Long, long ago, there was a time when I was completely content with my own life. It was a much simpler time, a time when I wasn't burdened by responsibilities, powers, and dark secrets. It was a time when I was just learning how to be a sister.

I was only three years old when Anna was born. But despite my age, I was quite determined to be the best sister ever. I had made a promise to Mama and Papa - a promise that I hope will never be broken - that I would take care of Anna, and place her above everything else in my life. I would be her shoulder to cry on, her friend to celebrate with, her source of guidance in times of trouble. In short, I made a promise to be to Anna what Mama and Papa were to me.

Of course, all that was easier said than done. As little Anna grew up, she developed a rather nasty habit of whining, complaining, and screaming at the top of her lungs for no good reason. Now, it's true that this sort of behavior was quite common in little girls her age. But for children like Anna, who spent her days growing up in the presence of royalty, this was simply unacceptable. Mama and Papa couldn't do much about this behavior, since they were often too busy with work to tend to my sister. And so, deciding to fulfill my promise to Mama and Papa, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I decided to teach Anna how to act like a true princess.

I still remember the day I met up with my sister. There she sat, in the middle of the garden, playing with some toys that I used to have when I was her age. Off beneath a tree, a still-young Gerda sat, her gaze shifting between the book in her lap and the little princess sitting on the grass. I walked into the garden carrying a large pile of heavy books, slowly making my way towards Anna. Upon seeing me, Anna tilted her head curiously.

I dropped the books next to her with a heavy thud! Anna looked at the pile of books in front of her for a while before returning her attention to her toys.

"Hey, Anna," I said, panting.

She looked at me with an expression that seemed to say "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy here?" But instead of voicing disappointment, she pointed a tiny little finger towards the dusty volumes that lay on the ground and simply said, "Books."

I smiled. At least I had her attention. "That's right, Anna. Books." I picked one up, showing her an illustration of a fairy-tale princess. "See this, Anna? This is a princess."

"Pwin...cess?"

"That's right. That's what you are, Anna. You're a princess!"

"Pwincess!"

I chuckled to myself. "Yup. But it isn't enough to simply be a princess, you know. You have to act like one too."

"Pwincess?"

I paused for a while. "Yes, Anna. You're a princess. And a princess like you doesn't go around crying and screaming. A princess is always quiet, and she always knows her place. She doesn't scream, she doesn't yell, she doesn't complain when things don't go her way. A real princess is full of charm and grace, and she's always super kind, and calm, and caring. Princesses don't run around and climb trees, they don't sweat, and they never, ever mention underwear. Got all that?"

Anna stared at me for a while, her expression completely blank. Then she raised her arms above her head and yelled, "Pwincess!"

I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought.

As the days went by, I continued trying to teach Anna how to be a princess. I showed her the ins and outs of palace life, how to behave in front of people, and what clothes she should be wearing. In retrospect, I suppose it was a pretty big burden to put on a two-year old, but I really didn't know any better. I legitimately thought that I could turn this whining, noisy toddler into a poised and proper princess. But days turned into weeks, and Anna wasn't getting any closer to losing her un-ladylike attitude. In fact, she started whining even more whenever I tried to tell her not to. It was a frustrating experience; I tried teaching her how to behave properly, but the more I tried, the worse she got. She would cry at the top of her lungs every time, and my lessons quickly turned into desperate attempts to calm her down. And so, after three months of dealing with her constant whining, I decided to quit. No amount of books and lessons would cause my sister how to be a real princess.

The next few days I spent by myself, keeping my distance from Anna. I was too frustrated with myself to be anywhere near her. As I brooded by myself, I couldn't help but notice how, despite Anna's lack of discipline, Mama and Papa always treated her with hugs and kisses. It was outrageous! Why were they so lenient towards her? When I was her age, a simple step in the wrong direction would immediately result in a good, long lecture from Papa. But Anna was all over the place, whining, complaining, and breaking things. Yet, Mama and Papa never seemed to punish her. I started harboring resentful feelings towards Anna. Why were Mama and Papa kinder with her than they were with me?

My young, overactive mind started coming up with misguided explanations. Perhaps, I thought, my parents were disappointed by my very existence. They hated the fact that they had a daughter with magical powers. With my unnatural abilities, I was a magnet for trouble. Angry mobs, public condemnation, and even execution were all threats that faced the royal family - all because I had powers. Perhaps that was why Mama and Papa were so stern with me. On the other hand, they seemed to have gotten a second chance with Anna. She had no powers; she was completely normal. Maybe that was what Mama and Papa wanted. A normal daughter. They couldn't have it with me, so they treated me like I wasn't one of their own, and showered all their love and attention on their "real" daughter, Anna.

As crazy as it sounded, I found myself believing this little theory. I genuinely thought Mama and Papa loved Anna more than they loved me. And so, instead of keeping my distance from Anna, I decided to shut myself away from her altogether, never seeing her. I wouldn't admit it, but I was deeply jealous of my sister.

For the next few months, I deliberately went out of my way to avoid Anna. I would refuse to sit next to her during family dinners, and leave the room whenever Anna entered. I'd ignore her whenever she had anything to say to me, and did everything in my power to make my parents love me as much as they loved her.

Luckily, this stage didn't last for long. Perhaps the hand of fate decided to step in and show me the folly of my actions. Or perhaps it was just a coincidence that Anna happened to catch a life-threatening disease. Yes, when she was three years old, Anna fell terribly sick. Tragic as it was, the incident served to change my life forever.

The doctor didn't know what it was, but he was quite certain that my sister wouldn't live for much longer. Mama and Papa nearly abandoned their duties, staying in Anna's room every second of every day. They kept a watchful eye on her, never leaving her side once. They tended to her constantly, giving her food, reading her stories, and adjusting everything so that the room was as warm and hospitable as possible. But it was no use. Anna continued laying miserably on her bed, her life wasting away with every minute. But my parents never gave up. All day and all night, they stayed in Anna's room, doing everything in their power to keep their daughter alive.

Meanwhile, I spent my time in my room, conflicted with myself. At first, when Anna had fallen sick, I forced myself not to care. But then the doctor said she could die, and my resolve to shut her out was all but destroyed. A fierce debate took place in my head. Should I go inside and be there for Anna? Or should I continue shutting her out? After hearing of the possibility that Anna could die, I started to become genuinely worried about her. But I also wanted to send a message to my parents, to show them that I was their daughter just as much as Anna was. After several hours of intense deliberation, I decided to visit my sister.

I remember that night clearly. It was a snowy night, and everyone had already gone to bed. There I stood in the hallway, mustering up my courage. To my left stood the door to Mama and Papa's room, where my parents had fallen asleep after another busy day. To my right, the dark hall stretched out as far as I could see, illuminated by the flickering, orange light of a few candles. And in front of me, towering high above my head, was the door to Anna's room. Mama and Papa had quarantined her as soon as she fell sick, so no one else could catch her sickness, whatever it was. But I wasn't scared of catching this mysterious disease. Instead, I was more afraid of what Anna would think upon seeing me for the first time in months.

I gulped and reached for the doorknob, my hands shaking. Could I really do it? Could I really go in there and comfort my sister? My head was swimming with questions. What would she think of me? Would she be able to forgive me? Or would she refuse to see me, after I had treated her so coldly? For a brief moment, my resolve wavered. I stopped myself from turning the doorknob, feeling the cold metal sitting idly on my hand.

She's probably better off without me, I thought with a frown, letting my fear get the better of me. I was too afraid of what Anna would think of me. After the way I had treated her, I was probably the last person she wanted to see. I turned away from the door, wrapping my arms around my chest. As I tentatively stepped away from Anna's room, I felt tears build behind my eyes. At that moment, I truly believed that our relationship could never be mended, and it was my fault that it was destroyed in the first place. I thought I would have to avoid her for the rest of her life - which, as far as I knew, wasn't going to last much longer.

What would it be like, I thought? To live a life full of loneliness, after losing a sister who loved me more than anything else in the world? The loneliness, I could handle. But the worst part would be the guilt, knowing how I had treated her before she died. No hugs, no kisses, no goodbyes...she'll just die, leaving me by myself. I looked back at Anna's door, envisioning my sister on the other side. Sick, tired, dying...leaving her by herself wasn't an option. I had to be there for her. So, before I had the chance to regret my actions, I turned around and burst through Anna's door, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Anna..." was all I could say before my words caught in my throat. What I saw broke my heart into a million little pieces.

The very first thing I noticed was that it was incredibly hot. Perhaps it was just my increased sensitivity to heat (an unexpected side effect of my powers), but the air felt thick and stuffy, and it felt like the walls were closing in on me. But the one thing that had my attention was the large, adult-size bed that sat in the middle of the room. Because lying on that bed, too small to take up much space, was my sister, sleeping restlessly. Her face was as red as fire, her forehead drenched in sweat. A glass of water stood at her nightstand, probably left untouched for several hours. I gingerly approached the bed, feeling the overwhelming heat her tiny body was radiating. I was just about to put my hand on her forehead when she opened her eyes, pointing her gaze right at me - the same innocent, starry-eyed gaze I had seen in her eyes when she was just a baby. I froze in place, feeling my heart leap in my chest. What should I say to her? Should I apologize for my cold behavior towards her? Should I tell her that everything was going to be alright? There was so much I wanted to tell her. But before I could think of anything to say, Anna weakly coughed and breathed one word before fading back out of consciousness.

"Elsa..." she whispered, trying to maintain her usual, upbeat tone. She then slowly closed her eyes, slipping back into unconsciousness, before she had a chance to finish her sentence. At that moment, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I wrapped my arms around her limp body and broke into tears.

"I'm sorry, Anna," I softly cried, my voice shaky, "I'm sorry for everything. I didn't realize how much you meant to me...how much I need you. I swear, if you get through this, I promise I'll be a better person. And you'll help me along the way, right Anna?"

Now, most people didn't believe me when I told the story later, but I swear, at that moment, a tiny smile appeared on little Anna's red face.

For the next few days, I never left Anna's side. I ate and slept by her bedside, never leaving the room once. Oftentimes, Mama and Papa would have to tend to their royal duties, leaving me alone with my sister. Whenever this happened, I would pass the time by reading her stories, or telling her the perks of being a princess. Of course, she was asleep most of the time, but to me, it felt as if I was somehow making up for the months I had spent shutting her out of my life. Little by little, I was completing the impossible - I was mending my relationship with my sister. And though I knew she was going to die, I took a small amount of comfort in the fact that we would be parting on good terms.

And then, something wonderful came to pass. I'm not sure how it happened. Even the doctor was unsure what exactly took place. But somehow, by some miracle, Anna slowly started to get better (years later, Anna would go on and on about how the "power of love" was what healed her, but I've never been much of a romantic). I remember the doctor giving the news to my parents. Papa sighed with relief, and Mama put a hand to her chest, smiling to herself. But I just stood there, unable to laugh or cry, simply smiling from ear to ear. As soon as I was left alone with Anna, I ran to the bedside and spoke to my unconscious sister.

"You hear that, Anna?" I said, "You'll be getting better! We'll be back together in no time."

Anna moaned softly - her little way of responding to the good news.

Just wait, I thought, I'll be the best sister ever. Wait for me, Anna. I'll be seeing you soon.

Days passed. Papa told me that Anna's recovery was turning out to be quite unpleasant, so it was best that I stay out of her room. Of course, being the good girl I was, I dutifully waited outside Anna's room, anxiously looking forward to the day when she could finally come out. I kept a running list of the things we would do together: climb trees, eat ridiculous amounts of chocolate, or perhaps play a prank on our stuck-up tutor.

And perhaps, I thought, when we're older, I'll be the Queen of Arendelle, and she'll be my faithful right hand. We'll travel the world, and see so many new places together. Get better soon Anna, because I'll be waiting for you right here.

And so I waited. Every second of every day, I sat outside Anna's room, anxiously awaiting the day she would come out. The doctor came and went every few hours to check on her. Every time he came, he would see me outside her room, sitting on a bench by myself. We'd occasionally talk about Anna, and how she had managed to recover from her sickness despite all evidence to the contrary.

"It's amazing," the doctor said to me, as if I were some old friend instead of the Princess of Arendelle. "I truly thought she was going to die. Her fever hit a high point, and then...it stopped. She suddenly returned to normal. I'm not sure how it happened, but she's now on her way to a full recovery."

"Will she be out of her room soon?" I asked, looking up at him as he got up from the bench.

The doctor looked down at me and smiled, not unkindly. "At the rate she's recovering, your Highness, your sister will be out of her room in a week or so."

And so I waited some more. The days seemed to crawl by as the week progressed. To distract myself, I prepared a little speech that I would tell my sister as soon as she came out of her room. I repeated the words over and over to myself, anxiously waiting for her door to open.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I'm sorry that I was so mean to you...I guess I was just jealous. Yes, even princesses can get jealous, too. It's just...you have such a nice life, you know? You don't have any powers, and that's a good thing. You don't have to hide anything from the world, and you get to live life like...well, a princess. That's something I'll never have. But that doesn't mean that you can't have it, either. Forget the princess lessons, Anna. I just want you to be you. And maybe, just maybe...if you can find it in your heart, do you think you could forgive me? Pretty please?"

I slapped my forehead. "No, no...that's never going to work. Ugh, why is this so hard?"

Just then, I heard the doorknob turn. My heart tumbled in my chest as I scrambled to my feet, straightening my dress as the door slowly opened.

And then there she was. A tiny figure in the towering doorframe, peeking out from behind the door. I brushed aside a stray hair as she stepped out from the doorway, a confused expression on her round face.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before speaking. "I'm...sorry, Anna. I'm sorry that I-"

But then I was cut short. Before I could say another word, Anna fell forward and wrapped her arms around me, causing me to stagger backwards.

"Oh, Elsa," she breathed, pressing her face against my chest. She didn't say anything more. She just stayed there, embracing me tightly, hoping to never let me go. Her warm skin was pressed tightly against my me, and it was then when I realized that I was already forgiven. In fact, she had never been angry at me. I didn't need to say anything to her; she knew that I was sorry, and I knew that she had forgiven me.

The two of us stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like hours. In that moment, it was just me and my sister, finally reunited with each other after months of separation. I admit, I may have shed a few tears here and there.

After some time, I pulled away from Anna's embrace. "It's good to see you again, Anna," I said, smiling.

"It's good to be back," she replied, the optimism in her voice slowly returning. "Now, how about those princess lessons you've been talking about?"

I paused for a while, staring at Anna's beautiful face. Then I giggled. "You know what?" I said to her, "We really don't need to do those anymore."

Anna cocked her head, still smiling. "What do you mean?"

"All that stuff I wanted to teach you...well, that's what I thought a 'regular' princess was. But...well, we're not regular princesses, are we? I mean, regular princesses don't have weird powers, or survive life-threatening sicknesses..."

Anna laughed softly. "Yeah...that's true."

I took Anna's hands in mine. "Truth is, I myself don't know everything about being a princess, either. I've had to work through some things that other princesses haven't. We'll learn together, okay?"

"Okay!" Anna replied enthusiastically, having already recovered her usual liveliness. "Now, let's go see Mama and Papa. They must be sick with worry."

"Oh," I said. "Hang on. There's just one more thing." Before Anna could ask anything, I brought my hands together and concentrated on the cool feeling in my chest. My magic flowed from my heart into my arms, forming beautiful curled patterns that intertwined with each other to form...

"A tiara!" Anna asked. "You...made a tiara! Is that for me?"

I nodded and held the silver crown above Anna's head. "Yes, Anna, this is yours." She bowed as I placed it on her head. "No matter what happens, you'll always be a princess in my book. Remember that, okay?"

Anna giggled. "Thanks, Elsa! This is the greatest gift ever."

From that day forth, Anna and I learned how to be princesses. But we didn't consider ourselves "regular" princesses. We didn't wear pink, frilly dresses, or drink tea and eat biscuits. Actually, we acted against every preconceived notion of what a princess should be. We ran indoors, laughed super loud, made big messes when we ate, and even played a prank on our tutor, freezing her tea when she wasn't looking (the super-long lecture from Papa was totally worth it). In short, Anna taught me how to have fun - something that no amount of books could ever teach me. We grew up like this, just the two of us. Anna became my best friend, and I became hers. And all was well with life, until one autumn night, many years later, when she woke me up and asked me to build a snowman.

A smile spread across my face as I relived that memory. It was such a peaceful time, one free of worries. But as soon as I returned to the present, my pleasant memories were shattered. So much has changed since then, I thought. Who would have thought that, after reconciling with my sister, I would be shutting her out of my life for a second time? Or that, due to circumstances I couldn't control, I would end up running away from Arendelle, living by myself on this cold, lonely mountain? There was so much I wished I could have done differently. I never even apologized to Anna for...well, everything. For shutting her out, shattering her marriage, and running away from Arendelle, leaving her all alone. My gaze returned to the empty throne beside me - the one that I had supposedly made for my right-hand ruler.

"Anna," I whispered, though I knew she couldn't possibly hear me. "Wherever you are...please be safe."

It was then when I noticed that the blue walls of the palace had a slightly orange tint. Confused, I took a peek outside through a small window. Sure enough, the sun was slowly setting into the black horizon, spreading a fiery orange hue across the sky. Before I knew it, night had fallen, and darkness surrounded my castle. The only light that shone was the faint, indigo-colored glow that was being radiated from the walls of my palace. Sighing, I got up from my throne, stretched my legs a bit, and headed upstairs to my living quarters.

Without much thought, I waved my hands in a circle, pointing towards the wall to my left. In response, my powers flowed out of my hand and gathered to the spot I pointed to. A small, spinning vortex of snow appeared, and before I knew it, a large bed stood against the wall, complete with a cushion of soft, powdery snow.

It's as good a mattress as any, I thought before directing my powers towards my clothing. A cool ring of magic moved up my body as my silver heels turned into comfortable slippers, and my elegant blue dress turned into a form-fitting, snow-white nightgown, featuring a continuous snowflake design that lined the edges of the skirt, neckline, and sleeves. I smiled, admiring my reflection in the glass-like walls of ice.

It's just too bad there's no one to appreciate any of this, I thought, the grin on my face quickly dying away.

Sighing, I flopped down onto my bed with the grace of an elephant. I curled up into a ball and thought about the events that had played up to that point. Between revealing my powers, running from Arendelle, and creating my ice palace, I was absolutely exhausted. Yet, I was unable to go to sleep. I was kept awake by...well, many things. Guilt for running away from Anna. Fear that someone would find me and force me to go back to Arendelle. Sadness for the situation I found myself in. Anger at my life, for treating me so unfairly. It was all so overwhelming.

If every day is going to be like this, I thought, I don't think I'll be able to hold out for much longer. Anna, wherever you are, please know that I'm sorry for everything. I snuggled into the pile of powdery snow, trying to make myself as comfortable as possible, and fell into a restless sleep.

Looking back, I now know that my little sojourn on the North Mountain was just a stage that I had to work through. But at that moment, I felt lonelier than I had ever been in my whole life.