Elsa Comes Out: Anna the Diplomat

        It had a nice ring to it, didn’t it? Anna the Diplomat.

Anna smiled as she said it in her head again. Anna the Diplomat. Anna the face of Arendelle to the world. Anna, her voice carries the weight of the queen’s. Princess Anna, when she speaks, people listen.

        The girl giggled to herself.

        “You’re in a good mood,” ‘Oliver’ said.

        “Of course ‘sir’” Anna said with a smirk, “Why shouldn’t I? This is the first time I’ve done this!”

        “Well, you’ll be speaking to some very important people. What if you say something wrong?”

Anna stopped in her tracks, “Something like what?”

        “What if you accidentally insult someone?”

Anna was starting to regret asking for ’Oliver’ to be her chaperone inside the gates of Weselton. The captain had said the entire crew was at her disposal, so she’d picked out the look out. She was the only one that Anna could think of as a friend.

        “I-I’m sure I’ll do… fine…”

This time Oliver smirked, “I’m sure you will,” she continued on without the princess.

        “Hey wait!” She chased after her chaperone. Oliver showed her the sights of the city. Weselton’s architecture was close to that of Arendelle’s but it seemed to show off the structures. Some of these buildings were clearly there to be seen. Elsa would love this place, Anna thought. I should bring her here. She could look at the buildings, I’m sure there’s a library around here somewhere.

        Anna tried to imagine the familiar image of her sister with her nose in a book but the only thought she could have was that of sister and would-be fiancée kissing.

        Elsa wouldn’t really do that, would she?

        Anna looked over at Oliver.

“Pol- er.. Olive-ah. What should I call you?”

        “Oliver is fine, Princess.”

        “But you’re name is-“

        “Oliver.”

Anna sighed, “Okay, do you have a nick name, maybe?”

        Oliver thought for a moment, mulling the thought over and looking the princess over, “Well, sometimes the guys call my Oz. How does that sound?”

        “Hm… Oz. OZ. Ozzy. Ozzer,” Anna said to herself, trying out the name, “I guess that works.”

        “Good,” she said back pointing at Anna.

        “Er. Oz? Do you have a sister?”

The look out looked away, “I uh… I had a brother.”

        Had, Anna thought, “I’m sorry”

        “It’s fine,” she said, “Why do you ask?”

        “Well, I mean. Did your brother ever take something from you?”

Oliver looked back at her, “What do you mean?”

        “You know what? Never mind,” Anna said shaking her head, “When is this whole meeting thing supposed to happen?”

        Oliver lifted up what looked like a small leather pouch and flipped open a small cover, revealing a pocket watch, “Oh, about half an hour.” Anna smiled and nodded to herself, “And it’s on the other side of the town, we should hurry.”

        Like a deer spying a hunter just before he lets an arrow fly, Anna stared at the other woman. Oliver smiled and grabbed Anna’s hand, “Come on, Princess!”

 

        Just like the messenger had said, there was indeed a crowd of people surrounding the erstwhile duke’s mansion. Instead the gathered nobles were meeting in a separate building nearby, they’d taken to calling it the Bundehaus.

        “What does that mean?” Anna asked as the pair followed a steward through the halls of the building. Anna was used to the halls of buildings being filled with paintings, or armor. This building had nothing, plain dark sandy walls surrounded them as they followed carpeted hallways.

        “It’s just a building for the Bundestag,” when Anna didn’t say anything Oliver continued, “That’s the Diet. The nobles.”

Anna just stared at her. She felt lost. Elsa probably knew German. Elsa probably knew everything about this place. Oh God what was she doing here?

        The steward led them both to a pair of heavy dark stained wooden doors, with a pair of empty shields upon their faces. Anna was about to ask about them when the steward thrust open the doors.

        Inside the room was occluded by a fog of smoke. Shapes moved in the mists of tobacco and as the two girls ventured in shapes turned into people, sitting around a circular table with a hole in the center. Oliver tapped Anna on the shoulder and said her good-bye’s. She was just a deckhand, she said, she wouldn’t be welcome in a place like this.

        All around eyes squared themselves on Anna and once again she felt she wasn’t just in over her head, she’d taken a diving bell directly to the bottom of the sea.

        “Uh. Hi, I’m-”

        “May I present, Princess Anna of Arendelle, Diplomat of Queen Elsa of Arendelle,” the steward announced before closing the doors with a smart snap.

        “Yeah. Right. What he said,” Anna finished.

 

        Around the princess sat not just the nobles of Weselton, but also dignitaries from Corona, England, France and Prussia. A man in a sever grey and black uniform with a chest covered with medals stared at her as Anna eventually found Eddard and the clerk and the empty seat next to them. Eddard was an older man, with hair that hung down to his neck, mostly. He’d tied it back today. The clerk looked as if he was even younger than Anna with his rounded face and large eyes. This was their peerage expert?

On one side of her party a man with a white wig on, and sporting a mustard yellow overcoat over some kind of frilly white shirt, all ruffles at the cuffs and collar. His face was a bit runny, like it was just hanging off his bones. On the other was a woman in a dress of purple and blues, covered in jewelry. She was comely, in a way she reminded Anna of her elder cousin.

Everyone in the room seemed to be waiting on her.

        “Oh, um. Sorry,” Anna said, finally noticing, “Sorry I’m late. I just uh, lost track of time,” she tried giving them her best smile. The room was not impressed and they turned back to whatever it was they were discussing before she came in.

        “It was already decided years ago, this duchy should be given to House of Hohenzollern,” said the man in the grey military uniform.

        “You know that’s not true, Brenden. If Prussia was set to inherit they would have long ago,” came the reply from the woman next to Anna, “Other families have rights to the area that are newer and stronger than yours.”

        “Illegitimate claims!”

        “You’re the only one that thinks that,” came another man’s voice. This one came from a man opposite Anna. He was wearing a bright red and white coat and from his accent he was clearly English, “All the claimants here have actual ties to the family, other than yours.” He said pointing at the Prussian man. The man had combed back blond hair, very light blond hair almost like Elsa’s, and with a strong jaw, and what looked to Anna like two perfect sapphires for eyes, he was very handsome. Across his chest he wore a blue and white sash with a number of medals on it. Anna wondered if he was a military man.

        Wait, Anna thought looking down at her own clothes; A Green dress with a black bodice over it. No sash for her kingdoms colors, and most certainly no medals. Should she have worn medals for this? Was she supposed to look fancier? Why didn’t anyone tell her these things?

        “Actually he’s right,” said the clerk next to Anna. The collective heads of the states turned towards Anna and her party once again.

        “Wait who is?” Anna asked.

        “The Viceroy,” the clerk said to her.

        “Er…and… who is that?”

The clerk pointed to the man in grey, and then addressed the council, “A number of houses here have no relation at all to the Duke’s family. They could make a claim on the older kings that claimed the land but that would be tangentially at best.”

        “What do you mean?” asked the handsome Englishman.

        “To bring it to a point, neither Hohenzollern nor Windsor have a familial claim to Weselton,” the clerk said, curtly.

        “And just who are you, little man?” demanded the Prussian viceroy.

        “He is part of Princess Anna’s delegation party,” Eddard’s strong voice was always a bit of a shock to Anna. He barely spoke, preferring instead to listen to others, but when he did speak it was hard to not simply do as he said.

        “Yeah,” Anna said, “And he’s an expert on this stuff!”

The older military man turned his steel clad gaze back over Anna and she swallowed.

        “Listen to me, girl. The only reason your little runt of a country is here is because of your relation to that batty old wench in Corona. You and your sister are lucky your little pissant strip of land is ever even noticed. Why anyone would bother with you, I haven’t the faintest idea.”

        Pissant? Batty wench? Anna’s eyes narrowed, “Probably because no one else has a queen that could freeze their capitals solid. Who many winters in a row can you’re little country live through? Hmm?” Anna thought of her sister wearing military dress, astride a horse as hail rained down on the enemy before her. It was stirring to say the least, “I doubt your high and mighty attitude would last long when all you’re eating is snow, snow, and more snow!”

        Eddard pushed Anna back down into her seat. She hadn’t even realized that she’d stood up, or that she was leaning over the table.

        “Was that a threat you little-“

        “I’m sure the princess was simply reminding you that her kingdom, while small, has in the past easily repelled invaders to their little hamlet, and that it wouldn’t be wise to make light of their sovereignty,” said the Englishman again.

        The Prussian sat back down in his chair and eventually a recess was called. Tensions needed cooling. A light dinner would be served in the dining room a butler said as he opened the double doors leading out.

        Anna was the first to rush out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief as she leaned against a wall in the hallway. Elsa shouldn’t have agreed to let her go. Oh God she just practically declared war with Prussia! Prussia! She should excuse herself from the rest of this. Eddard can handle it. Eddard and the clerk, she’ll just spend time walking around the city with Olvier that’s what. It was always nice talking to her.

        “Well that went well.”

        “Oh my God!” Anna jumped, smacking her head into the wall

        “Whoa easy,” it was the Englishman. He was taller than Anna was expecting, though shorter than Kristoff, and now that he was standing she could see how slim he was, “Are you alright?”

        “I’m fine. I’m fine,” Anna said before rubbing the back of her head, “I uh... I’ve got a thick skull.”

        “Heh, good to know I suppose,” he said chuckling.

        “Oh. Uh. Thank you for that. In there, I mean. The talking to the guy. Vicroy?” Anna stumbled over her words.

        “Oh it’s fine. The man’s a pompous ass, if you ask me.”

Anna smiled, “I’m Anna, of Arendelle.”   

        “I know, the steward announced you,” he said with a grin.

        “Oh right.”

        “I’m Prince William Fredrick, Duke of Edinburgh,” he said with a smile and a small bow.

Anna laughed and returned with a curtsy.

        “I suppose we might as well get something to eat,” The prince held out the crook of his arm, and Anna hesitantly took it, the pair began walking down the hallway. A prince from an island country, being this nice to her?

        “Er, you should know, I’m married. Well, engaged.”       

        “Really? Congratulations,” William said, he didn’t seem to care.

        “Oh yeah. Well. Soon I will be. He’ll ask my sister soon, I’m sure.”

The prince’s brow furrowed for a moment, “He’s going to marry your sister?”

        “What? No!” Anna quickly blurted out, “No. I mean, we’ll be engaged soon, once she says it’s okay.”

        “Ahh…” they continued walking, “You have to tell me, can you’re sister really freeze a city?”

        “Oh yeah she’s done it before.”

        “How?”

        “Oh it’s a long story…”

When they finally made it to the dining room she told him all about Elsa’s coronation.