sensation suddenly reminded me of my nocturnal outings as a child, in the hope of finding Elsa in her room. I remembered the immense disappointment I felt every night when I realized that the only door separating me from my sister was permanently locked, preventing me from finding her. I remembered the fear of being caught by my parents, the same anguish that gripped my throat many years later when Iduna and Agnarr were no longer with us...

I went into the next room, Kristoff's bedroom. It was horribly empty, devoid of life and warmth. All was quiet. Too quiet. I shivered. I was suddenly reminded of the first scene of my nightmare, identical to the one I was experiencing now. The image of Elsa and Kristoff kissing came back to me. My fists clenched. I shook my head, banishing this chilling memory from my mind. I went inside and lit a fire in the imposing fireplace to counteract the coolness of the night that was gradually creeping into the palace. I watched the red and yellow flames dance in the hearth for a few moments, then snuggled into Kristoff's sheets. It was soaked in his scent, which soothed me immediately. I curled up a little more, imagining myself in his arms. I buried my face in one of the two pillows on the bed. A tear rolled down my cheek. I was on edge. All the fatigue I'd accumulated over the last few days was making me extremely sensitive, and Kristoff's absence wasn't helping. I moved my hands gently under the pillow to press it more firmly against my head. Suddenly, my fingers touched something unusual. Something smooth, soft and slightly rough. Paper, I thought. I jerked upright and pulled the object out of its poor hiding place. It was indeed a sheet of paper, folded in four. I opened it carefully, consumed by curiosity and with my heart pounding. I discovered a letter:

I imagine that if you're reading this message you must miss me terribly, to the point of coming to occupy my bed... Never mind! I just want you to know that I don't like being away from you either, without being able to stroke your soft hair, smell your pleasant perfume and see your big blue eyes that I miss so much. I'm thinking of you wherever I am as you read these words. I promise we'll make up for all the moments we missed on Friday when I get home. Until then, try not to drool on my pillow too much when you think of me! Big kiss my love... I love you.

PS: don't you dare come into my room too often in the evening (although I admit it must be very tempting...)! You never know, you might keep up this habit even after I'm back... We mustn't let things get out of hand and do anything before we get married...

Kristoff

As I finished reading, I was surprised to notice that I was smiling stupidly, without even realizing it beforehand. I stroked Kristoff's shaky, irregular handwriting with my fingertips. The feeling of emptiness that had oppressed me a few minutes earlier had completely disappeared, giving way to a feeling of lightness. I let myself fall back on the bed and sighed with happiness. My future husband always had surprises in store for me, and that was what I loved most about our relationship.

"I love you too," I murmured softly, pressing the letter against my chest.

I closed my eyes and fell fast asleep in the young man's room.