Part 2
The ballroom was easy to find after that. While she had missed the opening of the party there were still guests that lead the way. Even if there were already a fair number of guests already there. The sounds of music and voices was much more exciting then she could have imagined. Even better then that one birthday party Elsa had managed to sneak her to.
It was going to be grand, actually getting to go as a guest herself for once.
She entered the ballroom from a side door, unannounced but falling almost naturally into the swing of things. After years of watching the world she figured out how to behave rather quickly. Even better she got to try chocolate, well taste it. Bless the kind gentleman who had gotten her the plate of food.
And dancing! How she loved it. She couldn’t do it nearly as well, but she found a partner that forgave her for stepping on his toes.
Then Anna saw Elsa and the world seemed to stop for just one infinite moment. Her friend had grown up and she was even more beautiful then she remembered. There was only one thing missing; a smile.
Anna worked her way through the crowd, managing to find her way to the dais. Before she could open her mouth to speak she was silenced with a look.
“You are?”
“I-it’s me, Anna.” The word came out as a squeak, and an eyebrow was raised. Suddenly Anna didn’t want to be real anymore. The look she got as a person was different from the love she had had as a doll. Her heart hurt a little as she felt the sheer amount of disdain from this woman.
“I know of no Anna.”
“You promised.”
“Did I? And what did I promise? Gold, riches?”
“No. That you would never forget me.” Anna wanted to pull away, but she couldn’t move. What with the people staring and Elsa looking at her like that. After thirteen years and she had been forgotten. Elsa really had put her away for good hadn’t she?
“Kai, I would like to retire. Please close the gates at ten, escort everyone out at 9:30. Oh, and have ‘Anna’ escorted out early.” Fear mingled with the anger that started to roil in her stomach. She didn’t want to go back into the box. It was dark and lonely.
Anna tensed up as she saw Kai come her way. She remembered him now, he was always the one that brought her to Gerda when it came time for stitching and washing; but this time he wasn’t going to bring her back.
“We always hide the cookies in the vase in the library so if you’re looking for those that’s where they are. Elsa was the one that broke the bust of Sir Galahad and if Gerda is still looking for those curtains we took them to use for a cape. Oh and the helmet in the parlor that has a dent? We did that with her bike. The stampede of chickens was our fault too. Elsa thought she could get out of eating her vegetables if we fed them all to the chickens first.”
“What are you talking about?”
“If I’m getting in trouble you are too. I don’t want to go back into the box in the attic. It’s dark. And very dusty.” The last was added almost as an afterthought. Kai had hesitated at her rambling words, looking from the upstart to his queen. She was frozen, her eyes growing wider and wider as her mouth slowly fell open.
Anna could see when realization dawned, the way her brow shifted from suspicious to shocked. “Anna? The doll?”
“Oh yes, pleased to see you again. But if I’m going back to the box, could you tell Papa and Mama that I said hello? Seeing as I can do it now and all. Do apologize to Gerda, she didn’t know I was supposed to be in the box and told me about the ball, so I apologize for that too.”
“Anna, Papa is dead.” Anna froze, her words dying as she felt her heart clench. “And so is Mama.”
Those words shocked her into turning from Kai, who had long ago resumed his outward appearance of nonchalance despite the oddity of the conversation he was privy to. Anna’s hand reached out, catching Elsa’s with no concern for station or the fact she was in trouble.
“No, no.” Anna felt her heart break as tears started to form in the eyes of her beloved person, “And… your sibling?”
Surely her sibling was there for her, ready to help Elsa. But the look she got, the way that tears started to settle in her eyes told her what she needed to know. Anna gently pulled Elsa out of the ballroom, Kai leading the way. Somehow the two of them managed to be led to a sitting room and left to their own devices.
“You never liked crying in front of people, and I know I… might, maybe, count as people now; but could I stay and hug you like I used to do?”
“Please.”
For all that they were grieving, it was nice to be hugged again and to hug. And deep in her living beating heart she promised she would never leave again. Even if this was all but one night of magic, she wouldn’t ever leave Elsa alone again.