Warnings: Violence, Talk of Death, Suggested Abortion, Mental Health issues, Blood, Kidnapping, Running Away
My name is Arianna Iduna Corona. I am the Runaway Queen of Corona. I ran away from home when I was almost 18 and didn't return until I was almost 36. People often ask me where I was all those years ago. Well here is my story.
I stood on a grassy green hill that was next to my home island, Corona and held my enlarged stomach. "Do you like it up here?" I asked my child-to-be. I felt a kick in my stomach. I smiled. "I like it up here too." I replied as I rubbed my stomach. I sat down on the slightly dewed grass. I picked a white and yellow daisy and fidgeted with it. The stem felt smooth on my fingers. "Just think, tomorrow you and I will meet each other face-to-face and our lives will be perfect!" I explained to my unborn child. I felt something kick in my stomach. I smiled.
"Hello, Queen Arianna" I heard an eerie voice greet me. I stood up and turned around. It was an old woman with curly, black hair, blueish-grey eyes, pale skin, wearing a red renaissance dress and a black cloak.
"Gothel." I hissed under my breath. "Look, I don't want to fight today. I have a little kid with me today. You wouldn't want anything to happen to us because of you." I explained as I carefully backed away from the situation, patting my hands in front of me. I saw Gothel shoot one of her black rocks at me. I felt a burning pain in my chest and then everything went black.
The next thing that I knew, I was in me and my husband, Frederic's soft bed in the palace. I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy image of the white ceiling above me. I groaned, catching the attention of my handmaiden, Freidborg. I heard run over to my side. I felt something coming up my throat. I gagged. Freidborg sat me up and then let me empty the continents of my stomach into a bronze bowl. As Friedborg lied me back down, I just thought what in Corona happened back there? My body was in increasing pain and I could no longer feel the baby. I just lied there groaning weakly.
My head felt like it was burning while the rest of my body was freezing. My head and stomach both felt like they were about to explode. I felt like there was an invisible block above my body that kept me from getting up. I also could still feel my chest burn.
I heard the door open. I heard footsteps walk over to my bed. I felt Frederic's warm hand touch my left shoulder. "Is she okay?" Frederic questioned as he gently rubbed my shoulder. I really don't think so.
"She just vomited and seems to be in a lot of pain." Freidborg explained. Frederic just kept gently rubbing my shoulder and squeezing my hand.
"She needs a healer." Frederic announced with a sense of urgency in his voice.
"I'll send Cassandra." Freidborg quickly explained. I heard footsteps walking out of the room.
"Here," Frederic gently addressed me as he lifted up my head. "Would you like water?" He questioned as he tilted a glass of water in my mouth. It felt cool on my sore throat. After I drank the water, he laid my head back down on my fluffy pillow. I heard footsteps.
"A healer is on their way." I heard Freidborg announce.
"Maybe they can figure out what's going on with the poor Darling." Frederic mumbled.
"You did find her unconscious on the beach after hearing a loud bang.".
"Ya, I really have no idea what happened there.". Gothel struck me in the heart with a FREAKING rock. I thought. I heard a knock on the wooden door. And then I heard footsteps.
"Thank you, doctor Marana." I heard Frederic say.
"Just doing my job, now did you say you found her unconscious on the beach after hearing a loud bang?" I heard doctor Marana ask. How did I get on the beach when the incident happened on the cli… Oh no, I fell off the cliff! I realized. "The only thing that I can think of that could have happened is, there was an explosion of some sort and she is suffering from radiation sickness. Keep her out of the sun for today and that should do the trick." The doctor announced. Let's hope that this works. I thought.
Long story short that didn't work, in fact that made me colder. When Frederic came to check on me the next morning, let's say that I woke up to him screaming.
"ARIANNA IDUNA CORONA WAKE UP!". The noise gave me a headache and I began crying. "Aww, I'm sorry… I saw you pale and you were cold and I thought you were…". His voice was sad and I could feel his tears dripping down on my arm.
"Frederic, we need to get her the doctor again." I heard Nigel, our Royal Advisor, told Frederic. I heard footsteps walking out of the room again.
Frederic held my hand in his warm hand. "Please don't be really sick." He desperately pleaded with me. I groaned and tightened my body in pain. I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy image of Frederic's face. I blinked. He put his hand on my hot forehead. The doctor rushed in with Nigel. I saw her in her white dress rush over to my bedside.
She put her hand on my hot forehead. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, her condition seems to be worse than I thought yesterday. She doesn't have much time…" Doctor Marana announced. Oh great, I'm going to die. I thought.
"Please, is there anything you can do for her?" Frederic pleaded, desperation filled his voice.
"I could try to treat her… I just don't know if I can save her…" Doctor Marana explained, her voice quiet and sad.
"What about the baby?" Frederic asked. Marana felt my stomach. I hadn't felt them since I was on the hill yesterday afternoon fidgeting with the daisy. "The baby has a slow heartbeat… I'm afraid that they are sick too…" Marana announced in a sympathetic tone. Why must it be like this? I thought. I began to cry tears of anger and despair. I was angry at Gothel for attacking me and making me sick. Frederic squeezed me and Marana held me.
A few days passed and I started getting weaker and vomiting up stomach acid. Marana predicted that my time was getting closer. Frederic and the palace staff were distraught. I would stay awake at night in my soft bed covered in blankets and hear him cry for me and the baby.
One question plagued my mind: What would happen to my people when I was gone? I was the heir to the Coronan throne and I only have two sisters. Iduna, who was married to the king of Arendelle and Willow, who was pretty much an untamable disaster.
Then, as the talk about my sickness passed through the Coronan people, talk about the Sundrop Flower, a flower that bloomed from a single drop of sunlight that could heal any injury or sickness. I had heard my mama tell me and my sister the legend of the flower. I began to have hope that I would live to see another day and the baby would grow up to be the next Coronan leader. But then, my hope was smashed by one of my best friends.
So the next night, I was lying in my bed. I was staring at my pink ceiling when all of the sudden I heard a gruff voice say this: "If you take the Sundrop you will unleash an ancient curse, by removing the light you will unleash unimaginable darkness.". I recognized that voice from somewhere… that was… Quirin?
I vomited. Freidborg cleaned me up. She put a new nightgown on me, and got me new sheets. Since Frederic wasn't there to hold me, I had to lay on a blanket on the wooden floor while Freidborg got me new sheets. After that she picked me up and put me back in my bed.
Then, I began to sob loudly. How could Quirin, one of my closest friends, do this to me? How could he betray me in my hour of need and leave me to die? "Oh, sweetie!" Freidborg cried as she took me in her gentle arms. "I know you're hurting bad." She explained. No, it's not that. I thought.
Frederic rushed in. He took me from Freidborg's arms and rocked me. "Shh, it's going to be okay. You need to calm down." He cooed as he rocked me gently. I eventually calmed down, but, everytime I went to go to sleep, I would hear Quirin's words and start crying.
"She's gotten worse. I don't think she's going to make it much longer." Frederic told Freidborg.
"Then let's just pray." She replied. They stood together at my bedside, took my hand and prayed for me.
About an hour later, the Sundrop Flower was found by my twin sister, Iduna and my younger sister, Willamena, and Gothel's daughter, Cassandra, and Eugene Fitzherbert and Arnadlo Schitz, two kids from the orphanage. The Sundrop was taken to the palace where it was boiled down into a tea for me to drink.
"Arianna, you have to drink for us." Frederic told me, holding a bowl of something glowing above me. There is no way I'm drinking that glowing stuff. But he put it to my mouth and I drank it down. It tasted like sweet, cooked lemon mixed with honey. Once I had finished the tea, I laid back down on my fluffy pillow. Frederic pulled a blanket back up on my healing form. "I love you so much my darling girl." He whispered into my ear before I dozed off.
The next morning, I had my baby. They were a little girl, with golden hair, big green eyes, and healthy, tan skin. The maids dressed her in a purple cotton dress. When they put her in my arms, I could feel something truly magical about her.
The little one rolled back and forth in my arms and squealed. "Shh, little princess, you need to be calmer." I cooed as I bounced her. She just squealed and reached for my diamond earring.
"Nope, you can't have Mommy's earring." Frederic told the baby as he took her out of my arms. The baby just gooed in confusion. Me and Frederic laughed.
"Oh, -" I suddenly realized that we hadn't named her yet. "We need to think of a name!".
"Hum… What about Taila?" Frederic suggested.
"To ancient… How about Rapunzel?" I suggested.
"Rapunzel… I like that." Frederic repiled.
"Hello, Princess Rapunzel!" I greeted the baby. The baby cooed. Me and Frederic laughed.
That night me and Frederic released a lantern into the pink and purple Coronan sunset. Little did I know, I would look up at the lanterns every year from the Coronan forest and wish for a better life.
That night I woke up to footsteps. I got out of bed, went to my closet and grabbed my silver sword. I stood with the blade out in front of me. "Hello, if you want to hurt my baby, well, you got to get past Darianna first!" I announced.
"Are you sure about that?" A voice of an old lady questioned. The shady figure wearing a black, hooded, cap stood out in the light. She took off the hood. She had gray curly hair, pale wrinkly skin, and greyish-blue eyes. "Gothel!" I gasped. "What do you want?".
"The princess." She answered coldly. I was shocked. I don't know what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn't expecting that!
"Well, if you want the princess, you have to get to the queen first!" I answered slyly.
"Are you sure about that, Arianna?" Gothel questioned. She hit my sword with her sword and knocked it to my back. I collapsed and hit the carpeted floor beneath me. I could only watch as Gothel jumped off the castle balcony into the night with Rapunzel. I passed out.
A week passed. I patiently waited for someone to return with my baby girl. But at the end of the week, nobody reported so much as a glimpse of my missing baby. And on top of that, at night I would have flashbacks of the conversation I heard between Frederic and Quirin on the night of the Sundrop Expedition.
One day, I was sitting at my desk reading some letter that Quirin (ironically) I had written requesting land. I pushed it off my desk, and stared out the window. The window overlooked the big, blue, ocean. What's all out there? I wondered. What if I find out? I was surprised at the thought. I can't run away, I'm a good girl. I reminded myself. But just think, I could go see the world. And maybe find… I jumped up. I immediately began to think of a way to get out of Corona.
That night I went to bed in my clothes. Frederic didn't seem to notice or care. I lied in bed next to my sleeping husband until the sky was pitch black. I hopped out of my bed and started to pack my nightgown, a doll that looked like me, my Bible, Peter Pan, the book I was currently reading, my journal, and some fruit into my blue bag.
Frederic woke up. "Darling, what are you doing?" He sleepily questioned. "Can't sleep." I replied as I swung my bag over the shoulder. I walked out the door. He began chasing me. I begin running. As we ran through the palace, we woke up the palace staff. The captain tried to stop me by putting his arms out in front of me, but I slid on my rear end and legs to avoid him.
I awoke people as I ran through the streets. I ran by the Ruggider's farm. Quirin and Ulla were standing in front, in the street. "Honey, what are you doing?" Ulla questioned. I ignored her and kept running towards the docks. "She is doing this because she heard what you said on the night of the Sundrop Expedition!" I briefly heard Ulla scolded Quirin as I made my way towards the docks. That's exactly why I'm running away, so I don't cause more problems. I thought as I kept running.
I made it to the docks about five minutes later. I sat down and put my blue bag on the sailboat I brought from the market three days earlier. I pushed it away from the shore. The sand in between my fingers felt calmed me in the rush of the moment. As the boat floated away from Corona. I thought about where I was going. I knew the closest kingdom to Corona was Kodo. Little did I know, I was starting the adventure of a lifetime!