Chapter 12.

A woman. Anna could barely process the words, nor their meaning. A woman, like her. Like Gudrun. Like Astrid. A woman—soft, gentle, chest heaving under her hands. Like Elsa.

Her hands; they rested on the slopes of breasts she ached to taste. Her fingers brushed hardened points, wanting to bring the form beneath her to greater pleasure.

She thought she should pull away, but the vision wrapped around her and kept her in place. She continued to explore, now hearing ragged breaths and gasps as her fingers trailed over the curves of this form beneath her; breasts, waist, hips.

Her own breath came short. She wasn't sure she'd ever been so eager to touch another, wanted with such passion to know every inch of a body not her own. It was more than arousal, though that was present, hovering like an avalanche waiting to engulf her with the slightest touch. It was far deeper than the hunger rising in her stomach.

It was a sense of peace, of belonging. This was what she was meant to find. The sensation of the body under her, knowing what she would find as her hands trailed up the insides of quivering thighs. When she found it, she groaned in tandem with the form beneath her.

White-blonde hair, blue eyes, hands touching her face and a soft, familiar voice whispering her name as she did to the other what she did to herself. A name, a face, drifted toward her as the other began to grip her arms, lifting against her hand. She felt joy, purpose. She belonged here, touching this warmth, kissing these lips, feeling the shudders of the form as it reached its peak.

A name whispering through the mist, a familiar voice crying out in pleasure—gone when she tried to grasp it. This is what she wanted. A woman. Herself in another, the touch of soft fingers and the kiss of gentle, red lips.

"Anna…"

Suddenly, everything shifted. She felt arms around her; strong arms held her against a broad chest. Rough lips pressed to hers in a kiss that was gentle, but wrong. It felt wrong. It was all wrong. She wanted to feel for this form what she felt for the woman, but she didn't—she couldn't. She pulled away, and the man reluctantly let her go. A deep voice spoke words of love that should draw her in again, but instead she stepped further away.

She didn't want to hear those words from him, but from the mouth of the woman she'd left. She wanted to feel that woman's soft, eager lips against hers, not the rough kisses this man offered. He meant no harm, but she couldn't find it within herself to return to him.

She needed the warmth of white-blond hair, the peacefulness and sense of belonging the woman gave her. Becoming one with the softness of her skin, drawing in the shudders of a body undone by her touch, hearing that voice crying her name, and curling into the gentle arms seeking to embrace her.

Where should she be? Both forms proclaimed love for her, both were gentle in spirit, but they were different in body. She struggled to choose, even as she knew there was only one choice for her to make. She wanted the warmth and belonging to the woman, to hear her whisper so softly, "Anna…"

The woman welcomed her back, drawing her into an embrace so comforting Anna didn't want to leave, ever. She could feel the other's heartbeat, the softness of skin against her own. She felt complete; this other was the True Love she sought, this was where she wanted to be, in her sister's arms, forever.

Sister? No, that isn't right. Yet, it was; Elsa's voice whispering in her ear, Elsa's lips touching hers—Elsa's fingers sliding down her body—

"Anna."

Anna shook her head, unsure where the voice was coming from. It wasn't the room she shared with Elsa, this warmth, this happiness. The room was fading; gradually, she felt the sense of moving without moving that transported her to the misty realm in the beginning.

Now, it was taking her away. It was taking her away from the woman she needed like air, away from the softness, the pleasure. She didn't want to go, but knew that she had no choice. It was all a dream in the end, no matter how much she wanted to stay with her sister, in the room that was theirs but not hers. Not yet, but soon.

"Anna."

The voice penetrated Anna's haze, and she began to remember where she was. She was in the Valley, among the trees and the rocks. There was no woman, there was only Grand Pabbie.

It took several long seconds more until she finally came to her senses and then she could only stare Grand Pabbie in shock. I can't have seen what I just saw. I can't have just seen me with her like… Her heart started to thud erratically and her breath came short. She stared at the ground, worried that the troll might read the truth in her eyes.

"Is there something wrong, Anna?" Grand Pabbie asked in a concerned voice.

Anna stared at him again. "Is there something wrong? Of course there's something wrong!" Memories surfaced, but they seemed far away, not from moments ago, but from years, or decades, or lifetimes. Still, she knew what happened. I was with … no, that can't be right. "Why did you show me that? Why did you show me with Elsa…? With Elsa—" She looked away, unable to say the words aloud.

"I showed you nothing," Grand Pabbie replied calmly. "I only allowed you to see what was already in your heart. I know not what you saw, I can only see the result on your face. I see that you are shaken and upset. Why?"

"Why?" Anna exclaimed, growing angry; angry at herself for imagining what she did, and angrier at Grand Pabbie for causing her to see it. I should never have agreed to this in the first place. "How can you not know what you showed me? There's no way what I saw was in my heart! No way that I would ever imagine myself with Elsa—" she cut herself off again, still unable to speak the words that would make what she had seen real. She wouldn't let that happen—she couldn't let that happen; not and keep her sanity.

The Elder troll stroked his chin. "There are many things we hold in our hearts that we don't wish to examine. In what way did you see yourself with your sister? I can only imagine it was with desire in some form. That is the nature of visions such as this."

Anna put her head in her hands. I can't want that. I can't want to be with Elsa like that. It was Elsa, wasn't it? Yes, it was … it had to be; the color of her hair, her eyes, her voice—but that's not possible. "I do not want to be with Elsa like that," she whispered, knowing that Grand Pabbie could hear her but unwilling to state the facts clearly.

"In what way do you mean, Anna?" Grand Pabbie's face showed that he was genuinely confused, the only thing that kept Anna from screaming at him.

"How do you think I mean?" She couldn't keep the anger out of her voice. "She was naked! The only person I've ever seen naked was Gudrun—and I certainly don't want to do that with her!" She didn't want to say the word, but she could tell Grand Pabbie wouldn't accept anything less. "Just because I can't see Kristoff like that, doesn't mean…" she looked away.

"So you were with someone in your vision," Grand Pabbie said quietly. "In some way you believe it to be your sister, do you not? This is what your heart is telling you; whether that be in a literal sense or meant to guide you abstractly, I cannot say."

Not literally? Anna blinked a few times. I never did actually see her face, did I? "So, you're saying I could've just thought that's who it was?"

"It's possible, though I must say unlikely. You were very certain moments ago."

"But … I …" Anna tried to draw up the form she'd touched so intimately. "Wait, what? It was a woman … why was it a woman in the first place?" She bounced her knees nervously. That hadn't processed until now. "I mean, I don't like women that way, so the whole thing makes no sense from the start."

The Elder troll looked at her. "Anna." His voice echoed the stern set of his face and she dropped her head.

"Ok, so maybe the thought has crossed my mind once or twice, but that hardly means I want—oh." The end of the vision rose again. "What was that about?" she muttered. Grand Pabbie coughed and Anna smiled weakly. "There might have been a part about Kristoff."

"So, you considered him; this shows you do feel love for him, I would think. I sense it isn't the love you wanted to see, however. Do you not understand better where your path lies?"

"No!" Anna felt panic growing. "I don't understand anything! I could never be with… Not with a woman at all! Not like that. It isn't… It isn't right. It isn't possible!" She felt the Elder troll's eyes hot on her. "I mean, okay, so I'm not in love with Kristoff. I already knew that, I just didn't understand why. It doesn't mean I want to fall in love with a…" Her companion gazed at her silently. "With a woman." Anna whispered the last. "It's not right. Women can't—"

"Fall in love with each other? And why is that?"

"Because—because it's not…" Anna turned bright red, more memories solidifying her head. "I've never felt that for one before." Again, her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Grand Pabbie walked toward her, stopping just shy of close enough to take her hand. His eyes were sympathetic. "Deep in your thoughts, you've never once felt something that told you this was true … though I am certain you pushed it away?"

"No, of course not!" Other than the first time she saw Gudrun naked and her heart stopped while she tried to process why her friend looked so damned hot. That was only once though…. Well, then there was the Jaarl of Norstaad's daughter, but everyone was falling over their feet with her. I mean, I think even Elsa took a second look, and she never notices other people.

"You just said it had crossed your mind, did you not? None of those moments were more than a thought?"

It had occurred to her, but not when she was thinking about anyone specific. Moments drifted upward from her memory to contradict her, confusing moments when she didn't understand her reactions to men, when she'd happened to notice an attractive woman in the background…. "Wait, what? No, those don't mean anything! I didn't actually want to… especially with Elsa!"

"Want to what?"

Anna tried to remember what she'd just seen. The details were quickly fading, but the feeling of warmth and happiness, like she'd come home, with another woman, lingered. Even when the man tried to pull her away, she only wanted to go back to … was it Elsa? I don't remember. "So I'm more comfortable with women. That doesn't mean I want to fall in love or have s-s-sex with one." The mists of memory that rose in her mind once more made her words ring hollow, but she refused to believe they meant what they looked like.

Grand Pabbie studied her. "Do you feel that's what your heart is telling you? It seems you are fighting strongly against something you already know you cannot defeat. It is unlike you."

Anna buried her face in her hands, confusion nearly overwhelming her ability to form words. "Women can't fall in love with each other. They can't be with each other … not the way…" The words felt as empty as they had when she spoke them to Olaf earlier. It can't be true. "Grand Pabbie, what do I do? All I wanted to know was why I wasn't in love with Kristoff—I didn't want to know something like this."

The elder troll coughed. "Are they not one and the same?"

Anna tried not to cry. "They shouldn't be. It should be because his feet are too big, or I don't like the way he holds a fork. It shouldn't be because I'd rather…"

With a sigh, Grand Pabbie shook his head. "I only showed you what was in your heart. If you are certain that this was wrong, then perhaps you should try to understand why you saw it. Perhaps it means something other than what it appears."

"That's it! It means something else, it has to!" Anna jumped up and clapped her hands together. "It certainly doesn't mean that I want to be with Elsa—" In what I saw … was that woman's hair blonde? No … why can't I remember? She was soft and warm, I remember that, but ….

"And what do you think that might be?"

With a sigh, Anna rubbed her face. "I don't know, but it can't be about Elsa. Maybe it's just supposed to be that I'm not in love with Kristoff." Her eyes widened; she'd been comparing her sister to Kristoff for too long. I'm not doing that because I really love … am I? No, that's ridiculous. Grand Pabbie had a slightly questioning look on his face, so she laughed nervously. "I've been too upset over what was wrong with Elsa. She's gotten all tangled up in everything now—even things like this, where she certainly doesn't belong. That's got to be what's behind what I saw. Can't you show it to me again?"

"You would only see the same thing." Now Grand Pabbie did reach out and take the Princess's hand. "There is a difference between imagining something and doing it, Anna. Certainly you already know that. It is not my place to comment on the views of humans regarding love, but I assure you that yours is not the only one. Even your sister may see things differently, were you to ask her."

"Elsa?" Despite her confusion, Anna laughed. "I'm not sure Elsa knows what love is in a romantic sense. I know that she has a hard time understanding me and Kristoff. It's not like she grew up reading novels or seeing it in real life. I feel sort of bad for her, but she can't possibly think any differently than I do."

The Elder troll sighed. "It rarely ends well when you assume things about others." He rubbed his forehead wearily. "I do not know what you saw, Anna. I only know that when you came back you were certain that who you'd seen was indeed Elsa. You were also certain that you were meant to take it as it was, but—"

"I'm not sure!" Anna interjected. "I mean … ok, it was a woman. A really warm … but I don't think it was Elsa … it couldn't be, could it? That's just weird. Yeah, she's absolutely gorgeous … and her smile is just … well, then there's the way her hips move in those sparkly dresses…" she paused to draw in a breath. "I wonder why she stopped wearing those? It's not that she doesn't look good in what she wears now, it's just … she really liked those. And they showed off her breasts like … wow! Who wouldn't stare? I mean, anyone who doesn't fall head over heels instantly has to be blind!"

"Did you?"

"Did I what?" Anna drew her brows together in confusion.

Grand Pabbie studied her evenly. "Fall head over heels instantly?"

Anna stared at him. "With Elsa? Of course not! Yeah, I love her—she's my sister. I'm not in love with her. For one thing, it's incest, and people really wouldn't approve of … it's wrong."

"Hmm." Her companion rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So it is your relationship as siblings that keeps you from considering she may be your True Love?"

"What? No! I mean, yeah, that would be a big problem, but that isn't … She's a woman, and women don't…." For some reason, when she thought about it, it didn't seem like being sisters would matter—if she really was in love with Elsa—which I'm not.

Sighing, Grand Pabbie studied her. "Very well, you may now believe it was not your sister, but can you deny it was a woman? It is becoming clear you wish to interpret this vision only in a way that makes you comfortable. I am not a mind reader; my advice is limited in this. You have seen what is in your heart. It is up to you when to accept it; if not now, eventually you will have to, or you will live a life of unhappiness."

It was the closest the Elder troll had ever come to a dire warning about her, and it made her nervous. Almost as nervous as what bits of memory she could draw did. It was definitely a woman, and they were definitely together in a way that two women shouldn't be.

But that's impossible. It must mean something else; there must be something that I'm supposed to find to help me understand why I don't love Kristoff way I should. There had to something to help her understand—without suggesting that she wasn't interested in men altogether. And especially not that she wanted to be with her sister. Even though I thought of Elsa that way before. But that was just confusion, it didn't mean anything. I recognized the woman's voice but who … no, it wasn't Elsa. It couldn't be.

Grand Pabbie was studying her steadily, and she couldn't keep his gaze. "That sounds awfully doom and gloom coming from you, Grand Pabbie. I know I should listen, but everything inside me was telling me you're wrong—I'm wrong—what I saw was wrong… What I need is… It's not that I'm fighting myself… It's just that what you said is really out there. I mean, to women being together is just… That's just crazy talk…"

"And yet, you could see it a few moments ago. You have an answer, you just don't want to face it."

It wasn't like Grand Pabbie to be so blunt and Anna hesitated. "It's not like I'm saying it's completely impossible, I'm just saying that makes absolutely no sense." She was getting desperate. "I mean, Arendelle is full of handsome men; why would any woman want to look at another woman instead? It's not that I think someone who would do that is, you know, disgusting or anything, I just don't understand it. How do I possibly want to be with a woman instead of a man? Really, it makes no sense! If anyone was going to be like that, it would be Elsa—whoa! I didn't mean—!" Anna stopped and turned red. "I really, really didn't mean it like that."

"You didn't mean it like what?" Grand Pabbie looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Anna avoided looking at him. "I hadn't it considered before, but it's true when you think about it. That she might prefer … she pays absolutely no attention to men, even the really, really, gorgeous ones. Of course, she doesn't pay any attention to women either."

"And women pay attention to her?" Grand Pabbie's voice was innocent. "You don't think that's inappropriate?"

"I've seen a few," Anna admitted her blush deepening. "Some of them are pretty obvious about it. It steams me when they try to snuggle up to her, thinking they can just because they're women. Elsa gets annoyed too, but she's subtle about saying so. If a man goes too far, she simply freezes his…"

The troll looked at her with an expression that suggested she had just said something very important and didn't realize it. "It upsets you? Why? It seems that it's Elsa's business whether she wants someone close to her or not. Could it be that you're jealous?"

"Of course I'm jealous!" Anna threw up her arms. "I have a hard time getting her to spend time with me as it is; I don't want some foreigner to steal her from me—" she looked away. "You're right, it really is her business. It doesn't mean anything anyway—and it has nothing to do with this!"

"Anna, there are things in this world that we find it hard to understand. Many things, we don't want to understand. It's human nature to push away things that upset them. That doesn't make those things less real."

Anna rubbed her face and then tugged on her braids. "Grand Pabbie… I was with a woman. There's no way I can possibly want that, no matter how deep in my heart it may be. I'm the boy-crazy one, remember? I notice every cute guy I pass. I mean, yeah, it annoys Kristoff sometimes… But I still do it."

"So you find men cute in passing? Cute is not a word usually used to describe sexual interest." Grand Pabbie studied her seriously. "I have no doubt that you find men cute; you've been told your entire life that you should. Perhaps you even find them to be attractive. Have you ever considered being intimate with one?"

Anna turned bright red and started to sputter. "Grand Pabbie!" she finally managed to choke out. "That's not the kind of question—"

The Elder troll held up his hand and stopped her before chuckling. "If I understand what you're saying about your vision, it is exactly the sort of question you should be considering."

"I never said I was being intimate with this woman!" She hadn't been, had she? She knew that she had touched the woman's skin, but that was all, wasn't it? She tried to remember; the details of the vision were starting to dim. "And it's still not the sort of question you should ask a girl."

"I can tell you are pushing what you saw further and further away. Trying to understand it now would be fruitless." Grand Pabbie sighed heavily. "It will come to you; I can only ask that you accept it when it does. True Love doesn't always appear in a flourish of rose petals. It can be as simple as opening your eyes one day and seeing someone in a different light."

Anna dropped her head, relieved that he'd stopped trying to suggest what he was suggesting. "Yeah. I'm the one who asked, I guess. It isn't your fault I'm all screwed up about Kristoff. Sorry I snapped. It's just … too much. I can't handle it all."

"It may take time, I think, and come to you slowly, if you will let it. The harder you push it away, the harder it will push back, however."

Only able to nod, Anna left, feeling the Elder troll's eyes burning into her back. It was too much—way too much. The idea that she was attracted to women refused to fade, just as the feeling of warmth and pleasure from her vision lingered despite the details growing dim.

What if I am? What does that even mean? What was worse, her sister kept getting tangled up in it. Anna stumbled away from the clearing possibly more confused than she'd ever been in her entire life. She didn't love Kristoff, but who did she love—or did she even know what love was? And why … why did she keep coming back to Elsa when she grasped for answers?

She was in a daze by the time she reached Kristoff, who was trying to convince one of the smaller trolls that there was no time for a ride. He seemed to be somewhat distracted as well and only lifted his hand in slight recognition when she started toward him. Olaf appeared just as energetic as he was when they arrived, still showing the littlest trolls how the whirligig worked. He didn't seem to want to join them at the sleigh, Anna wasn't quite ready to call him, anyway.

Kristoff saw the look on Anna's face with some confusion. She appeared baffled when he saw her as he came to talk to Grand Pabbie, but now she was practically stumbling with distraction. Whatever happened, it shook her to the core. He was in some turmoil, despite knowing what he had to do and that he had to do it soon, but Anna looked like she couldn't tell him her name if he asked her.

"Kristoff! Yeah … Kristoff, um, hi! Um… Are you ready to go?" Anna could think of only one thing—getting as far away from the valley and what she had seen there as she could. She couldn't remember the details, but she didn't want to. She just wanted to get away.

"Well, almost," Kristoff scratched his head. "I still have to talk to Dad about something he wanted me to do in town, that will only take a few minutes. Are you okay?"

Anna looked at him. He was there, he was real. He was what she should have seen, or someone like him. At this point, she would almost rather give Hans another chance than to deal with what she was pushing as far away as she could. After several moments, she shook herself and nodded. "Grand Pabbie just gave me a lot to think about, that's all. You go ahead and I'll say goodbye to Bulda."

"Okay. Give me about ten minutes. If you finish first, try to corral Olaf. He really doesn't want to leave. I'm tempted to let him stay, but I don't know if Mom and Dad want that much excitement." He started off, glancing over his shoulder as he did. Something was wrong. He could see it on Anna's face and hear it in her strained voice.

If she wants to tell me, she will. Grand Pabbie says I should go with my gut, and right now my gut is telling me we're going to be discussing the same thing when we get to it. Uncertain whether that was a good thing, or a bad thing, he sighed and headed off to find the troll he called father.

Anna watched him walk off, trying desperately to bring back the thought that he was cute, that she loved him. It was there, but vague as though it had been a dozen years since she last felt the emotions she thought were True Love. Equally vague were the memories of what she'd seen in the vision Grand Pabbie conjured up only a few minutes earlier.

It seemed that the harder she tried to grasp the meaning what happened, the more it faded into the mist. She knew she felt warmth; warmth and tenderness, a sense of belonging—and also a deep hunger for a form she recognized but couldn't name. Earlier, she'd been so sure … That's ridiculous and even Grand Pabbie said it could just represent something, not really mean I want to … with Elsa … The one thing she knew for certain was that the body she touched was a woman. It was the last that kept her trembling with uncertainty.

Why would I imagine that? Anna stared at the ground, trying with all her might to find something—anything—in her memories that said she was wrong. It has to mean something else. A metaphor. Something. "And I knew who it was … didn't I? Right after, I'm sure I knew her name. Why? There's no one I would ever imagine like that." Except Elsa.

"No! No way, no how." She shook her head hard. She'd already imagined Elsa as a lover once, and it was as ridiculous now as it was then. Ridiculous and wrong on too many levels to count. It was only because she had no one else to compare Kristoff to.

But that didn't matter anymore. Anna knew one thing for certain; she wasn't in love with Kristoff. She loved him deeply, but he was not her True Love. Grand Pabbie said I already knew. Who could it be? She knew more than one man she'd met in Arendelle who would like to replace Kristoff, and she found none of them attractive. Was I even attracted to Hans? He was handsome, but she was so desperate and stupid that she didn't bother to ask herself the question.

Anna started towards the circle of small rocks that were not trolls and used for seats as rocks often were. Bulda was usually here, tending to some business of the clan or other. To her relieve, the troll matron was toward the far side, talking with one of the other adults.

Bulda looked around and saw her and said something to her companion before starting toward Anna with a slight smile.

"We're so glad that you could come with Kristoff, dear. Cliff is excited for him to pick up something in town; he won't tell me what, so I think it's a present. Isn't that sweet of him?"

"Yes, it is," Anna replied with a wan smile. In the time she'd spent among the trolls, she'd grown very fond of Bulda. "I just wanted to say goodbye since I don't know when I'll be able to get back up here." As in, I don't know that I'll ever make it back up here.

The troll matron studied her silently for a moment and then nodded knowingly. "I would certainly have been sad to miss saying goodbye." She paused. "It appears you have plenty to think about on the way home."

That's an understatement. "Yes, Grand Pabbie had a lot to tell me."

"Did he? You have the aura of magic around you; did he give you a vision?" Bulda's expression said she already knew the answer.

"Um … yeah." Anna shifted uncomfortably, sure her companion was going to start questioning her about what happened. "It was … it wasn't what I expected."

The troll nodded. "Visions often surprise us. There wouldn't be much point in having one otherwise, don't you agree?"

The Princess closed her eyes. "I suppose you're right. It's not—"

"Don't worry about questions, dear!" Bulda clucked her tongue. "It would be rude of me to pry. Vision's magic a very personal thing. I just hope it was helpful to your situation."

"Situation?" Anna looked at her in confusion. She'd thought it before, but now it sounded like the trolls definitely knew more than they let on.

Bulda smiled at her. "We're love experts, dear; we sense when things aren't going well. Generally, everyone would be clamoring to help, but Grand Pabbie and I decided it would be best if you and Kristoff were left alone."

"That explains a lot," Anna muttered. "It isn't that we're having trouble, it's just … that …" she trailed off when Bulda gave her a stern, knowing look. "Ok, so things are a little awkward right now. I'm all talked out about it."

"I imagine you are." The troll matron's smile didn't change. "You also have the aura of someone who feels more confused than when they started." Anna reddened slightly and Bulda smiled softly. "It's not uncommon, you know. Love is the most—"

"Anna!" Kristoff waved his arms as he strode over, interrupting his mother before Anna could.

Bulda frowned at him. "Kristoff! We were in the middle of a conversation."

"Sorry, Mom; Dad says it's going to rain later and we need to get a head start if we want to stop at the spa before getting home."

He shot Anna a look suggesting another reason, but she was grateful for anything that kept Bulda from wandering off on a tangent about True Love's vagaries. She responded with a slight smile, hoping her exhale wasn't overly obvious. "I'll try to round up Olaf, then. Don't worry, Bulda," she added. "I have plenty to chew on."

"Of course." Bulda returned the smile though she seemed to know something was up beyond the weather. She then pulled her eyebrows together. "The spa? Have you taken an interest in your skin, finally, Kristoff? I've noticed you smell less like reindeer of late—"

"No! I mean, that's not the reason." Kristoff cleared his throat, embarrassed that his mother brought it up. "Anna's just getting something for Elsa."

Bulda turned a raised eyebrow to Anna. "A gift?"

"Well … sort of." Anna shifted nervously. "Something happened yesterday, and we were passing by the spa this morning, so … not that I was rude or yelled at her or anything! I just kinda forgot that personal space thing, and she wasn't happy about it. She didn't get angry! She just … looked upset … so … yeah." Kristoff coughed, and she blushed. "It's not like I threw her against a wall or something! Geez!" A second too late she realized how the last could be interpreted and started bouncing on her toes.

"Oh." Bulda's mouth opened several times as though she wasn't sure how to respond. Finally, she smiled again. "Well, there's never a wrong time for a gift, is there?" Her eyes lingered on Anna's face long enough for Anna to get really uncomfortable.

Kristoff grunted. "Come on, Anna."

With a nod, Anna turned toward the group of children now running around with various parts of Olaf's body, playing some bizarre version of tag. "This might take a while." She sighed.

"Oh, let Olaf stay here," Bulda said with her usual smile. "The little ones love when he comes, and it isn't often enough. I'm sure Kristoff can pick him up tomorrow or the next day." She glanced over as well. "It likely would take too long to reassemble him, anyway."

"Y-yeah. Um. Okay, I guess." Anna leaned over and hugged her quickly. "I guess I'll see you later?"

Bulda set her back with an even bigger smile. "Don't worry, dear, things always sort themselves out, given time."

"Say goodbye to everyone else, for me?" She was surprised when Kristoff took her arm and tugged. "I guess we better … yeah. Rain is bad, so…."

The matron troll simply nodded, but Anna felt her gaze as she and Kristoff headed back to the sleigh. Kristoff was silent and his hand remained on her arm. It wasn't tight, and she found more comfort in it than irritation, but he clearly wanted to keep her from wandering off.

Sven didn't want to cooperate, and it took almost as much time dragging him away from the vent he'd curled up next to as it would have to get Olaf back into one piece. Finally, however, they got him into the harness and prepared to leave.

As she was climbing into the sleigh, she heard Bulda call her and turned to find the troll gesturing her to come back. Hesitating, she looked at Kristoff who shrugged.

"Better see what she wants."

Stepping down, Anna slowly returned. Bulda met her halfway with a smile. "I almost forgot. You've earned a crystal for your first vision," the matron troll said quietly.

"Huh?" Anna glanced past her and saw Grand Pabbie studying her with an inscrutable face. "I … I don't really think I deserve … that is …."

Bulda made a noise and pressed a small leather pouch into her hand. "The vision chooses the crystal, and yours chose this."

They'd drawn the attention of several other trolls, and quickly a crowd formed around them. "But … I'm not a troll …" Anna was keenly aware that Kristoff was watching her and wondered why Bulda hadn't come to the sleigh. Getting a crystal was strange but he'd see it anyway, so it was even more confusing.

"As close as a human can come," Bulda replied. Dozens of eyes blinked in agreement as the other trolls nodded their heads. "And this was meant for you."

With a sigh, Anna tipped the bag and let the necklace slide into her had. A rose crystal pendant glittered in the sun. It was hexagonal, perhaps two inches long, encased in a delicate silver wrap in the shape of a flower on two sides. The chain it was attached to was of braided silver, and the whole thing felt strangely warm in her palm.

"I can't … this is … but, I shouldn't—"

"Anna, stop; you have earned this, and it will serve you well in the future." Bulda hesitated and then sighed. She leaned in and spoke in a whisper. "The answers you seek will change the course of your life—and that of your True Love. This may help guide you to those answers."

Anna shifted. She could feel a pull from the crystal, but she hesitated nonetheless. "It's really beautiful, and I'm honored to be given something like this, but … unless it glows when I get next to my True Love, I'm not sure if it will help or just make me more confused."

The matron burst into laughter. "No, it doesn't glow." She gave the redhead a sly look. "At least not because of that."

"Then what—"

Kristoff started to think his mother had launched into another dialog about something Anna clearly didn't want to discuss and grunted loudly. "Rain, remember?" He raised his voice enough to be heard. "Don't get all sappy again." He hated how long it took Anna to say goodbye. She was just so nice to everyone. He liked that about her, but it made for incredibly long farewells and whatever she and his mother were talking about was looking like it would take forever for finish.

"I …" Anna looked around the expectant faces of the trolls and swallowed hard. "Thank you." She fastened the clasp behind her neck; the pendant fell just between the top of her breasts. She looked again at the elder troll, who hadn't moved from his position, and waved awkwardly. He nodded in return.

"Now, you'd best run along, or you won't finish your errand. You certainly don't want the Queen to miss out on her present, hmm?" Bulda's voice was tinged with laughter, as if she knew the reason Anna was getting her sister a gift.

Why do I get the feeling she knows? Coughing softly, Anna nodded. "Um … thank you again. I guess … I'll see you soon?" She can't read my mind. They can't do that, right? All of this can't be because of … no. There's no way she knows what I saw just now—and there's really no way she knows I kissed Elsa.

With one more hug, which turned into several as all the trolls crowded in for their turn, she rejoined Kristoff, flopping onto the sleigh's seat with a noise of relief. Her hand instinctively closed around the crystal; she didn't want him to see it yet. Why, she wasn't sure of, but she wasn't ready for the discussion she knew would be coming when he did. He glanced at her, but didn't have a chance to say anything before the mob of moving rocks found him. Anna bounced her knees nervously as he accepted a few more hugs himself.

Another five minutes later, they were leaving the Valley. The Valley, the trolls, the vision that still made Anna nauseous—she wanted to leave them far behind. Not forever, but until she could sort through the emotions still racing through her mind. Kristoff was silent, much to Anna's relief. Things were strained on the way up; she didn't want to know how bad it would be on their return trip.

Kristoff glanced at his companion. There was a lot on his mind, and most of it concerned the woman next to him, but he kept to himself. It was probably not a good idea to start discussing their relationship when they were going to be trapped together for hours. Anna was obviously deep within her own thoughts, and he suspected those thoughts were very similar to his—though he wondered what could have shaken her so much that she clearly wanted to leave.

She'd been given a crystal at the end, though for what he wasn't completely certain. It was something important—and personal if his mother called her away to give it in private. Anna also closed her hand around the pendant the moment she got into the sleigh; it didn't look like she did it intentionally, which made him suspicious she wasn't sure she wanted him to see it, or that she might take it off once they were out of the Valley. The second would be strange, given Anna's love of his family, but her posture suggested she was torn about something and the pendant made the most sense.

He had several crystals himself, though he kept them hidden under his shirt, but to his knowledge no other human had ever been given one, so it made sense for it to be more than a simple award. He was very curious, but he didn't want to ask when she was still apparently uncertain about it.

They were well out of the Valley, before either spoke, and it was Anna who broke the silence. "Is it really going to rain?" She was suspicious that wasn't the reason for Kristoff's hasty departure.

"Not until late." Kristoff shifted and coughed. "I just knew Mom would keep you there all day if I let her—and you looked uncomfortable, so I thought you might want a reason to escape."

"Thanks." Anna laughed despite worrying he would ask what her discomfort was about. "She was definitely gearing up for one of her talks."

Kristoff shrugged and chuckled. "Sounds like her. You got a crystal, too, huh? You must've done something pretty awesome." He tried to sound as conversational as he could. "They don't give those outside the clan."

Anna cocked her head. "You have them." He'd shown a few to her, but they were for minor things, such as learning to build a fire.

"Yeah, but I was adopted. You're…" he trailed off and looked away.

"Not a troll," Anna finished with a sigh. "I know. I'm confused about it myself."

Kristoff exhaled loudly. "So, what's it for?" With Anna, sometimes the only way to get an answer was to ask directly. She seemed willing to discuss it, so he risked annoying her.

"My first vision," she replied quietly. "I was pretty rude to Grand Pabbie afterwards, though. I can't imagine they'd be happy with me about it."

"Visions are weird. I've seen trolls act strangely after one, so I can only imagine what it'd do to a human." Kristoff drew in a breath. "Mine was weird, that's for sure."

Startled, Anna turned to him. "You've had a vision?"

He nodded. "I wanted to know who my real parents were when I was a teenager."

"And?"

Kristoff stared at his lap, avoiding eye contact with Anna. "It wasn't what I expected." He looked up at her for a moment, with an expression that didn't quite mask the pain. "Everything was clear and then it wasn't—now I'm not sure what I saw—but I was left with the impression that they're both dead." His gaze fell back to his lap.

Anna released the pendant and reached over to put her hand over his. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

He shook his head and smiled wanly. "I told you, visions are—" he cut off, his eyes widening. Is that…? Nah, it can't be.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing … that's just a really nice crystal." There was no point telling her what was most likely a tall tale.

Drawing her brows together, Anna studied him. "Is there something unusual about it? I mean, the wrapping is pretty intricate, so … is it special to the clan or something—maybe Bulda gave me the wrong one?"

"No … no, if Mom gave it to you, it was meant for you. It's just that…" he stopped himself. "I'm sure you're meant to have it."

Anna narrowed her eyes; she wanted to know more, but wasn't sure if asking would make Kristoff less willing to tell her.

He read her face and sighed. "Grand Pabbie usually awards the vision crystal, unless…." When Anna's gaze never wavered, he looked away and continued. "Unless the vision is really specific."

"Why … what does it mean that Bulda gave it to me?" Anna tried to stay calm though she had a feeling the discussion she dreaded was about to launch.

"That … that's the—" he couldn't bring himself to tell her. "She was making sure you didn't say no," he said instead. "She's sneaky that way."

Anna growled. "You aren't telling me something important."

Kristoff was silent for long enough that Anna crossed her arms and growled again. Finally, he surrendered. "There's a story about a crystal like yours. Supposedly, it was made by Freyja herself. Whoever wears it is blessed by the Goddess, etcetera, etcetera. Of course, that's silly."

"Wait … what? Freyja?" Anna blinked several times, trying to process what he'd said. "What's that supposed to mean? Why would the trolls give me something like that … Bulda said it would help me find my True Love, but …. Oh! I meant … be sure of my True—that is—" Crap. I didn't want to bring that up.

She hadn't thought about it until now, but though the pendant remained warm in her hand, nothing changed when she got next to Kristoff. If Bulda was right, then he couldn't be her True Love. She'd been almost certain of that after her first talk with Grand Pabbie, and even more certain after the second, but this was a concrete signal, should she believe what the matron troll told her.

Kristoff considered how to respond to Anna's comment. She'd almost come out and told him she wasn't in love with him, even though she immediately started backpedaling. It was painful to admit, despite only confirming what he already knew about the future of his life with her, but if his mother said the pendant would help Anna find her True Love, and if it was given for her first vision, then what the redhead saw didn't involve him.

Beyond that, if the stories were true—and if the crystal on her chest was the same one—the True Love the princess would find couldn't be him. Finally, he managed a smile. "It will definitely help you find your True Love. Even if it isn't me. Not that I'm saying it isn't me! It's just … that … when you realize who—you'll know, trust me."

Relieved that Kristoff didn't jump on her admission and start a conversation about it, but confused by his sudden withdrawal, Anna managed a laugh. "Well, Bulda said it won't glow, so I don't know how it's supposed to help me, Goddess or not."

"Y-yeah. Mom's always spinning tales, so I'm sure it's only a good story. She probably just figured it'd suit you." Kristoff laughed weakly as well. "It'll help you, though I doubt she'll—he'll! He'll—be glowing or anything when you meet him." It was confusingly strange to consider, but he strongly suspected that whatever had Anna so rattled involved Elsa. Did she finally figure it out? That'd put a real twist in her world. Maybe that's why Mom chose that crystal for her? But … that would mean the story has some truth to it, wouldn't it?

Just because he was leaving more convinced than ever that Anna's future lay with her sister didn't mean Anna was thinking the same thing. He glanced at her before sighing and turning his attention back to the trail. He had his own problems to think about; worrying about Anna's shouldn't distract him from those. True Love was a lot more complicated than he thought; he just hoped he'd recognize it when it found him.

Anna didn't notice Kristoff's slip, concentrating too hard on the pendant hanging around her neck. The crystal was warm against her chest, even through her blouse. Still, she doubted—despite all the magic she'd seen the trolls do—it would help with the mess she'd gotten into. It also reminded her of what that mess was—and who was in the middle of it. She closed her eyes, wishing something would give her a simple answer, one that wouldn't throw her entire world into chaos.

Some answer that isn't about Elsa—no! No, don't consider it. There's no way that my True Love is Elsa! Or even a woman! … It must be a thin man, that's it! He's just slender and short … and really, really soft … with blue eyes and … It isn't a woman. It isn't Elsa. She shook herself and tightened her hands into fists in her lap.

What do I do if it is?

Author Notes: Things are starting to heat up in Anna's world. The next few chapters will decide whether she gives in to her heart or denies it completely.

As far as releases go, I have no promises. My real job is making it so I have little time to play. I am also awaiting surgery for some sort of fast-growing cataracts in both eyes. I've been wondering why it was getting harder and harder to read the monitor, one of the reasons for the erratic releases. It's hard to type when you have to sit 3" from a 42" tv/monitor to distinguish n from o. It seems every time I get something fixed, something else breaks. I guess it's my payback for being such a "lady" *cough, not* growing up.

Anyway, I doubt I will release anything for a few months. I suppose you'd call it a semi-hiatus, though I do intend to continue the story. Sorry that real life is coming in between me and Arendelle. I hope to see y'all soon.