My name is Anna. Today is my 18th birthday! Normally that would be a good thing. Unfortunately for me, I am the sole princess of the Kingdom of Arendelle which means that turning 18 comes with very specific rules. Rules such as marriage.

"Ok Anna, are you ready for your present?!"

That enthusiastic brunette is Rapunzel, princess of the Kingdom of Korona. She's also my best friend… ok my only friend. I'm not really allowed to leave the royal city, or the castle, or hang out with people "beneath my status" as my mother says. Luckily, the neighboring kingdom also had a princess that was my age, or I would have died of boredom a long time ago.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. What's wrong with marriage? Well, nothing; unless that marriage is to a man, who you've never met. You see, the thing with royals is that we never get to choose who we marry. Marriage is a political arrangement.

And that means that I marry the 13th in line prince of the Southern whatevers, Hans so-and-so. All arranged for by my mother, Queen Iduna, in order to secure a favorable relationship with said Southern Place-I-Don't-Know and making it so that Hans will eventually succeed the throne as king after my mother passes away.

Excuse me while I barf in a bucket.

"Anna, close your eyes. Are you ready?"

"You've already asked me that a dozen times Punz. Just give it to me already!"

With my eyes firmly shut, I'm expecting some kind of large box to land in my hands. A new dress. Some large jewelry. Maybe a new pony? Instead, something else entirely lands… somewhere else entirely. I feel soft lips against my own and I have to hold back a surprised squeak. I keep my eyes shut and lean into the pleasantly surprising present.

Alright so me and Rapunzel aren't exactly friends, we're kind of more than friends. Which brings us to yet another problem with the whole arranged marriage thing. Sadly, for me, Rapunzel doesn't really see things quite the same way as I do.

"Oh Punzie, why can't we just stay like this forever?" The words barely escape my lips as they pull just slightly away from Rapunzel's own. My eyes slowly start to open to look into those baby doll emeralds staring back at me.

"We've talked about this Anna. You're going off to marry Hans next week. I'm going back to Corona to marry Eugene. Girl's can't get married, we can only just… have fun! I don't get what's so hard to understand. It's not like we can't continue these little… rendezvous after we get married."

She gives me a sly look with those eyes as she runs her fingers over my hair playing with the lock of white that's mixed into the rest of the red. So maybe I don't understand. I just… really don't want to marry some man I've never met.

It's easier for her. Eugene is a great guy who saved her from being kidnapped. Practically a fairytale prince charming, except for the part about him being a thief. But this Hans guy? Sure, maybe he's dreamy and princely and charming or whatever princes are supposed to be.

That doesn't change the fact that when I think about marrying him, or any him for that matter, my heart just aches. I want to tell her that it's because I'm in love with her. But I know she doesn't feel the same. As she said, this is just for fun. Honestly, I think she really does love Eugene. She just also likes our… intimate time together.

"You're right. I just… really love the present. Is there more where that came from?"

I give her my best practiced smile. Whether she can't tell it's forced, or she ignores it I don't know.

She moves in, gently pushing me down onto the bed as our lips meet once again. Her body is hanging over me. I can feel her chest moving up and down against my own. Our hands intertwine against the pillows. I try my hardest to forget about the marriage and just let this moment last for as long as possible.

1 Week Later

So, I have made a lot of rash decisions in my day. Playing pranks on unfortunate servants, hiding in the royal city having the guards search for me causing mass panic. Accidentally causing a ship to crash into the dock. They are not that easy to steer as it turns out.

This latest decision of mine though, probably takes the cake. Oh, I should have brought cake! Oh well too late now. I'm already snuggled securely, and uncomfortably, in the back of a wagon. I am not quite sure where this wagon is going, but it's going away from the royal city and that is what I want… I think? I don't know. I just know that I don't want to be there when the ship from the… Smothered Islands?... docks and unloads its pretentious cargo.

Maybe if I hang out for a day in one of the outlying villages, mother will see reason and postpone the wedding. Ya let's go with that. Man, it's boring sitting here. I should have brought a book as well as cake. *YAWN* Maybe I'll just take a quick nap. I'm sure I'll wake up when we stop.

Nightfall

"What in God's name?!" The old, bearded wagon driver exclaims. Anna wakes with a jerk rubbing her groggy eyes and wiping the drool from her face.

"Wha… ? Where am I?" She belts out a wide-open yawn, stretching her arms over her head. She takes a look at the wagon driver. He looks absolutely terrified.

"Pri…..Prin…PRINCESS!? Oh, dear god I've kidnapped the princess! I'll be hanged, I'll be beheaded! Your highness I have to get you back to the castle immediately!"

Anna is startled by his concern. "Whoa, whoa it's ok. It's ok really! Don't worry. You didn't kidnap me. I ran away!" She gives him a reassuring smile. "I'll explain everything to mom when I get back. So, where are we again?" She looks around and a slight worry starts to trickle down her thoughts.

"Your highness… you should not be here! This is Tronsvik. We are a whole day's ride north, outside of Arendelle! We have to keep you hidden until tomorrow. I will return you to the royal city at first light. Oh god I hope no one sees you…"

She looks at him with confused worry. "So, Tronsvik is not a part of the kingdom then?"

"No, your highness. It's a trading town far to the north. Independent of any kingdom." He lowers his voice and leans in so she can hear. "It's a place full of… unsavory people from all over. They come here to trade outside of the laws of the kingdoms."

She fixes him with a questioning gaze. "And, what do you sell here if I may ask?" He pulls back and holds his hand against his beard.

"Nothing of ill-repute ma'am I assure you! I come up here to trade the finest medicine this side of the North Sea! Oaken's Cold Remedy! It's quite popular this far north. Oaken is a dear friend, but he doesn't usually trade outside of the kingdom. Ahem, now, your highness we have to get you to an inn and out of sight as soon as possible. People around here can't know that a princess is here, unguarded no less!"

"An unguarded princess, you say?"

The old man is instantly consumed in a cold sweat. He slowly turns to face a towering figure standing behind him. Blonde braids drape over his shoulders. His beard is similarly braided. In his hands, he holds a worn axe. Probably not for cutting wood.

The old man's voice quivers.

"What? No sir. I just call my dear niece princess here. You know she is a princess in my eyes. I try to spoil her rotten. Speaking of which, would you be interested in the best cold remedy ever concocted?"

His hands rummage for a bottle in his jacket, but their search ends abruptly. Annas eyes grow wide with shock and horror, tears mixing with blood from the man's neck as the axe is driven down through his collarbone.

"NO!" she screamed louder than she's ever screamed anything in her life. She jumps out of the wagon, unconcerned with the blonde man standing before her and catches the wagon driver in her arms.

"Oh my god. Oh my god! Don't worry, you'll be ok. I'll find a doctor! SOMEBODY HELP!"

She desperately looks around searching for any sign of help. The few people she sees run inside and close their doors. She is left alone with a dying man in her arms and a bloody axe slowly walking toward her.

"Your highness…" the old man's voice barely wheezes out of his mouth.

"Shhhh. Don't talk. Save your strength. I'll stop the bleeding. I have to do something!" She takes off her dark green cape and tries to put pressure on the man's neck to no avail. He manages a last breath to speak a single word.

"…run…"

She feels rough fingers dig into her scalp, dragging her off the ground by her red locks. Her eyes wince from the erupting pain. She feels a putrid, fishy breath on her face.

"Well, well, well. The princess of Arendelle no less. I will make quite a bit of coin selling you to the slave markets."

She desperately tries to escape from his grasp. Her pampered fingers feebly scratching at his muscular arm. Legs trying to kick his torso. Her eyes are filled with a mixture of terror and anger.

With his last bit of dying energy, the wagon drivers hand reaches toward his belt, and pulls out a dagger. He uses all of his strength left in his body to slam the dagger down into the slaver's foot piercing all the way into the ground. The slaver lets out a yell and his hand releases Anna's hair.

Without a single thought she runs, faster than she's ever needed to run, into the forest. The slaver pulls the knife out of his foot and jams it into the old man's chest. He takes off after the runaway princess, hobbling on his injured foot but still managing to pick up speed.

Shit Shit Shit! I screwed up! I screwed up big time. God, mom, what have I done.

Her vision is clouded by her tears. She tries to wipe them away as she runs desperately through the dark and tangled northern woods. She can't see more than a few feet in front of her. Her feet stumble on rocks and branches. Her hand reaches out to steady herself against a pillar of rock. Her heart is pumping vigorously with adrenaline as she continues running, not noticing the 4 pillars standing out of the ground or the thick fog that she ran into.

The slaver is not far behind.

Her breath begins to smoke. The heat from her body is blocking out the sudden cold. She doesn't even notice the crunching sound of her feet hitting snow. Until she hears a different set of footsteps behind her.

He's catching up to me. Shit where did this snow come from!? He'll follow my tracks at this rate. Where did that fog go? God why is this forest so clear all of a sudden? That stupid moon needs to go away! I need to find someplace to hide….

Then metal rings off her skull. She hits the ground in a split second, blood oozing into the fresh white powder. Her vision is fuzzy. She desperately tries to get up and keep running, but her body will no longer listen. Despite her desperate attempts, she succumbs to the darkness and the cold.