Author's Notes: Ah, I had to. AU where Rapunzel comes to be Elsa's tutor. This is very AU, because Rapunzel still has her magical blonde hair. (And she leaves Eugene at home. :p ) In this, Elsa's and Anna's parents are still alive, and very much at wit's end.
"What?" Elsa whispered, disbelief spreading through her. Her mother smiled reassuringly, but Elsa's eyes flicked automatically to her father. "You did what?"
"We found a tutor for you, Elsa," her father said. "Her name is Rapunzel, she's the princess from Corona, and she has a certain...healing ability that means your...talents can't hurt her."
"How do you know?" Elsa said, her fingers spasming in the thin white gloves. Behind her, a lacy snowflake pattern of frost unfurled on the wall. "What if I hurt her? What if I freeze her heart?" She couldn't stop shaking. The frost grew, snow beginning to drift down from the arched ceiling.
"Elsa!" her father spoke sharply. "Come now, child, control yourself. Remember..."
She spoke it with him, her voice shaky at first, then firming.
"Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show."
The snow melted on the wooden floorboards, dampened the shoulders of her dress. She took a deep breath, feeling the storm inside her recede that tiny bit, enough to let her breathe.
"What about Anna?" Elsa whispered.
"Anna will be fine, too," her mother reassured her. "Rapunzel will tutor her, too, but at different times."
"Okay," Elsa's shoulders slumped. Though no one noticed, the floorboards beneath her shoes grew slick with ice.
"You'll be fine, Elsa," her father said. "Now, come. Your tutor will be arriving shortly and it would be proper of you to greet her."
"What?" Elsa squeaked. "No...no, I can't, I'm sorry, I can't..." Babbling apologies, the twelve-year-old whirled and fled back into her bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her. When the queen reached for it, she withdrew her hand with a gasp. The doorknob was cold as ice to the touch.
"Are we doing the right thing?" the queen asked worriedly. "She's so afraid."
"Yes," the king sighed. "Give her time, darling. Rapunzel will be able to help, I'm sure of it."
"I hope you're right," Arendelle's queen said, with a last, fleeting glance at the ice that had spread across her oldest daughter's door.