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Chapter Text

The guard stifled a yawn as he kept watch right outside the castle gates. It was a thankless chore, the night shift.

No action and no glory.

He stretched his arms over his head and rose to begin his patrol around the gates, not that it mattered if he was a few minutes late. After all, Arendelle was a quiet, peaceful little kingdom, and though the rise of the Snow Queen had brought some excitement with it, it sadly hadn't lasted.

He rubbed his weary eyes. What I wouldn't do for a tumbler of ale and a soft bed…or at least some entertainment.

The guard creaked the gate open to begin his rounds, but before he could close it -

BAM!

He crumpled to the floor, a shadowy cape flowing over his fallen form as the intruder slipped between the gate and shut it behind them.

Their feet passed soundlessly over tiled floors as the hooded figure stole towards the residential chambers of the castle, their eyes peeled for any more guards. Thankfully, security was scarce.

Probably not the best move on her part…but a blessing for me.

Any other person unfamiliar with the castle grounds would easily have lost their way, but this figure walked with purpose, their goal very much clear before them.

They turned the corner, their cape just barely brushing against the walls as they padded down the hallway that led to the royal family's chambers…only to pause as they approached the princess' room.

Perhaps she could be of some use…

The man considered it for a second before shaking his head.

No sense wasting time, and in any case, the plan didn't involve the princess. The target, and the prize were much greater than that.

He slinked down the hallway, stopping in front of the queen's unguarded chambers.

They really might want to strengthen security next time… That is, if there is a next time.

He stepped into the dark room, but it wasn't too hard to find the queen's bed, illuminated as it was by the moonlight from a nearby window.

Snoring pleasantly underneath the many covers lay the queen of Arendelle, her snow-white skin almost glowing in the silvery light. The sight of the vulnerable monarch almost brought with it a hint of pity.

She truly had no idea what lay before her.

Once again, temptation lay before him. His hands inched towards the dagger that lay just beside his belt buckle.

It would be so easy to end her life right here…

But then he sighed and let go of the weapon.

Unfortunately, his master had other plans, plans he had no choice but to implement.

He dug into a purse and pulled from it a shiny medallion that gleamed as it met the moonlight.

Emblazoned on it in gold was a swirling ancient rune, one that invoked the spirits of fire.

He'd seen it before, back when the item was first crafted for this very purpose, but even so, the sight sent a shiver down his spine. There was dark magic in its depths, magic that he, as a non-user, could feel through the many layers of warm metal.

The runic script drew him in, its ornate design compelling him to look so carefully that it wasn't until he felt the metal burn his skin that the man quickly remembered the warning given to him.

Right, no bare hands.

He quickly wrapped his cloak around it and was immediately repossessed of his strength. The sorcerer had warned him of the medallion's parasitic tendencies, but it wasn't until he'd felt his energy leave him that he'd realized just how powerful the medallion really was.

And it'll do a lot more damage to the ice witch.

With one hand, he nudged the queen's pillow just enough to place the medallion directly under her head. It wouldn't be long before she felt the full effects of the magic, but she would never discover the source of her misery, not until it was too late.

The task done, he stole out of her room and softly closed the door behind him, a wicked grin on his lips.

Good night, Queen Elsa… it'll be one of your last.

Chapter Text

-A week later-

Anna snipped the stem and pocketed the flower in her dress pocket, her smile widening as she imagined her friend's reaction to the clipping.

Katja will just go mad over these.

"Those are absolutely beautiful, Your Highness."

Anna blushed at the compliment and turned to greet the chamber maid, "They did turn out gorgeously, didn't they?"

The awe-struck woman nodded and knelt down to admire the mesmerizing royal purple flowers before glancing back at the princess. "My, but you're a gifted gardener, just like your mother."

The thought brought a smile to Anna's face. Being compared favorably to her mother never failed to do otherwise. "I like to think she'd enjoy all of these new flowers…if only I'd had the chance to show her…"

"I'm sure she would have loved them, princess."

Anna responded with a soft smile, turning to look at the servant. "Thanks Mary. That means a lot."

It was with a reassuring smile of her own that Mary picked up her basket and headed into the castle, leaving Anna to sigh with a tinge of wistfulness before returning to her flowers.

Truth be told, the credit went to Kristoff, for he was the one that had found the flowers in the first place.

They were from a rather rare species of mandrake, one that grew almost exclusively in the mountains.

He'd brought her a bunch from his last trip up the North Mountain and what with Anna being the ever-curious budding botanist she was, she had taken it upon herself to study and regrow a patch in the castle gardens.

And now, here they were. Gloriously, unapologetically, royally purple.

Combined with a dozen yellow crocuses, they'd make the perfect floral arrangement for Elsa's study … that is, if she could spare a few seconds to look at them.

The princess could only roll her eyes as she rose. It seems Elsa didn't have much time for anything other than breathing these days. In fact, her sister had been so swamped with work since her coronation two years ago that they hadn't yet managed to have even one holiday.

But the princess was determined to change all that. It had taken much cajoling, bartering, even threatening on her behalf, but finally, she'd managed to convince her sister to take the weekend off.

Unfortunately, they couldn't leave the kingdom, what with the many threats that hung over their fair kingdom like Damocles' sword. And so, the retreat was limited to spending the weekend up at Elsa's ice palace, which was now fully furnished to host a whole ball - if the queen so desired.

But since she didn't, it'd be a private little family retreat. Just a stress-free weekend spent in Elsa's ice palace, with her sister, Kristoff, Olaf, Marshmallow…oh, and the thousands of little snowgies that also occupied the castle.

Anna released a pleasant sigh at the thought, "What a dream…"

"You can say that again."

Anna swiveled around to catch her boyfriend smiling softly at her. "I sure hope you're talking about me." She chuckled as she drew up to kiss him soundly on the lips.

"I always am." His arms tightened around her waist and pulled her closer into another kiss, the earthy scent coming from Anna making for a strangely intoxicating aphrodisiac.

When she finally paused for much needed air, Anna pulled back with a pout, "Aw look, now I got your shirt dirty…and it was my favorite too."

The ice harvester simply shrugged. "Eh, a little dirt never hurt anyone."

She rolled her eyes. Perhaps she should have expected such an answer from her mountain-dwelling boyfriend, but she brushed the dirt off his tunic nonetheless. Kristoff smirked at Anna's domestic little gesture.

"I'm buying you another one before the weekend. You're not wearing anything less than your best when Elsa sees you." When some of his adorable blonde hair fell into his eyes, she added, "And you're getting a haircut."

"Why?" He pulled back with an expression of mock bewilderment, "She already knows what I look like."

The princess groaned sarcastically, "Oh you…" And yet, when a smug Kristoff leaned in to kiss her again, she didn't complain, instead leaning up to deepen the embrace.

"You know," he mused idly, his lips barely brushing against hers, "If you're gonna get me looking ready, you might need to start now."

Anna nibbled on his lower lip before replying in a breathless whisper. "Why's that?"

"Cause we're leaving tomorrow morning."

"We're what?!" Anna drew back with a surprised yelp, but the expression of delightful bemusement on Kristoff's face – at her expense, mind you - only brought a frown to hers. "Why didn't you remind me earlier, you stinker?"

Her boyfriend shrugged sheepishly, thoroughly enjoying her adorable anger. "To be honest, I thought you were on top of it. I mean, you've been looking forward to it for weeks now. "

Boy that was an understatement. She'd been waiting two years for a weekend like this, but it seemed in her utter excitement, she'd forgotten to take the passage of time into account.

"Oh, what are we doing just standing here, come on!"

She dragged her boyfriend out of the gardens, the mountain man chuckling softly to himself the whole time.

Elsa hated visiting the doctor.

Something about being poked and prodded as people tried to study her sent a shiver down her spine. It was a far too personal thing, and after a decade of maintaining a perhaps unhealthy amount of personal space, it would take more than a few years to undo said conditioning.

But she had no time before her, and no desire to continue dealing with the headaches that plagued her. And so, against every fiber of her being that told her to suck it up and deal with the pain like the queen she was, she was here.

In the physician's chamber.

Letting herself be poked and prodded.

As the old woman looked into her pupils, Elsa could only be thankful that Physician Bodil was the one under her employ. The woman had been around for her birth and Anna's and knew the sisters inside and out.

If she did have to trust someone to poke her with deadly instruments, she could think of no one better.

"How long did you say you've been dealing with this migraine, my dear?"

Elsa winced at the volume of the woman's voice. Even a regular conversational frequency was enough to trigger her headaches now. "Just a week. I'm sure it's nothing serious…but I'm no longer able to focus on my work."

The woman nodded, "Hmm, and my talking to you is triggering the pain, is it not?"

Elsa sought to lie, but when another dull pulse of pain rang through her skull, she grimaced instead. "Yes."

The physician shook her head, "I dare say you waited too long to see me, Your Majesty. You must be terribly exhausted."

"You think it's just exhaustion?"

Physician Bodil shrugged, "I can't say for certain, but given your long days and late nights, perhaps it could be."

The gentle admonishment in her tone made Elsa blush in shame. "I'm not used to sleeping the night away…"

Or rather, I can't sleep the night away, not without inviting my most haunting nightmares.

"But perhaps a good night's sleep is just what you need. Or several."

Elsa heaved a reluctant sigh. If that was what needed to be done…

"I'll turn in early tonight."

The woman smiled at the apparent victory. "I'll give you a concoction for your headache." She padded away to a nearby shelf, "Perhaps a mixture of belladonna, or some bryony and yellow jasmine…."

Elsa closed her eyes as the woman searched, her fatigued mind seeking comfort from the light for just a few minutes.

Truth be told, the headaches were the least of her worries. She'd faced migraines before. None of them quite so intense as this, but that was something she could handle.

What bugged her, and the real reason she'd approached the physician was for another reason entirely.

Heat. She couldn't explain it properly – hence why she'd left the topic well enough alone – but whenever she closed her eyes at night, all she could feel was blinding intense heat...in her mind.

It was an absurd inexplicable thought to even mention, but the feeling was so overwhelming that it had stolen a week's rest from her, and yet, Elsa wasn't sure how to express the symptom in coherent words.

"Maybe I'm going crazy…" She mused with a wry smile. It'd hardly surprise her, what with everything she had to deal with.

"What's that dear?"

"Nothing," Elsa replied, looking over at the old woman as she prepared a remedy. "Nothing at all."

Perhaps Anna's right, I just need to get away for a while.

Almost immediately, Elsa let out a small chuckle. Who was she kidding? Anna was always right, especially when it came to things like this.

And that was why it was all the more important that she get over this… whatever it was before their trip, because disappointing Anna was never a pleasant experience, but it was even less so when doing so only confirmed her sister's point.

Besides, it probably wasn't anything to worry about.

The lower town was a vibrant playground of flying colors and moving figures.

Anna felt a rush of excitement course through her being as she made her way through the mid-day rush with Kristoff not far behind.

She'd missed out on so much over the years… but seeing it all before her now made her feel as though she'd been a part of it all along.

"Anna!"

She turned to catch her friends Ingrid and Katja hurrying up to her. The girls wrapped their friend in a hug, Anna returning the gesture with exuberance.

"What have you been up to? We've hardly seen you all week." Katja began with a fake pout.

Anna wiggled her eyebrows as she replied, "I can't say, it's a state secret."

When her friend giggled, she smiled, "I got those mandrake flowers growing…and since you said you wanted a clipping," Anna dug into her pocket and pulled one out.

"Oh! It's gorgeous, Anna!" Katja gushed as she accepted the flower in cupped hands. "I- wow, I've never seen anything so purple."

"I'll say," Ingrid admitted as she admired the flower, "Any chance I could get one? Or do I have to pay its value in tarts?"

"Tarts, always, especially if they're yours." Kristoff cut in, making the girls laugh at his quick reply. Anna giggled before replying, "I'm heading off for the weekend, but I'll get you your clipping once I'm back."

"Ah, of course, your gloriously delightful weekend holiday in the mountains," Katja mused with a dreamy grin, "So, when are you taking us to your sister's ice palace? Or do I need to get Ingrid to pay your boyfriend in more baked goods?"

"Hey," Ingrid replied with a mock glare, "No piggybacking. You'll have to find your own way onto the trip."

Anna laughed, "I'm afraid any talk of payment is gonna have to wait. Getting her to take me there is hard enough already, but I'll take you two soon…I promise."

The sound of the clock tower cut off any further conversation. "I should go," Anna replied, one eye cast warily on the time. "But I'll tell you everything when we get back!"

"We want all the details, no exceptions!"

Anna crossed her heart with an impish grin, "Scouts' honor."

After waving farewell to her friends, she hurried off to gather supplies for their trip. There was still so much to prepare and all in a few hours…

Everything has to be just perfect. After all, it's not every day Elsa agrees to go on holiday.

Elsa slumped in her chair. Her migraine was now temporarily gone thanks to the medicine she'd taken earlier, but even so, concentrating on her work was impossible.

She sighed and leaned back against the soft cushions of her seat, allowing her tense muscles to droop as her eyes shut.

Maybe I should just take the whole day off…

The thought made her queasy with worry for all the work she'd be leaving behind, particularly given her weekend plans, but she could think of no other recourse. Her brain just couldn't handle the most basic of tasks…how was she supposed to run the kingdom in such an addled state of mind?

Elsa chilled her hand to form a ball of solid ice before placing it on her feverish brow. But it offered only a few seconds of comfort before melting in her hands, just like it had before.

"It's getting worse…" She whispered to herself.

It was another strange effect she'd noticed over the past few days. One that bothered her more than the migraines and sleepless nights did.

Because, somewhere deep inside her veins, the normal hum and pulsing energy that held her reserve of magic had suddenly, inexplicably become a faint murmur. And with this strained connection to her magical core, it seemed Elsa couldn't retain total control over her powers.

It's probably just cause I'm exhausted.

With a reluctant sigh, the blonde rose from her seat and left the study. Hopefully, a small nap would tide her over until after dinner, and then, after tending to some more work, she could head to bed early.

"I just need some rest, that's all."

"You okay, sis?"

Elsa shook her head slightly, falling out of the fogginess that had taken over her mind. The nap, intended to rejuvenate her, had only left her more drained than before, so much so that she'd stumbled several times on her way to dinner.

To put it mildly, no, she was not okay, but she wasn't about to tell her sister that, because although Elsa had made a promise to keep no secrets from her sister, Anna was prone to feelings of overprotectiveness and well-intentioned paranoia, especially when it came to the older sibling's well-being. Sharing her symptoms with her sister now would only make things worse…and it was probably just a case of burn-out anyway. The physician had said as much.

"Just had a long day, love. That's all."

Anna raised a curious eyebrow at the obvious deflection but said nothing else. Perhaps the months of non-stop work had finally caught up with her sister, in which case, their holiday couldn't have been a more welcome and timely reprieve.

And, truthfully, if burnout was the cause for Elsa's exhaustion, then this was the one thing she could do to help her sister.

More like the only thing I know how to do, anyway.

In the years since the Thaw, Anna had done her best to lighten Elsa's workload, but her sister's duties seemed to go over her head more often than not, and although Elsa was a patient mentor, her inability to grasp royal obligations made Anna want to cry in frustration.

Especially when her sister looked like this, bone-weary and beyond exhausted.

She wasn't leadership material. That much she'd begun to accept over time. But Anna couldn't abide letting Elsa suffer her burdens in silence. And so, Anna had put whatever skills she did have to good use, by helping Elsa relax once the day's work was done.

If I were more capable, I'd be able to help her with her actual work, like an heir to the throne should.

Anna shoved the thoughts into the dark corners of her mind as she replied with a half-genuine smile, "Then, it's a good thing we're heading to your ice palace then. You really could use the time away…."

When Elsa opened her mouth, she pouted, "And don't try and weasel out of it with some sort of last-minute excuse, Elsie…you promised."

The blonde couldn't help but manage a tired smile, "I assure you, love, I'm just as excited as you are." She remedied with a chuckle, "Well, almost as much as you are."

"Well, can you blame me? I've been waiting to see your palace forever! I mean, I saw it before, but I didn't really see see it, if you know what I mean."

Elsa let out a giggle at her sister's adorable ramble, "You know, you still haven't told me what we'll be doing up there."

"Oh, I've got loads of stuff for us to do. We're going to have a picnic near the waterfalls and have a snowball fight and -" She clamped her hand over her mouth before replying, "Whoops, it was supposed to be a surprise."

Elsa leaned closer, a childish pout on her lips, "So you can't share even one little detail with me?"

Anna harrumphed and crossed her arms to avoid giving into her sister's plea. "Not one more word. Just show up at the stables tomorrow morning and leave the rest to me."

"Yes, ma'am," Elsa responded with a mock salute, resulting in silly giggles from her sister.

It was little moments like this that made Anna so grateful for her new life. She looked to Elsa with a glorious smile.

"I'm really glad we're doing this, Elsie."

"So am I, darling." Elsa replied softly as she reached over to grasp Anna's hand. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

The redhead blushed and dropped her eyes to her plate, "It's nothing, Elsie. Really just me being selfish and wanting you all to myself."

A snort sounded from the other end of the table, "Is that what this is all about? I could have sworn you were trying to care for me."

"Oh, that was only a ruse." The princess played along, rolling her eyes as she smirked, "After all, how else will I get you to leave everything behind and pay attention to only me?"

It was Elsa's turn to smirk. "I hate to be the one to tell you, but I think you may have ruined your plan by revealing it to me so soon."

Anna attempted an evil laugh, a wickedly joyful gleam glistening in her teal eyes. "Oh, I assure you, this was all part of it. Besides, you're stuck with me, you know. There's no way you can worm your way out of this trap I so brilliantly weaved for you."

"Oh, I'm sure I can figure something out…" When Anna drew back in mock indignation, she added with a tender smile, "but I'm not sure I want to."

The princess laughed gleefully and pumped her fist in the air, "Yes, Anna's genius intellect strikes again!"

Elsa burst into delightful laughter at the reply, the levity alleviating her fatigue for just a brief moment.

But then again, her sister had always had this unique ability of making everyone forget their worries. It never ceased to amaze Elsa, but Anna's support had borne her through two years of her rocky reign with thoughtful gestures and pleasant experiences alone. Elsa had no idea how much time her sister spent every day worrying about her well-being, but the queen was immensely thankful for the concern, and for Anna.

After all. who else would be so dedicated as to watch over their sibling's every need?

If I didn't know any better, I'd say she had magic too.

She watched with an adoring expression as the princess relished her last piece of krumkake with closed eyes.

Oh, she definitely has magic.

When Anna opened her eyes, she found Elsa smiling fondly at her. The princess returned the gesture with a curious smile of her own. "Whatcha staring at?"

"You." Came the simple, heart-felt reply.

Anna blushed and ducked her head. She never knew what to do with herself when Elsa responded so. "You can stare at me plenty all weekend, Elsie."

The queen raised an eyebrow with a hint of amusement as she took in Anna's sudden bout of shyness. "I thought you said we'd be too busy for such things."

The princess simply shrugged, "I made sure to pencil in some quiet time. After all, you need to rest too."

Anna really thinks of everything, doesn't she?

"I can't wait for tomorrow." Elsa replied with a soft smile.

She felt a rush of warmth course through her as Anna returned an earnest grin of her own, "Neither can I, Elsie."

It was close to ten when Elsa forced herself to head to bed. Though she'd tried her best to get some more work done, it seemed that in the few hours since dinner, her exhaustion had only gotten worse.

Much worse.

Her head spun in a nauseating sensation as she walked to her chambers. Actually, 'walked' was a charitable description because it seemed she couldn't take more than two steps without tripping over her own feet.

She made it perhaps halfway to her room before she was forced to rest. Her weight fell heavily against a pillar as she tried to regain her strength.

Whatever led me to this, I'm never doing it again…

A more balanced work schedule, more breaks, some more holidays with Anna, handing off her work to the council…anything to stave off this feeling of emptiness and unending fatigue that lingered in her body.

But first and foremost, sleep.

Just a few more steps…I'm almost to my room.

But even taking another step forward felt impossible, because it seemed as if her feet were encased in blocks of lead.

"G-Gerda?" She whispered with the last of her strength. The sound was barely audible to her own ears, and as Elsa leaned against the wall, she figured the journey would have to be made alone.

After bracing herself, she pushed off the wall and began again, stumbling unsteadily down the hallway.

Sleep…I just need to go to sleep.

A trembling hand fumbled to open the door, but as she did so, she was hit with a sudden bout to dizziness that had her leaning against the door frame. Several shaky seconds passed before Elsa could work up the energy to press on.

Almost there…

Eyelids fluttered dangerously as she struggled the last few inches to her reprieve, every part of her thoroughly exhausted. Once she hit the pillow…if she hit the pillow, she'd sleep for a thousand years.

She was perhaps several feet from her bed when another wave of dizziness hit her, but Elsa had no support this time. Fingers grasped at empty air and black spots danced in her peripheral vision before her weary limbs, now no longer able to bear her weight, snapped like a twig beneath her and sent the enfeebled queen plummeting to the floor.

There was a dull thud as her skull made contact with the hard surface and then…

Silence.

Olaf made his way down the hallway to see Elsa. The little snowlem wasn't much of a sleeper, preferring instead to wander across the quiet kingdom and partake in one of his many hobbies to pass the hours away.

But something had been bugging him all day, and he needed to see his mother…because it seemed to the ever-observant snowman that he was beginning to fall apart.

His damaged twiggy arm lay in the other functioning limb as he padded to Elsa's room.

"Elsa will fix it..."

A slight chilling shiver passed through his body as he walked, spurring the little creature to move just a tad faster. He couldn't put his finger on it…mostly because he only had one working hand, but something was beginning to feel dreadfully wrong.

He'd felt it for a few days now. His flurry didn't feel as snowy, and he just felt so, so tired, like he could sleep forever.

But Elsa would have answers. She always did.

He turned the corner to the residential chambers, anxious to see his creator, but when yet another spine-tingling shiver coursed through his being, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Wait a minute, I don't get cold."

Before he could blink, he vanished, his snowy form swirling into particles that drifted out the open window and away into the night sky; his carrot nose, twiggy arms and coal buttons clattered to the ground, the only evidence of his ever having existed in the first place.

Chapter Text

-Saturday morning-

"Elsa?" Anna pushed open the stable doors with one arm as the other wrapped around the last of their supplies. "Olaf? Where are you two?"

Kristoff popped up from behind the sled, "Still haven't seen them yet?"

Anna dumped the sack in the sled. "Nope. I thought she was already down here, but I guess not."

Kristoff scratched Sven's scruff, "Maybe she overslept."

Anna laughed aloud, "That's one thing Elsa could never do. I'm pretty sure it's against her biology to oversleep or something…"

"You might be right about that…." The mountain man smirked, well-aware of the queen's work schedule. "Maybe she's trying to pick out her outfit. After all," he raised his pitch to imitate his reindeer buddy, "she needs to look her best when she sees me."

"Ha, ha, mountain man, very funny." The princess chortled in mock amusement as she rolled her eyes, "I'll see what's keeping her, but you get ready to leave as soon as we're back."

"Ay ay, captain!"

Anna shook her head fondly as she headed into the chamber.

It wasn't like Elsa to be late for anything – struggles of being a queen and all - but given the way her sister had looked the night before, perhaps Kristoff did have a point.

She was terribly exhausted last night, even though she tried to hide it, that infuriatingly stubborn goofball sister of mine.

Not that Anna needed any more leverage to convince her to take a holiday…she had two years' worth to fall back on, after all. But it didn't hurt to have more, especially when arguing with someone as bull-headed as her sister.

"Sometimes, I think she wants to work herself into an early grave." Anna muttered to herself as she turned the corner to Elsa's room.

Not that I'd let her…no way she saddles me with the likes of Fritjof and Mikkael.

A small chuckle escaped her at the ridiculous thought as she knocked on the white and blue door.

"Elsa! We're waiting for you, come on!"

There was no response.

Anna knocked her signature knock again. "Elsa? Come on! It's time to part-ay!"

Silence.

It took a few seconds for Anna to curb the hint of fear that crept up at the painfully familiar situation she found herself in. But she braced herself.

Elsa hadn't done that in years, she wasn't going to start now.

"Okay, you better not be changing, cause I'm coming in!" After waiting a beat, Anna swung the door open. "Alright sleepy head, time to rise and shine. We've got a big-"

Her voice caught in her throat as she found her sister lying unconscious on the ground.

"Elsa!"

Anna dropped beside her sister, cradling Elsa's head in her lap as she wondered what had happened. A quick inspection revealed a reddish bump against platinum blonde hair, its presence sending a spike of fear through Anna.

She must have collapsed sometime last night.

But even more concerning than that -

"She's sweating…" Anna realized, the words taking her breath away. She'd learned a while back that Elsa didn't really sweat because her powers usually kept her safe from the heat.

Usually.

"Hey…" The redhead patted Elsa's cheeks softly, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Elsie? Can you hear me?"

Other than the raspy breathing that punctuated the tense silence, there was no response. Anna snapped into action.

"Guards!"

Men scuttled to the door, nearly tripping over themselves to reach the princess.

She turned to them, her eyes clear with urgency. "The physician, now!"

They scurried off, leaving Anna to pick her sister up and place her gently on the bed. In the morning light, it was easier to see her condition.

Elsa's alabaster complexion seemed ashy in the sunlight, the warm glow that lent her sister her rosy skin now nowhere to be found. Against this deathly pale skin stood deep purple circles, the kind that often accompanied bouts of sleeplessness. What with the clammy, sweaty skin and the early warnings of a fever, all of the signs made for a disturbing image – one Anna felt like a fool for not having noticed earlier.

"Oh Elsie…" She whispered softly, fingers brushing stray, damp bangs away from her sister's warm forehead. "What happened to you?"

It was several painfully confusing minutes later when the sound of hurried footsteps caught her attention. She looked up just as the servant entered the room, her expression softening at his presence.

"Sorenson, thank goodness. Where's Physician Bodil?"

The man bowed, a sympathetic look in his eyes as his gaze moved from her to the unconscious monarch. "Your Highness, the physician is on her way. She needed a moment to gather some supplies."

"And the others?"

"On their way, ma'am."

Anna immediately relaxed at the news and clutched her sister a little closer.

Sorenson didn't miss the gesture. He stepped closer, his brows furrowed with profound concern. "Do you know what happened, my lady?"

If anyone else had asked, Anna would have hesitated to share her thoughts, but the chamberlain's assistant had always been a reassuring face over the years, veritably as important to the royal family as Kai or Gerda themselves.

"I found her on the floor. She must have fainted last night…but she's barely breathing and she must have a concussion." A shiver passed through Anna as she recounted the symptoms to Sorenson. The man simply listened, unable to offer much more than his full attention and sympathy.

"I'm sure the physician can heal her, princess. Please don't worry."

Anna nodded absently. It was perhaps the only thing keeping her from full-blown panic as repressed memories of her sister, unconscious, bleeding, wounded kept threatening to bubble to the surface.

No, it'll be okay. We'll fix her, I know we will.

Wordlessly, the princess reached for her sister's hand, unconsciously searching for the soothing icy aura that usually surrounded the queen like a permeable membrane…but there was no comfort to be found, only an unnatural clamminess.

What's happened to you, Elsie?

Anna paced nervously across the room as the physician checked her sister's vitals. There was a dreadfully haunting silence in the room. Kai and Gerda, who'd arrived with the physician, stood to one side, their sympathetic expressions following the princess and checking on the physician alternatively. Sorenson had left to collect Kristoff, after Anna realized she'd completely forgotten about her boyfriend and their planned trip.

After several minutes of listening to the ticking clock, Anna burst out nervously, "I-Is she going to be okay?"

The physician sighed and turned to the princess. Anna's heart sank at the defeated look on her face.

"Physician Bodil?"

"After testing her responsiveness and checking her vitals, I can only conclude that the queen has entered a coma-like state, but how and why, I cannot say."

The blood drained from Anna's face. "A coma?!"

The physician nodded. "I'm afraid so. The strange thing is none of the symptoms provide any explanation as to the cause. The sweating, the concussion, the migraines, none of them point to the true nature of her condition."

"Migraines?" The surprised princess cut in. "What do you mean migraines?"

"Her Majesty came in the other day asking for a concoction to chase away some rather severe migraines. I gave her a prescription of belladonna, but it looks like she never finished it." The woman gestured to the half-empty bottle on the bedside.

Anna could feel a dull headache of her own pounding on the back of her eyeballs as she wrangled with the information. Why hadn't Elsa told her she was in pain? Why did her sister keep insisting on keeping her emotions and her feelings under wraps?

For the same reason she usually doesn't tell you things, she doesn't trust you.

She shoved the thought aside and turned to the matter at hand.

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

To her dismay, the old woman shook her head. "Truth be told, I have never seen a condition like this before, princess. There is more at work here than I can comprehend." She rose from the chair, an apologetic look on her wrinkled features. "I think whatever is affecting Her Majesty, it is outside my area of expertise."

An anvil dropped in her stomach at the words. "You can't give up like that! If you don't help her, who will?"

The woman hung her head, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I'm not sure I have the answers to your questions."

"But-"

"I think she's right, Anna." A familiar voice cut in, startling the inhabitants of the room.

Anna turned to find a solemn Kristoff standing in the doorway, his hands full with a collection of objects she'd seen a thousand times before, but rarely on their own.

Olaf's nose, arms and buttons.

"I found these in a pile in the hallway." He handed them over to a slightly trembling Anna, as he added, "I thought maybe Olaf had left them there, but no one's seen him since last night."

Kristoff cast a glance at the comatose queen as he concluded, "I think something's wrong with her magic."

Anna didn't want to agree, but as she looked at the items that had once belonged to her snowy friend, she knew it could be nothing else.

Olaf…

A grim Anna glanced up at her boyfriend, her next words a whisper. "We need to see the trolls."

The room grew noticeably more agitated at the suggestion. Though Anna was now practically part of the troll family, the castle staff could not forget the first time the royals had sought out their assistance.

Sensing the tension in the room, Anna stood up and squared her shoulders. "We'll take Elsa with us."

She turned to the chamberlain. "I'll need you to hold down the fort for me, Kai. I promise I'll be back soon."

"Your Highness," the chamberlain sighed, almost as if apologizing for what he was about to say next, "once word of this gets out, the people will need reassurance and a leader they can believe in. Perhaps if Master Kristoff were to take the queen instead-"

Anna raised a hand, cutting him off. "I'm sorry, Kai. But I need to be with Elsa. I can't just wait here and hope that everything works out alright."

"As much as I understand your worries, Princess Anna, the last time both of you left the kingdom, things did not turn out so well."

The reminder only dimmed Anna's mood. Truth be told, she couldn't be upset with Kai for doing his job, especially when he had a point. But Elsa was in trouble. How could he expect Anna to do any differently?

"Anna…" Kristoff turned to her, his voice low as he hesitantly added. "I think maybe Kai is right."

Her eyes blazed with barely contained fury as she turned on her boyfriend. "You can't be serious!"

The ice harvester managed a regretful sigh. "As much as I know you want to go get some answers, I can't guarantee Grand Pabbie will have them." He paused before admitting, "Honestly, I'm not sure the trolls will be available at all."

At Anna's look of surprise, he added, "This time of year, they usually travel to the Caves of Gedref. Assuming they haven't already left, they'll be too busy to meet with us."

"Then we'll just have to get there as fast as possible," Anna replied, steely determination clear in her teal eyes as she stressed the word.

As Kristoff took in her expression, he knew there was no point in arguing with her, not when the matter concerned Elsa's safety. He nodded slowly, "I'll get Sven ready."

Anna turned to Kai, "Whatever's happening to Elsa, we're going to get some answers, no matter what."

It was the most silent ride Kristoff had ever shared with Anna.

The couple had opted to take the sled, mostly because it was already prepped and also because it allowed Anna a chance to hold her sister in a more comforting position than could be managed on a horse. Behind them trailed the chamberlain's assistant and a small contingent of guards, an unfortunate necessity when both the queen and the princess were traveling far from the kingdom.

He turned around to glance back at Anna, but she was lost in her own world, absentmindedly brushing Elsa's hair into place with one hand while the other wrapped around her waist in an expectedly possessive gesture from the princess.

"Any change?"

"Huh?' Startled from her thoughts, it took a few seconds for Anna to understand him. She shook her head solemnly, her gaze darting up to meet Kristoff's concerned look. "She's getting worse…"

Indeed, it seemed the queen had only gotten worse. Her pale skin seemed unbelievably more so in the light of day, making the dark purple circles under her eyes stand out in stark contrast, so much so that the difference was clear even from where he was sitting.

The princess clasped her sister's increasingly warm hand as she watched her chest rise and fall. The motion, slight though it was, was perhaps the only thing keeping her from spiraling into absolute despair… because at the very least, it meant Elsa was still alive.

But only just.

She gulped at the horrifying thought and pulled Elsa closer to her bosom. Her face buried into her sister's pale neck, but the normally comforting icy minty perfume was no longer present, making the gesture that much more painful.

"It's okay, Elsie…we'll have you back on your feet in no time." She whispered, but whether the words were for her sister's comfort, or her own, she couldn't quite say.

And yet, the words broke Kristoff's heart anyways.

"We'll find out what's going on, Anna."

The princess agreed morosely, her eyes fixed on Elsa's pale face. "She has to wake up, Kristoff." She looked back up at him, despair barely concealed in her stormy blue eyes. "She just has to."

"And she will," Kristoff promised. He turned to Sven and patted his friend on the back, "Come on boy, we gotta go faster."

The sled sped up, as did the group of guards behind them.

It was close to noon when they reached the Valley of the Living Rocks.

The sight of the trolls was a blessedly welcome one, but even as they approached, Kristoff figured the answers they would get from Grand Pabbie would be limited, because the trolls bustled about with such frenzy that they could hardly catch their attention.

After deciding it better to leave Elsa with the guards, Anna and Kristoff hurried into the valley. And though the magnificent colors and the liveliness of the troll's preparations would have normally sparked her curiosity, Anna had only one thought in mind.

Bulda was the first one to notice them. But before she could insist he take his clothes off, Kristoff broke in with an urgent request. "I'm really sorry, Ma, but can we talk to Grand Pabbie? It's about Elsa."

The troll looked surprised, "Oh dear, I do hope everything is alright."

Anna could only shake her head. "Something's wrong with her magic. Please, Bulda…It'll only take a few minutes."

The troll woman sighed, regret clear in her expression. "As much as I wish we could help, Anna, Pabbie and the others are preparing for our trip to the caves. It's an ancient tradition, one we've upheld for centuries. Any delay in the trip would upset the balance of the elements."

Kristoff watched the spark of hope fade from Anna's eyes. Though he had expected the response, it was hard to stomach his girlfriend's reaction.

"Surely we could see him for just a few minutes, Ma. Elsa's in a tight spot and there's no one else who can help."

Bulda shook her head. "I'm truly sorry, Kristoff, but you know that Grand Pabbie takes these things very seriously. He asked not to be disturbed and I can't just-"

"Your Highness?"

The surprised group turned to find Grand Pabbie standing before them, his weathered stony face befitting the gravity of their plight. "I know why you have come to see me."

The words raised Anna's spirits, "You'll help us then?"

Pabbie shook his head as he drew closer, "I'm afraid it is not my help you will need, princess. The one who can help you lies far from here, in the Black Mountains."

"The Black Mountains?" Kristoff's incredulous tone sent a shiver of dread down Anna's spine, "But that's a two-day round trip!"

The troll nodded solemnly, "And that is why you must proceed at once. Elsa does not have much time left."

The words settled like a lead weight in Anna's stomach. "W-what?" She whispered in stunned disbelief.

Grand Pabbie clasped his hands before him, his expression grim. "Already, I can sense her spirit weakening. The magic that is at work here is powerful and dark, and Her Majesty has been exposed to its negativity for far too long. I fear she has but three sunsets left before the magic saps her of all her energy."

He looked up at Anna, "After that, it will be too late to save her."

Chapter Text

-Saturday afternoon (Valley of the Living Rock)-

Anna could feel her heart pounding in her throat as Grand Pabbie's words rang in her head. Three days to find help or I lose Elsa.

Deep down, it felt to the princess that she'd stumbled upon more questions than answers, but the only one that mattered in that moment was –

"Who do we need to find?"

Grand Pabbie raised a hand, a fog of mist swirling before them to reveal the silhouette of a tall, wispy man poring through a book. "The one you go to seek is known to many people by many names. But in this land, he calls himself Alvar. He is a skilled man, renowned across the lands for his work with magic. He will have the answers you seek."

"Alvar, Black Mountains, okay, got it. Thanks, Grand Pabbie." Anna jumped up to leave but was stopped by Kristoff, who turned back to the old troll with a knowing look on his face.

"Something tells me you're not done yet."

The old troll broke into a small smile. "You are learning, my blonde grandson. Yes, there is more." He sighed and admitted, "Alvar will not be willing to help."

"What?! Why not?" Anna growled impatiently.

Grand Pabbie returned a sad smile, "He had faced many trials in life, princess. And sometimes when those trials become too much to bear, people tend to lose faith in themselves and retreat away from this world…"

He turned to the mist once again, "Such is the case of Alvar. In order for Elsa to be saved, you must convince him to resume his purpose once more."

Anna normally cherished such challenges, but far too much was at stake here for her to enjoy this particular one.

And yet, if this was how she could save Elsa…

"I'll talk to him. I'll get him to help." She turned to the old troll, "Is there anything else we should know?"

The troll produced a scrap of paper and handed it to the princess. "When you reach the Black Mountains, you can use this map to find what you seek." He turned to Kristoff, "You two should be on your way. Time is scarce and Alvar is a rather stubborn individual."

Anna managed a small smirk at his words. "Well, he hasn't met me yet."

Kristoff chuckled softly, as did the others. "We'll get going. Thanks, Grand Pabbie." He rose to turn back, but Anna lingered, throwing her arms around the old troll.

"I can't thank you enough, Grand Pabbie. I know you're busy…"

The old troll smiled at the princess' simple gesture. "What I do, I do with pleasure." He clasped Anna's hand, "Have faith, Anna. I believe you will be successful in your journey, but you must also believe in yourself."

Anna swallowed the unconscious fears that Grand Pabbie had voiced aloud and nodded in response. Whether she believed in herself or not, she had to save Elsa…

And that meant finding this Alvar and giving him a dose of much-needed therapy.

When Anna returned to the edge of the valley, she was greeted by a frantically pacing Sorenson and an equally wary Sergeant Geir.

"Were the trolls able to help, princess?" Geir asked as they entered the clearing.

Anna's gaze drifted to Elsa, who still slept in the sled. "No, but they did tell us who could. We'll need to head to the Black Mountains."

The way they looked, the princess would have thought she'd told them she was jumping off a cliff into the mouth of a waiting shark.

An undecipherable expression emerged on Sorenson's face. "Ma'am, if I may interject, the mountains are treacherous and difficult to navigate on horseback, let alone a sled. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Anna felt her confidence waver. She had never been to the Black Mountains before and had no idea if his point was valid, but she pressed her case nonetheless. "Time's running out and if this Alvar can help Elsa, it'd be better if we take her with us."

She missed the small flinch Sorenson made at those words as Kristoff piped in. "Unfortunately, he's right, Anna. We can't take the sled with us. We won't be able to move fast enough with it."

Those weren't the words she'd expected to hear from her boyfriend. "But if we take her..."

He sighed, "I know what you mean, but we can't navigate the sled through the dense forest. And the mountain is full of wild animals. We can't guarantee her safety, Anna. There's too many ways for this to go wrong."

Anna turned to look at Elsa, her heart sinking at the thought of separating from her sister, especially now. As much as she wanted to object, Kristoff did know his way around these mountains.

She took a deep breath and composed herself before addressing her guards. "Geir, please take my sister back to Arendelle."

The man nodded, "As you wish, ma'am."

The chamberlain's assistant cut in, "And what should I tell Kai, my lady?"

The question gave Anna pause. She had told Kai she'd be back soon enough to fulfill her duties as princess regent, and yet, here she was, getting ready to leave the kingdom for two more days.

Truthfully, it was a disaster waiting to happen, especially with the powerful enemies they had made since the Thaw. But what choice did she have?

As she often did in such moments, Anna found herself wondering what Elsa would do in her place.

Her sister, consummate monarch that she was, would demand that Anna care for the kingdom first, her own life be damned. But if the roles were reversed and Elsa were the one trying to save Anna's life, would her sister do any differently?

She managed a smirk. Of course not.

Anna straightened up as she replied, "I'm heading to the Black Mountains to find help for my sister. Tell Kai we'll be back in two days with an answer to Elsa's plight."

Sorenson didn't seem pleased. "My lady, the kingdom-"

"Is in capable hands, Sorenson." Anna's tone left no room for negotiation. "I'll be back in two days. Can I trust you to handle things until my return?"

She could see the conflict in his eyes as he struggled with the words he'd been prepped to say, but finally, he hung his head. "Yes, Your Highness. We'll take care of the kingdom until you return."

Content with his response, Anna clambered onto the sled and pulled Elsa into her lap, a lump in her throat as she studied her sister for perhaps the last time.

No, not the last time. She remedied. J-just for now.

In the half hour she'd been away, the queen's complexion had turned grayer still, almost resembling the color of ash from a night's worth of firewood. Her breathing was raspier, and barely audible above the chirping of the birds and the soft babbling of a nearby brook.

Anna brushed a gentle hand across Elsa's feverishly warm cheek, swallowing painfully at the unnerving sight.

"Three sunsets before the magic saps her of all her energy."

Her breath hitched at the reminder of what little time they had left. She focused instead on the comforting feeling of Elsa's soft skin on her fingertips.

"I'll be back in two days, Elsie."

Cutting a bit close, aren't we? What if something goes wrong? You're pretty good at screwing things up, after all.

She shoved the monster in her mind to deal with at a later time and continued with a conviction she didn't quite feel. "Two days, not a moment longer. We'll find the man who can help you and convince him to get his butt to Arendelle…" She let herself chuckle at the non-existent joke, "And then, once you're feeling better, we'll go on that holiday, I promise."

Whether or not the ice palace was actually standing was an issue to be unpacked at a later time.

Anna shook her head to rid herself of the negative thoughts and instead bent over to plant a tender kiss to Elsa's forehead. "You be careful, okay?"

It didn't take much to imagine Elsa smiling back at her with a playful smirk on her lips and a fond twinkle in her bright cerulean eyes; her words a gentle reprimand borne from fond exasperation.

"I'm always careful, Sunshine. It's you I worry about."

And it was true. Elsa had always worried about her, always looked out for her. Heck, that was their entire childhood, for crying out loud! Anna had tried to return the favor for years now, but Elsa had been wary to being so vulnerable, even with the only person she could trust with her heart.

But now, her sister needed her and for her sake, Anna was willing to brave anything, let alone untamed forests and treacherous mountains.

"It's my turn to look out for you, Elsie. I'll take care of you, I promise."

"Anna?"

She glanced up to find Kristoff standing beside her, sympathy evident in his eyes. "I'm sorry, feisty pants, but we should leave now if we want to get there and back in time."

The princess nodded slowly before clambering out of the sled.

She vaguely recalled Sorenson speaking to her – probably words of assurance - but her attention, and her heart, remained with Elsa even as the guards turned towards home. A lone tear made its way down her freckled cheek.

Saying goodbye had been difficult enough, but watching her sister return to Arendelle, fearing the consequences of this decision should she fail…

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, soft and warm in its comfort; an anchor to hold onto in turbulent times.

"We'll save her, Anna."

Kristoff drew closer to pull her into a supportive hug as he added with a hint of levity. "With the Hero of Arendelle and her trusty ice harvester on the case, Elsa will be back on her feet in no time."

Anna managed a tentative smile at his joke before she looked back to the leaving party, her heart heavy with worry as Elsa drifted further from sight.

"Yeah, we'll save her."

We have to. Cause I can't live without her.

Chapter Text

Elsa slowly, painstakingly opened her weary eyes, only to immediately brace against a maelstrom of intense heat.

Hot…it's too hot.

A low groan escaped her parched lips, one pale hand pressed to her head as it throbbed in a dull sensation. It felt like an anvil had been dropped on her cranium.

"W-Where am I?"

Aching muscles protested against the movement, but Elsa brought herself to sit upright, her vision blurring in and out of focus. What glimpses she could catch of her surroundings felt wholly unreliable, as if she were viewing her world through a dizzying kaleidoscope.

Wherever she was, she needed to go back home.

Because home…home was cold.

And this was far too hot.

Hands fumbled awkwardly before her as Elsa tried to feel out her location. The intricately graved metal armrests of her courtroom throne greeted her.

"Huh, I am home." She marveled, taking in the familiar, forever unbearably uncomfortable ache of her chair. "But if I'm home, then why is it so hot?"

She looked up, her vision clearing for the first time in minutes so that she could look upon the -

"FIRE!" She yelped, leaning back into her throne.

Somehow, she'd ended up in her throne room…but the chamber was up in flames, and she was trapped inside.

"HELP!" She called, but there was not a voice in response. "Help, please, the flames…"

But no one came crashing through the doors to save her.

It seemed she was on her own.

Elsa watched as the flames danced ever closer to her, thick curly smoke rising into the air as the room burned around her. The sight felt like something straight out of her nightmares, ones where she'd be burned alive for possessing her powers of ice and snow.

Her eyes widened dramatically. She smacked her forehead. "Ice and snow!"

She dug deep into her soul, searching for the magic she'd been born with. One hand came forward in anticipation as she readied herself to spew a blast of ice at the fire.

But she couldn't feel anything.

Elsa opened her eyes, her curious look drifting to her fingertips. There had been no familiar tingling of magic as it flowed from her soul into her hands, no gentle chill that accompanied any use of her powers.

Whatever unconscious link existed between her corporeal form and her mystical nature was gone.

In fact, it was almost as if she'd never had magic at all.

-Saturday afternoon (somewhere in the Black Mountains)-

"So…" Anna spoke, breaking the long silence that had existed since their departure from the valley, "Have you ever heard about this Alvar?"

Kristoff shook his head, surprised that Anna was willing to talk. "Grand Pabbie knows a lot of things…and people. But I've never heard about this guy."

Anna turned away, intrigued by the answer. "Do you really think he can help?"

"If Grand Pabbie said so, I think he can." He turned to Anna with a sigh, "We just have to convince him."

Anna nodded absently. She didn't quite know just what calamity had befallen Alvar to turn him away from his purpose, but whatever it was, how was she supposed to help him?

I can hardly help myself sometimes…

"What do you think happened to him? You know, to make him a recluse that lives in a treacherous forest."

Kristoff shrugged, "Something magical, probably. Must have been a big deal if he came to hide in this place. People usually come to the mountains to be left alone."

Anna couldn't help but crack a smile at his words. "You've said that before, you know."

He returned a cheeky grin, "Only cause it's true."

Indeed, it was. But whatever the reason for Alvar's self-imposed exile, Anna couldn't help but think about the ground-breaking potential his presence held.

Anna had once had a conversation, now several months old, with her sister about other magical beings. The words Elsa had said stuck with Anna ever since, because it seemed her sister had spent much of her life looking for other people with powers.

Other people like her.

((()))

Anna could feel her heart ache dully in her chest as she watched Elsa struggle to articulate her thoughts.

I think I'm the only person in the world with such powers, Anna. I've sent correspondences worldwide, following vague leads and whispered rumors…but the rumors were always unfounded. They were always just bedtime stories meant to scare children into obedience…tales about big, scary monsters…."

"Like me…" was the unspoken line that hung over the silent chamber. Anna bristled at the notion that Elsa would still consider herself a monster. But then, her sister continued.

"I don't know why I exist, or why I'm the only person to exist this way….I-I just don't understand."

The thought of Elsa spending years looking for someone like her broke her heart more than she could express in words. Her sister deserved answers, she deserved to find someone like her.

"I'll help."

Elsa looked back, "What?"

Anna straightened up, resolve clear in her shining teal eyes. "You've looked on your own for years, but I'll help you, Elsie. We'll find some answers together…I promise."

Elsa returned a small smile, "I appreciate the concern but-"

"Please, Elsie?" Anna cut in. "Now that I know how much this means to you, I want to help. Don't worry, I'll be careful, I promise."

((()))

Elsa had turned it down, making it clear that she no longer wanted to embark on such grand adventures and potentially sacrifice whatever relationship the sisters now had. And though that was a sentiment Anna could get behind, she also couldn't help but feel for Elsa.

Her sister had grown up thinking she was alone in her specialness. That no one else could understand her struggles.

But if the man – Alvar- was a magical being, then Elsa had a kindred spirit. Someone to confide her fears in, someone to help her understand her purpose and her full potential.

The thought brought with it a ray of hope and a newfound determination to find this Alvar, no matter where he was hiding.

-Saturday evening (Arendelle)-

Gerda pressed a cold cloth to the queen's forehead, but rather than cool her temperature, the cloth itself became unbearably warm, so much so that the poor woman had to cast it aside before it scorched her hand.

She exchanged a quick glance with one of the chamber maids, "Get me some colder water, Mary. This is far too warm."

The woman hurried off, leaving Gerda to turn to her charge with increasing worry.

The princess had set off to the Black Mountains to find a cure for her sister, but it seemed the situation had exacerbated exponentially in the few hours since the queen's return to Arendelle.

It was almost as if being here was somehow worsening her condition…

Gerda reached for a fresh cloth and pressed it to Elsa's forehead once more, a desperate plea on her lips. "Please dear, whatever this is, you must fight it. I know you can."

She heaved a shaky breath as she remembered the young, bright-eyed child she'd practically raised.

Visions drifted across her mind… of a bouncy three-year-old whose delicate hands she had grasped as the royal family waited for the arrival of a new princess, of a shivering eight-year-old who'd woken up screaming in the middle of the night as she relived the trauma of nearly killing her sister over and over again, of a terrified twelve-year-old who'd shied away from all contact, shunning even her own mother and the handmaiden that had bathed her for years. Of a freshly twenty-one-year-old woman, soon to be crowned queen, pacing her study like a caged animal and releasing snow flurries in her ever-growing panic.

The memories brought with them a swell of anger at the Almighty for letting things get this far. How fair was it that after all that turmoil, all that sacrifice and heartache and struggle, just when the sisters had found some semblance of happiness, they had to contend with this?

But deep down, she held onto hope, because her young charge was stronger than these challenges. She had seen that first-hand.

For that matter, both the sisters were unbelievably strong, and each willing to die for the other without a moment's hesitation.

And as Gerda had watched the sisters be born and grow up and fall apart and then join together again, she had realized that Elsa and Anna were two sides of the same coin.

One simply could not exist without the other.

And as Elsa lay before her, ashy pale and barely breathing, Gerda worried for the princess who was risking it all…only to potentially lose it all.

"Fight for Anna," Gerda whispered fiercely, "Fight for her just as she is surely fighting for you, and I promise you, you two will find your way to each other once more."

She placed the cold cloth on Elsa's forehead once more but missed the brief flicker of ashy gray eyelids that indicated her words had been heard.

-Saturday night (back in the Black Mountains)-

It was well after evening when Kristoff suggested hesitantly that they stop for the night.

When Anna turned to him, her eyes wide with disbelief, he sighed, "Sven can't keep up the pace anymore, Anna, and we're pretty close. We can afford to rest for the night."

The conflict was clear in her teal eyes. "But-"

"We can leave early at dawn and we'll still make it back to Arendelle with plenty of time to spare, I promise."

There was nothing but the huffy pants from a clearly exhausted reindeer to punctuate the tense silence as Anna glared at her boyfriend. Kristoff struggled to maintain eye contact, but he could no longer ignore his buddy's exhaustion, even if it meant a slight delay in getting help for Elsa.

To his utter relief, Anna broke first. "Fine… I suppose you're right."

As soon as the couple dismounted, Sven promptly collapsed onto the ground and fell asleep. Kristoff stooped down beside him, a soft smile on his lips, "You did good, boy. You deserve to take a break."

Anna began to set up camp, rummaging through the many supplies they'd packed for their initial weekend retreat.

As she looked at their stock of food – and the many treats she'd brought along in anticipation of their retreat – she found her thoughts drifting to Elsa.

Just one night ago the sisters had been laughing and sharing their excitement for their trip…and now…

What a difference a day makes.

Kristoff watched Anna unpack their supplies with a knowing, sympathetic expression on his face.

Since their brief conversation several hours ago, the normally rambling princess hadn't said a word, but then again, the ice harvester had expected nothing less.

Not when Elsa's life hung in the balance.

He reached over to grasp her hand, wrapping it in his big warm ones as he repeated, "She'll be okay, Anna."

The redhead responded with a slow nod before looking up to meet his gaze. "You really think so?"

"I know so." The mountain man pulled her into a hug. "Because I know you'll do anything to help her. She couldn't be in better hands."

When the princess stiffened in his arms, he pulled back, but her stormy teal eyes no longer met his. "Anna?"

She sighed and turned away to collect her belongings. "It's nothing."

But Kristoff knew her far too well to fall for that lie. "Anna…I know that face."

"What face?"

"That face." He replied, pointing to the crease in her forehead and the tense set of her jaw. "Something's wrong."

Anna just shrugged and turned away, but the ice harvester pressed on. "Aren't you the one who said concealing your emotions was a bad thing?"

Kristoff was sure that the icy glare he received from Anna would have made her Snow Queen sister proud, but he held his ground. "Anna…I'm here for you, but you have to be willing to let me in."

The glare narrowed as Anna drew closer. Just as the mountain man wondered if perhaps he should have left his girlfriend well enough alone, he heard her whimper and wipe at her eyes in response, and his heart broke all over again.

"I just…" Anna looked down, unable to meet his gaze as she asked, "What if Alvar doesn't want to help?"

Kristoff sighed. It was a fear he hadn't dared to voice out loud. "Grand Pabbie warned us he wouldn't be willing to, but if there's anyone out there who can change his mind, I'm sure you can, feisty pants."

To his surprise, the princess grimaced, "That's a lot of faith you're putting in me."

"Because I know you, Anna." He responded without hesitation, one hand gently caressing her cheek as he nudged her to look at him, "I know there's no one more dedicated to Elsa than you. And I know you'll do everything to help her…or anyone for that matter."

But is that enough?

"I know it is." He replied with a smile, startling Anna from her thoughts. "You have the courage to try, no matter how hard something is, and that's what will save Elsa now."

The princess smiled at the sentiment. She'd heard something similar from her sister once and couldn't help but wonder if the two had discussed this before.

"Thanks Kristoff," she whispered as she leaned against him. A fragrant wave of sunflowers and lavender reached his nose, sending him into a gentle lull of serenity.

If only the fate of the kingdom wasn't on our shoulders…

"I'm glad I could help." He leaned down to kiss her, his arms wrapping around her waist and tugging her just a little bit closer so that that their lips –

Grrr…

Anna's eyes widened. "Is that…?"

GRRROWL!

The ice harvester spun around, only to find a red, beady eyed creature emerging from the bushes, all seven feet of the hairy mass towering over the couple.

Kristoff cursed under his breath. He'd forgotten just how many animals prowled around the Black Mountains and he was paying for that ignorance now. A quick glance told him that his ice pick was too far away for him to grab in time.

And leaving Anna in the path of the creature was a non-starter.

"Hey, you!" He began instead, moving away from Anna and to her left as he tried to attract the bear's attention.

The bear tilted his head curiously, a frown settling on his features.

"Yeah, you! You big lug!" Kristoff continued, much to Anna's horror, "You want a piece of me?"

"Kristoff! What are you-"

"Don't worry! Just go, Anna!"

Teal eyes grew to the size of tea saucers. "Absolutely not!"

Unforunately, the shout attracted the beast's attention. It began to turn its head towards Anna.

Kristoff only yelled louder, "HEY FUZZBUCKET!"

The bear looked back at him curiously before taking another step closer, not yet sure if the man posed a threat.

Kristoff made the mistake of taking a step forward. Intimidated by the advance, the bear let out a gigantic roar, the vibrations bouncing off the nearby trees and causing a tremor beneath their feet.

A shiver trembled down Kristoff's spine. He stumbled back, but the hesitation was enough for the bear to step closer. With the big lump of fur blocking his view, Kristoff couldn't tell where Anna was. Hopefully somewhere safe.

"Anna, get out of here!"

Anna made to respond but -

"ROARR!" The bear took another step, crunching branches under its gigantic paw.

The mountain man scrambled behind him for a weapon, picking up a big branch and brandishing it in front of the animal. The gesture only angered the bear more. It took another step closer.

"Stay back!" He warned, swishing the branch pathetically before him, "I've got a branch and I'm not afraid to use it."

When the beast made another move towards him, he jumped up and prodded the beast with his branch, hoping to the gods above that the distraction would allow Anna to make her escape.

"ROAR!" The bear raised one heavily clawed paw and swiped the annoying branch away with a swift gesture, leaving the ice harvester more woefully unarmed than before.

An increasingly nervous Kristoff took another step back, one wary eye focused on the creature while he kept the other on Anna. But there was no more ground to cover and soon, the ice harvester found his back against a large boulder, and an increasingly irate bear before him.

This is it. This is how I die.

"Kristoff!" Anna watched with growing horror as the bear cornered her boyfriend. She couldn't just stand by and watch the bear attack him.

Think, Anna! What can you do?

A cursory glance around her spot revealed nothing but food. Food and…chocolate.

"Hey!"

Kristoff startled at the sound of Anna's voice, surprised that she hadn't made her escape. To his ever-growing horror, he found his girlfriend waving her arms to attract the bear's attention, a bar of chocolate in her hands. "Hey, bear, over here!"

"Anna!"

Anna stepped closer, brandishing the bar in her hand like a flag. "Over here, you big beast! I got some num nums for you!"

The bear cocked his head curiously, as if deciphering her words.

As a token of good will, Anna threw the bar before the animal. Got to earn its trust.

It sniffed the wrapping curiously, pawing at the food and then waiting, as if the thing would jump up and attack it. And then. to Kristoff's utter bewilderment, the bear ate it whole, wrapper and all.

It was with bated breath that the two watched the animal closely before exchanging nervous looks, but when the bear looked back at Anna with a miserable whimper, she replied in what she hoped was an authoritative voice, "There's more where that came from, but you have to leave him alone, got it?"

The bear turned to look at Kristoff, its red eyes narrowing as it studied the ice harvester…

Her hands came to rest on her hips as she frowned at the creature. "Leave him alone."

What could only be a sigh escaped the bear before it returned to all fours. Kristoff scrambled up from his corner of the rock, eyes cast wearily on the creature as he took a much-needed breath of relief.

"Good boy," Anna marveled at how easily the bear obeyed her before picking up another bar of chocolate. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the chocolate."

As she watched the creature scarf down the rest of their sweet treats with relish, she smiled knowingly, "I know I can't."

Once the bear had had its fill, it looked to Anna.

"That's it, buddy. We're out. You're gonna have to find some other person to terrify twenty ways to hell."

Not that anyone else would be crazy enough to wander around this absolute jungle. Elsa so owes me a vacation when this is all over.

The bear tilted its head curiously, the makings of a pout on its furry features, and then it turned and lumbered back into the bushes, leaving them alone.

And awestruck.

"You-you…" Kristoff spluttered as he rose from the ground, "You saved me!"

Anna smirked, "And that's news to you?"

But the ice harvester could only shake his head and emit a surprised laugh, "I-I…wow, Anna…are you really going to tell me you still doubt yourself?"

"Huh?"

He pointed to the bushes, "You just sent a bear off after feeding it bars of chocolate, and it worked! I never would have guessed to try something like that…but you did."

When Anna shrugged the compliment off, he went up to her and grasped her forearms with a look of utter sincerity, "Your quick thinking saved my life, Anna. After everything that just happened, can you honestly say you don't have what it takes to save Elsa?"

As Anna looked into his eyes, she remembered Grand Pabbie's words.

I believe you will be successful in your journey, but you must also believe in yourself.

And she had been successful at something, hadn't she?

"No…" She replied in a soft whisper, "I don't think I can."

When Kristoff gave her a proud smirk, she poked him in the chest. "But don't make this whole 'putting yourself in mortal danger' thing a habit just to teach me valuable life lessons, because I do not want to relive that moment again."

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more Anna could feel her emotions swing wildly towards outrage.

"You know, for someone who claims to know the mountains like the back of his hand, that was the stupidest, most insane thing I've ever seen! I'm saying that! ME! Princess Jumps-off-cliffs-and-asks-questions-later! And don't think I'm just going to forgive you, you know, for scaring me out of ten years growth…in fact, I don't think I'll even talk to you again!"

Much to his amusement, she huffed and crossed her arms. "Yeah, that's right, I won't talk to you again and if you think you can just weasel your way out of this with some sort of romantic, sweet little gesture that'll make me weak in the knees or something, just know that I-"

Her next words were swallowed as Kristoff leaned in to give her the kiss that had been so rudely interrupted before.

When Anna moaned into the kiss, a smug Kristoff pulled back, much to her annoyance.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you wouldn't fall for whatever sweet, romantic gesture I come up with."

She glared at him. One minute passed, then two.

"I'm still mad at you, you know." She finally mumbled under her breath.

He gave her a languid smile. "I know."

"I'm not talking to you until you apologize for putting your life in danger like that and giving me a heart attack."

"Okay. I'm sorry for putting my life in danger like that and giving you a heart attack."

The glare deepened. "I hate you."

His smile widened. "I know."

Crickets sounded faintly from the trees.

"I'm just glad you're okay." She cupped his cheek. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too." He smiled softly and kissed her again.

Chapter Text

-Sunday morning (somewhere in the Black Mountains)-

It was close to noon the next morning when they stumbled upon the tiny cottage Alvar called home.

Cottage was perhaps a generous word for the place, for it looked more like a bunch of wooden planks thrown together. Moss and vines seemed to have made themselves at home as well, for they grew up and around the structure, effectively steadying the unstable planks.

It definitely didn't look like the residence of a powerful sorcerer, but even so Kristoff was wary to approach the front door.

Anna was not.

Before the mountain man could turn to ask what their strategy should be, Anna had jumped off of Sven and hurried to knock on the door, "Hello!? Mister Alvar…could we talk?"

Kristoff yanked her back into the bushes, his eyes wide and incredulous, "Are you crazy? How can you just knock on his door when we don't even know what he's like?"

"Now you decide to be careful." Anna rolled her eyes. "If Grand Pabbie told us about him, then I'm pretty sure he's not dangerous."

"He might not be, but he's probably not friendly either. Remember, Grand Pabbie said he wouldn't be willing to help…" Kristoff trailed off as he took in the shambled appearance of the cottage, "He probably doesn't take kindly to visitors. Maybe we should wait and see what he does."

For all intents and purposes, it was a good idea – and probably a wiser strategical choice - but Anna huffed and waited for all of thirty seconds before her impatience got the best of her. "This is ridiculous. I don't have the time to play hide and seek."

She knocked on the door, louder this time. "Hello! Alvar, we know you're in there!"

There was still no response.

Kristoff wiped off a thin layer of dirt from the lone window and peered into the shack. "I think it's empty."

"Oh for the love of-!" Anna shoved the door open and made her way in. "Hello, anybody home?"

The floorboards creaked under her as she walked through the meagre abode. There was hardly anything worth noting. One small ratty bed sat in the corner of the room, its sheets clearly unmade. Across from it lay a small kitchen with utensils tossed asunder and a tiny fireplace.

Kristoff knelt down to check the wood, "It's still warm, he can't have left more than half an hour ago."

"Then he's probably off getting some herbs or something," Anna replied. There was a lone hook near what constituted a bed…the kind of hook that a traveling cloak may drape off of.

"Kind of small for a guy who can do magic, don't you think?"

Anna shrugged, her gaze drawn to a single bookshelf that stood opposite her. The covers of the books gleamed in the early morning light, the gold-lined spines reminding her of certain forbidden tomes that she'd once uncovered in her own library back home.

"Those look like magic books," She whispered as she pulled one out. "The Art of Dark Magic…"

Kristoff shuddered, "You had to pick that one?"

Anna shifted through the pages. The text was mostly illegible but the content seemed beyond intriguing…and yet she wondered how a person who apparently dabbled in dark magic could be the one to help her. "What's someone doing with a book like this?"

"Studying mostly."

The couple jumped at the unexpected presence, only to find a tall, thin, wispy man standing before them.

"Who are you? And what made you think you could enter my cottage uninvited?"

Anna raised her hands in a mea culpa. "Sorry…we were looking for you and didn't see you anywhere so we thought we'd wait and -"

She stopped herself from rambling any further – nervous tic - and stepped forward with purpose, "Are you Alvar?"

The man curiously eyed the girl before him. "Yes…but how do you know who I am?"

"A friend-" When Kristoff gestured to her, she added, "Um, Grand Pabbie told us about you."

"Did he now?" Alvar replied as he dropped the basket he'd been holding onto the floor, "I didn't know he cared." He shrugged off his cloak and threw it onto the bed before making his way to the kitchen.

The couple followed nervously behind him as Kristoff added, "He said you might be able to help us with something."

Alvar grabbed a vessel and placed it on his makeshift stove, "That kooky old troll says a lot of things…doesn't mean you should believe them."

Beside her, Anna could feel Kristoff bristle at the insult. She shared his annoyance.

"Yes he did. Can you help?"

The man finally turned to look at the couple, boredom and a hint of irritation clear in his withered face. "You haven't told me who you are or what you want, and you want me to help you?" He released a mirthless chuckle, "Humans…"

The rude response only served to irk Anna to no end. It seemed they'd traveled all this way only to find perhaps the most inhospitable, caustic, ornery old man this side of the kingdom.

Of course, why must things be easy for me?

She plastered a forced smile on her face. "Sorry, I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle, and this is Kristoff. We came to ask for your help. You see-"

The man raised his hand. "Say no more."

Anna exchanged a surprised glance with Kristoff, hope flaring in her heart at his response.

Maybe this'll be easier than I thought.

"Wait? So, you'll help us?"

The old man poked at the dying embers and watched the fire roar back to life. Satisfied with the heat, he turned to cast a withering look at the couple. "No." He admitted bluntly. "I stopped you because there's no point in wasting your energy. I can't help you…." He paused and remedied, "Actually, I won't help you."

It took all of three seconds for Anna's surprise to morph into frustrated indignation, "What?! You don't even know what I need your help for!"

"And it doesn't matter." The man shrugged nonchalantly. He dumped a carrot into the boiling pot of water, "I don't help royals."

It was all Kristoff could do to keep Anna from punching the man. "Look, Alvar, whatever it is you've got against royals, Anna isn't like them."

The man shook his head, "Don't know if you're telling the truth, but even if you are, I don't care. I don't help royalty."

Anna felt her heart sink. She was supposed to convince this man to help, but how could she persuade someone so darn stupidly stubborn when he couldn't even be bothered to hear her plight?

"Y-You can't just turn us away! Please, Grand Pabbie said you were the only one who could help us."

Alvar chuckled to himself, "That old coot says a lot of crazy things… if I were you, I wouldn't take him so seriously."

It was Anna's turn to stop Kristoff from putting a hole in the man's face, "Please, you have to help! We-" Her eyes widened with a sudden idea, "We can pay you! Whatever your price is, we can pay it! Gold, jewels, whatever you want!"

The man rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Thanks for the generosity, milady, but when you can make gold with the snap of your fingers, such offers aren't quite as appealing anymore. Now if you're quite finished thinking of ways to seek my help, I'd like you to get off my property."

"But-but…" The meaty hand of fear gripped her heart as she realized Elsa's last hope was rapidly fading. "Please, I'm begging you! We came all the way from Arendelle to get your help and-"

"Then I suggest you head back to where you came from." Alvar responded airily. "Arendelle is quite a ways from here, and I'd hate for you to be caught in the woods at night…" He gestured vaguely to the door, "You can start your journey from there."

A speechless Anna stared haplessly at Alvar, then turned to look at Kristoff, but the ice harvester had nothing else to add.

No…it can't end like this.

They'd suffered hours of relentless journey through beast-infested woods and ridden Sven practically into the ground in her haste to reach this man in the hopes that he could save her sister…and for what?

To be tossed out like day old trash without so much as a chance to state her case?

You've failed Elsa, just like I knew you would.

Trembling fists clenched at her side as Anna swallowed the painful lump in her throat. "I came to you because someone I care about is d-dying..." She stuttered on the word - the thought was still unimaginable - but anger fueled her past the grief.

"I came to you because Grand Pabbie told us we could trust you. He even made us promise we'd help you in return!

She took a step forward, her teal eyes burning with a deadly fury forged of heart-broken anger. "Hell, the way he talked about you, we thought we were going to meet this great legend who just needed a little push to remember what his life's purpose was… but you know what?! After seeing you, I think you're just a callous, cold-hearted, selfish little man who's shied away from the world and chooses to live in this miserable excuse for a shack because he was hurt at one point in his life!"

"You're so caught up in your own personal grudges and problems that I don't think you have it in you to care about anyone other than yourself…so perhaps you're right. I am wasting my time!"

Anna swiveled around, a raspy growl prying itself from her now hoarse throat, "Come on, Kristoff. Let's get out of here."

She headed towards the door, her rage barely contained within clenched fists, her mind swirling with the disappointment.

I have to find some other way…maybe go back to the trolls. I'll go all the way to the Caves of Gedref if I have to, but I most certainly am not going to let -

"I used to do that, you know. Care about other people, I mean."

The quiet words stopped them in their tracks. They turned back to Alvar, but the old man didn't seem to be addressing them, his gaze fixed squarely on the boiling pot of water.

"I used to help people find their purpose in life…their destiny, if you will." He smiled sadly, "I taught them to embrace their gifts rather than fear them, as my mentor once did for me."

He threw a radish into the pot.

"My entire life was filled with the study of magic and its applications. I reveled in the knowledge and cherished any opportunity I had to share it with the world. I did too…for centuries."

Centuries?! Anna exchanged a wide-eyed look with her partner.

"But things changed. What was once revered as a gift from the gods suddenly appeared demonic. The world began to fear all kinds of magic…and anyone who practiced it."

The sorcerer bowed his head, "People stopped asking me for guidance because they no longer believed their own powers to be a gift, only a curse."

When he looked up, Anna was shocked to find agony barely concealed in his old gray eyes.

"I was hunted, princess. Hunted by my patrons, my neighbors, even my own friends. The kings and queens that had once sought my counsel turned on me once public sentiment shifted. They didn't care about me, or how their betrayal shook me to my core. All that mattered to them was maintaining an image in the eyes of their public."

He turned away, a twisted mixture of despair and bitterness crossing his features. "And sacrificing me to save face seemed like a small price to pay for them, I suppose."

"I'm so sorry…" Anna whispered, tears forming in her eyes as she listened to his horrific tale, but Alvar didn't hear it.

"I barely escaped with my life. I ran with what little I could salvage and I didn't stop running for decades afterwards…not until I found myself here."

He gestured to his cottage, "This is the only place I can call home, because here, amongst the wild beasts, I feel safe."

"I don't worry that they will turn their back on me or that they'll feed me to the wolves…" He laughed and admitted, "The wolves are actually rather gentle, once you get to know them."

He straightened up and turned to her, "So when you presume I am callous and cold-hearted and selfish, perhaps you are right, princess. But I've learned the hard way that when the world cares nothing for you, there is no point in caring for it."

The cottage fell into dreadful silence as Anna wrestled with her emotions. All the anger she'd felt for Alvar now manifested itself as sympathy for the hard life he'd suffered through.

It seemed there were more similarities between him and Elsa than she'd expected.

She stepped forward, her voice barely audible above the crackling fire on the stove. "I'm so sorry...I didn't - I shouldn't have said what I did. I didn't know you-" She hung her head, "I'm sorry you suffered like that."

The man blinked in surprise at her unexpected words before his emotions shifted to a strange nonchalance born from years of concealing his pain. Unfortunately, it was a look Anna recognized.

"Don't be. Mistakes were made, and lessons were learned. That is the way of the world."

They were words Anna had heard before, and the response…was just as painfully familiar. "I-I don't know what it feels like to be shunned for your magic. But I've seen how much it hurts, and I'd never do that to anyone. I think magic is special…it's a blessing, not a curse."

Alvar chuckled mirthlessly, "Everyone says that, princess, but no one truly means it."

The princess drew closer, but though she meant to refute his words, an admission tumbled out instead. "My older sister, Elsa…she has magic."

The words drew a surprised blink from Alvar.

Sensing his surprise, she elaborated. "She spent thirteen years fearing herself and her powers because she had no idea what people would say about her if they ever found out. She thought of herself as a monster…and all because she hit me once on accident."

The thought of Elsa brought a bittersweet smile to her face as she admitted, "I know she still fears her magic sometimes, though she doesn't always tell me. But I understand your pain, I've seen these scars before."

"You say she once hurt you?" Alvar asked, curiosity clear in his old gray eyes, "And yet you don't fear her…you don't hate her?"

"I never could," Anna replied without missing a beat. "I love my sister, and that includes everything that makes her special… especially her magic."

Alvar sat in stunned silence, perplexed by the person standing before her. Here was a rare manifestation of personal conviction, familial devotion and moral clarity…and in a royal no less. He chuckled at the absurd thought.

"I don't believe I've ever met anyone like you, princess. Royal or otherwise."

Kristoff smiled at those words, "Anna's special, that much I could have told you myself."

Hmm, special indeed. Alvar mused at the ice harvester's words before turning to the princess once more.

"Is she the reason you came to see me?"

The words dimmed Anna's mood, her worry for Elsa seeping through, "Something's happened to her…she's in a coma, and her magic - it seems to be fading away."

Alvar pursed his lips, a grim, inscrutable look in his face. As silence fell over the cabin once again, Anna feared that her breakthrough was short-lived.

Come on, please please please…

"I may be able to help."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Really?! You can heal her?"

"I can't say for sure until I've identified the problem. But I will do what I can."

But even that half promise was enough to make Anna feel the weight of the world lifting off her shoulder.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Before she could think through her actions, she hurried up and pulled the man into a big hug.

It seems this one is full of surprises.

Alvar thought as he returned the gesture with an awkward pat of his own before pulling away, only to watch with mild amusement as Anna processed her behavior, "OH! I'm so sorry! I just got excited, and I hugged you, but I didn't even ask if you were okay with that, and I probably made you super uncomfortable, cause you're probably not used to it what with you living in the mountains all alone and all and – yeah, I shouldn't have done that."

She bowed her head, her eyes filled with a combination of repentance and fragile hope. "But you'll still help my sister, right?"

The man returned a soft smile, touched by the girl's steadfast devotion to her sibling. "I'll help, princess. In any way I can."

The gleam returned to her eyes, "Thanks Alvar, you have no idea what this means to me."

Kristoff cut in, his eyes darting to look out the window. "We should probably head back now. We'll be lucky if we can make it to Arendelle by sunrise tomorrow."

Anna agreed as she turned back to the sorcerer, "Grand Pabbie said Elsa had only three days left, and that was before we set out to find you."

Alvar picked up his cloak, "Then we haven't a moment to lose."

The fire was only getting worse.

She'd tried to the best of her abilities to quench the flames, but no matter what she threw at them, the mass burned ever brighter, as if she were only fueling it rather than trying to quell it.

She had since retreated to the far corner of her dais, the only place she could now stand and not worry about burning her feet as the rest of the platform became consumed by the hungry blaze.

Her voice, now hoarse from screaming for help, existed only to release a rattling cough as the smoke worked its way into her lungs.

Why she hadn't fainted from smoke inhalation, she couldn't say.

But there was clearly no way out, and slowly, Elsa had begun to accept that.

This is is…she thought to herself. This is how I die. Consumed by the flames that once haunted me in my nightmares, powerless to do anything other than to watch.

She collapsed into a heap and watched her world burn before her.

Chapter Text

-Monday morning (somewhere in the Black Mountains)-

Alvar glanced over curiously at the reindeer and the princess seated atop it. She looked at home with the furry creature, often reaching over to scratch its scruff and exchanging quick quips and giggles with the man seated behind her.

Over his long lifetime, he'd never encountered a royal quite like this one. One who befriended scruffy looking animals and kept company with equally scruffy looking woodsmen. Who ventured through dangerous, danger-infested woods to obtain curious remedies from complete strangers. Who didn't flaunt their royal position at every turn or turn their nose up at the slightest of inconveniences.

The princess was a strange phenomenon indeed… and as Alvar's pale mare clopped beside the girl that had sought his help, he was curious to learn more.

"So, princess, if I may ask…are reindeer the standard mode of transportation in Arendelle?"

Anna giggled, "You don't have to call me princess. Just Anna will do." She turned her attention to Sven. "And as for your question, not really. Sven's a special case, but no, most people don't travel by reindeer. You can say I'm different that way." She looked to Kristoff with a smile, "We both are."

Different indeed.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but that seems to be the case in many respects, princess."

Anna shrugged. She'd never quite understood why there were so many rules around being a princess.

"I'm not the kind of person that can just sit around and sip tea with my pinky up." She gestured to the forest, "I gotta get out there and do something, get my hands dirty, get things done, that sort of thing. I'd rather be someone who tries to do something worthwhile instead of just watching life unfold like I'm at a play."

So I've noticed.

"And your sister? The queen? She approves of this…adventurous spirit of yours?'

Anna paused at the mention of Elsa. Was she okay? Was she hanging on?

"Even if it did bother Elsa, she'd never tell me to change who I am." She managed a sad smile as she returned to Alvar's question. "Sometimes, I think about how lucky I am that she's my sister… because she's the kind of person that'll sacrifice her own happiness just to see me smile."

"She did that once before, for years, actually." Anna let out a soft sigh at the statement. "When the accident happened, Elsa shut herself off from the world…and from me." A lump settled in her throat at the painful memories of her childhood. Some things she was sure she could never forget.

"I know she was just trying to protect me, but we spent thirteen years apart… and as much as I want to believe everything is okay now that we're together again, I know it'll never be the same because Elsa gave up so much during those years just to keep me safe."

"We're getting better, but there are still secrets between us, and fears that perhaps we might never be able to share with each other. And yet, in spite of all that, we can't help but love each other. Wooden doors can't stop us…" She let out a low chuckle, "Well, they certainly won't stop me."

She looked to Alvar, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "Elsa…she's my best friend, my role model, my hero even. She always has been. That's why I'd do anything for her, even if it means trekking through dangerous forests or fighting off wild animals, because she never cares about herself…but I do, and I think she deserves all the happiness in the world."

Yes, what a rare duo indeed.

Alvar smiled sadly as he admitted, "It's not often I see a royal family so closely knit. The royals I once knew had fractured relationships with their kin. Dishonesty, betrayal, jealousy and hatred ran rampant among the lot…it always seemed to me that the gift of such relationships was wasted on the people who would never understand them."

Anna considered his words. "Do you have any siblings?"

He only shook his head, a lump forming in his own throat at the reminder. "I wish I did. Hearing how much you love your sister makes me painfully aware of my own absent family." He sighed. "My kin are all long gone. With such a long life comes a heavy burden, I'm afraid, and for me, it is watching everyone I love leave this world before I can."

Anna bowed her head. She couldn't think of anything more terrifying than outliving her loved ones. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"But I did have a mentor for many years. Though we were not related by blood, I always considered him an older brother."

Anna looked on with a sudden, renewed interest. "Really? What was he like?"

For Alvar, the recollection was a wistful one. "He was special, even among other sorcerers of his caliber. His skill and familiarity with the elements were surpassed only by his kind nature and his desire to help those who needed it." He looked to Anna, "All that I know, all that I have achieved, I attribute to him."

The princess absorbed the words. "What is it like, having magic like yours? And, how did you become so familiar with your abilities?"

The question brought a light chuckle to the old man's lips. "There is no greater feeling than possessing the power to control the elements, but I can't say the process was easy. When I first became an apprentice, I was wary of my abilities. Any magical skills I had demonstrated before my apprenticeship were purely accidents. I could not control my powers or understand their source."

"I remember my master asking me to help him with a particular potion, but my clumsy fingers only made a mess of the concoction, and what was supposed to be a healing potion became a useless sludge."

He sighed, "I remember running out of the room, crying because I thought I'd made a fool of myself. But he followed me out, sat down beside me on the steps, and said I'd made him proud."

He smiled, "I thought he was patronizing me. After all, how could he be proud when I'd messed up such a time-consuming, difficult potion and set him back by days? But he simply said, 'You're new to all of this, and so I don't expect perfection. I expect effort.'"

Anna returned a small smile of her own, her eyes wide with understanding. "You had the courage to try."

"That, I did, and it was all he expected from me. Either way, he said if I wanted to leave, I was free to do so…and part of me did want to give up, because I didn't think I deserved his confidence and support. But then I supposed that if my master had enough faith in me to trust me with his work, then perhaps I owed it to him to make the effort to maintain it."

"And did you?"

Alvar nodded, "The journey wasn't easy, but such journeys rarely are. When there are expectations of you and work to be done, there will be doubt as well, but if you find an anchor of support – whether it be yourself or someone who believes in you – then you'll overcome any hurdle."

To Anna, it was a welcome thought and a validation that if a sorcerer like Alvar could struggle with self-doubt, perhaps she had nothing to worry about.

"Elsa has always wanted to find someone like herself. I know she has hundreds of questions she'd love to ask you. Maybe when she's better, you could help her with her magic?"

The question warmed his heart. "Of course, princess. If I can be of any help to your sister, I'd be delighted to lend my services. By the way, what powers does she possess?"

Anna grinned, "Oh, only the best! We don't call her the Snow Queen for nothing!"

Snow Queen?!

If Anna noticed the wide eyes of shock and surprise on Alvar's face, she didn't let on, instead choosing to talk at great detail about her sister's awesome powers.

But the sorcerer's attention was elsewhere. He said nothing more for the rest of their journey.

-Monday afternoon (Arendelle)-

Gerda could no longer bear to watch her young charge struggle under the weight of her burden. Her skin burned with the fury of a mid-day sun, to the point where no one could touch her without scalding their skin. To the best of her attempts, Gerda had tried to cool her warm skin, but now it seemed all she could do was watch the girl fade before her eyes.

She turned to Kai, a sob caught in her throat. "I-I can't do this anymore."

The chamberlain could sympathize with her, for he had not been able to stomach the sight of the comatose queen for much long himself. He looked out the queen's window, his keen eyes searching for any sign of the princess. She was supposed to be back hours ago, but she had yet to return.

I shouldn't have let her go…not without a contingent of guards.

But deep down, the man knew the princess would resist any such suggestion. She was like that, determined beyond belief to do things on her own and without help. And though she was incredibly capable, it would have alleviated the strain on his old heart if she listened to him just once in a while.

He sighed and turned away. At least she had the ice harvester by her side. It was a small relief, indeed, but it was a relief.

Kai focused on the pale monarch before him.

Elsa looked like the goddess of death herself as the once pale, ashy skin of hers had now turned into a papery white. Her cracked lip were now a deepish blue and the purple circles under her eyes had deepened into a charcoal black, so that her pale, gaunt face resembled that of an undead spirit…a ghost.

He shuddered and turned away, unable to wipe the image from his mind.

Terrifying though the sight was, he knew there was still time to save her, and with the princess yet to return, there was still hope as well.

"Kai, Kai!"

The doors swung open as Lieutenant Emil, the queen's personal guard, hurried in, his eyes wide with the promise of urgent news. "The princess, she's back!"

Kai hurried to him, "She is?"

Gerda came up beside him, "Is she safe? And Kristoff too?"

Emil nodded, "Yes, and yes…and she brought someone!"

Kai whispered a thanks to the heavens before hurrying out of the room as fast as his old legs would carry him to meet the princess himself.

Returning to Arendelle was a bittersweet moment for Anna, mostly because she hadn't expected to see her home until late Sunday evening, after a long and thoroughly relaxing weekend away…

But returning home meant seeing Elsa again and with Alvar's help, hopefully it meant an end to her sister's plight as well.

Elsa…

Worry gripped her heart at the thought of her sister's condition, but she managed to push it to the side for just a moment as she saw Kai, Sorenson and Gerda hurry into the yard, relief evident on their worn faces.

"Anna!" As soon as the princess dismounted from Sven, she was engulfed in a hug from the old handmaiden, the woman barely holding back tears as she squeezed the life out of the young woman.

"You scared the living daylights out of me, venturing into the Black Mountains like that on a moment's notice. Are you trying to give me a heart attack, young lady?"

Anna exchanged a bemused look with Kai and Kristoff before replying, "No, Gerda…I would have told you, but I had to get Elsa some help and we couldn't waste any time."

The woman wiped at her eyes, "You and that sister of yours, between the two of you, I'm not sure who's going to be the death of me."

Anna smirked, "Oh I am. No contest."

Gerda let out a small laugh before ushering the princess in, "Come, come. Poor girl, goodness knows whether you've eaten properly….and you must take a bath. Sleeping on the forest floors is hardly acceptable behavior for a princess."

"No, Gerda." Anna replied, her smile fading at the reminder of her journey. "I'll deal with all of that later. First, I need to see Elsa."

The redhead didn't miss the pained look Kai and Gerda gave each other.

"She's getting worse, isn't she?"

Gerda nodded, "We can no longer touch her. Her skin is too warm."

Alvar stepped forward, making himself known to the servants with a grim request. "Then we must see her, at once."

Elsa looked like a ghost.

Someone had undone her braided platinum hair so that it framed her gaunt, pale face on the pillow. With the juxtaposition of almost white hair against rapidly paling skin, her sister seemed as far from the colorful world of the living as she could get.

It was all Anna could do to keep from bursting into tears.

How had it gotten this far?

"Elsa?" The princess reached out absentmindedly to stroke her sister's cheek but was stopped by a knobby hand. "No, princess. You'll scald your hand on her skin."

Anna swallowed the lump in her throat as she turned to Alvar, "Can you figure out what's wrong with her?"

He nodded, his eyes never leaving the queen. "I think I may have an idea. But I'll need some space and privacy."

The words caused a rumble of anxiety in the room. Sorenson came to stand by her side, one eye trained on the stranger. "May I have a word, princess?"

Anna wanted to brush the man off, but the look in his eyes seemed rather urgent. She sighed and moved to a quiet corner of the room. "This better be quick, Sorenson."

"Forgive my saying so, Your Highness. But I don't trust this man alone with our queen."

The sudden hostility from the servant took Anna by surprise. "He's here to help."

"And a complete stranger, using magic we are not familiar with."

The snide tone in the servant's voice drew a stern look from Anna. She didn't know what had gotten into the man, but she didn't like it one bit. "Grand Pabbie said we could trust him, and I trust the trolls." Her raised eyebrow dared him to continue the argument.

Sorenson sighed, "I'm sure the trolls mean well, ma'am, but we have no familiarity with this man, or with what he's capable of. Given the queen's condition was caused by magic, surely you understand my concerns? I mean…" His voice became impossibly lower, "We don't even know who is responsible."

Anna's glare turned almost deadly, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"No ma'am," He attempted to backtrack, "I don't mean to imply anything…it's just…if another person could stay here and watch the man work. That would ensure the queen's safety. That is our top concern, is it not?"

Ignoring his sudden mistrust and lack of faith in her judgement, one thing Anna could credit Sorenson with was keeping his eye on the priorities.

I suppose he does have a point.

"Alvar?" She called over to the old sorcerer. She looked to Elsa, hoping to word her request as delicately as possible. "If it's not too inconvenient…I'd like to stay here, by my sister's side."

She expected a hint of indignation, perhaps even outrage at not being trusted, but instead, the man nodded in agreement. "Of course, princess. You can stay if you wish, but I will need ample room to enact this spell."

"Then it seems all is settled, is it not?" She directed the harsh whisper at Sorenson, who clearly had more to say.

"Will you be okay, ma'am? If you'd like me to keep an eye on him instead…?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, you don't have to worry." Her eyes darted to the old man, who was flipping through a spell book as he waited, "Alvar's a friend."

She didn't know what to make of the pursed lips and narrowed glare that the chamberlain's assistant delivered in response.

"I just hope your friendship isn't misplaced, ma'am." He simply replied before closing the door behind him.

Anna managed a small, irritated huff at the now closed door. He always did say the weirdest things.

"I'm ready to begin, princess, if you'd like to watch."

The princess managed a small smile of gratitude at Alvar before positioning herself by Elsa's side. Her hand itched to reach for her sister's soft hands, but it was something she'd have to go without.

Hopefully not for long.

She looked to her sister, her heart filled with the most volatile of all emotions: hope.

Soon, Elsie. Soon we'll figure out just what's wrong with you and get you fixed.

Chapter Text

Anna hadn't been witness to many magical displays, but even to a lay person like her, it seemed Alvar was in an entirely different echelon of power.

The man stood at the foot of Elsa's bed, his hands raised in a grand gesture before him as he uttered an incantation that Anna couldn't begin to understand.

" O spiritus lumen! Rogo vos, ut me adiuvet invenire principium in dolor id fuerit factum, et adiuva me, sanare vulnera, quod fuerit fecit!"

(Oh spirits of the light. I beseech you to help me find the source of the pain that has been wrought and help me heal the hurt that has been caused!)

But the words, whatever they were, caused a silvery blue light to glow from Elsa, its radiance illuminating the room in an otherworldly scene.

Alvar raised his hands higher still, palms pointing to the ceiling.

" O spiritus lumen! Rogo vos, ut me adiuvet invenire principium in dolor id fuerit factum, et adiuva me, sanare vulnera, quod fuerit fecit!"

The light pulsed erratically, growing and shrinking in size that Anna was left spellbound by the display.

Winds buffeted around the room, flowing under her travel cloak and rustling the frames on the wall. Furniture trembled, but the gust wasn't enough to cause much more damage.

Thankfully…

There was a startled rattling from the door, "Princess Anna! Are you okay?!"

Anna cursed under her breath. She didn't know if the spell was hard to maintain, but surely distractions couldn't be a good thing for Alvar right now. She looked to the man and found his eyes glowing with the same bluish glow that illuminated Elsa. He didn't seem to have heard the commotion.

"Yeah!" Anna called out over the din of the wind. "I'm fine, Kai. Don't worry…it's just a bit of wind."

Thankfully, the answer was sufficient. The noise died down.

Anna turned back to the display, but the faint light surrounding Elsa had grown dimmer and smaller. She watched with bated breath as the spell seemed to reach its conclusion, the light slowly dimming more and more until suddenly the glow just stopped.

With it died the wind, leaving crooked picture frames, ruffled carpets and a princess with a case of crazy hair in her sister's chamber.

"Did it work?" She turned to Alvar, but the sorcerer stood rooted to the floor, his eyes closed, his hands up as they had been before.

Several tense minutes later, Alvar finally opened his eyes and turned to her.

"Yes princess, I know what is wrong with your sister." He bowed his head. "She has been poisoned."

"Poisoned?!" Anna replied, her eyes darting to look at her sister. "But-but the physician said there was nothing she could do."

"And she was right, Your Highness." Alvar replied smoothly, "For this poisoning is not one of herbs, it is one of magic."

At Anna's incredulous look, he explained. "There are many sources of magic out in this world. Some, like your sister's, are benign. They reflect the elements and exist to bring balance to the natural world. Others, however, seek to destroy the natural order and bring about chaos and destruction."

"Dark magic." Anna whispered as she looked over at him.

The sorcerer nodded. "Indeed. Such dark magic has many uses. But more often than not, it seeks to torment benign magic users in an attempt to profit from their pain."

He gestured to a comatose Elsa. "Such is the case with your sister. Whatever she is suffering from is a result of a spell of dark magic, one that seeks to strip her of her powers and leave her with nothing."

Anna processed the information, but it seemed she had only more questions. "Who would do such a thing…and why?"

The man's face darkened with an expression Anna could not decipher. "I do not have the answers you seek, princess. But I do know that such dark magic can only have a stronghold on the victim if it is present in a magical talisman. One that the victim is often in the proximity of, so that the magic can do its work whenever they are near."

She swallowed, "And-and you think one of those things is around here somewhere?"

He nodded grimly. "Given the condition your sister is in, I dare say that this talisman that holds her hostage is close. Very close."

"In fact," he gestured before him, "I believe the answer to all your troubles is in this very room."

Perhaps the first thing people learned about Elsa was that she was a neat-freak.

Everything in its place and a place for everything.

It was something the queen always seemed to be saying, probably because Anna rammed through vases and suits of armor willy-nilly and left her laundry piles on her bedroom floor for so long that she could never tell what was clean and what needed washing, or probably because she always 'forgot' to return any accessories she borrowed from her older sibling because they inevitably went missing in her room.

But in any case, Elsa was practically the personification of that phrase.

So Anna couldn't help but chuckle at the realization that if Elsa were able to see the state of her room now, she'd have thrown a massive tantrum, complete with curses and insults that could make a sailor blush.

Because everything was a shambled mess.

Every drawer, cabinet or other synonymous storage container was turned inside out, the seemingly infinite stacks of papers strewn across the floor amongst an almost unhealthy amount of spare gloves – oh, Anna was so having a conversation about that with her sister later – and a smorgasbord of other surprisingly boring objects.

But no talisman… I think.

"How do we know what the talisman looks like?"

Alvar looked over at her, "I don't suppose you'll have trouble identifying it. It'll burn with the fury of a thousand suns. You certainly won't be able to pick it up with your bare hands."

Kristoff looked over from the vanity, "Wouldn't we have noticed something like that…oh I don't know…burning a darn hole in the wall? Or setting the room on fire?"

Alvar shook his head. "The heat is a metaphysical concept, felt only by organic beings. It would not be perceived as hot in an inorganic environment."

Kristoff scratched his head. "Right." He turned back to shuffle through the drawers.

Anna sighed and shoved the desk drawer closed with a bit more force than she'd intended. Hours of searching and they hadn't found a single clue.

She turned to Gerda, who was over at her sister's bookshelf, "Any luck?"

The woman merely shook her head before returning to check between the spaces.

It was with an exhausted sigh that Anna made her way to Elsa's side, the new information she'd learned only adding to her grief. She rested against the headboard, her eyes never leaving Elsa's face.

"Every time I think we'll get some answers, I only end up with more questions…." The princess sighed and bowed her head, "I just want to fix this."

Her hand hovered over Elsa's head as she wished to the heavens above that she could stroke her sister's hair; instead, she adjusted the pillow in a pathetic attempt of offering some comfort.

As she did so, the faint glint of a metallic object caught her eye.

"Huh…that's weird."

She reached beneath Elsa's pillow to remove whatever lay under and immediately drew back as a surging heat scalded her fingertips.

Anna jumped up, her eyes wide with realization. "Here! It's under her pillow!"

Everyone converged near the queen, with Alvar bending down to look at the object himself. "It appears you're right, princess."

When Gerda reached for it, he stopped her, "No. We cannot touch this with our bare hands." He produced a handkerchief and wrapped the object in it, only revealing the item once he's wrestled it free from under the pillow.

Ornate engraved fire symbols wrapped around the medallion, which burned a bright, almost blinging orange. Its light cast an ominous glow across their stunned faces.

"I've never seen anything like it." Kristoff whispered to nods of agreement from the others.

Alvar swallowed the words he had been about to say and nodded, "Well, yes, this is a rare talisman indeed. A fire medallion, to be exact."

He looked up and explained, "Such talismans are designed specifically to hold dark magic. And this one was most likely created to hurt Elsa specifically."

"And under her pillow this whole time?" Gerda shook her head, a dangerous frown on her lips. "I'll be having a word with the maids on rotation. Their carelessness could have cost the queen her life!"

"I'm afraid it very well could have." Alvar admitted. "She's been too close to this for too long. The medallion must have leeched onto her magical signature by now. The longer she remains exposed to this, the more quickly her powers will be drained from her."

The princess clenched her fists, "How do we destroy it?'

"We don't have the means to destroy it right now, but we can get rid of it. If we are to have any chance of saving her, this must be disposed of as far away from the kingdom as possible."

Anna blinked, "Not that I'm complaining, but does it really need to go that far away?"

He nodded grimly, "The pull of this magic is powerful and extends for hundreds of miles. Given her critical condition, even minimal exposure to the medallion could kill her. This needs to go…now."

"I'll see to it right away." Kai accepted the bundle from Alvar and hurried off, leaving the princess to turn with an exhale of relief.

"So, that's it, right? Elsa can wake up now?"

Alvar shook his head as he rose, "I'm afraid it isn't quite so simple, princess. Your sister has spent days in the thralls of the medallion's dark magic. For magic users such as your sister, their powers are very clearly intertwined with their life force. To lose one is to lose the other. Her powers may yet be saved, but her body will not have the energy to survive if we do not heal her."

He reached into his satchel. "Fortunately, I brought my spell book with me. There is a potion I can create that should return her energy back to her, but for that, I'll need one ingredient."

Gerda clambered to her feet, "The castle storage is filled with any herbs you desire, sir."

He smiled sadly, "I'm afraid the ingredient I'm looking for is far rarer than that, ma'am. What I need is found in only one field near a lake on the North Mountain. The purple flower-"

"Of a mandrake root?"

He stared incredulously at Anna and Kristoff, both of whom had beat him to the chase. "Perhaps it's not as rare as I thought."

The couple exchanged a wry smile before Anna answered. "Kristoff brought me a few of those flowers a while back, so I planted some in our gardens." She jumped up, "I'll just go grab them now."

Alvar nodded, "Then I'll begin making the potion right away. We have no time to waste."

Anna hurried down the hallway, her mind swirling with all she had learned.

Someone had poisoned her sister with the intention of taking her powers away, but who, and how they'd acquired such magical abilities, Anna didn't understand.

Every time I think I'm getting some answers, I get more questions.

She turned the corner to the castle gardens, her eyes brightening at the sight of the familiar doors. Just past those doors lay the final piece to her sister's cure.

And once Elsa is awake, I'll make sure I give whoever caused this a swift kick in the jaw…but they deserve much more than that.

She shoved the doors open and hurried to the patch she'd created only days before. The bright purple flowers would stand out against the sea of yellow crocuses that made up half the castle gardens.

"It's a stroke of luck that I decided to plant them," Anna whispered to herself as she ran past the water fountain towards the flower beds at the far end of the garden.

But her blood ran cold at the sight that awaited her because the flowers were…

"Gone."

Every single mandrake flower she had planted. Gone.

Whoever had done it hadn't bothered to be careful about it either. Overturned dirt littered the pavement before her, roots tossed carelessly this way and that so that the whole thing looked like a crime scene.

"No, no, no!" She dropped to her knees, hands frantically searching for something she knew no longer existed.

"W-Who did this?!" The princess stuttered in utter shock. But deep down, Anna feared she knew the answer to that question.

There's a traitor in our midst. And they know we're trying to save Elsa.

Chapter Text

"Who could have known about the mandrake flowers? Alvar just told us they were part of the cure like…5 minutes ago."

Anna looked up at Kristoff, her red, puffy eyes swirling with confusion. "I don't know…but whoever it is, they knew what they were doing. They must have realized we were trying to cure her and gotten rid of the one thing we do need."

She turned to the sorcerer, "Isn't there anything else you can try?"

Alvar hung his head, "No, princess. This spell is the only one that would work on your sister, and without the mandrake flower, the potion is useless."

Anna dropped her head into her hands, struggling to keep her tears at bay. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, Gerda's, but the gesture fared poorly against the silence that suffocated the room and any optimism she had once held.

All hope is lost.

"Or not."

Heads turned to the ice harvester, who blanched at the sudden attention. "What about the field? It isn't so far up the North Mountain that we couldn't go there and come back in time."

A spark of hope reignited at his words, "You think we can do it?"

Kristoff nodded, "Probably better to take some horses though. I don't know that Sven has the energy to make that trip, not after what we put him through earlier."

Anna nodded knowingly, her heart soaring at the second chance. A chance to fix things. A chance to save Elsa. It was with this new fiery determination that she turned to Gerda. "Please keep watch over Elsa. We'll get the flowers and be back well before sunset."

The handmaiden released a fond, exasperated, worried sigh. "As much as I wish you'd stay where it is safe, especially with a traitor on the loose, I also know I can do nothing to hold you back, especially not now." She pulled the princess into a hug, "Take care, my dear. You are just as important as your sister."

Anna nodded against the old woman before drawing back. "Alvar, could you have the potion ready by the time we come back?"

The man nodded, "I'll have it all set."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged a knowing nod before heading out the door, but they couldn't have gone more than twenty feet when Kai came hurrying up to them. "Princess!"

Anna didn't slow down, "I'm sorry, Kai, but I need to go and get one more ingredient for Elsa's cure. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

The chamberlain blocked her path, something akin to regret morphing his features. "Your Highness, I'm afraid you have other pressing matters to tend to. It appears the council has learned about the queen's condition and they are furious."

"What?!" Anna burst out, "How did they even find out?"

Kai shook his head, "I wish I knew, Your Highness. But it doesn't matter how they found out. The members are in the council chambers right now, demanding you give them some answers about the situation."

Anna could feel a dull headache against the back of her eyelids. "Later, Kai. I'll deal with the council after Elsa is cured."

The chamberlain didn't miss the tense set of her shoulders or the curled fist that kept her legendary anger at bay. Nor was he unaware of the circumstances that hovered over the castle like a dark cloud. But even in Arendelle's darkest hour, he could not ignore his duty, nor could he let the princess avoid hers.

He shook his head, "I'm afraid the matter is entirely out of your hands, princess. You must meet with them now. They are demanding it."

Her dull headache became more acute. Council meetings on their own were an insufferable nightmare, but now…

Anna let out a frustrated huff. "Kai, I can't do this right now. Not while Elsa's life is at stake…." Her words were pleading, desperate. "You know I need to go."

And she did. The princess had never been the type of person to sit around and let life happen around her, and when it came to protecting those she loved, she was usually at the front of the charge, working tirelessly to ensure everyone's happiness and security. It was perhaps her most admirable trait…

But, right now, it was also perhaps her biggest detriment.

He let out a soft sigh. "Anna, if I may, I did not object to your leaving the kingdom to travel to the Black Mountains for two days, nor do I object to you leaving now. But in your sister's absence, you are the leader of this kingdom and the other half of our government is demanding an explanation. You must do your job."

Helplessness morphed the princess' features. She turned away, biting her lower lip as she struggled with what to do next.

Sympathy graced his features, "I know you wish to help your sister and that you can't sit by and wait for things to happen around you. But even so, your obligation to the kingdom comes first." When Anna opened her mouth to object, he added gently, hesitantly, "You know your sister would agree with me."

It was these words that broke through her stubborn resolve, because, as always, Kai was right. Anna swallowed painfully. The thought of delaying their trip any longer churned her stomach, but she did have a job to do.

A warm, strong hand came to rest on her tense shoulder, "If you want, I can take some guards and head up to the fields."

"I'll talk to the council. But it'll have to be quick, cause, after that, I'm heading up to the North Mountain to look for that cure myself." She turned to her boyfriend, "Come on. Let's go see what they want from us."

As soon as Anna entered the council chambers, twelve angry faces burst out in utter indignation, all talking over themselves in an unbearable cacophony.

It wasn't until the princess smacked her hand on the table that they stopped, but the sweet silence was brief.

"Your Highness, just what is going on? We had to learn from the mouths of castle servants that the queen is on her deathbed. Did no one think it prudent to inform the council of such a grave and consequential development?"

Anna clenched her fists at Minister Aleksander's characterization of the situation. "We understand your concerns, but we've been a little busy finding a cure for my sister. And she is not on her deathbed, just a little under the weather."

Minister Mikkael adjusted his glasses, "Is it not true that if a cure is not found for the queen by today's sunset, then there is no hope for her?"

She had no idea how the council had gotten wind of such specifics, but she grimaced and agreed with a tense nod, "Yes. But we're getting-"

"And rather than hear this from your own mouth, we had to rely on the paltry gossip of SERVANTS to gather information about one of the most pressing developments in our government's function. Does this not strike you as a dereliction of your duties, princess?"

Kristoff stepped forward, his ire growing, "As she said, she's been a little busy."

"Ah yes…finding a cure for the queen." Mikkael mused airily. "And did it occur to you, Your Highness, that there are guards that are trained for such tasks as heading into the Black Mountains to find some doddery old man?"

Anna grit her teeth, her anger bubbling just beneath the surface with the fury of an active volcano. It was with the greatest of efforts that she managed to keep from lashing out at the man.

"I needed to talk to the man myself. I was trying to do what was necessary…"

"No, princess. You weren't doing what was necessary. you were just trying to play hero, that's all. You gallivanting through the mountains while the future of Arendelle hangs in the balance doesn't bode well for the state of this nation." He turned to his council. "Is this the kind of behavior we can expect when the throne passes to you?"

WHEN?!

Hell had no equal like an irate Anna on the verge of explosion, but perhaps the others sensed this because Kai stepped in for her with a sharp remark of his own.

"If I didn't know any better, Minister Mikkael, I'd say that was a treasonous statement you just uttered." His booming voice serving as a reminder to all council members, lest they be foolish enough to repeat the man's mistakes.

The man shrunk a little at the unexpected outburst from the normally passive chamberlain, but that hardly dissipated the tense silence in the room.

"Princess," Minister Tennfjord interjected. "Can you at least tell us how the situation came to be? What is wrong with Her Majesty? Who is behind this? And have they been caught yet?"

Anna hung her head. Unfortunately, all of those were questions she could not answer. "I-I don't have the information you're looking for, Minister, not yet, at least." But she swallowed the lump in her throat and added somewhat abruptly, "But we'll find answers. We'll conduct an investigation and punish whoever was responsible."

"I have no doubt the answers will be found, princess," The man replied grimly, "But of course, you must see the predicament we are under. It's been three days since the ruler of our land fell gravely ill, but you still cannot tell us why or how this came to pass. This is why we have concerns about your leadership capabilities, Your Highness. A government cannot be run without attention to such simple and crucial details, not when the future and security of this nation hang in the balance."

Tears threatened to make a most unseemly appearance as Anna felt herself withering under the criticism. She clenched her fists under the table, nails biting into her palm to draw blood.

They're right. It was my responsibility to take care of the kingdom in Elsa's absence…but I've failed.

"Princess…" The bishop began in a much gentler tone, "We understand you are doing what you can to help the queen, but in her absence, you must fulfill your role as princess regent…and leaving the kingdom for extended trips, no matter what their purpose, will not inspire confidence in your public."

"But-" She dropped off, not sure what to say. She knew what the council wanted her to do, but Elsa needed her.

More like I need her right now.

It was with a hint of regret that Anna wished she'd paid more attention to her sister during her royal training. Matters of the council had always been the least interesting part of her obligations, but Anna was beginning to understand just why Elsa had sought to prepare her.

For moments just like this…when the council decides to pounce like a pack of rabid wolves on a helpless lamb.

As she watched the group descend into another round of self-initiated, self-righteous debate over her purported faults, Anna struggled to remember all her sister had taught.

((()))

It had been a particularly difficult day for Elsa, what with the council smacking down every one of her proposals without so much as a glance at her hard work.

In a moment of confusion, Anna had asked her sister how she, an ordinary second in command, could ever hope to overcome them if they had rejected Elsa's work and all of its accompanying regal queenliness.

To her surprise, Elsa returned a small smile. "Confidence, Anna. It's all about confidence. They are your advisors, but you owe them nothing more than a chance to plead their case and an unbiased, receptive ear for their pleas to fall on. You are the monarch, every decision, every step…it all falls to you."

Anna sighed, "But they didn't even offer you the same courtesy. And you can't pass these laws without them."

Elsa agreed. "On paper, that is true. They will try to manipulate you. They will try to make you feel worthless without them, as if you cannot accomplish even the most basic of tasks without their explicit consent. It is not so."

A wicked gleam emerged in Anna's eyes. "Are you saying you can overrule them?"

Elsa laughed. "No, Anna. I'm not advocating tyranny. All I'm saying is that you will always have the power to press your point, and one day, like it or not, they will accept it. If for no other reason than moving on."

"So your big lesson is that we just need to keep trying? Even if they won't offer us any respect?" Anna huffed. "Sounds like a raw deal. I thought we were the rulers here."

"Respect doesn't always come with the job, Anna. It must be earned. And the more confident you are, the easier it will be for them to respect you. If they find a hint of uncertainty, a twinge of self-doubt, they will latch onto it, and it will suffice as a reason to ruin your plans."

She gestured to the pile of proposals on her desk. "I doubted myself today. I wondered if I was moving too fast…being too progressive with my proposals in a kingdom that isn't ready for such changes yet."

"And they sensed it?"

"Like sharks drawn to a drop of blood."

Anna giggled. "Don't let them catch you saying that."

"Hmm, the sharks would be rather offended by the comparison, wouldn't they?"

The sisters descended into silly laughter at the joke, the moment of levity undercutting the disappointing developments.

But Anna had one more question. "I second-guess myself all the time. And seeing those council members…how can you be so brave when you know just how nasty they'll be in return?"

Elsa's look turned unbelievably soft. "It's funny you should ask that. Because I gather my courage by thinking of you."

Anna blinked. "Me?"

"I think about what you would do, and how, come hell or high water, you would fight for the laws you want to see and the lives you want to improve, and I try to emulate you as best I can." She returned a shy smile, "You inspire me to be braver, Anna. You always have."

The princess was at a loss for words. "But why me? I haven't even done anything."

"That's not true." Came the gentle admonishment as a delicate hand clasped her freckled cheek. You have proven your capability and your dedication to this land a hundred times over, love. And I trust your judgement more than anyone else's on that stupid council."

"Really?" Anna whispered in awe before a pout took over. "Then why do you always over-prepare me for every council meeting?"

Elsa let out a light laugh. "I had no idea over-preparation was a bad thing. But the truth is, my worry has never been about you. Rather, I fear they will try their hardest to break you because they've never met anyone so self-assured and independent. But that is what makes you special, and damn them to hell if a day should ever come where they convince you that you are not capable of handling your responsibilities."

Anna ducked her head. Elsa's faith in her made little sense, but she knew by now not to question it. Elsa did have faith in her. And yet –

"But what if they're right and I can't handle my responsibilities?" Shame coursed through her at the notion. "What if I'm not enough?"

Elsa squeezed her hand in understanding, the warm smile on her face wrapping around her like a fleece blanket. "You always will be, Anna . But if they ever do try to convince you otherwise, know that I will always trust you to do the right thing."

"Because Arendelle's future and security lay in caring, capable hands."

((()))

Elsa trusts me. She trusts me to make the right choice, even if the council would dare to differ.

And Anna knew deep down what that choice needed to be.

She took a deep breath to stabilize her whirlwind of emotions before answering. "I know that I haven't upheld my traditional duties as princess regent, and for that... I'm sorry." She looked up to meet their gaze in an apologetic gesture before adding, "But what I have done over the past three days, I did to protect the kingdom."

She straightened her spine and added with a touch more courage, "Elsa is the queen of this land. Protecting her is our first and foremost concern, and being the crown princess, that responsibility lands more on my shoulders than on any others. It is a responsibility I take most seriously, and there is nothing I wouldn't do to get her back on her feet."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she focused on Mikkael. "Perhaps some of you do not believe there is hope for the queen. But I do. And I consider saving her life more of a priority than anything else that may be a concern right now…because this kingdom needs Elsa, and I know you are aware of this fact, just as I am."

Their patient silence inspired more confidence in Anna. She had their attention now.

Hopefully someday, she'd have their respect as well.

She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. "Now I intend to head up to the North Mountain to find an ingredient for the potion that will save her. I know there are duties to tend to here at home and questions to answer, and I will handle them… after Elsa is out of danger, not before."

"Any more questions?" She did her best to project one of Elsa's deadliest glares at the members, daring them to protest.

None did.

Satisfied with their response for the time being, the princess swiveled around and strode out of the room, Kai and Kristoff close on her heels.

"Kai, get our horses ready. We've got a flower to find."

Anna had just put her traveling cloak around her shoulders when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

To her surprise, Alvar entered the room, sending a sharp chill down her spine.

"Elsa, is she ok?"

Alvar nodded, "She is stable for the moment, princess…but I had something I wished to tell you."

Anna picked up her purse and slung it across her body. "I should be going, Alvar. Time is running out and if it weren't for that blasted council meeting, we'd be halfway there already."

The man nodded solemnly, his hands clasped behind his back. "I know, princess, and I don't mean to take much time. What I have to say is crucial to the situation, and something I should have told you long ago."

Anna studied the old man before her, confused by his seemingly contrite look. "Alvar, I'm sure whatever it is, it's okay…now I really need to get going and-"

"I've seen the medallion before."

"Huh?"

He took a deep breath and looked up into teal eyes. "I've seen the medallion before…"

"In fact, I'm the one who created it."

Anna blinked in rapid succession, but the shock quickly became bubbling anger. "WHAT?!"

He held his hands up in defense, "Please, princess, hear me out."

"I don't think I need to, you just told me you created the thing that nearly killed my sister!"

"I did," he admitted, "But I didn't know it was intended for Elsa." The man shook his head emphatically, "Please, princess, I had no idea who they intended it for, all I knew was that the medallion needed to sap the strength of someone wielding powers of ice and snow."

"But you still made it." Anna replied, her caustic tone eliciting a wince from the old sorcerer. "If you knew it would harm someone, anyone, why would you make it?'

Alvar heaved a shaky sigh before confessing, "I did it for the money. I didn't care to find out who or why they needed it…it was a transaction, nothing more."

"But when you came to find me, when you reminded me of who I used to be and told me your sister needed help, I began to suspect that perhaps my actions had come back to haunt me. I couldn't be sure, but once I laid eyes on your sister and saw her suffering, my guilt only grew."

The princess slowly processed the details, clarity sinking in. "So the spell you used on her…"

"A simple healing spell. Not the kind of magic that normally solves such complicated cases, but I needed to pretend to find out what was wrong with your sister…truth be told, I knew the medallion was behind her pain the moment I saw her."

"Then you knew where it was hidden too, didn't you?"

"No…" He shook his head, "That I did not know. I made the talisman, but I'm not the one who put it there."

"But you know who did…" Anna turned on him as she put the pieces together. "You know who the assassin is, don't you?"

Alvar sighed once more, "At the time, I didn't care to ask questions. The person who purchased it kept their face hidden the whole time. I'm afraid I'm not much help in that department, princess."

"Then why tell me all of this now?"

He hung his head, "I tell you this because you deserve the truth. You put your faith in me, you've trusted me to help you save your sister…but you should know that I'm the reason she is suffering to begin with. And for that, I am deeply, truly sorry."

Anna crossed her arms, a bitter expression evident in her swirling teal eyes. "Oh, you're sorry? Well then, that solves everything, doesn't it?"

The retort only added more shame to the man's conscience. "If I had known your sister would suffer because of my actions, I would never have imbued that medallion with dark magic to begin with…but the past cannot be undone." His eyes glistened in the fading light, his wrinkled face gaunter and more pronounced.

"The only way I can atone for my sin, princess, is by saving your sister. And I intend to save her, with all the power I have left."

Sorenson's words from earlier (had it only happened a few hours ago?) rattled in her brain.

My fault, I placed my faith in the wrong person…it's my fault.

"This cure?" She spat bitterly, "Is it even as genuine as you claim it will be, or is this just another lie?"

She felt no satisfaction when he bowed his head. "You have every right to question me, princess, but it is the only way to heal her, I assure you."

Anna turned away, her eyes blazing with anger, turmoil warring in her heart.

Faith misplaced, a traitor roaming around freely, a kingdom searching for a leader I cannot be…every step I take is wrong, everything I do backfires.

She clenched a fist and said nothing.

But Alvar did. "I know I've done nothing to redeem myself in your eyes, princess, but I implore you to give me another chance. I intend to save your sister, and this is the way to do it." He stepped forward. "Please, princess, give me an opportunity to help."

She wanted to throw him out of the kingdom, punish him, scream at him…anything to atone for her mistake in trusting him.

But how could she? For all of his involvement in her sister's condition, he was also the only one who knew how to heal her. Grand Pabbie had said as much, and whether she could trust him or not, there was no time to search for another option.

Elsa…if for no other reason, then do this for Elsa. He isn't trustworthy, but he seems repentant, doesn't he?

That he did. His weary old eyes downcast and glistening with tears, the sorcerer did seem apologetic for his actions. And wasn't Anna the one who believed in second chances?

She sighed and looked over at him, resignation clear in her stormy teal eyes. "I don't have a choice, Alvar. I have to turn to you for help because no one else understands Elsa's condition. But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you, not does it mean that I trust you."

She adjusted the strap on her purse before standing up. "I have a flower to find. And once Elsa is cured, we're going to discuss all of this."

Something akin to relief passed through his features. "I understand, princess. And I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you… and your sister."

She could tell the response was genuine. It went some ways to soothing her anger.

"So am I." She replied in an almost sympathetic whisper before she brushed past him and headed for the door. What with the distractions, she had only a few hours to reach the mountains. Kristoff was already waiting at the stables for her, but if they hurried, they could be back in -

"Princess?"

She turned back to look at Alvar, who now returned a strange expression with widening eyes, "I just realized something."

Something about his expression made her regret asking, "What?"

He gestured to the window. "The flowers. You said they were gone, like someone had just uprooted them recently…I forgot earlier but when I sold the medallion, I told them how the counter-potion was created." His dilated gray eyes met her confused teal ones, "The person who bought the medallion must be the person who removed the flowers…and now that they know where the rest of the flowers are located-"

Anna felt her heart stop. "They might get rid of the only chance Elsa has at a cure."

Chapter Text

Cloved hoofs clopped over brush as the Queen's Guard followed an increasingly panicked princess and her ice harvester to the North Mountain.

Anna couldn't bring herself to slow down and so she rode her dear horse, Anja, almost into the ground, the rhythmic beats of the mare's hoofs keeping time with the pace of her erratic heartbeats.

Beside her rode Kristoff, the man doing his best to keep pace with Anna, even though he had much less experience on a horse than her. It was for the umpteenth time in an hour that he wished Sven were able to make the trip, but his reindeer buddy was still passed out from their last mountain excursion.

He clasped the reins a little tighter before turning to Anna, who hadn't said a word since the council meeting. "You okay?"

Anna spared him a glance before returned to look straight ahead, "I will be. Once Elsa is awake."

The mountain man nodded slowly, wishing he'd been a little more eloquent with his question. Of course, Anna wasn't okay.

She'd spent all of three days looking for a way to wake her sister up before a dark magical parasite unknown to them all sapped her life force. Add on top of that the sudden weight of a nervous kingdom looking to the princess for guidance and it was no wonder that Anna was close to collapse.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help back there…with the council."

Anna's jaw clenched, but then she looked back at him, her expression softening as her eyes met his. "I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to face them without you."

He shrugged, "I'm sure you could have. You are capable of more than you know, Anna."

The princess nodded absently, her gaze flickering away from him to focus on her hands. "Do you… do you think they're right?"

"What about?"

She gestured vaguely to the forest. "This. I should be back in Arendelle managing things, Kristoff, not out here traipsing through the forest like some adventurer in search of a thrilling escapade." She swallowed a sudden lump and whispered, "Maybe they're right. I'm too addicted to the glory of being a hero to be a leader, let alone the one Arendelle needs right now."

"That's not true and you know it." Kristoff replied in perhaps the sharpest tone of voice she'd ever heard from him. "Anna, the things they said…they're just jealous they weren't in the loop. But that doesn't make any of their criticisms valid."

"Doesn't it?" She challenged. "I do like being the hero. I do like being the center of attention and being the one who saves the day. I like being the knight in shining armor, Kristoff…and I hate being the damsel in distress."

Kristoff chuckled, "I know that more than anyone, Anna, believe me."

Anna sent a smirk his way before her face fell, "I didn't want to miss out on finding the cure…but I should be back home taking care of the kingdom, like Elsa would be."

"Anna…" His gentle reprimand made her look up, "What you do is different from what Elsa does. You just can't compare your leadership styles, that's not how this works. And that's not what Elsa would want you to do…but you know that, don't you?'

The princess managed a terse nod.

"You're the kind of person who leads an army into battle. That's just your style. You have to be in the thick of it all, be a part of the action, get your hands dirty…sometimes literally." He was pleased to see her crack a small smile.

"Elsa, she's different. I've seen her work, and she's more of a behind-the scenes person. She manages, she doesn't lead the army."

"There's nothing wrong in the way either of you lead, it's just a part of you. If you had stayed behind in Arendelle, you would have been miserable. I don't know if you'd have gotten any work done, but I do know you'd be staring out the window, wondering if we'd made any progress in our search."

The princess chuckled softly at her boyfriend's astute observations. "Someone keeps a close watch, don't they?"

He let out a small laugh, "Well, someone has to, what with the trouble you two get yourselves into."

Beneath the joke, Anna found a kernel of truth. She had relied so much on Kristoff over the past few days, and all the times they'd gotten into problems over the years, that she'd taken his presence for granted. Boyfriend or not, he had no need to be wrapped up in their problems, but he chose to be a constant anchor for her amid the chaos, chose to be there, chose to lend a hand.

"Thanks Kristoff…I don't know what I'd do without you."

He returned a genuine smile, "But I do. You don't need me to support you, Anna. Like I said, you're capable of more than you know."

Anna appreciated the sentiment, even though she couldn't quite agree with his words. Her gaze fell to her hands as she replied softly. "I know you believe that, but I just have a hard time believing in myself and I guess in times like this, it's even harder to have faith in myself-"

"Anna?"

"Cause I'm used to Elsa making the decisions, and it always seems so effortless for her – I mean, I know it's not, because I've seen struggle with some really tough decisions before – but it still feels like she usually knows what she's doing and -"

"Anna?"

"I know, you're gonna say something sweet and kind and supportive and that's so nice of you, Kristoff, but honestly it's just one of those things that I don't-"

"Anna! Look!" Kristoff's horrified shout startled Anna out of her thoughts.

She finally looked up and found a wall of flames with plumes of thick black smoke puffing from what she knew was the only mandrake flower field in all of Arendelle.

And Elsa's last hope.

The cry ripped itself from her throat even before her brain caught up with the sight.

"NOOO!"

She spurred her poor mare into one last frantic gallop, slipping from the saddle once she reached the field – or what was left of it.

The fire was in its dying gasps, the remaining red-hot flames rising up into dangerous, curly plumes that towered over them all. But the damage it had wrought was total and unrelenting.

"The flowers…" The shock lasted for all of thirty seconds before she bolted towards the flames in one last desperate attempt.

"ANNA!"

It was with remarkable speed that Kristoff leapt from his horse and managed to yank Anna from the inferno, but she wriggled in his grasp, "What are you doing?! Let me GO!"

He maintained a firm grip on her wrist. "Anna, you can't just rush in there!"

She tugged against the grasp, wide blue eyes reflecting the flickering light. "Let me go, Kristoff! We have to find that flower!"

He tugged her back, but Anna merely wrenched his hand from her wrist and ran towards the embers, only to be pushed back by a sudden burst of heat.

"We-we have to put the fire out!" She turned to the group, her brain working overtime. "There's a lake, we can use the water to put it out!"

The group exchanged sympathetic looks, but no one budged.

"What are all of you waiting for?!" Anna was rifling through her bag, searching for something to carry the water with.

"Anna," Kristoff was the only one to answer. "Even if we did, the flowers-" He gestured to the desolation; even with a casual glance, it was clear that not a plant could have survived the raging inferno.

His next words were tentative, hesitant. "We're too late."

The finality of the words nearly made her retch.

"W-We have to- there has to be something…" She managed to stutter as she took in the wasteland, but even to her hopelessly optimistic eyes, there was not a silver lining in sight.

"We-we have to…" Her voice faltered as she turned back to the guards, who now stood before her solemnly, their heads lowered in shame.

The sight of their morose faces sent a lance through her heart, reminding her of a time she had tried so hard to move past.

As if they've failed yet another monarch.

She bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood.

"Search everywhere. We find that flower, or we don't go back home."

A warm hand came to rest on her shoulder, accompanied by a painfully sympathetic voice. "Anna…"

"No!" She shoved his arm off and spun around to fix Kristoff with the most heart-breakingly determined look he'd ever gotten from her.

"There has to be at least one flower left. And we're not leaving without it."

The fire had mysteriously disappeared, but even so, Elsa felt no peace. If anything, she almost preferred the fire, because at least then, she'd felt something other than a constant choking sensation caused by the clammy air and the way it stuck inside her lungs like a second skin. Compared to this, the fire was practically a blessing in disguise.

Because, now, in the absence of the oxygen-sucking inferno, Elsa was forced to inhale. But i f she didn't know better, she would have thought the air was more toxic to her than the fire had ever been, because e very breath felt unworthy of the trouble it took to do so, so much so that briefly (read: many times) Elsa considered saving herself the trouble and just stopping.

But it seemed almost like she couldn't.

Like someone - or something - was spurring her to keep fighting, but what - or who - it was and why they were bothered enough to want her alive but not bothered enough to rescue her from her personal little hell, that she couldn't answer.

Whoever or whatever they were, all she could hope was that sooner rather than later, they gave her a real explanation.

Because keeping her eyes open was getting harder with every passing second.

"But maybe another quick nap wouldn't hurt."

Even from the start, the search was futile.

Only ash could be found in this once great field, and yet, for Anna, the search went on.

They must have been there for hours amid the ruins before Kristoff and Geir exchanged knowing looks. There was little point in pursuing this path further, and sunset was almost upon them.

Kristoff had refrained from saying much for he could see just how fragile Anna's optimism was at this moment. And, truthfully, he had his hopes that her optimism would save the day like it always did. That indeed among the fire, a lone, miraculous flower had survived.

But after hours of maintaining said optimism, and with their looming deadline so close at hand, the mountain man was forced to confront reality.

As he looked to Anna with a sympathetic expression, he wondered to himself. Will she?

After gesturing to Geir to ready his men for the journey back, Kristoff warily made his way to Anna, who stooped near a patch of what had once been thriving mandrake flowers.

Glorious, unapologetically, royally purple flowers.

He stooped beside her and hesitantly laid a hand on her back. "Anna…"

"Did you find anything?"

It was the lack of any emotion in Anna's voice that broke his heart. Unable to speak past the lump in his throat, he reached for her lightly trembling hand and pulled it close.

"We should go back to Arendelle." He managed to utter after a minute of silence.

"Not until we find the flower." Her gaze still didn't meet his, which was just as well because Kristoff didn't think he could take it if she did look at him.

He took a deep breath. "It's almost sunset."

"Then we'll just have to hurry." A wry smile reached her lips, the sight eliciting a grimace from him. "We've faced worse odds before."

Kristoff wanted to shake her out of the denial she'd found herself in, but he had no heart to destroy the fantasy she'd crafted for herself, the one where she still had a chance to save her sister's life.

But time was no longer with them. Kristoff turned to look at the sun, now beginning its dreaded descent in the sky. They had maybe two hours left before sunset.

Two hours before Elsa…

He shut his eyes to block out the painful memory. The truth was, there was no magical miracle on the horizon this time. No act of true love, no happy ending.

This was happening.

Elsa was dying.

And he knew Anna would never forgive herself if she didn't get to say goodbye.

He closed his eyes and whispered a brief prayer for what he was about to do before yanking Anna around to face him. "We're going back."

Anna blinked rapidly in surprise, but the emotion quickly became fierce. "You don't tell me what to do. We've got a whole field to search and we're not leaving until we find that flower!"

"Even if it means not saying goodbye?"

The princess stiffened, her teal eyes wrestling with her many emotions as she processed his words.

God help me.

"It's almost sunset, Anna. If we leave now, we'll get back to Arendelle with only minutes to spare, perhaps less, before Elsa… before she…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Don't you want to say goodbye?"

He waited for her to react with something… to say literally anything.

But there was silence, only silence.

She didn't move for minutes afterward. Didn't speak. Didn't do anything other than look at him with glistening teal eyes that seemed lost in the storm of utter inevitability, waves crashing, ship torn asunder, safe harbor ripped from under her feet.

Anna had always been an open book, especially to him, but seeing her like this… like a stranded sailor clinging to rapidly fading hopes amid the unforgiving depths of the ocean? After bearing witness to the moment realization dawned on her and watching her glowing teal eyes dim to a ashy gray?

It was then that Kristoff realized his mistake. He reached out to her hesitantly, tepidly. "Anna…"

But the gesture was too little too late. A lone tear slid down her pale, freckled cheek, plopping into the ashy remains below them.

Anna had given up.

There truly was no hope left.

Chapter Text

Anna didn't fare well with silence. Never had.

Silence had always a cruel, lonely, taunting playmate, her words harsh and targeted in their quest for destruction.

But for so long, silence had been her only playmate.

It was her sole companion as she wandered around in a castle far too large for any child to explore on their own, treading carefully and speaking slowly, struggling to overcome the childish rambunctiousness that was prevalent in all children her age – but even more so in the feisty little redheaded princess.

Silence had seen her waiting with bated breath, ears pressed against a door, yearning to catch even a soft breath from the one person she most wanted to speak to - and the one person she would endure silence for.

Because if silence would bring Elsa back to her, then she'd bear its haunting nature for eternity, if need be.

But silence never had aided her in the past…and now?

The weary princess closed her eyes. With her ribs aching from the heavy sobs that sporadically escaped her trembling frame, her heart thumping dangerously in her throat, and her stomach twisting itself into infinite knots…it seemed this terrifying silence was all she had ever known.

Perhaps it was the only thing she would ever know again.

Anna turned her reluctant attention to Elsa's worryingly pale face. Free from the parasitic medallion, her sister's temperature had thankfully returned to a somewhat bearable level so that the princess could touch her once more.

But it was a painfully small comfort…being able to hold Elsa's hand as she passed. With the ashy pale skin stretched over her gaunt form, the woman was hardly recognizable as the sister she loved.

Seeing Elsa's suffering first-hand, knowing now just what had happened to her…it all served as fuel to the silence tormenting her, to the grief twisting its bloody knife into her heart.

Your fault, you know. Elsa would be alive if it weren't for you.

A strangled sob escaped her parched lips; eyes unable to look on any longer. "No…" came the hoarse whisper. "I-I did my best. I tried to save her."

But you failed, Anna dear. Just like we knew you would. And now you must look upon your failure.

Look at it, Anna.

Look at her.

She took in a shaky, raspy breath, but her eyes remained closed. She wasn't ready….she couldn't – how could she let her go?

But you must, Anna.

How else will you understand the ultimate price of your failure? How else will you realize how inept you are for the duties expected from you? You had one job, and even that you failed at, instead chasing after people you shouldn't have trusted and cures that don't exist.

Consider this punishment for your sins, princess. This silence is your future forevermore.

If she had had energy left to weep, perhaps she would have wept at those words and the truth they bore, but since her realization on the North Mountain, all Anna had done was weep.

Weep for the life her sister would never have.

Weep for the kingdom that was losing its queen.

Weep for the sisterly bond that would never be again…

Had it only been three days ago? All that talking and giggling and imagining a wonderful weekend with the ones they loved most? Was that moment fated to be her last happy memory, to be a blessed reprieve from her dangerous ineptitude and the destruction she would forever have to live with?

"This silence is your future forevermore."

Perhaps it was, but she could bear its presence no longer.

"I-If I had known…" Her voice was thick, words sticking to her esophagus. She coughed. "If I'd known then that that was o-our last moment together…I would have never left you alone." A fist clenched. "I would never have let this happen to you, Elsa…I'd-" A swallow. "I'd have saved you."

Would you, or is that just wishful thinking on your part?

"Yes, I would have! I would have protected you." A harsh whisper, more to convince herself than anything else really, because as much as she yearned to believe that she had an audience, that somewhere on the other side of that wooden door lay a blonde head taking in her every word…

Elsa was not listening right now.

She never would again.

Somewhere inside her, something broke with that realization.

Anna tossed herself on top of Elsa, tears cascading down her freckled cheeks as she pulled her sister ever closer. Her pain too great for words, all she could do was sob and beg and plead with Fate to give her – them – one more chance.

They'd just begun to understand each other. To love each other. To be happy together…

I didn't even get to see her ice palace.

The wayward thought – a pathetic non sequitur in this moment of absolute despair - brought with it a dry chuckle, followed by another and another until Anna could no longer stem her morbid laughter from bubbling out of her sore throat. Anyone else may have worried for her sanity, but thankfully she was alone in this large, dark, silent room.

Would always be, from now on….

And so she laughed.

She laughed at the world's cruelty in giving her a sister she had never really understood but loved nonetheless.

She laughed at the injustice of finally embracing her sibling, only to have that moment ripped away from her just as quickly.

She laughed at the irony that really, at the end of the day, her friends weren't missing out on much, because the ice palace was probably a puddle in the ground and honestly who'd travel all the way up the North Mountain to visit a puddle when they could just find Olaf's puddly remains in the castle courtyard.

"Just go back to your garden, Katja. There's nothing else left for you to be jealous about, nothing left for me to show you…not for all the baked goods in the world."

She closed her eyes once again.

And then it hit her like a lightning bolt.

Katja!

The family had just sat down for supper when the impatient soul began knocking frantically at their door.

"Katja!" More incessant knocking. "Katja! Please!"

The girl stood up. "Who could it possibly be at this hour?" She exchanged a curious look with her companions before hurrying to the door. The faster she got this over with, the faster she could return to her meal.

"Whoever you are, I really hope you have a good explanation for ruining Sunday supper cause-" And then she saw his face. "Kristoff?!"

The ice harvester was panting on her front porch, his shirt drenched and his hair slicked back with the sweat that rolled off him.

"It's…" He braced against the frame, puffing loudly, "Sorry…kinda in a hurry."

"Yeah, I kinda got that…" She gave him another glance, and then – "Wait, aren't you supposed to be up in the mountains with Anna?"

Suddenly, she was less upset about the interruption and more worried for her best friend, "Is everything okay? Why'd you come back so soon? Oh my God, did something happen to her?!"

"No-" He paused to continue recollecting his breath.

Katja's heart stopped. But Ivan – the more rational of the two – was quick to pick up. "No, everything's not okay or no, everything's fine?"

Kristoff took a gasping gulp of air and finally staggered to his feet, looking only marginally better for all his efforts. "No, everything is not okay, but Anna is fine… for now." With his breath back, the words came faster. "D-do you still have that flower Anna gave you? The purple one?"

Katja nodded uncertainly, "Yeah, it's over-"

Kristoff glanced over his shoulder and quickly cut her off. "Great, I'm gonna need that, like right now."

The brunette frowned. "Okay, I guess I'll be right back."

It wasn't much work to remove the planted flower, but there was a twinge of regret as she handed it over. It really was a beautiful flower. "I'm so gonna need an explanation for this."

"And you'll get it." Kristoff assured her, "You know, if all goes well, at least…"

His words sent a chilly shiver down her spine, "What do you mean?"

A strange melancholic look passed through his tired features, lending the twins the impression that perhaps he hadn't slept properly in days. "Well…let's just say that if this doesn't work, Arendelle will never be the same again."

The words took them aback. "D-do you need any help? What's going on?"

But the ice harvester was already shaking his head. "I can't explain right now, I'm sorry…"

And then, he was gone.

Ivan turned to her. "Did anything make sense to you just now?"

Katja sighed, "No…but I'm sure Anna will have some answers for us." She turned to look towards the castle, her thoughts drifting to her best friend. "I just hope everything's ok."

Chapter Text

All eyes were on Alvar as the sorcerer stirred the ground up flower into the chalice. It seemed not even a breath had been taken since Kristoff's sweaty but triumphant return from the village.

To Anna, it seemed as though no one dared to take a breath if this was to be Elsa's last.

She didn't know how to feel about it.

"Will it work?"

The question came from Sorenson, the man eyeing Alvar with a strange apprehension that Anna could now somewhat commiserate with. She had vouched for him before, but now, the princess remained silent.

Alvar nodded, "The potion is not what I worry about…" All eyes turned to the window. The sun was minutes from setting, its blood-red glow casting an eerie glow inside the queen's bedchambers and bathing everyone in a color Anna was suddenly developing a hatred for.

Red flames. Red sunset. Red, red, red.

"It is ready." Alvar drew closer to the queen to administer it himself before pausing. He turned to Anna. "Perhaps you would rather give her the cure."

Anna didn't hesitate to accept the chalice from him, her fingers wrapping around the cold metal as she studied the contents for the first time. The potion was a deep purple, like the flower that had once graced her gardens. She wasn't much a fan of purple either.

But if it would help Elsa, if it would allow her to gaze upon bright blue eyes once more, then her personal objections meant nothing.

She tilted Elsa's head back and dribbled a few drops of the potion into her chapped, partially parted lips, the contrast of the bright liquid and Elsa's dreadfully white face only adding to the gravity of the moment.

This was it. This was all she had left.

"Elsa," Anna pulled Elsa's hand close to her, unconsciously running a thumb over the back in an attempt at comfort, "Please, please wake up now. Please?"

Elsa remained motionless.

"It may take a few minutes, princess. You must be patient."

Anna bit back a bitter laugh. Patience? At this point, she was practically the personification of it.

No, she was done waiting. It was time for Elsa to come back to her.

"Elsie," The entwined hands came up to her lips. She kissed Elsa's fingers, "You gotta wake up now. I know you can do it. Fight it, Elsa. Fight it and come home. It's time."

There was no response.

The fire continued to rage all around her, but it hadn't dared to draw any closer to her huddled form, and yet, Elsa couldn't really feel secure in that fact.

Because though the fire had not advanced, it hadn't retreated either. And being in the same chamber, breathing that smoky air, Elsa now felt weak, so, so weak that lying down was beginning to feel like a wise decision after all.

And yet something gnawed at the back of her mind. A warning. A call.

No, sleep was a bad idea. She didn't know why. But something told her that if she slept now, she wouldn't be able to wake again.

"No, no sleep then."

But there was little else to do. With the fire blocking her path, she could neither escape to safety nor battle the flames any longer. All she could do was wait and wither and eventually fade away, it seemed.

That is, until the doors to her throne room burst wide open. Elsa startled upward with a cry, strangled, hoarse and excited to see something other than the four walls of her prison.

But there was no one to greet her. No one to free her from the flames. There was only light. And a voice.

"I know you can do it. Fight it, Elsa. Fight it and come home. It's time."

Elsa still didn't understand a lot of things about her situation. She didn't know how she'd ended up there, or why, or how to escape it even. But she did know that voice.

She knew that was the voice of love, of comfort, of safety. She knew that voice was her haven. And deep down, she knew if she listened to that voice, she would be safe once more.

Her brain protested, but still, her feet began to move, descending down the stairs with a feather light glide that floated her past the raging, licking flames and through the open doors.

"I'm coming home. It's time."

With every passing second it seemed Anna's heart was only crumbling more, hope slipping through her fingers like sand from a broken hourglass. The sun had set minutes ago, but even in the silvery glow of moonlight, Elsa was no closer to waking.

The physician was the one to break the long, dreadful silence. "Princess…I think-" She ignored the warning glances sent her way. "I regret to say that perhaps it is time to accept the truth."

Anna didn't budge.

"Princess, I know you continue to have hope, but the truth is-"

Anna held up a hand, trembling though it was. "I won't hear it."

Sorenson stepped closer, "But Your Highness-"

"The next person to acknowledge me with that tone will be charged with treason."

The room fell silent once more, leaving Anna to her wandering thoughts yet again.

Perhaps it was foolishness. Perhaps it was her own blind, desperate, pathetic co-dependency that kept her from accepting a truth that others had acknowledged already.

Perhaps this wasn't exactly becoming behavior for a future queen.

But damn them all to hell if they thought Anna was going to give up on her sister just like that, royalty or not.

Perhaps they had forgotten how she'd died and turned into an ice statue, and how her love for her sister had brought her back to life.

Perhaps she was crazy for hoping for unrealistic possibilities, but she would have been even crazier to give up hope when things like magical snowmen and existed. When people like Elsa and Alvar could roam the earth and perform veritable divine miracles with the snap of their fingers.

She lived in a world where there was no such thing as fantasy, because every fantastical thing that could have possibly been written into a novel was a real possibility. Because her sister was just such an example. And she would be once more.

Once she woke up.

And so, perhaps it really wasn't so improbable or impractical or pathetic to hold onto hope. There were far more fantastical things to hold onto in this universe.

She knew that first-hand.

She gripped Elsa's hand a little tighter.

Come on, Elsa. Please?

"Anna." She could feel Kristoff shifting behind her, his hands playing with the hem of his shirt. "I…" He sighed. "I think, maybe…maybe you should consider letting the physician look at her once more."

She swallowed. His meaning was clear. His delivery tactful and sensitive. But somehow, still, Kristoff's words drove a stake through her heart.

Because in this world, only Kristoff and Elsa really understood her, and if Kristoff wasn't on her side, then perhaps…

She shook her head, but whether it was a response to his suggestion or just her blatant refusal to accept this as the actual end, she didn't know. All she was aware of was that sting at the back of her throat and the light squeeze of her hand and the feeling of her heart sinking lower and lower and lower as reality began to encroach upon the fantasy that shouldn't really have been a fantasy because –

Wait.

Her eyes shot to Elsa. "She moved."

Everyone seemed to come back to life, crowding around the bed, eager to see for themselves.

Fearful of disrupting the very fragile spark of hope that her sister had lit in her weary heart if she spoke too loud and shattered this illusion, Anna leaned in.

"Elsa?"

But she wasn't imagining it. Or if she was, it was the most vivid dream she had ever had in her entire life. Because Elsa's eyelids started fluttering ever so slightly and she was clenching and unclenching her jaw in barely perceptible movements and her fingers were squeezing onto Anna's a little too hard but who was she to complain at a time like this and then suddenly, she startled awake, her eyes shooting open, those bright blue, glowing orbs alight with life and warmth and love and magic.

They opened up to the world, drinking in the sight before them before turning their beautiful gaze to meet Anna's tearful one…

And then –

"What in the world is going on here?"

Elsa didn't know what she'd expected to wake up to.

Truth be told, she didn't know what had happened to her to begin with. On the one hand, she was inclined to dismiss her strange experience as the product of some very vivid nightmare, one that had left her feeling physically weak. (Did nightmares do things like that?)

On the other hand, however, the whole situation felt too real to be a figment of her hyperactive mind. She could give her brain credit for coming up with a lot of sordid, terrifying nightmares, but this didn't feel like those.

It felt like her soul had been sucked out of her, like she had neither the energy nor the will to live because something had sapped both from her being.

In any case, whatever the situation, she had figured she'd wake up to soft sheets and a warm morning beam of sunlight filtering through her window to greet her. Maybe to a knock on the door as Anna came to check on her for their trip, maybe a reminder from a servant as to her duties.

She had not anticipated waking up and being surrounded by several weeping members of her core staff, a stranger she had never seen before and a shaking Anna, the latter of whom waited all but three seconds before launching herself into a confused Elsa's arms and whispering her gratitude to all the deities in the world as she wept with what appeared to be relief. She really did hope it was with relief.

But lost though she was, Elsa quickly allowed herself to fall back on instinct, rubbing Anna's back in a hopefully soothing gesture as she turned to her staff. "I'm going to need an explanation."

Kai obliged, proceeding to provide as accurate a summary of the weekend's events as he could muster, and though Elsa was immediately struck by how she had managed to stay asleep for three full days, she set aside her astonishment to listen to what was beginning to feel like a grave concern.

An assassin with a magical talisman? And a traitor to boot?

Her work never did seem to be finished, did it?

She looked to them all. "Kai, Gerda, I'm not sure I have the words to appreciate everything you've done over the past few days. And as for you, Kristoff, it seems my debts to you have only grown." The man blushed. "But the truth is, I'll need to process all of this before I can determine our next course of actions."

She then turned to address the new face, "Sir-"

"Alvar, my lady."

She nodded, "Alvar. I do not know how to repay my debt to you, but the least I can offer you is a place for the night." He began to shake his head, but she cut him off, "Please accept it. You saved my life. This is nothing in return."

He sighed, "It is getting late. I don't suppose I have a choice." He bowed, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

Elsa nodded, her gaze drifting to Kai. The chamberlain got the hint. "Come everyone, let us leave the queen to her rest."

The occupants were quick to shuffle out, some with relief, others with weariness that only emerged at the end of such a trying ordeal. A weariness she didn't identify with, but one she recognized all the same.

The door clicked shut behind them, granting Elsa the privacy to turn to her sister for the first time since she woke up.

Anna had long since stopped crying, but the younger sibling seemed glued to her side, her fingers digging into Elsa's nightrobe even as she steadfastly avoided eye contact.

For once, Elsa wasn't entirely sure how to broach a conversation with her sister. She'd never really had that problem before, not even after the Great Thaw, because back then Anna had taken it upon herself to fill every moment with conversation. Now, that seemed to be the last thing on her mind.

Elsa ran slender fingers through Anna's hair and braced herself, but just how was she supposed to talk to her sister, the one who'd almost had to watch her die?

"Anna…I know what happened now, but-"

"Not now." Fingers gripped her robe tighter, "Please, not now." Anna took a shaky breath. "I-I just need to feel your heartbeat right now…"

A lump lodged in Elsa's throat.

Again was the word that went unspoken. Again, because this particularly ugly nightmare had reared its head before and it seemed it would only happen again. Again, because Anna would never be afforded the chance to live her life in peace, instead trekking through dangerous forest and up difficult mountains over and over again for her sister, just to watch her almost die. Again.

Stop it. Right now, she needs you.

Elsa drew her sister closer into a warm embrace, "I'm so sorry, Anna."

A head shake was her response, "Not your fault. I-I should have...I could have..." Anna fell silent. She didn't elaborate.

Elsa didn't ask her to. It seemed neither of them were much for talking. All the sisters could do was hold each other in relief, because at the very least, they were both okay.

For now.

Chapter Text

"The queen lives."

Mikkael shot up from his seat, eyes wide with disbelief, "WHAT?!" He stalked towards Sorenson and grabbed a fistful of the man's tunic, "You said she was as good as dead!"

"S-She was, my lord!" The man began spluttering. "I destroyed all the flowers and made sure to delay them as much as possible-"

"Then how is she still alive?!" He growled, shoving the man back.

"I-I don't know how, sir, but they found a flower." He shook his head, "I-I don't understand how."

"Perhaps because you're an incompetent fool with the brains of a-!"

"Christen." The admonishment came from the other man in the room. Mikkael swiveled to address him.

"I swear to God, Edvin, if you say 'I told you so'…"

But the man simply rose and took a puff of his cigar. "I wouldn't dream of it. Besides, now is not the time for laying blame, no matter how justified I may be."

He approached Sorenson, his sharp, hawk-like stare sending a strange chill down the servant's spine. "You. Are you positive no one knows of your involvement? No one saw you destroying the flowers?"

The man nodded furiously, "No, sir. No one knows I was responsible."

"And this sorcerer you went to? He did not identify you?"

"Not at all." Sorenson puffed up at that, "I kept my identity well-hidden."

Fritjof nodded thoughtfully. "See Mikkael, the situation is not so bad after all." He took another puff, "Perhaps we did not kill the queen, but we have an opportunity to try again."

Mikkael shook his head, "How? Maybe there is no trail yet, but that bloody hound of a captain will sniff us out sooner or later."

"He will not, my lord." Sorenson cut in. "I can keep track of the investigation, let you know of the developments. No one will ever figure out the truth."

Fritjof beamed, "Well there, there's a good man!" He turned to Mikkael, "I must commend you for selecting such a dedicated soldier, Christen. A fine man indeed." He clapped the servant on the shoulder, "Sorenson, you do us a great credit by offering your assistance-"

Sorenson bowed his head, "You flatter me, my lord."

"Hardly, man, I only speak the truth." The baron tapped his cigar ashes onto the floor. "You have been an invaluable asset to our efforts thus far…which is why I hesitate to ask you this, but I'd like you to do us one more favor."

"Of course, Your Grace."

A gleam shone in Fritjof's gray eyes. "You see…we must make absolutely certain that we are not found out. Otherwise we will not have an opportunity to try again. You understand, of course."

"Indeed I do, sir." Sorenson agreed, "But you can rest assured. I have made sure not a single witness exists to point a finger in our direction."

The baron nodded, "I have no doubts in your thoroughness, Sorenson. Why, the queen herself has praised your dedication and work ethic to the council many times before…"

The servant beamed.

"But I must still look out for myself, and for my friend, Mikkael." He gestured to the man beside him, "After all, there is no one else brave enough to do what is needed for this country's wellbeing."

"That is true, sir. You and the minister are vital to this country's future."

"Yes…which is why I must do my due diligence, Sorenson." Cold gray eyes bore into his, "I do sincerely hope you understand."

There was an indecipherable movement, and before Mikkael could even blink, the servant was sinking to the floor, a knife sticking out of his chest, blood dripping onto the expensive Turkish rug he had recently purchased.

"Damnit, Edvin!" Mikkael turned to his friend, "Must you ruin yet another rug? My wife will have my head for this, man!"

The baron shrugged and reached for his handkerchief to wipe off the excess blood. "You can thank me for keeping the bloodhounds off our trail later." He gestured to the body. "We have only a few hours till sunlight and a lot of work to do."

Elsa woke to a rapid banging on the door.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Beside her, Anna grumbled and pulled the sheets over her head, "Isstooearlyforthis…"

Elsa couldn't help but agree. Though she'd spent the past three days in a coma, she was still dead tired, pun unintended. But then again, work never did wait for a monarch, and given the weekend's developments, it seemed anything was possible right about now.

God, I could really use that holiday right now.

But she disentangled herself from her sister and opened the door anyway, only to be met with a somber-looking Gerda. Her heart sank at the sight.

"What's going on?"

The woman seemed on the verge of tears, "Y-Your Majesty…there's something you need to see."

The man lay on the floor, arms spread like an eagle, one hand clutching the very weapon that had robbed him of his life. His eyes were closed, but it would have been a mistake to call the expression on his face peaceful.

Anna was the first one to react, releasing a startled gasp before clutching onto Elsa's upper arm with a death grip.

Elsa found herself envying her sister in that moment, because unlike Anna, she did not have the courtesy of expressing her emotions so openly.

But finding one of her most trusted and loyal servants dead was a sight that shook her to her core. Sorenson had long been a part of her castle staff. She'd practically grown up in front of his eyes, had sought comfort in his words of wisdom when the weight of the entire kingdom had fallen on her shoulder overnight, had become the queen she was today because of his careful counsel and insight.

And now…

She batted away tears, forcing herself to focus on the man approaching her.

Captain Vilhelm bowed. "Your Majesty, we apologize for the early morning interruption but as you can see, the matter was urgent."

Focus, Elsa. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she sought Anna's hand for comfort. "What happened, Captain?"

"One of the guards found Master Sorenson like this in the early morning, ma'am. We sent for the physician right away." It was then that Elsa noticed the old woman hunched over Sorenson's form, her weathered face grim with concentration.

"And her conclusion?"

He hesitated.

Elsa noticed. "Her conclusion, Captain?"

He sighed and looked up, "Suicide, ma'am."

Anna blanched beside her, "Suicide?!"

Breathe, Elsa. Breathe. "And your conclusion?"

"I think there is more to the story." The man pulled out a note from his pocket. "This was found on him."

Before Elsa could reach for it, Anna had snatched the note and begun reading. Her eyes grew wider with each passing second, her teal eyes flitting back and forth as if she couldn't believe the words before her.

"Anna?"

The girl looked up, all pallor gone from her rosy cheeks, horror morphing her features. "I-I…" She let out a strangled sob, locking eyes with Elsa for just a second.

And then, she turned and fled from the room.

"Anna!"

But the princess didn't cease in her flight, instead rounding the corner and disappearing into the depths of the castle, her skirt billowing behind her. Elsa felt her heartbeat pick up at the sudden turn of events.

She looked back to the captain. "What did the note say?"

The man sighed apologetically. He did not speak for a few seconds, but then, "Ma'am… it appears we've found the traitor we've been looking for."

No.

"You-you can't mean Sorenson?!"

The captain nodded, "He admitted his involvement in the note, my lady. I wish it weren't so, but we have no other leads at the moment…none other than his confession."

She struggled to wrap her mind around it all, "But-but suicide?"

"Perhaps he feared he'd be caught, ma'am. Perhaps he preferred death by his own hand to a death sentence."

She didn't want to believe it. Couldn't. Sorenson had always been like a brother to her…

"Your Majesty, with your permission, I'd like to conduct a search of his quarters. It is imperative that we determine his motives and find any accomplices."

Conflict warred in her heart, past dueling with the reality before her. But if there was one thing she could conclude, it was that she needed more information. She sighed, "I'd like a report by this evening, Captain."

The man nodded and dismissed himself, leaving Elsa alone with the weight of all that had transpired… Sorenson's death, his betrayal…and then, there was Anna's strange behavior. Why had her sister run off like that after reading the note? Was it the shock of his admission, or something more?

Questions. Far too many questions and not nearly enough answers.

The day had just begun, but Elsa turned back towards the castle a weary, troubled soul to search for her sister when -

"Your Majesty?" Physician Bodil came up to her, "How are you feeling?"

The question caught her off guard. "I'm fine, Physician Bodil. But you know that. You gave me a clear bill of health last night."

The woman nodded, casting a wary glance over her shoulder, "I did, but I'd still like to conduct an assessment this morning, ma'am. Perhaps we could address any remaining concerns in private."

Realization dawned on Elsa. "Of course, Physician Bodil." They discretely moved away from the others and into an adjoining storage room.

Once the door was closed, the old woman sighed. "I fear our troubles are not over, ma'am."

I had a feeling she'd say that. "What do you mean, Physician?"

"I told Captain Vilhelm that Sorenson's injury appeared to be self-inflicted, and given the presence of the note, that would be a logical conclusion to come to. But what I have found does not support that theory, my lady."

Elsa felt a chill down her spine, "What did you find?"

The old woman had never looked so grim. "The angle of the opening wound does not align with the way Sorenson was found holding the knife, nor does the blood splatter match the expected pattern for such a self-inflicted injury." She bowed her head, "I did not reveal this information to the captain because I could not be sure of who to trust, especially now. But you know as well as I what this means, ma'am."

Elsa felt her heartbeat in her throat. She'd thought something was off when she first saw him. But this? ….

"…This was not suicide, Your Majesty. This was murder."

Anna just ran. And cried. She didn't know where she was going or what she planned to do whenever she decided to stop, but it didn't matter.

All she could think about was getting as far away from it all as possible, about hiding from what was turning out to be perhaps the biggest disaster she had ever manifested with her own two hands, or at least the greatest disaster since the Great Freeze.

My fault, it's all my fault…

Her mind flashed with visions. Every wince he'd tried to hide at the mention of curing Elsa, his suspicions about Alvar – raised only to make Anna doubt in the sorcerer's capabilities just when she should be trusting him, his insistence at playing safe when it was time to risk it all…

She had mistaken his words for concern, understanding, the unique counsel Sorenson was known for providing. Confusing at first glance, but always well-intentioned, always wise.

But no, they were not indications of well-intentioned concern, not pearls of sage counsel. Now his words, his actions seemed different in the light of day.

They looked like the actions of a traitor.

But I didn't even notice.

And perhaps that was what she was most terrified by. Because every obstacle that had erupted in their path over the past couple of days now made sense. Every inexplicable hurdle now had an explanation.

But she hadn't noticed the connection until now...until it was almost too late.

Elsa had very nearly paid the price for his meddling, but Anna…for all her blathering about upholding her obligations as crown princess and protecting the queen, she had failed to see the threat right before her eyes. Had told him of her plans to save Elsa, had included him in every important conversation regarding the safety of the queen and the future of the nation.

He had access to everything, had every opportunity to thwart us and kill Elsa…and all because I trusted him!

She choked on another sob and collapsed to the floor, shaking with the weight of her realization. Sorenson's betrayal, it seemed, only served as the pinnacle to her already spectacular failure as princess regent.

She'd trusted the wrong people, prioritized the wrong things, chased after fantastical cures instead of doing her duties.

It mattered not that Elsa had lived, because the real test hadn't been saving Elsa's life, it had been managing the kingdom in her absence.

And that…well, that was the test she had never even tried to complete.

The echoes of the council's harsh words rang in her ears. She had never had cause to disagree with their assessment of her fitness before, but now…now it was as clear as day.

"I don't deserve to be heir to the throne…I never did."

Chapter Text

"I heard you're leaving."

The words startled Kai. He looked up from his packing to find the queen standing at the doorway of his chambers, an inscrutable look on her face.

He bowed his head, but said nothing. What could he possibly have to say to the princess he had practically raised, the monarch he had sworn fealty too…the queen he had promised to protect?

The one he had failed.

But she only drew closer. "Were you really going to leave without saying goodbye?"

The man swallowed. His eyes did not dare rise to meet hers. "I felt it was best to make my exit as soon as possible."

Elsa stopped before him, turmoil clear in her crystal blue eyes. "Kai…."

"Sorenson was my protégé, my responsibility. By failing to identify his traitorous intent, I too have become an accomplice in his sins." He hung his head. "I know, retirement is the coward's way out, but I could not face you, my queen."

"You call me your queen and yet, you make my decision for me?" There was a hint of levity in her tone, one Kai did not understand in a time like this.

"I have failed you. I nearly caused your death." He finally looked up at her, disbelief all over his face, "Does that mean nothing to you?"

Elsa shrugged, "There is much I do not know about the events that transpired this weekend. But if there is one thing I am sure of, it is that without you, this kingdom would not be standing today, Kai."

"I can only imagine how much pressure rested on Anna's shoulders during these past few days and how much grief she surely must have received from every corner of this government. But I do know how much you must have helped her." She drew closer and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"For that matter, there is not a single thing I have done since my coronation that has not required your counsel or passed without your assistance. Even in the best of times, I cannot run this kingdom without you, Kai." Something glistened in her eyes, "And now, with this dark cloud hanging over my head, I will need you more than ever."

Kai turned away with a sigh, "You say that only to sooth my wounded soul, ma'am. You have never really had need of me, not now, not ever."

"Really?" Elsa shook her head, "You raised me, Kai. If I was able to overcome my parents' untimely demise and become even a fraction of the monarch Papa was, that is only thanks to you. In fact, I can go so far as to claim that Arendelle would have succumbed to the likes of Weselton's greed long ago if you hadn't been around to pick me up from my misery and prepare me for a life on the throne." There was disbelief in her eyes, and a hint of accusation, "You are like a father to me, Kai. More than that, in all honesty. Did you really think I would cast you out for something you had no hand in?"

"But Sorenson-"

An indecipherable expression overtook her features, "He alone is responsible for his actions, Kai. He was a man grown. If he had no remorse for his actions, then why do you?"

Kai hung his head, "Your Majesty, I still find myself wholly undeserving of your compassion and forgiveness. The things I overlooked are of grave consequence. Any other monarch would impose a far harsher punishment than this."

"Kai," Elsa was smiling now, "I thought you of all people would know by now that I am no ordinary monarch." A few snowflakes escaped her fingertips.

"Indeed." Despite it all, the man managed a small smile, "Forgive me, ma'am. You have never been an ordinary monarch."

"And it is this rather unordinary monarch that implores you to stay." She reached for his hand. "Don't make me beg, Kai."

A swell of relief and gratitude coursed through the servant at those words. A lump caught in his throat. "If Her Majesty wishes it, I would be honored to serve you in any capacity, ma'am."

Elsa's smile sang with relief. "Good, because it seems the council has decided to hold an emergency meeting." She smirked, "Now, I can hardly go to war without my trusted steward by my side, can I?"

Kai smiled, "I should say not. Lead the way, ma'am."

By the time Elsa made the short, 5-minute trip from the servants' quarters to the council chamber, she was absolutely livid.

Without any of the accompanying pomp and ceremony, she strode into the room, her eyes glowing a bright, frigid blue.

The councilmembers, however, remained just as unsuspecting as usual, "Your Majesty, we're so pleased to see-"

She raised a hand.

"Long ago, my father referred to this council as an inestimably invaluable asset to this kingdom. One that could function seamlessly and efficiently to run this kingdom single-handedly, what with the hundred years combined experience you twelve men hold between yourselves. But frankly, I have yet to see what all this experience has done for you, because it seems to me that in these three days, you have been so utterly inept in your duties that I cannot help but reconsider whether there is even a need for this council chamber."

The council fell dead silent. It seemed whatever they had hoped to hear from their monarch, it was not this.

"I was told that the princess spent three sleepless days and nights searching for a cure to my illness while ensuring that the kingdom continued to function, and also ensuring that the details of my illness remained a secret."

She glowered at the men, "I have also learned that upon learning of this unfortunate situation, you did not hesitate, even for a second, to pounce upon the princess regent for failing to inform you of said situation. Even though she was up to her ears in a crisis unlike any other that Arendelle has ever faced."

"In such a trying time, instead of offering your countless, inestimable, invaluable experience to the newly anointed ruler of this land, you chose to demean and question her capability and her dedication to the kingdom. A kingdom, for which she has died, need I remind you, gentlemen."

"But Your Majesty-"

"While you gentlemen were falling under the spell of a silver-tongued usurper, my sister was fighting hypothermia to ensure this kingdom's survival. After seeing what she has done for this kingdom and what she was willing to sacrifice for us all, no one has any right to question her commitment to this land or the throne she is in line to inherit."

Elsa drew up to her full height. "In fact, if anyone's commitment should be questioned, it is this council's. Because rather than work with the princess regent to protect this kingdom, you lot chose to pounce on her like a pack of wolves!"

"So tell me, gentlemen. You claim you are pleased to see me, but just why should I be pleased to see you in return?"

Not a sound could be heard in the council chamber, because the inhabitants of said room – the queen and her steward excluded – simply sat, jaw agape and thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Only the bishop cleared his throat, "Ma'am, you have every right to be disappointed in this council. Unfortunately, you are right." He glanced around the room at his companions, "For all our knowledge, we failed to understand just how out of her depths the princess was at a time like this. And rather than guide her through these troubling times, we only fueled the flames of her distress. For that, we are truly sorry."

Minister Aleksander stood, "Your Majesty…I-I believe I owe you an apology as well. I berated the princess for failing to inform us about your illness with little regard as to the difficult position she was in." He hung his head, "I've never been more ashamed."

There was a nodding of heads around the room and a murmuring of apologies. But it did little to diffuse Elsa's anger.

"The apologies mean little to me, gentlemen. The person they should be directed to is your crown princess, for she is the one who suffered as a result of your ineptitude. What I need from you all is an iron-clad vow to never let this happen again. I will admit that Princess Anna has much to learn about handling the reins of this government, but I need your assurance that you will be her guardians in this venture, not her enemies. If ever we find ourselves in such a situation again, the princess regent will receive your full cooperation."

Heads nodded once more. It seemed it was the only thing the council could bring themselves to do this morning.

Elsa relaxed at this rather welcome display of humility, "Very well, then. We shall meet again tomorrow to discuss these events in more detail."

She rose from her seat with a smirk, "I must say, it's very good to be back, gentlemen."

Captain Vilhelm and Spymaster Gregers were waiting for her when she reached her study. A somber Elsa wordlessly gestured to them as she made herself comfortable. Clearly, whatever they had uncovered at Sorenson's chambers had to have been consequential enough to demand such immediate attention.

"We've found money, ma'am."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Money?"

The captain emitted a sheepish huff, "It's a lot more than can be expected of the chamberlain's assistant, ma'am. Almost 20,000 kroners."

Elsa leaned forward, "Wait? The money is Arendellian?"

Spymaster Gregers chimed in here. "I found myself rather surprised as well, Your Majesty. I had thought perhaps any accomplices would be foreign. The duke came to mind, but unless someone played middle-man for such an effort…"

Elsa shook her head. Any form of trade with Weselton had been deemed illegal and punishable as part of her first decree. That was too much risk for anyone in Arendelle, noble or common, to undertake. Especially for someone so notoriously untrustworthy as the duke.

But that meant the traitor who had paid Sorenson off was Arendellian. She wasn't sure which realization was worse. The one that Sorenson had thrown away years of loyal service just for a handsome bribe, or the one that someone in Arendelle existed to offer such a bribe in the first place.

And what was the real motivation behind this assassination? Was it merely an attempt at grabbing power? Or perhaps it was some sort of holy crusade to rid the kingdom of its sorceress queen. Elsa shook her head to dispel the thoughts. Now was not the time to fall into such dark tangents.

"What else have you learned, Captain?"

"Only that whoever this Arendellian sponsor is, they must have resources enough to track down magic users in and around the kingdom." Here, he appeared suddenly reticent, "Ma'am, the sorcerer who healed you…"

"Alvar."

"Yes…well, I learned he was the one Sorenson visited for…well, for the talisman that caused your illness."

Elsa was taken aback. "You are sure?"

He nodded, "Sorenson had a paper detailing Alvar's whereabouts. Somehow, the sorcerer is a part of this as well, ma'am." He bowed, "With your permission, I'd like to bring him in for further questioning."

Elsa didn't respond immediately. She couldn't. It-it didn't make sense.

Alvar had saved her life. Kai had told her how Anna had travelled to the Black Mountains and back just to bring him. Surely, a man who'd travelled all that distance just to cure her wouldn't have hurt her on purpose.

"No."

The others exchanged confused glances.

"Not yet, Captain."

"But, ma'am, if he decides to run-"

She held up a hand. "He will not. I will speak to him myself, but there will be no arrests made until then."

Perhaps she was being foolish to trust someone again after everything that had just happened, but something told her there was more to Alvar's behavior. She'd need to talk to Anna first though. Learn what her sister made of this most unique guest of theirs.

Speaking of Anna…

Elsa rose, "Gentlemen, inform me of any further developments as they arise. But in the meantime, I will speak with my sister and determine the nature of this sorcerer before speaking to the man myself."

Captain Vilhelm frowned, "Ma'am, given everything that man has been responsible for, I do not think you should be facing him alone."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "Are you implying I cannot defend myself, Captain?"

The series of sheepish, embarrassed expressions that flitted across his face made her smile, "I-I-well, no, ma'am. I didn't mean it like that."

"I can handle myself, Captain. And I would like you to trust me to do so." She shrugged, "Besides, I have my doubts as to the man's true nature. I'm afraid I don't quite prescribe to this fearsome, calculating villain theory you have clearly taken to."

The words came out a tad harsher than intended. The man blanched, "Ma'am, I-I truly didn't mean to imply anything." He hung his head, "It's just that…"

"I know, Captain." And she did. He felt bad that she had ever been hurt on his watch. But it really wasn't his fault.

But if it wasn't his fault, then whose was it?

"Stop, man! You can't go in there!"

"Elsa!"

The queen startled out of her thoughts, "What in the-"

"ELSA!" There was a thudding of footsteps and a loud clamor just outside her door. Captain Vilhelm drew his sword.

"Your Majesty, stay behind me!"

"Elsa, please!"

Elsa drew up, "Open the door."

The captain blinked, "But-"

"Open it!"

Sword still drawn, the captain approached the door and unlocked it in one fluid gesture, revealing a huffing Kristoff, an also huffing Kai and two very disgruntled members of her private security detail. The latter two of whom wasted no time in capturing her attention.

"Your Majesty, he wouldn't listen to-!"

"We were just trying to tell him-!"

"Enough!"

Everyone promptly shut up. Satisfied with the quiet, brief though it was, Elsa turned her attention to the ice harvester. "Kristoff, I was in an urgent meeting. This had better be an emergency."

The blonde man nodded, huffing all the while, "It-it is…"

"Anna's missing!"

Chapter Text

Elsa felt the ground give way beneath her feet. "Missing?!"

"Yeah," Kristoff was huffing something awful, but he continued, "I – huff – I went to check on her, you know, because things have been pretty crazy this morning – huff - and I didn't want her to be alone at a time like this-"

Elsa winced.

"But – huff- when I checked all her usual spots, the gallery, her room, the kitchens, I didn't find her - huff- so I asked Gerda where she could be – huff- and she looked too, but no one's seen her since this morning – huff - and she's probably in a bad place right now cause of – huff - everything that happened and I know you're really busy but-"

Her patience was beginning to wear thin. "Kristoff, the point, please."

He took a deep breath, "I think everything that happened this weekend just hit her and she definitely shouldn't be alone right now and I'm kinda worried and we really, really gotta find her!"

Silence echoed in the room.

"Your Majesty, you don't think-" Spymaster Gregers caught himself. "No, it can't be…"

The look on his face sent a shiver down her spine. "Can't be what?"

He looked to her, "You-you don't think perhaps this is yet another attack on the throne?"

A sudden swell of panic overtook her. The traitor…

Captain Vilhelm appeared to have come to the same conclusion as well. He jumped up, "Ma'am. I will comb every nook and cranny of this castle until the princess is found."

She could feel her heart in her throat, "Alert Commander Njord as well. Tell him to search the village."

The men hurried off.

"And me?"

Elsa looked to Kristoff, her sister's boyfriend, perhaps the only person who'd taken care of Anna during this crisis.

Herself included.

Shame coursed through her. She should have run to Anna's side after learning about Sorenson's betrayal and helped her through her struggle. Any other sibling would have done just that.

But as always, she had gotten caught up in the wave of her work and left her sister alone to deal with her pain, again.

God, when will I stop being such a horrible sister?

She got to her feet and headed out the door, Kai and Kristoff on her heels. "Go into town, Kristoff. Find her friends, maybe…maybe she just went to see them and forgot to tell someone."

He didn't appear convinced by her logic, but he nodded anyway. "Okay, I'll check the stables too. Maybe she took Anja out."

She didn't push him for his reasons. He seemed to know Anna's state of mind better than she did right now.

He hurried off, leaving Kai her sole companion. "We'll find her, ma'am."

She didn't doubt that. What she did doubt was her ability to ever be the kind of big sister Anna so rightly deserved. One who offered her comfort rather than leaving her to wallow in suffering and grief over and over again.

How many times had Anna had to hide herself to deal with her loneliness and pain and the ever-encompassing silence that accompanied her in childhood? And how many more times would she be subject to it even now, during this so-called 'happily ever after' of theirs?

And what if this wasn't just Anna running off to be alone? What if she was in danger?

No. Fate cannot be that unkind to us. It just can't.

She picked up her skirts and hurried faster down the hallway, her mind racing with a million thoughts. Gerda and the other servants were doing a sweep of the castle, but she could always start by checking all of Anna's usual hideouts again, just in case.

She mentally ran through the veritable laundry list of hiding spots her sister had adopted over the years. Of course, there was the gallery, but Gerda hadn't found her there.

Maybe she was in the kitchens, or her room, or perhaps in the corner of the library, behind the fiction books, losing herself in the magic of literature to forget her worries for a while.

God, far too many places to check, and who knows what else lays in store?

Elsa picked up her skirt and hurried past an open window, briefly catching the tall silhouette of the town clocktower in her gaze.

Clocktower… She ground to a halt, her eyes wide with realization.

"Kai, tell everyone to stop the search. I know where Anna is."

Elsa was pretty confident in her instincts when she stopped the search for her sister, and yet, immense relief flooded through her when she did find Anna seated on the stairs inside the clocktower, her feet dangling over the edges, her eyes staring off into the distance, clearly thinking, clearly in sorrow.

"I thought you might be here."

Anna startled at the unexpected voice, her head shooting up to look at her sister. "How'd you find me?"

The queen chuckled, leaning against the door with a smirk. "You've moped about this old clocktower since you could crawl up the stairs on your own, love. Change your hiding place, then we'll talk."

To her surprise, Anna didn't join in the laughter. Instead, she turned away with a deep frown.

"Nothing's changed, has it? I'm still that naïve little kid bumbling around and making a mess of things."

The smile fell off Elsa' face, "I didn't mean it like that, love."

"You didn't, but others do."

Elsa sighed with understanding, walking up the steps and sitting beside her sister. "The council?"

Anna didn't look at her. "Are you going to say they're wrong?"

Elsa scoffed aloud at that.

"The council is hardly a fair arbiter of who is or isn't qualified for their position, love."

"But am I?"

"Huh?"

Stormy teal eyes finally rose to meet her. "Am I qualified to be crown princess?"

Elsa furrowed her brows, "Anna, if you're not qualified enough to be crown princess, then I'm not sure there should be such a title at all."

"You're right. There shouldn't be." Anna's gaze fell to the ground, "And even if there is, then it shouldn't be me."

It took a stunned Elsa a moment to respond, "What are you saying, love? You, not be heir to the throne?"

Anna just laughed a mirthless laugh, "I thought hearing about the past three days would have convinced you of just what a disaster I am…but then again, you always did give me credit I never deserved."

"Stop." Elsa reached for Anna's face, cradling it in her hands, forcing her to make eye contact. "Just stop, Anna, please. Hearing you think so lowly of yourself breaks my heart. It's-it's not right."

"No, Elsa!" Anna brushed her off and stood up, "What's not right is you insisting that I'm doing my job well when the entire kingdom knows just how incompetent I really am."

"It's my job to help you run the kingdom, but even on the best of days, I suck at it! I can't run a council meeting to save my life, I can't write reports that don't look like something a toddler scribbled on a wall with a crayon, I can't speak in public without rambling or stumbling over every other word…heck, the only thing I'm good at is not doing my royal duties!"

"And then, overnight, the entire weight of the kingdom fell on my shoulders, and I had no idea what to do. I just handed it all off to Sorenson and spent my time running around the mountains for the cure because the thought of sitting behind a desk and dealing with everything made me want to gag. But even that, I screwed up because I never told the council what had happened to you, but they found out somehow and called me in to yell at me and the only thing I could think about the whole time was how right they were, because a freaking traitor was on the loose but turns out, not only did I trust him with the kingdom, but I also let him get close to you like a thousand times and he could have killed you any single one of those times but he didn't and – oh God, Elsa, you almost DIED, and all because I trusted that conniving, twisted snake!"

Anna swiveled sharply to face her sister, her eyes alight with fresh grief, "Now tell me, what about that screams 'competent, worthy heir to the throne' to you, Elsa?! Because I, for one, don't see it!"

Elsa sucked in a harsh breath. So this was the extent of the damage the council had wrought. She suppressed the sudden urge to march back into the castle and freeze them all in a block of ice.

With a sigh, she reached for Anna's hand and intertwined their fingers together instead. The gesture softened Anna's upset a smidgen, but her eyes continued to glint with a harshness that tore Elsa's heart to shreds.

"Anna…how long have you felt this way?"

The princess' absent shrug made her heart ache. "I don't know…but everyone always said I wouldn't amount to anything. It was always, 'Princess, why can't you write more fluidly,' or 'Princess, your sister knows five languages, try and keep up,' or, 'Watch your manners, you're the crown princess, act like it!'"

Elsa hadn't known. She hadn't realized-

"I don't blame them, really, I don't." Anna added immediately, "I mean, making me presentable in any capacity is a big accomplishment. And presenting me as the heir to the throne? Well, I think that's just about impossible."

A lump settled in her throat. "Darling, that's not true-"

"I know you think it isn't, Elsa." She gave a small, melancholic smile, "But you've always had faith in me, even when I never deserved it…and right now, I don't. This weekend just proves something I already knew. I'm not cut out for this." She hung her head and whispered, "I never was."

Elsa sat beside her sister, her heart aching for Anna's pain. Words escaped her, but emotions, they lingered. Anger, pain, grief, confusion.

How had things gone so wrong? And how come she had never noticed her sister's pain until now?

Yet another result of your deeds, Elsa. You weren't there for her when she needed you. That's why you never knew.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to wallow in her own guilt. Now was the time to show Anna just how much she needed her. To remind her of the person she was. To show her the light that shone within…

Elsa reached to clasp her face. "Anna, do you know what I see when I look at you?"

The girl sniffled, "A failure?"

"No, I see a star that doesn't know how bright it can shine. A gem that doesn't know its own worth. Anna, when I look at you, I see a princess, who, even as a child, radiated with such compassion and understanding that I know Arendelle could truly do no better than her."

Anna looked up, "What are you talking about?"

"When you were four, you accidentally knocked over one of Papa's priceless vases." Elsa offered a soft smile at the memory, "It was a gift from one of the Eastern kingdoms, I think. We were trying to improve relations with them, and they had sent it to us as a token of good faith."

She looked up, "I don't remember exactly how it all happened, but I remember coming out of my daily lessons and Mama running up to me frantically because she couldn't find you. The whole castle was practically turned upside down that day…"

Anna scrunched her eyebrows, "So where did you find me?"

Elsa smiled, "When I found you that day, it was in this clocktower. You were sitting just like this, sniffling and upset-"

"So nothing has changed…"

"No, it hasn't. Because when I found you, I figured you'd be upset or scared of what Mama or Papa might say to you…or how they might punish you for breaking the vase. But do you know what you said to me when I asked you why you were hiding?"

"What?"

Elsa's eyes gleamed a bright blue. "You said you were hiding because you'd disappointed them."

"Huh?"

"You knew the vase was important and that it was a gift, and you were sad that you had ruined such a precious gift. You were sad that Papa would be upset by what you had done." Elsa pulled their entwined hands close, "Anna, at four years old, you were more concerned with how much you'd hurt others with your actions than you were with any punishment they might give you."

Their joined hands came up to her heart. "And it was that day I realized just how lucky I am to have you by my side, then and now. Your empathy, your compassion, your concern for others and the kingdom at large…even then, Anna, I knew you had the heart and the soul of a true princess."

"And when I made you crown princess, I did so, not out of obligation or lack of choice but with pride. Because there is no doubt in my mind that only you can be the crown princess this kingdom needs. Only you can be the crown princess I need by my side, Anna…it could never be anyone else."

A somber expression overtook Anna's features, "The council doesn't seem to care about that. And they're right. I don't have what it takes to be responsible for the whole kingdom, Elsa." She shook her head, "I didn't even realize Sorenson was a traitor until now. I mean, what kind of leadership is that? I let the man run around freely for three days…I put the kingdom in HIS HANDS and just ran off!"

Elsa placed a hand on her sister's tense shoulder.

"You're saying you don't have what it takes to be the heir to the throne, Anna, but how could you forget that without you, there wouldn't even be a throne to inherit?"

Anna swallowed sharply. "That's not comforting, Elsa. Because that whole thing was my fault too."

"Anna-"

"Face it. There's nothing left to say, Elsa. I can't be your heir anymore. I can't do it…I just can't."

Elsa's heart fell at those words, but as much as it hurt, it seemed her sister had made her choice.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and reached for Anna's hands, "Alright, if that's truly what you wish, I won't force you. I'll relieve you of your position as crown princess, effective immediately."

The princess nodded grimly, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed by her response. It was all she felt she deserved, so why did it hurt so bad?

Maybe because, deep down, she'd hoped her sister would continue to reassure her, trying to soothe her worries by reminding her of all the good she'd done.

But Elsa had just given up on her. Just like that.

Maybe I really am that hopeless.

Elsa's soft chuckle broke through her gloomy thoughts. "You know…now that I think about it, it might not be such a bad idea…living like that, I mean. No royal headaches to deal with, or diplomatic nightmares to sort out…" Elsa shrugged, "I think it really wouldn't be a bad idea after all."

Anna furrowed her brows. What was Elsa talking about?

"Of course, we'll have to make a living. I'm afraid I'm rather inept at any activities not pertaining to government, so it'll probably be up to you to make sure we have a roof over our head and food on the table." She scratched her chin thoughtfully, "Maybe we could open our own little bakery."

A bakery?

"Sure, it would be in competition with your friend Ingrid, but I'm sure we wouldn't cut into her business all that much. Then again, your baking skills are rather delightful, so perhaps we'd actually give her a good fight." She looked to Anna, "What do you say, does a bakery sound like something you'd be interested in?"

Anna found herself thoroughly lost. "Elsa, what are you talking about? Why in the world would we be setting up a bakery?"

Elsa looked surprised, "Anna, after I abdicate, we can't possibly continue living in the castle."

"Abdicate?!" Anna jumped up. "Whatdya mean abdicate?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "I'd give up the throne. You know, resign, leave the job, fire myself."

"Hold up, why are you going to abdicate? I'm the one who's not good enough to sit on the throne."

The fond smile Elsa gave her in return made no sense to the panic-stricken princess. But then -

"Oh Anna…did you really think I'd continue ruling Arendelle without you?"

Realization dawned on Anna. Her throat closed up.

"I have spent years learning how to rule a kingdom, Anna. I know how this nation functions, both inside and out. Every industry, every alliance, every nook and cranny town in our kingdom, I'm aware of it all. And I could easily run this kingdom without the council if I ever needed to, Anna – God knows it's crossed my mind a thousand times already…" She shook her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "But the one thing I cannot do is rule without you, love."

"You are my north star, my guardian angel, my lantern in the dark. You give me life when I find myself drained of all hope, you support me just when I feel as though I might collapse. You remind me that there is more to this world than my duties…and if I have accomplished anything in these last two years, Anna, it's only because of you."

Elsa clasped her sister's hand, "I can't possibly hope to do this without you, but I will not force you to do something you don't want to. So if you are serious about giving up your claim to the throne…then so am I."

A wide-eyed, incredulous Anna fumbled for words, but other than opening her mouth and then shutting it like a befuddled pufferfish, she could do nothing else.

Because Elsa wasn't supposed to be giving up the throne for her. She wasn't supposed to be leaving it all behind because of her. It was her birthright, her destiny, the culmination of decades' of study and work and preparation that Elsa was meant for.

But Elsa would leave it all behind for her. She was willing to, immediately and without hesitation.

She was ready to give it all up just for her.

Because she couldn't rule Arendelle without her.

The realization had the princess launching herself into her sister's arms, sobbing with the proof of Elsa's love and faith that she didn't really have in herself just yet, but she would someday.

Because Elsa needed her by her side. And if Elsa needed her, how could Anna possibly refuse her?

"Okay," She mumbled into Elsa's shoulder with a sniffle. She pulled back to wipe at her eyes before offering a teary smile, "I'll stay. I'll do it."

Elsa's smile was one of relief, "Good, because in hindsight, I'm not sure how well our bakery idea would have turned out."

Anna giggled, "It could always be a back-up, you know, if you ever decide you've had enough of it all." She leaned against her sister with a light-hearted sigh, taking comfort in an embrace she had thought she would never feel again.

I almost lost her…

The unbidden reminder of her weekend from hell had her pulling away from Elsa's warm arms with a frown.

"No, this doesn't change things. I still screwed everything up. I let Sorenson run loose around the kingdom, I didn't even know he was a traitor until it was almost too late! He nearly killed you, Elsa!"

Anna broke into a strangled sob.

But Elsa shushed her gently, pulling back into a hug, rubbing her back gently, "Oh Anna…" She bent down to kiss her hair, "I spent every day of the last two years with Sorenson, and I had no idea he wanted to kill me…did you really think I'd blame you for not figuring it out?"

"Not really." Anna admitted between sniffles, because Elsa never would have blamed her for something like that, but that didn't mean she hadn't made a terrifying mistake. "But I almost didn't save you..."

"But you did." Elsa drew back to meet her sister's teary gaze, "You did save me, and all I've heard since I woke up is how much you went through to do it." She smiled, "I'm proud of you, Anna. I could never have asked for a better sister, or a more dedicated heir."

Anna blushed and ducked her head at the compliment. She didn't really have the words to reply with, what with her being tired from crying all day …and her sister made for a very warm and comfy pillow.

She snuggled deeper into her embrace, ensconcing herself in Elsa's arms, finally allowing herself to enjoy the quiet of the moment. Sitting there in the old clocktower, wrapped up in a warm hug from her sister, Anna felt her fears, her worries, her fatigue – all built up over three terrifying days and nights – passing through her vulnerable form and out into the universe.

Then again, she always felt secure and safe in Elsa's arms.

She mumbled sleepily. "I'm glad you're okay."

Elsa felt a pang of guilt at her words. She could only imagine what kind of nightmare her sister had dealt with for three days, but she could hear the tremble in Anna's voice, feel the way her sister was practically molding herself to Elsa's form, sense Anna's unwillingness to fall asleep, despite her exhaustion, because she couldn't be entirely sure that this wasn't just another dream.

Elsa pulled Anna closer and planted a kiss on her head. "So am I. But you saved me, love, remember?"

"Yeah…" Anna yawned. "Ya know, I fought off a bear…"

Elsa smiled softly. She'd heard the tale of her sister's heroics from an appropriately proud Kristoff quite a few times already. But honestly, she didn't blame him for blabbing it to anyone within listening range. It did sound pretty cool. "So I heard, my brave little princess."

Anna returned a droopy smile, "And I found a sorcerer. A real one."

Elsa drew back in mock offense, "I'm sorry, are you implying I'm not real?"

"Nope…" Anna mumbled, "But you're the Snow Queen…he's just a sorcerer."

The queen was sufficiently amused, "And there's a difference?"

Anna nodded sleepily as she nuzzled Elsa's neck. "Hm hmm…your magic is much prettier."

Elsa chuckled, "Thank you, love. You were always my biggest fan, among other things, of course."

She suddenly remembered her reason for seeking Anna's counsel in the first place, "That reminds me…what do you think about Alvar?"

But Anna was already fast asleep.

Elsa smiled fondly at her sibling. "Later then. We'll pick this up later."

Chapter Text

Elsa had been pacing back and forth and biting her lower lip for minutes before she finally heard the knock on the door.

The sound had her snapping to attention in a panic, but she was quick to regain composure, turning to greet her visitor with a demure smile. "Master Alvar, please have a seat."

The man warily approached the chair, as if he couldn't be quite sure of the reason for his summons. Elsa didn't blame him. She herself hadn't yet decided whether he was friend or foe, and she wasn't sure how to go about figuring such a thing.

You're thinking too much. Just say something and see how it plays out.

She straightened her spine and folded her hands before her, "I hope you have been treated well in your time here."

"Yes, ma'am." The man replied curtly, his eyes falling to his lap.

Is that an act or an admission of guilt?

She pressed on, "I'd like to begin by thanking you yet again for saving my life, Master Alvar. My kingdom, and I, find ourselves entirely in your debt." Her eyes flickered to him, "If there is any way I can repay you-"

She could feel the man's flinch as though she'd struck him.

"Is something wrong?"

The man bowed his head, his gray eyes dropping to the floor. "Ma'am, the truth is-" He seemed on the verge of tears, "Well, the truth is that you owe me nothing for my efforts. Because I'm the one that caused your pain to begin with."

Elsa felt herself relax. "I know. And I do not fault you for it."

His eyebrows shot skyward. "What?"

Elsa smiled, "Sir, you will find that there is little in this kingdom I do not know. As soon as I awakened, I learned of your involvement in my…condition."

"And yet, you do not blame me?"

"I was not sure whether I should, but seeing you regret your actions and your willingness to admit to them freely has told me all I need to know about your intentions."

Wonder dawned in his old eyes. He smiled openly, "Bless you, Queen Elsa. Bless you and your merciful nature."

"Please, sir, call me Elsa." She ducked her head, "And know that what I do is not merciful. In fact, you will find my reasons for forgiving you rather selfish indeed."

She swallowed, wishing she were wearing her gloves right now. Cursed though they were, they'd always afforded her a stable source of comfort, the kind she craved right now. She gripped her fingers tightly instead.

"You see, for years now, almost since I was old enough to begin considering my place in this world, I have wondered about these powers I possess." Her gaze fell to the floor, "I know of no one like me, not a single family ancestor, not a single person in this kingdom…I might go so far as to say I know of no one like me in this world at all."

"But now…I've found someone I can talk to. Someone who may have answers to my questions. Someone who may tell me what my purpose is in life." She looked to him, pleading, "My sister told me what she knows about you, what Grand Pabbie said to her. I know the life you used to lead before you came here, and that is why I ask you. Please, Master Alvar, if-if there is any way for you to tell me who I am and why I was born this way…I'd–I'd forever find myself in your debt."

She was shaking by the end of her little speech. And if it would have behooved a queen like her to fall to her knees, she would have, for right now, there was very little other than the rigid laws of decorum that kept her upright.

Her entire life she had spent in this vacuum of knowledge, forever perplexed by her inexplicable existence, forever aggrieved by powers she did not understand the purpose of but that had ripped her apart from her loved ones nonetheless.

Decades of pain and grief and questions…surely she deserved at least one answer.

But Alvar didn't seem as willing to help her as she'd hoped. "Elsa, I wish I could help you, but the ways of fate are not for me to disclose."

"But you can see my fate, can't you?" If she sounded a desperate, pathetic soul, she didn't care.

"Master Alvar, I know learning about the future is rarely a good thing, but all I ask is a glimpse of the life I was meant to live. This magic has spent years wrecking havoc on my life, my family, on my peace of mind. I need to know what it was all for."

She took a wobbly step forward, "P-Please? Just once?"

The man seemed to be wrestling with himself, but then he nodded, "Alright, if it means that much to you-"

Elsa nearly collapsed on the floor with sheer relief. "It does. It really does-"

"But I should warn you, Elsa. Such knowledge rarely provides the tranquility that is sought after. Let us hope that by finding out your destiny, you do not lose whatever peace of mind you have left."

The words didn't dampen her spirits. They couldn't. She'd waited far too long for her to care about what good or bad lay ahead. She needed to know.

She lifted her chin, "Whatever it is, I'm ready."

When Alvar took her hand to glimpse into her future, he did not know what to expect. Many a soul he had guided over the centuries, but whenever he had had to glimpse into their future to guide them on their path, there was a stark clarity. Like gazing into a crystal clear pond, straight into one's own reflection.

Their destinies were simple, straight-forward. Magic-born though they were, their lives were uncomplicated, their purposes often to do good and aid in the balance of the natural world.

But when he took Elsa's hand, the old sorcerer suddenly felt himself knee deep in a rushing current, surrounded by the densest of fog and the harsh cackle of a deep, raspy throat. Flashes of color caught his attention in every direction, red, green, black. An emblem of a snake, white and gold, so many symbols he did not understand.

Faces he did not know, but he knew them to be cruel and dangerous nonetheless.

Screams, loud, painful screams, echoed around this mystic swamp, rang rancorously in his ears so that he was sure they would haunt his nightmares if they'd been a part of his destiny.

And yet, underneath all of this chaos lay a steady drumbeat, a constant thumping of a heart that contained the most potent magic of all: love.

It grew louder and louder and louder, drowning out the screams and the wicked laughter, filling him with such overwhelming emotion that he began to weep at the sensation. For how could someone possess such an inestimable capacity for love, especially in a hellscape such as this?

But then, a voice called out to him.

"Alvar…"

"Master Alvar?" Elsa found herself terrified beyond all reason, because the sorcerer who was holding her hand was weeping, but he had yet to respond to her growing worries and he had yet to withdraw himself from whatever vision he was in.

Was her destiny truly so terrifying?

"Master Alvar?! Please, you must snap out of it." She pulled her hand out of his grasp, but even with what should have been a severed connection, the man seemed rooted to his spot. Unthinking, unseeing.

"Master Alvar, is everything alright? Please say something!" She shook him a little roughly.

To her immense relief, he responded, taking in the deepest of breaths before his eyes began to register their surroundings.

"Oh thank God," Elsa breathed out, "You were so lost in whatever you saw that I thought you were lost."

"I…" Alvar cleared his throat, reality sinking into his now agitated mind. "I apologize, Elsa."

"What did you see?" Elsa's eyes shimmered with unbridled curiosity.

But the old sorcerer could only grit his teeth. He could not tell her what he had learned. Nothing about the uncertainty of her future, nor of the pain, nor of what the voice had told him.

But looking at her eager blue eyes, yearning for some answers to her years of grief, Alvar did not know what else to do.

So he bowed his head, "I'm afraid whatever destiny has in store for you, it is not yet time for you to learn of it, Elsa."

Her face fell, "So…so you learned nothing?"

"No." It was easier to lie to her when he remembered the horrid screams he had heard. "It is not unheard of, to be unable to glimpse into someone's future. It does not mean your destiny is not bright."

"But that doesn't tell me what my destiny is at all, does it?" Elsa closed her eyes, willing herself to keep her tears back just a little longer, "When will I learn what I was put on this Earth to do? Is there even a point to my existence?"

"Everyone put on this Earth is here for a reason, Elsa. Some have more to give this world than others…" He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "It can be hard to hear, especially now, but all will reveal itself to you in due time."

"And then what?" Elsa glanced over to him, "For the first time in forever, I have a life worth living, and now, just when I should be happy, all I can think about is what might become of my happily ever after if my destiny comes knocking on my door. How do I prepare for something I cannot know? How do I sleep peacefully at night when I can't help fearing what Fate has written for me?"

"What comes next will require all the faith and patience you can muster, Elsa. Facing one's destiny is rarely a smooth journey, and I do not need to know yours to understand that your journey will be unlike any other." He smiled, "But if there is anyone who has no need to worry, it is you, because you possess a strength greater than any other on this planet. Love."

"Love?"

"Love." He found himself smiling widely at those words. "Elsa, in the short time I have spent here, I have come to understand just how much love your sister holds for you. Her dedication to you, her loyalty, and her concern for your wellbeing are unlike any I have ever seen in my centuries on this Earth. And it is her love for you that will carry you through whatever destiny throws you way."

"In my lifetime, all who have approached me have done so for guidance towards their true purpose, but none have been so lucky as you. Having the support of your loved ones, and having someone like your sister in particular…there is no greater gift to be had."

He looked into her shining blue eyes, "Keep her close, Elsa, let her support you in your time of need. And then, when your destiny comes calling for you, you can meet its challenges with open arms, because where there is love, there can be no room for fear."

Elsa felt her troubled soul finally settle at his wise words.

Love…the answer to all her questions was love, and of course it was, why wouldn't it be? Her love for Anna, Anna's love for her, their love for the kingdom. That love had saved her kingdom from her magic, saved Anna from an icy death, herself from a miserable existence.

If all she had to do to prepare for her destiny was to keep her love close, then she could handle that. She had plenty of love to give, after all.

"T-Thank you, Master Alvar. Perhaps I should have realized Anna was the answer to my problems." She managed a sheepish, watery chuckle, "She usually is."

Alvar returned a smile of his own. "I can't say that surprises me, Elsa." And why would it? Even after everything he had seen and heard regarding Elsa's future, Alvar found himself relaxing at the reminder of the fiery red-headed princess, the one who had faced insurmountable odds to save her sibling.

For Elsa to triumphantly face the destiny that awaited her, she would need her sister by her side. And now that he had pressed upon her the importance of such a relationship, Alvar could consider his work here done.

He bowed to her, "It has been an incredible honor to be of assistance to you, Elsa. But I fear it is past time for me to return home."

Elsa's face fell. "Surely you could stay for just a few more days?"

"I wish I could. But the truth is that since your sister's arrival, I have realized my mistake in hiding from the world for so long."

Alvar looked out the window at the slowly setting sun. "There are many needy souls out there, looking for guidance from someone who can understand their struggles. You are fortunate to have your sister, Elsa, but many are far less so. It is time to be a coward no longer. I must resume my travels once more."

Elsa swallowed. As much as she longed to keep him here and ask of him every question she had ever had regarding her powers, she knew the thought was selfish.

She offered him a warm nod, "I can't thank you enough for everything, Master Alvar. And if you do ever decide to return to Arendelle, know that this kingdom will always welcome you with open arms."

Alvar's eyes gleamed with gratitude, "I will not forget this kindness, Elsa. And perhaps, once the time comes for you to embrace your destiny, we will cross paths yet again."

It was with renewed hope that Elsa was able to smile back, "Perhaps we will."

The evening sky was a sight for sore eyes and a welcome blanket of darkness to cloak the harsh truths unearthed by that day's light.

Anna sighed with relief as she looked out the window, "Thank God today's done. I just want this hellish week to be over already."

"Hmm." Elsa leaned back against the couch, her eyes already drooping, "You can say that again…"

"So?"

She cracked open one eye to glance down at her sister, "So what?"

Anna groaned, "Ugh, I've been waiting all day for you to tell me what Alvar said. Didn't he tell you what your destiny is?"

"Oh, that." Caught up in the whirlwind of activity that followed Alvar's departure, she had been forced to put aside the whole interaction, but thinking about his grim face and the destiny he had not been able to find for her brought about a bag of mixed emotions.

She returned a half-shrug, "He didn't tell me what I didn't already know." Which was true, but incomplete.

Thankfully, Anna didn't press for details, instead choosing to curl closer to her side. "Oh…that sucks. I really thought he'd be more helpful."

"He was," Elsa admitted, because it was the truth. "But it just wasn't the kind of help I've been looking for."

Anna raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't really make sense."

Elsa just chuckled and leaned into her sister, "Let's just say that whatever is waiting for me, I'm going to need you by my side for it."

Anna let out an amused snort, "Of course, like you even have to ask."

Her heart filled to the brim with love, Elsa couldn't stop herself from smiling into Anna's hair, "No, I didn't think I had to."

The sisters fell into a peaceful silence, listening to the crackling sounds of the warm fire as they allowed the sweet bliss of sleep to wash over their weary forms.

"Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we going to do about the…" Anna's gaze fell to the floor, "You know, about…everything that happened?"

Elsa pursed her lips. She didn't know what to tell Anna, mostly because she didn't know yet what she should do. She sighed, "The investigation has yet to wrap up. Perhaps we'll have a better idea of what to do after it's done."

"But what about the other stuff?" Anna sat up, a frown on her lips, "There are people out there that want to hurt you, and it's not just enemies anymore, Elsa. It's people we work with, people you meet everyday… what do we do when we can't even trust those around us anymore?"

The queen just shrugged, pulling Anna back into her arms, "I don't have the answer to that right now, love. But we'll figure something out together, that much I'm certain of."

She smiled softly, "And perhaps, once we've managed to sort out all of this chaos, we can actually have ourselves a real vacation."

"Yes, God, yes!" Anna replied with vociferous excitement. "I so need a holiday after all this. Because in case you forgot, I fought a bear for you."

Elsa giggled, "Will you hold that over my head every time you need something?"

"Till the end of time." Anna smirked, "Or, you know, at least until I do something much cooler and even more dangerous. Because it's really a matter of when, not if that happens."

Elsa ignored the way her heart fell at those words, "If we're lucky, that won't be for a good long while."

"Right," Anna rolled her eyes, "Because it's not like we literally attract trouble just by existing."

She couldn't argue with that, so Elsa just shrugged instead, "Well, we can hope, can't we?"

Anna nodded, curling into her sister's side once more, tracing lazy patterns on the back of Elsa's hand. "It would be nice to have some peace and quiet around here."

Somehow, the chances of that happening seemed to dwindle every day. But Elsa gave her a reassuring smile. "Hopefully we will. But either way, as long as I'm with you, I don't care what lies ahead."

"Good," Anna replied with a sleepy smile, "Cause neither do I."