Before It All

A/N: This idea popped into my head after watching frozen 2 on Saturday as I feel like the origin story of how Iduna and Agnarr met was brushed over and yet there is so much potential in it as a story. Hope you enjoy and remember to read and review!

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Panting

The metallic taste in her throat gave away just how exhausted she was, she had been running about like a madwoman, ducking and diving in between the clashing northundra and arrendellians; a metal blade or hard staff barely missing her from time to time. She had to find him, he had to be safe. She wasn't sure why she felt this way about the boy, they had barely met the other day, but she felt as though there was something special to him, a magnetic pull that left her heart fluttering and pounding at the mere thought of him. A pained scream made her heart seize, fear boiling over into panic as she shouted the boy's name. The orange and brown leaves whirled in a fury, blinding and smothering her as she ran through the maze of tree trunks.

She found him.

Crumpled, head resting against the boulder, she fell to her knees, the ringing in her ears growing louder and louder as the boy lay still on the rock. She touched his face, stroking along the still soft jawline of the boy. The muffled thumping of a body hitting the floor next to her broke her out of the daze. She scooped the boy up, her strong arms from years of hunting doing her well, and furtively ran through the forest. Her legs burning, she pushed forward. The clambering of a sword above her head made her stumble, crawling backwards she threw herself between the assailant and the boy, anger blazing in her eyes. She looked at the man in the eyes, his dark skin and brown eyes distinctive amongst the pale faces of the other soldiers.

"Please" she whispered, barely a breath against the din of the battle.

"The carts are over there, get him there fast" he replied, and the girl let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

She scooped the pale haired boy up again and continued running, the burning in her legs now growing into a blinding stinging. Finally, she saw the wooden carts, she heaved the blond-haired boy onto the carts.

"Thankyou" she said to the air, heaving and panting as the cool air soothed the muscle. Angry shouts pulled her from her trance, and she threw herself under a nearby blanket to hide. Peering out from underneath the cloth she saw men fighting, swords meeting staffs and bodies falling, blood pooling in the rotting leaves of the forest. Shaking, she closed her eyes as the screams consumed her, the suffering and blood etched into her mind. With a lurch the cart moved away.

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Her eyes shut tight, trying desperately to block out the images flashing in her min, the swords, the fighting, the blood. All she wanted to do was to wash it away, to open her eyes and forget about it all. Forget about the family she left behind, to forget everything. A stirring made her eyes flutter open, and she moved over the blond-haired boy, a purple bruise staining his face. She frowned at the pained expressions of him. Quietly she took part of the cloth covering her and ripped it into a bandage, binding his head to stop the red blood oozing out. Placing a furtive kiss back on his head she hopped off the cart, just outside the walls of the city. As soon as the cart entered the walls cries from the guards surrounding out deafened the sleepy village, the night stars casting light shadows in the black night. A middle-aged woman picked the boy up and took him in the castle, the girl took a last glance at the boy and made her way into the woods.

She walked for a while; her mind lost in the thoughts of the day. Her panicked mother's face as she ran away from the camp, the soft eyes of the guard who let her take the boy to the cart, the ugly bruise across the boy's head. Kicking some pebbles on the track the sloping foothills gave way to a dark coniferous forest. Picking up some branches she made a primitive tepee, the slightly slanted structure providing enough protection against the cool autumn breeze, satisfied she curled up inside and fell asleep.

She woke with a start, a hoarse scream stuck in her throat. She climbed out of the structure, nearly knocking it over in the process. Fists resting on her hips she resolved to fix it up. Taking the knife from the pouch around her waist she went about hacking away at some branches.

'Come on' she thought to herself, the supple branch bending with her weight as she tried to snap it off, eventually it gave way and she landed with a squeak on the ground.

Grumbling she sat back up and took the offensive branch and lashed it into a proper A frame. An hour later and she had a proper shelter, satisfied she stepped back and admired her handiwork. A rumbling in her stomach quickly reminded her she hadn't eaten in over a day. Using her knife, she fashioned a bow and went about hunting her breakfast, a snap of a twig and she ducked down, her minx like reflexes reflecting years of hunting experience in the forest. She saw the culprit, a large rabbit, and with a silent motion she loosened her arrow, catching her first meal in the new land.

The fire crackled in front of the hut and she looked out over the village, a stream of lights illuminated the battlements in honour of the dead king. She got up and walked down the foothills of the mountains, running past the gates and into the city. The square was solemn, a silence presided over the large crowd gathered all in black. The blond-haired boy stood on a balcony overlooking the crowd. The middle-aged man shouted out to the crowd:

"Long live King Agnarr of Arendelle!"

The crowd repeated the mantra, the girl startled as the people around her shouted in unison. The blond-haired boy caught her eye in the crowd, and he whispered to the middle-aged man, not breaking eye contact with her. The man nodded and went behind the curtain blocking out the balcony. The girl turned to leave but a warm voice spoke behind her.

"Ma'am who are you?"

The girl whipped round and stared at the same middle-aged man who was on the balcony.

"May I ask the same to you, as you are so insistent on knowing my name it is only fair I know yours first" she snapped, still not sure whether this man was friendly.

"Apologies, my name is Kai, assistant of his majesty the king" the man replied, warmly smiling at the girl.

"Iduna, my name is Iduna" the girl replied, still scanning the man for any hint of a threat.

"It's very nice to meet you Iduna, his majesty has requested your presence. It's not often we see strangers such as yourself in Arendelle" Kai said, his brow creasing with his friendly smile.

"okay" Iduna said, shivering slightly, and not from the cold.

Kai led her through the doors of the palace, thick wooden doors opening and closing behind her. The warmth of a fire filled the room, orange tones highlighting the rosemaling of the windowpanes. The blond-haired boy stood in front of the fire; a gold crown placed on his head. Iduna noticed how much older he looked now, no longer the boy she had slumped onto the cart but now the king, even in his youth she saw that.

"What's your name" he asked, already his voice changed from the free boy in the forest being thrown around in the wind.

"I think I should get to know yours first" she replied, folding her arms and lifting her head whilst staring him down.

Stunned the boy stuttered and mumbled briefly before sharpening himself again. "My name is King Agnarr of Arendelle, may I please know what your name is?"

"Iduna… Of the north" she finished, unsure as to how she should finish.

"Where are you staying Iduna?" he asked.

"What concern is it of you?" she quipped, smirking at how the boy flushed and stuttered again.

"Err. Umm... because I'm the king" he finished unsure of the new title.

"Yes, of Arendelle, King Agnarr, But I am Iduna, of the north" she emphasised the last part, maintaining her crossed stance. "But if you must know, I am staying in the woods" she finished.

"Why the woods" Agnarr asked?

"Why do you ask?"

"Why do you always ask why?"

"Why do you always ask after me?"

"Because I know you are from the enchanted forest but I don't know why you are here" Agnarr finished, silencing Iduna, for once her face faltering.

"So, what will you do now? Kill me as your enemy" her heart was mixed with a newfound anger at the boy's questions and the fear that he may hate her and never know what she did.

"What?! No!" the boy shouted. "Why would you think I would do that?" he asked, the panic clear in his voice.

"I don't know" Iduna admitted. "Why did you want to see me here?" she asked, rather getting to the point.

"Because you and I were friends in the forest, after the fighting started, I hit my head and don't remember anything else, but I do remember you Iduna" the boy tried out the name.

"So, you don't remember anything at all?" She asked hesitantly.

"Not until I woke up in the cart" Agnarr said.

"Our people may have been enemies but what has been done is over. You and I are not enemies now, nor will we ever be again if you permit it Iduna of the North" He stuck his hand out for her to shake it.

"I would like us to be friends, whatever went on in the forest did not concern us." she grabbed the boy's hand with her thumb and fingers and lifted it up and down slowly, not breaking eye contact.

"Well, let me offer you to stay here, we have plenty of rooms that never get used and the chef can make anything you want" Agnarr said hopefully, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"And if I were to decline?" Iduna asked teasingly, making Agnarr splutter again. "Relax I'm only joking, of course I'll stay here" she finished the boy relaxing slightly.

"Great!" he said loudly before clearing his throat and repeating it but in a much less enthusiastic voice. "I think this calls for a celebration. Kai, please ask chef to bring up two mugs of hot chocolate"

"Yes your majesty" the domo bowed and left the room, smiling to himself.

"What's Hot chocolate?" Iduna asked him innocently.

"Only the best, most amazing and delightful thing in the world!" Agnarr said happily, before blushing and saying in a quieter voice "It's a hot drink".

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A/N: I know this chapter is short but i just wanted to get the ball rolling, please R&R!