Wow, I am so, SO sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been busy going to job interviews and there were days when I was home but didn't do any writing. Plus, this chapter gave me a bit of trouble. But finally, here's chapter 4! I have nothing more to say other than to thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows! Hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!


Chapter 4: Mounting Fear

It was very late. The sky outside was an inky black, the sun having set hours ago. Elsa now sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, having remained there ever since Dr. Olsen had given his prognosis two days ago. In that time, Elsa had hardly left Bella alone, not to eat, sleep, or even change. She was still wearing her icy blue nightgown and robe from the other night. No one had really seen her since that fateful night, so what was the point in changing? Fredrik had stayed with her for all of the first night and until sometime after midnight the second night, but Elsa had wanted to spend tonight, the third night, alone, wanting some time to think. Bella was still sleeping peacefully, so Elsa had moved the rocking chair closer to the window and was now looking outside, as if she was searching for something that she couldn't find. It was a clear night, the stars twinkling overhead like diamonds, but for someone who had spent almost her entire life in worry and fear, the darkness seemed constricting, overpowering. There seemed no end to it. It was like she was being chased, but no matter how fast or how far she ran from it, it would creep up on her, consuming her. Would the darkness ever end, or would it keep haunting her until the day she died?

In the years since the Great Thaw, Anna had told her on more than one occasion how much stronger she had become, but it was times like this that made her doubt those words. How could someone so strong go through so much in one lifetime?

Elsa sighed and rested her head against the back of the rocking chair. She really needed to sleep. But the fear of Bella worsening while she was asleep kept her awake. She tried to distract herself with happy thoughts about Bella: the day she was born, her first smile, her first laugh, her first words, her first steps. She also thought about that one night about a month after Bella was born when she had awoken fussing in the middle of the night and she and Fredrik had sung her a lullaby to soothe her back to sleep. Of course, Elsa still did that every night, but for some reason, that night had seemed more special, and because of that, it had become one of her favorite memories of her little girl.

A soft knock on the door startled Elsa out of her reverie. She looked up to see Anna in the doorway, wearing her yellow nightgown with a matching robe over it. Her hair was undone, but wasn't quite the mess it was in the morning. Right now, it fell in loose waves down her back.

"Anna, you're still awake?" Elsa asked, sitting up in the chair.

"Why are you still awake?" Anna asked, ignoring Elsa's question.

"I….wasn't tired," Elsa lied, and immediately regretted it.

"Yes, you are," said Anna, coming further into the room. "I can see your eyes drooping right now. And I know that you haven't left that spot since Dr. Olsen checked on Bella."

"How did you know?" Elsa asked, surprised.

"Gerda," said Anna simply. "She came to me expressing her concern about you. According to her, you haven't slept or eaten in two whole days."

Elsa didn't say anything, but her silence was all the confirmation Anna needed. "It's true, then?" she asked quietly. Elsa still didn't say anything. Anna sighed before walking over and kneeling down in front of her. "Elsa," she said, looking up into her sister's eyes. "I know you're worried about Bella. We all are, but you can't keep depriving yourself of the most basic human needs."

"I can't leave her," Elsa whispered, not trusting her voice to say it any louder.

"I know," said Anna, laying a comforting hand on Elsa's. "But starving yourself isn't going to make her better. She needs you. Fredrik needs you. I need you. We all need you."

Elsa was silent again. How long had she waited to hear that? Her whole life, probably. She was surprised that it took her this long to realize it. Just like she needed her family, her family in turn needed her.

"You're right, Anna," she said quietly.

"Boy, I love hearing you say that," said Anna, trying to inject a bit of humor into the conversation.

Elsa smiled slightly. "I'm being stupid and selfish," she said.

"No, you're not," said Anna, squeezing her hands. "You're just being a mother." And she wrapped her sister in a tight hug. "So," she said once they had broken apart. "How's she doing?"

"There's been no change," Elsa answered.

"Is that good or bad?" Anna asked.

"Both," Elsa replied.

"Both?" said Anna, confused.

"Good because it means that she hasn't gotten worse," Elsa explained. "And bad because she's not getting better."

Anna looked over at the crib where Bella was sleeping. She noticed something shimmering on it and got up for a closer look. It was still coated in a thin layer of frost. "Um, Elsa?" she said, looking back at her sister. "There's still frost on here."

"I know," said Elsa quietly.

"Can't you remove it?" Anna asked. "Like, make it disappear or whatever?" She made a motion with her hands to depict something vanishing.

"I already tried," Elsa answered, looking up at her. "It's not mine."

Anna just stared at her, not quite comprehending. "You mean that since Bella created it, you can't thaw it?" she asked slowly. "In other words, you can't thaw ice and snow that wasn't created by you?"

"No," Elsa confirmed, looking back down at her hands.

"Did you know about this before that night?" Anna asked.

"No," Elsa said again.

"So, that means that Bella has to thaw it herself?" Anna asked slowly.

"Yes," Elsa whispered, so quiet that Anna almost didn't hear her.

"Maybe it will go away when she gets better," Anna suggested, a little half-heartedly.

"If she gets better," Elsa said, just as quietly as before.

"What did Dr. Olsen say is wrong with her?" Anna asked.

"He's not sure, but given the fact that she's icy cold, he thinks it might be hypothermia," Elsa replied.

"But you don't think so," said Anna. It wasn't a question.

"No," said Elsa. "I don't think Bella's illness is a physical one."

"What kind of illness do you think it is?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked back up at her. "I think it's magical," she whispered.

Anna didn't say anything. She just stared at her sister, an expression of both shock and fear on her face.


The two days of Bella's illness turned into three, then five, then a week. Elsa still refused to leave Bella's side, but at Anna's gentle but firm insistence, she started taking meals again. She didn't eat much, but it was enough to make Anna stop pestering her. As she still wouldn't leave the nursery, Anna had Gerda make up a small cot for her to sleep on. She only slept for a few hours most nights, but she felt a little better during the day, not quite as tense or stressed out.

There still had been no change in Bella. She was still as deathly cold as that first day, and though Elsa was somewhat reassured that she so far wasn't getting any worse, she was also worried that she didn't seem to be getting any better. During that first week, she had put the brunt of her queenly duties onto Fredrik, wanting to be right by Bella in case anything were to change. Fredrik had been a little reluctant at first, but hadn't pressed the matter. The last thing he needed was for Elsa to freeze some other part of him. Besides, he was getting used to sharing her duties with her. Of course, Anna helped him whenever he needed it, but as she was busy with Susanna and keeping Kirsten away from Bella, it wasn't often. So it was no surprise that after the first couple of days he was starting to feel a little stressed, and it didn't help that he now slept alone most nights, Elsa having taken up temporary residence in the nursery.

But after about a week and a half, Anna decided that she had had enough of seeing Elsa in the nursery all the time, so she started devising a plan to get Elsa out of that room and maybe out of the castle completely for a whole day. As Fredrik hadn't been seeing much of Elsa lately, she arranged for him to have a day off, too. She could only imagine how stressed he must be taking care of most of Elsa's duties.

Wanting it to be a surprise, Anna made absolutely sure that Elsa knew nothing of her plans. She swore Kai and Gerda to secrecy, as they were also helping with the surprise. Gerda was working on setting aside time to stay with Bella and Kai was working with the kitchen staff on preparing a picnic for the royal couple (Anna's idea, of course).

Once all the preparations had been finalized, Anna gathered everyone in the parlor to make sure they knew their roles for the following morning. After everyone recited what they were supposed to do, Anna dismissed them and returned to her and Kristoff's room, where he was putting Susanna to bed.

"Whew!" she said, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. "That took longer than I thought it would."

"What did?" Kristoff asked, straightening up after putting Susanna in her bassinet.

"The planning for Elsa and Fredrik's picnic," Anna answered, moving away from the door and coming over to him. She hadn't told him about her plans at first for fear of Kirsten overhearing and running to tell Elsa. She was a little blabbermouth, yet another trait she had inherited from her mother.

"Anna, are you sure this is such a good idea?" Kristoff asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know your sister doesn't like surprises."

"Of course I'm sure," Anna said. Kristoff raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Okay, maybe I'm not sure sure, but I think it'll be good for her. I'm worried about her, Kristoff. She's looking so pale."

"She's always looked pale," said Kristoff, giving her a questioning look.

"Well, yes, but this is more of the sickly pale," Anna said. "I know you don't really notice these things, but I do because I'm her sister. She needs to get out of that room and into the fresh air and sunshine. It's not good for her to be shut up in there all the time." Her voice broke; she seemed close to tears.

"Hey, hey," Kristoff soothed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "I'm sorry I questioned you. I know you're going through a rough time right now, with Bella being your niece and all."

"Oh Kristoff, I thought we were done with all the tragedy in this family," Anna sniffed. "First, Elsa shuts me out, then our parents die, Kirsten gets kidnapped, and now this?" She buried her face in his chest to muffle her sobs.

"Shh, it'll be okay," said Kristoff, kissing the top of her head. But in truth, he wasn't sure himself.

Meanwhile, in the nursery, Elsa was standing next to Bella's frosted crib, looking down at her with tears shining in her eyes. Nothing had changed, for better or for worse, and Elsa was starting to lose hope. What if she lost her? What if—?

The floorboards creaked and she spun around to see Fredrik entering the room. He wasn't ready for bed yet, but his hair was sticking up in places from the countless times he'd run his fingers through it that day out of stress.

"Hey," he said quietly, smiling at her.

"Hi," she whispered.

"I miss you," he said, coming up and wrapping his arms around her. "I've hardly seen you lately."

"I know, I'm sorry," said Elsa, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. "But I can't leave her."

"Love, I know you feel like you have to be with her all the time, but you don't," said Fredrik, resting his chin gently on top of her head.

"But I do," said Elsa, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Why?" Fredrik asked.

Elsa pulled away and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "What if something happens?" she asked. "What if she gets worse? I can't lose her, Fredrik. Besides Anna and her family, you and Bella are all I have in this world. You're my reason for living, my reason for getting up in the morning. I've already lost my parents and Anna. I can't bear to lose Bella, too." Her voice broke and she started crying, deep wrenching sobs that shook her whole frame. Fredrik didn't know what to do, so he just held her close for as long as she needed him.


Hours later, there was a soft knock on the nursery door. It was loud enough to be heard, but soft enough that it didn't wake the sleeping form on the cot next to the crib where Bella still lay sleeping. Anna smiled as she tiptoed into the room and over to Elsa. Her long platinum blonde hair had come loose from its braid and was splayed across the pillow and she was breathing deeply and evenly. She would have looked peaceful if not for the worry lines creasing her forehead.

"Elsa," Anna whispered, gently shaking her sister's shoulder. "Psst, Elsa." Elsa moaned softly but didn't wake up. Anna tried again. "Wake up, wake up, wake up," she said in a playful singsong voice. Elsa still didn't stir, so Anna did the one thing that was sure to wake her sister: she jumped on top of her.

That did the trick. Elsa was so startled at this abrupt wake-up call that she shot a blast of snow from her fingertips. Luckily, Anna jumped off her in time to avoid most of it. "Anna!" she said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Why must you do that?"

"Because it's fun," Anna said, smiling at her. "And speaking of fun, I have something fun planned for you and Fredrik today."

"And what would that be?" Elsa asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"It's a surprise," Anna answered, smiling wider.

"And when does this 'something fun' start?" Elsa asked.

"As soon as you get up," Anna answered.

"What time is it?" Elsa asked, stifling a yawn.

"Almost eleven," Anna said.

"Almost eleven?!" Elsa said, now wide awake. "Why didn't someone wake me earlier?"

"Well, you haven't been sleeping much lately, so I told Kai and Gerda to let you sleep in today," Anna said.

"But Anna, I have so much work to do!" Elsa admonished. "Plus, I have to watch Bella. And—"

"No, you don't," Anna interrupted firmly. "And in case you forgot, you haven't done any work for the last week and a half. You've been in here all this time, putting all your responsibilities on your poor husband."

"He doesn't mind," Elsa mumbled.

"I know he doesn't," said Anna. "But he's not used to so much work. He may be your consort, but he's still just a prince. Princes shouldn't have quite that much responsibility."

"Where is he?" Elsa asked. She remembered him coming into the nursery last night and comforting her, but then she must've fallen asleep sometime after.

"In your room," Anna answered. "I made him take the day off. And now I'm making you take the day off."

"Anna, we can't afford to take a day off," Elsa protested. "There's too much work to do. What will our advisors think?"

"I've already taken care of that," Anna said, waving a hand dismissively. "I informed them that you've been way too stressed out lately and since they know of Bella's situation, they agreed. They're more than happy to handle everything today."

"What about Bella?" Elsa asked. "I can't leave her."

"You need to," said Anna. "You need to get out of this room for a while, walk around, get some fresh air. Besides, I talked to Gerda yesterday and she is more than happy to watch Bella while you're gone. You know how much she loves the girls."

Anna had a point. Gerda loved their daughters as much as she loved her and Anna. Gerda had been overjoyed to hear that Anna and Elsa were going to be mothers. It was clear that she had missed hearing the pitter patter of little feet in the hallways.

Anna was still talking, not noticing, as usual, that Elsa had drifted away. "It's okay to ask for help sometimes," she was saying. "I know you think otherwise, but you can't do everything yourself. We're a family, and families stick together no matter what."

Elsa was silent again. Maybe Anna was right. Maybe she could use a break. And there were plenty of people who could stay with Bella, if not Nanny Hanne or Gerda, then Anna or maybe Cathrine. But wasn't that a mother's job? Watching over her children when they're sick? Maybe she was being a bit over-protective. But Bella was her first, so didn't she have that right? As an older sister and, more importantly, a queen, she felt that it wasn't really Anna's place to tell her what to do. But then, if Anna didn't tell her, then someone else would, like Kai or Gerda.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Anna take her hands to make her look at her. "You know what you're going to do?" she asked. "You're going to get dressed, go outside, and have a lovely, romantic day with your husband."

"But—" Elsa started.

"No buts," Anna interrupted. "I've had this outing planned since yesterday and you're not going to ruin it."

Elsa chuckled in spite of herself. "And what, pray tell, is this 'outing'?" she asked.

"I told you, it's a surprise," said Anna, standing up, pulling Elsa along with her. "Now get dressed, preferably in something nice. I'll locate Fredrik. Kai will meet both of you down in the entrance hall at noon." Anna skipped out into the hall and with a little wave, she was gone.

Elsa just smiled and shook her head. Not wanting to keep Fredrik, or Kai, waiting, she got up and started making her way down the hall to her and Fredrik's room. Before she got there, she ran into Gerda, who was obviously on her way up to the nursery.

"Your Majesty!" Gerda said, smiling. "It's so good to see you out of that room."

"Thank you," said Elsa, smiling back. "I suppose you're on your way there?"

"Yes, indeed, Your Majesty," said Gerda.

Before she realized what she was doing, Elsa had stepped forward and wrapped the older woman in a hug. Gerda was surprised, but she happily reciprocated.

When they broke apart, Elsa had tears in her eyes. "Whatever is the matter, dear?" Gerda asked, breaking formalities and using one of her endearments for Elsa.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for my family over the years," Elsa said, and though tears were streaking her cheeks, her voice was surprisingly steady. "I will never forget it."

"It has always been my pleasure to serve you, Your Majesty," said Gerda, smiling and taking Elsa's hands in hers. "Now, dry those tears. Today is supposed to be a happy day. Go enjoy it with your husband."

"Thank you again, Gerda," said Elsa, smiling back.

"You're welcome," said Gerda. "Now, off you go!"

"All right," said Elsa, and she continued on her way. When she reached her and Fredrik's room, she found that it was empty, which meant that Fredrik must already be waiting for her. Not wanting to keep him much longer, she went quickly over to her wardrobe and picked out one of her nicer dresses, which was a light shade of blue. It wasn't fancy like the ones she wore for balls and other special occasions, but it was nicer than her everyday dresses. It would feel nice to be wearing fresh clothing. She hadn't changed since Bella first fell ill.

She laid her dress out on the bed and looked at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace. It was just after eleven-thirty. Deciding she had time for a quick bath, she went into her en-suite bathroom and filled the large copper tub with warm water and her favorite peppermint-scented oil. When she was satisfied, she drained the tub, dried herself off, and donned her robe. She went back out into the bedroom and sat down in front of her vanity, where she freshened up her eye shadow, blush, and lipstick. When she was finished, she removed her robe and put on her chemise and corset. It was hard tying the stays without someone to help, but she managed. Besides, she had managed by herself since she was eighteen, shortly after her parents died. When she had tied the last string, she pulled her dress over her head, careful not to smudge her makeup. This was one of her favorite summer dresses. It was made of a lightweight, floaty material, with three-quarter-length sleeves and an ankle-length skirt that swirled and swished as she walked. The scoop-neck bodice was a slightly darker shade of blue than the sleeves and skirt and was decorated with light blue and purple flowers.

When she was dressed, she went back over to her vanity to brush and re-braid her hair. When she had tied it off, she took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner by the changing screen and was satisfied with how she looked. She glanced back at the clock. It was now ten minutes to noon. She left the room and hurried downstairs to the entrance hall, where Fredrik and Kai were waiting for her, the latter holding a large picnic basket.

Fredrik smiled when he saw her and opened his arms. She went to him gladly and he held her tight for a moment before breaking away and giving her a passionate kiss. "I've missed you," he said after pulling away.

"You just saw me last night," said Elsa, giving him a quizzical look.

"I mean this past week and a half," said Fredrik, cupping her chin in his hand.

"I know, I missed you, too," said Elsa, resting her head against his chest. "And I'm sorry I put all my responsibilities on your shoulders. No one should bear that burden alone."

"My, don't you sound philosophical," said Fredrik teasingly, pulling away from her and smiling again. "Now come on. Let's get this surprise day off started." He took the picnic basket from Kai, thanked him, then took Elsa's hand and led her outside.

As they were crossing the courtyard, they ran into Cathrine, Anders, Kristoff, and Kirsten, who were coming back in from a walk. Kirsten was holding Cathrine's hand chattering away (So like her mother, Elsa thought) and Kristoff and Anders were talking quietly. Kirsten broke off her chatter when she spotted her aunt and uncle.

"Auntie Elsa! Uncle Fwedwik!" she said, running to Elsa and giving her a hug.

"Hello, Sunshine," said Elsa, hugging her back.

"I picked this for you!" said Kristen, squirming away from her and holding out a bright blue flower.

"It's beautiful, thank you, sweetheart," said Elsa, taking the flower.

"Mama says it's your favewit color," Kirsten said.

"And she's right, it is my favorite color," said Elsa, smiling at her niece. She then stood up to address the adults. "Hello, Anders. Cathrine."

"Elsa, it's wonderful to see you out and about," said Cathrine, smiling.

"I must admit, it does feel nice to get some fresh air," said Elsa.

"So this is Anna's 'secret surprise'?" Kristoff asked, putting air quotes around the last two words.

"She told you?" Elsa asked.

"Actually, she told everyone," said Anders, smiling. "Everyone except you and Fredrik, that is."

That little stinker, Elsa thought, then she asked, "Where is Anna?"

"Upstairs, feeding Susanna before her nap," Kristoff answered. "Which reminds me, it's almost time for your nap, Kirsten."

"No nap!" Kirsten cried.

"Yes, nap," said Kristoff. "We're going to have lunch, then you're going to lie down for a while."

"But Papa, I wanna pway with Auntie Elsa and Uncle Fwedwik," Kirsten whined.

"Your aunt and uncle will be busy," said Kristoff. "You can see them later after your nap."

"But—"

"No buts. Now, give your aunt and uncle a hug and let's go eat lunch."

"Aw, okay," said Kirsten, pouting. "Bye Auntie Elsa. Bye Uncle Fwedwik."

"Goodbye, sweetheart," said Elsa, bending down again to give her a hug. She whispered in her ear, "Take a good nap and maybe we can build a snowman later."

"Really?" Kirsten asked, perking up.

"Only if you take a good nap," said Elsa.

"Okay," said Kirsten, and she took her father's hand and together, they went back into the castle.

"Well," said Cathrine, smiling at Elsa and Fredrik. "Since you two obviously have plans, we'll leave you to it." She looped her arm through Anders' and gently pulled him away into the castle.

Elsa shook her head. "I am so going to get Anna back for this," she said.

"Yes, love, I'm sure you will," said Fredrik, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "Now, where would you like to go for our picnic?"

Elsa thought for a minute, then made her suggestion with a knowing smile on her face. Fredrik smiled back and allowed her to lead the way.

Soon, they reached their destination, a beautiful outcropping behind a waterfall that overlooked all of Arendelle village. It just so happened to also be the place where Fredrik had proposed to Elsa a little more than two years ago. Fredrik opened the picnic basket and, finding a blanket on top, spread it out on the grass. He gestured for Elsa to sit down and he followed suit. He rummaged in the basket again and took out two sandwiches wrapped in paper, one labeled with Elsa's name and one labeled with his name.

"I take it this one is for you," he said, smiling as he handed Elsa the sandwich with her name on it.

"Thank you," said Elsa, taking the sandwich from him. She unwrapped it to find that it was her favorite: seafood salad on white bread. She bit into it and let out a contented sigh.

"Good?" Fredrik asked, smiling and taking a bite of his own sandwich, which was a simple cured ham on whole wheat with scrambled eggs. Elsa just nodded, her mouth too full to speak.

They finished their sandwiches in silence. There was also some cheesy bread, which they shared, and two apples. Finally, there was a small box of chocolates that Anna had no doubt insisted upon packing. They finished off their picnic with some sweet cider. Fredrik then packed up the remains of their picnic and they made their way back down the cliff, Fredrik helping Elsa when she stumbled.

Once they had reached level ground, they started making their way back to the castle. Fredrik stopped along the way and picked a flower, which he then tucked behind Elsa's ear. Elsa thanked him with a kiss and he happily reciprocated. When they broke apart, Fredrik wasn't quite satisfied, so he pulled her behind the nearest building and proceeded to kiss every inch of her exposed skin, from her forehead all the way down to her collarbone. Elsa closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall of the building. She moaned with pleasure as Fredrik's lips went lower and lower, raking her hands through his dark curls. He came back up to her mouth for one last, passionate kiss before finally releasing her.

"You don't know how much I've missed doing that to you," said Fredrik, smiling at her.

"I've missed it, too," said Elsa, smiling back. Fredrik pulled her back out onto the street and they continued on their way. Elsa entwined her fingers with his and rested her head on his arm.

It was as they were entering the courtyard that their perfect day came to a crashing halt. The castle doors banged open and Sophie, one of the nursemaids, came running out. She was younger than Anna by a year or two, with fair skin, blue-grey eyes, and long, dark brown hair, which was tied back in a single braid down her back.

"Your Majesty!" she panted, stopping in front of them. "Come quick! It's the princess!"

Elsa and Fredrik exchanged worried looks and without a word, hurried after Sophie. They came to a halt in the family wing where they saw Gerda, Anna, and Kristoff clustered together outside the nursery, where they could hear Bella wailing at the top of her lungs. Anna was holding Susanna and Kristoff was holding tightly to Kirsten's hand to prevent her from going in.

"Gerda, what happened?" Elsa asked, rushing over to the group.

"Your Majesty, I was watching the princess like I promised and all seemed fine until about ten minutes ago, when she suddenly started wailing," Gerda answered.

"You didn't try to comfort her?" Elsa asked.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I can't get near enough to her," Gerda said. Elsa gave her a quizzical look and hurried inside to find that the entire floor was coated in a thin layer of frost. Being an expert walking on ice, she carefully made her way over to Bella, who was still wailing in her crib. She looked down at her daughter and gasped in horror.

"Fredrik!" she screamed.

Fredrik came running in, followed closely by Anna and Kristoff. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Look!" Elsa cried, pointing a shaky finger at Bella. Fredrik came up behind her and looked down at Bella. A look of fear came over his face when he saw that the tips of Bella's fingers were turning blue, like frostbite. "Someone get Dr. Olsen! Now!" she shouted. A scurrying of feet told her that someone had rushed off to obey her command.

Minutes later, Dr. Olsen came running into the room with his black bag, almost slipping on the frost covering the floor. He ordered everyone out and then shut the door. Elsa started pacing feverishly back and forth, wringing her hands and causing snow to fall from the ceiling.

"Elsa," said Anna gently.

Elsa looked at her and Anna jerked her head upward. Elsa then noticed the snow and immediately willed it to stop.

After about fifteen minutes of anxious waiting, the door opened again and Dr. Olsen stepped out into the hall, carrying his black bag. His face was graver than on the day of his prognosis.

"Dr. Olsen?" said Elsa in a shaky voice. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, Your Majesty," he answered, shaking his head. "This is an illness beyond my understanding."

Elsa looked up at Fredrik. He looked just as frightened as she felt.

Dr. Olsen continued. "I've given her some medicine to help her sleep, but I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do. It's best to just let nature take its course."

He started down the hallway, but then paused in front of Elsa and Fredrik. "I'm very sorry," he said, and he truly looked it. He continued down the hall and disappeared around the corner.

Anna looked at her sister. She was staring at the door to the nursery. In the past half hour, she seemed to have aged ten years. "Elsa?" she said quietly.

Elsa didn't look at her. "We have to see them," she said, so quietly Anna almost didn't hear her. "It may be our only hope."

"See who?" Anna asked, obviously confused. "What may be our only hope?"

Elsa took a long time answering. "The trolls," she said quietly. "We have to see the trolls."


Whew! This is one of my longest chapters and probably the hardest to write. I wanted to get it posted this week, but I didn't wanna rush it, either. I hope the length made up for the long wait.

Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! :)