Credits: Thanks go to hybrid-rain as always for being an inspirational canyon, promoting this like mad, and helping me with the second scene and sporadic-tiger for agreeing to be my proofreader and nitpicker, helping me write Olaf, and being unbelievably patient with me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen and its characters, plots, etc and I do not make or intend to make any profit from this.

Hans finished writing his signature with a bit of flourish and set his pen down before flexing his hand to alleviate the tension that had built up since this morning. As he did so, he read the letter he had just completed once more:

To the captain of Yvsenia

I am Hans, former prince of the Southern Isles and formerly of House Westerguard. I'm sending this letter to you because I have a job that I believe you are best suited for. Unfortunately I cannot divulge many details without your vow that you will keep our communications confidential but I can assure you that while the job does have its perils, you and your crew will be well compensated for your work. If my offer interest….

"Hans!" the unmistakeable voice of his host shouted. "Have you heard?!" Scowling at the interruption, he turned around to face the Duke, gripping a piece of paper tightly in his hand.

"Heard what, my lord?" he asked curiously, remaining seated where he was. His eyes followed the short thin man as he strode towards the liquor cabinet in the corner of the room. After a minute of contemplation, the Duke withdrew a crystal bottle nearly full with an amber liquid and poured a generous amount into a goblet. He drained it in one gulp and smacked his lips before filling the glass again. However he refrained from drinking that and instead turned to face Hans at last.

"Heard how much that sorceress has cost me?!" he demanded as he threw the scrap of paper on top of Hans' letter. Hans himself only hoped the ink had dried. As Hans read the paper, the Duke continued, "In exchange for three million bushels of wheat and two hundred thousand pounds of beef, Arendelle will send two hundred thousand bales of wool. Because the rates of exchange is so absurd, the King in his great and majestic wisdom has decided that I should pay the kingdom for the exports and attempt to sell the imports to recoup my losses, conveniently forgetting that Weselton's greatest export is wool!"

"That sounds incredibly distressing, my lord," Hans said blandly. "But I cannot imagine what I can possibly do to help you."

The Duke released a peculiar mixture between a snarl and a sigh and snapped, "You know perfectly well what you can do."

"And you know perfectly well what I need," he countered.

"Fine! I will fund you. I suppose whatever your plans are, they can't ruin my finances as badly as this farce of a trade deal."

"Excellent," Hans said with a smile. He quickly found a small pile of letters and handed them to the Duke. "Then if you would kindly attach letters of credit with these…"

The Duke just held them in shock. "You…you promised these people my funds?" he asked, his voice bordering a shout.

"Well, yes. It was obviously you were going to agree with my proposals."

"But do you honestly require so much? Look, seventy-five thousand ducats each for the appropriation of three galleasses. An additional four thousand ducats for the captain and crew for each vessel. God knows what you plan to fill those ships with and, more importantly, how much it'll cost. And…"

"You just said my plans cannot ruin your finances and I assure you, once we are successful, you will receive a neat profit among other things."

The Duke fumed for a minute, his grip tightening over the letters, before he finally relented. "This better work, Hans," he grumbled. "Or you will find yourself searching for a new home…"

He walked out, leaving Hans alone in the study. He found the rest of his letter to the Yvsenia to his satisfaction and dropped a dollop of wax, placing the Duke's seal on the cooling pool. Though the Prince of the Southern Isles, even the youngest one, commanded far more attention than a duke, it was much better than sending a wax seal with no mark. That would be sent with the rest of his letters. Surely one of them should respond, he pondered as he thought of his next steps. Or at least tried. After some time with no luck, he decided to see if the Duke's alcohol would help inspire genius.

As he walked towards the liquor cabinet, his eyes wandered over the books the Duke kept in the room. He noticed one in particular, Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, and turned his nose at it, wondering why the Duke even had a copy when an idea came to him. He gave himself a minute to the turn it over and over in his head, considering the best and the worst possible outcomes. It would not require much effort from him nor could it be easily traced back to him. Unless of course he was betrayed. It would not cost him, or rather the Duke, anything. While he doubted that this would have any enduring effect, it would provide a distraction and certainly facilitate any other plans he had. Yes, he concluded. This could work.

He nearly tripped over his own feet in his eagerness to return to his desk. He filled his fountain pen and immediately began to write.

For Anna, when not in the company of her beautiful and awesome sister, there were very few things more pleasurable than the warmth of the sun against her face. On this late morning, she laid in the gardens, her stomach against the blanket over the grass. Her legs kicked back and forth according to her fancy and she propped her head up with her hands as she read through one of several books their library had on medicine. Her tutors never liked it when she wanted to read outside because they thought she would get distracted or some nonsense like that but the truth was that she was more prone to losing focus when reading indoors than outdoors.

However she found her attention disrupted by Olaf gleefully running around her like the planets orbiting the sun. After reading the same paragraph three times in a row, she gave it up as a lost cause and was content to watch the little snowman flit from flower to flower, laughing at his antics. She was about to join him when she heard someone approach them. Excited, she leapt to her feet as her fencing instructor walked up to her with a large bag in one hand and two swords in the other.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing before her. "I'm glad to see you pursuing other interests. Have you considered reading up on anatomy?"

"Anatomy?" repeated Anna.

"Yes, of course. Helps to know where the best places are to strike."

As he set the bag down for Anna to delve into, Olaf was automatically drawn to the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Olaf!" he greeted, approaching them. "And I like warm hugs!"

Although her instructor simply nodded at him as he strapped on his protective jacket, Anna did notice a small smile form on his weathered face before disappearing. Olaf turned to Anna and asked in a voice he clearly thought was a whisper, "Who is he?"

"Lord Halvert?" Anna said in reply, reaching behind her back to tighten the cords on the leather breast protector. "He's my fencing instructor. He used to teach my dad so when he found out that I was interested in it, he got him to teach me."

"Hang on, are those…swords?" he asked, eyeing them apprehensively. "Aren't those dangerous?"

Anna chuckled as she slipped into her fencing jacket. "No, Olaf, you don't need to worry," she said. "The blades are dulled so they won't stab or slice me."

"Oh so like a game then?" asked Olaf.

"More than just fun and games," rebuked Lord Halvert, causing Anna to throw an ugly glare at him.

"No need to be rude, Lord Tight Pants," she retorted. "But he's right. Using a sharpened sword isn't too different from using a dull one. Just it'll actually hurt."

"And do you want to…hurt people?" asked Olaf, his voice sounding worried once more.

"Oh no!" cried Anna. But she then thought about it for a second. "Well…only people who want to hurt Elsa or me. And Kristoff and Sven. And you, of course!"

The snowman chuckled merrily, pleased that he was under Anna's protection. He then asked, "Is it okay if I watch?"

"If it's all right with Lord Tight Pants over there," she replied, growing rather fond of her impromptu nickname. The lord in question just shrugged and said, "As long as he doesn't distract you… Whenever you're ready, Your Highness."

As Olaf waddled away to watch from a safe distance, Anna picked up the sword and gave it a few swishes away from her instructor. But when she walked to face him, he simply stared at her for a couple seconds. When whatever message he was trying to convey didn't sink into her, he cleared his throat a couple of times and said, "Your Highness, your mask."

"Oh!" she said, dashing towards the bag to retrieve it. As much as she loved the art of sword-fighting, she was never fond of the mask. It was hot, it made her sweat within minutes, she could barely see through it, the list of complaints could go on. However each time she moaned or whined about it, Lord Halvert would recount a story of how this pupil lost an eye or how that student accidentally killed his friend. After the third time, her fears outweighed her annoyance.

As soon she placed the mask on, she rushed to return to her place and the lesson began. Now that she had been trained for nearly ten years in the sport, her lessons were usually just mock duels with her instructor. While she has won her fair share of matches, her victories were naturally grossly outnumbered by her defeats. And this lesson was no different. Bout after bout, she found her instructor's sword against her leather jacket, sometimes not even before two minutes had passed.

"You're distracted," Lord Halvert scolded after their eleventh match. "Should I send the snowman away?"

"No, it's not him," she said in between pants of breaths. "It's…" It's Elsa… But there was no way she could remove her from her mind; she might as well try to cut off one of her arms. She took a deep breath and tried to find a way to use that. And then a memory of that day came. The metallic shing of him unsheathing his sword rippling through the still winter air. Him looming over her sister with his sword raised high. Her focus sharpened her thoughts like a razor and she felt her righteous anger gather strength.

"I'm ready," she said. Lord Halvert nodded and went into a guard position. In her head, her fencing instructor was him. Behind her was Elsa, busy dealing with some foe or another. Her sister was powerful, no denying that, but even she needed someone to watch her back. And she would be that person. Parry, parry, riposte, retreat, the words drilled into her mind over the years mixed with her thoughts of her sister. She noticed him attempt a disengage and she knew exactly how to counter that. Applying a circle parry, she seized the tiny window of opportunity and made a riposte. The tip of her sword hit him right in the middle of his chest.

"Touché, Your Highness," he said. Olaf clapped enthusiastically with his wooden arms and cheered. Anna simply grinned in triumph behind her mask. A grin that slowly dripped away as Lord Halvert went back into another guard position and said, "Again."

Although she won the next match, the remainder of the lesson saw her fencing instructor as the victor.

"Remember, Your Highness," Lord Halvert said as they peeled the jackets off their backs. "Focus. Concentrate."

"Yes, Lord Halvert," she replied. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Your Highness. You are getting better." And with that, he picked up the fencing equipment and walked away, leaving Anna soaked in her own sweat. Her clothes were stuck to her skin and every time she moved, they made an unpleasant squishing sound. Even Olaf seemed rather reluctant to approach her. She looked at the pond wistfully. Yup, there was no doubt about it. She was due for a very long and a very relaxing bath. Afterwards she would go see what Elsa has been up to. She'd probably want to hear about how her baby sister managed to get two victories over Dad's fencing instructor.

"Are you sure it is absolutely necessary for you to leave, Your Excellency?" Elsa asked, standing at the docks. Accompanying her was the standard retinue of guards, dressed in their traditional olive green coats. In front of her was Bishop Serslitru, already boarded on the vessel.

"I'm afraid so," the bishop said. "A personal touch would go a long way in smoothing any opposition from my peers towards you."

Elsa took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. She understood why he had to leave but despite her assurances to Anna, she was worried about the Ordo Malleus. They seemed to have gained more followers in the past several days.

"I doubt the Pope has any interest in excommunicating you or Arendelle though. After what happened in Paris, they have significantly relaxed their attempts to meddle in secular matters."

Elsa wondered if the Church would be as accepting once they found that her affections for Anna went far beyond what was acceptable for a sisterly relationship. For a time she had considered confessing her love to Bishop Serslitru even though she herself did not hold much faith into the religion. He had known about her abilities before the coronation and, according to Anna, he understood why Elsa was unable to attend her parents' funeral and did not seem to judge her for that. But she decided to keep it from him. For now.

"Even after so long?" Elsa asked, her curiosity taking hold of her. Of course she vaguely knew about that fanatical judge in Paris but she didn't think he was still relevant four centuries later.

The bishop simply nodded and continued, "Bishop Engen will carry out my duties in my absence. With God's will, I hope to be back within two weeks. Until then, farewell, Your Majesty." He dipped his chest into a bow.

"Farewell, Your Excellency," she said. "May the Lord bless your travels." She took a step backward to allow the sailors retrieve the gangplank and watched as the bishop walked into his chambers on board.

Even as the ship sailed away from Arendelle to the continent, Elsa took a few moments to enjoy the docks, the touch of the ocean breeze whipping against her face and the scent of fresh sea water from the fjord rising into her nose. One day, she mused, she and Anna should take a trip to the seas and simply drift away from their responsibilities, their worries, and their duties. Just for a few days. Just to enjoy each other's company in the open water. She would like that, she thought as she sighed mentally at the image of the two leaning against each other with only the vast ocean before them. At least she knew what thought would be sustaining her through the work this afternoon.

Upon returning to the palace, the first thing she did was ask Kai to bring some light refreshments to her study. She didn't share Anna's love of horseback riding and any journey she undertook on a horse, no matter how short, almost always seemed to drain her. The stack of papers piling on the left side of her desk did nothing to make her exhaustion better. The first on her pile was a letter from Lord Gutherson. At this point, Elsa was contemplating ordering the palace hawks to kill any and all birds coming from him. Not only did he insist on having a sculpture of her, but he also quite subtly and offhandedly implied that her continued refusal would lead him to removing his support. Normally Elsa would have ignored him but the lord controlled some of the construction guilds that were supervising the expansion of the shipyards. So instead she was forced to devote a portion of her mind to devise a polite and courteous yet firm reply as she continued through her paperwork.

The next few letters came from the various empires, British, French, Prussian, Spanish, all proclaiming their willingness to defend the rights of the Polish people and warning Russia to abstain from hostile actions. She wondered if this would end in war and if it did, would her kingdom be asked to participate. Or more importantly, would she be asked to take part. By now, everyone in Europe was aware of her powers and more than a few were probably thinking of ways how she could be used in war. Right now, she could imagine the threats, the offers, and the persuasions they would make to bring her to their side. And she wanted nothing to do with them. She was Queen Elsa of Arendelle, not some weapon to be wielded for the glory of a foreign empire.

She bundled the letters into a ball and threw it into the fireplace where they would be of better use. Next were reports regarding agriculture, fishing, timber yields, ice harvesting, textile production, and whatever else her little kingdom produced. Those provided her with some relief from her troubles as she continued to read how Arendelle flourished so far despite the early winter. Meanwhile the small part of her mind busily composing a letter in the background cheerfully announced its completion and Elsa took out a sheet of paper to start transcribing the words in her mind.

Once she was done, she placed the letter aside, hoping by the end of the day she would still remember to send it. The next on her pile was a black folder. When she saw the colour, she sighed, knowing that whatever Julia had in store for her, it was not going to be pleasant tidings. And sure enough, inside was a letter and a list. The letter was written from Hans to the captain of a ship called Jysikli, informing him that he had a job he was offering to the captain. At first, the name meant nothing to her until she read the list written in Julia's hand. It was then she saw that Jysikli was an icebreaker. One of many that Hans has contacted, according to her spymaster.

Of course there could be a completely reasonable explanation why Hans is looking for an icebreaker, thought Elsa. Perhaps he's planning an arctic exploration. Naturally most of her mind doubted that but she didn't think she could have him arrested or killed simply for that. But this bothered her, more than the letter from Lord Gutherson, more than the looming threat of war. She heard the door open and absentmindedly said, "Just set it on the table." Then she felt a warm presence upon her shoulder and instantly all thoughts were dashed away as red hot panic burned through her mind. She quickly and violently flinched, twisting her shoulder inward and scrambling from her chair. Frost began to creep from where she stood as the beginnings of icicles pointed outward formed around her. It was only when she heard the cry of surprise did she realise that the warm presence was Anna.

"I'm sorry!" she immediately said, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, Elsa!"

"Oh, Anna!" Elsa said as she tried to control her rapid breaths. "It's okay, you just scared me, that's all."

Then someone knocked against the door and said through it, "Your Majesty. Is everything all right in there?"

Raising her voice, Elsa said, "Yes, yes. Everything is fine. No need for concern." As she heard the guard retreat back to his post, she noticed that Anna still had her hands over her mouth and even behind them, she knew that her lips were quivering.

"Anna…" she began.

"You just looked so upset," Anna said faintly. "I only wanted to comfort you. But then you looked…you looked really frightened. Like I was going to attack you or something. If we're going to be together, like a couple, we have to learn to trust each other…"

"I know, Anna," Elsa said. "I know… I was just…scared I was going to hurt you."

"But that's the thing, Elsa!" she cried, throwing her arms downward. "You keep trying to protect me when you don't need to. Not anymore. And in fact, by trying to protect me, you are hurting me."

Her words stung Elsa like a slap across the face. A well-deserved slap. Shame dripped from the top of her skull down to her toes. This time there was no justification or excuse for her behaviour. She was wrong here. She bent her head down and simply looked at her gloved hands as they fidgeted against each other. But she also turned her body so that it was facing Anna completely. She sensed Anna moving towards her, hesitantly at first. But then each step grew bolder and bolder. Meanwhile her instincts were roiling, shouting at her to move, to flee, to get out. Elsa clenched her fists and mentally smothered their voices with a blast of ice. A part of her powers must have escaped her subconscious because the frost around her thickened and spread. But Anna still continued forward.

She felt her warm hands grab hers and gently peel the gloves off them. Then while one hand continued to hold Elsa's hands, the other made its way up her arm. It rested for a brief minute on her shoulder, massaging her clavicle through her gown before moving along her neck. She felt her skin prickle as Anna's fingers glided up her throat and held her chin. She slowly lifted her sister's head until their eyes met each other.

"See," Anna said with a soft smile. "Do I look hurt to you?"

Elsa smiled weakly in response as she thought about how foolish she had been. "No, no, you don't, Anna," she admitted. "In fact, you look beautiful."

Anna's cheeks glowed with a delicate pinkish tingle while her smile widened at the compliment. Or perhaps at the confession. Elsa could never tell her with her little sister.

There was yet another knock against the door, pulling the two sisters from their mutual adoration. Freeing her hands from Anna's grasp and hastily dismissing the ice she made, she asked, "Who is it?"

"Kai, Your Majesty," the voice responded. "With the Home Secretary."

"Come in," she said. Anna began to move as if to leave but Elsa shook her head at her. "You can stay," she added in a whisper.

The door opened and the Home Secretary entered. He bowed and greeted, "Your Majesty. Your Highness."

"Secretary Hovland," Elsa said. "What brings you here?"

"Disturbing news, I'm afraid, Your Majesty. Disciples of the Ordo Malleus are on the street, preaching to the people."

"They have that right," countered Elsa. "Same as the Facets of Snow."

"But they're not just proselytising, Your Majesty. They're bringing accusations against you and Your Highness. They say that you have engaged in incest."

One of the ideas that I had but never had the chance to actually introduce it in the story yet is the emergence of a cult that worship Elsa. Of course I can't see either Elsa or Anna being incredibly comfortable with that but they exist almost like a counterbalance to the Ordo Malleus.

I'm not a professional or, for that matter, an amateur fencer so if I got anything wrong, please forgive me. Anna being into fencing is as much of a desire for her to do something as it is a rather interesting idea. She certainly has the upper body strength for it and a few moments aside, she does have remarkable foot coordination. Otherwise, the movie would have ended a lot sooner during the "Love's an Open Door" sequence. Also the idea of her being into medicine came when I thought that Anna would eventually learn to patch her own wounds from her misadventures. I can picture her being good with basic first aid but she has no desires to be a surgeon or anything like that.

To clarify, Elsa's Royal Council includes: the Royal Treasurer, the Lord Commander, the Home Secretary, the Royal Director of Foreign Affairs, and the Spymaster.

Once again, I welcome any and all feedback you might have to offer.