Arendelle was recovering. More than that, Arendelle was growing. For the first time in decades, the kingdom seemed to have a purpose. The docks were bustling, the Market Square was drowning in people, carts and barrels and ships and families and…

Elsa looked on all this with a smile from the window of the Conference Hall in the palace. It had been a year. A year since Prince Hans' attempted coup, since Elsa had nearly destroyed her home, put her people in jeopardy and…Anna.

A gentle sigh escaped her lips. It had been a long year, but she still hadn't forgiven herself for the harm she'd done to her sister, the hurt she'd caused her, both emotionally through their childhood isolation and…physically. Her blood ran cold at the thought. Well, she swallowed a bitter laugh at the thought, colder than usual.

Anna. Gentle Anna, caring Anna, loving Anna. Her sister had done nothing but shower her older sibling with an unflinching love she felt she did not deserve, from their brief shared childhood, to her coronation, to today. Her heart was on her sleeve, Elsa failed to suppress a smile at the thought of the red-haired girl, her heart was also in her eyes, her mouth, her voice… The Queen drummed her fingers on the window sill, lost in thought. She didn't deserve the faith Anna seemed to have in her, but for the past year, she'd been trying her best to justify it.

'Your majesty?'

Elsa turned from the window to address her council. Arendelle had not had a full council since her parents had dismissed most of the staff and cut down the administration of the kingdom following the…incident with Anna when they were children. For the first time since the Great Thaw, Elsa felt her kingdom was finally on its feet again.

'Yes, I'm sorry Commander, please continue.' She strolled back to the long table, which seated 12 ministers, councillors and other assorted officials. She took a seat at its head, clasping her hands together as a gesture for the man to continue.

'Thank you, my Queen.' Commander Haagan stood, with a nod of respect.

He was a large man, with wide shoulders and a physique that belied a life of labour. He had a neatly trimmed beard that matched his dark hair and imposing eyebrows. Falko Haagan had worked as a woodcutter until he was twenty, where he enlisted in Arendelle's largely ceremonial military. The last ten years had seen him patiently work his way up the ranks. The army had admittedly little to do, Arendelle had not been at war for many, many years. For the most part, its soldiers merely acted as the Palace Guard. Haagan was largely responsible for coordinating relief efforts during the crisis a year ago.

'Councillors, I feel we need to address the growing problem with the Southern Isles.' He stated, plainly.

There was a low murmur of undisguised disagreement.

'The Commander is overzealous in his efforts.' One voice called out.

Haagan turned to the voice with the barest hint of a scowl.

'I need not remind this council of the actions of Prince Hans, barely a year ago.'

'You need not.' Another man stood. The Minister of Trade, Jeroen Kauffman.

He was a less dominating figure than Haagan, but no less imposing. He carried himself with a certainty some felt unsettling. He had long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and was clean shaven.

'We are all well aware of Prince Hans' duplicitous scheme, but we have long since received a formal apology from the Southern Isles, any further disagreements can be solved through trade and diplomacy.' Kauffman countered.

'The Southern Isles have been steadily increasing the price of their goods to us for the past six months. Not only to us, but also to their other neighbours.' Haagan rapped his knuckles on the table. 'Corona and Weselton and others.'

'Are you now a merchant, Falko?' Jeroen smirked.

'You don't need to be an expert in trade to see that this steady price increase is now not only noticeable, but obviously financing the expansion of their military forces.'

Consequently, the council erupted into heated debate. Again. As it had done for the past three meetings. Elsa sighed quietly. She wondered what Anna was doing, it had to be better than this.