Anna- An Exciting Morning

Anna woke very well on her sister's wedding day. The sun was streaming through the blinds, and birdsong and excited chatter drifted through the open window. The Princess was in a great mood. The cheerful redhead had not been this excited for a single day since her own wedding to the man snoring beside her, his blonde mop of hair blowing back and forth in time with his long, slow breaths. She lay there for a few moments, enjoying the sun dancing and shimmering on the walls.

Elsa's getting married today! I can't believe it! Excitement getting the better of her, she bounced up and ran to the window, throwing open the blinds and gazing out. The sun was resting just above the horizon, and the streets were busier than Anna had ever seen them. Not even Elsa's coronation had drawn crowds of quite this magnitude. Ships of all shapes and sizes were rotating in and out of the docks, many of them flying flags that Anna didn't even recognize. It's a good thing I'm not the Queen, Anna thought. I don't have the head for it. Continuing to peer at the ships, a flash of gold caught her eye. She gasped. Was that… The sun sigil of Corona waved at her from the mast of an enormous ship, as though the ship itself were greeting her. Rapunzel! Anna spun around.

"Kristoff!" she cried. "Get up, get up! Rapunzel and Eugene are here!" Dashing to a large ornate wardrobe, she pulled her nightdress over head and stood there, considering her options with one hand on her hip.

"That's a good look for you, sweetie." Kristoff was grinning at her from the bed, his brown eyes aimed at her, running up and down her slender figure with an approving gaze. "You should just go to the wedding like that."

"Oh ha ha," Anna sneered. "Now get up, let's go say hi!" She pulled a simple dress out of the wardrobe (her favorite one, a comfortable, modest green dress), threw it over her head, and ran out of the room, thrilled at the thought of seeing her cousin, leaving Kristoff to roll out of bed in his own time, grumbling to himself. A phrase that sounded an awful lot like "overly excited puppy" drifted past Anna as she flung open the door and darted out, but she chose to ignore it. He's just grumpy because it's too early.

Her mood was rising with every step Anna took. She bounded past some servants heading to Elsa's room, down the stairs, and out the front doors of the castle, where she paused. Elsa… is getting married… TODAY! Unable to contain it, she squealed in elation and continued her mad dash across the grounds. The guards at the gates saw her coming, and rushed to open the way for her. The gates had just opened in time for Anna to run through without breaking stride, calling out a thanks over her shoulder at the guards, who were waving at her, grinning. As she started making her way through town, cries of "Hi, Anna!" and "Your Highness!" followed her, to which she responded with great enthusiasm, calling everyone she knew by name, and making sure to pause and take the time to get them if she didn't.

Anna had never seen the city so packed with people. Arendelle was a good deal larger than it had been even a few years ago. The walls had been expanded after Elsa had been safely returned to Arendelle two years ago, but already, the town had swelled to fill the new space. Anna knew that there were about 10,000 people living within the walls, but there had to be close to 50,000 filling the streets today. The entire kingdom seemed to have shown up- the entire kingdom and then some.

Rounding a corner, she- BAM!

"OWWW!" She had run straight into a large man with a long white beard and bespectacled eyes. She tried to steady herself, but didn't quite manage to find her feet in time, collapsing with a thud.

"Ooof... my apologies, my- oh, Anna! I'm so sorry!"

"Francis!" Anna cried from the ground. "How are you!" Continuing to stammer out an apology, the old painter helped her to her feet and bowed. "Hey now, how many times do I have to tell you, you do not need to bow to me, we're friends! Besides, I'm the one that ran into you! How are you?"

Francis' eyes were shining, much brighter than Anna had ever seen them. "I've never been better, Anna! Ahem… allow me to introduce my wife, Berta…" He gestured to his right, where a pretty woman with very curly brown hair curtsied. Anna gasped.

"Your wife? When did this happen? And why-" she swatted him on the arm with the back of her hand "- was I not invited?" Francis dropped his eyes.

"My deepest apologies, Anna," he said. "I- I wasn't sure it would have been appropriate."

Anna laughed. "Who cares? You helped me when I wasn't doing too well, to say the least, I'm not likely to forget that." Turning to Berta, she curtsied. "It's very nice to meet you, Berta. If either of you ever need anything, you only need to call, and I'll be there." Berta curtsied again, muttering a thanks. She's too pretty to be this shy. Oh well, she doesn't look like she's from around here, she's probably not used to a princess treating her like more than dirt. Anna continued, "I must be off, my cousin is here, and I was on my way to say hi. I'll see you at the wedding, I'm sure?"

Francis nodded. "The Queen was kind enough to ask me to paint the ceremony, as I did yours, so I'll be in the back with my sketchbook."

"Good decision, Elsa. I'm sure the painting will be lovely. Take care! And be sure to tell your wife my policy of my friends bowing- or curtsying- around me." Francis laughed and nodded, and Anna waved goodbye and took off again. As she jogged through the narrow streets, dodging children, shopkeepers, and nobility in equal measure, she reflected on the chance encounter. I didn't know how much I missed him. God, how long has it been? Too long, apparently. I used to stop by twice a week! I'll have to stop by his shop again soon, maybe during Elsa's honeymoon- well, no, I'll be the acting Queen for two whole weeks! The thought of running the kingdom without Elsa was too intimidating to dwell on on such a happy day, so she turned her thoughts back to the wedding.

Squeezing out of an alley she took as a shortcut (a procession of incoming guests packed shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the road forced her hand), the docks loomed before her. Arendelle's dock was much smaller in years past, but the incredible expansion of the past two years meant that a round dozen full size ships could be docked at once. It still wasn't enough. Twice that number again circled the port, waiting for an opening to dart through and unload their cargo, which happened to be nobles dressed in fantastic dresses, suits, and other formal wear, as well as their respective translators, servants, and family, before returning to the mire of the port and attempting to escape back to the relative openness of the fjord. Anna's own wedding had not had even half these attendees. Anna felt a small, selfish pang of jealousy for the extravagance and sheer size of her sister's wedding, then berated herself for it at once. Anna, you idiot, Elsa doesn't care about any of these people! You may as well be jealous she's Queen. Is that a responsibility you want? Of course not, so don't be stupid!

Anna's eyes were darting around the different flags, searching for Corona's Sun. She spotted it at last, sandwiched between a ship she didn't recognize and a ship from a country she didn't know the name of, but knew it was all the way across the Atlantic. Wow, what a journey for a wedding! Anna doubled her pace, bolting down the dock. Her cousin's foot had just fallen on the weathered wood, and Anna was only a few yards away, when a loose board caught her foot. She tripped, arms windmilling to try to catch her balance, and flew into Rapunzel in an impact that would have knocked them both into the water if Eugene hadn't seen Anna coming. Darting behind Rapunzel, he bore the brunt of the impact, and Rapunzel's elbow smashed into his ribs. The girls stayed upright, but Eugene lost his balance and tumbled backwards into the water. Anna was horrified.

"Eugene! I'm so sorry! It was an accident!" Eugene had not surfaced. "Eugene!" Some bubbles were surfacing, but there was no sign of him. Rapunzel, having regained her bearings, started to call out his name as well. Still, Eugene did not surface. Anna dropped to her knees at the edge of the dock and peered into the water, straining her eyes for any sign of him. Within moments, a shape burst out of the water, dripping wet and grinning. A mischievous gleam was in Eugene's eyes as he seized Anna's arm with one hand and the edge of the dock with the other, holding himself halfway out of the water.

"Eugene…" Anna said, unnerved by the glint in Eugene's eye. "What are you doAHHH!" With a strong pull, Eugene yanked Anna headfirst into the cool water, where she made a not so graceful entrance, arms and legs flailing as she collided with the freezing water. She returned to the surface, sputtering and shivering, to find Eugene and Rapunzel were howling in laughter.

"I'm glad it's so funny to you guys!" Anna shouted, with as much anger as she could muster. "Now help me out, Rapunzel. Now!" Laughter faltering at Anna's furious expression, Rapunzel stretched out an arm to help. Too easy. Anna grabbed her cousin's hand, anger turning to glee at her brilliant deception, and pulled Rapunzel in as well. Eugene looked over at Anna, and it was evident he was impressed at her performance.

"Well done," he said. Rapunzel had now surfaced as well. "I actually thought you were mad for a second. Punz, you okay sweetie?"

After a brief silence, Rapunzel said in a level voice, "Wow. I really should have seen that coming." Their laughter renewed, they treaded water for a moment before realizing they now had no easy way up. Corona's ship was on the very end of the dock, and there was no one in sight.

"Huh," Anna said. "Didn't think this through very well, did we?"

The three considered their predicament a moment, then: "Well well well, what do we have here?" Squinting against the sun, the three looked up. Kristoff was standing on the dock, smiling and keeping his distance.

"Kristoff!" Anna cried. "Help me up!"

"After what I just saw?" he replied. "No thanks."

"Kristoff," said Anna, an edge creeping into her voice. "You better get me out of here."

"Hold your horses, Princess. Hang on." He glanced around, then moved out of sight. Seconds later, a rope descended to the water's surface. "There you go, kids. Come on up."

After they were all on the dock, preceded by a brief shoving match as to who would get out of the freezing water first (which Eugene won without much trouble), Kristoff can't help but laugh at the state of them.

"We better get to the castle if you guys want to be ready in time," Kristoff said. "The wedding's in four hours, and we have to be ready even before that."

The four nodded in agreement and set out. Kristoff and Eugene were catching up with the happenings in each other's lives, but Anna was content to just walk in silence, enjoying the companionship. Her good mood, already bubbling near its max, felt in danger of bursting out of her and flooding the streets. She was very fond of her cousin, and Eugene was one of the best men she had ever met- well, other than Kristoff- and Anna got to see them only rarely. Side effects of running a country, she supposed. As they passed through the main square, Anna realized that the last time Rapunzel had been to Arendelle was for her own wedding, and this realization was coupled with a sudden pang of guilt that Rapunzel had not been in her wedding party, souring her mood a bit. She decided to talk to Rapunzel once they were alone. She didn't want to ruin her mood (and Elsa's big day) by being mopey.

Arriving at the castle, the four split up, Anna and Rapunzel headed to Elsa's room to fulfill their bridesmaid duties, and Kristoff and Eugene headed to Heins's as groomsmen. On the way, Anna figured she might as well get it over with.

"Hey Rapunzel."

"Hmm?"

"You know I'm really sorry about not having you in my wedding, right?" she asked.

"Of course I do Anna!" she said in surprise. "Did you think I'd be mad? Kristoff's party was small, so yours was too. I understand, don't worry." Anna chuckled.

"You know," she said, "I've been worrying about this for too long, ever since Elsa asked you to be in hers. I felt like I should have asked you too. I should have known this is how you'd react. I was so afraid you'd be mad at me!"

"Of course not!" Rapunzel said. "You can be pretty dumb sometimes, you know." She smiled at Anna to let her know she was just playing, but there was something in the smile that put Anna off.

"What is it?" she asked, but Rapunzel looked hesitant.

"Well…" Rapunzel started, then, "I get why I'm in this wedding, but… why is Eugene? I know he was excited for the chance- Heins is a good man, and Eugene's very fond of him- but… the Southern Isles royal family is so big! Didn't he want some of his brothers in his party?"

Anna's face fell. "He tried. All the invitations were unanswered. No one's coming." Rapunzel gasped.

"That's horrible! Why? I thought Heins was still on good terms, it's just Hans that's disowned, right?"

"Yeah, and that's what he thought too. He was devastated for days after he realized." They stopped outside the door to Elsa's dressing room, which was just a bedroom that had been repurposed. "We're here. Smiles on, okay? I know that's terrible, but let's just try to forget it for now, agreed?"

"Agreed." Rapunzel's face broke into a grin. "She's probably so excited!" She pushed open the door.

Elsa was dressed in plain clothes, without makeup, and her hair was an absolute mess. Her dress lay on the floor in front of the mirror, and small snow drifts littered the ground, being kicked up in small puffs as Elsa paced back and forth, distraught. "Or not."

"Elsa!" Anna cried, rushing into the room. Rapunzel hung back, unsure of what to do. "What's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong!" Elsa wailed, flapping her hands in a most un-Elsa-like manner, pushing Anna away and retreating to the corner. "I can't do this!" She slumped against the wall, head in her hands, eyes wide and anxious.

"Wha… What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"This!" Elsa shrieked, gesticulating around her, breathing hard. Anna hesitated to approach, and kept a safe distance. Rapunzel still waited in the back, deferring to Anna in this unexpected crisis. "I can't get married, am I crazy?"

"Elsa, I don't understand," Anna said, bewildered. "You were so excited last night!" Elsa had spent the previous night exulting about everything even related to the wedding, in very specific detail, to anyone who would listen, which of course meant Anna had stayed up far too late listening to Elsa go on and on in breathless, enthusiastic tones (Kristoff had a very sudden "bad headache" and retired around forty-five minutes in).

Elsa giggled, a shrill, hysterical sound. "That was last night! It wasn't today! It wasn't real last night!"

"Elsa, calm down," Anna cooed. "Take a deep breath. Yeah… that's it." It took a short while, but eventually, Elsa's chest steadied, and after a few seconds, regulated to a fast but regular rhythm. "There, good. Now… explain to me what's wrong."

Elsa's eyes were locked on the floor. "What if he leaves me?" she whispered.

Anna had figured it was something like this. "Elsa, wha-"

Elsa didn't seem to notice Anna's interjection. "What if he doesn't leave me?" she asked. Anna's mouth opened and closed, working soundlessly as she struggled to interpret this unexpected turn. "If he leaves me, then I'm alone again. If he doesn't leave me, then I'm never alone again. How do I...?" She wasn't even talking to Anna at this point. "What am I supposed to do?"

A dense fog had settled over Anna's mind. How could Elsa want to be alone and not want to be alone at the same time? It made no sense. A glance back at Rapunzel confirmed that she was just as bewildered as Anna was. Half to give her body something to do, as her mind had taken a sudden leave of absence, she crept over to Elsa and sat down beside her. Elsa shrank away from the touch, wringing her hands over and over again. The motion triggered something in Anna's stalled brain- a much younger Elsa, wearing gloves, wringing her hands in much the same way as she was now. A young Elsa, unable to control her powers, in the tiny, brief, wonderful moments that Anna got to see her sister: passing each other in the halls, Anna giving a cheerful wave, Elsa wringing her hands, eyes on the floor; dinners here and there, Anna talking animatedly with her sister, Elsa wringing her hands, silent, eyes on her plate; then, Elsa in her castle on the North Mountain, Anna pleading for her to come back, Elsa shutting her out, wringing her hands. The fog cleared in an instant. Anna understood what was wrong.

"Elsa… the doors were shut for so long. But they're different now. They never need to be closed, or open, again. They can be whatever you want them to be. You can choose whether the doors are open or closed today. You never need to be alone, but you never need to be with people, either. You and Heins have been together for a long time now, and this has never been an issue. What is marriage going to change? If anything, it just means that you never need to fear being alone again." It was a long time before Elsa responded, but over time, her breathing slowed, and her hands relaxed, then fell to her sides.

"You're right," Elsa whispered at last. "I was lost. It felt years ago. It's not like that anymore. I'm such a fool."

"Hey now, no you're not," Anna crooned, stroking her sister's hair. "You've got a lot on your plate. You're allowed a minor mental breakdown every so often before I send you off to the loony bin."

Elsa chuckled. "Well, there's one for the year. How many do I get?"

"Oh, I suppose… about three a year seems fair."

"Deal." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I just feel so foolish. There's no way Heins is reacting like this. He's always so calm, so collected."

Author note: I'm finally back! This has been a very long time coming. The basic outline for this story was finished well over a year ago, and it has been largely done for months. However, because everyone is their own harshest critic, it went through tens of (mostly) unnecessary rewrites and revisions. Now, I'm finally at a point where I'm happy with it. That being said, I'm my own editor, so if you see any egregious errors (sentences that start but don't finish, of which there may be several from one of my half-baked rewrites) or grammar errors, please let me know in a review. I will credit you for any corrections in the author notes for the relevant chapter. Also, Part I of Darkness Among Us was published all in one giant go, chapter after chapter being put up all within an hour. I thought this time I would try publishing one chapter a day, to try to increase visibility. If this makes me a scumbag or you really just hate me for it and would prefer I publish it all at once, let me know in a review. Most of the stories on here seem to be written as they go, rather than my method of finishing the book before publishing anything, so I don't really know the etiquette here. I don't want my story to fall by the wayside, but I also don't want to be accused of spamming or anything. Finally, thank you so much to the people who are returning after a very long wait for my next part of Darkness Among Us. I hope you enjoy it.