Queen of the Ashes

I.

They met as children.

He was introduced to her and her younger sister when he, his brothers, and his father were invited to the girls' kingdom for something called "trade talks"—though it was nothing that he understood at the time, at eight years old.

They were brought together just before the state dinner – he led by the collar by his nursemaid after a fit of protest, the girls walking in front of their mother and father, the King and Queen, with gentle and curious looks – and after some basic introductions, they were left to play in the gallery hall with only an older servant and some guards to watch over them.

Be good, the Queen said to her children, and they curtsied and smiled prettily at her as she departed with the King.

Don't cause any trouble, the nursemaid said to him, and he glared at her as she walked away.

The children stared at one another for a while in silence; then, the younger one leapt forward until she was just a foot in front of him, and studied his surprised face.

Your hair is pretty, like mine, she said, and reached up to touch his head covered in reddish brown locks. When he backed away from her touch, she added: Your eyes, too. They're like Papa's.

He could not remember seeing the King's eyes when they had briefly met, and so he frowned at the comment, crossing his arms. I don't look like anyone but me.

The younger girl's brow furrowed at his reply. I don't understand, she said, and turned to her older sister. Elsa, why is he so mean?

The older girl held in a giggle, glancing at him before looking back at her sister. He's not mean, Anna, she said, he just doesn't know you yet. She drew the young girl in, and patted her head. Why don't you tell him about your favorite painting?

The younger girl's eyes lit up, and she bound away from her sister to take the boy's gloved hand—but on instinct, he snatched his hand back to his side, causing her to fall over.

She looked up at him with wide, unbelieving eyes, and soon after began to wail on the floor, and then into her sister's lap. The servant watching from the sidelines rushed over to comfort her, but she threw off his hand, instead grabbing huge handfuls of her sister's dress to bury her face in.

The servant sighed, and walked over to the boy, who stood stock-still with red, irritated features. You mustn't mind Princess Anna, Your Highness, he said. She is a very excitable creature, and loves meeting new people. She doesn't understand yet that not everyone is like her.

The boy stared at the two sisters with a hard look, though it dissipated as he considered the remarks of the servant. The older sister continued to stroke her sibling's mussed ginger hair as the girl sobbed, occasionally glancing up at him.

To his astonishment, however, there was no animosity in her glances; if anything, he saw understanding there.

At the same time, he noticed that she kept looking down—and eventually, he realized that she had been looking at the hand he had snapped away from her sister.

His hand clenched into a fist, and he turned redder than ever, spinning on his heel towards the doorway.

Wait!

It was the older sister who had whisper-called to him, and he turned around, curious in spite of himself. She waved to him to come back, and when he paused at the invitation, she gestured at her younger sibling, who lay completely still and snored in her lap. At his surprised look, she smiled and covered her face to stifle laughter, some of her silver-blonde hair escaping its tight bounds and falling into her eyes.