"Come on, Elsa!" Anna squealed excitedly, pulling me by the hand.

I smiled, unsure of what to say. "Oh, I don't know, Anna..."

"Come on! What are you so afraid of?"

"Well, I did unleash an eternal winter on the town."

"And you ended it, too! That's got to count for something, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"No time for buts! Come on, everyone's going to love you!"

I sighed. There was no arguing with my sister.

Anna pulled me by the hand, leading me through the city gates and into the town of Arendelle. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What was everyone going to think of me? Would they still be scared of me? Would I be greeted by a chorus of hushed voices, whispering nervously to each other? I knew I had just done plenty to make up for my past mistakes, but I was still uncertain of how the people of Arendelle would view me.

Fortunately, as I discovered, my worries were unfounded. As soon as I entered the gates, I was greeted with a wave of applause. The entire population of Arendelle was gathered around the main road, loudly cheering for me and Anna as we slowly proceeded towards the castle. Some of the citizens were holding balloons, adding a variety of bright colors to the already cheerful town. My sister, happily absorbing all the attention, waved excitedly at the crowd, holding me by the hand. I, on the other hand, found it hard to believe that all these people were here for me. I simply walked alongside Anna, gazing in awe at the vast crowd of people that surrounded us.

"Wave!" Anna said to me. "You're not gonna do anything by just staring at them!"

I mustered up my courage and lifted my left hand, forcing myself to smile as I waved nervously at the crowd. The effect was immediate. The cheering of the crowd increased about tenfold, the sheer volume of it flooding my ears, nearly causing me to go deaf. I could hear countless people calling out my name. Even Anna was startled with the crowd's reaction.

"Wow," she said. "I know I said they'd love you, but...wow, this...just, wow. You're a superstar, Elsa!"

I laughed, suddenly full of confidence after seeing the crowd's reaction. It looked like I wasn't going to be feared after all. Despite everything I had done, I was still loved and respected by all my subjects, and nothing relieved me more than that.

I stood on the castle's balcony, watching contentedly from above as the town of Arendelle set up festivities once more, just as it had done on the day of my coronation. Maypoles and colorful banners were hung in the village square, glowing warmly under the light of the sun. The town of Arendelle looked as festive and colorful as it had on my coronation day.

That was only three days ago, I thought as I watched over the town. So much has changed since then.

Beside me, Olaf struggled to get a good view, trying in vain to look over the balcony's railing. Laughing softly, I picked him up, like a little kid, and set him down on the railing, where he sat contentedly. "Thanks!" he said before turning to face the festive scene.

The two of us stayed like this, quietly watching as the citizens of Arendelle decorated the sunlit town. As I watched over the scene, I noticed Anna in the village square, alongside her mysterious friend. From my position on the balcony, I couldn't quite get a good look at him, but I could see that he had blonde hair, and wore clothes more suited for a rugged life in the mountains than in a cozy town like Arendelle. Who was he, and why was he hanging around my sister?

Olaf seemed to read my mind. "You wondering who that guy is?"

"Hmm?"

"That guy next to Anna. You know who I'm talking about. That big, manly, blonde guy!"

Interesting choice of words. "Yes, actually, I am. Do you know who he is, Olaf?"

Olaf turned his body to face me. "Of course! Yeah, that's Sven. Er, Kristoff. His name's Kristoff."

"Kristoff. Hmm. Is he a friend of yours?"

Olaf gasped. "You mean you don't know about him?"

I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Well, I did spend the last few days either secluded in the North Mountain, or in prison. I'm sorry, but I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting him."

"Right," Olaf said, turning back to face Arendelle. "Well, he's not a bad guy, you know. He just smells. Like,really bad. Probably because of that reindeer he sleeps with."

I looked at Olaf with wide eyes, though the snowman's gaze remained fixed on Kristoff. "Wait...reindeer?"

"Yeah. Oh, but don't get the wrong idea! He's actually a really nice guy! He's warm, and soft, and so, so, cuddly! Except when he tries to eat my nose. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he has fleas. Don't tell anyone, though!"

I could feel my breath rush out of my lungs. "F-fleas?!" I watched in alarm as Kristoff and Anna walked throughout the village square, walking uncomfortably close to each other. He wrapped a hefty arm around her slender waist, pulling her even closer to himself. "What's my sister doing with him?!" I asked, not realizing how frantic my voice had suddenly grown.

Olaf looked at me in confusion for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "Not Kristoff!" he barely managed to say. "Sven! I'm talking about Sven!" Then, after catching his breath, "Whew. You're really out of it today, aren't you? Are you tired or something?"

I giggled, realizing my mistake. "Yeah, I guess so. So, who's Sven?"

"Sven's the reindeer. You know, Kristoff's platonic, non-human life partner!"

"The reindeer he...sleeps with?"

Olaf nodded. "Yeah."

I looked back at Anna and Kristoff. They seemed so happy together. But I wasn't quite comfortable seeing my sister so close to a man who sleeps with reindeer. At the very least, she would start smelling like reindeer every day. She'd have to take baths every morning, and-

"You know, Kristoff isn't too shabby either," Olaf said, interrupting my thought process.

I looked at the snowman. "Oh? How so?"

Olaf then went on to explain the many things Kristoff had done for my sister. It was actually thanks to him that my sister was able to find my ice palace. He had also helped her escape from the snow monster I had created, taking her to safety (Olaf said he used his "thick skull" to save the day, though I didn't bother asking what that meant). When he found out that I had frozen her heart, he took her to the trolls, who, as it turned out, happened to be his surrogate family! Who knew? He was told that only an "act of true love" could save Anna, so he selflessly rushed her back to Arendelle, and into the arms of that traitorous prince, Hans, who only ended up betraying her. During the blizzard, Kristoff returned to Arendelle, planning to save Anna himself. If it weren't for her decision to protect me from Hans, Kristoff probably would have succeeded in saving my sister.

I smiled, listening to Olaf's recollection of events. For the past few days, I had never spoken a word to Kristoff, but I could already tell that he genuinely loved my sister, placing her own needs before his own. Unlike Hans, Kristoff risked his life trying to protect her. People like him were actually pretty hard to come by.

And besides, I figured, with all the crazy things she gets herself into, my sister can really use a protective figure in her life.

At that moment, I heard the familiar pitter-patter of Anna's footsteps rushing up the stairs. Olaf and I turned around just in time to see my sister burst through the balcony doors, panting heavily.

"Elsa!" she called out loudly, though I was only a few feet in front of her. "I need to ask...whew...okay, just give me a moment here..." I stifled my laughter, waiting for Anna to catch her breath. Then, as she stood up straight, "Whew. Okay. So, I have a huge favor to ask you."

"Anything you want," I replied.

"Okay. So, you know Kristoff right? Wait, no, who am I kidding? You've never met. Anyway, there's this guy, Kristoff-"

"Don't worry," I said. "I already know about him, thanks to Olaf here." Olaf waved at Anna from his spot on the balcony railing.

Anna smiled. "Well okay then! Less stuff for me to explain." Then, after a slight pause, "So, um, listen...I need a sled."

"A sled? Why would you need a sled?"

"It's not for me. It's for Kristoff."

"And why would he need a sled?"

"He harvests ice for a living, duh," Anna replied, as if the answer should have been obvious. "He needs to get around. And...well, I may or may not have destroyed his old one."

I honestly wasn't surprised. "Oh, Anna," I said with a smile, shaking my head.

She was quick to respond. "But no, it wasn't my fault! It was those stupid wolves."

My eyes widened, and for a split second, I lost my posture. "W-wolves? Anna, when did you-"

"But, I mean, when you think about it, it was his idea to throw me onto Sven's back, and then send the both of us flying across the cliff while the sled fell to the bottom and exploded. So I guess that makes it his fault too, then? Hmm. What do you think, Elsa?"

I couldn't tell if she was joking, so I simply said nothing.

She continued talking. "But anyway, I told him that I owe him another one. I don't know why I did that, since it was clearly his fault, but, I mean, I kinda promised him. And since you're the queen, you can get your hands on anything you want, right? Like, say, a sled? One that has cup holders?"

I smiled. "It's not that simple, Anna."

Anna ran up to me and took my hands in hers. "Oh, please, please, please, Elsa? Look, I promise I'll owe you for life if you do this one thing for me. Er, for him. For us. Please, Elsa?" She looked at me with those big, blue eyes, the same ones she used to show me when we were kids, and she was trying to convince me to do something stupid.

I was never able to resist them. "Oh, alright," I said, smiling. "I'll do what I can. But no promises, understand?"

But Anna was already wrapping her arms around my waist. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much he's going to love it. Make sure it has cup holders, okay?"

I laughed. "Okay, Anna. Oh, but you have to promise me something."

Anna looked up at me. "Yeah, anything."

"If he decides to propose to you sometime within the next three years or so...don't say yes."

She pulled away from me. "Aw, what? Three years? I know I was going a bit too fast with Hans, but Kristoff is different! I mean, yeah, he doesn't smell like daisies like Hans does, but he's sweet, and caring, and kind...and he saved my life, Elsa. Isn't that true love?"

I looked into Anna's eyes, and saw sincerity in every single word. She really did love him, didn't she?

"Okay, okay," I said, giving in once again to Anna's pleas. "One year. He can propose to you in one year. But no sooner, understand?"

Anna groaned. "One year? You call that compromise? It's like-" Then she caught herself mid-sentence, adjusted her posture, and, to my surprise, smiled. "Actually, yeah. One year sounds nice."

I smiled. It looked like my sister was finally learning a few things about love.

"Oh," she said before walking out, "there's one other thing I wanted to show you." Before I could ask, Anna retrieved a glistening, blue item from inside her dress (I didn't dare ask how long it had been in there) and held it out eagerly. It took me a while to recognize it, but when I did, I couldn't help but gasp.

It was a tiara made of ice. Just like the one I had given to her so many years ago, when she first exited her room after surviving that life-threatening sickness. In the light of the sun, it almost seemed to be glowing.

"Wait...Anna, is that...?"

"Yup. You want to hold it?"

Anna placed the delicate, shimmering crown in my hands. It was quite small, as it had been built to fit the head of a three-year old girl. But as it sat in my hands, it felt like it weighed a million pounds.

"I've been saving it in my room all this time. Pretty cool, right?"

I looked at Anna in amazement. "How...? How did it survive all these years?"

Anna smiled smugly. "Power of love, Elsa. I told you!"

I laughed a little, though I wasn't any less awestruck by the jewel-like crown that sat in my hands. "The power of love, Anna?"

"Well, that was what I wanted to believe, anyway. I know it sounds stupid, but...well, during those thirteen years when you were trapped in my room, I'd knock on your door every day, asking you to come out. And you said no every time. Remember that?"

I nodded slowly, not knowing where she was going with this.

"Sometimes it became too much for me to handle. But I never gave up hope. You know why?"

"Why?"

She pointed at the tiara. "That thing you're holding. It kept me going every day. Whenever I was feeling down, I'd go into my room and cry. I'd think, for the briefest of moments, that you didn't love me anymore. But then I'd see that crown on the shelf, perfectly intact. I'd remember the time you gave it to me. And then I'd be reminded that yeah, you did still love me. Because if you didn't, well...then that crown would have melted long, long ago."

It was then when I realized that my eyes were welling up with tears. "Oh, Anna-"

"Sounds stupid, right?" she said, trying to hold back some tears of her own. "I mean, my room was pretty cold. I wouldn't be surprised if it-"

I wrapped her in a tight hug, cutting her off. And she didn't say anything more. She simply hugged me back, and let a few tears fall onto my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Anna," I said. "Sorry for pushing you away all those years. I can't-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Anna said, trying to sound cheerful. "I know you couldn't really help it. It wasn't your fault, Elsa."

I pulled away from Anna. "And for the record, the answer was yes. All those years, I wanted nothing more than to build a snowman with you. Every time you asked, the answer was always yes."

Anna laughed. "Looks like you built one without me," she said as she gestured towards Olaf, who was still sitting on the balcony.

"Um, don't mind me," Olaf said quickly. "Just...sitting here."

Anna and I giggled for a while before I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much for understanding, Anna. It means so much to me." Then, trying to sound more upbeat, "Now, I believe you need to see someone about a sled?"

"Right," Anna quickly replied as she turned around, preparing to head back downstairs. "See you in the courtyard, Elsa!"

I waved goodbye as Anna rushed down the stairs, nearly bumping into Kai on her way out. The man straightened himself, quickly muttered an apology, and made his way towards me. I quickly wiped away one last tear before Kai stepped onto the balcony.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing, "it's time. Everyone is waiting for you in the courtyard, just like you planned. Are you ready?"

I helped Olaf down from the balcony railing, then turned to face Kai. "Of course," I replied. "It's time to put on a show."

"Are you ready?" I called out, standing in the middle of the courtyard.

In response, the people of Arendelle cheered happily as they gathered around. Many of them were holding ice skates, in preparation for what was going to happen next.

Here we go, I thought as I lifted my skirt and stomped on the ground. In response, a sheet of ice blossomed beneath my foot, spreading around the courtyard in swirling, graceful patterns. The magic covered the entire floor of the courtyard in a sparkling layer of ice, while also spreading up the columns that surrounded us, transforming them into beautiful pillars that featured elegant, intricately woven designs. Then, I waved my arms, causing the courtyard fountains to freeze over. The streams of water were immediately transformed into curved, fluid ice structures that glistened brilliantly under the light of the sun. Finally, as a finishing touch, I brought my hands together, forming a glowing snowball that hovered in front of me. After pouring enough magic into it, I threw it high into the air, where it exploded like a firework, causing a shimmering flurry of snow to fall from the sky. Countless snowflakes, glowing blue with magic, fell onto the courtyard, which, through my magic, had been transformed into a large ice skating rink. The people of Arendelle marveled at the decorations before putting on their ice skates and sliding around.

In the midst of the celebration, I happily watched the festive scene play itself before me. I saw Olaf, sliding around on his belly like a penguin. He expertly weaved in between the legs of the skaters, laughing all the way. Kristoff was hanging tightly to his reindeer Sven, who himself was desperately trying to keep his balance on the ice. Kai was skating like a professional, spinning around and doing tricks, while Gerda sat on the fountain, watching the festivities with teary eyes.

I turned around just in time to see Anna, shakily staggering towards me, not wearing any skates. She fell forward, right into my arms, before looking at me and smiling.

"I like the open gates," she said, her voice as bubbly as ever.

I grinned. "We are never closing them again," I replied before gesturing towards her feet. A wave of magic flowed from my hand and towards her boots, transforming them into ice skates.

Anna gasped, appreciative, but nervous. She tried to explain how she wasn't good at skating, but I wouldn't hear it. With an excitement I had never seen in myself before, I pulled my sister onto the ice, encouraging her all the way. At first, she had trouble keeping her balance, but due to Olaf's intervention, we continued along just fine.

And we skated. We skated until our feet were sore, and then we continued. In that moment, I felt like I was on top of the world, like I had truly overcome all my troubles and worries. Because not only did I save my kingdom from a terrible curse, and not only did I learn how to control my powers, but I had also learned how to love again. And that was the one thing I had been missing all my life. The one thing I had lost all those years ago, when I thought the solution to my problems lay in isolation and self-harm. The one thing that my sister had brought back to me, despite everything I had put her through. And nothing else in the world made me happier than recovering that one thing, that one piece of myself that I still keep within me to this day, and will continue protecting and cherishing until the day I die. And I have no one else to thank but my dear sister, who had shown me the way when I had lost my path.

Yes, I suppose Elsa the Snow Queen got her happy ending after all.