Children of Winter

By K. Petra

Previous chapter explanations: As shown in the last chapter, most of what happens in this story will take place within what mirrors the Forbidden City in China. The emperor has many wives and a current total of eight/nine children. The empress is his first and official wife. As such, tradition designates that she should rule over the rest and answer only to the emperor. Her first born is also the first to be considered to be crowned. However, it does depend on the emperor for whether he chooses to follow this custom or not. While imperial consorts all have specific rankings and the queen does have most power on theoretically, the politics within the palace does not follow such simple lines. Those most favored by the emperor or those who have noble lineage and strong familial support can become forces to be reckoned with. I also wish to add that in this particular universe, if the emperor had been female or if he had preferred male companions, the same rules would apply.

Questions and Answers: I had wondered whether anyone would question why this story had incest as part of the description, and I was delighted to find that right in the first chapter, someone had been observant enough to notice. Part of the answer is that while Elsanna is the main couple, there are still eight other prince/princesses to be introduced. Their relationships are all very complicated, to put it lightly. As to whether Elsa is Gerda's child or not, more of that particular puzzle will be shown in this chapter.

Review Replies:

zelene2004: Thank You for such a wonderful first-review-that-I-have-received-in-this-story. I would say more…but I should probably say it in the PM instead. In fact, I'm sending you one right after I upload this chapter.

Wrendragongirl: Thank You for the review! I hope that this update did not take too long?

fizzlebum: Thank You to your kind words. I hope this chapter did not disappoint.

manicmethod: Thanks for your review. I was really happy to read it.

Guest: I'm sorry, I do not know your penname so I could not address you in a more appropriate fashion. Thanks for the review nonetheless, and I can assure you that this story is definitely something I will not abandon. If I should find that my skills are too lacking for it to continue, however…I might end up rewriting it or putting it on hiatus until I find a better way to improve. Everything has progressed well so far though, so I do plan to update it regularly (or as fast as I can manage).

Lyanah: Thank You for the review, and I do hope that this chapter managed to carry on what the first has started? Thank You for noting the Incest label as well. My answer to your question is in the Q and A above. I can't say too much more about that for now or otherwise it would spoil the plot. I can say, however, that Elsa does have some sort of power in this fiction. Whether it is the same winter magic as that in Frozen is still to be revealed.

Chapter Two: A Reason

Life as a personal servant to the princess was not particularly difficult. That was not to say that Anna had been inattentive towards her new master, by any means. Each day she rose before the sun and proceeded through task after task to ensure that each of Princess Elsa's needs was well attended.

A warm basin of water was carefully placed a short distance from the princess's bedside for easy access to a morning face wash. Clothes were meticulously chosen and folded. Ink and paper were always completely refilled. The young girl was even quick to learn what kind of food suited the royal's tastes, and by the end of the second week she knew what orders given to the royal kitchen would leave the least number of dishes unfinished after dinner.

Anna worked hard, but there was no one she had to answer to aside from Elsa herself. And the truth was that the princess hardly spoke at all. The majority of the time Anna created her own obligations based on guesses as to what her charge required to be most comfortable. By the end of each day once the princess had retired to bed, the strawberry blonde was left with free time of her own so long as she stayed within calling distance should the princess ask for anything.

On most occasions she spent hours stitching up torn patches of her clothing until she fell asleep. Yet once in a while, Anna found herself counting as minutes turned to hours and the sky became light again.

This was such a night.

Sighing as she rubbed her face and feeling oddly awake, the young girl quietly stepped over to sit beside the doors to her master's chambers. There she leaned against the wooden frame, staring at the shadows created by the palace buildings.

In contrast to the majestic gold underneath warm sunlight, nighttime bathed the structures in an almost lonesome glow. The rooftops curled like pale fingers, beckoning to an unfaithful moon that jumped from one garden pond to reflect from next, much like the rise and fall of royal consorts once favored by the king.

The Forbidden City held a total of nine hundred and eighty buildings. Each had a purpose, each purposefully placed to be most superstitiously fortuitous. Every one of them was home for a different set of people, with those of most important rank living in the central north-to-south axis of the city. There was a constant run of red walls that snaked around the entire premise, which served as prison as well as home for all of the nine years of her life.

The servant was young enough to have never journeyed through the entire palace grounds. She was also simple minded enough to never have imagined a life elsewhere. To a child of nine, Arendelle's forbidden city was already larger than what she believed she could travel her entire life. Surely, the world did not extend much beyond this, for it seemed that even people who had the authority to leave spoke of this place as the crux of the entire kingdom. It was where all people longed to be- the home of the emperor, the son of heaven.

Deprived of any thoughts of leaving, what Anna wished was for life to change within the palace. She did not mind the hard work that went along with being a servant. She had never bemoaned her fate as an orphan. Yet she yearned for something beyond the orderliness of her daily routine. For company of some sort, perhaps even a friend. Still, whoever would want to be friends with the daughter of a dead convicted maid?

Before she had been assigned a master, Anna had hoped for someone she could grow close to. She knew of her lowly status enough to understand that perhaps the relationship would never be sisterly or even friendly. But she could settle for being a trusted aid. The right hand woman. Or even treated as a loyal pet. After all, faithful servants were hard to come by, and less worthy ones were traded with prices much less than that of a common work horse.

To become her master's hand and feet. To help carry her master to greater heights. To be the thoroughbred to her master's race…That was what Anna dreamt of.

Yet Princess Elsa had shattered all that she believed in. The royal was not a cruel master. But Princess Elsa treated her as though Anna hardly existed.

The young girl was well aware of what the other servants said behind her back- how she was probably going to be sent away like each of the princess's former servants. Driselle and Anastasia in particular, seemed enthusiastic enough to place bets on how many days it would take and where she would end up. A servant that was thrown out by his or her master was often considered to be ineffective to follow another one and was generally sent to do the lowest and most heavy tasks the palace could afford.

The thought brought forth a sharp fear within her heart as she remembered the first evening she had spent with the empress's daughter. After the other servants had departed to their own stations, Elsa had remained quiet for a long while, as if considering what to do with the new member of her staff. The worried girl stood for what seemed like hours behind the impenetrable barrier formed by the silk curtains that divided the room in half.

Only when it was apparent that the princess would not speak did Anna approach the curtains, tentatively brushing aside the right corner in order to walk through. The cloth felt cool to the touch, even as Anna's fingers were stiff and cold with nervousness.

"Your highness?"

She was taught not to raise her head whenever in presence of royalty, as well as to keep a certain distance unless commanded to come closer. Yet to Anna, the current predicament was a puzzling one, as her master had yet to say even a word to her.

Once again Anna spoke, cautiously sneaking a glance at the princess.

"Princess Elsa, do you…."

What she saw made her stop in her tracks, abandoning every rule that had been beaten into her mind while her heart raced with worry.

Just a few steps away, the child princess stood with back slightly bent. Elsa wrapped her arms around her chest tightly, as if in pain. Deep cerulean eyes peaking through the rivulets of light blonde hair that covered her face seemed to scream in fright.

Anna extended one quivering hand in uncertain offering to support the princess through whatever was causing the young royal distress.

"Are you okay?"

She did not expect the princess to quickly jump away as though whipped. Elsa's eyes narrowed, even as her face became increasingly pale.

"Who said that you were allowed to come through here?"

The royal's voice was rough to Anna's ears, and she realized abruptly, that authority was speaking. The strawberry blonde had overstepped her boundaries, barging in when she had not been asked. Eyes widening, Anna took a few steps back, suddenly very aware of what she had been about to do.

Elsa gritted her teeth, shaking visibly now.

"Leave!"

Anna had wasted no time to scuttle out the doors, not daring to look back until she was a good many blocks away from the Empress's eastern palace entirely. Then, she found a secluded corner in one of the gardens and lay down, burying her head in her arms.

Evening had passed into night when Anna realized that she had nowhere to go. As a personal servant, she was supposed to stay in the princess's room. Most personal attendants slept on the floor by their master's door, or within the outer room of the royal chambers. That way they were always in calling distance should their master ask for them in the middle of the night.

Fighting back tears, Anna trudged back to Princess Elsa's chambers. It was not fair, she thought. She really did want to try her best to be a good servant to the princess. Perhaps by morning, she would break record as the servant who had been transferred out the fastest. Leaning against the door and closing her eyes, Anna did not sleep at all that night.

And yet the next morning there had been no word from the princess that Anna was to be relocated. Overjoyed, by midmorning Anna had set it upon herself to oversee the princess's needs as best as she could.

It continued for two weeks. The princess rose early each day to head over to the Empress's chambers for her daily studies. Anna would use that time to make sure that the room was fully dusted and clothes were all washed while papers and supplies were restocked. Elsa would not come back until late evening, and Anna would make sure that dinner would be freshly prepared and delivered to the table behind the curtains. The princess would eat in silence while Anna prepared a hot tub for her in the outer room before stepping out. After which, Elsa would bathe and head off to bed. The orderly schedule continued without fail each day, and the servant and master did not speak.

Anna brought her thoughts back to the present as she sat, pondering once again by the now familiar doorsteps. Just because she was not let go on that first day, did not mean that she was safe from being sent away any time soon. From what the other maids had whispered, no personal attendant lasted with Princess Elsa for longer than a month.

….Which meant that she had two weeks left at most, and the princess was still not talking to her.

Anna sighed, nodding her head gently against the doorframe in frustration. A low murmur startled her out of her reverie, however, and Anna stood up. She bent her neck slightly, straining her ears to listen to the voice that echoed from within the room.

"Mother, no."

The princess's voice was a bare whisper, perhaps she was mumbling from a nightmare of some sort.

"Please, mother. I promise I can do it. My sister is…"

Anna tiptoed across the room until she reached the curtains. There she paused, unsure if she should say something to help the princess awake from the nightmare.

"Why? Why why why…"

The princess is almost screaming now, and the agony within her tone broke into Anna's resolve to stay out of trouble. Steeling her heart with determination, the young girl crossed through the curtains once more, using both hands to grab onto the princess's shoulders and give her a good shake.

"Your highness!"

Almost immediately, the young royal pulled back, eyes snapping open.

"You!"

It was as though the nightmare had not existed at all, and Elsa's face betrayed nothing aside from quiet fury. Long, delicate eyebrows furrowed as her lips thinned.

"I had told you to stay away."

Anna took in a deep breath. The other girl's tone was sharp, piercing into the darkness between them.

"I might have not mentioned anything yet. But don't think that you're safe from being dismissed."

The threat struck Anna as a powerful slap would. With a shrug, Anna decided to ignore that painful detail for now. She was already in too deep trouble to care about what the outcome would be after tonight.

"Well, if you want to punish me for trying to help you, then so be it. I never thought that the princess would be so weak in character."

Too surprised at the servant's retort to say anything else, the royal's eyes widened as Anna continued, settling down into a comfortable position at the foot of the bed.

"Everyone has nightmares or things that they fear sometimes, you know. You don't have to hide it. At least you're luckier than I was…no one ever cared to comfort me when I was afraid."

She paused to glance at Elsa, who was looking at her wonderingly as though actually seeing her for the first time. Everything Anna had done, everything she had said, was out of line, she knew. But the princess's anger seemed to subside. Or perhaps she was too shocked to speak.

A smile tugged at the corners of Anna's mouth as she watched the princess tilt her head inquisitively.

"I used to be afraid of thunder," the servant admitted. "Don't tell anyone that I still am, sort of. Every time I heard it, I would find a place to hide. I don't have a mother, you see….so there was no one to comfort me. And if the other kids knew about my fear, they'd probably torture me."

They spent the rest of the night that way, with Anna continuing to chatter and the princess listening quietly.

-*-*-*-*-*-*...-*-*-*-*-*-*

If Anna had believed that anything would change after the previous night, then she would have been greatly disappointed. The following day her schedule resumed as it normally did, with the princess hardly speaking a single word before heading off to see the Empress for her studies.

Anna took it all in stride, happy that at the very least, the princess had not followed through the threat of discharging the servant from her job. By midday, however, an encounter did end up interrupting her usual tasks.

She was walking through one of the palace gardens with a stack of freshly folded robes in hand when the melancholic sound of a flute carried into her ears. The notes cascaded gently like water drops, and Anna found her heart reaching out for whoever it was that was playing. Without thinking about it, she turned, feet leading her unconsciously towards the source of the music.

As Anna turned the corner around one of the numerous jiashan, she could see a tall girl of around ten or eleven years of age leaning against the artificial rock formations. Long, dark raven locks shimmered into an almost bluish hue beneath the sunlight. As a gentle breeze brushed aside a few strands of the girl's hair, a gracefully carved face was revealed. Against the grayish mountain background, she stood like a tragic angel from some forgotten tale.

Anna held her breath, heart pounding in her chest despite the kind and serene air that seemed to surround the older girl. After a moment the older girl turned, and noticing that there was company, she began to walk towards Anna. Clothed in a thin layer of fine blue silk, and clutching a flute of jade between long fingers…she was easily one of the most beautiful people Anna had ever seen.

It was not until the girl was but a meter away did Anna remember her own status. She could tell from the richly woven fabric that the girl was not a servant. Children of dukes, royal relatives, and offspring from famous generals or aspiring commanders were never allowed inside the palace without an escort. The only obvious conclusion would be that the girl lived in the forbidden palace as well, a princess perhaps.

With a jolt, Anna rushed to bow. "Y-Your highness! I'm honored to be in the presence of…of…uhm."

If she was offended by the servant's delay in offering her respects, the princess did not show it. Instead, a soft giggle bubbled from her lips, deep blue eyes shining with compassion. Her voice was as melodic as the song that just moments before had resounded from her flute, and no less docile.

"You can call me Chikane. No need for formalities."

Anna's mind scrambled to recall the names of the royal children. Chikane, third child of the emperor and borne by Noble Consort Himemiya. Said to be as smart as she is kind, the third princess's popularity was second only to that of Princess Shizuru.

Before Anna could think of what to say Chikane had moved closer, raising a warm hand to touch her cheeks. The royal pressed gently onto the servant's skin, raising her chin so that Anna's eyes could meet her own.

"And you are…." Eyes darted quickly to examine the light green color of Anna's uniform. "Ah. A personal maid from the Empress's Eastern Palace of Eternal Harmony. You must be my fifth sister's new attendant."

Anna's knees felt weak. Her eyes gazed onto the ground once more, about to bend into another bow.

"My name is Anna, your highness."

But the princess would not let her kneel down. Chikane released her hold on the younger girl's cheek only to grasp onto one of her elbows in order to stop Anna's downward motion.

"Don't be so afraid. I imagine that working for Elsa must be quite taxing. She does not work well with meeting new people. I am not the same, though I admit I do not have the same pressures as I do not aspire for the throne myself."

At this, Anna found herself searching in the princess's eyes for any signs of insincerity. The fight for the throne was always filled with treachery and deceit. Even as the royal children were all very young now, the battle for power had begun long before each of them were borne, no doubt perpetuated by the royal consorts as the children grew up. There was a chance that the third princess was trying to pull Anna to her side, build her into a spy of some sort.

Anna continued to scrutinize the older girl, yet she could find nothing but clear benevolence within the princess's gestures. It was improper to look at royalty in such a manner, she knew, but Chikane did not seem to mind. For the moment, the servant decided to trust her instincts, leaving her opinions open to change should the princess do anything suspicious.

"The Royal Highness Princess Elsa is my master," Anna began, pausing testily, as if to emphasize where her loyalties lay, "I hope you will forgive me for my initial lack of respect, but I can assure you that it is not due to any malicious intent, nor does my lapse of judgment have anything to do with the princess."

This was important, Anna realized, for Princess Chikane to see that whatever impertinence she had accidentally shown today was not through any order from Princess Elsa. It would not bode well to be the cause of a misunderstanding between an already severe case of sibling rivalry.

She had expected some sort of negative reaction, yet the dark haired princess merely chuckled.

"For a nine year old, you are quite a smart one, Anna. I wonder if Elsa had seen this when she chose you? Or if…"

The princess shook her head ruefully. "Knowing her, Elsa probably chose what was most familiar to her. You do look very similar to Himeko."

It was the first time Anna had heard any speculation on why Elsa had picked her. A rush of blood rose to her face in anticipation of the information, even as a leaden and painful feeling weighed down in her gut at the realization of why she was picked.

As if unaware of the other girl's inner turmoil, Chikane continued, dark eyes glowing very warm as she seemed to recall a fond memory of the girl being mentioned.

"As you should already be aware, Princess Himeko is the Empress's youngest daughter and Princess Elsa's younger twin by a few days through a rare case of delayed interval delivery. Even while the pressure had always been laid on Elsa's shoulders to become a good ruler one day, her younger sister had always been kept untainted from the machinations within the palace. Himeko is truly a lovable, innocent girl. To say that Elsa adores her younger sister would be putting it lightly."

Anna frowned, only halfheartedly listening to the older girl's words. So she was nothing special to Princess Elsa. She did not have any special talent. She was merely chosen… as a replacement?

"It is important for you to know this, Anna. Most people look upon servants as though they are nonliving things. They disregard whatever you might be feeling. But I know that as human we are all the same, and there are others who realize this as well. They will use your feelings against you. You must understand that for the rest of your life, no matter how close you get to Princess Elsa, she might only see her sister when she looks at you. You are only a shadow of what she truly desires. You might never obtain the familiar relationship that most personal maids have with their masters, as she would not truly see who you are at all. So if you find that this is unbearable, it is best to retreat now."

Anna's eyes widened at the implications. Her mouth opened, but she found herself unable to form any words. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, unable to decide whether the princess was telling her all of this to break down her relationship with her master, or if the young royal simply meant well.

"I am telling you before you can feel bitter about it. I know how many servants Elsa has sent away. I know that you just might be next. And let it be known that this also comes with an invitation for you to come and serve me instead."

Chikane smiled, petting the younger girl's hair affectionately. "I must admit; I too, adore these traits that make you seem so similar to Himeko. But I believe myself to be much more in tune with my emotions. I know what I want; yet Elsa can be blind to her own heart."

The strawberry blonde was aware of the generosity in Princess Chikane's offer. Yet despite the screams of agreement within her young mind to take on the proposal, her stubborn heart refused to chase the easy route by simply submitting to the third princess's words. Princess Elsa was difficult to serve. But she wanted to see for herself whether Elsa would one day open up to her or not.

Besides, from a very young age Anna had been taught the importance of being a loyal servant. While Elsa was cold in personality, she had not been an unkind master. How dependable would Anna be, and how faithful a servant would she make, if she had abandoned her master so effortlessly? And if Princess Chikane really did keep her words to take Anna as her servant, how much trust would she be able to place on Anna knowing of her betrayal to Princess Elsa? With the optimism that only a child could afford, Anna quickly made her decision.

"No," Anna thus replied. "Princess Elsa is my master. She will continue to be unless she disposes of me."

After a quick bow and the sudden realization of how long she had been distracted from her chores, Anna asked to be dismissed.

The princess did not stop her, waving one hand in outward motion to allow the servant to take her leave. It was only after Anna had said her formal goodbyes and was about to rush off that the princess spoke again.

"Very well. I do like your devotedness. Should there be a day when you find yourself in need of help, my palace will always welcome you."

-*-*-*-*-*-*...-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: Thus we find out what Gerda did not realize on that fateful night; there were actually two princesses in the room. The reason why it was so easy for her to sneak in was because the staffs were all busy after the empress's second (delayed) birth.

For anyone who is wondering, this story will carry from when they are all children to when they become adults…and one of the royal children will eventually claim the throne. I will not introduce all of the characters during Elsanna's childhood. In fact, the majority of them will show up once Elsanna become adults. I have focused mainly on Elsanna so far, but if there is anyone who happens to be interested in the other characters…do not fear. There will be many sub couples, and each character will get their moment to shine. For those who do want to see Elsanna…also do not fear. Their relationship will progress and develop as the story continues.

I did not have any familiar Disney characters in this chapter aside from our main couple. More of them should be showing up soon, especially the ones I plan to take the roles of second/third/fourth leads. Obviously Drisella and Anastasia will reappear sometime in the future, but they will remain side characters with possibly villainous roles. Arielle, Belle, and Aurora will have substantial roles themselves.

Finally, if there are any questions you would like to ask, or if I had not portrayed this chapter in a way you would have liked…feel free to leave me a comment! As I have mentioned before, I do plan for many rewrites before I will be completely satisfied with my writing. Constructive criticism would help greatly in continuing the story.

Next Chapter Teaser: (a bonus for anyone who spent their time reading the giant wall of text that was my author's note)

The sun had already long passed the rise to its zenith by the time Anna had left the rock garden. Biting her lips as she rushed back to the Eastern Palace, Anna decided to ignore the incessant thoughts of the morning's encounter and concentrate on finishing her daily tasks instead.

In her haste, she did not notice the teenage boy carrying a vase headed in her direction, nor was she aware that a collision occurred until after they were both on the ground. As the sound of broken porcelain reached her ears, the girl scrambled to stand up, eyes darting back and forth in attempt to gather in her mind what had occurred.

In front of her, the young boy stared at the roses scattered across the ground. It did not take long for him to turn towards her, handsome visage filled with contempt.

Anna had never met him before. But from the clothes he wore, from his age and way he seemed to care for those roses, she was fairly certain that she could correctly determine his identity.

"Prince Adam," she muttered, kneeling down in fright as well as respectful fashion.

The Emperor's eldest son sneered, raising one hand to strike. Anna choked back a scream, closing her eyes in preparation for the boy's hand to reach its destination.