A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates, everyone. I've been sick on and off, and it's made things difficult.

Anywho, today I'm feeling good, so here's a new chapter! Enjoy!

Standard disclaimers apply.

*A Beautiful Impatience*

She was pacing when Pitch arrived. "Let me guess, you can't sleep?" he asked dryly.

Elsa glanced at him but didn't break her anxious stride. "I had another outburst," she said shortly. "I've been doing what you told me - I've been watching my emotions, and I know that my powers get out of control whenever I'm worried or upset. But no matter how calm I try to be, they still come out."

"You don't have to be calm," he said, watching her. "Your powers are supposed to react to what you're feeling. You just need to learn how to use them to your advantage."

"Advantage?" she repeated. "How? You mean, I just blast away anyone who makes me angry?"

He bobbed one shoulder, amused at her irritation. "If that's what you want to do."

"Well, it's not," she snapped, flinging one arm down.

A few sparks of ice shot out from her hand toward Pitch, but he merely batted them away. "Careful," he cautioned, glancing at the carved wardrobe behind his left shoulder. "That is, unless you want to explain to your royal parents that you've had another accident."

Elsa sucked in her breath and buried her fists in her eyes. She turned away from Pitch, and for a moment he thought she was merely pouting until he heard her whispering something, over and over again.

"'Conceal, don't feel?'" Pitch echoed, and Elsa's shoulders tensed. "What do you mean?"

"It's... it's a mantra. My father taught me. It's supposed to help - "

"Look at me," he commanded her.

Elsa flinched again, but she slowly turned to face him.

"Let me ask you a question," Pitch said. He looked away from her and toward her bedroom door, to the hallway and the world beyond, where Elsa was forbidden to go. "Has the suggestion from your father helped?"

"Well... no..."

"Does he have any experience in mastering powers of his own?"

"No," she admitted.

He could hear in her voice that she expected a heavy rebuke to follow. Pitch smirked and took a different tactic. "Then remind me why you listen to him instead of me?"

"He's my father," Elsa said quietly, "but it's more than that. I'm going to be Queen one day, and if I show my powers, then everyone will think... everyone will be... " She sighed. "I just want to be normal in front of my people."

"Being normal is terribly dull," he said dismissively.

"But everyone will fear me," she objected.

He finally turned to look back at her. "They will fear you regardless. You might as well get it over with now so your subjects won't begrudge you for holding it secret from them later."

Elsa shook her head. "I don't know, Pitch... "

He shrugged. "Have it your way, then. But keep in mind that it is much easier to be feared than to be loved."

She glanced at him but didn't reply.

"And stop telling yourself to stop feeling and concealing. It'll never work."

Her mouth twitched into a smile. "It's 'conceal, don't feel.'"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

A/N: There will be more.