I hardly know what to write. I feel as a tree when split by lightning. I have been forbidden from seeing Randolf. Alva was quite upset when I told her of him and our love. I don't understand. Is it so wrong to love a man? Is it really not allowed for the fae to love humans? Why should we fear them? Why should we avoid them? Randolf is my heart, he makes me happy and has shown me nothing except the best of what man can be. I love him, I want to grow old as he will and live our lives together.

I think tomorrow, I will defy my mother. I have thought about it long and hard and I feel I am right. I will meet him in the usual place, and I will beg him to elope. Leaving my forest will make me as human as he, Alva has always warned me against it—and if we're both human, nothing would make me happier. We'll be together and that's all that matters.

---------------

"Okay, okay, okay, okay..." Anna ran down the hallway, checking that everything was clean and in order.

"Wow, the palace cleans up nice." Olaf hummed as he trailed behind her.

"Olaf!" Anna checked her hair. "You need to keep out of sight—we need to ease the Prince into life here at Arendelle."

Kristoff entered the hallway, struggling to adjust his cravat. "Yeah, why don't you go keep Sven company in the stable? This sure is a whole lot of trouble to impress—what's this guy's name again?"

"Prince Stig Rusul Sala." Anna helped straighten his cravat and dusted off the shoulder on Kristoff's jacket.

"That is one awful name."

The bugles began to sound, and Anna swallowed her retort and ran to the castle doors. "Positions! Positions! Open the gates!"

Kristoff stiffly stood beside her as the gates pulled open. She had a hard time keeping the butterflies down and not bouncing in anticipation. She felt Kristoff's fingers lace through hers and give a gently, heartening squeeze.

"It will be all right. I'm sure he's a great guy."

"I wish Elsa was here..."

"I promise, as soon as I can take off this cravat, I will go find her."

She squeezed his hand back, feeling a little reassured as a lone horse and rider passed through the gates. Anna found it a little odd that the prince rode without an entourage, but maybe southern continent people did things differently. She shouldn't judge. Right, God this was as slow and drawn out as anything could be. Hurry up horsey, hurry up...

She finally got a good look at the Prince. He was handsome, with dark, olive skin and hazel eyes. His hair was hidden beneath a large turquoise turban ornately draped in pearls pinned into the wrappings by gold pins shaped like birds. The gold theme threaded through a decorative silk jacket down to shimmering pants and gold and ruby inlaid shoes.

"Whoa." Anne was blinded by his brilliance. "We should've brought out more tapestries. We'll look like paupers."

"Ex Nay." Kristoff hissed as the Prince dismounted.

"Princess!" the visitor bowed deeply, kissing Anna's hand.

"Uh-oh ho, um, Prince Stig Rusul Sala... pleasure to meet you."

"Please, soon we will be family; call me Stig as my brothers do."

"You don't have twelve older brothers by chance, do you?"

Prince Stig laughed heartily, revealing white teeth and adorable dimples. "No, no—just four. I must say, your majesty—rumors of your beauty have spread far, but fall too short of standing before your glory."

"Oh!" Anna laughed, flustered. "Well, um thank you... a girl always like to hear she's pretty—I'm Anna, uh, Elsa's younger—"

"Taken—"Kristoff glared over her shoulder.

"Er—sister." Anna shrugged, trying not to blush too hard.

"Ah, Princess Anna!" Prince Stig released her hand, bowing deeply again. "My apologies—I was expecting to be greeted by my betrothed... and I was so struck by your beauty I cannot imagine that two creatures as lovely live under the same roof."

"Oh ho ho! Such a charmer." Anna gave up trying not to blush. "Well, um, let's start the tour... and um, Elsa will be joining us later... she's—er, really, super excited to meet you... but, um, she's ... um, indisposed... at the moment?"

She could still feel Kristoff glaring.

"Well, yeah! So, okay, Prince um, Stig—let's start the tour! Follow me!"

------------------- 

Elsa shut the leather book. "I don't understand.... If they were so in love... what happened? What does this romance between a Prince Randolf and a fae girl named Freja have to do with Arendelle or my family curse?"

She again thumbed through the pages following the last entry where Freja seemed determined to elope. "There's nothing here. It makes no sense."

The Grand Master Abbot nodded. "It does appear a dead end. Please give the book back to Francis."

Confused and frustrated, Elsa handed the book back to the young monk.

"Does the name Randolf mean nothing to you, my young queen?" Abbot Belgr lit a pipe, settling into his chair. "Think hard now, before you answer."

"Randolf.... Prince Randolf..." she frowned, trying to remember the paths up the ancient family tree Anna had unearthed in the library. Towards the top of the tree had been a Rathulf, but that's as close as she could remember.

"One of our ancestors was named Rathulf... I think he was the first recorded family member with the curse."

"Rathulf..." Abbot Belgr puffed on his pipe. "That's awfully close; I wonder... was that about the time it was common to name an heir from both parents names... say, if your mother's name was Pura, and you were the son of Randolf..."

"That is quite an assumption, Grand Master Abbot." Elsa scoffed.

"Based on that information alone, yes... I suppose so. However, if that was the final piece of an ancient puzzle... then you can trace your lineage back further than recorded history. Now, Francis. You may show her."

"Show me what?" Elsa glanced at the young monk who clutched the diary, bashfully avoiding eye contact.

"T-There's a spell on this book, older than even the preservation spell. Few of the order have the ability to detect magic, let alone unlock fae script... it's why Master Belgr took me on as his apprentice... the second half of this book is...."

"Go on, my boy." The abbot prompted gently.

"The one she calls Alva transcribed everything that happened after Freja abandoned the diary-- within an inch of her dying breath and sealed it with her magic, as most fae script is sealed to keep their secrets hidden. It is, in fact, a sad tale as the Grand Master Abbot promised... and something I would not care to tell anyone; but I can show it to you, if you really want to see it."

Elsa laid her hand gently on his white knuckles. "I don't want to see it; I need to see it. For the future of my family and my people. The curse needs to end now."

Francis glanced up to meet her eyes and then looked away. "As you wish, my lady."

His hands began to tremble against the book, and the pages began to glow with a golden light. "This is always the worst part." He mumbled as the diary began to hum.

The world shifted and light and dark inverted as the humming book began to sing—a horrible, beautiful sound that raked Elsa's ears and clenched at her heart. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as the world collapsed upon itself.