A/N

Here is the new chapter. Sort of. You see, I plan to keep the chapters between 4000 and 5000 words. The original chapter in 'Frozen Hearts' was about 4000 words long. After the rewrite, it sits at over 8000. So I'll be splitting it up. This is going to happen in the later chapters as well, so be prepared for that.
As always, let me know what you think about any changes I made compared to FH, if you have any constructive criticism and enjoy!

Also. some sentences might seem weird. That's because italics don't copy over to this site. If you want to read the proper version, head on over to Archive of our Own, where I'll be under The_Ronin28.

Trigger warnings (I'm really bad at these, please help and tell me what I should put here):

Surpressing emotions

It was 7 o'clock when Elsa entered the empty courtyard, the chilly morning air not even fazing her. When she had made her promise last night, her father had wanted to begin immediately. So here she was, early in the morning before the sun had even risen and ready to start. Even the thought about her mother, the people of Corona or the conversation last night woke up the icy storm inside her.

Standing in front of her was her father in the otherwise empty square within the castle walls. He'd given all but the most necessary servants the day off. 'After all,' her dad had said the day before, 'we can't let Frederic find out what we plan to do. He'd try to stop us. Which is also why we, just for tomorrow, use the courtyard. I have some guards clearing out some basement rooms as soon as possible.'

In lieu of his formal attire, he was wearing simple pants and a tunic. Something similar had been waiting for her when she woke up. It was easier to move around in than her usual dresses, Elsa had to admit.

There were only two objects with them in the courtyard; a straw dummy and a rack with neatly organised weapons leaning against it. As the sun's first rays peaked above the mountains around the fjord, the metal blades glinted with a dangerous promise.

Agnarr gestured to the weapons. "The promise you made to bring Frederic to justice is very noble, Elsa," he started. "But he's not going to go down without a fight. So that is what you'll have to learn; to fight." She swallowed. Was this truly the way to do this? She wanted to help, she did, but here, in the morning light, things seemed different. Wasn't this too extreme?

No! If we don't stop him, no one will. Don't feel nervous or scared. Don't feel at all. She took a deep breath and let her ice fill her veins, giving herself over to it again. Cold and sharp as ice, remember? Don't feel. She straightened up, looking her father in the eye. "Where do we start?" she asked.

He nodded once and grabbed a slightly curved blade. He extended it to her. "Here. This is called a sable. I'll teach you how to hold it properly, how to take care of it and how to use it. If not me, then the Royal Armorer and guards. And if not them, then other weapon masters. And we will repeat that process with everything that is needed."

Elsa gave the rack another look. A great assortment was displayed. From small, thin blades and mean-looking, serrated daggers to swords and axes taller than she was. She grabbed the hilt of the sable. "Then how do I hold this thing?"

For the next few hours, Elsa and Agnarr stayed there, going over names, forms and techniques. The basics of footwork and holding a sable. At the end, Elsa could hardly stand on her feet.

"That is enough for today," her father spoke with finality. "Resting is just as important as training. Go get cleaned up. This is just one aspect of what you need to learn."

Too tired to resist or question him, she just nodded and trudged off towards her room, but not before properly sheathing her weapon. Something she had just learned. Agnarr watched and smiled with a glint in his eyes.

And thus, Elsa's training started.

Anna

Anna's head slumped listlessly on the table. She was so bored! It felt like she'd been sitting behind this desk for forever! She'd so much rather play with Elsa. The thought led her mind to her sister. Yesterday had been… bad. Today was better, but also worse. The fact that her mom would never be coming home was still fresh, a raw wound inside. She still hardly had her head wrapped around it.

"-na? Are you listening to me, Anna? Young lady!"

A book slammed on the table, only centimeters away from her head. Anna shot up from the table. Her teacher, Miss Kungsleden, was a stern-looking, elderly woman. She was standing in front of a chalkboard, filled with notes. "What is so important that you cannot focus on my lesson?"

Anna's face fell. "My mom," she whispered, almost to herself. "My dad said she was travelling on a boat that sank and that she… didn't make it." Just saying it made tears well up in her eyes. She wiped them away as the elderly teacher walked around the desk, sympathy and shock on her face.

She knelt down, hugging the young princess. Anna threw herself into the woman, sobbing louder. When she sniffed after a few minutes, and withdrew slightly, she saw the sad smile on Miss Kungsleden's face.

"Your Highness, I'm terribly sorry for your loss. Her Majesty the Queen was always a kind and good person who will be missed by everyone." Rising up, she patted Anna's head softly, a reassurance she needed. "We'll end the lessons here for today. Proper table etiquette can wait for a day."

Anna managed a little giggle as she stood up. "Thank you, Miss," she said with a little more energy. As she was about to turn around, she remembered something and made a little curtsy to her. Then she sped off.

As she walked the corridors, Anna's thoughts drifted off to the previous night. After Elsa had agreed to their father's plan, he had turned towards her. 'This will take up a lot of Elsa's time, Anna,' he'd said. 'I want you to help her out. Can you do that?' And now she had to learn etiquette and greetings and so much stuff.

As she passed a window and glanced outside, she could make out their father alone in the courtyard. Standing on her toes, she could barely glimpse Elsa making her way inside. Maybe she wants to play!

Dashing through the Castle's halls and rooms, she took a turn and saw Elsa in front of her room. "Elsa! Do you want to- wow." Her sister looked different. She was wearing pants! And other men's clothes. And she looked dishevelled. She'd almost never seen Elsa so sweaty and out of breath. She was always so- so… calm and cool.

Then she turned to face her and Anna's breath caught in her throat. She looked like… like last night. Not like the sister she knew. Her Elsa smiled and had warmth in her. Even as she smiled, she could see the lingering pieces of ice in her eyes.

"Hey Anna. I'm sorry, but I'm a little bit tired. Maybe we can play later, okay?" Anna just mutely nodded and watched as her sister slipped in her room. This wasn't the new normal, was it? With a sigh, Anna faced the closed door before walking off. She looked at the paintings staring down at her. It was going to be a long day…

2 years later

CLANG! The clash from steel on steel ripped through the air. This bout had been going on for five minutes and Elsa could feel she was reaching her limits.

The day her father had taken her to the courtyard had already been two years ago. And as he had told her, she had not been back there. Instead, she went to the basement where she would spar with a select group of guards. The less people know, the better, Elsa thought sardonically.

The last few years had paid off, though. She was now taller, faster and stronger than she had thought possible when she first started. Her skill with the blade also had shown rapt improvement. As she was currently demonstrating to Sebastian, Senior Guard of Arendelle.

She could properly hold her own against most of the guards; sometimes she'd even win. But never against him. They circled each other, both of them wary of any movement from their opponent. Elsa was panting but, she noticed, so was Sebastian.

This was the closest she'd ever come to beating him. She wrecked her brain for something that could give her an edge. To tip the scales in her favour. So she didn't miss her opening when it presented itself. A careless step in a slight crevice in the otherwise smooth stone floor brought him off balance.

She struck as quickly as her tired limbs allowed. She feinted an attack overhead but hit him from her right. With dimmed satisfaction, she noticed she almost breached his defence, but before she could seize the opportunity, he countered. Ducking low, she saw him overextend as he missed his intended target. Swiftly coming back up, she struck his hand with the flat of her blade. The clatter of steel hitting stone resounded as she brought her sable to his throat.

"I yield," he spoke, mirth in his voice. "You got me. Good work." He picked up his weapon and held it loosely. "You've improved a great deal, Your Highness."

Elsa smiled faintly. "I told you, call me Elsa," she responded. She hardly felt like royalty anymore. She rarely went out into the public eye anymore; that was Anna's task now.

"In any case, let's end it here for today," Sebastian spoke up. "I think we're both too tired to get any more good practice in." She nodded in agreement. After 15 minutes of removing the nicks in her sable with a whetstone, they parted ways; Elsa heading to her room, Sebastian to the barracks.

As she climbed the stairs and the adrenaline subsided, her magic filled the void it left. She revelled in the sensation that flooded her and the icy blizzard that filled her. Coldly, she wondered whether or not Coronan guards were this good.

There is much left to do. I can't rest. He must be stopped.

Anna

As Anna hurried through the corridors of the castle, she shivered. Frankly, it was becoming a common occurrence whenever she ran into Elsa lately. And it wasn't even because of the frosty aura she was radiating. Well, it didn't help, that was for sure.

She'd gotten a smile when she'd passed Elsa just now. Which meant today was a good day. Or at least, something good had happened. What that could be, Anna couldn't even guess. She felt like she hardly knew her sister anymore. The fact that her elder sibling just had a growth spurt didn't help. It felt like looking at a stranger.

Not to mention her bad days. The ones that were growing increasingly more common. It'd be so cold around her, like the air itself held its breath around her. And she'd look so… cold. In moments like those, Anna was afraid of her sister. Afraid of what she might do.

She sighed. Lessons were over for the day, but that didn't mean she could rest. A couple of days after her mother died and Elsa had started 'training', her father had announced the news of their mother's death. With it, he'd released word that the crown princess Elsa had fallen terribly ill after the death of the Queen. It'd been Anna who had been in the limelight ever since.

Passing by her sister's door, she stopped to knock, only to drop her raised hand. These past couple of months she has been training every single day, Anna doesn't ever play with me anymore. And when she's not learning how to wield a weapon, she's studying.

Turns out, Elsa had a lot of learning to do. Preparing to infiltrate a country was no easy job. Besides the obvious subjects, like maths, Anna saw her sister studying the Coronan language, history and culture, as well as geography, strategies and architecture.

She walked away from the door, but something in her reared its ugly head. Even before… everything, I never heard Elsa complain. And now she's doing even more. And I still don't compare.

No! That's not true! Elsa has always been smart in her lessons. But I am doing great too. I can help. And I'll make Mom and Dad proud of me! She took a deep breath, and slowly released it.

Headed towards her own room, she furrowed her brow at the number of guards standing at their posts. It seems, Anna thought, that Dad is spending most of his time hiring new guards. I swear there weren't this many of them last year.

Worse still, she recalled overhearing a dismissal of a couple of guards for asking too many troubling questions about the ill Crown Princess. He is seeing enemies everywhere. She shook her head. It's as if he suspects everyone of being a spy. Especially with all the secrecy with what Elsa is doing.

Anna loved her sister but lately, more feelings emerged. Fear and… anger. Elsa seemed to grow colder and colder by the day and Anna was afraid of the day her sister would have a solid frozen heart.

3 years later

It was deep in the night when a hooded figure pressed itself against the wall. This was where things got serious. A couple of clouds floated past the moon, wrapping everything in shadows. Perfect.

Leaving the wet stone beneath them, the figure climbed up the wall, waiting for the right moment to bypass the guards standing on top of it. They'd spent days memorising the rotation of the guards. Now!

The soft boots hardly made a sound on the well-worn stone pathway before the figure slipped over the edge again, headed down now. Hiding in the shadow of the walls, they looked around. No servants, which was good. No guards as well. Less good. It meant the person couldn't see them from their point of view.

Their access point was only a small hundred meters away, an old servant entrance. With no servants, it would be child's play to slip inside. Using the rhythm of the clouds shifting past the moon, it was no more than a shadow crossing the open space, flanking the wall.

With hardly a sound, the door opened and closed. Taking a short moment, the figure took stock of the situation. Still no servants. Unlit torches. She held a black leather glove up near one of them. Cold. Must've been out for a while. Probably safe for now.

Going up the stone staircase, the assassin -because that's who it was- moved silently through the castle, every step filled with a sense of certainty. They had trained for years; they knew the lay-out by heart.

Dodging guards where necessary, the figure crept through the halls, straight to the royal bedroom. Stalking past paintings of rulers looking down, they eventually knelt down by a set of great doors.

The lock turned out to be trickier than expected. For five minutes the assassin kept their senses on high alert, on the look-out for anyone who could interrupt them, as they fiddled with the lock before it sprang open. With nothing more than a whisper, the door closed again, with the assassin inside now.

In the darkness, everything was silent, save for the soft sound of breathing, and a still figure on the bed. On silent feet, the assassin approached the bed and pulled out a dagger from their cloak. Even without light, the blade seemed to gleam with internal light. One hand ready to silence any noise, the person raised the knife and…

A few slow claps came from the corner behind her. "Well done, Elsa," her father said, lighting a candle, bathing the room in a small circle of light. Taking off her hood, she turned around and sunk to one knee, dagger simply disappearing in a flurry of snowflakes. The last couple of years, she'd been using weapons made of her magic. Easily made, easily discarded and easily modified in the middle of a fight.

"Of course," her father continued, standing up from where he'd been sitting, "there was no one guarding this room, nor were there any servants. There were no patrols, and no one in the courtyard either. And yet, it took you 30 minutes to get here!" His tone was stern, much like a disappointed parent, but Elsa nearly flinched. The last time he'd used this tone…

She bowed her head, eyes fixated on the floor. "I am sorry, Father," she said, tone neutral. There was no sense of shame or sadness in her voice. It sounded… empty. Icy. Empty is good. Emotions will only get in the way, she thought, mind drifting off to last year. "I shall continue my lessons."

Her father started pacing, footsteps passing her multiple times. "Your skill in combat has been progressing, I hear, as has your stealth and lockpicking skills. But if you cannot use them in a practical situation, you may as well have none! To bring Frederic to justice, you'll need to do better." The more he spoke, the faster his footsteps went and the more he sounded like he was talking to himself. "Yes, continue your lessons. We cannot stop; our preparations must go on."

He stopped talking and stood in front of her. "You may rise, Elsa." With permission, she stood. In his eyes, he held the fire she'd seen five years ago, but also something else. Something more. The rambling wasn't a rare occurrence. Too often did she hear him mumble in his office to not notice a change. Five years ago, she might have cared enough to question him about it. But emotions only get in the way. So she held her tongue. Agnarr waved a hand. "You're dismissed."

Not wasting more time, emotionlessly she turned and left the room, leaving him. As she stalked through the castle, she allowed herself a short moment of reflection. Five years ago, Mother died. And five years ago, I started my mission. Her father had painted her an image of an oppressed people, caught under the yoke of a tyrant. She scoffed at her former naivety.

The people of Corona weren't oppressed. They are not scared into submission by their King and treated unfairly. That much was obvious from the various reports that came in from the country overseas. Her father had lied to her, all those years ago. Still, it mattered not. Her mission did not waver. She wouldn't waver. This was her decision.

The people of Corona had never been her enemy, her target. It has always been Frederic and those closest to him. Elsa's face hardened. She wasn't angry at her father for lying. He may have set her on this path, but she chose to walk it. Nor was she happy that he guided her to justice -and revenge. She wasn't stupid, after all. As nicely as Agnarr had dressed it up, it was still revenge. But she no longer cared. All she felt was her ice. After all… Emotions will only get in the way.

Anna

Anna woke up when the sun's first rays shone through her windows. She groaned and rolled over before giving up the fruitless fight. Sitting up, she brushed some stray hairs from her mouth and sighed as she looked over the empty room. Not that it was completely empty, but it felt as if it was. After all, there used to be another bed here. Even after five years, Anna expected her big sister to be there.

The 12-year-old rose up from her bed and called in her servants to dress her; something she had learned and knew was appropriate for a princess to do. As they entered from the servant's door and set to making her presentable, her mind drifted off to where it usually went: Elsa.

Anna had been wrong when she thought all Elsa had to do was learn a language and know how to swing a sword. She'd learned that the hard way when her sister accidentally scared her thrice in one day. She just hadn't heard her coming. And upon closer inspection, she noticed Elsa moved differently from usual. More fluid and graceful. But also a lot quieter. At the time, it had reminded Anna of a snow leopard, stalking its prey. A predator.

She turned her head to the door, where her nightstand was pushed to prevent it from opening. Because another thing her sister had learned to do was open locks without a key, which was cool, but also scary. Especially when Anna thought about why she needed to be able to do that. So every night Anna blocked her door. She didn't really know why, it just… made her feel safe.

Just as the servants were ready, her arms dropped. Safe. She needed to feel safe, from Elsa? When did that happen, blocking her door from her? It doesn't matter anyway, Anna thought. She doesn't care. Not for me, at least.

Miss Kungsleden was still teaching her Etiquette, or as Anna called it 'how to behave like a princess'. She wasn't very good at it. It just wasn't her thing. But slowly and surely, she was learning. She used it to mingle when there was a ball, or to entertain visiting members of the nobility. It felt stifling, but it was necessary. Elsa was too busy, after all.

Maybe it was to draw some attention, or maybe it was a petty sense of retaliation but Anna had tried to act that way around Elsa. She'd put on her best haughty face and insinuated what she really felt instead of just… saying it. But no matter what she did, Elsa just didn't seem to care. Always that cool expression. That 'that's nice, Anna. Now please excuse me'.

Anna was getting more and more desperate by the day. Desperate to get through to her, to make her feel again. But maybe it's too late already. Anna was no longer scared whether or not Elsa's heart would be frozen solid. She now feared what could happen with it; could something or someone thaw her completely frozen heart or would it one day shatter, and leave her with no heart at all…

3 years later (again)

Sure footsteps echoed through the halls of the castle as Elsa made her way to the office of the King. She'd been summoned and somewhere deep down, something in her was eager. Ever since she turned 18, she'd been looking for a way to prove she was ready.

No one in the guard was able to match her skill with the blade. Not anymore. She fought two, maybe three opponents simultaneously in order to be met with a challenge. And even then she won more often than she lost. But her father did not see it. Always he said: 'Not yet. It's too early. We're not ready.' An odd way to phrase it, but she didn't question it, didn't care.

As she approached the office, the four guards in front of her straightened up as she came closer. One spoke up. "Your Highness, we, uhm… The King is still busy." Not once did any of them look her in the eye. They're afraid of me. It wasn't a new realisation, nor did it move anything in her. It was just the way things were now.

The doors swung open and a big man stepped out, easily a head taller than herself. She nodded, once. He returned the gesture before leaving the way she'd come from. Her eyes followed him for a spell before turning back to the doors and, subsequently, the guards. The one who had spoken up earlier just gestured for her to enter. As she passed, she heard a sigh of relief from one of them before the doors closed behind her.

Standing in front of her father's desk, she knelt on the ground, head bowed. "Ah, Elsa. You're here. Good. You may rise." At his command, she stood up and was almost surprised. The King stood tall, a smile on his face while holding a letter. Nothing like the anxious and paranoid person she'd grown used to seeing these past three years.

Folding the paper in his hands, he put it away in a drawer before picking up another one on his desk. "I'm sorry if you had to wait. My meeting with Tormund went on for longer than I anticipated." Why he had a meeting with the representative from a mercenary band in the first place, she didn't know. It was another thing that had become the new normal. Generals, traders, ambassadors or mercenaries; her father had been exceedingly busy.

She inclined her head. "It doesn't matter. May I ask why you have called me here?" came her response. It was as emotionless as she looked and felt. Good. Don't feel.

The smile on Agnarr's face grew. "Of course. I have some good news, at last." He handed her the letter. "You remember Captain Edward Teach, don't you?" His eyes shone as he spoke.

Clenched fists. Don't feel. She accepted the letter. It was a report from the Intelligence Service. "I remember. He sank Mother's ship." A flicker of rage. Don't feel.

"Yes. An informant of mine got his hands on two interesting pieces of information. For starters, the long-lost Princess of Corona has been found. The daughter of King Frederic and Queen Arianna. Her name is Rapunzel; you'll find more details about it in the report." He waved his hand to the piece of paper in her hands. Almost joy. Don't feel.

"The second thing concerns Captain Teach. With the joyous mood and the years of dedicated service to the Crown, it has been decided that the good Captain is to be promoted to Admiral."

The ever-present magic in her blood ran its course, filling her veins with ice. Good. Ice is good.

Her father continued, now with a more familiar, burning look in his eyes. "The ceremony will be taking place in 3 days, and after the right coins in the right hands, we found out that the Admiral will retreat to his estate for a short rest and celebration after the ceremony." His voice dropped to a low growl, but his eyes burned all the brighter. "I want you to go there and bring him to justice."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Don't feel. This was what she had been waiting for; a chance to show him she was prepared. Her father's words brought her back, snapping to attention.

"This is a test to see if you are ready. I know you think you have steeled yourself, but this is something that cannot be left to chance. It has to go right. This is the first big step in avenging Iduna and bringing righteous retribution to a monster that deserves it." As serious as his message was, he smiled at her and in that smile, Elsa saw everything she was ready to deliver. "Now then, are you ready?"

Elsa took a deep breath and straightened out her already impeccable posture. This was it. All her blood, sweat and tears would be worth it. Eight years of training, all her pain, the scars on her back… Don't feel. She exhaled and coolly looked at her father. "Yes. I am ready."