I knowwwww it's been a while! Not abandoned in any fashion, I'm dealing with post-covid symptoms and I'm generally wiped out all the time. Doing my best, I promise! And your patience is very much appreciated.

So leaving it on that ending was entirely unintentional. Let's get back to it!

-IEA-

Elsa felt as though she was positively buzzing with emotions, quickly braiding her hair and heading to her quarters after she'd given her mother enough time to leave alone. Her lips still tingled, warm with the heat of her mother's soft sighs against them. Thankfully, she saw no visitors, and staff knew better than to disturb Elsa of an evening unless it was urgent or she was obviously looking for someone.

She let out a sigh of relief when safely ensconced behind her bedroom door, and a very familiar red head poked out from the bathroom door. Anna beamed at the sight of her, and assured Elsa she would be out soon. Elsa placed her crown down carefully on its special cushion, and waited for Anna to come back out.

"You need help?"

"I would love that, but as it took at least three women to get this on, I'd have trouble explaining how I took it off."

"Shall I go fetch the ladies?"

Elsa shook her head, and made sure she'd locked the door before she sat on the edge of the bed, bemoaning the heavy fabric of her dress as she shifted it around. She longed for the natural flow of her icy magic, but it wasn't for long. A pat on the space next to her had Anna sitting next to her, features showing Anna's curiosity clearly.

"What's up?"

Iduna had pled for time alone, to sort through her mind and try to understand how she felt after what happened. Elsa granted her mother that much happily, but there was never any doubt she was going to tell Anna. Not that Elsa was certain there were words to convey it all, the pounding in her chest or that moment of panic when Iduna froze up, long enough for Elsa to doubt she had made the right choice before her mother's lips moved against hers at last. So she opted for truth and simplicity.

"Mother kissed me. Well. I kissed her. But she allowed me to, and then she kissed me back."

Anna's eyes widened, her mouth falling open. Elsa quickly placed a hand over Anna's mouth, just in time to quiet her as a much-too-loud "WHAT?" came out. Thankfully, Elsa had reacted in time, and Anna collected herself enough to lower her voice when Elsa lowered her hand.

"You... she... wow. That happened? Or are you tricking me?"

"Anna, why would I make this up? If you went to mother and asked her, she'd be very upset and confused."

Anna's lower lip stuck out as she thought about it, then hummed and nodded to herself.

"That is a very good point. Okay, so that happened. Now I don't know what to say! When am I ever lost for words?"

Elsa smiled to herself; even 'lost for words', Anna chattered away. She was delightfully unique.

"How about I give you some time to think it over, while I get undressed for the night?"

"That's probably a good idea. You do look beautiful, but I think I'm almost as used to your magic clothes as you are."

Anna left after stealing a few kisses from Elsa, and promised to send along assistance to free Elsa from the confines of heavy fabric. It left Elsa alone with her own thoughts for a moment, unable to help but compare the sensations inspired by mother and sister separately. Anna's kisses were knowing, practiced, hungry. Iduna had been nervous, tentative without being hesitant. And Elsa knew she hadn't kissed anybody since the death of their father several years earlier, and likely never another woman - let alone a daughter, like that - so it was little wonder her mother had needed her own time alone.

Both were much warmer than Elsa, and after so long with Anna, Elsa couldn't deny she was a little bit addicted to the feeling of heat against her lips. Her musings were interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by someone speaking through it.

"Queen Elsa? Princess Anna sent us."

Elsa counted her blessings from the gods that her staff didn't question the fact Anna was the one to have seen Elsa first. She knew that they knew... which then raised new questions for Elsa. If their mother did... become involved, somehow, it seemed unlikely that the staff of the castle would fail to notice, eventually. Though that depended how that involvement manifested... She pushed the thoughts aside, able to compartmentalise after so many years suppressing her feelings and her powers. She was glad she no longer had to do that, but the practice certainly came in handy.

"Come in."

Anna knew better than to leave bruises and marks on her body in the days before special events, because Elsa would be seen in very little by several others, and while she credited them with intelligence, Elsa wasn't stupid enough to flaunt it. After all, the romantic life of the Queen was juicy gossip for most of the kingdom, and her public lack of one only fuelled rumours and speculation. The lack of available facts didn't stop people talking. It just meant they had to make it up for themselves.

Elsa stood as they fussed around her, and stifled a sigh of relief when the heavy dress finally came off. Make-up was wiped carefully from her face, and her hair brushed through until it was soft and loose down her back. Elsa basked in the easy, natural comfort of her magic as her nightdress sat against her skin, smooth and cool as freshly fallen snow.

"Thank you."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Is there anything else you need?"

Elsa shook her head and dismissed them, and took a minute to stretch out on her bed with a long, drawn out sigh of relief. A few bones in her back and shoulder popped, leaving her sinking in to the bed when her body finally relaxed. It wasn't much longer before there was another knock at the door, and Elsa opened it to find both Anna and a night maid, who had arrived with hot cocoa for the two sisters. Elsa invited Anna in, and once their mugs were carefully placed on the bedside table, the two were left alone with their steaming drinks. Anna hopped up to quietly lock the door, then turned back toward Elsa.

"Better?"

Anna asked, and Elsa nodded.

"Much."

Anna's answering smile was lovely, as was the feeling of Anna wrapping her arms around Elsa and squeezing her gently. They shared the embrace in silence for a moment, before Anna pulled back so she could nuzzle playfully at Elsa's cheek. The tender contact brought a fierce warmth to Elsa's chest, and she was all but overwhelmed with how much she loved Anna. As they got more comfortable on the bed, Elsa wondered perhaps for the first time if she was even capable of having such strong feelings for another. She and Anna had confessed mutual attraction, and of course they loved Iduna as their mother (although Elsa was not as close with the previous Queen before her presumed death, due to her adolescent isolation). But the relationship between Anna and Elsa was so much deeper, and there were so many more feelings...

Anna shivered, looking up at Elsa with a frown.

"Are you okay? It just got cold in here."

Elsa hadn't realised, and did her best to reign in the magic until Anna's exhales were no longer visible.

"I apologise. Here, drink up."

She handed Anna her hot drink, which her sister took once she'd sat up properly.

"So what made you bring in a chill?"

Anna asked between sips of steaming cocoa. Elsa ran a hand through her hair, trying to choose her words.

"I suppose I was just thinking about how much I love you. Which was a happy thought, I assure you" though she felt Anna had no reason to be insecure, Elsa still liked to make sure she offered her lover some reassurances now and then "but then I was thinking of mother, and part of me wondered if I'm even going to be able to feel as strongly for her as I do for you."

Her sister was silent for a minute, chewing on Elsa's words before she turned to place her mug down.

"I hadn't thought about that, but then... I always loved you, but not like this. Feelings change. Love... love grows. I have more love now than I ever expected to fit in my heart when I was younger, and it's all different kinds. For you, for Kristoff, for Olaf, and for Sven. I still love father, even though he's not here. So even if you don't feel that way now, that doesn't mean you won't, and it definitely doesn't mean you can't. You have such an amazing heart Elsa. I'm not worried at all. You've got more than enough love for both of us."

Anna's faith in her made a lump form in Elsa's throat; after so many years alone, it still shocked her how much the ice around her heart had thawed. The warmth and love that radiated from Anna was obviously infectious. Elsa burrowed her head in Anna's neck, and her sister stroked her hair to soothe until Elsa got a hold of herself. There were a few snowflakes in the room, but love was the magic that thawed, so Elsa feeling so full of love kept away any blizzards.

"You're so wonderful."

Elsa eventually murmured, and Anna let out a little giggle before leaning down to kiss her hair.

"You are also wonderful. And beautiful. And your hair is so soft!"

Anna ran her fingers through Elsa's hair as though to punctuate it, and Elsa hummed as her scalp tingled lightly in response.

"Want to just have our hot drinks and then go to sleep? You've had a long day!"

Incredibly grateful for the suggestion, Elsa agreed. Anna drank her own and most of Elsa's mug, giggling at the sloshing sound her belly made afterwards. It was impossible not to be charmed by Anna's silliness, and though she felt like the night had been something of an emotional rollercoaster already, Elsa snuggled beneath her covers with a smile and a face full of red hair.

Elsa woke feeling fairly well rested, but even with Anna snoring lightly on top of her, her mind was soon on the events of the previous night. As sweet and amusing as Anna looked when, it was another day with another dress Elsa needed to be helped in to, so she reluctantly raised a hand to give Anna a shake. She got a whining grunt in response, which made her laugh. Another couple of shakes eventually roused Anna enough to let Elsa extricate herself, and she left Anna flopped in the middle of the bed with a fond smile for the moment.

"Heyyyy. Where'd you go?"

"I have to get up, we still have visitors in the castle."

"Grrrr."

It was heartening to see that no matter what else was going on, Anna was as predictably grizzly in the morning as ever. She perked up soon enough, as her infectious energy began to make itself known.

"I better go get ready. I don't even have to get redressed this morning."

"Which is a shame."

Elsa joked, and Anna giggled.

"I promise to get undressed for you later. Right, I'm leaving! Just as soon as I can get out of these blankets."

Finally freeing herself, Anna patted down her hair a little before she headed out, leaving Elsa by herself to wait for the morning routines to begin. She stretched and washed herself before the staff arrived, then grit her teeth and let them dress her up for the day. Her mind soon returned to thinking about Iduna, and she was unable to help but ask after her.

"Is my mother awake for the day yet?"

"I did hear one of the other lady's saying they had been called to help her dress, Your Majesty."

Elsa nodded, then heard a tsk from Alice who was trying to fix her hair. By the time she was fully made-up, Elsa was glad to have a moment alone again before she headed out. She heard the somewhat muted sounds of breakfast, many not fully awakened before they had consumed their first meal of the day. As she walked in, Elsa's heart fluttered in her chest when she laid eyes on Iduna, already seated near Elsa's empty chair.

As she got closer, Elsa spotted the necklace her mother had donned, the one Elsa had made for her. The sight bolstered her slightly; at least she wasn't too upset with Elsa to wear that. It was small, but a positive sign nonetheless. She stood when Elsa neared, and took her hand whilst bidding Elsa good morning. Though it was such a tame, chaste gesture, Elsa still felt a flutter when her mother stretched up to press a kiss to her cheek, lips searing hot on Elsa's cool cheek. She had to fight to keep a flush from rising as she remembered the night before, and hoped nobody was watching them too closely.

Elsa took her seat, and sipped at some fruit juice whilst keeping an eye on the door. She couldn't suppress a smile when Anna's familiar red hair appeared, and the princess took in the sight of her sister and her mother sat together. Teal eyes flicked between them, but now was not the time, and so Anna continued to make her way over. Elsa felt the tension in Iduna that suggested she was well aware Elsa would have told Anna about what happened in the library, and there was little she could say to reassure her without being a little too unsubtle.

But when Anna sat down and gave them both a beaming smile, Elsa glanced over and saw their mother's shoulders relax.

"Happy holidays! What holiday is it again?"

A rather cheery snowman shattered the fairly quiet breakfast mood, swiftly followed by a stocky mountain man.

"Olaf! We've talked about you shouting in the mornings! C'mon!"

Kristoff gave a wave with the hand not holding Olaf over his shoulder, then disappeared with Olaf waving over his shoulder. Elsa raised a hand to her forehead, shaking her head with a laugh. When she looked across, even Iduna was laughing. It absolutely lit up her face, and Elsa felt a familiar warmth spread in her chest. Anna had been right.

There was always more room in her heart.

-IEA-

I hope you enjoyed this! No promises about when the next update will be, but I appreciate everybody who's stuck out the wait thus far.