She knew it wasn't Anna immediately. Physically, Devil had created a spitting image of Elsa's little sister. Anyone else would have been fooled. The troll even had Anna's mannerisms and intonation fairly well represented, although certainly not perfect. But Devil couldn't know how well Elsa knew her precious sibling. Elsa saw Anna's soul. She saw the spirit that made Anna Anna. Not another living being could make such a claim. When Elsa encountered "Anna" that morning, the usual golden light that shone from her soul was replaced with a murky abyss of darkness and twisted hate. She had no doubt. She knew Devil had come to confront her at last.

However…

Devil had chosen a particularly problematic shell and location, intelligently enough. Even being completely positive that this picture of Anna wasn't actually her sister, Elsa couldn't wholly control the emotions and memories that swirled in her mind. So strong were her feelings for Anna, Elsa struggled to imagine the event where she brought Devil to his knees and even downed him permanently to avoid further catalytic repercussions. Elsa thought she would be stronger, having imagined this very scenario, but the frightening smile Devil had flashed was gone, replaced by Anna's small face, twinkling, bright eyes, and attractive visage that instinctively made Elsa limp with frustrating feelings.

'Devil.' Elsa uttered, attempting to force the idea into her brain so that she could act unhindered. She glanced about, hearing only distant noises of conversation and movement. Devil had planned this well. Elsa felt trapped, not desiring to present herself and this fake to anyone who wasn't aware of Devil's existence. She didn't need fear caressing the rumours that already jerked Arendelle's peaceful state as it was. The troll's timing was perfect. How did he move about with such precision? It's as if he was always five steps ahead, simply waiting for Elsa to catch up so the next phase of his plan could come to be.

'Who's that?' "Anna's" voice answered, and Elsa winced, the honeysuckle tone of her musical vocal projection supporting her natural senses and the reactions that came with them.

'What do you want?'

'You, of course, silly.' "Anna" winked, placing an index finger to her lips as if she were sharing a secret with her older sister.

'Is this the final trial?' Elsa asked, biding her time as she searched the tainted scenarios her imagination haphazardly created. She had to put Devil down. She had to stop him here. But her magic…And could she hurt Anna, no matter how fake, again? Her guilt weighed her shoulders to the floor, and Elsa's eyes began to water without her willing them to.

'My! This is true emotion, isn't it?' "Anna" giggled, touching Elsa on the shoulder.

Devil even felt like Anna. Her tiny hands and her soft contact. The same hands that had caressed Elsa's body and brought her indescribable pleasure. The same hands that held Elsa's so majestically. The hands that delivered peace to the wintery storm that was Elsa's ego.

'Stop it.' Elsa flinched her sister's fingers off her, holding her heart as "Anna's" gaze flashed an image of hurt.

'I can only impersonate those I have come into contact with.' "Anna's" voice said with cheer, dramatically stepping about the small alcove separating worlds within the palace with her arms pushed behind her back. 'When I make that connection, I take a piece of the person's psyche into my own. I briefly merge with their individualistic soul, collecting years of insight and sentiment to be logged within my vault of personas. It's quite taxing…But also enlightening.'

'You…touched Anna?' Elsa's eyes widened, and a spark visually lashed out from her head.

'Ah! Ah! I am Anna, remember?'

'You're not!'

'Then end it here and now.' "Anna" exposed her body, extending her hands outward and closing her eyes. There was a heavy pause, with Elsa's breaths intensifying as more sparks made her eye twitch and her entire body quiver.

'Hm. You cannot. I almost thought you would, but it makes sense, really. The guilt you must feel, Elsa.' "Anna" began circling slowly, stroking the queen of Arendelle in various places within short intervals. Her arm. Her neck. Her waist. Her breasts. With every touch, goosebumps inevitably followed. Elsa's temples throbbed, a ringing in her ears deafening to the point of unbalance.

'You destroyed me not once, not twice, but three times. How do I even pretend to love you?'

'Y-you feel nothing for me beyond the connection between a child and their toy!'

'But…I thought you cared about me, Elsa. I thought we finally understood one another. Maybe you love Gerda more than me after all…'

'Stop it!' Elsa almost sobbed. 'You're not her!'

'Then kill me or watch your world burn!' "Anna" swooped right in front of Elsa, her eyes hardly an inch from the queen's own. 'It shouldn't be difficult. You've done it so many times already, haven't you? I've cried over you as much as I've laughed with you. Every day, I begged for you to come out of your room and be with me. Support me. Love me. Hold me. Elsa! Elsa! Elsa! But you didn't. "Go away, Anna!" "Okay, bye." Tore my heart apart over and over and over again! I wanted love. I want to feel loved so desperately I fell for the first man who gave me more than an inkling of attention. And then you denied me even that!'

Elsa's pupils shook, horrid memories and failures plummeting down into her heart and crushing her resolve. Her darkness was dragged out of concealment, and as "Anna" pushed past Elsa's face and touched her lips to the older sister's ear, Elsa couldn't move, much less use her magic to smite Devil and all the chaos his existence promised.

'Elsa…Do you want to build a snowman?'

Snap.

Elsa was a child. A young girl. An adolescent female. An awkward woman. A tortured monarch. Hiding. Hiding. Hiding. Hiding. Pushing the one person she cared about away every…single…day. Anna was her greatest joy and her ultimate failure. How arrogant she was to think they could ever be okay. How her foolishness truly knew no bounds whatsoever.

'You're…not…her.' Elsa wheezed, trying with all her might to harness her magic, but feeling as though she was simply casting a spell of cold ice upon herself. This was a psychological attack, and despite Elsa knowing as much, she couldn't find the strength she needed to counter. Devil had her pinned, and she was weakened by the closet full of sadness that she had refused to acknowledge for days now.

'Do you want to come out and play?' "Anna" pulled at her dress, stepping back slightly from Elsa and exposing her small cleavage. 'Do you want to play with me? Do you want to ravage me? Do you want to rub your body on mine? Do you want to kiss me? Have filthy, incestuous sex with me?'

'Stop it! I won't fall for this!' Elsa pushed at Devil finally, gasping for air and extending her arm outward, her whole form still shaking uncontrollably. She was barely holding on, but she wouldn't continue being so weak and pathetic.

'Heh. Lovely.' "Anna" smiled brightly, her dimples deep and her eyes alit. 'I guess you'd rather hurt me again than build a snowman. Oh, well. At least I finally get to see you.'

The ringing in Elsa's ears made it hard to hear Anna, which almost created the opportunity Elsa needed. Devil was giving up the act beyond the mask of Anna, and Elsa gripped at her magic intimately, begging it to come through for her this time.

But Elsa's magic, even on the best of days, ran on pure emotion, and her state of mind was erratic at best, leading to a handicapped queen completely incapable of producing more than painful sparks.

'No…!' Elsa groaned, the word filling her muddled head. This was her chance. She had to look past the guise and see the evil that creeped beneath. She could end it all now. She could find happiness the moment Devil was done. Anna waited for her. The true Anna had forgiven her, hadn't she? They were happy together. They were in love. They were…sisters…in love…

Incest. Taboo. Filthy. Disgusting. Homoerotic. Trash. Tarnished. Marked. Gross. Deviant.

'Ah…! A-ah…!' Elsa thrust her hand forward once more, her eyes streaming with tears and her throat choking on nothing. Be gone, Devil! Be gone, monster! Be gone, threat!

"Anna's" expression dropped, and Elsa could see Devil's mannerisms despite her muddled vision and deafened hearing. He appeared sad for a split second, and then he shifted into sadistic commitment. Without a word, he grabbed hold of Elsa and pushed her against the wall, his strength completely overwhelming and easily locking the struggling queen in place. Devil pressed the fake Anna's mouth against Elsa's own, and lifted her dress high until her entire left leg was exposed. Elsa could hardly move. She was locked down, her eyes stretching open with fear and confusion. Devil pushed "Anna's" thigh up and into Elsa's groin until her throat screeched in discomforted agony. The exchange lasted a lifetime and seconds all at once. Elsa searched for her magic, her memories and images stabbing at her consciousness until she found focus in the form of almost her entire council appearing on the other side of the alcove.

Time stood still. Everything was drained of colour. A singular council member's visage morphed into a mixture of horror and disbelief. Then, they all looked, and Elsa was released. "Anna" put on a perfect display of embarrassment and dread before she retreated out of sight and out of mind. Elsa's legs gave out, and her knees clashed with the floor, the impact unfelt and the tears coming forth.

The ground shook with movement and commotion, but Elsa didn't even bother to look up. She had failed again. She had let Arendelle down anew. She no longer deserved to be queen…

…Perhaps she never did.

Anna's yawn opened her whole face up as she doggedly dragged herself through the quiet halls of the morning within Arendelle's most spectacular architectural achievement in the form of the kingdom's palace. She had pushed herself to get changed rather than sleep more, and decided to visit Kristoff immediately so that she could focus on helping Elsa for the rest of the day.

Seeing Kristoff was anything but an inconvenience for Anna. She felt horrible for the day before, and still couldn't shake the fact that she had gone so far for a relationship she knew would have its fair share of heartache simply based on the nature of it. Anna had hinted at her insecurities regarding the necessary steps for concealing what her and Elsa had, and being alone hardly helped matters. Nonetheless, she wouldn't discard Kristoff so easily, and she wanted to see the young man. It was guilt, Anna knew, but no matter what she felt, Kristoff had been an invaluable comrade and friend during some of Anna's most trying events in her life. It's not as if Anna felt nothing for Kristoff anymore either. The breakup was too fresh. The change in Anna's life had lingering sentiments.

Anna made it to the dungeons and was granted access by Jostein. She hastily went through the motions of pleasantry, her nerves egging on her spastic behaviour, and was granted access to the lower depths of the dungeon without any difficulty. Arvid pushed off the wall at the entrance to the dark and cool hall that led to the multitude of cells, his enormous form ever impressive. He gave Anna a strange sort of evaluation before fiddling with some keys at his side and grinning half-heartedly.

'Night shift?' Anna asked, knowing she wouldn't need to explain why she was present in the first place.

'Something like that.' Arvid mumbled, his gaze lingering on Anna a little longer than needed, causing the young woman some apprehension. 'You want to see Kristoff? I finally had to leave his reindeer to do my duties down here. It's been a long day.'

'I bet. How has he been?'

'Rough. The snowman hasn't left his side. Got a good bunch of friends, that one. Weird friends, but friends all the same. A guy needs that going through this sort of thing.'

'Heheh. Right…' Anna felt the accusation in Arvid's voice, but bore it regardless, feeling as though she deserved no less. She could reprimand him for taking such a tone with the princess of Arendelle, and maybe Elsa would have, but Anna's confidence wasn't exactly at its peek in the moment.

Arvid unlocked the door and allowed Anna in before himself, shuffling his large form into the corner to ensure the royal family member's safety.

'Anna!' Kristoff perked up, rubbing his eyes as if he had woken up minutes ago.

'Hi, Kristoff. How are you feeling?' It dawned on Anna that this might have been a bit much a bit too soon, but at the same time, Kristoff was cursed, and she took it upon herself to make sure he got treatment immediately. Upon reflection, he was obviously acting out against his will when confronting Anna and Elsa. He had convincingly fought against the curse with everything he had, going so far as to urge the sisters away.

'Uh…okay, I guess. I'm getting by.'

'I've been with my friend Kristoff the whooooole time!' Olaf proudly added, puffing out his snow-made chest as best as he could. Both Kristoff and Olaf seemed a little worse for wear, with Olaf's cloud losing substance and Kristoff's eyes swollen red.

'Thanks, Olaf.' Anna knelt and held the snowman's face in her hands. He was normally very, very cold, especially to the bare touch, but Anna couldn't help but notice he felt a little…softer than usual. Was it from being in the dungeons, completely removed from nature, for the whole night?

'Um…' Kristoff scratched the back of his head. He seemed normal enough, and this was partially why Anna wanted to do this alone. If Elsa was present, who knew what sort of reaction that would spark? Kristoff's mannerisms were still a little off, but he was much closer to the gentle, considerate soul that had won Anna's dedicated affection for a time. 'I really am sorry about yesterday. I mean, I'm glad we talked and everything, but I wasn't myself. I said some pretty crazy things by the sounds of it.'

Anna let out a quick exhale of air, staring at Kristoff with heightened admiration. She saw the way he glanced to Arvid, and Anna knew for certain that this was the story she and Elsa needed to dissuade the rumours from overtaking Arendelle completely.

'It has…started to get out of hand.' Anna replied, wanting to really say, "I don't deserve this". But she had to save face. Kristoff knew the truth now, but he was still willing to go so far? His true feelings had been displayed, but everyone had things they thought but would never act on. Kristoff was a better man than any of that. He was proving, once again, why he was such an incredible human being.

'Because of me?' Kristoff groaned, leaning back on the bed.

'Do you need another warm hug?' Olaf climbed atop the small bed, extending his stick-arms out wide.

'No, Olaf. No more hugs.'

'More?' Anna took the chance, aware it was somewhat risky.

'I might have let him hug me once or twice last night. It was a hard sleep, and I was feeling really sick.'

Anna clutched her hand in front of her face and giggled.

'Were they warm, at least?'

'No.' Kristoff grinned. 'But they helped.'

A small break, with Anna doing her best to handle the situation as elegantly as her elder sister would be capable of.

'It's not completely and totally because of you, Kristoff. Devil is the jerk creating all these ridiculous situations. He messes with everyone, and he seems to have a major thing against Elsa. He wants to make my sister give up the throne or something. I don't know. But he's eyeing Arendelle like crazy, and we have to stop him as soon as possible.'

Arvid shuffled out of his corner and stood next to the group.

'So, you're not actually in love with you own sister? It was Devil trying to spread that lie?'

Anna's heart skipped a beat, and her pulse quickened to the point that her skin tingled. She knew she would have to denounce the commitment she herself had to Elsa, but it still didn't sit well with her. Anna hated – hated – lying. Devil lied. Hans lied. Even her parents lied. Horrible people lied. Anna didn't want to lie. But for Elsa, she would do almost anything.

'Yes. I mean, seriously? I'm surprised anyone would believe such a super crazy story. You didn't, right, Arvid?'

Arvid wouldn't even crack a smile. He was usually something of a big teddy bear, but he had been morbidly stern the entire time, his small eyes and large, square jaw stone-cold.

'Then why did you break up with this man?' Arvid pursued.

'It's fine, Arvid. Thank-you, but that's sort of a private situation altogether.' Kristoff tried, yet Arvid waved him off.

'Not anymore. The populace of Arendelle will be asking the same questions. Everyone will want to know. The monarch's relational status, whether you like it or not, is everyone's business the moment it threatens the stability of our kingdom and those within it.'

Anna recoiled, not expecting Arvid, of all people, to be so forwardly aggressive.

'I just…thought it wasn't fair to keep being with Kristoff when I didn't have the same feelings as him. I wanted to end it before it got too serious.' Anna didn't know how Elsa did it. She could tell her expressions were all over the place. She couldn't lie very well at all. Elsa had to keep face in every situation. It was no wonder she had difficulty emotionally. What sort of toll did having everyone's eyes on you continuously demand?

'At exactly the same time the queen was picking a fiancé? One might wonder about the connection between the two events.'

'S-stop it…Arvid.' Kristoff grunted, his cheeks turning red.

'Are you hurting again, Kristoff?' Olaf went to the man and looked up at him worriedly.

'Yeah…It's not going so great.'

'Because you know the truth? Because the curse is making you speak out against the obvious lies?' Arvid's baritone voice attacked, forcing Anna to stand and clench her tiny fists at her side.

'Enough, Arvid!' She shouted, a hint of a commanding demeanor slipping through Anna's normally flippant and easygoing presentation. 'Are you actually going to slander my name right in front of me? I said it's not like that, and my word should be more than enough for someone under my employment.'

Anna may have managed to have a somewhat impressive outburst, but inwardly, she was squirming, panicking at the thought of Arvid pressing the matter. However, the knight's duty bound him, and he bowed with a flinching nod.

'…Apologies, Princess Anna.'

'Do I need to give everyone a hug now?' Olaf tried again, and Anna knelt by his side, smiling painfully at the little snowman that brought back a romanticised past.

'It's okay, Olaf. Thanks.' Anna stood back up and met Kristoff's tweaking eyes. He was struggling, and her presence was helping matters little. She needed to go. 'If I managed to get Grand Pabbie to Arendelle he could help you with the curse, right?'

'It's not…ideal for him to leave the valley. He protects my family there, and the golems…' Kristoff scrunched his eyes shut, fighting back the words and thoughts swirling in a blanket of madness on his tongue. 'The golems could crush them. I'll go. I'm mostly fine so long as…'

'As long as Elsa or I are not nearby.' Anna finished the sentence sadly.

'…Yeah. For now.'

The princess of Arendelle nodded, trying not to lose her posture to the weight that continued to bear down on her physically and mentally. The day had only begun and she was already taxed. Was this the path she had so willingly chosen? Without Elsa close by, Anna couldn't help but have troubling impressions regarding it all.

'I'll ask Elsa to get some guards to escort you. You won't be allowed to go on your own, I think. Sorry.'

'I get it. I've made a mess of things.'

'Devil did.' Anna insisted, noticing Arvid moving in the corner of her eye.

'Right…'

Anna sucked on the inside of her mouth and expected the wave of nostalgic longing to hit her again. Kristoff looked so small and defeated. She practically wanted to take him back, but she knew it would have mostly been out of sympathy and, in the long run, would have been a temporary solution to a problem that needed time, more than anything, to heal. Still…Anna cared about Kristoff so much. Her nature didn't allow her to leave him easily in such a state.

'I better go. There's a lot happening with the rumours and everything. I don't want Elsa dealing with it all on her own.'

'For sure. I'll be fine. Olaf's here.'

'Okay.' Anna wanted to hug Kristoff, but she held back, going to the door instead and allowing Arvid to get it for her, his movements a touch more sheepish than before. 'I'll make sure you see Grand Pabbie today, if possible, 'kay? I don't want you here anymore. It's not fair.'

'Just…be careful, Anna. Arvid here says some people are getting a little nasty out there.'

Anna flexed an arm that did little to show any muscle whatsoever, grinning charmingly no matter how much she wanted to cower in truth.

'Oh, yeah? It might be an interesting change of pace, you know? Heheh!'

'Always diving in head first, huh?' Kristoff smiled bitterly.

'I don't know how else to do it.' Anna shrugged, and she saluted the young man, making her way out of the dungeons before she crumbled and screamed at what was happening all around her. She knew being with Elsa would be difficult, but it had only been a couple of days and all stability around Anna was falling apart so rapidly it was giving her whiplash. She needed to see Elsa again. She needed to hold onto her only foundation at this moment. She needed to reaffirm why she was torturing herself so.

Elsa. Elsa. Elsa. Her older sister. Her best friend. The girl she loved. The woman she wanted to be with forever.

'Elsa…' Anna breathed, holding her chest with both hands and turning a corner within the palace. It was in that moment that the princess of Arendelle was hit with a wave of anxiety. She innately felt the shift in presence within her home, and her legs shook, animalistic fear taking her over without knowing the exact source. Anna quickened her pace, seeing the various guards and maids collected into little groups of whispering gossip.

What was going on?

'Where's Elsa?' Anna asked, looking about and simply being stared at, a multitude of silent evaluations occurring all at once. Scoffing, Anna pressed forward, almost breaking into a light jog as the same scene was brought into view over and over again.

'Where's Elsa?'

'Where's my sister?'

'Where's Elsa?'

'Where is she?'

Anna didn't wait for a response. The furtive glances and muted, fearful accusations were deafening enough as it was. Anna started running, briefly taken back to her childhood and being told to never run in the palace by her mother. But Anna's mom wasn't around anymore. Her dad was gone, too. Anna ran. She ran, and ran, and ran, ignoring the tears streaming across her face and fluttering behind her as she sprinted, her dress flowing behind her like a small cape.

And then an impact. An impact hard, ricocheting Anna back and, inevitably, to the floor had she not been caught in the capable grip of Daryun, the man's dark expression discovering Anna's and a bizarre, immense amount of relief finding it's way into her for some reason.

'Sir Daryun…!' She exclaimed.

'Princess Anna! Thank goodness. Come with me.'

'What?' Anna swallowed, pins and needles puncturing her throat as Daryun touched her back and ushered her forward. 'What's happening?'

'Your sister needs you.' Daryun went on, outwardly uncomfortable. What he said next stilled Anna's heart, and she knew she hadn't been running fast enough.

'The council has placed Queen Elsa in a mock trial that is occurring as we speak. Hurry!'