My dearest, darling Anna,

How I long to see you again! I was a fool to leave you behind. I dream of us dancing together in the moonlight, my shining pearl. The stars could not compare to the light in your eyes!

I was mad. I was overwhelmed.

Your sister! If she had only given us her blessing! My madness might never have found purchase.

I never planned to do any harm to you, my beautiful darling! I brought your sister down the mountain alive, hoping to reunite you. She ran, my love, she ran!

I should have kissed you. Would that I had! I was afraid – afraid that my kiss would not free you. How I loved you! But you were so young, so naïve. Perhaps your love was not true enough. I feared, sweetness, I feared to fail! It was that helplessness that drove my wretched behavior!

You and I were both left behind as children. Our families put us aside, left us alone, gave us life and little else. The joy of finding one who understood, my sweetest darling! To laugh, to dance, to talk into the night to a kindred soul! Rapture!

It is my fervent hope to make you a good husband when our engagement is fulfilled. I know your sister will approve when she sees that my own father looks forward to our union.

Join me, my dearest, darling angel! You will bring to the Southern Isles a grace and charm to make the people love you. You need never be alone again!

I wish you would write to me. My heart longs for your words!

With the greatest love known under Heaven,

Prince Hans Westergaard

"The man is nuts.

"Yes, Kristoff, I think we already knew that," sighed Elsa.

Anna sat on the couch with her knees drawn up to her chest. Though the library was warm she hunched as if there was a chill. Elsa had to check that she, herself, wasn't actually causing it.

Kristoff sat next to Anna, one hand rested on her back. "Why would he send it to the Queen and not to you?" he asked softly. "How many times has he written to you."

"It's the first one," said Elsa.

"No, I don't think it is." Kristoff met Elsa's eyes. "I wish you would write to me," he said. "That sounds like he has already been waiting for her to write. If he sent the letter to you, he must not have gotten the response he wanted from Anna. He would have written that nonsense to her first." He looked at Anna who remained hunched over staring at the floor. "I know if I loved someone, I would want to talk to her directly."

Elsa was thoughtful. "Anna?" She knelt before Anna, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Has he written before?" Anna gave a tight nod.

Kristoff huffed. The pounding of his heart nearly drowned out Anna's soft whisper. "I'm sorry."

"How many letters?" Elsa pressed.

"Three."

"Did they say the same thing?"

"I don't know." Anna took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I burned them without opening them." She gave a weak chuckle. "I burned them in here so...I don't know, like...like he was keeping me warm. I figured, maybe, he owed me that much." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kristoff. I should have told you. I thought maybe it would just...go away."

The only response was Kristoff's hand making slow circles on Anna's back. Hesitantly Anna rested her head on Kristoff's shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and she finally released some of the tension holding her body stiff.

"Are you mad, Elsa? I guess I should have told you both."

"Anna, you did nothing wrong." The queen ran a gentle hand over her sister's red hair. "That man is a lunatic."

"Not to mention a liar and a murderer."

"Thank you, Kristoff!" Elsa stood up and rubbed and hand over her face in frustration. "That is not helpful."

"Sorry."

"I know. Me, too. This is just an impossible situation."

"How do you mean?" Kristoff asked. Incredulous. "Just keep burning that trash. That's the situation."

"No, it isn't. This last note was delivered directly to me under the seal of the king of the Southern Isles. That makes it official business. I need to respond to it."

"And tell him to die painfully pulled apart by reindeer." A soft shudder from Anna cut off anything else he might have said. Instead he put both arms around the princess and kissed the top of her head. He looked at the queen. "So what do we do?"

"Well, I have to write to the king. I need to find out if any of this nonsense about him approving a marriage is true. I have serious doubts, of course, but I have to make the inquiry."

"What can I do?" Anna's asked softly.

"Nothing," Kristoff replied curtly.

Elsa shot him an angry glance. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "Actually, Anna, though rather rough in his delivery, Kristoff is right. You need to do nothing. If you receive any more letters you can give them to me. I'll handle it." She bent to place a kiss on Anna's cheek. "You should get some rest. Don't worry about this anymore. I'm not mad. Neither is Kristoff." She gave the ice harvester a pointed look.

"What? I was never mad at Anna. Jerky-Boy, on the other hand..." He stopped when he felt the air around him cool. "Uh, right. It's good. All good. Nothing to worry about."

As Elsa swept out of the room the temperature rose.

Kristoff sighed. "Anna?" he spoke softly. He gently pulled her chin up so she met his eyes. "It's going to be okay."

"I should have told you."

"Yeah. But...uh, yeah. Like Elsa said. It's a tough situation." He sighed again. "Is that why you don't want to talk about marriage?" She nodded and rested her head against his chest. "I get it, I think. I love you. Always, so...no hurry about it. You take as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere."

A pair of beautiful blue eyes, nearly turquoise in the firelight, looked up at him. "I love you, too."

"I'll kill that man if shows up here," Kristoff said through gritted teeth.

"I get that right." Elsa answered.

"Says who?"

"Her sister and queen."

Kristoff thought for a moment. "I'll hold him still for you? Anna gets first punch."

"Deal."

The queen sighed deeply. "I have to tell Anna. Somehow."

"When are they due?"

"Two weeks. They weren't invited. They choose to inform me that they were coming."

"Can't you just refuse to see them?"

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not really. We hadn't broken ties with the Southern Isles. We were assured after he was extradited that Hans would be sufficiently punished." She sighed again. "I wonder if Weselton had anything to do with this. They still trade with the Southern Isles. Not allies, exactly but trade partners as we were."

"Elsa...?"

"Please, Kristoff, just...just be here when I talk to Anna."

"No!"

"Anna, please!"

"No! You refused the marriage. He tried to KILL ME! AND YOU!" Anna shrugged out of the hold Kristoff had on her shoulders.

"We'll be sure to mention that."

"Elsa!"

"Anna, please. This is some sort of political tactic. They want something. I don't know what but I'm sure we'll find out in two weeks. We just need to wait it out."

Elsa crossed her arms over her stomach. Anna stood with her fists on her hips.

Elsa pushed a document to the edge of her desk and lay a pen over it. "Kristoff, sign this."

"What am I signing?"

"It's an official declaration of courtship. It's usual for political marriages – declaring intent to unite countries or counties or kingdoms or some manner of separation that people want to merge using their children as bargaining chips." Elsa tapped the page. "I've seen and refused many of them on behalf of myself and Anna."

"Wait, what?"

"Anna, this can hardly be a surprise to you."

"Well it is! People want to marry me? People send you letters asking to marry me so they can unite their whatever it is?"

"Yes."

"And you said no?"

"Papa said they started asking after us before we were born."

"Wait, what?"

Kristoff signed the document in order to avoid the conversation. Elsa pushed another paper in front of him.

"Sign this, too."

Kristoff signed. "Wait, what did I sign?"

Elsa smiled. "Congratulations, you are now a baron."

Two voices cries, "Wait, what?"

"You are now part of the nobility, capable and worthy of courting a princess. While it may be seen as a weak political move for Arendelle it is a fortuitous connection for you. Congratulations. Oh, and I'm granting you land."

Kristoff stood with his jaw open. He swallowed. "Um...what?"

"You're giving him land? Wow! Where is it? Is he a landlord? Are there farmers? Can we go there today?"

"Yes, North Mountain, no, no, and no."

Anna's eyes opened wide. "North mountain?"

"Yes. You'll love it. It's constantly covered in ice and snow. There's even a beautiful palace there."

Anna squealed in delight.

"Um, uh, Elsa? You mean..."

"Yes, Kristoff. That palace."

"The one with the giant snow monster in it?"

Another squeal from Anna. "Olaf says his name is Marshmallow and he's actually very nice if you don't throw snowballs at him."

Kristoff furrowed his brow. "Didn't Jerk-Boy try to kill you there, too?"

"No. The Duke's men tried to kill me there. Hans threw me in the dungeon when they got back."

"Oh, sorry, you can see where I was confused. Jerky-Boy did all his killing at the castle."

"Kristoff."

"Sorry. Stupid Head?"

"Kristoff."

"Bastard."

"Kristoff!"

"Ooh, I know!" cried Anna. "Prince Monster!"

"That's enough, children. Please leave my office. Oh, and Kristoff, I'll have the council's recording secretary go over the actual property. It's really just the palace and an acre or two around it. Useless to most people but..."

"Ice is my life."

"So you keep saying. And when you do visit I may need to come with you and fix the stairs."

Anna danced circles around Kristoff as they left the room. "Baron Bjorgman!" She stopped. "Huh, does that sound weird to you? Maybe we can change your name? Ooh, or you could be Baron of the North Mountain. No wait, Baron of the Ice Palace! Or what about..."

Elsa squeezed the bridge of her nose again as her sister's voice trailed off into the distance. "Baron Bjorgman? Well, there it is now." She sighed.