A/N: Hey everyone, glad to see you found the last chapter interesting. I know it was a little unique but I did want to explore that kind of alternate world, so I wrote it anyway.

This chapter is more conventional and a general heart-warming little thing. It's a bit on the short side, but some of the later chapters will be much longer. Updates might be a little slow for now, since I start school soon. But I'll try to wrap this up in a reasonable amount of time.

Please continue to read, review and enjoy!

The Horse

Set seven months after the Great Thaw (January 1843)

Elsa was sure her heart had stopped for a fraction of a second when Gerda burst into her study with the words, "Your Majesty, the princess!"

She jumped to her feet, "What? What happened to her?"

Gerda doubled over in a futile attempt to catch her breath. She was far too old to be running around like a child, but the matter at hand was too urgent to delay. "She just came back sobbing from the stables and locked herself in her room-" She paused to inhale a big gulp of air.

But, unfortunately for Elsa, she didn't need to hear anymore to know what had transpired.

Oh Anna, if only there was something I could do…

She brushed past her handmaiden and flew to Anna's room, though when she reached the door, she couldn't help but wonder if her sister would welcome her.

"Anna, can I come in?" She asked with a cautious knock.

But there was no response.

Elsa leaned her forehead against the door in a silent plea. Was it presumptuous of her to expect Anna to let her in after what had happened last time?

Perhaps it was, she thought with a pang of regret. After the way she'd behaved last time, surely she had lost the right to comfort her sister in a situation like this. But Elsa couldn't let Anna suffer alone, not anymore. She knocked again. "Darling? Can I come in?"

After a prolonged silence, a faint reply sounded from the other end of the door, "It's unlocked."

With a sigh of relief, Elsa stepped in, taking a moment to survey the room. The place looked desolate with the normally open curtains drawn shut and the fire no longer burning in the hearth. But the most heartbreaking sight of all lay curled up on the messy sheets of her bed, tear tracks prominent on her freckled face.

"Anna…" She climbed onto the bed and pulled her sister close. "I heard what happened, love. I'm so sorry, if there was anything I could do…"

Anna turned her face into her sister's lap. "I just can't believe she's dead… Britt's gone, Elsa."

Anna's horse had been suffering for weeks from colic. It had come out of nowhere, the depression, the lack of will to move. The sisters had been worried for a while, but until now, Elsa had held out hope that the royal veterinarian could save her sister's horse.

"I went to the stables to check on her like I do every day, but her stall was empty. She died last night… and no one told me!"

The words escaped from Elsa's mouth before she truly realized what she was saying. "I'm sorry, Anna. I'm sure they just wanted to spare you the bad news as long as they could…"

Anna jerked away from her sister and sat up, anger morphing her features. "I wanted to know as soon as it happened! I wanted to be able to say goodbye…"

Oh. Elsa mentally kicked herself for not understanding immediately. Of course Anna would have wanted to say goodbye.

"I'm sorry, love. You're right."

An emotionally drained Anna plopped back onto the bed, curling up to her sister's side once again. Elsa stroked her sister's hair softly, unsure of how else to communicate her sympathy.

"I just don't know what to do, Elsa. She's-she's always been there for me…and now she's just gone."

Elsa couldn't help but wince at the painful reminder of her decade long absence from Anna's life, but she ignored the guilt coursing through her heart and continued to listen.

"You know, Mama gave her to me on my seventh birthday. She said an Andalusian horse was perfect for a princess with a wild streak like mine." Anna chuckled softly at the fond memory. "She was right of course, just like with everything else…I loved Britt. She was one of the last things that connected me to Mama…" She trailed off, a far away look on her tearful face.

As a painful silence lingered in the dark room, Elsa realized she didn't have the words to help her sister. How could she help Anna through such a profound loss when she herself had been unable to work through her grief after their parents' death? She settled for pulling Anna closer, trying her hardest to convey the depth of her feelings through physical contact. Then it dawned on her. Perhaps she didn't need to find the right words. She just needed to listen.

"Why don't you tell me about Britt?"

Anna looked up. "Huh?"

"Tell me about her. Your favorite memories about her, what she liked, how it felt when you took her for a ride, all of it."

The princess sighed, a small smile gracing her face as she reminisced. "She was so amazing… so powerful but so gentle. She used to nuzzle my palm after I fed her sugar cubes. They were her favorite…" As Anna recounted all her favorite memories with Britt, even the dangerous ones, Elsa listened to them all patiently, one hand stroking her sister's hair.

Eventually, Anna fell asleep, leaving Elsa alone with her thoughts. It pained her to see her sister struggle with the loss of yet another loved one. But the queen was willing to do anything to help make this difficult time more bearable for her sister. She just had to call in a few favors first.

Anna walked sulkily into the family dining room about two weeks later, finally feeling hungry enough to contemplate eating a full meal, only to find the room empty, save for the presence of the chamberlain.

"Kai?" Anna approached the chamberlain, confused by his presence. "Why are you here, and where's Elsa?"

"Good morning, Your Highness. The queen has asked you to meet her at the stables after you've had a proper breakfast."

The stables? Anna hadn't returned to them after Britt's passing. What could Elsa possibly want her to see there?

"Fine. I'll eat… but what's this about, Kai? Really?"

She could have sworn she saw a twinkle in the man's eyes as he simply replied. "You'll see, princess."

Since she'd barely had a full meal in days, Anna made quick work of her breakfast and hurried to meet her sister. As she approached, dread overcame her at the thought to seeing Britt's empty stall. That moment, two weeks ago, had been one of the worst in her life… and she couldn't help but relive it as she approached the stables again.

As the pit in her stomach grew into a boulder, Anna was almost tempted to ignore her sister's wishes and just apologize to her later. Surely, Elsa would understand why she didn't want to be here.

But curiosity is a powerful drug, and Anna did want to know why her sister had sent for her. She opened the stable doors and walked in.

"Elsa? You in here?" She glanced around the stables. But there was not a person in sight.

"Elsa?" Anna called out again, doing her best to avoid looking at Britt's stall. When she received yet no response, she decided to call it quits. "Maybe she went back to her study… I'll just look for her there."

As she turned to leave, she caught an unwitting glimpse of Britt's stall. But it wasn't empty.

Anna felt her fists clench at the thought. How could the stable hands have moved on from Britt and replaced her already? Britt was worth more than that, she wasn't just some common horse that could be replaced. With that in mind, Anna turned to glare at the intruder.

But her jaw dropped as she took in the sight before her.

The horse…it was so beautiful…

The animal's soft palomino coat glistened in the sunlight, its silvery mane shimmering as the horse moved. It clopped closer, a gentle whinny escaping its mouth as it studied the princess. Propelled by the sound. Anna stepped forward, absolutely spell-bound.

It's magical. It has to be. It's so… so… perfect.

She reached out with a hesitant hand. The horse looked at her with a tilted head before acquiescing to her request. Anna shed a tear as she marveled at the way the horse nuzzled her palm. Just like Britt.

"You're so gorgeous. What's your name?" She whispered, stroking its muzzle softly.

"She doesn't have one yet, but you can name her."

Anna jumped at the unexpected voice before turning to face her sister. "What do you mean?"

Elsa stepped into the light with a soft smile. "She's here for you, Anna."

"For me?" Anna's eyes widened as she realized what Elsa meant. "You mean, I…I can keep her?"

"If you want." The queen replied, gesturing to her side.

A heavily bearded man stepped out and stood beside Elsa. "Might I say, Your Majesty, I'm quite impressed with your guess. I was rather expecting the princess to choose one of the other horses."

"Other horses?" Anna turned around with furrowed brows, taking in the stables in its entirety for the first time in minutes.

Sure enough, the stalls beside her held other Andalusian horses, but none of them compared to the beauty before her. She hadn't even noticed them when she entered.

The man laughed at the princess' surprise. "And she didn't even notice them...I can't say I blame you, princess. After all, the palomino is quite the beauty. I hope she brings you great joy."

Anna turned to look at Elsa and was relieved to see her sister nod in approval. "Thank you, sir. I'm sure she will."

"Senor Ortega," Elsa turned to the horse trader, "Now that my sister has made her choice, perhaps we could retire to the study and complete the transaction." She turned to Kai, who'd snuck into the stables at some point during the conversation. "If you would please escort Senor Ortega to my study, Kai, I will be there shortly."

The man bowed graciously, "Of course, Your Majesty."

As soon as the door closed behind them, Anna tackled her sister with a gigantic hug, causing Elsa to stumble slightly under the sudden weight.

Someday, she wouldn't be so prone to toppling when her sister inevitably tackled her, but for now, she was merely glad they hadn't fallen. Horse manure was difficult to remove from silk dresses.

"I know this was your idea." Anna whispered, burying her head into Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa smiled and gently pushed her sister back, caressing a freckled cheek with a pale hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Anna chuckled softly in response.

Encouraged by Anna's first laugh in days, she continued. "I know Britt will always be dear to your heart, and I'm not doing this to replace her or anything… God knows I'll never be able to restore the connection you had with Mama but I was hoping that perhaps this would help numb the loss." Elsa supplied, suddenly shy. "Do you like her?"

Anna smiled softly at the sweet sentiment. "Are you kidding? I love her already, Elsa. And I already know she'll hold a special place in my heart, right next to Britt, because you gave me to her."

Elsa looked up, stunned by her sister's words. "What?"

Anna held Elsa's face in her hands as she repeated, "I loved Britt because Mama gave her to me, but I'll love Anja even more, because I got her from you."

Elsa felt her heart burst at her sister's simple declaration, but also - "Anja?"

Anna smirked. "So I named her a little bit after myself, is that so bad?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, it's perfect."

Anna turned to stroke Anja's snout, taking the time to marvel at her new horse when she heard, "Thank you Anna."

She turned. "Shouldn't I be thanking you?"

Elsa shook her head. "I… I wasn't there for you the last time – the last time you lost someone important. I thought after that… you wouldn't want me there, to help you. But you let me in this time, you let me take care of you and that-" Her voice choked up, "You have no idea what that means to me."

Anna sighed softly and returned to her sister's side. "Elsa…it's okay."

The queen shook her head, "No, it's not, Anna. I-I left you alone to deal with our parents' death…I never came to the funeral…I wanted to, but I couldn't and I-" A hitched sob ripped through Elsa, rendering her speechless.

"Shhh…" The princess pulled her trembling sister into a hug, smiling when Elsa relaxed in her arms.

"I'll admit," Anna began when her sister had calmed down, "It was tough last time and I was upset with you for leaving me alone, but I would never have shut you out, Elsa. You were there for me this time, and I appreciate that."

"You…you do?" Elsa whispered, pulling back to glance at her sister with wide eyes.

"Yes, I do. You're a wonderful big sister, Elsa. Thank you for taking care of me." Anna's eyes shone with unshed tears.

Elsa pulled her sister close so that their foreheads touched. "No, thank you for letting me take care of you."