A/N: So after weeks and weeks of trials and tribulations impeding our progress, we bring you the first part of the epilogue. We were having such a difficult time with certain scenes (and the epilogue in general) that we decided to split it. The second part is actually mostly finished and should be up within a couple of days.
As a side note, if anyone has any lingering questions after this chapter, feel free to leave a comment and we'll see if we can address them in an author's end note in the last chapter. Unless your question is whether or not they do the do in the last chapter. Don't ask that, you'll get your answer next chapter for sure. But for now, enjoy the beginning of the aftermath.
"Mama?"
"Yes darling?"
"She's down in the gardens again..."
It's a beautiful, bright day. One of the sunniest she's seen in a while. Spring makes its presence known easily in the birdsongs, floral aromas, and gentle breezes that drift through the gardens. All around her, she can feel the vibrancy and joy that the season brings and nurtures. Every little thing moves with the life Spring has bestowed.
Except.
Idunn frowns at the lone, motionless figure under the oak tree.
Anna stands with her back to the castle, dressed lightly and barefoot. Idunn spies her shoes resting against the tree's roots. There's a few books too; romantic novels from what she can see from this distance.
Steeling her nerves, the Queen of Arendelle lifts her skirts and tiptoes through the garden. She can feel dew underneath her shoes and a smile lights on her lips before being replaced by a frown.
"Anna?"
If her youngest daughter hears her, she makes no indication of it. Anna remains hunched over, holding something in her grasp. At this proximity, Idunn realizes it's a painfully familiar object. Her frown deepens and she stops just behind Anna, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"Darling?"
Anna twitches and finally turns around. Her eyes are glassy and wide. "Oh. Hello Mother," Anna mumbles, quickly averting her gaze.
A million thoughts race through Idunn's mind at the despondent tone in her daughter's voice. She bends down—which isn't something she has to do much of anymore because Anna is thirteen and Elsa is sixteen and the both of them are growing taller day by day.
It won't be long before both her precious girls are no longer girls.
"What's wrong?" Idunn asks, brushing the backs of her fingers against Anna's cheek.
Anna shakes her head and her braids swing from the force. "It's nothing."
A stone falls into Idunn's stomach. While it didn't happen as frequently as Elsa's downturns, it wasn't unusual for the Queen to find her youngest daughter motionless in some corner of the castle or other. It often occurred in the portrait room or library though, where Anna would immerse herself heavily in faraway worlds when the isolation and loneliness weighed too coldly on her heart.
So for Idunn to find her in the gardens, motionless and monotone, she knows it must not have been "nothing."
She gently cups Anna's face and lifts it, pursing her lips when Anna refuses to look her in the eye. "Something happened," Idunn says. She brushes back Anna's fringe and notices her daughter's bottom lip quiver. "Tell me," Idunn whispers.
Please my Anna. If you and Elsa can't tell me what's wrong when you're hurting, then I've failed as your mother.
Anna sniffs, tightening her grip on the little blonde doll in her hands. "I heard Father arguing with my tutor."
Idunn blinks and searches her memory. She'd been with Elsa all day, sharing history lessons and cups of tea with her eldest daughter. Anna, as far as she can remember, was supposed to be taking etiquette lessons with Instructor Erling today.
"What was your Father speaking with him about?" Idunn asks gently.
Anna fiddles with one of the doll's hands, glancing to the side and mumbling under her breath.
"Speak up Anna," Idunn says. Her daughter flinches and the Queen's eyebrows rise to her hairline. "What did you hear?"
There's a large intake of breath before Anna spills the words dancing in her mind. "I was getting ready for my lessons as usual you know? I-I was a little late, but only a little late today. I couldn't sleep last night so I overslept this morning. But I apologized to Sir Erling as soon as I saw him!" Idunn watches with growing confusion as her daughter fiddles with the doll, staring down intently at the grass. "But he's never liked it when I'm late. He made a comment about how princesses should never be late and I apologized again so we sat down to start my lessons. But I think he was still quite irritated with me because every time I would forget how to act or speak—"
Anna begins to fidget, glancing from side to side and curling her toes into the grass. Idunn tries to follow her words, eyes tracking the way she shrugs or shifts her weight, swaying on her feet and still refusing to meet her gaze.
"—he'd make a comment about how a princess would remember such things and know what to do. He said my voice was too low and—" her daughter's voice cracked, the hints of puberty and confusion buried within, "—and how I don't sound like a princess. How I'll never be an actual princess. I'm just pretending!"
The stone in Idunn's stomach turns cold at Anna's whine. Anna turns the doll over in her hands, eyes glistening wetly.
"And I got angry after a point," she mumbles. "I told him I am a princess and I could do all the things he was saying I couldn't do if I just had time." Anna sniffs again. "Papa was walking by with Kai and overheard a bit. When he asked what was going on Sir Erling told him and they got into a fight and- and..."
Anna hiccups and Idunn brushes away the tears beading at the corners of her eyes quickly, murmuring, "Hush now my darling, it's alright. Mama's here."
Anna exhales shakily, tightening her hands on the childhood toy until her knuckles are white.
"He told Papa that the King of Arendelle shouldn't be giving into the fantasies of a naive boy."
The very first thing Idunn wants to do is march back into the castle and have more than a few crude words with Sir Erling. Her and Adgar have tried hard to ensure that Anna would never be faced with such cruelty. The very first time Anna had approached Adgar, small and afraid, about her body and why she felt the way she felt, her husband had told her he hadn't the heart to tell her about the harsh realities of the world. They'd gone to the trolls for help, for some semblance of ease for their son—no, their daughter.
Idunn had been terrified of what things could be done to her youngest. Adgar had managed to convince her the trolls could help, but the fear of Anna being in danger had never left her.
And then the incident with Elsa and her magic, the necessity of dealing with Anna's injury. It had been too much for either her or Adgar.
The outside world...
What would people have done to her children? One born with a magical gift and the other whose gift was all herself?
Idunn's head swims with possibilities. They'd cast a blind eye to Elsa's kind and gentle heart because her hands brought cold and icy wind. Would overlook Anna's zeal and warm heart because she wasn't a "normal" girl.
Trust Adgar. He said we'd protect them. Keep the world out and keep them in to keep them safe.
"I don't want to see Sir Erling again..."
Anna's teary voice jars Idunn from her thought. The Queen blinks and looks down to see Anna picking at her doll. Her heart clenches at the yearning, forlorn look in her daughter's eyes.
"It's alright my darling," Idunn croons, pulling Anna to her chest.
Anna stiffens at first, cheek pressed against her bosom. For a moment, Idunn fears her little girl will burst into tears the way she used to before Adgar took them to the trolls. Despite her paranoia, they had helped Anna grow more comfortably into her body and Idunn does not wish to see that same heartbreak ever again. She runs a hand through Anna's hair to soothe her insecurities.
After a long, tense moment, Anna relaxes in her embrace, sniffles small and quiet.
"Do you think Papa will be furious with me Mama?"
Idunn shakes her head, pressing a kiss to Anna's hair. "No Anna. You heard your father. He's probably dealing with Sir Erling's entire career right now."
In fact, she suspects Adgar is already informing the spindly, scornful man what's to become of him—out of the gates and away from their presence. So, relieved, Idunn places kiss after tender kiss on Anna's forehead.
Anna shakes her head slightly, voice muffled against her mother's dress. "But what if he—"
"Oh Anna, it's alright. One ignorant, old man set in his ways says nothing about—"
"He said to Papa no one will love a boy walking around with confused and silly ideas in his head," Anna quietly interrupts.
Idunn stiffens. Her heart clenches painfully at the heaviness in her little girl's voice. She swallows thickly and Anna finally looks up at her, eyes watering.
"Is it true Mama?" Anna whispers. "What he said?"
Idunn gasps softly and wraps her arms around her youngest daughter. Anna sniffs, remaining rigid. "Of course it isn't true," Idunn whispers, rubbing her cheek into the silky, copper hair beneath.
Anna hiccups. "Do you think there's someone out there who could love me? Completely love me?"
Idunn blinks away the tears glistening in her own eyes. A lump bobs in her throat and she finds it difficult to speak. She weaves her hand through Anna's hair, pushing down the raw guilt and sadness that rises whenever she's reminded of the fact that the gates remain closed even eight years later.
"Yes my darling," she breathes into Anna's hair. "Don't worry Anna, we're here for you."
She feels a cold, cold breeze drift over them. Idunn glances over her shoulder to the high windows of the castle. Although she can't see clearly from this position, she knows a certain princess watches over them from above.
You're not alone my darlings. Someone out there does love you Anna. Someone very special loves you.
And I love her.
One.
Two.
Three.
With a great wave of warmth, her heart begins to beat. It starts from inside, slowly moving through her body and drawing the ice from her blood.
The first thing Anna is aware of is the heavy weight of darkness. Her eyes see nothing else and when she tries to move, nothing happens. For several long seconds, Anna's stream of consciousness is filled with nothing but the blackness and her own thoughts. Her heart's tempo rises with ghastly fear at the endless stretch of darkness before her eyes. Then, she hears a soft sound, as if she's underneath a frozen lake. It's indecipherable at first. Wind or something, far away and indistinct, muffled to her ears by a strange thickness.
"Ah—!"
It's as if a barrier of ice muffles everything around her, save for the pounding in her ears, in a tempo of one-two, one-two. The muffled sounds are followed by a sensation of cold, a chill so deep it pervades every crevice and notch of her skin. Anna feels a stiff numbness that withdraws like melting snow, soft and slow.
"—na."
Crying.
Agony surges through her chest rapidly and spreads outwards, as if thousands and thousands of needles retract from her body. The cold recedes from her body as if something sharp was being pulled out of her.
"Ah—!"
Someone is crying.
From her heart, warmth chases away the cold.
"—na!"
And then with a great exhale, Anna thaws.
The agony squeezing her bones leaves as quickly as it comes. Darkness gives way to a pale, blue sky. Oxygen fills her lungs. She sees her arm, her hand, fingers. Pale and pink like human flesh, untinged by blue and frost. A gentle wind blows around her, tickling the fine hairs on the nape of her neck. Sensation and awareness finally come into focus for her, her eyes squinting against a weak, pale sun.
A weight is pressed into her. Anna gasps as she lowers her arm, sounds bursting with clarity all around. Memories and realization follow in quick flashes.
She had been freezing. Dying. A locked room and hopelessness. Then fire and Olaf. Snow and ice. Water. Water everywhere. Her strength leaving her. Kristoff's voice. The fjord. Hans!
Elsa!
Anna snaps her head down to see white-gold hair and when she gasps again, blue eyes flash into her vision.
Elsa stares at her in horror.
Then disbelief.
Then fear.
Then...
As her sense of touch returns, Anna feels a strange feeling bubble in her chest. Elsa's eyes water for a moment before the most wondrous smile Anna has ever seen splits her cheeks.
"Anna!" Elsa cries, hands gripping her biceps. Anna opens her arms and Elsa rushes into them.
Elsa searches Anna's body as they embrace, as if her hands can't keep still. They move stiffly up her arms, feeling the warm flesh and bloodunderneath Anna's clothes. A shiver runs down Anna's spine as her sister checks her frantically. Patting her shoulders and collarbone, smoothing over the clasp of her cloak. Touching her neck briefly. Her sternum. The spot on her bosom where her heart beats with life.
Then she wraps her arms around Anna's back and holds her. Simply holds her. Breath raspy and shaky, brushing against Anna's neck.
The storm is silent and the wind is still. The snowflakes all around them are unmoving, barely swaying in the air.
Anna rubs her chin on Elsa's shoulder, breathing in her scent, her eyes closing to surround herself with Elsa. She hears Elsa gasp and sigh in pure relief, whimpering once or twice as she nuzzles Anna's shoulder.
"You're alive," her sister chokes, voice tight and teary. "God be praised, you're alive Anna."
Something warm and vast fills Anna's heart as Elsa squeezes her in their tight, desperate embrace. To feel Elsa alive and whole after seeing a blade above her makes Anna weak in the knees. The princess trembles from head to toe as her sister buries her face in the crook of her neck. Lips press into the nook before Elsa turns and nuzzles her shoulder, breaths shaky.
"Oh Elsa," Anna whispers, tightening her hold on her sister, her Queen, her most beloved. "I thought I wasn't going to make it in time," she says, voice cracking.
Elsa exhales, her chest rising and falling with Anna's. She breaks from their embrace suddenly, cupping a freckled cheek in one hand and staring at Anna, searching her face for something. Anna gives her a tender smile Elsa's eyes widen just a fraction, so full of bliss and tears that it steals the princess's breath away. Elsa pulls her hand away from Anna's cheek, but before Anna can mourn the contact, her sister interlaces their fingers together without thought.
"You sacrificed yourself for me?" Elsa asks, chest heaving.
Anna blinks, surprise flashing through her. The way Elsa says it. The way her sister looks at her with a measure of disbelief still on her face. Her brow pulled tight and skin both flushed and pale.
The doubt that lingers like the wreckage of a ship wrought by a storm.
And like a snowflake drifting to the ground, Anna finds the answer.
Oh Elsa. I will always find my way back to you.
Anna draws their hands closer to her chest. "I love you."
Elsa softens. Her entire body relaxes, the taut worry lining her face eases and her shaky breathing slows. She squeezes Anna's hands and Anna finds all her devotion, yearning, and tenderness reflected in Elsa's eyes.
Anna's chest tightens and this time it's without heartache.
So this is it.
"I love you too," Elsa whispers, as if she's read Anna's mind. "So much."
Anna blinks back tears and wordlessly draws Elsa closer. And, as if on some ingrained level or some deeper instinct, Elsa understands and meets her halfway.
They press their foreheads together and Anna stutteringly repeats, "I love you."
A gasp breaks their attention to each other and they both turn, wide-eyed and flushed, to see Olaf staring at them with his head in his hands; literally. Marshmallow stands behind him, a large, toothless smile on his snowy face. Kristoff's face is red with exertion and Sven's coat is dark with sweat, but both of them are staring with a mixture of shock and relief.
Anna reflexively squeezes Elsa's hands in a moment of shyness. Elsa flashes her a small grin and steps back a bit.
"Do you see that? Do you?!" Olaf chitters to Marshmallow, bouncing excitedly. Before his brother can even respond, Olaf turns to them with an absolute look of glee. "An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart!"
Anna's heart races and swells, her mind blurring with happiness.
"Love will thaw..."
Anna blinks, the words tickling her ears. She turns her attention to her sister, feeling Elsa distractedly squeeze her hands. There's a look of concentration on her face and she's staring down at their intertwined hands. Her blue eyes dart back and forth and Anna hears her mutter something under breath.
Anna's about to ask what's wrong when heat suddenly shoots through her. She shivers, eyes widening as a hum starts in the air. A queer feeling thickens in the atmosphere, something that makes her tingle and causes every hair on her body to rise.
A chime whistles by her ears and something old, something childish and nostalgic, stirs inside her. A half-recollection.
A light enters Elsa's eyes.
"Of course," she says, more to herself and stronger this time.
"Elsa?" Anna questions the conviction in her voice.
Elsa meets her gaze and it is filled with euphoria. The Queen squeezes her hands tightly before untangling their fingers. Anna looks on in growing confusion and...
And hope as Elsa stares at her hands with sudden realization, courage, and awe.
For the first time in forever, Elsa's eyes hold no fear.
"Love!" she says breathlessly.
When Elsa spreads her arms out and the hum in the air increases in tempo, Anna feels her bones vibrate.
The ice beneath their feet begins to thaw. Bits and bits of ice slowly crack into snowflakes. Anna gapes as the miniscule crystals lift into the air. Olaf mimics her gasp from earlier as they're surrounded by a slow and gentle storm of ice and snow. Marshmallow rumbles happily as he stands closer to her and Elsa, holding out a giant claw and watching the snowflakes. Sven grunts and tries to catch some on his tongue as Kristoff looks on with mesmerized eyes. Beneath them, the dock of a ship is revealed.
The snowflakes rise from the fjord, the roofs of the townspeople's houses, the castle walls, and ships. Everything coalesces together in an array of blue, pink, and white. In the distance, Anna hears people shouting.
But it all dims and fades, as ice and snow come together to form an embellished, colossal snowflake in the sky. Elsa brings her hands together and Anna watches her magic hang above Arendelle, like a giant, crystallized cloud. The chime and hum in the air seems to sing as everyone looks on.
Then Elsa draws back her hands and her magic disperses, shattering into blue sparks.
When it ends, Anna turns to Elsa with a smile. Her sister's blue eyes are alight with wonder, arms still spread and face glowing. Anna lays a hand on her shoulder and Elsa lowers her hands and beams at her.
"I knew you could do it," Anna says, chest puffing up with pride.
Elsa's expression softens and Anna's heart flutters at the gentle gratitude on her face. She's about to pull her sister close when a groan sounds behind them all.
Anna turns to see Hans pulling himself to his feet, one hand on the ship's railing and the other rubbing his jaw.
Anger colors her cheek and she grits her teeth, hands flying out over Elsa protectively. A flash out of the corner of her makes her blink and suddenly, Kristoff is at her side, glaring darkly at Hans.
His stiff shoulders and clenched fists sends a wave of affection through her. Just as he begins to stomp towards Hans, she jumps in front of him.
"Ah, ah, ah!"
Kristoff snaps his gaze to her, brow furrowing in confusion. "Anna, what—"
She puts a finger to her lips, a grin stretching across her face. Kristoff's frown deepens, but he doesn't protest when she strides past him, head and shoulders held high.
This is mine to do.
Anna stops in front of Hans, waiting for the prince to notice her presence. The minute he does, he tenses. Anna repels the shiver of anger that starts in her chest as Hans looks up her form.
"Anna?" Hans's eyes widen in surprise. He straightens and true uncertainty flickers in his eyes. "But...she froze your heart."
And you left me to die! Anna bites back the retort however and squares her shoulders. A strange calm drapes over her.
Anna narrows her eyes. "All you've done today, Hans, proves that the only frozen heart around here is yours."
Hans's eyes flash and a minuscule frown tugs on the corner of his lips. The blank, vaguely annoyed expression marks the first time she has ever seen him look ugly. In a split second, his persona of the kindhearted, heroic prince is gone.
Anna turns away from him with a vague sense of anger, disgust, and shame.
The image of Hans raising his sword above Elsa, predatory grin in place, flashes in her mind.
So she turns on her heel and grabs a fistful of Hans's coat. He barely opens his mouth to protest when her knuckles collides with his face.
Hans's body tips back from the force and he arcs over the ship's railing. For once, Anna's glad she was born male. Her upper body strength sends Hans falling into the sea. She hears a shout and a satisfying splash before she turns around.
We can pick him up later.
For now, Elsa's tentative grin demands her attention. Her sister holds out her arms slightly and at first Anna only blinks, perplexed. Then realization dawns on her and, with a wide smile, she throws her arms around Elsa.
Elsa sighs into her neck, clinging to her. Anna rubs her cheek against her sister's shoulder and feels tears prick the corners of her eyes.
"I love you," she whispers, voice tight and trembling.
Lips brush her cheek. Elsa murmurs, "I love you too."
And summer returns.
"Come on, come on, come on!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Anna, wait, slow down!"
Anna shoots a grin at Kristoff over her shoulder. Despite the slight annoyance in his voice and the blindfold on his face, he wears a smile just as large as hers.
"We're almost there," she promises, continuing to tug him along the bridge. Around her, people scurry towards the castle, their voices filling the air with talk and excitement.
"Aren't you still injured?" Kristoff asks, narrowly avoiding a mother and child.
"Nope!" Anna quips.
It's not false, but it's not technically true either. The gashes, bruises, aches, and pains have lessened in the week following the Great Thaw, but the dull throbbing of her muscles still persists day in and day out. If she and Elsa aren't overlooking the kingdom, then they've been resting in the infirmary under the scrutinization of Doctor Halvard. Still, joy and adrenaline surge through her veins and dull any discomfort.
It is, after all, the first time that Elsa and her are fit enough to greet the townspeople. The both of them are eager to ease any lingering worries everyone might have following the Eternal Winter.
Kristoff laughs at her enthusiasm and lets her guide him. "Okay, okay—" A loud clang cuts him off and he groans. "Anna, pole..."
"Sorry!" Anna says, grabbing his arm and pulling him along again. He rubs his head as she tugs him to the end of the bridge and stops. Anna pants for a second, lungs still unused to her usual excitement. "Okay, okay! Here we are." She beams and bounces on her feet, looking at her gift with shaking fists.
Kristoff turns his head around. "What am I looking at?"
"Huh?" Anna blinks at up him before starting in surprise. "Oh!" She snatches the blindfold off his face. "Now!"
Kristoff lets out a choked noise of surprise and her heart soars in triumph. Anna crosses her arms over her chest, smug.
"I owe you a sled," she says.
Before them stands a lovely vehicle of varnished wood and metalwork, colored violet-gray and brown, with a bright red bow on its front and several parcels heaped into its seat.
Sven trots up to the front of it and puffs out his chest just like her. Upon his white furred neck is a large, silver medal.
Kristoff stares in shock and Anna resists from beaming at his open jaw. "Are you serious?"
Her composure breaks.
Anna squeals and shakes her fists. "Yes! And it's the latest model, straight from the finest carpenter in Arendelle. We had your lute replaced and everything you lost in the fire is available at your leisure!" Anna bites her lip to keep from screaming how she'd demanded to be kept up to date on the production of his new vehicle. She had made sure to leave clear constructions on the painting, style, and strength of the sled—stating that only the best would be sufficient enough for her friend.
Kristoff blinks away his stupor, shaking his head. "N-no, wait. I can't accept this."
Anna snaps her attention to him, glaring. "You have to!" He opens his mouth to protest and she retaliates by poking his chest repeatedly, saying, "No buts. No returns! Queen's orders!"
Kristoff snorts, taken aback by her outburst.
Anna softens and cups her hands together, peering up at him beneath her bangs. "Do you like it...?"
He stares at her, eyebrows up to his hairline. "Like it?"
Anna's stomach clenches. Her shoulders drop slightly, fingertips tapping against each other. Kristoff appraises the sled with an unreadable expression. Then, he turns to Anna and a large grin curls on his face, his brown eyes warming like a fire hearth.
"I love it!" he cries and before she knows it, Kristoff picks her up by the waist and swings her around. "This is amazing! No one's ever done anything like this for me."
Anna grabs his shoulders, laughing in surprise and delight. The anxiety leaves her from his open declaration and she buries her face happily into his shoulder, feet wiggling in the air as Kristoff crushes her in a tight, bear-armed embrace.
"I just can't believe you actually did this!" he says into her hair and although his voice is muffled, Anna can clearly hear the joy in it. He's practically crushing her, but she can't stop grinning into his shirt, tears pricking her eyes.
Although it might be from the fact that Kristoff still smells.
When a large, furry nose nudges them in the side, Kristoff finally sets her down. Anna giggles as Sven nuzzles her cheek, snorts and warm breath teasing her face. She ruffles his ears before turning to Kristoff.
"Since you're now our official Ice Master and Deliverer, Elsa's had a room prepared for you to live in at the castle!"
Kristoff grimaces. "Among all those high windows and creepy servants?"
Anna snorts and rolls her eyes. She tickles Sven under the chin, the reindeer stamping his back foot in delight. Anna smirks at Kristoff out of the corner of her eye and says, "There's a humble cottage at the outskirts of town with your name on it if you want it."
Kristoff quirks an eyebrow and smiles, crossing his arms. "I think we can work something out over that."
Anna giggles and of her own accord, wraps her arms around him. Kristoff doesn't hesitate to return the hug, resting his chin on her head. The chatter and excitement of the townspeople dies down. Anna presses her cheek against his chest and it feels as if the sun shines even stronger on her back.
Her eyes flutter shut and she sniffs. "Thank you for staying when you didn't have to."
Kristoff huffs and strokes the back of her head. "What are friends for?"
Anna snorts, blinking back the wetness gather in her eyes. "Until now most of my friends never moved."
Kristoff pats her shoulder and pulls back. "Well me and Sven figured you needed at least one friend who could keep up with you."
Anna grins and tries to pass off wiping a tear by brushing her hair behind her ear. Kristoff smiles gently and she looks away, ear tips turning red.
"Did you volunteer to be that friend Sven?" Anna cooes, cupping the reindeer's head.
"Hey!" Kristoff says, frowning at her
Anna laughs as Sven snorts and licks her face. "Oh, what a good friend you are! Yes you are!"
Kristoff rolls his eyes and throws his hands up. "Anna, I meant me!"
Anna sticks out her tongue at him and continues to sweet-talk Sven. Kristoff prods and pokes her sides, making her giggle harder. Sven's tail wags as Anna lavishes him with attention, stroking his fur and fiddling with his medal.
At last Kristoff relents and shrugs. He smiles faintly and pulls a carrot from his pocket. "You're so weird, you know that?"
"Says the guy that talks for his reindeer," Anna replies.
Kristoff humphs. "Sven speaks for himself." He smirks at Sven. "Right buddy?"
Sven huffs and stamps his feet excitedly. "'That's right Kristoff!'"
Anna rolls her eyes, but she can't stop the smile bunching up her cheeks. She brushes the soft, white fur along Sven's neck. A weight presses down on her shoulders and she bites her lip, brow creasing. Kristoff offers the carrot to Sven and he snatches it up, large teeth crushing it. A silent moment passes between them.
"You're going to see him after this aren't you?" Kristoff asks, voice low and barely audible above the surrounding chatter.
Anna's frown deepens and she ignores the chill that slinks down her spine. "Yes," she whispers.
In the distance, she can hear the ships being loaded on the docks.
The wind that sifts through the cell is slow and gentle. It brings the scent of flowers, grass, and sunshine. Even with the cold and dampness amongst the stones, winter's chill is completely absent. Soft footsteps resound throughout the dungeon and then a shadow falls over his cell.
Hans raises his head, glancing away from the manacles ensnaring his wrists, and locks eyes with the Princess of Arendelle.
Anna's jaw is set and Hans watches her features struggle not to twist with the shadow of anger. A guard stands next to her, glaring at him openly. Anna turns to her watch and nods stiffly.
"Could you leave us for a moment Ingvar?"
The guard balks, staring at Anna with wide eyes. "But Your Highness—!"
"Please," Anna says shortly.
Ingvar's mouth clamps shut and he nods, saluting. "Then, I'll stand guard nearby Princess." He throws Hans one last ugly look before disappearing down the dungeon.
Hans watches the exchange with a detached look, mouth curling downward when Anna faces him again. "Why has Her Highness graced me with her presence today?"
Anna scowls. "The orders are in," she says.
Hans quirks an eyebrow. Despite his silence, he feels his stomach twist. Leaving the heir to the throne to die and making an attempt on the Queen's life? His sentence wouldn't be light.
"Elsa's decided to send you back to the Southern Isles and let your brothers decide your punishment. The French dignitary has graciously accepted to take you back."
A chill runs down Hans's spine. He stares at Anna, jaw dropping.
That's it? That's their response to treason? What are these fools thinking?!
His mind spins. He would have laughed if he wasn't so shocked.
Anna's frown deepens at his silence. "It was Elsa's idea," she says and with a start, Hans realizes she was able to parse his emotions for the first time. "Of course you're never allowed to return to Arendelle after this."
She grips a cell bar with one hand and he hears the metal creak slightly from her force. For a brief moment, Hans expects ice to creep from beneath her fingers, but this is Anna, he reminds himself. The one without magic.
But not without power, a voice in the back of his mind finally whispers.
"That's generous of you," he sneers. He tenses when Anna's eyes narrow, the blue in her eyes glimmering like ice. "Is that all you've come here for?" Hans asks. He scoffs and turns to glare at the dungeon wall. "If it is, then I don't think there's anymore reason for Her Highness to engage in filth."
There's quiet for a few seconds before Anna speaks again.
"Why did you do it?"
Hans throws his head back and laughs. The sound bounces off stone. He shoots Anna a smirk, delighting in the way her expression darkens. "Oh, Anna," her shoulders tense and he grins, "still thinking so naively?"
She scowls and he shrugs.
"I wanted a throne and I was willing to do what it took to get what I wanted." Hans's green eyes flicker. "Whether that meant being a prince or being a witch's end."
Even he jumps when Anna surges forward, the bars rattling from her anger.
"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" she hisses.
Hans blinks and shrugs. "Sorry, do you prefer sorceress?"
Anna scoffs. "You have some nerve talking like that about the person who's deciding to spare your life." Her voice softens and Hans blinks as Anna looks down, something flickering in her eyes. "Even I know that if it was anyone besides Elsa, you wouldn't be sitting there."
"Does that include you?"
Anna snaps her gaze back to him, eyes widening. Hans watches her with a detached curiosity. As the seconds tick by, he grows frustrated. The blank look in Anna's eyes provides no insight into her thoughts.
"No."
The whisper almost dies in the dark. Hans's eyes widen and Anna's hand drops to her side. She sighs and wraps her arms around her torso.
"Frankly, I'd prefer it if you just left," Anna mumbles.
Why?
The question rings sharper than the blow she'd given him out on the fjord. Hans's jaw slackens as Anna stares at him with a mixture of pity and guilt.
Why, why, why?
By all accounts, Anna should want his head on a pike. But she stands before his cell with something like sadness look in her eyes. The tight ball of frustration in his gut only grows. He can't read her reaction and a part of him seethes at the fact that he can't understand her.
"Why?" he finally asks, nearly choking on his own surprise.
Anna sighs again and her shoulders drop. "It's my fault any of this happened," she mutters.
Hans snorts.
Anyone else would think otherwise.
He keeps the thought to himself however and instead just watches Anna.
"If I hadn't been so desperate for love, all of this probably wouldn't have happened." Anna's eyes mist over and she stares at a corner in the dungeon cell. "Maybe Elsa wouldn't have gotten hurt..."
"Who's to say she wouldn't have just holed herself up forever if you hadn't pushed her during her coronation?"
Anna glares at him and Hans lifts his hands in a placating gesture. The manacles clink as he shrugs.
She straightens, holding her chin up high. "Whatever the case may be, you're to be sent back to the Southern Isles."
Hans sinks his fingers into his breeches, feeling the dirt and grime clinging to them.
Anna grips the cell bars again, eyes flashing coldly as she stares him down. "If you come near my sister or my kingdom again, then neither of us will be merciful the next time."
To his surprise, Anna's eyes soften as she turns and her voice goes quiet.
"Goodbye Hans. I'm sorry it came down to this."
Hans watches, jaw slack and eyes open, as Anna turns and disappears down the hallway. With sickening clarity, he's left alone in his cell feeling dissatisfied. His plans for the throne of Arendelle lie at his feet, dust and usurped.
But the feeling of failure is nothing to the strange bitterness when the realization sinks in that maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong about Princess Anna of Arendelle.
Hans clenches his jaw and for the first time, feels anger boil in his blood.
"Are you ready?"
Her question is met with a burst of excitement and cheer. The courtyard is filled to the brim of spectators. The thousand eyes on her would have made her shrink and hide just a month ago.
And it almost still does, but instead Elsa holds her ground, allowing herself to feel proud and to smile, if tentatively.
With a flourish of her gown, Elsa stamps her feet on the cobblestones and ice immediately sprouts from her heel. It hisses, crackles, and swirls outward. Elsa turns to gauge her people's reactions as the courtyard is turned into a frozen playground.
Everyone rushes forward, the children the most eager of all. Elsa beams and as a final touch, lifts her hands to command the fountains to curve and transform into ice sculptures. A few people gasp and she sees a child tug on his father's sleeve and point happily. Elsa glows as even several of her servants move onto the ice, joining the townspeople in skating upon the smooth surface.
I did this.
Elsa's smile only vanishes when she hears someone walking towards her. She turns her head and stares as Anna stumbles forward, arms and legs spread out in a vain attempt at balance.
Elsa hurries forth just as Anna loses said balance. She grabs her sister's arms and pulls her up, a smile curving on her lips as Anna laughs in relief.
"I take it everything went well today?" Elsa asks, carefully watching Anna's expression. A part of her is still uneasy that Anna had wanted to visit Hans before his departure, but Anna is alive and well before her so she pushes the uneasiness aside.
Anna nods, moving her hands to tangle their fingers together. "Kristoff loved his new sled and he promised to take Marshmallow back up the mountain."
Elsa smiles slightly. Despite conjuring up a flurry for him, Marshmallow had wanted to return to her ice palace. "Too warm," he had told her. "Want to fix Mama's castle too."
She wants to ask about Hans too, but a closer inspection of Anna's face belies a pensive look. Elsa squeezes her sister's hand instead. Anna blinks and refocuses on her.
"Did you want to talk about," she grimaces and Anna frowns, "your meeting."
At first, Elsa expects Anna to decline. But then her younger sister glances at the large, wooden gates, eyes trailing over the ice spiraling along the castle walls and rooftops.
Anna turns back to her with a glowing smile. "I like the open gates."
Elsa blinks, tilting her head in confusion. And then she remembers the locked doors and secrets. She takes a deep breath.
No more secrets, she tells herself.
No more hiding behind a door. No more buried longing, bitterness, or hurt. She knows Anna will talk about her meeting with Hans in time, just as Elsa knows she will be ready to share all that happened during their years apart.
Elsa squeezes Anna's hands again and says, "We are never closing them again."
Anna giggles and although Elsa can see lines of worry drawn on her brow, she knows the sound is genuine. She straightens and flicks her wrist. Snowflakes dance and sparkle around Anna's shoes, ice sprouting from the bottom to form elegant skates.
Anna blinks several times, lips parting in awe. Elsa tingles at the look and she clasps her hands together, looking Anna up and down in smug satisfaction.
The princess gasps, "Oh, Elsa, they're beautiful." She snaps her gaze to Elsa and frowns. "But you know I don't skate."
Immediately, Elsa's mind perfectly conjures a memory of little hands slipping into hers. A rush of affection—tinged with the slightest heartache—flows through her. She grasps Anna's hands, tugs backwards, and with a wide grin, exclaims, "C'mon, you can do it!"
Anna squeals and stumbles immediately, skates clacking against the ice. "I got it, I got it, I got it—" her feet nearly skip out from under her, "—oh, I don't got it!"
Elsa takes mercy on her and draws her in close again. Anna grins and the Queen smiles softly at her, slowing their skating to a smooth crawl. Anna's expression softens and she leans her head on Elsa's shoulder, sighing contentedly.
"I missed this," she whispers. "This closeness."
Elsa mimics her sigh and feels Anna shivers against her. She reaches up and strokes copper hair. The princess closes her eyes, tightening her grip on their still connected hands.
"Don't let go," she says.
Elsa brushes her lips against Anna's temple.
"I won't. Never again."
The celebration goes on into the night. Fireworks light the sky and dancing takes off in the streets. With such joy and cheer in the air, Elsa almost regrets departing towards her chambers. Almost.
"Keep the lanterns lit until the square has cleared and make sure the Watch Guard stay on their toes," Elsa tells Kai.
He nods and dips his head. "Of course Your Majesty." He straightens and fixes Elsa with a curious look. "Will you be retiring to bed with Her Highness?"
Elsa stiffens, a hot flush blooming on her cheeks and spreading down her neck. She's immediately grateful for the low light, otherwise her reaction would seem strange.
I doubt he means it in that way, but I'm not taking chances.
She and Anna still have much to discuss about the changes in their relationship.
"Yes, I am," Elsa says, turning her head to spy Anna amongst the crowd. She catches a glimpse of her and smiles softly when she sees Anna playing with Olaf and Marshmallow. "I think it's time we both got some rest."
Kai chuckles and Elsa notices him smiling as well out of the corner of her eye. "It doesn't look as if Princess Anna is ready to sleep just yet."
Elsa frowns, watching Anna clamber up Marshmallow's shoulders. "I hope she is. Her injuries still aren't fully healed despite her...insistence otherwise." Her frown deepens when Anna sags in Marshmallow's arms.
Not fully healed at all.
"And your leg Your Majesty?"
Elsa blinks and glances at Kai. He gestures to her feet and she looks down at the bandages wrapped neatly around her calf. The Queen shrugs and folds her hands delicately, turning back to look at Anna. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt as much." Elsa grimaces and says, "The most troubling thing is getting up the stairs."
Kai laughs and Elsa smiles in response. A few seconds later, large footfalls approach them.
Marshmallow stops right before them, arms cradling her sister. "Anna is tired," he rumbles, concern obvious on his snowy face. "Needs rest."
"No I don't," Anna whines, back to them and face buried in his snowy chest. "I'm just closing my eyes a bit." She tries to rise, but gives up halfway. "Nevermind..."
Elsa starts and hurries over. "Come on then, it's time we retired for the night anyway."
She gestures for Marshmallow to put her sister down and he does so gently. Anna sways and leans on Elsa for support. The Queen wraps her arms around her before turning to Kai.
"If you'll excuse us Kai," she says.
He nods and salutes. "I'll let the guard and servants know of your departure Your Majesty."
Elsa smiles and turns to lead Anna into the castle when her sister tugs on her arm.
"Wait, I want to say goodbye to Marshmallow first!"
Elsa groans as Anna detaches from her to bound over to the snow golem. She hugs his arm tightly and he strokes her back with an icy claw.
"You be good on that mountain you hear?" the princess quips, grinning up at him. "Don't give Kristoff and Sven any trouble while they help you back okay?"
Marshmallow practically purrs in response as he rubs his face against Anna's. It softens the tight ball of anxiety in Elsa's chest. She walks up to her creation and pats his arm.
"We'll see you soon," she promises.
"Yes Mama," he rumbles and Elsa blushes when Anna laughs.
"Alright that's enough," she huffs, grabbing Anna's arm and dragging her to the castle. "It's getting late and I want your injuries looked at."
"Ugh, not again!"
In contrast to the singing and cheering from the townspeople outside, the castle is strangely quiet. Fortunately for Anna, Dr. Halvard's check-up leaves her with nothing but the usual rest and relaxation for her injuries.
"The worst of the lot is fading into bruises. Mind you, they're ugly bruises, but I've no doubt you'll be in top form soon Princess," he says, putting away his tools and fixing his glasses on his nose.
Elsa breathes a sigh of relief behind Anna. "Thank you Doctor, I appreciate it."
Dr. Halvard huffs and wipes his glasses with a handkerchief. "It's my duty Your Majesty, no thanks needed." He squints when Anna lets loose a wide yawn. "As always my diagnosis is correct. Her Highness is in need of rest."
Anna grunts, chin drooping on her chest. "'M fine. Don't worry about me."
Elsa sighs fondly and gently strokes Anna's head. "He's right you know. You should get some rest."
Anna turns her head and her eyes lock with Elsa, a question flicking in their blue-green depths. Elsa's chest tightens at the underlying desperation. The Queen quickly glances to check if Dr. Halvard is watching them. To her relief, his back is to them. She leans down and whispers, "You really should get some sleep."
Anna swallows and looks down, nodding. "Okay," she mumbles.
Elsa knows that Anna likely wants to spend more time with her, but the hour is late and their day has been long.
But there is plenty of night left.
She ignores the whisper in her mind for now and gently squeezes Anna's shoulder. Her sister grasps her fingers and returns the gesture before standing. Elsa smiles as Anna leans over and kisses her cheek.
"Goodnight," the princess whispers. Elsa's smile turns shy and Anna's eyes brighten. She looks over her shoulder and says, "Goodnight Dr. Halvard!"
Halvard glances over and narrows his eyes slightly. "Her Highness better be thinking about relaxing."
Anna coughs and blushes. Elsa bites back a smirk as her sister slinks off without a word, tail between her legs.
"I'm glad to see you and Her Highness are on better terms now."
A blush creeps up Elsa's neck. She smiles and plays with the end of her braid. "The incident during my coronation was a blessing in disguise."
Even her dealings with Hans led to good fortune.
It's a strange thought, but Elsa is too happy to dwell on the less than pleasing implications.
"She missed you terribly," Halvard says, rummaging through a drawer.
Elsa grimaces and wrings her hands a bit. "I missed her too," she mumbles. The long years during their separation are so far away and yet still so close.
Halvard lets out a sympathetic grunt and withdraws some medical tape. "I take it I no longer have to feign obliviousness in relation to your powers?"
Elsa winces and seats herself on a nearby bed. "No. By now Anna's figured out everyoneknew about my powers except her."
That must have hurt her... To know she was in the dark.
Elsa clenches her dress tightly, grinding her teeth in thought.
"Be calm, Your Majesty," Halvard says suddenly. He stops in front of her and gestures to her leg. Elsa pulls back her dress and he sets to work immediately checking her bolt wound.
"I doubt Princess Anna would ever hold a grudge for such a thing." Elsa winces and he scoffs, rolling his eyes as he peels back her bandages. "Assuming Her Highness is even holding such a grudge." Halvard shrugs, dark eyes narrowing as he inspects Elsa's leg. "More likely Her Highness is conflicted about the ordeal."
Elsa squeezes the fabric of her dress, flinching slightly when Halvard presses lightly around her injury. She sighs and glances out of the infirmary window, staring into the endless stretch of night.
"How could she not be?" she mumbles.
Since their return, the reality of her and Anna's relationship has been edging into them. Elsa hopes they have a chance to talk soon.
Perhaps tonight...
A shiver runs down Elsa's spine. In truth, the thought terrifies her as much as it excites her.
"It'll pass," Halvard says. He stands up and tosses away the used bandages, then tilts her head at her, frowning. "Her Highness loves you dearly. She wouldn't hold you in anything but the highest regards after knowing what she does now."
Elsa purses her lips, staring at her hands. "Anna's heart is still so soft."
Halvard chuckles and wipes his glasses on his coat. "If I'm correct, it was your choice to let the Southern Isles Prince return to his home." He frowns. "After all he did Your Majesty, why?"
Elsa grimaces and stands, brushing her hands down her dress. "I had Arendelle in mind first and foremost. Cutting off trade with Weselton might already have ramifications so on the off chance the Southern Isles wouldn't be pleased, I let Hans go."
Halvard grunts and places his glasses back on. "I think the Southern Isles might be more angry with Prince Hans than ourselves. He did try to kill you and left Her Highness for death. Such acts are treason."
Elsa curls her lips down. "I know," she says, voice tight and frigid. She sighs and rubs her temples. "If you'll excuse me Doctor, I think I'll retire for the night."
Halvard nods and smiles faintly. "Of course Your Majesty. There's more important things to worry about anyway, in my opinion."
Elsa smiles and her eyes soften. "Yes, there is."
Halvard hums in agreement and rifles through a cabinet, bringing out a bottle of ointment and fresh bandages. "Speaking of certain things Your Majesty, your leg needs cleaning."
Elsa slumps. "Will it take long?"
Halvard quirks an eyebrow and for a brief second, Elsa wonders if he suspects something. Then he chuckles lightly. "I'll try to hurry. Still, watch me as I work because you'll need your bandages changed every so often."
Ugh.
For once the silence of the castle doesn't disturb or frustrate Anna. Still, the lack of howling, icy winds and high walls takes some getting used to again. Anna expects to see snow under her flats as she walks down the hallway to her chambers, head bowed and shoulders down.
Hans's words jump around in her mind. Beyond the initial anger, there's a strange mixture of guilt and worry festering under Anna's skin. She's glad to be rid of him. But the entire situation leaves her wishing she had chosen to think with a clearer head instead of being so desperate to leave Arendelle's lonely walls.
It's over and done with now though. I have to stop thinking about what if's.
Anna's jaw hardens and she opens her door, set on taking a long, warm bath to ease her mind.
"Princess?"
Anna pauses halfway through her door. Kai stands stiffly a few paces away, holding a tray.
"Kai, what are you doing here? I thought you retired for the night."
Kai's expression softens and he moves to her side. "I don't consider my job finished until I know the charges in my care are without stress." His face falls and he sighs. "And I'm afraid to say this, but I don't think I've succeeded in that last regard."
Anna frowns. "What do you mean?" She brushes her hair back, a small smile curling on her lips. "You've been there for me all these years." Anna clears her throat and gestures to herself. "Especially when things got confusing and Mama and Papa were busy."
Kai shakes his head and opens Anna's door, gesturing inside. "I was thinking more along the lines of keeping things secret when I knew honesty would be more welcomed."
Anna winces, watching her old butler set the tray down on a nearby tea table. "Is this about—"
"The coronation? Yes."
Anna shrugs and finally crosses the threshold of her door, discarding her flats. "I'm not angry, you know. I understand why no one told me."
Even my parents, I guess.
A shadow crosses Anna's face and she flops on her bed, frowning at the floor. A hand squeezes her shoulder and she jumps.
"You're too kind Princess," Kai says, a tenderness glimmering in his brown eyes. "But, if I might be permitted to disagree, I think it would have been best for you to be allowed to know the truth."
Anna's stomach twists and she clutches her skirts. "What could have been done?" She recalls the anguished fear on Elsa's face when her powers had been revealed in the ballroom. The way her sister had scrambled for the door before running off into the night. "Elsa was scared. Probably more scared than anyone. Spending all those years alone in her room," Anna mumbles, staring down at her feet. Her heart clenches. "I think Mama and Papa were scared too."
A faint memory circles in Anna's mind. She recalls the way her father's face had paled the first time she asked him if she could wear dresses.
"That's probably why they never decided to tell me," she whispers. The nagging loneliness that's followed her throughout the years suddenly flows through her again. Her throat feels dry and wet all at once, a lump tight and thick below.
Kai squeezes her shoulder and she jumps. "Still, things could have turned out differently if you and Elsa had been together. And for that, I'd like to apologize for the fact that you two were so alone." His brow creases and a tired, long sigh escapes his lips. "Forgive me Princess, for keeping your sister's powers a secret."
Anna flashes him a small smile. "It's not like you could have done much Kai. You did all you could for me." She reaches up and grips his hand. "It was my parents' decision." Sadness flickers in Anna's eyes. "And Elsa's."
"Not the best, if I'm allowed to admit," Kai says, wincing. "But I hope you'll forgive them too. Painful decisions come as a result of equal parts pain and fear."
Anna's heart clenches and she looks down, nodding slowly. "I understand."
"Including decisions made by a lonely young girl."
The whisper-soft words lance through Anna's chest. She snaps her gaze to Kai, blue-green eyes wide. "What?"
Kai's expression is soft and there's a hint of sympathy to his old smile. "Prince Hans wasn't shy about letting the staff or any of the dignitaries know about what had transpired between you two." His eyes darken and he tightens his grip on Anna's shoulder. "After you returned and spoke with him, he claimed you two had decided to say your marriage vows in private. To the extent of my knowledge, that was incorrect wasn't it?"
Anna grounds her teeth together, shoulders bristling. "It is. We didn't decide to marry each other, definitely not when he locked me in the study." Worry flashes across Kai's face and she hurries to reassure him, squeezing his hand. "Don't worry. Everything turned out okay Kai!"
"Have you told your sister what happened between you and Hans?" he asks.
Anna winces, biting her bottom lip. "No, I haven't. I wasn't thinking about doing it tonight either. I-I think Elsa understands though. Just like she knows I won't pressure her to tell me about her magic and everything." Anna tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, nervous. "At least not right away. We promised there wouldn't be anymore doors between us."
Kai straightens, a smile curling on his lips. "I'm glad to hear that Your Highness." He gestures to the tea table. "I've left some chocolates and tea for you and Her Majesty, if you'll be spending the hour with each other."
Anna feels a real burst of happiness bloom in her chest. "Thank you Kai." Her eyes mist over. "For everything." She jumps up and hugs him tightly.
Kai squeezes her back before pulling away, clearing his throat. "Very well, if you'll excuse me Your Highness, I think I will now be retiring for the night."
Anna giggles. "Goodnight Kai." As he's nearly out the door however, a thought rushes through her mind. "Wait, Kai!"
Kai stops and glances over his shoulder. Anna stiffens and clutches at her skirts. "When you said Hans told everyone about us, d-did he give any indication he knew about..." Anna trails off and gestures to her front, brow creased with worry. "You know."
Understanding dawns on Kai's face and he shakes his head. "No, Your Highness. I don't think he knew. He certainly didn't let on that he did."
Anna sighs in relief, before fear clutches at her insides again. "Wait, do you think he had any idea?"
Kai shakes his head again, smirking slightly. "I doubt it. And even if he did, not much credit can be given to his word now, especially not after committing treason against you and Her Majesty."
"Okay," Anna says, slumping on her bed. "Thank you Kai, that's all I wanted to know."
Kai's expression softens and he bows. "Put your mind at rest Your Highness. The storm's passed."
Anna gives him a half-smile before she scrambles up and says, "Oh, leave the door open Kai!"
Kai stops and laughs. "Ah, right, of course Princess. No more doors."
He slips out with a smile and Anna's left to wait.
"There we are Your Majesty, good as new. Your wound's all clean."
Elsa jumps out of her seat almost too quickly. Halvard scowls a bit and she hurriedly straightens her shoulders, assuming her expected regal stance. "Thank you Halvard. I appreciate it."
Halvard's scowl drops and he chuckles, shaking his head. "Ah, I won't keep you Your Majesty. I know where you'd prefer to be."
Elsa's grateful he turns back to his drawers and cabinets. The blush on her face might have been suspicious. She gives a clear farewell and he merely grunts, "Away with you," before she smiles and slips out of the infirmary.
Consoled from her talk with Halvard, Elsa heads straight to Anna's room. The castle is completely silent and for once, she doesn't feel like a cursed phantom walking through her own halls. A few lanterns are still alight, their golden flames flickering gently and calming her worried soul. When she passes one of the large, upper floor windows, she sees fireworks going off in the distance. The faint sound of dancing and music accompanies the wind and pride swells within Elsa's chest. For the first time in what feels like a thousand years, she feels content in her own skin, as Queen, sister, and everything else.
Well, the sister part still needs attending to. Anna's waiting.
When she comes to Anna's room, the door is ajar and her heart skips at the sight of it. Elsa beams nervously and quickens her footsteps, icy heels clacking as she all but runs to Anna's door and pulls it open.
"Anna, I—"
Anna squeals in surprise, whirling around on her bed to stare at Elsa. Her hand jumps to her chest and she gasps, "Elsa, don't scare me like that!"
Elsa stops, a blush blooming on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Your door was open so I assumed you were expecting me."
Anna inhales and exhales. "Yes, I know and yes, I was expecting you." As an aside, she adds, "I just didn't expect you to shout."
Elsa's cheeks darken with embarrassment, but Anna's expression is warm and inviting, beckoning her closer as her heart begins to race. She slips farther into Anna's room, shutting the door behind her. Elsa glances around and notes that Anna's drapes are drawn, permitting only slivers of moonlight to peek through. The room is dimly lit by a lone candle on Anna's nightstand, its light wavering in the darkness. Elsa's heart thuds faster, but she's grateful for the shadows, for they conceal her reddening face. Her fingers twist the lock quietly.
Anna settles back on her bed, sitting on the opposite side by the window, and Elsa spies her picking up a book off the floor. "I thought you would have knocked though," she says, smiling nervously.
Elsa coughs into her hand and walks over to sit on the other side, across from Anna. "Next time I will," she says, biting her lip and peering at Anna from beneath her eyelashes.
Anna turns away from her and fiddles with the book in her lap, cheeks pinking. Elsa ducks her head down further, playing with the edge of Anna's blankets, wondering if she should say something or wait for Anna to speak. A silence stretches between them, disturbed only by the crackle and flicker of candlelight. Elsa allows herself to revel in the familiarity of the quiet, using it to soothe her racing heart. But when several minutes pass and neither of them say anything, Elsa raises her gaze to stare at her sister's back. Anna's head is bowed, unmoving save for her hand, which traces the cover of the book.
"You want to talk, don't you?" Anna asks at last. She doesn't face Elsa, but the Queen sees the flush in her cheeks travel down to the nape of her neck.
Elsa swallows and feels the heat burn in her own face. "We should," she mumbles.
Anna still doesn't turn around, but she pats the spot next to her. "Then come here?"
Elsa's pushes down the knot building in her stomach, allowing herself to smile instead. She refrains from scurrying off to the bed to the other side, hoping not to appear too eager as she walks around. Anna grins at her as she settles down, the bed creaking softly from her weight again. It eases her worry and Elsa's smile grows genuine. Her eyes dip down to the book in her sister's lap.
"Wait." Her eyes widen. "Is that...?"
Anna's grin turns shy and she flips the book over in her hand. The old medical tome makes Elsa's heart constrict. The howling wind and cold night resurfaces in her mind. A chill runs down her spine, but this time Elsa reaches over and clasps Anna's hand above the book.
"You kept it?" she asks, voice hush.
Anna's expression softens and she squeezes Elsa's hand. "It helped me believe you were here when I was sick." Her eyes cloud, their depths a stormy blue. "When the nights got cold, I used to look at it and imagine you at my bedside." She swallows thickly. "I used to hope one day you would forgive me for that night, and whatever else I had done to drive you away. I thought...maybe we could be together again someday."
Elsa blinks, breath catching and eyes watering. "Oh Anna, you didn't do anything wrong."
Anna glances down, clutching the book until her knuckles turn white. "I know that now, but that doesn't mean I've never hurt you. I pushed you during your coronation." Elsa opens her mouth to protest, but Anna shakes her head. "And I shouldn't have trusted Hans so easily."
Elsa brushes the back of her fingers along Anna's cheek. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen, what he truly had in mind. You were lonely too." She digs her nails into her dress. "Nothing was your fault."
Anna makes a noncommittal noise and sniffs, blue-green eyes flickering with uncertainty in the candlelight. Elsa hurriedly wraps her arms around her little sister, drawing her close. Anna buries her face into her neck and Elsa tries not to recall the weak, breathless state her sister had been in on that faraway night. Instead, she shifts until their hips are touching and places her hand on Anna's chest, feeling the beat and thud of life underneath her palm.
For a brief, painful second, the body underneath feels cold.
Elsa brings her closer.
"I'm okay Elsa," Anna whispers. Her warm breath brushes against Elsa's cheek and the Queen is secretly grateful for it. After a pause, Anna adds in a murmur, "I will be."
Elsa shivers and her embrace tightens. She swallows the lump clogging her throat. "Everything's over now Anna." She exhales shakily and tries to concentrate on the fact that Anna's body is warm and yielding. "I promise you, things will be different now." Elsa hardens her gaze. "Just as they should have been years ago."
Anna pulls back a bit and frowns. "Hey, none of that okay?" She taps Elsa on the cheek and smiles, though it's faint and small. "If things are going to be as different as you say, then promise me one of those differences is going to be you being happy."
The lump clogs her throat again and something bubbles in Elsa's chest. She pulls Anna back into her arms, sighing softly as her sister snuggles into her side. "I promise." She kisses Anna's temple and adds, "So long as you promise me that you'll tell me if you're unhappy. For whatever reason."
"I think I can manage that," Anna murmurs, voice muffled from where her face is buried in the crook of Elsa's neck.
It eases Elsa's worry. Then the body snuggled so closely into her side draws back. Elsa's brow furrows as a frown marrs Anna's face, her bottom lip pulled between white teeth.
"There's other things we need to talk about, isn't there? Like our relationship. Right?" Anna pauses, then continues, "Besides the sisterly one."
Straight to the point. That's the Anna I'm familiar with.
Elsa glances over her shoulder to make sure the door is still locked. It is, but her anxiety makes her double check. She's not the only one paranoid either. Anna looks too, before disengaging from Elsa's embrace and hurrying over to the window. Elsa relaxes when her sister closes the long curtains, blocking out the slivers of moonlight. The room descends into near total darkness, the candle on Anna's nightstand the only source.
When Anna turns back around, Elsa blurts out, "We've already passed the obvious."
Anna blinks and smothers a giggle, her grin crooked. "Er, yeah. I don't think dancing around the fact that we both have feelings—those type of feelings—toward each other would be smart."
"No, it would be stupid to ignore them again," Elsa says, crossing one leg over the other. Anna snorts in surprise and amusement, eyebrows raised. "Trying to convince ourselves there's nothing between us would only cause unnecessary complications."
Such as sending the both of them into ill-received depression once more. The very idea makes Elsa bristle.
"So we're not backtracking?" Anna asks and Elsa hears the tinge of hope in her voice. But a note of nervousness lies underneath. Her brow furrows and she watches as Anna gestures uselessly, her voice cracking as she says, "I mean, we can't exactly be obvious about our feelings."
Elsa winces. "No, we can't. It's too dangerous." She runs a hand through her hair, thoughts beginning to dance around in her head. "We may be the only remaining members of our family, but there would surely still be disputes, if not consequences. We would still be questioned."
"Yeah," Anna whispers, shoulders dropping. "Do you, uh, want me to act just...purely platonically when we're in public?"
Elsa lowers her hand from her hair and squints her eyes at Anna. "What do you mean?"
"Limited touching," Anna clarifies. She counts on her fingertips, muttering, "Obviously no kissing on the lips. Or anywhere close to the lips. I think lots of kisses on the cheek might be suspicious too. I'm not sure about holding hands. Oh and we definitely should be wary about leaving marks."
Elsa touches her lips, her ears growing red. "Oh right," she murmurs, voice rising slightly in pitch. "My lipstick on your neck would be odd..."
Anna's face flames and her eyes grow distant, as if she's thinking about the very thought. Then she shakes her head, though the color doesn't fade from her cheeks. They're quiet for a few moments, diverting their gazes as they wait for their faces to cool.
Elsa turns back with a helpless shrug, whispering, "I don't think holding hands would be too suspicious Anna." Perhaps it's selfish of her, but Elsa has waited so many years, living in fear, for the chance to hold Anna again. She isn't so willing to let it go. Not so easily.
"So hugs are okay?" Anna croaks. The glimmer of hope is brighter in her eyes, but she claps both hands to her chest and her fingers tremble.
Realization dawns on Elsa, who stiffens with wide eyes. Of course Anna would want the same things as me. We spent too many years apart.
The Queen clears her throat and nods, opening her arms. "Of course, my love."
Anna bolts from her spot and doesn't think twice about bending awkwardly at the waist to hug Elsa tightly, who finds her legs unwilling to stand. Elsa sinks her nails into the back of Anna's shirt, inhaling the scent of her hair. A quick kiss to her cheeks makes Elsa smile. Anna pulls back with misty eyes, sniffing.
"Okay, so we're not giving up on what we have?"
Elsa shakes her head, cupping Anna's face and pressing a soft, feathery kiss over trembling lips. "Never," she murmurs.
Anna returns it with a peck, breath warm and sweet. "Do you want some chocolates?" she hiccups. "Kai left some for me."
Elsa grins at the odd proposal, but reasons it's Anna's way of lightening the atmosphere. She nuzzles her sister's cheek and presses her lips to it, murmuring against the skin, "If it would wipe those tears away then yes."
Anna giggles and moves to her table. Porcelain clinks together and Elsa spies tea among the assorted truffles. She wrings her hands in her lap, a thought still nagging at her. "So, we promise each other that we won't do anything that could possibly endanger the other?"
Anna glances over at her, nodding. "It would be better to keep it under wraps." A shudder travels through her and she grimaces. "I'd hate the idea of something happening to you Elsa."
Elsa rests her hands in her lap, her nails digging into her palms and her chest suddenly tight. "Oh Anna. I'm more worried about something happening to you. I'm the Queen and I'm the one with powers. Anyone could see you'd be the easier target."
She doesn't mention someone targeting Anna for her body though. Their parents had tried all they could to be kind and understanding, but Elsa knows they had always worried about others treating them unkindly. Elsa shivers, feeling her magic spark between her fingertips.
No. This time I'll protect Anna by staying with her.
"Well, I'm also your only heir."
Elsa starts, Anna's words jarring her from her thoughts. "What?"
"I'm the heir-presumptive," Anna points out, pouring a cup of tea. "I think some people would hesitate to hurt me."
A scowl crosses Elsa's face. "Yes, some," she growls. She'd rather not dwell on the Southern Isles prince so Elsa changes topics. "Unless I have a child however."
Anna's head snaps to her so fast Elsa swears she hears a pop. "Ch-child?"
Heat rushes to Elsa's cheeks and without thinking, her hands press against her stomach. "Well, I don't have to worry about children so soon. But another heir is...most likely to be expected someday, especially since I'm the firstborn."
Anna purses her lips, eyes dark. "No one's going to pressure you about having one say, next week or month though, right?"
Elsa shakes her head, crossing and uncrossing her legs to distract herself. "I think everyone's a bit preoccupied with getting things back to normal."
Anna chuckles once and the atmosphere softens. "That's one perk if you think about it. Everyone's been so amazed with your powers or trying to get back into the swing of things that no one's hounded you for anything, uh, personal."
"Like suitors?" Elsa teases, eyes twinkling.
Anna snorts, nose curling in disgust. Elsa covers her giggles. Her younger sister fiddles with their tea and sweets a bit more before bringing the tray over. Elsa catches something flicker over Anna's face and squirms.
"S-speaking of...of children," Anna begins and Elsa's stomach coils tightly, "do you think—um, are you...?" Anna trails off, staring at her feet and worrying her bottom lip. The tea cup between her fingers shakes.
Elsa touches her stomach, thoughts bouncing in her head. "I don't know," she whispers. "I-If I start to bleed soon, then we'll know."
"I'm sorry," Anna mumbles, face strained. "I shouldn't have—" she chokes, face bright red, "—well, inside you. I shouldn't have."
Elsa flinches and grasps her sister's hand immediately. She stills the tea cup and cups Anna's face with her free hand, turning her head until their gazes lock. The guilty look in blue-green makes her chest ache.
"I wanted it too Anna," Elsa murmurs. A smile cracks on her princess's face and she mentally breathes a sigh of relief. "Also, I didn't stop you either." Her hand drifts down to loosely cup Anna's chin, her own guilt reddening her cheeks.
Anna tucks back a lock of hair. "Next time I'll be more careful. We'll be more careful." Her eyes widen. "Assuming you even want to, again! I mean, I'm perfectly fine if you never want to again. We do need to be safe about all this so maybe we shouldn't. I—"
There's a sharp hitch of breath as a single finger presses against stuttering lips.
"Anna." Elsa leans forward until their noses brush. This close, she can feel the warmth radiating from Anna's body and sees her pupils dilate. "I do want to," Elsa breathes. This close, her lips brush Anna's with every word. Her sister shivers visibly, breath quickening. "I mean, I'm not opposed to...it. With you, that is."
Curse herself, she can't help the shuddering rasp in her voice.
Anna laughs, cheeks bunching up and darkening. "We're hopeless."
Elsa snorts and swats her sister's arm, her embarrassment cooling. "Speak for yourself. I'm the Queen. By law, I'm a completely dignified woman."
Anna stares at her until Elsa's composure breaks and they dissolve into giggles. The tea and chocolates they turn to consume only add to the sweetness of the air, relaxing their still nervous hearts. Elsa leans into Anna and is immediately graced with a hug and a kiss to her cheek. They burrow into each other and time passes quietly by as they savor their dessert. Anna moves to put the tray back again and Elsa watches her, a question burning in the back of her mind.
Moonlight filters through a crack in the curtains and the silvery light spills softly over Anna's back. Elsa's heart begins to pound and her breathing grows shallow.
"Do you regret it?"
It's little more than a whisper and said before Elsa realizes her lips are moving.
Anna glances over at her, brow furrowed. "Huh?"
Elsa blushes and thinks about taking it back, picking at the slit of her dress. But she needs the answer. "Our first time," she mumbles. "Do you regret it?"
"I don't."
It's said right away, no hesitation.
Elsa glances up to see an even darker blush on Anna's cheeks. The Queen clears her throat, wringing her hands together. "Perhaps it would have been better to experience it some other time."
Anna's lips quirk into a half-grin and she shrugs. "Maybe. But I don't regret it. I was...I was happy with you." She bites her lip, tapping her knuckles together, "I was so happy because I got the chance to be with you again. To hold you and kiss you and just...touch you after all these years."
Elsa finds herself speechless and rooted to the spot on Anna's bed, eyes trained on her sister and absorbing every word. Her throat feels dry, but her eyes are wet and she fists her hands into her lap until her knuckles turn white.
"So...so no, I don't regret it," Anna stammers. "I'd do it again if I could."
Elsa swallows the lump in her throat and blinks several times. "So would I." She looks down at her lap and studies the sequins that make up her dress. "It's still sometimes hard to believe how it all happened."
"Yeah," Anna breathes.
Elsa smiles slightly, eyes still misty.
Just earlier this year, we barely saw each other. We didn't even speak. Not one word. And now here we are, talking and laughing. And I'm not... I refuse to be so afraid again.
She rubs her thumb over the back of her hand, recalling the way she and Anna had held each other on the fjord. Their embrace had been heavy with relief. Elsa shivers.
Yes, I refuse to be afraid again.
"I would do it all over for you again."
The hard-edged words startle Elsa out of her reverie. She looks back at Anna to see her petite hands clenched into fists, knuckles white and fingers strained. The curve of her jaw is set and every muscle in her neck and shoulders is pulled tight, tensed. Her face is pale in the low light, but Elsa isn't sure if that's because her sister is exhausted or if it's something else. Something severe and grim, yet genuine burns in Anna's eyes.
"What do you mean Anna?" Elsa asks her fingers pulling at her dress. She tries not to look away from Anna's gaze, finding it hard to do so, something about the color of her her sister's eyes unsettling her.
But Elsa succeeds in not breaking the stare and when Anna exhales, a bit of the tension leaves her. Her fists clench and unclench, jaw grinding back and forth. "You know, the whole thing." The edges of her lips curve upward and Elsa feels relief at the return of Anna's smile. "Get on my horse and charge after you. Preferably with a map this time and maybe not by myself. But I would do it all again, for you. Climb up the North Mountain and call your name. Knock at every door if I had to. I'd walk through snow, wind, and sky if you ran away again. If you felt like you had to run away again."
Elsa's heart squeezes, shriveling up just once more when hurt flickers in Anna's eyes. Tears spring forth and threaten to overwhelm her, but she refuses to let them fall, blinking back the wetness gathering in her eyes and focuses on Anna.
Anna sniffs and clutches her skirts. "I'd do it all over for you again. Walk through the storm, stop swords, a-and—"
Die.
The word hangs like a stalactite of ice between them, looming dangerously and inevitable.
Elsa shoots off the bed and seizes Anna in an unyielding embrace.
"Don't," she hisses, right into Anna's ear. Her sister stiffens, as if there's a protest already on her lips. Elsa buries her nose in Anna's neck, a hiccup escaping her. "Don't say anymore. I—" her words catch for a moment, "—please Anna, I couldn't bear the thought of you going through something like that again."
"You'd do it for me, wouldn't you?"
The words are almost too quiet. Elsa stiffens, every muscle in her body going rigid. She pulls back, eyes wide and searching Anna's face. The grim look in her sister's eyes remains.
"What?" the Queen whispers.
Anna clasps her hands, bringing them to her chest. "You'd lock yourself away again if it meant protecting me, wouldn't you?"
"I—Anna, I love you. Of course I'd do it again. But—"
"That's why I would do it again."
Elsa's mouth snaps shut and she stares, fear creeping into her. Anna lifts her hands and kisses her knuckles, swallowing audibly. "Elsa, I already told you this. I chose you because you're my sister. My best friend, my... my beloved. Everything." Anna touches their foreheads together, breath ghosting over Elsa's trembling lips. "I love you."
An urgency grips Elsa like no other. She tightens her arms around Anna, one hand smoothing over the curve of her waist and the other digging into her back. Anna shivers and wraps her arms around Elsa's neck, fingertips splaying over her nape and tickling the soft hairs there.
"Are you still afraid Elsa?" Anna murmurs into her ear.
Yes, she wants to say because her heart races underneath her breastbone and magic buzzes beneath the surface of her skin. Because she can feel Anna's heart hammering against her chest and doesn't want to think about how cold and lifeless her sister had been. Even if it had been for only a moment, it had been a moment too long.
But then Anna buries her face in the crook of her neck and Elsa's eyes widen when she feels her tremblingin her grasp. Warm, shuddery breaths puff against her skin and arms grip harsher. With a pang, Elsa realizes Anna is trying to make sure she's still there.
Elsa exhales shakily and frost sparkles in the air for a moment.
"I'm fine Anna," she says. The small smile she feels curving up against her neck lightens her heavy heart. She strokes down Anna's back and leans her cheek on her sister's shoulder, content to stay there as long as her legs permit her.
Several moments pass with the two of them wrapped up in each other's arms. Then Anna shifts, grunting, "I love you Elsa and I would love to just stay here all night, but I also kind of stink."
Elsa blinks, brow furrowing. Tentatively, she sniffs the collar of Anna's shirt. Her nose curls when, under the floral perfume and natural scent of Anna's skin, she detects the smell of...reindeer musk?
"Anna, why..."
Anna coughs. "Kristoff and Sven aren't the cleanest people."
Elsa pulls back, covering her nose. "You don't say."
"H-hey! I won't smell like this forever!" Anna stammers. "A bath and I'll smell fine in the morning."
Els chuckles and turns away, a smirk teasing the corner of her lips. "I suppose I should let you get to it then? It wouldn't do for the Princess of Arendelle to parade a most unpleasant smell in the morning."
Anna blanches, stuttering out a protest and Elsa laughs.
"Oh you tease!" she whines. "For that I should just hug you until you stink as much as I do!"
Elsa squeals and darts away from Anna's advancing arms, rushing to the door. "Don't you dare Anna! I forbid you from touching me until you've taken a thorough bath."
Anna stops and huffs, blowing at her fringe. "Fine, you big baby."
Elsa's heart does a little flip at the easy teasing. Anna crosses over to the side door and said heart tumbles down to her stomach. Despite her insistence, she doesn't want to part from Anna's presence. Even with the late hour, it still feels too soon to be away from her sister.
"Would you like to bathe together?"
The moment the question leaves her lips Elsa almost wants to take it back, more out of sheer embarrassment than anything else. Her cheeks flush pink and she can't help but wring her hands together when Anna stops just a few steps in front of her cleaning chambers. Her sister stiffens, jaw dropping and ears turning as red as her hair. They stare at each other until Elsa begins to feel magic tingling in her palms.
"That's not such an odd question is it?" she squeaks.
Anna coughs and brushes her hair back. "N-no. I think we're past the part of—" her eyes dart up and down Elsa's figure, "—seeing each other."
Elsa grins shakily. She ignores the wave of heat that travels through her when Anna bites her lip and turns back around to the door. Ice sparks from her palm and covers the frame from top to bottom.
Anna walks to her side, blinking. "What's that for?"
Elsa smiles despite the blush still on her cheeks. "Less chance for an interruption. Most of the staff have headed to bed by now, but I don't want to take any chances." Her blush darkens and she plays with the end of her braid. "I'd like it if we spent some time together, all on our own." Elsa falters, wringing her hands. "We have some catching up to do..."
"Oh." Anna fumbles with a button on her shirt, lips twitching. She's trying not to smile, but Elsa can see the hope glimmering in her eyes. "Does this mean you are staying for the night?"
A small smile curls on the Queen's lips and that seems to be all the confirmation her princess needs. Anna brightens and begins to bounce in place. "Then, together?"
"Together."
Getting a warm bath started doesn't take long. They have to draw it themselves since most of the staff has retired for the night, but neither minds. The night is quiet save for the wind and distant celebration. The moment they step into Anna's bath chambers, the polished marble walls seem to surround them in a bubble, muffling the rest of the world. Steam rises and swirls invitingly in the air as water fills the tub. Elsa's certain it's going to be a tight fit, but the prospect of being so close to Anna again, skin against skin, is too tempting.
The fact that they will receive virtually no disruptions within the privacy of their own home provides a heat that matches steam and vapor.
Elsa wastes no time in discarding her heels. The icy shoes disappear in a sparkle of blue. She sits on one of the bath stools, slipping her hands underneath the slit of her dress to undo the bandages on her leg gently. The flesh is tender and sore, but the pain is manageable. She's glad for it, since it means Anna won't make as much of a fuss as she has been. Elsa stands and with a wave of her hand, her dress melts within seconds. Goosebumps prickle on her skin and Elsa shivers, surprised at how nakedshe feels. She blushes and fumbles with the snowflakes in her hair.
Oh come now Elsa, it's not the first time Anna's seen you naked. It's not even the first time you've bathed together. Even if that was years ago...
A soft commotion comprised of grunts and complaints attracts Elsa's attention. She turns to see Anna hopping up and down on one foot, trying to peel off her shoe. A grin curls on Elsa's lips.
"Need a little help?"
"No, no, I got it!" Anna huffs and tears her shoe off. She glances up and her eyes widen. Elsa feels a small rush of pride when Anna's cheeks redden. Her sister averts her gaze and fumbles with the buttons on her blouse, grumbling, "It's not fair you can just wave your hand and poof! All your clothes are gone." Under her breath, she hisses, "It's really not fair."
Elsa places a hand over her mouth to stop the giggles bubbling up her throat. Anna's fingers shake more and more with each button, her mutters growing frustrated and high-pitched. Elsa walks over to the tub, keeping an eye on her sister, and dips a finger in to test the temperature. "You sure you don't need help?" she asks, low and soft.
Anna snorts and turns her back on her, shrugging off her vest and pulling at her sleeves. "No, I'm fine."
Elsa bites the inside of her cheek when she sees a sliver of Anna's freckled shoulder freed. The warmth from their bath makes her tingle, but she knows the heat beginning to swirl in her belly isn't from the room. Elsa's eyes follow an invisible line from the slim column of Anna's neck, over the planes of her shoulder blades, and down to her posterior. Her fingers twitch.
Elsa licks her lips. "Anna, are you almost done?"
Anna looks over her shoulder before hurriedly glancing down and tugging at her shirt, the tips of her ears bright pink. "You're distracting me."
Elsa grins and runs her hands through her braid, untying the knots that keep it together. "No, you're just slow." Her sister humphs and she giggles. The young monarch lets the issue drop and slips into the bath, soothing water sloshing over her skin and pulling away the sting from her bolt wound. Elsa sighs and tips her head back, eyes fluttering shut.
This is exactly what we need.
"Is your leg still bothering you?"
Elsa straightens and turns to see Anna staring at her with a creased brow. The Queen's expression softens and she's about to reassure Anna when her eyes flick down. Anna's shirt hangs off her figure, revealing bare arms and an expanse of skin from behind, ending in a slim waist. But Elsa's eyes are drawn to the bruises—dark purple and green—littering her younger sister's back. Her throat seizes and Elsa's heart clenches harshly. The water's temperature drops.
"Anna, come here."
Anna blinks and tilts her head. "I'm still half-dressed though."
Elsa swallows the lump in her throat and says, voice cracking once, once, "Then let me help so I can hold you."
Anna frowns, confusion flickering in her eyes. "Elsa, what's—" her words are cut short when realization dawns on her face. "Oh Elsa, you know they're not as bad as they look."
A familiar burning sensation creeps behind Elsa's eyes and the water's temperature lowers even more. She raises her arms and says, "Just...please?"
Anna's frown deepens and she walks over to her immediately. Without even needing to be told, she slips into Elsa's arms and the Queen buries her face into her sister's neck, blinking back the tears that threaten to engulf her.
"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I should have known it was you calling my name in the palace."
"Shh," Anna croons into her ear. Lips brush the crown of her head, then over her cheek. "You were..you were scared Elsa. You were just defending yourself. I know that you would never really hurt me. That wasn't really you Elsa." Anna's voice cracks and Elsa opens her eyes, confused when she hears a soft, staggering inhale. "I shouldn't have left you alone. Then you wouldn't have been hurt."
The words, said through a shaky breath and gritted teeth, make Elsa draw back. She freezes, alarmed at the sight of tears brimming in Anna's eyes. The princess's watery gaze stares into something unknown, but the look of guilt is clear.
"Oh Anna, no!" Elsa hurriedly pulls Anna to her, this time pushing Anna's face into the crook of her neck. Her sister muffles a noise and tightens her hold on her, nails sinking into her back. "It was Weselton soldiers that brought me harm. Don't blame yourself for their actions." Softly, gently, she adds, "And don't blame yourself for Hans's actions either."
Anna goes rigid in her embrace. She jerks back and Elsa stiffens at the dark look that flashes across her face. "Then don't blame yourself for the ice palace," she growls.
Something finally snaps, unclicks, and unlocks inside Elsa.
"But you fell because of me!" she cries and tears well up in her eyes, unbidden. She digs her nails into Anna's shoulders, thick, fat drops starting to roll down her cheeks. The familiar hiss of her magic pulses in her palm. "Your heart froze because of me!"
"And you nearly died because of my mistakes!" Anna's sob, high and sharp, splits through her panic.
The room goes cold.
Elsa stares at a spot on the wall, lips parted and words dead halfway on her tongue. Something warm touches her neck and Anna's shoulders twitch repeatedly under her hands. Small, almost inaudible, whimpers make her heart twist and shrivel up.
"I honestly thought I wasn't going to make it..."
Elsa sighs and leans her head against Anna's, closing her eyes and sniffing once. "Shh, hush." She cradles the back of Anna's head and tries to calm her magic. "We really need to stop doing this."
Anna lets out a strangled noise between a laugh and a sob. "Doing what? The blaming ourselves or the crying?"
Elsa blinks back tears and rocks her, back and forth. "Both," she grumbles.
"I will if you will," Anna says.
"It's not that easy," Elsa half-jokes. She moves her other hand up Anna's back and presses it over the spot where her heart beats.
Anna pulls back, eyes red and wide. "We can try," she croaks. "Right?"
Even within the depths of blue-green, Elsa sees a flicker of self-doubt. She sucks in a breath, a jolt of clarity piercing her heart.
She needs me to be strong too.
Elsa hurriedly cups Anna's face, touching their foreheads together. "We should."
She's thankful, immediately, for the years of training bestowed upon her because of her future as Queen. The touch of conviction makes Anna sag in relief. Her sister kisses her cheek.
"I love you," she murmurs.
Elsa smiles and angles her head to meet her lips. It's only for a brief moment, but the chaste kiss seems to calm their high-strung hearts, their breathing slowing and deepening. Anna pulls back and smiles before a grimace overtakes her face.
"The water's cold Elsa."
Elsa groans and Anna laughs. It rings like a sweet, soothing bell and shivers dance up and down Elsa's spine.
"I got it," Anna says, reaching over to the faucet and beginning to reheat their bath.
That's when Elsa's attention is drawn back to the state of the princess's manner of clothes. "And you're still half-dressed," she grumbles.
Anna shoots her glare, cheeks puffing up. "Well, you've been distracting me."
Elsa mentally preens when the remark bounces off her. She giggles and reaches over the tub, hands grasping the waistband of Anna's dress. "You should have taken me up on my offer then."
In one swift motion, the long green dress pools at Anna's feet. But before she can take her sister's bloomers with it, Anna jumps backs, hands flying to her crotch.
"Wait, wait, I got that!"
Elsa's eyes widen in surprise and she cringes when Anna curls in on herself. Anna notices her distress quickly however and shakes her head.
"It's okay Elsa. Just, uh, it's, uh," Anna's mouth flaps uselessly, a dark blush encompassing her freckles. "Bathing is a bit hard—"
"When it's not just you?"
Anna clamps her mouth shut, eyebrows reaching up to her hairline. Elsa draws her knees up to her chest, her own cheeks pink with embarrassment. "I remember that," she mumbles, making small circles in the water.
Anna straightens, but her movements are jerky as she pulls down her bloomers. "Learning experience," she chatters, "this is all just a learning experience for us. We're going to be fine. I know we will! You'll see, we'll have a nice, long hot bath and we'll cuddle in bed and finally get some decent rest!"
Warmth blooms in Elsa's heart and she marvels, not for the first time, how her sister can still see silver linings. A frown threatens her smile, however, when she notices a flicker of insecurity in Anna's eyes as she pulls her underwear down halfway. Sympathy curls in Elsa's chest and she reaches out to touch the crook of Anna's elbow.
Anna flinches.
Elsa offers a small, hopeful smile. "We don't have to wait for the bed to hold each other."
Anna ducks her head and nods. Elsa doesn't press when she turns around to pull her bloomers the rest of the way. Instead, she just leans against the tub. And when Anna turns around, hands still covering her, Elsa just tentatively holds out her arms. Silently, Anna slips into the water and into her embrace. Elsa lets out as soft sigh as Anna lays her head upon her shoulder. She buries her face in her neck and the Queen lifts one hand to undo her braids, lock by lock.
"I missed you."
Anna's lips flutter against her ear and the tiny murmur brings forth a melancholy wave of warmth. Elsa turns her head and kisses Anna's cheek.
"I missed you two," she whispers back.
Anna's eyes light up and she sinks deeper into Elsa's embrace. Elsa's arms tighten around Anna's shoulders and their legs entwine underneath the water's surface. When Anna's head falls to the crook between Elsa's neck and shoulder and her breathing slows, Elsa doesn't shift, doesn't move an inch.
She lets the quiet envelop her, listening only to the sound of Anna's soft breathing.
