2: Shadows

"Fear will be your enemy."

"Monster."

"You don't belong here."

"Your sister is dead."

Elsa awoke with a gasp, her sheets covered in Ice caused from the nightmare she'd just experienced. It had been over five months since the Incident that almost claimed her sister's life, however for Elsa, the nightmares of the incident of the Fjord continued.

Elsa, now out of bed, looked at herself in her mirror.

"Anna." Elsa whimpered to herself. "If anything had happened to you, I couldn't live without the thought of you being by my side."

With that, Elsa returned to her defrosted bed, hoping to get more sleep before sunrise.

The next morning Elsa sat at the dining room table alone, turning to Kai.

"Where is Anna? It's unlike like her to miss her breakfast."

"Your majesty, Princess Anna informed me that she would be skipping breakfast today." Kai responded

"That doesn't sound like my sister," Elsa said to herself. "Where is she?"

"Your majesty, Princess Anna is in her room."

Leaving the dining table, Elsa ventured through the castle towards Anna's room, leaning against the door, Elsa heard the sounds of Anna's giggling.

"Anna, are you in there?" The Queen asked while tapping on the door.

"Who is it?" Anna replied

"I'll give you three guesses."

"Gerda?"

Elsa sighs

"Anna, It's me."

"Oh Elsa? Oh uh, I... uh... just a minute." Anna, now clearly panicking over something began creating an uproariously. "Opps, I can... uh... I can fix that." As Elsa waited patiently in the hallway, she heard a loud bang as if someone had slammed the door in Anna's room.

"Hey sis, what's up?" Anna cheerfully said as she opened her door to Elsa.

Elsa, peered inside her sister's room, shocked at the state of her room. "What happened in here?"

"Oh, you know, I brought Sven up here last night, he has been looking depressed with the horses in the castle stables."

"Why aren't you dressed? It's nearly ten o'clock."

"Ah, uh... well, Today's my day off."

"Day off?" Elsa entered her sister's room, inspecting the pile of sheets on the floor.

"So, let me get this straight, you let Sven up here?" Anna nodded smiling. "Was Kristoff with him?"

"No." Anna replied blushing

"Are you sure?" Elsa asks again after finding one of Kristoff's boots under the bed sheets.

"Well, he was, you see, after Sven went crazy I had Kristoff escort Sven back to the stables."

"And he left his boot in here?"

"Yeah." Anna responded, still blushing.

"He wouldn't still be in the room would he?" Elsa inquires as she opens Anna's bathroom door.

"Don't be silly, he left last night... with Sven. Do you think the Princess of Arendelle, your baby sister would do that?"

Elsa raising an eyebrow looks at Anna. "No, no. I don't need that kind of thoughts going through my head."

"We have a busy day ahead of us Anna, after weeks of anticipation, the first convoy of trade ships from England are scheduled to arrive today."

"Do you need me for that?" asked Anna Inattentive.

"This is about opening trade with another Kingdom, trade we need as we cut ties with the Southern Isles and Weasolton. Our presence will show them how interested we are in continued business."

"Fine, give me some time to get ready, and I'll meet you in the main hall."

The two sisters hugged. "Don't keep me waiting," Elsa said, and she left the room, Anna followed to watch Elsa leave, and then closed the door, leaning against it, sighing with relief.

"You can come out now."

The closet door opened revealing Kristoff in an awkward position.

"Really? You're blaming Sven?"

"Hey, I had to think of something fast."

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Kristoff asked as Anna helped him out the closet.

"Well, the last time I was with a man she.. well.. you know... froze the world. Do you really want her to do that again?"

Kristoff, starting to panic at the thought of what Elsa would do to him if she found out he spent the night with Anna. "She'll freeze me."

"No she won't." Anna said while chuckling.

"You're right; she'll send that snow monster after me again... and with winter coming..."

Anna interrupted him.

"Relax, she likes you, besides she'll listen to her sister." Anna pronounced heading to her closet to get changed.

"What colour do you think suits me more? Red, Green or blue?" Anna asked Kristoff, holding up several dresses in front of him.

"Red, it matches your hair," Kristoff replied

Anna looks at the dress. "Really?" Looking back at Kristoff. "Well, good enough for me."

Seconds later the two entered a state of sheer panic. "Anna its me again" Elsa had returned to her sister's room.

"Uhh just a minute" Anna called out.

"What do I do? What do I do?!" Kristoff silently repeated himself.

"Quick!" Anna takes Kristoff's hand. "laydown here."

"What? Why?"

"Don't question, just do," Anna says as she knocks Kristoff to the ground.

"She'll see me if she comes in Anna."

Anna grins. "No, she won't." With that Anna pulled all her bed sheets on top of Kristoff hiding him from sight.

"Come in," Anna said with relief.

Elsa entering her sister's room, shocked by the sudden mess Anna had caused.

"Let me guess, decorating?"

"Oh, you know me, have you seen the colour of these sheets? I think it's time for a change."

"Why can't you keep your room clean? Kristoff has been here for nearly three months, he makes his bed before he leaves in the early hours of the morning."

Anna laughs. "Does he?"

"I get the feeling you're trying to hide something from me."

"Me? Never."

Anna, putting a headband on her head looks at her sister.

"So what can I do for you?"

"Well, as the trade ships aren't to arrive until midday tomorrow, I thought I'd spend the day with you."

Anna's eyes widened in shock. "Really?" Ever since Elsa returned to the throne, her time has been limited by her new-found duties. Exhausted on a daily basis, still feeling isolated from her family by the throne. Elsa's time for recreation is limited to less than an hour a day.

Rejoiced at the thought of spending time with Elsa, Anna couldn't help but wonder who would take charge in the Queens absence. "What about Arendelle?"

"Kai can hold the fort for one day." Elsa began to lose her smile, fearing her sister had other plans. "Though if you have other plans, I understand."

"I know a sauna we can go to. Maybe the tavern overlooking the Fjord." Anna became aroused at the prospect of watching the ships come and go from Arendelle with the moonlight reflecting off the ocean.

"What about Kristoff?" Elsa enquired.

"Ohh good idea, I'll bring him, you can bring Sven."

Elsa laughed, followed by a depressed sigh. "The people will recognise me."

"Of course they will, you're the Queen," Anna exclaimed. "When people see you it makes them happy.

Elsa, looking at her reflection in the window. "No, no it doesn't. I'd love to go to a party, or on a date, but.. I can't. People still fear me over what happened last summer. I don't want to hurt anyone. Maybe it's best we just have dinner here."

Anna now disappointed over Elsa's response to her idea for a trip to the tavern concludes her sister must face her fear directly. "I have an idea, meet me back here at five. We'll have a little girl time before heading out."

"What?"

"Trust me. Come to my room at five."

Confused over what she had gotten into, Elsa walked down the hallway, into her study. "What could she possibly have planned?"

Later in the day in Anna's room, Anna and Kristoff begin to plan a night Elsa won't forget.

"Think it would look better in a bun or loose?" Anna asks while playing with her hair.

"You look gorgeous regardless." Kristoff responded. "Though if you want my opinion, you look better with it loose."

"Aww really? Wait what? Not for me, for Elsa."

"Elsa?"

"Yeah, we're going to that Tavern on the hill, you know the one overlooking the ocean, I want to show her how to relax."

"It'll be hard to relax with her guards around."

"No it won't." Anna starts to giggle. "It'll be just me and Elsa, no guards, no snowmen, no prince's." Before Anna can finish her sentence Kristoff interrupts.

"Just the night sky, the barman and the music? sounds perfect."

"Are you okay with this Kristoff?"

"Me?"

"I know you were looking excited to seeing-"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be around when you get back, go and enjoy yourself."

Anna skipped over to Kristoff; the two embraced in a passionate kiss. "I knew there was a reason I loved you," Anna said softly looking into Kristoff's eyes.

"What will you do while we're gone?"

"I'm going out to visit Mr Dammen."

"The man who owns the Jewellery store?"

Kristoff nodded. "I'll have a surprise for you when you get back... we'll I hope to have a surprise.. I'll just be going."

Anna, shocked over Kristoff's sudden departure became ecstatic at the thought of her boyfriend giving her a gift. "Oww jewellery is good; it's not chocolate, but it's the next best thing." Anna giggles.

Several hours past, Anna has spent much of the day making trips into the market district, returning her purchases items to her room in preparation for tonight. Elsa has spent majority of the day in the Libary, reading journals and other materials left by her parents. As the clock struck, five Elsa left her study heading to Anna's room.

Outside her sister's room for the third time in one day, Elsa knocked.

"Anna, it's me, I'm here."

"Coming." Replied Anna from inside her room. "I hope you're ready for fun."

Elsa opened the door, entering Anna's room. "What's all this?"

Anna grabbed Elsa's arm, moving her to a chair facing a quarter dozen mirrors. "What's all this for?"

"For you." Anna responded as she began to unbraid Elsa's hair. "Now, relax while the master works."

To be continued.