Lying in the dark, Anna listened to the sweet sound of birdsong as all the birds around the castle began their morning dawn call. She could feel the rise and fall of Elsa's chest. Hear her snuffly sleep breathing. When the pale light began to filter in, Anna untangled herself from the cocoon of Elsa's arms and slipped out of the warmth of the bed into the chill morning air.

She couldn't risk discovery by staying. No matter how tempting it was to stay.

Pulling on her shoes, she closed the door quietly behind her, as not to wake Elsa. She begun the silent, solitary journey back to the dormitory.

But, she hesitated.

Like the moon tugging at the tides, she felt a pull.

Surely, Anna had time for a slight detour…

Footfalls descended into the dark. The seemingly never-ending spiral staircase, at last, bottomed out and Anna sat, a cross-legged schoolchild, in front of the Mirror.

"Elsa… what am I doing wrong?" she asked.

Mirroring her actions, the Elsa in the glass sat down, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Guess you don't know either, huh?" said Anna. She pulled up her knees to herself, burying her head between them. Her muffled voice: "I must be getting desperate. Asking your advice, and you're not even real."

She still didn't know how to break the spell, and they were running out of time.

No matter how hard Anna tried to hold onto them, the precious remaining days left to them slipped between her fingers like sand.

She and Elin laid out a picnic in the garden, attending on Elsa, Ilia and Countess Caroline. The day was sunny and beautiful, tulips bright and decked with dew, so warm that Anna loosened the buttons on her collar.

Inside her head, however, was a stifled panic that only grew louder. Because there were only five days left. Five days to break the spell, and here she was curtsying and pouring tea, unable to even speak to Elsa properly.

Laughter in the garden. The Countess whistled her over as though she was a dog. "More tea," she said.

Anna's hands shook as she poured the china tea pot, both from indignation and the silent panic mounting inside her.

"And more of those chocolates," the Countess demanded.

That night, lounged in Elsa's silk sheets, eyes closed and expectant, Elsa popped one into her mouth.

"Saved some for you from earlier," Elsa said, eyes twinkling. "How is it?"

After the plain staple foods they served up at the servants' table, the truffle melted in her mouth, dragging an obscene sounding moan from Anna.

A raised eyebrow from the other girl. "You're going to make me jealous."

She promised her: "You taste better," before tangling her fingers in blond hair and tasting all the sweet flavours of Elsa's mouth.

Laying in Elsa's bed with her, kissing her, whispering and laughing: it made everything else in her head vanish. When the occasional thought swam up through saturated waters to her consciousness— this is wrong— Elsa's touches, Elsa's kisses, Elsa quickly drove it back down to the depths.

As the date drew closer, wedding preparations were kicked into top gear. A staple now by her side, Anna waited on her lady as she picked out the floral arrangements for the day. Her heart leapt when Elsa picked out one of the more unusual choices.

The florist didn't bother to hide her surprise. "Certainly, my Lady. It's not a particularly popular choice, but we can definitely make you an arrangement with crocuses."

"I've always liked them," Elsa said.

The crocus, after all, was the symbol of their house.

Small moments like this elated Anna: made her think they were making progress. But in the same measure:

"—and it was part of the first bouquet Prince Jareth gave me. So I thought it'd be fitting," Elsa continued.

Thus, Anna wondered if it meant anything at all.

And there were four days remaining.

Resentful that she hadn't been able to spend the morning with Elsa and was instead forced to buff and polish all twenty of the crown prince's stinky shoes, Anna's thoughts spiralled towards incoherency.

What do I do?

Why on earth didn't I figure out a way to contact Admiral Westergard before I barged into this mess? I'm such an idiot.

Did I do the right thing, sending Kristoff away?

Because, whenever she left Elsa to sneak back to her bed, staring at the slats of Helen's bunk in the dark, the princess of Arendelle had never felt more alone.

Apart from Ada, there was no one here she could trust. And she barely knew anything about the girl, anyway. That she was willing to assist Anna seemed to come from the fact that it aligned with her own interests, rather than concern for the princess's wellbeing.

The stuff she told her about the Mirror might not even be true, for all she knew.

But Anna didn't have any other options. She was forced to trust Ada.

Why she looked more and more like Elsa every time she saw her, Anna didn't have the foggiest. I really am losing it.

Three days remaining.

Elsa took dinner with Queen Matilda. Tidying up in the dining room afterwards, Anna's ideas grew wilder: what if I knocked her out with the chemicals from the store cupboard and brought her back to Arendelle?

C'mon, Anna. Don't be a moron. How would you even get her unconscious body out of the castle?

You need to think, think of something.

Yet, when she was with Elsa alone, all worries escaped her. It embarrassed her, later, how mindless she became. You are on a mission, goddammit Anna. But, when Elsa kissed her, she was helpless, trapped under a spell of her own. And whilst a part of her was still shouting stop kissing your sister and start breaking that curse, she couldn't deny what she was feeling: happiness.

Afraid and alone in a foreign country, maybe, but somehow, she'd never been happier, either.

Elsa knew it, too. She took Anna's face gently in her hands and looked deeply into her eyes, searching. "I wonder why—" she brushed back a stray hair that fell from Anna's ear, "why I adore you so."

Two days, and wedding garlands were hung from every banister and rafter. She was utterly exhausted by the time she fell into bed next to Elsa.

That night, they didn't sit up and talk, or play chess as they sometimes did. She and Elsa just curled up into one another, Anna listening to her heartbeat, slowing as she drifted to sleep.

Framed by the window, an almost full moon rose, bathing the room in soft light and long shadows.

It made her think of those nights in Arendelle. How different things were back then, and yet, strangely the same.

Orion cartwheeled slowly over the horizon: his hunting dogs chasing their tails. The night creaked on, Anna drifting between sleep and wake.

The thought came to her: Maybe I've always loved you.

The night held them in its embrace. Her; Elsa; her bed: the very epicentre of the universe.

The day of the wedding dawned.

Knocking on Elsa's door, Anna jumped when it opened and she stood face to face with one of the other maids, whose name she didn't know.

Without introductions, she said: "She's almost ready. Just the veil to go."

Grumpy that someone else had already helped Elsa get ready, all her thoughts fell out of her head when she saw Elsa rise from her dressing table in her wedding gown.

Elsa plucked up the skirt of her dress, a twinge of nerves in her voice as she asked: "What do you think?"

Elsa had made the gown herself, and it was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever see her create. Icy flowers trickled down the bodice, studded by snowflakes. Her trail tailed behind her, and on her shoulders sat a faux ermine cape, made from snow.

"You look…" Anna choked on the word, "beautiful."

God. She knew this moment would hurt, but she didn't expect the crushing feeling in her chest, as though someone had physically gripped her heart in their hand, and squeezed.

Tears burned in her eyes, and she was unable to stop the sob that forced its way form her throat.

To the perplexed maid, Elsa said, "Could you leave us, please, and tell the minister I'll be a few more minutes? Ann will help me with the rest."

As soon as the door closed behind her, Anna could no longer hold back the tears. They fell without her command, hot and humiliating. And angry.

I'll never forgive Queen Matilda for this. For making Elsa do this. Not ever.

Gentle hands gripped her by the arms. "Ann, what's wrong?" When no response was forthcoming, she pulled her into an embrace. Her hand rubbed comforting circles on her back. "Come now. I know it's normal to cry at weddings, but still," she joked, trying to get a laugh out of her.

Anna swallowed down the hard lump in her throat. In a hoarse voice, she choked out: "I love you, that's what's wrong."

In shock, Elsa pulled back from her, hands lingering on her arms. Wide eyes, and silence. The ticking of the cuckoo clock.

What exactly had she been expecting with this declaration? Elsa, after all— this Elsa— barely knew her. She turned to flee, when she felt Elsa tug at her.

"Ann, wait."

Anna hesitated, staring at the floorboards, before Elsa commanded, "Please, look at me."

Anna forced her eyes upwards, climbing the icy buttons of her bodice up to Elsa's eyes.

"I've hardly known you two weeks…" Elsa began, and Anna's heart started to sink stupid, stupid. What did you think she was going to say? "But—" Elsa continued, a tremor in her voice. A shy, nervous smile, and deprecating laugh. "I don't understand it myself, but somehow, I feel like… as though I've known you all my life. Maybe that means something. And, Lord knows what I'm doing, but—" she hesitated, blowing away a loose strand of hair. Pushing it back: a nervous gesture— "but I love you too, Ann. I've never felt like this about anyone before. I might be marrying Jareth, but—" she clasped Anna's hands between her own, squeezing. "My heart belongs to you."

She pulled Anna to her, and the two girls clung together, Anna's wet face pressed hard against Elsa's shoulder. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. She wanted to laugh and cry.

A knock came at the door. "My Lady, they're ready for you at the chapel," came a woman's voice.

Regretfully, Elsa peeled herself away from the embrace.

The urge rose in Anna's throat to beg Elsa to stay, to run away with her.

But she already knew what the answer would be. That was her sister, even without her memories: the girl could be so darn stubborn.

She even gave her a run for her money.

Elsa cleared her throat. She, too, was struggling with what to say. "I guess— I'll see you later," she settled with.

"Knock 'em dead," whispered Anna.

Grazing her cheek with her hand, Elsa leaned in for a kiss. It tasted of salt and tears.

"I'm coming!" Elsa called. The trail of her gown swept away, and she was gone.

Anna wandered the corridors of the castle, aimlessly, trailing a hand against the rosemaling. The palace was emptier than she'd ever seen it; everyone and their mother in the chapel. Anna, however, had no such masochistic urge to subject herself to the I do's.

Her feet moved on their own. And they took her down the stairs through the scent of subterranean earth to the Mirror. She sat there, in front of Elsa.

Anna never knew it was possible to feel so happy, and so sad.

How long she sat there, in the dark, watching the runes flutter across the dark surface of the glass, she didn't know.

She never, in a million years, imagined love would feel like this. And if they told me, I never would have believed them.

The solstice was tomorrow, and she still didn't have a plan. "You don't know what's going to happen, do you, Elsa?" she asked the figure in the Mirror.

In response, Elsa raised a finger to her lips. S-e-c-r-e-t.

"Figures," Anna said, with a roll of her eyes.

She decided aloud: "Whatever happens, I'll protect Elsa. I won't let anything happen to her."

Mirror-Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I know it's not the best plan, but I don't see you coming up with anything better," Anna shot at her.

Elsa shrugged.

Well, I can't blame you. She put her head in her hands and sighed.

She was startled out of her stupor by a loud metal clang. She realised in a panic: it was the door upstairs! There were footsteps and voices on the stairwell.

Had the ceremony already finished so soon?

Mirror-Elsa gestured with her hands for Anna to vamoose, but there was nowhere to run. The footfalls were coming closer, and she was trapped.