Chapter 14

Elsa awoke and arrived in the dining hall anticipating the normal transactions of the day to occur. Her hope swere all in vain the moment Anna opened her mouth.

"When can I meet him?" Anna asked as innocently as she could possibly seem to Elsa. Her sister's eyes grazed over her face searching for an ulterior motive, but she was aware deep down that Anna was simply overwhelmed by a great amount of curiosity.

"When can you meet who?" Elsa made a last ditch effort to avoid a conversation she would rather not have at the beginning of a day. She knew Anna may burst at the seams if she waited any longer to found out his identity.

"Only the man who has been staying in our guest quarters for nearly a month and taking almost all of your time. I know that it is serious stuff, BUT I AM DYING." Anna finally admitted. Anna leaned back in her chair and threw her hands into the air. Elsa secretly enjoyed the small bouts of over dramatic tendencies that came from her sister, but it was a different case all together when the odd behavior resulted in the exposure of something best kept hidden, or at least she thought.

She attempted to not let jealously slip into her tone, but it was ever present. Any time that Anna arrived at the Queen's office in the midst of the day, and her knocks went unheard (or ignored), she secretly feared that her sister's reclusive nature was beginning to take over once more. Though she knew if she were to open the door, she would be graciously accepted into her sister's company, or she at least thought she knew.

The nightmares returned from Anna's childhood where the castle was consumed in flames and the only solace was Elsa's room, but every knock went unanswered and Anna eventually gave into to the inferno. She realized now that this dreams was on the verge of her lost memories of Elsa's powers. Her icey solitude would quench the flames. Anna shivered as though a being had arrived and tickled up her back and reached her head.

"Do you really meet him? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to…" Elsa attempted to extinguish the thoughts rising in her sister's brain by making the interaction seems less than a desirable option for how to spend your day, but it was futile. Anna saw straight through the act.

"Of course I want to. What have I been saying all these weeks?" Anna could not help but let the words burst from her mouth.

"Fine. I guess I do owe it to you due to my recent absence in your life." Elsa confronted the elephant in the room dead on. It left Anna void of speech. She was unsure how to address the subject that had slowly eaten away at her.

Anna's head dropped to the table placed before her. "I didn't really intend for that to be brought up. I realize that you have been swamped with the duties tied with being the head of a monarchy. It isn't easy and I should never assume that you are purposely hurting me. You still spend the Saturdays with me."

Elsa abandoned her place at the head of the table and fell to her knees in front of Anna. She clung unto her hands placed on her lap. Her blue eyes bore into Anna's.

"Am I hurting you?" Elsa questioned letting concern and regret drip into her voice.

"It is not that you are hurting me, it's just, I miss you. I was hoping that would be able to spend more time together lately. I just really miss you." Anna replied in a hoarse voice.

The tears that had been threatening to fall fell unto her cheeks. Elsa could not stand what she was seeing. She had let the pursuit of assisting another person take precedence over ensure that her sister felt her companionship. She raised her hand and swept away all the tears residing on Anna's face. She lifted Anna's chin from its tucked position to force her to make eye contact. At that point in the conversation, both of the girls where shedding tears.

"I have been selfish. I shouldn't let my affairs over rule the time we should spend together. It is going to change. I am not going to let myself fall back into the curve of ignoring you. It is all my fault. I don't want you to feel like I no longer crave your attention and having you by my side."

It was Elsa's turn to avert her gaze towards something other than the person she was admitting to. She bit her lips and bounced on her toes attempting to fight back the emotions that were likely to burst from her chest. She felt Anna finally acknowledge the grip on her hands. Elsa knew that she should admit to Anna that it was not all business. Elsa's friendship and now blossoming relationship with Nik was forcing her to fall back on her duties as Anna's older sister. Elsa decided.

"Tomorrow night at dinner."

"What are you talking about?"

"He will join us at dinner tonight. You can meet him tonight, if you would like." Elsa averted her eyes knowing that Anna would not being to maintain a calm composure at her words.

"The sooner we meet, the sooner you get out of this funk that you have been in. I have missed you." Anna effectively closed Elsa's thoughts on debating whether or not she should truly bring him to dinner. To know that it would please her sister's mind and possibly put her at ease, settled Elsa's stomach.

"Then it shall be."

Elsa waited a day to give Nikolas the news. Every time they talked, she let the conversation slip away. It was the next day that Elsa found Nikolas in the library, a place she knew was rather safe from Anna.

She entered the room and took her place next to the reading man. He didn't break his focus from the book until she placed her head on his shoulder.

Nikolas turned from his book and placed a kiss on Elsa's forehead, "Well hello there, my Queen."

Elsa took the opportunity to spring the news on him, "So, guess what you will be doing tonight?" She tried to keep the panic from showing. Ice formed at the base of the hearth.

"What would that be?" Nikolas asked not turning his head from the book. "You are having dinner with me. And Anna." The fire in the hearth flared out melting the ice forming. Nikolas swallowed trying to force the lump in his throat back down.

"Tonight?" He croaked. He was not prepared to meet another person. It took a month to build up the courage to finally come to Arendelle. He did not like human interaction, especially when it came to someone whose impression could mean the end of the only relationship he had ever had, let alone their friendship.

Elsa turned her body to face Nikolas. She placed her hand on his right cheek and looked into his eyes.

"It will be okay. Everything will be okay." She leaned forward until their lips met. He placed his hand on the small of her back. She laced her fingers into his hair. Over the course of his stay there, it had grown. It was shaggy and thick, but Elsa enjoyed it. The kinks in his hair caused it to curl into certain areas leaving him with an utter mess in the mornings. She pulled away from the man and placed her hands onto her lap.

"Now let's discuss what you should and shouldn't mention." Elsa insisted.

"First things first, I need to get a haircut." Nikolas chuckled as Elsa's fingers became intertwined in his locks.

"What a shame." Elsa said unaware of the fact that she had left the door slightly ajar and open to peeking toms.

Hello again. Thank you very much for reading. The time for the meeting is upon them...