The walk back from the search for Olaf felt like a party. Townspeople chatted and laughed together as they strolled down the path bordered by Elsa's softly glowing ice. Children ran and sang and threw snowballs at each other. Kristoff smiled at two adventurous little ones who climbed up onto Sven and giggled with the patient reindeer.

Kristoff led the way, his lantern held high. Anna and Elsa walked hand-in-hand, while Olaf walked beside them, chattering away about his most recent adventure, his twiggy hand grasping Elsa's other hand. Anna smiled up at her big sister, who nodded her head towards the burly ice harvester walking a few paces ahead of them. Anna quickened her step, then slipped her mittened hand into Kristoff's much larger one. He glanced back, caught up in how her freckled cheeks seemed to glow in the warm lantern light. "Thank you for sharing your troll tradition with us," Anna's smile was warm. "The townsfolk really enjoyed your Flemmy stew."

"Told you it was a real crowd pleaser," he winked.

"Who knew?" Anna laughed. "I feel bad we didn't get a taste."

"You didn't?" he looked distraught. "I can make more when we get home."

"No!" Elsa exclaimed. "Really," she hedged with a strained laugh, "no need to trouble yourself on our account."

"It's no trouble at all! I'd be happy to make it again for you."

Elsa's pale face grew even paler.

"Maybe a small batch," Anna grinned at her sister, then turned her smiling face up to her ice harvester. "I promise to try it. I won't promise I'll like it, but I'll try it."

"Sounds good to me," he returned her smile, and held her hand a bit tighter.

"So there's one tradition with fancy candle hats," Olaf blithely explained as they walked. "and another where everyone takes their clothes off and sits together in a sauna, and another with a spinning thing called a dreidel where you can win chocolate, and another where you give kisses to people standing under a poisonous plant, and..."

"Tell me more about the winning chocolate one," Anna asked.

"Speaking of traditions," Elsa glanced at Anna, then smiled back at Kristoff. "Didn't you have another tradition you wanted to share, Kristoff?"

The big man rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down at Anna beside him. Even full of nerves, he couldn't help but smile at his princess. "Yes, um, well Anna… I thought we could start one of our own?"

"That sounds lovely!" Anna exclaimed, jumping a little in her excitement. "Does it involve chocolate?"

"Well, we could do that too," Kristoff laughed. "But I was thinking, and I talked with Elsa about it first, and she thinks it's a good idea too," Kristoff rambled, slipping off his leather gloves and tucking them behind his sash. He knew he was rambling; he couldn't help it. But he stopped when he saw Anna's shining eyes giving him her undivided attention and the courage to continue. "I was thinking of a tradition of giving gifts. Just small little gifts," he immediately hedged, "nothing too much."

"Don't sell your idea short, Kristoff," Elsa laughed warmly.

"Exactly!" Anna agreed. "Kristoff, that's a wonderful idea!" She slipped off her own mittens, so she could twine her fingers in his.

"I love new traditions!" Olaf exclaimed, hopping up onto Sven after the children hopped down. "Ooh, I know! We can start a tradition of Kristoff getting a new sled every year to replace the old one that burned down."

"A sled isn't small, Olaf," Anna pointed out.

"And I already have one Anna gave me."

"Sleds are great for carrying traditions. It's too bad all the ones Sven and I collected burned in a fiery explosion. I wonder if burning a sled could be a tradition."

"Yeah, well - wait, what?"

"Nah, sled-burning doesn't sound like a good tradition," Olaf's snowy brow furrowed. "Especially since all the traditions we gathered for Anna and Elsa burned with the sled. Ooh!" Olaf exclaimed. "There's also a tradition of burning little straw goats!"

"Wait wait," Kristoff stopped dead and gaped at the little snowman perched on Sven's back. "you burned down my sled?!"

Sven and Olaf ducked behind Elsa, vainly trying to hide behind the slender snow queen.

"I'm sure it was an accident," Anna placed a gentle hand on Kristoff's arm. "and I can get you a new one."

"My sled…" Kristoff covered his eyes, his shoulders expanding as he took in a deep breath. "No, it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" Anna canted her head to the side. "Kristoff, you loved that sled."

"I do, well, did," he lamented, dropping his hands from his face. "because you gave it to me." He shot a hard look at Sven, who ducked further behind Elsa, then he shook his head. "But this is more important." He pulled something small from his sash and placed it in Anna's hand.

Her eyes widened in wonder. It was a small wooden cube, intricately carved with geometric patterns reminiscent of the mossy cloaks favored by the trolls. "Oh Krisoff, it's beautiful!" Anna traced her fingertips over the designs. "Did you make this? For me?" she breathed.

Kristoff nodded. Anna hugged it carefully to her chest. "I love it! Thank you, Kristoff. I'll treasure it always, because you gave it to me."

"You're welcome," Kristoff brushed her bangs to the side with a gentle finger. "But there's more."

"More?" Anna's eyes were wide and bright.

"Yes. The cube, it's actually a box. It'll open if you press the centers of each spiral…" Anna's nimble fingers found the right spots, and the box popped open in her palms. She gasped at the collection of tiny glowing crystals that shimmered and pulsed with blue-green light, each carefully wrapped in delicate wires of gold woven to form a tiny band just large enough to fit her slender finger. Their light glistened in the tears gathering in Anna's blue eyes. "Kristoff…?"

She looked up and saw her sister dab at her own tears with a wisp of handkerchief, and she saw Olaf do the same with a chunk of moss. Sven was grinning wider than usual. But it was Kristoff that filled her vision, looking so nervous but so deeply in love as he cupped his hands around hers, holding them as if in offering. "I asked Elsa for a gift," his voice was so soft, so warm, so full of promise. "I asked for a blessing. Her blessing. And she gave it to me. To us, Anna."

Anna's eyes widened even more when Kristoff knelt on one knee in the snow before her. "Anna, will you-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his question. His arms were suddenly full of tearful, joyous princess. Anna practically tackled him, planting kisses all over his face. He caught her and rose to his feet, spinning her around and returning her kisses. The people of Arendelle clapped and cheered as Anna and Kristoff kissed and laughed and cried tears of pure joy.

Elsa knelt gracefully and retrieved the ring her sister dropped in her excitement. She floated it over to her future brother on a swirl of icy magic, and he held it before Anna with trembling hands. "May we?"

Anna nodded, too choked up to speak. Kristoff slid it on her finger and clasped her tiny hands in his own. Anna leaned up and gave her fiancé a soft, sweet, lingering kiss. "I didn't get you a small little gift, though," Anna pouted.

"Sure you did," Kristoff pressed his lips against her forehead. "You said yes."

Anna nestled closer to Kristoff, resting her cheek against his chest. "I love you," she murmured, feeling love and warmth and complete happiness all the way down to her bones.

"I love you too, Anna. So very much." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the crown of her head.

"I like this tradition," Olaf smiled a dreamy smile. Sven muttered in agreement.

The townspeople walked on, calling out their congratulations and good wishes to the newly-engaged couple. Kristoff loosened his hold on his fiancée enough to gaze down into her lovely face. Her blue eyes twinkled with love and suppressed mirth. "So if this is our new family tradition, what small little gift did you get for Elsa?"

"I'm not gonna make her eat Flemmy Stew."