A/N: My first piece. I apologize that it's only a one shot, but I don't see that much more can be done with this. Perhaps an addition that takes place after the Great Freeze? I don't know. Inspired by Anonymous and the cover picture.
Elsa watched on, tears brimming her eyes as she gazed upon the event unfolding before her. Peering from behind a door to the painting gallery, she watched helplessly as Anna unleashed an unrelenting rain of blows upon her father's legs, futilely attempting to persuade him from taking away her closest friend.
"But Papa, you can't take her away! Joan is my only friend. She's the only one that ever spends time with me. You can't! You can't! Papa, no! Don't do this to me! It's not fair..." Anna had been pleading to the king, face red and seemingly endless amounts of tears flooding from her eyes. Anna was sprawled across the floor, tightly hugging onto her father's knees, sobbing loudly and soiling His Majesty's fine uniform pants and boots. The king did not mind his now dirty uniform. His mind was elsewhere, trying to think of a way to console his youngest daughter.
He stood for a moment, then knelt down and stroked his fingers through Anna's now disheveled hair, her braids having loosened and started to fray at the ends. "Shh," he cooed to her. "Anna, I am sorry that I have to do this, but Kai and Gerda are very concerned with your behavior. They said you rode your bicycle through a formation of empty suits of armor! They can't imagine what sort of luck blessed you to not get hurt, let alone figure out how you even manged to move the suits into a formation." He released a heavy sigh before continuing, "Anna, Kai said that you were 'defending Joan from an English invasion.'"
"Papa, you don't understand. It's so lonely. Why won't Elsa play with me anymore?" Anna asked after she had calmed enough to speak through her sobs. She was looking up at her father eyes full of sorrow.
The king had no answer to that, at least none he could give the poor girl. "Anna, supper will be ready shortly. Your mother will be very distressed if she saw you like this, so go wash up and meet her in the dining hall, please. I need some time to think about all this," was all he could say to such a disheartening face. His two daughters meant the world to him, yet he could do or say nothing for them. His two princesses so different, but both with their own issues he was powerless against. He truly did have a lot to think over.
"I love you Anna. You are my daughter, and I know you must be very lonely. I will make sure to spend more time with you. Now off you go before your mother starts to worry," and he dismissed her with a kiss to the top of her head and the warmest smile he could watched Anna slowly leaving through the door on the opposite end of the hall. Her father stood and watched as well, then turned and started to walk toward the door Elsa was using to conceal herself.
"Elsa? I know you saw everything," he said while entering through the door. Elsa had tried to hide, but found it was of no use. How had her father known that she was watching? "Elsa?"
The young girl came out from hiding and found her father standing just inside the doorway. "Yes Papa?"
"How long have you been watching?"
"I-I wasn't!" she tried to lie.
"Elsa, tell me the truth"
"I-I saw almost everything. I heard Anna crying so I..." Tears began to pool in her eyes again.
"Elsa, it's okay. There's no need to cry." The king reached a hand out as if to cup her cheek, but he stopped and let his hand fall again. "We need - I need to figure out what to do with Anna. I thought about selling off the painting of Joan, but you've already seen how Anna reacted." Elsa nodded, looking away to a corner. "What drew you to this painting anyway? It was you who wanted your mother and I to purchase it so many years ago."
"It... it reminded me of Anna," Elsa said quietly.
The king quirked an eyebrow at this. He was again uncertain of what to say to one of his daughters. "Anna? I think I see your meaning," he said finally, a smile starting to spread over his face. The purchase was made shortly after Elsa's acciedent with Anna, so he figured Elsa meant that she wanted to use the painting to feel close to Anna after their separation.
Elsa's meaning went deeper than that, but she said nothing. She really meant that Anna's headstrong and positive demeanor were similar to that of Joan of Arc. That she could be the princess that Arendelle will love to see and have in their lives. Not like Elsa; an enigma to even her parents, who could harm those around her, and would force all the people Arendelle away.
Elsa's tears began to crest her cheeks and flow down to her chin. She started sniffling and shut her eyes. This time the king did not let his hand fall as he brought it up once more to brush the tears away.
"Elsa, if it means so much to you as well, we will keep it. I'll have Kai take it down next week for storage. It will give Anna plenty of time to say her good-byes. Perhaps in a few years, Anna will no longer need it for a friend. With time, you'll learn to control your powers and you can be her friend once again."