Omphalos (Hiccelsa)

Chapter 24

"Kristoff."

Anna's voice carried over the throne room, past the guards, past the people waiting to have a meeting with the king and queen, past the wet-nurse holding their five-month old wailing son. IN all the craziness of court, Anna's voice was so simple and forceful that Kristoff looked up to see her.

She was holding a stack of papers in her fingers, and holding them so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. He went from lazily signing things to apt attention, abandoning his station to come to the throne where she sat.

It had been nearly six months since Elsa had vanished without a trace. After two months, Anna and Kristoff had become Queen Anna and King Kristoff, although it didn't sit well with everyone. They were not trained to be leaders, some said, and many had problems with Kristoff's background. Some even suggested that her cousin, Rapunzel take over this land as well as her own, since she was fit for a royal than Anna was. Rapunzel was appalled at the idea of stealing Arendelle from underneath her cousin's nose and promptly refused.

With no other alternative, they became king and queen. Most would admit they hadn't totally failed yet. But the yearn for Elsa back was still palpable. Anna, also believing that there had been more than most thought to her sister's disappearance, had finally sought out help in the last place she'd promised to go to- the trolls.

Kristoff had been dubious. He loved his family, but even they, he claimed, didn't have the power to find a missing person, especially if that missing person did not want to be found. But Pabbie had seemed oddly confident about it, and this had just excited Anna. Kristoff had had a very stern talking with his grandfather, making Anna excited for something that wouldn't happen! It was cruel to get her hopes up. Still, Pabbie was adamant he would hear or find them. There was something behind his trustful gaze, something Kristoff didn't altogether understand.

Since then, Anna had been making their trustworthy servant- Gerda- travel out each month to get a progress report. She was perhaps one of the only people that didn't think Anna was crazy for claiming to know trolls, but gladly went there. Today, clearly, she'd come back with something.

Their son, Dante, began to wail from the arms of the maid. Anna hardly looked over, quite unusual for her as she had become a protective mama bear from the very start, and this told Kristoff that something was either very wrong or very right. Yet from her tone, he couldn't have been able to decide.

When he approached, Anna looked up with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Bad news?" He guessed.

"I…I don't know." She admitted hoarsely, "Look at this." Anna said, handing him a yellow paper, which usually meant old age. Yet he nearly dropped the paper in shock, for the face of his daughter stared back up at him.

He was sure everyone could hear him audibly swallowing back his tears. "My god, Anna. Who drew this?" He demanded in a hushed tone, as not to draw attention to them, for the still had a full day in the main throne room. Being so new, people looked for any sign of weakness, even leaving for personal matters. Kristoff hated court more and more, but he was positive he would do everything in his power to become a good and worthy king.

"That's the thing. Elsa did, sort of." Anna said, running her fingers through her hair, and yanking at the end, "Look at all of these." She breathed. She handed Kristoff about eight more papers. All drawings, impeccable. Another one of Ophelia, but this time she had…a tiny dragon resting on her shoulder. Ophelia with a man he didn't know, but he seemed to have an air of leadership, even trough the page. Elsa, with her hair down (a very rare sight in deed) holding hands with the man previous to Ophelia. Two more dragons, one black and wide-eyed, and one slender and pale. They kept coming, all so real, but so…unbelievable.