Later that day

"Kristoff! Olaf! Sven!"

Running forward with a happy expression on her face, Anna leapt into the arms of her boyfriend and embraced him tightly, snuggling into his neck. He, in turn, hugged her back, having missed her so much and was glad to see her again after a long day. Olaf was quick to join in the group by hugging their legs, making them giggle.

"Aww, don't worry, Olaf, I missed you too," Anna told him as she knelt down and hugged him and she felt his stick hands press on her back. "How was it?" she asked as they released each other and Anna stood up. Olaf set about giving Sven a nice rub on his nose.

"It was fine," Kristoff told her as he unzipped the large bag on the side of Sven and took out a carrot, took a bite and passed it to Sven who did the same. "It was funny earlier when Olaf tried to lift up a block of ice when I wasn't looking and I turned around and there he was lying on the sleigh with his arms stuck on the sides."

Anna giggled and looked over at Olaf, who quickly dodged backwards to avoid Sven taking a bit out of his carrot nose but regardless he still giggled happily.

"Awww thanks, Sven. I love you too!" he said as if he were a normal human talking to a pet and rubbed his nose, making Anna smile.

"So how's Elsa?" Kristoff asked as he started untying the bag.

"She's okay," Anna replied, though she had a little concern in her voice. "I mean, she's been working hard all day, and yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that!" she added with an emphasised tone on the words 'and'. "She's starting to worry me a little."

Kristoff gave his girlfriend a sad look and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, Anna." He told her comfortingly. "She can handle it. Besides, from a logical perspective she is the Queen. It is sort of something that would be expected by her."

"I know, but, Kristoff, you know what she's like. Do you remember last October when she went sleep-walking?"

Kristoff, inadvertently, smirked a little as he tossed the bag into the sleigh and turned back to Anna. "Sorry," he apologised when he saw her serious expression and cleared his throat. "Yeah I do. That suit of armour broke her fall, but it could have been worse, Anna. She might have fallen down the stairs or really hurt herself if she fell over." he pointed out

Anna shivered a little, unable to allow such thoughts to run through her head at the prospect of her sister hurting herself. Even though it was usually her that got into these sorts of incidents, and Elsa was always there to make sure she was okay, Anna felt the same towards Elsa. Though Elsa never admitted it, she knew she was grateful for her baby sister for looking out for her; her cold last year or the aforementioned being perfect examples of that.

Still, Anna just felt like Elsa was trying to act like she was able to protect everyone and do everything, almost as if she was trying to prove herself as a worthy monarch. Why, she did not know but it was possible that it was because of what had happened two years ago during the Great Winter when …

No! She shook that thought out of her head. Even if it was because of that, she did not want to think of it. That alone made her shiver as if she were reliving it all over again.

"Anna?" a voice from below snapped her out of her trance and she looked down to see a concerned Olaf staring up at her with Kristoff and Sven looking at her with equally anxious looks. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, playing with her hair for a brief second as if to brush away the negativity in her mind. "Sorry, I was just thinking." She told them.

Kristoff did not look very convinced over her reply but decided to say nothing more and he patted Sven on the back. "Alright, big guy, let's take this saddle off you," he said to the reindeer as he led him towards the stables; Anna and Olaf following alongside them.

It was then Anna remembered something. "Oh, Kristoff, how was it with the trolls?"

"Henrik, you know that returning home after just two years in somewhere like America is not normal for anyone, especially a merchant,"

Henrik sighed. "I am aware of that, Your Majesty, but I am being honest with you, nothing is wrong. I have had no reason other than simply having had enough and wishing to return home for leaving America,"

Elsa eyed him questioningly, one of her hands rubbing the back of her other as she took in the merchant before her. With his black shirt, white top underneath and long black trousers, all of this highlighted his standing as a merchant, and the fact that he had just barely been able to change his clothes when two guards knocked on the door of his home out in the city and told him that the Queen requested his person at soon as possible. Even though he was sitting upright in the chair in front of Elsa's desk, she could see him nervously twitching his fingers. Small movement but it spoke volumes.

With a sigh, she entwined her fingers and stared into his blue eyes with and intense look from her blue eyes, telling him clearly to tell the truth and not bother lying to her.

"Henrik, please don't lie to me," She told him bluntly. "I've had a long day, and I'm sure you have. Plus, I know very well that there is something wrong."

Again, he responded defensively. "Your Majesty, I am being completely honest with you! I have no reason to hide anything from you and I am not doing so." He insisted and Elsa raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Oh really?' "Nothing!" he insisted again. "I wished to see my home again. America was nice, yes, but a man longs to return to the place of his birth."

"Then may I ask; why you seemed nervous when Kai came to meet you earlier?" Elsa pressed him.

For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of anxiety flash across his face, almost as if it was a sign telling hr that she had him. He was quick to hide it, however, and responded as before.

"Nervous?" he repeated and scoffed. "Oh, Queen Elsa, that is just mere dramatization or misjudgement on Kai's behalf. I was not nervous, I was simply in a rush to get home."

"Then what about your reaction to Kai mentioning the missing ships?"

"Well …" a pause hung between them for a moment before he spoke again. "Without meaning any offence, my Queen, would you not feel nervous if you crossed the ocean where all of this was taking place?"

Elsa let out a low breath through her nose, highlighting her frustration. "Yes, I would, but you still have not answered my question, Henrik."

"Well, I apologise but I have nothing more to say, Your Highness. Nothing is wrong."

Elsa sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was proving to be tough. It had taken her by surprise considering that Henrik was never this obstinate when she had last seen him. In fact, the very thought of him returning just puzzled her. She had, after all, giving him permission to go to America and he had been quite excited to say the least. Why he would suddenly return just made no sense, none at all.

Still, she decided to tone herself down a little and, lowering her hand, looked back up at him.

"Henrik, forgive me if I have been a little interrogative," she told him. "I am just making sure that all is okay with you. What you have done is just …well, to put it bluntly, out of the ordinary. So please don't make this hard. Is everything okay? Did something happen whilst you were out there and that has caused you to return."

Henrik sighed. "Your Majesty, I promise you now that I have no reason to return here other than to see my home and remain here. I promise you," he insisted gently but seriously. "But …, I will say that my time in America did reveal to me … new things. But, I would rather not discuss them, at least not yet."

Elsa nodded, understanding his feelings. Maybe she was just pressing too hard at the moment. Time would eventually open him up to her.

"Very well," she said, accepting his decision. "But if you do wish to speak to me, please do not hesitate to see me," she reminded him. "I will always listen to what you have to say."

Henrik nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He told her and bowed to her respectively, both as a monarch and a friend. "Forgive me, but I must go. I need to finish unpacking and check on some of my business connections."

Elsa nodded. If there was one thing she did admire about him, it was his hard work. "I understand, thank you for coming here." She replied. "Remember, if you do need me, I am here." She reminded him.

"I will take that into account. Have a good evening, Your Majesty."

"You too,"

As Henrik walked back to the door and opened it, he was suddenly startled and jumped back a little in surprise but then chuckled and muttered an apology and bowed respectively.

"Forgive me, Princess Anna," he said and moved aside to allow her into the room.

"Oh, uh, don't worry about it, Henrik." She replied with a surprised tone. "Sorry for making you jump,"

"Oh, it's quite alright," he dismissed it and greeted Kristoff and Olaf as they entered the room; the latter giving him a shake of his hand. "I shall probably see you soon, my Queen." he told Elsa.

"Of course," she replied. "Take care, Henrik."

With a final farewell, he left the study, closing the door softly behind him. As soon as he was gone, Anna gave Elsa a surprised look. "Well, that certainly was a surprise," she told her sister as she and Kristoff walked over to the desk and sat down in the chairs.

Olaf walked over to the side of the desk and pulled himself up, his flurry hovering over him and keeping him alive and he gazed in awe at all the various items around it. Elsa's desk always fascinated him, especially the inkpot. Seeing his expression made Elsa giggle.

"So how'd it go?" Anna asked Elsa. "The meeting with Henrik, I mean."

"Not what I expected," she replied, a little lowly. "He just insisted that there was nothing wrong, but I didn't believe him." A pause followed as Elsa felt the frustration surge through her body. After a moment, she continued. "But he did mention that there were, oh how he put it … new things out there. Maybe," she shrugged, now simply speculating. "Maybe that caused him to come home."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged questioning glances before the former took over. "So what are you going to do, Elsa?" he asked her, leaning forward and little and entwining his fingers.

"I don't know, Kristoff," she replied. "I mean, what can I do? I can't exactly force him to tell me or keep him here. I'm just going to have to reply on fate to open him up, gradually."

Kristoff nodded and 'hmeed' at this. It was certainly strange for Henrik to act like this. Not that he really knew the man or his personality or anything like that but from what he was told, something like this was simply of the ordinary. If he really was as Anna and Elsa had told him, then something must have changed him, but what?

"Hey guys, look!" Olaf exclaimed excitedly, drawing their attention and the three of them chuckled. "I drew a boat!" he stated in a voice that told them he was rather proud of himself.

It was true. Whilst they had been talking, Olaf had taken the inkpot and quill and proceeded to draw what looked like a boat on his 'belly'. It dripped a little and the moisture on his skin and from his flurry was making it drip but he seemed not to mind or notice either way. Still, the three felt their spirits livened a little upon seeing this act by their little snowman friend.

"Very nice," Elsa commented as Anna tried to stop giggling and reached out to the inkpot in his hand. "Can I take that before you spill it everywhere?"

"Sure, Elsa. I'm done with it anyway," he replied cheerfully and passed it to her and she placed it on the desk before turning her attention back to Anna and Kristoff.

"So how was it with the trolls?" she asked.

Upon hearing this, Kristoff exhaled heavily. "It was okay, but Pabbie's been a little cranky recently. It's actually starting to annoy me a little but the others are fine."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked, caught off guard by the statement of her sister's boyfriend. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Kristoff shook his head. "No idea. I haven't really been able to ask him recently because, as you probably are going through now it's so busy."

"What about the other trolls?"

"Oh we asked them too," Olaf piped up. "But they told us that we had to speak to Pabbie about it. They said it was better if we got the story from him."

Kristoff nodded and shrugged. "When things calm down a little, I'm gonna go and try and prod him a little and see what's wrong."

"I'll go with you," Anna offered. "We'll go tomorrow and try and talk to him. Maybe I'll get something out of him,"

Elsa chuckled and looked over at Kristoff. "She does have her ways," she warned jokingly to Kristoff.

Anna gave her a fake smug smile. "Of course, it all works on Kristoff here," she replied, hooking her arm around his and he pulled her closer with a smile on his face, making Olaf 'awww' in response.

"Very cute," Elsa commented, though at the back of her mind she was wondering about all of this. Something was definitely up. "Let me know what he says won't you." she told them.

"We will," Anna and Kristoff replied in unison.