I do not own Frozen.

Prologue

The woman cut a stunning figure as she moved gracefully across the floor, exchanging pleasantries right and left. White blonde hair shone in the fairy lights, a slender figure, delicate features. The frosty blue dinner gown clung in all the right places, leaving her pale shoulders bare. Little earrings sparkled as she turned her head to yet another warm greeting, as did the simple treble clef necklace hanging at her throat.

It was the thirtieth anniversary party for Kai and Gerda Anderson. The caterer had done a splendid job, forgoing the traditional idea of a formal sit-down event, setting up food stations instead throughout the house and the patio. Lights had been strung up, adding to the soft glow coming from little candles in golden holders. Some of the neighborhood teens had been hired as waiters and waitresses, instructed to go around the house with food trays, circling every twenty minutes. The food was terrific, and the house was already jammed to the seams with people.

The town of River's End had a population of two thousand seven hundred and fifty – fifty-one, counting the brand new Forrest baby born the day before – and it seemed that more than half of that population had turned up to celebrate the event.

Half of that population, plus Elsa Arendelle.

Gerda was in a soft green cocktail dress, glittering with silver beads, looking radiant and happy surrounded by a horde of people congratulating her on the event, the food, the decorations. Kai was in a suit, looking flushed and just the right amount of uncomfortable that had Elsa moving toward him instinctively, coming to a stop only when the man saw her.

She had been nervous, to have shown up uninvited, to have come back at all. There were so many reasons for kind Kai and Gerda to want to throw her out of the house, out of the town. Her nerves jumped, but the warm, twinkling smile she remembered so well from her childhood was already spreading across Kai's face, and she felt arms close around her, lifting her feet from the ground. She laughed, swallowing the sudden tears that came to her eyes as Kai twirled her once, twice, before setting her down.

"I'm gonna have to put you down now, this was so much easier when you were littler." He said, and the warmth in his voice made her want to cling, to bury her face into a sturdy shoulder. He smiled, "Hello, little Elsa."

"Hello Dr Kai. Look at you." She said, affection bubbling in her chest. Unable to resist, she reached out to straighten his tie.

"Made me buy a new suit." He grumbled good-naturedly.

"You look very handsome in it."

"And look at you, Little Elsa. All grown up and looking fabulous." Gerda was suddenly by her side, drawing her into a hug. "I didn't see you come in."

"I… I came with Mum and Dad. Gerda, you look beautiful." The easy acceptance of the older woman as arms held her close made her want to weep. Did they not hate her? For what she had done, for the heartache she had caused. She had agonized over coming here, ever since she had heard such a party was to be held. In the end, longing for the kind couple had won over, and she had crossed the hedge and the small yard separating her parents' house from the Andersons' with her hands shaking and her heart quivering.

And here she was, with an apology so many years too late burning in her chest, and it was as though nothing had changed, as though the past seven years had never happened. She had come, fully expecting to see them as dragons at the gate protecting their princess, and the welcome she received instead had thrown her off balance.

"How have you been, Little Elsa?" Gerda smiled up at her, genuinely interested. The old pet name made her want to curl up in the woman's arms, brought to mind rainy weekends spent on the Andersons' couch with a mug of foamy hot chocolate with marshmallows.

"I've… I've been good, Gerda. I was hoping… I was thinking… can I see," her tongue felt swollen, and it was so hard to get the words out. "I was hoping to see Anna, actually, if… if that is okay."

And she heard the sound of heels on wood. It could have been anyone, but somehow she knew. She turned, just in time to see her as she exited the patio doors. And Elsa's breath simply whooshed out of her. The princess had become the queen, was all she could think of.

Anna Anderson, only child of Gerda and Kai Anderson. She had always been the most beautiful thing Elsa had ever seen, and her transition from girl into woman only intensified that beauty. Strawberry blond hair pulled into a bun, intense blue eyes framed by long lashes, a face of rose and cream. The freckles were not as pronounced as they had been in Anna's childhood, but they were still there, a light dusting of them across her nose and cheeks, enticing when they should have marred.

They stood, looking at each other. The eyes were cool, Elsa saw with rising apprehension in her heart. And when Anna smiled, that too, was cool. The gown she wore simmered around her as she walked slowly toward Elsa. And when she spoke, her voice was cool, too.

"Hello. It's Elsa, isn't it? Welcome back."

"Anna." The name was a reverent whisper, longing warred with guilt, blending with the confusion and mounting terror at the cold, detached greeting. "I… you look beautiful."

"As do you. It's good to see you." And her gaze slipped from Elsa's face, and just like that, Elsa was casually and easily dismissed. "Mom, Dad. Rapunzel wants you both inside to cut the cake. She says she has put herself out for this cake, and wants everyone to have the chance to taste it before they get too drunk to appreciate it." She chuckled then, and the sound of it cut Elsa straight to the heart.

She had expected tears, rages, maybe even the throwing of cutlery. Every one of those would have been better than this cool detachment.

"Oh, you're welcome to come too, of course. Come in and have some cake." Anna nodded at her, and led her parents away, dismissing Elsa as though she was a mere acquaintance; as though they had never been the best of friends for the majority of their lives.

As though they had never been so desperately in love with each other.