Birthday

"Move that table to the left a few feet."

"Yes, Majesty."

Elsa lazily walked about the ballroom inspecting the tables and flowers and place settings. The ballroom was decorated like the bright spring morning it was, with the exception of Elsa's own ice sculptures lingering at different places in the room. Servants ran about left and right carrying last minute items, watering the flowers, straightening tablecloths.

"Princess Anna will be returning around 3 this afternoon. Make sure anyone who shows up at 3:01 is held at the gate until the princess has returned to the castle," Elsa said. Kai scribbled notes.

"That's a bit strict, Majesty."

"If they complain you can ask them when was the last time they threw a surprise ball with a guest list of 150," Elsa said and Kai laughed.

"Very good, Majesty."

The man hurried away to dictate more instructions to the many servants scurrying through the halls to prep the ballroom. Kristoff and Olaf agreed to keep Anna busy all day out in the kingdom. Even though Anna would willingly spend hours with Kristoff, there was a limit to her attention span and her entire plan hinged on Kristoff keeping her as far from the castle as possible for another two hours.

Elsa made one final round about the room before retiring to her own chambers upstairs. Inside the room she picked up the small box which held her simple gift to Anna. She did not mark the box, but the snowflakes that clung to the ribbon and glistened in the light from the window were as good a calling card. She then changed, with the help of her handmaiden, into her party dress and rearranged her hair into a coiled bun adorned with a light blue flower to match the spring arrangement in the ballroom.

When Elsa returned to the ballroom at ten to three it was filled with guests milling about, glasses of wine in hand.

"Kai remind me to inform Joahn my wine cellar will be needing a restocking after tonight," Elsa whispered as she peaked into the room.

"Yes, Majesty. Shall I announce you?"

Elsa nodded. And a fanfare played as Kai stepped into the room. A hush came over the crowd.

"Her Majesty, Elsa, Queen of Arendelle," Kai announced.

Two servants bowed their heads as the pushed open the double doors for Elsa's entrance. The room bowed at the waist and curtsied to the queen. Elsa gave a polite nod to the room in acknowledgement and waved them on to carry on.

Another twenty minutes went by before Kai found Elsa hovering near the window.

"Majesty, the princess has returned to the castle," he said.

"Very well, you know what to do."

Immediately servants about the room called for the guests to quiet themselves and the band halted their music. Elsa moved to stand near her throne at the head of the room, a prime spot to watch Anna's reaction on the far side.

A few minutes later Anna entered the room and jumped back into Kristoff's arms as a chorus of over a hundred guests shouted "Surprise!" But then she laughed, and covered her giggling mouth, and began thanking everyone. The musicians resumed and guests continued to mingle, bidding the princess a happy birthday as she made her way through the crowd.

Elsa watched Anna's eyes scan the room, head on a swivel, looking for someone. And she found her seated on the wooden throne at the head of the room and Anna's smile looked ready to split her face in two as she hiked up her dress and came running to her sister.

Elsa smiled and rose from her seat just in time to catch Anna, nearly tripping, into a tight hug.

"Elsa! You didn't have to do this!" Anna laughed.

"I spent thirteen years silently sending you only flowers for your birthday. I hope this is a start to make up for that," Elsa said. She hadn't meant to be serious about it but the more she spoke the guiltier she became.

"Elsa…" Anna looked suddenly somewhere between tears for regret and tears for joy.

Elsa just smiled, she placed her hands on either side of Anna's head and gently kissed her forehead.

"Go and enjoy your party. And please remind Kristoff I set out a clean set of dress clothes for him," Elsa said, cringing at the site of the ice harvester covered in dirt, shaking a few dry leaves from his head.

Elsa didn't really see much of Anna the rest of the party. Anna kept tight to Kristoff, dancing with him multiple times (more often than not, teaching him how to dance) and Elsa kept mostly to herself, speaking with the occasional dignitary.

Long after the sun went down and desert was being served Anna found Elsa though, for once that night not on the arm of Kristoff, and pulled her aside to sit next to an ice sculpture Elsa had made in Olaf's likeness (careful to not bring this one to life too).

"I went through some of my gifts," Anna said.

"Yes?"

"And I found yours."

Anna held up the blue box, the ribbon had been untied and the snowflakes had been brushed off. Anna pulled out a small bronze key and held it up to Elsa.

"It's a key Anna I trust you've seen one before," Elsa said. Anna rolled her eyes.

"Yes I know, what does it go to?"

Elsa smiled and intertwined her arm with Anna's, pulling her sister to stand. They weaved through the crowd until they left the room altogether and began walking through the hallways with the din of the party slowly fading into white noise the father to walked. Anna did not question but stayed linked to Elsa at the elbow as she was lead up a familiar path to the residency wing of the castle.

Down the hall they walked, a walk Anna made so many times over the past thirteen years, until they were in front of that ever elusive blue and white door Anna knocked on so many times.

"The key goes to this."

Anna gaped at the door and looked at the key resting in her palm. A small dusting of snowflakes was engraved into the shaft and the handle was in the like of Elsa's ice palace far in the mountains.

"If ever I don't answer when you knock," Elsa said, "You can use this…within reason."

Anna looked at the door and looked at the key. She pulled a tight fist over the key and pulled it to her chest as her bottom lip began to tremble. Silently Anna turned to her sister and gently snaked her arms around Elsa's body and rested her head on her shoulder.

And Elsa felt Anna's tears on the bare skin in the crook of her neck where Anna rested her head. Elsa held her younger sister and gently let her fingers run through the strawberry blonde hair and let her cheek rest against the crown on Anna's head.

"I'm sorry," Elsa whispered.

"I love you."

It came out as a quiet sob, followed by a sniffle, and Elsa squeezed Anna tighter.

Elsa and Anna did not return to the party that night. Instead they spent the night chatting away in Elsa's room, knocking each other around with pillows occasionally, and a small snowball fight ensued at one point. Anna tied the key around her neck with a ribbon she pulled from her hair and fell asleep, sprawled out in Elsa's bed. Elsa fell asleep next to her not long after.