AN: Thought I would give everyone a New Year's Present. I hope everyone enjoys.

I am going to stick with the posting scheduling I have been trying to meet of posting once a week. I think I'm going to move it from Sunday to Mondays as I usually have more free time Sunday to write.


Elsa stared out the window in her room, her gaze fixed on the glass, streaked with tiny streams of water from the rain that had started without warning nearly an hour earlier. A sense of calm, of peace, fell over her as she watched the rain softly beat against the glass. After Markkus had left her alone in the empty courtyard, she sat for a while on the low stone wall, thinking about his offer, her future, her sister, about everything and nothing. She allowed herself time to relax, to just enjoy the ocean breeze as it danced across her skin.

It was long past dark when she returned to her room. She spent the night tossing and turning, examining her choices from every angle she could, wanting to make the choice that would benefit everyone.

Over the three months following her coronation, Elsa had slowly grown use to her sister's constant presence, the comforting knowledge that she could see her any time she wanted. The last few weeks, her absence had created an overwhelming and painfully familiar ache that settled in her chest. She missed Anna fiercely, but knew she had to see this through. Markkus had helped her open doors to her power that she hadn't dreamed of touching, but she knew she had only scratched the surface. There was more to discover here, within herself. She couldn't leave until she found it.

Elsa took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she pulled the paper and pen toward her. She'd asked Ray to find the items for her earlier in the day, and spent time carefully debating what she wanted to say, knowing that multiple people were going to be unhappy with the letter's contents. But she had to do what was right, and she knew that this was right. It had to be. It was better for her people, and for her family, if she stayed in Hasvik and learned all she could about magic. About her magic. It would only be a few weeks. Arendelle would be fine without her, she just needed a little more time.

She had toyed with the idea of going back home, long enough to make sure everything in Arendelle was running smoothly, and to spend time with her sister, but she was afraid that with everything that had happened, once home she wouldn't be able to leave again. Not only forcing herself to leave, but she knew it would be nearly impossible to convince the council and her Guard Captain to allow her to leave. Staying would be difficult, but it would be easier in the long run for her to just stay put, see this through, and then she could go home. Nothing worth having was ever easy, but she could do this. For her sister, her people, and for herself.

Elsa pressed the pen against the paper and began to write, choosing her words with care. It would upset Anna—that much she knew. The Admiral and her Guard Captain would not be thrilled with her, either, but they didn't know what it was like to fear themselves, to worry about what damage they could cause just because they were feeling stressed. She could try to explain it, but she could never make them understand. Truthfully, she hoped they would never have a reason to understand.

She kept the letter short and to the point. They would want more details, but they could wait. As she wrote, Elsa's mind wondered. She pressed her fingertips against her forehead and took a moment to collect her thoughts, focus on what she needed to do, pushing all other thoughts to the side. Captain Jogeir would insist one of Arendelle's guards be left behind at Hasvik with her while she remained here. Elsa didn't have any issue but didn't know how Markkus—or the Vindarr's council members—would feel about that. From everything Markkus had told her, the council didn't seem to be very fond of her—with good reason—and were even less happy about the fact Markkus was spending so much of his time training her to use her magic when there was little for the Vindarr to gain from it.

It was very likely an unavoidable conflict, and she would bring it up to him when she brought him her request to stay, and the two letters she was writing. One to be delivered to the Admiral at the Sirma encampment, and the other to her sister in Arendelle.


Anna felt a mix of relief and apprehension as the group rode into the northern camp. Some small part of her had hoped that by the time she returned Elsa would be here, that the Vindarr would have released her. But she could tell just by the tension hanging in the air that it wasn't so.

As she, Kristoff, and Captain Jogeir rode further into camp, she spotted Alarik in front of the command tent, speaking with a soldier.

Alarik clap a hand against the man's shoulder. "Go ahead, get yourself something warm to eat," he said, nodding toward the mess tent.

The soldier snapped a salute, then turned and walked away as Anna pulled her horse to a stop near the tent's entrance.

"Your Highness." Alarik offered the obligatory bow, then a friendly smile broke across his face as he asked, "I trust everything went well back home?"

Anna's shoulders slumped, and she felt a fresh wave of disappointment wash over her. She had done what Elsa asked of her—the food distributed, the council updated, the people reassured. The secret room Kristoff and Olaf had discovered in the library held an abundance of interesting books, many on the subject of magic, and even some information about the Landvættir, but nothing that was useful to their current situation and nothing on either the Sirma or the Vindarr. She'd been forced to come back empty-handed, with nothing of any actual use to offer.

She sighed, shifting her weight and dismounted her horse, allowing a nearby soldier to take the reins. Kristoff and Jogeir followed suit. "I took care of what needed to be done," she said. "The council strongly advised against me returning, but I need to be here. They'll just have to deal with it."

The corners of Alarik's lips twisted upwards. "I'm sure they will get over it. You should know that the naval ships made it and have anchored in a fjord not far from here. Their captains are just inside with Admiral Naismith."

Hope fluttered in Anna's chest like a trapped bird. "Any luck finding Hasvik?"

Alarik pressed his lips into a tight line and just like that, her heart sank. He gestured toward the command tent. "Let's talk inside."

Anna nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as she followed him inside. Not much had changed since she was last here. Erik was sitting on the cot that had once been Elsa's, what seemed a lifetime ago. They walled the back half of the tent off, turned it into sleeping areas, and to the right was the large map table where she had almost lost a hand. A shiver rolled down Anna's spine, she forcibly shoved the memory aside; it had already haunted her dreams enough times. She instead turned her attention to where the Admiral stood looking down at the table with a pensive look on his face, and the heated argument going on between what she assumed were the captains of the three naval ships.

"You'd be sailing blindly, with no way of knowing what you might run into. It would be suicide."

"So we should just throw our hands into the air and not even try?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying we need to be careful, even if it means going slow. We will be no help to the Queen if we sink the ships trying to get there!"

"Your Highness," Naismith said loudly and pointedly. The arguing ground to a halt, each captain looking embarrassed at being caught fighting like children. They bowed as she approached the table.

Anna took a deep breath, trying to channel the regal composure that always seemed to come so naturally to her sister. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Just a lively discussion, ma'am." The Admiral offered her a reassuring smile, then shot a look to each of the captains.

"I've seen lively discussions like this before," Kristoff said as he stood next to Anna. "They usually end in bloody noses and drunken brawls."

"I doubt it'll come to that." The admiral gestured to the captains. "Your Highness, may I introduce Captains Johan of the Gambit, Gunnar of the Dagny, and Lisbet of the Snow Squall."

Anna raised an eyebrow, her gaze stopping on Captain Gunnar; the name hit a familiar cord. The man was in his forties, with a gaunt but handsome face and stubborn strands of dark brown, almost lost among the greying hair. "The Dagny?"

"Yes ma'am." Gunnar nodded. "The second largest ship in the fleet, reflagged at Queen Elsa's request shortly after . . ." A frown crossed his face.

Anna didn't need him to continue; she could fill in the rest of the sentence well enough on her own. Growing up, the navy had fascinated her, the romance of sailing to unknown lands, of loved ones waiting for your return at the harbor, of adventure. She'd spent as much time as she could trying to draw stories out of the few sailors that visited the castle, mostly the higher-ranking officers and thus knew, at least by name, many of the old captains and the ships they commanded. She recalled Captain Gunnar, Commander of the Agnarr, and until a few years ago the flagship of the navy.

When a monarch ascends the throne, they commission a new flagship that would bear the name of the monarch or a trait closely tied to them, depending on the condition and age the old one remains in service under the same name. But Anna knew how superstitious sailors could be, it didn't surprise her to hear the ship was reflagged. It wouldn't do to sail a ship named after a man lost at sea.

She turned her attention to Lisbet, a woman perhaps a few years younger than Gunnar, with a thin scar that ran from just below her chin to disappear beneath the collar of her uniform jacket. "And the Snow Squall I'm guessing is our flagship?"

Lisbet dipped her chin. "Yes, ma'am. An ice breaker to boot."

The start of a smile pulled gently at the corner of Anna's lips. "I can't imagine Elsa being quite onboard with that name."

"No." The Admiral shook his head, an amused glint in his eye. "It took a considerable amount of convincing and in the end, Her Majesty was outvoted."

Anna wrinkled her nose. "I thought you couldn't outvote the Queen?"

"You can't, but you can wear her down." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Occasionally."

Anna released a sharp breath and shook her head. She couldn't imagine what it would have taken for anyone to wear Elsa down enough to allow the naval flagship to be named in relation to her magic. Suddenly, she found herself with a newfound respect for the man. "Speaking of Elsa, have you found Hasvik?" she asked once more, hoping that Alarik's suggestion that they speak inside the tent meant some sort of plan was being decided.

Her hopes were dashed almost immediately.

"Unfortunately, we have had no luck," Naismith answered. "It's what the lively discussion you walked in on was about."

Captain Johan, a smaller but no less built man with an aggressively receding hairline, gestured toward the map on the table. "According to the Sirma—" His gaze flicked toward Erik and back, "—we know the island is in this area here." He tapped a slender finger against the map. "The problem, however, is with the fog surrounding it."

"We sent a scout ship to map the area." Lisbet folder her arms over her chest. "When they were overdue by three days, we sent a second to locate the missing ship. It came back empty-handed. No ship, no island."

Anna's heart sank even further, her stomach twisting painfully. "So, what does that mean?"

"For the moment," Naismith answered, "it means we are in a holding pattern while we try to plan our next move."

"What about Rune?" Kristoff asked suddenly. "We were able to use her connection to Elsa to help us locate the Sirma encampment."

Alarik tilted his head. "I'm not sure that would work in this instance. The issue isn't knowing what direction to sail in, it's knowing what lies between us and Hasvik, and how to navigate it. The fog is so thick that you can barely see past the bow." He blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Our options right now are to sail in blindly and hope the gods are favoring us, find a way to banish the fog, or hope the Vindarr release the Queen."

Anna's shoulders sagged. The options they had were terrible—one was an unacceptable risk, and the other two were long shots at best. She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a soldier entering the tent.

"Sir." He came to a sudden halt when he spotted Anna inside and bowed. "Your Highness."

"What is it?" Naismith asked.

The soldier cast a glance over his shoulder, then back to the group. "A messenger claiming to be from Hasvik just arrived. He said he was to deliver these and wait for a reply." He held out two letters. "They're from the Queen."


"With all due respect, Your Highness, I can neither condone nor allow this."

"With all due respect, Captain," Anna bit out, "I don't need your permission."

As Alarik watched the two argue, he couldn't decide what stunned him more, that Anna was arguing with Captain Jogeir or that the Captain was arguing with Anna. The heat in Anna's voice also surprised him. He knew she was a stubborn person—he'd seen it for himself on a few different occasions during her visits to Valle—but there was an edge of authority in her voice now that he'd never heard before.

The two had been going at it since Anna read the letter from her sister. It had been short, painfully vague with little in the way of details, stating that while Markkus had told the Queen she was free to go, Elsa was delaying her departure. She said there were things in Hasvik that she wished to tend to before returning home. The second letter, addressed to the Admiral, had been even shorter, stating only that he was to stand down the navy, but hold the Sirma camp until further instructions.

Suspicious didn't even come close to how everyone felt about the Queen's orders. Anna had decided, with no discussion, that if Elsa was going to stay at Hasvik under her own free will, then she would travel to the frozen island and see the Queen for herself. She wrote a quick letter of reply and handed it off to the Vindarr messenger, sending him off before telling anyone of her intentions or what she had included in her response. The Captain and Princess had been arguing since.

"The Queen thinks you are still in Arendelle. She sent you back home for a reason, and it's my job to protect you. I can't do that if you run headlong into danger."

"It's your job to protect the Queen—"

"Who charged me with your protection."

"To ensure I made it to Arendelle safely," Anna retorted. "Which I did. Job well done; you have fulfilled your duty. Now, I plan on going to Hasvik. If Elsa is right and Markkus is on the level, there is nothing to worry about." Anna folded her arms over her chest, raising her chin.

Jogeir shook his head and took a step forward. "We don't know anything about this Markkus or the Vindarr except what the Sirma have told us." He threw a hand in Erik's direction. "You could be walking into a trap. This could be exactly what they want in order to force something from the Queen."

Anna pressed her lips into a thin line. For a moment, Alarik could see her considering the man's words, but in the end, she shook her head. "Elsa says she trusts him, that he has already said she's free to go. Captain Jogeir, are you questioning the Queen's judgement?"

Alarik's eyes went wide. There was a trap if he'd ever seen one, and it surprised him to see Anna of all people set it. The younger woman wasn't nearly as carefree and simple as she pretended to be, but verbal sparring had never been her strong suit, as she preferred to take the most direct, and often blunt, path through conversations and arguments. The verbal trap may not be the most elegant, but it was an effective trap, nonetheless. There was no good answer.

Anna took pity on the man, saving him from having to try to answer the question. "Captain, I know you are only trying to do what you think is right, and I commend your loyalty. You're right, this could be a trap. We could be playing right into Markkus's hands. But if Elsa is in danger, then I can't sit by and do nothing. Right now, we have no way to locate the island. If Markkus sends someone to escort me to the island, then maybe we can use that to find a way through the fog." She worked her jaw. "Elsa has been there long enough that Markkus has to understand that harming me will not win him Elsa's cooperation. And after everything the Sirma already did to her, she is not very likely to play ball."

"Wouldn't it be smarter to send someone else?" Jogeir asked, one last attempt to get Anna to see his perspective, though his voice was tinged with resignation. "Anyone else? I don't like the idea of handing the Vindarr Arendelle's entire line of succession."

Once again, Anna shook her head. "If Elsa is choosing to stay there, then she's more likely to open up to me about her reasons."

"She's also more likely to lose her temper with you than anyone else," Kristoff said, immediately wincing. "No offense, Anna, but you both have a habit of pushing each other's buttons."

Alarik watched as Anna's gaze dropped to the floor, as though remembering something specific, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was a story there. He had overheard the sisters arguing in Valle, but he got the feeling Kristoff wasn't talking about that. He took a deep breath, deciding now was as good a time as any to throw his two skillings into the mix.

"While I agree with Kristoff and Captain Jogeir," Alarik said, looking to each man before focusing his attention to Anna, "I think the Princess might be the better option to go to Hasvik. Markkus has had the Queen for almost a month now, and whatever he's done to keep her compliant, he doesn't need Princess Anna for it. And if he has done something to her, the Princess is in a far better position than any of us to pick up on whatever subtle hints the Queen may offer, knowingly or otherwise."

The Admiral sighed heavily, looking no more pleased at the situation than anyone else in the room. "I don't like it. But at least it's a plan."

"She can't go alone." Captain Jogeir folded his arms over his chest. "If this is the insane plan we are going with, then I'll accompany her to Hasvik."

"I'll go as well," Alarik spoke up before anyone else had the chance. "If we aren't able to bring Queen Elsa back, then at least I'll be able to see the route the Vindarr ship sails, giving us a better chance to make it back to the island if we need to."

Anna perked up. "You think you can remember the way?"

Alarik honestly wasn't sure if he could. Long before becoming a naval captain, he had spent a few years as a scout. Not many, but enough that he knew what he was doing. It would depend on how dense the fog was, how much of the area he'd be able to see, but if he could get a good look at the stars, then he might have a chance. "I can try."

"This is all assuming Markkus even lets you see her," Kristoff interjected. "We still have to wait for his reply."

Anna's shoulders sagged, but the determined look on her face didn't fade.


Elsa wrung her hands as she slowly paced around the room, her stomach twisting in knots. After training, Markkus had told Elsa about the letter her sister sent to him. He didn't go into specifics, saying only that the letter was very short and to the point, requesting that, if Elsa was going to spend the next few weeks in Hasvik, Anna be allowed to see her. Her sister wanted to assure herself and their people that Elsa was in fact there now of her own free will, that she could leave whenever she chooses, that she wasn't being coerced. Markkus told her that he had immediately sent an escort to the camp, to see the Princess, and whichever guards she chose to bring with her, safely to Hasvik.

That had been two days ago.

Anna was going to be here, today. After almost a month, Elsa was going to get to see her sister again, and this time there would be no chains or shackles between them. Her heart was racing, and her palms felt sweaty. The day after Markkus told her, they had continued training as per their normal routine, but after only an hour, and multiple painful shocks and bruises to both her ego and person, Markkus put an abrupt end to the session. He told her she'd made enough progress that they could afford to take a few days off, and if she wanted to convince her sister she was perfectly safe in Hasvik, it would be easier to do so without being covered in bruises and red marks.

Elsa had felt embarrassed for allowing her mind to wander so much during training, resulting in those marks, but she couldn't help it. She was having a hard time keeping focus, her thoughts constantly trailing off and finding their way to the hypotheticals of the approaching visit. She was certain she hadn't felt this mixture of nervousness and excitement since the weeks leading up to her coronation. This time, however, there was far less fear and dread threatening to drown her.

But less didn't mean none. Elsa found that she was still afraid, a tiny fraction of her dreading the moment her sister would step into this room. She was afraid because she knew Anna was going to try to convince her to return home. To leave Hasvik. And she couldn't. Not yet, not until she finished what she started.

The last time her sister had tried to force her to return home, it ended in the worst way. Elsa paused in her pacing, looking down at the softly glowing cuffs that wrapped around each wrist. She could at least take some comfort in the knowledge that even if Anna pushed her, Elsa couldn't accidently hurt her this time. No matter how heated things got. Not with her magic bound.

Elsa dropped her hands to her sides. She couldn't fault her sister, knowing that if their situations were reversed, she would never entertain the idea of allowing her little sister to stay in Hasvik, no matter how helpful or nice Markkus appeared to be. She supposed that made her a bit of a hypocrite. But it didn't matter. She would do whatever she had to, to ensure her sister returned to Arendelle. There had been a few instances in the past when she had used her position as Queen to force her sister in line, and she absolutely hated it. It always felt wrong and underhanded. It felt dirty.

But there were things she knew that her little sister didn't understand, times when Anna allowed her passion to blind her, and Elsa didn't know how else to make her sister listen. It made her feel like the worst sister in the world, though she knew she'd already claimed that title when she froze Anna's heart, then kicked her out of her ice palace.

Elsa released a sharp breath and sat heavily on the edge of her bed, burying her face in her hands. Her stomach once more twisted painfully at the memory of Anna like that, frozen in the middle of the fjord, sacrificing herself to protect the very sister responsible for her death. The very thing she spent thirteen years isolating herself from others to avoid. Within hours of opening the gates, Elsa had almost ruined everything. It was a miracle the council or Arendelle didn't call for her head.

She shoved off the bed, clenching her hands in front of her chest. This was why she had to stay here in Hasvik, why she had to finish what she started. So those mistakes could never happen again. She couldn't risk it.

Elsa took a steadying breath and pressed her fingertips against her forehead, a frown pulling at her lips. Her thoughts drifting once more to Markkus, to the conversation they had about the possibility of one of her soldiers or guards staying here in Hasvik with her, as a security measure. She understood the man's reservations and couldn't help but see reason in them. There was going to be an argument of some kind before the day was over, of that she was sure.

A loud knock on the door pulled Elsa from her thoughts. As she turned toward the door, a tingling sensation bloomed in her chest and raced through the rest of her body, infusing her with warmth while her heart thudded almost painfully.

The door opened, and her thoughts scattered. All the worry and fear, the stress and tension from the past month melted away in an instant. Her sister's face wavered through her suddenly watery eyes. "Anna."