AN: If you left any reviews for Chapters 21 and 22, please repost them as they didn't appear since I was busy deleting some spam and due to some unique quirk of , no reviews appeared.

Gerda carefully reached down and grabbed the blankets.

She quietly pulled them over Anna's body so that she wouldn't wake her up.

Thankfully, Kai was able to find her. The maids were alarmed to find Anna wasn't in her quarters last night. The soldiers and servants searched the palace, but they couldn't find her anywhere. Gerda shook her head over her own stupidity.

They should have searched the palace grounds as well.

At least Kristoff was with her.

Yes, it wasn't exactly appropriate as they weren't married yet. But the queen was fully clothed and Kristoff was a gentleman. He could be trusted to be alone with her without worrying about any questionable activities taking place.

Gerda's face softened as she took in Anna's distressed features and dried tear stains.

She was still muttering under her breath as she tossed and turned in her sleep.

After Kai returned Anna to her quarters, Gerda worked with another maid to carefully remove Anna's crown and her black-and-green gown alongside the cape. She made a mental note to have the queen's dress washed. Once Anna was unclothed, they quickly dressed her with a modest chemise and matching nightgown.

Once Anna was appropriately attired, Kai was allowed to return.

He lifted her bridal-style and carried her to the bed to lay her down.

Gerda rubbed at her eyes, trying to stifle the urge to cry. She and her husband worked as servants to the royal family for a long time. They knew the princesses suffered.

Poor Elsa was locked in her room.

A prisoner of her own uncertainty and fear.

Poor Anna was neglected and ignored. Kai and Gerda TRIED to make time for her, but they had more duties than usual since Agnarr reduced the palace staff after the accident.

Gerda would often find Anna in the portrait room.

She was so lonely, painted people became her confidants.

Gerda wished that Agnarr and Iduna were caring and loving parents that Anna could confide in. But they were so consumed with ruling Arendelle and researching methods to help Elsa with her powers that Anna was never high on their list of priorities.

Gerda suppressed a rude snort.

No, they never had time for her, period.

Only Kai and Gerda knew that Anna had an aptitude for art. When people insisted that she was making up whatever she had seen in her nightmares, she would turn to drawing. It was almost like she was possessed to draw whatever she witnessed.

Absently, Gerda began straightening things up, collecting clothes from the floor, cleaning up any mess that Anna made as she went about the room.

She paused as she stumbled across a series of drawings on the queen's desk.

Apparently, Anna was still drawing.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she glanced at the drawing on top of the pile.

Finally, Iduna regained her composure.

She wiped absently at her cheeks.

Agnarr wished that he could say or do anything to make his wife feel better. But there wasn't anything that would improve the situation. Especially since his father was responsible for the death of her mother as well.

Runeard had a LOT of skeletons in the closet.

No wonder he wasn't shocked when he didn't end up in hell, Agnarr thought bitterly.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew his handkerchief, a hand-me-down from his mother that he was grateful to carry with him to the afterlife. Iduna nodded her thanks as she dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose loudly.

The latter being a trait that Anna inherited from her mother.

Agnarr flinched as he thought about his second daughter.

There were a few occasions over the years-and sadly, he could count them on one hand and still have room left over-that he felt himself softening slightly towards her. He wavered between subconsciously resenting her and wanting to love her.

His paternal instincts warred with his lingering anger and resentment.

There were times he demonstrated a slight kindness towards his daughter.

A minute softening in his eyes.

Before the accident, he could even pretend they were a happy family on occasion.

While he didn't like the fact that Elsa was experimenting with her powers, Anna DID help her slowly but surely gain control. To learn what she could do. Thanks to Anna's innocence and childlike fascination with magic, Elsa didn't fear her abilities.

Much less herself.

Just before the accident, Agnarr had a discussion with Iduna.

FLASHBACK

"No, Agnarr." Iduna said.

"But what if something happens?" Agnarr continued to pace back and forth in their quarters like a restless lion in a cage. "Elsa's powers are growing. What if she loses control when people who are not in the know are around? Or in public?"

"Elsa is old enough to know she has to be careful." Iduna said.

"I don't like it." Agnarr insisted. "And I don't like the fact that Anna encourages her to experiment with her abilities! She is a negative influence on her sister!"

"Agnarr, she's five!" Iduna protested. "Besides, it's a good thing."

"A good thing?" Agnarr echoed in disbelief. "How could you say that?"

"Agnarr, you need to look at them as they play together." Iduna said. "Thanks to Anna's love and encouragement, Elsa is gaining confidence in herself. How else is she going to know what she could do unless she experiments? They share a special bond, Agnarr." She walked up to her husband and placed her hands on his chest to stop him. "Don't tear them apart. I've never seen Elsa so happy."

"But she might lose control one day and hurt someone!" Agnarr said. "I just don't like it, Iduna. I never should have agreed to let them share a room."

"Agnarr, I wish you would stop acting like Anna is a blight or curse upon our lives." Iduna said. "I also wish you would stop blaming her for what happened the night I gave birth to her. No matter what you think or feel, it is NOT her fault!"

"I don't blame her." He winced. Even he knew he didn't sound convincing.

"Agnarr, listen to me." Iduna clasped his hands with her own. "Anna is the best thing to happen to her sister. Elsa is calmer and happier when she is around. Anna's easy acceptance of her sister's magic gives Elsa a much needed boost in her confidence."

"Maybe you're right." Agnarr relented.

"I KNOW I'm right." Iduna corrected. "Trust me Agnarr, nothing will go wrong."

Agnarr gazed down at the floor, focusing on nothing in particular as he considered his wife's words. Perhaps Iduna was correct. Elsa's control over her powers was building thanks to the bond she shared with her sister.

How many other siblings would be so accepting?

Some would be jealous of Elsa or label her a freak of nature.

But not Anna. Even though there were times Anna was clearly hurt and confused by her father's continual rejection, she never took it out on her sister. She never stopped trying to win her parents' love and affection.

She was a loving, calming influence on her sister.

Was Iduna right?

Maybe, he thought, Anna wasn't a curse on their lives. Maybe he could even bring himself to accept her. Maybe, he could even bring herself to love her...

"MAMA! PAPA!" Elsa's cries shattered the moment.

Just like that, Fate proved herself to be a cruel mistress once more.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Agnarr continued to wince.

He was not proud of how he behaved towards his daughter.

Grand Pabbie wasn't the only entity to take advantage of the accident. To him, this proved that Anna was a menace, someone that only made their lives worse the moment she was conceived. Thankfully, Iduna was just as committed as he was to helping Elsa.

Their eldest daughter was the apple of their eye.

Their number one priority.

With Iduna preoccupied with helping Elsa and her powers, Anna had one less person in her corner. Agnarr took advantage of that and made sure that Anna didn't have anyone.

He would give her food, clothing and shelter.

Nothing less.

Nothing more.

But he could never bring himself to love her.

Oh, Agnarr put on a good show. Iduna MIGHT have noticed if she wasn't consumed with her oldest daughter and ruling Arendelle alongside her husband. Only people who truly knew Agnarr would realize that he was pretending to be a doting father to Anna.

Elsa was too afraid of herself and her powers to notice the outside world.

Much less what was going on with Anna.

He knew that he was subconsciously punishing her for the night Iduna nearly died. In fact, he blamed the accident entirely on Anna. If she hadn't insisted that Elsa play with her in the ballroom and demonstrate more of her powers, then she wouldn't have been hit in the head in the first place.

Agnarr knew he had to face facts.

He'd been a right bastard to both his daughters.

First, he kept Elsa locked in her room and forbade any contact with other human beings besides her parents. Second, he shunted Anna off to the side and ignored her completely.

In fact, he secretly cheered Iduna on when SHE treated Anna like garbage.

Agnarr knew he had to make amends.

"All right." Iduna said finally, shattering his reverie. "And the second prophecy?"

"Did anyone get the name of the avalanche that hit me?"

No one answered.

Groaning, Anna pressed a hand to her forehead as she slowly opened her eyes. For a few moments, she couldn't remember anything. What was the last thing she could recall?

She hissed as the light pierced her eyes.

Temporarily blinding her vision and making her see spots.

For a moment, as Anna felt a blinding headache, she wondered if she was awake. Why couldn't she focus? But she wasn't in the courtyard with Kristoff.

Nor was she in the chamber at Ahtohallan with the younger versions of herself.

Anna instinctively shot to her feet and instantly regretted it.

She staggered and swayed, teetering and wind-milling her arms as she nearly lost her balance and became intimate with the floor. Anna had to concentrate hard so that her usual clumsiness wouldn't kick in. Admittedly, it was difficult.

She felt dizzy as she swayed back and forth.

Feeling like she was on the deck of a boat during a storm at sea.

Anna returned her hand to her forehead as she tried desperately to focus. She finally felt the dizziness fade as she went back to normal.

Well, as normal as it ever got in her crazy, topsy-turvy life.

Anna looked around carefully, not wanting the dizziness to return.

As she mentioned before, she wasn't in her quarters, the courtyard or in any of the chambers she recognized at Ahtohallan. There was no sign of her younger selves, of Mother, Father or her sister.

Instead, she found herself in a dark, shadowy room.

With smoky, wispy fog.

Anna gasped as the memories crashed over her like a turbulent wave in the ocean. Seeing what she'd forgotten on the walls of Ahtohallan was one thing, experiencing it was quite another. Anna realized that she was remembering everything.

Not only the memories that Grand Pabbie stole from her.

Or altered.

But the memories she had of the moments with Elsa, before the accident and everything went to shit for the sisters. Anna even remembered what she would see in her nightmares.

She noticed the things she missed as a child.

Being too young to take proper heed or deduce their meaning.

Anna remembered being in this very room the night of the accident. Obviously, it happened after Elsa knocked her out and Grand Pabbie was in the process of altering her memories of Elsa's magic.

HE was the monster that haunted her dreams.

Without realizing it.

Anna shuddered. She would see him, a small yet wide creature. He would be bathed in shadow, but his eyes would glow. He had wild hair and rocklike skin. He held out his arms as he glared at her. She would wake up screaming everytime she saw him in her myriad nightmares.

Her parents insisted she was making it up.

Belatedly, Anna realized her dreams were trying to tell her something.

As if her words were meant as a provocation, the floor began to split apart and form cracks. Gasping, Anna lost her balance and fell on her bottom. She scrambled backwards, crab-walking as fast as she could. The entire floor was made out of black ice.

The cracks glowed with an eerie, yellow light.

At the ends were menacing, pointed, clawlike fingers.

At first, Anna thought the "fingers" were reaching for her. She moved backwards until she couldn't anymore. Anna whimpered and cowered, clutching her knees to her chest.

Just as she did when she was five years old.

The cracks stopped just before reaching her and moved in various directions.

Her brow furrowed. Slowly, gradually, a large image appeared on the icy floor, glowing with power. She shuddered. The image felt...menacing and evil.

It was an abomination.

Finally, the image was complete. It was a...

...tree.

Gerda gasped, the blood draining from her face.

She didn't notice as she dropped the other pieces of paper, which scattered all over the floor. How did Anna know how to paint this tree?

It was forbidden.

Gerda was just a young girl, a scullery maid, when Stoiske issued the order.

All knowledge of the tree was to be destroyed. Every painting, every book, every mention of the tree became forbidden. It was an order that every servant gladly obeyed.

This wasn't an ordinary tree.

It was evil.

The wood was blacker than ash. Not one bit or hint of life ever formed on that tree, no leaves, no flowers, nothing. But somehow, the tree thrived even though there was no water.

No grass.

No sunlight.

The tree seemed to absorb any light that was left. Even someone who was skeptical of the supernatural would feel the tree was evil. Something far worse than the devil himself.

The branches had menacing, clawlike fingers at the ends.

In the bark, there were two gaping, glaring holes, serving as eyes.

Even Runeard never learned about this tree. Stoiske was careful to get rid of any evidence that it ever existed. Agnarr, Iduna and Elsa were oblivious to its very existence.

So, how did Anna know about it?

The drawing of the tree was disturbing enough.

However, there were two beings trapped to the tree. One being was entangled in the branches. Some were even stabbing him at various places, keeping him trapped and unable to move. Judging from the agony on his face, his pain was eternal.

His face was one that Gerda would recognize anywhere.

It was Stoiske.

As for the other person, she had wild, unkempt hair. She was lying entangled in the roots. Her eyes begged the viewer for mercy and appeasement, for any type of aid or surcease.

Her mouth opened in an eternal scream...