~ Following the trail, part 2 ~

Narrator POV:

The maid has made it back to the castle and now is in search of Kristoff and his reindeer, Sven, so they could help her follow the aura, yet instead of finding the man, she finds the princess.

"Diana, didn't you ask for a free day?"

"I did, but believe me or not, I am not here for work, or the Queen, as a matter of fact, I am searching for Kristoff, have you seen him, Princess?"

"No, I haven't, but he should be somewhere around here, I think Olaf is with him... And I already told you to stop calling me 'Princess' and call me by my name"

"Yeah, well, I will only do that when my status will match yours"

"You can be quite stubborn, no wonder Elsa needs rest from you," Anna says sighing.

"Indeed, to both of those statements" Diana answers back.

"Anyway, why are you looking for Kristoff?"

"Hmm... I need some help"

"Help? What's wrong?" Anna asks showing some worry.

"While it's flattering to see a Princess worried for me, nothing's wrong, I just need him and Sven, oh and his sled, to do something for me"

"Good... So what is this 'something'?"

"Oh, you know, this and that"

"Mhm, mhm, this and that, what may that be?"

"And you say I am 'stubborn'"

"I walked up a mountain for my sister and punched a prince, so yes, I am stubborn, now, come on, answer the questions, I want to know"

"Mhm... Fine, so, seeing as I basically live here in the castle, for convenience purposes, I thought why not 'hire' Kristoff for some light work of getting the small amount of personal stuff that I have back in my little home"

"Oh, yeah, I guess that's a fair idea, why... Kristoff, though? Couldn't you just ask anybody, since, you know..." Anna clumsily points to the maid's red hair, getting a chuckle out of her.

"Yes, yes, everybody falls before the Scarlet Angel's legs just to follow her command... No, but if seriously speaking, unlike them? I won't have to use my 'populiarity' or pay the ones that wouldn't want to help me"

"Oh, I see, you want this done for free"

"Indeed, I do, Princess, astute observation, if I do say so myself"

"Well, I do agree with the idea, I myself only paid him in some carrots and he helped me up the mountain for Elsa's ice castle... Which went quite differently than I imagined"

"Oh, yeah, sorry for that"

"Huh? Why are you apo- Oh... Oh. N-no, no, that's not what I-I meant..." Anna gets red realizing what Diana meant "I thought that I would get Elsa to come back... I... uh... am going to just go... Good luck" The princess states and starts walking away.

"Whoops" Diana mutters to herself "Wait, Princess, take this bag, there's plenty of snacks for you and the Queen" Anna stops in her track to escape, turns around, and quickly walks back, takes the bag out of the maid's hand, nods and turns around to leave again, all without saying a word.

"I would love to listen to your story on how you made it up the mountain with Kristoff" Diana screams at the hastily leaving princess.

"Yes, next time, bye" Anna answers and disappears out of view due to walking behind a corner.

"Well, that happened," Diana says to herself and continues in her search for Kristoff.

After a few failed rooms and corridors and open spaces, she finds Olaf, walking around the place, Anna did mention that he was with Kristoff before, so he should be able to lead her.

"Hey, Olaf"

The snowman turns around to look at who called him "Hello Elsa's maid" Olaf excitedly greets Diana.

"Hello, Elsa's snowman" Diana greets back "Now, might you know where Kristoff is?"

"Oh, I do"

"Want to help me find him?"

"Only if you hug me"

"I can do you one better"

"What is it?"

"I will show you how it feels being on top of crimson-colored hair"

"Ooooh, okay"

Diana picks Olaf up, puts him on her head "Now, little guy, lead the way"

"Okay, now... Start walking"

"That shall be accomplished, right away," The maid says and starts walking forward.

"Hmm... Now turn right"

"Done" Diana turned right and continued walking.

"Okay, okay, now it should be... right again... wait, no, it's left, yes definitely left"

"Good comms, good comms" Diana adds commentary to their mission.

Uh-oh, a crossroads is coming up, not only is there a left and the right way, but now you can also continue forward, whatever will the snowman decide?

"Pause" Olaf commands, seeing the three-way.

"I... have... been... paused!" Diana says imitating a robot.

"Hmmm..." Olaf thinks hard while looking back and forth between the three possible ways.

To help him and to distract him, Diana asks him a question "So, Olaf, how does red hair feel?"

"Mhm, same as any other hair... But it's red, so it feels amazing"

"I am glad that you like it, so, which way shall we tread towards now?"

It seems that the distraction was all that the snowman needed, cause he answers the maid immediately "Forward"

"An amazing choice" Dianna comments and continues walking.

"Yes, this is where I left him, he should be somewhere around here," Olaf says looking around the courtyard from atop of Diana's head.

"Hmm... I don't see him, I think he might've left" Olaf says after looking around,

"Mission failed, we'll get them next time" Announces Diana.

"Sorry, Elsa's maid," Olaf says saddened.

"It's completely okay, Elsa's snowman" Diana still can't believe that nobody told the little guy, that her actual name isn't 'Elsa's maid', she wonders how long it will last.

"Olaf? What are you doing on somebody's head?" The duo of Elsa's hears a voice behind them, so they turn around, only to see their target.

"Nevermind, little guy, mission has been accomplished, great job" Diana compliments Olaf.

"Oh, it's on Di-" Kristoff goes to say, but gets interrupted.

"Sssh," The maid shushes him. He looks at her in confusion but doesn't continue his sentence.

Diana puts Olaf down on the ground, she looks at him "If I will need some more help someday, ELSA'S MAID" She says the last part with extra emphasis as she looks specifically at Kristoff, who finally gets why he was shushed "Will search for the awesome snowman Olaf"

"Okay, I will be happy to help you some more, Elsa's maid, now, I shall continue on my path," Olaf says and go on his way... To a completely different direction from where they came from.

"Now then, I've been searching for you, Kristoff"

"And why was 'Elsa's Maid' searching for me?"

"That's not my name" Diana deadpans.

"But... That's what Olaf calls you"

"Yeah, because that's my name. to him"

"That... Makes no sense"

"Sure it does, for all of you? My name is Diana, for the snowman? It's Elsa's maid, there you go, it's just that simple"

"Okay... Anyways, what do you need from me?"

"I'm glad you asked, I need your professional, working help"

"Uh... You need Sven and me to ride you somewhere, right?"

"Yep"

"Not happening"

"What if I pay you?"

"Nope"

"Hmm... What if I give some carrots for Sven?"

"I can buy those for him, myself"

"Right, right, you drive a hard bargain... But... Can you buy him another chance at getting free carrots for 6 whole months?"

Kristoff looks at Diana and Diana looks back at him with a raised eyebrow.

35 minutes later.

"Well, here we are, outside of Arendelle's walls, where do you need me to go?" Kristoff says enthusiastically.

"Oh, just go that direction, towards that forest" Diana points a direction.

"Okay, let's go, Sven, we have a job to do... And a reward to get"

"You got it, for free carrots" Kristoff answers back as Sven.

"Indeed, Buddy" And just like that, the weird trio started to move towards the forest.

"Okay, turn right from here"

Kristoff nods and does just that.

Diana POV:

I've been directing Kristoff for quite a while now, he hasn't really lost his enthusiasm though, it seems that so many carrots were too much of a deal for him. This is barely an inconvenience for me since Rosa has me covered, but I will at least pay for half of it, can't take too much free will.

"Okay... it should be left here," I say as I see the magic mist trail go left... I should come up with a better name for it.

"Turn left buddy," Kristoff says to Sven.

The aura is getting stronger, we should be close, indeed, but somehow this seems familiar.

"Oh, a quick right here," I say quickly, not expecting the sudden turn. But Kristoff doesn't answer and just continues going forward.

"Uh... Kristoff? I said right, not forward"

"I know" Kristoff has lost all enthusiasm and has gotten serious. Okay...?

"So?"

"Hmm?"

"So, why are we not stopping, turning around, and going there, instead of continuing forward?"

"Because there's a dead end there" Kristoff answers me.

"And how do you know that exactly?"

"Uh... Sven told me" Kristoff dodged the question.

"Okay, so how does Sven know that?"

"He's a reindeer, that's how"

"Hmm..." It felt familiar... Kristoff is trying to go away from it... And is dodging the question... Oh, I see... But why, this doesn't make sense... But it also doesn't actually surprise me all that much, no wonder I don't like them... Fuckin trolls.

"It's because the trolls were that way, right?"

Just as I throw that question out, Kristoff and Sven pull a hard stop, almost throwing me out of my seat.

"A little warning next time would be appreciated," I say a little bit louder than I first intended.

"How do you know that... And for a better question... How is that you know the way to them?" He asks me cautiously.

Seriously, are we really doing this right now?

"I got a better question for you... What is my job?"

"Uh..." Kristoff is confused by my question "A maid?"

"Yes, you are correct... Well halfway correct, now whose maid am I?"

"Elsa's..."

"Bing-" Wait... Does bingo exist here? Or has it not been invented? If I only knew the time of its creation... Eh, whatever "You are correct, so you can figure this one out, right?"

"... She told you..." Kristoff answers me, finally realizing what's going on. Even if it's not truly the truth per se.

"Yep"

"But why... would she do that?"

Oh, right... Kristoff didn't see me in the Ice castle since I hid, so he only thinks that I am some maid that's somewhat remotely close to the Queen... This is also the case even in that scenario...

"One day, I asked the Queen why she and her sister practically don't know each other and so? She answered so that's how I know the way here, I wanted to see them for myself"

"She wouldn't just answer you like that"

"Hey man, if you really want to know, go ask her yourself, but it is how it is, so now, let's turn back and show me them trolls," I tell him.

"Okay, even if that's the truth, I am still not going to do that, they aren't for show, they aren't like some other people that you can see just by asking"

"Ugh... Stingy... Fine, I will just do it alone then" I say as I try to get down on the ground.

"I will leave"

I pause in my movements, I know that he's playing me... But god damn is it annoying, fine, if you want to hide them so hard, so be it, but I already know that they are the ones that controlled Hans.

So not only did they fuck up Elsa's and Anna's childhood, but they also planned their death with the Prince, even if they knew that he will fail, that's still ridiculous. So I will meet them someday and when I do, there will be consequences.

"Fine, whatever, let's just go back to Arendelle, besides I have another little job for you"

"Mhm... Okay, and what is that job?"

"Helping me carry all of my stuff from my home on your sled and then driving them to the castle"

"Ugh... Fine, let's go. Sven, go buddy" Kristoff says and we set off back.

As we drive back in silence, all that runs through my head is a simple question... Why would they do this?

But then that question turned into a different one, mid-way.

How and when do I break this news to Elsa... I thought I will meet some new magic-user, but nooooo... Ugh, I didn't expect this to become so difficult and annoying.

~ End of Chapter 19 ~