Rifiuto: Non Mirena

May, 1857

The Queen's Private Chambers,

Linnea Castle,

Arendelle

"Come back to me... I can't go on without you... Hans... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... take me with him! Please..."She hadn't moved, and no one had stepped forward to pull her away in the moments since the queen had frozen the king's heart."I cannot live without him..."She didn't hear the footsteps, nor realize her sister had come to figure out what had upset her niece so-

Lise, what did you do?But the princess didn't dare ask, for it was evident the queen was tortured enough by her actions. Instead, she covered her mouth, to stifle a gasp, even as Gerda and Kai finally moved forward to assist the queen. Elsa pushed them both away.

"No! Don't touch me!"

"Your Majesty,please-"

"There's nothing more you can do-"

"No! Leave me... leave me..."Anna choked on a sob as Kai managed to get a hold of the queen's shoulders and gently tug her away; she fought him, eventually breaking free to crawl back towards her husband. She threw herself across his chest, head against a heart that no longer beat."I'm sorry... please, forgive me... I didn't mean to..."

"Your Majesty, please, you must-" Her head snapped up at Helena's choked words, and she turned to the young maid.

"I won't let you take him from me! I have already done that myself..."She turned back at the sound of footsteps."Stay away! Stay away, all of you!"Helena backed up as the queen turned back to her husband. She reached up, caressing his cheek."I won't leave you... I will never leave you again... oh, Johannes, my love..."

Anna swallowed thickly, turning away; Lord Bismarck caught her gaze.She's gone as mad as Juana of Castile.The queen's cries cut through the quiet, and Anna turned back as snow brushed against her cheek. She watched with everyone else as it began to swirl, moving towards her sister.

"I won't leave you like this... I promise..."The ice coating her hands once more began to slide up her arms, wrapping around her body.

"What's happening? Lise? Lise!"

But Elsa ignored her sister, focused only on her husband and the grief she felt. She studied his face, before leaning close."I only ever wanted to be your wife. I never wanted to be Queen of Arendelle. It's only you, it's always been you, never the crown. No matter what you think; I will gladly trade my life for yours, my dearest. I love you."

All it took, in the blink of an eye, was for her lips to brush his, frozen as they were. In that instant, it was as though they had exchanged not just breath, but the beating of hearts. Anna let out a cry, as Hans choked on a gasp, and the snow and ice that had swirled about the room, began to freeze the queen. Lord Bismarck held the princess back, and it took Hans moments to realize he was no longer frozen.

Despite the stiffness of his limbs, he reached up, taking her face in his hands."... liza... no..."Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him staring at her.

"Hans-"Their mouths met as the ice, quickly crawling over her skin, struck her heart and she winced; it was in that moment, when their lips touched, that something seemed to shift. The snow and ice seemed to freeze mid-movement, leaving the king and queen midst a frozen storm. Anna looked up from where she'd buried her face in Bismarck's shoulder, choking on a sob.

No one couldabsolutelysay for certain whatexactlyhappened that day in the queen's chambers. All anyone knew was that the queen's kiss, her willingness to trade her life for the king's, had caused the ice that struck his heart to thaw- and that once the king realized what she'd done, he'd done all he could to stop her from taking his place. That the moment his lips touched hers, it had brought her magic to a standstill. For years after, no one would ever be able to explain what exactly had happened when the king's lips touched hers- all anyone could say for certain was that it was as though he were giving her half of his soul.

The king and queen had always been linked, in some way- through marriage, through their children, through love- but this was the first time one had been willing to give up their life for the other, regardless of crowns and thrones and kingdoms. Such things were mere frivolities in the ways of love and life and death. It had been said that to share the breath of love through a kiss was to share one's soul- that to bind two souls together, one had to be willing to sacrifice for the other-

As the king gave his breath to the queen, as his mouth found hers, and he breathed half his soul into hers in exchange for half of hers, the temperature dropped rapidly, before rising just as quickly. As the ice melted from her hands, from the rest of her body, from her heart, she reached up, covering his hands with hers. As the temperature returned to normal, the queen began to shiver violently, frost settled lightly over her body, and she began to drip in sweat. Slowly, the king broke the kiss, meeting her gaze with a soft smile. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, hearing footsteps behind him.

"Get them up, hurry! To the bed, quickly!"

Accepting help from Lord Bismarck and Kai, the king stood, as the queen reached for his hand. She turned at footsteps, as Helena and Marta rushed to her side, blocking the princess from her sister. "Majesty, please, we must help you up." Gently, Helena reached out to brush at her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak, before reaching for her throat.

"I-" She turned back, looking up at the king as he was led to the bed, before she coughed. With shaky fingers, she reached up, wiping at her mouth, surprised to see not blood on her fingers, but what appeared to be crusts of snow, dripping down her chin like sludge at the start of spring. She struggled to get to her feet, eventually collapsing upon her back. She continued to cough, as those most loyal rushed to help her.

"Send for the doctor! Now!"Anna cried, rushing to her sister's side; she cradled her sister's head, wiping the crust away from her mouth, whispering softly to her. "It's okay, Lise, we're here. We've got you, you'll be okay-"

Every fibre of her being prickled with pain; it jolted her awake, and she struggled to sit up, only to be gently pushed back into the blankets. "Shh, it's okay, Lise, you're safe."

"H... Hans-"

"He's okay, too." She turned her head, to find her husband sleeping soundly beside her. Gently, Anna dabbed at her forehead with a cloth warmed on the fire, in a feeble attempt to break her sister's fever, though she didn't know what caused it.

"What..."

Anna stopped her ministrations, lowering the quickly cooling cloth. "You froze his heart, Lise." The queen shook her head. "Yes. Annes and Milla... they... those two have a penchant for..." The princess sighed. "Annes tried to stop your tantrum, to talk you down, and you..." She stood, going to the fireplace, draping the cloth over the arm that normally would hold a kettle, and carefully removed another one with tongs, before returning to her seat beside her sister. "It was so strange, you... you did not look like yourself... it was as though your magic... completely took control of you... you reached for Annes, but Hans... he stopped you. He got in the way, and you... you froze his heart. And Milla... her screams... they snapped you out of it. And when you realized what you'd done..." She paused, but found she couldn't continue in a way that would make her sister understand.

So instead, she continued to dab at her forehead, even as the queen reached up, grabbing her wrist. Her sapphire eyes were filled with a swirl of emotions Anna couldn't name."Monster... I'm..."

"No, Lise, you're not. Don't you dare think you are-" But Elsa released her wrist, turning to study her husband. She heard Anna stand, saying something about slipping out to get something for her, but didn't respond. Instead, she pushed herself up, reaching for him. Her fingers caressed his cheek as she turned his head towards her, and tears began to fill her gaze.

"How could you... ever love a... amonsterlike me..." She sniffled. "I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused...I love you..." She pressed a kiss to his forehead, before pushing the blankets aside and standing. It took a bit, as her legs could not fully support her weight, but eventually, she was able to stand. At some point, she had been changed into her nightclothes, as had Hans.

The castle was quiet; she was unsure of how many days or hours had passed. Darkness filled the halls, as she quietly slipped out of the chamber. She was pale, feverish, but not from heat, her hair tumbling down her back in tangles. She ignored the few servants still up, as she made her way out of her family's apartments, and down the hall. Her feet carried her through the hall, out towards the grounds. Perhaps it was her fever, that forced her to leave the castle that night, or the strain of everything, the realization that she'd nearly killed her husband-

Rain quickly began to soak through her nightdress and her hair, not that she noticed or cared. Somehow, someway, she found herself standing on the banks of the fjord, watching the waves crash upon the shore. The sea called to her as it always had, as it had always called to her husband, as his heart had always called to hers. She could see the shadows of the ships docked in the harbor, but her gaze was trained on the moonlight above, as it shimmered and danced upon the sea.

You are a monster...She looked down at the feel of frost appearing on her hands.A monster masquerading as a human queen... that you could cause such pain to the man you love... to your children... you deserve nothing less than death...Taking a deep breath, she moved to step off the dock she stood on-

Eliza!She stopped, turning back, but the voice had disappeared; or perhaps it was all in her feverish mind.My love, where are you?