The girls spent the rest of the evening just talking; reminiscing and catching up. Thirteen years was a long time to catch up on. The conversation stayed light, and Elsa was happy to keep it that way. She had deeply missed her sister, and she was tired of the only time they truly got to spend together was when Anna was taking care of her. The girls laughed over old memories, with Anna finally giving in to sleep after arguing forever that she wasn't tired. Elsa looked down at the younger girl now sprawled out in deep sleep and smiled. It reminded her of the old days when they were young and shared a room (and Anna would often end up in Elsa's bed.) Elsa quietly tiptoed to the bathroom and locked the door. She pulled up her sleeve revealing many jagged cuts. Though no longer bleeding, there were still fresh wounds which stung and itched. She sighed as she stared at her mutilated skin. She pulled her sleeve back down. She decided not to worry Anna with this slip up. She was able to get it back under control.

"Conceal, don't feel." She quietly reminded herself.

The days passed quickly as a routine took over. Elsa still spent much time in her room, though kept her promise that the door would remain open. In the quiet and dark of night, however, she still used her secret to find relief from the pressure and anxiety that filled her mind and days. Sleep was rare for her. Her nights alone were spent with thoughts racing and the past still haunting her. She always promised herself it would be the last time, yet another time always came. Her strong desire for control was also played out with her control of food. She continued to eat in front of Anna and Kristoff for a while, just long enough to ease their concerns that they would stop monitoring her so much. She continued to rid herself of the food after nearly every meal though. She was able to appear perfectly composed and in control in front of everyone, a facade that even Anna seemed to fall for. She hid her secrets with heavy clothes, long sleeves, and lies. She used the excuse of winter and colder weather for the additional coverage. Anna questioned at first, the cold didn't bother her. Elsa simply stated that she wanted to fit in more and appear more like everyone else. She eventually bought it, or at least dropped the subject. The guilt and shame continued to overwhelm her; which only led to more and more self destruction. Ironically, the thing that brought the most comfort was also her worst enemy and what brought the most pain.

As the winter festivities approached, Anna saw her sister slipping more and more away. Though Elsa was able to keep up her charade for the most part, when her mask fell, Anna saw the empty look in her eyes and the sadness plastered on her face. One night at dinner, she noticed Elsa continuing to just pick at her food, staring off into the distance with a blank and pained expression. Anna couldn't keep silent any longer.

"Elsa?" she asked gently.

Immediately, Elsa turned, her mask back on, "Yes?" she said with a fake smile.

"What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking about the winter festivities. Is Sven ready for his time in the spotlight?" she turned to ask Kristoff.

"I think he may be more excited than Anna." answered the ice harvester smiling.

"Oh wow! I didn't think that was possible." Elsa gave a gentle laugh.

Anna simply sat there, biting her lip. Despite her best efforts, Anna was seeing through the cracks in her sister's mask. She didn't know how to approach the subject, however. It seemed like everything was going so well. She wondered again if this was just a pattern: work herself into a breakdown, recover, then continue working herself into another breakdown for the cycle to continue repeating. She decided to drop the topic for now, knowing Elsa would be easier to talk to if they were alone. She was shaken from her thoughts as she saw Elsa excusing herself to finish working before going to bed. She heard something about going to bed early to get a better start to the day. Anna grabbed her before she could run off and pulled her into a tight hug.

"You know you can talk to me? About anything."

The older girl simply smiled and hugged her back. "I know, thank you, Anna."

Anna sat back down with a sigh, but noticed that Elsa had finished most of her food and even dessert. Maybe she was just tired; it had been an extra long week and Elsa was now dealing with Wesealtown (Anna knew the correct name; but she refused to call them anything else.) Trade negotiations and trying to curb the rumors spread regarding Elsa's powers and the evening of the coronation still.

"Anna!" Kristoff finally snapped her out of her thoughts again.

"Sorry...what?"

"Olaf asked if you wanted to do another game night..."

"Sure, I'd love that." Maybe it would calm her nerves and allow her some fun for the evening.

Elsa had retired to her study. She quickly emptied her stomach, feeling lighter and more in control again. She buried herself in her work. She was completely overwhelmed with the Weseltown situation. Accusations of monster and sorcerer flew wildly. So far, negotiations were getting nowhere. She feared for her country and losing the ally they once had, but the words stung her just as much. Her room was beginning to be covered with frost again as she paced searching her mind for a solution. The accusations simply continued to torment her; she wanted to scream to silence the voices. As the temperature dropped and the storm became stronger, now threatening to no longer stay confined in her room alone; she quickly crafted an icicle she knew would quiet everything.