Frost and all it’s chapters are a fanfic (It’s not hard to guess of what.) This is the prologue to the story. I am not a writer, in-fact I definitely consider myself to be more of a reader than a writer. This part of the story has no sex, SO YOU CAN SKIP IT. But if you are someone, like me, who can’t get emotional without at least a bit of backstory and character development, then recommend reading this part. Each chapter of the story will be told from different character points of view.
I will do my best to properly tag the story by chapter. But before you get invested, I want to warn you that this is a DARK story with dark themes. I will probably take a break from telling it every so often because it’s stressful for me to continuously write something that’s this dark. You’ve been warned.
ANNA
It was a bigger castle than her home castle in Genovia Anna realized. She had been traveling with her royal guard for three days to get to Arendelle and It was also darker and colder. She’d been here once before two years past for Queen Iduna’s Winter Solstice ball. Then, it had been full of candles, and fresh smelling pine wreaths, red ribbons, and gold paper; a fairy land set in the glittering white snow. But even now in late April there was still snow on the ground and it was bitterly cold. The small girl felt a lump in her throat,
“You get used to the chill.” King Agnarr said gently, placing a warm hand on her shoulder and crouching down to her height. “And it does get warmer.” His words were meant to be kind and reassuring, but Anna only felt the tears picking the back of her eyes. She didn’t want to get used to it. She wanted to go home.
“If my mom comes for me. Can I go home?” Anna asked, looking up at the royal guard that had escorted her from Genovia to Arendelle. The King looked taken aback and stared up at the Queen who wore the same baffled expression.
“Your majesty, she does know that they… have passed.” The guard began carefully. “She asks many theoretical questions like this.” He assured them.
The King nodded slowly taking that in and then replied “My son likes to question things too. You will like him I think. He is only three years older than you little one.”
Anna looked around for any signs that other kids lived here, but didn’t fail to notice he hadn’t answered her question. “Does he like to play?”
The King smiled and it made his gold bearded face look beautiful and merry. “He does. Especially when he should be doing lessons.”
Anna felt herself smile despite her previous vow that she wouldn’t. “I like lessons. I started them this year.” She said, “I can help him study if you like.” She offered, thinking she might as well if she was going to be living there for a while. “But just until I go home.” She added quickly.
That night as she was shown to the dining hall and sat beside a boy with frosted blond hair and sharp cerulean eyes. His brows were dark and heavy like the kings and his lips were arched in a natural frown giving nothing away, like the queens. He looked like a snow prince Anna thought. He was older than her by at least two years, but still young enough to still play games she was happy to observe. The king and queen sat across from them instead of the head of the table, and Anna hoped this is how they sat on a regular basis when no one was around.
“I’m going to be helping you with your lessons.” Anna said matter of factly as a way to introduce herself to the boy. She folded her napkin in her lap and sat up straight to try and match his height.
Jeston looked up to his parents giving them a strange quizzical look, but the king looked down into his plate not meeting his son’s eyes and stifling a grin. “I see.” He said as plates of soup were placed in front of him.
“I am really good with math. We can start there.” She said helpfully. The soup was a creamy orange color and smelled of tomatoes and something fresh, she looked at it hesitantly then at the queen who watched her with a smile. She scooped a tiny portion onto the tip of her spoon and tasted it. She’d never had soup like this at home, it was warm, thick and creamy. The flavors were roasted tomato and something fresh and green.
She looked up to see that Jeston also had been watching her. “Do you like letters?” She asked him. He nodded. “Then you can help me with letter work. My mom was teaching me letter work before she died.” She said, suddenly not hungry anymore.
In fact the following weeks, they were put in Lessons together. Everything Jeston did Anna accompanied him. At first he found it frustrating, prefering to do things at his own pace. But after the first few weeks he realized he looked forward to her wit and honest company. She was unpredictable. After the first three months she was so much a part of his everyday life he found himself easily including her in everything. She loved to listen to the stories he read to her in the gallery, and he tolerated her as she explained first year math to him in lessons.
It’s fair to say he came to love her as children love those they care about. When he heard her little feet padding into his room one night long after bedtime he sat up to see what was the matter. She was crying so much her breath was hitching and she stood in the doorway to wait for an invitation to enter.
“Anna, What happened?” He asked immediately, pushing the covers off and going to her. He wrapped her in a hug and looked behind her out into the dark hall.
“I want to…to go home now.” She said through her breaths then burst into fresh tears. Jeston felt his heart sink and a lump form in his throat. She’d talked constantly of going home to Genovia over the past few months, but it wasn’t until now that she’d actually asked to go home. He didn’t want her to go.
“Want to see a Magic trick?” He asked, throwing a blanket around her shivering shoulders. She looked skeptical but nodded her head. He knew he shouldn’t. Once he did this it could never be undone, and it was a big secret for such a little girl to keep. But maybe she wouldn’t ask to leave again.
Connecting both index fingers in front of her he felt the icy cold thrill rush to his fingertips and heard the faint crackling sound of ice forming a perfect crystal sphere. He smiled as her eyes widened in astonishment.
“How did you do that?!” She exclaimed a little too loud for Jeston’s comfort.
“I was born with magic.” He shrugged.
She didn’t believe him, and she gave him a long skeptical glare.“Then make your bed disappear.” She said, crossing her arms.
“I only have ice magic.” He explained. “I can freeze things and make it snow anywhere.” He said holding his palm up to create an opaque floral frost form over the crystal orb. He rolled it into her cupped hands. She looked into it in awe then the biggest grin spread over her face.
“Make it snow!”
And so the next few months passed. Anna never told anyone about his magic but she would often give him knowing looks that made him uncomfortable and made ice jokes whenever she thought of one. At night she would go to his room and he would make her ice crowns, and small handfuls of snow. She never asked to go home again.
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KING ANGAR
Of course I knew about Anna and my son’s innocent late night adventures. My intentions this morning were to finally put an end to it. Anna was young enough she could be told it was a fantasy made of dreams and wild imagination and eventually come to believe that to be the truth. As I enter the Library I find Anna deep in her studies. Her tutor quickly stands up in shock and bows in anxious surprise. Anna looks up at me with those green eyes and the same suspicious look she had given me the first night she had arrived in Arendelle. She slowly slides from her chair and politely bows.
“Your highness. I was not expecting you.” Her tutor manages to stutter, caught off guard. He casts a nervous glance around at the mess of books and papers around his desk.
“I should hope not.” I reply making a direct point of not looking at the mess around the room. “Leave us a moment.”
He gives another obedient bow and quickly leaves the room. Once we are alone Anna hops back up in her chair and pushes her curly auburn hair from her freckled face.
“I expect you came to see how I am getting on?” She guesses busying herself with folding her papers. I don’t fail to notice that she won’t meet my gaze. She speaks with the innocence of a young child but the words of a well trained courtier. Her mothers child.
“Yes.” I answer sitting in the chair across from her to try and catch her eye. “You look tired, did you sleep well?”
She looks up then with a careful look in her eye. She seems to be studying my mood so I am careful not to betray anything. She finally decides on an answer and goes back to casually folding her papers. “It is much colder than I am used to.”
Not a lie I am amused to find. The clever girl’s virtue is still intact. “Well, I can have the servants visit your room to make sure your fireplace is well lit during the night.” She pauses her paper folding for just the slightest fraction of a moment.
“I would hate to disrupt the servants from their normal nightly routines. I’m sure an extra blanket and night shift would be fine.” She says, flashing me the brightest summer smile. It isn’t until this moment that I realize I haven’t ever seen her smile. Even if it isn’t an entirely genuine one it’s beautiful on her little round face.
“Very well.” I say as she folds her last note. I decided on a different approach. “Anna, I wanted to thank you for your obedience and kindness these past few months. In this family we value loyalty and kindness like you have shown.” If she is anything like her mother she will respond better to positive reinforcement than threatening confrontation.
“It’s the least I can do with how kindly you have accepted me into your home.” She’s definitely her mothers child, knowing well how to use her words.
“I hope you can come to think of this castle as your home too. I assure you it is far warmer than your Aunt’s home in North Bresbi.” I give her a warm smile insinuating that my words were a casual jibe. But the job has been done. She now knows that there is another option and we could always send her away.
“I’m sure.” She says returning my smile but I see the uncertainty in her eyes.
“I’ll leave you to your lessons.” I pat her hair before leaving, remembering how her mother’s used to look just like that with the summer light filtering through it. All flames and wildfire. She is a happy healthy child. Iduna and I had tried for many years to have a child like her. The first two miscarried, the third was born too weak to survive the first night. After that the doctor confirmed the Queen was barren.
Making a deal with the elementals was the only way. Only their kind of magic could give Iduna the healthy child she needed and the strong heir I needed. I never ask Iduna what happened the night they came. They appeared suddenly in the night as if materializing out of thin air. It would be hard to mistake an elemental for a regular human. Their beauty is ethereal and the energy surrounding them feels dangerous. They rarely make a point to show themselves to human society preferring to stay in the mist protected lands of North Huldra, It’s rumored they eat humans and sacrifice children to their gods. But they are willing to make deals on rare occasions.
Iduna and I did not expect our request to be answered.
I left my wife alone with six of them. Whatever happened in that room, it took all night. And when I was allowed to return the next morning I found my wife alone weeping on the floor of our chamber. Still I didn’t dare ask what had happened. It was part of the deal, and she had agreed to it too. I helped her to wash, never mentioning the blood dripping between her thighs. The deal was done. Nine months later we had a son. But there are two sides to every deal and the elementals never do anything for free.
A child in exchange for a child. For a healthy son I had to give them a child of my own. Iduna could never have another child without Magic and even if it were possible she would never give it up.
Lady Jane Halifax was the noble wife of Sir John Halifax. Being in a loveless marriage with a man twice her age meant that It didn’t take much to woo her. Being a King made it easier to earn my place between her legs. Of Course I felt bad for taking advantage of the girl. It only took a month in Genovia with her nightly in my chambers to make a child. Little did I know she would try to use that child against me and I would have to end her life.
These memories have been circling in my mind more often lately since the arrival of Anna. She looks just like her mother with a summer complexion and long curling locks. The very opposite of Iduna’s regal features and stark straight midnight hair. It’s my green eyes that I see looking back at me from her little face though.