"Anna?" The queen came around the corner and stopped. Crossing her arms and lowering her head, she unconsciously mimicked the stern posture that Nanny had always preferred to adopt when scolding the girls. The smile on her face, however, quite thoroughly ruined the effect. "Yes, I knew I'd find you here."

"What is it, Mama?" Anna asked innocently.

"What it is, is past your bedtime," Ellinor replied with amused sternness.

"But Elsa and I are talking," Anna explained, trying her best not to sound petulant.

"I know. That's the only reason why it's past your bedtime. You should have been in bed half an hour ago."

"But..."

"Come along now, Anna," her mother said, putting just enough authority into her voice to make it clear that there would be no more debate. "Besides, look at it this way... Just think about how much you'll have to talk about tomorrow."

Rolling her eyes, Anna picked herself up off the floor. Turning to face the door, she laid one hand lightly against it. "Good night, Elsa. Sleep well."

"You too, Anna. Pleasant dreams."

As Anna walked over to join her mother, Ellinor called out, "You should be getting to sleep soon yourself, young lady."

"I will, Mother." The smile could be heard quite plainly in Elsa's voice. "See you for lessons tomo-o-orrow." The yawn was just as audible as well.

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night."

The queen then walked with Anna back to her room. She had already turned back the bed and laid out the nightclothes. She waited patiently while her daughter changed. Then, once Anna had climbed up onto the mattress, she pulled the covers up over her chest and began tucking them in around her neck and shoulders.

Anna started to squirm. "You don't need to do that, Mother," she grumbled. "I'm growing up, you know?"

"Oh, are you?" Ellinor asked playfully.

"Well, I'm eight years old now. I mean, you don't tuck Elsa in any more, do you?"

The queen was just able to hide how much those words, so guilelessly spoken, still managed to sting. No, she hadn't tucked Elsa in for years now. Her older daughter had been so frightened of physical contact after the incident with Anna, that it had simply been out of the question. By the time Elsa had recovered enough to allow her parents to touch her again, that nightly parental affection seemed to have silently fallen by the wayside.

"Well, Elsa is three years older than you," she said to Anna, and hoped her daughter hadn't picked up on the momentary pang of regret she had accidentally caused.

"I just mean that I'm not a little girl anymore," Anna clarified. And yet her stubborn pout reminded Ellinor so forcefully of her daughter's younger years that she had to laugh.

Bending low so that their noses nearly touched, the queen looked into her daughter's brilliant blue eyes and whispered, "You will always be my little girl."

Anna nearly went cross-eyed trying to focus on her mother's face, and try as she might, she couldn't keep herself from giggling. "Okay, I suppose you can keep tucking me in. You know, for a little while longer."

"Thank you," Ellinor replied. Then she kissed Anna on the tip of her nose, brushed a lock of hair back from the side of her face, and smiled down at her beautiful girl. "Good night, sweetheart."

As she straightened up and started to turn towards the door, Anna called out to her. "Mama, may I ask you something?"

The queen stopped and turned back to the bed. This was always potentially tricky. Anna had too often asked questions that she simply could not answer. But of course, any young girl had plenty of perfectly innocent questions too. Well, there was only one way to find out. "What is it, dear?"

The nervous look on her daughter's face immediately put Ellinor on her guard. She watched warily as Anna seemed to work through the best way to ask whatever was on her mind. Finally, she spoke. "This is probably going to sound a little crazy, but... how long have I had the streak in my hair?"

Ellinor froze for an instant. How could she possibly answer that? How could she not answer it? She couldn't tell the truth, because how would she explain the blonde streak mysteriously appearing nearly three years ago. She could try to avoid the question, but it was clear that something had already made Anna suspicious. Evasion would only confirm that there was something to be suspicious of. What to do...

"Why would you ask that, sweetheart?" she asked with a smile. When all else fails, she thought, stall.

"I don't know," Anna said, shrugging beneath the covers. "It's just something I thought of the other day. I mean, it's pretty unusual, isn't it, to have one lock of hair a different color like this? So I started wondering if something happened when I was younger that might have caused it. I couldn't remember anything, but if I was young enough when it happened, I suppose I might not. Anyway, I thought I'd ask."

The whole time her daughter had been talking, Ellinor had been thinking furiously, trying to find the safest way out of this dilemma. Now Anna was looking at her expectantly, and still all she could come up with were a selection of bad options. It looked like she would simply have to make her choice and deal with the consequences.

"Your hair's always been that way, Anna," she replied. "I have no idea why, but it was like that even when you were a baby."

Anna grinned and seemed to relax. Ellinor hadn't even realized before then how tense the girl had been. "Thanks, Mama. I was just curious, and now I know."

"You're welcome, dear. Now get some sleep."

"I will. G'night."

"Good night, sweetheart."

The queen crossed the room, stepped out into the hall, and pulled the door closed behind her. Then she turned and headed to the sitting room, where she knew Agdar was waiting. She would have to tell him about this. If Anna were to ask him, he would need to confirm her story. Otherwise, Anna would have fresh cause to become mistrustful again, and that could become a problem. Yes, they would certainly have to take care to...

Ellinor stumbled. She sagged against the nearest wall, her breath coming in great gasps. She was shaking. The world around her had suddenly become very blurry and unsteady. No, she was unsteady, and the blurring was because of the tears filling her eyes.

She had just lied to her daughter. Not a partial truth. Not a selective omission or a careful dodge. She had simply lied. She had never lied to either of her daughters before, not like this. And now she was already making plans to cover that lie, to repeat it and, if necessary, expand upon it.

The queen turned and, still leaning heavily against the wall, staggered on down the passage. The tears were so thick, she felt like she was going to choke on them. She couldn't really see clearly where she was going. Only the many years she'd spent walking these halls led her to the sitting room door, which was mercifully not far away.

She leaned against the door frame, sobs racking her slender body. She heard, rather than saw, her husband turn at the sound. "Ellinor?" There was a blur of motion that must have been Agdar springing to his feet. "Ellinor!"

The next second, he was standing before her, and she collapsed into his arms. He held her tightly against his chest, stroking her hair. "What is it? What happened?" But she couldn't get enough air into her lungs to speak. She just clung to him, wanting to lose herself in his embrace, wanting to hide forever from this horrible situation.

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted up into his strong arms. He carried her across the room and began to lay her down upon the settee, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go. The comfort she needed right now could not be found in soft cushions. She needed him beside her, holding her.

Fortunately, he knew her well enough that she didn't need to speak for him to understand this. So he set her down in a sitting position and then, without ever breaking contact for even a moment, slid himself next to her and pulled her close to his side. He wrapped his arms about her shoulders, rested his head atop hers, and tried his best to shield her from whatever had caused her such terrible anguish.

Eventually, her shaking subsided and her wrenching sobs gave way to only occasional jerky spasms. Finally able to breathe normally again, she at last could put her pain into words.

"Oh, Agdar. I think this is going to kill me. I hate what this family is becoming, what it's turning me into."

"Shh." Even now, he continued to hold her and protect her. "You are only what you have always been – a fiercely devoted mother, my beloved wife, and everything good that holds this family together."

Ellinor shook her head. "I'm a liar, Agdar. I looked Anna straight in the eyes and I lied to her. I've never felt so ashamed in my life."

Slightly confused, he nevertheless tried to reassure her. "Ellinor, my dear, it isn't the end of the world to tell a little white lie to your child. I'd say it's almost an inevitable part of being a parent."

"I'm not talking about a little lie, Agdar. This was... It was..." She trembled in his arms, and he squeezed her tightly to him once again. Then, in fits and starts, she explained to him everything that had happened as she was putting Anna to bed. When she finished, the only noise to be heard was the quiet crackling of the flames in the fireplace.

"I don't know how I can continue living like this," she said at last. "Keeping all these secrets was bad enough, but this..." Another shudder ran through her.

"I know, my love," Agdar whispered into her hair. "We knew this wouldn't be easy. And yet, what other choice do we have? If even the memory of magic is a danger to Anna, what else can we do but keep her in the dark, no matter how much pain it may cause us?"

"There has to be a better way. There has to be something else we can do."

"The only solution I can see is for Elsa to finally control the magic, to the point where she can feel confident enough to come out again. If things could return to normal that way, then I think most of the questions would be forgotten. But aside from offering her love and encouragement, I don't know how to help her do that. Neither of us understands her powers any better than she does."

"What about the trolls?" Ellinor sniffed. "They know magic. Couldn't they help Elsa?"

Agdar thought carefully before replying. "I don't know," he said at last, "but I suspect not. Theirs is a different sort of magic. If they'd had advice to offer, I think they would have done so when we last visited them.

"Still, there are encouraging signs. After all, Elsa has been talking to Anna, hasn't she? And when I went to see her the other day, she wasn't even wearing her gloves. That says to me that she must be feeling more sure of herself. Take heart, Ellinor. We may only have to endure a little while longer. Once Elsa rejoins the family again, reunites with Anna again, I'm certain everything will be just fine."

He could see that his wife remained sullen and unconvinced. "But if it will make you feel better, I will go visit the trolls. After all, it couldn't hurt to ask."

At last, a glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes as she lifted her head to look up at him. "Oh, thank you, Agdar. I know it may not help at all, but at least we'll know we've tried. I'll come with you."

The king shook his head. "No, one of us needs to stay here with the girls. Besides, it would be more difficult to explain both of us mysteriously disappearing at the same time. If you remain here, you should be able to cover my absence should it be discovered. Even so, I'll need a few days to make preparations so I can hopefully slip out without being noticed. I think I could probably go the night after next."

Ellinor reached up and clasped his hand, which was still resting on her shoulder. "Thank you," she repeated again softly. She even managed a small smile, which he returned lovingly.

The queen suddenly released her husband's hand in order to cover her mouth, which had opened wide in a gaping yawn. The night's emotions had left her physically drained. "I'm sorry," she said once it had passed. "I know we had planned to sit up together for a while, but I'm simply exhausted. I hope you don't mind, but I think I need to get to bed."

"Of course," he replied with understanding. "Actually, that sounds like an excellent idea to me as well."

So saying, Agdar stood and helped his wife to her feet. Once he'd extinguished the fire, he offered her his arm, which she accepted gratefully. Then the King and Queen of Arendelle retired to their bedchambers for some much needed sleep.

• • •

Sleep, however, had not yet found Anna. She lay in bed, her mind running round and round in circles, trying to make sense of mysteries that seemed unfathomably large to her. Despite her boastful bragging about how she was growing up, she had never before felt smaller.

She'd known it was a risk to ask her mother such a direct question about her hair. She hadn't forgotten Kai and Gerda's admonishments. In fact, she'd bitten her tongue for several days now just to keep from posing that very question. It had constantly plagued her thoughts, however. How could she possibly misremember something like that?

The more she had tried to make sense of it, the more frightened she had become. At last she had decided that she needed to take the chance. If it was only her memory that was faulty, then maybe it was just another symptom of whatever had changed her hair. Either way, she had to know. So she had asked.

At first, the answer had been comforting. After all, her mother had confirmed what she herself thought she remembered. This seemed like a strong argument in favor of her own sanity. The more she thought about it, however, the less reassuring it became. It meant that someone was not telling her the truth. She tried not to think of it as lying to her. Perhaps they were simply mistaken. Kai and Gerda had said that they could be wrong about a lot of things, hadn't they? But then, that had been because they were having to guess based on hints and whispers. Something like this didn't seem at all the same.

On the other hand, would her mother intentionally... mislead her? She knew her parents were keeping secrets; they had not hidden that fact. Would they really take it a step further, though? If so, how did she know they hadn't already done the same before now? Her mind drew back from the idea. She didn't want to let herself believe it.

In the end, after at least half an hour of chasing her own thoughts but getting nowhere, she was only able to arrive at one solid (though not entirely satisfying) conclusion. If her parents said that she'd always had the streak, then that was the story she'd need to stick to as well. If she pressed the matter and voiced her doubts, it would only put them on their guard and make it harder than ever to get anything useful out of them. So if anyone ever asked, that would be the answer she'd give. Besides, for all she knew, it might still very well be the truth.

She rolled onto her side, hoping it might ease the churning in her stomach. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if uncovering the truth was really such a good idea after all. But no, these secrets had to be what was keeping her and Elsa apart. She would gladly endure far more than this anxious discomfort if it meant she could once again be reunited with her big sister.

Happy thoughts of that long hoped for day kept her company as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Darkness surrounded her. She could barely see anything. It was as if her eyes were closed, but try as she might, she could not open them. In fact, she couldn't move at all. Her body wouldn't respond when she tried to lift her head or even twitch a finger. Everything felt thick, heavy, and almost numb.

Though she couldn't get her muscles to obey her, she nevertheless experienced a sense of movement. It was a familiar rhythmic sensation, but her mind seemed as sluggish as her body and she couldn't quite place it. It wasn't unpleasant, but it felt so distant that it barely would have mattered even had it been exquisitely painful. Because there was only one sensation that was absolutely clear to her. Only one thing that felt sharp and immediate and certain.

She was cold. Absolutely, bitterly, deathly cold. It was a cold that went beyond chattering teeth and violent shivers, an iciness that no living person was ever meant to experience.

The rolling, rocking motion ceased, although she barely noticed. Now it felt as if she were floating, drifting along as if borne upon a slow moving river. There were noises, too, though her befuddled brain could not make any sense of them. The frigid feeling was only getting stronger. More than anything, she just wanted to be warm again. Perhaps if she just let herself sink beneath the flowing current, she would find warmth there. It would be so easy to just slip down... down... down...

She felt something brush her forehead – the first thing she'd really felt besides the cold. It was hard and rough, yet also surprisingly gentle. It lingered there for a moment, then slipped away as the far off sounds resumed. The bitter frigidity, which had momentarily receded along with that touch, engulfed her again, and she was once again being pulled under.

Suddenly the touch returned, if only for a brief moment. This time as it pulled away, it felt like it took something with it. Anna had no idea what it might have been. Her muddled mind still was incapable of anything so taxing. Yet something seemed to be holding the cold at bay. It was still there, but it was no longer advancing. She didn't feel like she was on the verge of succumbing to it, but neither could she push it back. It was a precarious stalemate, and she felt like she teetered on that edge forever.

Then she felt the same pressure on her forehead again. It remained as coarse and solid as stone. Yet when it touched her skin, it was as light and delicate as a kiss. Suddenly, she felt warmth spreading outward from that spot. It flowed over her and through her, making every inch of her body tingle briefly, like a too cold hand that is suddenly plunged into hot water. Even that momentary discomfort faded almost immediately, however, and all that was left was an overwhelming sensation of peace, safety, and contentment.

She felt herself beginning to drift downward once again. This time, however, she knew that the only thing that awaited her there was a deep and blissful slumber. She finally allowed herself to fall into it gratefully, a beatific smile upon her face.

Anna shifted beneath the sheets. Her eyes opened slowly, languidly. It felt so wonderfully warm beneath her covers, and the night was just chilly enough outside her snug cocoon to make the difference all the more delicious. She felt the smile on her face, and found that she wasn't sure whether it had appeared there as she contemplated the comforts of her bed or if had lingered there as she'd drifted up from her dream.

She could still remember it, which was unusual because she rarely remembered her dreams. Not that there was much there to remember, of course. Such a strange dream, though. There had been no sights to speak of, and only the vaguest of sounds. The only real sensations had been those peculiar touches and the overwhelming sense of...

The young princess shivered and dug herself deeper into the blankets. Best not to think about it. That touch, though... It had been so peculiar, especially that last time. It felt like a rock that had been baking out in the summer sun had ever so lightly pressed against her. She wiggled one hand out from under the bedding and stroked her head in the same place where she'd felt the touch in her dream.

As she did so, she suddenly realized that it would have brushed over the exact spot on her head where her blond streak sprouted from her scalp. She stared at her hand, a pale and ghostly shape in the dim moonlight. Then, she laughed quietly to herself.

Clearly, she had been worrying far too much about this new mystery of hers just before she'd drifted off. Her overactive imagination, freed from its conscious fetters, had combined her anxieties with half-forgotten fables and the brisk night air, and thus turned her suddenly puzzling pale streak into the product of a stone troll's kiss. If her dreams were always that silly, then she didn't feel at all upset that they so rarely remained with her come the morning.

Still smiling, she slipped her arm back beneath the covers and wiggled around until she found a nice, comfortable position, once again lying on her side. This time, however, she was facing her little bedside table. And though her eyelids were already growing heavy, she still focused briefly on the round flower pot and the two small objects that leaned against it.

"Good night, Elsa," she whispered. "Good night, Marie. Pleasant dreams."

The two dolls smiled back, watching over their friend as she soon found her way into a peaceful and uninterrupted slumber.

A/N: Those of you keeping count might be wondering about the "Dreams" (plural) in the chapter title. Well, this one was running way long on me. So rather than keeping you all waiting for a single extra-long chapter, I decided to make it a multi-parter. Coming soon: "Dreams II: Beauty and Danger"