What did it matter? True, the people of Arendelle no longer feared for their lives, but they still lived in what she deemed an apprehensive state; knowing full well what she was capable of. More than once, when her emotions got the better of her, she was tempted to run away. She had taken to locking herself in her room, leaving only to go to the bathroom and nothing more; and as of late, she would do it for days on end leaving Anna to pound endlessly on the door.
"Elsa! Open this door! I know something's wrong because you haven't been down for dinner in three days, and you never stay away this long, even with all the work you have to do!"
Silence always answered the princess no matter how hard she pleaded, even though it broke the queen's heart to do so. The pattern continued until nearly a week had passed. Elsa was growing weary of her sister's attempts at conversation and though not a single snowflake was created, the queen knew that she would sooner or later have to succumb.
Elsa sat at her desk, hunched over a pile of papers, staring at them blankly. While she did manage to sneak out to eat, it was never enough, and the lack of food was starting to take it's toll. She sighed and pushed the papers to the side. There wasn't much more to do but wait until everyone had gone to bed so she could see what was left in the kitchen. She got up to lay in bed and while away the hours until darkness fell when, almost on cue, there was a knock at the door.
"Elsa, please at least say you're there. You don't have to open the door, or even talk to me, but I want to know that you're okay. Are you okay?" Anna's voice trembled, uncertain of the fate of her sister. It was unusual that they weren't together, and the fact that the princess hadn't seen the queen in days made her scared.
Turning back from the bed, she walked softly to the door, and opened it just enough to see her sister, but not enough to be an invitation inside. "Anna, I'm sorry. Please don't worry about me."
"You look terrible! What have you been doing? Are you sick? Do you need help? Was it last night's pie? It gave me indigestion too.."
"Anna, please." Elsa gave a weak smile. "I just need some time alone."
"But I thought we discussed this! You don't have to be alone! You can talk to me! C'mon, let's talk." Anna pushed her way past her sister and onto the bed, patting the spot next to her. "It's nearly dark, no one's gonna bother us."
Elsa reluctantly shut the door, and sat on the bed, opposite her sister. Even now she didn't want to be near her, she just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. "I don't know what you expect to hear, Anna. I've told you that I just need some time to myself. You of all people know this."
"Yeah but this is like...a LOT of time to yourself! And you're hardly eating! And you haven't once scolded me for tracking mud through the hallway or eating with my mouth open, or chasing livestock around the courtyard! Even Gerda and Kai are worried."
Elsa cringed at the names. "I'd rather not talk about Arendelle right now."
"Why?" Anna tilted her head curiously and scrabbled over the sheets so she was next to her sister. "Are we in trouble? Out to war? Out of chocolate?"
"No, Anna. The kingdom itself is fine, I just..." she sighed heavily, "...I just wish they didn't fear me still. I want them to love me as much as I love them."
"That's it? That's why you've been hiding? Psh, Elsa you're so silly! Everyone in Arendelle loves you! Think about it. Whenever we're out together, who do people greet first? I mean yeah you're the queen n'all but doesn't everyone smile when they see you? Doesn't everyone seem happier, and in better spirits after you've said 'good morning' to them? And hey, I've talked to some of the kids, and they adore you! They all want to be just like you when they grow up because they think you're awesome! How can you say that they don't love you? I don't know a single person out there who's afraid of you anymore. If anything, they're afraid of me crashing into something and demolishing it." Anna paused and grinned at her sister. Maybe she was stretching it the tiniest bit, but it wasn't that far from the truth. "No one's afraid of you, not me, not Gerda, not Kai, not anyone else on the streets. We know that deep down, even deeper than this sadness," she poked her sister gently in the chest, "there's a warm heart."
Elsa stared at her sister for a full minute, her words failing her every time she opened her mouth. Anna took the reigns and pulled Elsa into a tight hug, proving just how much she truly loved her.
"I'm sorry Anna, I didn't..."
"It's okay, you have a lot to deal with. I couldn't manage half as well as you."
When they broke apart, there were tears in Elsa's eyes. Anna laughed softly and handed the queen her handkerchief. "See? There's no need to hide away over something as silly as this. Especially when there's a pot roast waiting to be pilfered." She grinned and took Elsa's hands. "Whaddya say? You hungry?"
Elsa couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, but I'm not bringing back half a feast like last time."