Chapter 5

Elsa heard sounds, voices perhaps, coming from the bathroom. Somebody had gotten into the locked door of the bathroom. It's just impossible. Having slowly approached the door, she asked timidly, "Andrei, what's going on there?"

A couple of seconds later she heard a lock click and noticed the ginger head rushing towards her. Anna embraced the amazed sister tightly. Elsa didn't expect Anna to come, especially from the bathroom where Andrei had been taking a shower.

"Elsa, please, forgive me!" Anna said. Apparently, she couldn't conceal her tears.

"Easy, easy… for what?" Elsa wondered, having broken the hug and looking at sister's eyes.

"What… I have sent you here, haven't I?" Anna also was surprised a little. "I just didn't know how the crystal that a troll presented to me works.

Elsa noticed a red crystal hanging on Anna's neck. Anna took this opportunity to examine the sister better and noticed that she was wearing a strange shirt from this world.

"Don't worry."

Then the girls noticed a little irritated Andrei wearing a robe.

"I'm really sorry for trespassing into your washroom," the princess said before they all sat down.

"Um… This is my sister Anna," Elsa introduced.

"Andrei," the guy said as he held out his hand, having forgotten that he shouldn't greet royals such way. But Anna didn't pay attention to it and shook his hand with smile.

"He has been hosting and helping me all this time," Elsa said with a smile, touching the soft fabric of man's robe gently.

"Thank you very much, Andrei," Anna said, getting up from the sofa. "My sister might not have survived here without your help. Elsa, we should go back to Arendelle now."

"Wait," Elsa interrupted her sister. "We need to talk"

Elsa threw a brief look to Andrei who might bother them and decided that kicking him out of his own living room wasn't good decision, so she led Anna in to the kitchen and closed the door.

Elsa didn't want to go home. What is waiting her there? The father's throne, contracts, delegations, solving the problems of the citizens, loads of people who even a year later couldn't forgive her for the 'eternal winter.' But here was another life. In addition, the city with its architecture… Yes, there significantly less sights in the capital city of Arendelle than in a regular city of Saint-Petersburg. And the local people joyfully accept her powers instead calling her a monster. She can live here, learn Russian, and find an easy job.

And then there was Andrei. His care, his willingness to help and support couldn't help touching the girl's soul. Even her parents hadn't given her such comfort. But Andrei did. It seemed to Elsa that she can go with him through the eternity. Maybe this is the feeling they call love?

"Elsa, what are you going to talk to me about?"

The girl had plunged in her thoughts too much.

"I'm going to stay here," Elsa pronounced quietly, expecting the worst reaction from Anna's side.

"What?!"

"Well…" It was impossible to find needed words. She couldn't just tell her sister that she simply doesn't want to perform her duty, that she would like rather to stay in the world where you don't have to really care about your life.

"Who is going to rule Arendelle?" Anna crossed the arms on her chest.

"I'm sure you will be able to do it with Kristoff," Elsa answered.

"How? Neither me, nor especially Kristoff was taught how to rule an entire kingdom," Anna's voice was becoming higher.

"But I really feel like I belong here. Everything is made to make the life easier. Look at this," Elsa switched the light in the kitchen and showed the fridge where food wasn't damaged.

"Ough… I just think, you don't want to be a queen".

"Do you at least know how I feel like? When you need to reply letters and complaints half a day and then dedicate the second half to meeting with ambassadors, listening to him and trying not to freeze everything at the same time." As the queen said these words, a blast of magic hit a cupboard.

Anna couldn't bear it. Of course getting on someone's nerves who has magic powers isn't safe, but Anna was not afraid.

The situation was similar to the one a year ago in the ice palace, when Anna was trying to take Elsa back to Arendelle, but she didn't agree because she had been afraid of hurting people. Now Elsa seemed to be quite happy. She didn't want to return to the royal routine.. So Anna ran away from the kitchen and headed to the bathroom.

Elsa went after her.

"I don't want even talk to you. I had been trying to find you so long, but you…"

Anna entered the bathroom and went through a red circle hanging in the air. Elsa tried to follow her, but the portal had closed. Elsa went out of the bathroom slowly. Having touched the doorjamb, she noticed a thin ice layer on it. Why can't she be like normal people?

"Didn't you go with Anna?" Andrei wondered, not expecting to see Elsa. She sat down on the sofa and moved to its edge to avoid touching Andrei.

"I'm confused. I understand that I have to go to Arendelle, but I want to stay with you here. It's really better here."

"But I thought you were staying here just in case you don't have an opportunity to return back."

"Yes, but… I like this place a lot. This technology, the people… You can just live here after all. You don't have to rule anything. It's not actually my cup of tea. Loads of people can't even forgive the winter I summoned in the middle of summer."

"Well then, we need to work hard to get the citizenship for you. I see you're suffering with Russian, and I'm thinking how to get documents for you even you don't even have a birth certificate. Yes, we could forge them, but it's difficult. It would be better if you returned." Andrei moved closer and tried to hug her, but realized the danger in time.

It was a dark night in Arendelle. In the red light of the portal, Anna saw Kristoff opening his eyes and sitting down, leaning against the headboard. When Anna closed the portal, everything plunged into darkness.

"Where is Elsa?" he asked.

"Imagine, she doesn't want to return! She is bored with ruling the kingdom."

"So, what are we going to do?" the prince asked.

"Don't know. She told me we would do it well ourselves."

"Are you kidding me? She wants me to be a king?" Kristoff complained. "I can't rule at all!"

"Do you think I can? And the Council won't rule permanently."

"Where is Elsa, by the way?"

"She lives with some Andrei somewhere… I don't know where. They have such strange things there. She feels better there because the light switches fast there and food isn't spoiled in a cold box. Nonsense!"

"Maybe, Elsa… I mean, has fallen in love with this Andrei or whatever he's called?" Kristoff suggested. Anna could have thrown a surprised look at him, but there was no sense in it, since it was dark.

"Don't make me laugh… Although, it's a good mind. But we can't move him here, have him marry Elsa, and make him a king."

"Why not?"

"We just can't have a complete stranger as a king," Anna said as she remembered Hans. "And he rather has his own life, work, house."

"Yes, I didn't think about it. So I don't see any other solution except returning Elsa. Maybe you'll go there again?"

"No way! I won't even say a single word to her!"

"If you don't want, I will."

"Do you at least know where she is and how to get there?" Anna asked. "What if you get lost with the crystal, and I'll never see you again?"

"Oh, come on! It's gonna be okay," Kristoff assured Anna.

Elsa couldn't feel asleep: she was lost in her thoughts. She realized that abdicating her crown was a crazy and reckless idea, but she didn't want to leave Petersburg. And she probably wouldn't. Anna was unlikely to return. Rather she will never forgive her. Elsa thought just of herself while entire kingdom needed her. And when Anna finally found her sister, what did she do? Instead taking the chance to return to Arendelle, she had behaved like a child. But there wouldn't be a second chance so she had to acclimate to the new world. Elsa remembered Andrei's words about making fake documents for her, because there was no way to obtain them. Apparently not everything is so easy in this world.

The girl finally manage to fall asleep, at least until the moment she woke up because of somebody's scream.

"A-a-a-a-a-a-a! What a hell is going on?!" Elsa manage to understand, despite it being in Russian.

After opening her eyes and sitting up on the bed, Elsa paid no attention to suffering Andrei and instead gave a wide smile to…

"…Kristoff!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice you," an embarrassed Kristoff said. He had accidently stepped on Andrei, hidden in the sleeping bag. "Are you hurt?"

Then Elsa approached and tightly hugged the ex-ice harvester who was quite confused because Elsa had never shown such feelings towards him.

Andrei, who had got out of the sleeping bag, unwillingly shook Kristoff's hand.

"Elsa… I came to take you back to Arendelle. The kingdom really needs you," Kristoff started but he was interrupted by the young queen.

"Yes, but let me change my clothes first" she said, grabbing the dress which she got to this world and heading towards the bathroom. "I beg you to forgive me for my reckless behavior." She returned a couple minutes later.

"The portal is there," Kristoff pointed towards the entrance of the flat.

Elsa nodded and walked up to Andrei.

"Andrei, I'm so thankful. I would have never survive here a single day without you. And thanks for the care and support." Then she added in Russian, "I will miss you."

After a little pause, she took some courage and kissed him in a cheek. It would be better if she kissed him in lips, but she didn't feel like she was ready. Andrei hugged the girl tightly in reply.

"Come… visit me sometimes. I'd love to host you again."

"My timetable is very tense, so I'll see you not so soon."

Tears started forming in Andrei's eyes. It was really miserable to let her go. Elsa and Kristoff hide in the portal which vanished a bit later.

So, that's it. Having entered the living room, Andrei noticed an ice layer on the window which hadn't melted and probably was not going to. It was the last memory he would have of the Snow Queen.

That's it. The story is complete. As usually huge thanks to Cosette 24601. My fanfic would be completely awful and contain plenty of mistakes without her, since English is not my native language. Good luck and inspiration

Faithfully yours Alexander Pinchuk