A thick carpet of mist fell upon the highlands of Arendelle as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. A dim chorus of crickets mingled with the occasional night creature's chatter was the only sound to be heard in the quiet minutes of evening.
The rhythm of the night was presently disturbed by the sound of light footsteps, nearly swallowed up by the grass and the mist that now swirled irritably around the trespasser's feet. A second set of footsteps followed in practiced stride. The leader paused then, turning towards the sunset. Two large stones were balanced on either side of the horizon, as if they were a gateway to the skies. The standing girl pondered this with sullen satisfaction. Her auburn hair stirred in a sudden light breeze, as did the bouquet of flowers clutched to her chest. Her taller companion, with hair the color of snow, put a pale hand on her shoulder and squeezed. The redhead nodded in compliance, and they both kneeled in the damp grass. After a few long moments, the younger girl was the first to speak.
"Hello, Momma. Hello, Papa." Anna smiled gently, setting her flowers down between the two gravestones. The queen turned to her then, and the girl reached out to return the gesture of encouragement before Elsa placed her bouquet beside Anna's. The princess edged closer to her sister.
"I brought Elsa today. I thought you would like that." Elsa smiled at that. The redhead was always surprising her with how easily she could transition from a mature adult to a sweet, innocent child. It was comforting, considering she had missed out on so much of Anna's childhood. Feeling expectant eyes on her, Elsa swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.
"Mother, Father. I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you sooner. Anna's suggested it, of course, but- I just haven't had the time." This was true; her royal duties left little time to herself as she was caged in her study for hours filling out mountains of paperwork. Occasionally she was expected to meet with rulers of neighboring kingdoms to discuss trade and the like. Any free time she had was spent with Anna indefinitely. Tonight, though, she had insisted upon taking Elsa up to the burial site to see their parents for the first time since the incident. She always regretted not being able to attend the funeral, but it would have been what Father had wanted. Anna, on the other hand, was desperate to see her sister in her time of mourning, but Elsa had denied her even then. The princess understood now why her sister had acted in such a manner, but she found some days that the guilt continued to eat away at her. She really had missed so much.
Elsa slowly began to realize that she had been engrossed in her thoughts for quite some time. In the meantime, Anna had taken to talking to her parents rather than rousing the queen from her thoughts.
"We built a lot of snowmen today, in the gardens! None of them were living like Olaf, but it was nice anyway, because we made them together. Elsa's learned to control her powers really well. It's a shame you didn't get to see them- well, see how beautiful they are." Anna quieted as she sensed her sister's gaze. She began to tear up for the first time since the visit as Elsa decided to speak up.
"Yes, well, I understand how hard it must have been. For you, Father. I mean, you had no experience with raising a child like me. I understand now what you did to- for me." Anna was sniffling now, no doubt remembering bouts of her time spent separated from her sister. This thought struck a chord in Elsa, who began to speak as though Anna wasn't there.
"What I can't understand, is how you could do such a thing to Anna. You took me away from her, even when she needed me. You told me it was safer that way, and yet she's almost gotten herself killed multiple times, on my account. The trolls warned us about fear, and yet it's the only condition you've ever allowed me to live in!" Angry tears welled up in her eyes as she stood up. Anna bolted up beside her, clutching her arm. She was crying freely now, but attempted to get Elsa to calm down. The eldest took her sister in through clouded vision, reveling in how beautiful she was, even with her tear-stained cheeks. Foreign emotions began to bubble up inside her, ones she had been trying so hard to push back for God knows how long. Too many thoughts and feelings now swarmed in her head, making her sick. Elsa collapsed, landing back on her knees as hot tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I- I-" Her body was trembling now, her fists clutching desperately at the wet grass. Anna reacted swiftly, ignoring her own grief for the moment to tend to her sister. She gingerly took Elsa's head in her hands, eyeing her carefully before kissing her tears away. She pecked both of her cheeks lightly, and the queen whimpered softly. Catching the moisture that had fallen between the girl's lips, Anna kissed her gently. Elsa hiccuped and the princess smiled up at her.
"Anna-"
"It's not important right now." Anna swept her arm towards the horizon. "They loved you, Elsa. They'll always love you for who you are. Your subjects love you, powers and all. I love you. More than I could ever say. No matter what happens, you are loved." Elsa was crying again, this time with her face buried in Anna's neck. Anna smiled, her fingers trailing through her queen's hair."You don't have to apologize. It's okay."
Anna noticed the light carpet of frost that formed around her sister's body. Cool tendrils snaked around the pair before reaching the stone graves. Intrigued, the younger took her eyes from Elsa as she heard the sound of ice crystallizing nearby.
She saw then, on both of her parents' graves, a perfectly formed heart made of ice, reflecting the vibrant colors of the horizon as they solidified there.
Her heart full of an overpowering mix of emotions, Anna buried her nose in Elsa's hair and wept.