AN: Thanks so much for the reviews last chapter! It was great hearing from all of you again. Here's another chapter coming at you! I'm hoping to wrap this story up real soon so I can finally have it finished, especially after that awful hiatus.
Now, this chapter is only self-edited, so help me out, if you see a mistake in the content, let me know in a review and I'll fix it. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or its characters.
Laying atop a plush cloud that sheathed her bruised and battered body, Elsa trekked, following Ariadne's string as it guided her out of the labyrinth of her subconscious. A malestrom of colors danced in front of her eyes as they drifted open. There was a heavy fog in her sight, but the mixture of deep blues and purples were gentle on her aching head.
Above her, drapes of magenta hung from the black wood of a canopy bed, etched with intricate designs. Her eyes danced around, taking in the room; the seldom, dark furniture standing stoic against the walls and the expensive floor rugs, the gentle lilac wallpaper and the corner fireplace burning bright. She could feel the heat from where she laid under thick blankets.
The solitary four walls that had encompassed her from childhood were unmistakable, but what was once seen as something isolating, became the heart of a new perspective.
Breathing in deep, the scent of her home flooded her. A sharp pang in her side aborted the slow exhale, but it didn't ruin the rush of nostalgia and emotion that had her throat closing and her eyes watering. She laid in her own bed for the first time in months, breathing evenly with one hand resting across her middle and the other at her side. A lone tear ran down the side of her face and soaked into her hair as her eyes closed. There was disbelief that came along with the realization of where she was. She was home.
Her eyes drifted back open as she turned her head to see another person in the room, whom she may have purposely overlooked, just until she confirmed it wasn't all a fragile dream.
Past the angulate planes of her window, the shadows of a storm blew. Thick snow fell at an angle in a powerful whiteout. Anna sat on the bench, the tall window illuminating the room with white. No definitive features could be seen with that backdrop, but she could make out the shape of Anna's frame and twin braids through the light.
She moved to sit up, but found it difficult with the pain in her upper body. She wore a thin slip of a nightgown, ice blue with straps that left her shoulders and collarbone exposed. Her chest and waist were bound tight with bandages; they constricted every time she breathed in. The still mending fingers of her injured hand were stripped of any makeshift first-aid and was replaced with proper splints. Her fingers and wrist were wrapped in a sturdy sleeve that would limit movement, ensuring that they stayed still while they finished healing, and she could feel that her ankle was treated with something similar.
Struggling to gain purchase against her overly downy mattress, she managed to sit upright before leaning back against her pillows with a sigh. The sound drew Anna's attention, her strawberry blonde head whipping around. Her eyes widened when she saw Elsa sitting up.
"Elsa, you're awake!"
The princess jumped from the bench and ran over, throwing herself bodily on to the empty space by Elsa's side, causing the whole bed to bounce. Her arms wrapped tight like python around her sister's shoulders as she pulled her into a hug. Ignoring the pain that jostled through her, Elsa held her back just as hard. They hung on for dear life, their faces mashed into each other's hair. The room was silent except for the crackling of the fire as they basked in the comfort the other provided. It took several moments for them to finally break apart.
"I can't believe you're finally back," Anna said. "You found your way home!"
"You're okay," Elsa breathed.
She held Anna's face, cupping her rosy, freckled cheeks in her hands. There was always a crystal clear picture of Anna in her head, but getting to memorize her joyful features again was a beautiful privilege. Anna laughed, trying to shake off the queen's mollycoddling that was abrasive enough to revival a doting grandmother's.
"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?"
"I was so afraid I wouldn't make it back in time," Elsa replied as she lowered her hands.
Anna gripped her shoulder. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it back at all," she stressed. "Everyone had given up on finding you. They stopped looking and they wanted me to stop too, but I wouldn't. I would never."
Elsa reached up and put her hand over Anna's, squeezing it.
"I knew you wouldn't, and you know I would never give up trying to come home, right?"
"Of course! I knew you would, you just needed time. That's what I tried to tell everybody, but they didn't believe me. The royal council wanted Kristoff and I to go ahead with wedding so I could be crowned the next queen. It was insane! Can you imagine, me, as queen? This place would be burned to the ground within a week! I'm glad that we proved them wrong, though. I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't."
"Well," Elsa smiled, "let's be glad we don't have to ever find out, then."
Anna nodded her head, closing her eyes against fresh tears and embracing her sister again.
"I missed you so much, Elsa," she murmured into her shoulder.
"I missed you, too, so, so much. The thought of you was the only thing that kept me going, I wasn't going to be lost like mama and papa, leaving you all alone. I couldn't let that happen."
They squeezed each other, though Anna was careful not to put pressure on Elsa's middle. The queen barely felt it anymore; she felt too happy, euphoric, knowing that she was finally home. Nothing could shatter the peace. The world outside Elsa's room ceased to exist, just for a little while. The blizzard continued to rage on outside her window. The wind blew hard as it rattled the glass. Through a strange sense that only she had, Elsa could feel the cold coming off the glass, even from all the way where she sat, but it gained degrees as it parrished in the warmth of the fire.
Pulling back, the queen wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled, banishing the sappiness and smiling.
"So," she breathed, placing her hands neatly in her lap, "how has the kingdom been?"
Anna sat up straighter.
"I've been running Arendelle while you've been gone. I hope that's okay."
She looked up through her lashes with misplaced worry and guilt, like it would be a devastating betrayal to Arendelle's rightful queen that her quirky little sister tried to fill in her big girl shoes.
"Of course it's okay," Elsa assured her. "I'm proud that you stepped in as acting queen for me. I wouldn't have trusted anyone else to do it."
"Really?"
"Mhm."
"Good," she beamed, "I'm glad you think so, but I'll be so, so, so, so happy when you take over as queen again, because honestly, your job really sucks."
That drew a surprise bark of laughter from Elsa that made her wince.
"No seriously, it's really hard. Everybody demands ridiculous things from you and nothing you do is ever good enough. I promise I'll never complain about you being too busy to have fun with me ever again! Slap me if I do."
"You don't complain," Elsa said, "I was always too busy, but I'm glad you understand better now because I've always hated saying no to you."
"I promise, I understand a lot of things better now."
Elsa nodded. "So other than that, how did you do?"
Anna jumped from the bed and ran over to the reading table on the other side of the room, gathering a messy pile of scrolls and parchments into her arms.
"This is everything that I did while you were gone," she announced, grinning proudly as she dumped the pile on to Elsa's blankets. "I know it's nothing compared to how much you can get done in a month, but I think I did a decent job. The council gave me so much grief you wouldn't believe, especially councilman Volt - what is it with that guy, anyways? Who thought it would be a good idea to hire a walking thunderstorm as head of the royal council?"
Elsa sifted through some of the papers with curiosity as she replied, "Volt has been on the council since before even papa was king. He has his uses, but yes, he can be difficult even on his best days. I'm sorry you had to deal with him and the council. They're better at ridiculing than advising, I don't see them making this ordeal any easier on you."
"Baard was a big help. He really stepped up and supported the royal family, even though it was me he had to advocate for. You should give him a promotion, immediately, and a raise."
"We'll see. I'll have to touch base with the council, I've got a lot of catching up to do."
"But not until you're better," Anna said in a surprisingly stern tone. "The doctor said you'll make a full recovery, but you'll still need to rest if you want to go back to being queen anytime soon."
"Yes ma'am," Elsa chortled. "There's no room for argument with Acting Queen Anna, is there?"
"Nope!" she smiled big, putting her fists on her hips and puffing out her chest. "And once you're feeling better, we can have a party! I'm so glad you got back in time for your birthday. It can be a welcome back/birthday bash! Ooh, that kinda rhymes. We'll invite everybody in the kingdom and hold it in the ballroom with music and dancing and a huge cake."
"My birthday?" Elsa echoed, blinking as Anna continued to talk enthusiastically about streamers.
Her birthday - right, that was coming up soon. She had forgotten her own birthday. It was justifiable, but it still surprising. Her twenty-fourth birthday had almost passed by without her even acknowledging it.
She hadn't noticed that Anna had trailed off and gone quiet until she looked up and saw her with a soft, thoughtful expression on her face.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"You look different."
She knew what Anna meant. Not different in appearance, even though she sported a gnarly injury or two that would surely grow to become scars, but in spirit, and she supposed she had to have had. The sheer amount of growth that she had done over the past few months would certainly show to the person who knew her best, but she couldn't figure out from Anna's hard-to-read expression what changes her sister saw. She hoped they made her seem wiser.
Elsa smiled at her with a soft sadness.
"So do you."
Anna had grown, too, she could tell. Along with the new understanding of Elsa's daily strife ruling the kingdom, there was a stark difference in the way her sister held herself now. There was a kind of confidence that hadn't been there before, and an insightfulness in her tone that gave way to a version of Anna who Elsa had never acquainted herself with. Because of this, she realized the true depths of what happened in her absence, the extent in which Anna grieved for her, searched for her, defended her against slander and stood in her place.
Anna, her little sister, had finally become an adult in Elsa's eyes, and it was a moment of great pride.
The two sat in silence as they reached for more to say, because while the list seemed endless when they were apart, now they felt like it had all been said. They loved each other and they showed it, they never doubted it, and they knew they had never given up on seeing the other again.
Elsa knew the gist of what happened while she was gone, but nothing had been said about her own ordeal. Anna had so many questions that she just wanted to throw out all at once, but she showed restraint because Elsa still needed to heal. She didn't want her sister to feel pressured or stressed, which was why Anna had declared her room absolutely off-limits to everybody unless given permission to enter by the acting queen herself.
"Well," Anna sighed, standing up and collecting her papers. "I guess I should leave you to rest now."
Elsa watched her walk back over to the table and put the papers on top, shuffling them into a neat pile.
"Please stay," she told her.
The queen expected this new Anna to refuse with a firm word of logic, but she smiled at the reappearance of her little sister when the strawberry blonde let out a squeal of excitement.
"Okay!" Anna jumped back on to the bed, making it bounce again. "I haven't slept since you got back, but I drank a whole lot of coffee because I wanted to stay awake and watch over you, so there's no way I'm sleeping right now, but I can read you a bedtime story instead."
She got up and trotted over to a nearby bookcase and started scanning the titles while humming happily under her breath. Elsa smiled fondly as she leaned back against her cushy pillow, closing her eyes and letting out a content sigh.
The moment of peace lasted for only a second before a sudden realization had her shooting upright again with a gasp.
"Logan!"
Without forethought, Elsa threw the blankets off and stood from her bed, only to fall to the floor. Her legs were weak and stung with pins from lack of use. She collapsed in an already exhausted heap with her legs laying numb underneath her. Anna was by her side again in an instant, kneeling down on to the floor, her expression twisted with concern.
"Oh my God, Elsa, are you alright?" she asked, putting her hand on her shoulder.
She turned so that she was facing Anna, her eyes wide with alarm.
"Anna, where's Logan?" she asked, clutching at her sister's forearms.
Anna blinked at her, confused. "You mean the man we found you with?"
"Yes! Please, tell me he's okay."
"Elsa-"
"Why isn't he here? Did he get hurt? He can't get hurt, he has a condition that could kill him if he bleeds. The royal disease!"
Anna shook Elsa's hands off and held up her own in a gesture for her to calm down. "Elsa, slow down, you're not making any sense."
"Just tell me if he's alright, Anna! Please."
The tone of desperation in her voice threw Anna off, making her stall. In all honesty, she hadn't given the stranger a second thought after he had been arrested. She had completely forgotten about him.
"I-wha-" Anna stumbled over her words, "I mean, he should be. He's been sitting in the dungeon for the past two days."
"Two days?" Elsa echoed in disbelief.
"Yes?"
"I've been out for two days? Does he know I'm alright?"
"I don't know."
"I have to go see him!"
Anna helped her to her feet, but when she tried to guide Elsa back to her bed, the queen pulled away and headed for her bedroom door.
The last time Logan didn't know where she was or if she was alright, he pulled a gun on somebody. She needed to go see him, tell him that everything was going to be okay now. Anna said he had been in the dungeon for two days, but Elsa knew that couldn't be right. He wouldn't do that, he would be looking for her, and maybe he was. Maybe they only thought he was in there, not realizing just how crafty Logan was when he bothered to be.
Her legs still shaking with exertion, she all but collapsed against the door, panting as her hand groped blindly for the doorknob. Thoughts ran wild in her head until Elsa froze with her hand on the doorknob, suddenly realizing with a shot of dread why Logan was sitting complacently in their dungeon, instead of easily breaking out and wreaking havoc.
He must know that she was the queen.
Of course he must know. Anna didn't say what happened after Elsa had passed out, but she was in her room, Logan must have approached or been approached by either the guards or Anna herself. He had been arrested, probably on the grounds of suspected kidnapping or even assault, and he would have been told that Elsa was the queen.
Oh, what a mess, what a horrible way to find out. She hadn't been awake to defend herself, to explain things to him or even keep him from getting arrested. She couldn't imagine what he must be thinking of her right at that moment, sitting in a dank dungeon all by himself for two days without a single word from her. The worst had come to fruition and the guilt she felt manifested itself as a thick coating of clouded frost across her door.
"Elsa?"
Anna's voice came softly from behind her. She turned to face her sister who stood with her hands clasped together, held up against her mouth and her brow knitted with a deep concern.
"Who is he?"
Elsa released the doorknob. The temperature in the room dropped as she closed her eyes, a tear running halfway down her cheek before freezing into a small crystal.
She didn't know how to answer.
~O~
At the behest of her sister, Elsa waited to visit the dungeon. It took three days of rest, but she was now able to move confidently and without strain on her injuries. Those days in bed had been a challenge, because while she sent word that she was okay and on the road to a full recovery, it felt so impersonal and she longed to tell Logan in person. She fidgeted throughout the entire time and was unable to relax, despite Anna's best efforts to make her as comfortable as possible. All she wanted was to see Logan.
However, now that she was here, standing just outside the entrance of the castle dungeon, she hesitated.
Anna wanted to come with her, but the queen had refused. This wasn't going to be a heartfelt reunion. She didn't doubt that the princess was lurking nearby, though, waiting for her to descend down into the dungeon so she could eavesdrop from the door.
Running her hand through her platinum blonde hair for the dozenth time, Elsa looked herself over, making sure that not a thread was out of place. When she was getting dressed, Anna accused her of primming. Granted, maybe a more professional outfit would have been more appropriate, but she hadn't worn her ice dress in so long. It felt good to have the ice woven fabric against her skin again.
The garment always made her feel confident and beautiful, and no, despite Anna's teasing, she wasn't wearing it to impress Logan.
Her hair was up in its braid with her bangs pushed back, her face done up to hide every imperfection and her ice dress hanging elegantly off her slim frame. No, she wasn't trying to impress at all, which sounded about as convincing to herself as it did Anna, who had scoffed from where she had been laying on her stomach across Elsa's bed, watching the queen "doll herself up".
Elsa took in a deep breath as she forced her restless hands to still. She took a moment before opening the dungeon door. The heavy wood swung open with a loud groan, announcing her presence before her silhouette could even grace the threshold. It echoed down the stone staircase and in to the dimly lit halls below. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she lifted the long train of her dress and descended the stairs, stepping into the drafty lowest level of the castle.
As she listened to her kitten heels clicking against stone, she tried not to think about the last time she had visited the dungeon; back during Arendelle's pocket ice age and when she almost met a tragic end worthy of a Shakespearean play. The thought of the two-faced, ginger prince still made her feel sick, even years later.
She was saved from herself when she traveled deeper, deep enough to hear the echoes of someone speaking. Walking past the empty cells, she recognized Olaf's voice. Cursing under her breath, she peeked around the corner and saw the animated snowman standing in front of the furthest cell. He stood his proud three feet, his face pushed up between the bars with his twig arms reaching out into the cell. There was a castle guard standing off to the side, but he didn't seem concerned about Olaf talking to Arendelle's public enemy number one.
"You know, if I'm being honest, and I am, I'd say that you weren't happy to be here. You're in the best kingdom in the world, smile!"
Elsa stalled, her fingertips reaching up to hover over her heart as she smiled. Olaf always made her feel warm. He incited the happy memories of her childhood, reminding her how good her powers could be if she left herself be open and calm.
She moved forward, peering into the cell. Logan sat inside, leaning with his back against the stone wall with one leg stretched out in front of him and the other drawn up, his arm resting on his bent knee. He made her breath hitch. His dark hair was ruffled, hanging mostly in his face. The shadows of the cell made him look drawn out and intimidating, even though Elsa recognized that his posture was as relaxed as it would get right now.
He regarded Olaf with a dry look, not betraying any thoughts that he might have on a talking snowman trying to engage him through the bars of his prison cell.
"Just do the opposite of what you're doing now, see?," Olaf said, gesturing to his own superb smile, only to frown when Logan didn't copy him. "No, you're still not doing it right."
"Olaf," Elsa called out gently.
He turned and gasped when he saw Elsa. His body almost fell apart when he jumped in excitement, but he managed to stay whole as he waddled over to the queen and embraced her legs.
"Hi Elsa!" he exclaimed, grasping her tight and burying his carrot nose in the fabric of her dress. "How was your trip, did you have fun?"
She grimaced at Olaf's innocence. He didn't fully understand what had happened and only really comprehended that she had gone somewhere. He had the mentality of a child, and while he was capable of showing more somber emotions like sadness, his default state was blinding enthusiasm and he saw the world through rose lens. It wasn't a bad thing, mostly just enduring, but sometimes it made it hard to explain certain things to him.
She patted his head and leaned down so that they were eye level.
"Why don't you go upstairs and see what Anna is doing while I talk to our new guest, okay?"
"Sure!"
She drew back up to her full height as Olaf shuffled past her, his snowball feet making a strange sound against the stone floor.
"Good luck cheering him up. He's really grumpy!" he called back before disappearing around the corner.
At least someone understood her strife, she thought. She stared after him for a few seconds before finally turning towards Logan's cell.
His voice echoed out, cynical and mocking.
"Well look who decided to grace little ol' me with her royal presence, come to wallow among the prisoner, your highness? Aren't I lucky."
Elsa took in a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her before stepping directly in his view.
"Suppose it's better than that freakish dwarf you got running around," he remarked.
She tried to project a sense of authority and grace, like she had been trained, but under his hazel stare, she felt like a child playing dress up. She wondered if he could tell. Logan saw the world for what it was, unflinching and without bias or false securities, and he was able to see people the same way. Did he see how utterly out of place she felt, standing in her own castle dressed in her glittering gown? The light streaming in through the windows made her dress dazzle, but was it enough to hide her trepidation?
Disregarding the jab at her beloved snowman, the queen held out her hand towards the guard standing next to the cell. At her silent command he broke out of his rigid formation and reached into his dark green uniform jacket, producing a small pouch that he dutifully deposited into her upturned palm before straightening again.
She wanted to open this with an earnest apology, but he wouldn't listen to that. So instead she untied the knot on the pouch and tossed it through the bars. It landed on the ground just a few inches from Logan's outstretched leg, causing a portion of the coins inside to scatter out.
Logan regarded the bag of gold coins before he scowled coldly and kicked the bag away.
Elsa watched with a scowl of her own. "What's the matter?"
"I don't need your charity," he snapped.
She let out an indignant sound. "Charity? What, suddenly me being nice is charity now that you know I'm really a queen?"
Logan stared through the bars of his cell and scoffed. He climbed to his feet and stepped into the light where she stood. The posted guard shifted with unease and casted a side glance at Elsa, but the look on her face had him remaining still.
"You know, you are some piece of work, your highness," he sneered.
She hated how he spoke her title, so unnatural and mean.
"Logan, I'm sorry," she implored.
He raised a hand for her to stop. "Don't even start. You think you can come down here in your pretty get-up, throwing money around and putting on this act? You think I want you to do that?"
"I don't know what you want me to do. I want to apology and let you out of the dungeon, but I know you won't let it be that easy. I don't deserve for it to be easy, but I at least deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt."
"Like you gave me when you didn't tell me about your powers - you know, that other time you lied to me."
Elsa reached up and gripped one of the bars with her unwrapped hand, peering in with sincerity.
"There's not much I can say in my defense this time. I was scared and it made me doubt you again. I should have told you sooner, like with my powers, but I didn't and I'm sorry. There's no excuse for it, but that's just who I am. If given the choice to stand my ground or run away, I will always run away. Conflict and judgment I can handle in my court, but when it comes from someone I care about, I can't stand it. Can you forgive me, just one more time?"
"Your guards locked me up," he grumbled.
"I know," she gave him a sad smile, "I'm sorry. They didn't know who you were to me."
"Whatever."
She sighed at his gruff reply.
"I'm giving you the money so you can choose," she said.
"Choose what?"
"Whether you want to stay in Arendelle or leave. If you leave, I want to make sure you'll be alright. The money will allow you to get far away from Dag and his gang. I reignited this conflict for you, it's only fair that I help you get out of it. I told the guards about the bandits and they're on a twenty-four watch. It might not help anything if Dag intends on attacking again, but I refuse to let us be caught off-guard again."
"Do you want me to leave?"
"Of course not."
"But it would be less complicated if I did, right?" he asked, knowingly. "Look, since I've been down here I've been thinking and now that I know your title, its put a few things in perspective for me. Even If I stay, we couldn't...hang on-"
He turned towards the guard who had stood as an unwelcome witness to their drama, giving him an annoyed glare.
"Could you screw off for a second? We're trying to have a private conversation."
The guard bristled in anger and he opened his mouth, but a raised hand from Elsa had him instead bowing in respect and marching down the hall, leaving them alone. Logan exhaled through his nose in frustration, staring down at his boots before looking up again. He raised a hand and rested it over the one Elsa had wrapped around the bar. The warmth of his palm was felt throughout her entire body, making her anxiety and powers feel far away.
"I understand why you do the things you do," he told her.
"No," Elsa shook her head, slipping her hand out from underneath his and putting it behind her back, even though it hurt to pull away from him, "you can't understand."
"Yeah?" he replied bitingly, "just like you thought I couldn't understand your powers? Don't you dare stand there all high and mighty, the queen of self-pity and tell me that this isn't hurting me just as much! You say you're giving me choice, but it's a piss poor one. Whether I stay or go, we're going to lose what we had between us."
When she didn't respond, Logan shoved off the bars and stalked over to the back wall of his cell, slamming his fist against the stone with a loud curse. Elsa flinched, her breath lodging in her throat as her eyes began to sting. She blinked rapidly against the tears that wanted to fall. She had to keep her composure. She had to.
He leaned his forehead against the wall, exhaling.
"Either way, I lose you," he spoke, so quietly that the queen almost didn't hear.
He could tell what she was trying to do by coming down here, by giving him this choice. She didn't want to send him way, but they both knew he couldn't stay. The queen was back. He saw it in the way she strode towards his cell, wearing that gorgeous gown and looking like the blonde bombshell that she was. The way she moved, it almost made him angry that he hadn't picked up on her matriarch roots on his own earlier.
So much of her personality and mannerisms made sense now, but he still saw her as "Elsa Snow". She could wear the crown, talk the talk and walk the walk, but she would always be the lost maiden to him.
Royals rarely belonged solely to themselves, though. They were split between who they were as a person and who they were as a ruler. If he stayed, he would only be making things more difficult for her. It was a tragedy, because despite Elsa's deceptions, and despite their frequent arguments, they made an amazing team together. All of this had happened for a reason and throwing that away would be the stupidest thing he had ever done.
Still, a decision needed to be made.
"Let me out, then, I'm leaving. I rather be on my own than stay here and pretend everything is okay when it's not. I don't belong here anyway."
Elsa took in a breath, steeling herself.
"And where will you go?" she asked.
"I don't know, I heard Corona is nice this time of year, or are you queen of that place too?"
If she wasn't so torn up inside, she would have rolled her eyes at his attitude.
"My cousin is," she replied, almost smiling at the aggravated sound he made.
"Of course she is," he deadpanned. "Let me out."
"No, the weather is too dangerous right now. I won't have you stumbling around out there getting hurt just so you can spite me. Once the blizzard is over, you will be free to go."
"So I am a prisoner then?"
She chose not to response again. If he wanted to be bitter, then he could do it alone. She needed to see about getting him a room to stay in until the weather improved, until then he would have to sit put while she explained to everybody that he wasn't a diabolical queen-napper.
Elsa gave the dark-haired man one last look before turning away. As she walked back through the dungeon, she paused, looking over her shoulder at his brooding figure behind the bars. He had his arms pushed through the spaces, hanging out with his forehead resting against the metal. His hair hung in his face, keeping his expression hidden from view, but she could feel his distress all the way from where she stood and her own reached out for company.
"You know what, Logan? I know this is all my fault, but there's something you're not realizing."
He gave no indication that he was listening, but she spoke anyways.
"Either way, I lose you, too."
Without another word, she headed up the staircase and pushed open the wooden door, letting it slam behind her.
She rushed past Anna and Kristoff and the small group of castle staff who had been eavesdropping by the door. They all scrambled to act casual when she burst out of the dungeon, but stopped and watched in awe as she all but fled down the castle hallway.
"Wow," Kristoff breathed, "that was intense."
"I know," Anna replied, serious before smiling happily, "isn't it romantic!"
Kristoff let out a clueless sound and shrugged his shoulders, wondering if she had been listening in on the same conversation he had been.
~O~
Anna gave Elsa a half-hour cool down before seeking her out. She stood looking up at the hatch that led to the castle's attic with a lit lantern in her hand. There was shuffling coming from the open door and the sound of things knocking against the wood floor. Anna took in a deep breath before letting it out, mounting the ladder.
She poked her head into the small space. Her lantern illuminated the clutter of furniture and books, things of old that had been moved to the attic space over the years, left to be forgotten and collect dust. The princess spotted her sister immediately, sitting with her own lantern by the two large chests where they kept their childhood keepsakes.
Still upset, she was mumbling under her breath while she rooted around the open top of her chest. Anna shifted uneasily before lowering her lantern. Elsa stopped mumbling, realizing that she was no longer alone, but she didn't turn around, only continued to look through her chest.
"Hey, Elsa," Anna greeted tentatively, "whatcha up to?"
"Nothing," she said, trying to keep the vexation from her tone, "just putting something in my chest."
There was a pile of clothes folded neatly on Elsa's lap. It took Anna a moment to recognize the clothing Elsa had been wearing when she came back. Someone must have washed them instead of throwing the mud-soaked scraps out. The blouse, that had probably been either a white or cream color, was a washed out grey with the ends severely frayed and hanging with loose threads. The maroon skirt fared the washing better, with the color still reasonably vibrant and the designs along the bottom still distinguishable.
Anna wondered why she was putting the ragged outfit in her chest, but she didn't ask. If Elsa felt the need to put them in there, in that particular chest, then they must have meant something to her. She watched as Elsa scanned the chest for a place to put in the new addition. There wasn't much space because of all the gloves she had stored in there.
"You might have to scooch over some of your-"
Her statement cut off when Elsa grabbed two stacks of gloves and tossed them unceremoniously over her shoulder. The light blue strips of fabric rained down over the wooden floor of the attic, making a mess, but she didn't seem to care.
"Nevermind," Anna said, pulling off the stray glove that had landed on her head and letting it fall to the ground with the others. "How are you holding up?"
"Fine," Elsa replied, unconvincingly. "I just can't believe how much of a mess this all is. I know I only have myself to blame, but I tried to make amends. Logan wouldn't have it. He practically pushed me into forcing him to stay here. He wants me to feel like the bad guy, it makes it easier to hate me, I guess."
Anna made a face. The queen's view of the argument must have been warped because Anna heard nothing but lament and heartbreak from both sides. They were like star-cross lovers, the princess thought wistfully, kept apart by duty and society. If her sister hadn't been in such obvious pain over the whole thing, then she would have been gushing at the glamour of it all.
"I'm sure the guy doesn't hate you, Elsa," she assured her. "I mean, I don't know him, but you said that he could have easily broken out of the dungeon. If he hated you, why did he wait around for you to come see him?"
"Because he's a jerk and he does things like that."
"Or maybe he doesn't want to leave, just like you don't want him to. You don't, right?"
"No, of course not," Elsa sighed, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Part of me feels like it would be better if he did, but I know that isn't right. The thing is, I never would have made it back here if it wasn't for him. I had no idea where I was. They took me so far away from Arendelle, Anna, and you know I've never traveled further than the North Mountain before. I was threatened into not using my powers and my title meant nothing out there. I became a nobody, lost and useless."
Realizing that she was finally opening up about what happened, Anna lowered herself to sit next to Elsa, putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
"After running nowhere for hours, I found an old man who helped me, took me into his home, fed me and gave me new clothes. His name was Tobias. I told him that I was taken from Arendelle and that I needed to get back immediately because my family was in danger. He was too old to make the journey, but he took me to someone who could - Logan.
It started out as him taking me back home and making sure I didn't die on the way, but after a while we grew comfortable around each other. We became a team, him and I; the two of us against a savage gang of Bandits who were following us every step of the way. Oh, you should have seen me, Anna, you would have been so proud. I was doing things I never would have dreamed of. I fought bandits, I jumped off a waterfall, I broke into a shop, I fought a bear and I even went on a ship - a ship, Anna!"
Anna's jaw dropped. "You fought a bear?"
"Yes!" Elsa exclaimed, letting out a laugh of disbelief, not realizing how crazy all that sounded until she said it out loud.
"Jesus," Anna breathed, "now I'm jealous! While you were running around antagonizing wildlife and becoming a crazy daredevil, I was here signing paperwork and getting ridiculed by old people. The most exciting thing I did was chase a pig."
"It's insane, right? I was so out of my comfort zone, but I still fought to get back to you and Arendelle, and Logan was with me through it all. I hadn't told him that I was queen or that I had ice powers, but he eventually found out about my powers when I used them to save his life. He was mad that I lied to him, but understood and he forgave me. He wasn't scared of them at all. Surprised, initially, but not scared. He saw past them, just like you do. He saw me."
Anna smiled bright and nearly started vibrating with giddiness as she let out a squeal, "oh, that's so romantic!"
Elsa blinked, thrown before a small blush painted her pale cheeks. She shook her head. "No, Anna, it isn't like that."
Her sister's thrilled expression dropped and she felt guilty for it, because that wasn't entirely true, was it? Perhaps the queen had only just noticed how romantic it all sounded, even in the beginning, but their kiss had been anything but platonic and her feelings for Logan were still very much complicated. Elsa wondered if she should tell Anna about what happened, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.
If it were Anna and Kristoff then it would be fine, but for Elsa and Logan, there was no guarantee that this would end in happily ever after. As Queen, the expectations were higher. She couldn't be seen rubbing elbows with certain people because it might call into question her character, and by extension, her place as queen. It was vastly unfair, but a sad reality. Kristoff was just barely seen as an acceptable suitor for Anna, and just barely tolerated by the council. Logan would cause an outright riot if he showed up with the queen on his arm. And Logan knew this just as well.
No, she wouldn't tell her, at least not right now, maybe someday when this was long past them. She didn't want Anna thinking that Elsa's own fairytale wedding was just a stepping stone behind hers, not when her relationship with the ex-bandit was ending in disaster. That was one less thing she needed to stress about right now.
Anna looked like she wanted to argue, but Elsa only raised her hand in a silent plea. She frowned, letting them lapse into silence as they sat in the dusty attic together, reflecting.
"Let's invite him to dinner."
Elsa wasn't sure whether she jumped at the sudden break in the silence, or Anna's suggestion, but either way it had her blinking wide like an owl.
"What?"
Anna beamed, repeating, "let's invite him to dinner, it'll be great!"
"Anna, have you listened to a word I've said?"
"No," she said, before correcting herself. "I mean, yes! Yes, I have, but I just thought inviting him to dinner would help him not be angry anymore. Show him some Arendelle hospitality and let him see how great of a queen you are so he'll know that it all had been worth it!"
"I don't think that would be such a good idea, Anna. Logan can be very difficult to get along with."
"Please, Elsa," she stressed, holding her hands together in prayer. "I don't care if he's a jerk. I want to have dinner with the man who saved my big sister."
She flashed her blue eyes at her, blinking prettily. Elsa knew that Anna was trying to butter her up, but it worked nonetheless.
"Fine," she sighed in defeat, exasperated.
Anna clapped her hands and jumped to her feet.
"This is so exciting! What are you going to wear?"
"Nothing, Anna," Elsa sighed.
"Ooh, racey, I like it. Might be a little awkward with me and Kristoff there, though."
"I mean 'nothing' as in nothing special. It's just dinner, now go and get washed up."
With another squeal, Anna picked up her lantern and rushed back down the ladder, talking rapidly all the way until she was down the hall and out of earshot. Elsa sighed again and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Dinner with Logan would be a disastrous idea without a doubt, but Anna was nigh impossible to stop when she was excited. If worst came to worst, she could just keep her head down and her mouth full of food.
Elsa raised her hands, drawing them close together and letting her powers blossom bright between them. Before she followed Anna down the ladder, she needed to put one last thing in her chest.
She focused intently on the flurries forming a cyclone between her palms until they grew solid enough to compact together and manipulate into an elongated shape. It took several minutes of careful crafting, but the end result was a near perfect replica of the ornate dagger Logan had gifted her, the one that saved their lives and the one she had regretfully lost somewhere along the way.
It glowed a brilliant white with a deep blue center and wisps of cold steam wafting of its smooth surface. Elsa held it so it laid across her flatten hands. She admired her work before putting it atop the bundle of clothing that Tobias had given her and gently closing her chest.
AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this new chapter! I wanted to have it out sooner, but hey, at least it didn't take an entire year this time, right? Anyways, let me know what you guys think. Did you like Elsa and Anna's reunion? Elsa and Logan's reunion? Olaf and Logan's meeting? I always love hearing from my readers, even after so much time.
~Scorpiofreak~