Elsa.

"Queen Elsa, how can you be sure that your powers are now under control? And how can we be sure that you won't turn your powers against us?"

I looked over at the tall thin hooked nose man sat across from me. I had spent months trying to remember the names of all the delegates who would be coming to the coronation but I couldn't for the life of me work out who he was an where he was from. It would be extremely bad manners to show that tough so I just gave a smile.

"I reacted harshly because my sister, who is the only family I have left was being taken advantage of by Prince Hans. His plan was to kill me to take the throne. There is no over reaction. And if you look outside you will see that the frost has thawed and summer has returned to normal. Is that not proof of control?"

"Powerful does not mean evil Lord Filigree. I doubt there is reason for the young queen to want world domination." Another of the lord, one of our close neighbours who we shared a land border cajoled. "I'm sure she has enough on her plate with Arendale, anybody who has known the responsibility of looking after a whole country probably wouldn't want to add any more to their list."

There was a quiet laughter at this.

"We have always had a good relationship have we not?" I asked. "I want those relationships to continue. "

"I am still not sure if she is safe to have around." Filigree muttered.

"We are getting no where tonight." Lord Marius interjected. "He majesty clearly needs rest. We can all process this information and come back to this in the morning."

There was a general atmosphere of annoyance in the room but nobody was willing to argue, not with Marius the delegate of the largest country on the continent and brother in law to the king. If I was going to have somebody on my side I was glad that it was him, though I had no doubt that it would come with a price.

"Well, goodnight, Lords, highnesses. I need to attend to my sister. We will take this up again in the morning like Lord Marius suggests. But let me assure you I bear no ill will towards any of you and I will work to prove that any continued alliance with Arendale would not only be safe but profitable for you."

"Goodnight your Majesty."

I let out a deep breath when I got out of the door. We were safe. For tonight at least. I walked over to the small sitting room where I had left Anna. I could hear talking coming from the open door as I got close. I paused for a moment and listened to the laughing and teasing that was going on. Kristoff's insistance that she need to rest. He seemed to care a lot for her, but I was not taking any risks. I'm the oldest and therefore Anna's safety is my responsibility. And I really been failing her on that one lately.

Anna

Elsa looks more tired than I've ever seen her when she walks into the room. Her shoulder are hunched and the smile she gives me looks like it's taking effort. She walks over and sits next to me on the couch. It's weird, we haven't been this close in years and now it seems effortless.

"Elsa, what's happened?"

"Nothing for now. It seems like we still have some friends amongst the delegates but a few of them don't trust me."

"That's ridiculous, why wouldn't they trust you?"

"Because I could set of an eternal winter in their countries and then when they're tired and out of food invade with an army of giant snowmen."

Well, yeah. They had a point.

"An army, do you think you could really create an army?"

"No. Maybe. I don't know. I only figured out that I could build living snow people today and that was by accident."

"That's a point where is Olaf?" I asked.

"Last I saw he was exploring the castle. I'm sure he'll turn up."

Elsa reached out and touched my forehead. I flinched away without meaning to. It's just, when did her hands get so cold?

"Opps, sorry. Cold hands." I apologized.

"How are you?" She asked me.

"I'm all right."

"How are you really?"

I took stock of my body for a second. I still felt quite shivery and all my muscles were aching but nothing I wouldn't expect given that it had been a really really long couple of days, okay maybe a bit more than that. Maybe if I was also coming down with the flu. God, I'm tired. I look over at Kristoff, his head is nodding down onto his chest, he must be tired.

"We need to get Kristoff a bed. He can stay, can't he?""

Elsa's eyes turned a little hard. I couldn't blame her, I mean with Hans and all.

"yes. I think we owe him that." Elsa said.

"Most definitely. He did look out for me. He sort of saved my life, well he tried."

"Drink your soup." Elsa said to me. I wanted to argue but there would be little point. I picked it up and took a sip.

"He's asleep." I whispered.

Elsa looked over at him.

"Anna, where did you find him?"

"At a trading post."

"You got him at a trading post?"

"Yeah. He was a good price. Though I owe him a sleigh."

Elsa was staring at me in a way that told me jokes were not going to cut it.

"I needed somebody to take me up the north mountain. It wasn't safe on my own. There were wolves and then we jumped over a crater on Sven and then the sleigh kind of went of the mountain and there was a fire and then Olaf turned up and my hair was turning white so we went to see his family and well.. that one would take some explaining but he rushed me back here so that I would be safe and then he must have known something was wrong because he came back for me. And I think I like him." I lowered my voice. "Maybe not in that way because I've only known him for one day and we know how that ends up. But you'd like him to because he made the same face that you did when I told him I was going to marry Hans."

"Right." Elsa said elongating all the vowels. "Let's just get you into bed. The next few days are not going to be easy and I want you to get better. You can explain all that to me tomorrow."

I looked over at Kristoff. He looked like an over grown toddler when he was asleep. With a little frown on his face and his arms crossed across his chest.

"He needs to go to bed too."

Elsa gave a little smile then whispered in a giggly tone.

"There's a boy asleep in the room."

I giggled.

"Yeah there is. Go wake him up."

"What?" Elsa looked shocked. "I'm not waking him."

"I'm supposed to be resting." I argued.

"Hello."

"Olaf." I said excitedly. "Can you wake him."

He looked over at kristoff.

"Okay." He said walking over with his small legs.

Kristoff.

I yawned as I sat watching the sisters. I was so tired all of a sudden and my head was still aching from having hit it on the mountain. I hadn't even noticed it in the last few hours, I guess I was running on the adrenaline of the day. Now sat here with warmth and the swimming in my head and the knowledge that for now everybody is safe I found my eyes begin to close.

"Sven, Sven."

"He means you Kristoff." I opened my eyes not knowing that I had closed them and sat up straight to see Olaf staring at me. I jumped slightly. Right, living snowman, not a dream. But hey, trolls and ice queens. I've always known there was more in this world than most people see.

"Kristoff. Oh Sven is the reindeer Kristoff the donkey."

Elsa seemed to giggle a little at that but I shrugged it off. Whatever he was like a day old, his sense of humour might grow up a bit.

"He has a sense of humour." Elsa said looking at Anna.

"Yeah." Olaf answered. "Don't most people?"

"Yes, but I made you. It's just a little surprising that you are just.. you."

"Who else would I be?"

"I don't know."

"Elsa." Anna said. "Kristoff."She gently reminded.

"Oh yes. Kristoff I'm going to call Marie. She'll show you to your room."

"If it's alright with you your majesty I was wanting to see Anna, I mean her highness safe before I rest."

"She is sfae."

"I'm going to bed now anyway Kristoff. Don't worry, Elsa not going to let me go on any more adventures tonight."

"Oh no, definitely not." Elsa had walked across the room and pulled what looked like curtain cord. Not that I had much knowledge of curtain cords. By the time she had reached the sofa to sit next to Anna again the door had opened and a plump middle aged woman was looking through the room.

"Your Majesty. I am so glad to see you back home safe."

"Thank you Marie. This is Kristoff Bjorgman. He is our guest. Will you show him to a guest room and make sure that he has everything that he need?"

"Of course Marm. Mr. Bjorgman."

I wanted to stay. I wanted to wait until some of the colour returned to Anna's face and I was sure she was going to be well. She froze, she had frozen solid right in front of my eyes. I thought I had lost her and I can't put into words what that was like. She's been in my life for a handful of hours but when I felt like she was gone, it hurt so much. But I was in a palace and a Queen was telling me to leave and I guess that means that I have to. I stopped at the edge of the couch though as I went to leave.

"You're all right?"

I asked.

She looked up and then reached out and gently touched my hand.

"I'm okay."

I looked down at where her delicate fingers touched mine. They were warm. Not cold like they had been. That reassured me enough.

"Breakfast tomorrow remember."

"I remember. Sleep well."

"You too."

I got some kind of sideways glance from Queen Elsa as I left. I couldn't blame her, now that I was here in the palace it seemed more obvious that Anna was a princess. That had been easy to forget when I was climbing the mountain with her but now with the soft couch and the wallpapered wall and Marie It was obvious.

"Hi Marie." I said to the patiently waiting woman.

"This way please sir." She said. I followed her out and back into the hallway.

"It's just Kristoff by the way. Not Sir."

"Kristoff, thank you fro bringing the Princess back to us. We adore Anna here. We've watched her grow up. Poor thing didn't have any friends and then with her parents dying young we were her only family. What I mean to say is, she means a lot to all of us here and if you ever need anything you have a lot of friends here in the palace."

Her sincerity shocked me. I nodded my head.

"Uh thanks."

How far were we going to walk, my head was throbbing now.

"Uh Marie. I left Sven, my reindeer in the yard. A young boy ran out and took his reins."

"His in the stables. They'll be looking after him. He'll have some warm oats and a rub down so don't worry."

"I was just wondering if you would take me to him. He gets panicked when he doesn't know where I am and back home I always make sure to tell him, I'm in the house just next door. Two meters away but here, he'll have no idea where I am and he did fall in the water."

Okay,I was definitely getting an odd look now.

"I've had him since I was eight." I finished lamely.

"Okay." She said and we changed direction and then were heading down a big staircase and out into the courtyard. The nights air was warm. It seemed the storm had definitely passed. I took a deep breath of the summer air. Things were just as they should be and yet they weren't. I should be back in my cabin three miles up the mountain.

Sven didn't seem to mind though. As Marie led me past all the shiny white horses I saw his head coming up over one of the stalls. He was munching on something with a dreamy look on his face.

"Tim."

A young lad of about eleven suddenly appeared as if from nowhere at first but then as one of the stall doors swung I noticed a little bed and a table like one of his stalls had been made into a room. It looked quite comfy and I gave a little huff. When I had lived with the ice harvesters in the stable of a hostel I had only had a pile of hay. But he gave a warm smile and I decided that he probably deserved to be looked after well.

"Hi Marie. Who is this?"

"This is Kristoff. He wants to visit his reindeer."

"He's right here. He was a bit wet and cold but I gave him a rub down with a blanket and then a good groom. He's got some warm oats and some apples."

I walked over and placed my hand on Sven's neck.

"You all right boy?"

He gave a slight nod.

"You did good today. You just rest up and tomorrow I'll find us a nice meadow and you can just spend the day sleeping and munching carrots. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good." Sven answered. Then I noticed what I had done in front of the palace staff and I gave a sheepish smile as Tim giggled.

"Shall I show you to your room now Kristoff?" Maire asked.

"Uh.." I ran my hand through my hair. "I know it's weird but we've had such a weird day and I was wondering, is it possible to just borrow a blanket?"

"A blanket?"

"Yeah. A blanket. I want to sleep here."

She looked over at Tim.

"I'm okay with that." The young boy said.

She nodded.

"Suit yourself then."

As she walked out Tim disappeared back into his stall and I settled down on the hay next to Sven. After Maire had returned with a blanket that I rolled up for a pillow and I saw Tim's candles flicker out Sven came and settled down next to me.

"Full up boy?"

"Yessireee."

Sven nudged at me with his nose looking at me expectantly.

"I don't have me lute. Anna used to to whack a wolf in the face."

He looked sad.

"But you always sing to me at night."

"Yeah but I'm tired."

"Please?"

"Oh all right then."

"Reindeer are better than people, Sven don't you think that's true?"

"Why Kristoff, reindeer are better than people. But I think there's something you've missed. If reindeer are better than people, what about Anna?"

"Why Anna seems like a reindeer, that you must admit is true. She's brave and she's fearless and funny and got more enthusiasm than you."

"Reindeer are better than people, but Kristoff there's something you've missed. If reindeer are better than people why did you rush to be true loved kissed."

"I did not. I wasn't thinking that. I was just going to help. I didn't know how to help. I didn't know that Anna hadn't got her true loves kiss yet. Don't' look at me like that. I hate you sometimes."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Sven."

I reached to put my hat over my eyes and then realized that I didn't have it.