A/N:

Hello again, readers! I wanted to take a short moment to tell you how great it is to have you all reading my story. I have been enjoying your reviews and reactions, and I look forward to even MORE!

ENJOY!

CHAPTER 7 ~ANNA'S P.O.V.~

The Princess of Arendelle slept soundly, (albeit awkwardly), in an overstuffed armchair that her husband and almost - brother- in - law had lovingly dragged from the library. Her dreams were colorful and sporadic, but that suited her just fine, and she found a sense of peace as she slept. She had been sleeping so much as of late, and while the midwife assured her that this was normal at her stage of pregnancy, no one really had an answer for why it was nearly impossible to wake the woman once said sleep had claimed her. The sheer difficulty of the situation forced her older sister into only one option at this point: peppering Anna's freckled cheeks with large snowflakes to rouse her from unconsciousness.

The intense cold freed Anna of her dreams quickly - too quickly, in fact. She lashed forward in shock, nearly smacking Elsa's forehead with her own. Luckily, Elsa's hands were already raised from conjuring the small flurry now dusting her sister's face, and she caught Anna before any harm could be done. Anna looked up for a quick moment to inspect her surroundings, and saw the Queen's lips wearing a worried smile. The sight quickly brought an uncomfortable feeling to the pit of Anna's stomach.

"What's wrong?" The Princess pondered aloud, her head automatically swivelling around to try and get a good look into her niece's room.

"Lily is fine," Elsa assured her quietly. "You did well watching her for me, thank you." Anna brushed her hair back from her face in a move that was more reflex than anything, visibly flustered.

"Not so much; I fell asleep on the job," she admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Then that makes two of you," Elsa said with a hushed giggle, gesturing to a deeply sleeping Lily behind them. Anna couldn't help but laugh too, though she could not shake the heavy guilt she felt for slacking when Elsa needed her.

"Well what's going on, then? You look upset," Anna said, wiping the excess snow from her face. Elsa took her sister's hands - so warm in her own - and helped her up from the low chair.

"Come with me. I want to talk to you," Elsa said simply, guiding Anna by the hands just next door to her room.

The large white door was kept ajar just slightly to better hear Lily should she wake. Anna still carried an uneasy feeling as they ventured into Elsa's room, and no matter how she tried to reason with herself, it just wouldn't go away. Elsa was clearly working to keep her 'Queen voice' at bay - something that she used with her sister only in the most serious situations - but Anna still sensed a tangible sedate feeling between them as they took a seat on the Queen's unmade bed.

"Elsa please, tell me what's happening. You're worrying me," Anna pleaded, nearly on the verge of tears. That was not necessarily new either, but she still did not like the feelings that unaccompanied the unwanted tears.

"I could say the same to you, baby sister. Apparently there's a lot you're keeping from me." Elsa's face was so solemn, so sure, but Anna could not put the words together in her mind enough to make sense of what Elsa meant. Was her sister being cryptic, or was she just confused as per usual?

"Wait, what?" She finally asked. Elsa said nothing, instead reaching reaching over to a bedside table to her left, and retrieved a small, leatherbound book that was slightly worn from recent use. Anna knew this book too well, and she tensed upon seeing it. The Queen held it out between them in silent explanation. For a long moment, Elsa remained silent, wanting to let Anna say whatever she thought necessary, but she said nothing. Elsa had been prepared for so many reactions from her sister; anger, denial, sadness, maybe even blatant acceptance . . . But not this. Anna was halted in place, her mind completely blank. This was not at all what the Princess had thought her sister needed to discuss, and she was at a total loss.

"Anna," Elsa began gently, breaking the tense quiet, "while I can appreciate why you felt the need to keep these feelings to yourself for so long, I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I want to share this moment with you as much as possible. It's a first for me too, remember? This is such an important moment in your life, and what kind of sister would I be if you felt like you couldn't share it with me?"

"One who was losing her child," Anna shot back defensively, immediately regretting her words. Elsa flinched at the harshness in Anna's voice, but refused to get upset. Not only did her sister deserve to have whatever feelings she was experiencing, but Elsa did not want to cry right now and take away from Anna even more.

"Yes, Lily is very sick, and we might . . . Lose her, but you are still having a baby of your own, Anna. You are allowed to be excited. As the Queen, I declare it," she said, trying to work up a smile from the redhead, but Anna would not easily be swayed at the moment.

"I just didn't want to hurt you. You're already so sad, Elsa, I couldn't make it worse," the Princess admitted in a small voice. After a short moment, Elsa took Anna's face in her hands and smiled.

"I won't lie to you, Anna, it probably will hurt to hear for a little while, especially if Lily leaves us," Anna's face fell at the mere mention of the one thing no one had dared say aloud. "But," Elsa continued, "you are my sister, and I love you, and I love this baby already. I don't want this experience darkened because you feel like you can't talk about it. Please Anna, don't shut me out."

The words that had been Anna's from the very beginning of their new relationship were her own undoing. Tears fell from her eyes without hesitation, as Elsa wrapped her up in a tight hug and kissed her ginger locks. How did the Queen always know how to make everything better? Anna didn't know, but she supposed it was why Elsa was in charge instead of her. She would never be the queen her sister was.

"Okay. I promise I'll talk about the baby with you more."

"Thank you," Elsa said with one last squeeze and a heaving breath, releasing Anna. "So first, I want to know if you've thought of any names." Anna lit up at that. Elsa really did know her too well.

"Well, for a boy I was thinking about Aren or Frey. But the only girl name I like so far is Kaya." Elsa opened her mouth to tell Anna that she thought any of those names would be perfect for a little prince or princess, but was interrupted by a voice at the door.

"I hope it's a girl, then," the voice said. Both Elsa and Anna looked up faster than the muscles in their necks wanted them to, and saw Lily leaning against the door, nearly breathless. "No offense, Aunt Anna, but I really don't want a cousin named Frey," she said with a weak smile.

"Kjæreste!" Elsa all but shouted, bolting from the bed without an ounce of elegance to take Lily in her arms.

/ / / / / /

Elsa carried Lily close as she walked next door and placed the child back in her own bed. The Queen was no less than thrilled that her daughter had even been able to stand, much less walk to the room next door, but she called for the physician all the same. She wouldn't be able to relax until a professional told her that Lily was improving. Her eyes could have been fooled, after all.

"Please don't misunderstand me, Your Majesty," the physician explained carefully after examining Lily. "The Princess is still very sick. It pleases me to see that her strength is returning, slowly, but still . . . Her fever has not fully broken, and that is far from good." Elsa nodded, doing her best to take in the man's words.

"So how do you suggest we move forward?"

"I believe the best course of action would be to continue as we have been. My visits will remain regular, medication will be consistent, and she still needs a lot of bedrest." Lily let out a loud huff at that; she was tired of laying in bed, even if her legs could not carry her anywhere far. From the hall, Anna stifled giggles at her niece's sour expression, and it jogged the Queen's mind as she noticed her sister.

"And what of her being contagious? We had something planned for this evening, but I don't want to expose anyone if it isn't safe." Anna silently supposed that when Elsa said 'anyone' she specifically meant her.

"I think that if none of you have fallen ill yet, you probably won't."

"Even Anna?" Knew it!

"Yes, Your Majesty, even Her Highness should be fine. As long as the little Princess keeps her coughs covered and she isn't in direct contact with anyone for too long, I believe everyone will still be perfectly safe."

Elsa nodded and thanked the doctor again for his time. She then turned back to her daughter, who waited expectantly from the bed for her mother's attention. The Queen couldn't help but notice how small the child still looked, heavy with sickness, and forced back her tears as she tried to push away the images of her nightmares.

"How are you feeling, kjæreste?" Elsa asked, combing her long fingers through Lily's hair. Somehow, simply touching Lily helped the Queen's nightmares fade into distant memories of a bad story.

"Tired, mostly," Lily admitted with a shrug, "but also really hungry. How long have I been asleep this time, Momma?" The word struck a happy chord with Elsa, even if it went only to prove how bad the girl still felt, and her lips twitched with a wanting smile.

"You had a few moments when you were awake for a bit," though none with any kind of lucidity, Elsa added silently. "I would say it's been right about two days."

"Whoa," Lily sighed, shock washing over her. "No wonder I want food so bad. Momma, can I eat?" Elsa nodded, letting the excited smile she had been holding back finally have dominion on her pale face.

"Of course, kjæreste. In fact, I have a special treat for you."