It was a beautiful summer day in Arendelle, just a few weeks shy of Elsa's twenty-second birthday. The princess should have been outside, walking the grounds with her sister as they had done so many of the days before. Instead, she was walking slowly towards her little sister's bedroom, dread filling her stomach. Be the strong one, Elsa, she pleaded with herself.

"You look beautiful." she said, stepping into Anna's room. It was true. The wedding gown was gorgeous, her sister's hair perfectly coiffed. And Anna was beautiful no matter what.

"Thank you." Anna said sadly. "I can't believe this is it."

"Me either." Elsa glanced around Anna's childhood bedroom, most of which had been packed away in several large trunks.

"Who would have thought I'd be getting married before you, huh?"

"Kind of hard to find someone willing to marry your daughter after she froze her entire kingdom."

"Nonsense. Who wouldn't want to marry you? Elsa, I don't want to go." Anna sobbed.

"I know. I don't you to go either." Elsa hugged her sister carefully, trying not to mess up her dress.

"Why are they doing this to me? Prince Oris is twice my age! And he's...horrible Elsa!"

"I know. Anna, I tried. I begged father not to do this. I'm so sorry. He's determined to make this alliance with Cannonvale."

"But why?"

"They have the largest army in the continent. And they aren't afraid to use it either. Father is afraid that if they set their sights on Arendelle we will be crushed."

"If you were Queen would you make this same decision?"

Elsa pictured Prince Oris' large, sweaty face. "No. I would find another way."

"I wish you were Queen already then." Anna wiped tears from her eyes.

"Anna, don't say that."

"Ladies, it's time." Gerda called out. Elsa turned to go.

"Wait." Anna grabbed her wrist. "I just wanted to tell you that this past year has meant so much to me. Being together with you again was everything I ever wanted. I love you Elsa."

"I love you too Anna."

An hour later it was done. Anna of Arendelle was wed to Prince Oris of Cannonvale. Elsa could barely make it through the ball that came afterward without breaking down.

"Are you okay?" A gentle voice asked.

"Kristoff. No, not really."

"Me either. When does she leave?"

"Five days. I'm sorry Kristoff, it should have been you. You would have treated her well." The King and Queen had been very generous to the ice harvester after his heroic actions during the ordeal of the previous summer but they drew a firm line at him dating their daughter.

Kristoff shrugged. "That's okay. She's more like a little sister to me now. Kind of weird to think about her that way. Where is Rapunzel?"

"My Uncle wouldn't let her attend. He made it very clear that he did not support my father's decision in making this marriage contract. Kristoff, what am I going to do?"

"I don't know Elsa, but I'm here for you." The burly man hugged her.

The ball finally ended at midnight. Elsa was glad to be able to return to her room, but as she left she caught a glimpse of her sister's terrified face. Anna was led away to the west wing by her new husband and Elsa returned to the familiar hall of her childhood. She paused by Anna's door and tears threatened once again. No, Anna has it far worse tonight. she admonished herself.

Half an hour later Elsa was still sitting at her vanity staring blankly out the window. She hadn't even bothered changing out of her gown, she was too tired and worried. She was startled by a loud knock at her door, and even more surprised to find her parents on the other side.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Her father nudged her mother. "Your sister is refusing to consummate her marriage." Queen Idunn said.

"So?" Poor Anna.

"So, the marriage is not official until it is consummated."

"Fine by me."

"Elsa!" Now her father was angry. "She is embarrassing the house of Arendelle, angering the King and Queen of Cannonvale, not to mention Prince Oris, and creating a spectacle."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Go talk some sense into her. She will only ever listen to you. She needs to understand her duties. Both to Arendelle and her new husband."

I can't believe this. "Fine." Elsa followed her parents to the west wing. When they arrived in the hall Elsa was shocked to find the King and Queen of Cannonvale, the royal physician, numerous royal guards of both houses, and Prince Oris himself, clad only in a long robe. This horrifying tradition is the first thing to go when I'm Queen.

"Oh good, you're here to talk some sense into that spoiled brat." He yelled at Elsa.

The temperature in the hall dropped drastically. "Anna is the one creating a spectacle?" She glared at her father.

"Get in there and fix this." He hissed back.

The first thing Elsa noticed when she entered the room was Anna's wedding gown crumpled on the floor. It looked like it had been torn in several places. Her sister was in the bed with only a sheet covering her, tears in her eyes.

"Anna." Elsa said softly, kneeling beside her sister and taking her hand.

"Elsa, I can't. Please don't make me." Elsa's heart broke. Anna looked so vulnerable, and yet so beautiful at the same time.

"Anna, father is not going to take no for an answer. You've known this day was coming for months. I'm so, so, sorry. I would take your place to spare you if I could."

"I know. I just didn't think it would be like this."

Elsa wiped her sister's tears. "Remember, you're doing this for Arendelle."

Anna nodded resolutely. Prince Oris chose that moment to barge into the room.

"I've had enough. You make her see reason yet?" Elsa stood up but Oris continued. "Not that I care at this point, hell you can stay if you want." And then Oris made a grave mistake. He yanked the sheet off his new bride, and with that one motion ignited a war that would eventually engulf five nations, span over three years, and end in innumerable deaths. The history books would never recount that exact moment, the moment the sheet was pulled away, but Elsa never forgot.

Elsa was still looking at her sister when the sheet was flung away, so she couldn't miss the damage that had been done. A huge bite mark marred her right breast, it had been deep enough to bleed and blood had been smeared over Anna's chest. Several other bite marks littered her torso. Elsa's eyes dropped to Anna's thighs. Bruises in the shapes of two complete sets of fingerprints showed where the Prince had attempted to force her legs open. Elsa brought her eyes back up to her sister's face and realized that there were identical bruises around her throat that had been covered by Princess's hair earlier. If Anna had turned over Elsa would have seen further damage, bruising along her perfect ass and deep gouges on her back. But she didn't.

For Anna, the next ten seconds were suspended in time. She saw the rage in Elsa's eyes in the second before her sister spun around to face Oris. The room filled with a blue and white light that nearly blinded her, forced her shield her eyes. When the light finally faded everything except Anna and the bed was encased in ice. She could hear screaming in the hall outside accompanied by running footsteps and she scrambled out of the bed pulling the sheet tightly around her. Prince Oris was crumpled on the floor, eyes glazed and mouth slack.

Elsa stared at the dead Prince before coming to her senses and registering the pounding on the door. Crossing the room she flung it open to reveal a hallway covered in ice and snow and four angry, frightened monarchs. It appeared that the guards and physician had fled.

"What have you done!" The elderly King of Cannonvale pushed his way into the room, followed by his wife. "You monster."

"You dare to call me a monster? Look at this!" She yanked the sheet down Anna's body to expose the blood and bite mark. Then she tilted her head back to expose the fingerprints. "Look at what that animal did to her."

"You killed him!" The Queen of Cannonvale was hysterical.

King Agnar backed out of the room, pulling his wife with him. Elsa took Anna's hand and led her out as well. The ice princess shut the door firmly behind her and encased it in a thick layer of ice, locking the royal family of Cannonvale inside with their dead son.

"Elsa," Agnar began. "Please, I didn't know. I would never have allowed this to happen if I had known."

"Don't. I begged you not to do this. Uncle Philip begged you not to do it. I forgave you for locking me away for all those years, separating me from Anna. I forgave you for allowing Hans to lock me in a dungeon even though it nearly killed us both. You sent me in here to tell her she had to allow this beast to ravage her, knowing she would listen to me. I will never forgive you for this."

Queen Idunn, tears streaming down her face approached Anna. "Darling. We've failed you. Go with Elsa, she is your queen now."

Without another word Elsa turned and walked away, Anna following her. When they left the west wing Elsa put up a giant ice wall, trapping her parents within.

The palace was in chaos. Staff and guards alike were panicking, it was clear no one knew what to do. As Elsa led her sister back to the east wing people ran away from her, clearly afraid she would strike them down. She paid them no attention. Once they had made it back to the familiar hallway she found Kai and Gerda waiting.

"Your highness. Arendelle is once again plunged into an unnatural winter. Are the rumours true? Have you actually killed the Prince?" Gerda was pale and shaking.

"Anna, show them." Anna slid the sheet down to once again show her wounds. Gerda gasped and clutched Kai's hand.

"Dear god." the butler murmured, instinctively looking away.

"I did." Elsa admitted.

"Elsa, we are at your disposal. What do you need?" Kai asked.

"Bring Kristoff to me. And for god's sake, get the staff under control."

Elsa lead Anna to her bedroom. "Anna, we need to leave here. What I have done will have dire consequences. I cannot possibly stay without endangering the entire country. I don't trust our parents to keep you safe either. But I understand if you don't want to come with me. What I did was horrific."

"Elsa, of course I'll come with you." Anna looked like she was starting to recover from the entire ordeal.

"I am a monster." Elsa whispered.

"No! You saved me." Anna forced Elsa to look at her. "If you're a monster, than you're my monster."

"I can live with that."

"Where will we go?"

"Hopefully Corona." Elsa sat down and quickly wrote a letter to her Uncle Philip explaining the situation and asking for refuge. If not for me, than for Anna at the very least. She sealed the letter and created a falcon from ice to carry it, giving it it's own miniature blizzard to hurry it's journey.

"We need to pack, as lightly as possible. I'm so sorry Anna. I know this is not how you wanted to leave Arendelle."

"I was leaving anyway. And now I'm leaving with you instead of with him. Please stop apologizing. It's my fault. If I had done what he wanted, if I hadn't asked for you, none of this would have happened."

"Thank god you did."

"I really want to bathe and put some clothes on."

"Me too. I'll see you soon." By the time Elsa was bathed and packed Kai had brought Kristoff to her room. Elsa quickly explained what happened.

"If you hadn't killed him I would right now." She had never seen the ice master so angry.

"We need to get to Corona, which means we need to get to the docks in Traverton."

"No problem. Give me an hour to pack and have the sled ready."

Elsa's next stop was the royal vault. She filled numerous purses with gold coins, taking far more than she would likely need. When she returned to her room the falcon was back with a reply. Her uncle insisted both of them come to Corona at once, promising refuge to both of his nieces. Elsa crossed the hall to Anna's room.

"All ready? Uncle Philip will take us in. It's going to be okay Anna."

"I know. I'll be with you so of course it will be okay. Kai is taking our trunks down now." She took Elsa's hand and they left their childhood rooms behind with not even a lingering glance.

Kai and Gerda has already loaded Kristoff's sled with their trunks and numerous bags of food. Elsa distributed the bags of gold throughout the luggage, on both women, Kristoff, and even Sven.

"The ice in the west wing will be fully melted in twenty four hours." Elsa said to Kai and Gerda. "At that time I can only imagine what will happen between my parents and the King and Queen of Cannonvale. Please, stay safe. Thank you both so much, for everything."

"Take care your highness. Of yourself and your sister." Kai tipped his hat and suddenly they were moving away from Arendelle Castle.