"Are you sure you're up to this?" Anna worried. "Oops! Sorry!" She took a small hop to get off the cape of Elsa's icy riding habit.

"For the eighth time, I feel fine, Anna." Elsa replied, a bit peevishly. Anna and just about everyone else had been worrying and fussing over her the entire morning after she made the decision to go to the North Mountain herself to deal with her giant snowman and, quite frankly, she was sick of it. "Besides, you're going with me. So are Punzie and Eugene, and I don't know who else. If anything happens, I will have all of you to help." The preparations for the trip had gotten out of hand, in Elsa's opinion. She had had a nebulous plan of going alone but the moment she announced she was going, Gerda insisted she take a lady-in-waiting with her (a demand that morphed into two), Sir Geoff insisted that guards accompany her, and Anna and Rapunzel absolutely demanded that they go with her or she wasn't going to go, either. Elsa was nearly ready to call the whole thing off and just sneak out at night like she and Wilhelm had done.

"Okay, okay." Anna held up her hands. "But you better tell me if you get tired or get a headache, you stinker. I know you've been trying hide that stuff from everyone. All you do is sneak off by yourself and then we have to search for you because God forbid we know where you are and how you are doing so we can try to help you. I really don't like you doing that and..."

"Anna," Elsa was feeling a headache coming on already. She stopped and faced her little sister, placing her hands on Anna's shoulders, "I promise I will tell you when I get tired or get a headache. Now let's just get this over with."

Anna held Elsa's upper arms and peered into her face. "You already have a headache, don't you," she stated flatly.

"It's not bad. Barely there," Elsa admitted, a bit startled that Anna knew.

"But you have one."

"Um-hmm. How could you tell?"

"You look a bit haggard. Plus you have dark circles forming under your eyes. You really should rest until you feel better."

Elsa resumed her journey toward the door. "No. I...we need to reach the North Mountain as soon as we can. Who knows what might happen if we don't?"

"Who knows what might happen if you don't take care of yourself?" Anna muttered under her breath as she followed behind. Elsa pretended that she didn't hear.

In the royal stables, Anna was amazed at how eagerly Snø greeted his mistress, whinnying excitedly. Elsa reached out her hand and her face lit up as Snø shoved his muzzle into it. "His nose is so soft! It feels like velvet!"

Anna smiled. "Of course. That's how a horse's nose always feels." She watched Elsa trail her fingers through Snø's coat with a look of wonder on her face, a frequent occurance since Elsa stopped wearing gloves. "Elsa?"

"It's been so long since I touched a horse without gloves." Anna felt a twinge of sadness and guilt at those words. "I had forgotten what it feels like." Anna wisely kept her mouth shut, letting her older sister revel in the rediscovered sensations. As Elsa stood calmly patting Snø's nose and cooing to him while scratching him behind the ears, another horse stuck his head out his stall.

"Wait...isn't that...his horse?"

Elsa glanced over, then held her hand out. "Hello, Sitron. Like your new home?" Sitron nickered happily.

"Wait, what?! You know the horse's name?" The light slowly went on in Anna's head as she processed exactly what Elsa said. "New home?! You mean, he's staying here?!"

"Yes, Sitron is staying. Wilhelm's father has been sending me his belongings. Most are in a spare bedroom for now, but King Helmut wrote me a letter saying that he was sending Sitron with...him."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that Sitron is not that doofus' horse? He belongs to Wilhelm?"

"Um-hmm." Elsa stood with her slender arms hooked around Snø and Sitron's necks, scratching both along the base of their manes. From the quivering lips and raised tails, Anna could tell that both stallions were loving the attention. Elsa herself seemed different from the harried, haggard woman Anna had been around all morning. She seemed...calmer, more confident of herself. Anna could almost see the stress melting away as Elsa lavished attention on the animals.

Anna turned to Solskinn, patting and scratching him. "Ow!" she rubbed her head where an antler hit her. "Sven!"

The large buck grunted smugly from his stall as he slowly chewed some hay.

"Your Majesty?" Oscar, the stable master, bowed with a small crowd of stable hands and grooms. "May we?"

"Oh! By all means!" Elsa stepped back from the disappointed horses. A thought entered her mind. "Actually, may I saddle Snø myself?"

"Of course, you may, Your Majesty."

"You know how to DO that?" Anna stared, slack-jawed.

Elsa smiled and took the saddle blanket from a groom as another lead Snø to her. She expertly threw the blanket over Snø's back. The groom helped her place the saddle on the horse's back and kept the it centered as she tightened the cinch. She then put the snaffle bit into Snø's mouth and fastened the bridle straps behind his ears and under his chin. All Anna could do was just stare. "You'll catch flies if you leave your mouth open like that," Elsa teased as she fussed over the stirrup strap, making certain that it was her preferred length. "And I doubt you want any stable flies landing in there." When she was satisfied, she rested her cheek on Snø's black neck, repeatedly running her hand along his coat. She couldn't quite explain it but being so near a horse just felt right. It was so...soothing. She closed her eyes and just allowed herself to feel his coat, his breathing, his soft noises, the stable drifting away as her thoughts took flight.

"Elsa?"

"Hmm?" came the quiet, almost sleepy, response.

"Did you, you know, spend a lot of time here in the stables? You know, before, when, you know..."

"After I hit your head?" Anna nodded. "Not at first. I was too afraid of touching anything. I would just touch something and my ice just spilled out and froze everything. I couldn't even look out the window without freezing the window sill. That's when Papa gave me gloves to wear. "'Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show.'"

Anna furrowed her brow. "I still don't understand how he could expect you to just hide it. There is no way you could have kept it inside and never let it out."

"That's obvious now," Elsa sighed, "but I spent thirteen years trying to do just that. It got so bad that I panicked whenever I saw a snowflake, thinking it was me."

Anna thought of the panic attacks she had witnessed and then of all the paper snowflakes she had shoved under Elsa's door. She rose and gave Elsa a hug. "Oh, Elsa, I'm so sorry. If only I had known..."

"It's okay."

"So when did you start spending time in the stables?"

"When I was nine. Papa thought it would be good for me to get out of my room. He brought me down here early in the morning and taught me to groom a horse." Elsa looked away. "I was so afraid that...that I would hurt him. Papa had to tie the brush to a long pole before I would even try."

Anna squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Did it get better?"

"A..a little. After I saw how much Snø liked it and I didn't freeze anything, I guess I got bolder until I would spend hours brushing and currying. That gave me the courage to take up archery again. Then Papa..."

"Yeah?"

"He...he encouraged me to start riding again. I hadn't ridden since I was eight."

Anna thought a minute. "You mean you gave up everything you enjoyed? After the accident?" Anna was aghast.

"Y..yes, I...guess I did, at least most of it. The only things I kept doing was reading and my schoolwork, mostly because the gloves...they helped me not freeze everything. At least...I convinced myself...that they worked."

Something clicked for Anna. "Is that why Bishop Helfmar had to remind you to take off your gloves?"

"Um-hmm. I...I was terrified that if I took my gloves off, I would freeze everything and everyone would know and hate me for it. I even practiced trying to hold the globus and scepter before the ceremony."

"How did that turn out?"

Elsa gave a wry smile. "I think the candlestick and jewelry box I practiced on are still thawing in my study."

"I don't get it. You were completely out of control even after thirteen years but you didn't freeze the scepter and globus."

Elsa gave a short laugh and turned toward her sister while still leaning against her horse. "Actually, I did. You were just too busy waving to someone in the congregation to notice."

Anna's face flamed red as her eyes went wide and she gasped. "Wha...I...how...," she sputtered, "I didn't think anyone noticed!"

Elsa smirked. "How could I not have noticed? I'm surprised no one noticed me shaking like a leaf up there."

"Hey, Feisty Pants! Oh! El...I mean, Queen Elsa! Your Majesty!" Kristoff quickly gave her a clumsy bow. Anna quickly jumped into his arms and gave him a kiss. Elsa reacted more slowly.

"Kristoff, how many times must I tell you. To you, I am just Elsa." Elsa laid her face back against Snø's neck, contentedly patting his neck.

Kristoff looked around and noticed the grooms and stable hands bowing to him. "Uh, guys, you...you can go back to work. Don't mind me."

Anna laughed. "Still not used to being a knight?"

"Hey, your sister just made me one last night! Takes a guy some time to get used to that."

"Well, then, Sir Kristoff, High Knight of the Royal Order of Arendelle, Royal Ice Master and Deliverer, we best get you used to it."

Kristoff blushed and walked over to Sven. "Hey, buddy, ready to go?" Sven bellowed excitedly.

Anna looked over at her sister and touched Kristoff's arm. "Kristoff, I'm worried. About Elsa."

"Why? She seems fine to me."

"She had a headache earlier. And a panic attack last night. And she was so exhausted that she slept most of the afternoon yesterday. And she's supposed to be resting and riding up the North Mountain doesn't count as 'resting' to me!"

"But what can we do? We can't just tell her that she's not going. Queen Regnant, remember?"

"Queen or not, she's my sister first. Hmm," Anna stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and thought for a minute as Kristoff fastened Sven's harness. "I have an idea!"

"Uh oh. Here we go again!" "Sven" said.

The forests around Arendelle provided welcome relief as the royal party reached the sun-dappled shade under the trees. The July air was hot and humid. Humans and animals were sweaty and plagued by mosquitoes, gnats, and horse flies as they trudged up-slope. Well, all were plagued except one. Any insect that was stupid enough to try to land on the queen fell from the sky enveloped in a rime of frost. Anna envied Elsa for that as she swatted yet another mosquito and wiped a trickle of sweat from her eyes. She took her eyes off her big sister long enough to glance at her cousins and then at her boyfriend. Conversation had died out shortly after they reached the last farm before the wilderness began. Elsa had barely said anything since she mounted her horse and was obviously brooding over whatever was on her mind. Anna had made a few attempts to get her sister to open up but each attempt merely ended with monosyllabic answers. Rapunzel had been far chattier but now even she had run out of fresh topics and was just drinking in the scenery. Olaf, sitting on Sven's back, had started out peppering everyone within earshot with questions about seemingly everything in sight but had finally fallen quiet. The only noise beside the creaking of saddles and horses snorting was the wind in the trees, the hum of the insects, and birds singing. The extended time with no human voices was driving Anna crazy and they still had a couple hours to go. She was relieved when the knight commander of Elsa's protection detail call for a halt for food.

"Thank goodness!" Anna swung down out of the saddle and handed her reins to a guard. She stretched and walked around stiff-legged until her back and leg muscles stopped screaming. Around her, her cousins were doing the same. Elsa, however, didn't dismount. "Uh, Elsa?" Anna touched her leg. Elsa startled. "Oh! Sorry! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!"

Elsa calmed her rapid breathing while her heartbeat thundered through her veins. "It...it's okay," she gasped. "I guess I didn't realize we had stopped."

Anna took Elsa's hands and helped her dismount. Elsa held onto the leaping horn while she stretched and got used to being on the ground again. "How are you doing?"

Elsa put a hand on her lower back as she straightened up with a groan. "Sore. A little tired."

Rapunzel staggered over, her legs stiff. "This place is beautiful." They looked around. The meadow they were in had a small cliff on one side. A waterfall poured itself into a small pond. A stream flowed out of the pond down the mountain. Anna gasped.

"This is where we met Olaf!" Elsa cocked an eyebrow at her. "During the Great Freeze! Kristoff, remember?! It was so beautiful here! Ropes of ice hanging off the willow trees that sounded like wind chimes! The frozen waterfall!" Anna turned to Elsa. "Do you think you could do that again? Please?" Anna gave her a pleading look.

Elsa shook her head. "Not right now. We really need to get to my ice palace. Besides," a small smile danced on her lips, "I always thought this meadow was most beautiful in the summer."

"Yeah, it is, but you should...have...seen... Elsa? When were you here in this meadow in the summer? And who were you with?" Anna grinned in anticipation of the answer.

Elsa bumped her shoulder, face beginning to color. "You know."

Anna's grin broadened. "Oh, I have a pretty good idea who it was but I want you to say it."

"Say what?"

"That you and Wilhelm were here after you sneaked out of the castle. Is this where you kissed?" Anna squealed with delight as Elsa blushed deeply. "Yes! I knew it!"

"So?"

"Where were you when it happened?"

"By the waterfall. We were sitting on a blanket under the tree over there."

"Your Majesty?"

Elsa composed herself, thankful for interruption. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"The meal is ready. Also, I propose we camp here after we visit your ice palace. We can leave a few men with the supplies to get everything ready while the rest of us accompany you to your palace."

Elsa thought for a moment. "I agree."

There were three or four hours left before sunset as the dismounted party stared at the ice palace, shining in the evening sun. All except the queen had changed into winter clothing hours before. Much to Anna's surprise, Elsa had managed to make the ride without outwardly showing signs of exhaustion. Internally, though, it was everything Elsa could do to maintain her posture. She felt energized, though, by the sight of her ice palace—the place where she finally felt free and started to realize what she could do. Hushed awe was the rule, as even badly damaged, the palace was still an imposing testament to their queen's power. Anna stared slack-jawed at the gaping hole in the stairs while Kristoff eyed the broken balcony railing and doors. Both were disheartened to see what had been a perfect edifice of ice so disfigured.

"Wow," Anna finally breathed. "I knew a battle happened here but didn't know it was this bad."

"Wait until you see what it looks like inside," Sir Ralph told her.

"Is it that bad?"

"Worse."

Elsa shuddered. She really didn't want Anna or anyone else to see how she trashed the upper floor in her anger. But with Anna clamped to her arm and refusing to let go, she really didn't have much choice. She moved to the bottom step and laid her hand on the railing. Her magic flowed out, filling in the hole in a swirl of light and snow.

"You say that they made it inside before my guardian drove them away?"

Sir Ralph drew his sword, signaling the other guards to do the same. "Yes, Your Majesty. They were almost to the the second floor before they fled."

The main doors opened without being touched before Elsa's outstretched hand. The first floor was still pristine, undamaged. Everyone filed in and stood in silent wonder. Anna was the first to break the silence. "It's still amazing!"

"Thank you."

Anna ran a mittened hand along the wall. "I can't wait to explore a bit more. I didn't get to see everything last time."

"There's really not much more to it."

"Still. I could look at this for hours."

"Now you sound like Kristoff," Rapunzel teased her, pointing to where Kristoff stood in a slack-jawed, wide-eyed trance. "I've never heard anyone talk about ice so much in my life as he has the last couple weeks."

Elsa lead them up the grand staircase, pausing on the landing before ascending the second set of stairs. There, at the back of the landing, was a hidden doorway. Anna did a double take. "I never knew this was here!" She cautiously pushed the door open, revealing a small bedroom. Anna and Rapunzel made their way into the room, gaping at the bed and vanity inside. Anna felt the bed before throwing herself on top of it. "It's so soft! Just like a pillow!"

Rapunzel ran her gloved hand over the delicate chair in front of the vanity and examined the icy mirror. "This is incredible, Elsa!"

Anna pushed herself up on one elbow. "So this is where you slept?"

"Um-hmm," Elsa sat down on the bed and smoothed the icy comforter before hugging a snowy pillow to her chest and resting her head on it. She sighed deeply.

Anna saw the look on Elsa's face. She laid a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Maybe you should spend the night here."

Elsa cracked an eye open. "Only if you stay with me."

"Really? You mean it?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I want my favorite little sister to be with me?"

Anna gave her a light shove on the shoulder. "I'm your ONLY little sister." She sat up. "Where would I sleep? I can't sleep in your bed and we don't have anything to make a bed for me with. And we don't even have any food with us!"

"True. Hmm," Elsa knitted her brow. "Maybe spending the night isn't that good of an idea."

Anna reached for her hand. "Probably not this time. But you could still make an ice bed just like this one in our tent tonight. And next time we come back, we'll have everything we need so we can stay." A loud roar echoed through the ice palace.

"DON'T COME BACK!"

"WHOAA!...OOF! OOF! OOF! OOF!"

"Olaf!" Anna and Rapunzel ran to the disjointed snowman whose parts had tumbled down the stairs leading to the second story. Elsa was frozen in place, mind racing to process what was going on.

Anna began reassembling the little golem. "I don't think Marshmallow was happy to see me," Olaf stated.

"Marshmallow?"

"Yeah! My brother! He's upstairs!"

Anna glared up the stairs after Olaf was reassembled. "Why that...!"

Elsa snapped out of her trance as Anna took off up the stairs. "Anna! No! Wait!" Elsa started up the stairs in a panic, desperately trying to reach her sister. Her heart almost stopped when a loud crash above her was followed by Anna's scream.

"GO AWAY!"

Elsa reached the top to find her sister scrabbling backwards on her backside as an enraged snowman limped forward. Anna screamed as Marshmallow's fist plummeted toward her. She winced and tried to cover her head with her arms, anticipating the pain to come. There was a loud thud. Anna opened her eyes, surprised that she was unharmed. Her mouth fell open at the thick, icy shield surrounding her.

"STOP!" Elsa strode forward with her arms outstretched as guards flooded into the upper room. "Do NOT hurt my SISTER!"

The gigantic golem halted with his fist in mid-air, then slowly let it fall. His expression softened as he recognized his mistress. Anna wiggled her way out from under her icy cocoon with the help of several guards.

"Are you hurt?" Elsa asked worriedly.

Anna rubbed her backside. "Nope. Well, maybe a bit bruised back here, but nothing major." Anna took the time to look around the room. "I..I can't...Elsa, what happened?" She gasped at the quarrel still embedded in ice. She slowly walked around the protrusion of ice until she found the arrowhead and traced where it would have hit before staring wide-eyed at Elsa.

"If that had formed a split second slower..." Elsa began.

"You wouldn't be here," Anna finished, tearing up at the thought. "Oh, Elsa!"

Elsa picked her way through the wreckage of the upper room to Marshmallow. "What happened to your leg?"

The massive snowman just stared at his injured leg. Sir Ralph spoke for him. "Prince Hans chopped it off, Your Majesty. We thought your...snowman lost when he fell into the gorge afterwards."

"Thank you, Sir Ralph," Elsa acknowledged her guard before laying a hand on Marshmallow's leg. Blue light glowed as the leg reformed. "There. That's better."

Marshmallow stomped on his new leg. "THANK YOU!" He reached up to his head, then held his hand out to the queen. Elsa gasped when she saw what he held.

"My crown!" She looked up at him. "You found it?" He nodded. "And you want to give it back to me?" Another nod, accompanied by a small thrust of his huge hand in her direction. Elsa took a deep breath and picked the crown up with trembling hands. She looked around behind her with wide eyes, uncertain as to her course of action. Anna grinned and nodded, motioning toward her head. Elsa looked to the other side, noting the nods of affirmation from those on that side as well. She raised the crown and settled it in her hair, fastening it in place with ice. "Thank you."

The queen then looked around the room, her face registering sadness at the destruction. Anna took hold of her upper arm. "Can you fix it?"

"I...think so." Elsa took a deep breath and let it out slowly through her nose. She concentrated intently, thinking of exactly what she wanted to do. Then she flicked her wrist at the broken spikes impaling one wall, dissolving them instantly while using her other hand to dissipate the shields of ice around the room. The quarrel suspended in one shield clattered to the floor where a guard picked it up. She focused her attention on the broken balcony doors, straining to reset them on their hinges while repairing them at the same time. The effort made her pulse pound in her temples. She sent a bit of magic to destroy the wall she had used to push the Weselton assassin out of her palace and then repaired the railing. The only things left were the crushed remnants of her chandelier. She steeled herself and stretched out her arms. Pieces of ice swirled around the sisters as Anna and the rest looked on in amazement. Elsa lifted her arms, willing the ice toward the ceiling. The glowing ball of magic stopped at the apex of the high cathedral ceiling and stayed, glittering, rotating, until Elsa lowered her arms. The ball disappeared, revealing a pristine chandelier. She then pushed her powers into the floor and then sent them throughout the castle, repairing anything that had been damaged.

As always, Anna blurted the first thing on her mind. "That...was...AMAZING!"

Elsa looked her way, a bit of a tired smile quirking her lips. "You say that about everything when I use my magic."

"Your magic IS amazing, El! I just wish I could have seen you make the whole thing!"

Elsa took a step and stumbled.

Anna and multiple guards grabbed her and kept her from falling. "Whoa! What's wrong?"

"I..I'm fine."

"Not buying it."

"I'm just a little tired, okay?" Elsa admitted a bit crossly.

Anna examined her. "A little tired? El, even I can see that you're exhausted! You need to rest!"

"I'll rest back at camp."

"Nope. You'll rest now, sis."

Elsa shook her head. "Can't, she yawned, "we need to go. Got to reach camp before dark."

Anna opened her mouth to protest that Elsa could just take a nap in her snow bed when Sir Ralph tapped her shoulder. "Her Majesty is right, Your Highness. We must go or it will be too dangerous to descend the mountain."

Anna was ready to continue arguing until Kristoff pulled her aside. "Remember the wolves?"

Anna shuddered. "Okay, let's go. But Elsa, you need to have someone ride with you just in case, okay?"

Now it was Elsa who looked ready to argue. But one glance at Anna's face stilled her arguments, as Anna's expression said that she would brook no disagreement on that point. "Okay," Elsa muttered unhappily. She looked up at her gigantic living creation. "No attacking anyone. You may defend yourself if attacked but no attacking. Understand?"

"UNDERSTAND!"

"Your Majesty. Time to wake up." A hand shook her shoulder.

Snort! "Yeah?" Elsa tried to sit up but something across her chest stopped her. Oh yeah—there's a strap there. To keep me from rolling around.

"We're nearly back to the city. Hold on while we loose you."

She relaxed and nearly drifted back to dreamland as her maids worked to unbuckle the straps across her chest and hips and pull back the multiple blankets covering her from head to foot. She was lying on a small bed in the back of Kristoff's wagon that Anna had prepared the day before, where she had slept the day away as the party worked its way back to Arendelle. Anna and Rapunzel had stayed up the entire night after they returned to the camp. It hadn't been that bad for the queen—she, at least, had dozed on the ride back from her ice palace and then snatched a couple hours more in bed. Anna and Rapunzel, however, had been absolutely wired the entire time, too excited about the ice palace and other events to sleep. They literally dragged Elsa out of bed — Anna taking her hands, Rapunzel her feet — at two in the morning to talk about their respective men and pump her for information about Wilhelm. By the time the gab session by the waterfall wound up, the sun was peeping over the tops of the surrounding mountains, guards were striking the camp to go back home, and Elsa was nearly seeing double from total exhaustion. She found it strange that Anna and Rapunzel seemed just as energized by talking as she felt drained.

Now, Elsa sat up, squinting against the afternoon sun. Anna was in the front seat of Kristoff's wagon, leaning against Kristoff's arm, and, judging from the noise, sound asleep. Elsa peeked around the side to see Anna's face, nearly laughing at her open mouth and the dribble of drool solidifying on her chin. "How long has she been asleep?"

Kristoff carefully moved his arm so he could better cradle the sleeping princess. "She crashed shortly after you did. Not even Olaf could keep her awake."

"That must have been a while ago. Anna made me lie down before we started."

"I know," Kristoff grinned ruefully and rubbed his shoulder where Anna's head had been.

"Hey, Snowy. At least one of you is up. Any chance Blondie could borrow that bed? My arm is killing me!"

Elsa glanced at the speaker to see Eugene in Sitron's saddle holding a sleeping Rapunzel. "Killing you? Really? Punzie's not that big."

Eugene tried to flex his arm without disturbing his wife. "Doesn't matter how small she is. You try holding someone for hours going down a mountain and see how your arm feels."

Elsa fought back a giggle. "Shouldn't we wake them up?"

Eugene and Kristoff looked at each other. Both had the same thought: Neither wanted to be on the receiving end of a princess' wrath. "Ehhh, maybe?"

Elsa shook her head with a smirk at their cowardice. "Chickens." She put a cold hand down the back of Anna's dress. Anna woke with a start, nearly leaping out of the wagon.

"Ahhhh!"

Elsa moved over to Rapunzel and began tickling her bare feet. Rapunzel giggled in her sleep, with that giggle gradually growing into a laugh. "Okay! Okay! I'm up! I'm awake." Rapunzel yawned broadly and lay back down on Eugene's chest. "Barely."

"Elsa! Why'd you wake me up?"

"We're almost back to Arendelle," Elsa smirked. "I thought you would like to wipe the drool off your chin before we got there."

Anna wiped her chin. "There's no droo...eww."

A guard brought Snø over to the Queen. "Your horse, milady."

"Thank you, Stefen." Elsa shook off his offer to help and quickly swung herself into the saddle, draping her right leg over the top pommel as her maids straightened her icy cape behind her. Around her, Rapunzel leaped into the saddle of her horse while Anna plopped herself down on Solskinn.

Rapunzel looked at her cousins. "Anna? Why don't you ride aside like me and Elsa?"

Anna shrugged. "I like astride better because you can't race and jump in a sidesaddle."

"We have leaping heads on our saddles now."

"I know. I'm just...used to riding this way."

Elsa smirked at her sister. "Race you back to the castle."

Anna eyed her big sister. "Oh, no. I'm not racing you."

"Why not? You should win easily if I can't race or jump in a sidesaddle. Worried about losing?"

"No, I'm not worried at all."

"Winner gets the loser's chocolate."

Anna perked up. "Okay! You're on! But you're going to lose!"

Elsa grinned. "I don't think so, little sister."

Anna thought for a few seconds. "One condition: No magic."

"Deal."

"Okay! On your mark! Get set! Go!"

The sisters took off like shots, both bent low over their steeds' necks, peals of laughter and cries of "Yea!" and "Faster!" trailing after them.

Kristoff looked after them, dumbfounded at how quickly they vanished around the bend. "Well, that happened."

Sir Ralph got over his shock of seeing his charges vanish. He glared at his men. "Don't just stand there staring like ninnies! After them!"

The queen and princess pounded along the road toward the capital city. First Elsa was slightly ahead, then Anna urged Solskinn along and pulled ahead, then Elsa whispered to Snø and pulled even again. They thundered through the gate of the city, horseshoes sparking on the cobbles. Onlookers were shocked at the sight their royals racing through the city, laughing and whooping unabashedly as they tried to outdo each other. They galloped through the castle gates, pulling back on the reins as they reached the twin fountains.

"I won!" "Nuh uh! I beat you!" "No you didn't! I beat you!" "No way! I totally beat you!"

"It looked to me like you tied."

"Huh?" They looked down at the speaker standing beside Admiral Westerguaard. His grey hair had once been red. His dress uniform was immaculate, his back still ramrod straight. He was of average height, with green eyes that spoke of a keen intellect.

"King Helmut!"