Okay, so this is my first attempt at a Frozen fanfiction! I got the idea after I read The Snow Queen and completely fell in love with the little robber girl, and I was really sad she wasn't in the movie.

Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or its characters, credit to Disney

It would have been a forty foot drop into the palace courtyard, and even if she survived the fall she would never escape the guards in her state. Luckily, it wasn't her first dangerous job.

The girl repositioned her left foot on the stone wall, taking a second to check that her grip was solid before heaving herself up and reaching the ledge she had been climbing towards. Dangling off the side of the palace, she took a deep breath and lifted herself up enough to peer through the window, which was covered with a thin layer of frost, making it impossible to see through. The girl cursed quietly and climbed up the rest of the way so she was sitting on the ledge and able to barely make out the room inside. After a short survey she confirmed it was indeed the room she had been looking for and, seeing it deserted, got to work opening the window so she could sneak through. It seemed to be a good day for her as the rightmost glass pane came cleanly out with a little nudging and she was able to slip through the land silently in the room.

Taking a moment to scope out her surroundings without her vision distorted, the girl got her bearings and ventured deeper into the large room, which was clearly a study. A portrait depicting the previous king on his coronation day was hung on the back wall, stacks of paper and individual sheets littered a mahogany desk, and smoke gently curled up from a candle that looked as if it had just been put out. Dismissing it as the wind when she came through the window, the girl turned to the other side of the room and finally saw what she was looking for.

In glass cases and on intricately designed pedestals were a collection of the palace's jewels, precious stones and priceless artifacts. Allowing herself a smile at her soon-to-be victory, the girl carefully made her way over to one of the pedestals that was uncovered, which held a beautiful necklace with a woven gold chain and a deep blue stone encased in white gold. She was about to grab it when she heard movement behind her and whirled around just in time for a blast of ice to encase her feet and keep her planted to the spot.

"What do you think you're doing?" came a voice from the shadows. The girl struggled to get herself free of the ice, already knowing and dreading who was in the room with her, and finding herself correct when the woman stepped forward, looking furious yet amused at the position she had put the girl in.

"I suppose that question doesn't need answering, as it's clear what you were trying to do, breaking into my study and snooping around my collection," the woman continued, walking forward until she standing a few feet away from the girl. "And judging by the look on your face, you know exactly who I am."

The girl couldn't hold back her sigh, meeting the woman's eyes with the most defiant expression she could muster. "You're the queen."

Queen Elsa said nothing, making her way forward and around the girl to delicately pick up the necklace the girl had been trying to steal. She held it close and spoke from behind the girl, who didn't bother twisting around to face the queen.

"I could have you thrown in my dungeons for the rest of your life if I wanted," Elsa said, walking back around in front of the girl and staring her down, her face now unreadable. "Anything to say to that?"

"I just tried to rob you, and you don't seem very angry."

"Years of practice hiding my emotions," Elsa shrugged, grabbing the chair from her desk and sitting down, the necklace still dangling from her fingers. "Not only did you just attempt to rob someone, you attempted to rob the palace, and from my private collection. That couldn't have been an easy job to pull, even if I did catch you."

"Are you admiring my skills?" the girl inquired, knowing she was speaking far out of line with the queen but beyond caring as she knew it was already too late to make a difference. Elsa raised an eyebrow at her boldness.

"I'm observing how desperate that makes you look, and how clever," Elsa elaborated. "Add to that your attitude and you've got my attention."

The girl did not reply for a moment, it just having dawned on her that the situation she was in was not what she had assumed it to be. Seeing the confusion leak onto her face, Elsa chuckled once and let a small smile appear on her lips.

"You don't seem like a girl who is stealing for copious amounts of money," the queen continued, tilting her head and keeping her eyes locked with the girl's. "From where I'm sitting it looks like you're out of options."

The girl raised her head, choosing to stay silent while the woman in front of her continued in her speculations.

"You broke into the palace, so you aren't afraid. You broke into my study, so you know what you're doing. Yet you're all by yourself."

"How would you know that?" the girl interrupted before biting her tongue, reminding herself that if this woman wanted her locked up, she would already be behind bars. Elsa appeared unfazed by her question.

"If this were more than a one man- pardon me, one woman operation, you wouldn't have been caught."

Elsa rose to her feet, sauntering back to the pedestal to gently lay the necklace in its place. She began speaking before she was finished, and this time the girl did glance back over her shoulder trying to see the queen.

"There's something about you that is making me not want to call my guards and throw you into a cell," Elsa said. "Maybe it's because you're young and I don't want to condemn you to a life behind bars."

"You're young too," the girl remarked, though Elsa ignored her and continued on.

"So I'm going to let you explain yourself to me," she finished, making her way back in front of the girl and standing there rather than taking a seat again. "I want to know why you tried to steal that necklace, and why I shouldn't treat you as a queen would treat any criminal."

"Who says you shouldn't?" the girl asked, unable to resist throwing in one last act of defiance before she knew she would end up doing exactly as the queen asked.

"You, if you're as clever as I seem to think you are."

For a long moment neither of them spoke or moved, though the girl would have liked to as the ice was seeping through her worn shoes. Fighting against the instinct to shiver, the girl finally conceded and gave Elsa what she wanted.

"You're right. I am desperate. I'm a young girl on my own who knows how to break into a palace. I need money, so I can get food."

"If you need money why steal a necklace?" Elsa inquired. "Not that I condone such actions, but why not use the market?"

"I would have, but I'm tired of having nothing until I steal it. I figured if I took even one necklace, I could sell it in the next kingdom and get enough money that I wouldn't have to be starving before I get a meal. Normally I wouldn't have tried something like this, but I didn't know what else to do."

After she finished speaking the girl wouldn't meet Elsa's eyes, who was still watching her closely, seeing her facade break down as she spoke the truth. Elsa couldn't tell exactly what it was in that moment, but whatever it was was strong enough to convince her that this girl deserved another chance.

"I have a deal for you," Elsa announced, pausing long enough for the girl to look up and meet her gaze. "I'm going to let you stay here in one of the spare rooms for this one night. In the morning, I want to speak with you before I decide what happens next."

The girl's eyebrows shot into her hairline, unable to hide her shock at what the queen was proposing. It took a moment for her to speak, and when she did she was still unsure she had heard correctly.

"Stay here?" the girl repeated incredulously. "You're going to let me stay here for tonight?"

"As long as you promise not to steal anything, yes," Elsa nodded, taking a step forward so she was less than a foot away from the other girl. "I'm offering you a chance to avoid incarceration. I suggest you take it."

The girl considered the offer for a moment, thinking it could be a trick or a test, but it didn't take more than a fool to weigh the odds and decide which was the better situation.

"Thank you," the girl said, pausing before deciding on her method of address,"your majesty. "I accept."

Elsa nodded, pretending she didn't notice the girl's sarcastic tone and with a simple wave of her hand, the ice around the girl's feet melted and then evaporated. The girl quickly shook out her feet and watched as Elsa made her way to the main doors of the study. She paused, her fingers hovering over the handle, and glanced back at the girl.

"You won't be offended if I post a guard outside your door?"

The girl laughed tensely and shook her head. "I'd be offended if you didn't."

Elsa smirked before composing herself and opening the doors to the study, revealing a darkened hallway, the only light coming through the line of windows on the left side. The moment the study was opened a guard stepped into sight in the hall from where he had been standing on one side of the closed door.

"Your majesty," he bowed, only noticing the girl when he straightened up and she was walking up behind the queen. "Who is this?"

Having not seen her enter earlier, he instinctively reached for the sword at his belt. Elsa held up a hand to stop him and the girl watched as her exterior transformed completely when giving her orders.

"She's fine. Take her to one of the spare rooms and get her a meal. Keep a guard posted outside her door and see that she doesn't leave without my permission."

"Yes, right away ma'am," he responded. Stepping aside as she exited the room, Elsa only paused to look back at the girl and offer her a quick smile.

"Goodnight," she said, nodding once, which the girl returned as the guard was eyeing her closely. As Elsa made her way down the hall the girl leaned against the door frame and waited, wondering what had really just happened in the room behind her. Just as Elsa was reaching the end of the hall, she raised a hand above her head and pointed behind her.

"Oh, and do something about the missing window pane," she called before disappearing around the corner and from the girl's sight.

I kind of feel like my Elsa is all wrong, but let me know what you guys think :) I allow anonymous reviews if that helps.