-Half-year after Frozen II-
Queen Anna of Arendelle. She had to admit; it sounds quite lovely. As the new queen, she has tons of duties, and the daily visiting of the village is one of them. The people seemed to enjoy having the newly crowned queen around them, even if she doesn't have ice powers like her sister. But Anna is a good person; she rules with kindness, just like her parents and sister did. And then there's Kristoff, who would do anything to help his wife.
Even the sun seemed to shine brighter as the cold winter finally ended and almost everyone was outside, even the Queen herself. For once, she finally has some time to spend with her beloved people. The paperwork could wait. She proudly watched her kingdom blossoming as she visited almost all the shops, only stopping when someone - usually the children - wanted to say something nice to her.
There was only one place that she hasn't seen yet, and it's probably the best of all — the chocolate shop. She let the sweet fragrance of freshly made chocolate tickle her nose, mouth already watering. She's been waiting for a treat all day. After all, she's doing a damn good job as ruler; she deserves it.
She let the delicious smell guide her into the shop, her body almost moving against her will. The door opened, and the bell rang, revealing a lovely place. "Good day! Ahh, our beautiful queen! What can I do for your majesty?" Anna smiled as the shopkeeper welcomed her warmly. The kindness of her people always made her heart flutter.
"Hello, just the usual." Said the Queen as she wandered into the shop further, the hardwood of the floor creaking under her feet.
"A box of dark and another box of milk chocolate for the Queen herself is on its way!" The owner disappeared at the back of the shop, divided by nothing but a single curtain. Within just a few moments, he came back with Anna's orders. "There you go, my Queen! Enjoy!"
"Thank you!" Anna took a few coins from her pocket and put it on the table, just before turning around to leave. She heard the shopkeeper lift the curtain and talk to somebody, which seemed quite strange because Anna always thought he worked alone.
Maybe it's not too ladylike to eavesdrop, especially when it comes to the Queen, but Anna couldn't help it, so she stayed and listened to the strange conversation. "Gods! How many times I told you to take those off!" He yelled at the other person. "Why the fuck are you wearing those stupid gloves, huh?! Isn't it warm enough for you here?! Or are you afraid of something?!"
"No! It's just that-" The person had a deep, yet soft female voice that sounded quite familiar to Anna's ears. She walked a few steps closer, slowly, so they can't hear as she hid her body behind the curtain.
The woman didn't have a chance to finish as the owner cut her off. "I'm not telling you again! Take the damn gloves off before you ruin something!"
"You shouldn't talk to your worker like that!" Anna said, interrupting the conversation between the two people as she pushed the curtain away. The worker stood with her back turned to the Queen, head lowered to the ground. "And besides, if she wants to wear gloves, then-"
Time stopped for a moment when the worker turned around, revealing their looks to the Queen of Arendelle. Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened, mouth hanging open. That hair, those eyes and tall frame. Could it be? But...she's dead! Anna gasped immediately, failing to finish her sentence.
-
It was a fine day, even in the Enchanted Forest. A certain platinum blonde-haired woman found peace under a tree as she turned the page of the book in her pale hands. She's not the Queen of Arendelle anymore, so lazy days like this became quite usual. Sometimes she just sat in the grass, gazing at the blue sky that reminded her of her mother's eyes. Other times, she went back to Arendelle to help her sister or build an ice rink for the children. This was her life now, and she enjoyed it more than she expected. It was quite strange at first, but it gave her freedom and independence, which she yearned for years.
And then there's Honeymaren, The Fifth Spirit's girlfriend. They became a couple about four months ago, but it was clear for Elsa that the shepherdess is interested in her since the beginning. It felt...wrong to start a new relationship after Cassandra's death. But at the same time, it's been about two years since she's gone and even if it hurts her deeply, Elsa must move on.
Of course, it's not that easy. While it only took Elsa a week to kiss Cassandra, things were much slower with Honeymaren. She adores her, but it's just not the same. They kissed once or twice, and it doesn't seem to bother the shepherdess, but Elsa knows that something isn't right about their relationship. It's not the love that burned with high flames and left her breathlessly after each kiss. That was with Cassandra. With Honeymaren, it's about care. No matter how shameful it is, this is not what Elsa wants.
"Hi, Elsa!" Came a voice from above. The blonde looked up to see her girlfriend sitting on a tree, smiling at her.
"Hello, there. What are you doing, Honey?" Asked Elsa with a small giggle.
With expert movements, Honeymaren climbed off, now blocking the sun from the Arendellian as she stood in front of her. "I was just watching you. What are you reading?" She took a step closer, stealing a glance at Elsa's book.
The blonde closed it as soon as she noticed her lover's stare, hiding the writing under her palms. It was a romance novel. The main character's personality and beautiful words reminded her of Cassandra, but of course, Maren doesn't need to know that. Even after two years, her grief is still lingering deep inside her. It didn't get better, just easier. Her heart is missing an integral piece, a part that keeps it from working correctly. "Nothing." She said quietly.
Sighing, the shepherdess shook her head. "You always say that." She never showed it, but the distance Elsa puts between them makes her heart ache bitterly. This is not how lovers should interact with each other, and it questions Elsa's true feeling towards the shepherdess. "Whatever. I have to go and feed the reindeers. See you later." She leaned down to press a small kiss on the blonde's forehead before disappearing in the woods, hurt and angry at herself. One day Elsa will accept that Cassandra is gone. But not today.
-
The shopkeeper left the two women alone, hiding like a dog and Anna couldn't hold herself back anymore. She was angry, and oh boy, someone save the person she's yelling at. "How dare you set your feet in Arendelle after what you've done?!"
"I-I'm s-sorry." The woman stuttered, her face flustered in embarrassment. She didn't understand why would this fancy looking stranger scream at her; she had never done anything wrong that would make anyone upset. "But I-I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Liar!" How nostalgic, thought Anna, before raising her freckled hand. She had enough of her crap, and her behaviour is unacceptable. Her hand met with the other woman's cheek, causing her to let out a little startled gasp in pain and fear. "You should be ashamed of yourself! It wasn't nice of you to break Elsa's heart!"
The woman was so scared. She knew it was dumb to be afraid of the small redhead, but she couldn't help it. The problem was that she always over thought every damn thing. What if the freckled woman wants to torture her like almost everyone else before? There's no way she could survive such treatment twice. "Who's Elsa?! And why are you hurting me?!"
"W-what are you saying?" Anna whispered, her voice turning soft and desperate. "You don't know who Elsa is? Don't you remember my sister?"
The taller woman lowered her gaze to the ground. It was painful. She didn't even remember her own name and why she needed to suffer for an unknown crime. She smiled weakly and shook her head before turning her attention to Anna. "I don't even know who I am." She felt so lost. She had no one to take care of her or give her advice, guiding her on the right path. She's so alone.
The words hit Anna like a brick, and it seemed like almost everything she believed about Cassandra's death was just a lie, to cover up a different story. It didn't make any sense at first, then Anna understood. The person in front of her never died, but instead, she lost her memories. She never meant to leave or hurt Elsa, and none of what happened was her fault. "Cassandra, you need to come with me." Said Anna in a slightly commanding tone.
"But what if I can't trust you? And why are you calling me 'Cassandra'?" Cassandra asked. If she could fit her life in a book, the first pages would be blank, nothing but the white paper. Only the last chapter would be filled with dark, horrible memories of pain, suffering and torture. She doesn't need more of them.
Anna sighed and grabbed the princess' hand, trying to drag her out of the shop by force. "Because I know who you are! And I'm going to help you!"
"I don't need your help!" Cassandra finally yelled back. Gulping, she released her hand from Anna's grip. "And don't touch me!"
The Queen looked at the gloves covering Cass' hand. "Are you afraid because of your powers?" The princess' eyes widened in shock. She never told anyone about her powers, because if people would know, they'd probably kill her. She wore the gloves to conceal her magic, but sometimes it wasn't enough. Regardless of that, she hesitantly nodded. "Don't worry about it. I know someone who's just like you and believe me, she's been dying to meet you."
This person isn't the same as the Cassandra who saved the former Queen of Arendelle. She's scared and desperate for the things that she can't have. She has no purpose or family, no one she could trust. Her face is thinner, hair longer, body less muscular. There's barely a thing left of the real Cassandra inside her. But why? What happened to her? Who did this to Cassandra?
-
The long lost warrior princess allowed the redhead to take her to the castle. But still, she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. She felt greatly ashamed when it turned out that Anna is actually the Queen, and she disrespected her just a moment ago. She took Cassandra to one of the guest bedrooms, where she stayed during her first visit to Arendelle. Now they're sitting on the bed with a fair distance between them.
"So, I think you should tell me what happened to you during the last two years." Anna's kindness surprised the older woman, and even if she couldn't remember anything about her, something told her that the redhead is trustworthy enough to tell her every painful thing that keeps her up at night.
Cass' gaze followed every inch of the bedroom in awe, barely believing what's happening to her. During the two years, she spent most of her time on the streets, with just enough food and money to survive. And now she's in a castle, surrounded by the finest things in Arendelle. "I-I don't remember much of my past. One day I just woke up in a dark cell, chained to the wall." She swallowed a painful lump in her throat, remembering every strike that wounded her already scarred skin in that horrible place. "They tortured me, but of course, I don't know why." She closed her grey eyes for a moment, trying to recall everything. "Some of them called me 'Daddy's Little Girl', which is funny because I don't know who my father is."
"Probably for the best. He's terrible." Anna added.
"That's...good to know I guess." She cleared her throat and continued her story. "So...after some time, I don't know exactly how it happened, but my powers got out of control. That's how I escaped, but I was barely alive. An older woman helped me out a little bit. She offered me a place where I could stay as long as I maintain the fields around her house. It wasn't the best job, but I couldn't afford to be picky."
"So you would've accepted any kind of job." It was hard to imagine. The once graceful and well-behaving warrior wandering the streets like a common homeless person, begging for food and money.
The taller woman nodded in agreement. "Exactly. But then I left, because..." She paused for a moment, thinking about what to say next. "Nevermind. You're going to think I'm insane."
The redhead chuckled. Her sister has ice magic and is The Fifth Spirit, she froze hear heart once and saved her with the act of true love, a living snowman is living in the castle, and her husband is talking to a reindeer. There's nothing that could surprise her. "Believe me; I've seen enough crazy things in my life. I won't judge you."
Taking a deep breath, Cassandra collected all of her willpower to reveal the truth. "I heard a voice. It was...calling for me, like some kind of siren. I tried to ignore it, but no matter what I've done, it didn't work. It left me no other choice, so I followed it. But the voice only became louder, like it's trying to warn me or I don't even know." She bit her lip, unsure if she shall ask the question that troubled her since Anna first mentioned it. "You...you called me Cassandra. Is it...my real name?" Anna just nodded and smiled at her. Somehow, having a name made Cass feel alive, more like a human instead of a ruthless monster created to take lives. "It sounds fancy. You really know who I am."
"Actually, I don't. But I guess we were something like friends." Anna said, shrugging. Being a queen's friend sounded strange to Cass, and it only left her with more questions. "I mean, we had some fun together, but you never told me too much personal stuff about yourself." The Queen paused for a moment, looking into the princess' eyes with nothing but pure kindness. She noticed that Cass' eyes had the same twinkle in them, grey like the smoke that comes from the burning ashes. "But it doesn't matter now. Not because of you or me, but I want to help you, Cassandra. We wait until tomorrow so that you can regain your energy. And after that, we'll find my sister in the Enchanted Forest."
The young monarch knew that Elsa tried to move on. She even told her about how Honeymaren and her are together. But some word doesn't have to spoken, and Anna could see it Elsa's eyes that her heart still belongs to Cassandra. And there's no way Anna won't try to bring them back together.
-
A/N: I think you all knew I would never kill my precious Cassandra. She still has a few more asses to kick ;)
And yeah, she hears the voice and Elsa's together with Honeymaren because that means more drama.
I haven't decided yet, but within one or two chapters, the story will get very dark. But nope, no more suffering for Cass, because I think she got enough abuse for more than a lifetime.
Sorry for the huge time skips and shorter chapters! I didn't want to change anything about Frozen II.