A Frozen Heart Read online

  “Just you?” Hans repeated.

  Anna looked up at him and nodded, ready for him to flee. But to her surprise, he was smiling and looking at her as though her being “just her” wasn’t such a bad thing after all. In fact, it was almost as if her being “just her” was fine by him. Anna’s heart began to thud loudly in her chest.

  DING-DONG! DING-DONG!

  “Oh! The bells!” Anna said, snapping back to reality. “The coronation! I better go! I have to…I better…”

  Jumping out of the boat, Anna looked up at the castle and saw the bell ringing wildly in its tower. She could make out people entering through the gate. She really didn’t have much time. Turning to look back at Hans, she waved. “Bye,” she said, wishing that she didn’t have to leave.

  Hans lifted a hand and once again flashed his beautiful smile. “See you at the coronation!”

  Nodding, Anna turned and raced back toward the castle. She couldn’t be late. But that wasn’t what made her step so sprightly and fast. She knew that she was going to see Prince Hans of the Southern Isles again. And that made her feel like she could fly.

  HANS HAD BEEN at the receiving end of plenty of practical jokes in his life. He had twelve older brothers, after all. It came with the territory. He had fallen for the old “there’s a special present for you in that oddly scary room down in the catacombs, Hans. Why don’t you go find it and then we’ll lock you in there after you go inside” trick. He had woken up with ink all over his face after one of his brothers had dipped his hands in the inkpot while he slept. He had even believed it when he received a “ransom note” from a King Gotya claiming he had taken one of Hans’s brothers and would only return him if Hans ran around the castle three times in just his underpants. In his defense, he had only been four at the time.

  Still, despite the many, many pranks and practical jokes Hans had lived through, none of them compared to this. This certainly felt like a joke that one of his brothers would play on him. Have him run into a girl and woo her, all the while thinking she was one princess when instead she was another!

  Ever since Anna had introduced herself and then dashed off, Hans had been reliving the encounter over and over. Now, as he rode Sitron up to the castle, Hans sighed. He had come to the conclusion that he should look at the situation this way: The two princesses were sisters. Sisters tended to think alike (or so he assumed, having no experience with them). So if they did think alike, and Anna thought he was handsome—which he was pretty sure she did—maybe Elsa would be just as easily swept off her feet. So, he figured as his horse trotted into the castle’s courtyard, his staged run-in with the wrong princess might not have been entirely wasted.

  At least, I really hope it wasn’t, Hans added silently. The clock was still ticking.

  Hans hopped off Sitron, smoothed out his jacket, and quickly ran a hand through his hair. Then he made his way inside the chapel.

  As he walked through the door, Hans felt dozens of eyes on him, sizing him up. He tried not to smile. He was good. No, he wasn’t good; he was great. He couldn’t have timed his entrance better. Most of the guests had already arrived and were seated in the long pews in front of the dais. When Hans had opened the door, with the sun pouring in from behind him and no one else to steal his thunder, he had to believe he had garnered some interest. To this room full of strangers, he was a mystery. They didn’t know who he was, where he was from, or what his intentions were—and he wanted to keep it that way. He would reveal himself when the time was right, and when it was to his advantage.

  Keeping his head high, Hans made his way toward the front of the room. Finding a spot close enough to be seen by Princess Elsa but not so close that he seemed overeager, Hans took a seat. Then he began to size up the competition.

  Hans had done his homework. After his father had given him permission to attend the coronation, Hans had immediately gotten his hands on a list of potential attendees. “Knowledge is power,” Lars had told him once when their father had been forced to wage war on a neighboring kingdom. “It is always better to go into a battle knowing the enemy.” And this was going to be the biggest battle of Hans’s life. He wanted to know who he was up against. Now, as he looked around, he saw that his homework had paid off.

  Across the room he saw a small, thin man with an unfortunate nose. This was the Duke of Weselton, and he was deep in conversation with a dignitary from Blavenia. The Duke is one to watch out for, Hans thought. From what he had heard just since getting to Arendelle, the man was intent on forcing the new queen to recognize the importance of their trade relationship and perhaps increase the number of ships going back and forth between the two kingdoms. Hans had overheard someone saying that the Duke was convinced that there was something fishy going on and that Arendelle had been holding out on him and his people. Whether that was true, Hans had no idea. But he did know the little man carried a lot of weight with the people of Weselton and beyond. If he decided to speak out against Hans for whatever reason, it could be damaging.

  As he continued to look around the room, he recognized several more people. There were a few other princes, several lords, and at least a dozen other lower dignitaries. But of them all, the only one who really worried Hans was the Duke.

  Just then, a pair of men sat down beside Hans. One of them Hans recognized as Prince Freluke. He was extremely tall and skinny, with a sour expression. He nodded politely at Hans and said a quiet hello.

  The other man was Freluke’s opposite. Whereas Freluke was tall and skinny, this man was short and round. His cheeks were rosy, and his eyes twinkled. Turning, he said something to Freluke that made the serious man laugh. “Well, this is quite the process, isn’t it?” the man said, leaning over and semi-whispering into Hans’s ear. Then he held out his hand. “The name’s Prince Wils, Vakretta’s dignitary. How do you do?”

  “Prince Hans of the Southern Isles,” Hans informed Wils.

  “Ah, the Southern Isles! Never been, but I have heard they are beautiful. Quite the trip from there, though, is it not? What made you come all this way? Surely, as prince, you could have sent someone in your stead.”

  Hans smiled. Clearly this man had no idea that Hans was the “throwaway” prince of the family. Hans was more than happy to keep that charade up. The more people who thought him important, the better. He wanted any rumors of him that reached Elsa to show him in only the most positive of lights. “I would not have trusted such an important task to anyone else,” Hans finally answered. “The coronation of Queen Elsa is very important to my family, and”—Hans lowered his voice—“you never know what unsavory characters might show up at these types of things. I wanted to make sure that I was here to build an alliance between the Southern Isles and Arendelle. Plus, I felt it was important to meet the new queen in person and get to know her.”

  Prince Wils pulled a candy out of his jacket pocket and popped it into his mouth. Then he shrugged. “Good luck with that,” he said. “From what I hear, Princess Elsa doesn’t let anyone get to know her. Or see her, for that matter.”

  “She likes her privacy,” Prince Freluke said, his voice so soft Hans could barely hear him. “I think that is understandable.”

  “Sure,” Prince Wils said, “if you are just a regular person. But Elsa is about to be queen. You can’t rule a kingdom in isolation. People are saying that she has a heart of ice. That kings no longer bother to try to make a match with Arendelle. Every time one has tried, he has been turned away at the door. What kind of future queen turns away a potential suitor? If you ask me, it just doesn’t make sense.”

  “No one asked you,” Prince Freluke pointed out, deadpan.

  Prince Wils looked taken aback. Then he burst out laughing. “You’re right, friend. I shouldn’t be saying any of this anyway, I suppose. We are here to celebrate Elsa’s coronation, after all. Maybe she’ll prove me wrong and be all warm and bubbly…” He paused. “But I doubt it. A reindeer doesn’t change its antlers, now does it?”

  “There is no
such thing as a miracle,” Freluke said, shaking his head.

  As the pair began to discuss whether miracles did exist, Hans tuned them out. It wasn’t news to him that Elsa was, well, a bit of a lone wolf. But he hadn’t realized just how isolated she was until now. The woman was clearly happier by herself. She didn’t like to leave the castle. She was wary of strangers and had already turned down who knew how many suitors. This was going to be tricky. Fortunately, Hans was used to improvising.

  Just as his thoughts began to run through a series of alternate plans, he realized a hush had fallen over the crowd. Surprised at the sudden silence, Hans looked up. His breath hitched in his throat. The future queen of Arendelle had taken her spot on the raised platform at the front of the chapel. She stood, staring blankly out at the crowd, her eyes focused on some point only she could see. Anna stood next to her, her gaze jumping from one person to the other as though she couldn’t soak up the faces fast enough.

  Anna was all energy and light. Her excitement was palpable from his spot in the pews. Her hands fluttered from her neck to her skirt, then up to her hair and back to her skirt while her toes, which just peeked out beneath her dress, tapped wildly. Hans couldn’t help smiling as he watched Anna. She reminded him of the colorful fish that swam in the shallows of the water in the Southern Isles. They were always in motion, always shimmering, and with each movement, they seemed to transform. Anna was just like those fish. Alive and vibrant.

  Elsa, on the other hand, was anything but.

  Turning his attention to the future queen, Hans was struck anew by the contrast between the sisters. Whereas Anna was all barely restrained, excited energy, Elsa hardly moved. She stood there, no expression on her face, her body as still as a statue. Her fingers, which were twitching slightly, were the only things that gave away any hint of emotion.

  Hans returned his gaze to Anna. What if he didn’t have to marry Elsa to get the crown? Clearly, she wanted nothing to do with the crown or her subjects. She was practically throwing the scepter and orb away as everyone looked on. If Hans had learned anything from his manipulative brothers, it was that there was always more than one way to get what you wanted. If Elsa really didn’t want the crown, perhaps she would be willing to give it to her younger sister—if said sister was to wed a prince from a good, strong kingdom. Hans’s heart beat faster as the idea began to take shape. It was all so obvious now. He would marry Anna and overthrow Elsa. With Anna under his thumb, it would be only a matter of time before he would take control of the kingdom. And then? Then he would rule Arendelle, and he would never have to see his father or his brothers ever again.

  He smiled. At that very moment, Anna’s wandering gaze landed on him. Raising his hand, he gave her a small wave. Immediately, she ducked her head and her cheeks flushed. Oh, yes, he thought, watching her reaction. This is a much, much better plan….

  HE WAVED AT ME. Hans waved. At me.

  Anna still couldn’t believe it. One minute she had been standing next to her sister, listening as the coronation ceremony unfolded and taking in all the new faces, and the next minute her heart had been racing and her face felt on fire.

  Anna stood up straighter, determined to look confident in front of the room full of strangers. And in front of Hans. Of course she had spotted him the moment he walked into the chapel. She had watched as he took a seat, and had been impressed when he seemed to strike up an easy conversation with two men sitting next to him.

  Anna had tried not to look at Hans too much. She’d made sure to keep her gaze bouncing around the room, and when the bishop began the ceremony in earnest, she had honestly been too preoccupied watching her sister to give Hans another thought.

  Until he had waved at her.

  Then her mind had gone blank and her heart had begun to pound, and she wasn’t sure if it was the candlelight or Hans’s look, but it felt as though she were melting. It had taken all her willpower to rein in her emotions and focus. Elsa, she reminded herself. This is about Elsa. Her coronation. Her moment.

  Anna dragged her eyes away and focused back on her sister—who, she realized with a start, seemed terrified. Elsa’s face was pale and she seemed to be shaking. Thoughts of Hans fled Anna’s mind and she took a step closer, willing her sister to be calm as the bishop began the part of the ceremony that would make Elsa queen.

  If Anna knew her sister—and granted, there was very little she did know about her these days—Elsa had probably gone over every part of the ceremony repeatedly to make sure she was ready for her big day. At this moment, Elsa was supposed to remove her gloves and then take the scepter and the orb. That would be the bishop’s cue to move on to the final part of the coronation. But Elsa didn’t remove her gloves. That’s odd, Anna thought, watching her sister reach out toward the pillow. The bishop seemed to agree and in a stage whisper said, “Your Majesty, the gloves.”

  Elsa hesitated. Anna could see that Elsa’s face had grown even paler and she was trying desperately to keep her breathing steady. Anna took a step forward, nervous that something bad was going to happen. But then her sister took off her gloves and placed them on the pillow. In return, she picked up the orb and scepter.

  Anna let out a breath. That had been oddly tense. Maybe Elsa is even more nervous than I thought.

  And then, just like that, Elsa became queen of Arendelle.

  Just like that, her whole world changed.

  And my life will probably stay exactly the same, Anna thought, unless I decide to change it….

  Compared to the somber chapel with its whispered voices and dark corners, the ballroom was awash with light and laughter. Guests had already begun to dance and eat, and the whole room echoed with joyous music. It was a celebration on the grandest scale.

  Anna, however, wasn’t enjoying the festivities quite yet. Instead, she stood outside, watching the party unfold as she had done so many times as a child. Only, back then Elsa had stood beside her, giggling as they made up stories about each of the dancers. Now Elsa stood quietly—seriously—waiting to be announced.

  “I have to do what now?” Anna had asked when Kai had informed the queen and the princess that they must wait to enter the room.

  “You must wait until your name is announced and then make your way into the center of the awning we have set up in the ballroom. Then you will stand near your sister and you will wave and you will wait.”

  “Wait?” Anna had repeated. “For what?”

  Kai had smiled then, making Anna oddly nervous. “To be asked to dance, of course.”

  Of course, he says, Anna thought, peering around her sister. A small platform had been set up in the ballroom, and Kai stood on it. Looking at the leader of the band, he nodded and the music stopped. Instantly, everyone’s attention turned toward Kai. With another nod, trumpets blared, and then, in the deepest and most important voice the man could muster, he announced the arrival of “Queen Elsa of Arendelle!”

  As the room erupted into applause, Elsa stepped forward. Anna felt a swell of pride as the people cheered for her sister. Despite their differences, Anna knew that Elsa would be a great queen.

  Elsa’s hands were no longer shaking, and the color had returned to her cheeks. Her new crown rested on her head, glinting in the golden candlelight, and as she waved to the gathered crowd, the intricate stitching on her gown twinkled. She’s so calm, Anna thought, surprised. So content. I guess maybe she just needed to get out of that chapel to feel better. I don’t blame her. The place was a bit dreary, and that lighting was just—

  “Princess Anna of Arendelle!”

  Anna snapped to attention. Eeks! What do I do? What do I do? Right. I have to walk. But do I walk sort of fast or sort of slow? Do I look straight ahead or do I look out at the crowd? Why didn’t I ask Elsa when she was standing right here! Well, here goes nothing.

  Popping through the door, she raced into the room. But she had completely overthought her entrance, and instead of slowly, gracefully entering the room, she practically ran onto the pla
tform. Smiling sheepishly, she stopped a few feet from Elsa. Then she began to wave—awkwardly—until Kai jerked his head to the side.

  Does he want me to stand right next to Elsa? Anna wondered.

  Apparently, he did.

  “Are you sure?” she whispered. Kai was clearly sure. He ushered her over so that they stood shoulder to shoulder, and then he left the two sisters alone.

  This was the first time in a very long while that Elsa and Anna had been next to each other for any length of time. Standing beside each other in front of a roomful of people and watching them while they laughed and danced was just weird. And awkward. Very, very awkward.

  Anna didn’t know what to do. Should I say something? Congratulations, maybe? Or just “Hey, what’s up?” Or do I go with safe weather conversation? Why is this so hard? Elsa is my sister. I shouldn’t have to think about what to say. I should just open my mouth and say…

  “Hi…”

  Elsa beat her to it. Eyes wide, Anna looked at her sister. “Hi, me…?” she said, looking down at her feet and then nervously back at her sister. “Oh. Um. Hi!”

  “You look beautiful,” Elsa said, her voice soft and her tone kind.

  “Thank you,” Anna said bashfully. “You look beautifuller. I mean, not fuller. You don’t look fuller, but more beautiful….” Anna snapped her mouth shut. She couldn’t believe that Elsa had been the one to reach out to her. Maybe things really would be different now. Maybe this was the beginning of something new. If it was, Anna really didn’t want to ruin this moment by babbling nonsense.

  For a minute, the two sisters just stood there, looking out as couples danced across the floor. There were dresses of every color and shape, and jewels sparkled and twinkled in every color of the rainbow. It was like something in a painting. Only it was happening right here. Anna was entranced.

  And, apparently, so was Elsa. “So, this is what a party looks like?” she said.