A/N: Hey folks, since the prologue was so short, and so skimpy on details (hehehe) I thought I'd upload chapter one today. I'll maintain a weekly posting schedule from now on and since there will be about 12-14 chapters, I think you guys should be pretty well taken care of. Can't guarantee all chapters will be as long as this one, but they sure will be interesting.

Let me know your thoughts and theories as to what might happen next. Reviews give me life!

Also, don't own Frozen.

Chapter 1

-A week later-

Anna snipped the stem and pocketed the flower in her dress pocket, her smile widening as she imagined her friend's reaction to the clipping.

Katja will just go mad over these.

"Those are absolutely beautiful, Your Highness."

Anna blushed at the compliment and turned to greet the chamber maid, "They did turn out gorgeously, didn't they?"

The awe-struck woman nodded and knelt down to admire the mesmerizing royal purple flowers before glancing back at the princess. "My, but you're a gifted gardener, just like your mother."

The thought brought a smile to Anna's face. Being compared favorably to her mother never failed to do otherwise. "I like to think she'd enjoy all of these new flowers…if only I'd had the chance to show her…"

"I'm sure she would have loved them, princess."

Anna responded with a soft smile, turning to look at the servant. "Thanks Mary. That means a lot."

It was with a reassuring smile of her own that Mary picked up her basket and headed into the castle, leaving Anna to sigh with a tinge of wistfulness before returning to her flowers.

Truth be told, the credit went to Kristoff, for he was the one that had found the flowers in the first place.

They were from a rather rare species of mandrake, one that grew almost exclusively in the mountains.

He'd brought her a bunch from his last trip up the North Mountain and what with Anna being the ever-curious budding botanist she was, she had taken it upon herself to study and regrow a patch in the castle gardens.

And now, here they were. Gloriously, unapologetically, royally purple.

Combined with a dozen yellow crocuses, they'd make the perfect floral arrangement for Elsa's study … that is, if she could spare a few seconds to look at them.

The princess could only roll her eyes as she rose. It seems Elsa didn't have much time for anything other than breathing these days. In fact, her sister had been so swamped with work since her coronation two years ago that they hadn't yet managed to have even one holiday.

But the princess was determined to change all that. It had taken much cajoling, bartering, even threatening on her behalf, but finally, she'd managed to convince her sister to take the weekend off.

Unfortunately, they couldn't leave the kingdom, what with the many threats that hung over their fair kingdom like Damocles' sword. And so, the retreat was limited to spending the weekend up at Elsa's ice palace, which was now fully furnished to host a whole ball - if the queen so desired.

But since she didn't, it'd be a private little family retreat. Just a stress-free weekend spent in Elsa's ice palace, with her sister, Kristoff, Olaf, Marshmallow…oh, and the thousands of little snowgies that also occupied the castle.

Anna released a pleasant sigh at the thought, "What a dream…"

"You can say that again."

Anna swiveled around to catch her boyfriend smiling softly at her. "I sure hope you're talking about me." She chuckled as she drew up to kiss him soundly on the lips.

"I always am." His arms tightened around her waist and pulled her closer into another kiss, the earthy scent coming from Anna making for a strangely intoxicating aphrodisiac.

When she finally paused for much needed air, Anna pulled back with a pout, "Aw look, now I got your shirt dirty…and it was my favorite too."

The ice harvester simply shrugged. "Eh, a little dirt never hurt anyone."

She rolled her eyes. Perhaps she should have expected such an answer from her mountain-dwelling boyfriend, but she brushed the dirt off his tunic nonetheless. Kristoff smirked at Anna's domestic little gesture.

"I'm buying you another one before the weekend. You're not wearing anything less than your best when Elsa sees you." When some of his adorable blonde hair fell into his eyes, she added, "And you're getting a haircut."

"Why?" He pulled back with an expression of mock bewilderment, "She already knows what I look like."

The princess groaned sarcastically, "Oh you…" And yet, when a smug Kristoff leaned in to kiss her again, she didn't complain, instead leaning up to deepen the embrace.

"You know," he mused idly, his lips barely brushing against hers, "If you're gonna get me looking ready, you might need to start now."

Anna nibbled on his lower lip before replying in a breathless whisper. "Why's that?"

"Cause we're leaving tomorrow morning."

"We're what?!" Anna drew back with a surprised yelp, but the expression of delightful bemusement on Kristoff's face – at her expense, mind you - only brought a frown to hers. "Why didn't you remind me earlier, you stinker?"

Her boyfriend shrugged sheepishly, thoroughly enjoying her adorable anger. "To be honest, I thought you were on top of it. I mean, you've been looking forward to it for weeks now. "

Boy that was an understatement. She'd been waiting two years for a weekend like this, but it seemed in her utter excitement, she'd forgotten to take the passage of time into account.

"Oh, what are we doing just standing here, come on!"

She dragged her boyfriend out of the gardens, the mountain man chuckling softly to himself the whole time.

Elsa hated visiting the doctor.

Something about being poked and prodded as people tried to study her sent a shiver down her spine. It was a far too personal thing, and after a decade of maintaining a perhaps unhealthy amount of personal space, it would take more than a few years to undo said conditioning.

But she had no time before her, and no desire to continue dealing with the headaches that plagued her. And so, against every fiber of her being that told her to suck it up and deal with the pain like the queen she was, she was here.

In the physician's chamber.

Letting herself be poked and prodded.

As the old woman looked into her pupils, Elsa could only be thankful that Physician Bodil was the one under her employ. The woman had been around for her birth and Anna's and knew the sisters inside and out.

If she did have to trust someone to poke her with deadly instruments, she could think of no one better.

"How long did you say you've been dealing with this migraine, my dear?"

Elsa winced at the volume of the woman's voice. Even a regular conversational frequency was enough to trigger her headaches now. "Just a week. I'm sure it's nothing serious…but I'm no longer able to focus on my work."

The woman nodded, "Hmm, and my talking to you is triggering the pain, is it not?"

Elsa sought to lie, but when another dull pulse of pain rang through her skull, she grimaced instead. "Yes."

The physician shook her head, "I dare say you waited too long to see me, Your Majesty. You must be terribly exhausted."

"You think it's just exhaustion?"

Physician Bodil shrugged, "I can't say for certain, but given your long days and late nights, perhaps it could be."

The gentle admonishment in her tone made Elsa blush in shame. "I'm not used to sleeping the night away…"

Or rather, I can't sleep the night away, not without inviting my most haunting nightmares.

"But perhaps a good night's sleep is just what you need. Or several."

Elsa heaved a reluctant sigh. If that was what needed to be done…

"I'll turn in early tonight."

The woman smiled at the apparent victory. "I'll give you a concoction for your headache." She padded away to a nearby shelf, "Perhaps a mixture of belladonna, or some bryony and yellow jasmine…."

Elsa closed her eyes as the woman searched, her fatigued mind seeking comfort from the light for just a few minutes.

Truth be told, the headaches were the least of her worries. She'd faced migraines before. None of them quite so intense as this, but that was something she could handle.

What bugged her, and the real reason she'd approached the physician was for another reason entirely.

Heat. She couldn't explain it properly – hence why she'd left the topic well enough alone – but whenever she closed her eyes at night, all she could feel was blinding intense heat...in her mind.

It was an absurd inexplicable thought to even mention, but the feeling was so overwhelming that it had stolen a week's rest from her, and yet, Elsa wasn't sure how to express the symptom in coherent words.

"Maybe I'm going crazy…" She mused with a wry smile. It'd hardly surprise her, what with everything she had to deal with.

"What's that dear?"

"Nothing," Elsa replied, looking over at the old woman as she prepared a remedy. "Nothing at all."

Perhaps Anna's right, I just need to get away for a while.

Almost immediately, Elsa let out a small chuckle. Who was she kidding? Anna was always right, especially when it came to things like this.

And that was why it was all the more important that she get over this… whatever it was before their trip, because disappointing Anna was never a pleasant experience, but it was even less so when doing so only confirmed her sister's point.

Besides, it probably wasn't anything to worry about.

The lower town was a vibrant playground of flying colors and moving figures.

Anna felt a rush of excitement course through her being as she made her way through the mid-day rush with Kristoff not far behind.

She'd missed out on so much over the years… but seeing it all before her now made her feel as though she'd been a part of it all along.

"Anna!"

She turned to catch her friends Ingrid and Katja hurrying up to her. The girls wrapped their friend in a hug, Anna returning the gesture with exuberance.

"What have you been up to? We've hardly seen you all week." Katja began with a fake pout.

Anna wiggled her eyebrows as she replied, "I can't say, it's a state secret."

When her friend giggled, she smiled, "I got those mandrake flowers growing…and since you said you wanted a clipping," Anna dug into her pocket and pulled one out.

"Oh! It's gorgeous, Anna!" Katja gushed as she accepted the flower in cupped hands. "I- wow, I've never seen anything so purple."

"I'll say," Ingrid admitted as she admired the flower, "Any chance I could get one? Or do I have to pay its value in tarts?"

"Tarts, always, especially if they're yours." Kristoff cut in, making the girls laugh at his quick reply. Anna giggled before replying, "I'm heading off for the weekend, but I'll get you your clipping once I'm back."

"Ah, of course, your gloriously delightful weekend holiday in the mountains," Katja mused with a dreamy grin, "So, when are you taking us to your sister's ice palace? Or do I need to get Ingrid to pay your boyfriend in more baked goods?"

"Hey," Ingrid replied with a mock glare, "No piggybacking. You'll have to find your own way onto the trip."

Anna laughed, "I'm afraid any talk of payment is gonna have to wait. Getting her to take me there is hard enough already, but I'll take you two soon…I promise."

The sound of the clock tower cut off any further conversation. "I should go," Anna replied, one eye cast warily on the time. "But I'll tell you everything when we get back!"

"We want all the details, no exceptions!"

Anna crossed her heart with an impish grin, "Scouts' honor."

After waving farewell to her friends, she hurried off to gather supplies for their trip. There was still so much to prepare and all in a few hours…

Everything has to be just perfect. After all, it's not every day Elsa agrees to go on holiday.

Elsa slumped in her chair. Her migraine was now temporarily gone thanks to the medicine she'd taken earlier, but even so, concentrating on her work was impossible.

She sighed and leaned back against the soft cushions of her seat, allowing her tense muscles to droop as her eyes shut.

Maybe I should just take the whole day off…

The thought made her queasy with worry for all the work she'd be leaving behind, particularly given her weekend plans, but she could think of no other recourse. Her brain just couldn't handle the most basic of tasks…how was she supposed to run the kingdom in such an addled state of mind?

Elsa chilled her hand to form a ball of solid ice before placing it on her feverish brow. But it offered only a few seconds of comfort before melting in her hands, just like it had before.

"It's getting worse…" She whispered to herself.

It was another strange effect she'd noticed over the past few days. One that bothered her more than the migraines and sleepless nights did.

Because, somewhere deep inside her veins, the normal hum and pulsing energy that held her reserve of magic had suddenly, inexplicably become a faint murmur. And with this strained connection to her magical core, it seemed Elsa couldn't retain total control over her powers.

It's probably just cause I'm exhausted.

With a reluctant sigh, the blonde rose from her seat and left the study. Hopefully, a small nap would tide her over until after dinner, and then, after tending to some more work, she could head to bed early.

"I just need some rest, that's all."

"You okay, sis?"

Elsa shook her head slightly, falling out of the fogginess that had taken over her mind. The nap, intended to rejuvenate her, had only left her more drained than before, so much so that she'd stumbled several times on her way to dinner.

To put it mildly, no, she was not okay, but she wasn't about to tell her sister that, because although Elsa had made a promise to keep no secrets from her sister, Anna was prone to feelings of overprotectiveness and well-intentioned paranoia, especially when it came to the older sibling's well-being. Sharing her symptoms with her sister now would only make things worse…and it was probably just a case of burn-out anyway. The physician had said as much.

"Just had a long day, love. That's all."

Anna raised a curious eyebrow at the obvious deflection but said nothing else. Perhaps the months of non-stop work had finally caught up with her sister, in which case, their holiday couldn't have been a more welcome and timely reprieve.

And, truthfully, if burnout was the cause for Elsa's exhaustion, then this was the one thing she could do to help her sister.

More like the only thing I know how to do, anyway.

In the years since the Thaw, Anna had done her best to lighten Elsa's workload, but her sister's duties seemed to go over her head more often than not, and although Elsa was a patient mentor, her inability to grasp royal obligations made Anna want to cry in frustration.

Especially when her sister looked like this, bone-weary and beyond exhausted.

She wasn't leadership material. That much she'd begun to accept over time. But Anna couldn't abide letting Elsa suffer her burdens in silence. And so, Anna had put whatever skills she did have to good use, by helping Elsa relax once the day's work was done.

If I were more capable, I'd be able to help her with her actual work, like an heir to the throne should.

Anna shoved the thoughts into the dark corners of her mind as she replied with a half-genuine smile, "Then, it's a good thing we're heading to your ice palace then. You really could use the time away…."

When Elsa opened her mouth, she pouted, "And don't try and weasel out of it with some sort of last-minute excuse, Elsie…you promised."

The blonde couldn't help but manage a tired smile, "I assure you, love, I'm just as excited as you are." She remedied with a chuckle, "Well, almost as much as you are."

"Well, can you blame me? I've been waiting to see your palace forever! I mean, I saw it before, but I didn't really see see it, if you know what I mean."

Elsa let out a giggle at her sister's adorable ramble, "You know, you still haven't told me what we'll be doing up there."

"Oh, I've got loads of stuff for us to do. We're going to have a picnic near the waterfalls and have a snowball fight and -" She clamped her hand over her mouth before replying, "Whoops, it was supposed to be a surprise."

Elsa leaned closer, a childish pout on her lips, "So you can't share even one little detail with me?"

Anna harrumphed and crossed her arms to avoid giving into her sister's plea. "Not one more word. Just show up at the stables tomorrow morning and leave the rest to me."

"Yes, ma'am," Elsa responded with a mock salute, resulting in silly giggles from her sister.

It was little moments like this that made Anna so grateful for her new life. She looked to Elsa with a glorious smile.

"I'm really glad we're doing this, Elsie."

"So am I, darling." Elsa replied softly as she reached over to grasp Anna's hand. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

The redhead blushed and dropped her eyes to her plate, "It's nothing, Elsie. Really just me being selfish and wanting you all to myself."

A snort sounded from the other end of the table, "Is that what this is all about? I could have sworn you were trying to care for me."

"Oh, that was only a ruse." The princess played along, rolling her eyes as she smirked, "After all, how else will I get you to leave everything behind and pay attention to only me?"

It was Elsa's turn to smirk. "I hate to be the one to tell you, but I think you may have ruined your plan by revealing it to me so soon."

Anna attempted an evil laugh, a wickedly joyful gleam glistening in her teal eyes. "Oh, I assure you, this was all part of it. Besides, you're stuck with me, you know. There's no way you can worm your way out of this trap I so brilliantly weaved for you."

"Oh, I'm sure I can figure something out…" When Anna drew back in mock indignation, she added with a tender smile, "but I'm not sure I want to."

The princess laughed gleefully and pumped her fist in the air, "Yes, Anna's genius intellect strikes again!"

Elsa burst into delightful laughter at the reply, the levity alleviating her fatigue for just a brief moment.

But then again, her sister had always had this unique ability of making everyone forget their worries. It never ceased to amaze Elsa, but Anna's support had borne her through two years of her rocky reign with thoughtful gestures and pleasant experiences alone. Elsa had no idea how much time her sister spent every day worrying about her well-being, but the queen was immensely thankful for the concern, and for Anna.

After all. who else would be so dedicated as to watch over their sibling's every need?

If I didn't know any better, I'd say she had magic too.

She watched with an adoring expression as the princess relished her last piece of krumkake with closed eyes.

Oh, she definitely has magic.

When Anna opened her eyes, she found Elsa smiling fondly at her. The princess returned the gesture with a curious smile of her own. "Whatcha staring at?"

"You." Came the simple, heart-felt reply.

Anna blushed and ducked her head. She never knew what to do with herself when Elsa responded so. "You can stare at me plenty all weekend, Elsie."

The queen raised an eyebrow with a hint of amusement as she took in Anna's sudden bout of shyness. "I thought you said we'd be too busy for such things."

The princess simply shrugged, "I made sure to pencil in some quiet time. After all, you need to rest too."

Anna really thinks of everything, doesn't she?

"I can't wait for tomorrow." Elsa replied with a soft smile.

She felt a rush of warmth course through her as Anna returned an earnest grin of her own, "Neither can I, Elsie."

It was close to ten when Elsa forced herself to head to bed. Though she'd tried her best to get some more work done, it seemed that in the few hours since dinner, her exhaustion had only gotten worse.

Much worse.

Her head spun in a nauseating sensation as she walked to her chambers. Actually, 'walked' was a charitable description because it seemed she couldn't take more than two steps without tripping over her own feet.

She made it perhaps halfway to her room before she was forced to rest. Her weight fell heavily against a pillar as she tried to regain her strength.

Whatever led me to this, I'm never doing it again…

A more balanced work schedule, more breaks, some more holidays with Anna, handing off her work to the council…anything to stave off this feeling of emptiness and unending fatigue that lingered in her body.

But first and foremost, sleep.

Just a few more steps…I'm almost to my room.

But even taking another step forward felt impossible, because it seemed as if her feet were encased in blocks of lead.

"G-Gerda?" She whispered with the last of her strength. The sound was barely audible to her own ears, and as Elsa leaned against the wall, she figured the journey would have to be made alone.

After bracing herself, she pushed off the wall and began again, stumbling unsteadily down the hallway.

Sleep…I just need to go to sleep.

A trembling hand fumbled to open the door, but as she did so, she was hit with a sudden bout to dizziness that had her leaning against the door frame. Several shaky seconds passed before Elsa could work up the energy to press on.

Almost there…

Eyelids fluttered dangerously as she struggled the last few inches to her reprieve, every part of her thoroughly exhausted. Once she hit the pillow…if she hit the pillow, she'd sleep for a thousand years.

She was perhaps several feet from her bed when another wave of dizziness hit her, but Elsa had no support this time. Fingers grasped at empty air and black spots danced in her peripheral vision before her weary limbs, now no longer able to bear her weight, snapped like a twig beneath her and sent the enfeebled queen plummeting to the floor.

There was a dull thud as her skull made contact with the hard surface and then…

Silence.

Olaf made his way down the hallway to see Elsa. The little snowlem wasn't much of a sleeper, preferring instead to wander across the quiet kingdom and partake in one of his many hobbies to pass the hours away.

But something had been bugging him all day, and he needed to see his mother…because it seemed to the ever-observant snowman that he was beginning to fall apart.

His damaged twiggy arm lay in the other functioning limb as he padded to Elsa's room.

"Elsa will fix it..."

A slight chilling shiver passed through his body as he walked, spurring the little creature to move just a tad faster. He couldn't put his finger on it…mostly because he only had one working hand, but something was beginning to feel dreadfully wrong.

He'd felt it for a few days now. His flurry didn't feel as snowy, and he just felt so, so tired, like he could sleep forever.

But Elsa would have answers. She always did.

He turned the corner to the residential chambers, anxious to see his creator, but when yet another spine-tingling shiver coursed through his being, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Wait a minute, I don't get cold."

Before he could blink, he vanished, his snowy form swirling into particles that drifted out the open window and away into the night sky; his carrot nose, twiggy arms and coal buttons clattered to the ground, the only evidence of his ever having existed in the first place.