Elsa and Anna had big plans.
They'd sell some of the royal family's super-duper expensive old jewelry and pay for free medicine for anyone who needed it, and they'd open the palace library to all of Arendale. Come to think of it, why did they need such a big castle, anyway? Couldn't the portrait gallery become a museum that anyone could look at? What if they abolished the property-owning requirement for voters? What if they invited other royalty to charity balls? And what if they instituted a program that provided service reindeer for
Things they hadn't talked about in years, ideas they'd been separately developing throughout their lonely childhoods- now, it was all coming together.
Together at last, together at last, was the blissful refrain of Anna's new life.
As soon as the first rays of sun brushed across her eyelids, she sprang out of bed and sprinted barefoot down the corridor to her sister's room. Some old habits died hard.
Instead of sleeping prettily, Elsa was lying on the floor in a puddle of melted snow gown. Her forehead seemed unnaturally flushed. As Anna watched, she stirred a little and made a soft sound of discomfort.
"Elsa?" No answer. Anna hurried closer and laid a hand on her sister's forehead.
She was burning up!
Anna's cry of frightened surprise brought the servants running.
"What is it, Princess?"
"It's Elsa... She's sick... " Anna took a deep breath and put on her most princesslike mien. Shoulders back and head high, just the way Elsa would act. "Everyone being up a cup of snow from the courtyard. And get Kristoff!"
For the next several days, Kristoff and Anna worked around the clock to keep Elsa cool, hauling up ice blocks in an attempt to ease her pain. She seemed to be on fire from within. The only thing that gave her any relief was to flop down into a bed of snow and press her fevered cheek to a fresh block of ice.
But as soon as it began to melt, she was in agony again. When awake, she seemed unaware of her surroundings, and nightmares stole every bit of peace from her sleep.
Anna dabbed the corner of a handkerchief in ice-cold broth and let drops run between Elsa's lips; it was the only way to get the queen to take any nourishment.
Please, please, was Anna's constant thought. Please let this soup stay down, please sleep without screaming. Please open your eyes and be my amazing, talented sister again. Please just let this be a dream brought on by eating too much cheese, and I'm asleep farting in bed and Elsa's healthy and dancing.
Please make this fever break!
And then, on the seventh day, Elsa got worse.