Hi guys! I'm so sorry that this chapter update is like, a week and half late! I got so busy with school, work, and other mess that I didn't get around to writing till tonight.

I hope you all enjoy :)

Thanks so much for following this story! Let me know what you think below!

XOXO,

OceansAria

Elsa couldn't believe her ears. The Prime Minster wouldn't let her go track down her younger sister. "My apologies, Your Highness." The old man said as if her favorite flavor of cake wasn't to be served at her birthday party. "But you must stay here to greet the prince upon his arrival."

"What?" Elsa cried. Snow continued to pile around her chambers as she stomped back and forth in an anxious pace, icicles hanging from her fingertips. "I don't give a flying monkey crap about meeting the prince! Anna is out there, hugely pregnant, stomping through the mountains, about to walk into a God only knows situation!" She flung out her hand dramatically and ice daggers sailed right over the Prime Minister's balding head. He didn't even flinch. "I am the Queen and I demand that I go to save my sister right this instant!"

The only sound for a solid minute was the echo of Elsa's heavy breathing. Her heart was beating as erratically as a hummingbird's, and she knew that she looked like a psycho with her eyes wide and hair falling apart from pulling at it in worry. Anna could be hurt. She could go into labor, or get killed by the robbers, or by a bear, or wolves . . . Elsa thought frantically, biting her bottom lip.

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister addressed her calmly still, as if she were not on the verge of a breakdown. "We will send guards after her to retrieve the princess and the prince consort safely. But you must stay here in Arendelle. If you are not here when Prince Lachlan arrives, I'm afraid he won't be pleased. Neither will his mother."

"He won't be pleased?" Elsa shrieked, outraged. "Well, I'm not pleased that my sister can never just listen to me and her husband and never do anything stupid! I'm not pleased that you old hags won't let me go find her and set things right! So if Prince Lachlan is not pleased with my disappearance, then tell him to stick it! I don't care what he thinks!"

The Prime Minister said: "Your Highness-"

Elsa raised her hand, cutting him off. "Enough. I'm going to find my sister. And none of you can stop me."

The maid Mary bursted into the room once more before Elsa could take a step in that direction. Fear constricted her heart and she asked, "What is it, Mary? Any news of Anna or Kristoff?" She rushed to the woman who was bent at the knees, trying to catch her breath from running all the way up the stairs.

"No," Mary gasped. "The prince has arrived."

The queen's stomach coiled. The Prime Minister stepped in before Elsa could reply and wrapped his bony little bird hands around her arm. She flinched.

"There is no escape now," he hissed. "You must greet him. The trade with England is something that could benefit Arendelle greatly, and if you miss this chance, we could never have a go at this again. They are very unwilling to abide to others' customs and rules and do not care about anything but trade and continuing the bloodline. If you anger them, it could mean something along the lines of war."

Elsa shuddered. I have to save Anna. I can't let her down like I did for thirteen years. She needs me. But at the same time . . . I am the queen. My kingdom needs me.

"Fine," Elsa answered brusquely. "But as soon as the meeting is over with, I am going to find my sister and my brother-in-law, is that clear?"

The Prime Minister smirked coldly. "Crystal."

The easy part had been sneaking out of her room. The hard part had been persuading Cal to come with her, so that she at least wouldn't be completely alone. Finally, she convinced him and he hooked Sable up to the sleigh that had retracting wheels. Anna had already snagged rations, extra blankets, and the rest of the things needed for a least one night in the mountains, and she tossed them into the back. But as she stepped to get into the front with Cal, he shook his head.

"No, princess," he'd said gently. "You can't ride up front. It's too cold and hard for your fragile body. You better get cozy in the back. It's gonna be a long ride up to the Southern Mountains."

Anna huffed but did as he said, since he wouldn't hush till she did so. She piled blankets around herself and snuggled down until she could hardly feel the cold. Cal was gentle with the sleigh; driving as carefully as he could as to not disturb the pregnant royalty in the back seat. As soon as they were out of the kingdom's limits, he glanced over his shoulder to check on her.

"You all right back there, princess?"

The girl in question, however, had fallen asleep. The stable boy laughed and settled down into the sleigh's bench. And for a little while, all was well.

Elsa could hardly contain her anxiety—or her ice—from showing. Mary led her down to the throne room, where she would officially meet the prince that had been the reason she had dark gray half-moons under her eyes for the past week. As she walked behind the old maid, she ran her hands along the wall, and frost followed her fingertips. Silently, she tucked her palms into the folds of her dress.

Images of Anna getting hurt tortured the Queen. What if she's fallen off a cliff? Or her horse? Or been attacked by wolves? She has her child, my niece or nephew, to think about! And I'm sure Kristoff would be just as furious if he knew what his wife was doing right this instant—

"Announcing: Her esteemed Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

The herald's screeching cry bursted through Elsa's muddled thoughts. The giant doors swung open gracefully; Mary stepped aside, curtseying as she did so.

Elsa straightened her back. She did as she used to do in the days she was the "perfectly proper princess": she crossed her hands in front of her stomach, swept the flyaways from her icy blue eyes, and plastered on her cool, "I'm not sure if I'm pleased with you" smirk. Then she stepped forward to meet the prince.

He stood in the middle of the long deep blue carpet leading up to Elsa's throne. His back was to her. He stood nice and tall; back straight, legs shoulder width apart. He wore a long brown coat, tall worn leather boots, and navy trousers—as far as she could tell. They were completely alone in the room except for the two guards at the door.

Elsa's heart had never pounded so hard.

Just as she was about to be upon him, Prince Lachlan turned about to face her smoothly. He had ivory tanned skin and wavy dark brown hair—nothing like the men around here. His eyes were a piercing golden green, surrounded by smile lines that had been ironed there by the sun on his long journeys at sea. His white shirt was loose and slit at the neck; you could see smooth, muscular skin beneath. His grin was inviting and full of warmth; warmth that almost made Elsa—the Queen of Cold (literally)—feel toasty on the inside. He didn't look like a prince, but a pirate. He even had a hole in his left earlobe—as if he'd had a golden hoop there once.

"Milady," Prince Lachlan reached out, captured her hand, and bowed. He kissed her knuckles; his lips felt like butterfly wings on her skin. She involuntarily shuddered. For a moment, she forgot about Anna.

"Prince Lachlan," Elsa curtsied accordingly. "How nice to be of your acquaintance."

"Oh, please." The prince scoffed playfully. He was devilishly handsome. "Call me Lachlan. I hate titles. They're bothersome things."

Taken aback, Elsa giggled softly. Which she never did—except for around Anna or Olaf.

The smile lines around Lachlan's eyes creased. For a long, quiet moment, the pair stared at each other openly. Then, Elsa berated herself for being such a silly lovestruck girl. The last time she'd fallen so easily for a man—she stopped herself there. It hurt too much to think about.

Clearing his throat, Lachlan offered his arm to the Queen. "May I have the privilege of taking a beautiful woman for a walk around the gardens?"

Elsa hesitated, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the Prime Minister had entered the room. She tried to say no. But then the old crone sent her a glare that could cut through ice.

She gave in. "Of course," she said. "But just a quick one, please. I have important matters to attend to."

Hold on, Anna, she thought as she tucked her hand through Lachlan's arm. I'm coming soon.