Chapter 15

A cold draft seemed to escape through the castle as Elsa wearily attempted to remain focused. She was sure whatever the portly man before her was droning on about was of vital importance to him and yet, try as she might, she just could not invest herself in his request. Considering the morning's revelations and the events of the night before it all felt so trivial by comparison. Still, it wouldn't do to not grant him the respect he was owed so she determinedly continued to soldier through.

Blessedly, she didn't have to endure too much longer before he stopped filling the throne room with his nasally fawning as he said, "...complete faith in your majesty. For the good of the realm."

Responding quickly so that he wouldn't notice her lack of engagement, Elsa replied, "Thank you for those kind words, Count Lueteg. And I can assure you, your concerns shall become my top priority." Between his adulating and rambling she wasn't entirely sure what those concerns were, but there were others present who could explain it all to her later. Lord Kai's scribe kept a written record of her every meeting, after all.

As she stood from her throne, though, he hastily retreated from the dais, bowing low as he went. Almost as if he was afraid to stand too close to her. "Splendid! Then we'd hate to take up any more of your time, Queen Elsa. Until we meet again."

With that he hurried from the hall, rounding up his attendees before she could even utter a farewell, which suited her just fine in the end. While she would have liked a little more respect from individuals like him, being around others who flinched at her every movement was beyond annoying. As if she would just suddenly freeze him to the spot on a whim or at the slightest provocation.

Whatever, Elsa grumbled silently as she flicked a bit of fluff that had caught on her sleeve before turning to leave. Sooner or later she'd probably get used to being treated like that but in the meantime she was just glad it was over.

As she did so, Lord Kai stirred from his place by her side, clearly intending to inform her about the next patrician waiting for an audience only for her to wave him off. "That's all for now," she said as she strode towards the door.

"But your majesty, there are others that-"

Not waiting to hear his objection, Elsa flashed him a stern look over her shoulder. "I said that's all, Lord Kai. If they truly wish to speak with me then they'll be willing to wait."

Knowing not to push the matter, he gave a respectful nod before turning to his staff. "Very good, your majesty."

With that the throne room vanished as the door closed behind her and she felt a pang of regret. Not for ignoring the various aristocrats vying for her time but for being a little too harsh with Lord Kai. They were all nobility who could afford to attend her sister's wedding, after all, so they could also afford to wait a little longer. He, on the other hand, had never been anything short of professional, to the point that if he harbored any misgivings about her or her conduct he kept them to himself. She would have to apologize later, to which of course he would just wave it off.

In the meantime Elsa elected to withdraw into the upper levels of the castle, away from all the prying eyes. There were things that she just had to consider before they continued to distract her from her duties.

The last several hours had been such a whirl that she wasn't quite sure how to feel. Her outburst had been so humiliating and disheartening yet before she could even begin to dwell on it Aaron's sister had been sprung on her out of nowhere. Helena had been so polite and even cordial during their conversation the night before that her flagrant animosity towards her own brother during their reunion had surprised Elsa, although considering how distressing their personal history was she really couldn't blame her.

The real surprise had come after, however. To see who Helena actually was and what she could do… the possibilities it ignited in Elsa's mind were still buzzing within her. She'd always considered that there could be others out there like her and Aaron, but to actually be confronted with evidence of it was astounding. Not only that, Helena was just like Aaron, and if there was someone like him then that meant there had to be someone like her. Didn't it?

Not that she had the time to think about whomever this person might be, much less actually look for them. There was simply too much going on around her to even consider such a pursuit. All she could hope for was that, if such a person did exist, they would eventually come to her. The entire world knew where to find her, after all. All she had to do was wait.

Before they came, though, Elsa had to get a better grip on herself. No more mistakes, no more tantrums, she scolded as she climbed the stairs onto the third floor to find it mostly empty. As she walked along it, however, she soon discovered she wasn't quite as alone as she thought she was.

"You look like you could do with some tea."

Looking up at the voice, Elsa found Kresta seated in a small alcove overlooking the harbor beyond. She looked beyond comfortable, reclining in a cushioned chair with her feet propped upon a stool and seemingly without a care in the world. Her hands held a steaming cup of tea while a pot waited on a small table beside her.

"Oh. Hello, Kresta," Elsa replied before hesitating. She couldn't afford to shirk her duties for too long but the thought of just getting to sit and relax for a moment looked devine. It didn't help that Kresta just made it appear so pleasant, so she nodded. "That actually sounds lovely."

Kresta's face lit up at her acquiescence and she waved towards a pair of maids who were lingering nearby, who quickly stirred into action. "Then by all means, join me."

Elsa didn't have to wait long before they returned with a second cup, as well as a guard who towed along an identical chair for her to sit on. As they did so she said, "You certainly seem to have found yourself a cozy little corner."

Shrugging, Kresta gestured outside. "I would have liked to have spent my morning perusing those gardens of yours once more but it's a little chilly out there for my tastes. Until it warms up this will do fine."

"In that case just be grateful you weren't here during winter. In the darkest months of the year the sun only appears for a few hours each day before slipping back into night."

"Sounds dreadful. Honestly, I don't know how you northerners tolerate it."

"Oh, it's not so bad. The frost actually has its own charm to it."

"Says the queen of snow."

By that point the guard had positioned her chair and Elsa thanked him graciously before seating herself. One of the maids then moved to prepare her drink only for Kresta to intervene. "That's alright, I can manage."

"Certainly, your highness," she replied quietly, dipping into a curtsey before stepping away.

After she'd gone to a respectful distance Kresta sat up and set about pouring. Even so, her eyes glanced up to Elsa as she murmured, "Forgive me for saying this, Elsa, but you look dreadful."

Elsa doubted any other soul who lived in this castle other than her sister would have dared to say something like that to her. Not that she was offended. At the very least she could count on Kresta to speak her mind. "You could say that. Unfortunately a queen's work is never done."

"Which is exactly why you need to take advantage of moments like this," Kresta responded with a nod. "Take it from somebody who knows."

"Agreed, although we can't all be on vacation."

"Which is a shame because it's delightful. Just sitting back and letting the world tend to itself for a while." As she spoke she set the pot aside and gestured towards a small container beside it. "Sugar?"

"Please," said Elsa as she watched the other woman. "I thought your brother was responsible for managing Maneva."

"True, but I'm not without my uses."

"Such as?"

Kresta's smile remained in place but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she spooned sugar into Elsa's cup. "Let's just say that in my brother's court I'm known for my bark as well as my bite."

There was something foreboding about the way she said that, to the point that Elsa found herself smiling nervously. "I'm not so sure I want to know what you mean by that."

"And here's to hoping you never have to find out," she said as she gave the tea a quick stir before rapping the spoon on its edge. With that, Kresta lifted her own cup and motioned it towards Elsa. "Although I'm sure you can appreciate the lengths we ladies have to go to just to persist in this world."

Just hearing her say that brought Elsa's exhaustion back as she picked hers up. "Now that I will drink to." Fortunately, a soothing sip of the warm tea helped to stamp it back down as she cupped it in her hands, allowing its warmth to seep into her. Frankly she could have stayed with Kresta all day if she had the time, considering how marvelous a vacation sounded.

Unfortunately she knew that was never going to be an option as she lamented, "Although I really can't stay long."

Kresta, meanwhile, had resumed reclining in her chair as she cracked an eye open long enough to give her a dubious look. "Elsa, you're the queen. You can stay as long as you want."

Sighing in response, Elsa felt her weary annoyance give a throb. "Why does everyone assume being queen means I can do whatever I want whenever I want?"

"Doesn't it?"

"No," she answered quickly before thinking better of it. "I mean, yes, it does, but not if I'm responsible. I've got people depending on me, which means I must be held accountable."

If anything Kresta just seemed to find her amusing as she smirked. "How noble. Although it seems to me that you may be sucking all the fun out of being queen."

Elsa wasn't enjoying it, though. Rather she was feeling sullen as she grumbled, "Who said anything about it being fun?"

That roused Kresta enough to roll her eyes before looking over at her. "If you're not having fun then what's the point of all that power? Yes, responsibility and all that but the world is yours for the taking." Then that mischievous gleam of hers reappeared in her eye as she leaned closer to Elsa and whispered, "Haven't you ever wanted to pull one of those big strong guards off to a quiet corner for some… aerobics?"

Just like that, Elsa was stunned for a moment. For Kresta to mention something so audacious so abruptly, all without a hint of shame… Of course, it wasn't like she'd never thought about doing something like that with Aaron. Not that she would ever admit it as she uttered, "Excuse me?"

For her part all Kresta did was grin as she sat back up with a stretch. "Not that I've ever done such a thing, of course." She then flashed Elsa a wicked look and added, "A girl can dream, though."

By then she could feel a prickling blush beginning to creep into her cheeks as she did her best to dismiss the notion. "Please. The very thought of it…"

"Fine, a maid then," Kresta replied while falling back against her chair. "They're not to my tastes but who am I to judge?"

The comment had Elsa inadvertently glancing over at the pair of attendees waiting on them only to quickly look away again as her blush only struck harder. She'd never spoken about anything like this to anyone, not Anna, not Aaron, no one, so she wasn't even remotely prepared to be having this conversation with Kresta. Years of repressing herself didn't just end with her personality, after all. Although, admittedly, the maid on the right was kind of cute...

Shaking herself with a small cough, Elsa attempted to muster her composure while chidding Kresta by saying, "You always were the worst influence on my sister and I."

Forntuently Kresta hadn't noticed anything as she'd gone back to her tea, replying, "I'm just trying to broaden your horizons a little. Perhaps with my help things can be less stuffy around here."

"Stuffy? I didn't realize we were such a bore to you."

"I wouldn't say bore, but you could certainly stand to liven up a little."

"And how would we do that?"

"For you? I can think of a few ways." Any hope that Elsa had that she wouldn't bring it up again withered when Kresta flashed her another grin, her eyes glinting with devilish glee as her silken voice purred, "Starting with finding you a tumble or two…"

And that was as much as Elsa could handle. Perhaps it was just the nature of the subject itself, or perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't entirely comfortable with what Kresta was making her feel with that look. Either way, she found that she simply had to switch to something, literally anything else.

"So I thought yesterday went well."

There was no denying that it was a bit of a lame attempt but it seemed to do the trick as Kresta's expression softened and she appeared to fight back a fit of laughter. After forcing down a sip of tea she managed to say, "You do, do you?"

"Of course." It occurred to her, though, that if they were going to talk about the wedding then it needed to be made clear that certain subjects were strictly off limits. "There were a hiccup or two but nothing that needs to be dwelt upon."

Luckily Kresta took the hint as she continued struggling to keep her lips straight. "Agreed. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect but the word I've settled on is adorable."

"We weren't too dull for your modern sensibilities?"

"I'm not so sure I'd ever call anything Anna does dull. She's just a rolling squall, isn't she?"

"I doubt she'd put it that way, but yes, she is."

Kresta's mirth seemed to temper as she glanced out at the mountains and vales beyond the fjord. "And I know this may sound pitiful but I already kind of miss her."

Elsa nearly frowned as she followed the look, pondering at how far they must have already gone. It was going to be difficult without her sister's support around but she'd managed as she said, "It's not pitiful. I miss her too."

For a while neither of them spoke as they both continued to stare out the window before Kresta eventually stirred. "Well, I'm sure wherever those two end up they'll be fine so long as they have each other."

"Let's hope so," she replied, watching the wind pick at the snow still clinging to the roofs below.

In her pondering, Elsa heard Kresta quietly say, "Although I've heard they're not the only ones who are having a big day."

Not looking up, she asked, "No? Who else?"

"Oh, I really shouldn't say. Gossip is so gauche, after all."

"Suit yourself."

Elsa never had been one for hearsay and yet her disinterest did nothing to dissuade Kresta as she leaned closer to murmur, "But where's the fun in secrets if you don't share them? Word has it Lord Aaron has become reacquainted with a long lost relative."

She said it in such a way that suggested she was only trying to gauge Elsa's reaction except she hardly responded at all. "Ah. Yes, his sister. Hopefully they're getting along well."

That was a whole new puzzle in and of itself. Would they be able to find some common footing or would their past get in the way? She truly hoped they would, considering how much she knew this chance meant to Aaron. In the meantime she would let him figure it out himself from a distance. Things were undoubtedly complicated enough for them without another person interfering.

That was when Elsa remembered who she was talking to as she shot Kresta a bemused look. "How do you know about that?"

Idly taking a sip of her tea, Kresta shrugged. "How do you?"

"I have my sources. I am the queen, after all."

"One of many perks, I'm sure."

"But that doesn't answer how you know."

Rather than dancing around it Kresta just smiled sweetly and said, "Why, Lord Aaron told me himself, of course."

"Did he? I take it that the two of you have been spending time together." Talking about her lover with Kresta hadn't exactly been what she'd had in mind when she agreed to this chat as she tried to keep her distance. It didn't help that just hearing her talk about him conjured up images of their dance the night before, including the jealous venom that came with it.

Although, Aaron hadn't known about his sister then. Meaning that the only way Kresta could know is if they were talking again this morning.

"Something like that," Kresta replied nonchalantly before sliding ever so slightly closer as she glanced around. "Just between you and me, though, Lord Aaron is enjoyable to talk to. He's not like most nobles I've met."

"No, he wouldn't be. He's not from this life, you see," Elsa informed her, only to have her nod in turn.

"Mm. He mentioned that to me as well."

"Did he?" Now her envy really was trying to get the better of her as she fought the urge to grow defensive. Elsa hadn't shared any of this with Kresta, after all, so she couldn't just get offended at her for not knowing. He, on the other hand, was a very different story. "What else has Lord Aaron been saying, since apparently he's been confiding in you?"

"This and that," she answered while toying with the rim of her cup. "And I wouldn't say confiding. I'd just say that he's lonely. Beyond Kristoff he doesn't appear to have much by way of friends."

That drew out a pang of remorse as Elsa tried not to sigh. "I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping he would take to city life when I brought him here but it would seem he still has some acclimating to do."

"To go from one world to another takes time. Especially considering how drab his previous one was. Speaking of, how exactly did he find you out there?"

Looking up at the sudden change in questioning, she found that Kresta had gone back to gazing out the window, although Elsa could have sworn she caught her peeking out of the corner of her eye. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Shrugging, Kresta waved a hand towards the outside and the swirling frost beyond as she said, "It's a big world, Elsa. You can't tell me that you truly believe the only gifted people in the world found each other by chance."

Not that Elsa was buying the attempt to seem casual. What else had she and Aaron been discussing? "Of course I do. How else would we have met?"

Shifting ever so slightly, Kresta gestured aimlessly. "Who knows? We are talking about magic, after all. It could have been any number of things." She betrayed her enthrallment, though, when her eyes flashed back to Elsa as she suggested, "Like a dream, for instance."

"A dream?" And just like that it all made sense. Why else would she be asking about any of this if Aaron hadn't already mentioned it to her? Except that Elsa had told him about those dreams in confidence, so surely he would have known better than to share that without her permission. He must have let it slip by accident and Kresta picked up on it. Or at least she hoped that was what happened.

Kresta, meanwhile, had realized that her curiosity had not gone unnoticed and was trying to distance herself. "Why not? Has Lord Aaron ever mentioned experiencing such a thing?"

"Not to me, no. Although that seems like a rather specific guess, wouldn't you say?" Elsa asked, watching her suspiciously.

"Just idle speculation, I assure you. I've never been accused of not being nosy and the two of you are just so intriguing, it drives one's imagination wild."

"I suppose."

When Elsa continued to scrutinize her, Kresta threw out a distraction. She might have remained cool on the outside but she clearly didn't enjoy having the inspection turned around on her. "That being said, his reason for coming here is fretfully dull."

"And what reason would that be?"

"Like you don't know." When Elsa didn't react Kresta met her gaze and simply said, "He fancies you, Elsa."

"Oh." Just like that she found that she was the one retreating as she glanced elsewhere. "I don't know about all that." Okay, he might have let some things slip but he never would have mentioned that.

As she did her best to hide her discomfort Kresta continued. "Please. Why else did he come here and leave all else behind?"

"Because I asked him to. His skills make him invaluable to Arendelle."

"I think what you meant to say is because he likes you," she teased. In spite of her jesting, though, her next question seemed genuine as she asked, "You've really never noticed?"

It was becoming clear that Kresta wasn't about to let go of this new bone she'd found as Elsa repressed an irritated sigh, turning back towards her. "Noticed what?"

Kresta didn't even flinch under her stern gaze as she smirked. "The stolen glances, the change in tone. I'm sure he thinks he's being subtle but if you know what to look for it's all rather obvious."

"I don't really have time for that sort of thing, so no," Elsa replied, conjuring up an excuse. "Besides, Lord Aaron stays because he's well compensated with everything his heart desires."

"Clearly not everything." By then Kresta's mirth was starting to return as she prodded, "Just how sheltered were you growing up to not notice?"

"I didn't get out much. Even so, I think you may be reading into things."

Shrugging, she conceded with a, "Maybe." Her lips then curled back up into a smirk as she added quietly, "So you're telling me you've never wanted to take him for some aerobics yourself?"

Elsa had in fact found herself enjoying a few fantasies of exactly that on occasion but all she said was, "Like I said, I'm just not looking for something like that right now."

Inwardly she braced herself for more of Kresta's cavalier talk of improper things, only she didn't. She looked as though she was about to but then something caught her eye over Elsa's shoulder and instantly her whole mood twisted. Her mouth ground into a frown and her brows converged in a malevolent scowl as she turned back to the window. As she did so she growled, "Speaking of. Someone let a snake loose in here."

Her sudden change might have been unusual but all it took was a glance behind her for Elsa to spot the cause of it. In spite of his antics during the previous night, Cyrus had still deemed to make an appearance today as he sauntered down the hallway towards them. He'd been doing rather well, but the second he did that… It was all Elsa could do not to mirror Kresta's revulsion the moment she laid eyes on him. She might not have known why the other woman also found him so repugnant but she certainly had reasons of her own now.

It didn't help that he'd reverted to his assured self, with his face looking so smug that she didn't feel quite so bad for freezing his hand. When she glanced at it, though, she found herself perplexed. She'd expected Cyrus's right hand to show all the signs of frostbite and yet it looked perfectly healthy, as though he'd somehow managed to completely mend himself overnight. How on earth had he managed something like that?

Before she could ponder it properly, however, he was upon them. "Ladies," he said, coming to a halt beside their alcove. "I trust you're having a fine morning?"

Before Elsa could respond, Kresta gave a spiteful, "We were," as she stared determinedly out the window.

Pausing, Cyrus fumbled for something to say. He'd obviously been expecting something at the very least polite as he managed, "I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do to help?"

"I can think of a few ideas but you're not going to like them," Kresta replied icily, still refusing to look at him.

This left Cyrus at a complete and utter loss as he stared at Kresta blankly, which suited Elsa just fine. After all his bluster and attempts to be suave, watching him flounder was actually kind of satisfying.

Inevitably, though, he eventually gave up on Kresta and switched his attention over to her. "Queen Elsa. You're looking as stunning as ever. Hopefully you're feeling better after-"

Before he could even begin to lather on some honey, Kresta spoke up while finally shooting him a baleful look. "Can we help you with something, Cyrus?"

Hesitating, he gestured towards Elsa and said, "I was just trying to make conversation with her majesty."

"Oh, is that what you call that? We have a different word for it."

Cyrus was about to say something in response but thought better of it, instead remaining cordial as he said, "I hope I haven't offended you in some way, Princess Kresta."

All the while Kresta continued to stare him down. "Not at all."

"That's a relief. Then if you wouldn't mind…"

If he was hoping for some privacy with Elsa then he was going to be sorely disappointed as Kresta adamantly refused to budge. "Actually I do mind. We were having a pleasant conversation before you interrupted." She then glanced at Elsa and added, "Unless you have a pressing need to speak with King Cyrus privately."

Shaking her head, she replied, "Not particularly." She was enjoying watching Cyrus struggle and if Kresta wanted to take the lead then that was fine by her.

Returning her ire to him, Kresta stated, "Then anything you have to say to her you can say to both of us. And make it quick."

Once more he seemed on the verge of arguing only to concede by saying, "Very well," before trying to talk to Elsa. "All I wanted was to offer another apology for provoking you last night. I acted like a scoundrel and there's no excuse for my behavior. And I certainly never intended to embarass you in front of everyone like that. All I can hope is that you'll consider forgiving me."

He must have been practicing that on his way here considering how disingenuous it sounded, only Kresta had managed to throw him off. As entertaining as this was, however, Elsa still felt some ire of her own as she recalled his antics from the wedding. "That remains to be seen, King Cyrus."

Failing to hide his disappointment, he nodded grimly. "I see. Understandable, that I would have to regain your trust through my actions and not just words."

"As if any of that wasn't on purpose," Kresta muttered to her, returning to glaring out the window.

Her interference was starting to get to Cyrus as he took an aggravated breath before continuing. "That being said, I still have matters to attend to here in Arendelle so I trust you won't object if I tarry a little while longer? For the benefit of others, of course."

Elsa obviously wanted to reject his request immediately, just to drive him back out of her life if nothing else, but his addition at the end made her stop. If he left, he'd be taking Helena with him and who knew when or even if she'd return. Aaron deserved at least some more time with his sister so she bit her words and relented. "Provided you can learn to behave yourself, I suppose not."

"Excellent, your majesty."

Just as he started to perk up, Kresta cut him down again by murmuring, "Because we could all stand to benefit from more of this."

And with that, Cyrus's patience finally broke. His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared as he glowered at the wall before glancing down at Elsa. "I hope you'll forgive me for this, Queen Elsa." He then wheeled on Kresta and grated, "Do we have a problem?"

For her part Kresta hardly reacted as she looked up at him and frigidly replied, "I don't know, do we?"

He wasn't trying to hide his aggravation anymore as he said, "I certainly don't. I've been nothing but civil to you, Princess Kresta, and yet you seem to have taken offense to my very presence."

She didn't even flinch under his scowl, her stern gaze boring into his. "Of course not, since I know that even you would never be so bold as to flirt with a friend of mine right in front of me."

That pierced his anger as he paused, only to stammer, "I would never-"

"Good. Keep it that way," Kresta interjected, refusing to let him finish while dismissing him with a shoo. "Now, if that was all that you have to say then we'll bid you ado."

Cyrus had become far too annoyed to be driven off so easily, though, as his indignation flared at her rejection. "As a matter of fact it's not. And I'm sure Queen Elsa here is quite capable of speaking for herself."

Elsa actually did intend to respond to that, to at the very least reject him herself, only to have Kresta speak over her. "I know she is. I'm just trying to protect her from the likes of you." Meanwhile the wind was beginning to claw at the windows outside as Elsa felt her own temper rise.

"Me? What on earth do you have to protect her from with regards to me?"

"Oh, where do I even begin?" Climbing to her feet, Kresta stabbed a finger at Cyrus's chest. "You're sly, you're manipulative, you're treacherous, and let's not even talk about the paranoia all you Ildoni seem to share."

"First of all, we both know how unfair it is for you to call me any of those things, not to mention blatantly dishonest. Secondly, how dare you call my people paranoid."

"Aren't you?"

"No! Maybe we're a little mistrusting but anyone would be with the den of snakes that is Maneva sitting right across the water."

"Us?! What have we ever done to you?! It's not like we were the ones to sneak into your home to do the unspeakable!"

"For the last time, my father had nothing to do with that! It was an accident and you know it! Besides, we never-"

"Alright, enough!" Elsa exclaimed, lurching from her chair to silence the argument as they both looked at her. At first she'd considered letting them hash it out, even if Kresta was overstepping her bounds. But when it began to devolve into utter madness she found she just couldn't take anymore as she glowered at both of them.

"It's abundantly clear that you two have some serious issues that you need to work through," she growled. "But if it's all the same to you I'd really rather not be caught in the middle of it."

At first neither of them reacted, shame and regret appearing on both their faces before they glanced at one another. Whereas Cyrus might have been remorseful, however, Kresta's scowl returned the instant she looked at him, spinning back to the window with her arms folded tightly while the gale outside began to subside.

Elsa was trying to calm herself as Cyrus did the same, straightening his jacket and smoothing his hair back into place while trying to come up with something to say. Eventually he muttered, "Apologies, your majesty. That wasn't very kingly of me. Hopefully you'll be able to overlook my outburst in the future."

His words only irritated Elsa further as she glared at him. "Frankly that's becoming more and more unlikely, King Cyrus." She then glanced at Kresta's rigid back and swallowed her own agitation enough to add, "But I'm not the only one you should be apologizing to."

That was the last thing either of the pair felt like doing but Cyrus was at least willing to try as he halfheartedly lifted a hand. His lips parted to speak yet he remained silent, his eyes dropping when no words came. For a while he said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself as his anger steadily eroded to reveal nothing but regret before he eventually sighed.

"Kresta." His voice was coarse as he muttered, "I'm sorry. You know how much I hate arguing with you and the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you further. And I realize that we may never get along again but that doesn't mean we can't at least try to be civil when we have to see each other from time to time. So will you at the very least accept my apology and join me in endeavoring to leave the past in the past?"

The hallway became deathly quiet as they waited for her answer, everyone else having wisely vacated the corridor. As such all there was to be heard was Kresta's trembling breath as her shoulders shook ever so slightly. When she finally did speak her voice was resolute in its ire as she replied, "I don't have anything in my past to be ashamed of. Can you say the same, Cyrus?"

Elsa didn't expect Cyrus to be honest but all he said was, "No. I can't." After a pained pause he added, "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to move on."

Kresta couldn't even look at him as she snarled, "Do whatever you want, Cyrus."

"Very well." Part of him so desperately wanted to talk further only he didn't. All he did was turn to Elsa, his gaze heavy as he sighed, "If you'll excuse me, Queen Elsa. I… have some matters that I have to attend to."

With that, he left. There was no gleam in his eye, no roguish charm as he trudged away. Just a tired man who'd reopened old wounds.

Elsa said nothing as he departed, not even acknowledging his farewell as he went. She just watched him go until he slipped from sight down the stairwell before turning back to Kresta. As frustrated as their argument had made her, though, she found her annoyance giving way to concern as Kresta continued to shudder. She might not have liked Cyrus very much but that was nothing compared to the pure vitriol undoubtedly filling the other woman.

So, swallowing the last of her anger, Elsa reached out to gently place a hand on her shoulder while asking, "Are you alright?"

Kresta instinctively jerked away at her touch, however, before taking a long, deep breath. Eventually she managed to choke out, "Is he gone?"

"Yes."

"Good." Taking a shaky breath, she glanced back to offer, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Shaking her head, Elsa tired to say, "That's alright. I'm just worried about-"

Only she was cut off as Kresta muttered, "And I know I should never have included you in any of that. I just can't stand the thought of him…"

When she trailed off Elsa tried reaching out again, this time more firmly as she tried to turn her. "Kresta. Are you alright?"

She'd expected to see more fury and hate when Kresta eventually faced her, yet there was none of that. Instead her eyes were welling as she struggled to smile only for her lips to quiver back into a frown. "Of course. I-I'm fine." When her expression wouldn't cooperate she heaved a sigh while squeezing her eyes shut, the first tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm fine."

At first Elsa was at a complete loss as to what to say. During the entire time she'd been here Kresta had always been so carefree and confident so seeing her so distraught was bewildering, unsettling even as she eventually asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Some of her vexation returned as she glared at Elsa, dragging the back of her hand across her cheek. "That's the last thing I want to do. It just… hurts is all."

"What does?"

"It doesn't matter," Kresta muttered while continuing to wipe her eyes. "Ugh, I swore I'd never cry over him again."

Her words only concerned Elsa further as she refused to just drop it. "Can I at least ask what happened?"

"Ask him, since he's the one so determined to put it behind him."

"I'm not asking him. I'm asking you."

Sighing again, Kresta gave her another harsh stare while taking a hard swallow. "Why does it even matter?"

"Because." Softly yet resolutely, Elsa reached out to take Kresta's hands in hers, doing her best to appear reassuring. "You're my friend and I want to help you."

In spite of her attempts, Kresta was having none of it as she mumbled, "I don't need help, Elsa. I just… need to move on."

"Still. I may not be as good at this as Anna but if you need someone I'm here." Then something critical occurred to her and she added, "And I swear, I won't tolerate any of his future advances."

She meant it as a show of solidarity only for Kresta to slowly shake her head. "No, don't do that."

"Why on earth not?"

"Because. Whatever we may have been, it's over and I've accepted that. And I realize I may have said some things about him but that was just the heat of the moment." After a pause she glanced up, revealing ever so slightly less pain in her eyes. "It just hurts. You know?"

"Yes. Which is exactly why-"

"Stop." Not willing to hear her out, Kresta's face became stern as she stated, "This isn't just about you or me, Elsa. In spite of his many failings, Cyrus is the most eligible bachelor you're ever going to meet. You'll never find a more suitable match for a queen than him."

Thrown off by this new line of thinking, Elsa stared at her incredulously. "So?"

"So, as queen you have a responsibility to at the very least consider him," she uttered pragmatically before trying for a meek smile. "You are the responsible one, after all."

Part of her wanted to at the very least consider it, if only out of deference to the curtain of logic Kresta was trying to drape around herself, but Elsa just couldn't bring herself to do it. "Even so, I would never place him before you."

"And promise me you won't do that," she replied with a pained look. "If anything should happen, please don't use me as an excuse." When Elsa remained silent, though, her eyes sharpened as she added, "Although I will offer you a piece of advice, if you're willing."

Nodding, she didn't hesitate. "Certainly."

Kresta wasn't looking at her anymore, though. Her gaze had wandered down the hall in the direction that Cyrus had gone as she quietly said, "Cherish the ones you love. And if you truly love them then fight for them. Don't just let them go when the time comes."

Elsa's heart gave a throb as she watched the gloom creep around the edges of Kresta's face. She was clearly harboring a great deal of pain but that couldn't stop her from gently asking, "Is that what happened to you?"

Instantly Kresta's expression hardened as she blinked away the last of her tears and she fixed her with a firm stare. "Just fight for them, Elsa. And never let them go."