Anna was about to sit down on a boulder when she paused awkwardly in mid-sit. “It's – He's – That's not someone we know, is it?'

“No, dear, it's fine,” said Bulda, chuckling, as Pabbie waved for her to sit. After a too-boisterous reunion with the trolls, Anna had finally managed to get Pabbie nearly alone.

“Now what seems to be the problem?” he asked.

“And why didn't you bring Kristoff? We haven't seen him in weeks,” added Bulda. “He's all right, isn't he? Eating? Keeping warm?”

“He's fine, he's fine. Ice harvesting. I stopped by to talk to him on the way here. He was…” Anna hoped a little white lie would keep Bulda calm. “He was bundled up and eating heartily the last time I saw him.” Well, he was biting a carrot and had his shirt on, so it's kind of true. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about him.”

Pabbie settled on his haunches. “What's the matter?”

“Well,” said Anna, “it's not really Kristoff, it's Elsa. Actually it's not Elsa so much as it is me. That is, me and Kristoff. And Elsa.”

“Relax, dear. Everything'll be all right,” said Bulda. “Now just start at the beginning.”

“Okay.” Anna took a breath. “Well, I love Kristoff, and he loves me. And I was talking to Elsa about maybe, someday, he and I getting married. Well, Elsa likes him, but she doesn't want anything to happen until I'm extremely sure he's my soulmate. I guess really she wants to be sure he's my soulmate. And, you know, I said I was sure, and I am sure, at least I was, but she wasn't convinced and I'm starting to think maybe I'm not convinced either, at least not now, after that Hans thing, but it feels right, but it also felt right with Hans and it wasn't right, you know, so I need to know.”

Pabbie nodded thoughtfully, and pondered. “Know what, exactly?”

“Is Kristoff really my soulmate? You're the love experts. How can I know? For sure? And how can I prove it to Elsa?”

“I think you already know how to tell,” said Pabbie. “You spend time together. You learn about each other, your passions, your tastes, your dreams and drives. How much you care for him, and he for you. How each of you is a part of the other's life. And the day comes when you look in your heart and find that the certainty is already there.”

“But that could take forever! And even if I know it for sure, how do I convince Elsa?”

“It's that important Elsa believes?” asked Bulda.

“Yes.”

Bulda nudged Pabbie with her elbow, knocking flakes of rock off his side. “Why don't you do the thing?”

“Because 'the thing' is…not the right way. It's a shortcut. And not without risk.” Pabbie's expression was firm.“You have to understand,” said Pabbie, “the quest for a soulmate is a pleasure in itself. The search, the anticipation, the discovery. Are you sure you want to give that up?”

Anna leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Listen. I have spent years – years – wanting two things. My sister, and my soulmate. I am sick to death of anticipation. I want to get going on this. Now.”

“Oh, come on. For the girl,” said Bulda. Pabbie's expression didn't change. “For Kristoff, then.”

“I think you mean 'for you.' ” A fond smile softened his stony face. He turned to Anna. “Very well. I suppose if I lived less than 200 years, I'd be in a hurry too.” Bulda leaned in and whispered into his ear. His eyebrows raised. “Really? Oh dear. Well, we'd better get a move on, then.”

Anna sat up very straight. “Let's do it. Right.” She paused. “Um, what is 'it' exactly?”

“It is a soulmark. A mark – a symbol – appears on your body, and a complementary one on your soulmate. When you touch his, or he yours, they join together.”

“Sounds great.” Anna was bouncing up and down on her boulder.

Pabbie held up a hand. “Now, many people fall in love and lead long, happy lives without ever meeting their soulmate. Love is not so restrictive as you think. And your soulmate could be anywhere in the world. You never know.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, what's the hold up?”

Pabbie sighed. “Magic has its price. When the mark first appears, it is painful. It fades, but continues as an ache for as long as you and your soulmate are apart.”

“I'm not afraid. I'm ready.”

“The same happens to the other person. And this is something that you are doing to your soulmate without his consent. Are you absolutely certain you want to do this?”

Anna paused, suddenly still. Then she took a breath. “I know Kristoff is my soulmate. I'm sure he'll understand.” She sat up straight. “I'm ready.”

Pabbie looked at Bulda, who was grinning at him encouragingly. “Very well.” He pulled a glowing yellow crystal from around his neck, spoke some words in the troll language, and pointed it at Anna. “Bestow upon this woman the mark that will manifest her longing and lead her to the man who is her soulmate.”

Nothing happened.

Pabbie examined the crystal, shook it, listened to it. “Well, that's not supposed to happen.” He turned to Bulda. “I said it right, didn't I?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Is it summoning, crystal, command, or crystal, summoning, command?”

“No dear, I'm sure you had it right the first time.”

“Hmm. Let's give it another shot.” He turned to Anna. “Shall we?”

Anna braced herself again. “Yes. I'm ready.”

He repeated the trollish incantation, pointed the crystal, and said, “Bestow upon this woman the mark that will manifest her longing and lead her to the one who is her soulmate.” A glowing yellow vapour left the crystal, surrounded Anna, then burrowed into her side.

'SON OF A B— ” Anna fell off her rock and curled up on the ground, moaning. She had hurt herself any number of times, riding bikes indoors, riding her horse full tilt, climbing trees and cliffs, but this was an entirely different world of pain. It felt like she had been stabbed in the ribs with a railway spike. She felt a wave of heat and nausea. She breathed deeply, forcing herself to keep from being sick. After the longest minute of her life, the pain faded to an ache like a broken rib. She wiped the tears from her face and looked up at Pabbie with a weak smile. “It ends when I get to him, right?”

“Yes, child. I'm told that afterwards, the mark is…pleasantly sensitive.”

She got to her hands and knees. “Oh god, I hope Kristoff wasn't out on the lake cutting ice. No, he'd be done for the day.” Inhale, exhale. “Right?”

“I'm sure he's fine,” said Bulda, glad that Anna couldn't see her expression.

“Now, as soon as you're ready,” said Pabbie, “I'd like to see the mark, if I may. This is not a spell I've worked on humans before.”

“What?” The force of indignation gave Anna enough energy to rise up and sit on the boulder again.

“Well, the principle is sound. And it did work.”

Anna sighed. She started to lift her shirt, then paused. “I, um… It's in a kind of personal place.”

“Oh for heaven's sake, I'm a troll. Would you be scandalized if Bulda took her top off?” Bulda began to do so, for illustration purposes.

“No, no, that's fine,” she said, motioning for Bulda to stop. Anna lifted her shirt and Pabbie examined her solemnly.

“Ah, very near the heart. Good sign. Shows a very strong connection.”

Anna looked down at herself, wincing at the movement. There was a whitish scar below and to the side of her left breast, a vertical line touched by a horizontal V shape. She sighed in relief, making herself wince again. “I was right. It's a letter K. Kristoff is my soulmate. He probably has a letter A or something. I'd better go tell him.” She stood, swayed a little.

“Are you sure you're all right, dear?” asked Bulda?

“I am now.” Her mouth firm, she limped to her horse. “Steady on, Flamme,” she said as she mounted. “Thank you, Grand Pabbie. And thank you for talking him into it, Bulda. 'Bye for now.” She rode off.

Anna came thundering up to the camp beside the frozen lake where Kristoff was sitting by an open fire and sharing his food with Sven. “But I wanted carrots,” he said in his Sven-voice, and replied, “Me too, buddy, but you can like turnip or you can like being hungry. So – ” He jumped to his feet as Anna reached him. “Anna! What is it? Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. Are you all right? Were you worried?” she said, her face as pale as her sister's.

He grabbed her by the hips and lifted her off the horse. “Of course I'm all right. What's the matter? Did you hear something? Did you hurt yourself?” Sven came up and showed his concern by wetly snuffling at her.

“It's — Aren't you hurt? Do you, you know, feel anything?”

“Feel what? Anna, just take a breath and tell me what's going on.”

“Well, I was talking to Elsa about – stuff – and she wasn't sure you were my true love, so I went to the trolls for help, because they're love experts and all, and I – that is, Pabbie – well, it was Bulda who brought it up – ”

“Oh god. You didn't get a soulmark, did you?” His arms dropped to his sides.

“I was so sure you're my soulmate, and this would prove it to Elsa, and if we wanted to, um, get kind of, you know, married or anything…”

“So I guess we're…not…”

Her face lost what little colour it had. “Oh, no. I'm so sorry, Kristoff. I could've sworn – ”

“And your mark. Does it hurt?”

“Not a lot. Well, okay, a lot. But I had a broken rib once and I got through that.”

“But that healed. This'll be with you until…”

She stood up straight and put her fists on her hips, wincing again. “Well, I'll just have to find him, wherever he is, and you can be my best man at the wedding.”

He chuckled despite himself. “It doesn't quite work that way.”

“If he won't let me have a best man, whoever he is, then he's not my soulmate.”

He put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry, Anna. For not being The One, and for the pain you're going through for me. I'm sorry I let you down.”

She waved him away. “Don't worry about it. I'll talk to Elsa. We'll think of something. I mean, first she'll yell at me for doing something stupid, but then we'll think of something. I know we will.”

He helped her back on to her horse. “I know you will, Anna.” And as she rode off, he shook his head and said to himself, “You and Elsa? I know you will.”

Gritting her teeth against the ache as she rode, a sheen of perspiration on her forehead, Anna entered the town, and then the castle gates. “Whoa, Flamme!” Lines of frost, jagged as lightning, divided and spread across the grounds and the castle walls. They look like vines, thought Anna. No, veins. Oh no, Elsa! She rode Flamme to the front doors and looked for a place to tie him up. No luck. Of course. “Flamme, sit! Stay! Good horse,” she said over her shoulder as she dashed inside.

She ran up the stairs and along the hall, following the tracery of frost lines as they grew thicker and tangled together. Her heart sank as she saw they were converging on Elsa's bedroom.

She pounded on the door. “Elsa, it's me, Anna! Are you all right? Well, of course you're not all right, something's going on, but are you all right? Oh damn, you know what I mean.” She rattled the door handle savagely. “Let me in, okay?”

The Royal Physician, Doctor Müller-Fokker, opened the door just enough for her to see the spectacles perched on the long, thin nose of his long, thin face. “Good evening, Your Highness. I'm afraid Her Majesty has taken ill and cannot be disturbed.”

“But I've got to see her.”

“I'm afraid that's not possible. Her Majesty needs her rest.”

“But it's me. Anna. I know she'd want to see me. And I've got to see her.” She shouted over his shoulder. “Elsa! It's me! Tell Doctor Droopy-Face to let me in!”

She heard Elsa say, “Anna?” as the doctor tried to push the door shut.

“You see? She wants me in there. What's wrong with her anyway?”

“We are doing our best to determine that, and as soon as we have a firm diagnosis we will let you know. My apologies, but I'm afraid you really must go.” He pushed the door closed.

Fuming, Anna stared at the door, once more closed to her. “Oh, you're afraid I must go, eh? I'll show you 'afraid'.” She ran at the door and kicked it with all her strength, screaming with pain as the impact made her soulmark throb. The door-jamb splintered and the door swung open.

“Your Highness!” The doctor moved to stop her, then halted in his tracks as she glared at him, breathing heavily through her nose.

Over Anna's shoulder, Elsa was also staring at the doctor. “You may go,” she said. “Now.” He pointed to himself, to make sure Elsa didn't mean Anna, then grabbed his bag and left.

Anna rushed to her bedside and hugged her passionately. “Are you okay? What happened to you?”

“I don't know. I just took sick all of a sudden. It's probably nothing. Pulled a muscle lifting a heavy book.” She smiled weakly, then her eyes widened. “But what about you?” She put a cool hand to Anna's forehead. “You're pale and clammy. Did you hurt yourself?”

“Hey, you know me, right?” Anna shrugged. “Always doing something stupid. But I always bounce right back, you know? Like a ball. But, you know, the bouncy kind. Not like a croquet ball or something.” She took a breath. “Anyway, I'm here to take care of you now, and we can figure this thing out together. I know we can.”

Elsa smiled and nodded. “I know we can, too. You're here.” Her brows furrowed. “But what exactly was the 'stupid thing' you did? Can I help?”

“Nah, it's not important.”

Elsa stared at her levelly. “Anna…”

“Well, it's…dumb. And I messed it up. And…” Under Elsa's lovingly relentless gaze, Anna broke down. “You know what a soulmark is?” Elsa shook her head. “Remember how we were talking about Kristoff and me – Kristoff and I?”

“No, it's 'Kristoff and me' this time.”

“Okay. Good. Well, it's a troll thing. I was certain Kristoff was The One, and I got this magic mark from Pabbie that's supposed to show up on me and my soulmate. And I figured I could show it on me and on Kristoff, and then you'd know everything was okay. But it's not okay, because he didn't get the mark, and I was wrong again, and now it's going to ache until my soulmate and I are reunited – or united, I guess, since I haven't met him, I don't think – and…that's it.”

Elsa's eyes narrowed. “This mark. Could you show it to me?”

Anna glanced at the door to make sure no one was looking in. “Just a second.” She closed it and, with a grunt and a wince, moved the daybed in front of it. “Okay.” She returned to Elsa's bedside and slipped her shirt off over her head. “That's it. See?” She lifted her breast to give Elsa a clear view. “It's shaped like a K, but I guess it doesn't stand for Kristoff after all. So, someone named Karl? Kurt? Kevin?”

“Anna? It may not be a K after all.” Elsa shrugged off the straps of her nightdress and let it fall to her waist. In the same position, below and to the left of her breast, was a blue-white scar, the reverse of Anna's symbol.

“Ooh.” Anna leaned forward and gingerly touched it. Elsa gasped and shivered, there was a pulse of yellow light, and the soulmark changed to a superposition of Elsa's and Anna's symbols, the vertical bars overlapping, forming a six-pointed snowflake. “Oh, so that's what it is.”

The thick path of frost that had led from Elsa's bed faded and vanished. “Anna?”

“Yes?”

“So that means…”

“You're my soulmate, Elsa. And I'm yours. I should've known. I don't love anyone the way I love you. I do love you.” They hugged again, Anna's warm breasts pressing against Elsa's cool ones. “But what about, you know, getting married? And married-people stuff? That married people do when they're married?”

“I don't know, Anna. Not for sure. But I think…” Elsa sat up a little higher. “Did Pabbie say anything about what would happen to these soulmarks, now that we're reunited?”

“Yeah, he said they'd be 'pleasantly sensitive.' I'm not sure what he – ” Elsa reached out quickly and stroked the snowflake under Anna's breast. “OooOOooh!” Anna shivered, and her eyes rolled up in her head for a second. “That's…wow…that was…that's like having a second girl-button!”

Elsa smiled crookedly. “A 'girl-button'?”

“You know. Like…down…oh, you know what I mean!” After the giggling faded, Anna said, “So. You and me, huh?”

Elsa nodded. “You and me. Always.”

Anna grinned. “Listen. You think that daybed will keep the door closed?”

“Probably.”

“Probably's not good enough. I'm gonna move the dresser. I, um, I don't think we want to be interrupted for a bit.” Anna got off the edge of the bed to move the furniture. “Don't go away, all right?”

“Never, Anna. I'll never leave you.”

Anna stopped, turned to look at Elsa. “Me neither. I'll never leave you.” She smiled at her soulmate, sighing contentedly. Then she wiped her hands on her hips. “Now get your lazy ass out of that bed and help me move the dresser.”