Well, she locks all the doors and turns, says,

"We will always be safe here in this bed.

All I see scares me, and no one waits forever."

::

Part Three

No older than five years old, Karin hobbled towards a chicken coop. In her hands she held a swaying, somewhat heavy bucket. Her chest puffed outwards and cheeks full of air, she stared ahead, temporarily paying no attention to anything else. Squawks emanating from the inside of the coop encouraged her even further to go. Upon reaching the small wooden structure, she set the container down on the ground, stepped on the tips of her toes, and flipped the latch of the door. Her small hands pushed it open. Karin lifted the bucket again and entered the enclosure. A chorus of walking, clucking chickens greeted her, with a few birds startled enough to skitter away. Karin pushed the door back in place. Wouldn't want to let any of them escape.

"Here chicky-chicky-chickies," she called out while reaching into the bucket. "Time for lunch!" One of her hands tossed out pellets of corn and carrots onto the ground, similar to what she watched from her parents and siblings. The food particles splattered across the ground. She continued until her fingers scraped the bottom and sides of the bucket with only small clinks. By the time she finished, a dozen fully-grown chickens crowded around her feet. The animals clucked loudly as they picked up the food in their beaks.

Karin smiled. She finished her goal, and nothing went wrong! Well, anybody with a brain could feed animals, but it proved she could be like any other person and do these things by herself. And if she went back and showed her mother she did this, maybe coming outside more often could be a possibility. That meant she could be with the animals, too.

Having little contact with other living beings smaller than her, Karin watched the chickens fondly. An idea popped into her mind, and she looked behind her, making sure no one else was around. Hesitating for a moment after turning back around, she softly patted one bird's feathery back with the back of her palm. The chicken paid no mind as it ate, for it was used to being around people. Soft, Karin noted. The patting turned into delicate strokes. Heat from the chicken's body radiated into Karin's hand, causing her smile to widen.

But the moment would not last.

Karin tried to distract herself with more petting. Only half a minute passed when she reluctantly pulled her hand away. Sooner than later she would have to go, but she would do anything to not leave. She liked being outside, especially when no one hovered over her and watched her every move. The change in the environment appealed more to her than being stuck in her home every day. Her body yearned to sit atop the soft grass and absorb the last of the sun's warmth. She wanted to feel the soft breeze of the air and listen to the chirps and rustles of the wildlife. There was beauty that could only be seen in person, not just seen from behind a window. She sensed these thoughts, even if her young mind did not completely process the idea. But she also knew that it couldn't happen, and the possible time given to her would only be short. Already the child felt her mother mentally try tug her back to her side, like a rope. The last time Karin stayed out too long—to pick some colorful flowers to weave a crown—her mother yelled at her, bringing Karin to tears. Karin didn't want that to happen again, even if she forgave her mother after the woman apologized many times afterwards. Without saying a thing, Karin left and locked the chicken coop, tramping back towards a cabin.

"Ah! Stop it, Tomas!" a voice shrieked as Karin passed rows of crops and approached the front of the cabin. She turned to the sound's source. A girl and boy, both clearly older than Karin by several years, used their hands to cup water from their buckets and splashed each other. They laughed in their playful banter, radiating an aura that overrides Karin's previous thoughts. Maybe today they'd let her play with them! They looked like they were in a good mood… And maybe Mother might not be so mad if she played here in the yard. At least she would be closer and in sight.

Karin cautiously approached the two. "Can I play?" she piped up timidly, placing her hands and the bucket behind her back.

Almost instantly the duo stopped, water droplets dripping down their dark hair, faces, and bodies. The boy, Tomas, scowled but looked away. Emilie, the girl, narrowed her eyes and said indignantly, "You're too little. Go back to Mother." She turned to Tomas, saying, "C'mon. Let's finish our chores before Papa comes back."

It didn't take long for her siblings to leave to gather water from the nearby stream. Karin didn't notice them, however. She had lowered her head, wishing she could turn invisible. Of course, she thought sadly. Why expect anything to change? Today wasn't special. She should have known better. They never let her play with them or do anything, really, without being so mean about it. This wasn't the first time they used her age against her. When would she ever not be little anymore? Did it mean turning six? If that was the case, Karin didn't have much longer to wait. Only a few months in the wintery weather and she'd reach her birthday. Perhaps then she'd be old enough.

At least, that was what the innocence in the child reasoned. It was easier to blame her age than to admit the real reason why they refused to associate with her. Ages changed; abilities didn't.

The door to the small cabin opened. "Karin?" Their mother called, her voice tinged with anxiousness Karin easily detected. "Come back in, sweetie. I need some help."

Karin hesitated before replying, "Coming, Mother!" She returned to the front door and the side of her mother, whose worried face relaxed. "I fed the birdies," Karin said, trying to cover up the sadness from earlier with a tiny smile. "Can I do it again later?"

Gretel smiled softly at her daughter. "Of course." She grew serious. "But remember, you have to come right back afterwards. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay," was the last thing she said before walking past the door frame.

::

Karin woke up. For a brief second, in her dazed mindset with the dim lighting, she imagined the ceiling shaped as the cylinder, shaved logs—which were handcrafted by her grandfather's hands—that used to tower above her while she grew up. But she only saw vague shapes in the bleak, dark room. This wasn't the cabin. It couldn't be. Even when her vision was slightly impaired did she realize the fact.

Eyes blurred, she rubbed them with her thumb and index fingers as she pushed off a blanket. The woman waited for a while to sit up, wanting to savor the material she slept on. The mattress underneath her, though old and saw better days, was a cloud after months of laying on the ground.

Brushing her messy, loose hair backwards with a hand, she looked up again, more or less to stretch her neck. She saw no wood carved from tree trunks. The ceiling was as flat as the floor, which she came to realize she didn't mind while her mind wakened. It served as a reminder that she wasn't a child stuck in that cabin anymore, and that she wouldn't have to relive the next years all over again.

The dream that already began to fade from Karin's mind brought her back to the last few months before she turned six, before the very thing she now hid surfaced stronger than ever, forcing her to come to terms that she would never be normal. The woman's heart tugged at her past. If only her younger self knew back then that Emilie and Tomas not liking her would be insignificant in the grand of schemes. If she only knew that in less than six months she'd go from wanting to go be in the outside world to being content in her small family unit and cabin. If only. Knowledge beforehand of what turning six years old meant in her case might've made the world of difference in learning to control her power.

But that was the past, and it could not be rewritten.

Her thoughts switched to the dream's inhabitants, their features fresh in her memory. Many years may have passed since Karin last saw them and heard their voices, but she remembered them like it was yesterday. Their dark hair, tanned skin, brown eyes, rustic features… Not allowing herself to think about them (and knowing this type of wishful thinking was futile), she tried to force them out of her mind. This wasn't how she wanted to start the day.

Instead, and with relative ease due to it turning into a familiar habit, she decided to focus on something much more recent: her encounter with Queen Elsa. Could the woman in the store actually have been her? Well, the queen and the tailor both confirmed it, but that wasn't the point. Karin never would have guessed the woman she met the day before was of royal blood. The queen's dress did appear to be quite elegant, and she looked well-groomed, but she didn't wear a crown that day nor act… haughty. She treated Karin like an equal. And Karin didn't know what to expect initially; the way things occurred did not lead her to thinking she met the ruler as a possibility. Perhaps that's why her powers did not originally react after she learned about the queen's identity, though not enough to prevent it any further. Karin allowed herself to let her guard down and see her as an acquaintance, even if for a short amount of time.

Thinking about the woman caused a warm sensation to develop in Karin. Not the type where it only affected her hands, but subtler and evenly dispersed in her body. It matched the same feeling she experienced after Queen Elsa commented how she admired Karin's choice. Karin scrunched her eyebrows, and she glanced down at her hands, bracing for the sparks that occasionally came out with her emotions. Nothing happened. She stared at her hands for a long time, twisting her fingers and forming fists, not physically trying to will her power to come out but just seeing if it would leak out on its own. But whatever she experienced didn't overwhelm her body and mind too much.

Shaking her head, she stood up, stretching her limbs. And again she rubbed her eyes. Somehow Karin managed to fall asleep last night, in midst of the overwhelming thought of actually talking to the queen and carrying out a solid conversation. The nerves calmed down over time, and she worked as Mr. Collins babbled happily of the queen being in his shop, yet the idea of having another encounter created a wave of many things: curiosity, content, dread, anxiety… Karin couldn't decide which she'd feel that day. Everything seemed so surreal.

Alas, however, her inner conscious deterred those thoughts, and perhaps for the best.

Who are you fooling, Karin? She's a queen. You're a peasant at best. She has better, more important things to do than speak with you. The chances of you two meeting again are nonexistent anyways. Yesterday was luck. Just focus on your job so you can make enough money and leave before winter comes and the waters get too dangerous.

Yes, that was what she needed. She needed to focus on working and stop thinking so much about the queen. This habit really has been getting out of hand. Her energy should be put to doing things that would actually benefit herself, not create more stress. Karin didn't exactly know how long it would take until her curiosity got the better of her, but it was better to shift her mind to something else than having this… this infatuation. With the new goal in mind, she set off to change out of her night clothes, telling herself she'll see (and maybe meet again) the queen using her power someday in the future,watching from a safe distance.

Unbeknownst to Karin, it would happen sooner than she thought. And much closer.

::

Karin dusted a shelf as she stood on a stool in the back room to reach the highest point when the front door bell ranged. She would have stopped and met with the incomer if it weren't for her boss being present to do so instead. Mr. Collins, who was also in the same room as she, quickly set down the needle and thread he was using to stitch a coat and sauntered through the doorway.

"Hello, how can I—" the man began to say, but he stopped himself short. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde normally paid no attention to whom her boss spoke to and how he did so, for that didn't concern her. However, the tone he used this time around caused her to stop cleaning and turn around, tilting her head. She wouldn't say it was outright malicious but not entirely nice, either. Normally he sucked up to all customers, even to the ones he'd later bad mouth about after they left.

"Hiya! I was wondering if Karin was here."

Karin instantly recognized the voice. She stepped off the stool and walked to stand at the doorway, just as Mr. Collins replied, "Yes, but she is—"

The same voice interrupted the tailor, and in a rather amusing way, too, if only at how cheerful he sounded. "Hi Karin!" Olaf greeted. He trekked further into the shop, much to the dismay of Mr. Collins.

The man responded before Karin could utter out anything. "No, no, no. Do not take one more step!" One of Olaf's circular feet hung in midair. The snowman balanced himself from taking another step, almost appearing like a statue. Mr. Collins continued, "My employee does not socialize during work hours with others, especially with those who are not paying customers. Leave at this instance."

Olaf's face fell. He placed his foot down, this time behind him and not forward. He touched his twig-fingers on each arm together, avoiding the harsh gaze of the man. "Oh, okay… I just wanted to see Karin. Bye, Karin." Olaf stole a quick glance to look into her brown eyes, but for the most part had hung his head down shamefully; he circled his body to face the door.

Karin bit her lip. She knew the facial expression all too well. It was the same one she held constantly when younger, and almost identical to her in her dream. The last thing she wanted was for Olaf to have this moment and feeling be his most recent memory of her. Sure, they only met one time before, and maybe this was self-projection to prevent what she felt as a kid. But even so, Olaf was the first being to make her feel good in a long, long time.

"Wait!" she blurted.

The snowman twisted his body, his onyx eyes brightened.

Mr. Collins did so, too. He arched his eyebrows, wordlessly demanding an answer to her actions.

The woman took a few steps, and swallowing dryly, almost touched his shoulder but stopping herself at the ridiculous notion. She set her hand back to her side. "May I please speak to him outside? I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. It'll only take two minutes. "

Mr. Collins thought for a moment. He eyed her, almost as if he looked through her rather than at her. Then, with a grunt, he said, "Fine, but only because no one is here. Make it quick."

Karin briskly walked around the counter. After setting the dirtied rag she cleaned the shelf with atop of it, she acknowledged Olaf by smiling and nudging her head towards the door. She said, "Let's go," and is responded with a giggle from the snowman. Not a second later, he rushed towards the exit. Karin followed him, catching the door from shutting as she left the confinements of the shop. She slipped through the opening, and she pushed the door to close it. "Hello Olaf," she began, moving her arm to have it back in place. "What're you doing here? How'd you find me?"

"I just wanted to see how you're doing! Elsa told me you were here, so I thought I'd come and see what you've been up to. How are you?"

Karin's breath hitched at how casually he referred the queen. "I've been… good. Right now's not a good time to talk, though. I'm working, and my shift won't end for quite a while." She paused and then quickly added, "But tomorrow is my day off." Well, Saturday and Sunday were her days off, but that detail didn't seem important. "How about you meet me where I bought you the flower? We can catch up then."

Olaf bobbed his head. "Okie dokie!" His voice went soft. "I'm really sorry if I made Mr. Collins mad at you. I guess I was just happy to see you since I thought you already left."

She smiled again. "It's okay. He's a grouchy-pants, but he'll get over it. See you tomorrow?"

His head went up and down for a second time.

::

The next day, Karin spent most of the early morning in her room, skimming through her belongings before leaving the inn. She chose nine as the time to meet with Olaf due to it not being as active as later times; Karin observed the townspeople and memorized when they were the busiest. So she walked through the streets, her eyes scanning around as people opened their stores or strolled like she. Karin still had a sense of urgency in trying to not be in a close proximity to them, but her eyes were less focused on them and more to looking straight ahead.

Olaf was already in the area when she entered the town square. Karin's eyes flickered to the castle in the background, but with her new attitude she adopted, they turned to look at her acquaintance. He sat on the ground, humming a tune. When he noticed her, the snowman jumped to his feet, again welcoming her with a hello and good morning.

"Good morning to you, too, Olaf." Karin didn't doubt he would show up, but it still touched her that he did. "It's nice to see you again. Now what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"I have a question. Can I ask you something?—Wait, no, that's two. I mean I have two questions."

Karin chuckled, saying, "Go on."

"How come are you still here?" he asked innocently. "Don't get me wrong, I think it's lovely that you stayed! I don't think there's a better place in the world than here. But why stay in Arendelle if you like to travel?"

That was… unexpected.

"Well…" she drawled, her mind frantically trying to conjure an explanation that did not relate to his creator. "Like you just said, there's no better place than here. A lot of people I met spoke highly of Arendelle, so I thought I would just stick around for a while and see it for myself and visit the places here." That sounded close to the truth.

Olaf seemed to accept her answer. "What places have you been to?"

Karin blanched. "Umm… the tailor shop."

"And…?"

The woman doesn't know what else to add, so she thought of the last place she's been, not counting the areas she asked and failed to be hired. "And the inn." Even saying it made her feel lame.

Olaf deadpanned. "You haven't been around much, have you?"

She admitted defeat. "Okay, okay, you got me. I haven't seen many things. I've wanted to, but I've been working every day since I got here. I don't know much about the area."

"Hmm," Olaf said, tapping his chin as he looked above in a train of thought. He gasped. "I know! I'll be your tour guide of the day and show you where everything is. Oh, this is gonna be so much fun."

Karin hesitated accepting his proposal. She indeed wanted to be in the public as minimally as possible, and walking around with a living snowman seemed to be the exact opposite. But she couldn't find it in her heart to turn him down. Besides, her supplies were running low, and it would be wise to know where she could purchase things at the best prices. She reasoned that if she's going to keep a low profile while at the same time learn what's around her in case she needed something, then it's best to do it with someone she knew beforehand as soon as possible. It'd be better him than seeking out for Mr. Collins wherever he lived or wait until Monday and ask him to show her the village. All that in mind, she agreed, feeling some guilt creep up onto her at the idea of turning him down when he shouted "Yay!".

Starting in the town square and eventually making their way along the east side, Olaf led Karin through the streets, pointing out the various establishments set up and who ran them. She'd already seen some of the places before, but she acutely listened to Olaf tell her again, especially when they passed stores she never saw. Every now and then, Olaf, being the social butterfly that he was, would wave to other people whom they passed or be stopped by them. Olaf talked to them briefly as Karin awkwardly hung beside him, only speaking if the Arendelle citizen acknowledged her or when Olaf introduced her to them. Those periods of time felt foreign to her—she hasn't talked to many people in a casual manner without a personal motive behind her words, but she hid her discomfort. Thankfully none people gave Karin weird looks, only politely welcome her. It helped having Olaf next to her, or otherwise things would not have run as smoothly as it did.

When they reached almost to the outskirts where the villagers lived, Olaf and Karin turned around to have Olaf show her the west side. The woman came to realize, as her eyes wandered to look at the nearby forest and mountains in the far distant that she noticed on the ship she arrived on, that the area didn't look as big as it did on her first day reaching the land. The tour only took about a half hour to finish, and by the time they started to go back the spot where they met, more people occupied the streets. Karin and Olaf weren't quite near them, but Karin resisted the habit of looking everywhere like a nervous critter searching somewhere to hide in from predators to focus on Olaf's words.

"…And that's everything. Well, there's the castle, but I'm sure you've seen it." He glanced up at her and smiled.

"It's not hard to miss," Karin joked, smiling with him. They walked by the man Karin bought the flower from days ago; he bobbed at them. Karin acknowledged him with a nod of her own. "Say Olaf, how's that flower of yours doing? Don't tell me it died already," she teased lightly.

"Nope, it's still alive. You should see it, Karin. It's gotten bigger, and it's super pretty. The petals bloomed a lot, and there's a tiny little yellow dot in the middle like a mini sun."

She said, "Sounds wonderful. Maybe you can show it to me someday."

The corners of Olaf's mouth grew wide into a grin, as another idea formed in his mind. "Or how about today?"

"T-today?" Karin repeated, taken aback. "Do you mean that?"

He nodded. "Yeah! I can go ask Elsa really quick if you can come for a little bit. I'm sure she'll say yes. There aren't any officials from other kingdoms visiting, and she likes having people over."

Really? Karin thought. She wondered what she would feel when closer to the grand structure and be taken in by the beauty, and maybe if she grew used to being in a nearer range to the queen, then she wouldn't be so nervous when in her actual presence. In theory, it didn't necessarily go against her new attitude of not over-thinking about Queen Elsa, either. All she would be doing was seeing the gift she gave Olaf. But this was happening way too fast and not what she signed up to do for the day. "I don't think that's a good idea." She tried to keep trepidation out of her voice.

"Why not?"

"You and I have only seen each other two times. It's too fast for someone like me to be there." And you don't know me or what I've done…

Olaf replied, "But Elsa also saw you, too. She knows who you are, and I'm sure she won't mind if you stayed in the courtyard."

"I don't know…"

"Please, Karin?"

Karin tried to resist the insistent look in Olaf's eyes, but she failed. Miserably. "Fine. But only if she says yes."

"I'll be right back!" He exclaimed. "Don't go anywhere."

Karin for the second time watched Olaf scurry across the bridge and disappear beyond the opened gateway between the bridge and the castle. Her eyes, after lingering at the sight, closed as she shook her head, allowing her muscles to relax. Not only did Karin doubt Elsa remembered her (even if they happened upon each other only a few days ago), but she didn't believe the royal would just let her in. Karin couldn't say no to Olaf, so she'd let the queen do it for her.

Some time passed before Olaf returned, but when he neared her, he held his signature grin. For the first time of the day, Karin's stomach dropped. She knew the answer before he said anything.

"She said yes!" The snowman exclaimed. "C'mon, let's go." He ushered her.

Karin couldn't move. She thought she lost all control in her legs, with the only thing that supported her were forces that couldn't be seen. Her mouth went dry. She stared at Olaf with wide, uncertain eyes. Surely none of this could actually be happening. She must be sleeping or daydreaming. The queen couldn't have simply granted permission for a commoner, a stranger, to come onto property owned by the royal family generations beyond Karin's time and status. Olaf had to be lying and was simply saying this to get her to go. But despite only knowing him shortly, Karin knew that he told the truth. Otherwise he wouldn't be seeping with genuine excitement and trying to grab her hand.

A part of her—the one that drove her to live the lifestyle she has—wanted to yank her hand away, to back out, run, hide, and forget everything. That's a natural response. And that was exactly what she fell back upon.

The blonde woman moved her hand away, plastering a fake, apologetic smile in response to Olaf's confused expression. "I'm sorry Olaf, but I don't think I should go." Her voice sounded so feeble she wanted to kick herself. She's been through worse things—surely she could handle this! "I… I wouldn't want to intrude on the queen and her castle."

"Oh! Well, Elsa didn't say if she was coming outside, if that's what you're wondering."

Tension in the muscles of Karin subsided somewhat. She wanted to believe that meant the queen would not come out at all, but the window of uncertainty was open.

Still… When would she have this chance again?

Karin sighed. No matter what she did, it would all be a gamble. If the queen wasn't present, perhaps being in the courtyard could help Karin become used to the things that reminded her of the other woman. Familiarity might keep her from another "episode". On the other hand, if the queen showed up, maybe Karin could finally see the very thing she came all this way…

"Fine. I'll go. I'm right behind you—and it's only for a few minutes," she added hurriedly.

The woman was sure her words fell on deaf ears; Olaf wasted no time in trying to snatch her hand. Karin pulled away, a small, humorless giggle breaking through her rigidness at Olaf's confused expression. She folded her hands under her arms.

She told him, "Lead the way."

Olaf looked at her with his brows furrowed, but they turned upright as he smiled and nodded. He turned and lead her, occasionally turning back to glance at Karin as she followed him. She breathed in deeply, her mind clearing. A steady pace led by someone else comforted Karin, for she didn't have to think too much. Only follow.

They passed the gates, and Karin felt all air leave her body. Indeed the castle looked even more magnificent now that she was closer. She hardly noticed Olaf stopped; she almost bumped into him.

"I will be right back. Don't move." He told her. Then, Olaf scurried around a fountain and up a flight of stairs towards the front entrance. The snowman used all his strength to pull the door open. When it moved, he moved inside. The door shut loudly behind him.

Karin was alone.

In the distant she heard voices of the townspeople, but they were faint and low on the list of her priorities. She focused more on her surroundings, turning a full circle for a complete scour. Towering walls enclosed the castle and the courtyard. The only escape there appeared to be was the front gate. She swallowed air, imagining for a split second what would happen if she simply ran through the space and never looked back. But the urge disappeared as soon as it arrived. The queen's absence definitely kept her in place. And she surely didn't want to disappoint Olaf.

This is only for a few minutes, she told herself. Just… Focus on something else. And not the fact that you're in Queen Elsa's territory.

An uneasy laugh escaped from her lips. She shook her head at the absurdity of, well, everything. Taking a few slow steps forward, Karin glanced towards a fountain. Water shot out from the center of the fountain's base as smaller shoots sprayed more water angled towards the center. The rushing water served as a source of distraction. Karin walked closer, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the ripples. Her wide, almost crazy-looking eyes stared back at her. Karin tried to adjust her eyes to bring them to a normal size, keeping herself from focusing on how every muscle in her body coiled tighter and tighter as time passed.

"Hey!" Karin whirled around. Two guards approached her. The woman's eyes shifted to stare at where the men's hands were positioned—on the handles of their swords. Her skin prickled. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The same man who called her out demanded.

"I—I—" sputtered Karin, her tongue twisting too much to form coherent words. Her heart picked up speed as her face flushed. Oh boy was she stupid—how could she not have thought there would be soldiers of all people? Of course there would be!

Thankfully the moment lasted not much longer. Seconds later, the front door creaked open, causing the men's heads to snap up. Karin turned around, following their gaze. Her heart stopped completely. Appearing was none other than Queen Elsa.

On second thought, the soldiers don't sound as bad…

Moving down to rest on one of their knees, both men said, "Your Majesty." They bowed their heads, and Karin dipped her head downwards, too.

"Is something wrong?" asked Queen Elsa.

"No, Your Majesty." The second soldier said, looking up. "We were just telling this woman to leave the premises."

The queen's eyes shifted over to Karin. Upon seeing the familiar face, the queen smiled. "It's all right. She can stay. I can handle myself for now. You two can back to your duties."

The men nodded. They stood up and retreated to their posts. Karin heard their footsteps fade away, but she didn't watch. The peasant's eyes were locked on the queen. Karin knew she shouldn't be surprised at all at the arrival, but everything happened so fast Karin thought she'd explode on the spot. But when Karin's brown eyes met those blue eyes, a sense of calmness washed over in Karin. Her limbs loosened, and her lips tugged up for the briefest moment. But upon remembering who those eyes belonged to, the embarrassment flared up again. Her cheeks and ears burned.

"I'm sorry if they frightened you," the queen said, her tone soft. "I should have told them we would be having a guest visit. Karin's your name, correct?"

Karin nodded, straightening her posture. Afterwards, she lowered her gaze. She moved her hands to have them rest behind her back. Time after time she curled her hands, feeling her nails dig into her skin, as she tried to steady her breathing by breathing in and out through her nose. Her arms and her legs stiffened, as if Karin was trying to be as firm as a board. "Thank you for-for allowing me to s-stay." Was that a lie if Karin didn't believe her own words?

Queen Elsa said, "It's not a problem. A friend of Olaf is welcomed. He should be back soon, anyways. He thought if he put his flower in one of the higher rooms, it would receive more sunlight and grow faster."

"That s-sounds like hi-him," Karin said, her lips forming a thin line not from an attempt to smile but to focus on her breathing.

It's okay, Karin. It's okay. Nothing is going to happen.

"Would you like to come inside?" offered Queen Elsa. With her heels softly clicking against stone, she walked down the steps. Karin saw from the corners of her eyes that the queen now stood at her level. "We have some tea. You can come in and wait for Olaf to come down."

Karin's mind went blank. Her limbs slackened almost entirely, and her lips parted. Did Queen Elsa really just say that? "M-Me? Come in?" Karin slowly lifted her head up, her eyes momentarily meeting Elsa's before Karin looked back down. "Oh no, I couldn't. I… I don't want to intrude into your… home? I'm only a c-commoner."

"I don't see how you being a commoner should affect how I treat you. You're my guest, and I like to treat my guests well."

She sounded so sincere that Karin thought about accepting the offer. Almost.

"It's… the weather is nice today," Karin replied, glancing up at the clear sky above them. "I don't mind staying out here. But you can go—if y-you want to," she interjected. "I don't want to be a b-bother."

"You're not. Trust me. Today's been a rather calm day for me surprisingly. I think I'll spend the free time I do have here. If you don't mind," the queen quipped, chuckling afterwards.

Karin did. But she did not want to show any bit of disrespect, so she replied, "O-of course not."

Both women went silent. The lack of sound in Queen Elsa's presence was worse than the presence itself. Karin needed a distraction from the tension that built inside. So, with looking ahead in the queen's direction but trying to focus on the building rather than the queen, Karin blurted, "How's the dress?"

"I'm sorry? The dress?"

"From Mr. Collins' shop," Karin clarified. "The violet one."

"Oh! It's fine. Mr. Collins did a wonderful job restoring the dress to the new dimensions."

"Have y-you worn it?"

Queen Elsa shook her head. "The dress isn't for me. It's a present for my sister. Her birthday is coming soon, and I wanted to surprise her with it. Our mother used to wear it."

For the first time in a while, Karin smiled. "That's very generous of you… I wish I had a sister like that." As soon as she said the second part, her throat tightened. Did she really just say that?!

"You don't have a sister?" Queen Elsa asked.

Where is Olaf?!

Karin wished she kept her mouth shut. But—as much as Karin despised this part—a smaller part of her did not mind. Referring to any of her family members to someone else made them feel real, like she wasn't entirely alone. And so, more words, even with the extra pressure, came out before she could stop herself. "U-umm… well, I d-do, actually. Two. I also have two b-brothers."

"Four siblings? Wow, I can't imagine living with so many siblings. Anna is a handful on her own."

The front door thumped. Elsa turned around, and Karin jumped, a few sparks exerting from her hands before retreating inwards. Karin's skin prickled again.

The entrance door moved forward, and Olaf emerged, his back pressing against the finely crafted wood as he held the potted plant close to his chest. The snowman stepped forward, continuing to gasp for air. When Karin saw him, the intensity in her hands waned.

"I'm so sorry I took so long! Someone moved my flower from where I put it! Took me forever to find the 'lil guy." Olaf trotted down the steps and stood right next to Elsa. "Did I miss anything?" he asked. He glanced up at Elsa and then to Karin.

"We were… just talking," Karin told him.

Queen Elsa nodded. "Yes. A friendly talk."

Olaf again looked between the two women. He gazed at Queen Elsa a few moments longer than Karin—enough for the commoner to notice—before the queen motioned him towards Karin's direction. Olaf scampered towards Karin. "Here! Look at the flower! Isn't it pretty?"

Once the snowman stood in front of Karin, he tilted the flower towards her. Karin knelt down. The flower, not only somewhat taller, bloomed more since the last time she saw it. The ruby petals appeared outstretched, surrounding the small yellow pollen center. She carefully examined the plant from the leaves to the stems, noticing a slight droopiness.

"Hmm. Looks like you've taken pretty good care of it. How often have you watered it?"

"Every day."

"Well, be careful. Too much water can be bad for the plant." Karin heard footsteps and noticed the queen near the duo. Karin licked her lips, trying to focus on the plant as long as possible. "It should probably be watered every other day. It needs time to absorb the water before it takes in more," Karin explained. "And when you water it, don't get the leaves wet. That makes it harder for the plant to get sunlight in the day."

"You sound educated on this matter," observed Queen Elsa.

Karin almost fell over as she jolted back up. The queen stood so close that Karin saw the freckles on the queen's face—not that Karin was staring on purpose

"Well, I-I have, uh, had a lot o-of experience with p-plants. But I h-have to go, Your Majesty." Karin's hands tightened.

Elsa's eyebrows raised upwards. "So sudden?"

"Can't you stay a little bit longer?" asked Olaf.

Karin took a step backwards, and then another. She tossed her head over her shoulder to make sure she was heading towards the gate. She turned back to look at Queen Elsa and Olaf. "I'm so sorry, but I really m-must go. I have a l-lot of… i-important things to do. Thank you for this p-privilege of b-being here."

"Okay," Olaf said, waving at her. "Bye, Karin!"

Karin would not have waved back had Queen Elsa not given her a small wave. Gulping, Karin, her hand shaking, returned the gesture, but set it behind her as fast as it came.

"I like her!" Olaf exclaimed. "She's really nice and interesting!"

"Yes… Very peculiar," murmured Elsa.

::

So, I want to take a moment to thank all of those who have added this story to their alert/favorite lists and reviewed. You guys are awesome! I know it's been a while since the last update, so I hope this chapter can make up for it.

I know the format is similar to the chapter before, and I'm taking a great deal of time to spending time developing Karin and not so much with her interacting with Elsa, but I really wanted to go in depth with establishing some of Karin's background. Next chapter will definitely go more in detail between Karin and Elsa.

Again, thanks for reading!