No one was listening. “Wait!” She turned back to Kristoff. He and Lord Peterssen were the only people still standing there. “If the princess caused this winter, it had to be by mistake. She must feel so helpless!”
Lord Peterssen rubbed his hands in front of the fire to keep warm. “And frightened. I imagine she kept these powers from all of us for fear of how we’d react—and people are as frightened as she feared. Maybe if she just came back and explained herself…” He looked up at the sky as snowflakes fell on his face. “I just hope we find her before it’s too late.”
Anna stared again at the bronze statue of the royal family covered in ice. “Her magic and what she’s capable of is so beautiful.”
“If one is prepared for this kind of weather,” Kristoff said, standing close to the fire. “No one wants to see snow in the middle of the summer.”
“No, they do not.” Lord Peterssen rubbed his hands to keep warm. “I just hope Prince Hans finds her and convinces her to come back to us so we can fix this.”
“Do you have any idea where she went?” Anna asked.
“I didn’t see the princess run,” Lord Peterssen admitted, “but many saw her flee across the fjord and head in the direction of the North Mountain. It isn’t much to go on, I know.” He rubbed his arms. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going back inside. Please have some hot glogg before you journey home again. Hopefully this weather will turn before you must go back.”
“Go back? But…” She couldn’t go back yet. Now that she knew the storm was caused by magic, she couldn’t just walk away. She had to help bring back summer and find the princess.
Anna understood why the princess would be frightened, but why head to the North Mountain? Was something up there? Her skin prickled. I think I’m supposed to help her. The closer she got to the castle, the more she felt it. Now her gut was telling her to walk into the castle, but that didn’t make sense. If the people were right, Elsa was halfway up the North Mountain. Still, staring up at the lit windows and archways of the castle, Anna felt a magnetic pull. She knew something was waiting for her inside.
“Do you want some glogg?” Kristoff asked, pulling her from her thoughts. “I’ve never been a fan, but if we’re going to begin the journey back to Harmon to tell everyone what’s going on, then we should probably eat and drink something. And get more carrots for Sven.” He watched Anna walk right past him. “Hey! Where are you going?”
Anna climbed the castle steps to the entrance. There were no guards to be seen, and the crowd had dispersed. If there was ever a good moment to enter, this was it.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Kristoff rushed in front of her. “You can’t just walk inside the royal castle uninvited!”
“I am invited! Sort of. Didn’t Lord Peterssen say the castle was open if anyone needed it?” Anna ducked under his arm and continued up the stairs. The coast was still clear. She could make it inside unnoticed and then…well, who knew? She just had to get inside.
“Lord Peterssen meant if you needed help.” Kristoff slid on a patch of ice on the steps. “The glogg is outside the entrance. He didn’t mean go inside.”
But she had to get inside. It was as if the place were calling to her. She could feel it in her bones, but she didn’t know how to explain that to Kristoff. “No one is even guarding the entrance. It’s like someone wants us to come in. I’ll only be a minute. I just need to see something.”
“Anna!” Kristoff tried to keep up with her.
She reached the top step and opened the door. The second she walked inside, she felt a strange calm come over her. Anna stared up at the high vaulted ceiling in the two-story entranceway. The room had a central staircase with two sets of stairs that both led to a second-story landing. Portraits decorated the walls on both levels. Why does this room seem so familiar? she wondered. I’ve never been here before. She glanced up at the central staircase again and had a sudden vision of a redheaded girl in a nightgown and bare feet racing down the staircase, giggling.
Anna jumped in surprise. “It’s me,” she said softly, running toward the stairs.