Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen

A/n: Well, here's part two. It is longer than part one but hopefully not badly so. It also marks the end of the not too hard prompts so enjoy it while it lasts! Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading along.

Interval II

For a moment, she doesn't know what to do. These trees, which have always felt so friendly, are suddenly hostile. She can't even get rid of the ice that snakes up tree trunks. After a few seconds, she sinks to the floor, leans back against the ice, and tries to work out where in the alphabet story she was before this.

Jewel

In the days afterwards, she stays away from Kyra. She can't put her finger on why. It's not because Kyra's fallen in love with someone because that's good. Kyra deserves love. She should have a happy ending. If that's what love is to her. And it's not because she got the impression that Kedar was hinting at more than Kyra's relationship with this mystery man because Elsa likes … it's not because of that. That's Elsa's overactive imagination. Kyra's her friend.

Though why he mentioned same-sex relations is still a mystery. He wouldn't make those implications about Kyra. Nobody would do that to their own sister.

It's because Kyra didn't tell her, she decides. Kyra often asked Elsa about her relationship with Kedar so surely she should have told Elsa about her mysterious man – she doesn't like to talk about herself much past self-deprecating humour but this time, she should have said. It's only fair.

Olaf and Anna try to coax her out of her bad mood – even going so far as to bake a cake that is apparently shaped like a diamond ("We'd have gotten you a proper jewel but you just make your own ice versions." "It's a square, Anna." "But a really nice square.") – but it doesn't work. She's filled with this strange anger and the only place she can really let it out is in her room, coating her floor and table with ice and snow and wind.

But it's OK, because everyone thinks she's upset about Kedar.

Knuckle

Until one day, Kyra seeks an audience with her, solely to ask why she's avoiding her.

"I'm not avoiding you," Elsa says, trying not to look at her or the skin between her neck and the dress on her shoulder, and especially trying not to adjust her dress. Something about Kyra always makes her conscious of her appearance. "I've been busy lately."

"Is it because of my brother? Because I thought that was just between you two. And he said you were still friends."

"It's not to do with your brother. I've just been busy. I am the Queen."

"I know but I … I got used to you." She pulls a face at this admission. "Don't get me wrong, other people here are nice but they're just not you. I don't mean that they're not queens. I don't really care about that. Except when my parents tell me to."

Elsa laughs before she can stop herself. Kyra grins and when she smiles, Elsa feels that familiar swooping sensation.

She misses Kyra.

And she knows all too well what happens when you keep secrets from someone.

"Kyra," she says before pausing. "I … your brother mentioned that you've found someone. A man, I mean. I was just … hurt, I suppose, that you didn't mention it. But if you didn't want to te-"

"What are you on about? The only man who's shown the slightest bit of interest in me is Baron Anker, and I was ready to emigrate to the Southern Isles if I had to keep speaking to him." Kyra stares at her but there's something fearful in that stare. "There isn't a man. It's just Kedar trying to be mysterious."

My sister's fallen in love with someone indecent.

"If you say so," Elsa says. "But you … you know you could tell me if there was, right?"

"I know. In fact, if ever I decide to unveil my feelings to someone, I promise you'll be the first to hear about it. But right now, there is no man." Kyra's eyes look down to Elsa's sides, where her hands are clenched into fists. "You … you really were upset about it, weren't you?" she says with some surprise. Slowly, she reaches out.

"I wouldn't," Elsa says hastily. "My hands get very cold when I'm-"

But Kyra has already taken one of Elsa's fists into her hands, and is rubbing a thumb across her knuckles. Her skin feels warm where Kyra touches her. Suddenly, she can't finish her sentence.

"It is cold," Kyra says with some wonder, her thumb tracing a circle around the middle knuckle. She looks up at Elsa. That fear is still in her eyes but there's something else as well.

"Yes," Elsa says, trying to smile. Kyra's thumb is tracing lines again, but over the back of her hand now, rather than her knuckles. If she unclenched her fist, she'd be able to touch Kyra's palm. "I did warn you."

"I know, I just didn't believe you. I had to see for myself." Kyra grins her usual grin, a mixture of confidence and slight unease. "Do you know though, I've never seen you do any magic?"

"I don't do it that often in front of people. It's either very public or very private. I … I grew up not using it at all in front of other people. It's hard to break that habit." Kyra's still tracing her thumb over Elsa's hand and it's surprisingly hard to think. "So, um, have you satisfied yourself that my hand does get cold?"

"Oh. Yes." She drops Elsa's hand. "I suppose if you're busy, you could let me know if you want to talk some time?"

"Tomorrow evening?"

Kyra doesn't question why Elsa's schedule has suddenly cleared. She just nods and disappears. Elsa can't stop herself from smiling. Kyra isn't in love with someone. Kedar was exaggerating some friendship or something.

She places her fist in her other hand, still grinning, when it occurs to her that actually Kyra hadn't grabbed her fist to see if it would turn cold – she'd only known that her fist would be cold after Elsa warned her against holding it. So why didn't she contradict Elsa?

She forces herself to shrug. It's such a small thing and Kyra does things like that a lot. She's overthinking it. As usual.

Lethal

"You seem happier," Anna says. Elsa shrugs. "You made up with Kyra?"

"How did you kn-"

"I know you, Elsa," Anna says, smiling. She pauses. "You really like her, don't you?"

"She's a good friend."

Anna fidgets, chewing her lip in the way that means she's pondering something. Then she says, "Elsa, can I … it's a weird question but can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Don't be mean," she says. Elsa chuckles. "Seriously."

Anna is being serious. It's enough to make Elsa sober and say, "Go on."

"You and Kyra … you … do you like Kyra? Like I like Kristoff, I mean?"

Her throat is suddenly dry, and she can feel her cheeks warm as she says, "That's illegal. I don't think it's even possible."

"I didn't either but, uh, you and her … always seem so close, you know, and she's always touching you – not always but a lot – and, I dunno, it'd explain why Kedar stopped courting you."

"He stopped because … well, not because of that. I'm not in love with Kyra." She tries to laugh. "I'm sure I'll meet the right man one day, Anna. Or, at least, someone who I can marry for the sake of Arendelle."

"Don't say that."

"Anna-"

"I know, I know, you're supposed to marry for politics but … it's not fair. Why should you marry someone you don't love when I get to marry Kristoff? Why does everything bad have to happen to you?"

Which is a bit of an exaggeration coming from someone who had their memories forcibly wiped and who was turned into ice but, as always, Elsa can't find the words to say that. One day. One day she'll stop feeling guilty, and the nightmares which plague her will stop, and she'll be able to look her sister in the eye when she makes comments like that. Because what makes her think Elsa doesn't deserve this?

"Well, nothing lethal has happened yet," she says, trying to inject humour into her tone but it still feels too close to Anna freezing and she looks away.

Anna slings an arm around her shoulder. "You don't deserve it," she says with the assurance of someone who has spent hours and days and nights talking their sister through some of her worst fears. "Heck, if marrying Kyra would make you happy then I'd say go for it."

Elsa blinks. "Wait, what? Really?"

Anna shrugs, although there is discomfort on her face. "I'd think it was weird and, uh, yeah, maybe not healthy but … hey, you go around turning things into ice. Why stop there?" She pauses. "That did not come out the way I meant it to. I mean … if it makes you happy and her happy and nobody's, like, hurt or anything then … why not? I mean, it's not like you would force her to do anything and she doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd hurt you so… But, uh, you said you weren't-"

"I'm not," she says quickly. "I just … blegh. I don't know what I want."

Anna grins. "I should take you up to the village sometime. You could find a nice, hunky ice cutter there. I'm sure Kristoff could help."

"I'm sure Kristoff couldn't think of anything he'd like to do less than try to match-make me."

"OK, well, Olaf would help."

"Yes but – and I say this with the greatest love and respect for him – I don't know that the person Olaf picks for me would be my perfect match."

"Just because he'd pick the first person he meets doesn't mean anything." When she catches Elsa's expression, she adds, "Look, Hans was a one-off. And to be fair, he did give everyone in Arendelle blankets so … you know, he could have been worse."

She smiles to show she's joking. It's an amazing thing but Anna can joke about her past mistakes. Now. For months, she would only talk about anything, anything at all except Hans.

"Anyway," Anna says, "I'm glad you're happier. You should just do whatever makes you happy – if you don't want to marry anyone, don't." She grins. "As you say, nothing lethal has happened yet."

Morbid

She can't stop thinking about Anna's question.

Do you like Kyra?

She doesn't. Obviously, she doesn't.

She's always touching you.

She isn't. They hug and, OK, maybe Elsa holds her tighter than she would hold someone else but it's because they're friends. Kyra sometimes pats her shoulder, or Elsa will put a hand on her arm, but friends do that. She does that with Anna and it doesn't mean she wants to marry her sister. Elsa's not used to touching people anyway. She's probably doing it wrong and Kyra's too polite to say so, even if tact isn't a word one would normally associate with Kyra.

Sometimes, though, she touches her hand and remembers the whorls of Kyra's thumb as it trailed across Elsa's knuckles.

Sometimes, she dreams about those whorls touching other places and wakes up feeling strangely flushed. On those days, she can't look Kyra in the eye.

It'd explain why Kedar stopped courting you.

He stopped because he could tell Elsa doesn't love him and maybe never will. It had nothing to do with Kyra.

Except...

The law on same sex relations here … it's illegal, isn't it?

It's coincidence. He wasn't asking about her. He couldn't possibly know that she- No. He was asking about…

Kyra?

But that's ridiculous. She's his sister. He wouldn't make implications like that.

My sister's fallen in love with someone indecent.

It's true that Kyra wouldn't tell her if she's fallen in love with a woman. But it's a moot point because women don't do that.

Do they?

Maybe Kedar was asking about himself. Which makes about as much sense.

She can't ask now – it would go beyond morbid curiosity. That being said, it used to be the law that people guilty of … that … were killed so it is a morbid topic. Maybe Kedar asked because that's the sentence in Frentis. But that means he was asking about someone.

You're-

Not the person you have feelings for. That's someone else.

Maybe it was Elsa he was talking about. Maybe he knows about the dreams, and the swooping sensation, and the touching, and the constant thinking. And maybe … maybe he's right and they do mean something. But even if he was (and he wasn't, of course he wasn't) then it doesn't matter. Elsa can feel whatever she wants, wrong or right, but it doesn't mean Kyra feels the same.

Narcotic

She tries not to think about the possibility – not a possibility, of course it's not a possibility (is it?) – that she likes Kyra that way. But now she feels as though her interactions with Kyra are being watched constantly even if there is no one there to watch. She should find a reason to stay away from Kyra until she's been to see a physician or something but given what happened last time she stayed away…

Anna's wedding approaches and Elsa finds her time taken up with preparations for that. It's one of the only times Elsa can say that she's seen Anna stressed and, on occasion, she has to literally force Anna into bed to sleep. On more than one day, Olaf is the only being who is at all happy. But it's good because it takes her mind off-

Other nobles assist with some of the wedding preparations but Elsa is still surprised when she sees the Laukkanens dutifully listening to music orchestras with Anna, Kristoff and Olaf one evening. When Elsa asks Anna about it, Anna explains that the Frentish are supposed to have amazing taste in music.

"That's probably true," Elsa says, "But you're not Frentish and they don't know Arendelle music."

"They wanted to help," Anna says.

Elsa can't exactly argue with that so she leaves them to it. When she returns, a couple of hours later, a group has apparently been picked and Anna, Kristoff and Absalom, Maja and Kedar Laukkanen are all in a merry state of drunkenness. Kyra is the only one who sees Elsa. She nudges her head, indicating that she'd be happy to go for a walk if Elsa would. Elsa agrees before remembering why it might be a bad idea.

They talk as they walk through one of the private gardens, but about non-consequential things: Anna's wedding; the weather; court gossip. Elsa is careful to leave a little gap between her and Kyra so that they can't accidentally brush against each other. Which is paranoia at its finest but as Anna said, she already goes around making snow and ice, so why stop there with abnormality?

"Do you know, I don't know the full story of how Anna and Kristoff met?" Kyra says, snapping off plant leaves as she walks. It's an almost absent-minded act of vandalism that makes Elsa smile as much as it irritates her gardeners. "All I've heard is that he saved her life when you froze everything."

Kyra has never seemed fazed by what Elsa did. Elsa doesn't know how much of it she actually knows because few people discuss those times directly with Elsa. Elsa opens her mouth to say that, actually, that's more-or-less the whole story (and in any event, she wasn't there for most of the meeting) but hears herself telling the story as Anna told it to her. They stop walking as she talks about how she ran off into the mountains and Anna ran after her, having gotten herself engaged to a stranger. How Anna met Kristoff at an outpost and convinced him to accompany her up the mountain to find Elsa.

She doesn't stop there though. She tells Kyra about Anna finding Elsa, and Elsa freezing Anna. About forcibly ejecting Kristoff and Anna. How Kristoff took her to his family, how Anna collapsed, how he returned her to Arendelle where Hans betrayed her. How Elsa escaped onto the fjord and Anna saved her life as Kristoff ran after her.

Kyra is silent for all of this but when Elsa stops speaking, she says, "That sounds like such a wild story. The sort of thing you only read about. One thing I was wondering though: how did you end up in Arendelle? You were in the mountain and then you were suddenly being held captive in a cell."

Elsa flinches. That's something she's not discussed with anyone – not even Anna. Not past her being captured. She has dark thoughts and then she has dark thoughts. "I…" She looks at her hands, wondering how she can sum it up simply. She doesn't need to talk about anything dark. But when she glances up, she sees Kyra's gaze, as steady as always, and says, "Hans and some soldiers came to capture me. To bring back summer. Two men got ahead of him and one tried to kill me and I … fought. I nearly killed them. I … I was going to until Hans shouted and a, a chandelier fell and knocked me out." She pauses, looking at her hands again. "If Hans hadn't shouted, I would have killed those men."

"You were defen-"

"I wanted to kill those men," Elsa says and Kyra falls silent. "I … at that moment, all I could think about was that they wanted to hurt me, and that everyone would want to hurt me, so I had to hurt them first. I hated them." She keeps looking at her hands. "They were brave men, following Hans' orders, probably just trying to save Arendelle, and I hated them."

A hand creeps into her field of vision and, slowly, gently, latches onto her hand. Fingers interlace with hers and even now she feels a little spark. "Still cold," Kyra says.

"Kyra-"

"You know what's interesting about what you just said?" she says. Elsa, still looking at their interlaced fingers, shakes her head. "You said you hated them. Not hate. Hated. You don't hate them now?"

"I … no. If I were them, I'd have been scared of me too."

"But they tried to kill you."

"I'd have probably thought it better that I died as well." She remembers that moment on the fjord. "I did think it better in the end."

"But you don't hate them. You understand them." She squeezes Elsa's hand. When Elsa looks up, she's grinning her confident, uneasy grin. "You can't be that bad then."

"I hate Hans," she blurts out. "It's been years and I just can't not hate him."

"But enough to kill him?"

"I don't know."

Kyra is quiet for a long time and Elsa thinks that maybe this is the time she's shocked her.

"I don't know that anything I say can help," she says finally. "But I don't think you're a bad person just because you hate someone. It's meant to be the opposite of love, so if we're supposed to love, why shouldn't we hate? You can't stop someone from feeling something."

Elsa stares. It sounds familiar. Achingly familiar. Hasn't she been through this before?

"What if you don't feel properly?"

"What?" Kyra frowns. "How would you know?"

"If people tell you … say if you're … addicted to something. Something like a narcotic. You think it's love but … it can't be. That's why there are laws in place to stop it."

"That's … well, narcotics are bad for you so…" She trails off and looks at their interlaced fingers.

My sister's fallen in love with someone indecent.

You can't stop someone from feeling something.

"So what if you think you just hate someone but it's … worse?"

"Murderous rage worse?"

"Say someone takes narcotics and someone else withholds them. For their own safety. But the user thinks they hate that person and maybe does fly into a murderous rage. But it's not hate. It's withdrawal. It's … not really feeling."

Kyra pauses. "Elsa, are you trying to tell me you use narcotics?"

"No. It was an example."

But she thinks some of the way she feels when she's near Kyra must be like using a narcotic.

You can't stop someone from feeling something.

"OK, just checking." She grins but the grin is more uneasy than confident. "I suppose … I mean it would … if you..." Something in her expression hardens. "You know what, actually? I don't think anyone can answer that. Because how would people know? Who says the narcotic user really doesn't hate the other person and this isn't just a trigger?" Her fingers tighten around Elsa's hand but Elsa doesn't think it's supposed to be comforting. "My mother tries to tell me how I feel about men all of the time but she can't know how I feel. Nobody can. They can only tell me what they think I should feel. But they've not been in that situation themselves so how can they understand it? How can they possibly understand how it feels to…" She breaks off and there's something that's like anger in her face. And it's that, more than Kyra's bitter tone or bitter words that makes Elsa's breath hitch as it finally clicks.

Kyra catches it. "What?" Elsa is only staring at her. "What? What is it?"

"N-nothing."

"Elsa."

"Really, it's nothing. Just, you know, thinking about a report I have to read."

But of course that doesn't wash. Not with Kyra being so frustrated. And it's definitely frustration, not anger, that's on her face and in her words and in the clench of her fingers. "Come on, Elsa. Just tell me. Let's not … don't hide it from me. Not again."

She could lie. She could say it was about her or Anna or even somebody she met in the street. But Kyra knows her too well and Elsa lies too infrequently these days, to be sure that she could get away with it, especially given her mood right now. And maybe Kyra deserves to know what Elsa's been thinking more than she needs her feelings spared.

Even so, she's slow, hesitant, hoping Kyra will stop her as she says, "It's … you know we talked a while ago, about Kedar saying you loved someone? And you said there wasn't a man?" Kyra nods slowly and, somehow, Elsa isn't surprised to see anxiety inching its way onto her face. "It's … Kedar never actually said you loved a man. I assumed that. And you only said there wasn't a man."

The anxiety is now something else but still she doesn't stop Elsa.

"It's a woman, isn't it?"

Kyra takes a step backwards, her hand dropping from Elsa's. "Elsa, it's not-"

"I don't care," Elsa says hurriedly. "It … I…" She stops. "I shouldn't have … I should have just shut u-"

"No," Kyra says. "I just … I didn't think you'd…"

"If it's not true then-"

Kyra shrugs her shoulders hopelessly. "It wouldn't happen anyway so … I'm fine. My mother will find me a nice, young man who will give me everything I ever wanted and that will be enough." She looks at Elsa steadily, despite the anxiety in her eyes and Elsa loves that about her. "That's a yes, by the way," Kyra says, still looking at Elsa. "Since you asked. I am in love with … well. I feel like I have feelings for a woman. I probably don't." Her smile is thin and there's that bitter tinge to it. "There are laws in place to stop it. So I intend to wait it out. It's probably the air here."

You can't stop someone from feeling something.

Do you like Kyra?

"You know, when your brother said he wanted to stop courting me, he said he thought I had feelings for someone," Elsa says. There's a part of her that is asking her just what she thinks she's saying but there is another part that hates seeing how the bitterness on Kyra's face hides the fear and worry in her eyes. Something that makes her realise that she's more upset at the prospect of losing Kyra than she is at the idea that Kyra has these feelings.

I don't think anyone can answer that. Because how would people know? Who says the narcotic user really doesn't hate the other person and this isn't just a trigger?

You can't stop someone from feeling something.

"My sister," she says and then pauses because this is something else. She has no guarantee that she's the woman Kyra loves. She probably isn't. And it doesn't matter because Elsa doesn't have these feelings. She can't have them. "My sister…"

"You're not about to tell me you're in love with your sister, are you?"

It's so unexpected that Elsa laughs. "What? No! What is it with you and assuming I'm doing all kinds of … things?"

Kyra actually smirks. "Well, we've gotten my perverted confession out of the way so I can only assume you're trying to equal or top it." She pauses. "That … you know, it's funny, but you don't care, do you? I've literally never told anyone that I … get feelings about women and here I am, joking about it with you five minutes after saying it. And I feel like I can."

"I'm good with weird," Elsa says and then regrets the choice of wording. "I mean-"

But Kyra smiles. "It's fine. There must be a reason it's illegal, right?" She looks back at the castle. "We've been out here a while. We should probably go back in."

Shamefully, relief hits Elsa because now she doesn't need to say anything. "You're right. Let's go."

They talk about very little as they walk back, with that carefully maintained gap still between them, though she doesn't know which of them is maintaining it now. For a few minutes, Elsa thinks they might default to normal.

But then, just before they can enter the castle, Kyra says very quietly, "Thanks, by the way. For not asking who the woman is."

"Oh. No problem," Elsa says.

"But, uh, one thing."

"Hmm?"

"Before I accused you of incest, you were saying Kedar thought you had feelings for someone. And it wasn't Anna." Her heart beats harder. "He … he didn't say that the person was a man, did he?"

For a moment, the world stops.

She shouldn't.

You can't stop someone from feeling something.

She can't.

You can't stop someone from feeling something.

But she maybe, probably, possibly, definitely, might-

"No," she says quietly, almost amazed at the word coming out of her mouth. "I assumed he meant a man but … I don't think he did." She clenches her fist and even more quietly, because she can't stop it now, she says, "And I'm starting to think he was right."

Kyra's eyes widen as she looks at Elsa.

"Hey, Elsa!" Kristoff shouts. "There you are. Can you help me get your sister down from the table? She says she'll only listen to you."

Elsa trades a look with Kyra. "I'll … see you sometime."

And she goes in.

Officer

Anna's wedding to Kristoff is wonderful. Anna is stunning in her dress and Kristoff is surprisingly well-groomed for Kristoff. Elsa walks Anna down the aisle, blinking often to stop herself from crying. Anna looks a little watery-eyed herself when they reach the aisle, and she kisses Elsa on the cheek.

A country-wide celebration follows the wedding, which Elsa throws herself into. She is everywhere, checking on the decorations, powering the ice rink, conducting the choir, talking to the chefs. It's tiring but it's worth it, to see the blissful smile on Anna's face.

There is a dinner and a dance that evening for Anna, with guests from all over the world. Elsa gives a speech and somehow gets through it without crying. Her partner for the evening is a shy teenage boy whose family have only recently entered the nobility and whose father recently died. Elsa asked him to accompany her upon hearing that he had been unable to woo anyone suitable. Of course everyone, including the boy, can see the gesture for what it is, but she knows it will also elevate him in the eyes of other nobles, who will think he has her favour. For his part, he talks with animated enthusiasm, not quite in tune with the usual noble politics. It makes a nice change from her usual dining partners since Kedar.

Kristoff and Anna have the first dance and then the floor is open to other couples. Elsa dances with her dinner guest until they spot a woman closer to his age watching them. At Elsa's suggestion, he asks her to dance and from then on, the evening is smooth sailing for him. She dances with Anna, with Kristoff, and then with a few other noble men (including Kedar), until she can retreat to the side-lines.

The party is in full swing when Olaf tugs her dress. Olaf more-or-less comes and goes as he pleases. Whether he attends a party depends on how he feels at the time – as someone who finds most things fun, he often finds strange, seemingly dull things more interesting to do than attend a dance or a ball.

"Kyra says if you rescue her on the fourth balcony, she'll love you forever." He pauses. "Oh, wait, she said not to say she'd love you forever. She said to say that she'd concede the war. She doesn't love you."

Elsa blinks. "Oh. Uh, thanks, Olaf. I'll go now." She looks around. "I think if you talk to Anna, she'll dance with you."

"I'd love that!" Olaf waddles off, leaving Elsa alone to sneak to the balcony. She doubts Kyra actually needs rescuing. Since that evening under the stars, Kyra has avoided being left alone with her for too long. Despite what she said about feeling comfortable near Elsa, it seems she's still embarrassed. And Elsa isn't much better after her own confession. So Kyra probably wants to talk about it, rather than expecting Elsa to save her from something and pretend that conversation never happened.

But when she steps out through the curtained doors onto the balcony, she sees a man leaning close to Kyra, who is backed up against a railing. For a moment, Elsa can only stare. Kyra really does want rescuing.

"That's where you two are," Elsa says loudly while trying to think of a reason for looking for them. The man turns and she remembers who he is – Prince Aled of Burakoem. "People have been wondering and, well, you know the rumours that go round." The fact that people probably don't care where Prince Aled is, given he's the second son of a relatively minor kingdom is by the by. Kyra only generates gossip because it's well known that she's one of Elsa's closest friends. "Of course," she adds, still wondering what she's actually doing, "it would be terrible if I found out those rumours are true. There is a time and a place."

She regards both of them with as cold a gaze as she can manage. Kyra is looking at the floor, probably to stop herself from laughing. Prince Aled looks a little panicked.

"We were just talking," he says slowly. "I think Lady Laukkanen's country is interesting, see."

"It looked like more than talking from where I was," Elsa says. "I'm sure you're aware of the Frentish customs regulating contact between unwedded men and women, your Highness? I'd normally be willing to turn a blind eye but … you see, the Laukkanens are here as diplomats and so Lord Absalom trusts me to ensure their customs are upheld so far as possible."

Kyra's shoulders are shaking but, luckily, Aled is still facing Elsa. "Yes, your Majesty. I understand. We were only talking, mind." He scratches his head. "Maybe I should return to remove any rumours." He turns to Kyra, who has thankfully gotten her laughter under control. "Perhaps you will dance with me again later, Lady Laukkanen."

He walks past them into the lights and sounds of the party. Elsa watches that light before turning to Kyra, who hesitates before hugging Elsa tightly, whispering thanks. When she lets go, Elsa says the first thing that comes into her mind that avoids what they said a few nights ago.

"I, uh, take it you were fine with me making up Frentish customs?"

Kyra starts to laugh. "Where did you get that from? That was … you looked so scary. I actually felt sorry for him."

"He wasn't an officer and a gentleman then?"

"An officer, certainly. He told me about that. I don't know. He wasn't horrible – he was actually quite funny – but he was more … touchy-feely than I wanted him to be. And when I asked him to stop, he pretended he hadn't heard me." She grins. "That's probably why your lie was so effective. He probably thinks he's just offended Frentis in an unforgiveable manner."

"Pity they didn't send his younger brother. He wouldn't have been too touchy-feely – he's fairly timid. Guess they must be more worried about their international appearance than I thought, if they've sent the middle prince instead."

"What about the Southern Isles? Are they here?"

Elsa smirks. "We have an unspoken agreement there. I'll invite them because they punished Hans so, officially, there are no more problems between us. They'll pretend that there's an unavoidable commitment which prevents them from coming because they're scared of me. I'll accept that because I don't want to see them."

"I never thought power would go to your head," Kyra says and Elsa laughs. "I saw your move with inviting that young earl by the way. Very smooth." She smiles. "Must be nice to be able to do that."

"Mmm." She's made comments like this before but now, it feels … sad. Maybe that's why Elsa adds, "But I still can't invite who I want to invite."

Kyra's expression softens but all she says is, "Maybe you could change the law."

Elsa snorts. "Sure. It might get changed in about a century. Right now, if I bring it up, everyone is keen to tell me it's a sin, an abomination, unnatural and a disease. I think you and I are the only ones who might want it changed and I've only wanted it changed since…"

"Since you … got those feelings for your someone?"

"Something like that." Elsa tries to smile. "Anyway, Olaf said something about you conceding the war you started the first time we met?"

"Oh, yeah." Kyra smirks. "I did promise. But that was before I knew you were going to potentially start one for me with Burakoem."

"But I didn't. Anyway, what was I supposed to say?"

"You have magic and you couldn't think of an inventive use for it?"

She chucks a snowball at Kyra without thinking about it. Kyra shrieks as the cold hits her and then looks at her dress. Before Elsa can apologise, she laughs. "That was great. Do something else!"

So Elsa does. She makes little snowmen and ice sculptures and a few more snowballs. Kyra watches in wide-eyed rapture.

"You've seen me use magic before," Elsa says.

"Yes, but that was for everyone. Never just for me."

Elsa's never been good at using her powers outside very public displays, or just for herself or Anna. She wouldn't say she's fully comfortable doing it with Kyra but it's not as hard as it always seems. That irrational fear that someone will scream at her and try to kill her hasn't materialised.

She creates a snow rabbit and makes it hop around. Kyra scoops it up but the snow falls through her fingers.

"It's wonderful! I'm sorry I ever told my parents I didn't want to come to Arendelle." Seeing Elsa's expression, she shrugs. "All I'd really heard, apart from the language, was that it was tiny, freezing in winter and you nearly killed everyone once. And now I know that all of that is true but in a nice way." She hesitates before walking to Elsa and kissing her cheek. "I really hope your lady loves you back," she says quietly. "You'd make her happy, I bet."

She should say it, she thinks, and she's surprised by the suddenness of the thought. But it's true. It is true. What's the point in pretending to herself that it isn't? So she should say it. She should say it while she can still feel the imprint of Kyra's lips on her cheek. She should say it while she's happy to admit to herself that actually, she does have feelings for Kyra and doesn't she deserve to be happy, even if it is weird, if she's not hurting anyone? She should say it.

"I-"

"Yeah?"

But what if Kyra doesn't feel the same way? What if it ruins their friendship? What if Kyra thinks Elsa corrupted her and these feelings they have are all Elsa's fault?

"Elsa?"

"Just … thanks."

Pigeon

A few days after the wedding, most of the delegates depart for their home countries. The Laukkanens return to Frentis for a short holiday, and to report to their king. The Arendelle ambassador likewise returns to Arendelle.

For the first time in a very long time, Elsa feels lonely. Anna and Kristoff are off enjoying married life. Kyra is in Frentis. She has the servants and her work and some friendly nobles and Olaf but the castle feels empty.

One day, she walks up to the North Mountain with Olaf, to the castle where she left Marshmallow, who has mellowed considerably over the years. It's calm up here, with only the snowmen for company.

"And pigeons," Olaf says.

"Huh?"

"Pigeons." He points.

"…Must be racing pigeons of some kind if they're all the way out here." She watches them fly. "They're meant to symbolise peace and love, you know. Like doves."

"Cool!" Olaf says, with the same enthusiasm he applies to most things. "Maybe you should give one to Kyra."

"That's a goo- Wait, what? Why?"

"'Cause you love her." Olaf is completely oblivious to Elsa's growing panic. "You always look at her like Kristoff and Anna look at each other, and you rescue her on balconies, and she said she'd love you forever if … oh, no, no she didn't."

"How does Kyra look at me?"

He shrugs. "The same way. That's funny. I thought she didn't love you." He shrugs. "Maybe if she gets you a pigeon, we'll know."

"She looks at me the same?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Elsa is quiet for a few seconds. "Do you think that's weird?" she asks Olaf. "If I love Kyra and she loves me like that? Since we're both women?"

Olaf takes out one of his arms to scratch his head. "There isn't a reason for you not to love her, is there? Love's just love." He shrugs. "It's not any weirder than me loving summer."

He's not wrong about that at least. But Olaf doesn't know of the reasons behind that law: nobody's ever explained how families work to him. Nonetheless, she keeps her eyes on those pigeons and wonders if maybe, just maybe, Olaf is seeing something that might actually be there.

Quacks

The Laukkanens return in the new year. Absalom comes alone to bring her tidings from the Frentish king and she nods politely along. The Frentish king has sent a few nobles to Arendelle – she has done the same with Arendelle nobles – for a couple of weeks, to negotiate some things with her. Absalom informs her that the Laukkanens intend to take them for an overnight trip into a nearby forest and are hoping some of the Arendelle nobility will join them.

She goes for some of the jaunt. At the beginning of the ride, she sees Kyra for the first time in a month, and feels that familiar tightening in her stomach. Her heart seems to beat harder than normal when she remembers Olaf's words, but she keeps her composure as Kyra hugs her and hands her a small package.

"A birthday present," she says, her brown eyes twinkling with humour. "I seem to recall that it's towards the end of the year. Go on, open it."

So Elsa does, and is presented with a small, wooden whistle. Confused, she inspects it and then, with more than a little trepidation, blows it. She's so startled at the noise that she actually freezes the whistle and has to hurriedly un-freeze it.

"It quacks!"

Kyra is laughing too hard to respond for a few seconds. When she's composed herself, she says, "That was brilliant. I wish you could have seen your face. Happy birthday!"

"Why did you get me a whistle that makes a quacking noise?"

"It seemed like your sort of thing. Besides, when you get Frentish gifts, you must get all sorts of fancy items. This is the sort of thing a normal tourist would buy. I thought it was a shame that nobody would ever give it to you, and you'd be too dignified to buy it yourself. Don't give me that look – have you seen your expression when you walk around?"

Someone shouts that they need to set off. Elsa keeps the whistle with her.

The trip is enjoyable, and it's nice to speak to some of the Arendelle and Frentish nobles. She doesn't have much of an opportunity to speak to Kyra, primarily because Maja Laukkanen has matched Kyra with an Arendelle noblemen. From Elsa's perspective, Kyra doesn't make a huge effort to engage the nobleman – she's defensive, as though anticipating trouble from the get-go.

In any event, Elsa has to return to the castle at the end of the first day, to catch up on some work, so she doesn't see how that ends. The next evening, she meets them at the gates and invites them for a brief dinner where she notes that Kyra – resplendent in a simple red dress – is now talking to the nobleman normally. Elsa slips away when the party is winding down to carry on with her work.

About an hour later, there is a knock on the door. Somehow, she's not surprised to see Kyra there. She's not even surprised that Kyra has found her study.

"You know this is off-limits to anyone who isn't my sister or a servant, yes?"

"Gerda tells me that you have so few people you trust that she's more than happy to let me have the run of the castle. Even if I am Frentish."

"And technically still at war with us."

"Did you ever tell Frentis that they're at war with you? I don't think it counts if only I know about it."

"Surely that was something you were supposed to do?" She puts her pen down. "So, why are you here and not at the dinner or going home? What happened to Ludvig?"

She fiddles. "He's gone to sleep. He's OK, actually. Not what I expected. He's nice and kind of funny. But he's not…" She shrugs. "Well. We're still here because my brother is getting on very well with Reidi and my parents don't want it to go wrong. I said I'd agreed to give you something so they don't expect me back for a while."

"That's all well and good," Elsa says, "but I have to work."

"You worked last night as well and left me on that ride alone." Elsa's expression doesn't change. "Fine. I'll help." She pauses. "I probably don't know enough about whatever you're writing about, but I could put your papers in order." She looks around at the neat system Elsa has employed. "I could sweep."

"And offend my servants?" Elsa rolls her eyes but she can't help smiling. She knew from the moment that Kyra turned up that she would give in. "Fine. We can go for a walk. I could do with a break anyway." She stands up and leads Kyra out of the castle, into one of the gardens. Kyra shivers. When Elsa looks at her quizzically, she just says that not everyone is immune to cold.

Kyra talks about her month away, and Elsa tries to make her month sound more exciting than it was. Mostly, she listens to Kyra. When they first met, Kyra was almost reluctant to say anything detailed about herself but now, she can talk for hours to Elsa. Elsa likes listening to her talk, likes the way her accent makes her trip up on certain words, likes how she makes things sound amusing in her low tone of voice.

They're looking at a pond when Elsa pulls out the little whistle and blows it. Kyra jumps and Elsa laughs.

"You still have that?"

"I have to get some use out of it."

She's still laughing when Kyra says, "Elsa, what do you love about your … person?"

Elsa stops laughing because what can she say to that?

"I … I don't know," she says. "She … she's beautiful. I look at her and it feels like everything about me is soaking her up." It's surprisingly easy to say this. It's almost as though the words have just been waiting to come out. "She can be grumpy but never angry grumpy. Not with me. She makes me laugh and she's not afraid of me – not of my ice powers or of my position. She has this way of smiling that's both confident and not. She's sweet even if she doesn't think about how friendly she sounds. She's a good listener. She's … she's just her." She smiles. "How about you?"

Kyra looks a little taken aback though Elsa doesn't know if that's from her description or from the question. But then she nods and says, "The first time I saw her, she was … I don't know, OK. But the first time I really spoke to her, I just … knew." She grins. "Ridiculous as that sounds. But she was just so composed when I was being rude and I thought she'd be stuck up but she was surprisingly nice. She's always nice, actually. And she's funny – not in an obvious way but in a way that makes you smile even when you don't want to. She's smart. She … she hides away a lot but if I ever want to speak to her, she makes time for me. She always dresses nicely but if you catch her on a wild day, it's … it's amazing. She looks so free, so natural that you kind of want to jump around with her. And sometimes, she'll do or say something I suggested – even something trivial – and it makes me … I don't know, I feel like she does it for me. Like I'm actually valuable."

"You met her in Arendelle, didn't you?" Elsa asks but she's wondering – is that her? Is that how Kyra sees her? Or is it someone else? Because she doesn't know if that does describe her. Surely it doesn't. She's not funny, she's not nice and she's not smart.

"Yes. But it's not going to work out. I mean, how can it?" Kyra sighs then. "You know, in Frentis they say finding someone you love is as easy as ABC. Which it is for some people I guess. But they can't all be as easy as ABC. Like your sister for example. So I think maybe there are some easy ABC stories and then some harder ABCDEF stories. But stories like ours … I can't see them even being as easy as ABCDEF. They're just too difficult."

"So they'd probably use up most or all of the letters then," Elsa says, not entirely sure she's followed Kyra's musing. Kyra nods. "Does that make them alphabet stories?"

Kyra smiles. "Alphabet stories. I like that." She pauses. "I guess at least we know how the alphabet ends."

"True," Elsa says, though she isn't sure that's comforting. "Any idea which letter you're on?"

"Probably about C or D. It's not like I've gotten very far with her. How about you?"

"The same."

They fall silent. Elsa looks at Kyra, loving the way she twirls a strand of hair around her finger as she thinks about this woman who's smart and funny and beautiful. She's right, even if the alphabet analogy is weird. Stories like theirs are difficult. They probably shouldn't even be stories. And can hers be a story if she never asks the other person if … if they…

Everything she wants to say to Kyra, to do with Kyra, has been trapped for so long, and it shouldn't end here.

So she says, "A was probably the first time I properly spoke to her: at a party." She has to keep it slightly vague, she thinks, because if she's wrong then Kyra can head her off without it ever being said aloud. Her story will end but their friendship will remain intact. "I wanted some air but when I got onto the balcony, she was already there. We started talking. I already thought she was beautiful but that … I think that was the real beginning for me. I just didn't realise at the time."

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Kyra become very, very still. Then, after a few seconds, Kyra says, "My A was the first time I properly spoke to mine as well. I was hiding from the dancing at a party and she couldn't understand why."

Elsa's heart begins to hammer but that's standard Kyra behaviour. There could have been another woman who found her on a balcony. "I suppose B is when I started seeing a man. I think it was partly because I was confused but a lot of it was because she was often with him and she … I don't know, she made me smile. So I got to know her as well and the more I knew of her, the more I wanted to know. I probably spent more time with her than I did with him overall."

"She … started to see someone close to me. So my B was when I encouraged the man because it meant I got to see more of her. Especially since I otherwise wouldn't have because we're … not really on the same social level."

Now Elsa looks at her. She's looking back at Elsa, eyes wide. Kyra must know that Elsa is talking about her. And … who else did Kyra know? Was there any other man Kyra was close to here, apart from her brother? She should say it. She should just let it go.

"C was when he left me. Said I had feelings for someone else."

Kyra licks her lips. "They broke apart but she stayed friends with me. Eventually. For a short while, she avoided me but I … I asked her why she was avoiding me." She exhales. "We … we are … we are both describing people standing by this pond, aren't we?"

And it's building, it's building, almost to the point that Elsa can't contain it.

"I am," Elsa croaks because her voice has chosen now to give up on her. "Are you?"

A beat.

"Yes." She's looking at Elsa, fingers practically grinding themselves to the bone. "I am. I just didn't … I didn't think you'd-"

Release

And that's when Elsa kisses her.