~ Following the Trail, part 1 ~

Diana POV:

It's been a week after the whole Arendelle freezing fiasco, new people are coming to the castle for work interviews, so I asked for a free day today, yes I barely started to work and it shouldn't work like that, but I do need to see and talk to Rosa, I just left her in the castle when I ran out, probably more than confused. Plus I do need to update her on what's been happening with me.

So that's what I am doing, walking outside the castle to Rosa's Park, of course before I asked for a free day, I woke up Elsa, did her bath, and made her food, can't have a day without my Angel dosage and I think it should help her too, she's been stuck with me most of the time, so a free day for her without me probably sounds like a prize to her. Even if she likes my efficiency at my job, my mouth can... Inconvenience that good opinion.

As I walk, I notice the same weak magic mist going in multiple lines, the same one that Hans had, hmm... Since I have a free day, I might as well follow it, to see where it goes and who did that to Hans.

But first, Rosa, I arrived at the establishment. I walk inside and everything just stops, both the barmaids and the customers... I preemptively put my palms over my ears and I was right to do so because the next moment I hear my nicknames being shouted all over the place. Yikes, can't a gall just walk inside a building without being hailed like some celebrity?

"Okay, okay, that's enough, the Scarlet Angel might be here, but if you people don't stop shouting, she might just leave" I shout back.

They instantly shut up, while some say a quick apology. I sigh.

"Okay, thank you... Now, go back to what you're doing. Any time wasted is bad for the business, all of you continue doing your jobs, serving and paying, chop, chop" I say as I walk past them to the second floor to Rosa's office, of course, she already knows that I am here, I think most of Arendelle heard that.

As I walk towards the stairs, I hear everything going back to normal, but the barmaid, whose name is Julie, that has a girlfriend from the ladies' weekend that we did, loudly asks me something that stopped everybody from working again.

"Will Scarlet Angel ever come back for another workday?"

I turn around to look at Julie, then look around the entire place, seeing expectant faces, seriously, it's been months since I was here, why are they still so obsessed with me.

"Sorry, people, but I already have another job..." I say and I see everybody's faces deflate... Ah fine "But... I might come for one day and do it big like it was some 'fake' festival" And just like that their faces return to big smiles and as they are about to cheer again, Rosa's voice comes from behind me and cuts them off.

"That so? The big star is thinking of showing the others how it's done? When can we arrange that?"

I turn around to face her "Hey, Rosa, why'd you come down?"

"Because somebody's slow in coming to me..."

"It was them" I point back at everybody innocently, seeing betrayed faces, too bad for them.

Rosa's eyes snap at the customers and her workers "Oh?"

And just like that everybody goes back to what they were doing, trying their hardest to ignore both of us.

"So, let's go up to my office," Rosa says and turns around, I follow her.

As we walk inside Rosa's office, we both sit down.

"Well?" Rosa asks me with a raised eyebrow.

"Where do I even begin..."

"I don't know... Perhaps with when you left the coronation? Or maybe the part about having a new job? Or even this special 'one' day return of the Crimson Rose? Or... The fact that people gossiped that Prince Hans who's now a criminal brought back an unconscious girl with red hair and put her in a cell? So, please... Start at the beginning"

"Okay... So, I left the coronation, because I was feeling really bad, you obviously knew that, so I won't stay on that for too long. As I was leaving, I almost fainted from the pain in my head, but I powered through and walked to a bench on the bridge to rest, I was starting to feel okay again while I was resting, but during that time, Arendelle started freezing over and by some draw of luck, I saw the Queen running through water... that was freezing as fast as she was running, so I did something that... Well I wouldn't recommend most people to do"

"You followed her..." Rosa cuts me off with a frown.

"Hehe, I did indeed, it was too interesting to pass up..."

"Right... Why don't I believe you?"

"Eh... FIne, it was interesting, but I also followed her because..."

"The Queen caught your eye, right?"

"Ho-?"

"The shouting during the coronation"

"Oh... Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Anyways, I followed her, up the mountain, then a lot of stuff happened... Princess Anna showed up, got chased away by a big, gigantic snowman monster that is officially named Marshmallow"

"Marshmallow... I have to see him in the future, I can't imagine anything to look threatening with such a name"

"You'd be surprised, that thing is bigger than like 10 of you... And that's saying a lot"

"Oh, wow... Now I definitely want to see him"

"I can arrange that to happen"

"Hmm... How?"

"This is where the story continues"

"Okay"

"So after some time after the Princess was gone, Prince Hans with some men showed up, there was this big showdown, I let the Queen escape, while I distracted the men"

"Wait... you distracted... Real knights?"

"Yep"

"By yourself?"

"Indeed"

Rosa looks at me perplexed "If you're wondering how this is it" I point to my hair.

"Oh... That's pretty smart, how did it work out?"

"Like a gloooove"

"Like a what?" Rosa asks me confused, oops.

"I mean, it worked out great, all for one little detail, basically they were scared of me, I acted perfectly, but..."

"You had too much fun antagonizing them... didn't you?"

"Yep, you know me so well"

"Of course I do... I saw you do it so many times to the more 'rowdy' customers"

"Yes, indeed I have done that... good times... So anyway, one of them that I insulted a little bit too much, knocked the ever-living sh-"

"Language" Rosa cuts me off

"... He knocked me out... You've turned boring since I've stopped working here..."

"While the customers enjoyed your dirty mouth, I never did, it was good for the money, but, since you don't work here anymore to get me that money, I don't want to hear you saying such words again"

"Eh, fair" I shrug at her "Quite a dirty business strategy, though, gotta hand it to you"

"I learned from the best" Rosa says smugly looking back at me, I roll my eyes at her.

"So, after I woke up, I was already in a cell, in chains, Prince showed up, he asked me about the Queen and her whereabouts, but I didn't give him anything, so he left... Then some more stuff happened and the Queen showed up, she told me everything, the Prince was plotting to overthrow Arendelle, he failed and whatever, this is boring..."

Rosa rolls her own eyes at me.

"Now to the interesting part. You see, while I was back in the mountains with the Queen, I asked her if I could become her personal maid and I did the same after she freed me, she said that if I can succeed in an interview, I can work as her maid... And, bam, here I am, the official maid of Queen Elsa, how awesome is that? That's why I couldn't come earlier to explain, I was working, today I asked for a free day, so I could come and tell you all the details"

"Wow, you went through quite a lot in a short period of time"

"Indeed, I have"

"So... How much chance do you think you have of getting the Queen's heart?"

"Hmm... Plenty, as long as she isn't actually actively ignoring my existence, I am not going to give up hope. It's better to get a reaction of any kind, than not get one at all"

"That's quite optimistic of you"

"Mhm"

"So is that everything?"

"Well it would've been, but now we have that return day thingy to talk about..."

"So what are you thinking?"

"Nothing much as of yet, I just mentioned such an idea"

"What about, the Queen's ice magic?"

"No" I flat out reject it.

"Why... not?"

"Because I don't want her to use her powers for me, or for anybody else, only for herself, the only time I asked for anything from her, is for when I needed an ice shard for my acting back in the mountains and if she could create a few pieces of clothing for my custom designed maid outfit, I want to look as great as I can for her after all"

"Hmm... Yeah, that's good"

"I will have to talk to her about showing some ice thingamajigs to anybody that asks for it when she walks down from the castle, if she will still want to do it, then it's great"

"So, if you don't know what you're doing for the return yet, what about the day?"

"Most likely a free day, just like today, there's no way I would shut down serving the Queen, for a return, sorry Rosa"

"No, no, I understand"

"Well and that's all..." I say.

"We won't get to see each other as much as before, will we?"

"No... Most likely not..."

"Unfortunate" Rosa says sadly.

"However... You and I might be able to change that"

"Oh? And how can we do that?"

"Simple... Chocolate"

Rosa blinks at me in confusion "C-Chocolate?"

"Yes, chocolate"

"Explain"

"The Princess and the Queen... Are obsessed with any kind of chocolate, they eat it basically every day, if you get yourself into the chocolate business, maybe we can even work together on making our own brand and me recommending it to the Queen, we can have them buy it and so that way, you can show up at the castle with fresh batches of chocolate, thus allowing us both to meet, that way I could also introduce you as my old boss to my new boss the Queen"

"That... Yeah, let's do that... But will that really work? How can one thing like chocolate help out so much?"

"You don't understand... Those two just adore chocolate, even if I somehow by a miracle in the future get to be Elsa's lover... I don't think I will ever pass her love for chocolate, I will be second place eternally"

"Wow... If you're correct about that, then this will work, easily"

"Yep"

"Well, great, I will be waiting for your ideas about our chocolate, while I go around my connections, asking about it and slowly etching myself into the business"

"Awesome, I feel like there's nothing we couldn't do together" I add

"Likewise"

"Now, why don't we have a meal together, and then you can also bring me another portion for when I leave"

"Of course, let me just call one of my barmaids"

As Rosa says that, she rings a bell, that I hear going below the ground... to what I assume is the kitchen... Seriously, that's so cool.

"You actually made something like that?"

"Yes, it's so helpful, before it, I had to walk downstairs and ask for something, or have a barmaid wait outside my office for the whole day, which is just inefficient, so I designed this little old contraption. Now when I ring it, the kitchen knows that I want something to eat and a barmaid comes up for an order. It's so great"

"I bet it is... I might steal that, hope you don't mind"

"Sure, if you pay me for it"

"Wow... So now that I don't work here, I have to pay royalties to you?"

"Hey, you yourself said to me, that if you have the chance to rob somebody of their money legally, do it... So here I am"

What was I thinking... I created a corporate conglomerate in one person...

"Fine... I'll just design my own copy with some little differences, that way I can get around not paying you"

"Haha, I was just kidding, there's no way I'd charge you for it, go ahead, I have a few of them, but do tell me when you use them, I want to know for what you would implement them"

"Phew... Yeah, okay, that's fair"

We hear a knock on the door, well time for us to order, then eat, and then... Finding out who it was that affected Hans.

Narrator POV:

A few hours later, the crimson-haired girl is walking down the streets of Arendelle while swinging a bag with food and snacks inside, closes her eyes and feels around for the magic aura again, and starts walking in a different direction.

Eventually, after doing it a few more times, she leaves the walls of Arendelle, so she stops and thinks if she should do something like this alone and if she should leave it for the near future, since there could be wolves and whatever else that she could encounter...

She clicks her tongue and turns back, to go back to the castle, she will need to get Kristoff involved in this, she doesn't want to ask Elsa for it and waste her time, plus... She doesn't want to have to explain and lie to her about the reason why she wants to go to the forest, she has no such qualms for Kristoff.

She has already lied and made up a lot of stories during this year, that she barely even thinks about doing more of it. So if she can help it, she wants to stop it at least for Elsa, lies are bad, but especially for relationships.

So she throws one last glance at the forest that the magic aura goes to "This isn't over, forest" She says to herself and starts walking away, back to Elsa... She might as well leave these snacks for the Queen, will have to reheat some of it most likely

~ End of Chapter 18 ~