Love is blind

Chapter 12

He was gone. At the sound of a huge horn, the snowstorm subsided and the guards opened the castle gates, allowing only me to enter. Kristoff stayed behind, silent; in painful silence. Without saying goodbye. Without a word of encouragement.

It took only a few hours for Elsa to return, but nothing changed. Not a hug, not a word, just the order to reinforce vigilance over me and, for a change, a slam of the door.

The coronation was the next day. It was an opportunity to connect with people. To such an event, even the poor blind had access. However, it mattered little to me. A few days before, I would have been exultant at the idea of the party, the music, the food, the noise... But none of that had an effect on me anymore. All I longed for was a little cabin, a reindeer, and the man who had brought me back to life.

I locked myself in my room, curled up on the bed, and I cried uncontrollably. I cried because I couldn't make my sister suffer like that; I cried for how Kristoff would feel about my lack; I cried because I needed him.

"Princess Anna? Princess Anna!"

'Oh no... It's still too early, almost no light enters through the window.'

"Yeah?"

"Sorry to wake you, Ma'am."
"No, no, no, no, you didn't. I've been up for hours."

...

...

"Who is it?!"

"Still me, Ma'am. The gates will open soon. Time to get ready."

"Of course. Ready for what?"

"Your sister's coronation, Ma'am?"

"My sister's corneration."

And then, I saw it. There, at the back of my bedroom, a beautiful gown was waiting for me perfectly placed on a neat sewing mannequin. I pinched my arm in disbelief of what was happening and untangled from my sheets, and as I did, hundreds of small ice tears began to tinkle as they collided with each other.

I took a handful of them and analyzed them in detail. They were just perfect, cold, shiny, polished... And I could see them!

Grand Pabbie's words suddenly piled up in my memory. Could it be? Had I cried the ice in my eyes? Had I seen true love? Yes. I had seen it. I had seen it with my hands, with my ears, with my lips, with my tongue... I had seen it with my soul. It was inside me.

I had to get out of there!

I didn't get dressed or comb my hair; I didn't even relieve my bladder. I opened that window from which I hadn't seen the world for thirteen years, let myself bathe in the sunlight, appreciated the views of the radiant blue sky, of the snow-capped mountains, of Arendelle covered by an already thin layer of snow, and of all the people decorating the city and heading to the castle, and went out through it. I wasn't willing to let myself be stopped by the guards who were waiting at my door keeping me imprisoned. I jumped from balcony to balcony until I reached the sidewall of the rampart, and, from there, regardless of the risks, I took a great leap ready to run up the mountain as long as it took until I found Kristoff.

"Is this going to become a tradition, feisty-pants?"

No need to run. There, under my buttocks, lay the man I loved. I didn't need to feel his face to know; his voice was the only thing in this world I knew I could never forget.

I launched on him and finally savored his lips. Kristoff didn't take a second to hesitate and he desperately reciprocated my kiss as he wrapped his arms around my body.

Unable to contain the emotion anymore, I undid the kiss and stared into his eyes.

There he was, in front of me. With a smile of disbelief and happiness painted on his face. His smile. Staring at me with those beautiful brown eyes as sweet as him. Without understanding anything, but without giving his grip up.

"Anna? Are you...?"

"Yes!!!!! I'm seeing you!!!!"

I was blissful. That was so much that I didn't know how to deal with it. And, couldn't be otherwise, my body decided that crying was the solution.

"Anna..."

Kristoff gently stroked my cheeks as he sat up the little my body allowed him and gently kissed my forehead.

"You always saw me."

And, for the first time, he was the one who kissed me. He sat me up putting me on his lap, wiped each of my tears with his (now I could see it) huge and perfect nose, and brushed my lips with his, intensifying the contact and passion until we were completely linked to each other.

"I told you they're never wrong," he said with that crooked smile I longed to witness.

I didn't say anything else. That kiss had said everything for us. I got up full of energy, took his hand, and ran toward Elsa. We went through the gates open at last, and I dragged him through all the corridors until I found my sister who, as soon as saw us appear, froze the chandelier and the box with which she seemed to be practicing self-control in order to hold the scepter and orb during the coronation.

"Anna!! You can't be here! And who is this?!"

"Elsa... I see you."

"What?"

Elsa's face turned even paler than usual.

"I've seen love, deep in my soul, and it has thawed the ice in my eyes."

"Love?"

Elsa looked at Kristoff gratefully and accusingly and he held her gaze. Obviously, I wasn't the only one willing to give it my all.

"Love..."

Elsa looked at the two blocks of ice in her hands and closed her eyes.

"Love."

In a flash, the ice turned into a pile of beautiful snowflakes that fluttered around us until they disappeared in an explosion of light.

Elsa opened her eyes and the three of us looked at each other in shock.

"Elsa... you got it!"

"I got it?" she said dropping all the stuff and looking at her hands in bewilderment. "I got it! Anna! We are free!!"

"We are?"

I saw Elsa nod happily and she launched into the hug that I had longed for since I was five years old and I gave myself to it.

"Anna, I..."

"It's okay. Each one has had its own; no need to be sorry. Just remember not to unfreeze everything until you locate Olaf! And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a world to see!!"

I didn't think twice. I left them there pending introductions and ran through the corridors; I threw myself over the railing of the stairs and left, my body surprisingly whole, through the gates greeting everyone effusively, hugging the members of the staff, the guests, and even the street lamps, and leaving a trail of puzzled but smiling people.

Now, three years later, I devour books as I never dreamed of, I've seen the dawn again, and the sea! I've seen the swifts fly before my eyes in that very special place; I have gotten my feet muddy in the stream; I've seen the cabin in which I found happiness; I've seen Elsa's incredible magic again, and I see her radiant; and I have managed to see and memorize every corner of hair and skin on Kristoff's amazing body. But what I like the most to see, without a doubt, is the soft blush on his cheeks when he's about to kiss me. I like to see him scratch the back of his neck and smile shyly. I like to see how his eyes follow my every move. I like to see how his lips curl up when he's teasing me. I like to see how he caresses my hand like the very first day.

Nevertheless, there are still nights when I close my eyes, lean on his chest, and ask him to sing or read to me and I let myself be intoxicated, like the first time, by the caress of his voice. I let my senses awaken again, snuggle up to feel his warmth, and thank life for which always are his last words of the day.

"I love you."