Prompt: No prompt.

Elsa was not happy. Well, she wasn't pleased, rather. It was eighty degrees outside. And she was expected to go outside in it? This could not possibly end well, for all parties involved. But, she had promised Anna that they'd have tea outside on the terrace. She wasn't one to make promises to Anna, particularly when it involved the two of them spending time together. But she had been stressed out, with her coronation a mere fortnight away, and she figured perhaps just this once, she could let Anna in. Maybe she could manage to find a way to chill her seat so she wouldn't be so hot.

A hesitant knock on the door startled her from her thoughts, and she stood to open it, a faint, sad smile gracing her lips as she saw Anna there, waiting with a big grin on her face.

"Elsie!" Anna grinned and dipped into an awkward curtsy.

"Anna, you know you don't have to do that," she stepped aside to allow Anna entrance into her chambers. "I take it you're ready for our afternoon tea, then."

Anna grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "I've been looking forward to it since the moment that I woke up!" She frowned a bit. "We never get to play together like we used to when we were children…"

Elsa smiled grimly. Anna was right. Ever since the incident, Elsa had distanced herself from her sister, busying herself with lessons and studying and preparing to be queen. And now, she was struggling to find enough free time to get a few hours of sleep.

"I know… Nothing's been the same since-" She caught herself before she could say it. Anna still didn't remember that night, and Elsa did not want to be the one to start that storm of emotions. Unsure how to cover up her sudden pause, she settled in a silence, going over to her desk and straightening some papers as Anna plopped down on her bed. This was why she hated her gift. It had ruined every chance she'd ever had as a normal girl. Her childhood had been filled with nothing but pain and sorrow, ever since she'd hurt Anna. She hated it. Absolutely hated it.

Eventually, she stopped fiddling with the papers and straightened, gathering her skirts and moving back towards the door. "Shall we?" She waited for Anna to jump up and exit the room before following after her quietly. She watched as Anna ran ahead, always aware of the differences between the two of them.

Anna was always so eager, and hyper. Her hands swung freely as she half-walked, half-skipped down the hall. Elsa looked down at her own hands, which were clasped demurely in front of her, the ever-present gloves a soft shade of turquoise to match her gown. She could never be as carefree as Anna. She couldn't afford to be.

"…don't you think, Elsie?"

Elsa shook her head slightly to clear her mind as she came back to the current situation. She looked up to see that Anna had paused and had trailed back to walk next to Elsa. "Pardon?"

Anna only giggled slightly, not put off at all by her sister's apparent lack of attention. "I said, 'it's a rather nice, warm day out, don't you think, Elsie?"

Elsa gave a curt nod. "Indeed." Better to let Anna enjoy the rare company without having her think this was more of a burden to Elsa than it already was. Well, burden was a harsh word. She was only worried that something would go wrong and she'd hurt her sister, like she always seemed to do in every nightmare she'd ever had.

After a few more moments of walking in silence, they arrived at the terrace. As they stepped outside, Elsa was immediately hit with the stifling heat. This was going to be harder than she thought. While Anna was busy ooh-ing over the assortment of finger foods on the table, Elsa discreetly slid a glove off, spreading her fingers slightly, which allowed a sense of cooling to come over her, before placing her hand on the back of her chair, cooling it off as well before she sat, sliding her glove back on just as Anna looked up to face her.

"Everything looks amazing, Elsa." She smiled as she sat down before looking back up at her sister shyly. "Thank you… For agreeing to have tea with me. I… I know you have better things to do than to waste time with me."

That hit Elsa hard. She may avoid her sister, and push her away the majority of the time, but she couldn't bear to have her sister thinking that she was a burden to her. She needed to put a stop to that immediately.

"Anna…" She paused. How was she to explain why she did what she did without giving away her secret? "Anna, you are not a burden to me. Time with you is not time wasted. I promise." She poured herself a cup of tea as Anna looked down at her hands in her lap. "Anna, dear sister. You mean more to me than you will ever know. I know I am not always there when I should be, and there is a reason for that, and in good time, you will understand."

Anna looked up at her sister, and Elsa could see the tears pooled in her eyes. "You mean… You don't hate me?"

And there was something, perhaps the combination of the shocked tone of her voice, the sadness in her eyes, and the single tear trailing down her cheek that broke Elsa. In a rare show of sisterly affection, she stood from her chair and moved around the table, kneeling in front of Anna's chair and placing a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Anna, I have never andwill never hate you. I love you so much more than you know, and that's exactly why I do what I do."

Before Elsa had time to react, Anna had thrown herself into her sister's arms and was weeping quietly into her shoulder. Elsa, for once, didn't tense up, but simply held her sister close. This wasn't exactly the safest thing for Anna, Elsa knew that all too well, but she figured just this once, she could let her sister in and show the compassion she had longed to show for so long. Didn't she deserve that after all?

After a short while, Anna pulled back and wiped her tears away as she gave Elsa another shy smile. "I'm sorry. I… I just…"

"It's alright, Anna. I understand." In another rare show of sisterly affection, she put a gloved hand under her sister's chin, bringing her up to face her. "Always remember that I love and care for you so much. And that's the only reason I've ever done everything that I have to you."

Anna nodded quietly. "And… one day… I'll understand?"

Elsa nodded. "One day, you will understand the sacrifices I've had to make and the hurt I've gone through, too. One day."

Anna nodded and, hesitantly, leaned forward to hug her sister again. Elsa allowed herself a small smile as she held her sister close.

Perhaps letting Anna in wasn't always so bad after all.