Murmuring voices stirred Elsa from her slumber. Upon her first seconds of consciousness, she presumed she may have been resting for a half an hour at most. After all, she had just shut her eyes, Anna tucked in close to her and the warmth of her sister comforting in every way.

However, she soon realized she was resting in what seemed like a bed, the cushioning softer than anything she could remember, the quiet of the space instantly bringing her back into a child-like sense of calm.

Elsa sat up with a start, nonetheless, glancing about and almost expecting to see nothing but darkness, as had been her reality for longer than she could properly gauge, even in this moment.

'She's awake.' A voice commented, one Elsa wasn't sure she recognized as easily as she would hope. Another gap in her memory?

'Yes. So it seems.' The response made Elsa's heart turn, and she attempted to focus her eyes upon the two individuals seated in some chairs next to what she now understood to be a bed. But not just any bed; her bed. The bed she had shared with Anna. The realization made her check directly beside her, and the relief that washed over the queen was enough to almost make her verbally sigh.

'Anna…' She breathed, covering her mouth and feeling the tears tickle the bottom of her eyes. Her sister was fast asleep, colour having returned to her cute visage and her features properly cleaned up.

'Queen Elsa.' The more notable of the two voices reached out, and Elsa tore herself from the younger girl, acknowledging Leonard with a hopeful nod.

'Sir Leonard.' She smiled, a notion of affection coming over her that made her heart tremble. It was a different iteration of the love she held for Anna, but like Daryun, Elsa knew instinctually that she cared deeply for this elderly man. His shiny, bald head. His white, full mustache. Those kind but stern eyes. It all compiled into an individual Elsa felt lucky to have in her life…even if she didn't remember all the specifics related to why.

'I'll see myself out for the time being, then.' The other man, even older than Leonard, dismissed himself. 'I'll be back to check on your sister tomorrow, Queen Elsa. And trust me; I shall not tell a soul you have returned yet. That secret is safe with me.'

Although slightly confused, Elsa nodded with as much dignity as she could muster. The man – tall, lanky, and with thick-lensed glasses – showed himself out. She couldn't even remember his name. Was he a doctor of some kind?

The moment the door to Elsa and Anna's room clicked shut, Leonard breathed out slowly, meeting Elsa's gaze with an evaluative glance, only Anna's deep, heavy breathing bridging the silence between the two individuals for a time.

'First and foremost, I am amazed you have returned to us, my queen.' Leonard began slowly, leaning forward and reaching toward the side of the bed. Elsa didn't even hesitate; she took his hand and held it tightly, hoping the act would shuffle more of her memories free from their frozen isolation.

'I am, too.' Elsa claimed easily.

'As much as I could simply enjoy this moment for what it is, my analytical mind won't rest and truly celebrate until I understand our circumstances better.' Leonard gave Elsa's fingers one last squeeze before retracting his touch, still leaning forward. Elsa could see the lines littering the man's cheeks, stretching from his eyes and merging with his jaw. Had he gotten older?

'I will answer any questions you have to the best of my ability, Leonard.' Elsa dropped the honorifics. She wanted to show her attendant she was more than willing to be transparent. The almost sheepish smile that crept along the man's lips was nice to see.

'Ah. Well, that is a relief.' He sniffed, taking a handkerchief to his eyes and dabbing lightly. 'Excuse me. I truly…thought you were gone. Conversing with you like this again…it isn't good for an old man's heart.'

'Leonard…' Elsa sighed with a feeling of comfort. 'I'm sorry.'

'There is no need for an apology, Elsa. You did what you thought was right. And, objectively speaking, your sacrifice did free the Enchanted Forest and those within it. Lieutenant Mattias and his soldiers have integrated brilliantly into the new Arendelle. The Northuldra were more than ecstatic to finally be allowed to explore the land once more. The elemental spirits appear to be at ease, and it is all because of you.'

'Yes.' Elsa nodded.

A small pause, with Leonard exhaling deeply.

'But at what cost?' He said the words with weight, and Elsa knew better, even in her state, than to play the fool.

'…I'm not entirely sure yet.' She answered honestly.

'Hm.' Leonard leaned back and crossed his arms thoughtfully. 'From what I can see, four months in a frozen state has left you discombobulated. Who would have thought?'

'Heh. Truly.' Elsa had to appreciate the humour found partially at her expense.

'But there's more.' Leonard raised a brow. 'And before Anna awakens, I believe it best we confirm a few details.'

'How is she?' Elsa needed to know. Her little sister seemed fine, but that wasn't enough for the queen.

'Well. The physical evaluation indicates that she should recover given enough rest and time. She could awaken at any minute, really. She may have some lasting difficulties, going forward, but nothing that should deter her from experiencing and enjoying life as she knew it.'

Elsa looked to Anna, brushing a bang from her sister's closed eyes affectionately. The warm hue of the room complimented her complexion nicely, and that strange feeling of something more than familial adoration scratched at Elsa's heart in a fit of irritation.

'However, there are variables that exist within her injuries; particularly the internal ones. The damage done within cannot be properly evaluated, and thus, she is scheduled for regular checkups for the next few weeks. Kristoff and Lord Daryun were vague, at best, as to what occurred. Considering you are back; I can only imagine what transpired.'

Elsa knew she could trust Leonard, and thus, she didn't hesitate to shed some light upon the rescue as she knew it.

'She used magic.' Elsa said the word, feeling her mouth twist strangely at the sounds. 'She wielded fire magic so hot it parted the Dark Sea.' That much she knew. That much she would remember until the day she truly died. Anna had commanded such extreme might to save her. Was that normal? Any sibling would, right? The answer wasn't so clear to the queen of Arendelle.

'…I see.' Leonard took the information in with obvious consideration. 'So, she can also use such otherworldly might.'

'I don't know.' Elsa shrugged. 'She used so much at once, it seems. I'm curious to see if it's so simple. Even as I am, I know magic isn't endless. Without properly managing the flow, it's possible a backlash might occur. I know, inherently, that I have walked that line before. Anna not only went beyond that limit, but she ran past it without looking back.'

Another pause, Leonard's ability to dissect situations presented to him intelligently reminding Elsa of why she had kept him so close.

'To save you.' The man said so simply it sent goosebumps up Elsa's arms.

'Yes…'

'Not even the Dark Sea could keep you from her. Such was her love.'

The word made Elsa's left eye squint as a wave of throbbing pain filtered through her temples.

'And I…love her.' Why did it seem like an insufficient declaration though? Elsa loved Anna. They were sisters. Of course, they cared about one another. Yet, this nagging feeling wouldn't go away. It was as if there were multiple pieces of the puzzle that was Elsa's life she was being blatantly denied.

'Naturally.' Leonard hesitated. 'But there's more to your return, correct?'

Elsa swallowed, partially aware of what her attendant wanted to discuss next, seeing as Anna's potential magic couldn't be properly analyzed until she woke up.

'I believe so.' Elsa processed her own thoughts and feelings. 'I feel…like a different person. And not because of being frozen for months, although I'm sure that doesn't help matters.'

'Precisely.' Leonard nodded slowly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. 'Anna told us you went to Ahtohallan to become the fifth spirit. Could you provide more context?'

'Ahtohallan…' Elsa shivered. 'Yes. Mother. The fifth spirit. Ahtohallan. They're all…the same but different. It's…difficult to describe perfectly. I…believe I took in the previous fifth spirit's memories, to an extent. While I slept in Ahtohallan – that is, the glacier within the Dark Sea – my mind was both embedded in darkness and full of information at once. I cannot accurately describe what I saw, or what I might now know, but with every waking minute, I am beginning to put the pieces of my life back together.'

'Hm.' Leonard grunted once more. 'This aligns with my suspicions, although I was incorrect in some of my conjectures.'

'Oh? You didn't properly deconstruct the workings of an entity beyond human understanding that has possibly existed since the beginning of time? Shame on you.' Elsa teased, and Leonard could only chuckle at the jab.

'Apparently I have much to learn.'

'Well, you still have time.' Elsa winked, finalizing the play at hand.

'In any case,' Leonard realigned the topic gracefully. 'Would it be a correct assumption to believe you feel like a stranger in your own body?'

Elsa's eyes widened, the concept hitting her closer to home than she might have thought it would.

'Perhaps.' She admitted. 'Yes. Currently, I don't think it is far from the truth. I'm here, but I'm not. I'm present in this moment, but feel a sense of disconnect that I continue to struggle with. You're in front of me. I know this. But a piece of me is…simply missing.'

'Yes.' Leonard nodded. 'Your perception of life, as you know it, has been skewed.' The man nodded to Anna. 'I think our best bet is to have your other half assist once she is awake.'

Elsa couldn't argue with that. However, she had questions regarding the same individual, for with every piece she placed that was related to Anna, she discovered a dozen more she couldn't determine the shape or colour of.

'Leonard.' Elsa lowered her voice, fixating her eyes on her attendant to evaluate any nuance in his delivery. 'What was Anna's and my relationship before I disappeared?'

'…Pardon, my queen?'

That solidified some semblance of doubt in Elsa's mind. Leonard immediately shifted to a more respectful tone. What was he hiding?

'As I continue to process this life I now inhabit, I incessantly stumble where Anna is involved. It's as if my memory has gaps, and I struggle to even gather a notion of what might initially belong in such voids.'

'Hm. That would be troubling…' Leonard fidgeted with his mustache, finally glancing away enough to spur Elsa forward.

'What do you know?' She asked, but with enough accusation in her tone to encourage transparency.

'Nothing, to be perfectly honest.' Leonard coughed. 'It's just…your sister said something unsettlingly peculiar shortly before venturing off to attempt your rescue. I can't help recalling her seemingly rhetorical question in this moment.'

Elsa squinted with interest, tipping her head to the side a touch to exemplify her fascination with what Leonard was saying.

'Do you mind elaborating on that conversation?'

'Er…It was…a somewhat bizarre interaction, to say the least, and I fear the repercussions it might instigate should I reveal the joke your sister may have been trying to tell.'

Elsa didn't care. For all she knew, it was another missing piece that she might not ever find on her own.

'Please, Leonard.'

Evidently unsure, Leonard pulled at the collar of his shirt and glanced to the side of the room one last time before answering.

'I made a comment regarding you and Anna, my queen. I believe I said something along the lines of your love being restrained by gender and familial ties.'

'Clarify.' Elsa's heart hammered against her chest, a cold pain shooting into her brain and making her wince in pain.

'I suggested that if you were not a woman and Anna's sister, I was somewhat certain the two of you could very well be lovers. Upon reflection, it was a rather outlandish statement to make, and I am unclear as to why I said it in the first place.'

'Lovers? Anna and I?' Elsa flinched back, turning to look at her sister and a wave of heat encircling her heart. In another moment, however, that same warmth was gone, replaced by a chilling edge of ice that numbed anything that attempted to untangle Elsa's thoughts regarding her sibling.

'Impossible.' She said coldly, disgust gripping her neck and throttling a scoff out of her. 'She is my sister. Even in my current state, I am more than aware of the layers of deviance such a thought suggests.'

'Agreed.' Leonard shrugged. 'Which makes what your sister said in response all the more perplexing.'

Elsa caught her breath, a piece of her begging to know what Leonard was about to reveal, and another side of her persona begging him to say nothing more.

'I noted her exact words, because they stunned me silent. She responded to my bizarre suggestion with, "What if I wanted that anyway?".'

A knot formed in Elsa's throat and slid down into her chest, weighing her down as another chill made her outwardly shiver.

'And…what did you say?'

'Honestly, I was so taken aback that I asked for her to clarify her question. I couldn't believe what she was insinuating. As you said, it was beyond any form of deviance even close to permissible. However, your sister cut the interaction short, dismissing herself from the moment abruptly.'

'I see.' Elsa looked back to Anna, her gentle sleeping features suddenly causing the queen a new level of anxiety. Was that the missing piece? No. It just couldn't be. She was overthinking the exchange. Leonard may have misheard something. What other explanation could there be? Elsa knew, deep in her heart, that the mere concept of being in love with Anna was the epitome of unnatural and wrong.

Yet…

'But before I disappeared for a time, Anna and I were merely sisters, correct?' Elsa returned to the original thought, clarifying the answer she and Leonard finally arrived to.

Elsa's attendant shrugged, as if the answer was more than a little obvious.

'Well, yes. I would fear for our kingdom if you two became anything more than that. Could you imagine?'

'No.' Elsa believed her refusal no matter how much the tiniest part of her emotions gave way for doubt. There was just no way. A man and woman fell in love to reproduce and continue the cycle of life. Anything outside of that was against nature itself; against everything Elsa now represented and had accepted as the fifth spirit. Mating with anything other than the opposite gender was arrogance and selfishness to the utmost core. Humans were biologically and even psychologically made to compliment their opposing sex. Elsa was hardly confused enough to question that ultimate truth further.

'Elsa…?' Leonard's eyes widened in confusion.

Before Elsa could ask him what had the man so perplexed, she felt a cold tear trickle down her right cheek, dripping down upon her nightgown and soaking into the material.

'What?' She gasped, wiping at the strange reaction her body had managed to produce without her permission.

'I must apologize, my queen. This was a rather taxing conversation to have the moment you awoke. There will be plenty of time to catch up when you are feeling a bit better.'

'I suppose so…' Elsa wanted that to be the case, but feared what the implications of her subconscious honesty meant. 'I'm shocked I haven't slept enough for a week's worth of time, at the very least, but I must need the rest.'

'As we discussed, your mind requires time to realign with your present.' Leonard stood up, proceeding to a small bedside table and pouring Elsa a generous cup of water. He brought it to her, extending the decorative glass to his queen with considerate intent. 'Here. Drink some of this and sleep for as long as you need. Is there anything you would like me to take care of immediately in the meantime?'

'I shouldn't need much more sleep, I think.' Elsa took a long drink of the beverage provided, noting that it was a little warmer than she might prefer. 'So, simply keep my return quiet for now. I want to go over the exact way we will present my…er…existence to Arendelle once I am of a better mind.' She understood the implications of the presumed doctor before, and didn't disagree with what had been decided thus far regarding her presence in Arendelle once more. Approaching the public with such news would have to be done with careful deliberation first.

'Very good, my queen.' Leonard bowed gracefully. When he stood straight back up, his eyes had reddened, and he shook his head with a smile. 'You are here, Elsa.' He spoke quietly, as though convincing himself.

'Yes. I am glad to be back.'

'It's a dream come true. A miracle, some might say.' Leonard nodded to Anna. 'And we have Anna to thank for it.'

'We do.' Elsa smiled, yet it felt more difficult to do so than before. 'Perhaps I could make one request of you, Leonard, after all?'

'Anything.' The man almost sounded eager.

'Some chocolate for Anna and I when she awakens? I'm sure she would like that.'

A twinkle sparkled in Leonard's eyes, and he nodded with a giddy smile.

'That would be my pleasure, my queen. A fresh batch of chocolate truffles will do, I assume?'

'Yes.' Elsa felt her mouth watering. She was hungrier than she thought. 'That would be lovely.'

'Very good. I will bring them within an hour or two. A good excuse to check on how you two are doing.'

'I'm looking forward to it.'

Leonard gave one final bow, and then was gone, leaving Elsa to her and Anna's room. Looking around, she was thankful for the drawn curtains and the absence of harsh light. Her head was already throbbing; more so now after that somewhat difficult conversation with Leonard.

With an explorative thought, Elsa stepped out of the warm bed, the nightgown she had been changed into light and airy, a simple white slip covering her slender form. She held the cup Leonard had given her with a gentility that reflected her current mood. One slip up, and it would shatter. Best be cautious.

Elsa then lifted the drink and furrowed her brow, allowing the magic she knew she had to circulate within her body and exit her fingertips, tentatively cooling the temperature of her water. The act came to her like breathing, or talking, or hearing, or any of her other senses. Magic was, indeed, very much a part of her. The complicated feelings related to that fact swirled within the queen's mind as she placed the cup back down upon the bedside table and continued to explore the space she knew she once drew great calm from.

A room for Elsa and Anna. They shared it. They slept together. Their closeness was accepted, but something dark and uncomfortable scratched at Elsa's brain. Why? What could it possibly be?

Elsa traced her hand along the top of her dresser, and she eyed the various pieces of jewellery and even a stuffed bear decorating the vanity table. Brushes. Hair accessories. Rings. But two bracelets caught her gaze more prominently than anything else, her heart murmuring alongside the irritation in her mind she couldn't sedate.

'A sun…and moon?'

They were beautiful, but they also sent a third chill through Elsa. The matching pair meant something to her. More than just "something", perhaps everything. But like many memories surrounding Anna, there were gaps, and it was frightening. Leonard, Kristoff, Daryun, Sven, and even Mattias inserted themselves into the puzzle that was Elsa's perspective of the world. Yet, Anna, seemingly the most important individual to the queen, maintained an air of mystery.

Why?

Before Elsa could contemplate this upsetting reality further, however, her anxious spiral of confusion was soundly interrupted by a voice that stirred a piece of her soul she knew was too important to simply ignore a second longer.

'Elsa…' Anna almost whispered in a strained way that tugged at Elsa's heart mercilessly. 'Is it really you?'