Olá! TariaNalu here! Great news: After two very frustrating months, I've managed to get my writing software fixed! So I guess that means I'm back in business. It's so great to see you guys again! I've really missed the FanFiction community. So, as promised, here it is! The dreaded chapter that I've had so much trouble creating! I've decided to split it into two chapters, since it's so long. Sorry it took a while, and I hope you enjoy it! Also, don't forget to drop a review on your way out! :)

Now, if you know the story of my sister, you would know that at that very moment, Princess Anna of Arendelle was desperately traversing the snowy wilderness in a (rather unsuccessful) attempt to find me. As it turned out, she had set out to find me on the very night I left Arendelle. She had spent the rest of the night and the entirety of the next day trying to find me, not stopping once to rest or check her surroundings. During that time, she fought wolves, jumped a cliff, awkwardly conversed with a very peculiar storeowner, encountered a talking snowman, and met her future husband (no, not Hans...more on that later). Don't worry, when she told me the story a few days later, the tale sounded as crazy to me as it probably does to you.

But what most people tend to overlook is that I had an entire day to myself. Yes, while Anna was busy trudging through the treacherous North Mountain, I was relaxing in my newly created home, free at last. But, as I was soon to learn, "freedom" is an ever-changing term. It carries different meanings for different people. Indeed, one person's definition of freedom can change the very next day, as mine did. But if you, my dear reader, were to ask me what I did during my first day of "freedom," I would simply respond with a casual shrug and a dismissive grin. Even today, a full year after the events I write of, I still haven't quite gotten around to telling anyone just what I was doing up in my castle. Anna seems to be particularly insistent on finding out what I did, but even she has been kept in the dark. Perhaps it was to save her from disappointment (as the tale is a lot less exciting than she thinks it is), or perhaps I simply want to keep this private moment - this span of twenty-four hours that I had solely to myself - for my own. But since this book is my official memoir, and not some sort of personal diary, I feel somewhat compelled to recount my experience in my ice palace.

I just hope Anna doesn't read this. I'd hate to ruin the mystery for her.

The cool air was silent. Peaceful. Nothing but the sound of my own breathing. The sun had just risen over the horizon, giving a faint, blue tint to the pink sky. There I stood, alone on my balcony, appreciating the view in peace. At last, after thirteen years of living in misery, I was finally able to have a peaceful moment to myself. As I watched the sunrise, gradually drifting off into my private little world, I continually expected someone to ruin my moment. Perhaps a knock on the door, or a servant calling for my attention. But, as I had to remind myself, I was all alone. There was no one to disturb me, no one to interrupt me, no one to ask me to build a snowman. Just me, myself, and I, all alone in my palace of ice.

This is nice, I thought, calmly looking over at the mountainous horizon. I can finally breathe. I stood on the balcony, eagerly soaking in the cool mountain air, as the sun gradually rose higher. Far below me, the snowy valley was silent. Not a sound, save the faint whistle of the cool, mountainous breeze. As the pink sky slowly changed into a pale blue, I found myself yawning. At around this time in the castle, the servants would be bustling about, preparing a hot morning bath and a warm plate of breakfast. Kai would probably be knocking on my door, too. "Your Majesty," he would say, "it's time to get up. We've prepared a nice, hot bath for you to start your day!" And with that, I would (reluctantly) get out of bed, ready to go through another day.

But I realized that I had taken these little things for granted. Out here on the North Mountain, everything was absolutely silent. My only companion was the gentle wind that brushed playfully against my ear, slowly growing stronger as the hours went by. Sure, standing out here was nice; I finally had a moment to myself. In fact, I had all the time in the world to stand out here and appreciate the solitude. But at this point, a little bit of noise - or for that matter, any little sign that I wasn't all alone - would have been much appreciated. But, as it was, I really was all alone, and no such sign came to me. I sighed, and as the sun hung nearly directly overhead, I slipped back into the castle and closed the doors behind me, shutting out the cold wind that had just started to pick up.

And there I stood. Alone. I looked around, trying to find something - or, by some remote chance, someone - that could distract me from my troubles. Translucent, blue walls towered above me, refracting the sunlight into brilliant patterns that were scattered on the floor. Tall, glass-like pillars stood in the grand hallways. Their grandeur and beauty were an illustrious reminder of just how powerful I really was. But there was no one around to admire the sights. I was literally standing in the midst of my greatest creation, but there was no one to share it with. I sighed, looking around discontentedly.

"Get used to it," I said out loud to myself. "It's going to be like this for the rest of your life." Somehow, I couldn't take comfort in the thought. I figured I would only be talking to myself more and more in this incredible cold, until the day I die. The thought of it sent a shiver up my spine.

I started pacing absentmindedly around the castle in a rather useless attempt to distract myself from my worries. As I walked pensively down the sunlit halls, I couldn't help but think about my old life down in Arendelle. Living in a castle, ice skating with Anna, touring the town with Papa and Mama - looking back, it was these little moments, the times I spent with the ones I loved most, that went on to become my fondest memories. As I slowly made my way towards the castle's main hall, my eyes started welling up with tears as I realized the truth: I missed everyone. Mama, Papa, Anna, even the servants. I missed them more than anything else in the world. But, as I had to remind myself, that was all in my past. It was time to face the future, and leave that all behind.

But as I was soon to learn, letting go of the past can be a very difficult thing. And sometimes, you just might need your past to point you in the right direction.

I stood by myself in the main hall, eyeing the tall, glass-like throne in front of me. The one I had created for myself the previous night. It was quite slender, with a tall back that featured several intricate patterns that culminated in a single, glistening snowflake design at the top. I had specifically built the throne to distinguish myself as the Snow Queen. And things would have been just fine like that, if it weren't for the other throne that stood right next to it. Yes, in my moment of near-euphoric creativity last night, I had inadvertently created a second throne beside my own. I'm not quite sure why I did it. I guess I was subconsciously suggesting to myself that I would have someone to share this new life with, someone to be my right hand. But I knew that such a notion was impossible to realize. The position of Snow Queen was a solitary position; I would never have a right-hand man.

With a disappointed sigh, I decided to melt the second throne. Seeing it was just a painful reminder of my solitude. But as I waved my hands around, attempting to summon my magic, I realized that I didn't know how to melt my creations. If I did, I probably would have discovered the answer to the mystery that had haunted me my whole life, the elusive secret to controlling my powers. I frowned ever so slightly.

I guess I'll always have room for others, I thought. The idea was bittersweet.

At that moment, something deep within me started aching. I put a hand to my growling stomach and groaned, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. When was the last time I had eaten anything? I tried thinking back to the previous day. As far as I remembered, the last thing I had eaten was a small morsel of chocolate from my coronation party. I had secretly managed to nab one from the dessert table while I was talking with the various dignitaries. Even back then, I was already starving, as I had eaten next to nothing the whole day. Gerda had told me to avoid food as much as possible, so as to keep my figure as slim (or "presentable," as she called it) as possible. Of course, I knew a quick snack here and there couldn't possibly hurt, so I was able to grab a few bites during the coronation party. But that was back in Arendelle. Out here in the North Mountain, I was hungrier than ever. But the problem wasn't that I was holding back from eating anything; the problem was that there was absolutely nothing to eat. My stomach growled again, and a small wave of dull pain coursed through my body. I didn't really think this through, did I?

I walked up to my throne and, remembering that no one was watching, plopped onto it in a very un-ladylike fashion, somehow convincing myself that my problems would take care of themselves. Of course, I knew I was deluding myself. I knew that with every passing minute, I was only digging myself deeper into a pit of lies and regrets. And I knew that the path I was walking would ultimately lead to my own undoing. But just for once, I wanted to taste what it was like to be free, to finally break away from the shackles that I had worn my whole life. I wanted to prove to the world - and more importantly, to myself - that I was more than just the scared little girl who spent her life trapped in her room. I wanted to prove how strong I really was. And I believed I could do that by breaking free of my old life, and creating a new one for myself. And so I continued to pull the wool over my own eyes, refusing to see the consequences of my own actions.

As I sat by myself, twirling my braid around my finger in boredom, I couldn't help but fixate my gaze on the empty throne that unceremoniously stood to my right. The very sight of it caused memories of my past to keep springing up in my head. One in particular stood out among the rest.