Ice, Darkness, Fire and Light 21: I don't own Frozen or any Characters.

Rating: K

Words: 2,892

Characters: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Rapunzel, Eugene, and many more characters.

Summary: Anna finishes her story to the Arendelle council and we find that Kristoff has changed a lot of the years, but is there a glimmer of who he used to be still there.

Anna remained motionless for the rest of the night and into the morning when a knock came at her door and Anna said "Enter."

The large man with a limp stood at her door with his cane in front of him "The council is ready to hear more of your story," the man stuttered, a little trying to find the correct title to use.

Anna stood up and said "I am Princess Anna of Arendelle no more. Now I am just Anna of Arendelle."

The man then opened the door for Anna and Anna nodded her head in thanks. Much to Anna's dismay the hallway was still filled with guards as the large man started to lead Anna to the hall. "Did I hear correctly that you were there when Kai spoke his last words?" the man with a cane asked.

"Yes he apologized for his failures and I told him that he had nothing to apologize for and then he closed his eyes and the light left him," Anna answered, and then noticed the man had a tear on his face "I'm sorry are you ok."

"Yes my lord tried to get him to come with us, my mother did as well, but my father wouldn't leave. He sent us away to live he said," the large man was Kai's son. Anna didn't even realize that Kai had a family and she felt guilty that she didn't know. "I'm sorry," was all Anna could say, as they approached the doors to the grand hall and one of the guards opened them for her. The scene was the same Kristoff at one end with two to his right and left and the only other chair was one of Anna at the other end away from the council. Anna walked in and sat across from Kristoff and the council.

"So you attacked the men and the fortress then what?" Kristoff asked.

Anna went to speak a few times, but then felt like the truth was not the correct thing to say "I entered Elsa's tower and she had fled. I couldn't find her so I went south to find you," Anna continued, from where she met the Kale and his looters. Anna continued until she got to the part where Anna turned dark and stole the light from those men. Anna changed the story there and quickly moved on to coming back north to find the Arendelle people again but this time ran into ice farmers from Corona. When Anna finished she finalized her story with "The people of Corona and Atlantia are ready to rise up against Weselton and Southern Isles they just need Arendelle's help."

Kristoff looked at the rest of the council and the bald scared man spoke with the really grizzled voice "That is a fascinating story, but I don't believe a word of it." Anna had to nearly bite her tongue to not yell at the man.

The younger man with blond patchy hair tried stroking his beard in thought but it just made him look even more ridiculous "I believe the story, but I don't see any benefit to us to help Corona and Atlantia rise up. If we help them out primary source of food and income disappears or we start feeling guilty for raiding them instead." Anna couldn't believe what she was hearing this council could help change the course of the world.

The silver haired man with the beard was stroking his beard for a while before saying "If Corona and Atlantia don't blame us for the deaths of their leaders we might be able to return to a life of peace and trade and could give up piracy. I say we should send out the fleet to help." Anna thought at last a reasonable person in the council.

Anna turned and saw that the woman had been writing the entire time the other men thought and spoke. Then woman then handed a piece of paper to Kristoff "Mistress Sif says that we should help, but we should wait until the dry dock is finished, all our ships are repaired and armed and that we should have another galleon being built before we help. Otherwise we risk losing our fleet and only source of goods if we go to war and loose," Kristoff nodded his head at Mistress Sif who returned his nod in agreement. Anna could understand her point of view, while Anna didn't think it was that big of a risk. It still was a risk to their people.

Anna then turned to Kristoff who was staring at Anna for a while and Anna wanted to say something, but every time she opened her mouth nothing came out. "I believe most of your story, but I also believe you have left out some things about Elsa," this was the first time anyone has said her name and not called her the mad queen. "Why have you lied to us about Elsa?"

Anna realized that Kristoff wasn't staring at her like he used to, but he was reading her like he used to read people for Elsa. He was looking for little clues and at some point he had seen something that Anna did that told him she lied. "It pains me to say this, but frankly I don't trust you with Elsa's location," Anna confessed, with a hint of defiance in her voice.

"Are you saying that the people that you once claimed as your own don't deserve justice?" the young blond man spat.

"I never said that. I believe they do deserve justice, but I believe that the justice you should serve them is the one who truly is to blame for their current situation. My sister is not the one to blame, she did some horrible things, but can you blame her for it?" Anna answered, but continued "Elsa snapped after seeing her baby sister die not once, but twice to save her. You can't blame Elsa for breaking down mentally after all that she had been through."

"Who is to blame then?" the older bald man asked, in his grizzly voice.

"Whoever sent the assassin to kill Elsa and killed me instead," Anna thought she was stating the obvious, but the faces around the table made her think differently.

"We tried years ago to find that information, but we were unable to find anything before we had to abandon Old Arendelle. Whatever information was left there is long gone now," the silver haired man answered.

"Yes shortly after the event happened no one would be willing to talk about the assassination attempt, but don't you find it oddly convenient that Weselton and the Southern Isles were so quick to move on Corona and Atlantia. Almost like they had fleets and troops in the area waiting to attack a suddenly vulnerable country that had recently lost its leader and maybe royal family," Anna had never thought about it that way before, but hearing her own words made the most sense out of all the things said so far.

Anna stared at the people at the other end of the table while they thought about what Anna had said. Anna thought that she had convinced Kristoff and Sith, but the others were to unknown to Anna for her to be able to tell for sure.

Finally after what felt like forever Kristoff said "I will retract the kill order for Elsa, but she is no longer queen to these people she will be plainly be Elsa of Arendelle. If her madness is ever cured we will welcome her with open arms," Kristoff's answer was better than Anna could have hoped for "But I can't send Arendelle's ships to attack and defend other ports of call. Maybe once our dry dock is finished and we can start building our own ships will we consider helping out your allies," Kristoff finished. Anna could hardly suppress her anger at Kristoff, people were suffering and he was just going to sit here safe in his little castle.

"Kristoff if you have denounced Elsa's claim to the throne does that mean?" the younger blonde man started to ask.

"No I am not a king. The Ice King was a ruse set up to throw off our enemies it was never meant to be real," Kristoff answered, with a little cold in his voice like he has had this argument many times in the past.

"My lord you might not want to be called king, but you are called king in the streets. You have led these people through hell and back it is only right you claim the title that they have already given you," the old bald man said, in his grizzled voice.

"All things that you have all said in the past, but it still won't change my mind," Kristoff answered, again standing with both hands on the table.

"Yes, but denouncing Elsa's claim will mean you are king in the people's eyes," the silver haired man stated, plainly as if Kristoff was too blind to see. Kristoff just shook his head in annoyance and he looked at Sith who simply smiled at him and Kristoff shook his head no.

"My I speak?" Anna asked, knowing that she had no true pull in this council.

"O great now are you going to tell me I should be king?" Kristoff said, mockingly and Anna just widened her eyes leaving her question in the air. "Say your peace," Kristoff said, with a flick of his wrist.

"When I was younger and one of the few times Elsa and I were in the same room together it was to talk about succession," Anna started, and saw that everyone was hanging on every word she said. "Elsa at the time said she didn't want to become queen ever and that they should just leave the throne to me. I also said that I didn't want the throne and that it was Elsa's by right. That is when my father knelt down and looked both of us in the eye and said 'That the person who wants to be on the throne is not the person you really want on the throne. It's the person who doesn't want to be on the throne is the person you need to be on the throne.' At the time I didn't understand what he was trying to say, but now I see," Anna stopped, and looked at Kristoff. "You don't want to be King Kristoff, but maybe you should think about it this way. Maybe your people need you to be King," Anna finished, with a reassuring smile that use to make Kristoff melt, but this time it seemed to make him turn cold as ice.

Kristoff collapsed back into his chair and covered his face with both hands and then said something that Anna never expected from Kristoff. "Fine. I hate you all. Make the announcement," Anna was shocked at hearing Kristoff say that he hated everyone one in the room. Kristoff then stood and walked out of the room without saying another word. Anna just sat there as the rest of the council stood happily and started to talk about the ceremony and what they should plan. Anna wasn't sure what to do when Sith walked up and handed Anna a note I will have the guard lessened and you will have free reign of the castle, but you can't leave until his majesty gives permission.

"Thank you," Anna answered, then stood and watched as Sith wrote and gave out new orders to the guards. Then finally there was only one guard left standing near the door waiting. Anna smiled at him and he nodded his head to Anna and then opened the door for her. "Thank you," Anna smiled again and walked back to the room that she had spent the night in. Anna waited in her small room looking out the small window when she thought it had been long enough and then stood and opened the door. "I would like to meet with King Kristoff," Anna stated, and the guard led the way and Anna fallowed.

When Anna arrived at the door the guard spoke to another standing guard who then went in and then came back out "His Majesty says you can enter." Anna walked through the open door and the first thing she could see was a large painting of Anna that once hung in the family gallery. It was painted about a year before Anna had met Kristoff. The rest of the room was sparsely decorated with a table and chairs, a bed, a desk in front of the painting and Kirstoff was sitting behind the desk staring at the old painting.

"You know how I use to give you a hard time about talking to those paintings?" Kristoff spoke, after hearing the door shut.

"Yea you and Elsa both had a good time at my expense over that," Anna replied, with a little smile on her face as she walked up to Kristoff's desk. Anna dragged one of the chairs from a nearby table and moved it closer until one of the guards cleared his throat, which caused Anna to stop and sit on the spot.

"About four years ago I found myself talking to your picture here like I was talking to you and the irony was not lost on me," Kristoff said, after a bit.

"I hope I gave good advice," Anna said "You have heard my story why don't you tell me yours Kristoff what happened between my murder and now."

"That is a very long story which would require a lot of alcohol and a stronger heart then I have right now," Kristoff said, almost mournfully.

"Then what will it take to convince you to help Atlantia and Corona?" Anna asked, cutting to the chase.

"We are in no shape for a war Anna. I know what the people say about the Pirates of Arendelle that we have two fleets that can set fire to the world if we wanted. It's not true we have two barely functional Galleon's and a hand full of Frigates that are all in some way damaged. We spread those rumors just like the Ice King to set fear into the sailors so they will surrender without a fight," Kristoff then took a drink of something. Anna couldn't see what it was, but could hear him drinking. "Once the dry dock is finished and we repair all the ships even then I'm not sure we can do what you want. Fully repaired navy we would have three Galleons, ten Frigates and several smaller ships not including our merchant ships that aren't made for war."

Anna should have known better than to think that New Arendelle was going to be this grand place. Where they could float a navy that could once again rival her enemies, but that just is not here. There was no help for Atlantia or Corona and they would have to stand on their own. "If I encode a couple of letters for Melody of Atlantia and Eugene of Corona do you think they could somehow find their way into their hands?" Anna asked.

"I'm sure we could find a way to get them to the correct locations. No guarantee that the letters will get to the intended recipients, but we can try," Kristoff said, "You will be ok with telling me what you are writing correct."

"Of course your majesty. I will even write them here in your presence," Anna said, with a big smile and a curtsy. It was intended to be a joke to make Kristoff smile and it had the opposite effect as his face fell and he rolled his one good eye. "I'm sorry Kristoff I thought it would make you smile at least. After I write the letters I want to leave to go check on Elsa," Anna said, with a little regret in her voice.

"I have to protect my people if you leave I will make sure you won't be able to find your way back Anna," Anna was shocked to hear what Kristoff just said.

"Are you saying that I am not welcome here?" Anna asked, her eye's narrowing.

"No I'm not saying that, but I am saying that to protect my people I will make sure that the location of this lake and city will remain as secret as possible. It isn't that I don't trust you it's just that I don't trust anyone anymore," Kristoff said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Do you really think you can stop me from finding my way back here Kristoff?" Anna asked, with a smirk on her face.

"The fact that you are standing before me having this conversation makes me think that there is nothing that you cannot do. But I will still try my best to keep those relying on me safe," Kristoff said, drinking from a glass that he is holding with his injured hand.

"I know you don't want to hear or see this, but you already are and you will continue to be a good King. How about a pen and paper for those letters?" Anna said, with a smile quickly changing the subject.

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