A (BELATED) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Disney/Dreamworks/Game of Thrones characters, locations, and/or terms. I am just a humble weaver unraveling cloths of stories to thread together and create a new pattern. If you would like to read the info and details of this fic, or if you are confused about some characters' names, you may go to the Preface section. Thank you!

THE REFUGEE

"That showed way too much, m'lady."

"I know. I should have been more careful."

"Yes, you should have."

Elsa looked at Anzo with chagrin. "You should be too, dangling the lord of the house like that. Thankfully he is not as haughty as the others I have met or else we would have been hanging by our feet at the battlements."

"I could reckon as much," Anzo said, removing the knitted cap off to run his hand over his bald head. "But House Sigurd is known for their protection of the smallfolk. He wouldn't dare." He pulled the cap back on.

"That may be so," Elsa turned to where Lord Jackson Sigurd had left. "Yet he is not his uncle. We have to watch ourselves."

"Then curtsy like a lowborn next time, little sister," Anzo picked up the sack of potatoes he had dropped in haste to get to Elsa's side. "And learn to say 'm'lord' instead of 'my lord'."

"Force of habit." Elsa tried to push the splinter out of her finger. "Do we have some sort of pincers at home to remove this?"

"Just suck on it." Anzo said casually, hoisting the sack over his shoulder.

Elsa grimaced. "I will not. It is not appropriate."

"Then what do you wish me to do? Forge a pair of pincers?" Anzo's stern expression turned into one of sympathy. "Apologies, m'lady, but if you wish to live like a lowborn, you have to act like one." He walked in the direction of the kitchens, leaving Elsa alone to unload the lettuce.

Elsa sighed. It had been only a year, but it felt a lot longer. She didn't wish to leave. Arendelle was her home. But Arendelle was also her prison.

She breathed out, remembering her years locked in her bedchambers. The mist did not form from her mouth, a peculiarity she had observed when she was younger. It came as no surprise. She was different, after all. And that difference cost her more than anything: her family, her kingdom, her life.

Scarcely was she three years when her parents found out to their horror that her chamber was filled with a thick blanket of snow, with her in the middle of it all, ice and snow flying out from her own hands into the air. It had not been a bother. Her parents told her to keep it to herself, to them, and, eventually, her sister.

Anna was especially fond of what Elsa could do. Three years apart, they were inseparable. They always had adventures in the snow, snow that were, at most times, of Elsa's doing. In the Great Hall of the castle, at the pond by the courtyard, in their shared chamber. Sometimes they were even joined by Olaf, a young orphan who had been dropped at the kitchen doorstep and was now a page to the Stendahl household.

A fortnight before Elsa's ninth year, Anna had woken her with a plea to play in the Great Hall. To her eternal regret, Elsa had consented. The play had started in high spirits, and then a blast to Anna's head ended the years of innocence and began the years of solitude, and guilt, and pain. Her parents' death at the hands of a storm did nothing but worsen all that she felt.

Elsa bit her forefinger and sucked. She felt the piece of wood drop on her tongue, and the slight metallic taste of blood followed. With hesitation, and without practice, she tried to spit the piece of wood on the snow beneath her. It stuck to her tongue stubbornly no matter how many times she tried. Irritation took over and she gingerly picked the wood from her tongue, flicking it away. Slipping the glove over her hand, she shivered. Not from the cold. Never from the cold.

"Lettuce again?" a voice called, jolting Elsa out of her own thoughts. Aster Bunnymund walked toward her, the thick gray furs of his coat moving about, making him look like an oversized version of his family's namesake. Elsa coughed to hide her laugh as she imagined him having large, fluffy ears.

"What would you prefer, ser?" Elsa regarded him with a bright smile. "Are carrots more to your liking?"

Aster huffed, shifting his hold on the wooden practice swords. "If I were given a copper for that same jest every time, I could buy myself a galley and sail to Animat."

She tilted her head slightly. "You would leave? Is it the current lord of the house that has caused you to think such things?"

Walking close to her so she could hear him whisper, Aster said, "Between you and me, Lord Frost may be an arrogant man-child but he's got a proper head on his shoulders." He looked her in the eyes. "Don't you ever tell him I said that. Nor anyone. Can't have it going around that I've got a soft spot for the boy."

"Oh the shame it would bring upon your name," Elsa quipped as she bent down to pick up one of the lettuce heads she had dropped.

"Forgive me my ignorance, m'lady," Aster tossed the wooden swords on the ground and helped Elsa with the remaining lettuce, placing them in the crate afterwards. "Lumi," he said when they had finished. "In a moon's turn we are having a celebration for Lord Jack's name day. He is already a man grown," his voice dripped with mockery at the last sentence. "Every one is invited, and Frost knows none of this. Perhaps you and Kliment would like to join us?"

Elsa looked up at him. Her breath hitched in her throat. "I…" she stammered. Back in Arendelle she was not one for celebrations, even on her own name day. "I am going to have to ask Kliment as well."

"It would do well to come. More for him to know you, more for you to know him. It has been the way of Sigurd, as you are well aware," gathering the wooden swords, Aster nodded at her. "And the wine will be free flowing. Sandy says there are enough boars in stock for the whole Pole to feast on. Your herbs will be needed." He winked.

Allowing herself an airy laugh, Elsa replied, "We shall think about it. It is still a moon's turn away."

"You and Kliment had best be there!" Aster called over his shoulder as he walked towards the armory on the other side of the grounds. "No one in the Pole gets left behind at such a celebration!"

Elsa waved him farewell, even when he was no more to be seen. She let her hand drop to her side.

During the past year they had been at North Pole, never once had she nor Anzo joined in any of the celebrations Sigurd had, which always involved their people. Though the population of the Pole was enough to hide them, there was still the chance that Lord Nicholas would have sought them out and talked to them, which would lead to more questions than none. They already had a story for such occasions, but it was better if they were avoided.

"Was that Aster?" Anzo had returned from the kitchens, the empty sack draped around his broad shoulders.

"Yes," Elsa turned back to the cart to gather the remaining lettuce. "He was asking us if we would like to join at the name day festivities in honor of Lord Jack."

Anzo snorted, a sound that was like a roaring bear. "In honor of that brat?"

"You and Aster have a very high regard for the lord of the household," she mused. "Perhaps you could share it with him."

"As you have when you called him obnoxious? I will have to tell Aster about that." Anzo shook his head in amusement. He hauled the crate of lettuce up to carry to the kitchens. "Sweet sister, will you kindly bring those bundles of rosemary afterwards? I have to go find Aster and share to him our little exchange with Lord Frost."

Elsa opened her mouth to reprimand Anzo for the jibe at Lord Jack but he was already too far away.

She was glad they found refuge in North Pole. The ice capped mountains and weather reminded her much of Arendelle. They were able to make easy friends with anyone here, like Aster Bunnymund, without any regards for their past. It was the safest place to be that was the easiest to reach. The guardians of North Pole took in even runaways from all facets of life. That was what they were, runaways, Elsa thought bitterly, and it was all her fault.

Not entirely, she tried to tell herself. A year ago ships with no banners docked at Arendelle. The soldiers who never spoke of whom they swore to intended to invade the small kingdom. But a particularly harsh winter had just come and gone, so food was scarce and the Arendelle army weak. In retaliation, Elsa saw only one way to protect her people. Against her better judgment she froze all the invaders. Though she had succeeded in driving them away, she saw the fear in her people's eyes, the same look she saw in her parents that night she had hit Anna. Before then it was never known beyond the castle of what she could do. She fled, knowing that Arendelle would never be in good hands if she stayed. Anzo, her own personal guard, tracked her down, and reminded her of his promise to her parents, to keep her safe. Together they made their way to North Pole, where they met an old lady who grew vegetables and took them in. She never asked them where they came from, not once, even when she was on her deathbed. Old Eme died without knowing their real names, but she left with them her vegetable garden, which Elsa and Anzo maintained and expanded, as a source of income and in memory of the kind soul who helped them.

Hefting the bundles of rosemary into her arms, Elsa shook the thoughts of the past from her mind. It did not do to dwell on them, even if the soft voice in her head reminded her that today was the day she had left home, to return never again.

A/N: First off, I would like to thank prettylittlewitch for the follow and the fave, and for the compliments :) Perhaps the reason why this fic doesn't have as many reviews or faves is maybe because of the setting? (Since GoT isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea) But I hope this fanfic will be worth your while :)

To hopelesshoneyxo, thank you so much for that review :) No, I don't have connections to Finland but I do have an online source (Behind the Name, great site, worth checking) which I used for the names of almost every character that I had to name/rename.

To lockgirl, thank you so much for that review :) The storyline is planned out already, but the chapters aren't written out as far as it is. However I do edit bit by bit as well, since sometimes I write something in, or I think of something else that could knock a peg from the storyline. Basically, it's a bit of both :) As for your last question, I hope this chapter answered it :D

As always, reviews would be lovely :) Thanks!