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Anna looked out over the fjord from her bedroom window. Elsa was going to be coming with the Northuldra delegation to sign the official documents declaring their territory an autonomous zone under Arendelle’s protection, such as it was. Arendelle itself was unofficially under the protection of the Southern Isles, but that was an informal agreement that was reached over three years before when she had married Prince Hans.
“I don’t like that this will be your first official act as queen,” Hans said, walking into their room unannounced. She had learned not to be startled.
“We made a promise when we were up there,” Anna said. “We can’t go back on that. And Elsa is with them.”
“Elsa abdicated and you’re in charge now, you don’t have to do what she says.”
Anna turned around and stared at him. “Just because I can, doesn’t mean I should. She and I discussed a lot of these things before, you know. I wasn’t always in the nursery.”
“Oh, I know. You also liked to spend time in the kitchen,” he said with almost a knowing smirk.
“I’ve known the castle staff my entire life, I don’t see why I shouldn’t talk to them.”
“You haven’t known all of them that long.”
Anna turned away and looked out the window again. She wouldn’t respond. There was no point in responding. Hans didn’t need to know what happened the night after the dam broke, and it would never happen again. But did he suspect anything?
“Well?” he asked, stepping next to her at the window, taking one of her braids in his hand as if he were inspecting her hair.
“I think I see them coming!” she exclaimed. “Along the west side of the fjord there.”
“Well, we should get ready to greet them, shouldn’t we?” he said, letting go and walking towards his dressing room. “You’re not even dressed.”
“I’ll ring for Gerda.”