It had felt like forever since she listened to this song.

Her son had always requested for her to sing each time she had tucked him to bed, lulling him to sleep as her hand would brush against the auburn hair on his head, watching as his eyes grew heavier with each tone that came through her lips until he had slept soundly by the time she had reached the end of it. Sharing her Mother's lullaby, one that has been passed down throughout the Northuldra's tribe, with her own son had been one of the things that she had cherished in her life, to see how the beauty of it could have the similar effect on him as it did to both her and her younger sister when they were little.

But alas, with her son, she merely had her own voice to rely to.

Playing it on the piano was a completely different thing all together. The tunes coming from the instrument filled her ears as well as the quiet recreational room where she had confided herself in after one of the Council meetings she had attended for the day, soothing her in a way that she could not explain.

Letting her fingers moved by muscle's memory as she let her eyes shut close to let her hearing enjoy the most of it, she relished on the moment that she had shared with her Mother, one that did not involve her feeling fearful nor pressured, just the two of them sitting together in the room, basking under the warm sun. This had been a talent that she inherited from her Mother -though she would not claim to be a master at it since she had only memorized a handful of songs, taught personally by the former Queen herself, from back when she was young. Anna never had the patience, too impulsive and would not sit for hours doing the same activity over and over again.

Though, she too, had been rather impatient when she was young as well.

"I can't!" she had whined when her pinky had yet pressed another wrong key, ruining the song she was learning to play. "I will never be able to memorize this song!"

But her Mother had only smiled, gentle and knowing, as her hand came to pat her on the head. "You can, Elsa, you can and you will. All you need is to believe in yourself."

Now there she was, sitting on the bench, practically able to play the song without even the need to look at the keys if she wanted to, for she had been playing it for hundreds of times, never once grew tired or bored of it. The fact had brought a small smile to play on her lips.

It seemed that she had left the door slightly ajar, as she had sensed the approaching figure by her side despite not hearing the opening of the door that she was sure would not miss. Opening her eyes, she had tilted her head to a side, bringing the song into a gentle end as she smiled at her son's wide blue eyes staring up at her with wonder.

"Hello Wilhelm."

"Mama can play!" He exclaimed in awe, hand coming to hold onto her dress, tugging against the fabric.

Chuckling, she had move to lift him up onto the bench -not the easiest task there was since she had to twist her body around and to make sure that she was holding him properly in such position, noting how much he had grown from how heavy he was already for her. "A little, yes. What are you doing?" The boy had refused to sit by himself on the bench and opted to force himself onto her lap instead, batting her arm away from his path as she could do nothing but let him do what he pleased.

"I want to play too!" As if to emphasize his claim, his hands slammed against the ivory keys, causing a mess of discordant sounds to suddenly echo in the room, making her cringe from the assault against her ears. Though it seemed to not bother him one bit, as he had repeated the gesture at least three times before she had caught his hands in hers. "Mama, let's play!"

"And we will, we will." She promised as she contained another of her son's attempt to slam his hands against the keys. "We'll play together, alright? So, listen to Mama." Once she was sure that he had understood and listened to her, she had let go of his hands, letting them rest on his own lap as she raked her brain for something simple, for the lullaby was anything but that. "Alright," straightening her back, she had held back from pressing her hand against the small of her back in fear that Wilhelm may have his focus elsewhere then. "Press this key." Placing her finger onto one key without actually pressing against it, she had encouraged her son to follow her guide.

The young Prince had surprisingly followed suite with her every guidance, key by key, with the utmost care, and seemed to genuinely enjoyed every part of it until he had actually reached the end of the short song.

"Do you want to hear me play it?" She offered, which was greeted with his excited nod before she prepared herself to play, fingers lingering over the keys as she took a deep breath before starting, playing each tune with it's original speed and arrangement.

When she had finished, Wilhelm had clapped his hands, bringing an amused smile to grow on her lips as he bounced himself against her thighs, though it had been short-lived as he suddenly stopped, shoulders slumping, and she could just sense that something had suddenly bothered his mind. "I can't play like that, Mama."

"Of course, you can, darling." But her son had continued to sulk, lips pursed into a pout as he insisted on not being able to do what she did, and she had to adjust his sitting position until he was sitting sideways so that he could look at her as she brought his chin up. "With practice and patience, you can do anything. All you need is to believe in yourself."

Wilhelm had merely puffed his cheeks up at her before he had looked down, and she noticed how his brows had furrowed at whatever it was he was seeing as his hand reached forward, patting on her small bump that was apparently had only been highlighted when she sat down. "Mama have a tummy."

By Gods, if she had been drinking, she would have choked on it after her son's sudden comment and gesture. Yet as surprising and unexpected that it was, she knew that he had never meant harm, and displaying even the slightest annoyance would instead upset him, so she had gathered herself rather quickly as she cleared her throat. "Do I, now?" The boy had looked up then, giving her a nod in confirmation. She hadn't told Wilhelm anything about his future younger sibling, she didn't even know if he would understand much of it, in fear that he may slipped up and told everyone. "Is it bad?"

"No." He affirmed with a shake of his head. "Full tummy is a happy tummy."

"Who said that?"

"Auntie Anna."

Of course.

A dramatic gasp had made it's appearance as sudden as his first comment as the auburn-haired boy had perked up at her, eyes narrowed as he looked at her rather suspiciously, and for once she had thought that he had known more than she had thought he would be.

"You've been sneaking into the kitchen!"

Or not. Deciding to play along with her son's accusation, she had pressed her index finger against her lips, shushing him. "Don't tell anyone."

Wilhelm giggled, apparently amused by the idea of his mother sneaking into the kitchen for snacks between meal times -which actually was not completely off the mark as she had been sneaking in once or twice to relief herself from her cravings over sugary treats. Leaning down, she had inhaled a breath before blowing raspberries against his cheeks, which had only turned his giggles further into a full laughter as he desperately attempted to wrestle his way out, yet to no avail as she held him firmly in place.

The knock on the door was the only thing that had prevented her to add tickles as she turned to look at who had been their guest, finding Kai standing by the door, waiting for her with a silver tray in hand before she had gestured for him to enter. He didn't even need to say a word, for as soon as she had laid her eyes on the wax seal of the singular letter that he had brought in, she had known.

"Wilhelm, why don't you go with Kai and play in your room for a bit, alright?" Kissing the top of her son's head, she had combed her fingers through his hair before letting him to slide off her lap before she reached for the letter, thanking the steward and watching him brought the young Prince out before she had stood up from the bench.

There was a slight tremble in her hands as she made her way down the halls, seeking the privacy that her study would always offer her, though there was no need for her to be so nervous, it had only been a letter. But then again, this one was different, had been awaited from the moment she had finally sent the one letter that she had hid from prying eyes almost a week ago. And finally, she had received her answer.

Shutting the door behind her, she had wasted no time in grabbing her letter opener as she lowered herself into her seat, pulling out the letter as carefully as she could as she inhaled a deep breath, leaning back as one of her hands moved to cradle her belly, eyes moving to read the words written in black ink.

'Dear Queen Elsa of Arendelle,'

The sinking of the mattress had made her eyes fluttered.

She was well aware that her decision to keep her second pregnancy unknown to others other than her husband would mean that she would not have the same luxury of having less work and demands from the Council as she did when she was carrying Wilhelm, had to bear through hours upon hours of endless paperwork and meetings, fulfilling her role as the reigning monarch despite how exhausted she was or now uncomfortable she may be feeling.

And truly, even with the years of experience and her decision of sharing her work more equally between her, her sister, and her husband, at the end of each passing day she still felt so utterly drained.

It was not her intention to pay less attention to Wilhelm, it never was, but the amount of energy spent on her duties had meant that she had less for her son, not to mention the nausea that depleted her even further. At nights, when she read him stories before bed or even simply singing his lullaby, often it was her who had fallen asleep before the boy himself, nodding off as she was unable to fight the heaviness on her eyes, until ultimately Hans had decided to tell their son that Mama was feeling unwell lately and so he would take over in seeing him to sleep, allowing her to retire early, just until she was feeling better.

Often times she would be so deep in slumber already by the time Hans returned to their bedchamber. But not tonight.

Feeling his arm coming to wrap around her, she could feel the warmth of his chest against her back as he let out a breath, lips lingering and barely brushing against the spot just behind her ear, she could not help but move her own hand to rest on top of his, over her belly that he was holding ever so lovingly.

"What did you read for him tonight?" it was a habit of theirs, to fill each other up with whatever it was regarding their son, and since the auburn-haired Prince Consort had refused to sing, claiming that his voice was not as good as hers -which she had continuously declined but he was still adamant with, she knew he would have been reading stories from the many books Wilhelm had in his room.

"The Tales of Flynnigan Rider, it has been a favorite of his lately."

The frown on her face was unavoidable, as she had a certain knowledge that Flynnigan Rider was not exactly a character that she wanted her son to adapt to, but had not said anything about it. Instead, she had opted to sink deeper into her husband's warm embrace, sighing. "Your son calls me fat the other day," she started, after silence had passed between them. "Not expressed so blatantly, of course, and not with any ill intention. He noticed my bump."

"Oh?" Hans' thumb ran over her clothed midsection, following the curve that had appeared from their growing babe, as if to confirm of the boy's words to his own mother. "He will know the real reason, soon enough." 'Soon' was still a vague idea between the two of them, for neither knew when that 'soon' will be. "Are you certain we shouldn't tell anyone else? Anna?"

Her head shook then, as she took his hand up and away from her belly, instead bringing it close to her face, just enough for her to kiss his knuckles as their fingers intertwined. "Not yet. I still haven't felt… certain."

"The man's dead, Elsa, and we have no clear idea on where to dig deeper. You should stop torturing yourself over something that perhaps not even a problem anymore."

She had remained silent then, thankful that she had her back against him, not allowing for him to study her face, even in the dark of the night where barely anything was visible in the first place. Silence had once again fallen between them, longer this time, and Hans had not moved a muscle since that she feared he may have fallen asleep in the brief pause of their conversation.

"Darling?" his answer was a mere hum, low and quiet, hot breath against her skin, as his hold tightened just slightly. "Do you think they have anything we can snack on in the kitchens?"

The question that had come from her must have been rather unexpected for him to hear, because he had shifted behind her until she could feel how his head loomed over her once he had lifted it to better see her face. "You want snack? At this hour?"

Shoulders moving up in a shrug, she brought his hand back to rest against her belly, patting gently. "Please?" this was not their first time in being expectant parents, he knew what he had to do once she had given him that gesture.

Hans had given her a tired groan, but he moved to sit up on the bed either way, giving her enough space to roll onto her back to look at him and offered a sheepish grin his way. "And what the Queen desires to snack on at this fine hour of the night?"

"Something sweet, but not too sweet."

Again, this was not the first time this had happened. There were times where her cravings were so detailed and specific that she had overwhelmed the cooks for her odd request during her first pregnancy, but there were also times where it was so vague that even she could not tell exactly what she wanted.

"Is that all?"

Taking a moment to think over it, and determining what her tongue may have appreciated more over others, she finally nodded. Though, when Hans had barely reached the door, she had called back for him. "I don't want something overly soft, but obviously don't get me something that would break my jaws. Just enough for me to chew and have some crunch on."

It was far too dark for her to actually see and determine, but she had a feeling her husband was frowning across the room toward her. "I'll see what I can find."

When he had returned, Hans had brought in a bar of dark chocolate and nothing else. It was simple, it was sweet but not overly sweet that her teeth may hurt, it was not soft yet she would be able to bite into it with ease and still enjoyed something to munch on.

It was perfect.

He sat with her on the bed while she nibbled on the chocolate, enjoying the simplicity of it as he told him how he had rummaged through the cupboards, in the dark, trying his best not to make any noise and wake up the whole castle, all the while he had brought it upon himself to rub her feet, gentle and throughout with the most caring touch.

She… didn't deserve him. Such loving husband who would do anything in his power for her, devoted his whole life for her and for their family, what has she done to marry such perfect man like him?

"Hans,"

Perking up, she could see his green eyes peeking through his lashes as his hands paused, if only momentarily, at her call. "Yes?"

The way he looked at her, how his voice had sounded in her ears, she had reached forward and curled her fingers around the fabric of his shirt, tugging him close until she could press her lips against his. "I love you."

She could feel the smile against her lips as he chuckled, perhaps amused at the suddenness of her kiss and her words. "I love you too, Elsa." Yet the way he had said his respond had been sincere and gentle, as if he was aware -no matter how unconsciously it was, of her urge to express her feelings for him. "Now go finish that chocolate so we can go back to bed."

Rolling her eyes, she had held up the half-eaten bar as a silent offering, letting him take a rather big bite of it before she pulled it away with a scowl. She had meant to share, but not that big, though her irritation had not last long because when he had kissed her again -in his attempt to wipe away her scowl and getting out of trouble, he had tasted like chocolate.

"More?"

The falling snowflake had woken him up.

Being married for so long to a woman who was born with the ability to control ice and snow had progressively made his own body's ability to withstand the cold better with each passing day that he had spent his life with his wife, holding her close as his skin was met with her colder one. Sure, it was not as biting as ice would be -unless she willed her skin to or when her magic had gone out of control, just not as warm as anyone else's. He never minded it, he found a certain comfort in it instead, as it was the one thing that his wife had that no one else did, and he was to be the one who could enjoy it however he liked.

He had grown used to the chilling sensation whenever his skin brushed against hers in his sleep -he used to notice it and shivered but not anymore, instead it had become his way to know that she was there, by his side, safe and sound.

But this touch of ice against his nose was different, this was not skin but something small and wet. A snowflake.

His eyes fluttered when more had touched the exposed skin of his face, heavy with sleep yet he forced them to open so he could assess to the situation at hand. Elsa had her back toward him, seemingly still asleep, but he noticed the way her shoulders tensed up, how she curled into herself, legs pulled up as snowflakes sprinkled over them.

"Elsa," his hand reached forward to touch her arm, finding it to be even colder than it usually was even through the silk of her nightgown, shaking it lightly. "Elsa, wake up."

"No, please…"

He had thought that she was merely having an unpleasant dream, but the way she had breathed heavily and whimpered had suddenly brought his senses into a full alert as he sat up on the bed, noticing how her brows had furrowed deeply and how her lips trembled.

"Elsa," he tried again, louder this time, but her eyes remained tightly shut while the snowflakes had only turned into a steady rain, body tossing and turning. "Wake up."

Gripping against her arm had seemed to be a wrong move to take, as her breath hitched and mist started to appear from her clenched fists, and before he knew it her body had suddenly jerked up, still up on the bed as her hands were thrown forward as ice shot from her fingertips with a force so strong that the window burst opened, sending cold night air to harshly blew in.

Now, he was not in any state dressed to brace the cold, not with the thin shirt and pants that he wore, but his wife was clearly upset and perhaps even confused as she gasped for breath, panting as he imagined her heart must be racing, so he had pushed all thoughts of being cold as he went to gather her in his arms, feeling her hands gripping onto him and ignoring icy cold they were, his other hand cradling the back of her head.

There were no words exchanged between them as he let Elsa held onto him, clinging, while she gathered her composure, how she had taken deep breaths to calm herself down as the temperature of the bedchamber rose back into normal, though the opened window was still a slight trouble he didn't want to bring up.

"Bad dreams?" he had finally asked once he could feel her heartbeat had returned back to normal, feeling her head moved in a silent nod against his shoulder as he held her close. "Do you want to tell me?" this time she had shaken her head no, and he nodded in agreement. "No? Okay."

"Please hold me." Her murmur was low and quiet, a little muffled by the way she buried her face against his shoulder, her fingers curling around a little tighter.

"I'll be here for you, always."