The snow was blowing furiously along the frozen solid fjord. Elsa could only see a couple feet ahead of what was around her. But she was on her knees, hands over her face, crying in hysterics. As well as her own, she could hear other voices crying out in the storm. Her blonde hair was messily blowing in different directions, and her tears made her eye makeup smear. She was a mess. Suddenly a dark shadow stood before her, casting a shadow on the queen.

Hans?

The shadow came closer to the crying queen, and raised an arm. The silhouette of a sword appeared in his hand. Hans did not change out of his shadow-like form, and swung down his sword to kill her.

A cry came out.

"No!"

Anna?

Elsa saw her sister appear out of nowhere, and ran in between her and Hans. Anna stuck out her arm as if to block the blow of the sword. And then slowly, she turned into a frozen ice statue, starting from the tips of her fingers to her feet.

Once Hans' sword hit the frozen Anna, his shadow burst and disappeared into the blizzard.

"Anna!"

But Elsa's screams could not bring her sister back. She quickly got up to face the frozen ice statue that was Anna. But as the queen placed her hands on her sister's face, she realized her face was in fact Tanya's.

"No…"

It couldn't be.

But it was. Elsa held the girl who saved her live tightly in her arms, and closed her eyes. She whimpered as silent tears came down her cheeks like ice crystals. And then, tenderly she kissed the corner of the statue's mouth. The storm suddenly stopped and stood still. Elsa could see what was all around her. She was not on Arendelle's fjord, but rather aboard her ice ship on the sea. There were things floating in the calm water. They were in the shape of… bodies. Of the pirate crew that drowned by her hand.

Dead bodies.

Hundreds of them.

Elsa woke up, sitting straight up, heart pounding. It was just a dream. It was the same one which kept haunting her nights. She turned over on the couch she was sleeping on, and saw that Tanya was sleeping soundly in the bed.

There was nothing to worry about, she was safe.

Flashes of the nightmare kept her up for another good hour. She could almost feel the delicateness of Tanya's cheeks, cupped in her own hands. Her beautiful light brown hair. The curve of her nose.

The urge to kiss her.

What?!

No…

She couldn't.

She didn't.

It wasn't like that at all.

The queen snapped out of her own thoughts, and tried thinking of something else. Anything else to get her mind off of Tanya.

She did not have to distract her thoughts for very long. The moon shining through the window lulled her back to sleep.

Arendelle became a lonely place again for Anna. She never thought she would feel this way after she and Elsa mended their relationship. But now that Elsa had been missing for a long time, she was sinking into a depression. She never wanted to leave her room, though sometimes she had to. To fill in for Elsa. Her sister.

She's gone.

Anna had to slowly consider the possibility her sister was not coming back. Elsa, who she loved so much, the only family she had.

Just gone in an instant, like that.

The princess rolled around in her bed, and turned to the other side. Gerda came into the room.

"Princess Anna, are you awake?"

Anna could only muster up a grunt. She did not like ignoring anyone, especially Gerda, and could not even if she tried.

"Oh sweetie, you have to get up. It's already in the afternoon."

Anna moved onto her back to see the older lady. Her hair was probably in a giant poof of a mess, but she did not care. Gerda had seen her when she looked her worst before.

"You have been spending so much time in bed, and haven't eaten at all. It's not healthy. Kristoff's very worried for you."

Oh yeah. Kristoff.

"I know it has been extremely hard for you. But we are trying all we can to find Elsa. There has been word coming from sailors, that some claimed to see a ship made out of ice."

"Could it be Elsa?" Anna piped up.

"It could be. Arendelle is farther north, where ice and snow isn't uncommon. But it's something you don't usually see late in summer."

"Oh."

"Why don't I lay out a cozy outfit for you, you can get out of bed, and well make you some nice soup. How does that sound?"

"Thanks, that sounds great," her voice was monotone.

Anna got dressed, went downstairs with her maid, and joined her and Kristoff for a bowl of chicken noodle soup. It actually tasted good. But Anna did not have much of an appetite. Her fiancé sat right next to her with his protective arm around her. Anna knew he did not like seeing her suffer.

"Why don't we take a walk through the garden?" Kristoff suggested. Anna knew the reason why he brought the garden up was because of Elsa. She loved the garden.

She nodded and said a quiet, "Okay."

They held hands as they walked in silence through the brick path. Anna did not want to talk, and Kristoff was perfectly happy with that. He was not as social as her anyway. But he did understand her, and that's what mattered.

They came to Elsa's favorite spot near the roses and sat on the bench. Anna simply just curled up into Kristoff, and he kissed her forehead. She started drowsing off.

Then she felt a nudge. "Look, up there," Kristoff pointed.

Two spots floating in the sky started growing and were moving closer to them.

"What is it?" She sounded more interested.

"I can't make it out, it's… a bird's on fire!"

"Huh?"

"See up there?"

Anna actually looked up to see what he was talking about. To her astonishment, it was true. There were two birds, and one of them was on fire. However the other one…

It was made out of ice!

Elsa!

The birds must be magical. Elsa must have made it!

The princess leaped from the bench and ran towards the castle, in the direction they were flying.

"Anna, wait!" Kristoff said as he ran after her.

But she did not wait up for him. Anna ran as fast as she could. Her sister was still alive!

It was late in the morning when the sun shone through the curtains of the room. Elsa felt the warm rays on her eyelids, and they shuttered open. She yawned. She did not even want to know what time, or even what day it was. They both had an exhausting week of running, getting captured, escaping, and traveling on their feet. They had not even one break during that whole time span.

Previously, Elsa and Tanya had been walking along the coast, trying to find the closest town. More like Elsa was walking, and supporting Tanya's weight the whole time. But Elsa did not mind having the girl close to her. She liked it very much. Maybe a little too much. But Elsa enjoyed being strong for somebody. With her sister Anna, it was different. She felt not necessarily obligated, but bound by a sisterly love to watch over and protect her. But with Tanya, she felt that same protectiveness taken to a whole new level. Elsa put one arm around the girl's waist, while Tanya wrapped her arm around Elsa's shoulders. Tanya grabbed for Elsa's hand. Immediately, the queen's palms became a little sweaty from nerves, and she avoided eye contact with the girl out of embarrassment. But Elsa did not let go of her hand.

The coast was rocky and steep in some parts. They had to climb over large boulders and up large hills, just to see that there were more up ahead. When it got to the point where Elsa was going to drop, they came close enough to a town that gave her enough energy to keep going.

Entering the town, there were a couple of big men by the gates. In the overalls and tunics they were wearing, they could have been fishermen just keeping the lookout.

Elsa tiredly asked them where the closest inn was. They pointed to the two story building just at the end of the main road. The queen thanked them and headed on her way with the girl. They did not offer to help with the limping girl, but they were probably scared of touching a girl that was not from town. Elsa definitely did not need, nor want their help after all. Besides she liked being the one supporting and holding on to Tanya. She was not going to let strange men touch her.

Exhausted, she walked up the steps of the inn and entered the doors. The sign read Geralt's Squidside Inn.

That's a peculiar name, Elsa thought.

The man at the front desk wore a sweater, fisherman's cap, and held a churchwarden pipe in his mouth. When he saw the two girls walk in, he immediately noticed their attire.

Elsa looked down on what she was wearing. Their dresses were very dirty and ripped up. The man's eyes were wide.

No wonder he's so confused. Two girls, alone and one injured, wandering alone in the middle of the night. We are probably the strangest thing that's come into town.

"Velcome to Geralt's Squidside Inn, how may I help you ladies tonight?" He spoke with an unusual accent Elsa was not accustomed to.

"Do you have a room available for the night? Or maybe two?"

"Ov course, ve are een fact an inn. I believe there eez a spare room upstairs dat is not being occupied."

"Can we reserve it?"

"I'll put it right on the leest for you, and give you ladies your key."

"Thank you, sorry for barging in like that. We've been traveling for a while now."

"I can see dat."

"Are there any good places to get new clothes, close by around here?"

The man paused and looked up and down at their dirty dresses. "Tell you vat. I have a couple spare robes you can have fer free. Ya girls look like you have traveled longer than you make eet out to be, and you would geet more use in 'em den I would."

"Really it's alright…"

"Compleements of Geralt. Now before I show ye up to yer rooms, dere eez a fivteen coin deposeet."

Elsa searched through her dress pockets, and her heart sank when she felt only empty space.

"I'm so sorry, I'm afraid that I have nothing."

Those pirates must have looted all my money.

"I won't waste any more of your time, thanks for offering your generosity to us," Elsa felt silly for trying to rent a room when she could not even afford it. She started to head out the door with Tanya, who did not look well at all.

"Hang on dere. Ye don'd look like any of de normal travelers dat pass by. I don't know ver yer from, but yer een no shape to be walkeeng around at dees time of night. Eespecially wit' the girl. I can offer ya the room fer free for however she needs to heal up, eef you can run a few errands fer me."

"You mean it? I mean, of course, of course we will. We won't forget your kindness." Looks like they lucked out big time.

Geralt searched the inside of his desk and rummaged through a door-full of keys. "Ah here we go, dis eez eet." Elsa followed the man upstairs with Tanya, still supporting the girl with her arms. She was thankful for the grace and generosity this man was showing them. She would run any errands he wanted.

"Here ya go ladies, I'll leave ye be now. I'll knock on yer door once I leave the robes outside. Come down after ye've had some rest, and I'll leet ya know vat errands I vant you doing."

He let them be, and as Elsa closed the door gently, she immediately helped Tanya onto the bed.

"Ah…" Tanya gave a sigh of relief. "I don't know why my legs feel so sore."

Elsa was helping her take off her boots the same time she spoke. Then she pulled the stockings from the Tanya's ankles. Her legs were pale and smooth, but full of bruises. Tanya gave her a curious look as to what she was doing.

And then it hit Elsa.

She thinks I'm undressing her.

The shorter girl saw the wide eyed expression on Elsa's face, but just laughed. "I think I've got it from here." She moved her hand from the bed, and it fell softly as a feather onto Elsa's. A sudden shock went through her veins.

She felt dizzy.

"Oh, sure, um, I'll let you get out of your own dress," Elsa laughed nervously, turned around, and went to the other side of the room to change out of her own dress.

As she took off her ratted up riding dress, Elsa decided she would sleep on the sofa near the window, letting Tanya take the bed. She undid the braid in her hair, leaving platinum wavy locks falling down her shoulders. Her blue undergarments were mostly dry, but she was too tired to even care. She hung the dress onto the coatrack in the corner, and then went to the wardrobe across from the bed. Inside were blankets she could use for the night.

"Hey, so I'll let you sleep on the bed now that I've found blankets…" As she turned around, she saw the princess watching her from behind.

This time Tanya was caught staring at her red-handed. And she knew it. The princess gulped, moving her eyes towards Elsa's gorgeous blues, and managed to say "Okay." From a sitting position, she fell back laying down on the bed. Elsa had no idea what was going on with herself. It seemed every time Tanya said something, did something, touched her, it struck all the nerves in her body. But she was beginning to like it.

"Hey Elsa?" The princess said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to thank you, for what you did."

The queen went over and sat down on the bed beside her. "It was no big deal, really. We were in trouble and had to escape that ship somehow. You were hurt and needed a crutch."

"But it was a big deal to me. Ever since I was a little kid, no one has ever done anything close to what you did for me. You helped me along for miles when I couldn't walk. You ran after me instead of just letting me go like everyone else. What I want to say is I…" Tanya looked like she was about to say something else, but changed her mind, "that you are a good friend, and I know I can trust you."

She placed a hand on Elsa's knee. Elsa put her hand on top of the girl's.

"Isn't that what... friends are for?"

Now that Elsa was fully awake, there was no way she was going to sleep. She looked over at Tanya sleeping on her side in fetal position, facing her. Her bedhead hair still kept its perfectly straight form. Elsa had no idea how hair could even work like that. She got up and stretched in the undergarments she slept in. She walked over to the wardrobe, and grabbed the blue cloak hanging up.

Before she went out, the queen washed her dress and waited for it to dry. There was no way she was going out in just a cloak and underwear. She sat on the bed next to the sleeping Tanya. There was literally nothing to do in the room except wait. Minutes seemed like hours to her. Elsa checked around the night table if there were any books to read, but to her disappointment there were not.

The queen played around with her magic a bit, forming various snowball shapes with her hands. Until a voice grumbled behind her. It was just Tanya, making sounds in her sleep. She looked so innocent when she was asleep, something Elsa was seeing a lot of lately. Her chest rose up and down, and her head was tilted to one side. Tanya's light brown hair was sprawled around the pillow, but throughout the night managed to stay perfectly straight, unlike her own hair. Elsa's hair in the morning had a wave to it, but it wasn't as out of control as Anna's.

Tanya had a face of an angel. Not in the way that she looked close to childish, but in that her face had a gentle appearance, almost delicate-like. Both of her cheeks had a slight rosy tint. The princess' skin was light, though not as fair as her own. Elsa even noticed a couple freckles dusted on her nose, which she had not noticed before. She had a practically flawless, yet unique beauty which Elsa loved. Her pink lips were slightly parted open.

They looked so soft. So perfect. So…

Lovely.

The queen snapped out of her daydreaming.

No you mustn't feel, she told herself. You're the queen of Arendelle, and she… Exactly! She! You can't have feelings for her, no matter what they are or how confusing they are. It would never work anyway.

Elsa's heart sunk deep in her chest.

She finally realized what she was feeling, what she had felt the night of the ball when meeting Tanya for the first time. How nervous she felt all the time, and how the princess made her blush. How her hands would get sweaty, and her chest would pound so hard. How even just a touch was electrifying, and made Elsa feel like she was on fire.

Elsa wanted it, her, so much, but it was not realistic.

It could never happen.

Elsa placed her hand on Tanya's, and at the sudden movement, Tanya's eyes fluttered open. In silence, she looked up at Elsa with her stormy blue eyes. They were as blue as the cold, raging ocean that the pirate ship perished on…

It hurt Elsa's chest to think about that. She would not tell Tanya what happened that night, or the details of the escape. She would not burden the girl. Elsa made a promise that she could trust her, but what she had no recollection of would not kill her. She would keep her safe, even if that meant emotionally safe. The fact that Elsa had sunk a whole ship full of men was slowly killing her inside.

"Good morning," Elsa made herself smile, not removing her hand from Tanya's hand. She grinned back at her.

She stretched. "How long did I even sleep for?" The princess' question came out as a yawn.

"Just a couple days."

"Just a couple days?" Tanya jumped out of bed. "We have to get on our way! We can't just waste days to rest…"

But she realized she stood up to soon, when she stumbled on her bruised legs.

"Whoa there, with your legs wobbling like that, you should be taking it slow," Elsa caught the girl from falling.

"I'm pretty sure I can walk," Elsa withdrew her support, and sure enough she could.

"I think it would be a good idea if we stayed one more day here in town," the queen suggested.

"But we have to keep going!" Tanya protested.

"Not with you injured. Even if it's nothing serious, we wouldn't make much distance. And besides, I promised that good man Geralt, who let us stay here for free, we'd do errands for him."

Tanya grumbled and then sighed. "I guess so. I'm just so anxious."

"Don't worry over something you can't help, let's just enjoy a day in town, when you feel more stable and find the things we need."

"Well, I guess one more day won't matter."

"It will be fun, I promise," Elsa winked as she walked to the coat rack, and brought back their dried dresses. "Get changed, I'm not going out in my undergarments!"