"Come to Knock"

Elsa braided her white-blonde hair as she got ready for the day. There would be no visiting dignitaries, no trade agreements, and even nothing serious to discuss with her personal council. Today she planned to devote her day solely to her people and the betterment of Arendelle. She planned to sit in the throne room and allow for the people to come in as they would and air their grievances. She had been warned against this once by one of her older advisors, but she relished the closeness it gave her with her people, and the people seemed to appreciate it just as much. Especially after she had frozen the lands, she relished ways to be closer to them as their queen and allowing them into her home to listen to them proved one of the most effective ways she had found.

An urgent knock at her door interrupted her thoughts and she looked up at the door.

"Elsa," Anna said urgently, not waiting for her sister to call her in. Olaf followed with his typical smile. Elsa smiled at her sister despite the urgency in her voice. Anna often sat with her on these days and listened to and advised the people as well. She gave her sister a friendly grin and beckoned her closer as she looked in the mirror and added a dazzling ice pin to hold her braid together. "There's a ship in the harbor. The captain of the guard says they arrived this morning at dawn and dropped anchor." Elsa looked up in surprise and concern. Anna looked just as concerned but also curious. "They haven't docked. They're just sitting in the middle of the harbor."

"Do they have any flags raised?" Elsa asked.

"No. They haven't sent any boats out to the pier either. Kristoff is outside with the guards right now watching it." Anna told her. "They don't have any flags raised on their ship, nor do they have any crests on their bow."

"Do you think they're friends?" Olaf wondered.

"We don't know, Olaf," Elsa said gently, "But we aren't scheduled to have any visitors." She walked over to her window to look out at the fjord and she could indeed see the ship, and to her frustration, the lack of ornamental flag and crest it bore. She looked the ship up and down trying to find some indication of where it could have come from or to whom it could belong. She looked for indications of warfare or peace, but found none. "Do we have any clues as to who it could be?"

"We don't. I told Kristoff to go down with the Royal Guard to get ready while I came to get you." Anna told her sister and watched as Elsa straightened herself regally.

"Good job, Anna," Elsa said. "You stay inside. I'm going outside to greet our new visitors." She drew in a deep breath and then swiftly began walking out of her room with Anna bobbing around her like a goldfish.

"Wait, what – Elsa, that's not fair! I told you about them being here!" Anna protested loudly. "I want to know who they are too! I deserve to be there!" She slung all her sentences out at top speed while trying to keep up with Elsa's brisk pace and ended up huffing and puffing. Olaf ran behind.

"No," Elsa said firmly, but gently, "I need you to be safe. Stay here with a guard in case there's a problem. One of us needs here to run the castle if the worst should happen." Elsa stopped and looked at her sister with love in her eyes. "As queen I need to be the one to greet whoever is out there, so I need you here."

"Elsa, I – " Anna tried. Olaf looked back and forth between the two sisters.

"No." Elsa repeated. "Anna, I understand you want to go, but I need to be there to greet whomever this is as the Queen of Arendelle." Elsa reiterated. "If there's any danger I don't want you to be there too. There's no sense in both of us getting hurt," Elsa spoke reasonably. She stopped abruptly and hugged her younger sister. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, Anna. I love you," Elsa said. Olaf hugged their legs gently.

"I love you, too. I don't want anything happening to you either, Elsa." Anna responded to her sister with worry and she hugged her back. All too soon Elsa pulled away from the hug.

"Be ready for anything, Anna," Elsa said and she turned to leave the castle.