Trust Runs Deep

Chapter 16

The girls, Conrad and Olaf ahead back inside, all feeling rather let down by the turn of events. Olaf spun around the room giggling gleefully.

"I can't wait!"

"For what, Olaf?" Elsa asked.

"For your family traditions! What is it? Tell me tell me tell me!" The girls paused awkwardly. Neither could respond.

"Girls?" Conrad asked.

"Do we have any traditions, Elsa?" Anna asked her sister. Elsa turned to her and Conrad, no smile on her face, "do you remember?" Elsa's gaze traveled from Anna up to the family portrait of them when Anna was still a baby. Elsa made her way to the painting.

"Well, I remember it was long ago, they would ring the bell..." Elsa looked out the frosted windows, "We could hear it chime through Arendelle... I remember the way that I felt back then. We would ring in the season. We would ring in the season..." Conrad watched Elsa sadly, feeling the pain she felt, he knew what was going through her mind.

"But, the Yule bell was for the kingdom, what about us?" Anna asked. Elsa sighed.

"After the gates were closed, we were never together." Elsa walked away from Anna and Conrad.

"Elsa?"

"I'm sorry, Anna. It's my fault we don't have a family tradition." Elsa left the room, and Anna went after her, the door being closed in her face.

"Wait, Elsa!" Conrad knew the meaning of a closed door in Anna's face. He decided it'd be best to leave Elsa be for a bit and comfort Anna.

"Come on Anna." Conrad said, she nodded and followed him, leaving Olaf behind. Anna looked at Conrad sadly.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." She said.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Anna. It's okay."

"I still feel bad, both for Elsa and our family." Conrad sighed, taking them to the library, "what are some of the traditions your family has on the holidays?" Anna asked him suddenly curious. Conrad chuckled.

"Well... when we were little, we would each be given special calendars to count down the days to Christmas. The little doors marked with days had little sweets in them, and we would get excited to open each one. Our kingdom would be lively and warm with each family throwing small parties and the like." Anna grinned.

"That sounds wonderful!" Conrad nodded.

"It was. Some people had a little tradition to give their animals special treats for the season as well, some going into the woods to give something to the wild animals. And for dinner, my family tended to go all out with that, and for dessert, we have something called ris á la mande, with chopped almonds. But whoever found the whole one gets an extra present." Anna giggled.

"Who usually found it?"

"Signe always did. Up until the past couple years it was either me or Tobias." Anna laughed.

After talking with him a bit more, Anna decided to go elsewhere in the castle for a bit, and Conrad went to go find Elsa. He found her in her room.

"Elsa? Sweetheart?" She smiled sadly as he came in, "Are you alright?"

"I... I just feel bad that my family doesn't have traditions for the holidays, I want to make it up to Anna, but I don't know how." Conrad sighed.

"Well, let's go look for her and we'll see if we can figure something out. There's always time." Elsa nodded and they went to Anna's room. Elsa took a deep breath and knocked.

"Anna? I owe you an apology for earlier." Elsa said as she came in. But the princess was nowhere to be found, "Anna?" The two heard thumping around above the princess's room.

"What the? Is there an attic up there?" Conrad asked.

"There is... I couldn't imagine what she'd be doing up there though." Grabbing a lantern and making their way up, Elsa pushed open the trap door, and made her way in, Conrad coming up right behind her. Suddenly a figure covered in a blanket popped out of a trunk, startling Conrad and Elsa, who gasped.

"Hi Elsa! Hi Conrad!" Anna exclaimed, her hair back down in it's usual casual twin braids.

"Oh! Anna, what're you doing up here?" Anna climbed out of the trunk, covered in random bits of clothing and a hat.

"Looking for traditions!" Anna replied.

"And what are you wearing?"

"My old Viking helmet!" The three laughed, "and THIS! Was my sorcerer's cloak!" Anna swished around an old embroidered blanket around her shoulders, being all dramatic. Conrad and Elsa laughed. Anna waved her hands too, showing off mittens.

"And! Dragon feet!" Elsa giggled as Anna tossed her stuff away, "I found them in my old trunk! What's in yours?"

"Oh, mostly gloves." Elsa replied.

"Haha right, rows and rows of satin gloves!" Anna pushed open the trunk, expecting to see something different, but nope, gloves.

"Oh."

"Yup. Welcome to my world." Conrad joined them and took a look. He remembered Elsa telling him about what it was like to wear gloves all the time, and actually seeing them firsthand, was a little strange.

"Wow..." Conrad whispered, Elsa glanced at him and nodded.

"Wait, who's this little guy?" Anna asked, picking up a small toy.

"Oh... Sir Jorgenbjorgen!" Elsa exclaimed, taking the puffin-esque toy into her hands. It was well worn with age, with a little button for an eye.

"He was a really good listener..." Elsa's face fell, letting the toy back in the trunk, "Anna how are we going to find any traditions up here?" Elsa spied a box underneath the puffin toy, decorated with rams and bells, "Unless..."

"What's that?"

"Look inside." Anna opened the box, and after a second, gasped.