Since Frozen is my favorite Disney movie, I decided to write a fanfic about it! This fanfic takes place during the first Christmas season after the Great Thaw and was inspired by the following fanfics: Songs of Ice and Snow by thefireplanet, Christmas in Arendelle by TwistedTelepath, Frozen: The Snow Queen by Halm Vendrella, and Coping by ATHPluver. Be sure to check those fanfics out!
This Frozen fanfic is canon divergence; it will assume Frozen II never happened.
I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!
Feedback is always appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney.
Chapter 1
The townspeople of Arendelle were abuzz on an overcast, snowy early December day. Everyone was talking in the icy streets, caroling, ringing bells, decorating the town, and buying presents in the stores and shops.
Ever since the "frozen summer" that took place almost five months prior, the townspeople had come to realize just how beautiful winter could be, as it reminded them of their fair, wise, and just ruler, Queen Elsa. Compared to previous winters, this winter had been significantly less extreme; there was only the occasional snowstorm, blizzard, or cold snap.
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Meanwhile, inside the castle, Elsa was sleeping peacefully, breathing slowly and silently. Before her coronation, she hardly slept well due to being afraid of her powers and hurting others with them. She would have recurring nightmares about freezing her sister on accident when they were little girls, or the death of her parents King Agnarr and Queen Iduna three years before her coronation. Those were two of the saddest memories Elsa had in her life, and no matter how hard she tried to forget them, they would always continue to come back and haunt her. The Snow Queen spent a huge chunk of her time in her room, and as a result, Elsa felt like her own bedroom was a dungeon.
After she freed the kingdom from the "frozen summer" however, everything was different. Elsa, like almost everyone else, found her chambers to be a place to relax and find consolation. The occurrence of nightmares had greatly diminished, and she learned how to forget about those horrible moments and move forward. With the Snow Queen in full control of her powers and her bond with her sister having been restored, she no longer needed to worry about hurting Anna or anyone else with her cryokinesis. Following thirteen rough years in isolation, she was now sleeping much more tranquilly, and had an entirely different outlook on life.
Her room was rather modest for a queen. Other than the large window next to her bed, there was a bathroom across from the entrance to her room, a wardrobe with a huge mirror next to it, and a few designs and sculptures she had used her powers to create dangling around her bedroom. There was a nightstand on the other side of her bed with a clock and a candelabra. In the center of her room, hanging from the ceiling, was a large chandelier with at least twelve candles. On the walls were a few paintings and tapestries, and a candle on each side of the door leading to the outside of her room. Despite the humble appearance of her room, Elsa did not mind at all.
Elsa slowly opened her icy blue eyes, rising from her bed and walking over to the large window by her bed. She marveled at the sight before her.
Snow blanketed the ground, trees, and mountains in the distance. Dark gray clouds completely enveloped the sky, and flurries fell delicately past the frosty window. What she noticed the most, however, was the fjord. It was not iced over. Elsa could not remember a single winter before being shut out the fjord did not freeze over. Usually, the fjord would not freeze over completely. Yes, winters in Arendelle were cold and had frequent heavy snowfall, but they rarely got cold enough for the fjord to freeze up under normal circumstances. It was a rather serene scene compared to the eternal winter she inadvertently caused in July. Smiling fondly, the Ice Queen realized it had nothing to do with her magic. Winter was nearing, as was Christmas. Elsa was looking forward to spending the holidays with Anna for the first time in over a decade.
As she continued to observe the outside scene, Anna barged into her room without warning, not even bothering to knock.
"Good morning, Elsa! Can you believe it's almost Christmas already? Breakfast is almost ready!" Her younger sister's voice was vigorous as always.
"Anna, don't you know how to knock?" Elsa asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry. I'm so excited! I just can't wait to know when the guests are going to begin coming and whether we will start decorating the castle today or sometime in the next few days! Christmas will be here before we know it! Oh, and will there be a lot of chocolate at the ball?" Anna ranted.
The Snow Queen could not help but smile with amusement at her sister's rambling. She brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
"We will begin to decorate the castle after our guests arrive. I was also planning on holding a holiday festival for the townspeople two days before Christmas. It would not make much sense to not decorate the castle when we will also have a festival in the town the day before Christmas Eve. I am sure the town will be tastefully decorated. As for the guests, the first guests should be arriving shortly before noon. They are from England and the Belgian kingdom of Ostenda. I am really hoping none of them have atrocious plans for us," Elsa stated, her smile faltering.
Anna remembered what happened nearly five months ago and frowned at the memory.
"I agree. The last thing we need is to go through that again. I guess we'll find out in a few hours, now, won't we?" the princess fumed.
Elsa nodded. "Yes, I suppose we will. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get ready for their arrival. You should too."
Anna groaned, but nodded, nonetheless. "Okay. I'd like to have breakfast as soon as possible. We could really use the energy today."
"You are right about that, Anna. Today is a big day. I will meet you in the dining room after I get dressed. After you are dressed, you can go get Kristoff if you like," Elsa suggested.
Anna felt butterflies forming in her stomach as she beamed and nodded. "Yes, I'd like that a lot."
After bidding her older sister farewell, Anna immediately went back to her bedroom to get dressed. Once she was finished, the princess went to where she presumed Kristoff and Sven would be: the palace stables. He visited his reindeer pal every morning, and they would share their favorite food, carrots for breakfast. Despite having stayed with her and her sister for a little more than four months now, and the upgrades that came with it, Kristoff had not changed even the slightest bit. Anna deeply appreciated the ice harvester for remaining humble.
Sure enough, Kristoff and Sven were both in the stables, consuming carrots. Anna took a deep breath to calm herself down. Once the princess was sure she could speak to him without having a heart attack, she walked up to the two with a smile.
"Morning, Kristoff," she greeted. "Anything going on down here?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just having some carrots with Sven. Has anything happened in the castle as of late?" Kristoff asked.
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"Nothing that you need to be alarmed about," Anna replied, giggling.
Kristoff smirked. "Good. What brings you down here Anna?"
She blushed a little bit. "I wanted to see you, and also ask if you would like to meet the guests from England and Ostenda a little bit before noon."
The ice harvester placed two fingers on his chin in consideration.
"Is that a yes or a no?" the princess wondered.
"Yeah, sure thing, Anna. The more guests, the merrier. Am I right?" he replied.
She nodded. "Okay great! I will let Elsa know then. See you in a little while." The princess walked over to Kristoff and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Kristoff was shocked and in a loving daze as Anna smiled at him and made her way back up the stairs.
After she left, Kristoff blushed.
Sven gave a happy snort.
"Are you happy to have Anna in your life?" Kristoff spoke for him.
"Of course, I am, Sven. Without her, we wouldn't have all the carrots we can eat, nor would we have the amazing sled she gave me after her sister unfroze the kingdom. Life would not be the same without Anna," the ice harvester gushed.
"Then when are you going to ask her to marry you?" Kristoff spoke for his reindeer pal.
Kristoff scowled. "Look, Sven. I don't want to end up making the same mistake that scoundrel did to Anna over four months ago. Asking for someone's hand in marriage the day you meet them? That's messed up. I'd rather we take our time with our relationship. Sure, it's been four months since I met her, but I would only like to propose to Anna when she's ready. It might take years for her to be ready. Until then, I will take it slow. I can assure you, Sven, that when the time is right, I will ask her."
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Elsa, Anna, and a now well-dressed and groomed Kristoff came by the castle entrance shortly before noon. After the sisters had breakfast, the Ice Queen decided it would be best to put on her gloves. While Arendelle now adored Elsa's ice and snow powers, she preferred not putting her new guests at risk of being frozen. She wanted to make sure the guests had as warm a welcome as possible, just as her parents had done when she was a little girl. That was before the gates were closed, of course.
"Your Majesty, shall we open the doors?" one of Arendelle's guards asked.
She glimpsed at Anna and Kristoff, who nodded in response. "Yes, you may open the doors," Elsa said.
The guards nodded before helping other guards open the doors. Once the doors were open, four different guards with red outfits, black pants, black hats, and muskets marched in, surrounding two figures in between them. Once they were inside, the two guards in the front subsequently slid out of the way, revealing two men of roughly the same height.
The first man, who Elsa presumed was the prince, was strikingly handsome. Based on his face, the prince looked like he was younger than her or Anna. The man had a clean-shaven face, fair skin, icy blue eyes, and short, well-kept black hair. In addition to his charming looks, he was also exceptionally muscular, perhaps even more so than Kristoff. His outfit consisted of a dark blue royal jacket, gray pants, nigrine boots, and a golden belt. What made Elsa feel frivolous, however, was the fact she was wearing a crown and he did not have a crown on his head. She hastily felt her crown move, and it was in her handmaiden's possession. While it did startle her a little bit, she kept her cool and nodded thankfully.
The man next to the prince was also extremely handsome and muscular. However, he was an older gentleman. Maybe in his forties? Unlike the prince, this man was wearing an emerald royal jacket, violet pants, brown boots, and a silver belt. His hair was brown, with just a hint of grey on the edges, while his eyes were green.
"Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Edmund of England, accompanied by his personal instructor, Sir Stephen White," the Captain of the Guards of England announced in a thundering voice that ricocheted across the room. Both men bowed respectfully. In response, Anna curtseyed, while Kristoff bowed.
"Her Majesty, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle, accompanied by Sir Kristoff," Kai announced. Elsa heard her sister suppress a giggle. The Ice Queen let out a hushed sigh.
"It is an honor to be here in your kingdom, Your Majesty. I would like to formally thank you for inviting me and my master to spend Christmas with you," Edmund said as he extended his hand toward Elsa. She grinned and gave him her hand, shaking it gracefully.
"The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness," Elsa replied. She imagined how many times formal titles would be used over the next few days or so.
"If it makes everything easier for you, you may call me Edmund, or Ed for short," the English prince stated.
"As for me, please call me Stephen, or just Steph," Stephen replied.
"Then you may both call me Elsa," the Snow Queen said as she let go of Edmund's hand and shook Stephen's hand.
"Edmund and Stephen, I would like to introduce you to my sister Anna and our good friend Kristoff," Elsa said.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Anna and Sir Kristoff," Edmund and Stephen greeted them and shook their hands with exquisiteness.
Once everyone was done greeting each other, Anna was to hand room keys to their guests of the guestrooms they would be staying in.
"Edmund and Stephen, you will both be staying in our finest suite in the northeastern wing. You will find the northeastern wing to your right. We will have the castle staff take care of your luggage," the princess explained with a smile as she handed the room key to Edmund.
"Thank you, Princess Anna," the English prince said with a grin of his own.
"You're welcome. Please just call me Anna," the princess responded.
"Will do. Thank you very much," Edmund stated with a smile.
"I appreciate your warm welcome," Stephen added with a nod of approval as they made their way toward their room.
Elsa thought about the two men for a few moments. They both seemed like very nice gentlemen. However, the Ice Queen knew she had just met them. Thus, she had no idea whether they were genuinely good men or were instead truly evil on the inside. Both men may have been good-looking, but after what happened in July, Elsa knew there was so much more than just good looks with anyone. She also thought about Edmund calling Stephen his master. Although she assumed Stephen was being a good master to Edmund, Elsa couldn't help but wonder about something. Was he a good master, or was he some master with an evil sidekick?
The Snow Queen was snapped from her thoughts when she heard Kai clear his throat.
"Your Majesty, we have one more guest arriving today," Kai informed.
Elsa nodded. "Then we shall open the doors and let him in." She had forgotten about the Arendelle guards closing the doors after Edmund, Stephen, and the English guards were inside to prevent too much warm air from escaping.
"Yes, Your Majesty," a guard replied as the doors were opened once again.
The Belgian guards marching in were somewhat different than the guards surrounding Edmund and Stephen. Their outfits consisted of dark blue jackets, black pants with red streaks, and black hats with something red on them. A major difference Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff noticed were their weapons. Instead of muskets, their weapons consisted of sabers. Only one figure stood in between them, unlike the English guards. The guards in front moved out of the way to unveil a man taller than both Edmund and Stephen.
Like the English prince and his master, this man was exceptionally muscular and stunningly handsome. The man appeared to be roughly the same age as Elsa and Kristoff, give or take a year. He had a clean-shaven face, fair skin, sparkling golden eyes, and short, well-groomed dirty blonde hair. His clothing was a bright red royal jacket, black pants with the same red streak as the guards, gray boots, and a copper belt. Like Edmund and Stephen, he was without a crown. Elsa was thankful her crown was still in the grasp of her handmaiden.
Kristoff's eyes widened slightly as he took in the man's appearance. He was even taller than he was. Anna giggled silently at his reaction.
"Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Lucas of Ostenda," the Belgian kingdom's Captain of the Guards promulgated in a similarly voice as the other captain that boomeranged across the room. The Belgian prince bowed reverentially. Subsequently, Anna and Kristoff repeated what they did to the English prince and his master.
"Her Majesty, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle, accompanied by Sir Kristoff," Kai announced once more.
"I would like to personally thank you for inviting me to stay in your palace for the holidays this year, Your Majesty. I'm excited to see what Christmas has in store for us this year. I look forward to seeing what your kingdom has to offer," Lucas said rather quickly as he lifted his hand towards Elsa.
The Ice Queen was a little bit stunned at how fast the Belgian prince talked. Nonetheless, she knew it would be disrespectful to say anything about his fast-talking to him. Thus, she mustered the best smile she could and took his hand, shaking it exquisitely. His hands were bigger than either Edmund's or Stephen's hands.
"The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness," Elsa said.
"In order to not overburden you with formalities, I would not mind if you called me Lucas, or simply Luc for short," Lucas stated.
"In return, you may call me Elsa," the Ice Queen responded.
After the two let go, Elsa said, "Lucas, this is my sister Princess Anna, along with our good friend Kristoff."
The Belgian prince smiled as he held his hand out to Anna. "It is very nice to meet you, Princess Anna."
"It's nice to meet you too Lucas," the princess then handed Lucas his room key, slightly astonished at how tall he was. "Here is your key to the finest suite in the southeastern wing. The wing will be found to your left. Your luggage will be taken care of by the castle staff."
"I appreciate it, Princess Anna," Lucas thanked.
"You're welcome. You may call me Anna," the princess replied, beaming.
"That is certainly something I can do," Lucas winked as he made his way toward his room.
Once the Belgian prince was out of sight, Elsa thought of him. Lucas, like the other two men, seemed to be a nice guy. All of them were polite and appreciative of their invitations to Arendelle. Thus far, the Ice Queen had positive thoughts on all three gentlemen. She knew, however, that it was still a bit premature to assume they were good men. The last thing she wanted to do was jump to conclusions when she knew nothing about the three men. Elsa decided it would be best for her, Anna, and Kristoff to take their time and find out whether they were being sincere or ostensible.