A Sister More Like You

Rated: T

This one is cannon Icest so if that bothers you I suggest you stay clear.

Here's the first installment, hope you enjoy.

Snow was falling steadily outside the castle gates of Arendelle. The halls of the castle were silent except for the voices coming from the library. Young Anna sat at a large table across from her tutor. The woman was droning on and Anna was finding it particularly hard to concentrate today. She clicked the heels of her shoes together impatiently, glancing out the window at the heavily falling snow.

The tutor pushed up her glasses and sighed. "Princess Anna, is there something more important outside then your studies?"

Anna sighed and glanced down at her books. "No ma'am."

The tutor nodded, satisfied she began again. "Now, ecosystems have a very important purpose, for if one is out of balance it effects all other aspects of the delicate system."

As the tutor continued Anna's attention once again wandered. She fiddled with her braid and glanced over the library shelves, her eyes landing on three particular books: Robin Hood, A Tale of Two Cities, and Romeo and Juliet. The spines of these books were well worn; Anna knew they were some of Elsa's favorites for they went missing from the shelves for weeks only to return looking even more worn. The sight of this made her feel even the slightest tenuous connection to her older sister and sometimes she would even pull the books down and flip through them. They were, of course, too difficult for her to understand, but even so, it didn't stop her from glancing through them every so often.

The tutor sighed and snapped her book shut. "I can see you're done focusing for today Princess Anna. You may go."

"Really?!" Anna jumped up from her seat and had to contain herself from bouncing up and down excitedly. "You won't tell Papa?"

The tutor shook her head and smiled, how could she deny the little princess an afternoon of fun. "I won't tell, now hurry off before I change my mind."

Anna rushed forward and hugged her tutor before skidding out of the doors and hurrying up the stairs. She tugged her shoes off and went to her wardrobe to grab her winter clothes and boots. The princess yanked on her clumsy snow boots and tugged her cloak over her head. She carried her mittens and scarf under one arm before rushing to her sister's door and knocking.

"Elsa?" Anna knocked again, just to make sure her sister heard. "Elsa, do you wanna build a snowman?" Anna waited impatiently, shifting back and forth and glancing outside the window. "The snow is really pretty and I know if you just tried you'd have fun." Silence, no response came from behind her sister's locked door, per usual. Anna sighed and thunked her head once against the wood. "Please... I miss you." It was typical, since Anna was five years old Elsa had never replied.

The only people allowed in Elsa's room were their parents, and even then Anna could never sneak a look inside her sister's room. The past six years had been no different. Every day passed as Anna spent an hour or two trying to coax her sister out to no avail. By eight she had given up trying all day long for despite wanting to spend time with Elsa, Anna didn't see why she shouldn't have fun outside just because her sister didn't want to. So, the young princess would try and fail again and again. But would never give up. Maybe, just maybe, one day Elsa would say yes and embrace her sister. They could have fun all day and it would be just like old times. Anna always held on to that thread of hope.

Anna pressed her ear to the door. She could hear feet shuffling, pacing, but no verbal reply came. Anna forced back her tears and let anger take over gritting her teeth she banged a fist against the door. "Fine! Don't come. I didn't want you to any way. I only asked to be nice. You're the worst big sister ever!" She stomped away from the door and rushed down the hall towards the staircase, fighting tears the whole way.

Anna planned on stomping her whole way to the Valley of the Trolls to speak her mind to Kristoff. Kristoff had been her friend for as long as she could remember. She'd had a dream that a troll kissed her as a little girl and Kristoff lived with the trolls, so it only made sense to her that they had grown up best friends. Even as a little boy Kristoff traveled with the ice deliverers and brought ice to the palace. He and Anna would play in the courtyard or in town, but often her parents forbid her from traveling to the valley. She didn't care. She was too angry to worry about disobeying her parents.

The snow crunched under her feet as she stomped through the square although she had to stop as villagers would bow or curtsy. She had always felt odd, never quite fitting into the royalty that she was treated like. The young princess was always too busy trying to go off on adventures and make new friends to embrace her royal title. That was Elsa's job. Elsa was prepped to be queen and Anna was just the spare. The forgotten princess. The ignored sister. She reached the edge of the square and hit something solid.

"Oof!" Anna fell onto her butt into the fluffy snow. She heard a gasp and a giggle above her, but her hat obscured her vision.

"I'm so sorry princess, are you alright? Forgive me for laughing but you just seemed so determined."

Anna pushed the hat from her eyes to look up at the young woman whom she had run into.

"I'm Britta." The girl smiled. She had to be a few years older then Anna, with long brown hair and green eyes. She was wearing a plain black cape with a light pink skirt peaking through underneath. Britta reached out a hand for Anna to take and the red head accepted, getting to her feet.

Anna busied herself with dusting the snow off her dress and felt a blush color her cheeks. "I'm Anna, but I suppose you already knew that."

Britta giggled and nodded. "Where were you off to with such conviction, princess Anna?" Britta went back to work stacking wood onto her cart. Anna recalled that she had seen Britta's family delivering wood to the castle and also uniquely carved things like tables and chairs.

"I was heading to the valley. I was a bit distracted." Anna never got nervous when making a new friend, but this was different. Most of Anna's friends were boys. It was fine to run around and go on dangerous adventures with boys after all, but girls were supposed to sit around and have tea and tiny sandwiches and learn to sew. Anna had no interest in doing any of those things.

"The Valley of the Trolls?" Britta gasped. "I'm not allowed to go there, they have powerful magic, many people say it's dangerous."

"It's not all that bad. I've got a friend who lives there. I was just going to see him." Anna knelt down to help Britta put chopped wood onto the cart.

"Oh, no. It's alright you don't have to help. A princess shouldn't..." Britta shook her head and snatched the wood away.

Anna sighed. "Enough with the "princess" stuff. Just Anna alright? And I really don't mind helping." Anna grabbed an armful and lifted the logs onto the cart.

Britta tucked back a lock of hair and smiled. "Thank you, Anna. So, what're you doing running off to the valley? Shouldn't you be studying or ruling or whatever it is royalty does? Oh, I'm sorry!" Her hand flew to her mouth realizing Anna had just said she didn't wish to discuss her title. "I often don't realize what I'm saying until I say it." She blushed and clearly felt just as awkward as Anna did.

"That's alright. I'm off on an adventure. Any kind of adventure. It doesn't matter to me. Sometimes I go climbing on the rocks in the valley. Other times I explore new corners of the forest. Sometimes I even head with Kristoff to the bottom of the North Mountain when he's going to gather ice for a delivery. I must sound like a silly little kid." Anna fiddled with her braid and felt oddly nervous.

"Not at all. That's more than I get to do." The older girl smiled and glanced away nervously. "I've got to deliver this, but thank you for helping." Britta forced herself not to curtsy but then was unsure how to exit this situation. "I very much hope to see you again." She smiled and Anna returned the gesture.

"I'm sure I'll see you again, bye!"

Anna headed off towards the valley, waving before running off through the mounds of snow, her cheeks feeling oddly warm and her stomach full of butterflies.