Thank you KJAX for the review and thank you all those who have followed and favourited the story. Everyone else... c'mon don't be shy would love to hear what you guys think.

O

She had honestly thought that going from one crowded area, to another more crowded area would elicit feelings of panic or dread ... and oh god what if she slipped up? But surprisingly, the new queen felt quite alright. Even a little excited to be there.

Maybe it was the music playing… or even the smell of food that calmed her? This may have come as a shock to many but ... Elsa did genuinely enjoy the company of others. Maybe on her own terms or at for short times but ... she did appreciate it. Oh Elsa knew the rumours. Had heard the servants whispers. What her subjects and even her own sister thought of her. That she was the "ice queen." Cold and aloof. Removed. She... she hated that moniker... Sometimes she wondered if she hadn't had the misfortune of being cursed ... if she had been allowed to just be normal like any other girl - even any other princess - how others would have perceived her. How different she could have been. Perhaps more outgoing like Anna or confident like Mamma or strong like Papa ... How... warm...her life would be. Just like this. Elsa LIKED this. The sight of her guests enjoying themselves, the singing, and the dancing. Even the somewhat silly formal royal business had it's fun side. Meeting all these new people. Other royals like herself.

Elsa tried to soak up the festivities the best she could, always watching from the sidelines, nodding politely at her subjects as they clapped at her arrival. It almost made her forget about what was happening to her ... almost.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle!" she heard Kai announce and Elsa tried not to laugh as Anna rushed into the hall all clumsy like, waving timidly at the guests. She did allow herself an uncharacteristic smile as her sister took her place beside her although she did note Anna's discomfort as Kai ushered the both of them closer to each other.

"Here? Are you sure I should - Uhm, okay." and Elsa bit her lip a little in discomfort. She really didn't mean to yell at Anna earlier.

The queen waited for the crowd's applause to die down before sneaking a glance at her younger sister. Who she could also tell was doing the same. Elsa clenched her first, she really wanted Anna to enjoy tonight. She knew how starved for ... well normalcy the always gregarious red head was.

"Hi." she said gently.

There was a look of surprise from Anna who's eyes lit up upon seeing her sister speaking to her. "Hi me?" she asked to which Elsa nodded with a small smile, one that Anna returned tenfold. "Oh… um... Yes! Hi!"

They were quiet again, both of them unsure how to continue. Until Elsa decided to go with the truth.

"You look beautiful."

Anna smiled with mild embarrassment, this warm feeling in her gut upon hearing her sister pay her a compliment. Elsa thought she was beautiful? Perfectly poised, ethereal, not a hair out of plac thought she was beautiful.

"Thank you! AND you look beautiful-er." but she quickly tried to correct herself when she caught Elsa's look of panic, those gloved hands subtly running to the back of her neck.

"I MEAN not FULLER, not that there's anything wrong with that. I just meant like MORE beautiful, you look more beautiful." and Anna laughed nervously at her own blunder but thankfully Elsa didn't seem insulted, the blonde now laughing a little herself.

"Thank you."

There was another bout of silence between the two. Elsa unsure if she should reach for another compliment to keep the conversation going and Anna unsure if speaking too much would annoy Elsa. I mean ... a LOT of things seemed to annoy Elsa. But she had started talking to her ... that had to be a good thing right?

They settled for just soaking up the atmosphere together, watching the guests dancing… Laughing… Just enjoying themselves.

"So... this is what a party looks like."and Anna felt like that was directed to her so she struggled to add something. Talking was always easy for Anna right up until 'small talk.' She hated small talk ... she never knew what to say ...Why would anyone need to warm up for talking? Like just talk! Oh right Elsa was looking at her ... she had to say something!

"It's warmer than I thought." and the redhead cringed a little at her response, chastising herself but thankfully Elsa was only smiling brightly

"And what is that amazing smell?"

They both closed their eyes and inhaled deeply, savouring that sweet, delicious smell...

"Chocolate!" they said in unison before bursting into laughter. Their first real one together in ... well years Elsa noted. She wished things didn't have to be this way… She wanted this to last.

"Anna-"

"Your Majesty." and the queen straightened up as Kai introduced their guest

"The Duke of Weaseltown."

"Weselton! The Duke of Weselton your majesty..." and Elsa gave a reserved tilt of her head to the small scrawny bird of a man. He had offered her a dance and instinctively, she declined. Doing the very older sibling thing of… well offering Anna up in her place.

"Wait what?" and Elsa gave an apologetic wave as her sister was unceremoniously dragged into the crowd. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry…"

O

It was a little while later before Anna was able to make her escape, stumbling back to Elsa, clearly out of breath and maybe a little sore. The duke still behind her, offering to go another round… Elsa tried to bite back her laughter as Anna tactfully used her as a makeshift barricade .

"Well, he was sprightly." she tried to comment tactfully, he was their biggest partner in trade after all.

"No kidding! Especially for a man in heels."

There was another bout of contained laughter from the two royals and for a second, Elsa nearly placed her hand on Anna's shoulder for support but only barely managed to stop herself in time, that gloved hand subtly returning to the safe confines of her cloak.

"Are you okay?" she asked instead, trying to project comfort while Anna just beamed back. Not really used to- or even believing that Elsa was lavishing all this attention on her...

"I've never been better," the red head admitted and deciding to push her luck… she continued bravely. "This is so nice. You and I talking, the gates being wide open… I wish it could be like this all the time. "

"Me too..." Elsa replied immediately, almost instinctively… God she wanted nothing more than to freeze this very moment but- the queen caught sight of that bit of light blue peeking from beneath her glove and she hesitated.

"But it can't." that came out harsher then Elsa had wanted, but she had intended it to be more of a wake up call to herself. To remind herself that...as much as she wanted it to stay like this… she couldn't have it… She could never have it.

Her sister's abject objection wasn't lost on her though…

"But why not?" the red head almost demanded

"I mean maybe if we-" and Elsa forcibly recoiled from Anna as she reached out, quickly turning her back to her, arms raised, her tone coming out way more hostile then she had intended.

"It just can't ". And Elsa winced as the shuddering sensation overwhelmed her for a moment, she hunched over trying to control her breathing…. With all the people around her, it suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on her… Reeling in her shuddering breaths... she glanced down to check her reflection on the polished floors… terrified that they might reveal some new unwanted change. Mercifully nothing seemed amiss but by the time she straightened up, Anna was already walking away from her.

"I need to be excused for a minute." and Elsa noted how… hurt her sister sounded and in that moment, Elsa wanted nothing more then to just go after her, take Anna's hand in her own and apologise. Apologise for everything… why things had to be like this… why she had to be this way… how sorry she was that Anna got stuck with her as a sister. But the blonde could already feel the cold gathering in her clenched fist and with a pained look, settled for just watching her sister disappear into the crowd.

I'm sorry.

O

It wasn't hard to keep an eye on the vulnerable princess, I mean gorgeous red hair aside and so much like his. He just had to mention it… How could anyone not look at them and just think… well matching pair. They were made for each other. Physically at least. Psychologically well... He was still working it out. She had such .. well he'll call it a charming presence for now… and so far this had just been way too easy. Like, he was honestly a little disappointed, he liked challenges. But Anna, when she wore her heart on her sleeve like that there really wasn't much for him to decipher or scheme his way through . Almost made him paranoid that this was an act. Well... the ball was offering him the perfect chance to get to know her better. A man had to protect himself after all. He laughed a little, if this wasn't an act, her naïveté and vulnerability was refreshing to say the least, at least compared to the people he grew up with. And ok he had to admit, it was throwing him for a loop how he was going to… present the question but oh Anna… Poor Anna... so starved of love... She'd lick up any scrap of affection thrown at her… and oh, he certainly couldn't short credit the queen for her contribution here. Elsa practically did his work for him. He scoffed.

"Well don't worry Anna, when we're together you'd never have to worry about being alone or ignored… "but first, he had to have his fun. He quickly tailed her as she cut through the crowd , standing adjacent to her, reaching out to grab her as she was knocked over. Like he said before, too easy.

"Glad I caught you..."

"Hans!"

He smiled, hearing his name being called like that was a welcome change of pace, and he didn't waste a beat, smoothly leading her into a waltz.

He had thought at first he'd have to fight off any other potential suitors but he was pleasantly surprised that there was no need. Anna clearly liked attention, singular attention directed at her. So much so, that she practically fought for him to remain by her side. This was probably a symptom of some inferiority complex he concluded. Definitely in relation to her older sister. Ok might be a pain a little later on but for now it was useful to the cause so okay, he'll bite. He'll sit through juvenile conversations about ice creams or falling off bridges, play his part as the avid listener charmed by her stories of... frankly mundane shenanigans around the castle. All this gave him time to admire her. Really admire her like a work of art. He adored her sun kissed skin, the freckles that smiled back at him. Could lose a little weight though... but for now he could overlook it. She was pretty after all but then again... Elsa was beautiful... and for the briefest of seconds, he wondered about switching targets. No, he could work with this, he was in for the long term game after all.

Candidly the worst thing about Anna was that she liked doing childish things, how else... could he possibly explain why he was inexplicably joining in on clambering across the castle roof, dancing along with her on the top of the clock tower. But that's when it struck him. He got it now. Anna liked to be seen, she liked to be heard, she did these things because she was a textbook example of someone who had been neglected by the people around her… If he just showered her with affection, she'd grow out of it so ok, not a major roadblock. But by far his favorite thing about her… She was cute when she apologised, and she apologises a lot, like she was ashamed sometimes, of the things she said. Too insecure to really assert herself. Oh god She was perfect. He had to say it now.

"Can I say something crazy?" and he quickly went down on one knee.

"Would you marry me?"

There was a sharp intake of breath.

"Can I say something crazier? Y E S!"

O

Elsa had managed to get through the later part of the night by immersing herself in the banal and mundane acts of well.. Her new queenly duties. While no twenty one year old would be thrilled with the thought of discussing trade relations or policies on the night of their coronation… Elsa relished in it. It was something familiar to her at least, something she knew would keep her emotions at bay.

"ELSA!" and the blonde turned, smiling a little as she saw Anna push her way through the crowd… wait with some man behind her? Something nearly forced its way out of her throat but Elsa managed to push it back down just as Anna remembered who she was talking to, the latter curtsying rather awkwardly.

"I mean QUEEN!" she corrected. "Me again. Um." She gestured to the man at her side and Elsa narrowed her eyes. "May I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."and that's when he bowed to Elsa. "Your Majesty." he swooned.

Elsa genuinely didn't like putting on her icy cold facade but it actually came very naturally this time around, and she afforded this Hans... a very reserved tilt of the head.

"Pleasure, and what may I do for you?"

"WELL-" Anna cut in… and Elsa tried to keep up as they started talking over one another.

"We would like-"

"Your blessing of-"

"OUR MARRIAGE."

It was like time genuinely stopped for a moment.

Elsa visibly blinked in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and worse, that prickling sensation was making itself known again and the queen took a deep breath.

"Not now!" she begged and through the effort of sheer willpower tried to keep the changes at bay… At least until she had sorted out this... THIS MESS

"M-Marriage?!" she shuddered out, barely able to form the word.

"Yes!"Anna and her suitor exclaimed excitedly. Elsa narrowed her eyes at him, she didn't know if it was her mood, the stress of what was happening to her, but something about him just seemed *off*... like his demeanour was... too calculated somehow…. Or for someone claiming to be so in love... how his smile never quite reached his eyes ...

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm a little confused." she tried to say as evenly as possible hoping that Anna could take a hint… but of course her sister didn't.

"Well, we haven't worked out all the details ourselves," she explained, rather excitedly. "We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course we'll have soup, roast, and ice cream and then-Wait. Would we live here?"

"Here?!" and if anyone was looking closely at the queen, they'd notice the blue marks starting to creep out from under her collar and up her neck, but Elsa had felt it fast enough to adjust her collar quickly only to forget it a moment later when the suitor, Hans smiled back down at her sister .

"Absolutely!"

"Oh, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us!"

Elsa heard something inside her audibly "crack" and a painful pulling sensation but ignored it, waving her hands trying to stop the two.

"Anna WAIT." and something about Elsa's tone got the younger to stop.

"May I talk to you, please? Alone? ' and Anna noted how Elsa, the queen.. was almost begging her.

"O-of course." noting Han's worried glanced, the red head quickly turned back to him. "I'm sure its fine! Elsa just gets really nervous. Y'know her, yessh. JUST wait here!" and Anna quickly followed her sister into a more discreet corner of the room.

Meanwhile, Elsa was trying to keep what felt like a whirlwind of panic at bay, and as if things weren't hard enough, she was starting to develop a splitting headache.

"What were you thinking?! How long have you known this man?" she hissed out as her sister rounded the corner, the latter taking a step back, clearly insulted.

"His name happens to be Prince Hans of the southern isles and I've known him for almost 10 hours now, thank you very much." Anna said matter of factly while Elsa groaned. Not just from the situation but… it felt like her body was splitting in half, something deep inside her withering painfully. Everything all at once felt too hot, too cold, her attire constricting and yet it also felt like it would tear away at any minute…. She had to find a way to end this quickly.

"Anna…" and she really tried to keep her tone even. "You've just met this man today."

"I know! Isn't true love just amazing Elsa?" and the blonde felt another violent ripple tear through her… and as she reached up to subtly wipe the cold sweat off her forehead, she was horrified to find what appeared to be two burgeoning points on her head, and blood on her gloves. Luckily Anna didn't seem to notice, still swooning over this Hans…

"Anna, ANNA." and for a moment, Elsa nearly reached over to grab her sister's wrists, only barely stopping herself in time.

"You can't marry a man you just met." she said solemnly.

The red head frowned at her and Elsa noted with some dread that this was the first time that her sister ever truly looked angry at her.

"You can if it's true love."

And Elsa violently shook her head with dismay. "Listen to me, that man, you don't know him, he doesn't- he can't possibly-'' and the blonde tried to work through the searing pain to properly convey to her sister what she was trying to say.

"You don't have to force yourself to want this Anna. I love you."

There was a pause.

"I don't… I don't believe you." and the red head's usual bubbly tone was quiet, sombre. Meanwhile, Elsa felt like she had just been struck by one of her own ice blasts.

"You don't belive- Anna what do you mean you don't-"

"Oh you LOVE me Elsa? I came in to borrow a pair of shoes from you today and you yelled at me for trying to hold your hand! I just wanted to make you feel better!"

"I-" and the blonde staggered back, the pain in her chest catching up with the rest of her body.

"Or how about just any day… Where you won't talk to me, or even look at me?" I Just don't understand- What did I ever do to you? Even as kids, you shut me out! You shut mama and papa out!" and the red head gritted her teeth.

" I had to bury them alone Elsa."

Elsa's eyes widened. That hurt her more than she could ever admit.

You don't understand…

"I want to live my life, really live it. I want to go out, explore and see the world! Not waste away behind these walls reading books and sorting taxes like y-." and Anna finally seemed to catch herself. She looked at her sister, the queen, pale, hunched over, taking shuddering breaths, gloved hand over her chest and with a deep breath, tried to rein in her anger.

"I'm sorry, that was out of turn." More shuddering breaths and Anna bit her lip.

" Elsa, I didn't mean that. I just… I just can't live like this anymore." More silence, the queen shook, arms around herself as if physically trying to hold herself together before suddenly straightening up. Her next few words shaking Anna to the core.
"Then leave."

The hurt on Anna's face was almost too much to bear and Elsa knew she really shouldn't have said what she had just said... She didn't mean it… But she also knew that party was silent now, all attention focused on the two of them and if she didn't make her exit now, she was actually ..going to physically fall apart.

"The party's over close the gates." she hissed to one of the guards, almost stumbling over to the doors and as Elsa went, she could see the blood trickling down from her forehead onto the ground and quickly, she tried to step over where the blood has fallen but to her horror, she could also see her shoes tearing at the seams as they struggled to contain her visibly growing feet.

"Calm yourself… control yourself…" she tried chanting herself, closing her eyes to try and distance herself from everything that was going on around her .
"Calm yourself-"

"ELSA!" and the shock from being touched finally caused the blonde to snap.

GET AWAY FROM ME!" and Elsa felt like something in her exploded outward, a horrible tearing sensation, like her muscles had shrunk forcefully and then violently twisted outwards, forced themselves out of her, gnarling every which way, tearing through her soft flesh, Elsa screamed, the sensation violently overwhelming her and forcing her to her knees and when her vision cleared, she hadn't even noticed the wall of ice she had summoned, erected menacingly towards her guests and subjects encasing her and just Anna, closing them off from everybody. For a second, Anna could only just… well stare… because… because there was just no way...

"I don't believe it…." she whispered.

Ok reviews and questions will be greatly appreciated. Stay safe out there. :)