Elsa continued to sulk in her room. There was a hesitant knock on the door, and with a sigh, she cleared away the frost that was creeping up the walls and called, "Come in."

"Hi Elsa," Anna greeted as she shivered.

"Hi Anna," Elsa said with less enthusiasm.

"So?" Anna asked excitedly.

"So... what?" retorted Elsa.

"So how was your date with Prince Bedra?!"

"Anna, it wasn't a date. It was just walking around the grounds. And it was fine."

"Fine? You went on your first date ever, and all you have to tell me is that it was 'fine?'"

"Anna... it wasn't a date, but if that's what you want to count it as, then yes, it was fine. The prince was a gentleman, we talked a lot, and we had a generally pleasant time."

"Elsa! It was definitely a date, whether you want to think it or not. You threw a party and a bunch of single princes came to court you. Prince Bedra asked you out, and you went. 100% a date." Anna crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

"What?" Elsa asked.

"No butterflies?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you feel butterflies in your gut when you talked to him? Did his eyes make you light up? Did it seem like time slowed down and sped up all at the same time?!"

"Anna, what does all that mean? Stop talking in metaphors."

"I'm not talking in metaphors! I don't even know what a metaphor is! When I fell in love with Kristoff, all of those things literally happened."

"You literally had butterflies in your stomach?" Elsa verbally pushed back, crossing her arms.

"You know what I mean!" Anna chuckled as she playfully smacked her sister on the arm.

Elsa smiled at her little sister, then her gaze darkened as she considered what Anna had said.

"Anna... That's your story. Not mine." She wasn't sure how to tell her sister that she was agreeing to let Prince Bedra court her because he wasn't afraid of her powers.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked, placing a hand on Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa shrugged Anna's hand off, and she continued as she got up and started to walk away, "Butterflies, lights, time speeding up... That's your love story, not mine. I have to be practical here. I am the Queen. The Snow Queen."

Anna reached out to take her hand, but Elsa pulled away. Elsa noticed the beginnings of a headache behind her right eye.

"Elsa..." Anna took her hand quickly so she couldn't pull away again.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I'm not feeling great."

"Do you want to talk about this later?" Anna offered.

"I don't want to talk about it at all." Anna let go of Elsa's hand and took a step back.

"Please don't shut me out," Anna whispered, almost inaudibly.

"I'm sorry, Anna." This time Elsa took Anna's hand in hers. "I'm not trying to. I just have a lot to think about."

"I understand." Anna paused. "Just promise me you'll keep sharing. I don't want to lose you again."

Elsa squeezed Anna's hand. "Of course."

A while after Anna left to join Kristoff at dinner, Elsa was still sitting around trying to collect her thoughts. She didn't go to dinner. She told Anna that she wasn't hungry, which was true, but really she didn't want to talk about her date anymore than Anna already had.

She decided to go for a walk. Without knowing her destination, she started to wander around the palace.

She realized that her feet had led her to her parents' portrait. She looked into their faces and immediately felt the weight of expectation they had always placed on her. Would they really promise her to someone? Of course they wouldn't have told her at such a young age, especially when she couldn't control her powers. What if... That must be it! she thought. What if they arranged a marriage with The Eastern Isles monarchy because they didn't think I'd ever find true love on my own? Who would love me when, as Bedra said, I could so quickly throw the world out of balance? Of course, he knew about my powers already and had a lifetime to come to terms with marrying me.

Elsa walked back to her room quietly, pondering this revelation. She quickly changed into her nightdress, and as she settled into her bed for the evening, she couldn't help a few stray tears that landed on her pillow. Elsa continued to cry, letting out all of the day's emotions. She finally fell into a fitful sleep while thinking, Conceal, don't feel.