Chapter 10:

Grieving

A/N: Now we focus on what's going on back in Arendelle. Enjoy!

After learning of Anna's death, Elsa paid Mr. Monnette the reward money, and sent him on his way. Shortly thereafter, she instructed her servants to prepare a funeral service for Anna. At the funeral, Elsa didn't say a word. As the priest led the service, she stared solemnly into space. Kristoff and Olaf stood beside her, sharing in her grief. Elsa had a large stone monument built right next to their parents. She hadn't been to their funeral, but there was no way she was going to miss her beloved sister's.

"Does Queen Elsa wish to say a few words?" the priest asked Elsa.

The Snow Queen was silent, continuing to stare into space, icy tears dripping down her cheeks.

The priest understood what Elsa was feeling, and finished off the service without Elsa speaking a word. Even after it was over, Elsa remained at Anna's tombstone with Kristoff and Olaf were there to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry, Elsa," Kristoff said, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Elsa ignored him, still focused on her own tears. No amount of comfort from anyone could help her now. Anna, her sister, her only living relative was now gone forever, and so soon after they had restored their friendship. That bastard Hans, she hoped he'd rot in in hell for all that he's done. Even though the rest of the Southern Isles isn't to blame, she couldn't help but do so. A part of her wanted to freeze every single citizen of the Southern Isles for Hans' actions, but another part of her screamed against the idea, reminding her that in doing so she would become the monster that so many feared she was. She would throw away all that she worked for.

"Kristoff, I'd like to be alone now, if you don't mind," Elsa sobbed.

"I understand. We'll be in the palace if you need us."

When Kristoff and Olaf were gone, Elsa wrapped her arms around the tombstone, letting her tears pour over it. For the rest of the day she stayed there, too heartbroken to move.

In the days that followed, Elsa returned to her former reclusive self. She canceled all meetings, and stayed locked in her room most of the time. On occasion she allowed Kristoff and Olaf to enter, just so she could see that they were alright, but that wasn't often. Most of her days were spent crying, and languishing over the loss of Anna. Her entire room was often completely covered with frost, symbolizing the cold loneliness she felt deep down within.

Kristoff spent most of his time with Sven, Olaf, and his troll family. Never before had he needed someone to be there for him. Kristoff had never loss someone he cared about before. He never knew his parents, and most of his life was spent with just him and Sven. But when he met Anna, he found the first human he actually cared about, more than he realized. She was sweet, kind, and friendly, albeit a bit naïve at times. But everything about Anna was special: from her energetic personality, to her clumsy nature, everything about her was lovable. Even though he had only known her for a year, Kristoff missed her more than he could ever imagine. Still, a part of it felt unreal to him. There were days when he woke up in the morning wondering what he and Anna were going to do today, only to be quickly reminded that she was no longer here. But as much as he mourned for the loss of the woman he loved, nothing could compare to the heartache that Elsa was going through. For thirteen years she was cut off from her sister, the one person who loved her more than life itself. Just when they finally got each other back, the rug was torn right out from under them. One thing was for certain, Elsa had endured more heartache than she deserved. Now she was closing everyone out again, sulking in her own sorrow. No matter how painful something might be, Kristoff knew that keeping your feelings bundled up was never a good thing to do. You had to have at least one person there to comfort you. Without anybody there, the misery only grows stronger. Elsa needed him now more than ever.

He exited his room and walked down the hallway to where Elsa's room was. Normally she kept the door locked, however this time she chose to do otherwise. The ice harvester turned the knob, and walked inside.

"Elsa!" he called out. He looked over the window, and saw the Snow Queen holding a large dagger made of ice in front of her chest. She pulled back slowly, ready to drive it deep into her heart. Without wasting another second, Kristoff darted forward and smacked the dagger out of Elsa's hand. The icy object shattered the moment it hit the floor, spewing bits of ice everywhere.

"Kristoff, don't interfere with this!" Elsa cried.

The ice harvester grabbed Elsa by the wrists, and held her tight, vowing not to let her escape him.

"Elsa, what the hell is wrong with you? What do you think you're doing?" he cried.

Elsa tried to squirm out of Kristoff's grasp, but his grip was too tight.

"Kristoff, I'm warning you, if you don't let me go, I'll freeze your hands solid!" she warned.

"I'll let go once you promise me that you won't harm yourself!"

"My mind is made up, Kristoff, I can't go on. Anna was all the family I had left, she was the one thing that kept me going, and now she's gone. There's no reason to live anymore."

"That's nonsense, and you know it! What about your kingdom? What about your people? What about Olaf? What about me? Don't you care about us?"

"Kristoff, you don't understand," Elsa said, the tears returning to her eyes. "Arendelle can always find someone else to rule, but I can't go on without Anna. Don't you see? She was my guiding light, the one who always believed in me, even when no one else did. It was her love that ended the Eternal Winter, she's the reason I'm still alive! Without her, Hans would have killed me! All my life I hid in fear because of my powers, not wanting to hurt Anna. I know it seemed very selfish, but I only did it because I loved her so much. She was the thing that made the loneliness worthwhile: it was painful, yes, but rewarding knowing that I wouldn't hurt her!"

"And that was wrong, Elsa!" Kristoff spat. "And you know it. Don't tell me you didn't yearn for your sister all those years. You yourself said that she means more than anything to you. And Anna wanted you in return. Once she got you back, a happiness she never knew existed emerged. A happiness that defied anything you could ever imagine. She was happy not just because she had you back, she was happy because you were happy. She saw that you were no longer suffering, and were enjoying the company of others, the way it should have been all along. Do you want to destroy her happiness by taking your own life? That's the last thing Anna would have wanted. She would want you to go on with your life, and be the best queen you can possible be, that's what Anna would want.

You also said that you never ever want to hurt anybody, right? Think of all the people you'd be hurting if you killed yourself. Me, Olaf, the people of Arendelle! All those who love you! Anna is gone now, Elsa, and I'm so, so, sorry. I miss her too, believe me I would have given my life for her, but there's nothing we can do to change what has happened. My Grand Pabbie once told me that is possible to make goodness come out of a tragedy. I know that seems impossible, but believe me it's not. Don't let Anna go away for good. Keep her alive, spiritually, and live a long and happy life. Make your sister proud, Elsa! Don't let her death be in vain."

Elsa's wiped the tears from her cheeks. She was touched by what Kristoff had told her; whoever would have thought that the man was full of such wisdom. It was true, she never wanted to hurt anybody, especially Anna. And what would her parents say if she killed herself? What would she say to them when she met them in heaven? That she did it for Anna? They wouldn't believe that. They would tell her that her actions were selfish, and that she had taken the cowardly way out. Kristoff was right. Suicide was not the answer. It would bring more harm than it would good. She had to be strong, and rule Arendelle with dignity. Elsa had to make Anna and her parents proud by being the best queen she could be. It what's they would have wanted.

Elsa wrapped her arms around Kristoff, allowing the man to pull her to his chest. She wept softly against him, feeling the beat of his heart pounding next to her. For the first time since she learned of Anna's death, Elsa felt calm, a feeling that she had long since forgotten about. The snow in the room melted into water, dripping from the walls and ceiling. Kristoff and Elsa ignored their surroundings, and focused only on each other. He was all she had now, one of the few people with a deep connection to Anna left. Together, they would keep her memory alive, and never let the kingdom forget about the princess who saved their lives.

It wasn't long before the Southern Isles learned about the death of Hans and Anna. However, unlike Arendelle who mourned the loss of their beloved princess, the Southern Isles did the opposite with their prince. King Daniel announced that there would be no funeral for Hans. Why should we honor someone who disgraced the kingdom so much? He said. They went on with their lives, acting as if nothing had changed. No one spoke of Hans, not even in a casual regard. It was as if he never existed to begin with.

One day, King Daniel summoned Richard to his study. He wanted to talk to him about something important.

"It's been a month since Hans and Anna died," he said. This was the first time in a while that he had spoken of the tragedy. Queen Elsa must be so distraught over the loss of her beloved sister, especially at the hands of the monster who tried to take her kingdom. At least now he's gone for good. Nevertheless, I feel for her in her time of grieving. I believe we should share our condolences. It was after all one of our own who caused Anna's death. Richard, I want you to go to Arendelle and console Queen Elsa. Show her just how truly sorry we are, and that we are there for her and her kingdom if they need anything. You should also do what you can to mend the relationship between our kingdoms. Arendelle is a very prospering kingdom, and our country could greatly benefit from their services."

"Yes, father. I shall leave tomorrow morning," Richard said. As soon as the eldest son left his father's study, he went to room and packed his bags.

"With the loss of her sister, Queen Elsa is more vulnerable than ever. She'll need a shoulder to cry on, someone to help her through these difficult times, and that's just what I'll do. If I play my cards right, she'll return the favor by submitting her love to me."

A/N: Things are starting to heat up. Next chapter will continue to focus on Hans and Anna back on the island, particularly the changes going on in Hans. Thank you again for all the reviews! If you're enjoying the story and haven't left a review yet, please do so. I'd love to hear what you think!