A/N: My first Frozen fic! I've written all but the final chapter or two at this point, so hold on to your butts because this monster is a thirteen-chapters-so-far epic by my usual oneshot and under ten chapter standards. I have no self control, so every one of my written chapters will be up within the week, if not the next couple of days or even the next couple of hours. This is a very alternate AU, where Elsa is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Corona after the incident with hitting Anna with magic. Also, Elsa and Flynn are childhood best friends. This fic will involve shameless, unsubtle shipping of Felsa. I make zero apologies. If I have an OTP, this as-far-from canon as possible tugboat is it. This fic is pretty lowkey about violence and contains zero sin. Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or Tangled. Onwards and upwards!

Chapter 1: It's Funny How Some Distance Makes Everything Seem Small

Temporary separation.

Elsa stood before her aunt and uncle, shaking, thoughts swirling through her head like snowflakes on a wild breeze. It wasn't her fault. It had been an accident. It wasn't fair. Anna...

Would be safer without me around.

Her parents had decided that after what happened in the ballroom, that it would be best if Elsa relocated to somewhere else so Anna wouldn't get hurt again. Elsa loved her sister more than anything, and if what it took to keep her safe was Elsa being far away, then that was the right thing to do. It had to be. Her parents wouldn't have sent her away if it wasn't, would they?

"Far away" was Corona, a kingdom not so distant from Arendelle where her father's sister, Arianna, ruled as queen by the side of her husband, Frederic. It was far warmer than Arendelle, and King Agdar and Queen Iduna thought the milder climate might dampen her ice powers. Besides, the queen and king were family. They would be excellent for Elsa. Of course, the letter announcing Elsa's arrival came on the boat with Elsa, so her sudden appearance was a bit of a surprise.

"I cannot believe that they would send a child alone on a sea voyage with no warning to us to expect her. How would we know to look for her if anything went wrong?" King Frederic grumbled, crinkling the parchment in his large hands.

Queen Arianna laid a soothing hand on his chest. "I'm certain that they have their reasons, darling. The important thing is that Elsa is here now, and we ought to make her feel welcome instead of standing here talking about her."

"Quite right," the king agreed quickly. "I'll see to arranging her tutors."

"Come, my dear. Let's get you settled in," the queen offered, extending a friendly hand.

She wouldn't be so willing to touch Elsa if she knew how dangerous it was. How dangerous she was. Elsa refrained from accepting the hand, only nodding and agreeing quietly. She followed her aunt down the hallways like a small pale ghost, silent and barely there. One accusation kept ringing in her head, louder with each iteration.

I almost killed her. I almost killed her. I almost- I- Ialmostkilledher.

She would miss Anna and home terribly, but she had to stay away, to keep Anna safe from her. But what about these people? She'd have to learn control, and once she did, she could go back. She could see Anna again. She focused until the self-recrimination was replaced by the mantra her Papa taught her.

Conceal. Don't feel. Don't let it show.

They arrived at a door. She supposed it was her door now.

"This room has a good view of the harbor and it's only two doors down from ours so we'll be close by if you need anything," her aunt explained, striding over to the wardrobe to select a shift for sleeping.

The ship had come in near sundown, and Arianna thought her young niece could use some rest after her long journey as well as whatever ordeal had led her to their doorstep. She frowned over the choices in the wardrobe, unpacked from Elsa's belongings by castle staff. Why hadn't her parents had cooler clothing made and sent? Why hadn't they sent word ahead for she and Frederic to have a set made for Elsa? What on earth had happened that there was no time to make preparations?

"This won't do at all. These are entirely too warm for our climate. We'll go to the seamstress tomorrow and have you fitted for a more appropriate wardrobe," she announced, selecting the thinnest shift and handing it to Elsa.

She noticed that the young girl was very careful not to touch her hand when accepting the garment. She made a mental note to remind Frederic not to show affection physically. Her husband cut an imposing figure, but he was a hugger, and it was becoming clear that their odd, pale little wisp of a niece wouldn't take it very well. There would be some adjustments to make. The letter hadn't specified how long Elsa would be staying. It hadn't specified much of anything, but Arianna was glad to have the girl in the castle. She wouldn't replace their lost daughter- of course not- but having a little princess around to watch over and care for might ease the ache the slightest bit. Elsa wasn't much older than Rapunzel would be now.

Elsa, for her part, was both nervous and excited to be in this new place. What would be different from home? Would anything be the same? She was interested in finding out.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she whispered.

"Dear girl, you can call me Aunt Arianna if you like," the queen laughed.

"Thank you, Aunt Arianna," she echoed.

"Get some sleep, Elsa. We've a big day tomorrow."

Elsa woke choking back a scream from a nightmare about killing Anna. It was a bad one this time. Anna froze into an ice sculpture of herself and then shattered into pieces when Elsa tried to reach for her. Elsa touched her cool cheeks and felt tears frozen in their tracks across her skin. She scrubbed them off her face and shifted position to sit up. She heard the blankets make a crackling noise as she moved.

Elsa gasped. She was surrounded by a patch of frost, spiking jaggedly across the sheets and the floor. She tried to make it go away, but the more she worried about being discovered, the bigger the frozen area got, soon engulfing the wall and part of the bureau. After repeating her mantra several more times and taking deep breaths, she managed to pull the ice back in. Elsa felt cold to the core, which was odd because the cold never bothered her. She burrowed back into the sheets, tossing and turning, trying to get back to sleep. She did so, but didn't slumber very restfully.

Morning was a haze of fending off unfamiliar maids trying to bathe and dress her while insisting she could do it herself, trying strange foods for breakfast, and attempting to keep up with the busy schedule her aunt was rattling off for them today. She found that she quite liked fruit, which was not in abundance in Arendelle's frigid climate, apples in particular.

If she thought that it was difficult to keep up with Aunt Arianna talking about the plan, then keeping up with her executing it was even harder. Her pace was too brisk for Elsa's tiny legs and the guards that flanked them were making her anxious with their vigilance. What was everyone so afraid of?

First there was the seamstress, and Elsa held as still as a statue, repeating her mantra, trying desperately in her discomfort not to let the ice out or flinch away from the touch of the women taking her measurements and pinning things. She wore one of the new dresses out of the shop so she wouldn't boil in the heat in her heavy wool gown. It was a paler color than most of the fashions in Arendelle, a delicate blue. She found she quite liked the gentler coloring and the freedom of the lightness of the fabric.

Then there was a tour of the market, which was a riot of sound and color. She thought she could watch the whirl of the street dancers forever, but there was so much to see and they hurried on after one song. She loved the smells of the food stalls, the bright, bubbly excitement of the friendly atmosphere. People in Corona were much less... reserved than the people in Arendelle. They all seemed to wear their hearts on their sleeves, smiling not just politely, but like they were happy to see you. They reminded her of Anna. A whole country of people with her personality wouldn't be such a bad place to live, in Elsa's thinking.

Last, there was a visit to the orphanage. The queen explained that she had already promised to visit them today to read them a story and that she had needed to bring Elsa along so she wouldn't ever be out of her sight. Elsa sat to the side, watching.

Her aunt was a masterful storyteller. The pictures seemed to come alive with her voice. The story was some sort of swashbuckling adventure. Elsa hadn't caught the title, distracted by looking around the orphanage. Her parents would never have brought her here, too concerned about keeping her away from the public to let her meet any people outside the castle. She liked the story well enough, just wishing that the woman the main character loved had a more proactive role. Even with no skill, she could probably swing a branch at a gnome, right? She could at least be a distraction. It was, nevertheless, a good tale.

She noticed one boy in particular, not much older than her, was enraptured by the book. His brown eyes were wide and his face was tight with anticipation of what would come next. Most of the children cast the foreign princess curious glances, but the boy with the brown hair just stared intently at the queen telling the tale. When her aunt closed the book, Elsa was struck by an idea. She ran up to her aunt and whispered her request in her ear. The woman smiled and handed over the book, replying softly.

Elsa slipped through the dispersing crowd up to the boy and held the book out to him. He eyed her warily at first, then snatched the treasure from her hands, clutching it close to his chest.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"You're welcome. You looked like you were liking it, so I asked if we could give it to you. She said yes as long as you promise to share with any of the other kids who want to hear the story," Elsa explained.

"I will," he promised, an excited gleam in his eye. "Who are you? I thought the princess was lost."

"I'm Princess Elsa. I'm a different princess. I only just got to Corona yesterday. Who are you?"

"I'm Eu- er, Flynn. Flynn Rider," the boy answered haltingly, bowing a little.

Elsa hid a laugh behind her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Flynn Rider. I hope we see each other again," she said, trying to look proper like a princess that people bowed to.

"Elsa, dear. Time to go!"

"Coming! Goodbye, Flynn," she said to the boy.

"Goodbye, Princess," he echoed with a wave as she departed.

The rest of the day was spent at the castle, and the next stop was the stables. Elsa watched in awe as the horses cantered around the circle, tossing their manes. In Arendelle, horses had closely cropped manes cut in fanciful patterns. None of this... free-flowing cascade of hair. Elsa fingered her own tight bun, glancing at her aunt, who wore her hair mostly down. Her mother always had her hair in a bun, but Elsa wasn't fond of how the strands were yanked back from her face, stretching the skin almost painfully. But she also didn't think she could stand having to brush her silvery locks out of her face all day, either. Maybe she could compromise, somehow. One of the overly helpful maids might have an idea.

A particular horse caught her eye. He was just a tiny colt, but he was galloping hard enough to keep pace with the much bigger horses. He was nearly all white, with gray on his nose and hooves. He had a look on his face like intense concentration. She could see he had a fire of determination in his soul, an intelligence in his eyes. She liked him immediately.

"Whose horse is that?" she asked her aunt, pointing.

"The little colt? That's Maximus. He belongs to the guard. He's training to work for the soldiers. Do you like him?" she asked.

"Yes, very much," Elsa replied.

"Well... his rider will have to know how to use a sword because he will have to be ready to ride into battle with someone swinging one from their seat on his back. He's not really a horse for pleasure riding or having as a pet," her aunt explained.

"Oh," she sighed, disappointed.

The queen bit her lip thoughtfully. "It wouldn't be terribly traditional, but I suppose if you were willing to learn how to use a sword, you could ride him. But the training wouldn't be easy and it might be a long time before the captain thinks you're ready. There are other horses if you don't want to go to the trouble..." she offered hesitantly.

"A princess using a sword? It's not- it isn't really done," Elsa stammered. But then she looked at the spirited little foal thundering over the grass and came to a decision. "But I would be willing to do it. I really want to ride Maximus. He's special."

"Are you certain? I can't promise that it will be safe," she fretted, seemingly on the verge of changing her mind.

Elsa thought about it. Was she certain? Her parents had stopped letting her ride after they discovered her magic, thinking it was unsafe. If she got spooked, she could startle the horse with her powers and it could throw her off. They would never agree to letting her learn how to use a sword. She was dangerous enough without pointy weapons. In a sparring match, her emotions might run high and she might accidentally unleash her abilities. But this overprotection felt stifling. Life without risks wasn't really life, was it?

"I think I've had rather enough of safe," Elsa answered confidently. "I want to do it. I promise I'll work hard and I'll do everything the captain says. Maximus is the only horse I want to ride. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Well, if you're absolutely committed, I don't suppose it's my place to stop you. Promise to be careful, though, alright?" her aunt requested.

"I promise."

Elsa stood at the railing of her bedroom balcony, staring out towards the harbor so different from the fjord port of Arendelle. She sighed deeply, letting frost creep into her breath and billow out in a small white puff. She smiled a small smile. It made her feel like a dragon, big and strong and capable of flying anywhere, doing anything. If she were a dragon, she could fly home. This new place was wonderful and bright, but she missed her old room and her old halls and the chilled air and her sister very much. The days here were just warm enough to be the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Even if she was a dragon, Elsa couldn't go home. She would still be a danger to Anna. No matter how beautiful Corona was or how nice the people were, it didn't feel like her own place yet. What if it never did? Her parents hadn't said how long she would stay. Would she remain until she came of age? She didn't belong at home because she was too dangerous. But she was a stranger here.

"Where do I belong?" she sighed out into the night.

"Elsa, dear?" a voice called.

She whipped around, hands up, only to drop them when she saw her aunt. "Oh. Hello, Aunt Arianna. What brings you here?"

"I thought I would check on my niece after her first day in a new place," she smiled. "And by the looks of it, she's a little homesick."

"Maybe," Elsa admitted.

"I was homesick when I first came here, too, you know," she replied. "I may be the only person in Corona who truly understands how you're feeling right now."

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"When I first arrived to study abroad, I hated it here. I kept thinking that nothing would be as good as Arendelle and I focused on how different life was here compared to home. I was a miserable wreck. Tutors, staff, and nobility alike fled from my sour, wrathful gloom," her aunt intoned.

"But you stayed. And now you're queen. What changed? What made it better?" Elsa prompted.

"I got tired of feeling sorry for myself. I stopped focusing on how Corona wasn't like Arendelle and started looking for things I liked about this country. For example, the raisin bread the castle baker makes. Or the flowers that only grow here in the warm climate. Or the handsome young prince who invited me to walk through the village with him and wouldn't let me have any peace until I agreed to marry him," she laughed. "Your uncle has always been a persistent one."

"So you thought about all the good things?"

"Yes, my dear girl. What are some good things that you like about Corona so far?" the queen asked, grabbing a brush from the nightstand and undoing Elsa's bun as she talked. She noticed that the girl stiffened but seemed to slowly relax as the conversation went on.

"Well... I like apples," the princess began, closing her eyes to imagine the rest of the list, concentrating on keeping calm while her aunt had her hands in her hair, too close to her dangerously icy skin.

"What else?" Arianna prodded as she brushed her niece's hair with long, gentle strokes.

"I like Maximus. And I like those bread things at breakfast, the round ones that aren't like rolls. What do you call those?"

"Biscuits," the queen replied. "What else?"

"I like the library. It's cozier than home. I like the market square with the dancing circle that spins around and around. I like the streets wind around and back instead of straight lines. I like the colors that people wear here, so much brighter than Arendelle. I like that there are little alcoves with random things like armor or flower vases scattered around the castle. I like butterflies. We don't have as many up north. And... that's all I can think of for now," Elsa said.

"Well, that's a good start. I'm sure you'll find more good things the more you explore," her aunt soothed, tying off her hair in a low ponytail with a white ribbon. "Goodnight, Elsa. Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Aunt Arianna."

Elsa went to bed that night thinking about a lot of things. Her new home, her upcoming sword lessons, the young Flynn Rider, and what Anna would think of all this. She had drafted a letter to her sister detailing her whole first day earlier that evening. She couldn't wait for the reply. Anna would love the part about swordfighting, and would probably find some way to learn without their parents finding out.

Elsa was so ready to start the next day. The sooner she learned what she needed to learn about being queen and about controlling her powers, the sooner she could go home.

A/N part II: I love Felsa so much. No disrespect to Rapunzel, but Elsa and Eugene are perfect for each other. There are literal pages of objectively correct analysis on why this is true available a quick google search away. My favorite reason is the parallel of both of them using masks to cover up their insecurities. For Eugene, it's his Flynn persona covering less than rosy background. For Elsa, it's a cold facade to keep people away and safe from her powers. I just love them together. Anyway, this fic is inspired by Elsa of Corona by Constellations-of-Neverland, but with hardcore shipping of these two.

I'm also probably going to involve the background of Eugene's last name. The prefix Fitz means "illegitimate" so his hatred of his name makes twice as much sense. Imagine having to introduce yourself "Hi! My name is So-and-so born out of wedlock." In older times, that was an even bigger deal than today, so it was humiliating. It will likely come up later, so you might want to remember it.

Rapunzel will show up later, but platonically. That's all. See you next chapter!