A/N: I'm still here and writing. Rough draft is on page 80 (handwritten) and climbing, while I've only posted just over 36 of those pages after this chapter. Short, but I'm going to try and catch up on my typing. Not sure if my voice recognition program or my microphone is the problem, but I'm stuck with doing this by hand. :(

As Anna looked down at Patty, she was reminded of the warm hugs she used to get from Elsa when they were little. How long had it been since she had been hugged by anybody? For the last year, Kristoff had been very supportive, but treated her like a piece of wet paper he was trying to peel off a table. He seemed scared to touch her. Now she realized just how much she missed that touch. Idly, Anna wondered what Elsa had been doing since she was taken, and desperately wished they were together now. A single tear glistened in her eye as she thought about her sister.

Of course, Elsa was concerned too, right from to the first missed meal. Once Anna was back on her feet emotionally from the attempted assassination the year before, she had hardly ever missed a meal without letting her sister or Kristoff know first. With the rumors circulating about unrest around the capital and Anna's disregard of her warnings, Elsa was already very worried before Anna ever disappeared.

What Elsa did not share with Anna was that there were signs of unrest outside the capital. Various loyal nobles to both the east and west of the capital were having similar issues. These lords and ladies of the realm all had daughters who were either abducted or attempted to be abducted. Of the failed attempts, the abductors were described as Elsa's personal guard or from the noble's own guard. Obviously, this was just from their uniforms, as they never found the perpetrators among the guards in question. Unfortunately, there were a few successful attempts. With no leads, Elsa and the affected nobles were stuck waiting for ransom demands. Of the nine abductions thus far, no demands had been made, and any cornered abductors fought to the dead to avoid being caught. While quite a few believed the girls to be dead, almost half claimed they likely ran away to avoid a marriage they didn't want. While Elsa didn't condone arranged marriages, neither were they illegal. Nine in such a short time didn't give much hope on the latter theory. If any demands had been received, the nobles had failed to advise Elsa of the developments.

All this was forgotten as Elsa stared at Anna's empty chair. Idly, she pushed the food around her plate, but little reached her mouth. Worry for Anna was etching itself into her features for all to see. If the worry lines went any deeper, people would think they would become permanent. Even Kristoff was becoming concerned by Elsa's worry.

"Relax Elsa. Anna hasn't lost track of time recently, and is more than due to be late for a meal. It's been months since she hasn't told us she was going to be late."

"That was before I got shot and showed people it was still possible to lose control of my powers. I don't know, Kristoff. She knows how worried I am about her adventures into town."

"Give her some credit. She can handle herself in a crisis. I think she proved that last year when she stepped up during your injury," assured Kristoff. A slight emphasis on the word 'think' caused Elsa to look up. Kristoff wasn't quite quick enough covering up the doubt he felt and she saw it in his eyes.

"Kristoff, while she made the right decisions, it almost destroyed her emotionally. While she won't admit it, we both know she's been a wreck since then. She's had more emotional peaks and valleys than a mountain range."

"Just give her the benefit of the doubt until we are both done eating, and then we'll send the guards out to find her. Despite what happened, she's a survivor. Trust me, there isn't a person alive that can hold her back for long. That is, other than yourself. She believes in you more than anybody else, possibly more than everybody else combined. The only way she wouldn't get back to you would be if she had to die to protect you. I – maybe that was a poor choice of words. What I mean is that she would NEVER give up on you. Don't you dare give up on her!"

"Are you sure?"

"Like I said, trust me."

Looking up, Elsa caught and held Kristoff's eyes. What she saw in them scared her. The same expression was on both their faces. They both hoped what Kristoff said was true. She could tell from his expression that neither of them believed a word he had said. There was no comfort for either of them in the other person's face.

Knock, knock.

"Come in! Is that you Anna?" called Elsa, pausing as she paced circles in her personal library.

"No milady. It's just me. Sorry to disturb you, but you requested me to come see you," replied Kai calmly as ever as he entered the room. He immediately noticed the signs of extreme worry in Elsa. They would have been hard to miss.

Every window was obscured by a thick layer of frost, and the room's temperature was cold enough to freeze her cup of water on her desk. The queen herself had failed to notice any of this, being immune to the cold. The most noticeable sign was on the floor. The circle Elsa had been pacing was an inch thick in solid ice, as was a back and forth path in front of the only open window. It was the only window Elsa was able to see the main gate from when she was in her library.

"Kai, have you seen her or heard anything about Anna?"

"No milady. She has not returned, nor has she sent word about her whereabouts. Word has been spread around the castle guards to inform you immediately if anything new comes up."

"This isn't normal Kai, especially since last year. She knows how worried we all get."

"Since neither you nor Kristoff actually ordered for guards to be sent out, I took the liberty of sending out guards to search about an hour ago. Nothing has been reported yet."

"I thought Kristoff said he was going to arrange to send them out?"

"Milady, all he said was that you should wait until after the meal. When no order was given by either of you, I made arrangements on your behalf."

"Thank you Kai. I don't know what we'd do without you."

"If I may be so bold, the castle staff are worried too. Things haven't been the same without your sister's usually buoyant self, and it's affecting everyone's mood over the last while. She has us all concerned, and not just because we can't find her right now. We've been watching out for Anna for months, trying to cheer her up. Now that nobody can find her, well, even Kristoff is out searching right now."

"When did he go out?" asked Elsa, slightly annoyed.

"Um, right after dinner… your majesty."

"I knew he didn't believe what he was saying. I'm going to have a discussion with that man."

"Don't be too hard on him. He means well and just didn't want to worry you any more than necessary."

"I know. He's done a wonderful job with Anna too. It's just frustrating."

"I'm sure he understands, milady. In the mean time, the council has been wondering if you have had time to endorse the trade agreement with the French Ambassador. We can't afford to keep such a steady trade partner waiting, or they will start to question our commitment to trade…"