"What? You can't!"
"Anna, I-"
"Oh, no you don't, Elsa! If you abdicate, then that means I'll-that I'll-"
"Be crowned queen?"
Anna's hands flew up to her face in terror. "You can't do this to me!"
"Relax," said Elsa, trying to calm her sister. "I didn't say it was definite."
"Yeah, but you're considering it!"
Elsa sighed. "You're right. I'm being selfish. Forget I even mentioned it."
"No, wait." Anna shook her head as she realised there had to be a reason for her sister wanting something so drastic. "You're far from selfish. You wouldn't decide this on a whim. Talk to me, Elsa. Tell me what's bothering you."
"It's nothing, Anna, really."
"I don't believe you," said the princess, taking the queen by the hands and looking into her eyes. "Please don't shut me out again. Please don't slam the door."
"Very well." Elsa took a deep breath. "Let's see. In my first few months as Arendelle's ruler I have so far received at least two assassination attempts." She paused, unsure, contemplating her next words. "Had they not endangered the lives of my people and those closest to me, I wouldn't be so concerned."
Anna shuddered at being reminded of the female assassin she fought in the courtyard and the dragon Haakon who almost burned their kingdom to cinders.
"I can't help but feel this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't the way I am," Elsa continued. "It's draining me, interfering with my duties and our kingdom deserves better - a queen who won't attract so much danger - you, Anna."
"Me?" Anna released Elsa's hands. "You've been preparing to become Queen of Arendelle your entire life. Where would I even begin?"
"You underestimate yourself. You're the bravest, kindest person I know. The people adore you."
"They don't respect me like they do you, though. Getting engaged to a guy I'd just met isn't exactly easy to live down."
"You journeyed to the North Mountain. You threw yourself in front of a sword for me. You-"
"This isn't about me! Elsa, the duke is gone. His fear and hatred towards you drove him to make a huge mistake and he paid the ultimate price. You don't have to worry about him anymore."
"There will always be someone who wants me dead, Anna. You heard Pabbie - 'People fear what they cannot comprehend'. My powers intimidate those outside of Arendelle."
The Council Chamber's temperature lowered as Elsa became increasingly tense.
"Isn't that a good thing, though? Nobody would dare attack us."
"The Duke of Weselton did. Perhaps not with an army, but he still did it. Others might do the same."
"But-"
"Please, Anna. I'd appreciate it if we ended this discussion. I've had enough."
Ice was forming from where Elsa stood, spreading across the Council Chamber floor and up the walls.
Anna noticed. "Fine," she said frustratedly, opening the doors to leave. "But think about this - what would our parents want?"
-x-
Sighing, Anna wished she could confide in Kristoff. He had been away on an ice-harvesting trip - visiting his adoptive troll family along the way - for nearly a week and wouldn't be back until tomorrow.
"I miss you," she said, remembering their first encounter - him covered in snow and being thrown out of Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna for insulting the owner. And her - abandoned by her horse and completely unprepared for the wilderness. What a team they made.
"Hey, Anna!" said Olaf, bouncing into the princess's bedroom. "Have you seen Marshmallow?"
Anna snapped out of her daydream. "Uh, Marshmallow? Nope. Can't say I have. He's pretty hard to miss."
Olaf scanned the room as if he didn't believe her.
"Um, Olaf, what're you doing?"
"We're playing hide and seek," he chirped. "Want to join?"
Finding this adorable, Anna envied the two snowmen for having such a simple, healthy sibling relationship. If only her and Elsa's could be the same.
"Sure," she said. "Count me in."
-x-
Sighing, Elsa wished there was somebody more like her. She loved Anna unconditionally and wouldn't change anything about her if she could. But the truth was they were so different.
Despite spending years behind the castle gates, Anna - unlike Elsa - had no problem socialising with anyone. In fact, she thrived off the company of others. She especially enjoyed meeting new people.
Elsa had to force herself sometimes. Occasionally she found it so difficult she felt tempted to run away and return to her ice palace up on the North Mountain. She could never do that to Anna, though. Not again.
"What would our parents want?" Elsa thought aloud, tapping a finger on her bedroom balcony. "What would you both have me do?"
She gazed across the main town at the woods in the distance. She hadn't ventured outside the castle gates - let alone into an unpopulated area - unescorted for a while now. As queen it was expected she be flanked by guards everywhere, which to be honest - for someone with such a private nature - drove her insane.
Elsa's schedule was clear for the next hour, giving her an idea.
-x-
"Marshmallow! Where are you?"
Anna and Olaf had been searching for the snow giant for over an hour.
"Olaf, you did tell him the game was limited to the castle grounds, didn't you?"
"Limited?" Olaf furrowed his brow in confusion. "I don't get it."
"Oh, Olaf," Anna sighed. "Come on. I'll get my horse."
-x-
Out in the woods, Elsa stopped to breathe in her surroundings - the sound of the river, the breeze on her skin - it was so soothing, so what she needed.
She had managed to slip through the town relatively unnoticed. Disguising herself in a plain hooded cloak she discovered at the back of her wardrobe was a wise decision. Making one out of ice probably wouldn't have been.
She wandered deeper into the woods, following the riverbank so as not to get lost.
"Marshmallow!" called a familiar voice, accompanied by a set of galloping hooves. "Marshmallow!"
Alarmed, Elsa dashed into the trees to conceal herself and kept moving. Nothing - not even Anna - was going to interrupt this rare and valued solitude of hers.
The princess's voice faded as her horse travelled further from the queen's location.
Elsa sighed with relief, wondering why Anna would be calling Marshmallow's name. She hoped everything was okay.
"Now, which direction back to the river?" Elsa looked around and gulped, unable to hear any flowing water or see past the hundreds of trees. "No," she breathed. "How could I be so foolish?"
Ice powers - they were great if on a snowy mountain lacking shelter, great if being shot at by a pair of crossbow-wielding thugs. Not so much if you couldn't find your way home.
"Stay calm," she told herself. "Just walk. These woods can't go on forever. I'll arrive somewhere eventually."
Half an hour later without any progress, Elsa was fed up and about to use her powers. Hiking on uneven terrain in ice heels wasn't exactly her idea of fun.
She considered casting a light snowfall over the woods. It was summer, so surely somebody nearby would realise the obvious - that their terrible navigator of a queen required assistance. Or maybe she would create an ice creature of some kind - a winged one capable of flying her above the trees and back to the castle before-
A twig snapped, startling her.
"Hello?" she said. "Is anybody there?"
Ice instinctively rushed to her fingertips, ready to strike.
Another twig snapped and the soil beneath her froze.
"Show yourself!"
Someone laughed. "Yeah, right!" His voice echoed throughout the trees.
Terrified, Elsa blasted ice at where she believed the voice to originate, her stomach doing somersaults.
The laughing continued.
"Don't make me hurt you!" she implored.
"Hurt me? You'd have to catch me first!" he teased.
Who was this person? Why did he try to sneak up on her? It was a he, wasn't it? He wouldn't keep still long enough for her to check.
Elsa felt something brush against her shoulder and she panicked, ice firing from her body in lethal spikes.
"Whoa! You pierced my shield!" The voice's owner revealed himself to be a young man whose tattered clothes had a camouflaging effect. "This was my favourite shield!"
"Stay away!" Elsa warned him, hands raised defensively. "Please."
Seeing how afraid she was, the young man immediately softened his demeanour and backed off, tossing his shield aside.
Elsa didn't dare turn her back to him.
"Look, I'm sorry," he said. "It wasn't my intention to frighten you. I was just...curious."
"Curious?" she exclaimed, struggling to reign in her ice. "I almost killed you! I thought you were an assassin!"
"An assassin?" He burst into laughter. "Me?"
"Yes." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And why shouldn't I? You followed me, after all."
"Well, because nobody ever goes this deep into the woods. I wondered if you were lost."
Elsa blushed, embarrassed by this truth. "Then why didn't you speak? Why allow me to come so close to killing you?"
He gave a cheeky grin. "I was having too much fun. And I'd hate to break it to you, but you were nowhere near killing me."
She glared at him.
"Hey, relax. I'm like you."
"What-What do you mean?"
"Well..." With a wave of his hand, the young man caused the ground to rumble and a boulder formed, magically reshaping and purifying itself into a new metal shield. "...I'm an elemental."
Elsa's eyes widened. His abilities were like the ones of the architect from her favourite book!
No longer believing him to be a threat - but instead a cocky idiot with earth powers - she straightened up and cleared her throat, pretending not to be impressed. "What is your name?" she requested formally.
He raised an eyebrow. "Who's asking?"
She removed her hood, exposing the blonde side braid so many young women throughout the kingdom had attempted to emulate. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle."
There was a brief silence.
"You're who of where?"
Elsa nearly choked in surprise. "You mean, you haven't a clue who I am?" She recalled leaving her crown at the castle.
"Not in the slightest," he replied, scratching his chin. "The name is Garth, by the way."
Why did Elsa suddenly feel so elated? She couldn't stop smiling.
"Uh, you okay, Elsie?"
"Elsa," she corrected him, regaining her composure.
"Elsa," he repeated. "Got it."
-x-
"There he is!" yelled Olaf, sat behind Anna while her horse galloped through the trees. "There's Marshmallow!"
Anna rode towards what appeared to be a massive mound of snow in the middle of the woods. "I think you're right, Olaf!"
They dismounted the horse and raced to where their friend was hunched over and bawling like a newborn.
"Marshmallow!" they exclaimed simultaneously.
"Why're you crying?" Olaf asked.
Anna observed that his arms were shackled to a dozen trees each. "Who did this to you?" she demanded.
"M-M-Mean prince," he sniffled. "Cut leg off long time ago with sword. Made me fall off big cliff!"
"Don't worry! We'll get you out of here," Olaf promised.
Anna was dumbfounded. "Hans?" It couldn't have been. His brothers imprisoned him. Elsa told her his cellmate was 'a seven-foot-tall former lumberjack known as Mad Magnus'.
Unless...Hans escaped somehow.
"Hello, Anna."
Oh, no. That voice.
"Can I say something crazy?"
-x-
Elsa gasped. "This is where you live?"
Garth smiled. "Yep."
"It's beautiful."
He shrugged. "I know."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "How modest."
Blending into the woodland environment, Garth's rock fortress was coated in layer upon layer of vines and flowers. Strangely, there was no apparent entrance.
He snapped his fingers and the vines parted, revealing an archway. "After you," he said to Elsa.
Awestruck, she went ahead and entered. "Oh, wow."
It was so cozy inside. In one corner was a kitchen, a lounge area in another. Books were strewn everywhere. And there was even a large desk consumed with architectural designs.
"Don't look at those," said Garth, covering his desk. "They're not finished."
Elsa gestured to an armchair made entirely out of rock. "May I?" she asked, her feet killing her.
"Of course. Make yourself at home. You thirsty? I've got running water."
Sitting in the armchair, she folded her hands in her lap and nodded politely. "Yes, please."
Garth retrieved two rock-cups of water and handed one to Elsa.
"Thank you," she said, cooling her own drink with an icy touch.
He plonked himself onto another armchair and casually hooked his leg over the side. "Don't mention it, Ella."
She pursed her lips. "It's Elsa."
"Sorry," he said, smacking his forehead and blushing.
"It's fine...Rocky."
He chuckled. "Guess I deserved that."
"You did." She sipped her water to hide a mischievous smile.
Garth chugged down the rest of his drink and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "So, Elsa," he said, "tell me about your powers. What's the coolest thing you've done with them so far?" He sniggered at his own pun. "Coolest. Get it?"
Elsa rolled her eyes - an action very unbefitting for a queen. But Garth didn't know she was royalty. "Well, it's quite simple - I can create almost anything out of ice."
He remembered how she had pierced his shield. "And do they work anywhere - in all conditions?"
"Essentially, yes. I used to wear gloves to suppress them, but for the last few months such precaution hasn't been necessary. I have my sister to thank for that."
"Your powers are like mine, then." He stood, gesturing to himself. "They're stronger if I'm wearing materials crafted from my own magic."
Elsa then rose, as well, unfastening her cloak and allowing it to slip off onto the floor.
Garth's jaw dropped at the beauty of the ice dress sparkling in front of him. "Whoa."
She smiled at his reaction.
He then glanced at her ice heels and shook his head disapprovingly. "Those are hardly practical footwear, though."
Elsa's smile quickly faded. "As opposed to no shoes at all?" she responded, noticing Garth's feet were bare. "I'd rather blisters."
Her comment amused him. "Suit yourself."
Raising her chin in a regal manner, she seated herself back in the armchair and finished her water.
Garth sensed he had offended her. "Elsa?"
She looked at him and saw he was holding out a flower.
"I'm sorry. Your shoes are fine. I'm just jealous because I don't have any."
Shaking her head, Elsa stifled a giggle. "You're forgiven," she said, receiving the flower.
He grinned. "By the way, you still haven't told me what you were doing out in the woods all alone."
Elsa sighed, recalling her disagreement with Anna over her potential abdication. "I was thinking," she answered.
"About what?" Garth questioned.
"My parents. My sister."
"Oh. Did you fight with them or something?"
"With my sister, yes. Our parents passed away three years ago."
"I'm so sorry," uttered Garth, his tone genuine. "I grew up an orphan, so I'm afraid I'd be lying if I said I understood what you're going through."
Elsa placed her hand on his, telling him with her eyes that it was okay. He felt warm to her, causing her to wonder if she felt cold to him.
The fortress rumbled.
"What-" Elsa cut off as she realised it was Garth.
His face went red with embarrassment.
Similar to how she would involuntarily freeze her surroundings whenever scared or upset or nervous, he produced tremors it seemed.
The rumbling ceased as Garth closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling.
"I apologise," said Elsa, feeling guilty. "I shouldn't have invaded your personal space like that. I'd forgotten how unsettling it can be."
Garth reassured her with a smile. "Don't apologise. You just caught me off guard." He reached for the flower in her hands. "May I?"
She nodded, observing his face up close for the first time. "Your eyes are green," she thought aloud.
"And yours are blue. Congratulations."
"Why do you have to do that?"
"Do what?"
"Poke fun at everything."
"Do I do that?"
"Yes."
He shrugged. "Must be one of my many charms. Now, would you mind freezing this for me?" He was referring to the flower.
She rolled her eyes and did as asked.
Grinning, Garth gently tucked the frozen flower in Elsa's hair, behind her ear.
Her stomach was doing somersaults again.
Inside the rock fortress, it began to snow.
-x-
"You won't get away with this!"
"Oh, Anna, please don't resist. I don't want to have to cause you another injury." Hans stared at the sword-inflicted gash on the princess's leg. "I need you in one piece."
Anna winced in agony. "What're you planning?" she demanded. "If it's to try and usurp Arendelle again you'll never succeed! Everybody knows what you tried to do, what a monster you truly are!"
"Watch your tongue," snarled the prince, grabbing her face. "This has nothing to do with ruling your pathetic kingdom."
"Then what is it you're after?"
"Money, of course. How else am I supposed to afford an army of my own?"
"You're going to ransom me?"
"Not just you, Anna."
"Marshmallow?"
"Elsa, you imbecile! The queen!"
"Elsa?" Anna forced a defiant laugh. "How in the world do you expect to contain someone as powerful as my sister? Did you forget how that went before?"
Hans smirked. "So long as I have you," he said, "her precious baby sister - the person she loves most, I have no doubt Elsa will become my prisoner voluntarily."
Panicking, Anna didn't doubt it either. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had nightmares of the evil prince escaping prison, of him endangering everyone she cared about. If only she could pinch herself and wake up.
Hans proceeded to the door of the dungeon-like room he was keeping her in. "And once I've squeezed Arendelle dry of its riches, I promise I'll send you both back...piece by piece." He left the distraught princess alone in the dark - shackled, injured and losing blood.
-x-
"Are you sure we're going the right way, Garth? I don't hear the river."
"Trust me, Elsa. I'm as familiar with these woods as I am my own magic. I've been living out here for half a year now. The nearest town is in this direction. I bought some books and stationery there last week."
"I thought you were a hermit?"
"I am. But I also love to read."
Elsa smiled. "Me, too." She then recalled Garth's confusion when she introduced herself as Queen of Arendelle earlier. "Wait. So, for half a year you hadn't even bothered to learn the name of the kingdom you're residing in?"
"Why would I? I never remain in one place a full year, anyway."
Hearing this saddened Elsa. "Oh."
"But maybe this time I'll make an exception." Garth cleared his throat as he realised how that sounded. "...Because the earth is such good quality."
Elsa sighed. "Well, if you do, I'd enjoy seeing you again."
"You would?" An insuppressible grin spread across his face. "I mean, of course you would. And...I'd enjoy seeing you again, too." He took the blushing queen by the hand. "Come on. Let's get you home."
They hiked for a further quarter of an hour and up a steep hill, arriving outside a sort of cave with iron doors.
"Garth, what is-"
"I'm glad to see you've finally made it, Elsa," a male voice purred from the shadows.
Ice swirling in her veins, Elsa shuddered.
His smirking reflection gleamed in the blade of his sword.
"Hans!" She blasted ice at him without hesitation.
A rock barrier materialised to shield the prince.
"Garth," gasped the queen, realising she had been set up.
The young hermit stepped in front of Hans. "Surrender peacefully, Elsa."
She grimaced at the pain of his betrayal. "Wh-Why?"
Garth swallowed as a snowstorm brewed above their heads.
"Do it, Elsa," Hans ordered. "Or do you want Anna to suffer?"
"Anna?"
"That's correct. I have your sister and that disgusting snow monster you created. Refuse to co-operate and one of them will die." He held up an ice necklace which Elsa had given Anna to wear for Kristoff's return. "Garth is more than capable of preventing you from coming after me."
The snowstorm subsided.
"No. Please. I-I surrender. Just don't hurt them."
"A smart choice," said Hans, nodding. "Garth, if you would?"
Garth summoned the earth to seal itself around Elsa's hands, shackling her and subduing her powers.
"I hate you," she breathed, fighting back tears.
"Lock her up with her sister to show we aren't bluffing," Hans whispered. "And guard them. The princess isn't a threat, but if the queen attempts to break free...crush her hands."
Horrified, Garth stared wide eyed at the prince. Surely he wasn't serious.
Very serious indeed, Hans departed, claiming he was 'off to arrange the ransom'.
Garth opened up the iron doors of the cave - which he had built with his powers for Hans - and led Elsa to Anna's cell.
"Anna!"
He unlocked the cell and the queen pushed past him to kneel beside her half-conscious sister.
"Elsa," croaked the princess, her leg bleeding. "How did Hans-"
"Shh. It's okay," said Elsa softly, wishing she could stroke Anna's cheek to comfort her. "I'm here. I won't leave you." She looked at their captor's bodyguard with earnest eyes. "You have to let me treat her wound," she begged him. "If you don't it could get infected and-Please, I need my hands!"
Garth shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, but I can't. I won't betray my friend."
"Your friend? Your friend did this to my sister! Can't you see he's using you?"
"Hans may be misguided, Elsa, but he's a good man."
She scowled. "Good men wouldn't injure and kidnap a defenseless girl."
"You don't understand. I owe him my life."
That statement grabbed Elsa's attention.
"When we were kids I-I caused an earthquake in the Southern Isles. A soldier was chasing me and Hans for some stupid prank we pulled. I got caught, so I panicked. A lot of innocent people died as a result and-and their families wanted me executed."
Elsa couldn't help comparing Garth's experience to her own a few months ago. She knew how it felt to be labelled a 'monster', to live in fear of her powers. Only, unlike him she was fortunate enough to avoid such tragedy.
"Hans begged the king - his eldest brother - to not sentence me to death because I was a child, to exile me instead. Had he not done that, I'm certain I wouldn't be alive today."
"Garth, as much as you want him to be, Hans is no longer that little boy you remember. He's grown up. He's changed."
"Stop trying to turn me against him!"
The cave started rumbling.
"Elsa," Anna groaned, "what's happening?"
-x-
"Kristoff! Sven!"
"Olaf?"
Stick arms desperately gripping the reins of Anna's horse - as his stub legs wouldn't allow him to ride on the saddle properly - the snowman raced up the mountain towards his friends.
"You guys, it's Hans! He's back!"
Exhausted, the poor horse decided enough was enough and came to a halt, flinging Olaf forwards into Kristoff's arms.
"Whoa! Olaf, what're you doing out here?"
"He took her, Kristoff!"
"What? Took who? Who's he?"
"Hans! He's got Anna and Marshmallow!"
In shock, Kristoff's arms turned to jelly, dropping Olaf. "Hans? But isn't he-"
"He escaped! Now hurry! We have to go save them before it's too late!"
Fuelled by an overwhelming mixture of emotions, Kristoff picked Olaf back up and jumped into his sled. "Go on, Sven! Go!"
-x-
"Garth!" barked Hans, bursting into the cave. "Calm down! I could feel the tremors from the river! You'll kill us all!"
The hermit locked eyes with Elsa, whose expression was filled with fear.
Her shackles were frosting over as the cave grew increasingly bitter.
Hans's command to crush Elsa's hands echoed in Garth's ears, sickening him. In order to protect her, he would have to stop scaring her.
The cave environment soon normalised as Garth regained control of his powers and Elsa realised she and Anna were no longer in immediate danger.
The princess was shivering from a combination of temperature change and bloodloss. "Elsa," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Anna!" cried the queen while her shackles continued to freeze and crack.
Hans noticed. "Garth, stop her!"
Garth shook his head, releasing the sisters from their metallic bonds. "No. Enough is enough."
"You traitor!" roared Hans, drawing his sword. "If you won't do it, then I'll stop her myself!"
Conjuring up his own sword, Garth blocked the prince from entering the cell. "I said enough!"
Meanwhile, Elsa was focused on tending to Anna's leg with her powers. "Please be okay," she thought aloud. "You, too, Garth."
-x-
"This is it!" exclaimed Olaf, hopping out of Kristoff's sled. "Hey, Marshmallow, we're back!"
Tugging against the trees his chains were attached to, Marshmallow was still shackled.
Kristoff and Olaf spotted Hans engaging in battle with a guy they didn't recognise.
"Where's Anna?" demanded Kristoff, waving an icepick at the prince. "What'd you do with her?"
Hans ignored him, his attention fixed on his opponent.
Garth assumed the snowman was one of Elsa's creations and that the young man with him was a friend. "They're in the cave!" he shouted to them.
Kristoff didn't care if it was a trap. If Anna was there, he was going in and nothing was stopping him.
Olaf bounced after him. "Wait for me!"
Taking advantage of Garth's momentary distraction, Hans stabbed him in the chest.
-x-
Elsa had done all she could for Anna's leg. The next step was creating a mode of transportation to-
"Anna! Elsa!"
It was Olaf and Kristoff.
Elsa couldn't be more relieved to see them.
"Where's-" Kristoff's heart sank as he laid eyes on his girlfriend's pale, unconscious form. "Anna."
"You and Olaf take her back to the castle," Elsa instructed him. "She needs proper treatment."
Kristoff nodded and scooped Anna up into his arms. "What about you?" he asked.
Elsa's face hardened. "Hans."
-x-
Gasping, Garth fell to his knees.
The prince smirked as he wiped his former friend's blood off his sword. "I hope she was worth it," he said.
Garth's vision was growing blurry. He could hear roaring - the snow giant Hans had him shackle to lure Elsa's sister out into the woods.
Hans raised his sword over Garth. "Betraying me will be the last mistake you ever-"
Marshmallow - freed by the hermit's magic - swung at the prince and sent him flying into the trees.
"Thanks," Garth barely managed to say.
Marshmallow saw the blood leaking through his shirt. "You hurt bad."
Nodding, Garth was too weak for even his powers to work anymore. To try and seal the wound was impossible.
"Help!" a man screamed. "Help me!"
Garth looked at Marshmallow. "Could I get a lift?"
The snow giant carefully placed him on his shoulder and they headed towards the noise.
Apparently Marshmallow knocked Hans slightly further than intended, as he had fallen off a nearby cliff edge and was dangling by his sword.
Garth - lowered down by Marshmallow - offered his hand to the prince. "Come on! Take it!"
Reaching up, Hans gripped Garth by the wrist, deliberately pulling him from Marshmallow and attempting to climb up the snow giant's arm.
Marshmallow roared, shaking the prince off and catching Garth.
Screaming, Hans disappeared as he hit the water below.
Garth was limp, his condition critical.
Uncertain of what to do, Marshmallow lay him on the ground. "Mama!" he bawled. "Mama!"
Elsa heard him and rushed to the scene. She readied an ice blast for Hans.
"Mama," sniffled Marshmallow, pointing to Garth. "Friend dead."
-x-
Anna woke up to Kristoff at her bedside, his big brown eyes fixed on her and full of concern.
He smiled. "Morning, feisty pants. You had me worried."
She sat up with his assistance, drank some water and smiled back. "Sorry" she said weakly. "I bet this isn't how you were expecting our reunion to be."
"Doesn't matter. I love you."
"I love you, too."
They kissed.
"Kristoff, how is she-Oh, excuse me." An embarrassed Elsa turned on her heel.
Anna stopped kissing her boyfriend and peeked over his shoulder. "Wait, Elsa."
"I'll leave you two alone," said Kristoff, rising.
Elsa felt intrusive. "You don't have to-"
Kristoff looked at the queen reassuringly. He needed a bath from his ice-harvesting trip, anyway, and hadn't left Anna's side all night.
Elsa occupied the chair Kristoff had been sitting in. "Oh, Anna," she said, hugging her sister. "I was so frightened you wouldn't make it."
Anna nodded. "I'm just so glad everyone minus my favourite leg is okay. I thought Hans was going to-Uh, what happened to Hans, by the way?"
Elsa's tone darkened. "Dead, we believe. Marshmallow and G-There was a cliff and Marshmallow accidentally threw him too far."
Anna gulped. It was a strange sensation to learn that Hans was gone forever.
"Are you okay?"
"Me? Sure."
Elsa hugged her again. "I also have other news - my decision on whether to abdicate or not."
Bracing herself, Anna gulped.
"I realised yesterday," Elsa began, "my powers, my position as queen - rejecting them isn't the solution. No matter who rules Arendelle there will always be danger. We will always have enemies. But my powers can do so much good. They're an asset." She smiled to herself. "So, for the foreseeable future, I've chosen to remain on the throne. I hope you're not too disappointed, Anna. I know you were looking forward to becoming queen."
Anna grinned. "Oh, thank goodness!" she exclaimed.
Elsa giggled.
"It's what Arendelle would want," Anna said, "what our parents would want, what I want."
The queen nodded. "It's what I want, as well."
"And, Elsa," said the princess, clearing her throat, "that guy - the one who was helping Hans, the one you called 'Garth' - who was he?"
-x-
A month later...
"Elsa!" Anna was running through the castle halls again, her leg almost completely healed. "Elsa!"
Elsa caught her sister and steadied her. "What, Anna? What is it?"
"It's-It's Garth," Anna panted. "The nurses couldn't find him! He's not in his room!"
Elsa's stomach did a somersault.
"I've got Kristoff, Olaf and Marshmallow out looking for him. Where do you think he could be? He shouldn't even be out of bed in his condition!"
Elsa's mind raced as she searched for an answer. "The woods."
-x-
Parting the vines of his rock fortress, Garth staggered inside.
He used his powers to gather some essentials and loaded them into a satchel he 'borrowed' from the castle.
"I'll miss this place," he sighed to himself, knowing the rock fortress wasn't the only thing he would miss.
The hermit turned to exit.
"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?"
Elsa was stood in the archway, hands folded and an unsure expression on her face. She wasn't alone.
Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Marshmallow were admiring the building and expressing their amazement.
Flattered, Garth thanked the four of them for their kind words and then nervously faced Elsa, forcing his powers to stay under control. "I swear I intended to leave a note," he said.
"A note?" she responded, sounding upset.
"Come on, guys," Anna said to Kristoff and the snowmen. "There's something I want to show you outside."
Kristoff took the hint, but Marshmallow and Olaf's naivety meant they required more persuasion.
Elsa crossed her arms and looked away from Garth.
"I'm sorry I hurt you. It's just I hate goodbyes," he admitted, his heart racing. "I'm a selfish coward and I-"
"Don't you get it?" she interrupted him. "I care about you. You're supposed to be recovering from your wounds."
"But it's so boring," he moaned.
She rolled her eyes - a gesture only he was capable of evoking from her.
Garth noticed Elsa wore a frozen flower in her hair, like the one from the day they first met.
"Do you have to go?" she asked.
His smile was comforting. "You'll be fine, Elsa."
She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.
There were no tremors as he returned the embrace. Her touch brought him peace.
"This doesn't have to be goodbye," she said. "You will always be welcome in Arendelle."
He held her tighter. "Thank you."
They reunited with their friends out in the woods.
Olaf was sat on Marshmallow's shoulder.
Kristoff leaned casually against his sled while Sven chewed through a bag of carrots.
Anna and Elsa were standing side by side, their arms linked.
"We'll meet again," Garth said.
Elsa was smiling. "I know we will."
"Take care," said Anna, her voice bubbly and sweet.
Kristoff gave him a friendly nod of acknowledgement.
Sven whinnied.
"See you later!" Olaf chimed in.
"Bye bye, rock man!" exclaimed Marshmallow, waving.
Garth stole one final glance at Elsa the Snow Queen before turning towards the mountains in the distance.
A new adventure awaited him.
Disappearing into the trees, a single snowflake landed on the tip of his nose.
He smiled to himself. "The cold never bothered me, anyway."
-x-
THE END