A/N: I wasn't actually planning to continue this, but this conversation managed to resolve itself into a complete scene so I figured I would write it out. I don't have real plans to make this a full story, but if I think of more I might write it.

Anna flung herself into the room so suddenly that Elsa instinctively took two steps back and was immediately grateful she had put on a new pair of gloves. Her reaction made Anna hesitate for a moment, but the words came quickly pouring out. "Elsa, why didn't you tell me? Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that Hans is really nice and I love him. And he loves me-"

Elsa listened to Anna rant as she thought about this sister she barely knew. How could Anna be so foolish to become engaged in less than a day? How could she just invite his twelve brothers to live in Arrendale without even thinking about her sister? Not even a 'would you mind if…?' Just a 'of course they'll live here!' Even without deadly ice powers to worry about that was just rude and inconsiderate.

Of course, Anna had every right to be upset. She didn't want to keep Anna locked up in isolation. But she was queen, for the moment at least. If she were to remain queen how could she reconcile keeping Anna safe while still ruling the kingdom? One of them had to leave.

Given enough time, Anna finally managed to divert herself from the topic of Hans. "Is that why you shut me out all these years? Because of your powers?"

"I had to protect you, Anna."

"Did Mother and Father know?" Elsa nodded. "Did Kai know? Gerda?" Elsa nodded. "But… why? Why was I the only one who couldn't know?"

Elsa bit her lip. Could she tell? The trolls had removed Anna's memories to keep her safe, but now Anna had seen. She knew. But did she have her memories back? What would happen if she did? She remembers a cold and too-still Anna cradled in her arms. It is too much of a risk.

"They thought it would be safer. You were so little, Anna, you couldn't understand. And then you starting climbing roofs and riding your bike down the stairs… you had no concept of danger. They thought it was better if I just… stayed away. That there wouldn't…" she sighed with the memory, "wouldn't be any accidents."

"Oh, Elsa…"

Anna, eyes scrunched in pity, reached out.

Elsa jerked away. "No! Please… please, don't touch me." The moment hung heavy in the air, Elsa wallowing in regret and Anna stung by the rejection. "I'm sorry. But it's not safe." Anna continued to stand there, looking all the world like a kicked puppy. "Tomorrow I am going to talk to the council about abdicating."

"WHAT?"

"Anna, I can't control my powers. I've never been able, and tonight just proved that I can't manage. It is safer, for you and for all of Arrendale if I can leave and go somewhere I don't have worry about hurting anyone."

"You can't do that Elsa. You can't just leave me!"

"You're the one who said you couldn't live like this anymore! If I leave, you'll be able to keep the gates open all the time. You can have as many balls as you like, whenever you want." Elsa was pleading with Anna to understand.

"But I won't have you! You can't just leave me alone. Elsa, you're my sister. It's just you and me."

"And possibly Prince Hans of the Southern Isles," Elsa reminded her, although she really could do without having to worry about him within the whole mess of this situation. If she were to abdicate, he had the potential to become King, and they knew nothing about him.

"Oh, right." Had Anna temporarily forgotten about her so-called true love? "… but he's not my sister."

Elsa sighed. She couldn't think straight, everything was so tangled up. "Anna… I love you." She choked on the words, feeling their weight. "I am trying to do what's best for all of us, to keep everyone safe, to keep the kingdom prosperous… My powers mean that I have to isolate myself, it's too dangerous to do otherwise, and not half an hour ago you yelled at me across a crowded ballroom that you can't stand to live in that isolation. And you shouldn't have to. But Papa always said it would confuse and divide loyalties if you were to appear in public and be the face of the monarchy while I hid in here and made decisions, and I have to believe that he's right. Which means that I can remain queen and things can continue the way they have been – if they don't attempt to overthrow me for sorcery –" the bitter fear crept up once again, remembering the accusations of monster, "or I can step aside and let you be the queen. At least, those are the choices that I can see. Kai believes the council will be able to offer better advice and I agree we should at least see what they say."

What were the Duke and his men doing? Had Kai waylaid them? Were they out there now, stirring the public against her? She needed to go address her people before the rumors built themselves up. How could she address them though, when she couldn't see the way forwards?

Anna was quiet for an excruciatingly long time.

"How long have you had them? Your powers?"

Elsa was slightly taken aback by the jump in conversation, but quickly answered. "As long as I can remember. Father said I was born with them, but they became stronger as I grew older." She vaguely remembers the sensation of being able to command the powers, to shape the ice and snow into the forms she desired, but those sensations are buried in the fog of the past.

"How do they work?"

"I… I don't know. When I'm upset or scared or angry, ice and snow just... appear. It used to just happen for no reason at all, but the gloves usually help to prevent that."

Anna looked surprised. "I just thought you had a thing about dirt!"

"What?!" The idea is so ludicrous Elsa doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. They are strangers to each other. They know nothing about each other. Everything in the moment was surreal.

"Well what was I supposed to think?" Anna groused. "Magic ice powers would hardly be my first guess!"

There is another long pause. Elsa could tell that Anna was itching to ask another question, but was building up the courage to ask.

"So when you shut me out… every time you told me to go away… you were just trying to protect me?"

"Yes, Anna, yes. You, Mama, Papa, the servants… what would I do if I hurt someone? I could kill someone, Anna!" She felt the tears pricking at the back of her eyes, and her hands pricking with the powers. She clutched them tightly into fists, slowed her breathing, trying to keep it together.

She almost missed Anna's whisper: "… the funeral?"

Conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel…. She couldn't look at Anna. The sorrow was aching to be released, it took all of her effort to hold it where it was, to press it deep inside of her, to not let it out. Conceal, don't feel, conceal don't feel, conceal, don't feel…

She found her exhaustion, that strung-out thin feeling from just after her panic attack. I am too tired to feel, it is too much. Just let me be numb, just let me be empty. She sunk into that tiredness and the magic was overtaken by the weariness as well, retreating reluctantly like a toddler futilely protesting an inevitable nap.

Anna was still standing behind her. She had forgotten her sister was there. It had been a long time, several minutes at least, since the question. The exhaustion was a surprisingly effective muffler for her feelings and she was able to scrape together an answer without much feeling. "I was going to go, I was supposed to… I couldn't make the powers stop… I froze my whole room over and over…"

She could see that her sister was battling with herself, clearly unsatisfied with Elsa's answer but likely disturbed by watching the ritual of self-control. Elsa couldn't bring herself to care. Perhaps the exhaustion technique was too effective.

"So… what do we do now?"

"I will go back to the guests and say something that will hopefully prevent a mob from storming the castle for the moment. Tomorrow I will call a meeting of the council and see what they have to say on the matter. Beyond that…" It was not queen-like to reveal such confusion and ambivalence, but she had rather shot the queen thing all to pieces that night already, and she was too tired and stressed to care. Besides, it was her sister. The one person she ought to be able to show her real feelings around. It didn't feel like it though.

Elsa added, "You'll have to talk to the council about Prince Hans. I still refuse to give you a blessing for now but if I do abdicate… true love or no, you'll have to take more caution if he has a chance of becoming King."

Is exhaustion catching? Elsa wondered if Anna was infected as Anna just nods, strangely subdued. She wished she could hug her younger sister. She was so very sorry for all of this. She never wanted to hurt anyone, had been determined to be a good girl, to behave, to control her powers. Bitterly she thought that she is an example of how futile it is to fight a curse. Nothing would ever go right, despite the best of intentions.

"I'm sorry, Anna."

"What?" Suddenly the spark was back. "No, Elsa – I'm sorry I pushed you. I should have known better." Anna's tone was so heroically and tragically noble, like a figure in a play acknowledging their tragic flaw to the world.

Elsa couldn't help but roll her eyes just a bit at the dramatics. "How could you have known? You've been locked in this castle your whole life – at least I knew why. Of course you were upset…" Her annoyance crept through: "Although you shouldn't have yelled in front of the entire ballroom. I was going to tell you."

Anna did a double take. "Wait, what?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you alone." Obviously. "I was going to tell you. To explain why there we can't have a ball every night and why the gates can't be open and why we can't have someone's brothers come live here." It occurred to her though, that so much of that was built on keeping her secret a secret. Now that it is out, could adjustments be made? Unlikely of course, since she still posed a danger to anyone near her, but maybe…

Anna's eyes grew almost comically wide in surprise and disbelief.

"Oh, Elsa… I'm sorry… Wow. I was really, really stupid." Elsa watched, stupefied, as Anna descended into berating herself, complete with pacing and hand gestures. "So stupid… in front of the whole ballroom… everyone… complete nutcase…"

"Anna…." No acknowledgement. "Anna?" The hand gestures only increased in intensity. "Anna!"

"Whatwhohuh? Oh. Uh, sorry…"

Now that Elsa had Anna's attention, she was not quite sure what to say. Before she could think of something, the moment was lost as Kai rapped on the door.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness… the guests are growing restless."

"Yes… of course." She floundered for a moment, trying to overcome the exhaustion she had so willingly slipped into. She had to appear to be in control. She had to be a queen.

"Elsa?"

She had to stop doing that: getting sucked into her own thoughts and forgetting that Anna was there. Forget being inconsiderate and mean towards Anna, such carelessness and distraction could be downright dangerous.

"Yes, Anna?"

"I'm here for you, you know. Right here. Literally. But, you know, metaphorically too." Anna shifted awkwardly on the balls of her feet, not quite sure how such a statement would be received.

"Thank you, Anna."

And Anna's radiant smile just made Elsa's heart split in two with both love and fear.