A/N: Hey guys! You might have noticed that I changed this story's summary (it's more Anna-centric) and (a tiny bit) the first chapter. Hopefully they're a bit more gripping now, can't have readers without sparking an interest, after all. Anyway, feedback on the new summary would be appreciated.

Thanks for all the support, BTW! Never thought we'd break 500 reviews.

The Council was in chaos.

With Anna still recuperating in her room following her eventful return yesterday, Elsa was attending yet another meeting unaccompanied by her personal attendant. And that meant that the Queen had no choice but to give a second-hand accounting of the redhead's journey.

Or rather, an edited second-hand account.

She'd visited the redhead this morning, partially to make sure that Anna was remaining in her bed as the royal physicians had strongly recommended. As the Queen had continued the process of healing the attendant's back, the two of them had briefly discussed what should and should not be disclosed to the Council. Anna had vehemently argued against revealing the existence of the trolls; they valued their secrecy highly and had made it clear that only Elsa herself should be told.

Though it would mean that she had to lie, Elsa had readily agreed. She trusted much of the Council, but the risk of the knowledge leaking would be too great. Not only would such a scenario alienate a powerful potential ally, but it would also force the harmless clan to leave the country for fear of exploitation.

The rest of the journey was fine to tell, save for changing Kristoff's motivation for helping Anna into a promise of payment rather than a desire to do as his adopted family would have requested. The holes had been filled by stating that the redhead, rather than searching for magical trolls, had been dispatched to the other end of the country in response to a rumor that had reached the Queen's ears, detailing the possible location of ancient scrolls containing knowledge of magic. Unfortunately, when Anna reached the city where they were supposedly held in a small but respectable library, the rumor had turned out to be nothing more than empty whispers.

When asked why her personal attendant had been sent on such a task, Elsa had countered that the nature of the mission required the most trusted agent who could be spared for over a week.

Her discussion with Anna had been excruciating. Surprisingly, the redhead had not brought up Elsa's clear distress and swift departure yesterday. It was understandable, however, given Anna's obvious trauma and the fact that most of the redhead's focus was directed at her recovery.

But despite escaping a confrontation, every second of her time with Anna had been torture for the young Queen. Recounting her love's horrifying experiences was distressing enough. But knowing that, in the end, all of them were the result of Elsa's own actions had brought an entirely new dimension of pain to the discussion.

A pang of guilt ate away at her heart every time Anna's lips clenched in pain, which happened whenever the redhead moved her back the wrong way.

You were the one who chose to go out there. But I'm the one who dragged you into this in the first place, and I'm the one who should have known better. Even if you hadn't left, you would still be a target...and something like this would have happened eventually regardless.

The morning had been bad enough, but the afternoon was certainly not shaping up to be an improvement. To Elsa's dismay, most of the Council's response to the news of three separate attacks on Anna's life had not been shock and alarm. Blatant skepticism was the more appropriate term.

As soon as Elsa had finished her tale (adding that the knowledge of Anna's brief arrest was not to leave the room) and invited the others to comment, the meeting descended into near-anarchy.

"This is outrageous!" cried Lady Katherine, her voice raising above the others. "Perhaps one assassination attempt is believable...but three!? As much as the girl has sacrificed for you, Your Majesty, it seems that she retains an ability to spin tall tales."

Lord Vance, an older man with graying hair who served as both the head and representative of his House, spoke up. "I do not even understand why she would even be the target of a single attack, Your Majesty. She is but one of your protectors, and none of your other guards has seen an attack on their persons while you were not present."

At this, most of the Council members ceased their arguing. Apparently they believed Vance's point was a good one, because nearly every head in the room turned to the Queen expectantly.

Elsa sighed. She'd wanted to keep Anna's powers under wraps, both because their existence revealed the monarch's blatant favoritism and in order to shield the redhead from likely prejudice. There were plenty in Arendelle who disliked the notion of magical abilities, and although Elsa had her status as Queen to protect her from vitriol and discrimination, Anna was not so fortunate.

But she had no choice.

"I'm afraid she is more than just a typical guard," Elsa admitted. "Recently, it has become apparent that Anna has been developing abilities of a magical nature. Neither she nor I understand exactly how they have come about, but it is possible that she possessed latent powers that were triggered by contact with my magic. In any event, she is stronger, faster, and more resilient than should be possible...attributes that seem to increase by the day. During the attempt on my life, Anna's possession of these abilities was a key factor in my survival; something that anyone who observed the attack from a moderate distance would have recognized. It is my belief that my enemies had an agent doing exactly this, and have now identified Anna as an obstacle that must be removed if a future attempt is to succeed."

Evangeline was the only Council member not staring at her in shock.

"So that's how she...!" Kale breathed.

"Perhaps," the Queen admitted. "But I will not have knowledge of her abilities leaving this room. Even if some of my enemies know of her powers, there are plenty out there who remain in the dark. Preserving a secret weapon tends to work best when it remains a secret." And I will not have Anna humiliated. Vrael's supporters would have a field day.

Katherine was the first to recover her voice. "Be that as it may, Your Majesty, I still find her story difficult to believe. Crossbows are one thing but possessed wolves and a fire-mage?"

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "We all know what I can do. Is it truly that hard to imagine that others out there possess similar gifts?"

"Magically commanding wolves to murder a person is hardly similar to wielding ice, Your Majesty. And even the notion of a fire-user, while slightly more possible, is still something we have not encountered before. Why would the perpetrators have not have sent her after you during their attempt on your life? After all, you are undoubtedly their primary target."

"We understand your gratitude towards this woman, Your Majesty. But you must not allow that appreciation to cloud your judgment. Showering her with your favor is one thing. Accepting her word without any proof is another," Vance added.

The Queen resisted the urge to bang her hands against the table in frustration. "Showering her with favor?" Elsa repeated.

She made little effort to keep the ice out of her voice, but Katherine apparently did not catch it. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I know of no other servant or guard in this Castle who is quartered in the Upper Wing. Or who is invited to take their meals with you every night. It is obvious that you are fond of her, Your Majesty, but you must not allow..."

The noblewoman grew silent as the temperature in the room fell twenty degrees in the span of three seconds.

"I accept advice, Katherine, but I will not be lectured to as if I am a spoiled child. Frankly, whom I choose to show favor to is not your concern. Nor any of yours." She paused, gazing meaningfully at each of the room's other occupants. "Anna has never given me the slightest reason to doubt her word, and I frankly cannot think of any possible motivation she could have for lying about such matters. In any event, I personally saw her burns following her return, and I..." she suppressed a shudder, "I cannot conceive of any other way they could have been inflicted save a fire in the city, which as we all know, has not occurred in the last year."

Vance's eyes fell to the table, but Katherine defiantly kept her head raised. "That may be, Your Majesty, but I find it foolish to not at least attempt to investigate her claims. If she is telling the truth, the implications are vast. We must know for certain. All I recommend is sending out a man or two to discover proof of these stories."

Elsa's first instinct was to lash out at the noblewoman. She was the Queen, and her judgment was all that was required for a decision to be final. If the monarch accepted someone's word, then their claims were taken as fact.

But her Queenly instincts made her hesitate. It wouldn't do for her Council to doubt her. True, she held all the power in the room, but the monarch had the suspicion that trying times laid ahead. Arendelle needed unity. And that was important than her pride for Anna's sake.

"To sate your curiosity, I will have agents investigate the site of each attack and recover evidence. Evangeline," Elsa prompted. "Speak with Anna about where the two skirmishes took place, then send out one man to each location." The Queen hated acquiescing, but deep down she knew that the noblewoman had a point. As much as she trusted Anna, Elsa knew that the Council had far less knowledge of the redhead's actions than she did.

Once Anna was announced as her consort, she would need every advantage she could get in order to gain the acceptance of the nobility. Many would bemoan Elsa's choice out of respect for tradition and blatant elitism. Distrust was something that should not be added to the list.

The spymaster nodded.

"What is next?" the Queen prompted, resisting the urge to sigh.

\

The day had been exhausting.

Following the grueling Council session, which had consisted of virtually useless speculation about those after Elsa's head, the Queen had been subjected to a series of meetings about a far more mundane but equally maddening topic.

Her twenty-fourth birthday was due in two weeks. And as was custom, a gala was planned in celebration of the event. This alone would have been distressing (despite years of practice, Elsa disliked parties,) but what was worse was that she was responsible for organizing the entire affair.

The monarch had delegated as many of the decisions as she could, but nothing could get her out of three hours of discussion with a plethora of officials concerning the subject. Which banners to hang and wine to serve could be safely left to the discretion of others, but it was still her responsibility to decide when the event should be held and (most importantly) who to invite.

Note to self: remember Anna's invitation this time.

After considering the politics for what felt like ages, Elsa at last managed to finalize a list and allow the servants to begin delivering invitations. Excusing herself, the Queen pondered her next destination.

She wanted to see Anna. Anna would want to see her. But the Queen couldn't bring herself to visit the redhead's room. She was in no condition to deal with another round of guilt, and her eyes were crying out for rest. The redhead was still confined to her bed, meaning that Elsa didn't have to worry about dinner.

So the monarch made what she knew was the weak decision and walked to her own chambers in the Royal Wing. The highest floor in the Palace, the Wing was reserved only for members of the Arendellian Royal Family (save the monarch's relatives, visiting royals were given rooms in the Guest Wing, which was situated on the same floor as her study.) It made some nights quite lonely, but Elsa valued her privacy far too much to complain.

Besides, she had once thought to herself. I've got the largest room by far; my closet alone is probably the size of an Upper Wing bedroom.

Her chambers were massive. The Royal Wing, situated on the top floor of the main section of the Castle, was the smallest story in the Palace. However, as its only purpose was to serve as the living quarters of the Royal Family, that left plenty of room for its four bedrooms. One for the monarch and their spouse, two for any potential children they might have, and one traditionally maintained for a visiting member of the Coronan royal household that Rapunzel had recently made use of.

Following the deaths of her parents, Elsa had been reluctant to move out of her former room and take residence in their old chambers. But for the sake of tradition and to give the appearance of assuming their authority, she'd had no choice. The new monarch had, however, ordered entirely new furniture to be brought in along with an extensive paint job, both in order to make the room look less like where her parents had slept and to accommodate her love of blue and white.

In the back center of the room rested her king-size bed; the combination of icy-blue sheets, snow-white pillows, and gray oak headboard was a strange one, but as long as it reminded the Queen of the season she loved, it was fine with her. Persian rugs of similar colors covered the entirety of the floor. An alcove on the left side of the room led to her walk-in closet and changing area, while a door on the right opened to a large marble bathroom.

Bookshelves and dressers made of light mahogany lined the walls. Two sets of plush leather chairs, each with an accompanying large table, took up half of the room's corners. They were mostly for show; the Queen seldom took guests in her room.

After summoning two of her maids to help her retire, Elsa slipped into her bed and prepared for an early night.

What she didn't expect was for her legs to brush against a thin piece of leather as they maneuvered under the blankets.

The Queen's arms lurched towards the offending sensation, quickly pinpointing the object. Unsure of what to expect, Elsa grabbed the leather and easily extracted it from beneath the covers.

It was a book. A slim, humble tome rested in her hands; it was barely ten pages in length and bound in simple brown leather. It was the title, however, that piqued her curiosity. Etched into the front of the book was a single sentence: The Little Match Girl.

The Queen opened to page one.

\

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Elsa opened her eyes with a groan. Judging by the position of the sun outside, the monarch had barely received an hour of rest. But that had all been ended by the impatient pounding on her door, a pounding that was continuing.

"What?!" the monarch called as she sat up in her bed. It was not an invitation to enter, but her 'visitor' did not appear to notice this fact. The door swung open, revealing a frowning redhead clothed in one of her scarlet sleeping robes.

"Anna!" Elsa shouted. "What are you...you're supposed to be in bed! How did you get up here?"

Her personal attendant walked into the room, taking a moment to observe her surroundings. "Wow! And I thought that my room was nice," Anna breathed. "Anyway, you gave me walk-in privileges, remember? The guards at the stairs weren't exactly happy about it, but they let me through."

The monarch resisted an urge to slap a palm to her forehead. Yes, she remembered.

"Anna, at this moment you don't even have walking privileges. Go downstairs and get back in bed; you need to recover!" Elsa commanded. In truth, the Queen was amazed that the redhead had even managed to make it up the stairs on her own.

The redhead bit her lip. "Did you read the book?" she questioned.

The Queen's eyes narrowed. So rather than a maid simply leaving it behind by accident, its placement had been another one of Anna's stunts. Elsa should have known.

"Anna! You were up here before? Listen, you heard what the doctors said; you really need to rest. I'll come see you in the morning, now get back downstairs. Or do I have to make it a Queenly order?"

Her personal attendant smirked. "I think it's been pretty well established that I'm not so-good at following those. Anyway, we need to talk. So are you going to call the guards...or invite me to sit down?"

The monarch gave a sigh of exasperation. Since she could not very well have her personal attendant forcibly escorted down the stairs without causing a scandal, the best thing Elsa could do was let the redhead off her feet. With a curt nod, the monarch gestured to one of the leather chairs.

Smiling, Anna made her way over to the indicated seat and sat down. The redhead crossed her legs and looked at Elsa expectantly.

"Yes, Anna, I read it," the Queen admitted. "Are you sure that you're alright-"

"I'm fine," Anna interjected. "I mean, not fine fine, but close enough to fine where I can walk around without killing myself. My back still hurts, but nothing compared to what it was yesterday. I've been recovering really fast, and yes I have been resting. This is my first time out of bed; Gerda brought the book here for me."

"Gerda?" Elsa asked.

The redhead nodded. "She knows about us and was happy to do me a favor. I asked her to put it somewhere you'd find it before anyone else did. You know, when she came to visit me. Like Kai did and Drell did. Even Evangeline stopped by, though mostly to answer some questions. But you'd think my girlfriend would have..."

"I did! I came this morning," Elsa protested.

"On business." Anna shrugged in a manner that suggested nonchalance, but her eyes were hard. "And you left as soon as you could. You're avoiding me Elsa...and I know why."

The Queen's eyes widened. "Anna, what are you talking about?" she questioned as her mind whirled. How could Anna have divined the monarch's thoughts so easily?

"I've seen the way you've been looking at me," the redhead replied firmly, as if in answer. "Every time my back gave me pain, there was more than concern on your face. It was guilt. But what really tipped me off was what started all this; you seemed fine right until we deduced why I was being targeted." She paused. "Elsa, we both know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I get bored really easily, and I've been trapped in a bed for over thirty-six hours. So while it did take me a bit to figure out what was wrong with you, I've had a long time to think about it."

Elsa stared at her, failing to form a rebuttal upon her lips.

"You feel responsible," Anna intoned. "You think that it's your fault that some people want me dead, and you blame yourself for me getting hurt. You don't want to see me because it reminds you of the guilt. And Elsa, with all due respect, it's stupid. If there's anything you should feel guilty about, it's not coming to see me this afternoon, but I'll forgive you," she finished, her tone matter-of-fact.

"Anna, I-"

The redhead crossed her arms. "Just...please, don't deny it."

Elsa fought to keep the emotion off of her face. The redhead's eyes were staring into her own, as if they were gazing into the Queen's very soul. The monarch tried to maintain a neutral expression, but she could only keep up her mask a few more seconds before it finally cracked.

"You should be angry with me," the Queen said slowly, now making no effort to keep the pain out of her voice. "You've saved my life twice now, and all I've done in return is made you a target. None of this-" she flung her hand out widely, gesturing towards Anna's back- "Would have happened if I hadn't made you my attendant!"

The redhead gave her a small smile at that. "I was the one who chose to go out on that journey," she reminded the Queen. "I would have been safe and sound if I had just obeyed my mistress and stayed in the Castle. As you told me yesterday, it was an incredibly stupid decision, and I was the one who chose to make it."

Elsa shook her head sadly. "It would just have delayed the inevitable. These people, whoever they are, now want you dead very badly. They would have made their move against you sooner or later, in preparation for another strike against me." She gave a heavy sigh, staring down at the bed sheets. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Anna. I wanted to give you a better life...a home where you could be safe and happy, but all I've done is put you in danger."

Anna was silent for a few moments. "If you hadn't made me your attendant, where would the two of us be now?" she asked quietly.

"I don't-"

"You'd be dead!" Anna interrupted, rising to her feet. "Your body would have burned in the flames of that carriage or been stuck through by an arrow. Rapunzel would have met the same fate. Do you really think that would have been better? For me, or for anyone else?! Arendelle would be heirless. Whoever was behind the attack would have made their move, probably trying to take control of the kingdom. Even if they failed...how many would have been killed in the process? Meanwhile, I'd probably be out on the streets again, if I didn't get killed during in the chaos. I would be cold, hungry, and most importantly...I wouldn't have you."

As the Queen processed this information, part of her mind realizing that the redhead had a point, Anna boldly walked over and sat next to her on the bed. "Elsa, I know it's not an ideal situation," she continued. "But that's not your fault. You've done the best you possibly could have; you can't control everything."

"Maybe," Elsa admitted softly. Anna smiled, wrapping her right arm around the monarch's shoulders and pulling her close. Despite herself, the Queen found her face going red at the skin contact.

"Why did you make me read that book?" Elsa asked again. "It was depressing; I don't understand what it has to do with any of this."

Anna frowned, her eyes dropping to the blankets. "I wanted you to understand. To realize what you did for me. You think that you've put me at risk, but even though I'm a target now...I'm safer than I've ever been."

The Queen's eyes narrowed in curiosity at the implicit comparison. "The girl in that book was a lot younger than you," she pointed out, "And you didn't have to sell matches to stay warm, though I suppose stealing wasn't much better. As hard as your life was, you wouldn't have frozen to death."

"Don't be so sure. I had a good run going, but I wouldn't have been able to keep it up for much longer. Eventually, nobles would have grown more careful with their belongings, and my opportunities to steal would have gotten smaller and smaller. Either I would have been caught and jailed for the rest of my life...or I would have run out of money. Trust me Elsa, begging isn't a stable source of income. Maybe I could've lasted a while longer. Maybe even five or ten years. But assuming I wasn't in prison, I would have starved or frozen to death before I turned thirty."

"But-" Elsa began to protest, but Anna cut her off.

"You know what the saddest part of that story is? The girl could have been saved. Easily. If only one of those passerby had shown her a sliver of kindness. But they didn't. Not one person showed her any pity until it was already too late...until she was already dead. For a while, that was me. No one had enough compassion to toss me more than a few copper coins. That girl's ending was going to be my ending." Anna paused, gazing at Elsa with reverence. "Until someone did show me kindness. Someone who found it in herself to care about me. And the last thing that that someone should be feeling is guilt."

As a rush of affection swept through her, the Queen's arms wrapped and pulled Anna into a full embrace. "You give me too much credit. None of what I've done has cost me anything," Elsa pointed out.

"No," Anna agreed, resting her head on Elsa's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud of it. So many walked by me in the street, saw me, and didn't do anything. Hell, even when I got adopted I was still thrown out without a second thought. Only you, theoretically the most disconnected person from poverty in Arendelle, saw something in me that was worth saving."

The Queen's heart panged at Anna's words, but her mind noticed an irregularity. She pulled back slightly, just enough to look at Anna face to face. "I thought you said you were never adopted?" Elsa questioned.

A flash of panic streaked across the redhead's face. "Right!" she said quickly. "I mean, no I wasn't adopted. That's what I meant to say."

"Anna-" the Queen intoned.

Her personal attendant gave a huff of frustration, pulling out of the embrace and lying her back flat on the bed. "Fine. I lied. That's the only time I ever lied to you about my past. I was adopted for a few weeks. But it ended once they realized...I mean, even I hadn't really realized yet...once they figured out that I was probably into women. They tossed me out like an unwanted sack of garbage, bringing me back to the orphanage and going on their merry way! ...I never saw them again."

Elsa knew the redhead was telling the truth. The genuine anger and pain in her voice was far beyond Anna's ability to fake. Looking down at the redhead's prone form, she noticed tears glistening in teal eyes.

She didn't tell me because it's too painful for her to think about.

Wordlessly, the monarch reached down and grabbed Anna's arms. She yanked upward, pulling the redhead into another embrace and squeezing as hard as she could.

"Gods...Anna, that's awful. I can't believe someone would be so..." No. No she could. Everyone had heard at least one story of a child being thrown out because they didn't fit their parent's ideals or subscribe to social norms. And as her attendant now cried softly into her shoulder, all Elsa could do was rub small comforting circles into Anna's back.

For a few minutes they simply remained there, holding one another tightly. The Queen couldn't help but think that Anna was prone to crying, but Elsa knew that if she had grown up in the redhead's position she would be far more damaged by the experience than Anna was.

Actually, I'd probably just be dead.

Anna finally pulled back, the tears on her face now drying. "So, you feeling better?" the redhead asked with a small smile.

Well, I guess I'm feeling better about myself. But I feel even worse for you. How can you still be so...pure...after experiencing the worst humanity has to offer? How do you not just hate the world and everyone in it?

"I am, Anna, thank you. I suppose...you're right," the Queen said with difficulty. Even when she was filled with sympathy, it was still hard for Elsa to admit she was wrong. "But that doesn't mean I'm not worried about you."

"No more than I'm worried about you," Anna countered.

"I'm not the one who goes out riding across the country on a fool's errand." The monarch frowned. "Just...we need to be careful, now. Both of us. I'll feel a lot better once we know who's behind this and have them locked up."

Anna nodded. She moved to disentangle from their embrace and get off the bed, but the Queen held fast. The attendant looked at Elsa questionably.

"I'm going back to sleep now. I was wondering if...I mean if you aren't too sore and you want to go to bed...it's a long walk downstairs..." Gods, Anna's rambling was starting to rub off on her now. Why were these relationship matters so difficult for her to deal with after she'd been running a massive kingdom for five years?

"Is my Queen humbly requesting that I sleep with her?" Anna questioned, a flirtatious glint in her eyes.

Elsa nodded softly. "We can say you fell asleep in a chair during a healing session. My maids come in every morning to prep me for the day, but they always knock," she explained. The monarch was well aware that this excuse wouldn't completely fool everyone, but Elsa was ready for this relationship to come out soon. There would be some turmoil; plenty of people like Anna's 'parents' were out there, but in the end there was nothing they would be able to do. The decision of whom she courted was hers to make.

The redhead grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

Yes, there were many out there who wanted them dead. But as Elsa fell asleep in the Royal Suite with Anna wrapped in her arms, she had never felt safer. Suddenly, her room didn't fell too lonely.

\

"I cannot believe the girl survived all that," he muttered.

"It just demonstrates why she needs to be killed; we'll never get to the Queen with her around," his companion replied.

"Patience," a final voice interjected. "We must be careful. Elsa is undoubtedly going to be very cautious for the next few months, and her bitch will doubtless be staying at her side. Worse, she'll be putting nearly all of her resources into finding us...and the others. There is always a chance she will get lucky. Before we make our move, we need to preoccupy her attentions, create something that will occupy her time and focus. Tell me, what do you know of the situation in the south?"

"Our sources say that the dispute is growing more intense by the day. With the right push, it could escalate into open conflict."

"Then perhaps it is time to provide that push. War is always an excellent distraction."

Responses:

Kaika-chan: I think it's safe to assume she was pretty terrified.

Shtoops: Either next chapter or the one after we'll get to see some new applications of Elsa's power. Stay tuned!

: Thanks! Speaking of repetitive, this chapter has some similarities to chapter 20, but this is the last time in a while we'll see similar events repeat themselves. The next arc is…pretty new.

No.18: They'll be trying to stick together, that's for sure.

Snowboardgurl: And it's a little better now. For a while.

3G's: There's your warm and fuzzies!

WinterWolfDragon: Well, here it is. Not going away any time soon!

JPElles: Good call! Yes, Anna is being her usual self and solving problems. Might not be so easy to eradicate those ne'er do wells, though.

I suppose it's possible that someone would have seen that duel, but I don't think Elsa advertised the event and let people in from outside the Castle to come and watch it. After all, everyone expected it to be a stomp, which generally doesn't attract too many betters.

ClaireCooper: Luckily it seems as if Anna has somewhat solved that problem for now.

Guest 1: Sorry for the wait!

RainbowMaster: No storm yet. But the threat's still out there.

Yuiiub: Bigger problems indeed.

Malekoydaerb: You're completely right. Luckily Anna was able to smack some sense into her!

Superjoshe: Interesting ideas. I will say that combat magic in this story is most certainly NOT confined to fire and ice.

ObsessiveImaginings: Agreed. Nothing wrong with a little predictability once and a while, especially after all that drama. It makes surprises have that much more of an impact.

xAnimeJunkie23x: Exactly! I think Anna agrees with you.

Depaul7: Well, sorry about keeping you up and slightly hurting your marriage, but glad to see an interested reader! And while there is some foreshadowing, I really doubt anyone will have this story completely figured out until the end. Not that I would tell them if they did.

BreeBear98: Try to avoid dying and keep reading!