Day 1

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“Five!” Princess Elsa shouted, her cheerful voice bouncing off the castle walls. “Four! Three! Two! ONE! Ready or not, here I come!” Uncovering her eyes, she brushed a long strand of blond hair behind her ear and scanned the large ballroom for her sister. “Anna! Are you in here? I know you're here somewhere!”

From behind a large stone pillar, Princess Anna watched as her big sister began tiptoeing around the ballroom. A giggle threatened to escape, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't laugh. Not this time! That was how Elsa always found her. Playing with her big sister made her happy. And when Anna was happy, she giggled. A lot. But she was determined that today, she was going to win the game of hide-and-seek. Forcing the giggle back, Anna distracted herself by watching as the late-afternoon light streamed through the huge stained glass windows, casting wonderful warm shadows over the whole room. She smiled as she watched rays of sunshine dance over the floor, like the couples she saw swaying to music at her parents' royal balls.

Distracted, Anna began to hum softly. At five years old, she didn't get to attend the balls or other official occasions that took place in the palace. But that didn't stop her from sneaking out of her room to watch from the balcony as women in brightly colored gowns entered the room with men in handsome suits. Anna loved the moment right before the music began, when the room grew silent and the men bowed and the women curtsied. Anything could happen. Any song might play. Any dance might begin. It was like the beginning of a brand-new adventure.

“GOTCHA!” Elsa shouted, grabbing Anna by the shoulders.

“AHH!” Anna screamed.

“I found you!” her sister shouted, clapping her hands together and then playfully tugging on one of Anna's pigtails. “I always find you.”

Anna put her pudgy little hands on her hips and blew her bright copper bangs out of her eyes, trying to look upset. It lasted for all of a minute. Then she smiled.

“Wanna play again?” Anna asked hopefully.

“Sorry, Anna,” Elsa said, leaning down and giving her tiny sister a hug. “I can't play again now. I have a lesson with Erlingur. But maybe later?”

Anna pouted and crossed her arms. She wanted to play now!

Elsa smiled. “If you let me go to my lesson now, I super sister promise, we can play later tonight. Maybe I'll even do something ... special.” With a wink, Elsa turned and headed out of the ballroom, her footsteps echoing until they finally faded away.

The rest of the day seemed to drag by for Anna. At lunch she didn't even protest when Cook gave her ärtsoppa. Usually she hated the thick pea soup, but today she barely tasted it. During history with Erlingur, she barely noticed when he made her recite the names of all the Seven Isles. Normally she'd be excited to learn more about neighboring countries, but today all she could think about was playing with Elsa.

By bedtime, Anna was practically crawling out of her skin. She just needed everyone else in the castle to fall asleep, and then she and Elsa could play! Lying in her big canopied bed, Anna tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. No matter how many times she experienced it, she still couldn't quite believe that her sister was capable of something so cool—literally. Elsa, it turned out, had the power to make things freeze! She could make it snow with a flick of her fingers and turn water into ice with a wave of her hand. She could conjure up snowmen out of the thinnest air and make ice crystals dangle from the chandeliers.

And now, Anna thought as she lay in bed watching the clock tick painfully slowly, another adventure was about to start. Finally, she couldn't wait any longer.

“Elsa!” Anna whispered, jumping out of her bed and popping up beside her sister's bed. “Psst!Elsa!”

Her sister didn't even move. She had clearly forgotten her promise.

Anna jumped up on the bed and began to bounce up and down. “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” she chanted until Elsa finally groaned.

“Go back to sleep,” Elsa said sleepily.

“I just can't,” Anna said, lying down on her back so that all her weight was now on Elsa. “The sky's awake, so I'm awake. So we have to play.”

“Go play by yourself,” Elsa said, shoving her sister off the bed.

Anna landed with a thud on the floor. She let out a sigh. Elsa had promised! How could she have forgotten? And then Anna smiled to herself. She knew just how to make her sister get out of bed. “Do you wanna build a snowman?” she asked mischievously.

Instantly, Elsa's eyes popped open and she smiled.

Anna smiled back at her older sister. She hadn't forgotten after all. It was time to go play in the snow.