Chapter 3 – The Confession

"Goodbye Elsa."

Two words. It only took two words to cause Elsa a flurry of emotions. Just two words to feel the gravity of the decision she had taken. Two simple words yet more than enough to feel the excruciating stab in her heart.

A single tear rolled down Elsa's cheek as those words reverberated like a loud siren in her ears. Her blue eyes watched the brunette slowly disappearing from her view. The distance between them was continually growing. Each step Honeymaren took away from her brought a wave of emotions she could not fully understand that she fell on her knees while clasping her hands in her chest.

The lonely tear that streaked down her cheek was followed by another droplet and another until they formed a stream of sad tears flowing down freely on her face. She wanted to scream to let out the aching feeling inside her heart. It was tormenting her. It was suffocating her. It was killing her.

Why? Why do I feel like this?

She blinked back those tears as she tried to control her emotions. But she was failing considerably. It was overwhelming her. She could not explain why she was acting this way. She could not understand the raw emotions that were triggered as those two words rang inside her ears. All she knew was that she was in pain – in great pain again.

All throughout her life, she was forced to conceal it, don't feel it. She was brought up hiding her real emotions, bottling them inside, masking them in a disguise of a perfect woman. She was involuntarily put into isolation. Until the recent events where her powers were accidentally revealed that she learned to let it go.

Yes, little by little, she was learning to acknowledge her true emotions. But it did not necessarily mean that she was all-knowing about all these. In fact, she was new to these sorts of feelings that she could not help herself but cry in anguish.

From afar, Anna was just as helpless as Elsa. She could only watch her sister cry from a distance. As much as she wanted to console her, to make her feel better, to ease her pain away, to stop her from crying, Anna knew there was nothing she could do. Elsa was heartbroken. And it was obvious enough that Honeymaren was the reason.

She bit her lip to stifle the angry sobs from escaping. Just like her sister, her tears were unrestrictedly falling into the ground as she leaned her back on the large pine tree for support. She knew she should be glad for Elsa, to know that her sister had someone who treasured her, who accepted her for who she was and who loved her. She should be grateful to know that her sister was finally opening up to other people. She should be happy to know that other people were seeing the real Elsa. Yet, she could not.

If she were to get real, Anna wanted Elsa all to herself. She craved for her sister's undivided attention. She yearned for Elsa's loving affection. She desired Elsa so badly. And yet, Anna never admitted these feelings to herself. She never confronted these hidden emotions by reasoning that it was completely normal to have this much affection for her sister.

But then why? Why do I feel like this, Elsa? Why am I hurting this much?

Anna crumbled on the ground as her knees buckled up. It was devastating her. All she knew was that she was in pain seeing Elsa in pain. The more she tried to make sense of everything, the more it got messed up and confusing. She closed her eyes as she reminisced the past events earlier.

She had asked Elsa to return to Arendelle with her. For a fraction of a second, the blonde seemed hesitant but Elsa had relinquished all of her fears when she hugged her firmly and made her feel as if she was all that mattered. Her gentle touches, her alluring voice, her sweet smiles, her musical laughter, her comfortable hug, her loving kisses – these made Anna feel completely secured.

But now, after seeing Elsa and Honeymaren together, both of them so happy and sad at the same time, Anna felt at a loss for word to describe her current emotional state. To say that she was shocked was a huge understatement. The mixed emotions that reigned inside her heart made Anna question Elsa's decisions.

Why Elsa? Why did you even agree to return with me when clearly your heart already belongs in here? Why must you let yourself suffer like this when you have found a place you can call… home? This is why you are hurting right, Elsa? This is why you are in so much pain right now, isn't it? You don't want to leave this place? Or more like, you don't want to leave her – Honeymaren, right?

Apart from Anna and Elsa, another heart was shattering to pieces as Honeymaren collapsed on the floor soon after she closed the door to her tent. As she moved further away from Elsa, she could hear her muffled cries. Her heart ached so much that she wanted to turn around and comfort her but she stopped herself. Taking a deep shaky breath, she forced her feet to move forward and never look back. After all, this was for the best.

Elsa would soon be gone and it would be wise to maintain her distance so that when that time would come, the pain would be lesser, if only by a bit. Sooner than later, she had to get used to the fact that she would not be able to enjoy the blonde's company anymore. She had to already prepare herself of the inevitable.

Honeymaren already knew from the start that Elsa deeply loved Anna. From her conversations with Elsa, the latter always felt extremely exuberant just talking about her sister. If she didn't know that Anna was Elsa's sister, she would think that Elsa was romantically interested in the strawberry-blonde beauty. Or rather, she was close to believing that the two were romantically involved with each other.

From the way the sisters stared at each other as if their eyes spoke for themselves, from the way they smiled that reached their eyes, from their simple talks and the subtleties they shared together, it was as if Anna and Elsa were made perfectly for each other.

But then Kristoff came into the picture and the love spell between the sisters was broken. Kristoff's love for Anna which the latter seemed to reciprocate had served as strong confirmation to the brunette that Anna and Elsa's relationship though intimate were never romantic. Her heart was suddenly filled with hope and anticipation as she thought of the possibility of being together with Elsa. Her wishful thinking almost became a realization when she and Elsa had become so close. And she could feel that the blonde would soon return the feelings she had for her.

However, just when she thought she had found her way to Elsa' heart, life threw her into the unknown with Anna's appearance. Suddenly, everything felt so uncertain and surreal at the same time. It was as if Anna came back to claim what originally belonged to her. One moment she was in euphoria, the next she was in misery.

Why Anna? Why must you come back and destroy everything?

Truly, it was a long night for all of them with their hearts breaking and their souls hurting. Hard as it may, one of them had finally made up her mind. She knew it was a very difficult and painful decision, but she knew she should do the next right thing.

-x-

The following morning, something magical happened as the four boulders of rock representing the elemental spirits of Earth, Air, Water and Fire glowed magnificently, the blinding lights shining throughout the whole Enchanted Forest. As the Northuldran tribe saw this, each one slowly got out of their tents and went towards the magical rocks. They surrounded the glowing rocks and began their chanting. The Elder Northuldrans who carried carved wooden staffs rhythmically hit the ground with it while others continued their singing.

Anna and Elsa also got out of their Ice Tent heading towards the entrance to the magical forest where the Northuldran tribe gathered. The sisters watched the ritual with amazement as the elemental rocks continued to glow even brighter with the tribe's chanting. After a while, Yelana, the tribe's leader, went in front of the magical rocks and fell on her knees. The tribe followed after her, kneeling and with their heads bowed down.

After a minute or two, Yelana got up and the tribe followed suit. She faced the tribe with a big smile on her face as she looked at each one of her people.

"When nature speaks we, the Northuldra, the people of the Sun, listen." Yelana spoke aloud for everyone to hear.

Suddenly Gale, the wind spirit, announced its presence with a playful gust of wind enveloping each one of the Northuldra including Anna and Elsa. Shortly thereafter, Bruni, the fire spirit, appeared and climbed towards Elsa's open palm. The blonde showered the sizzling salamander with a sprinkle of snowflake and seemed to enjoy the calming cold from Elsa's power. Nokk, the horse-shaped water spirit, also showed up coming from the direction of the Dark Sea. Lastly, the Earth giants made the ground tremble and quake with their heavy footsteps as they stopped a few feet away from the crowd.

The Northuldran tribe cheered and hooted excitedly when all four spirits materialized. Both Anna and Elsa were also overwhelmed with this magical event transpiring before their eyes as they held hands with each other.

"The nature has spoken." Yelana again continued and everyone fell silent, their eyes all fixed on their leader. "They wished to bring back Takk, our tribe's long-held tradition to commemorate our co-existence with the nature. It will happen a week from now." Yelana then looked at the sisters and beckoned them to come to her. As Anna and Elsa came forward, the leader clasped both their hands in her own. "And of course, everyone from Arendelle is welcome to join us."

Anna and Elsa both smiled warmly at the invitation.

"It is a great honor to be invited in this magical celebration and I sincerely thank you for welcoming us despite the dark past between…" Anna hesitated. "y'know… between your people and my people." Anna said genuinely.

Elsa glanced at Anna as she squeezed her sister's shoulder proudly. The blonde suddenly noticed how Anna had matured in a short span of time from being a reckless princess to being the responsible Queen of Arendelle. She couldn't help but admire her sister knowing that Arendelle would always be in safe hands with Anna ruling it.

Yelana smiled. "Your Majesty, you may be the Queen of Arendelle and the granddaughter of King Runeard, but do not let the past define who you are and who you will be. After all, you are not responsible for their choices." She spoke truthfully. "I admire yours and Elsa's bravery to discover the truth, accept the reality and correct the past mistakes." She looked at both of them in their eyes. "You and Elsa chose to do the next right thing and no words would be enough to express my gratitude to both of you."

Anna beamed upon hearing those compliments as she squeezed Yelana's hand. "Thank you again for inviting Arendelle in this wonderful celebration."

"This would be a good opportunity to re-establish the friendship between your Kingdom and our tribe. Your Majesty and Elsa are welcome to stay until then." She said then left the two sisters by themselves.

"Of course! Count us in!" Anna replied without a second thought as she waved her hand.

Elsa looked at her with raised eyebrow and an amused smile. "Really? I didn't know you'd like to stay longer here in the Enchanted Forest?" The blonde teased.

Anna glanced at Elsa, a sad smile slowly becoming visible on her freckled face. "I know you do, Elsa. You know…" Anna took a deep breath as she carefully chose her next words. "if after a week… if after this event… and you decided that you want to stay here Elsa, do not worry about me. I will support whatever you choose to do."

The blonde frowned at Anna's choice of words. She only meant to tease her sister knowing full well that Anna would counter her with a witty comeback. But not like this! Instinctively, she cupped Anna's cheeks into her hands as she leveled her blue eyes to those melancholic aquamarine orbs. "What are you talking about Anna? Of course I am coming with you to Arendelle. I'm going with you wherever you go. If you want, we can leave now." Elsa assured her as she held her sister's gaze.

Anna wanted to believe those words. She badly wished those words were sincere and true. But a part of her couldn't help but doubt it. After all, action always spoke louder than words. What she saw yesterday, Elsa together with Honeymaren, was enough proof to fan the flame of doubt in Anna's heart.

"It's okay, Elsa. Really. It's okay." Anna forced these bitter words out of her mouth as she tried to remove Elsa's hands in her cheeks. Tears almost betrayed her as she pried the blonde's hands away. Elsa looked hurt and confused as she stared at Anna wide-eyed.

"Anna, what is happening?" Elsa asked quietly. "What's happening to us?"

"Nothing." Anna lied as she averted her gaze away from those searching blue eyes. "We're fine. Totally! Relax Elsa." She faked a smile at her sister.

"Anna, please… talk to me. I'm your sister. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you." Elsa almost pleaded as her hands fell on Anna's arms. She knew something was wrong as Anna was always bad at lying. Anna's aquamarine eyes were swirling with emotions she could not fully identify but one thing was certain – she was keeping secrets from her. And it pained her to know that Anna couldn't open it up to her.

Anna closed her eyes as she sighed deeply. "I…" She shook her head. "You won't understand… it's… it's complicated…"

"What is?" Elsa asked eagerly. "Anna, make me understand. I'm listening." She again pleaded as she closed in the distance between them.

Slowly, she opened her eyes as she stared at those worried blue orbs. "I'm sorry Elsa. I can't…" Anna turned away from Elsa, causing the blonde's hands to fall on her side. She could only stare at her sister who was moving away from her.

"Why?" Elsa's voice was laced with sorrow. "Why Anna?" Please don't shut me out Anna. We promised we do this together. Just let me in… Please… I can't lose you Anna.

The strawberry-blonde beauty stopped midway as she unmistakably heard the pain in Elsa's voice.

Because I don't understand what is happening to me either, Elsa. I don't understand why I am feeling this way. I don't understand why my heart is being crushed to pieces every time you are away from me. I don't understand why it feels like my chest is exploding when I see you together with someone else. I don't understand why I feel this much pain seeing you happy with anyone but me. I don't understand why I love you this much Elsa. I just… don't understand.

Anna again closed her eyes as she tried to recompose herself. She never wanted to turn away from her sister. She never wanted to push Elsa away. However, she realized she had to sort out whatever this troubled feeling she was having for Elsa before she could face her. She had to understand whatever was happening to her before she could open up to Elsa. "Just… just give me time to think, Elsa." Anna whispered softly without turning back. "I'm sorry."

Elsa would have stubbornly followed her sister demanding some answers if not for the familiar voice that suddenly called her name.

"Elsa!"

The blonde turned her head at the sound of the voice to see the gorgeous brunette so happy and breathless as if she ran all the way there just to get to her. Reluctantly, she stopped following Anna as she waited for her close friend coming her way. Seeing the bubbly brunette in all smiles somehow brought a flutter in her heart despite her worry about her sister.

"Honeymaren."

-x-

"Good morning Kristoff! Good morning Sven! How would you like some company?" Olaf cheered happily as he entered the dining hall with a letter in his hand. The messy blonde guy together with the said reindeer were already busying themselves eating a heavy breakfast.

"Mowning Owlaf!" Kristoff greeted back as he tried to swallow the big piece of bread in his mouth. Sven neighed at the snowman acknowledging his presence. "Who are you talking about?" He asked noncommittally but then he suddenly stood up as he let the words sink in his brain. "Wait, are you telling me Anna's back? Where is she?" He grinned at the snowman as he let his eyes wander around looking for a certain strawberry-blonde beauty.

Olaf suddenly felt sad for the blonde guy. "No Kristoff. It's not Anna." Trying to create some humor, Olaf added. "It's not Samantha either. It's…" Before the snowman could finish his words, a gentle gust of wind entered through the window then encircled both Kristoff and Sven. The wind spirit then also hovered around Olaf whose laugh reverberated throughout the hall.

"Hey there Gale. Any news for us?" Kristoff asked as he tried to hide his disappointment. The wind spirit quickly stopped playing with Olaf as it stole the letter from the snowman's hand and dropped it at Kristoff's head.

"I guess that's a yes." Kristoff said as he picked the letter on top of his head, prying it open. Olaf and Sven went behind his back as they also read the piece of paper. As his light brown eyes moved from left to right, frustration again crept on his face as he realized it wasn't from Anna. It was an official Northuldran invitation for the upcoming celebration called Takk which would occur a week from now. In the letter, every Arendellian citizen was invited to join the tribe in this magical event to further strengthen the friendly relationship between the Kingdom of Arendelle and Northuldra.

As he continued to read the letter, his eyes twinkled in delight seeing the postscript written in that familiar messy handwriting.

"Hey Kristoff, Olaf and Sven! Hey guys! You all miss me? I guess that's a unanimous yes? Yeah? Come around, we'll be waiting. Love you all. Sincerely, Anna." Olaf read the postscript trying to imitate Anna's voice which only caused both Kristoff and Sven to laugh hard.

"That feisty-pants! Pfff… Who says we're missing her?" Kristoff grumbled as he smoothly folded the letter in his huge hand. However, the goofy grin on his face was so obvious that Olaf could only raise his eyebrows.

"Hmm… then it's settled. I'll tell her that when we see her." Olaf nodded his little head. "Kristoff doesn't miss Anna at all. Yeah, I wonder what Anna has to say about that." He pondered at the thought curiously.

"Wait what!?" Kristoff looked exasperated while Sven only shook his head. "Hey, I didn't say I didn't miss her."

"But you just did." Olaf insisted as he waggled his eyebrows annoyingly.

"I didn't!"

"Did!" Olaf protested.

"No I didn't!" Kristoff retorted as he stood up from his seat. "It's called sarcasm all right? I missed Anna so much okay? I missed her so badly." However, his expression suddenly changed from agitation to one of sadness as he slowly sat down on his chair. "I just hope… y'know… she's missing me too." He sighed deeply as he held the letter in his hand tightly.

Olaf was surprised with Kristoff's outburst. Even Sven looked speechless.

"Sometimes, I feel like I'm always left behind. It's as if she's near me yet so far away from me. It's confusing. I don't know what to feel about it." He shoved his messy blonde hair with his hand. "I understand she has to go. Sure, she needs Elsa and of course, I'm always fine with it. Elsa is her sister. But what about me? Where do I come in the picture? Where am I in her life?"

I don't even know who I am in Anna's life… Who am I… if I am not your guy, Anna?

Olaf and Sven glanced at each other worriedly. Nonetheless, the snowman brought his wooden hand on top of Kristoff's. "Then talk to Anna, Kristoff. Do not let your uncertainties cloud your judgment. Remember, fear and doubt can't be trusted."

The blonde guy brought his massive hand on top of Olaf's head and patted it as his way of thanking the snowman. What Olaf had just said was true enough and he would get the answers straight from Anna once they got there in the Enchanted Forest.

I'm coming Anna.

-x-

Honeymaren did not sleep that night since she parted ways with Elsa. The thought of losing the blonde beauty was more than enough to keep her awake despite the fatigue overwhelming her. By dawn, she already went out to walk and feed the reindeers in the far off distance. She needed to busy herself, keep her daily routine activities just so she would not have the time to think of Elsa. Maybe, just maybe… diverting her mind somewhere else would make her forget why her heart was aching.

Even during the morning, it was not surprising to Ryder that Honeymaren was not present. The brunette secluded herself from the rest as she decided to go to her hidden sanctuary inside the forest. Once inside, she sat on one of the low lying branches with the view overlooking the vast ocean. It was calm and relaxing in here. She and Elsa used to go here most of the times. In fact, just yesterday, they were even here. But now, she was alone – all by herself. And everywhere she went and everywhere she looked, everything only reminded her of Elsa.

Suddenly, a movement on her left caused her to jerk her head on the noise. A familiar brown haired guy appeared from behind the bush.

"Did she leave already?" She quietly asked as Ryder settled beside her.

"Who?" He teased annoyingly only for Honeymaren to roll her eyes.

"Ha ha. What a funny guy you are." She smirked at her brother.

"Charming. I prefer to be called charming." He grinned at the brunette as he waggled his thick eyebrows at her.

"Tch. Yeah right." She made a face as she answered sarcastically.

"So about Elsa…" At the mention of the blonde, Honeymaren turned her attention to Ryder. "How much do you love her?"

The brunette dropped her jaw as she stared at her brother incredulously. "What did you just say?"

Ryder noted the angry, accusing tone his sister was now using. "Hey, chill! Don't bite my head off. No offense here okay? Remember, I'm on your side. I'm on your team. I'm rooting Team ElsaMaren okay? Oooohhh…heey that just sounds perfect don't ya think, Team ElsaMaren?" He winked at her causing the brunette to laugh despite herself upon hearing that ridiculous love team her brother created. "Now as to my question again," Suddenly he turned serious. "…how much do you love Elsa? Do you love her that much to let her go? Or do you love her that much to fight for what you feel for her? What is worth fighting for?"

Honeymaren contemplated on what Ryder had just mentioned. Just like yesterday, she was again caught off-guard with her brother's big words. She couldn't believe she would ever hear these love advices from him of all people.

"Elsa... She hasn't left yet." Ryder continued then stared at his sister with a knowing look on his face. "So, what now sis?"

"I…" Honeymaren started. "I honestly don't know. I mean I don't think there's enough time to make her stay, to convince her. Maybe by now, they are already on their way home." She shook her head gloomily.

"Assuming you have enough time, would you confess your feelings to Elsa? Or would you wait for the next right opportunity to come along?" The hesitation in Honeymaren's brown eyes was palpable with each question being thrown at her.

Ryder sighed loudly at the brunette's silence. "What are you so afraid of?" He whispered softly.

The brunette brought her hands to her face as she closed her tired brown eyes. "What if I'm not enough for her to stay?"

"But what if you are?" Ryder countered. "Would you waste this chance? Look, Anna and Elsa are to stay for one more week to celebrate Takk."

Honeymaren gasped as she absorbed this latest news. "What? There will be Takk? And Elsa will be here for one more week?"

Ryder snorted. "Gee, stop repeating what I just said okay? But to answer your question, yes, the nature has spoken and they even extended the invitation to every Arendellian citizen. Yknow, I wonder why of all the times we could have celebrated Takk, why is it that nature has spoken only now." He thought curiously as he rubbed his chin. "Hm… makes me wonder if the magical spirits are also against Elsa leaving this forest." Then he glanced at her mischievously. "Or maybe… the spirits are also Team ElsaMaren just like me, what do you think?"

Honeymaren giggled softly. "Oh shush will you?" She always enjoyed her brother's company as he knew his ways to make her smile. "And stop with that… funny love team you're creating." She playfully slapped him on his broad shoulders.

"What? Don't you like it? ElsaMaren – till death do us part." He said the last phrase in the most romantic way.

"J-just shut up okay?" Honeymaren complained as she blushed furiously. Secretly, she loved it - ElsaMaren. It had a nice sound in her ear, making her feel all giddy. She slowly stood up and started heading back leaving his chatty brother by himself. She knew what she had to do as she increased her pace. She had to find Elsa.

"Hey, where are you going? I honestly like it. ElsaMaren! Do you hear me? Hey?" She heard her brother shouting after her but she ignored it as she lightly jogged, a sudden adrenaline rush washing over her fatigue and lack of sleep as she thought of nothing but the blonde beauty.

Elsa, I'm coming.

It was as if her feet were moving on its own accord despite the maze-like forest ahead of her. The notion of having Elsa for one more week brought a sense of relief and hope in her heart. The renewed vigor in her eyes returned tenfold especially with the upcoming tribe's festivity.

Takk was the oldest tradition being observed by the Northuldran tribe. Since time immemorial, the elemental spirits would manifest themselves in the most enchanting way. They would be seen mingling with the Northuldran people, portraying their powers in helping the tribe with their daily lives. Consequently, the tribe acknowledged the ways of nature by having a celebration in honor of the magical spirits. They carved the elemental spirits' symbols in four huge boulders of rock which now stood at the front of the Enchanted Forest.

From then on, it had become a widely-held belief that the actual magical spirits resided in these rocks despite their common appearances as leaves, salamander, horse or rock giants. It was further believed that a time would come when the fifth spirit would show up to fulfill the last prophecy. Many generations had passed since then and stories about the appearance of the fifth spirit were completely forgotten including the prophecy. Well... except for few Northuldran Elders. Nonetheless, the new generation had come to focus more on the festivity side where friendly competitions would be held to gain the spirits' favor and by doing so, they strongly believed that the spirits would grant them their heart's desire at the end of the festival.

Honeymaren hurriedly continued to trudge her way towards the entrance of the Enchanted Forest even taking shortcuts as her mind replayed Ryder's words inside her head. "Do you love her that much to let her go? Or do you love her that much to fight for what you feel for her?"

Finally, she had arrived panting ever so slightly as her brown eyes swiftly swept over the area looking for a certain blonde woman. And there she was – Elsa standing in the middle of the boulders of rock which were glowing incessantly. Without wasting time, she cupped her hands into her mouth as she called her.

"Elsa!"

The blonde stopped in her tracks as she glanced her way. Their eyes met and her heart skipped a beat as she watched Elsa's face lit up and she was smiling at her shyly. She ran towards her without breaking eye contact. Upon reaching her, she had to catch up on her breath as her hands dropped to her knees.

"Honeymaren." Elsa greeted her warmly.

"Listen…" She tried to speak in between breaths. "I…"

Elsa laughed beautifully. "Breathe." She commanded sweetly as she closed in the distance between them and brought her hand on top of the brunette's head gracefully removing some fallen leaves. She then proceeded to fix Honeymaren's messy bangs unconsciously causing the brunette to turn tomato red in embarrassment.

"Uhm… Do I look that bad?" She asked curiously as she watched Elsa's hands work on combing her bangs.

It was Elsa's turn to blush as she quickly withdrew her hand and backpedaled a few steps away. "I-I'm sorry. I was just…" She stuttered. "No. You're perfect." Again, the blonde's cheeks reddened at the admission and she shook her head. "What I mean is…you're okay?"

The brunette grinned at her. "I guess I must look that bad for you to stutter, huh?" She teased as she tucked some stray strands of her hair behind her ear.

Elsa simply laughed in return. And as they settled in a comfortable silence, the two of them stared shyly at each other.

"So…" Elsa started.

"So…" Honeymaren replied back. "Oh yeah… uhm…" She bit her lip nervously as she looked at Elsa. "Do you want to go somewhere… I dunno… some place where we can talk in private?"

"Sure." The blonde agreed. "Lead the way."

"Of course…" She turned around as her brain quickly thought of the best possible place that could offer them privacy. She was so busy trying to think she was caught off guard when Elsa held her hand. She glanced over her shoulder to see the timid blonde waiting for her to move. It made her extremely happy seeing Elsa so relaxed and comfortable around her. She instinctively tightened her hold of the blonde's hand. "Let's go."

Shortly thereafter, Elsa and Honeymaren arrived in a secluded structure covered in thin transparent roofs with sturdy glasses on all sides. It was located outside the Enchanted Forest where colorful flowers of different sizes and shapes bloomed extraordinarily. As they entered, the blonde marveled at the various shades of roses, flowers and some other unfamiliar plants which seemed to grow only in this place.

"It's beautiful. What is this place?"

"Glasshouse." Honeymaren walked beside the blonde. "Ryder built this place and I grow these wild plants and all sort of flowers in here." She explained thoughtfully. "Actually, only Ryder and I knew of this place." She then glanced at her. "And now, you too Elsa."

Elsa threw her an appreciative look. "Thank you. This place is really lovely. Thank you for showing this to me."

"Anything for you Elsa." The brunette then walked in the middle of the glasshouse. After some silent deliberation, she proceeded to pluck a beautiful white flower and headed back towards the blonde.

"For you." She said as she handed her the white flower. Elsa accepted it gratefully and smelled the flower.

"This is pretty and smells wonderful. What is this?"

"It's called Gardenia." Honeymaren responded. "Do you know what this flower symbolizes?"

Elsa shook her head while the brunette smiled.

"Do you remember what I've told you yesterday?"

Elsa frowned. "You mean the goodbye?"

Honeymaren lightly chuckled. "No. Not the goodbye. Well never mind, I'll just repeat it again for you."

She inched herself forward then leveled her face to the blonde's. "Elsa, I'm glad that I've met you. I'm grateful you came into my life. I never realized I could be much happier. You brought meaning to my dull life. So, thank you Elsa. And that is what this flower stands for." You are my secret love.

The blonde flushed furiously as she heard the brunette showering her with compliments. Honeymaren then kissed Elsa on her cheek while the blonde's eyes fluttered close at the contact. It was such a great feeling and Elsa felt like she was on cloud nine. Being with the brunette brought her a warm sensation in her chest. And being this close to Honeymaren, her heart was thumping so loudly she felt as if it would burst anytime. She shyly encircled her arms around the brunette as she softly whispered in her ear. "Thank you Honeymaren."

After Elsa released the brunette, Honeymaren slowly held the blonde's hands as she looked at her intensely. "Elsa, there's something I need to tell you."

"Yes?" The blonde patiently waited as she stared sweetly at those brown eyes. The brunette gulped nervously.

"Elsa, I've fallen in love with you." Honeymaren admitted sincerely. "I love you Elsa."

-x-

Anna idly wandered around the tribe's housing area with sorrow gripping her heart with its clawed hands. It was the first time she drove Elsa away and she couldn't help but regret her actions. However, with all the uncertainties coming her way coupled with her confused feelings, she felt that the next right thing to do was to distance herself from Elsa if only for a short while until she figured out what exactly was happening to her.

Of course it was easier said than done especially as she remembered the hurt expression of her sister. But then what else was she supposed to do? She felt conflicted. She knew how it felt to be shunned by the very person she treasured and she hated to admit that she was exactly doing the same as Elsa did with her before. The only difference was that Elsa was trying to protect her by shutting her out while Anna was trying to run away by shutting Elsa out.

She sat on one of the benches on the far end letting her mind take a rest from overthinking. As her aquamarine orbs roamed over the place, they settled on the two little Northuldran girls playing with each other. She bit her lip as memories of their childhood days flooded her. Tears stung her eyes as flashbacks replayed in her mind, it was as if she had become a deer caught in the headlights.

"Seems like you could use some company right now…" A gentle voice startled Anna as she glanced over her shoulder. It was General Mattias. Quickly, she wiped away the tears on her face with the back of her hands as she scooted aside to create a decent space for the General.

"General Mattias!" Anna exclaimed. "W-what are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same thing, Your Majesty." He responded as he seated himself beside the Queen. "Just imagine my surprise when I heard you left Arendelle." Anna grinned sheepishly as she scratched her cheek. "Don't forget, it is my sworn duty to protect Arendelle at all costs." He said proudly.

"Thank you General Mattias."

He hummed in response.

The two remained in silence as they watched the Northuldran people go on with their morning routine tasks. Their attention then shifted to two teenage boys talking loudly to each other on the far left.

"This is the moment!" A young chestnut-haired guy squeezed his redheaded friend's shoulder bracingly. "You have to tell her how you feel. Takk is already approaching. Invite her to be your date."

"I'm not very comfortable about this, Niel." He replied uncertainly. "You see, how would I know she even wants me to be her date?"

"Stop being a coward for once Lenard! Remember what Ryder has told us? On the night of Takk, when the full moon is at its peak, that's the perfect time to confess your feelings. They said that the four magical spirits roam around that time to grant people their heart's desires. So grab this chance!"

Both Anna and General Mattias couldn't help but wonder out loud about the conversation they just overheard. It seemed silly and childish and way more probable that Ryder had just made up such stories. Nonetheless, the Northuldra would surely know their traditions more than outsiders like the two of them.

The General rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm… Maybe I should invite Halima for that festival." He spoke interestingly.

"Yeah… Absolutely. Why not?" Anna seconded instantly as she bobbed her head. The two of them laughed heartily as they watched the two boys scrambling away, most probably preparing for the event. She wondered if the General meant what he said but at the back of her mind, she was thrilled about this idea. If this was really true, if the magical spirits really granted people their wishes, she wondered what exactly she would wish for. Truly, what was her heart's desires? Unconsciously, her mind conjured Elsa's image.

Shaking those thoughts away, she again focused on the General. "Do you still remember what you told me before?"

The General looked at her. "Of course. Be prepared. Just when you think you found your way, life will throw you onto a new path." He recited it with all his heart.

"And when it does…" He continued. "Don't give up. Take it one step at a time, and…"

"Just do the next right thing." Both of them spoke simultaneously.

"I know. Do the next right thing." Anna said solemnly. "But how would I know the next right thing to do when all that is certain is uncertainty." She took a deep breath. "How could you take the next step when you're blinded by darkness?"

For a moment, the General remained silent as he pondered on those questions. There were no hard and fast rules that one could simply abide by and follow to make life easier. Unfortunately, choices had to be made and more often than not, these choices were never easy.

"Take a leap of faith." He answered quietly. He then faced her squarely as he brought his hand on his chest and pounded it lightly. "And follow your heart."

Anna suddenly became speechless as she took in the General's answers. How could she have forgotten? Sure, she was the type of person who unrestrictedly followed her heart no matter what other people said. But from her experience with Hans, she was slowly losing her confidence to trust her heart. More than anything else, she felt as if she was beginning to admit to herself that she had feelings for her sister, which was wrong in all levels of morality. To add to her growing distress, she felt like she owed Kristoff an explanation for her sudden departure. So how-in-the-world should she follow her heart?

As if reading her thoughts, the General continued. "People may mock you, look down on you, degrade you, question you, crush you down or even hurt you. But that is okay. You'll surely bounce back. That is why it is called leap of faith – it is beyond the boundaries of reason. You cannot expect ordinary people to understand the choices you are about to make because it is beyond their limited logical minds. They won't comprehend it, they won't understand it, because they decided to close their minds and their hearts to the numerous possibilities life could offer."

"But what if I'm wrong and they are right? What if I follow my heart and it leads me to nowhere?" She worriedly asked.

"Take courage, child." The General smiled at her. "Do not be afraid if you make mistakes. Mistakes could happen and it's part of life… it's part of growing up." He paused shortly as he let Anna absorb everything.

He stood up as he directed his attention to her. "Do you know why I told you to follow your heart?"

Anna shook her head mutely.

"When you follow your heart, you are being honest not just to yourself but also to the people around you. And the best gift you could give yourself is the truth while the best gift you could offer a person, especially those important to you, is your honesty. Believe in your heart."

Tears again welled in those aquamarine orbs as she listened to General Mattias. Her vision had turned blurry and the General's words seemed to sink in and hit a raw nerve. She dropped her head to her hands to hide the tears that would not stop. She heaved deeply as the current of mixed emotions resurfaced in full blast. Nonetheless, she was very much grateful. She didn't realize she needed this talk to somehow relieve her heart of its burden.

As she wiped the tears, she looked up to the standing General to give her gratitude but she was surprised when worried blue orbs greeted her.

Without a word, Elsa grabbed her hand and pulled her deeper into the forest.

"Wait Elsa, where are we going?" Anna asked as she watched the back of her sister.

However, Elsa did not respond. She just kept on walking briskly, her hand still holding firmly onto her sister's. Anna instantly felt bad for shutting Elsa early that morning. Now, the blonde had all the reasons to be mad at her.

Abruptly, Elsa stopped that Anna almost ran into her.

"Elsa?" She called out tentatively. "Y'know… About earlier…"

The blonde slowly turned around facing her, a strained smile flashing on her face. Anna realized that they were in a large clearing in the forest. However, her attention shifted back to the blonde when Elsa hugged her firmly. Anna unconsciously found herself returning the hug as she brought her arms around Elsa. They stayed like that for a long time before the blonde removed her hands on Anna's back and rested them on her sister's cheeks. Anna felt colors rising to her cheeks as she stared at those alluring blue eyes.

"Anna," Elsa spoke resignedly. "We made a promise not to shut each other out. Please… tell me what's going on." She pleaded.

"Elsa," She looked at the ground as she avoided the pleading gaze of her sister. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that…" She paused as she thought of how to put her troubled feelings into words. "I don't understand it myself either. Just give me time to think things through."

The blonde nodded understandingly. "Okay Anna. But never forget, I'm always here for you." She then leaned her forehead onto her sister. "I love you Anna. I can't… I can't afford to lose you."

Anna smiled genuinely. "I love you too Elsa. I can't lose you either."

After a while, as the awkward atmosphere between the two sisters vanished, Elsa spoke mysteriously. "Anna, I need to ask you one more question."

"Okay?" Anna looked concerned with Elsa's tone of voice. But then the blonde's lips curved upwards dismissing all her worries.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

In a flash, the large forest clearing was filled with snow at Elsa's stomp of her foot, turning it into something similar to an ice skating rink. A little twirl of Elsa's hand magically produced a skating blade made of ice on both of their boots. The suddenness of it made Anna temporarily lose her balance when Elsa's strong hold steadied her.

"Whooops." Anna leaned on Elsa for support as she regained her balance. Elsa softly giggled at her clumsiness.

"Just hold my hand, Your clumsy Highness." Elsa whispered to her ear teasingly.

"Excuse me!" Anna retorted as she frowned at the laughing blonde. "I am not clumsy. I…This just caught me off-guard." Anna pointed at her normal boots turned ice skating boots. She continued to ramble non-stop enumerating reasons why she was not what Elsa was claiming her to be. The blonde simply watched her rant, entirely amused that Anna could speak uninterrupted for hours. But time was of essence.

"Now, now. I hear you, Your Grumpiness. I mean, Your Highness. Just relax." Elsa intentionally let the slip of the words that Anna could only stare at her wide-eyed and speechless. The blonde stifled her bubbling laughter amazed that she had actually silenced this chatterbox in one quick slip of word.

D-did she just call me GRUMPY?

"I am not grumpy!" Anna disagreed. "and… whoaaaa.. heeeey"

Before Anna could even finish whatever she was saying, Elsa pulled her towards the middle of the frozen clearing, both of them gliding in the ice. Anna looked so awkward and uncomfortable as she tried to find her balance. But with Elsa guiding her, she was able to slide smoothly, her gloomy mood already dissipating into thin air.

Initially, Elsa held both her hands until gradually she released one of Anna's hand so that she could twirl her around. Anna giggled softly as she did the same for Elsa, only the latter did it with more finesse. Elsa then conjured snowgies dancing and gliding together with them.

"Watch this." Elsa told her.

With a flick of her hand, the snowgies suddenly grouped themselves forming words that Anna couldn't yet comprehend. Slowly, the letters were becoming visible as the snowgies finished regrouping themselves. Anna started reading them.

CHEER UP ANNA!

"Aww…" Anna's heart melted. Her sister really knew how to brighten up her day in the most amazing way. She looked at her sister lovingly who returned her beautiful smile. "Thanks Elsa, that is so sweet."

"Anything for you Anna." Elsa replied sincerely as she squeezed her shoulders.

After a while, the two skated in perfect synchrony as if they were floating in the air. The snowgies were mirroring their moves, sometimes running wild causing either Anna or Elsa to stumble. They laughed so much that their eyes were crying tears of joy. It was just like when they were kids, so carefree and blissful.

In a short span of time, Anna gained her confidence and she did a couple of backward crossovers increasing her speed and momentum. In one quick movement, she started doing some basic spins only wobbling for a bit when she landed.

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise as she grinned proudly at her sister. She clapped her hands as she came near a beaming Anna. "Very impressive, Anna!" The blonde nodded her head approvingly.

"Your turn, Elsa." Anna urged her. "The forest…. floor… err… the ice? The forest ice floor is all yours!" She cheered.

Elsa grinned at her before she sauntered into the center, her hips swaying ever so perfectly. She briefly glanced at Anna before doing a triple loop then landing beautifully. As if that was not enough to emphasize her expertise, Elsa did another three-jump combination, performing an axel-half loop-double salchow jump.

"Wow!" Anna's jaw dropped as she watched her magnificently. "That was… sooooo amazing and perfect and beautiful! Elsa, you are really something! You are so wonderful and great and cooler!" Anna stopped abruptly. "Wait, I didn't mean that you are a cooler like a rectangular container for ice or whatever you put on it. Duh! Of course not! What I meant is that you are super cool, as in like the coolest ice skater I've ever known!" She explained shyly.

Elsa again watched her sister ramble and couldn't help herself as her soft laughter reached Anna's ears.

"Gee, I'm embarrassing myself again, am I not?" Anna face-palmed herself, annoyed at herself for her continuous monologue.

"It's okay Anna. It's just me." Elsa assured her. "You can always be yourself around me. You know that."

Really Elsa? Can I? Be Myself?

Before Anna could dwell deeper on that thought, Elsa started circling her, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Want to play a game?" Elsa asked.

Anna visibly frowned. "But I'm not good with charades."

"It's a different game, you silly." Elsa responded. "It's called…" Elsa paused to think while Anna looked at her excitedly. "Catch me if you can."

"Wait what?"

"There are no rules. Just try and catch me." Elsa explained.

"But you are so good in ice skating! I won't stand a chance." Anna complained grumpily.

"Anna," Elsa called. Their eyes met. "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose. Let's just have some fun. You can take all the snowgies on your side." Elsa said. Inwardly, she enjoyed seeing Anna so lively and cheerful and happy. She wished the two of them would stay like this forever.

"Oohh! I think I like it!" Anna waggled her eyebrows animatedly. "Game on!" She sported a large grin on her face as she put on her battle-ready face. The snowgies scattered everywhere, ready to follow whatever Anna would demand them to do.

"At the count of three."

"I'm ready! I'm born ready for this! I can go anytime!" Anna hyped as she watched Elsa moving away, creating some distance between them.

"One"

"Be ready Elsa!"

"Two"

"I'm so gonna get you, Elsa."

"Three!"

"Here I come!"

Anna dashed forward together with the snowgies all aiming to reach Elsa who seemed confident and unfazed. The blonde seemed to be one with ice and wind as she maneuvered her way smoothly, perfectly avoiding the little snowgies coming her way. She watched Anna's strong attempts to move quicker only to stumble on ice as some snowgies accidentally blocked her way.

"You can do it, Anna." Elsa called. Whether those words were to actually encourage or discourage Anna, it was for the strawberry-blonde beauty to figure out. She dusted some ice on her dress as she again surged forward, her focus on the smiling beauty in front of her.

Elsa, I just realized I always ended up chasing you. I always ended up going after you. I always ended up looking for you. I always ended up yearning for you. Why is it that every time I thought I have you, you are slowly slipping away where my hands won't reach you, where my eyes won't see you, where my ears won't hear your voice? No Elsa, I don't want you to go away. I want you to stay where I am. I want you near me. I want you…to be with me. Together forever.

Her thoughts were disrupted as her mind was slowly transported back to reality and processed what had happened. In her desperation to get to Elsa, she actually leapt in the air in a flash and tackled Elsa causing both of them to fall, with Anna on top of Elsa.

"Ha! I got you Elsa!" Anna said triumphantly as she pinned Elsa in between her arms. The blonde was lying comfortably on the ice floor, the cold never bothering her, as her blue eyes focused on the rejoicing strawberry-blonde beauty on top of her.

To Anna's surprise, Elsa pulled her down in a hug with her head lying near the blonde's chest. Elsa enveloped Anna in her embrace that the latter could clearly hear the blonde's loud heartbeats.

"You win, stinker." Elsa whispered softly.

"Of course, I do." Anna grinned smugly.

"Now, let me give you a power hug as your prize." Elsa said.

Anna laughed. "But I should be the one naming my prize."

The blonde snorted. "Only one wish, Your Grumpy Highness. Name your one wish."

Anna slowly lifted herself up to meet Elsa's amused gaze. Those penetrating blue eyes seemed to radiate with love that Anna couldn't take her eyes off of her. Elsa's porcelain skin, silky blonde hair, her luscious lips – Elsa was just so perfect in every way and Anna was just helplessly captivated. It was as if she was caught in the moment and there was no way out for Anna.

"Elsa…" Anna muttered.

"Kiss me." She whispered softly.

Let me be honest. I love you Elsa. I love you with my whole heart. Damn it! I'm done running. I'm done hiding. This is the truth. This is my leap of faith. If my love for you is a mistake, then I never wish to be right. Because with you Elsa, everything just felt so right.

-x-

A/N: Oh yeah! What a confession! Who did it better? Team Elsanna? Team Elsamaren? Thoughts?

A/N2: Holiday plus sickness equals delay. Sorry about that. Oh and thank you as always for your follows, faves and particularly the reviews. I enjoyed reading and imagining everyone's reactions and thoughts. On a side note, is General Mattias Team Elsanna? Are the magical spirits Team ElsaMaren? Cheers!