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fericita-s · 4 years

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The End

This is the last chronological story in When All is Lost, by @the-spastic-fantastic and me so...prepare yourselves. It’s sad. We'll add in more stories to round out the series, and will post here and on Tumblr.

@the-spastic-fantastic, I have thoroughly enjoyed this collaboration with you; you’re a fantastic writer and editor and brainstormer. So let's keep going with lots of AUs and fluff pieces. The End is not The End.

@queen-iduna-of-arendelle @legacy-from-lies This is for Agduna week; thanks for organizing!!

***

“It has to be me. I have to go find it. Maybe Ahtohallan will only open to a Northuldra, and that’s why Elias’s ship was lost to the sea.” Iduna had waited to say this until they were in bed, sated and sleepy. Agnarr instantly sat up, pushing her arms from around him and shaking his head.

“No. Iduna, no. It’s too dangerous.” She reached for him again, but he got out of bed and stood up out of her reach. She followed him, standing up and putting her hands on his shoulders.

“I know! I know it is. And that’s why we can’t ask anyone else to go. It’s been a year and the kingdom has barely recovered from the deaths. No one else can die on our account.” She put her hands on his face now, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs, putting her forehead against his chin.

He again pulled out of her grasp, and began pacing the room. "So I’ll go. I’ll lead the trip, take a small crew.” She shook her head, tears beginning to fall, hands limp at her sides, knowing her touch was not welcome just now. “You've already saved my life once. Let me spare you this. I will go; you stay with our daughters."

“No. Absolutely not.” She could not stop her tears, but she was determined to stop him. “You’ll not go sailing towards death in the hope that Ahtohallan will know you.”

He came to her now, his voice softer. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “I’ll go. I’ll find it. I can’t send anyone else to die in our stead. Even you.”

“But you can die? Agnarr, what of our girls? We can’t leave them alone. We can’t do that to them.” They held each other, and it reminded Iduna of the day he proposed, when he held her in his arms, cupped her face, and said I’m listening. But now he wasn’t listening. He would not let her do this. And just as part of her was heartbroken, but of her was relieved.

He looked at her steadily, despair on his face. “They already are alone. And you’re right, we can’t leave them like that. We have to fix this. For Elsa and for Anna.”

She took a deep breath. “Together. We’ll do it together.”

He nodded. “Alright. Together. Everything good in my life has come from knowing you. How can this be anything but good?”

Her tears fell heavily and she knew. She knew what it could be. But she didn’t know what else to do.

***

A tight hug from Anna. Iduna breathed in the earthy smell of her, enjoying the warmth of her head and the thin line of dirt under Anna’s nails from where she had been digging in the garden. She thought about how Anna used to always have worms in her pockets on gardening days and found that the memory brought tears to her eyes.

Down the stairs, they paused to say goodbye to Elsa.

“Do you have to go?” Elsa asked quietly. She curtsied and stayed a step away from them. She hadn’t let them touch her in five years.

Agnarr tried to put as much warmth and care in his words as he could, willing them to surround her in a comforting hug since she would not allow him to embrace her. “You’ll be fine Elsa.”

***

They were getting closer. Iduna could feel it somehow, and the song she used to sing to beckon the Wind Spirit had been swirling around her dreams while on the ship. But each time they got towards the tower of ice in the distance, they were pushed back by some invisible force, like the mist surrounding the stones.

“Is it a barrier? What keeps us from getting there?” Agnarr leaned into the wind, Iduna tucked under one arm. He braced himself on the side of the ship, raising a hand to shield from the pelting rain.

“The waves are too high!” Iduna wiped her mouth, the sea water on her lips tasting like tears.

“We keep going for Elsa; we won’t give up when we are so close.”

A wave crashed onto the deck. Iduna thought she heard the sound of horse hooves, but that wasn’t possible. A brush of wind pushed her hair back and she saw Agnarr look over her shoulder as the boat tilted down.

“Iduna!” water crashed over them, and he held her, her head against his chest, the fabric of his coat wet. His hands gripped her tightly.

“Agnarr!” She shouted back. The ship was tilting at a crazy angle as it went impossibly high and Iduna had the sudden thought they were climbing a mountain of water. It was the feeling she’d had as a child when the Earth Giants would build with rock as she jumped higher and higher still, finally jumping off to be caught by the wind. But the spirits would not intervene today; they’d hadn’t in over twenty years.

“I love you!” He shouted to be heard over the sound of waves and wind. Her ear was inches from his mouth but he wasn’t sure she heard him until he heard her shouted reply.

“I love you!”

As the waves crashed around them, Agnarr wished there was a way he could leave something behind to tell Anna and Elsa how much they were loved, how they would gladly sail through anything to ensure their safety.

Iduna wished the Wind Spirit would come and lift their ship out of the waves and set it on dry land, rescuing them as it had once rescued them from battle. But the fierce wind was not her friend; it ripped the sails and pulled her hair, and she knew the words she spoke into it would not make their way to her daughters, even though she wished they would. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

#agduna #agduna week 2020 #agduna 2020 #when all is lost #mama and papa arendelle #frozen fan fic #king agnarr #queen iduna #the end #scene from frozen #lost at sea

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multimxsings · 4 years

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Tiny spoiler or one of my upcoming fanfics for Agduna Week 2020.

You bet she’s gonna do something heroic and stupid ;D

#iduna #agduna week 2020 #frozen #disney #drawings

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hungryhungryhippo3 · 4 years

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The Northern Lights

this is embarrassingly late but here’s my submission for day one of agduna week: first!! thank you to @queen-iduna-of-arendelle and @legacy-from-lies for hosting :))

a quick summary: it’s iduna’s 17th birthday, and agnarr has planned a surprise for her. this is the first time they’ve gotten to truly hang out alone, and poor kid is suffering trying to keep his feelings for himself. i also gotta say, while this is mostly canon-compliant, i wrote this within the same universe as another agduna fic i’m working where agnarr and iduna met months prior to the big fight at the start of the film, and actually got the chance to become friends. i’m saying this because it may or may not be relevant later in this story 👀 lots of fluff, lots of pining, lots of lovesick monologuing. i hope you guys like it :))

i give you... the northern lights...

***

“If I had known you were going to drag me out into the woods in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t have agreed to this.”

Agnarr chuckled as he dismounted. In the three turbulent years of reign, he had developed the ability to renounce himself in favour of the Crown, but somehow only Iduna had the ability to recall his humanity. He almost scoffed at his weakness; only a few hours ago, he had been able to work his way out of a high pressure situation with the Coronian Navy without breaking a sweat. But ironically, now that he finally had the chance to be properly alone for the first time with the person he most wanted to be around, he could barely keep his composure.

He secured his horse before turning towards Iduna and helping her dismount from hers. He was grateful for his riding gloves; his palms had increasingly grown clammy for the past hour whilst they rode to the spot he had prepared, and the last thing he needed was to scare her away with his sweaty hands. “You know, a little faith in me wouldn’t hurt,” he said, practically leaping at the chance to fall back into their usual banter. A little normalcy was exactly what he needed to help assuage his nerves. “Besides, I thought you liked the woods.”

“I do like the woods,” she said, securing her own horse. “I also like being in the warmth of my bed, especially at this time of night.”

Panic flared up within him. “Are you cold? I’m so sorry, I should’ve told you we’d be out here-”

She cut him off with a giggle and pulled out her purple scarf from her saddle bag. “I came prepared,” she said, wrapping it around her shoulders. “You worry way too much about things going wrong.”

She came to stand beside him, and he automatically reached out to adjust her braid from under her scarf. She flashed him a grateful smile, and his heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, well, when there’s an entire kingdom relying on you to keep things running smoothly, one can never be too careful,” he said, leading them down the path he had spent the past few weeks memorising. “Are you sure that scarf is enough for you?”

“Absolutely, it’s actually quite warm,” she replied. Then her voice softened. “And you know you don’t have to be the King around me, right? You do enough worrying back at home.”

In the darkness of the trees, he smiled as warmth blossomed in his chest. He had known for some time now that Iduna was more to him than just a friend, but he was afraid of openly pursuing her. Not only would it bring her more unwanted attention from the aristocratic vipers at court, but she had never given him any indication that she was interested in him. She was his best friend, and he didn’t want to lose her because of a stupid crush.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t secretly relish in these quiet conversations and fleeting moments where her undivided attention was on him. Yes, he was pathetic for pining after her like a lovesick schoolboy; his other friends never failed to remind him. But Agnarr, by nature, had always worn his heart on his sleeve and followed his emotions. And when his birthright and duty were constantly demanded cold and unfeeling leadership from him, there was no harm in this tiny solace with her, where he was free to truly feel.

“I’ve been thinking,” Iduna said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I think we need to update your name.”

“My name?” he echoed.

“Yeah,” she replied. “King Ribbon Boy doesn’t really cut it anymore.”

That caught his attention. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her, shocked. She had been calling him by an array of nicknames ever since they were fourteen, but King Ribbon Boy had been her favourite. He had long stopped letting it irk him, and only argued back half-heartedly from time to time. Although he’d never admit it for obvious reasons, he had eventually come to like the nicknames she gave him. As far as he knew, he was the only person she had them for. “You’re not serious.”

The corners of her lips twitched into a smirk and she strode past him. “You don’t really wear ribbons anymore. It’s not really accurate to keep calling you that,” she mused.

“Oh, so now you think it’s inaccurate?” he spluttered, jogging to catch up.

“Ever since you turned seventeen, you’ve stopped wearing them altogether,” she said, her eyes sparkling playfully as she glanced up at him.

He scoffed. “Yeah, because they’re childish,” he muttered.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just disrespect ribbons to my face,” she said. He shot her a strange look. Her smirk widened when she saw his expression, and she shifted closer ever so slightly until their shoulders were brushing together. Despite the layers of clothing between them, every nudge sent a jolt through his arm. “Anyway the point is, we need to update your name. Keep things fresh and modern.”

“I really don’t think this is necessary,” he argued back half-heartedly.

“Oh, I’ve got it!” She strode ahead and stood in front of him, forcing him to stop. Her eyes were shining excitedly. “King Shoulder Fringes!” she burst out.

He blinked at her stunned. Almost unconsciously, he reached for the golden fringes on his shoulder. Most of the time, he didn’t really care much for the way he dressed; Sir Stefan would usually choose his outfit for the day, and he would allow the servants to dress him without complaint. In fact, he had initially balked when Stefan had him wear a bunad with the shoulder fringes for a dinner with some of their allies in the west. He had thought it stupid and distracting. But that had been before he had seen Iduna later that evening and she had told him that it made his shoulders look more manly.

“You wear them all the time now,” she continued.

Agnarr quickly grabbed her hand and continued along, determinedly facing away from her to hide the blush he was sure had appeared on his cheeks. “I… do not,” he grumbled.

It was the truth. They were quite distracting during meetings, and he steered clear of them whenever he needed to make a discreet walk throughout the streets. He only wore them when he knew he was going to see her.

“You wear them enough,” she replied airily. “King Shoulder Fringes. I think I like it. It draws inspiration from an iconic Agnarr-style clothing element just like King Ribbon Boy, but it also signifies growth as you transition into a more matured, more individual phase of your life, as reflected in your clothing choices. Rather than simply wearing whatever outfit is presented before you, you’ve progressed into making your own choices and asserting your preferences. It’s very fitting.”

He looked towards her, impressed by how easily she was able to come up with that. I can’t believe this is the girl I’ve fallen in love with. “You are unbelievable,” he said, unable to keep the awestruck smile from his lips.

Her eyes met his and she returned his smile. “I’m taking that as a compliment,” she said.

Soon enough, they came to the spot he had prepared; a small clearing at the top of a hillside, half enclosed by trees. Lanterns hung about on the branches of the trees cast the whole clearing in a soft glow, and there was a small picnic laid out in the centre. Agnarr watched anxiously from the treeline as Iduna walked into the clearing, taking in the whole sight. Although it didn’t seem like much, he had been losing sleep over this night for weeks now, perhaps more than any of the other political engagements on his schedule.

Finally, she looked back at him, her icy blue eyes sparkling with wonder, and suddenly, all those weeks of preparation and anxiousness were worth it. “This was the surprise you’ve been worrying about all along?”

He reminded himself how to breathe and followed after her, his heart so full of happiness that he thought he might explode. “Happy birthday, Iduna,” he said softly.

For a moment, neither of them said a word. Then, all at once, she came rushing towards him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and burying her face in his chest. He stumbled a little at the suddenness, but he found his balance and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, looking up at him. For once, she was looking at him without the usual veneer of reservation that she usually carried everywhere she went, and the full force of her happiness and admiration was almost enough to bring him to his knees. “I… You don’t understand how much this means to me. Thank you.”

It was the closest they had ever been. Agnarr could smell the scent of herbs and earth in her hair, and see each individual freckle over her nose. The warmth of her body was seeping through his clothes, and his senses were heady with her. His heart was racing so fast, he was sure she could feel it in his chest. And in that moment, despite how fleeting and pathetic it was of him, he allowed himself to believe that she could really be his.

“This isn’t even the best part,” he said, unable to help his smile.

Her mouth fell open. “You’re kidding.”

His smile grew wider and he (painstakingly) released her, before guiding her over to the picnic spot. Then he gestured to the sky. She followed his gaze and gasped; the first hints of the Borealis were beginning to appear, streaking across the sky unobstructed by any buildings or chimney smoke as often was the case in Arendelle.

“You always said you wished you didn’t have to wait for the first of the northern lights on your own,” he said after a moment.

She looked back at him in shock, her eyes shining with unfettered yet inexplicable emotion. Then she smiled, the brightest smile he had ever seen. “Agnarr, you are unbelievable.”

It was all he could do not to declare his love for her at that very moment. Never before had his heart ached so deeply to be with her.

Mercifully, she turned back towards the lights, and Agnarr recollected his wits. He really needed to calm down. He couldn’t keep breaking down like this every time she so much as looked at him.

Eventually, they sat down on the small blanket where the food was laid out and began to eat, making idle conversation in between. Most of the time, they sat there wordlessly, in awe of the magnificent green and purple hues before them.

Although he had never really taken an interest in the lights in the same way Iduna did, he found himself drawn to them more and more often as of late. He couldn’t shake the sense that somehow, something significant had happened to him as he watched the lights. It was the same feeling he got whenever he thought about the elusive girl in his dreams, the only thing he seemed to remember from his time in the Enchanted Forest. The vaguest outline of a memory, so faint that it could be mistaken for a dream, that for some reason resonated within him as important, yet whose specifics he could never fully grasp.

“Sometimes when I look at the lights, I get this really weird sense of deja-vu,” he said. In his periphery, she looked at him curiously. “I’ve never told anyone this before, but I, I have this… vague memory, almost like a dream, of watching the lights with someone. I can never remember their face, or their name, or what their voice sounded like… But this person, a girl, I think, she tells me this story about the lights. That they lead the way to some mystical place at the end of the world and the beginning of eternity. That they guide the way for spirits to this mystical place. She even had a special name for the lights in this other language…” He tried to repeat those foreign words the girl in his memory-dream had said, but without success.

Then, Iduna spoke the exact words he was looking for. “The Path of the Spirits,” she said quietly, translating her words.

It was Northuldrian.

The language that the girl in his memory-dream spoke was Northuldrian. He was sure he knew it, but the name was always just beyond his reach. Much of his memory from the months he had spent in the Enchanted Forest had been lost when he had awoken in Arendelle, but he knew from his writings before he had been forced to surrender them that he had begun to learn Northuldrian. He could never forget the distinctively bright sound of the language, strangely like the sun itself.

And Iduna had just spoken it perfectly.

He looked at her in shock as realisation dawned on him. Suddenly, he remembered the rumours that had followed him wherever he went when he was finally well enough to leave his room; that a figure in Northuldrian clothing had been spotted near the Palace on the night before that he was believed to have returned, that a Northuldra had managed to escape before the mist had cursed the entire Forest, that there was no way the King would’ve managed his way back to Arendelle in the sorry state he was found without help.

It was her. She was the one who had saved him.

Agnarr could barely contain his joy. All of a sudden, he understood the guarded edge that never seemed to leave her eyes, the way she always evaded talking about her past, how she always seemed to grow nervous whenever the Northuldra were brought up around her, why she loved spending her free time in the forest beyond the city far more than anything else… it all made sense. She had always carried herself so protectively, with a certain fear of the world that he would give anything to alleviate. But now he knew! She didn’t have to be scared anymore!

“How did you know that?” he asked softly, every cell in his body practically vibrating with anticipation.

There was a beat of silence. Then, carefully avoiding his gaze, she answered, “The story sounded familiar. I read it in a book once.”

In an instant, his hopes plummeted. Every record of the Northuldra and the Enchanted Forest had been locked away in a deep chamber within the Palace, forbidden from ever seeing the light of day. Had he not interceded, they would’ve been burned as soon as they had each been tracked down and gathered together. There was no way she could’ve found that out in a book. She was still running away. Crestfallen, he settled back in his place and looked back over the sky.

But in the midst of his devastation, a single thought broke through. She’s Northuldra.

She hailed from a tribe of people who had killed Arendelle’s last king, and made an orphan out of their reigning monarch. She had given up her whole life in the Forest, her family, her culture, her home, in order to save him. And now had managed to rebuild her life in a kingdom that had been ready to march into battle with her people, who hated her tribe more than ever before in all of Arendelle’s history, who would crucify her if they ever realised her true origins.

A deep and hollow sadness suddenly took hold of him as he realised the full extent of her suffering. He looked at her again, the focused inscrutability of her features, the pallor of her complexion now that the topic of the Northuldra had come up. Of course her first instinct would be to protect herself. She had gone through incredible lengths to get to the place she was today. She had everything to lose if she was ever discovered.

Agnarr exhaled quietly and tentatively reached out, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She turned towards him in surprise, her expression carefully reserved. “What else have you been reading?”

She had always been an expert at keeping her emotions from revealing themselves on her face. But he had known her long enough to read the incremental changes in her eyes; how a little bit of that hard edge thawed in relief at his question. “Well, there’s this really good book about trolls I found in the library last week…”

Although he was a little disappointed, it was nothing compared to what she had gone through. He would never force her into revealing something she wasn’t comfortable with sharing. No, he would wait until she was ready. And as much as he wanted to reach out and take away every little thing that burdened her and kept her from freely living out in the world without fear, he knew it wasn’t his call to make. The only thing he could do his best to love her and support her in the hope that maybe one day, she would feel safe enough to stop hiding away.

Luckily for him, he was content to simply love her for as long as she needed.

#agduna #agduna week 2020 #agduna 2020

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kristanna-days · 5 months

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Frozen Smut Week March 17 - 21, 2024

Save the date and start drafting your Frozen smut! Each fic must contain at least one Frozen character (crossovers are allowed!), and be posted on Tumblr, tagging @kristanna-days. An AO3 collection will also be set up - details to follow.

I've given some suggested prompts for each theme, but feel free to interpret the themes however you want! There's no limit to how they can be used.

Feed my ask box or DM me if you have any questions!

[March 17: Lustrous Metals (Gold, Silver, Titanium, Platinum) March 18: Crystaline Metals (Silicon, Tin, Lead, Carbon) March 19: Metal Alloys (Steel, Pewter, Mercury) March 20: Patina & Rust (Copper, Brass, Bronze) March 21: Electricity & Magnetism (Iron, Nickel, Cobalt)]

#frozen #frozen fanfic #frozen smut week #kristanna days #kristanna #hansanna #elsamaren #helsa #elsanna #jelsa #kristhanna #kristelsa #agduna #rydoff #svolaf #elsa #anna #kristoff #hans

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annaofthenorthernlights · 1 year

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Cant´t believe this amazing week is over already.

At this point thanks @kristanna-days for this fun (and hot) event!

Since I have posted my fics here on tumblr with community label (not recognisable for everybody?), I´d like to leave a list here with the direct AO3 links.

A bed in the meadows (Agduna, outdoors, canon verse compliant, pre Frozen 1) rated M

There is no other (Kristanna, jealousy, modern au) rated E

Take me to the pond (Kristanna, first time, canon verse compliant, post Frozen 2) rated E

Sash me to your heart (Kristanna, royalty, canon verse compliant, post Frozen 2) rated E

Smooth move (Kristanna, established couple, modern ballroom dancing au) rated E

#frozen smut week 2023 #kristanna #agduna #my writing #smut week my masterlist

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queen-iduna-of-arendelle · 4 years

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First Kiss

A.N. For Agduna Week 2020, Day 1: Firsts

ff.net AO3

Agnarr was sitting under a tree, reading a new book. It was from a Danish author and it's about a mermaid falling in love with a human. It was a very interesting book and he couldn't put it away, he just needed to know what's gonna happen next.

But then something pulled him back to reality. “Boo!” Screamed someone, making him jump in surprise. Looking up, he was suddenly face to face with his best friend Iduna. She was hanging upside down from a branch. He didn't even notice her climbing on the tree...”Iduna!” The king took a deep breath, to calm down. “Don't scare me like that...”

“What are you reading, Your Majesty?” She asked, obviously pleased that she scared him. Agnarr raised the book to show her the cover. “Oh, some new Danish author.”

Iduna tilted her head, interested. “What's it about?”

“Well, it's about a mermaid. She falls in love with a human and wants to have legs. I'm currently at the part where she's swimming to a sea witch to make her wish come true.” He explained and noticed the wonder in her eyes.

“Sounds very sweet.”

Agnarr smiled up at her. “If you want, I can lend you the book when I'm done. I'm sure you'll like it. I couldn't put it away since I got it.”

“Sure. I'd love to read it, too.” The brunette returned the smile and this might be the only thing in this world that was better than any book. Even upside down she looked beautiful. Agnarr watched, as she reached up to get off the branch, but then it suddenly snapped and she fell. He acted fast, throwing the book away and jumping up to catch her. He did catch her, thankfully, she landed right in his arms.

But he lost his balance and they both fell to the ground. And sadly he didn't have the time to cushion her fall. He fell right on top of her. “Sorry. Sorry...” He mumbled, before realizing their position. Agnarr was lying right on top of her and his arms were wrapped around her protectively. The blonde let go of her quickly, but then froze when he saw how close they were.

“It’s okay. Thanks for catching me.” She looked up at him with these beautiful blue eyes of hers and Agnarr felt like drowning in them. That was...a common feeling, really. He had no idea when he started to feel like that, but one day it just happened and now he couldn’t be without her anymore.

Too dazed to realize what he’s doing, he leaned down to her till their lips touched, slowly closing his eyes. It was a very innocent kiss, just a light touch actually, but it still made his heart flutter with joy. Only a few seconds later did he realize that he rudely stole Iduna her first kiss and pulled away in shock. She may not have fought back and even closed her eyes, but he still felt terrible. And it was even worse when she opened her eyes again. Those innocent blue eyes looked at her with emotions he couldn’t guess and made him blush more than ever before.

Then he panicked, feeling like he betrayed her for some reason. He felt guilty for just kissing her like that. “I’m sorry!” He practically yelled in her face, before jumping to his feet and running away as fast and as far as his feet could carry him. His book lay on the ground, forgotten.

#agduna #agduna week #agduna 2020 #agduna week 2020 #iduna #agnarr #frozen #disney #fanfics #fanfiction

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multifanoncanon · 4 years

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Agduna Week 2020!!

Host(s): @queen-iduna-of-arendelle & @legacy-from-lies

A whole week celebrating King Agnarr and Queen Iduna of Arendelle that lasts from February 1st to February 7th, with seven prompts to fill out the week! Fics, fanarts, aesthetics, head canons and anything else you can think of are accepted!

Tag either one of us, and be sure to add these tags: #agduna, #agduna week 2020, #agduna 2020

Day 1: (Any) First

Day 2: (Your Choice Of) Music Day

Day 3: Magic Day

Day 4: Color Day

Day 5: Choose Your AU

Day 6: Free Day

Day 7: Modern AU

Have fun everyone! We look forward to seeing your prompts!

#agduna week 2020 #agduna 2020 #agduna #agduna week #post #tag #your it #queen iduna of arendelle

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fericita-s · 4 years

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There’s Beauty and There’s Danger Here

A new story in When All is Lost, by @the-spastic-fantastic and me, the canon-compliant stories of Agnarr and Iduna through the years. This takes place the first day after Anna’s injury and the visit to the trolls. It is the first day of the sisters’ separation.

For the Agduna week prompt “First.” Thanks for organizing @queen-iduna-of-arendelle @legacy-from-lies!

Thanks to @the-spastic-fantastic for helping me figure this one out.

***

Iduna stroked her daughter’s hair, learning the feel of this new streak of white which was somehow coarser than the rest of her red locks. Once again, she felt at her wrist for a pulse.

Anna’s heart beat was steady.

Iduna’s was not.

Her heart had not calmed down since the terrible moment when she had seen Anna lying on the ground, Elsa nearby and panicking. Their ride to the Valley of the Living Rock, Pabbie’s healing and pronouncement and his order to keep magic a secret from Anna. Iduna still felt as terrified now as she had during those horrible moments, clutching her daughter while standing amid the trolls, the crushing sensation that nothing would ever be the same again.

She closed her eyes and saw the scene Pabbie had cast into the air. Elsa, tall and queenly with ice floating from her fingertips. A vision of beauty quickly turning to danger as she was ripped apart by a teeming mass of anger and fear.

Iduna shuddered.

Agnarr had believed this warning at once. He was already telling various castle servants that their new duties would be at the academy in town or on the outlying farms owned by the crown and not inside the castle gates. He had ordered Elsa’s bed moved into a different room, her clothes and toys as well. He saw a threat and made a plan. Iduna couldn’t think beyond making sure Anna would open her eyes. The flurry of activity concerned her only in that she hoped it would wake Anna.

It had not.

Pabbie had asked if Elsa was born with the powers or cursed and Agnarr had quickly said born. But the longer that Iduna sat next to the too-still Anna, the more this felt like a curse. What else could it be if it meant Anna’s injury and Elsa’s death? If it meant her daughters would be separated from one another? How could they be a whole family if they were forever fragmented into pieces, fractals never joining, frozen in isolation?

It seemed impossible that she had once thought Elsa’s powers were meant to free Northuldra from the mist, to bring peace between the people of her birth and the people she had learned to live with and love. Was this a curse she brought to Arendelle? Was this punishment for her people starting a battle and murdering a king?

Anna mumbled something and rolled onto her side. Iduna tensed, leaning over Anna to see if her eyelids fluttered or if she made any other signs of consciousness. It had now been eight hours since she had clutched her baby to her chest and ridden hard for the Valley. Another two hours past when Anna usually bounded out of bed, brushing sleep from her eyes with impatient hands, ready to explore and laugh and climb and tug on her sister’s hand, begging her to “Do the magic!”

Iduna felt tears collect in her eyes and run down her cheeks. She turned her head to wipe her face on her shoulder, not wanting to let go of Anna’s hand and Anna’s hair.

***

“Elsa, I know you didn’t mean to hurt her. I know. We are not angry with you.” Agnarr knelt in front of Elsa in her new room, both of them exhausted, both of them unwilling to rest until they knew Anna was awake and recovered.

“But the troll leader said I have to learn to control it. That means I’m not controlling it now.” She leaned her head into his shoulder.

Then, in a whisper, “I hurt her.”

Elsa was wringing her hands, as if she could stop the magic from coming out of them by worrying it away.

Agnarr covered her tiny hands with his. “We can learn to control it, together. Your mother and I will not let anything bad happen to you. Or Anna.”

Elsa hugged him around his neck as snow started to gently fall around them.

It was one of the last times Elsa initiated touch. Agnarr would think about that moment later and wish he had held her longer.

***

“Mama?” Anna’s voice was coarse, like she had swallowed sand. Iduna leaned over her, relief making her feel lightheaded.

“Yes, sweetheart I’m here,” Iduna said, trying to keep her fear out of her voice. She kissed Anna’s cheek and squeezed her hands.

Anna eyelids fluttered as she slowly asked, “What happened?”

“Does your head hurt? You had quite a fall. We were worried.” She reached under Anna’s arms to lift her into a sitting position, eager to get her to drink some water.

Anna opened her eyes and touched the place on her head where the strands had changed to white. “Elsa was there. Is she alright? Where is she?”

“Elsa’s with Kai. She has a new bedroom and they are arranging her furniture. We wanted you to have quiet while you recovered.”

“But I want to play with her. I want her in here with me.”

“Sweetheart, you need to be still and quiet today. I know that will be difficult, but it’s important for your head to have some time to heal.” Iduna hugged Anna to her, and wondered how they could keep Anna and Elsa apart when Anna’s waking request had been for her sister.

***

“Judet, thank you for coming in.”

Agnarr had been calling in the staff all day and sending most of them to different jobs outside of the castle. Judet had been the girls’ night nanny, a job mainly requiring her to put the girls to bed when Iduna and Agnarr were attending evening meetings, state dinners, and other various royal duties. He hoped this would be one of the easier staff changes to make since Judet’s work at the castle had always been minimal. Agnarr hoped she would see a change in her position as a logical decision, not such a shock or an insult like it had been for so many of their beloved servants.

Judet curtsied upon entering. “You’re welcome, Your Majesty. Though I will tell you I know what’s about to happen. Twenty people before me have been called in and all have left with new placements.”

“Yes, that’s true. We – “ Agnarr tried to guide her towards a seat, but she closed the door and made no move to sit. Instead, she clasped her hands and shook her head, bowing it respectfully.

“Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but you need me here in the castle. “

“What did you say?” With the events of the last day and a half- Anna’s injury, the trolls’ dire prophecies, the tears of his loyal servants, and no sleep in all that time - Agnarr was out of patience. His tone was angrier than he meant for it to sound.

“I know what the design on your coat means!” She whispered, urgently. “And I know what Elsa can do. And if what she can do is becoming a problem, I might be able to help you.”

Agnarr dropped into the chair meant for Judet, not wanting to admit the truth of what she said. What did she mean? How could she know?

Judet waited for him to look up at her before she continued “I’m Northuldra. And that pattern is about powerful elemental magic. That’s what Elsa can do, right? Are you sending the staff away so no one will know?”

Agnarr had never felt less like a king. Or a good father. Someone had already discovered their secret, the one that would mean Elsa’s death if not controlled. And he could not think of anything else to say, any orders to give, any plans to make.

“What . . .what do you want?” He asked hoarsely. Judet looked stunned for a moment and then raised her hands, a gesture of goodwill.

“Nothing, Your Majesty,” she said softly. “Nothing other than to help.” She paused. “I really think I can help.”

He rubbed his eyes again, sleepiness making his thoughts slow. Could she change the course of what Pabbie showed was a curse? He took a moment to collect himself and then looked at Judet. “Stay here,” he said quietly, contritely. “I’ll get Iduna”

***

Gerda had come in with a tray of breakfast food, shushing Anna any time she talked and demanding silence. “Rest is what you need and you can’t get that chattering.“

Her strict adherence to silence and rest was tolerated by Anna only because Gerda also kept handing her sweets to eat, and patting her on different parts of her arm, murmuring how relieved she was that Anna had woken up.

Gerda again urged Iduna from the room. “Your Majesty, please. You need to sleep. You look nearly as tired as you did during the Rock Pox. And remember how you fared then? Go have a lie down. Princess Anna is safe with me.”

Iduna found herself staring at the love-in-a-mist bloom that Gerda had placed on the tray, its white petals beautiful, snow-like. Iduna grew them for spice in the garden, planted in the same rows as the strawberries that were used for depressive illnesses. Planted together, they grew well, the colors of each making the row even more beautiful than either left on its own. The spice and the sweet, the white and the red. She had thought before how that row in the garden was like her two daughters. Now she looked at the lone love-in-a-mist on the tray and thought how sad it looked, how lonely.

Gerda cleared her throat and took a more commanding tone. “Your Majesty. Go lie down. I will stay here and make sure the Princess has everything she needs.”

Iduna nodded gratefully, kissed Anna and left, trying to calculate how long it had been since she had slept. Her hand was on the doorknob to her room when Agnarr called out from the opposite end of the hallway.

“Iduna. Please come. There’s…I need you.”

***

“You’re Northuldra? How…how did you get here?” Iduna didn’t want to say anything about the mist or the forest closing. Judet had always seemed kind and truthful, but this was a big secret to keep. Let her explain where the Northuldra people were and why she couldn’t get to them. It seemed impossible she could really know. How could she have kept it a secret for so long?

Iduna immediately felt a wave of shame; this was a secret she had been keeping from everyone except Agnarr for almost twenty years. She could not fault Judet for staying silent.

Judet took a deep breath before she began, eyes downcast as she gripped her hands tightly together. “My brother and I were on a trading route, selling furs to the towns along the coast. It was about eighteen years ago. We tried to get home, but there was a mist, near the stones. We were shut out. We didn’t know why, but on our next trip to Arendelle, we heard about what you call the Northern Expedition. My brother, Dure, he asked around and learned that only you survived, Your Majesty.” She bowed her head towards Agnarr. “And he also learned what some of the townspeople were saying about the Northuldra. What some of them were doing.”

Iduna nodded grimly, acknowledging the truth of that. She would never forget the body in the woods, the boasts of the men who put it there.

“We traveled some more, trapped and traded, kept trying to get back in . . .but we never could. We were here again to trade during your coronation, Your Majesty, and that’s when I saw the symbols on your coat.”

Iduna raised a hand to Agnarr’s lapel, tracing the pattern. He had set it into his uniform for her, to show her she was a part of him, part of their rule together.

“It’s the elements. Wind, earth, fire, water. I know it well. It’s a pattern of one of the oldest Northuldra families, any Northuldra would know it. And when I saw it I wanted to find out why you had it. Maybe it was just a copy of a pattern you liked, maybe it was something you stole.”

Judet looked at Iduna, her eyebrows raised, perhaps in fear. “And then I heard you sing that song to Elsa and I knew. You’re Northuldra too.”

“Why didn’t you say anything then? Why didn’t you tell me?” Iduna felt slow, like she should be able to piece together questions, but that her hands were too clumsy to do it. Sleepiness was weighing her down. Her exhaustion felt like the mist, impenetrable and hard to see through.

“Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but it seemed unwise. And when I saw what Elsa could do, and how you wanted that quiet, I kept my thoughts to myself. “

Iduna had an apology on her tongue, but couldn’t quite say it. What was she sorry for exactly? For lying? For making Judet feel she had to lie? Hadn’t she herself been lying more than half her life?

“I don’t know what happened last night, but I know Elsa’s powers have been growing. And I think it has something to do with the elements. With Ahtohallan.”

“Ahtohallan. The river of memory.” Iduna whispered it, a name she hadn’t heard since lullabies were sung to her as a child. “That’s what my lullaby is about.”

“Yes, and remember? Ahtohallan is the source of all magic. Ahtohallan would know where Elsa’s powers come from and why she was born with them. That could be where she controls it, learns how to use it. A gift of magic like that is very rare, but it has happened before. That’s why we have the songs. To tell us where to go and what to do.”

Agnarr placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Where is it? How do we get there?”

Judet shook her head. “I don’t know. Just what the song says – where the north wind meets the sea. My brother might know more, we could send for him. He travels up and down the coast this time of year.”

“We’ll send soldiers to find him. In plain clothes. We’ll bring him back and ask him what he knows. Then we can search for Ahtohallan. We can find out why Elsa has this power and how we can keep her safe.” He turned to Iduna, a fierceness burning in his eyes. “We will keep her safe.”

***

“It’s my fault, Agnarr.”

They were finally in bed, and though it had been nearly two days since they had last slept, both felt unable to submit to their exhaustion. To quiet their churning thoughts enough to welcome the release of sleep. They lay facing each other, and at her words, Iduna leaned her head to bury it into Agnarr’s chest.

He put an arm around her to draw her closer and run his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her sobs .

“Sunny,” he murmured. “This is not your fault. This was no one’s fault. It was an accident.”

“But it has something to do with Northuldra. It has something to do with the magic my people could use. I brought that here.” Her words were hard to hear; she was choking them out in whispers, gasping them in the midst of tears. It was like she was being swallowed by a wave of grief, the pounding surf carrying her whispered words away. “And Revna, that was my fault too.”

“No.” Agnarr froze, his hand halfway down her back, the name Revna recalling loss and pain and worry in a visceral way. He immediately felt the terror he had felt the day she was born, when he thought Iduan was lost to him. The day Revna had been born already gone.

“You heard Midwife Jora then. That was not your fault. Sometimes it happens, and no one can control it.”

“But the way she was – the heat, the burning – it has something to do with my people. “ She took a deep breath and drew her face back from his chest to look at him. “I have brought a curse to you. I am marked by magic and our children are too.”

Agnarr put a hand on her cheek. “Iduna, marked by magic or not, you are my wife, my family. I love you. We don’t know why this is happening. It might have to do with Northuldra, and this Ahtohallan place. But it might not. There are other places with magic and stories of magic. We will search everywhere for answers and we will save our daughters.”

Iduna pulled back and put her face in her hands, unable to accept his kindness. Her exhaustion was giving reign to her long-suspected fear that if she had done things differently, her family might be safe now. “If I had told you the truth from the start it would have been better. If I had left Arendelle all those years ago, I would have saved you this pain. Maybe this is payment for my lies.”

Agnarr took her hands away from her face, trying to stop the tide of tears that had begun again, searching for her eyes so she would know the truth of what he was about to say. “Sunny, I love you. I can’t imagine the loneliness of life without you, without this family we have made. You have no fault here. We will solve this, together. For our family. For Anna. And for Elsa.”

He leaned in to kiss her, brushing his fingertips gently along her jaw and Iduna responded, half lost in the familiar taste and shape of his mouth. The warm familiarity of his body as he gently covered her like a shield. They came together needing to feel the solid presence of each other, steadiness in this world of magic that had suddenly become so unpredictable and capricious. To remember that regardless of what came next, they were one. To affirm that there was no curse here, only blessing in this coming together that made lovers out of friends, family out of the lonely.

And when they finally slept, entwined, and their worries came back in the form of half-fragmented dreams of what might happen and memories of what had, they curled tightly against each other, trying to shut it all out and seek the only protection they had known in their adult lives.

#agduna #agduna week 2020 #agduna 2020 #when all is lost #first day post accident #first day of separation #blame the trolls #seriously Pabbie WTH #don't show an eight year old an image of them being killed by a mob #frozen fan fic

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lovewillthaw-j · 3 years

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Tribute to A Perfect Night by Mari Mancusi

A Perfect Night is the new short story by Dangerous Secrets author, @marimancusi . Just like DS, I loved reading APN so much! The writing was so warm and intimate and so real! And this story focuses on happy times with Agnarr, Iduna, Elsa and Anna! Mmm...warm fuzzy feeling. Little Elsa is so pure in heart and has good intentions. And Mari captured litte Anna EXACTLY as we know her from both movie prologues!

Also, Mari is truly a Frozen fan first, author second! She effortlessly weaves in soooo many little references to the rest of Frozen-verse, just like she did for DS! And just as I wrote two mega posts on the references in DS, here is my tribute post to APN! Long post filled with screencaps and gifs.

Spoilers, obviously. And go read the short story here if you haven’t!

===

I groaned as Gerda cheerfully pulled open the bedroom curtains, sending blinding rays of light into the room. I was about to pull the covers over my head to hide from them when suddenly I remembered why I’d asked her to wake me up.

The ladies of the royal family certainly love their beauty sleep!

It was our anniversary day! I shot up in bed.

I’d been planning the day for weeks, carefully orchestrating the most perfect night for Agnarr and me.

APN has SO much Frozen Fever vibes, if you picture Iduna as Elsa and Agnarr as Anna. Both Iduna and Elsa plan extensively for a special event for Agnarr and Anna (her birthday). And later on, the celebration goes awry, but Agnarr and Anna reassure them with their love that what they want most is to be with them.

I smiled. Little Anna had convinced her big sister to use her magic again. Elsa could never deny her request.

And then there was my dress. I’d managed to purchase some luxurious silk from overseas and had spent weeks sewing a new gown. It had a silver sash, and the dusty-blue skirt drifted to the floor like a cloud. All that was left to do was sew some tiny pearls onto the bodice to make it sparkle in the candlelight.

I recently came across this comic/Fanart by Ponzu and it depicts the headcanon that Iduna had a dress that Elsa modelled her F1 transformation dress on. I like that headcanon, and I would like it if the APN dress was THIS dress.

There were mountains of snow, an ice-skating rink, and, of course, dozens of snowmen of various sizes. (Was that my mother’s scarf wrapped around the crooked one’s neck?)

A little edit I made and previously posted!

The sisters exchanged looks. “Chocolate!” they breathed in perfect unison. I laughed. Like mother, like daughters. And father, too.

I wish I had the skills to animate the little ones saying Chocolate! in unison. Well, the next best thing I can do is find this and pretend they said Chocolate then!

“So romantic!” Elsa swooned. “Sooo womanticked,” Anna agreed, attempting her own swoon that almost landed her on her bottom again. Her big blue eyes locked on me.

Awww Mari! Getting Anna to cutely mispronounce her words! Just gets me everytime. And big blue eyes! Here I have a screencap of Anna swooning in F2. You know what I’d really like to see? A picture of little Elsa swooning!

“Ooh!” Anna clapped her hands.

I bit my lower lip. (occurs twice in the story)

The girls certainly take after their mama! There are lots more times that Anna and Elsa bit their lower lip, I didn’t capture them all but others have!

“I’ll take care of it, Mama,” Elsa said. Then she peered at me closer. “Are you all right?” she added, her brows drawn in concern as she caught my face.

“Poor Mama!” Elsa said, putting a hand to my cheek, as if I was the daughter and she was the mother.

Awwwwwww!!! I love that little Elsa is so mature and so affectionate. And caressing Mama’s cheek!!! Mmmmmppphhhh!!!

..a florist fussing about the nearby lutefisk stand smelling up her shop

Lutefisk.

..a kindly old man greatly concerned about the growing homeless-cat population, demanding the crown provide food and little sweaters.

Sweaters for little kittens? Provided!

“But it still tastes really good!” Anna chimed in, patting a section [of Iduna’s souffle] that had clearly been nibbled on.

Here we have the first of two times that Anna was like Olaf in FF, making a mess of things!

My eyes flew open. “My dress . . .” “We fixed that, too, Mama!” Anna said excitedly. “Wait till you see it.” I watched, filled with dread, as she ran to the wardrobe and threw open its doors. There, on a peg, was my once beautiful dress—the one that had taken me weeks to sew. Now it was covered in messily glued-on pearls—and a few chocolate handprints for good measure.

This scene just reminds me of Olaf messing up the letters in FF! Out of good intentions.

“Isn’t it just the beautifulest?” Anna declared, sighing dreamily.

Beautifuller, Beautifulest!

As I stepped through the doors, I drew in a breath. The room was gorgeous. Gerda had clearly worked overtime to set up the fancy silverware and china plates and goblets filled with wine. There were fresh roses spilling out from baskets. Candles flickered in the dim light.

Good old Gerda!!

And then I burst into tears. Agnarr was beside me in a second, pulling me into his arms. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked. “Why are you crying?”

Agduna hug! Ohhhh so touching!!

“Oh, sweetheart,” Agnarr whispered into my ear. He took my hands in his own, squeezing them tight. “This night is already special. Because I get to spend it with you.”

Anna/Agnarr taking Elsa/Iduna’s hands into their own

You didn’t screw up! I LOVE YOU!!

His lips pressed against mine, and his hands found my hips. Then he quickly yanked them away, realizing they were covered in chocolate. I blushed hard, but he started to laugh, bringing his fingers to his lips. Maybe tonight could still be romantic after all. . . .

That’s a steamy excerpt from Dangerous Secrets. An overtly sexual scene!!! Iduna is weak with arousal...Wink Wink...chocolate covered fingers really turns them on!! Ahem...forkanna cakefic anyone?

I gasped as my eyes fell on a spectacular sight in the center of the courtyard: our special tree, now covered in crystals of ice, sparkling brilliantly under the full moon. “Do you like it?” Elsa asked. “I did it myself!” “It’s . . . beautiful,” I whispered, so in awe I could barely speak.

Oh Mari! So beautiful that you referenced the make-out tree, now lit up with crystals of ice! Now I wonder if Elsa was the one who lit it for F2 in the scene above!

I raised my eyebrows at Agnarr. We both knew chocolate was a big deal to our youngest daughter. The fact that she was willing to give hers away . . .

Om nom nom!!

Elsa smiled proudly. “Of course, I might have changed it around a little. Gave it a happy ending.” “She gets married!” Anna burst in. “She marries the prince!” Elsa groaned. “Also, she gets to keep her legs and has the freedom to do what she wants in life

A little nod at WDAS’ version of the Little Mermaid! XD

“It sounds perfect, sweetheart,” Agnarr said, picking her up and twirling her around. “Happy endings are my favorites.” He pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. Elsa beamed.

Awww I wish I could see an animation of Agnarr hugging little Elsa like this!!

Then I walked her to Elsa and Agnarr so we could have a family hug. “I’m crying because I’m happy.” “Thank you, girls,” I said, nuzzling my face against Anna’s auburn hair before setting her down. “You did good.”

Family hug! I’m so sorry I do not know who created this edit, I saved it ages ago. I love this! And Mari I loved the description of Iduna nuzzling her face against Anna’s auburn hair. Awwwww my heart!! It’s SO REAL!!!

“But someday is a long way away!” Anna sulked, still not moving. “You know I don’t have that kind of—”

You know I don’t have that kind of patience!

“Hey, Anna,” Elsa broke in. “Do you want to build a snowman?”

Elsa asked Anna!!! Elsa asked Anna!!! AAaaahhhhhhh!!!

I watched as she ran toward the door at full Anna speed.

Anna Speed! Oh Mari even in the last few lines you throw in a reference! In Frozen Fever (again) we can see Anna Speed in action! When Elsa gives her her birthday dress, Anna RUNS from the bed to the changing area SO fast that she hits the wall with a BANG! And behind the screen we hear a loud GRUNT from her as she rips off her nightgown rapidly!! I can’t add a video to this mega long post but I did post it here previously! Turn on your sound!!

THANKS SO MUCH MARI MANCUSI!!

And thanks if you read till the end of this mega post!

#elsa #anna #iduna #agnarr #a perfect night #frozen #frozen 2 #disney frozen #disney #dangerous secrets #mari mancusi

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greenjacketwhitehatdocmui · 3 years

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Frozen: In the Details

Summary: Sometimes, the simplest of tasks can have a deeper meaning. Agnarr muses on what washing the car has meant to him in the past, and possibly the future. This was written for the “Summer Lovin’” issue of @frozines on Tumblr. Modern AU, Agduna and Kristanna.

This story can be found on @frozines and at Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own.

Enjoy!

--Pearson “Doc” Mui

Frozen: In the Details by Pearson “Doc” Mui

Agnarr awoke early on a Saturday. With some grumbling, Iduna released him from their bed as he prepared for the day. She understood that this task had to be done early in the morning, but she didn’t have to like it. If things worked out, however, it would have been worth waking up early for.

After a quick breakfast and some cleanup, Agnarr trotted to the garage. The spring in his step ran counter to the occasional crackling sound in his knees. Even the projected thirty percent chance of rain did nothing to dampen his spirits.

Eyeing one corner of the garage, he chose his tools for the day’s task. Buckets, wash mitts and car soap were laid out on the garage floor. After a moment, he opened up some folding chairs and a small table.

Opening the garage door, he smiled at the sight of his girls coming home, if only for today. They were adults now; Elsa was working on her PhD while Anna was a year into graduate school. The nest was never empty for too long, thankfully. They made time to visit, even if it was just for small talk.

Elsa eyed him ruefully before accepting a quick hug. She had a pretty good idea of what he had planned for their incoming guest. Anna, on the other hand, was pouting.

“Dad, are you really going to put Kristoff through this?” Clearly, his youngest wasn’t pleased at the prospect.

Agnarr raised an eyebrow. “The way you’re talking, you’d think that I was going to torture him. It’s just a car wash between men.” He sighed. “You used to love helping me wash the car.”

“I remember that you loved using the hose,” Elsa reminded Anna. There wasn’t any real bite to her words, though. “We used to help while wearing swimsuits.”

Anna’s pout faded as she sighed, briefly lost in nostalgia. “Those were good times, weren’t they?”

Iduna folded her arms and sighed. Both of her girls were wearing swimsuits underneath their shirts and shorts. Anna eagerly fingered the trigger to the hose while Elsa made sure the supplies were in order.

Elsa was having a good day. It hadn’t taken too much cajoling to get her outside. Anna’s puppy-dog eyes were a formidable weapon, especially at the tender age of eight.

Most men would have insisted on doing “man stuff” by themselves. Agnarr wanted to have as many family activities as possible. Everyone had a job: Agnarr would wash the car, Anna would rinse it off and Elsa would take care of the windows. Iduna was there for spot-checking and refreshments.

“Is everyone ready?” he asked enthusiastically.

“Ready!” Anna piped up.

“I’m ready, Papa,” Elsa said more demurely.

He nodded. “Well, let’s get this car clean, shall we?”

Iduna marveled at their coordination. Everyone worked their roles admirably. Of course, a family wash like this was more for fun than work. There wouldn’t be any intensely-detailed work like Agnarr had done before—

She suppressed a shudder. Agnarr’s father had been a cold taskmaster. He was more of a sire than an actual, warm father figure. While she took no pleasure in anyone’s passing, she had admit that the town had been the better for it.

The calm lasted almost the entire time the car was being washed. Then Anna got a little overzealous with the hose and sprayed into the air.

“Look, Elsa! Look Papa! I’m making rainbows—oops.” Anna laughed nervously as she realized that both Elsa and Agnarr were soaked.

Iduna sighed, safe in the garage. She knew that it was going to end up like this.

With calm, deliberate steps, she retreated further into the garage and grabbed a third, covered bucket from its hiding place. She and Agnarr had prepared this little surprise last night. With some effort, she hoisted the bucket to the driveway and uncovered it.

Iduna reached into the bucket and grabbed a water balloon. She gestured for everyone to do the same.

“On three,” she said firmly. “One, two—“

“THREE!” Anna squealed.

The battle was joined. When it was over, they were collapsed on the lawn, soaked through and basking in the summer sun. It had been a good day.

“Morning, girls,” Iduna greeted them. “Have you had breakfast yet? I could fix something up.”

“We’re fine, Mom,” Elsa reassured her. “We ate before we came here.”

Anna blinked and winced as she ran back to her car, an unassuming Honda Civic. Rummaging around, she extracted a bag and jogged back.

“We stopped by Hudson’s Hearth,” Anna said. “Destin and Halima say `hello.’” She opened it up and the three women sniffed deeply at the smell that wafted out.

“Hmm…chocolate,” they chorused. For a moment, they were lost in the smell of the pastries.

Agnarr tried not to chuckle. The apples didn’t fall far from the tree.

He turned away from them and tried not to look too anxious or expectant. In the brief encounters he’d had before, Kristoff had seemed like a nice enough young man. It was clear that he cared greatly for Anna.

Unfortunately, Anna hadn’t been so lucky the first time. At first glance, Hans had seemed like a good person, too. But the devil was always in the details—or, in this case, the detailing.

Hans had pulled into their driveway in a Ferrari. To Agnarr, this was the first clue that the young man might have been trying too hard.

“Good morning, Mr. Arendelle!” Hans greeted him enthusiastically. “So, who’s going to get the royal car wash treatment?”

“We’ll be taking care of Anna’s car,” Agnarr said. “I already waxed our cars last week. I figured that Anna’s car could use a cleanup.”

Hans’s smile froze. There was a dark shadow of disappointment in his eyes.

“Oh,” Hans said simply. Then he rallied. “Oh, of course,” he agreed. “Nothing but the best for Anna.”

“I’m glad that you agree,” Agnarr said. “I have all the supplies in the garage. Was there anything you needed?”

“Thank you sir, but I brought my own things,” Hans said smoothly. He almost strutted to the Ferrari and pulled out some high-end detailing supplies from the little trunk. They were all brand new and still in the package.

“Do you use all this on your own car?” Agnarr asked.

Hans paused. Then he smiled in an ingratiating manner. “I don’t compromise on quality, Mr. Arendelle. As I said before, I want only the best for Anna.”

As the time passed, Agnarr noticed several things he wasn’t sure that he liked. Hans insisted on doing it all himself, even though Agnarr had offered to help. Whenever Anna caught his eye, Hans flexed and winked.

It was clear to Agnarr that Hans had never washed a car in his life. He was washing randomly instead of methodically, “politely” refusing any suggestions. He was sloppy applying the wax, squirting a long line on the car and working from there. Furthermore, when Hans thought that neither Agnarr nor Anna was looking, he scowled.

Agnarr did not have a good feeling about Hans. He tried to voice his objections to Anna, but she was entirely captivated by how charming, selfless and helpful he was. Hans was, in her eyes, flawless. It was not a good sign.

“I’m not sure it’ll work out,” he admitted to Iduna later on. It pained him to see Anna clinging to Hans’s every word. It was obvious that Anna was utterly besotted with Hans.

“I didn’t know that a car wash was a personality test,” she joked. Her smile faded as she noted his grim expression. “You’re serious?”

He sighed heavily. “He doesn’t take any suggestions or criticism. He shows off when he knows that people are looking. When he thinks nobody’s looking, it’s obvious that he’s not really enjoying himself.” He paused. “And honestly, even Anna could see that he did a terrible job of it.”

“Elsa doesn’t like him, either,” she said. “Something about how he seems insincere to everyone except the person he’s focusing on.”

“Dad had that kind of charm,” Agnarr admitted. “He was better at it, though. Hardly anyone saw his dark side.”

She flinched. “We should warn her.”

“I’m not sure she’d listen. She has an incredibly forgiving heart and Hans will take full advantage of it. You saw how besotted she was with him. I could practically see the hearts floating from her.”

“So we do nothing?” Those words left a bad taste in her mouth.

“No.” He shook his head. “We hope for the best and prepare for the worst. If he tries to isolate her, we find ways to keep in contact. Elsa’s ready to intervene if she has to.”

She nodded. “And what if he goes too far?”

His expression darkened. “Then I will make certain that he never huts anyone again.”

“Just you?” she asked. “You never let me have any fun.”

“Fine, I can go after you,” he sighed. “Not that there would be much left.”

Anna’s enthusiastic greeting to Kristoff’s truck broke Agnarr out of his reverie. He chuckled as Kristoff parked his truck on the side of the road. It was a small gesture of consideration, one of many that he’d observed. Kristoff wasn’t rich and he hadn’t been able to afford the best education, but he was kind and sincere.

“Woof!”

Oh, and Kristoff had a big, friendly dog. The girls had taken to him almost immediately, with Anna babbling baby-talk as Elsa looked embarrassed. Iduna was not immune to Sven’s “puppy in a big body” charm. As for Agnarr, he was fond of the big dog as well—though he tried to be restrained about it.

“Mr. Arendelle,” Kristoff greeted Agnarr politely—and a bit nervously. “Um, I hope you don’t mind that I brought Sven. The big lug didn’t want to stay home.”

“That’s fine,” Agnarr said reasonably. “As long as he behaves himself, I don’t have any problem.”

“He’s a total sweetie, Dad,” Anna said from behind. “Want me to keep an eye on him?” She asked Kristoff.

“That’d be great, thanks,” he said. “If he gets fidgety, you know what to do.”

Opening the door, he grabbed Sven’s leash. The big dog jumped out and waited for Anna to accept the lead. After the obligatory scratch behind the ears and baby talk, she and Sven headed to the shelter of the garage.

“So, um, I brought some stuff with me,” Kristoff admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous gesture. “Of course, if there’s something you want to use, I’m okay with that.”

Agnarr scrutinized the equipment in the back of the truck. The microfiber towels had been neatly folded in their own, zip-locked bag. Two buckets with grates inside met with his approval. He did arch an eyebrow at the orbital polisher and pads, something that his late father would have taken issue with. There were spray bottles of wheel cleaner, “ceramic wax,” something for the upholstery and something called “instant detailer.” Everything was in good condition, but it was obvious that the equipment had seen some use.

“Do you think I brought too much?” Kristoff asked nervously. “Maybe I overdid it.”

“I think this will be just fine,” Agnarr said. He turned towards Anna. “What are you in the mood for today?” he asked.

“Well, I really don’t need anything fancy,” she replied. “Why? What did you have in mind?”

“I could probably get rid of some of those swirl marks,” Kristoff suggested. “If you want, I mean. Think of it as kind of exfoliating your car.”

She lifted an eyebrow at the metaphor. “Well…maybe just the hood and the trunk,” she allowed. She quirked the corner of her mouth in amusement. “You just want to use your little toy, don’t you?”

“Well, I saved up for it,” he admitted. “So, smooth out the hood and trunk, got it.”

Agnarr tried not to chuckle. “You have a polisher, don’t you?”

“It’s nothing fancy,” Kristoff said. “I saved up for it, so I figured I might as well get some mileage out of it.”

“He waxes his truck every few weeks,” Anna said. “You know, I kind of feel bad that you’re doing all this for my car. Maybe I could take care of the upholstery or something?”

The two men shared a look. Anna was dressed practically for the warm weather. There was nothing objectionable about her jean shorts and t-shirt. However, crawling around to wipe down the seats would have been awkward, to say the least.

“How about I walk you through getting your trunk polished?” Kristoff suggested. “It’s not that hard.”

“You’re letting me touch your baby?” Anna asked dubiously.

“My polisher is not my baby,” Kristoff protested. Then there was a warmth in his smile that made her flush. “I trust you.”

“So…you’d let me wax your truck?” she teased.

“Why don’t we start with your car first?” Agnarr gently interrupted. “We don’t want to wait too long, after all.”

Elsa quietly smiled as the men worked on the car. They had been surprisingly efficient and coordinated well together. There were moments when one man had to offer feedback to the other, but neither of them took any offense. It was an unusual kind of camaraderie.

Kristoff was a vast improvement over Hans. What he lacked in funds, he more than made up for in heart. He may have been a little rough around the edges, but there was no doubt that Anna was the most important person in his life.

She heard one breathy sigh, then another. She noted the very contented looks on the faces to either side of her. Then she noted that even in the relatively cool summer weather, Kristoff and her father had worked up quite the sweat, their shirts clinging to them.

With a quiet, resigned sigh, she went into the house. Her sister and mother were oblivious to her absence.

A few moments later, she returned with a tray of drinks and two towels. She set the tray on a nearby work bench and took two tall glasses of lemonade with her.

Anna still had a dazed, dopey expression on her face. Iduna wasn’t much better.

Elsa took Anna’s free hand, the one that wasn’t holding Sven’s leash, and gently placed the glass in her palm. With a start, she blinked as if she were coming out of a spell.

Elsa did the same for their mother. Iduna’s reaction was much the same as Anna’s.

Elsa couldn’t resist a little smirk. “I thought you two might want something to drink,” she said. “You both looked…thirsty.”

Iduna and Anna rolled their eyes at the double-entendre. Behind the cool exterior that Elsa projected, she could be quite the joker—even if her humor tended to be on the dry side.

“Very funny,” Anna returned. “We’re just appreciating their hard work.”

“We certainly are,” Iduna agreed. “Both of them are very diligent.”

“Well, maybe we could reward their diligence with a towel and a sports drink?” Elsa suggested, gesturing to the tray. “I think they could use it.”

Agnarr wiped the sweat off of his forehead. While he still enjoyed washing cars, he was reminded that he wasn’t a young man anymore. Even though he and Kristoff were cutting the workload in half, he was still going to be sore tomorrow morning.

Still, it was gratifying to see how seriously Kristoff took things. He was methodical and, more importantly, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. He concentrated on the job at hand and accepted feedback.

“You’ve had some experience,” he observed. “With washing cars, I mean.”

Kristoff gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I worked part-time at the car wash one summer,” he replied. “I guess it kind of stuck.” He wiped at his brow. “I wouldn’t want to do it for a living, though.”

“I had to…earn things by washing cars,” Agnarr said. “My father was a big believer in hard work.”

Kristoff said nothing. He could tell by the older man’s tone that there were mixed emotions.

Agnarr wiped the sweat off his brow, if only to not drip on his father’s Cadillac. The “beast,” as he jokingly called it, was an ostentatious symbol of his father’s wealth and practicality. It was practical in that any repairs or maintenance could be easily obtained within the town.

As he wiped off a clear path in the baked-on wax, he saw his tired, sweaty reflection in the black depths of the “beast.” He had just spent the last four hours under the hot July sun. Every detail had been supervised by his father, who was resting in the shade with a beer. Every once in a while, his father would shout words of—

“Come on, boy!” Runeard exclaimed. “Put your back into it! In my day, we had to deal with Blue Coral. You’ve got it easy with that wax!”

Agnarr said nothing. His father often deducted from the anticipated payment if he talked back. It was one of the little ways that the family company kept people in line.

It took another half hour to clear off the last of the wax. His arms trembling, he stood up straight and awaited judgment—and hopefully, payment.

Runeard took one last draw of his beer and got up. He circled around the Cadillac and murmured in—well, it wasn’t quite approval. It was more like he acknowledged that the job had been done.

Agnarr tried to keep calm. He didn’t dare show how eager he was to get paid. He couldn’t ever let his feelings show, not in front of his father.

Runeard wiped his index finger down the hood and felt for any errant wax. There was one last murmur as he nodded.

“It’ll do,” Runeard declared. With exaggerated magnanimity, he took out a twenty and handed it to Agnarr. Then the scowl returned as his nostrils flared. “Get cleaned up before you go, boy. And you’d better stay away from those filthy people.”

Agnarr nodded once. The less his father knew about his outings with Iduna, the better.

With one last scowl, Runeard shooed him away from the car. It was the same dismissive gesture he might have used for a servant. It certainly reinforced Agnarr’s place in the world—at least in Runeard’s mind.

Agnarr trudged back into the house. He didn’t have to play up his muscle aches. He did have to remind himself not to smile in front of his father.

Those long, hot hours had been worth it. The aches had been worth it. Above all, Iduna was worth it.

Agnarr forced himself to take long, slow sips of the sports drink as he toweled off the sweat. The exterior had been cleaned and dried, including the wheels. All that was left was the interior and waxing the car.

“You’re in good shape for your age, but don’t overdo it,” Iduna warned him gently. “There’s no one to show off to.”

“I’m not showing off,” he replied. “I’m just…enjoying the moment.”

“What moment?” she asked.

He turned his gaze to where Kristoff was showing Anna the bottle of detailer spray and some sort of yellow clay. He sprayed the hood and wiped the clay across the surface. Then he took a microfiber towel and wiped off any residue.

“See these little dots and specks?” Kristoff pointed to the clay bar. “These are contaminants that stick on your paint. We want to get rid of those before we polish out the swirls. After that, we put on the wax and we’re all set.” He paused. “Here, feel where I just cleaned it up.”

Anna tentatively brushed a finger across the surface. Blue eyes widened in amazement.

“Whoa, that’s…really smooth,” she said. “So, you do this every time you wax your truck?”

He shook his head. “No, this is only once or twice a year. This used to be a big secret for the car shops until a few years ago.”

Iduna turned back to Agnarr and nodded in understanding. There wasn’t a hint of arrogance or condescension in Kristoff’s voice. He merely wanted to inform Anna about something he liked.

As the morning went on, Agnarr noted how patient Kristoff was with Anna. He was a good teacher, putting his polisher in Anna’s hands. It was obvious that Kristoff trusted her implicitly—and she felt the same about him.

By the time they were done, Anna’s Honda had never looked better. Anna and Kristoff took a moment to bask in their shared accomplishment. The car gleamed in the light, despite the clouds coming in.

“Good job, feisty pants,” Kristoff complimented her. “She looks great.”

“Oh, I didn’t do all that much,” she demurred. “You and Dad did all the hard work.”

“Oh, it’s not as hard as the old days,” Agnarr chimed in. “Believe me, I would have been a lot less sore if we had that ceramic wax back then. It’s a lot easier to take off than baked-on Turtle Wax.”

Any further comment was forestalled when Sven sniffed the air. The big dog made a dissatisfied, grumbling sound. Moments later, the sky darkened with an ominous rumble.

“Oh, no…” Agnarr groaned. “There wasn’t supposed to be any rain today!”

“That figures,” Kristoff sighed heavily. He eyed the back of his truck.

Elsa checked her phone. “Looks like there’ll be heavy showers for an hour or two.”

“But we just finished it!” Anna groaned.

Kristoff perked up a little. “Well, I’ve got a tarp in the back of my truck. I could cover up your car until the rain stops.”

Anna blinked. “You’re prepared.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes life is like that. You get little bumps in the road and do the best you can. Experience is the toughest teacher. C’mon, let’s get this done.”

Moments later, Anna’s car was safely covered just before the deluge hit. Everyone watched the rain from inside the garage. Kristoff and Agnarr were toweling off their hair. They were both soaked form the rain.

“Sorry it didn’t work out, sir,” Kristoff said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Agnarr replied. “I’d say that this was a very productive day.”

Kristoff looked at him quizzically. “How so?”

Behind him, Anna looked puzzled while Elsa looked satisfied. Clearly, something was going on.

“Do you have anywhere you need to go?” Agnarr asked casually.

“Not until the rain stops,” Kristoff replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, until then, I suppose that you and Sven are our guests. Do you have any requests for lunch?”

Kristoff held up his hands. “Sir, I really don’t want to impose. I’m sure you were looking forward to time with your family.”

“I am,” Agnarr acknowledged with a nod. “Of course, this can include prospective members of my family.”

“But Sven—“

“He’s covered,” Elsa said. She reached in her purse and held up a can of dog food.

Kristoff blinked as Sven leaned against Elsa. “Did you know about this?” he asked Anna.

She shook her head. “Nope. It’s news to me.”

“Relax,” Agnarr said calmly. “I’m not bringing out the shotgun for you two. I’m just asking if you’d like to stay for lunch.”

“I—sure, if it’s no trouble,” he agreed.

“No trouble at all,” Iduna reassured him. “There’s plenty in the Instant Pot to go around.” She opened the door to the house and the smell of hearty stew wafted outside.

“Useful, isn’t it?” Elsa remarked. She paused and dug out something else from her purse. She handed a large, folded square of cloth to Kristoff. “You’ll need this.”

He grimaced at the t-shirt he’d been handed. It wasn’t his, but it was definitely his size. The words “love expert” were boldly emblazoned on the front, complete with hearts.

“Elsa!” Anna exclaimed.

“Yes?” Elsa could not have pretended to be more innocent if she’d batted her eyes.

“You are a stinker. No, you are a scheming, plotting stinker. This was a conspiracy!” Anna declared.

Elsa and Agnarr had matching smirks. That was unsettling to both Anna and Kristoff.

“Well, I didn’t plan on the rain,” Agnarr admitted. “You are welcome in my house.” He paused. “While you are in my house, I do expect you two to…mind your manners.”

Agnarr turned to go inside. He only briefly paused when he passed Elsa.

“They’re blushing, aren’t they?” he murmured.

“Oh, yes,” Elsa agreed.

“Good.”

Elsa lingered for a moment, a smug little smirk on her face. Then she tapped her thigh and Sven followed her inside.

“Your Dad really doesn’t have a shotgun, does he?”

“I…don’t think so. I think he likes you.”

“That’s…good,” Kristoff got out awkwardly. “I mean, it’s better than the alternative.”

Wordlessly, Anna reached out. He gently took her hand as her eyes shone.

“Come on, Mr. Love Expert,” she said. “Let’s have a family lunch.”

Kristoff’s expression softened. “Sounds good to me.”

The End

#frozen #frozines #summer lovin'#agnarr #iduna #agduna #anna #elsa #kristoff #hans #kristanna #my writing

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