Elsa's room was dim, the lamps the Physician and his apprentices had used to operate under having been extinguished leaving only the fireplace and a small bedside lantern to light the cavernous space. Anna felt the drastic dip in temperature as she entered and felt a few flakes of snow brush her cheek. Ice had climbed the walls in a fractal pattern of reaching ivy and spread across the floor making walking a treacherous affair. Anna was use to ice and cold, her sister using her power more and more openly after the Great Freeze, and carefully picked her way across the room to where Elsa lay motionless in her four poster bed. Kristoff moved towards the fireplace, throwing a fresh bundle of logs into the hungry flames and exhaling a fog of steam as he warmed his hands.
For half a heartbeat, the princess just stared down at her older sister, words and movement escaping her. The Physician had stripped Elsa down to her bloodstained cotton underdress and a loose fitting pair of cotton breeches that Anna had no idea her sister even possessed. The underdress had been cut away just below her bust line to allow access to the stab wound. A red speckled gauze patch now dominated her abdomen, hiding the wound as best it could. It was strange seeing her regal sister in such revealing attire, Anna being the more adventurous out of the two when it came to how she dressed, but the look didn't detract from Elsa's natural beauty. Anna made a mental note to tell her sister this when this whole nightmare was over.
"Elsa?" she called gently, settling down in the chair next to her sister's bed that must have been put there by one of Malkof's assistants. The queen stirred after a moment, cerulean eyes cracking open fractionally. She would have dropped off again had Anna not gently brushed the side of her face, jarring her awake.
"It's ok, it just me," Anna soothed moving a stray strand of platinum blond hair out of her sister's face.
"I feel horrible," Elsa rasped, laying her head back and focusing on the ceiling, surprised to see so much frost hanging above her. Had she done that unconsciously? Frowning with concentration, Elsa drew in a slow, hesitant breath, her right wrist flicking sharply upon exhale. The ice obeyed and retreated, the room temperature slowly starting to regulate. Anna would have been elated to see that her sister still had the strength to control her powers had Elsa not suddenly ground her teeth in pain, sweat prickling her brow.
"Don't do that," Anna said and instantly regretted her snappish tone. More gently, she said, "I mean, please don't use your powers. Save your strength."
Elsa let out a long sigh and deflated a bit. How had things gone so wrong so fast? Hadn't she done everything in her power to become the queen everyone wanted her to be? She'd done so much for her kingdom, so much for other kingdoms and hamlets that the idea of someone sending an assassin after her was beyond troubling. And would they stop with her, or was Anna at risk as well? Was this Hans trying to make another power play, or Weselton? Maybe the Corona kingdom? No, Elsa knew her aunt would never raise a finger towards her two nieces. Maybe Asham? Elsa tried to sort out her thoughts, to break apart and analyze everything that had happened in order to find the puzzle piece she was obviously missing, but nothing came to her.
Anna could see the war taking place behind her sister's eyes and tried to keep quiet and still. It only lasted another few minutes before she couldn't keep silent any longer. But before she could speak, the queen sighed again and turned her head so that she could see Anna clearly in the warm glow of the fireplace.
"I think this will be a spring harvest to remember," Elsa said with a small, sad smile.
"Eh, if you say so," Anna shrugged looking out the large triangular window opposite her sister's bed. The sky had darkened considerably, twilight slowly slipping into early evening. Where had the day gone? "The parade wasn't that great anyway, and I'm pretty sure there's no topping last year's ball."
Elsa felt the ghost of a smile tough her lips at the mention of the fiasco that was last year's spring celebration. Missing staff, misplaced guests, a fire in the kitchen that had nearly swallowed the entire back half of the castle…yes it had been quite an eventful night that had left Elsa on the verge of icing her kingdom again and Anna in stitches most of the evening. Still, the memories were happy ones that seemed to ease the pain of the current hell the queen and her sister were partaking in.
"That was one of the worst experiences of my life," Elsa chuckled dryly.
"It wasn't that bad," Anna grinned.
"This coming from the woman who tricked me into thinking she'd fallen off the ballroom balcony after having too much wine."
"The bruises were worth seeing the look on your face," Anna said looking back at Kristoff who returned her smile.
"Still," Elsa exhaled and half smiled, "I think this spring festival takes the cake. Assassinating the queen in broad daylight? That's going to make the history books."
Apparently, Elsa's gallows humor was only appreciated by her. Anna's face fell, replaced with an unreadable mask as realization of what Elsa was saying spread across her face like a gray cloud blocking the sun. Elsa winced inwardly but knew of no better way to broach the subject.
"No," Anna whispered quietly. "We're not talking about this now."
"Anna we need to," Elsa said softly.
"No we do not," Anna growled between clenched teeth, eyes glued on her hands clenched together in her lap. The queen had expected her sister to be sad, but she'd not expected to see anger flashing across the princess's beautiful face like heat lightning.
"Please just listen," Elsa reached out to take her sister's hand but the princess drew back, defiance tightening every muscle in her body until she felt like an overly wound spring.
"We're not going to talk about this, because you're not going to die, so don't even try. I'm not her Majesty or even Acting Majesty. I'm just Princess Anna and you're Queen Elsa, and that's how it's going to stay." The tears Anna had been fighting back finally broke free and trailed down her face. She looked up and speared her sister with a withering look that would have made their mother proud, the moisture in her eyes making her natural sky blue color almost glow. "Do you understand, Majesty? You are not going to die. Not after I've just gotten you back."
"Anna," Elsa sighed turning to stare at the ceiling. It was easier to speak to her sister when she wasn't able to see the pain and fear written all over her face or see the tears. It was also easier for Elsa to hide her own fear that was slowly spreading through her. She wasn't prepared to face death, not so soon in life. "I know what Physician Malkof said to you. He told me the same thing. They can't reach the shard. They can't even properly close the wound."
"That doesn't mean anything," Anna said clenching her fists until she felt her nails bite into her palm.
"Oh for God's sake Anna, use your head! If my royal Physician can't remove the shard of steel lodge in my chest that means I'm as good as dead, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Not you, not Malkof, not even Kristoff! So please, let me explain to you what's going to happen after I'm gone. There's so much you don't know about. I've managed to get this kingdom to practically run itself for the next two years, but that doesn't mean it's going to be smooth sailing. You're going to—"
"Fuck your role as queen!" Anna exploded, coming up out of the chair so fast it toppled over behind her with a clatter. Elsa looked as shocked as Anna felt but the anger burning within her chest kept her heated even under her sister's cool stare. "That's all you do. Rule! Even now you're trying to rule when you're on your death bed. Why can't you just be my sister first and the ruler of Arendelle second? I want my sister here with me, not the queen!"
Elsa felt her face flush, blood rising into her cheeks at her sister's rebuke. Her anger simmered just under the surface, cold as the arctic magic swirling in her veins. "Because there are more people in this kingdom than you, Anna! I'm just one person, but I have to care for thousands. Thousands! Do you know how much strength that takes, how much endurance? No, don't answer, because I know you don't. You're a princess, and that means you've been spared the riggers and stresses of ruling, but that's about to change. I have to prepare you, because I don't know how much longer I have."
Anna spun away from her sister and stalked over to the fire where a bewildered Kristoff was trying to make himself as small as possible within the folds of the deep wingback chair he was sitting in. Anna grabbed a stout log from the pile next to the pokers and threw it as hard as she could into the fire, sparks and embers exploding into the chimney with a frantic crackling. He could see the tears shinning in her eyes as she stared at the flickering flames. When a sob shook her and Anna hunched forward, Kristoff was up and behind her in an instant, but Anna jerked away from his touch, opting to stand alone in front of the fire, one hand over her mouth and the other wrapped around her stomach in a vain attempt at holding in her sobs. Her shoulders quaked with the effort, and Kristoff's heart broke for his fiancé as she attempted to bare the weight of this nightmare alone. When he glanced over at the queen he wasn't surprised to see she too was crying, silvery tears sliding down her face.
"I can't do this," Anna finally said in a broken whisper. Kristoff didn't know who she was speaking to, but Elsa seemed to know instinctively.
"Yes, you can," she whispered, bright eyes staring at the back of Anna's head.
"No, no I can't." Anna turned and the last of her anger crumbled. "Not without you."
She rushed to her sister's side and fell sobbing to her knees, great heaving cries wrenched from her with every breath she took. Elsa put a hand atop her sister's head and shushed her, humming a gentle melody their mother had sung to them as children whenever they were scared or hurt. After a time, Anna's sobs quieted, and she was again able to speak, though her voice was raw and rough.
"This isn't fair. I just got you back."
"Life's not fair, little sister, but I'm so grateful I was able to spend these two years with you in happiness. After so long apart — I'd forgotten what love feels like. Now I know."
Tears slid down Elsa's cheek but she smiled despite the pain swirling in her chest. Anna was right, this wasn't fair. Why God or the gods or whatever was out there would bring the two of them together only to rip them apart two years later seemed like the ultimate cruel joke. But Elsa had to deal with the hand she'd been dealt, and she'd be damned if she went without a fight. Let hell know the feeling of true cold, she'd freeze heaven over just to make a point if she had to.
A knock at the door startled the two. Kristoff put out a hand to stay them before rising and crossing the room. A white clad apprentice stood on the other side of the door bearing a small tray. The two spoke quietly for a brief moment before the apprentice departed leaving the tray with the mountain man.
"The guy in white said this was from the Physician. It's another dose of pain medicine." Kristoff set the tray on the opposite side of the bed and waited. Elsa hesitated, unsure if she wanted to take another dose. If she truly was going to die she wanted to spend her last few hours with a clear head even if that meant bearing the pain of her wound without medication.
"Take it," Anna urged.
"No," Elsa said squeezing her sister's hand and halting her as she rose to fetch the tray. "The medicine makes me hazy."
"But it can help—"
"No, Anna," Elsa snapped and it was her turn to regret her tone of voice.
Anna slowly lowered herself back into the chair, a slightly wounded look on her puffy red face. Elsa tried to smile and reach for her sister with her left hand to move an unruly strand of strawberry blond hair from her face when a lance of pain shot up her side and pooled around her heart. Gasping, eyes going wide, Elsa jerked and felt something shift inside her. Her right hand slammed into her chest right over her heart as she rode the tidal wave of pain, vision blurring. She couldn't hear Anna's screams for help or the pounding of feet as the apprentices returned, only the roaring in her ears. When someone cupped the back of her neck and raised her head off her sweat stained pillows, she arched and released another pulse of white hot agony. Elsa gagged on the lukewarm liquid being poured down her throat and felt the effects of the tea a second later. The pain was quickly dissipating, taking her away with it as darkness slowly crept into her vision and swallowed her.