I'm back again! I'll hopefully be posting more chapters soon. Anyways, this is building off of the last chapter so I apologize for the focus on Rolland and Elsa. I'm feeling sappy lately. I'll have more Finn in the coming chapters...he needs some lovin. Alright, well read and review! Love hearing back from everyone.

Anticipation

"Where is she?!" A panicked Anna, heavily pregnant with her third child, pulled at Kai's collars as he passed her in the marble hall. Mildly agitated and shocked by her abrupt approach, he pointed in the opposite direction.

"The drawing room," he breathed. Anna brushed past, red in the face and more angry than any pregnant woman in her condition. "I warn you, Princess Anna, they are still speaking!"

Completely ignoring Kai altogether Anna burst into the drawing room unannounced. The drawing room was bright with light flooding in from the windows. Yet despite the sunshine there was darkness in the way heads crouched over detailed war strategies. Elsa, the Queen in her royal splendor, looked up icily from the pawns on the board to greet her sister.

"Hello, Anna. Should I call for the midwife?"

The princess went red in the face, even more so than before and pushed herself forward, rounded belly first. "This is outrageous and you know it!"

"My Queen?" One of the Captains, a visiting and loyal ally of Arendelle, motioned with his head towards the guards behind him. Elsa held up her hand calmly and walked around the table to meet her sister.

"We can talk about this later."

"How could you do this to him?!" Anna flailed angrily.

As if on cue, Rolland cleared his throat and called the men around the table to attention. "Gentlemen, why don't you follow me out to the training grounds. We'll continue this shortly."

Anna eyed Elsa, who watched the men file out one-by-one, until everyone had left and they were alone.

"What's this all about?" Elsa breathed.

"Your son? Finn?" Anna threw her hands up from her temples in a show of exaggeration. "I get that you had to do it, but why would you want your son to agree to an arranged marriage?! What happened to true love?"

Elsa took Anna gently by the hands and led her to the balcony for some fresh air. The red head seemed more at ease there in the breeze…also less agitated.

"It was brought to my attention that Finn was of age to take a wife. It just so happens that he has been written to by plenty of Kings flaunting their daughters," Elsa paused to check her sister. Anna was focused on every word. "He and I talked about this last night. There's no official word, but once the people press for it then we will have to make a decision. It's not up to me. I've told Finn that marriage is his choice and so is the bride. Besides, with war on the horizon I very seriously doubt that any of this marriage nonsense comes to fruition in the coming weeks."

Deflated by the idea of war, Anna curled into herself and wrapped freckled arms around her swollen abdomen. She was in no state to be worrying about arranged marriages, brutal fights, men dying.

"The Kingdom of Dardinia officially declared it then?"

"You already knew that…weeks ago." Elsa hugged her sister.

"It's just so strange…we're peaceful here. Who would have ever thought Arendelle would be involved in something so bloody?"

"I have to…for the King, for my son, and for our home." The Queen released Anna and retreated slowly to the drawing room where the board beckoned her presence. Pawns lined on either side of the battlefield. Allies united against an enemy. The outcome, if all went well, would be less than bloody but that depended on Elsa. She had not yet told anyone, especially Anna, that she would be leading the first wave into battle.

"But why?" Anna's voice was so small and so distant. There was another door between them now. Ever since Riordan had fallen there was an achingly large precipice between the sisters. One was resigned to peace and forgiveness.

Elsa was not.

"To secure our future. We can't be seen as weak. Not now, not ever. It's important that we establish that for those that might follow Dardinia's example." Elsa gripped the table, covering it in a light sheet of ice that she immediately retracted. Composure.

"Oh, Elsa…we're sending our men there. They'll be so far away from home," Anna sighed. The moment was coming sooner than expected. "Who will be here to protect you if Rolland goes with them?"

Silence.

"Elsa?"

The tension grew thicker as the silence lifted.

"I will be going with them, Anna."

It took three guards, a bit of a narcotic herbal essence, and Kristoff to counter act the effect Anna suddenly had when the news was broken. She was a mess of tears and hysterics, brought on by the pregnancy and the cold hand of death hanging over her sister's head should she go to battle. Elsa was no Joan of Arc, and Anna had only said so much as that to get her point across. There would be no changing the Queen's mind, not even the threat of Rolland. He had not opposed anything she had chosen this far and she very seriously doubted that he would argue with her on this as well.

She was wrong.

Later that night, when all of the battle planning had been made and Elsa had given her piece, she retired to the library with a cup of lavender tea.

"Why does everyone insist on telling me what to do?" She tittered as she sipped.

A very sad, distant Rolland staggered weakly into the library. He was exhausted, that much was obvious and it was her doing. The castle was being restored and Elsa was busy planning her strategy to attack. The snitch had come forth with valuable information and letters thereafter arrived telling of a similar attack. Allies came from everywhere and an armada was in the making. The Queen was an unstoppable force since the death of her husband, the King.

"You know I've tired of trying."

"That hasn't stop—"

"I'm going to leave, Elsa." He interrupted loudly. Eyes as empty as the darkest corner of the library met hers. Where had his soul gone? Had she killed that with her husband? Come back, Rolland.

"What?"

"I've been called back to my home country to take command of Riordan's position, if willing. I might take it," he frowned deeply. "I can't watch you walk this path of self destruction anymore. If you go to the front lines like you say, I can't bear to watch what might happen. I've seen good men turn to beasts in the belly of the battle. You don't belong there."

"Because I'm a woman?" She wanted a fight but he wasn't having it.

"No, because you're too good. What may happen on the field will change you and you can't go back to who you were. If you think tearing yourself apart for Riordan's death is bad, then you won't survive the casualties." In all of his wisdom and all of his lecturing, no words had reached her in the last eight months but these ones: You won't survive.

She said nothing. If she were to speak at all then the tears she had yet to shed since the funeral would finally fall. There could be no weakness. Not even in front of Rolland, who was so vulnerable and so needing of her kindness. He was suffering.

"Then you should go. I think you need to be away from Arendelle for awhile….maybe even permanently."

Rolland closed the distance between them, finally breaking before her like a great wall falling under the pressure of exhaustion. She had brought him to his knees. He then brought her with him. His face buried in her shoulder, Elsa could feel his tears and hear his fresh sobs as he begged her not to do this.

"I'm tired of this, Elsa. I love you. I have loved you more for every day since he died and I can't stop feeling what I do for you. Stop this now. Don't go there, let me go for you. Let me win this war and come home to you. I can do that, Elsa. I really can, but you have to let me." His hands began to shake the more he spoke and his face was so warm. Hot to the touch was his skin that she tried to cool him just a bit.

"Rolland, Rolland, my Rolland. I am so sorry for causing you to suffer for so long," his hands came to hers as she held his face. The pain growing in her heart was too great and her resolve was crumbling to ash. "You have been too patient with me and I haven't thanked you enough for that…but I don't want this for you anymore."

It seemed that desperation clouded any judgement he or she might have had. And in the darkness of an old library, a small light found its way from the hearts of two lovers. Elsa kissed Rolland, he kissed her. It was the single most anticipated moment for either of them. Each and every fantasy that could have conjured up the taste of the other lived up to the expectation and it was sweet. They did not separate for a long time, and after they had, small pecks as light as snowflakes were placed on every inch of the face. Hands roamed through hair, over shoulders, cheeks, and lips. There were no more tears to be had. No more fears to be faced. Just the innocence of longing finally converging.

Little did they know that an audience awaited at the door…