Chapter Text
It had been a loooong day.
Kristoff had taken Anna on what she enthusiastically labeled a “date.” He hadn’t exactly planned it that way — things just… happened. One moment they were gliding along the forest paths, the next a runaway cart nearly launched them both into the river. Somewhere along the line, Kristoff had gotten into a minor argument with a very aggressive goose, and Anna had laughed so hard she nearly fell off the sled. By the time they had finally collapsed onto a pile of blankets, tangled together, Kristoff’s ribs ached from laughing almost as much as hers.
Now the sled slowed to a stop in front of the towering palace gates of Arendelle. Kristoff let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The castle loomed high, its stonework gleaming in the lantern light, tall and precise like someone had measured every inch with a ruler and then polished it until it gleamed. It was intimidating in the way a fancy dinner party or a room full of very serious-looking people might be. Kristoff had spent his life with trolls, floor beds, and blankets that were more bark than fabric. The castle was… well, it was a lot.
Anna hopped down first, her boots clomping happily against the cobblestones. “Thank you for that suuuper crazy day, Kristoff! You sure do know how to plan a date!” Her grin was infectious, her eyes sparkling with that sort of wild enthusiasm that made Kristoff’s chest tighten.
Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly very interested in a patch of ground near his boots. “Oh… haha. That- that was nothing.”
It absolutely had not been nothing. Not even close. He hadn’t meant for half of it to happen — the runaway cart, the goose, the pile of blankets… But the way she looked right now, cheeks flushed and eyes bright, made all of it worth every awkward stumble.
For a long moment, they just stood there. The palace lights glowed behind her, casting golden halos that seemed almost too perfect to be real.
Their eyes met.
And stayed there.
Kristoff could feel his heartbeat thudding embarrassingly loud in his ears. He wasn’t used to this. Not really. Not with anyone. Sure, trolls had warmth, laughter, hugs that were mostly smothering and slightly painful, but Anna… Anna was different. She made him feel like someone had cranked the volume up on everything — colors, sounds, smells, even his own thoughts.
Then—
Anna’s eyes lit up like she’d just discovered treasure. “Hey! You should spend a few days here in the palace!”
Kristoff blinked. “Wha—? Ah- no thanks. I'm good—”
“C’monnn!” she interrupted, grabbing his arm and giving it a little shake. “It’ll be nice! I can give you a tour. You haven’t seen half the rooms yet. There’s a hallway that’s basically just paintings of very serious-looking relatives. It’s hilarious!”
Her voice had that sing-song lilt that always got under his defenses. Kristoff tried to resist. He really did. He had survived angry geese, and yet here he was, smiling like a fool.
“I… I don’t know…” he said, scratching his head. Inside, his mind was a riot. Marble floors. Glittering chandeliers. Doors that opened with polite creaks. Fancy people who probably used words like hors d’oeuvres or something.
Sven nudged him gently, sensing the tension.
Kristoff cleared his throat and tried to sound casual. “But… where will I sleep?” he asked suddenly — in his Sven voice.
Anna immediately leaned down to Sven. “Oh! You can sleep in the stable, Sven! With the horses! Maybe you could even make some new friends!”
Sven snorted loudly and shook his head, tail flicking.
Kristoff stood up straighter. “Wait, wait- he won’t sleep with me??” He gestured dramatically at Sven. “But he always sleeps with me!”
Sven gave him a look that could only be read as: You are ridiculous.
Anna laughed, a sound so bright it made Kristoff feel a little dizzy. The palace doors loomed behind her, tall, polished, and intimidating in a way that made him think about every floor he had ever slept on with the trolls. Floors that were warm with laughter, blankets that smelled faintly of moss, and a life that had been simple and safe.
He thought about all of that. About the trolls. About sleeping wherever was convenient, about not needing more than what he could carry in a pack or fit in a pocket. About how much he had never worried about the “fancy stuff” because he didn’t know it existed.
And then he looked at Anna.
Bright. Hopeful. Warm. A tiny flare of courage sparked in his chest.
“...Okay,” he said softly.
Anna squealed and grabbed his hand before he could rethink it. “Great! You’re going to love it!”
Kristoff glanced at Sven, who was trying very hard to look unimpressed but failing miserably. He muttered under his breath, still in Sven’s voice, “This is how it starts. First it’s one night. Then it’s fancy pillows. Then it’s… three forks at dinner — and who even uses three forks??”
Sven snorted.
He took a deep breath, feeling the cool air press against him, sharp and clean. The palace felt enormous, intimidating, and just a little terrifying. And yet… he was stepping toward it with Anna.
He swallowed. Took another step. Felt Anna squeeze his hand.
Warmth from her, from the lanterns, from the thought that someone believed he belonged somewhere bigger than he ever imagined.
Kristoff looked down at Sven, who was giving him a side eye that clearly said: You’re hopeless.
“Yeah,” Kristoff sighed, “Probably.”
The palace gates loomed even larger now, shadows stretching long. Kristoff tightened his grip on the sled’s rope handle. He wasn’t going inside yet. That was for tomorrow, for later. Today, he had the gates. He had Anna. And he had the quiet realization that maybe, just maybe, life could be grand and simple all at once.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself for whatever this “palace life” had in store, unaware that he was already standing at the edge of a world that felt nothing like home… but perhaps could become one.