Elsa was exhausted, but there was still so much to do. It had been days since the attack and she felt a constant, low-level anxiety about not just the prospect of more of that, but also her own part in it.

She'd done a thing she'd sworn she'd never do, and no matter how much she looked at it and knew she hadn't had a choice, it still bothered her.

But for now she set the thoughts and fears aside, in order to host Alexstrasza. They called her the Lifebinder, and while Elsa was curious to learn more details about this title and her entire … dragon-ness … she was polite enough not to ask.

She inclined her head to the Dragon, then gestured to the prepared table. "If you would like to take a seat?"

Comfort while discussing diplomatic matters was paramount and Elsa had found that most appreciated the gesture of a seat and a cup of tea.

"Thank you." Alexstrazsa inclined her head in kind, then chose a chair and sat down. Every movement of hers was fluid and graceful. Elsa wondered if she was like that in her dragon form, and what it must feel like to fly, free.

Elsa took the seat opposite as Kai appeared with two steaming cups of tea. This wouldn't be too difficult a task, which she was grateful for, since Queens weren't allowed naps. "I understand you speak for all the unaffiliated peoples of Azeroth, not just dragons?"

"I do." The tea cup seemed small in Alexstrasza's hands. "I appreciate your efforts with the Murlocs. They are often misunderstood creatures."

"I believe all life is worth trying to preserve." Elsa took a sip of her tea, "Have you had much luck with some of the others?"

"They have proven surprisingly cooperative. Some of them can be … difficult … on a good day. But give a Kobold a candle and a cave and it would be happy. Some of the other species took some more convincing, but we found areas devoid of human habitation where they should adjust. Non-alliance humans are relatively easy."

Jaina had mentioned a dozen different species, but there'd been so few of them. One in particular had her concerned, "What about the … Naga, was it?"

Alexstrasza nodded. "A particularly complicated people, and often enemies of the others. For a time many, but not all, were aligned with N'zoth. But they, like all of us, became refugees in the end. There were less than two dozen remaining when Dalaran teleported."

"Any thoughts on them? I would like to think they can be negotiated with."

"They can be, though they are likely to disappear into the sea, never to be seen again."

"That ought to spur some interesting rumors."

Alexstraza tilted her head in interest. "Oh?"

"There are many myths and stories about mermaids. Half human, half sea animal," Elsa explained. "I've read a lot of them myself. Underwater kingdoms and beautiful mermaids…"

She found herself flushing when Alexstraza chuckled. "Then I suppose that the Naga will only add to the legends."

"What of the dragons?" Elsa asked, managing to stop herself from wondering aloud if she could ever see one in their true form. It seemed somewhat impolite of a request or question.

"The dragons, what few remain, will strive to maintain the peace. A few have chosen to live in the mountains, others will fly to other lands. I myself am thinking of Corona." There was some kind of hard edge to her voice. "It's a very green land and that appeals to me."

Elsa wondered if the Forsaken living there might have something to do with it, and she couldn't quite keep the ice out of her voice. "I hope that you'll allow the settlers there to live in peace?"

"My duty and my calling is to preserve life. So long as the Forsaken keep to their word on the Blight, then there is nothing for me to worry about."

God, but she hated this kind of politics. Elsa bit her tongue before she could voice her objection. Everyone deserved a chance to prove themselves, but on the flip side, what should be done if they failed? She set her tea down and rubbed her temple.

"You would prefer to take everyone at their word." Alexstraza's statement was kindly spoken, and took the edge off of Elsa.

"In an ideal world, we could," Elsa replied. "I understand that this world — these worlds — aren't ideal. There's war, and poverty and sickness on Earth. Enemies become allies, allies become enemies, and we all have to take the interests of our people to heart."

"And yet you were willing to accept us despite considerable risk to your own people."

Elsa held up her hands. "It was the right thing to do, and I wouldn't change that."

"Perhaps then," the dragon said. "That is the first step to your ideal world."

❄️

Anna was pretty sure that Elsa was still bothered by the whole Old God thing. Not that she herself wasn't; a bunch of monsters coming through with the actual good people left Anna feeling a little anxious, both for her country and for her daughter. Worry about Elsa was generally a given.

But she had bags under her eyes and clearly hadn't slept well when she'd seen her having tea with Alexstrasza yesterday, though when Anna walked into her office this afternoon, she found her sister fingering the petals on a bouquet of flowers. "Oh, they're so pretty…"

"Jaina had them sent," Elsa said softly. Anna could tell she was touched but a little distracted.

She closed the door behind her and quickly came to Elsa's side. "Are you okay? If Kristoff sent me flowers I'd be through the moon."

"I am! I am, I just…" Elsa leaned against her desk and Anna could now see how deep the lines under her eyes were. She really hadn't been sleeping the past few days and Anna made a mental note to ask Kai or Greta to make Elsa some sleepy tea tonight.

"Really tired?"

"Maybe a little." Elsa's jaw tightened, "I was just about to go out."

"So where are we going?"

"We?"

Anna grinned, and slipped her arm around her sister's shoulder. "Yeah, we. Since I doubt you're going to go to bed right now, someone needs to keep an eye on you and that someone should be me."

Elsa half-heartedly tried to pull away, "Anna, please…"

She just stared at Elsa, eyebrows raised, waiting for her to talk.

"Okay, fine…" Elsa pursed her lips unhappily, sighing, "I … want to make sure we didn't miss anything the other night. I want to talk to some of the people who live deeper in the woods, see if they'd seen or heard anything unusual."

"The Horde and Alliance are unusual," Anna pointed out.

"Besides that."

"And then what? This could take hours, what happens if there is something unusual?"

"I don't know." Elsa leaned against her. "I don't know. I just need to make sure Arendelle is safe and … maybe I can talk to one of those things."

"An Old God?" Anna put on her best 'are you serious' face, "You want to talk to some Old God minion? Why? Everything we've been told tells us they're evil and mindless."

"Right, everything we're told."

Anna frowned, feeling an uncomfortable gnawing in her gut. Sometimes, she was still a little too trusting, but… "Jaina told us that. You don't believe her?"

"I believe that she believes that. I believe that the things she has been through have colored her perceptions." Elsa held out her hand for Anna to take, "But I have to find out for myself if I can. At the very least, talk to other people. Not the leadership, but the regular people."

"Azeroth is a very different place, Elsa…" Anna took Elsa's hand and squeezed it.

"I know, but this isn't Azeroth. I welcome their viewpoints and their cultures and all the richness that brings, but this constant war against each other and the universe… It has to stop."

"Are you scared that it hasn't?" Anna followed Elsa through the castle, keeping an eye out for anyone as Elsa moved a candle on the wall to reveal a passage.

"They mean it." Elsa lit a lamp and handed it to Anna, "And we have to believe the peace will last. I'm just…"

Anna put her hand on Elsa's arm. "You're worried, and that's why you're a good Queen. Now let's go do some exploring and some talking. And then you're going to bed."

❄️

Their search hadn't been all that fruitful, which Elsa supposed was probably a good thing. An unfruitful search meant that they hadn't found anything to be concerned about. No strange creatures lurking in the night, no sightings beyond the odd encounter with a Druid.

So Elsa had turned her attention to asking questions. After all, asking questions was never a bad thing, and something to be encouraged. Some people were reluctant to answer, of course, but they talked to enough to give Elsa a good idea of what to expect.

Old Gods corrupted. Old Gods were evil. Everything that Elsa had been told and yet…

She still felt her gut twist up as she remembered the sound of them dying, living beings… How much different were they from a wolf, or a bear?

The only consolation was that it had been for her people, but it didn't really make her feel all that much better. Even the people assuring her she'd done the right thing to protect everyone didn't make her feel all that much better.

Elsa stumbled, tripping on a root, and Anna caught her. "Hey, hey let's take a break."

"We're almost home."

"A few minutes isn't going to make a difference." Anna picked up a log bigger then Kristoff and shook the snow off of it, before setting it down and making Elsa sit.

"You're probably right." Elsa sighed, folding her hands in her lap and stared into Anna's concerned eyes. "I'm… It's not just that I've been overworked, I've also been having nightmares."

"Oh. Well that's understandable, I've had a few myself."

Anna placed her hand over Elsa's. "At least you're having regular nightmares, right?"

"Yes." She managed half a smile, understanding what Anna was talking about, a time when nightmares had almost consumed Arendelle. "I don't even know why I'm so upset about all of this."

"Welp…" Anna hopped into the log and leaned against Elsa, and as she spoke she ticked off each point on her fingers. "You're a good person. You want to see the best in people. You don't want to believe that there could exist anyone without redemption. You're not a killer."

Elsa's jaw tightened. "A lot of these people are."

"And … I'm sure some of them have killed people close to someone else who came through that portal. But … I can't judge them for it. Not when they're trying to find a new life."

"I don't judge them either." Jaina was a killer, Elsa knew. And as consumed with guilt and worry as she was she couldn't be angry with Jaina as long as Jaina was clearly trying to be better. To move on and make changes in her life.

"Are you sure?"

She shot a look at Anna. "I'm positive."

"Then why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"I'm just really tired. But I can accept it, I can accept Jaina and Sylvanas and all the rest, but I can't…" Elsa rubbed her hands over her face, "I don't want it to change us. Me and You, Arendelle, and Earth and our friends and allies… Just them being here has changed everything and we may never know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But I don't want to see us become so afraid of our own neighbors we resort to violence instead of dialogue."

Anna smiled at her, eyes glistening. "Let's keep that up, okay? Mediate, be welcoming but not so much that we get walked all over. Lead by example. And … you've been a really good example. From the day you found Jaina until now, you've been leading by example. And you want to know a good example?"

Anna's words lifted a weight off of Elsa's chest. "What might that be?"

"Jaina. Remember how she was? This wounded animal, bitter and alone and afraid of everything. And now she's…" Anna gestured in the direction of the fjord. "Being a diplomat. Less guarded, willing to work with her enemies for everyone's benefit. And that's all on you."

Maybe, Elsa thought, though she wondered how much of that might be the emotional and physical attraction between them. But Jaina didn't appear to be the only one willing to work for it.

If nothing else, it gave her hope for all of them; while paradoxically making her fear Jaina no longer being in her life. Elsa understood the power of duty over personal wants and desires and while she'd always managed to find a balance with her sister, a small, selfish part of her had liked when it was a little simpler; just Jaina and their budding relationship. Everything had been so much clearer then.

And while Jaina had taught her so much, she still wasn't entirely sure she knew how to fully utilize her powers. And maybe a part of her missed those quiet teaching moments, too.

She hopped off the log as her stomach twisted into guilty knots. "Let's get back…"

"Elsa?" Anna bounced after her to keep up and Elsa forced herself to slow down.

"I'm okay, Anna. I just need to get some sleep." She glanced at Anna, "And I can put myself to bed. I promise."

"I'm a little dubious about that, but I'll trust you."

She offered her arm to Anna, who took it, and they walked in silence for a few minutes. Elsa allowed herself to lean on her sister, as she had so often in her life, and was nearly startled out of her skin when Anna spoke.

"Do you want some advice? Like … relationship advice." Anna peered at her hopefully, "If not, I've got some related advice about nightmares."

"Okay, what's the advice on nightmares?" Elsa thought Anna just wanted to fill the silence, and she didn't mind. Sometimes, she did get lost in her head, go away as Anna put it.

Talking was good.

"Uh huh." Anna squinted, but obliged her sister. "You know, Kristoff cuddles do wonders when waking up from one."

"I'll be sure to ask Kristoff to sleep in my bed tonight."

Anna thwapped Elsa in the chest. "Get your own. Oh wait, you've got your own. And I was serious. About that whole advice thing. I think I've been married long enough to at least have some kind of handle on how this all works."

"I'm glad for that," Elsa replied, catching Anna's hand and then holding it over her heart. Mischievously, she added, "If for no other reason than it ensures I don't have to produce an heir of my own."

"So that's why you keep trying to steal Iduna from me! And here I thought it was because you adored her to bits."

Elsa relaxed a little at their familiar banter. Anna always knew how to help buoy her mood. "I do! But in all seriousness, when are you going to give me another niece or a nephew?"

"I assure you that we are constantly working on that," Anna replied, clearly knowing damn well it was too much information. "We're working tirelessly, day and night, sometimes after lunch! Once or thrice we've snuck off to the stables..."

"I … have regrets."

"You asked for it. At least you've never gotten any unwanted eyefuls."

"Anna…"

"The office, Elsa?" Anna feigned shock, though the expression failed due to her impish smile.

"The stables, Anna?"

The impish smile bubbled over into giggling and Elsa quickly started to laugh too. They walked like that the rest of the way to the castle, the occasional giggle escaping one or the other, before going their separate ways for the night.

Maybe there were still things that bothered Elsa, and maybe that relationship advice she hadn't let Anna give her probably had to do with talking to Jaina.

But she felt a lot better than she had earlier. Deciding to gather up her flowers before going to bed, she stepped into her office.

Jaina was inside, waiting for her, inspecting a vase with some of the flowers in it. Elsa stood in the doorway, staring at her. Studying her face, and the tension in her shoulders, and the way she leaned in to sniff the flowers.

Wetting her lips, she said, "Thank you. For the flowers."

Jaina jumped, then turned around. "I didn't hear you come in. I'm sorry, I was just…"

She moved her hands helplessly. "You weren't here, and the flowers were all put up in the vases and they're really pretty like that."

"Kai or Gerda must have taken care of that while I was out."

Elsa closed the door and crossed the room to join Jaina, chewing on her lip as she thought about the questions she had for her. Worries of both a personal and professional nature.

She couldn't, at the moment, really do anything about the guilt that gnawed at her or her questions about the nature of war and conflict. She could at least ask Jaina what she was going to do. Elsa just didn't know how to phrase it in a manner that wasn't a demand; twisting Jaina's arm or giving her a guilt trip was the last thing she wanted to do.

That would have to be a conversation for tomorrow them, and as Jaina slipped her arms around her, she leaned in. "Do you have anywhere you need to be?"

Jaina rubbed her back, and shook her head. "No. Are you all right?"

"Stay with me tonight, and I'll be better."

"I think that all we're going to do is sleep," Jaina replied, gently tracing one of the bags under Elsa's eyes.

"Mm…"

Lips pressed against her forehead. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Sleep tonight, talk tomorrow," Elsa whispered, allowing Jaina to guide her out of the office.

Maybe Anna was right about that whole cuddling thing.