a.n. Here's the newest chapter as promised. It's extra long for you guys so I hope you enjoy! I had a couple of specific requests that I was more than happy to use. Check out my profile page for more info. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the last part of the chapter but I'll leave that up to you to decide. Please read, review, and enjoy!

Chapter 6: Confronting the Past

Silence enveloped the room which had suddenly grown much, much colder. No one dared to move and they were all too afraid to speak.

Anna remained where she was, though her eyes grew wide in surprise as she whipped her head to look at her guests. Neither one of them attempted to counter Elsa's words, though both wore guilty expressions.

Kristoff stood ramrod straight near the door, his own shock at the queen's words had nearly caused him to stumble before he managed to catch himself.

And the queen herself stood just inside the entryway, her eyes just as wide as her sister's, a definite chilly aura surrounding her as her icy blue eyes stared hard at the ghosts from her past. Without a word, the queen turned and fled back out the door.

Anna was the first to make a move as she turned and dashed out after her sister, shouting her name as she left, deliberately ignoring the iced planks of the floor.

"ELSA! Wait!"

Kristoff was left alone with the two visitors and not one of the three of them knew what to do next. The man he knew as Frederick made a move to follow the two royals but the ice harvester put a hand up to stop the older man.

"Give them some time." He looked at the other man and saw the slightest of nods. "I don't know if what Elsa said is true, but there's no one she'll talk to when she's like this but Anna. If anyone can get through to the queen, it's her." Another nod and more silence as the three of them stood there awkwardly, all of them wanting to join the two who had fled. Once again, the mountain man took the diplomatic route.

"I don't know if you are who you say you are or if you're who Elsa says you are. Right now, I really don't care. What I do care about is Anna and what she cares about is Elsa. If you have any untoward intentions for either of them, I will have to stop it now before they get hurt. While they are gone, I ask that you tell me your story, the truth this time. I will find out and it would be in your best interest to come clean now rather than later. I will not let you get to either one of them if you intend them harm." His piece said, Kristoff waited for a response.

Erik looked at this man before him. When he and his wife had first met him, they had assumed he was no more than an ordinary, run-of-the-mill ice harvester. Even after he had told them that he was involved in the events that they so desperately wanted to know about, they didn't believe he was really anything more than that. But now, after seeing his familiarity with the two royals and his firm, resolute declaration for their safety, he was so much more than they had expected. He seemed to genuinely care about the sisters and wanted nothing more than their safety and happiness, though based on the warm welcome he had received it was obvious to both of them that there was something more between him and Anna than just mere friendship.

Anya stood next to her husband and took his hand, offering him her support. They shared a glance and she nodded at him. Erik released a deep sigh.

"We were hoping we would have a little more time to assess things here before we revealed ourselves, but it doesn't look like we have that luxury anymore." He paused and drew strength from his wife who squeezed his hand gently in reassurance. "It is just as my dau…the queen said. My name isn't Frederick; it's Erik and this is my wife Anya, not Greta. We are…were the King and Queen of Arendelle."

If she didn't know her sister as well as she did and hadn't known where Elsa would have sought refuge, Anna would have been able to follow the icy trail that noticeably led from the sitting room to her sister's bedroom. She knew that her sister needed her space; when she was this worked up, it was best for her to be by herself to reign in her emotions, to gain control of her oftentimes wild mood swings. But she also knew that Elsa would need someone to talk to when she was ready and she wanted to be there when that happened. She didn't know when that may be, but she would wait outside her sister's door all day and night if she needed to.

Arendelle's princess approached the door that led to the queen's bedroom and as she lifted her hand to knock, she could feel the cold air emanating from within. Her five rap staccato was met with silence and for a moment, Anna considered turning away and just waiting out her sister's self-imposed exile in her own room. She was only a little surprised when she heard Elsa's quiet voice from behind the door.

"Come in." Anna composed herself and turned the knob. The metal was cool to the touch and the young woman braced herself for what she might face when she walked through the door.

The sight that met her was nothing like she had imagined from the first moment her sister had fled the sitting room. She had pictured all sorts of scenarios, from a quiet, dignified Elsa carefully composed as she stared reflectively out her window to a more unhinged snow queen that had let it all go and coated every inch and item of her room with her icy blasts, visible evidence of the swirling storm of emotions within her. What she saw was her vulnerable sister, a woman whom she had always seen as strong and unbreakable, curled up like a child on her bed, her shoulders shaking with emotion, quiet sobs escaping her and wetting the blankets beneath her. The room was a blizzard of white and snow was falling in small flurries all around her.

"Oh Elsa." Anna quickly hurried to her sister's side and sat down on the bed beside her. She gently stroked her sister's blonde hair and rubbed the young woman's back, hoping to soothe the queen and calm the raging emotions she was obviously feeling. It wasn't long before Anna noticed the sobbing had ceased and the room grew warmer as the snow slowly disappeared. A few moments later, the bed shifted as Elsa turned over to face her sister, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears and her normally pale face was flushed. Her meticulously coiffed hair, which had been pulled back in a tight, elegant bun, had escaped its confines and locks hung loosely about her face. All in all, Arendelle's snow queen looked tired and defeated. Seeing her sister in such a state tugged at Anna's heart. Her sister was the epitome of strength. She had endured so much over the years as she hid herself away, silently bearing the burden of her secret. For years, she had suffered alone, never letting on about the pain and hurt she had been enduring. Through it all, she had kept her head up and her smile bright, neither wavering nor breaking under the tremendous weight her secret carried with it.

But this, this was something different. Even the trials of the last year hadn't broken her as much as her startling revelation had. True, she hadn't seen the struggles her sister had faced during that wintery summer, but based on what Elsa had told her afterwards, it was nowhere near as bad as what she was going through now.

Elsa sniffled as she looked up at her sister, seeing the love and concern in her eyes. She reached up and pulled the younger girl into a hug, one that was reminiscent of that fateful embrace from last year. She had been terrified when Anna had been turned to ice, fearing that she had failed her sister and knowing that that failure meant her sister was now lost to her forever. It had been the worst experience of her life, an experience she never hoped to repeat. Now, she was terrified all over again, frightened at what their sudden reappearance meant, scared that the past would repeat itself, fearful that she would lose her sister again.

They held each other for a long time as Anna murmured words of comfort in her sister's ear, letting her know that she was here for her. Elsa's shaking, sniffling, and sobbing had subsided but she was reluctant to depart from her sister's arms. Anna, dear, sweet, wonderful Anna needed to know the truth, needed to know why she had broken down like this. She deserved that much, even if it would change her opinion of her. Even if it would be the last time her sister ever spoke to her.

"Anna," she sniffed, "I'm sorry for running out of there like that. After seeing them, I just…couldn't…"

"It's all right, Elsa," Anna consoled, "I'm here for you. But it would probably be a good idea if you filled me in on some things." Elsa nodded. "Is it true? Are they really…" She trailed off.

Elsa nodded. "Yeah. It's really them. They are really here. It is momma and papa; I know it."

"I don't know why I didn't see it before. Why couldn't I recognize them?"

"I did spend a lot of time with them over the years, in here," she gestured around her room. "For those ten years, they were really the only people I ever saw. I know you didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with them because of me…"

"Elsa," Anna interrupted, "don't worry about that. I know why they did that. I understand it. I really do. I'm not mad. You had more important things going on and I know that their presence had to have helped you with that. You were the one that needed them; not me." She gently squeezed Elsa's hands, hoping that would help convey her sincerity to her sister. She was deep in thought as something tickled her mind, a stray thought attempting to convey itself. Elsa noticed her sister's thoughtful look.

"Anna? What is it?"

"Well, I was just thinking. I didn't recognize them, but there was something familiar about them. And when I was talking to them, the way they looked at me…they seemed almost paternal. I should have figured it out then." Elsa cocked her head in curiosity.

"What happened? What did they do?"

"Well, after Kristoff went to meet you, I took them to the sitting room…"

After leading the couple to the sitting room, Anna gestured for the couple to sit on the sofa as she took up residence on the chair nearby. Once the three of them were settled, they looked at her in anticipation.

"Uh…heh, I guess I don't really know where I should begin." The woman called Greta smiled reassuringly.

"We've been told everything started a year ago. Why don't you start with that dear?"

A nod. "Okay. Well, last year Elsa finally came of age and we were going to have a coronation ball to celebrate her becoming queen. I was very excited, probably more so than anyone else in Arendelle. For years, the castle gates remained shut. Did you know that? What am I saying, of course you probably didn't know that. It was so quiet and lonely; no one to talk to. Anyway, I didn't know why they were ever closed in the first place but it was finally the day they were to be opened. I got to see people fill the halls and the ballroom. Visiting royalty and dignitaries from all over were just crowding through the gates. Finally, a chance to change my lonely world, a chance to find true love. It was what I had been dreaming of for so long. It was such a wonderful sight! I couldn't wait until the ball! I went outside to enjoy the sunshine and all the people and I must not have been paying attention because I was knocked over and nearly fell into the water before I was saved by him...Prince Hans." Here Anna grew quiet as she remembered his smiling face looking down at her. She shuddered noticeably before continuing.

"Elsa was crowned queen and then we had the ball. Oh what a lovely ball it was! The people, the smells, the decorations; it was all so wonderful! I was so excited to be there with all of those people and with Elsa. I didn't think the night could get any better." She paused as if remembering something painful that she'd rather forget. "Hans found me and we shared a single dance before sneaking out. It was a beautiful evening and I had more fun than I could ever remember having before in my life. We laughed and we talked all evening; it was nothing like the life I had lived so far. I loved it and was so excited about everything that I just got caught up in the moment. So when Hans asked me to marry him, I thought that I had found the true love that I had been dreaming of and I didn't want to say anything but yes." The pair gasped loudly and she thought she saw Frederick's face harden slightly. This confused the young princess. She hadn't really told them anything about her or the prince to elicit such a response. If they had known the story and had known what Hans eventually did, she could understand. But, not knowing the story, and therefore not knowing Hans's later actions and act of treason, their reactions were unwarranted.

"He proposed to you! But you had just met him!" Erik practically shouted. He wanted to do more, oh how he wanted to do so much more, but he couldn't let her become suspicious now. Anya put a gentle hand on her husband's arm to calm him down. She too was shocked at what was revealed and she desperately wanted to take the young woman into her arms. She forced herself to remain where she was and smiled encouragingly at the princess.

"I do apologize for my husband's outburst; he is just very into your story. Please continue." Anna looked at the couple inquisitively for a moment before continuing.

"I was so excited to finally find my true love and I couldn't wait to share the news. Of course, the first person I had to tell was Elsa so we went back to the ball and made our way through the crowd to her. We were both so excited, we could hardly speak. I really wanted to get her blessing; I wanted her to be happy for me, for us. We both finally managed to blurt it out and I was expecting her to be happy for me. But," Anna sighed "she wasn't. She was shocked and surprised, as I expected, but she wasn't happy. In fact, she was kind of angry. She told me that I couldn't marry a man that I had just met and that she refused to give us her blessing. I couldn't understand why she would deny me my happiness. All I had wanted for years was to be happy, to find my true love, to experience life and all its wonders. I could finally have all I ever wanted and she was denying me. She even threatened to close the gates again! I couldn't take it; I had to do something. I couldn't live like that again! I tried to stop her from leaving, but I only managed to pull her glove off. We argued about her shutting me out, about her shutting everyone out. And I guess that was the last straw…she lost control of her powers in front of anyone. She fled out the gates and through the town. I tried to stop her, but she froze the water of the fjord to create a path across and escaped to the mountains. I watched her flee; there was nothing I could do. I was still in shock over what I had witnessed and I knew that everyone else was too.

"I stared after Elsa and watched her go further and further into the forest, her footsteps creating a frosty trail. I didn't even notice the fjord until Hans pointed it out. Her outburst had caused the entire fjord to freeze. The ships were stuck in the ice; no one would be able to leave and no ships would be able to come to our aid, if we needed it."

She paused and looked up into the faces of her audience. The both wore looks of shock and awe. Greta's face looked pained, as if she felt for the young queen and the fear she must have been feeling. Frederick's look seemed guiltier, as if he could have prevented what happened if he had been there. Anna basked in the silence for a while, needing to compose herself. She had underestimated how hard it would be to relive those events. Even just the little bit she had revealed had tired her out emotionally. It would be difficult to continue, as much as she knew she needed to. Her guests, though quiet and looking just as emotionally drained as she, were leaning toward her expectantly.

"Ummm…let's see. I knew someone had to go after Elsa and I didn't trust anyone but myself. I left Hans in charge while I took off on my horse. I didn't know where she would go; I only knew that I had to find her. The fjord was just the beginning: when she left, she set off an eternal winter everywhere. She would be the only one that could fix it, the only one to unfreeze it. I called for my horse and took off into the forest after her, hoping that I would be able to reach her.

"I searched for hours, but it was slow going in the snow. It got later and later and I still had no luck. It got worse when my horse spooked and dumped me. I had to trudge through the snow alone and I happened to come across the trading post. Luckily, Oaken had the supplies I needed, and a change of clothes since I slipped and fell into the stream, and I was trying to figure out if Elsa had come that way when Kristoff walked in." She paused, a dreamy look on her face as she remembered her first sight of her mountain man. He was covered with snow and ice, his face tinged pink as he bartered with the trader. "He came in, all covered in ice and snow, wanting supplies for a trip up to the North Mountain. I knew Elsa had to be there and I convinced him to take me there. Reluctantly he agreed and we set off right away. In hind sight, that was probably not the best idea and I probably should have listened to him when he said we should wait until morning but I was just so anxious to find her that I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to.

"We managed to escape the wolves and it wasn't long before we met up with Olaf, who led us right to Elsa and her ice palace. I thought it would be simple: talk to Elsa, let her know what was going on in Arendelle, let her know that I would be there for her, bring her back, and get everything back to the way it was. I tried. I tried so hard to get her to listen, but she wouldn't. She was too scared to come back, too afraid of what she did, of what she was capable of, to come back. I realize now that none of that was what she was really afraid of: she was really afraid of herself. She didn't know if she could control herself, especially with the look of fear on the faces of her people. I don't know where she got the idea that she was something to be feared, that she had to be scared of herself and what she could do." She missed the guilty looks that passed between the couple and Frederick's uncomfortable shuffling.

"She panicked again and let another icy blast loose. I was standing in the way, still trying to convince her to come with me, and I got hit. Right here," she clutched her hand over her heart as she heard the couple gasp. "I know she didn't mean it; she would never hit me on purpose." Another look exchange that went unknown by Anna. "Kristoff showed up to pull me away, but I wouldn't leave her behind. She got scared and chased us away. We managed to get away from Marshmallow…"

"Marshmallow?" This question came from Greta. Anna giggled at her wide eyes.

"You didn't see him? He's a…snow man, I guess. Kind of like Olaf. He's actually Olaf's little brother. Except he's a lot bigger and he gets a lot angrier. I don't really know what happened to him after he chased us away that day, but Elsa told me that when he's not hanging out at her ice palace, he patrols the mountains for her. Not many people are ever up there so I know he gets lonely. She did invite him into town last winter for the holiday. He was a big hit with the kids, just like Olaf, though the adults were scared of him for a few days. It's too hard for him to come down often, especially when it's warm, but as soon as it gets cold, it's hard to get him to leave, not that anyone wants him to." The silence that followed told Anna that that was just another part of an already unbelievable story and if she was this far into it now, she might as well continue.

"We ended up at the bottom of a cliff and I didn't know what to do next. I was all out of ideas but I didn't want to go back to Arendelle without Elsa. Then Kristoff noticed that my hair was turning white as a result of the ice that struck my heart. He knew where we had to go and soon, we ended up in a little valley where we met his friends, the so-called 'love experts'. He told me that they would be able to help me. I was skeptical as all I saw were a bunch of rocks but after a few moments, the rocks came to life and I realized they were trolls!" Another gasp that Anna ignored. "After a misunderstanding where they tried to marry off Kristoff and me, Grand Pabbie came out and told us what we had to do: I needed an act of true love to save me or else I would become as frozen as my heart had become. We knew we had to get back to Arendelle and get me back to Arendelle as quickly as possible. I was already feeling the effects of the ice. I was cold, I could barely move, I was practically dead weight as Kristoff rushed Sven back to the palace.

"I don't know how long it was until we got there, but Kristoff handed me off to some of the servants and told them to take me to Hans. They closed the gates and that was the last I saw of him." She struggled to end her sentence. It was getting harder as she remembered the more tense parts of the story. She was almost done, but the hard part was yet to come. "I was rushed to Hans and told him he would have to kiss me, that only an act of true love could save me after Elsa struck me. He seemed to understand and we leant in towards each other. Finally, everything I had ever imagined about true love were going to come true. But, before our lips could touch, Hans pulled away, a smirk on his face. He told me that he didn't love me, that he was only in it for the kingdom. If he wanted to rule, he would have to marry into some other kingdom and he thought Arendelle was ripe for the taking. And he wanted to kill Elsa! I couldn't let him do that, but I could barely move. It was too cold, my heart was too frozen. He locked me in the room and I tried to call for help. I don't know what happened next but Olaf found me and he tried to warm me up to buy me time. We started talking about Hans and true love and Kristoff loving me. I realized that Kristoff was my true love all along and when Olaf looked out the window, he saw Kristoff dashing back towards the palace. I knew that I had to get to him. Olaf and I managed to find our way out, though we got separated as I made my across the fjord. It wasn't easy: there was a raging storm outside and it was practically a whiteout. It was hard to see, but I was determined to make it to him; I had to. Suddenly, the blizzard stopped and I saw him standing there, just across the fjord from me. He saw me and we made our way towards each other. And then, I heard it." She looked at her guests and saw that they were paying rapt attention. They were practically on the edge of their seats. Greta looked fearful, almost hurt and beneath Frederick's eyes, Anna could see a hint of anger, even fury at her words. Their concern was welcome, though confusing.

"I looked and there, just off my left, was Elsa, collapsed on the ice in resignation and sorrow, her back turned to me. Hans was approaching her, sword drawn, and I knew immediately what he intended to do. I looked back towards Kristoff and made my choice. I rushed as fast as I could towards Elsa and stepped in between her and Hans, stopping his blade. Just as it hit me, I felt myself completely turn to ice. The next thing I know, Elsa was gripping me tightly and I was back, the ice in my heart completely thawed. My sacrifice, my love for my sister, and her love for me, was the true love that the trolls were talking about. Elsa realized that her love for me, for the people, for the kingdom, would be enough to end that unexpected winter. I don't know what she did exactly, but she managed to melt the snow and bring summer back. She had saved the kingdom, just like I knew she would."

"They were really concerned about us. I didn't realize it then; I thought it was just a general concern for our well-being. But between the two of them, there was something there that hinted at something. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to figure it out before you did." Anna paused, something else beginning to bother her now. "Elsa?" The fair-haired snow queen looked at her sister. "Why did you react the way you did? I thought you would have been happy to see them."

Elsa sighed. "Oh Anna. It really was more of a shock than anything to see them standing there. I know we still need to hear their story, about where they've been the last five years and I would like to forgive them for that. But…there's some things that I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive them for. At least, not yet." Elsa grew quiet and her sister looked at her sympathetically.

"Elsa, please tell me. I want to know. You promised that you wouldn't shut me out again." Elsa took a deep breath, needing all the strength she could muster for what she was about to say.

"It all started when we were young. You were just five and I was eight…"

"So, let me get this straight: the two of you survived that shipwreck and were washed up on some deserted island somewhere until you were rescued and managed to make your way back here to Arendelle?" Both nodded and Kristoff sighed. "How long were you on that island?"

"We didn't really know when we were there, but once we were rescued, we figured out it was about three-and-a-half years."

"But you've been gone nearly five. Why didn't you return as soon as you were rescued?"

"We couldn't, even though we would have wanted to. We didn't even really know who we were until some time later. After we washed ashore on that island, we realized that we didn't really remember much about who we were or where we came from. We knew our names, we knew each other, and we knew that we had been in a shipwreck. Aside from that, just three names stuck in our minds: Elsa, Anna, and Arendelle. But we didn't know what those three names had to do with us, only that they were important somehow." Kristoff was stunned. "It was a few months after we were rescued that everything fell into place."

"How?"

Anya spoke up this time. "We started hearing stories about what happened here and about the mysterious snow queen; something about all of that felt familiar and after months of hearing story after story, it all finally came back to us. We remembered who we were, where we were from, and, more importantly, we remembered Elsa and Anna. As soon as we had all of our memories back, we did what we could to make our way back here as quickly as possible. And that's when you found us in the North Mountain."

"But why all the subterfuge? Why not just tell me who you were when I found you?"

"We weren't sure how we would be received when we came back," Erik stated. "And while we knew better than to doubt the stories that we had heard, we were scared of what we would come back to. We know what Elsa's capable of; we've seen it firsthand. We just wanted to be cautious. We wanted to get a feel of things and regain our bearings before revealing ourselves." He looked towards the door. There was no sign of either the queen or the princess returning.

Kristoff nodded. "I understand, though I can't say that I entirely agree. I've seen what Elsa's capable of too and I was witness to the near destruction of her, Anna, and Arendelle as a result. But I have also seen the good that can come from that power, the happiness that it can bring to others, when she's not afraid, when she just lets it go. Yes, it's powerful and dangerous and cold, but it's also quite beautiful. And the people…they love her! Sure, the sudden revelation of her powers, and her subsequent disappearance frightened them, but they all soon realized that her powers were beautiful, not something to be feared. Now, no one thinks twice about it when she uses her powers in front of them and she does that, frequently. They love it when she does, especially when she can build us an ice skating rink in the middle of summer." He smiled fondly at the memory of that first summer rink and the pleasant time he had had. "I don't pretend to know what it was she went through for all those years; I don't think anyone could know that kind of loneliness. And I know that she made mistakes in the past. But," here, Kristoff paused, making sure his audience was attentive, "everyone makes mistakes. Some make bigger mistakes than others. The only difference is Elsa still feels like she has to atone for hers, especially where it concerns Anna. Everyone in Arendelle has accepted her, has accepted what she can do, has forgiven her, except for Elsa. She still struggles with being around so many people who love her and are not afraid of her. While your sudden return may have come as a shock to her, I think it will help her to be more accepting of herself. She needs more people around who love her, unconditionally. Anna is really her only source of that kind of love right now. I care for her. I would do anything for her, including laying down my own life, just as I would for Anna, but that's not the kind of love she needs now. I can't give her that kind of love, not yet anyway. But you can." He stared pointedly at the couple. "She needs the love and acceptance that only you can provide. She needs the comfort and reassurance that only you can give her. She needs you."

Anya and Erik stared at him, mouths agape. Did Elsa really need them? After all they had put her through, could she forgive them so easily? They didn't think so. But if what Kristoff said was true, perhaps, it would be worth the effort to try. They knew they had made mistakes, especially in regards to Elsa; they saw that now. Perhaps now they could find their way back from that, perhaps they could be a family again.

"Thank you, Kristoff. We appreciate your words. But I don't know if it's possible. It's not that we don't want to, we do. It's just that we don't deserve to be that for her, not anymore, not after what we did." Their silence intrigued Kristoff and he was about to ask them for more when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, Master Kristoff?" Kristoff turned towards the door. "I am meant to inform you that dinner will be served in an hour in the dining room and that your guests are welcome to attend. A room has been prepared for them upstairs if they wish to rest until then." Kristoff nodded towards the maid as she bowed before she turned and left.

"I don't think you or Elsa or Anna would want anyone knowing who you are just yet, so I'll send in one of the newer palace workers to direct you to your room. I'll try to find Anna and Elsa when I leave; maybe I can get one or both of them to go talk to you before dinner." The couple nodded gently as Kristoff took his leave. They stared after him for until someone arrived to lead them to their room. As they walked, they both wondered whether or not coming back was a good idea.

It had been a long time; would Elsa forgive them?