Anna slept all through the next day, and the next night. Even as Elsa attended her meetings and signed her documents, she couldn't help her mind wandering to the little redhead.

She'd been moved from Elsa's bedroom into more suitable quarters. Apparently. Elsa hadn't given the order – it had been a suggestion, actually, from one of the senior maids. It felt silly to disagree, and thus, she was moved.

The swelling in her toes had gone down a little. The ice crystals had melted; now it was simply a matter of letting them heal on their own. It was hard, when Anna just slept on.

The physician had seemed happy, though. A little surprised that it had taken such little time to begin improving, but he didn't question it.

"The castle conditions are much more conducive to one's health," he'd said, and left it at that.

Elsa smiled a little at the memory. A healthy red flush had drawn up into Anna's cheeks during the night and into the next day, and her breathing was deeper.

All signs of a healthy child, she'd been told. Elsa had difficulty hiding just how relieved she'd felt at the news.

It was nearing lunchtime on the third day that anything changed. She was in her office, reading over some missive from a local village, asking for funds for a clock-tower, when a maid came to the door.

"Your Majesty," she said. "It appears that Miss Anna is waking up. Mr Kai sent me to fetch you. He said that you would want to be told.

Elsa almost shot to her feet, almost stepping on the hem of her skirt in her hurry.

"Any news of her condition?" she asked the maid, who was very quickly following Elsa and not the other way around.

"No, Your Majesty. Mr Kai just said to tell you."

Suddenly, there was a different kind of urgency in Elsa's step.

What if... what if something had gone wrong? What if something bad was happening? Fear gripped her heart with its icy digits, and Elsa felt powerless to hold back her own magic. It pricked at her skin, wishing to burst forth. She had to pause for a moment in the hallway, closing her eyes and counting to ten.

When she opened them, she felt much more in control. Ready to face whatever was on the other side of the door.

As it turned out, her fears were completely unfounded. Anna had begun waking, but now simply existed in that liminal space between sleep and consciousness. She was sweating, but with goose-flesh rising from her arms and legs, it certainly wasn't from any external influence.

"The doctor did mention that this might happen," Kai said. "Her body is still healing. We just need to keep an eye on her, and make sure we're doing everything we can."

Elsa nodded silently, staring at Anna. Her eyelids fluttered, but she didn't wake. Perhaps she was dreaming; Elsa hoped it was a dream.

"Has her... Papa been located?" she asked. Kai made a noise, somewhere between a scoff and a retch. When Elsa turned to look at him, he at least managed to pull a contrite expresson to his face.

"Miss Anna's kin has yet to show any care for her," he said simply. "I sent Halfor back to tell him of his daughter's condition. He said that he wouldn't be paying for the funeral, should she succumb to her wounds."

"He what?!"

Kai nodded his head sadly, feeling no need to repeat his words. Elsa's hands shook, and her eyes burned. How could he?

It made her ill to her stomach, the very thought of – not only – mistreating any human in such a way, let alone one as radiant as Anna, but also in denying them any kind of comfort in the afterlife.

Elsa suddenly feared for what happened to Anna's mother; she'd never mentioned one.

"Does he know where she is?" she finally asked. Her eyes never left Anna.

"No. Halfor felt it prudent at the time to refrain."

Elsa nodded. He didn't deserve to know where Anna was, or even her condition; he wouldn't have cared, either way.

But then part of her paused; he may not have been to blame for Anna's condition. There was no telling whose alcohol had been in the house – she had reason to believe that it was not the one-family-per-home kind of area.

Thought, his words were fairly damning.

Her heart broke.