What a Year! A Special Musing on Anna’s First Year as Queen

Contribution by Trade Minister Michael

It’s been quite the year in our fair kingdom of Arendelle and the land of Northuldra! I remember the date so clearly: 22 November was when the spirits unleashed their wrath on Arendelle, and our favorite sister-queens with Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven ventured into the mysterious, enchanted northern woods to find out why. House Arendelle discovered that the land of Northuldra was shrouded under a mysterious mist that let no one in until Elsa and Anna showed up. They went in and experienced a life changing adventure that gave answers to unresolved questions, such as why Queen Elsa had magical ice powers, why the spirits came to her that night after the fall festival, and why the North Wind’s voice was calling her.

Seeker is writing a great biography on the adventures that led to our sister-queens (my beloved nieces) to mature into who they are today!

Elsa went to the mysterious isle of Ahtohallan and realized that her powers were a gift to her because their mother, Queen Iduna saved the life of a young Agnarr during a battle between the Arendellians and Northuldrans. Elsa became the Snow Queen, the Fifth Spirit of Northuldra and Ahtohallan. Both Elsa and Anna also found out the truth of King Runeard’s treachery. When things looked hopeless and she’d thought she’d lost Elsa and Olaf, Anna rallied and became the leader she alway was inside. She used the skills, courage, and love she had to destroy Runeard’s dam, bringing Elsa back to life and allowing her to save Arendelle from the dam’s broken waters.

Since Anna took has taken on the mantle of Queen of Arendelle from Queen Emerita Elsa, it’s been exciting and scary. Yet with a little faith in the Lord and a great pair of queens in Anna and Elsa, the future of Arendelle and Northuldra look very bright.

First up on Anna’s long list of challenges was the East India Company of Great Britain attacking Kristoff’s merchant ships in in the seas of southern China, which led to Anna taking a stand against the mighty Brits, surprising Lord Palmerston, the British foreign secretary, with a deal that allowed Britain to save face and help Palmerston fulfil a long-held goal – to kneecap the East India Company’s quasi-sovereign powers – while compensating Kristoff. This led Queen Victoria to take a personal interest in Anna, who invited the British monarch to Arendelle for a state ball.

Then came the challenge of the Mundilfari clan. An ancient family from the Viking era that ruled Arendelle politics in the shadows for centuries, the Mundilfaris were the driving force behind many of the pro-Runeard ministers in the parliament of the Great Assembly. When the elder Mayer Mundilfari died, a power struggle ended with the rise of the last Mundilfari, Countess Viola Mundilfari. There were plenty of verbal barbs and tense meetings, and even a fjord battle with Vi’s warship Muspelheim (Elsa and the Nokk had to intervene). But Anna saw something in Viola many didn’t catch.

We had dinners at the Keep and Anna exchanged letters with her (as did I). But then Vi tried a different tactic, summoning her right hand commander with a worldwide reputation as a conqueror and destroyer of kingdoms, Hilde Von Altheim.

Things looked bad for us. Hilde attacked the Southern Isles to settle a previous conflict between her mistress and Prince Hans, leaving massive devastation and Hans severely injured at the hands of Hilde and her death squads. Prince regent Yixin of the Exalted heard about this and wanted Viola dead, personally arriving in Arendelle to exhort Queen Anna to get rid of Viola once and for all. But Anna had a better idea. As the Countess was a citizen of Arendelle, yet held all this unseen power, we now have a wonderful Prime Minister in Countess Viola Mundilfari! And I have a very good friend!

Win, win, win.

Oh, we found out Hilde’s secret during a fight she had with Elsa. Lycanthropy. Hilde is also a Werewolf! But fighting with my niece Elsa, bad!

Rescuing my great niece Danny twice as the wolf? Oh yeah! Very indebted to Hilde!

Hilde fixed my Colt to face a Grand Duke. More on that later… Hilde got a surprise hug!

The Huntress

Amira of Northuldra posed another challenge, attacking from the shadows because of her hatred of Arendelle. She’d known of a policy never enacted officially from Runeard’s era, yet officials from The University of Arendelle acted on it, and committed a despicable educational betrayal on several of Northuldra’s children. Queen Anna put the stops on it and fired the dean and other officials from the School. Alan, myself and Maren captured Amira. Amira’s now a friend as well.

Prince regent Yixin was not happy with Viola’s life being spared. His Exalted brought on Will Harrison, a member of one of Virginia’s First Families and greedy trade financier and China trader. Harrison hit Queen Anna hard by capturing the Duke of Weselton and Mari of Vesterland. Anna was forced to give two of four trade privileges Yixin had given as a present to King Agnarr and Queen Iduna on the birthday of Elsa. (Recently, Kristoff just pulled off a financial coup that just put Harrison back on his heels!)

One member of the Exalted, Peony Sinclair, is overseeing Arendelle for Yixin while helping Queen Anna steer through the wild waters of world politics. With Countess Viola… well, Vi is currently in London tracking down three scumbags terrorizing the city. Which brings us to the present. Princess Katina and her Grand Dukes threaten war on Arendelle. Queen Anna tried to talk peace with her, but Katina wants war badly. We battled and narrowly escaped the first two Dukes, Anna just had a surprise meeting with the third, Sora, the Fallen Angel.

I know it sounds bad, dear reader. I also feel that the challenges ahead won’t be easy.

But I know my nieces, Elsa and Anna. There is no challenge too big for both of them to face. And as long as they have Kristoff, Hilde, Viola, Sir Alan, Seeker, the Entente, and myself, we will all stand together with them as they together, as they had promised each other when they were in Northuldra a year ago.

So as we celebrate this one year anniversary of Anna’s reign and their return from Northuldra, let us all raise a glass to my nieces, the best Diarchy around, and the most wonderful sister-queens and friends our two lands could ever have.

To Queen Anna and Snow Queen Elsa!

Cheers, you two ❤

Trade Minister and loving Uncle
Michael