As a lady of the realm, Anna was forced to get used to a great many things. Likely the most taxing of these was the way problems that required her attention would often spring up all at once. The harvest season was a rather mixed bag for her house in particular. On the one hand, there was a reprieve from worry about food supplies, at least for the next couple of months. All the increased activity meant there were more taxes to be collected. While she would never admit it, it was also rather nice that most of the commoners would be either knee deep working the land or stockpiling the fruits and vegetables they'd worked on in the previous season.

Despite this, the overall workload and attention required from Anna increased drastically. All of the bushels of food needed to be properly counted and organised. While most of the work could be contracted out, all of it would sooner or later end up on the Arendight desk for final approval. While the food situation would improve for now, someone needed to make sure there was enough to last through the winter. Anna and any smaller nobles would have a buffer from the effects of a shortage, but widespread hunger did not boost the morale and the productivity of the people. It was all connected together, even if it didn't look it.

Day after day, documents piled up requiring approval, and problems crawled out of the woodwork that needed resolving. Who owned what. Trade agreements left to collect dust for months now causing trouble. Supply convoys travelling between the provinces, let alone outside the country. Making sure they had enough room to store all the supplies. All of it required staff to see to it, and by extension, supervision and approval. Six chimes marking a finished day were but a sweet memory.

Between the long hours and complete exhaustion it inflicted upon Anna, there were next to no opportunities for any more "alone time" with Elsa. After the second protracted day handling supply orders, Elsa proposed an entirely different kind of alone time. Much drier and quieter than Anna's preferred kind, but welcome nonetheless.

So it was as soon as there was no other cleaning required that they would sit, just around the corner from each other as Anna reviewed the day's workload. Most of the papers looked the same. Read the same. Ended the same way. There had to be and end to this, just like there was the last time. It just wasn't in sight as of yet.

As the minutes turned to hours, and then days, something crept out of the back of Anna's mind. It was a quiet thing at first. Something difficult to put into words, and easy to push aside. Though as soon as her work became bone dry, and her mind wanted something, anything else to think about, that was when it became impossible to deny.

Elsa was starting to change. In many small, subtle, yet undeniable ways. If they had perhaps spoken more over the past few days, Anna might have noticed sooner. Social cues were important enough that she had some instruction on reading them. It was in the long stretches of time she caught herself looking at Elsa in the middle of her work that she noticed. Perhaps Elsa herself hadn't. She could only assume it was difficult to notice unless you were looking from the outside.

Put simply, the fear and caution in Elsa's movements was starting to fade, and much more quickly than Anna might have expected. She picked up on the kind of work each document needed in less than a day, even though they were supposedly only to be trusted to the lord or lady of the land. At first, Elsa still seemed compelled to double, then triple-check every last letter she had written, as though a single speck out of place would have drastic consequences. Though her progress was impressive, a lifetime of servitude in austerity did not vanish in a couple of weeks.

As the second week of work came to a close, Anna couldn't help but suspect it was starting to fade, though. At least as far as the work was concerned. Elsa now breezed through each paper with just a single check, leaving it aside without stopping. While she didn't say anything, Anna was certain she was starting to be outpaced. The quicker this was all taken care of, the better; it did however call into question the idea this was something you needed to be born into and trained your entire life. Not to mention the odious propaganda that slaves were sub-human and deserved any foul treatment they received.

"M-master? Is there are problems, still?" Elsa asked quietly. Blast . Anna hadn't managed to catch herself staring this time.

"Well, you're still not supposed to call me master in here." Sure, just Elsa being noticed doing this work would be enough to cause problems. Still, they couldn't be too careful. It was strange Elsa still made that error. Did she like that term? It was difficult to tell if Anna liked that possibility or not. "Your work is fine otherwise. I'll have to review it just in case, but I don't expect any problems."

"Yes, well- thank you . I-" Anna breathed a sigh. Any confidence Elsa might have built up still appeared to evaporate the moment it came to social interactions. Regardless of her feelings on the matter, that was something which required seeing to, even though Elsa could easily slip up and revealing something about their arrangement . Or perhaps, because of it. There were plenty of people out there who would use any information they could get against her. Against both of them. "I opened one of the boxes in your room. I- I swear I didn't mean to, I just saw these bottles so I put it back."

Anna cringed. Like that . "What happened? Nothing fell out, did it? How much did you see? This is important, Elsa."

"I swear, I saw nothing. Just the outlines for some glass bottles. I didn't mean to open it, I- I'm sorry !" Elsa recoiled, as if to try and escape Anna's reach.

Anna simply placed a hand on top of Elsa's, managing to rein herself in. "It's alright. As long as they're still safe." Elsa still looked tense, as though something terrible was sure to happen. Had Anna gone too far? No , if some of the things she possessed came to light, far worse things could happen to them. Still, she couldn't help but detect a slight tremor in Elsa's hands remained. "We've been working a while. Why don't we stop to eat? I'm sure I can get you some more fresh fruit." One of the few blessings of this time of year was all of the fine harvest that people were all too eager to offer, hoping to gain her favor. The bushels of offered food were far more than even Anna could hope to eat.

"-Yes, my lady." Without another word, Elsa got up and left Anna alone. Short of perhaps causing further damage, it seemed she couldn't get out of Anna's sight quickly enough. Anna leaned her head forward into an open palm, sighing.

The cold grip of fear that dug into Elsa still ran deep, even with all the kindness Anna could give her. The possible reasons for this were several, and the only clear solution was to be patient. If only Anna hadn't burned so much of that up on these blasted papers. Not to mention there was no way to be certain Elsa would fully heal over time. It wasn't as though there was anyone she could safely ask for advice on the issue.

She could only believe in Elsa, and hope.

What seemed like an eternal mountain of work finally started to ease up, and the next week managed to pass by without incident. Though that proved less a blessing than Anna might have liked. She found herself looking somewhat less than before, yet now it was more a matter of concern than simple distraction. Wanting to help Elsa, but afraid to lose what she had. What they had.

The small emergency regarding Anna's secret stash really turned out to be nothing. Sure, the small box hadn't been locked properly, allowing anyone to search its contents. That didn't actually mean anything, unless someone managed to break into her room and find it. In the end, she might not have been any the wiser had Elsa not mentioned it at all. So how was it that Anna managed to frighten Elsa as much as she was that moment? She had to know, but there were perhaps things in Elsa's past that would be painful just to hear about. No way would Anna force her to relive any of it.

One question that never left the back of Anna's mind was whether they could simply go back to the way things were, before all of this. Something about it just didn't quite sit right with her. There was simply too much still occupying her mind to figure out quite what. Fortunately, there was something else more exciting that had a chance to take up her time.

The Grand Harvest Ball was a proud Arendight tradition, for all of one year. Technically, it was an offshoot of a gathering held at this time of year, but Anna needed something, anything more exciting to bring some energy back into her life. That might have meant jumping head first into even more work, but this was the kind of thing she lived for. The preparations were already underway by the time there was a big enough gap in her current workload, but Anna was eager to take charge. Besides, there were all manner of things that required her personal approval, regardless of how much sense it made.

First order of business: deal with the expenses. Perhaps the least entertaining part, but she was on a roll with boring already. Once all the difficult, arcane processes of figuring out how much to spend was done, she could find some exciting ways to spend it. The good news was there was already some progress on this front by the time she joined the fray. The bad news was this meant more paperwork.

All the basics seemed to be here. The costs for entertainment, particularly a band, were covered in full. They would need quite a bit of help to dust off all the plates and tables they almost never used. Naturally, someone would also need to handle all the invitations to go out, but these seemed to be in order. Most importantly by far though, was all the food. Along with a modest supply of wine, of course. This all started when Anna insisted they buy the best possible ingredients produced from the four corners of the province. There weren't too many times that she could go out to see what the land could offer, so why not bring it to her?

Upon checking the appropriate papers, something critical appeared to be missing: where were the prices? Working it all out was difficult enough when all the numbers were there. When summoned over the missing information, Kai didn't seem the least bit concerned.

"I was told the farmers didn't wish to charge us when they learned they were for you personally." He gave a smile and a nod, as though this should have been obvious.

Anna shook her head. "That can't be right. I never asked for contributions. I didn't even say to negotiate on the price. Don't tell me our people did it anyway."

"No, my lady. It appears that our staff from the year previous had received all kinds of stories about how honored the farmers were to receive recognition from your household, or how much the last year's order helped them out. So it would seem that many of them wished to convey their gratitude."

"I see." Anna considered. This would make her life a lot easier, but- "It doesn't feel right. They all worked so hard to grow their crops and rear the animals. Can I really take all of that for nothing?"

Kai nodded. "It's a gift , my lady. They wouldn't have offered this if they could not afford it. You'll find that simple folk are not as different from nobles than you might think. Even they have pride."

"I didn't mean-" Anna was trained to hold her own against the sharpest of the noble tongue, so of course it was always the humblest of people who gave her pause.

"Do not think too much of it. Your people do not require coddling, despite how it may seem sometimes. And I'm sure many of them are honored that something they made is good enough for you. That is payment enough for them." He pointed towards the names written on the documents. "I'm certain you can thank them in person later on."

Anna closed her eyes and considered. The Arendights always took pride in the good faith with which they treated their people. Money was no exception to that. It felt wrong just to take something her people made. Yet, to not do so was tantamount to taking their ability to choose . To express themselves. What harm could accepting a simple gift do, anyway? She could always provide aid later if things came to that.

The following weeks were no less industrious than the previous, only they had a wonderful sense of energy and anticipation to them this time around. As the big night approached, tables were moved and laid out, all of the food was gathered and stored away to keep it fresh for the big day. There were even a couple of extra frills that Anna managed to add in, given how far under budget they were. For noble both high and low, this was to be a night to remember.

Yet again, the young woman in her charge always managed to hold fast in the back of her mind. Elsa worked as effectively as anyone else, perhaps moreso. The only problem was this cold edge to each of her actions. Anna had seen smiles without any real effort; any warmth behind them. Yet, they never irked her the way it did now. Elsa was trying to create just a bit of distance between them. Was she afraid of making another mistake? Anna had been far too busy to explain how the fault was really her own.

By the eve of the big day, Anna had finally decided against doing so. It just seemed too little, too late. She could only move forward. If only it was easy to see the right path out of the several which lay ahead. All that was certain was that they couldn't continue the way they were going. Time to start whittling the paths down.

"Excellent work, Elsa. I trust that nothing was too difficult for you?" Not the first time she asked, but she was working at something different almost every day.

Elsa shook her head. "Nothing too troublesome. You need not worry, my lady." She gave the same, stony response every time. Anna would have to start forcing the issue. Gently at first, of course.

"You know, you're free to tell me if you think I'm being unfair. I won't stop you from walking away from all of this, either. I don't want to make you unhappy." Was that going too far? Anna hoped not.

Another shake. "That won't be necessary."

"It's not about necessary . I'm asking what you want." Anna held her breath. Even in front of Elsa, she could not simply fly off the handle. There was something Elsa was hiding, only Anna didn't quite have the heart to force it out.

"I'm satisfied as long as you are." A small part of Anna actually wanted to laugh. An answer worthy of a politician. Something that conveyed information to cause as little anger as possible. Just like that, Anna felt they were somehow closer, despite her making no progress on her original goal. Patience never came easily to Anna, but for now that was the only path.

"Very well. In that case, I would like it if you were to assist in the festivities tomorrow." She offered a smile. "But I'm sure I can find some time that you can use to rest and enjoy the night." A simple compromise. Perhaps with some time to relax, Elsa could finally open up.

"Of course. Thank you." After a moment of silence, Elsa finally bowed out. It was up to Anna to make this a night to remember.

Day turned to dusk, and things appeared to be going well. The gardens of the estate were lit up and brimming with all manner of vibrant colours from a vast array of lanterns. Even more impressive was the arrangement of food carefully prepared and laid out on tables lining where the stone steps of the gardens ended and the verdant grass began. Fruit, vegetables, and the finest selections of fresh meat were included, along with barrels of fine wines and ales. There was no shortage of delicacies, yet Anna remained confident that there would be very little of it left by the end of the festivities.

The guests slowly filtered in, enjoying the ambience created by the gentle music coming from the band, and sampling the selection of food prepared. Allowing everyone to come together and enjoy the fruits of her work was one of the simple pleasures that Anna lived for, interestingly enough. Not dancing the night away or being the greatest host in the land.. People were talking, drinking, laughing. Catching up after their own busy weeks behind them and discussing current events, no doubt.

Keeping everything in perfect order was taking priority over mingling and enjoying the band playing for the moment; simply a part of her labour of love. That, and a perfect excuse to get a word in with Elsa as she busied herself with keeping the tables stocked and glasses filled. Along with the occasional 'test' of the food as it was being served. Not the drinks though, for obvious reasons.

Elsa was in higher spirits than normal as of these past few days, and the best was yet to come. Still a shame that she could only taste the good life and not bathe herself in it the way Anna could. It would be too troublesome to spin a whole new web of lies on top of the one going on already. Why did this have to be so difficult ?

The sun finally vanished beneath the horizon, and the light from the lanterns adorning trees and bushes started to dominate the estate. The music continued in earnest, with partygoers young and old stepping to take turns in lock step. Anna finally decided to trust in her loyal workers to hold things down without her, and took a series of steps and twirls of her own. For a fleeting moment, there were no troubles in the world and she was free.

"Lady Arendight."

Anna heard a male voice call out behind her. An all too familiar voice.

"Representative Westergard, so good of you to come." Anna slowed her twirls and gave a short nod, which was about all that was required. It was a title that just screamed 'I'm not important enough to make any actual decisions or be taken seriously'. He was far too many notches down the line of succession for that. As with the rest of the family, his attempts to get into the good graces of the Arendight family all fell flat. "I trust you enjoyed the food?"

"Unfortunately, no. I only eat the food that's grown for us personally. I'm sure you understand." Anna really wanted to groan right now. He honestly believed even food should be judged entirely on its birthright. That was about all you really needed to know about him. And the rest of the family, for that matter. "And I must object to the help that you decided to take on."

Something in Anna lurched. Could he really mean-? "I'm not sure I understand. Has someone been rude to you? I'll see to it personally, I promise."

His scowled seemed to deepen. "Perhaps I could overlook something as simple as that; I understand that good help can be hard to find. But to even entertain the idea of keeping an Arcturian in our presence? Do you not remember how many good men died to keep them from destroying all of us?"

So this was about Elsa. The pale blonde hair gave her away. More importantly, this man almost certainly wasn't Elsa's participation lying down. "That was before my time, I'm afraid." How could anyone simply lump a group of people together like that? As sub-human ? "I'd rather not judge, myself."

"Hmm? Your family has always been outspoken on a number of different issues. I would be careful, if I were you. One day, the Wall will finally come down, and you may end up on the wrong side." Again with the riddles. Anna suspected if he spoke clearly, the temptation to punch him in the face would be too great.

Elsa ! "Excuse me, there are some events I need to see to. Please, enjoy yourself." Anna was quickly off, spurred by a mix of dread and seething anger. If that man had done anything to Elsa- where was she? Anna forced herself to ignore the calls for conversation from other guests in her search. Nothing. No sign of her in the gardens, nor anywhere leading to the kitchen.

It is only when she looks up towards the manor that Anna notices. A small, but unmistakable light coming from Elsa's room. So-

BOOM!

The sound and the bright flash almost made Anna's heart jump out of her chest. She realised these were the fireworks. Her fireworks. The finishing touch for this night of celebration. She hears the oohs and aahs and the gathered people below her, as a spectrum of brilliant flashes light up the night sky. Yet she can't help but feel a bit of inner emptiness. Elsa wasn't here to enjoy this, but at least she was safe in her room.

After one of the longest hours of Anna's life, things finally felt completely quiet in the gardens. She couldn't simply retire for the night though. Not until she was sure. With mechanical precision, she was in front of Elsa's door in a matter of minutes. Her clenched hand freezes for a moment. The certainty that this was going to be unpleasant looms over her. It was a good minute before she could take it no longer.

Knock , knock , knock knock , knock .

Anna returned to her room, and waited. How could she have been so foolish? It was easy to forget in her little province that people like that existed. To think that everyone was pleasant. Reasonable. Fair . Now Elsa had likely paid the price for that mistake. That was perhaps the hardest part. Somehow, harder than a bad decision that affected the thousands of people who lived under her, trusted in her ladyship.

How long was it until Elsa finally managed to arrive, Anna didn't really care. She only wanted to get a good look at Elsa; and at first, things didn't seem so bad. There were no signs of bruises or any other injury. Her clothes looked about the same as earlier in the night. But upon closer inspection, Anna sees a heaviness to Elsa's eyes that most certainly wasn't there before. Finally, as they moved face to face, Anna could make out dried tears running down Elsa's face. Damn it all .

"Elsa- what happened?" Anna finally gasped.

There was a palpable silence. Elsa looked downwards, well away from Anna's eyes. "This- this man. He said horrible things to me."

" Shhh , it's okay." Without a second to waste, Anna wrapped her arms around her.

"He- he said I was a monster. That we were all monsters. That one day we'd all be hunted down in the name of justice . Why? What did I do?"

How difficult it was for Anna not to squeeze Elsa in this moment, and never let go. There was little doubt that what was actually said was far more colourful and vulgar. Worse still, there was very little she could actually do if there wasn't any proof of such things. They would just have to take it. That was the worst thing of all. "It's alright. You don't have to say any more."

"I- I failed you, though," Elsa sniffed, laying her head on Anna's shoulder

Despite everything, Anna couldn't help but smile just the slightest bit. Dutiful and caring to a fault. What had Anna done to deserve her, anyway. "I wouldn't have made you stay after that, anyway. I promise you."

"No, you don't understand." She finally seemed to be upright. There was a soberness to her voice now. "When I opened your box. The one containing all the potions? Well, I- I wanted to open that. Even though I knew I shouldn't. I should- I should have told you, I know. I'm sorry ."

Anna briefly stared into the opposite wall. "So, is this why you've been so- distant recently?"

She felt a meek nod from Elsa. "I couldn't admit it. That I'd betrayed your trust. I had to stay away from you, before I cracked . I just made things worse, didn't I?"

" Elsa , I-" Anna stopped. In that one moment, a strange series of realisations slowly dawned on her. All focusing on one, key point:

Elsa was changing . It didn't seem as though there was any ill intent behind her actions, yet she went behind Anna's back all the same. She was clearly starting to want things for herself, even if that went against Anna. Even though there was just a bit of a sting from that, she just couldn't bring herself to be angry.

She remembered all the times years ago. The times her father told her of the evils of slavery. Why their lineage had proudly stood against such a thing as far back as they could remember: the right to pursue one's own life, one's own worth was something no one should be able to take away. If you didn't let one person have that, then you may as well not let anyone have it.

Even though Anna tried to offer Elsa those the day they met, Elsa refused to take them. A lifetime of servitude and oppression must have crushed those desires out of her. Now Elsa was given a taste of them, she wanted more. Even if she now hated herself for it. Now it was Anna's choice: if she encouraged these changes, these desires, there would be no going back.

"I'm not mad at you, Elsa." It was time. Time to move forward . "But no more going behind my back, understood? I've trusted you with the inner workings of my province, among other things. Because I thought you were worth that. In many ways, I still do. If there's something you really want to know, you can ask. If you make a mistake, I'll understand. You're Elsa , not a machine."

Elsa finally seemed to calm down, "I- I understand. M-master, is there something I can ask you now?"

Anna felt more uncomfortable than ever before being called that, but that was something they could work on later. " Anything ."

"Could I- could we just sleep here together, tonight? I missed that more than anything else."

Anna gave a gentle laugh. "Yes, I missed that as well. And, Elsa?"

"Yes?"

Suddenly, Anna felt rather stern. " Forget about everything that horrible man said. You're better than him, and don't let anyone tell you any different."

Elsa gasped. "You- you think so?"

"I know so." To Anna, Elsa was for more noble than any of noble birth. Far higher class than her lot in life.

What's more, she intended to prove it.