Author's Note

This idea came to me suddenly, and I couldn't help myself after the thought hit me. I stayed up all night writing it over the course of two days lol. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this, and I think I'll really enjoy continuing it. As it stands, it's literally the longest single piece I've ever written in my life, touching the peak of ten thousand words for a single chapter.

The idea for a crossover hit me probably a quarter of the way through, and I knew that I had to implement it. So here it is. I really, really hope everyone enjoys.


Uploaded

12/17/2023


LEGEND BELOW

"Today marks the dawn of a new generation." = Normal speech.


Chapter 1

The birth of the Ice Queen

Rated-M

M rating for mature themes, nudity, romance, violence.


Music of the day

Skyrim - Tundra


For as far back as she could remember, she'd been completely alone. No one was there for her, no one understood her pain, her grief that weighed her down.

Back then, she hadn't understood why she was separated from her family, locked away in the other half of the castle. It had just been an accident, Anna had been hurt by her curse.

She never meant to hurt her, it wasn't her fault.

For she, Princess Elsa, had been cursed at birth.

She had thought it was magical, a special power gifted to her by some mysterious deity. It had to have been. After all, how else was she able to summon magical ice winds with the mere swing of her hand? Freeze whatever her uncovered hand touched?

She had thought at first that it was a gift…

From the moment she was born, she had the magical powers to control ice. She could create and summon storms that could freeze anything, turn a warm ballroom into a frozen wonderland, build tiny mountains of snow.

It was a gift, a magical blessing from the gods she was sure…

But…

She was careless.

And because of that, she had hurt the one closest to her.

She had been wrong, it was no gift at all. She learned that the hard way when she struck her dearest sister, forever cursing a part of her. She'd begged for forgiveness, but her parents didn't falter.

Her sister was taken to a wizard, and her memory of her ice powers were removed. After that she was locked away on the other side of the castle where she would spend the rest of her time in absolute isolation.

The wizard had placed a spell on her, a spell that would prevent her from talking about her curse until someone figured it out on their own.

She was told it was for her own safety.

She was told it was for Anna's safety.

She was told that she had no choice in the matter.

And so, from the moment she'd hit her fifth birthday, she would spend the rest of her days in captivity, locked away from the rest of the world. She was only ever brought out for special occasions, to be part of the 'family' when traveling royals visited the castle.

"Sissy! Come on, you pwomisseed! I wanna play!" Anna whined from behind her bedroom door.

She was rigorously trained in the ways of nobility, how to look and act within the presence of other royals and how she would behave it and when she became the Queen.

She wasn't allowed to play with her sister, was barred from telling her the truth of her curse, wasn't allowed to associate with anyone.

The few times she was allowed to associate with her sister was under strict supervision, and she wasn't even allowed to play with her. It had the unfortunate yet predictable effect of creating a rift between the sisters.

"Please Elsa… Can't we play today? You said that we'd play together soon…?" Her voice rang out from behind the door, hoping that her words would be enough to lure her secretive older sister out of her bedroom.

Years later, she was sure Anna hated her guts for reasons she understood well.

To the younger redhead, she was nothing more then a pampered uptight snob that seemed to only care about herself, refusing to play together when they were young, and now that they were adults, still seemed wary of her.

It was torture, something she had no idea how to even go about fixing…

"Do you…? Do you want to build a snow man… like we did when we were little kids…? Come on, don't you still like doing that?" An older redhead asked tiredly, years of being rejected wearing her down.

And it was that torture that she lived in until she was seventeen.

Her parents had gone away to attend a wedding in a different country, and never returned.

The wreckage of their ship was discovered later that week.

No one had survived. Not her father, not her mother, not even the crew.

Now, now only did she have to attend a funeral for her late parents, but she was also now to be crowned the new queen when she finally came of age, and the next five years were spent training her to become the Queen she needed to be.

In the span of a day, her world had gone from cold and lonely, to outright despair. Whatever she felt towards her parents she would never be able to understand now with their untimely passing. And to make matters worse, she had to try and rapidly adjust to her new role as the Queen, all while trying to juggle her curse that as of now, only few knew about…

With the death of her parents, few remained that knew of her powers. Her personal attendants, her personal guard, and her maids. Otherwise, no one in her kingdom, not even her sister knew.

If they did, then they'd surely see her for the monster that she was, and banish her from the castle. That was why she hid behind such tight walls around her heart, keeping everyone and everything at a distance, for fear of what would happen if she let her walls down…

She was questioned for her odd appearance, always wearing those strange gloves. She would refuse to touch things with her hands if she could help it, appearing afraid to do so. Few knew about her curse as she called it, and she could count those that did on two hands.

It would be all too easy to hurt, or even kill with a mere touch of her hand. She had to wonder who in their right mind would ever wish for her as their Queen once they'd learn of her curse…

And today was the day she was to be crowned, and she had spent all morning fighting off the biggest panic attack in her entire life.

All it would take now was one little slip up to send her careening over that delicate splintered edge.

And she was terrified of what would happen when it did…


She stared listlessly into the mirror, dark bags hanging under her eyes only to become hidden by her dark purple makeup. She sat quietly in front of the standing mirror, making not a sound as her maids tended to her for the coronation.

Her hair was done up in a beautiful braid, tied together at the back. She was dressed in a fitting black and blue dress that hugged her beautiful curves and accentuated her natural blessed feminine features. A warm looking red cape was placed over her shoulders, falling down to the cold wooden floors below.

"Today's the big day, Lady Elsa. You must look on your best in front of all the nobles. A first impression is very important for a newly crowned Queen." The young maid's whispered in her ears, seemingly unknowing of her internal turmoil.

"Yes indeed. I hear that many handsome royals will be attending from the neighboring countries to witness your coronation, isn't that exciting?" Another girl prattled on.

That got a tiny smile out of the ice Queen's face, the corners of her lips quirking upward.

Unbeknownst to them, one of her biggest dreams in life was to have a family of her own. It was something she'd wished for since she was but a child, locked away in her bedroom, watching her entire kingdom from the window.

She'd seen hundreds of families living their lives in very day, visiting the castle below, shopping in the market. She could see just about everything from her window, and it was something she had come to yearn for.

She did not hold out any hope that she would ever find a husband, for she knew that if news of her powers were to be heard, she would become feared by all.

That is why she never took off her gloves, blocked out anyone who dared to get too close.

Because she was afraid of what would happen if she let her walls down…

It had the unfortunate side effect of making her seem like an uncaring and cold woman, when in reality, she was the exact opposite.

"I suppose it will be interesting..." Elsa murmured softly, hands clasped together in her lap. She hid her nerves behind her air of total indifference, but her personal maids new her better then she thought they did.

"Lady Elsa… Try to relax. If you stress out too much you may scare away the men." One girl teased, pleased with the light blush that graced the Ice Queen's cheeks.

"Oh nonsense, Alyse. Lady Elsa is far too beautiful for that. If anything, I think her beauty will make the visiting nobles feel self conscious." The other girl tsk'd playfully back.

"Oooh, I see I see! Perhaps we should be worried about applying too much makeup? She's already too pretty to handle, I fear if we go any further we make her perfect. What shall we do Bethany?" Alyse seemed to worry, although her cheerful tone gave away her playful nature.

Elsa sighed, a small smile gracing her face at the two's antics. She knew what they were doing…

They were trying to lessen the worries weighing on her heart because they cared about her.

"Don't worry, Lady Elsa. I am sure there is a man for you." Bethany cooed softly, applying the finishing touches on her soon to be Queen's makeup.

"We believe in you, Lady Elsa." Alyse smiled genuinely. "And I heard that we have the Queen of Hyrule attending your coronation as well as her Royal knight. I hear he's quite the handsome swordsman…" She winked.

"And he's not taken…? Perhaps it's destiny, hmmm?" Bethany teased, planting the idea of the swordsman in her head.

It was a lot to think about, and if anything, it did the job to help distract her from her own nerves.

At least for a little while…

Finally dressed for the coronation, she made her way down through her castle hallways, dreading the moment she was to step out into the crowd of people.

Nervously, she grasped the fringes of her blue gloves, pulling them tightly, making sure they wouldn't slip off. Guards saluted her as she walked past, all standing at attention in the presence of their soon to be new Queen.

It all felt like it was too much to handle.

She swallowed thickly as she neared the ballroom door, stopping just shy of opening them.

Was she ready to go out there…?

Was she going to be able to hold herself together in the face of all these nobles? She had never met them before, so many new faces, and from all different countries and lands, all here to meet her on her coronation day.

It was overwhelming, to say the least.

"E-Elsa…?" Reaching for the door handle, the soon to be Queen froze in her tracks when a familiar soft spoken voice echoed out from behind her. She turned around to find her dearest sister standing nervously behind her, hands clasped behind her back.

Her read hair was done up in two long braids that went down her back, the younger sister dressed in a cute yet elegant enough red and lavender dress.

"Anna…" Elsa breathed in surprise, not yet ready to see her sister.

She also wasn't ready for said sister to rush up to her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Elsa froze to the spot, eyes wide as her only remaining family hugged her like she'd never before been given the chance…

Although, considering their upbringing, it could be considered true.

"Look at you, all dressed up!" The young redhead cooed in delight, pulling back as she held her elder sister by her shoulders. Her eyes roamed her beautiful older sister, picking apart every detail of her queenly and ensemble. "You look so beautiful…" She breathed out quietly, genuinely astonished. "Are you sure we're related…?" She teased with a quirked eyebrow.

Elsa cracked a nervous grin at her younger sister's antics, not at all comfortable with being so close to the one she'd so carelessly hurt all those years ago.

She was petrified that she'd do it again if she let her guard down.

"Are you ready to go become Queen?" Anna asked eagerly, eyes practically sparkling.

"U-Um, oh yes. I was just on my way out there." She lied through her teeth, casting her gaze towards the large imposing red doors. Having taken her eyes off of her sister, she wasn't ready for her when she grabbed her by the hands, dragging her out into the ballroom.

"Then let's go! There's so many out there that are probably really excited to meet you!" Anna exclaimed in delight, missing the horrified expression on her elder sister's face.

Elsa had to withhold the urge to yank her hands away from her, afraid that her gloves might come with them, for they were the only things that were actually capable of holding her power back. "N-N-Not so f-fast, Anna!" She squeaked in mortification, that sensation of blistering panic quickly filling her heart.

The air around them began to rapidly drop in temperature, the windows nearest them beginning to frost over. This seemed to be missed by the younger sister.

Anna seemed to pick up on her hesitation, hands slipping free from her own. "Oh… Sorry Elsa, you must be a bit overwhelmed, huh…?" She deduced meekly, realizing that she was probably not helping her overwhelmed sister.

That or, Elsa still refused to associate with her, something that had started all the way back when they were children. Either way, every time she pulled away from her, it made her yearn for her touch that much more.

She wasn't sure why her elder sister seemed to dislike her so much, and she'd spent many years trying to figure it out, but her sister was tight lipped on the matter.

If anything, it only served to make that rift that had grown between them that much wider with every passing year.

"I-It's fine…" Elsa smiled a hesitant look, nervously adjusting her gloves.

The motion wasn't missed on her sister, yet Anna was still unaware of the situation behind the habit. "Well, I'll go entertain the guests, I'm sure you'll be busy up on the stage." She said as she turned to leave, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes as she quickly fled into the ballroom.

Elsa held her shaking hands to her bosom, lips quivering as she yet again seemed to inadvertently hurt her sister in some fashion.

She wondered in that moment if life would be easier if Anna knew the truth…

But she dashed that idea the moment it came up, catching a glance of her sister's auburn hair. A long streak of her vibrant hair had turned a cold and lifeless white, a scar to forever remind her of how close she had come to killing her when they were children. It had changed when she had accidentally struck her all those years ago, something that too had been stricken from her memories.

No…

She couldn't tell her sister the truth…

Otherwise she may see her for the monster that she saw herself as.

It was the only way forward that she could see, and so she had to continue down the road set forth for her by her late parents.

She reached out, pushing open the doors to the ballroom. Sucking up a shuddering breath of courage, she made her way to the center stage.

Her coronation was about to begin.

And ready was something she was not…


It was so much worse than she originally thought it was going to be.

Standing on the stage in front of hundreds of nobles and other people of royalty had her stomach doing front flips in horror, and it took all of her years of well trained willpower to keep up her cool and gentle outward expression.

"We thank one and all for gathering together on this day to celebrate our dear princess Elsa's coronation. Today, our kingdom names its new Queen, Queen Elsa!" She stood perfectly still as the silver and blue jeweled crown was placed upon her head, an eruption of cheering echoing throughout the entire crowd.

She smiled down at the crowd of eager people, internally panicking while her face displayed seemingly very little of her turmoil bubbling just below the surface.

She was ushered into the crowd of people, greeting many nobles and officials of different kingdoms as they all eagerly gathered around her.

After all, it wasn't very often that a kingdom has a coronation such as this one. The reasons behind it were well known as well, something many seemed keen to bring up again and again as they offered her their condolences on the death of her parents.

She kept the conversations brief with all who spoke to her, yet she still managed to carry the childhood of elegance practically beaten into her since childhood, never stepping out of line or saying something that would seem unbecoming of a Queen.

Few in attendance were actually aware of the fact that she was completely out of her element, panicking internally as she tried not to allow her fear to overwhelm her and release her powers upon those around her.

"So… This is what a party looks like, huh?" Anna had appeared beside her, hands clasped together nervously as she once again attempted to break the metaphorical and somewhat physical ice between them.

"Yeah… It's sort of…" Elsa tried, nerves staying her tongue.

"Overwhelming?" Anna added helpfully, smirking up at her elder sister.

Elsa quirked a little yet genuine smile. "Yeah, something like that."

"Did you see that guy I was dancing with? What a hoot! I never knew a guy could dance in heels!" Anna laughed, leaning over as she tried to catch her breath.

Elsa smirked. "He was tossing you around quite a bit, are you sure you'll be ok?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Heh, uh, yeah! Are you kidding me, this is awesome!" The redhead exclaimed. "I wish it could be like this forever!"

The tiny bit of amusement Elsa had gained in their short moment faded with her younger sister's words. She frowned as the painful reality that this could not become a common occurrence hit her.

"I wish it could too, Anna…" She sighed, turning away. "But it can't…" She murmured.

"Why?" Anna asked sharply, surprising herself with her sudden outburst.

"Because it can't, Anna…"

"Why! Why can it?!" The redhead asked, getting annoyed.

"It just can't, Anna!" Elsa snapped sharply, before turning away. "Drop it, please…" She begged quietly.

Anna's eyes widened, hurt by her elder sister's words. She took a step back, biting her lips as she tried not to cry. "P-Please excuse me…" She murmured as she quickly fled the ballroom.

Elsa turned away, too hurt to see her sister flee. Her chest felt tight, the air growing thick.

Offering an apologetic bow to the nobles she was speaking with, she excused herself from the ballroom as she practically fled the scene entirely. "I-I'm terribly sorry, I think I just need some air…" Was her excuse offered as she left the party behind, finding her way into the calm and peaceful back rooms of her castle.

She slipped away into the halls, the doors shutting behind her quietly. She had to stop herself from sliding to the ground as her heart threatened to jump out from her chest.

She knew such situations would be stressful, but this was more than she had planned for.

She shook her head, still struggling to breathe within the walls of her castle.

She quickly made her way to the upstairs balcony, the open air greeting her lungs like a gulp of water in the middle of a desert. She reached out to grasp the metal bars that stopped her from falling over, holding herself still, grounding herself in that moment.

Up here, away from everyone else, she could actually breathe. She struggled to fight off an impending panic attack, the guilt of snapping at her sister crushing her beneath its weight.

But the cool open air and quiet atmosphere was soothing, and it alleviated her stress, if but just a little.

She felt, if but for a moment, she could let her guard down.

She stayed up there for some time, watching over her kingdom from within her favorite window. The peace and quiet was delightful, but she had no delusions that it would last.

It never did.

"Oh… I'm sorry, we didn't know it was occupied up here…" An elegant yet young voice spoke up from behind her.

Elsa had to withhold her urge to jump in surprise, turning to find two blond nobles walking up behind her. She found her gaze drawn to their ears, surprised to find long pointed ears in place of typical short rounded ones.

"Elves…" She murmured to herself in surprise.

Yet from the twitching of their ears, it was apparent that she hadn't spoken softly enough.

"Hylians, actually…" The female blond corrected gently, a knowing smile on her soft elegant face.

Elsa blushed in embarrassment, but the other woman waved her off. "Oh, please don't worry, we're not offended. We seem to get confused with elves quite often really, so I don't blame you." She said softly, bowing lowly in greeting, something the handsome Hylian beside her mimicked perfectly. "My name is Zelda, Queen of Hyrule. It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen Elsa." The newly named Zelda introduced with a short yet respectful bow.

The Ice Queen's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard stories of you and your swordsman, so I was disappointed when I was unable to find you in the ballroom…" She expressed her surprise at meeting them.

Zelda seemed to flush in embarrassment, turning to glance at the man beside her. He pretended not to notice. "Well, we would have arrived sooner, but someone here was adamant on double checking the safety standards of our vessel. He is such a worry wort…" She pointed out, poking a delicately manicured finger into the young man's bicep.

"Hmm." The man made a noise of discontent, but didn't speak back. Instead, his eyes were distant, gazing elsewhere as if he hadn't even registered the other woman standing before him.

He didn't seem like he wanted to be there at all.

Zelda pouted, seemingly upset at his lack of breaking in his stoicism. She tried to get him to pay attention, but his mind seemed to be in an entirely different world in that moment.

Elsa didn't seem to notice the Queen's mood, instead finding her breath taken away by the stunning legend that stood before her. He was adorned in a royal looking red tunic outfitted with silver chainmail underneath. A pure gold chest-plate covered his upper body, decorated in all sorts of gems and designs harkening back to his country of origin. The golden armor extended to his shoulders as well as his forearms and legs. To top it all off, he wore a long red hat that was adorned with a golden circlet.

It was easy to mistake him as the king of Hyrule and not it's protector…

But that's not what drew her attention.

No…

It was his face, handsome and rugged, small scars lining his cheeks and lips from what must've been many a battle. His eyes were like that of a wolf's, strong and powerful, promising to wrap you up in its embrace and never let you go. They lured her in, her mind getting lost in the depths of his eyes that were partially obscured by a head of rugged blonde locks.

That's where she saw a deep sadness hidden beneath the surface, locked away behind a wall of seemingly unbroken stoicism.

She found her cheeks warming once she learned that she'd completely allowed herself to become lost in his eyes, as if she was staring right into his soul.

And in that moment, that long drawn out feeling she had when in his presence, she felt no fear that her uncontrollable powers would burst forth and hurt those around her. She allowed herself to bathe in it, finding an exquisite delight in his warmth.

And then it was gone, reality appearing once again as she found herself rooted to that moment.

It was only made better by the light blush that marred his cheeks under her intense attention, his eyes averting a moment later.

For as much as it seemed like he'd not noticed her, he was very well aware of the world going on around him.

And her heated gaze seemed to have gotten under his collar just a little.

"This is Link." Zelda introduced, smiling up at the Hylian. She seemed to intrinsically notice his sudden bout of bashfulness at the heated gaze Elsa had been giving him, a little grin forming when she turned back to the Ice Queen, only to find her seemingly enraptured by her knight.

"Link, I'm going to go find some refreshments. Perhaps you can spend this time to get to know Queen Elsa, I'm sure she could use the company." Zelda said coyly, winking at the other queen as she turned to walk away.

Link turned to watch his princess leave the balcony, raising his hand as if to question why she was leaving. But the gleam in her eye as she glanced back to him was all the answer he needed, his hand falling back to his side.

He turned back to the Ice Queen, finding the previously unflappable woman nervously twiddling her gloved thumbs together as she smiled bashfully at him. Swallowing her nerves, she reached out to him. "W-Would you mind if I took the time to show you around…?" She asked, breath hitching in her throat as she awaited his response.

He hadn't said anything to her since he arrived, staying stoically silent during his short time with her, letting the Queen do the talking.

Finally, however, his stoic cold look seemed to soften lightly, a little exhale slipping free from his lips. He reached out, opening himself up for her to walk up to him, slipping her arm around his own armored one.

For the first time during the entire party- heck, the entire week, she felt like she could relax a little.

"Come on, I'll show you around my castle." Elsa smiled as she walked off with a quiet Hero in tow…

"I'd like that…" The Hylian murmured lightly…


She was nervous, and this time it wasn't due to her curse.

She found her heart fluttering beneath her breasts within his presence, the strength he seemed to exude casually doing strange things to her body.

She didn't want to let him go.

Face flushed lightly, she swallowed her nerves as she built up the courage to glance up at the taller man. He was facing forward as he had been the entire time, allowing her to lead the way in their little walk. Yet, when she finally decided to cast her eyes up at him, he seemed to notice her as he glanced down at her curiously.

If anything, it only made the feelings in her stomach sing more.

She struck up a conversation with him, talking about all sorts of things. What he liked to do, what his favorite foods were, what his kingdom was like.

He told her what Hyrule was like, what the kingdom had recently gone through with a battle against an evil wizard named Zant, and how they nearly lost the entire kingdom to his evil magic powers. But thanks to a legendary sword that had chosen him, and a close friend that...

That he would never again see, he had managed to save the kingdom from disaster. But the battle had left a scar on his heart that he wasn't sure would ever heal.

Sensing that she'd struck a nerve, she instead diverted attention to a different question. What sort of women he liked.

That last question got a chuckle from him, and instead of answering, he gave her a long intense stare that made her stomach flip pleasantly.

"S-So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you become a knight for Lady Zelda?" She couldn't contain her curiosity anymore.

If he was offended by the question, he sure didn't display it. She didn't even seem to be able to get a read on him, his eyes lightly glancing down at her before looking forward once more. "I'm not a knight." He answered after a long pause.

"O-Oh, really?" She replied, a bit surprised.

He sure looked like one…

"I'm…" He started, but he paused. His voice seemed to hitch in his throat as he recalled something painful. "I'm an adventurer, I suppose." He said, leading away from the truth.

"An adventurer?" Elsa asked, eyes gleaming in a poorly vailed excitement. "I've never spoken to an adventurer before…? What does an adventurer do?" She prodded with an almost childish curiosity.

She'd been sheltered her entire life, never able to go out and see the world. This was her chance to learn about something entirely new.

Her chance to learn something about him.

She didn't even seem to notice how her arm tightened just a bit around his own, completely absorbed by him.

"Hmm… Well, I didn't start out as an adventurer." He started, a lightly amused smirk marking his scarred lips. "A couple years ago I was just a farm boy." He said, a wistful expression flashing over him.

Elsa's eyes widened. "Really?" She asked in surprise. It surely wasn't the response she was expecting. "You could've fooled me..." She said before she could stop herself, eyebrow quirked questioningly. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, face flushed in embarrassment.

How could she just up and say that!?

But…

Instead of getting upset…

He laughed. His eyes scrunched up in delight at her open response, and found the way she panicked at her own words adorable. He glanced down at her, finally giving her the time of day. "I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before. They were always afraid of upsetting the Hero of Hyrule or whatever." He stated with a smirk.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry. The party's just gotten to me and I'm so tired it just slipped out." She apologized profusely, face practically on fire.

"Don't apologize. No one ever speaks their mind around me, it's sort of refreshing to hear it from you." He added, smiling a humble look down at her that had her belly freaking out like some prepubescent girl.

Seriously, he must not have known how handsome he was.

"R-Really?" She asked in disbelief, looking up at him.

He smiled down at her, offering her that same smile that threatened to do dangerous things to her body. "Mmhmm." He hummed in acknowledgement. "It gets so exhausting when everyone I meet acts like they need to walk on eggshells around me…"

Her eyes widened. "I can see how that would get really tiring…" She smiled in understanding. "Then… I-If you don't mind, I'll continue to talk with you like this…?" She asked meekly, flushing as she looked up to him.

She didn't even notice that they'd stopped, standing in the middle of the empty hallway. His eyes were locked firmly onto her own, simultaneously making her feel small and secure at the same time. "I think I'd like that." He intoned lowly, hands having shifted to gently grasp both of her own.

"O-Oh really…?" She murmured meekly, face flushing warmly as he gave her his fully undivided attention.

"Yeah…" He hummed deeply, his warm and protective presence making her heart sing and dance.

"I-I've never seen a man like y-you before…" She muttered softly, swallowing thickly as she allowed her devious eyes to roam his body, or what she could see of it that wasn't hidden by his elegant knightly tunic.

"Oh? In what way?" He asked softly, gaze firmly on her.

"W-Well… You are the most handsome man I-I've ever seen. All these nobles do not compare…" She admitted genuinely, struggling to get her eyes locked with his own.

"Hey, hey Elsa! Wake up! Let's go play!" A young Anna banged on her door, but would receive no answer.

"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you like my ears?" He asked coyly, a single eyebrow raised questioningly. He grinned just a tad bit wider at her embarrassment.

She didn't even seem to notice that he was doing the exact thing she'd been trying to avoid doing with anyone else. His fingers danced between her own delicate ones, gently sliding up past her wrists as they came to rest on the underside of her forearms, easily pulling her just a little forward.

She licked her lips absentmindedly, biting them lightly in thought. "W-Would you mind if I…" She asked quietly, slowly leaning into his space.

"Elsa please, just let me in… Tell me what's wrong, tell what what happened… Can't we fix this, together…?" An older Anna asked quietly from behind her locked door, but silence met her once more.

He seemed to fully understand what she was asking, yet he deviously thought to question her as if he were clueless. "If you what?" He asked lowly, leaning in just a tad bit closer. She was far shorter than him, perhaps only reaching his chin in height, so he had to lean down to meet her.

"I-I-If I…" She tried again, her courage fleeting as it threatened to leave her entirely this close to what she wanted. She felt as if she was betraying her heart, seeking out this temporary pleasure. "K-Kiss… you?" She muttered in a breathy whisper, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Elsa… Mother and Father are gone… I-It's just me and you now. I-If we can't rely on each other, t-then who can we rely on…?" Anna cried behind her door, collapsing into a pile. "Please, just let me know why you're keeping me out… Don't shut me out again… Don't keep me away…" Anna cried bitterly from behind her doors, but still was received with silence.

Their lips were nearly touching now, and instead of melting into his embrace, she felt a terrible guilt fill her soul.

And instead of leaning just that last inch forward, her lips pressed to his, she collapsed to the ground in bitter tears. She clutched her hands to her chest as she gave way to that panic attack she'd been desperately holding off, crying bitterly as if her heart was about to break in two.

She didn't even seem to notice the man she was so desperate to kiss suddenly bend down and pull her into a hug, wrapping her up in his warm embrace like a blanket.

He didn't ask what was wrong.

He didn't try and pry into her mind to find the answer to her pain.

He just pulled her in and held her in place, letting her know without word nor judgment that he was there for her.

And if she wanted to talk? If she was wanted to share the reason behind her breakdown with him, then he would lend her his ears. For if there was one thing Hylians were good at, it was listening…


It must've been half an hour she spent crying into his chest, crying until there was nothing left in her to let out. She felt so brittle after the fact that she didn't know what to do. But the feeling of his arms wrapped around her gave her that comfort she oh so desperately needed, and she reached out to latch onto it.

"I-I'm sorry…" She murmured in a quiet broken voice, cheeks stained with her tears.

"Don't be." He said in a soft yet surprisingly strong voice. "Don't ever apologize for letting go, for letting your emotions out." He spoke gently into her hair, running his hands down her back in slow repetitive movements. "If you hold it in forever, eventually it's going to come out, and when it does you won't be able to control it…" He murmured softly.

He had absolutely no idea about her curse, yet he spoke with such a wisdom that it gave her pause.

Yet, even then. "I'm sorry for… F-For leading you on…" She murmured quietly into his chest, too afraid to try and meet his gaze.

She felt guilty, her heart condemning her. Here she was trying to get with a man she didn't even really know before even trying to fix the wagon full of problems between her and her sister. Falling in love with a stranger wouldn't solve her issues, but would only add a fleeting sense of comfort to her cold lonely life, and she knew it.

But she was greedy.

She didn't know how to fix the rift between her and Anna, and she was terribly afraid of what would happen if she tried to open up and attempt to fix it.

She was stuck in limbo, unsure of what to do, and unable to commit to anything.

And she hated it.

"Is this about your sister?" Link asked curiously.

Her head snapped upwards, nearly cracking into his chin. Her eyes shot wide, staring into his own. "H-How did…?" She breathed in surprise.

He offered her a gentle, understanding look. "When me and Zelda managed to make it into the ballroom, I saw the two of you arguing in the back…" He admitted softly. "Our ears are very sensitive, and we can pick up specific people in a large group like the party downstairs if we're trained to do so." He explained.

Her mouth opened and closed, as if she wanted to spill it to him.

Oh gods she wanted to.

But…

But she couldn't.

No matter what she did, she couldn't say anything.

He could see her trying to speak, but no words came from her lips. He glanced down, hands slipping free from her shoulders as his fingers interlocked with her own. His fingers slipped up to her forearms, grabbing the fringes of her gloves.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she had to fight the urge to yank her hands away.

But…

B-But she wanted someone to know…

S-She wanted someone to understand her! To know her pain, to know of her curse!

She didn't want to be alone anymore…

She didn't want to be seen as a monster.

"I've seen you hiding your hands beneath these gloves the entire party. You seem afraid of what will happen if you take them off, it's why you keep readjusting them so frequently." He stated, glancing up to her eyes to gauge her reaction.

Her eyes widened as he seemed to hit the nail on the head. He pulled the edges of them back, but stopped. He looked up to her, asking silently for her approval.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, and nodded.

He would understand…

Wouldn't he?

He wouldn't think she was a monster, a witch, an evil person.

He would understand…

Wouldn't he?

Tears steamed down her face, unable to voice her words in that moment. All she could do was wait and watch, and hope, beg, that he didn't freak out.

He nodded, pulling them both off of her hands. The very moment they slipped free from her beautiful, delicate fingertips, a chill filled the very air. Her eyes widened in horror as her powers reacted negatively to her emotions, and began to summon a cold wind.

She had to pull away, put her gloves back on, otherwise he would get hurt!

But before she could even try, he interlocked his fingers with her own, palms against palms.

She sucked in a sharp, terrified gasp as she tried in vain to pull away. "P-P-Please! L-Let me go, I-I don't want to hurt you!" She cried bitterly, voice broken. "I-I don't want to hurt anyone else!"

But he didn't move, didn't even try to push her away. Fingers interlocked with her own, even when they began to freeze, even when ice began crawling up his arms like tiny frozen dragons, he didn't pull away.

No.

Instead he kept his warm gaze firmly on her. Even when he was touching her ugly monstrous hands, her witch-like cursed powers actively hurting him, he didn't let go. "P-P-Please…" She begged, weeping a quiet broken sound. "I-I'm h-hurting you…"

"It's okay, it's alright. I'm here, I won't leave you." He reassured softly, even when his hands began to freeze.

Her eyes widened in horror as she watched her curse begin to freeze him. The walls around him began to frost over, small icicles forming on the ceiling.

But he didn't scream, he didn't pull away, didn't call her a monster.

Instead he just sat there with that warm and understanding smile on his face.

Slowly, her hysterical tears and crying began to slow down. Even as the tears from her eyes began to freeze solid, he held firmly.

"I-I'm a monster…" She whispered bitterly, looking down at her hands as they continued to freeze him.

"No. Don't say that." He said firmly.

"B-But I-I hurt Anna…"

"It doesn't matter." He cut her off. "You are not a monster. You are a beautiful and caring young woman. This does not make you evil…" He admitted genuinely.

"Don't you g-get it? I'm a freak. I-I'm hurting you. I-I've hurt others, I'm going to hurt more." She hiccuped between tears. "I-I can't control it…" She whispered bitterly.

"That doesn't make you a monster." He said softly, leaning in close. Her eyes widened when he pressed his lips tenderly to her own, her elegant purple eyelids fluttering closed as she moaned pitifully into his lips. He held her there for a moment, but to her it felt like it lasted forever.

Then, when he finally pulled away, a trail of saliva connecting the two, he smiled. She blinked a couple times, face flushed warmly, completely stunned by the feeling.

And in that moment, her out of control powers stopped.

He smiled, huffing a small little sound. "That makes you someone who needs help, but doesn't know how to ask for it." He said confidently, smiling that disarming look down at her.

She didn't notice it at first, but the ice crawling up his body had receded. He smiled down at her, slowly helping her up to her feet. "So, Queen Elsa…?" He asked slowly, still firmly holding her hands. "Will you let me in? Will you let me help you?" He asked gently, rubbing soothing circles into her hands with his thumbs.

She swallowed thickly, the lump in her throat stopping her from speaking in that moment. So, not trusting her own voice, she settled for nodding.

He smiled, bending down to retrieve her gloves. She blushed as he gently slid them back over her hands, her powers falling to sleep within the magical cloth once more.

Her stomach growling suddenly ended the tender moment, and she couldn't help the red that erupted over her beautiful freckled cheeks.

Link grinned that handsome look of his. "Come on, let's get you something to eat. You sound like you're starving." He offered, taking her hands again. She froze for a moment when their hands connected, but this time…

This time she decided to go along with it.

"Okay… That sounds like a wonderful idea." She said quietly, moving to wall side by side with him. Her nerves were still frayed, but his constant massaging of her hands continued to help sooth said nerves.

They got to the ballroom doors once again, as she paused.

But this time, she wasn't alone.

"Come on, I'm right here. I won't leave you, it'll all be okay." He said softly into her ear, his strong and comfortable presence healing her frozen nerves.

She swallowed her fears, and steeled her nerves. "Okay."

They stepped back into the ballroom, and this time she wasn't deathly afraid…


An hour had passed since their moment together in the halls, and every moment she spent by his side in the ballroom made the panic in her heart slowly, gradually calm.

They passed by many food tables, testing all the delicacies that had been brought out for the celebration.

When he would find something he thought she would like, he'd direct them over to the table. Instead of making her reach for the food, he'd free one hand and feed it to her. At first she felt embarrassed by it, but after a while she became thankful for it.

He was taking into consideration her fears of displaying her cursed powers, and reducing the things she had to touch.

If anything, his silent yet very thoughtful consideration for her make her heart skip a beat every time he did it. And, after an hour by his side, she realized that she was starting to have a little fun.

That's when he said it.

"Would you like to dance?" He questioned, smiling down at her as he gently slid his hands to hers once more, their fingers interlocking.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she glanced up to him, but his warm smile made the pit of fear in her stomach waver.

Would she like to dance?

Dance with this wonderful man before her…?

Yes…

Yes she would.

"Yes… I think I would enjoy that." She said quietly, offering him a small little smile.

Grinning, he led her by the hand out to the ballroom floor. People seemed to clear away a path for them, shifting off to the sides to allow the Queen her moment to shine with the handsome man she had in her grasp.

She flushed underneath the gazes of the other nobles, but…

"Don't focus on them, just focus on me." He said, sliding up close to her. Directing her movements, he led her through a simple yet beautiful dance. He spun around once, making sure to keep his pace simple.

He didn't want to overwhelm her.

"A-Am I doing this right?" She asked nervously, biting her lips as she tried to keep her eyes on him.

"You're doing wonderfully." He smiled. "Just keep your eyes on me."

"Okay." She smiled, keeping pace with his movements.

Back and forth they danced, one step at a time. Eventually she forgot about everyone that was watching her, instead enjoying the moment for what it was. It wasn't bombastic, extravagant, showy or anything crazy. It was just a simple, calm and romantic dance, something befitting of a Queen.

When the music finally wrapped up, and the dance was finished, she wasn't even aware that everyone else had stopped to watch them both. So when an applause seemed to explode all around her, she was caught off guard.

Elsa looked all around, finding smiling faces and applauding nobles every which way. Then she turned back to Link, the Hylian smiling down at her. "You did really good. I think everyone else agrees too." He admitted.

She smiled up at him, feeling an enjoyable warmth bubbling beneath her bosom. "It was… fun." She said quietly, yet she meant it just the same.

"Good. I'm glad." He hummed, leaning down. Her eyes widened in surprise, before she found herself melting into his touch. He reached up, gently grasping her chin between his thumb and index finger. Her eyes fluttered closed as he pressed his lips to her own, a soft moan escaping from her lips.

The crowds around them all gasped, but neither of them paid them any mind. Some were heard grumbling that it wasn't them that got to kiss the Queen, but they too weren't paid any mind.

Eventually she pulled away, instead resting her head on his chest, hands unconsciously seeking out his own once more. He smiled contentedly, resting his chin on top of her head as another, slower song began to play in the background. While everyone else went back to dancing with their partners, he held her to his chest as they slowly danced back and forth.

She was content to just stay there with him for the rest of the party, head resting comfortably against his chest.

And so she did, quietly dancing in his embrace for as long as she could.

Until eventually, someone came along and brought the moment to an end.

"Elsa!" Anna called out as she came running up to her and Link, seemingly out of breath. "O-Or, I mean, Queen Elsa. Heheh…" The redhead trailed off, eyes widening as she took in what exactly her elder sister had been doing.

And who she was doing it with.

Elsa…

Her Elsa, cold and distant older sister of hers, was dancing with a man she'd never seen before…

And she seemed happy with it.

It was like she was imagining things.

But that wasn't important, at least, not in that moment.

As for Elsa herself, she turned questioningly to her younger sister, confused to see the young noble she was standing arm and arm with. She didn't know the man, but she did recall seeing him in the ballroom many times earlier in that day, so she deduced that Anna must have just met him.

They were both laughing, giddy as they struggled to be the one to speak and pose their question to her, whatever it may be.

"Elsa, I was, err, we were wondering if-" Anna tried, giddy as she looked back to the man whose arm was wrapped around her own.

"We wanted to know, Queen Elsa, if you would-" The man started, seeming to laugh as he too stumbled over his words.

"If you would give us your blessing!" The two of them said at the same time.

Elsa's eyes widened in shock, not even sure she had heard them correctly. She turned back to Link, as if to ask him if she had heard them correctly.

"M-My blessings? For what?" The woman asked, already fearing the answer.

"For our wedding, of course!" Anna laughed, giggling like a schoolgirl. "We're getting married, and we wanted your blessings!" She stated as if it was obvious, before turning back to the man beside her. "Oh! But where are you going to stay? Maybe the castle? And what about your twelve brothers? We've got to invite them to the wedding too! Oh this'll be so amazing!"

Elsa couldn't believe what she was hearing…

"Okay, hold on. There's not going to be a wedding, no one's getting invited, so just…" Elsa stated, shaking her head as she felt that stress from before suddenly coming back in waves.

"Uh? Yeah there is." Anna snarked, placing her hands on her hips.

Elsa sighed, clasping her hands together. "A-Anna, can I speak with you? In private?" She asked, motioning off to the side.

Anna looked taken aback by what she was hearing, and instead fell back to the man beside her. "No. Whatever you have to say you can say in front of me and Hans." She stated sharply, holding her ground.

Elsa looked pained, hands clenched beneath her gloves. She sucked in a breath through her nose, before exhaling in a huff. "Fine. You can't get married to someone you just met, Anna." She stated flatly.

"Y-You can if it's true love!" Anna desperately exclaimed.

"You can't know that, Anna. There's not going to be a marriage, end of story." She said as she tried to turn away.

"Why!?" Anna's voice rose.

"Enough, Anna. Drop it." Elsa stated as she felt that panic coming back up again.

This time it wasn't going away.

"No! Don't shut me out again, don't ignore me!" Anna cried out as Elsa suddenly pulled away, the elder sister trying to leave the room.

"Stop it Anna…" Elsa pulled away, unable to hide the fear in her voice.

She needed to get away, get some air.

"No! Why can't you just listen to me for once? Just stay here, please!" Anna reached out, grasping her sister's hand as she pulled to try and keep her there with her. Unfortunately, instead it pulled her glove off, sending Elsa stumbling back.

Elsa's eyes widened in horror as she shoved her uncovered left hand into her armpit, eyes widening in panic. "G-Give me my glove back, Anna." She demanded in a quiet panic, stumbling backwards.

"No! Forget about the stupid gloves! You're always wearing this gloves, what's so special about them! Am I not more important?!" Anna cried out, tears filling her eyes.

"N-Not now, Anna!" Elsa panicked, stumbling backwards as the outside of her dress began to freeze from exposure to her bare hand.

"You always say that! If it's not now then when is it?! When will you finally tell me why you keep me away! Just tell me already!" Anna screamed.

Elsa snapped, clutching her hands to her head as she screamed. "I said enough!" She yelled, swinging her hand backwards. In the blink of an eye, a magical wind was summoned by her hand, creating a dangerous spiked wall of ice following the motion of her hand.

Everyone gasped in surprise, stumbling backwards. A few people were nearly struck by the ice, a couple nobles falling to the ground in horror.

Anna stumbled back, eyes slowly widening in surprise as she turned from the ice, and to her petrified elder sister. Having suddenly sobered up from her emotional distress, she swallowed thickly as she gazed towards her. "E-Elsa…?" She whispered quietly, as if slowing realizing why everything had been the way it had been growing up.

"W-What is this sorcery…!?" A noble exclaimed in horror, stumbling backwards from the ice that had nearly struck him.

Link suddenly moved forward, taking the glove from Anna's hands as he ran to her side. "Elsa!" He called out, trying to calm her down.

But she wasn't thinking clearly, eyes wide, panicked. She threw her hands out to him as if to try and tell him to stay away.

But her curse reacted negatively to her emotions, and before she could even stop herself, she fired off a freezing blast of magic that shot right for the Hylian. The cold magic struck him right in his left eye with enough force to nearly take him off his feet. He stumbled backwards, hand shooting up to his eye as it suddenly changed colors, shifting to a cold Icy grey. His hair suddenly shifted, multiple of his golden blond bangs shifting to a cool lifeless white.

"N-No… L-Link…" Elsa whispered in horror, clasping a hand over her mouth. "I-I didn't mean- mean t-to…"

Seeing the damage that had just been done, whether intentional or not, some immediately gave way to fear. "M-Monster!" Someone shouted, the words echoing out like a bomb had gone off.

Elsa suddenly froze, eyes shooting terribly wide. The word that she had thought of herself as nearly her entire life, the word that she thought best described her in the depths of her despair, the word Link had just barely convinced her to not call herself.

Monster…

Evil witch…

Ugly thing…

Creature…

Monster…

Monster.

MONSTER!

She stumbled backwards, struggling to breathe. Her heart felt like it was in her throat, panic completely overwhelming her as she fled the ballroom, leaving everything and everyone behind.

"Elsa, wait!" Anna cried out, moving to rush forward. But she was stopped by Hans, the man holding her back.

Link stumbled to his feet, delirious as he struggled to see out of his left eye. "Link!" Someone shouted in horror in the background, the source of the voice made clear when Zelda ran into the ballroom, rushing to her Hero's side.

The man was pained, struggling to move as he turned to look up to Zelda. She gasped in shock, eyes roving over his changed face.

But he didn't seem worried about himself, instead turning towards the door. "W-Where'd she go?" He asked sharply.

"She ran out the door… L-Link, what's happening-?" Zelda tried to ask, but Link didn't wait around.

The Hylian rushed to his feet, chasing after her as the Ice Queen fled the castle. "E-Elsa! Wait!" He called out as he tried to catch up to her.

Anna had no idea what to say, what to feel in that moment. But she wasn't going to stand there and wait.

Her sister was hurting, and she needed her help. She broke away from Hans, giving chase as well despite what everyone else around her shouted for her to stop…


Chapter

1

End