It was two months before Elsa let her visit Kristoff. Given recent events, the Queen was loath to let Anna take the risk- even with Pabbie's magic protecting them from hostile locator spells.

Unknown to anyone but Anna herself, Elsa had indeed taken the chance to fly off to Norgate the first night following her 'dream'. And she had found exactly what she was looking for.

The city- and the baron's estate- looked exactly like Elsa's nightmare. And the Queen was certain she had never been there once in her entire life. That could only mean one thing.

"Is it really such a big deal, Elsa?" Anna had questioned after her return. "That vision can never come to pass. I mean, it's cool and all that you can see possible futures...well not cool that you saw that one, but...is it anything to worry about?"

"Maybe not," Elsa acknowledged. "Although I doubt I'll ever get over seeing you..." she broke off hurriedly. "But doesn't it make you wonder? Whatever that vision was, it was more than just a normal dream. All of the other humans we've seen with magic, as well as all of those documented in history, possessed only one ability. Ice is my main power yes, but I can also heal. Somehow I gave you magic. And now I'm seeing possible futures...once possible futures, anyway. Why am I different?"

To that, Anna had no answer. But she trusted Elsa's belief that her vision had been their possible future. The thought of lying in a wooden cart, ruined by starvation and frostbite, made her shiver whenever it drifted into her mind.

Forget five or ten years! If she hadn't met Elsa, Anna apparently would have been dead within three. And it didn't seem like it had been a quick and painless end. The realization created another rush of gratitude for her Queen, but it also brought upon another uncomfortable epiphany.

This conspiracy had been good for Anna. Despite torturing, scarring, and damn near killing her, the Knight was alive because they had acted. Without their attempts on the Queen's life, Anna would have barely more than two years to live.

What had been best for Anna had also resulted in the deaths of dozens, the murder of Elsa's father figure, and a near toppling of the Queen's power. It was a horrible thought, and one Anna did her best not to dwell on.

Elsa had been even more disturbed by her vision. Dreaming about Anna's death would have been painful enough, but perceiving it so clearly...and knowing that it had been all too possible, was ten times worse. Consequently, when the Knight continually beseeched her to visit Kristoff, the Queen was reluctant.

\

"You flew off to Norgate in the middle of the night!" Anna had protested. "I didn't try to stop you!"

Elsa frowned. "That was different. It was quick and under cover of darkness, and I was speeding through the air the entire time. Even if our enemies knew what I was doing, they could never have caught me. You, on the other hand, will be walking through the city in broad daylight for hours."

"So? Don't tell anyone I'm going; Pabbie's Magic will do the rest. I'll change my hairstyle and wear a cloak when I'm outside. Please, Elsa."

The Queen's lips settled into a neutral expression. "Don't tell me you're in love with him," she said. "Because I won't be giving you my royal blessing to marry him.

"Of course not! I don't even like men! I'm just-" Anna broke off as she realized Elsa had just been pulling her leg. "Look," she sighed. "He's a good friend. We went through a lot together, and it was while he was helping me that he lost Sven. Now he's starting up a business on his own; I just want to make sure he's doing all right. He's not the kind of person to ask for help, even if he needs it. After what happened, I kinda feel responsible for him." She paused. "And why would I need your blessing?"

Elsa's hand came up to cover a ghost of a smile. "I'm your liege, Anna. Remember? To be official in the eyes of the law, any marriage you enter into would need my seal of approval. So for your sake I hope you weren't planning on proposing to one of the kitchen maids."

The Knight swatted Elsa's arm playfully, but the Queen's words had filled her with a distinct joy. It was the first real attempt at humor on Elsa's part since Kai's death. No one would have been happier to see the Queen recover than the seneschal himself.

"So, when..."

"Soon, Anna," Elsa promised. "Just wait until everything's calmed down a bit. And I swear to the gods, if you go without my permission..."

\

It had been tempting. But after what had happened the last time she had left the Castle without royal clearance, Anna had enough humility to admit that Elsa probably had a point.

And so she waited. Life in the Palace continued on as usual. Replacements were brought on for Kai and Gerda, though they did not assume all of the tasks left by the married couple that had preceded them. They were loyal and capable enough, but both rather distant; neither could fully step into the shoes of their predecessors. But with Kai gone and Gerda on mandatory leave, they didn't have much choice.

Anna did her best to adapt to being a Council member. As she'd expected, there wasn't much for her to contribute. Usually.

One meeting had made it all worthwhile. A few weeks after the assault on the Castle, the Council had been discussing the budget for the next year. The levels of taxes and spending had been agreed upon after an arduous debate, but Elsa had one last proposal before signing the document in front of her.

\

"This is a matter that has come to my attention over the course of the last year, the Queen was saying. "Arendelle has an orphanage in every major city, and all reports say that, together, they contain enough room for all of the country's homeless children. Our current level of expenses to the program likewise provides adequate food and living necessities for their occupants."

Lord Arald frowned. "Then...what is the problem, Your Majesty?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"The problem is that the orphanages turn out their charges at the age of sixteen. That is simply too young. Sixteen may be the marrying age in Arendelle, but that doesn't mean that everyone is ready to strike out on their own once they reach their sixteenth birthday. I plan on raising the age cap to nineteen. That will give out country's disadvantaged children more time to mature and develop their skills...and keep them out of trouble."

Everyone in the room was staring at Anna. It was hard to argue the Queen's presumptions when a textbook example of a child turned out early was standing right in front of them. But that didn't mean there weren't protests.

"An admirable goal, Your Majesty," a Lady noted. "But such a change would be a significant burden on our treasury. How do you plan on paying for the shortfall?"

Elsa smiled. "We have recently come into possession of several fortunes. I can see no better use for the money confiscated from the traitors' vaults than a program that will better Arendelle as a whole. It will be more than enough to pay for the first few years. If the budget conditions are the same when those funds have run out, we'll look at other options."

For a few moments, no one spoke. Anna sensed that several of them had ideas on where that money would be better spent. Seeing the resolute look on their Queen's face, however, was enough to silence their complaints.

"I think it is an excellent idea, Your Majesty," Lord Arald offered. "However, I do have one objection. As you pointed out, the marrying age in Arendelle is sixteen. By that age, many of the children in our orphanages may well have found someone they intend to marry...or a job that they find suitable. I think it would be unwise to force them to remain in an orphanage until they turn nineteen. I propose that the age at which children may leave remain at sixteen, with the next three entirely up to the child's own choice."

Elsa's lips pursed thoughtfully. "Agreed," she said at last. "I'll have my scribes edit the proposal accordingly. If no one has any other objections, I will have this new program inserted into the budget, and will sign it tomorrow."

The complaint came from the last person anyone would expect.

"I have an objection...Your Majesty," Anna offered tentatively.

Her eyebrows rising in curiosity, Elsa turned to face the Knight. "Yes, Lady Anna? Explain."

Anna bit her lip in nervousness, but through sheer force of will she forced herself to continue. The entire Council glaring at her at once didn't make it any easier.

"The idea is good, but I think it could be executed better," she began, struggling to keep her voice steady. "I mean...you said we should extend the age cap to give children more time to develop. But if we just, uh, leave them in there for three more years, that might not do much."

Evangeline nodded. "What do you suggest, Lady Anna?"

"Training programs. The orphanages teach children to read and write, and that's very useful. But in later years, we didn't learn so much. If you could institute a system where orphans begin learning how to work...it doesn't have to be anything glamorous. Waitressing, smithing, record keeping. Those sorts of things. Maybe even some combat training for those who want a career in law keeping or the military. You could start at thirteen."

"Do you have any idea how expensive that would be?" Lady Catherine blanched. "Extending the age cap by three years and paying for six years of training? It's too much."

Anna's face went bright red under the older woman's glare, but she kept her voice calm. "Then just extend the age cap by one year, and train them until they're seventeen. That would do them a lot more good in the long run."

A light cough sounded from the Queen's lips, instantly turning the entire room's attention over to her. She glanced at Anna, her eyes glistening with approval.

"We can do both. I'm instituting an additional one percent surcharge on the transfer of noble estates. Once the confiscated fortunes are depleted, that number can rise to two percent," Elsa said.

"Your Majesty, that would cripple our-"

"No, it wouldn't. I'm asking those with the most to sacrifice a small portion of their wealth for the benefit of Arendelle. I will do the same. The fortunes confiscated by the traitors are by rights mine; I am choosing to give them away. And I am confident that the nobility will accept the chance to demonstrate their loyalty to Arendelle," the Queen proclaimed. The veiled implication was all too clear.

After no one spoke up for the next five seconds, Elsa raised her voice once again. "Good. I will see to the details myself. Thank you all for attending; meeting adjourned."

It would take some time to know the results, of course, but Anna was relatively confident that the initiative would be a success. It certainly could have helped her...probably. If she wasn't so clumsy with anything that wasn't a sword.

/

Elsa wasn't sure what she was enjoying more: the feeling of Anna's hands as they massaged her back, or the sensual bliss that arose in her mouth as their tongues danced fiercely.

She was nothing before this woman. Every single action on Anna's part sent a shiver of pleasure down the Queen's spine. Elsa did her best to return the favor, and judging by the quiet moans that constantly sounded from the Knight's lips, she was succeeding to an extent. But there was no question of which of the two women was getting the better end of the deal.

They were lying together in Elsa's...in their bed. It had been a long day, and neither of them really had the energy for a wild night of passion. Instead, they were interlocked in an intimate, comfortable kiss as they laid beside one another on top of the sheets. Each was clad in a thin nightgown, which did little to quell Elsa's arousal as their legs intertwined.

As close as they were, it wasn't enough for the Queen to be satisfied. She deepened the kiss, at the same time tightening the grip of her ankles around Anna's legs and pulling the younger woman even nearer. Now, their chests were touching...even as their foreheads continued to press against one other.

In the weeks since they'd first made love, Elsa had gained confidence. Intimacy no longer frightened her. But she still had a lot to learn, and there were many aspects of sex that she was simply unsure about. Thankfully, Anna was a more than willing teacher.

The younger woman had experience, passion, and (most importantly) a creative and overactive imagination. And as Elsa became more comfortable with the intricacies of intimacy, Anna continued to instruct her Queen in the advanced arts of making love. Now that she was certain that Elsa wasn't going to be frightened off when the boundaries were pushed, Anna had taken it upon herself to introduce the Queen to every possible way of bringing pleasure.

Knowing what she did now, Elsa had realized just how easily Anna had gone on her during their first time. The Knight had simply shrugged.

"So? It was still amazing. Being with you is better than being with any of the woman I've ever slept with. You actually care about me; all I ever was to my previous partners was a cheap thrill. And you're getting a lot better!" The Knight's face paled. "Not that you were bad to begin with!" Anna added hastily. "I mean..." she broke off as Elsa interrupted her with a kiss.

For her part, Anna had confessed that her time with previous partners made her feel...unclean. Strangely, it didn't really bother the Queen. Oh, if another woman so much as smiled at the Knight now...that would be enough to put Elsa on edge. But she didn't blame Anna for having taken her enjoyment where she could get it. In fact, she felt sorry for her.

She couldn't fathom a woman heartless (and stupid) enough to kick Anna to the curb after a single night of passion. But the Queen would do everything in her power to make up for the heartbreak her lover had endured.

Elsa was determined to treat Anna like...well, like a Queen. The younger woman didn't deserve anything less. As her eyes indulged themselves by roaming over the figure of the Knight she held in her arms, a fierce protective instinct flared in Elsa's chest. Anna had been deprived, brutalized, and tossed aside by the world for nearly twenty years. But as long as the Queen's heart was still beating, it would never happen again.

The monarch knew how lucky she was. Others believed that Anna was the fortunate one, gaining wealth and safety thanks to her conquest of the Queen's heart. Perhaps, that in and of itself was true.

Yet they were wrong. The way the gossip circulated, a listener would gain the impression that Anna was an unworthy lover who had wormed her way into a superior's affections. The opposite was true. Elsa possessed more money, power, and intelligence than most could ever hope to attain. But the Knight now resting in her arms was comprised of such compassion, bravery, and selflessness...there wasn't a person in the world that Anna was unworthy of.

A year ago, the Queen had had one purpose in life: serve and protect the people of Arendelle. Now, she had two. Whatever it took, she would give Anna the happiness she deserved. Elsa would love her, protect her, spoil her; she'd give Anna the world if only she asked. The Queen would make her Knight happy, no matter the cost.

And unfortunately, that would mean letting her visit the city for a few hours.

\

Anna rode swiftly across the Castle grounds. Bearing her weight was Stroud, a magnificent white Stallion. Luckily, there were plenty of horses in the stables that were white, and with her cloak up, the odds were good that the sentries wouldn't recognize her. As far as they and the rest of the Castle were aware, Anna was currently confined to her chambers by a mild yet contagious variety of fever.

Given without occasion or ceremony, Stroud had been a gift from Elsa...a present simply for 'being Anna.' He was a fine beast, more than fast enough for her liking yet tame enough for her inexperienced hands to control. She'd thanked her Queen thoroughly for the gift, of course.

Usually, she could only ride him around the Castle grounds, but that was still plenty of room to run. Anna loved the thrill of air whipping by her cheeks as they rocketed over the grass. The Knight had pushed her luck too far once or twice, the end result being her losing her perch on the horse and falling to the ground. While anyone else would have suffered broken bones and severe bruising, however, Anna was only slightly winded at worst. There were definite perks of possessing magic.

She was glad that Elsa had made her wear her cloak. It was only two months after the summer solstice, but already a winter chill was in the air. Thanks to its proximity to the northern pole, Arendelle was known for its short, mild summers. And summer was already over.

It would be less than forty degrees tonight. And with the way temperatures were declining, Anna wouldn't be surprised if their first blizzard was next week. For a winter storm to take place that early was unusual for Arendelle, but not unheard of.

Elsa would be happy.

Making her way through the walls and into the city, Anna found her way to Kristoff's address easily. On the Queen's insistence, she had made certain to memorize the route perfectly. Thus, less than twenty minutes after leaving the Castle, the Knight had arrived at her destination.

It was a medium-sized building at the edge of the city, made of logs rather than stone. It was functional enough, but nothing impressive. Of course, it didn't have to be. The vast majority of the ice harvesting process took place in the wilds. Kristoff would only need a small office, a holding area for his sleds, and a few employees to serve at his headquarters.

She knocked eagerly.

To her surprise, the door opened to reveal not an employee, but Kristoff himself. The ice harvester had no time to even begin a greeting before Anna had crossed the door's threshold and clamped him in a friendly embrace.

"...Nice to see you too," he managed with a grunt of pain. "Please don't break my ribs."

Smiling meekly, the Knight stepped back to observe him. His clothes had definitely improved from when she had seen him last...and so had his smell. Living indoors for a few months could do wonders, she thought.

A twinge of uncertainty entered Anna's mind as her eyes roamed the rest of the building. "Where is everyone?" she questioned. "I mean, I'm not an expert or anything, but doesn't the ice harvesting season start soon? Shouldn't you have workers preparing..."

"There's no point," Kristoff stopped her gruffly. "I'm pretty sure this season is going to be a bust. I can't get a permit to establish my business, at least not right now. I'll probably have to hold out and wait until next year."

"What? Why?" Anna demanded.

Her friend shook his head. "Politics. The manager at the permit office, Drexel is his name, is close friends with the head of Arendelle Ice Corp, my main potential competitor. I did a bit of research; it wasn't hard to find out. I'm almost sure he's blocking my permit just to keep the market open. He refuses to even meet with me."

Anna stared at him incredulously. "There's no way that's legal!" she exclaimed. "This manager, there's got to be people above him, right? Or can't you just go through the courts somehow?" It seemed impossible that one simple bureaucrat could wield so much power.

"It's not," Kristoff agreed. "And I have filed a complaint. Don't worry; I'll get my permit eventually. He knows he can't block me forever; all he wants is to give his friend a monopoly for one more year...and more time to prepare for competition. And the whole damn process is slow enough that I'll be stalled for six months."

Anna's eyes hardened. Corruption of any kind filled her mouth with a bitter taste, even when it wasn't targeting a friend. It was a little hypocritical, she knew, given her own criminal past, but at least she had never deliberately hurt someone else. Stealing three coins from a noble was a lot less damaging than depriving an ice harvester of an entire season.

"No you're not. Come on!" she declared. Grabbing Kristoff by the sleeve, the Knight easily yanked him outside the building.

"Where are we going?" he questioned as Anna began to all but drag him down the road.

"The permit office. Drexel and I are going to have a little talk," she declared. Anna stared at Kristoff, her eyes daring him to tell her to back down. She could see the indecision in his own pupils. The ice harvester liked to rely on himself, she knew. He was never too keen on handouts.

Anna smiled. "It's no problem," she assured him. "I'm just doing a favor for a friend. And honestly, I think I'm going to enjoy this."

\

After convincing Anna to stop dragging him down the street, Kristoff had settled into an easy walking pace beside the Knight. Even though he didn't exactly think of himself as a people person, Kristoff could perceive the eagerness radiating from Anna. She would do this with or without him, he knew. And, he admitted to himself, part of him would enjoy seeing someone put Drexel in his place.

That wasn't to say he didn't feel uneasy about the whole situation. Kristoff had never been keen on asking others for help. Having others do his work for him made the him feel...weak. After all the effort he had put into becoming an ice harvester (and having been given a more than adequate upraising by the trolls) he instinctively felt that he had no right to ask others for donations.

His eyes swung to Anna. Evidently, she did not have the same compunctions. The fine clothes and jewelry she wore, as well as the horse she'd left tethered at his office, were obviously gifts from the Queen. Kristoff had accepted Elsa's reward only after coming to view it as a loan and promising himself to one day pay her back in full. He would never be able to swallow his pride and simply accept a life of luxury with no strings attached.

Not that Anna didn't deserve it, he thought to himself. She could hardly be blamed for accepting Elsa's generosity, given her background. At least Kristoff had always had food on his table.

Then, an ugly thought crept into his mind.

"How are things between you and the Queen?" he asked, doing his best to keep his tone casual.

Anna turned around to face him, her expression indecisive. "That depends on what you mean, exactly. If you're asking how both of us are doing...it's a struggle. Elsa is still mourning Kai, and I'm recovering from...Lucrania. But our relationship is going great. We're both stressed out, but we still manage to spend some time having fun together. Although I still suck at chess..."

Kristoff frowned. He'd always had a natural distrust of those in power. From what he had seen of Queen Elsa, she was a fine woman and able ruler. Yet that did not mean that he had complete faith in her benevolent personality. She'd rescued Anna from David's clutches and given him a healthy sum as a reward for assisting her. All positives. But they didn't mean that Elsa was a good partner for Anna.

There was always a chance the Queen was just using the former thief, either for her skills or simply her looks. From what he'd heard, rescuing Anna from David's castle had been easy for the monarch, and giving him a reward could have simply been a way to further manipulate Anna into her service.

Kristoff did not think that was the case. He remembered the despair and panic in Elsa's eyes the day she had come begging Pabbie for assistance in saving her consort. Yet he had to be sure; the potential for abuse was too great. Even though he hadn't known her long, he had grown fond of the Knight who now walked beside him. She was brave, loyal to a fault, and even pleasant to be around...in a somewhat annoying way, of course

"That's good," he replied. "But how is she treating you?"

Anna frowned. "Uh, have you seen what I'm wearing?" she gestured to her silken clothes, as well as the diamond necklace hanging around her neck.

"Not what I meant," he sighed.

The Knight eyed him curiously as they continued to walk through the streets. "What are you getting at?" she asked suspiciously.

"Look, I know she's making sure you're taken care of, money wise. But I want to be sure that's she's treating you right. Not just with titles or fancy gifts..."

The Knight stopped in her tracks, turning to glare at Kristoff with fury in her eyes. Suddenly, the ice harvester was glad they were the only ones on this street at the moment.

"Of course she's treating me right! She does everything she can to make me happy...she loves me so much. I can't believe how lucky I am that I have her! You know that! She risked her life to save me, remember?"

Kristoff nodded, raising his hands in a placating manner. "I just wanted to be sure. There's a lot that could go wrong here. Elsa's the Queen. She has total power over you, whether she uses it or not. You depend on her for pretty much everything. And she's the first person you've ever fallen in love with, and the first person you believe has ever loved you." He paused. "See where I'm going with this? I just...I don't want you to get hurt."

Anna's eyes softened a fraction of a degree. "I have been hurt. Over six women I thought I had fallen for scorned me. But Elsa's different! What I feel for her...nothing before was even close. I know I've invested my heart and soul into this relationship, and it doesn't matter! She can seem distant at times, but if you get to know you'll see that she's kind and sweet and caring. I love her and she loves me...she would never hurt me."

Kristoff believed it.

I am really sorry for cutting this chapter here. I had planned for big things to happen at the end of it. Unfortunately, its length was spiraling out of control, and there's still so much to write. So here's pretty much another breather chapter. Don't worry, we're coming up to some big revelations. But once you find the answers, you may wish you hadn't.

Responses:

3Gs: The meaning isn't clear quite yet.

WinterWolfDragon: it seems to be going well so far.

Snowboardgurl: Great! It was meant to be scary.

Mickhe11: Maybe, but that would be a stretch. Elsa wouldn't accept that Anna was dead until she saw the body. And Anna would probably follow her to Corona.

Shtoops: Yay! It will happen again.

Awesomness-Unleashed: Probably!

Mpsantiago: Nothing, surprisingly. Have to keep you guys guessing!

Guest 1: She was trained as a Queen, after all.

Obsessive Imaginings: Fixed, thanks!

ClaireCooper: They won't be dead. It will be worse.

Guest 2: Yes, I am also a fan of Royal Commoner.

Strab: Anna will be in action soon. What do you mean 'We'?

JPElles: You might be surprised…

Veoviing: Sorry not sorry.

Syrathia: I try not to be too predictable.

PascalDragon: You'll have to wait for an answer.

Shadowglyder: Nice to have a second-time reader. It was a conscious decision not to have a fixed time period. Gives me a bit more leeway. Frozen was similar. Everything seemed like it was the 19th century, but the guards were holding crossbows. Which is good. Guns make the action less interesting.

Sedryn: Hmm…

Malekoydaerb: If it's ever over…

Annondles: At least it wasn't a trap.

Shadowglyder: I can't edit it right now, but when I can I'll take out the reference to the nightgown. Thanks!

DarthvaderisnotMe: Love the review! I can't answer all your questions, but I will answer what I can.

No, the previous 53 chapters have not been a dream. Obviously you knew that.

Despite never being attacked, Elsa still experimented with her powers. In this universe, she doesn't fear them. It stands to reason she would have discovered flight eventually.

Yes, Anna is strong enough to hurt someone with a pillow. If she threw it at someone's face, the pillow would probably explode, scattering feathers across the room. It wouldn't be fatal, but it would sting.

Never apologize for long reviews!

Sasha: It was mentioned that Anna has virtual immunity to poison.