Chapter 3: And Here Come Some More

The second time around is always easier, people say. Especially when it comes to childbirth. For Queen Elsa, however, she didn't think she would never be on edge while waiting outside a door, on the other side of which her little sister was giving birth. She had heard what sounded like a rather unflattering word just a bit ago, but thankfully, the three-year-old nestled in her arms, a thumb in her mouth, didn't seem to notice.

Elsa had readily volunteered to stay outside this time - someone needed to watch Elsabeth until the worst was over, and it was an arrangement that her parents seemed grateful for. Nevertheless, Kristoff was more conscientious this time around, occasionally sticking his mop of blonde hair out the door to quietly whisper to his sister-in-law regarding Anna's progress. Elsa took each status update quietly and thankfully; in all the years she had known him, she and Kristoff had built up a great rapport, blossoming on true sibling-like affection.

"Auntie?"

"Yes, little one?"

"When is my brudder gonna get here?"

Elsa laughed. "Brother, precious," she corrected the pronunciation, though it was half-hearted. Elsabeth hadn't been talking for very long - only a year, really - so the slip was forgivable.

The door opened at that moment to reveal a drained Kristoff, though the smile on his face was encouraging. Elsabeth squirmed in her aunt's arms, reaching. "Daddy!"

Elsa passed Elsabeth to Kristoff effortlessly, and the mountain man spun his little girl around on his hands, like she was some kind of giggling, shrieking pizza pie. Kristoff had always had large hands, Elsa noted. Calloused, meaty and strong from years of ice harvesting. Though when Anna once tried to gossip with her sister about what he could do to her with those hands... well, Elsa was appropriately grossed out. Since the Great Thaw, she and her sister had gotten to the point where they could talk about most anything, but sex wasn't one of them. The muzzle of taboo was made all the easier in that Elsa had no sexual experience or comparative lover so she and Anna could exchange notes. And even if there was a romantic partner in her life, the similarities would end quite soon, Elsa felt.

"Would you like to meet your little brother?" Kristoff murmured, with a gentleness so moving that Elsa teared up. Elsabeth bobbed her head eagerly, and the pair strode for the door. Elsa hung back; she always made a concerted effort now to defer to Kristoff's judgement, and let Elsabeth have quality time with her parents. So she was surprised when Kristoff called over his shoulder jovially, "Keep up, sister! You've waited long enough too!"

Grinning, Elsa followed her family into the Princess and Prince Consort's private residence. Anna was propped up by pillows, the smile on her face weary as she nursed her new-born son.

"Vladimir," Anna announced the name softly. Elsa beamed. Vladimir had been her and Anna's grandfather's name, though it would probably be shortened to Vlad in due order. Grinning, Anna passed the infant to Elsa, so the Queen could hold her nephew. He was every bit as beautiful as Elsabeth, though traces of his father were more pronounced.

"So handsome... like his Daddy," Elsa winked at her brother-in-law. Kristoff blinked at the observation; even now, compliments from Elsa were rarely given. He figured he had better take what he could get. Besides, for his wife's sister to say that, unsolicited... it was quite the feather in his cap.

Kristoff's heart swelled all the more when Anna giggled and gazed at him with adoration. "Yes, he certainly does," she sighed.

Elsa sat quietly on the plush bench in the hallway, only keeping one ear open as 6-year-old Elsabeth entertained herself by scurrying up and down the hall and around her feet. 3-year-old Vladimir was more quiet, seated beside his aunt and clicking his heels together. Though he never said so, Elsa could feel his impatience and slight dread as they all waited for the new baby to arrive.

Months earlier, Anna had promised Elsa that this child would be the last one. Its conception had apparently been discussed thoroughly before the actual deed was done. For someone as scatter-brained as Anna, she and Kristoff had planned their children well - three years apart for each. The age gaps were not too big and not too small. Plus, it had broken the mold of two siblings in each generation of the Arendelle royal family, going back centuries. Anna and Elsa's father had had an older brother, who abdicated the throne to serve in the priesthood, long before the girls were born, for example.

All the same, for Elsabeth's sake, Elsa hoped that the third child was a girl. So she could have a little sister to play with, like Elsa did in Anna. And when Kristoff stumbled out of his and Anna's chambers hours later, grinning like an idiot, Elsa got her wish.

"It's another girl!"

Elsabeth and Vladimir shrieked and ran for the door, the boy ducking in between his father's legs even as Elsa hopelessly tried to corral them. Kristoff stood aside to let his sister-in-law through, but Elsa paused to warmly peck his cheek.

"Congratulations, Kristoff."

Kristoff smirked. "Next time our family does this, it better be you who's the new mother," he teased.

Elsa laughed and shook her head, even as she felt a pang of sadness and longing jolt through her. The whispers amidst the staff and people had started when Vladimir was born, and with the announcement of this new little one, those rumors would surely crescendo to a dull roar. Though no confrontations on the question had been made yet, Elsa knew... it was only a matter of time.

She just hoped she would have an answer.

Vladimir belly-flopped onto his parents' bed, narrowly missing his mother's legs as his father warned him to be careful. Elsabeth was more introspective, approaching the bed quietly and not even asking for her dad to lift her up for a better view; Kristoff did it himself.

"This is Christina," Anna held the bundle out to her children. Elsa silently took in her youngest niece's name with intrigue - intrigue cleared up when Anna craned her neck up to kiss her husband. "Now, I have a baby named after my sister... and a baby named after my husband."

Kristoff huffed out what sounded like a chuckle - or was it a sob? (Elsa couldn't tell) - as he said, "It's perfect, honey."

Yes, the family certainly was that. Perfect.

So why did Elsa still feel that tight clench in her stomach?