Despite his tendency to overanalyse his newspapers during breakfast, it was Agdar's favourite meal, simply because it was his chance to relax before a day's worth of grueling meetings. This morning he had stumbled down the stairs, a late night having finally caught up to him, collapsed in a seat and looked up in relief as his wife slid a plate of pancakes over to him. They shared a smile as she went back to her own food.

Anna saw the exchange and chuckled to herself, having been reminded of an exchange she and her mother had shared long ago. She looked over to her and her grin widened as she saw her mother looking back, a twinkle in her eyes. She held a finger to her lips as their secret hung in the air between them and Anna winked before looking back at her father who was flicking through the papers Kai had previously piled on the table beside his favourite seat.

"Do you like the food dad?" She smiled at him as he looked up. He beamed in response.

"Like it?" He looked to his wife. "I love it!"

Ithun blushed. "Anna helped, Agdar." She smiled at her. It was true after all. Anna had been much earlier than she'd thought that morning and had needed to wait for her appetite to catch up. She had volunteered to help her mother with flipping pancakes for a while before she'd been tasked with peeling some from the walls and ceiling (how they'd gotten up there she was still trying to figure out).

"Really?" Agdar looked over her daughter who sat up proudly. "Then I like you too." He had a way of wrinkling his nose as he smiled that never failed to make Anna laugh.

"You don't need to kiss me though."

Her father beckoned her and she complied, bending down slightly so her could pat her head. "Will that do?"

"Yes. Not bad for a spare, huh?"

The change was dramatic. Agdar's hand seized up for a moment before he withdrew it when Anna yelped in pain. He choked on his food, Kai rushing into the room at the sound. Agdar held out a hand to stop him as he got his breathing under control. He looked up at Anna, who'd retreated, holding one hand in the other and looking at him fearfully.

"What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry, dad!" Anna cursed herself for her complete lack of tact. "It was just - you know - what you said to me the other day?"

His eyes widened with recognition. He couldn't speak, merely nodding before taking his leave. Anna watched him leave. Her father had walked out appearing to be fully in control, but they all knew the truth.

That scared him, thought Anna. And he's running from it.

She looked up at her mother, hoping to find some answers, but her mother still had Agdar's terrified expression etched on her own face. She simply picked up her husband's plate, binned the contents and dropped it into the sink. When Anna opened her mouth she simply shook her head and sat back down to finish her own breakfast. Anna turned to Kai's blank face before sinking into her own chair.

What's going on?

"Kai!"

The butler turned to face Anna as she sprinted down the corridor to meet him, bending down momentarily to catch her breath. Kai had promptly taken his leave after the morning's fiasco and this had been her first opportunity to talk to him alone since. Kai waited for her to straighten up before replying.

"May I help you Miss?"

Anna thought for a moment. Kai had been with her parents longer than she had. She had forced herself to remember all that she could of her parents' pasts that could explain her father's outburst and her mother's stunned silence but had drawn nothing but blanks. She was certain he would know, although the issue lay in how to bring the information out, the biggest obstacle being her mouth.

"I just have a question."

"I will do my best to answer it."

Here goes nothing.

"What happened this morning?"

Kai stared at her. That can't be a good sign.

"What are you referring to Miss?" Are you playing dumb?

"Well, erm, this morning I - er - Actually, a few days ago my dad had a go at me for knocking someone over and he said... something about me being 'a spare.'" Anna frowned. She remembered the conversation vividly and it still hurt. "Anyway, this morning I - I said the same thing back to him - you know, about me being a spare, and... that's why you had to come in during breakfast." It was a weak finish and she looked up to see him thinking.

"Perhaps he resents starting the original argument?"

"Kai, he freaked out. No one finds it that hard to apologise for something." Actually, I think he might.

"Was the topic a sore one for him?"

"Um... maybe? But, like I said, he totally flipped and - of course! - even mum went totally silent and hasn't said anything to me all day! What d'ya say to that?!" She smirked then quickly mumbled "Sir."

"It's nothing to concern yourself with."

"So there is something going on!"

"Miss, your father expects me to be with him in the next 5 minutes. I'm afraid I must leave." But Anna skipped forward to block his path.

"First, look me straight in the eye and tell me that there is absolutely no secret that would have caused that."

Kai flushed.

"Come on Kai! Just say the words." She folded her arms and smiled up at him and he steadily grew flustered, before he gave up and sank his head.

She'd won.

"You're better than them Kai." She said softly.

"I'll confess that I may know why that happened," he began slowly, "but I would rather not betray your father's trust in me by saying anything further."

"Okay, then just answer me this." She immediately held her hands up defensively at the sight of his panicked face, "Only because you said it's none of my concern!" When Kai had calmed down enough she lowered her voice. "How long ago did... whatever it is that happened happen?"

Kai took a deep breath. "About 16 years ago. Now, please." He moved past her. Anna took a moment to get over her initial surprise ("Sixteen years?!") before she grinned.

She had something to work with.

But before she forgot, she quickly called out to Kai's retreating form. "And for the last time: just call me Anna!"

It didn't take long for her to remember why she didn't like many of the servants in the family's employ.

While Anna certainly didn't know most of them by name, let alone anything about them, she knew a few well enough to know how long they had been at the manor. More specifically, she knew a few maids and manservants that had been around for at least 16 years and these people had been kind enough to direct her to a few others.

The problem arose in the actual interrogation. Most confessed to not knowing anything except what they heard via gossip (too current and too silly to be of any use) and what was required for them to do their jobs. Anna would let these people go, continually reminding herself not to get wrapped up in her sense of adventure and only question people who would be worth her time before she'd see someone else of equal status and run towards them, the moral forgotten.

The senior servants would frown at her when she asked them before telling her they didn't know either. Although she had no choice but to drop the subject, she'd noticed a few shifty eyes or nervous twitches and was eventually left wondering how many others she'd missed.

One thing she'd always known about these men and women (and her day had recently brought to light) was that they were all afraid of her parents. Either that or they were being paid too much to risk talking to a blabbermouth like her (which was a legitimate threat). As she took a break, washing fatigue from her face with cold water she realised that she knew where to find someone with the information she needed, minus the fears of compunction. Kai had refused to help (again), but this time she didn't need his aid at all.

She simply stole two of her father's old ledgers, thanking technology for choosing to wait before replacing his old system of recording salaries. She opened the first book on her bed after locking the door to her room, wasting time trying to determine how they were sorted before slapping her forehead and turning it sideways to read the tabs.

This book was 15 years old, although being part of a biennial database held accounts of the year before as well, making it perfect for her needs. She was looking for any person, from each division her father had made, that had disappeared after Kai's date, but also had to have been paid enough to suggest they had been high up the servant hierarchy; surely that would equate to being privy to more information, right?

She quickly lost track of time as she worked, scribbling names and salaries on her own wad of paper (that depleted at an alarming rate as she made numerous corrections), jumping up in surprise as a maid announced that her lunch had been heated for her and was currently outside her door. She'd hidden her books, opened the door just enough to peer out, then grabbed the plate, locked herself in and wolfed it down, but not before she looked back up and groaned.

She'd forgotten to use a bookmark.

After eating, she'd spent some time searching for one before she resumed her work (having given up and using a torn sheet of paper instead), finally finishing with the first book. She leaned back with a sigh and shrieked as she landed on her pillow, quickly pulling herself up before the softness lulled her to sleep. After rubbing her wrist for a while she hid the book and opened the second, this being 13 years old. The task was a bit simpler this time: she only needed to look for the employees she'd considered promising candidates in the first book that had survived into this one. Although it took her almost the entire day altogether she finally finished. She gazed at her list in relief.

And now to analyse this. But first I need to get these back in the unlikely event dad or Kai go to get them and - OW myhandreallyreallyhurts!

She'd finally returned and collapsed on her bed for a minute, waiting for the dull ache in her wrist to subside long enough for her to think straight. Once her head cleared, she'd promptly begun flicking through her notes, surprised by how many names she'd found and cursing herself for not being concise. Her worries were all for naught though, as there was a clear winner: a man with a salary that completely dwarfed the rest (Even Kai!) and had steadily grown more wealthy until he simply disappeared. Anna frowned, wondering what could have happened before checking his address. One of her many corrections had been to cross out the name of a small mansion and replace it with the address of a rundown council flat (which she knew quite well) after seeing a post-it note slapped over his last entry by her father (his neat penmanship contrasting immensely with the rough, yet legible words that had preceded it).

After that it had just been an issue of gathering her nerves before devising a cover story to Kai that she needed an hour or so to herself to clear her head (something she'd had to do far too often the past) and promising her mother that she'd be back in time for dinner. She'd checked the route and chosen a bus that would drop her off five minutes away from the flat. After a moment of hesitation she'd walked in, found the room she was looking for and knocked once, twice, thrice.

An aging man, face riddled with liver spots had answered. "How may I help you little lady?"

"Erm... I'm here to see Mr. Livingstone?" She held her breath as he frowned.

"That's me. And who might you be?"

"M - my name's Anna." When he gave her a shrug and a bemused smile she quickly added "Anna Arendelle?"

The smile gave way to fear. "What does - what does he want with me?! He's already taken everything!"

"No!" Anna had been afraid this would happen. "No, he doesn't want anything from you!"

"Look - that's what he said last time! I don't know what he's playing at, sending his daughter to courier his messages but you can go straight to him an -"

"I swear he has nothing to do with this!" She leaned on the door as he tried to close it. "Please! I just want to talk to you!"

Peter opened the door again and looked down at her pleading look before sighing, putting on a smile and stepping to one side, waiting until she'd entered before closing it and overtaking her. Anna wrinkled her nose while his back was turned, busy tossing discarded pizza boxes and cans from the chairs of the tiny living room. When they sat down he looked over to her. He smiled encouragingly, perhaps to compensate for his initial moment of weakness. "How can I help you, ma'am?"

"Please. Just call me Anna." Anna, please, please don't blow it! Just start small, alright? "Erm... I can see you're a fan of green?"

Peter, as he'd demanded she call him, seemed to love the unexpected attention, regaling her with stories of his youth, those of his children and his days with the Arendelles, spending a large amount of their time discussing the money he'd once had and what he'd done with it. Anna plastered a smile to her face and had quickly realised that all she needed to do was smile and nod whenever he paused and he'd be content, but it was getting late and she hadn't gotten even a hint regarding the "business" she'd come to conduct.

"So, Mr. Livi -"

"Peter!"

"Sorry sorry! Peter," he nodded encouragingly, "You've been around for a long time... what do you remember from when I was little?"

He looked at her and grinned. "I may look the part, but I wasn't the monster in your closet." Anna huffed.

"Not that! Do you remember anything odd? Anything at all?"

Still chuckling at his joke, he cast his mind back. "Odd? You were odd, little miss. Easily the most... boisterous child I've ever seen. In fact, I remember you had this particular routine for quite a few years with your mother where you'd hide below a table or bed or sofa and jump up and -"

"Not that either!" Her past indiscretions were always a sore subject for her. Scowling slightly, she continued. "Do you remember anything from 16 years ago?"

"About you?" He closed his eyes and leaned back before Anna could protest. "Well, I hardly ever saw you - well, hardly anyone saw you I'd reckon," he smiled as a memory appeared behind his eyelids, "it was so hard to do, with such an overprotective lit -" His eyes opened in shock, somehow conveying far more emotion than when he'd heard her name, he tried to hide his mistake but Anna's intense gaze told him it was too late.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I think you should go."

"Mr. Livingstone, I spent half an hour getting jostled on a bus to get here. I'm not leaving empty-handed."

"I gave you some water, so your conscience is clear." He closed his eyes again.

Anna sighed. She'd been afraid it would come to this and Peter's stories from just a short while ago had cemented the possibility in her head. She felt sick doing so but she reached into her bag.

And dropped a ten pound note on the coffee table between them, knocking on the wood to draw his attention to it. He looked from it to her with surprise.

"What's this supposed to be?"

"I'm buying the information from you." Another note.

"What? You think you can bribe me?"

"I guess I do." She dropped a third note, hating herself as she did so.

"You think that'll work?"

"Yes." A fourth.

"Why?"

"Because I know your type." A fifth.

"How?"

Because I've spent too much time with my dad. She added a sixth, not trusting herself to answer.

Peter scoffed. "You're your daddy's little girl, did you know that?"

God I hope not. One more.

"You're too young for this."

"I'm 18. I'm old enough to work and live on my own or start a family. I'm old enough for this too." An eighth note.

"It's not right to take money from a little girl."

"You aren't telling me to stop." She added another note, all emotion having long since left her body.

"It's more than my life's worth to tell you."

Anna said nothing, simply adding a tenth note and giving him a blank stare.

"You'll run out eventually." He added with her a worried look.

"When I run out I'll just give you a cheque, but I'm not leaving without an answer." An eleventh note. She looked up to see him biting his lip so she pulled out a twelfth.

"Enough!" He slammed a hand down on the pile before she could add it. "Okay! I'll - I'll do it! God help me, but I'll do it, just stop!"

Anna was too drained to reply.

"But promise me - promise me - that you won't tell anyone that I told you this, alright? I'm - I'm being serious! Your father would - he would kill me! Worse than kill me! Do I have your word?!" His panic was making him hyperventilate.

Anna nodded and tried to force out a reassuring smile but failed.

Peter slipped the money into his shirt pocket. "Okay... You... oh God..."

But he managed to spill the secret.

"You once had an older sister."

A/N: Thank you to all of my readers. And thank you for the boom in new reviews, favourites and follows, you guys are awesome!

Life sucks for me right now, so this may mark the beginning of a month-long hiatus for me as I try to sort everything out on my end. In the meantime, I ask that you check out Frozen: Queen of Snow (and Ice), my sequel story to Frozen. Just be warned that the writing drastically improves from Chapter 7 onward.

Feel free to review the story and share your speculation; I read everything you guys say and I love all of it.

Again, I love you guys. Stay awesome.