Elsa usually had her breakfast at this time, but since she had seen no sign of Kia this morning, she skipped breakfast to find him.
While searching, a servant came and announced to her, that Kristoff had arrived to see her.
Curious as to why he would come so early, she met him outside the dinning hall.
He bowed. "My Queen, here's the graph that shows how much ice we now have stored and ready to trade." He handed her a piece of paper.
"Thank you, Ice Master Kristoff," she read the paper and was glade to see how much it had increased.
She was about to call Kia to come and make copies of the graph for the other dignitaries at the counsel meeting that morning, but remembered the man seemed to have disappeared.
She looked and saw how Kristoff seemed nervous. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah no your Grace," lied Kristoff, he was scared about what he was going to say to Anna when he saw her. "Will there be anything else?"
"Well, actually," she started walking down the hall. "I suppose you can help me since I seem to have lost my counselor at the moment."
"Kia?" asked Kristoff as he joined her. "What has happened to him."
"I don't know. The last I saw of him, he was helping the Corona Ambassador prepare fort the trail."
"Trial?!" Kristoff exclaimed. "What trail?"
"My sister Anna's."
"What?!" his outburst startled her. "You're putting her on trial? How can you do that to her, she's your sister!"
A nearby guard approached Kristoff as he yelled at the Queen, but Elsa ordered him to return to his post. Then she faced Kristoff sternly. "Ice Master Kristoff. Please do not do that again."
Kristoff looked down. "I'm sorry your Grace. Please, forgive me."
"It's alright," she said sadly, and he saw just how worried she also was for Anna. "I to, did not want this to happen. But I haven't been able to prove her innocence and now there must be a trail."
"But my Queen," he said gently. "What will happen if she is found guilty."
Elsa sighed and began to walk again. "I have the chosen the Corona Ambassador to be the one defending her. Pray, he can do it."
"Eugene?" Kristoff was suppressed, but he also felt a little relived. "I think you've made a wise choice your Grace. He does seem to be a good man, considering his former life style."
"I hope you're right," Elsa said, she then saw Gerda and some of the handmaidens walking down the hall. "Gerda, where are you going?"
"To attend to Princess Anna, your Grace," replied Gerda.
"But her room is the other way," Elsa said confused. "Why are you here?"
"The Princess is not in her room your Grace. She is in the library."
"What? Why is she doing in there so early?"
Well, you see, your Grace. Anna went their last night to be speak with Ambassador Eugene and Kia about the trial. And I just learned she hasn't come back yet."
"What?!" Elsa asked wide eye. "You mean, she spent all night with the Ambassador and Kia?"
Gerda nodded. "That is correct your Grace. We were headed over there now to see what is going on. Would you like to come too?"
"Yes," said Elsa as she, Gerda, the handmaidens and Kristoff, rushed down the halls till they came to the library doors. Two guards struggling to stay awake, where posted there.
"Where is my sister?" demanded Else.
"My Queen!" the guard now stood fully awake. "I believe she is sill inside with the other two men."
"All night long?"
"Yes my Queen. shall I open the door?"
Elsa ordered them two and they all came inside the library and saw the sight before them.
Kia, was leaning back in his chair, snoring loudly. Eugene and Anna, however, were both resting their heads on the table, on top of the law books and papers. A small pile of Anna's drool covered the pages.
Elsa was speechless, as well as the others. It was Kristoff who spoke first. "Anna!"
Her head jumped up. "I'm awake! I wasn't sleeping I was just-" she saw both Eugene and Kia were also sleeping, then turned to look at the crowd at the door. "Kristoff?" she was completely surprised at seeing him again. "And-" she looked at the servants, before her eyes finally met Elsa. "Ah, Hey."
After so long of not seeing each other, Elsa and Anna both felt very strange, as they stared at each other, not sure of what to say.
Anna then heard Kia snoring. "Um, Kia, wake up!"
Kia stirred awake. "Oh, ah yes Princess," he then noticed Elsa, and quickly stood up. "Your Majesty! I, ah, was just helping Ambassador Eugene and Anna go over the books and notes for the trial. Ah, what time, may I ask is it?"
"Almost eight," Gerda replied.
"Eight?!" Kia began to try to fix his hair and straighten his cloths. "Forgive me your Majesty. I will be ready in a moment and have the morning counsel meeting prepared on time."
But Elsa held up a hand to calm him. "It is alright Kia. But will you please awaking the ambassador for me."
"Of course," said Kia as he notice Eugene was still sleeping. "Um, Ambassador,' he spoke softly.
Eugene snorted. "Five more minutes your Kingliness," then went back to sleep.
Kia stood unsure of what to do, while Elsa heard the handmaidens giggle.
"Let me do it," said Anna as she leaned close to Eugene and put her hands to her mouth. "EUGENE!"
"Whaa!" Eugene fell backwards in his chair, then struggled to his feet, while trying to figure out what just happened.
"Sorry," Anna peeped, as Eugene looked at her. but then he saw Elsa.
"Queen Elsa! What are you doing up so late at night?"
The handmaidens giggled louder this time, while Else said. "Ambassador Fitzhurbert. it is now eight in the morning."
The Morning?!" Eugene looked around and saw the sun threw the window. "Ooooh," he looked at Anan, and Kia, then back at the Queen. "I guess we must have dozed off."
"It would appear that way," Elsa agreed, trying to keep her face calm and emotionless during this situation. "May I ask what progress you have made for my sister's trail?"
"Ah, right!" Eugene scrambled through the mess of books papers and documents, trying to find all his notes he wrote down. "I have written down everything I think can be used for Anna's defense…if I can just find it…"
Anna started to help him search. "Here it is Eugene!" She held it up and realized it was drenched from her hot chocolate that she spilt when she fell asleep. "Oh, sorry."
Eugene took the wet paper by the tip of his two fingers and showed it to Elsa as chocolate dripped from it. "Here is my report your Grace."
The sight of Eugene standing before her, while trying to look dignified in such an funnily awkward position with the chocolate stained paper. Else almost felt herself joining in with her handmaidens giggling.
But instead, she remained serious. "Very good, Ambassador. I would like to leave you to your work, but we have another counsel meeting this morning, and I'll need Kia to assist me, and Princess Anna must return to her chambers."
Eugene put the his report back on the table. "Of course, your Grace. I will go and prepare for it right now."
"Alright then, Ambassador," said Elsa as she turned to leave. "I will see you in-."
"Wait!" cried Anna, not wanting for Elsa to leave yet after not seeing her for days. but as Elsa and the others looked at her, she felt her words caught in her mouth. "Else…I, I just wanted to…to."
"Um, Queen Elsa," Eugene then spoke. "What the Princess is trying to say is that last night, she discovered something of great importance, and she must speak with you about it…alone. Isn't that right Kia?"
At first, Kia looked just as confused as everyone else, until he realized what Eugene was trying to do. Reunite two sisters. "Oh, yes. there is something the Princess must speak to you about, your Grace. Alone."
Not understanding what this was all about, Elsa only knew she was afraid to talk with Anna, since she believed Anna was still angry with her, and unsure of how she also felt. But since Kia said it was important, she sighed. "Very well, please all of you leave us."
The library was soon empty saved for the two sisters, both kept their eyes averted, since they were too afraid to look at one another.
"Um. Hey," said Anna.
"Hey," Else replied still not looking at her. "What was it you wanted to-."
Since she didn't know what to say, Anna just ran up and hugged her sister. Else tensed, but soon she was retuning the hug.
They didn't speak for a long time, until Anna said with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Else! I'm so sorry!"
"No Anna! I'm sorry! I should never have done this to you!"
"But I should never had said tat to you. I was just so angry and sad. Please forgive me."
"Oh Anna!" Elsa couldn't stop her crying.
Outside the library, everyone was gathered at the door, while Eugene looked threw the keyhole.
"What is going on?" asked Gerda anxiously.
Eugene only smiled satisfied at them all. "Kia, I think we should reschedule the counsel meeting for another time. And please make sure the Queen and Princess are not disturbed"
"I think that would be best," agreed Kia smiling.
Eugene then looked at Gerda. "Has the Queen eaten yet?"
"No."
"Then have your chiefs prepare a large breakfast and have it delivered here. I think they are going to take a while."
Anna took a large bite out of her jammed toast, and crunched on it loudly, as jam stained her face.
"Carful Anna,' Elsa laughed. "Remember what Mother would say?"
"A princess does not get jam all over her face. Even if her father does," they both said together and then laughed as they remembered father also had the same problem.
Anna then sighed. "Wow, Elsa. I've missed you so much."
"Me too," said Elsa. "I just was to afraid to see you, and with everything going on, the murder, our trading partners."
"And your ice magic!" Anna almost screamed. "I heard about what you did in the village. I wish I could have seen it."
"I may have to do it again soon. You can watch it then."
"Or, you can show me right now!" Anna looked like she was going to burst with excitement.
At first, Elsa wasn't sure, but then she removed her glove, and let a bunch of snowflakes float from her hand.
"Wow. That's amazing!"
"Thank you."
"Now make snow!"
"Alright, here it goes!" Elsa then released a blast of power that formed into a large pile of snow in the room.
"Alright!" Anna ran from the table and jumped into the pile of snow.
"Anna wait," Elsa tried to tell her. "You're not dressed for-"
A snowball smacked her across the face, and Anna laughed. Elsa smiled competitively. "Oh yeah?" she created a huge snowball and fired it at Anna. However, the princess took cover behind the couch.
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!"
They continued pelting each other for a while before deciding to make snowmen, then a large snow slide. Soon the whole room was covered with ice and snow, but they didn't care.
However, the door then open and in came Hans. "Your Majesty I-" a snowball hit him in the face.
Oops, sorry!" Anna cried.
Hans cleared the snow form his face and stared in shock around him at what Elsa had done.
"Prince Hans," said Elsa as she stood upright and smoothed her dress. "What's wrong."
"Nothing your Grace," said Hans in awe. "It's just, your powers never seizes to amaze me."
"No I mean, why have you come here?"
"Oh," said Hans recovering himself. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. My mother has asked the Duke of Weselton to be the prosecutor at Anna's trail, and the Duke has accepted."
"What? Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. My mother must had made him an offer he couldn't refuse."
"What will that mean for my trial?" asked Anna standing next to Elsa now.
"Not to worry your Highness," said Hans, charming as ever. "It just means that your defender will have to work a little harder. But I'm sure he will be more than equal to the task."
Anna nodded. "I think so to."
Hans then bowed. "Well Queen Elsa, Princess Anna. I wish I could speak with you more. But my mother has requested I join her for lunch today."
"Lunch?" asked Elsa an she looked at the cloak and saw it was almost twelve. "Oh, the counsel meeting!"
Hans held up a hand. "Not to worry Queen Kia already informed me and the others it was rescheduled."
"Rescheduled?" Elsa asked surprised. "By whose authority?"
"By Ambassador Fitzhurbert, it would seem," said Hans as he headed for the door. "Goodbye Queen Elsa. I hope to speak to you again soon." Then closed the door.