The still of the evening was disturbed by the sound of muffled sobs. Anna cradled her legs as she sat against the library wall, emotions overwhelming her like a waterfall crashing down on a leaf. Although she felt some comfort in the familiar scent of books and candle wax, it was not nearly enough to assuage the persistent ache in her chest. In search of distraction, she rubbed her blurry eyes and peered through a window. Trees with dark green foliage glimmered under the moon and swayed gently to the summer breeze. The roads, illuminated by flickering lanterns, curved around the royal garden and past the stables. Far beyond the bleak castle wall, she made out a blue speck that allured her, promising novelty, adventure, and, for once, freedom—something she had longed for.

A soft rapping on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Go away."

"Anna, are you alright?" Olaf said as he opened the door.

"Oh, Olaf," she said, "I, um, nothing? I mean, I'm fine." She briskly wiped away her tears and forced a smile.

His amused grin faded as he neared her, noticing the trail of tears lining her face. "Anna… what happened?"

She stared at the ground, frantic thoughts racing through her mind while she sought out a plausible lie, before caving in. "Father and I got into an argument at dinner. He mentioned that Kai will be attending a celebration in Arendelle, and I thought perhaps he and I could go as well and…" A sigh escaped her, tears pricking her eyes. "He scolded me for it and wouldn't tell me why! I just feel like I'm living in a gilded cage like a common animal."

With that, glistening lines streaked her face anew and her legs gave way, saved from the cold marble floor by Olaf's embrace.

"Shh, Anna, it's okay. Please dry your eyes." He rubbed her back in circular motions. "Seeing you in tears makes me want to cry, and then what would the others say? The crown princess's personal guard, Olaf, bravest of the brave, wept in front of her like a newborn."

A faint smile appeared on her face. "You would be ruined." Anna's heaving shoulders lessened, warmth from the close contact nullifying the sorrow aching in her chest.

The pair remained in the embrace for a few moments before separating.

"Thanks, Olaf." She fixed her gaze on the floor. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You did nothing wrong. If anything…" He paused, eyebrows furrowing. "Just know that the king truly does care for you."

"Hmph, well he sure has an interesting way of showing it." Her eyes lifted, backtracking at the hint of hesitation in his voice. "Wait, Olaf, there's more to it than just that, isn't there. What is it?"

"I'm afraid I can't say anymore. Oh, how about I escort you to your room? It's getting late."

Anna nodded, though the distant look in his eyes hadn't gone unnoticed and made her wonder what the reason could be. Silence fell between the two as they left the library and headed towards her room. She decided not to push the topic any further, settling to make sense of her thoughts. What is father hiding? Did something happen to the kingdom to make him so anxious? Surely, I would have remembered if that was the case.

"Here we are." His expression had returned to normal, a boyish grin taking over his features.

Anna shook her thoughts away and smiled. "Yes, I suppose this is goodnight?"

"I suppose you're right," he said, teasingly. "Rest well, Anna."

She gave a small wave before closing the door behind her. Her bedroom was fairly large and well kept, despite a few stray books that somehow always managed to find their way onto the floor. At first, reading had simply been a way to quash her boredom, but she soon took an interest in novels of sorcery and magic. It had suppressed her desire for adventure and helped her strengthen her powers. Maintaining control of her magic, on the other hand, proved to be much more difficult.

After changing into her nightgown, Anna soaked in the warmth from her blankets, closed her eyes, and allowed her thoughts to drift toward a familiar fire surrounded by darkness. The image had been tugging at her mind for some time, though she had yet to make any sense of it. The lone flame began to waver slightly, perhaps as a result of her impatience. Come on, come on! What are you trying to show me? Her pendant began to glow weakly, as if in response to her thoughts, mimicking the flickers of the fire.

Seconds turned into minutes as the fire held Anna's focus. The stubbornness in her shone through, and she refused to yield like she had done the previous nights. Her head began to hurt as she strained to concentrate on the flame. A few moments later, it began to extend, as though the finger-like tips were clawing at the black expanse to make room for itself, and then stopped.

The edges of the fire solidified in its shape as the wavering ceased completely. A reminiscent scent took Anna by surprise, yet she resisted the urge to satisfy the tickle at her memory. She wasn't sure why her mind was constantly pushing her towards the image, but she reasoned it would make sense if she concentrated on it hard enough. Or, at least, that's what her reading taught her. A few minutes passed. Nothing. The image had remained static. She groaned internally, ready to give in and direct her thoughts elsewhere, when a voice emerged from within the fire.

Anna.

That voice. Anna could pinpoint it from a thousand others. It was the same voice that sang her lullabies and tales of faraway places, soothing her fears of the unknown. It was the same voice that chided her with the gentleness of a feather when she was too daring and hurt herself as a consequence. It was the same voice that praised her for her accomplishments, regardless of its significance, and made her feel worth something.

Mother?

Flickering and swirling, the flame lengthened into a tall spiral and morphed into the very image of the queen.

Oh, my little marigold. I've missed you more than you could ever—

Startled, Anna opened her eyes hurriedly, beads of sweat marking her forehead, and placed a hand over her beating chest. Upon seeing her mother dissolve from her vision, she scrunched her eyes. No, no, no. Come back, please!

Anna redirected her focus onto the swirling fire that wavered much quicker than before, struggling to make out the queen's face.

Anna there… time…. connection… severed.

I, no wait, you can't leave! Mother, please, don't go!

I… sorry… not enough… You… listen… important…go… Arendelle… protect… Kai… I love…

The fire's swirling froze, revealing the queen's parting smile, before darkness smothered the orange hues. In turn, the tugging sensation went away, leaving an empty feeling in its wake. Anna wasn't sure what to make of the recent events. Part of her wanted to berate herself for accidentally opening her eyes after her mother spoke. Another part of her wanted to smile for being able to speak to her mother again, even if it was for a brief period.

Anna stifled a yawn and stared at the ceiling, confusion etched onto her face as she pondered upon her mother's words. The queen wanted her to go to Arendelle—that much was certain—but beyond that, she hadn't the slightest clue. Do I protect Kai or Arendelle? Maybe she meant go with Kai to protect Arendelle, but from whom? And what if I'm not strong enough? Her mind drifted off as she closed her eyes, unable to resist the temptation of sleep any longer.

/

The next morning, Anna woke up before dawn had a chance to rub its eyes and stretch, a feat that earned curious looks from the guards, but she paid them no heed. She made her way past a few doors before stopping.

"Olaf!" She knocked. "Hello? Are you in there?"

She couldn't help but smile at the sound of an exaggerated groan, followed by footsteps.

"Anna, why are you up so early?" he said after opening the door. "If this is another one of your dessert-pilfering schemes, I'm going to have to decline."

"Hey! You ate half of our findings last time. And no, this is important."

Olaf studied her face briefly before inviting her in. "Is this about yesterday?"

"No, no, it's—wait, yes it is. In a sense. Do you remember that annoying feeling I mentioned to you the other day?"

He nodded.

"Well yesterday night, it felt stronger than before, and then something happened! I saw mother in the inferno and she spoke to me."

"It sounds like you were dreaming."

"No, you don't understand. This was nothing like any of my dreams. I think our fire magic allowed us to form some sort of bond. She warned me of some danger threatening Arendelle."

"Anna…"

She narrowed her eyes, dismissing the urge to stomp her foot. "Don't you 'Anna' me. It was real—I'm certain of it. Olaf, please, you have to believe me!"

His face gave away a thoughtful look while he massaged his temple. "Okay, okay, I believe you. So, what now?"

"I need to go to Arendelle."

"What?!"

"Hush, not so loud," she said, glancing at the door. "And I have to, Olaf. Don't try and stop me, please. I just need you to explain the situation to my father once I'm gone."

"I can't let you do this. The king—"

"What about the queen? What about my mother? Does she not have say in this? Olaf, you didn't hear the urgency in her tone." She paused, cheeks flushing. "Besides, she wouldn't have told me to go if she didn't believe in me." Right?

Olaf's shoulders slumped. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. There's no way I would let you stand in harm's way all by yourself."

"But my father—"

"Has as much say in this as your mother." He grinned. "I'll suffer the consequences when we come back. Right now, we need a plan and a name to go along with it. How does Operation Save Arendelle sound?"

Anna felt a smile tug at her lips as she darted towards Olaf and hugged him, nearly knocking both of them over.

/

A few hours passed when Anna and her father breakfasted in the royal garden. He insisted on bringing her favorite foods, along with a heartfelt apology, both of which she accepted. They had talked casually for a while before deciding to play a game of chess, much to Anna's delight. It wasn't until a servant had reminded the king of an upcoming meeting that he prepared to leave, but not before receiving a surprise hug from Anna. She buried her guilt-ridden face in his chest, knowing that may be the last time they saw one another for some time.

Anna returned to her room shortly after and began to stuff a few dresses into a backpack. Everything felt surreal to her. For years, she had been confined to the castle grounds, rarely even allowed on the castle wall for fear of falling, and now she was about to travel across the seas to a foreign kingdom full of new sights and places to visit. But I'm going there for a reason, she thought, and it will be perilous. Yet that didn't stop her face from lighting up with a beam as she made her way to the library, a fresh spring in her step.

Upon arriving, she scurried through the aisles and scanned the shelves. Even after all these years of poring over books, there were still numerous novels of magic Anna had not read yet, emphasizing just how immense the library's collection was.

"Hello, Crown Princess. I take it you've exhausted your weekly supply of novels?"

"Oh, hello Gerda." She smiled. "Yes, I was actually looking to select only one book today. Do you have The Five Pillars of Sorcery, by any chance? I've been meaning to read it for some time."

"Indeed, I do. A gentleman returned it just a few days ago. If you would kindly follow me," the librarian said before they began to walk towards the back end of the room. She kneeled down, picked a few books out, and then placed them back on the shelf. This pattern continued until Gerda lifted a rather hefty book and blew some dust off the cover. "Ah, here it is." She handed the book over to Anna. "Was there anything else you needed, Crown Princess?"

Anna shook her head. "No, this is perfect. Thank you, Gerda."

She headed towards the entrance before turning and taking in the sight once more. She would miss the late nights spent among the sea of novels, the books telling stories of their travels through their unique scent, the reminiscence of happier times when her parents would read her dozens of fairytales around the fire. "Maybe you'll remind me of home when I leave," she whispered, staring at the book in her hand.

That evening, Anna had taken Olaf's advice and requested an early dinner from the dining hall's head chef. She had perused through a few dozen pages of her novel by the time she finished her main course. While waiting for her dessert to arrive, she set aside the book and began to reflect on the plan she and Olaf had created. They intended to sneak onto Kai's ship at midnight since it departs a little after dawn. Anna knew it wouldn't be easy to sneak off the castle grounds, and she still wasn't sure how they would manage to stay hidden on the boat for the entirety of the trip.

She allowed herself to be distracted by the chocolate soufflé and set of fresh utensils in front of her. After nibbling on the berries adorning the delicacy, she devoured the cake with relish, unaware of a few new guards gaping at her in awe.

"Camilla," Anna said after finishing her dessert, "Would you mind letting my father know that I have already eaten and plan to retire early for the night?"

"Not at all, Your Highness."

"Thank you." She picked up her novel, bid the servant goodnight, and left.

Once she shut the bedroom door behind her, Anna finished placing a few more belongings into her backpack and changed into a black dress. With any luck, it might help prevent the guards from seeing her at a distance. Looking out her window, she noticed that there were dark patches near the stables. The lanterns must have burned out, she thought, taking a mental note of it. As she was about to turn away, she caught her reflection and nearly slapped her forehead. Her red hair would be as striking as a candle at night. Hurriedly, she rummaged through her closet and found a black sunhat. I'll probably look rather ridiculous wearing this at night, Anna thought with a grin.

Placing her hat on her desk, she glanced at the letter she had written earlier for her father and averted her gaze. She could practically see him glaring at the note, bitter tears pricking his eyes as each word burned into his vision. Before the guilt could settle in, Anna shifted her thoughts towards Arendelle and envisioned all of the authentic foods she would taste, the unique places she would see, the different people she would meet.

She snuggled into her blankets and attempted to calm her nerves. She felt as if she were a leaf freshly detached from its tree, carried by a strong wind current—free but uncertain. The next day would be a rough one for her, but it still excited her no less. Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes, imagining her mother beaming with that same proud smile from the night before. Please give me your blessings.

A/N: Hi everyone, thanks for reading, and I hope you all had fun! For this chapter, I tried out a new style for the dialogue to make the story more immersive (I'm hoping), and I added some more descriptions. Also, a HUGE thank you to my beta reader, JYN044, for all her help with editing and feedback. It's much appreciated! Anyway, I hope you all have a good rest of your day, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Bye :)