A/N

This is the last completed chapter I have written so from here on in, the chapters will be posted whenever I have one finished so they won't be regular and they will probably be far and few between because of exams and all. Be glad it's a long one and enjoy the alternate view and the in depth look at Anna's story within this fic, we'll return to Elsa in a few chapters :)

Chapter 23

Anna POV

"Please say something." I took hold of Kristoff's forearm and he jolted out of his shock.

"You're… You're taking the crown? As in the crown of Arendelle. As in you're going to become the Queen of Arendelle." I took one of his hands in my own and held it softly.

"Yes. It's the only option Elsa has if we want to keep Arendelle out of the Isles' hands. She didn't go into detail but I can assume it would be in our best interests to do so." I waited for him to say something, but he seemed to struggle to get anything out. I looked at my hand and twitched my ring finger, currently adorned with a simple silver band with a small diamond with a strange but beautiful blue hue. "Kristoff." His eyes found mine and I could see so much in them that we could be. "I understand if you want to leave, for a while or for good. I wouldn't want to be put in this position if I were you." He snapped to attention, shaking his head.

"No. No, no, no." He wrapped his arms around me, encircling me into his cocoon of warmth. "No. No matter how hard this might be, I am never ever going to leave you and force you to face this alone." He pressed a kiss to my head and held me a moment longer before releasing me. "When I asked you to marry me, it wasn't a light decision, Anna. No matter what happens I am not going back on my promise to be here for you. Okay?" I nodded, smiling. I didn't expect anything less of course but hearing him say it out loud just made it more real, more believable than if it was just in my head.

"Well if you're going to be with me for the whole thing, you should come with me to see Kai." He pressed another kiss to my hair and took my hand, following behind my lead to the dining room. Elsa had it cleared and secured for the meeting with Kai and it seemed so cold with all the windows half closed and no staff milling about humming their songs and twirling about as they straighten the frames and dust the table, despite having just dusted and polished it already.

"Kristoff, I didn't know you'd be joining us." Kai greeted cheerfully with a bow to me and a hand extended to Kristoff. He walked us over to the table where I took my usual place to the right of the head and Kristoff sat beside me. Elsa entered with Jack by her side and her daughter on her hip and, taking Kai's leading hand, took her place at the head of the table.

"Sorry we're late." Kai took his place on her left and Elsa, Jack and I all stared at him, and then realised we were yet to inform Kristoff and Kai of Jack's current state of being. "Kai, I don't mean to be rude, but would you mind moving down a place. I actually have another member of my inner court who should be in that chair." His expression puzzled but he slowly moved places. I could see Kristoff looking between Elsa and I, just as puzzled as Kai. Jack took his seat and waited for Elsa to explain, only nothing made it past her lips.

"You both knew Jackson Overland when he was alive, and you both know he died protecting his sister Mary." I fixed the words together in my head before I spoke, hoping that, for once, I could articulate myself properly. "For who he was, and the manner of his death, he was granted… a new lease on life I suppose you could call it." I explained, as best I could with the explanation I was given, what Jack was and asked the two men to try their best to believe in him. Thankfully they, like myself, had little trouble when they opened their eyes to see Jack sitting to Elsa's left. He raised a hand in greeting but otherwise remained silent.

"Hey." Kristoff sat wide-eyed with his mouth slightly open, barely getting the word out at hearing level. Jack refused to meet his eyes and chose instead to take Alyssa from where she was being difficult in her mother's lap. Kristoff sunk a little and adopted Jack's avoidance methods.

"So the four of you seem to have some idea of why we're meeting, would someone care to fill me in?" Kai spoke to the room, but he was fixed on Jack, I had a feeling he wanted to poke him in the shoulder; lord knows I couldn't resist. We all turned to Elsa, feeling this was her news to share.

"In the best interests of my safety, Jack's safety and our daughter's safety, I've made the decision to step down from the throne, and hand my crown to Anna. I've spoken to her and she has agreed to take up the position as soon as possible. With your advisory stamp of approval of course." Kai sat back in his chair, an unreadable expression hidden beneath his poker face as he contemplated the situation.

"What's the danger?" He asked, arms crossed in front of him. I turned to Elsa, but she seemed to consider Jack as a more reliable source of information regarding the danger they're facing.

"There's a man who, a long, long time ago, became the physical entity of Nightmares; The Nightmare King if you will. He himself hasn't presented himself as a threat just yet but the woman who was his wife before he turned was no better and became his equal; A self proclaimed Goddess of Panic. You might know her as Queen Ayana of the Southern Isles who attacked Elsa when we were there; hence the haste in returning home. We've been warned more threats will present themselves, all lining up for Alyssa. The same source of warning, a reliable source, informed us that with us as her parents; a powerful Sorceress and a Guardian's vessel, Alyssa is going to be so powerful others like us will pretty much be able to smell her from planets away." The room was silent as Jack finished his brief overview. I could hear the mumbling of guards standing safely out of earshot. Kai stared through the table, thinking. He shook his head a few times, pursed his lips, sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He radiated tension and worry, not only for Elsa and I, and of course Jack and Alyssa, but for the Kingdom as a whole. Arendelle is a small kingdom in the grand scheme of things and for this instability of a monarch, and I'm sure he's worked out what Elsa has done with Nikolai; we're in a horrible position.

"I could never say I disapprove, especially when I would be bringing all of these monstrosities directly to the kingdom if I forced you to hold the crown, but this is still going to weaken us in the eyes of the world. I'm sure we can find enough allies around to keep us just strong enough to pull through without being overthrown or conquered or in any way destroyed." Kai smiled grimly at my sister and I, the remaining two men still avoiding eye contact with each other. "We need to arrange a coronation for two days' time, will that be fast enough for you, your majesty?" Elsa smiled and Kai considered the matter closed and rushed off to make the arrangements with his band of organising geniuses among the castle staff. The silence remained once Kai left, though the extra guards used to secure the room left and allowed the general staff to continue milling about in their usual fashion, leaving the four of us sitting in silence at the table.

"Kristoff go to my room." I spoke without turning to look at him, and without question he got up and left the room. I looked up at Elsa and she nodded, holding Alyssa on her lap she cleared her throat to catch Jack's attention,

"You need to talk to him. You left him a mess, granted it led him into the arms of my sister and they are now a happy couple, but the point stands; your death was hard on him. Go clear things up while you still can." He sent a soft glare her way and a silent exchanged passed between them.

"You know where to find me." He got up swiftly, trying to ensure the staff didn't see a chair moving of it's own will. Neither his footsteps, nor the tapping of his staff on the tiled floor made a sound, as if he floated on a thin layer of air everywhere he went. I suppose that's entirely possible, we know nothing about these Guardians aside from what my sister and her boyfriend have been told by his maker.

"Kristoff is taking all of this rather well, considering." I stared at a smudge on the table and nodded,

"You only saw a glimpse of how hard Jackson's death was on him. He's taking this extremely well. I'll be shocked if he doesn't try and take a swing at him up there." I zoned out for a while, remembering when I first met my fiancée on the worst day of my sister's life.

FLASHBACK

Elsa ran to the trees, screaming for the Overlands, leaving me to babysit her new fiancée, my future brother-in-law and future King of Arendelle. I couldn't help but hate him for what he's already done to Elsa without even being here for a day, despite his charm. I could still hear Elsa calling for Jackson through the woods.

"You don't seem to be a fan of mine." Nikolai stared in the direction my sister ran off in, speaking softly as he correctly accused me of hating him.

"Can you blame me? You've pretty much destroyed Elsa's one chance at happiness. You can't expect me to warm to you after that." He smirked slightly, watching the woods for signs of the Overlands or Elsa.

"I didn't want this any more than Elsa, when your father the King of a powerful nation asks you to do something, you do it without question or face severe reprimand. I've seen it happen to my sisters and several of my brothers on occasion, and I don't care to suffer how they have." I scoffed and shook my head. I didn't feel like listening to his pity story right now, I refuse to give into his so-called charm the way so many have.

"Jackson!" A gut twisting, soul-wrenching scream of pain erupted from the trees and I took off running through the trees, suddenly able to coordinate myself just enough to make my way through the woods without tripping myself up. I came to a halt when I saw the scene by the lakeside, Elsa collapsed into Tara's arms, Mary crying in the snow, her back to the ice, and a man standing off to the side trying not to be noticed as he silently and stoically let tears stream down his face.

"What happened?" Nikolai called just behind me, stopping just as I had when he saw the four faces and the tears that fell from them.

"Jackson." I whispered to the air, walking in a daze to my sister, dead to the world aside from the effort she exerted into her grief.

"He saved me." Mary cried, falling to her side in the snow and weeping hopelessly. I leaned forward and peered down into the lake, turning away just as fast when I saw the body that lay at the bottom of the clear water. I gasped for air, trying to keep myself from being sick.

"Nikolai help me." I reluctantly called for him, scooping Mary up and positioning her as best I could before marching back towards the house with a lump in my throat that would not go down. I could hear Nikolai and the other man move to collect Elsa and Tara before following me. I can't let them stay out here and freeze. Despite not knowing Jackson how Elsa does, I doubt anyone but her does, I care about him. He was supposed to be the one to put that ring on Elsa's finger and hold the title Nikolai stole. He was supposed to be my brother-in-law. That's never going to happen now, no matter the council's decision.

"Lay them down, Tara in her chair, Elsa on the couch. I'm taking Mary to her bed." The boys followed my instruction as I turned down the short hall. Mary barely touched her sheets before she cried out.

"No! Take me to Jackson's." She clutched me until I made it into Jackson's room, laying her in his bed where she proceeded to curl up and continue to weep. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I'm sorry." She whimpered, over and over like a mantra. I wanted to stay and help her, but right now it's too fresh; no one is going to convince her of anything she doesn't want to believe. She shouldn't have to deal with this so young, but I suppose she shouldn't have died so young… though I suppose Jackson shouldn't have either. I closed the door softly and returned to the living room to see Nikolai's offering of tea being glared at by my sister so harshly I thought it might freeze under her gaze. Tara was sitting up rigidly, but seeming so soft and damaged as she did so.

"Elsa." She spoke with barely a whisper, tears and sobs mingling with her voice and morphing it into something quietly distraught. Elsa looked up at her, sighing, and asked what happened, the question on everyone's mind.

"Jackson came home, he was angry. Mary wanted to go play so he took her out to the lake, even though I always told them not to. She said they were skating, but the ice was too thin; she was going to fall. Jackson being Jackson wouldn't let that happen and was helping her back to the thicker ice but, to do that, he grabbed her and flung her away while he slid onto the thin ice and-" I wouldn't have heard any more if she did keep speaking, but she choked up and couldn't say it. We all understood, her eldest child, her only son, just died to save her youngest child, her only daughter. How can you say that out loud?

"-stupid ring, Jackson would be alive. Even if he went to the lake I would have been there to save him." I tuned back in to the world just in time to hear Elsa screeching at Nikolai, ice dropping from her clenched fists and clinking on the floor, though I doubt she noticed in her rage. She continued screaming at him, slamming her fists into his chest and leaving small icy circles on his coat. Before long enough I couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward to try and pull Elsa off the poor prince, only to have her break down in tears and collapse into Nikolai's chest, clutching at him as though he could do anything to make her better.

"It's all my fault." I heard her mutter to herself a few times before realising who she was leaning into, realising what she was doing and turning away from him to find comfort in Tara. Nikolai motioned to me to join him in hushed tones in the corner of the small room.

"You need to gather some guards, loyal guards who understand discretion, and keep Elsa safe." I ordered, but the prince apparently didn't agree with being told what to do.

"We need to take her home, Anna, before they panic and send a party." He spoke softly, but I could see the disagreeing malice in his eyes that made him want to shout, though I suspect he knew his fiancée would hear him yelling to her beloved little sister and thought better of it. I also knew Elsa wouldn't want to leave, but if he asked her to, she would.

"She won't go. She won't leave Mary and Tara." I tried to counter with a logic he would believe, but his sigh told me he knew the truth, but was willing to indulge me in my charade.

"Bring them?" his smirk insinuated he was winning this game, which he was, but I was not about to let him know.

"Jackson never liked the idea of living at the castle, or Elsa would have had them move in when they were children. I doubt Mary or Tara would leave their home behind." He dared to start tapping his shoe as if Jackson's wishes meant nothing to Elsa, or myself for that matter. He was as close to a brother as I ever had, and I loved him for it.

"She's still the Queen. There are things she has to do." I felt the fire of anger brew within me, first he tarnishes Jackson's memory and now he dares to say Elsa needs to go and deal with the horror that is running this kingdom not even an hour past his death. Does he not understand she loved him with her entire heart and then some?

"What, like announce your official engagement?" His eyes slid to the floor, realising what he was saying. I shook my head and stormed out.