Thank you everyone, for such a warm reunion! Your response has made all my effort worthwhile. Please enjoy this next chapter. I have feedback to the reviews at the end of the chapter. A nice long one for you - and again, read parts of it in private, okay?

Chapter Seventeen – The Unbroken Tree

Kai had woken just before the storm-wrought dawn, his body still expecting him to get up and get on with his day. There was always too much to do as the Steward of Castle Arendelle, and his mind occasionally forgot that he was on vacation from all of those duties. For a few moments he listened to the wind streaming through the trees, curious as to the strange keening cry within. When he realized he wouldn't be falling back asleep he rose from his bed and kissed Gerda on her hairline before dressing in simple clothes and going downstairs.

As he descended he could hear another door opening and soon Nils came out, strapping his sword to his belt. Kai nodded at the young man, pleased to see that his sense of responsibility had not gotten fuzzy with all this vacationing; it was his job to see to the security of the grounds and to protect the Queen and Princess. Tomorrow additional guards would be coming from the castle to refresh their supplies and relieve Nils and Johan if they wished it.

Tomorrow would also make one week since their arrival. Kai felt like a fool.

He had to talk to Queen Elsa, and soon. He had already put it off far too long. In late and hushed arguments with Gerda, Kai tried to rationalize his decision; that it was too soon after all the events after the coronation and the great freeze. There had been a day or two of relative calm where he almost spoke to his Queen, but then came the skating party, and the discovery on the bell tower, and the impending deaths of both of his charges. It was no time to bring up King Agnarr's last missive to the young queen. From the moment they arrived at the chalet it had been on his mind, but he was loath to break the precious bubble of peace that had descended upon all who were here.

For all his rationalization, his oath to the king under Spoken Law was already broken. The document should have been given to Elsa the day after her coronation. Every day that passed was a rupture in that promise.

God, he hated Spoken Law sometimes. It was the same Law Anna invoked the night she set out after Elsa, leaving Prince Hans in charge, giving him the rights and responsibilities to a kingdom that did not need him, a kingdom he did not deserve.

"You are not their father," Gerda had told him last night. "Yes, you love them as a father would, you love them as they deserve to be loved, but she is your Queen, Kai. Agnarr was more than just your friend, he was your King. Do what you must do, and accept the consequences."

So Kai had self-imposed the deadline of tomorrow. He knew what was in the letter, and he knew Elsa would have to have an avenue of escape. There would be extra guards to take her home, if needed.

Or follow her wherever she fled.

Mood bleak, mouth sour with too much Akvavit from the night before, Kai entered the living room and looked out the window at the storm-tossed tips of the pine trees surrounding the lake. He should have followed Gerda's advice. He should have told Elsa the truth before Sera Avundir chose to terrify them all with that awful story. There had been far too much fact in that story, and not nearly enough fairy tale. What on earth possessed him to ask that particular question? It was as if someone else opened his mouth and asked for the story that he knew was etched into Elsa's bloodline.

Maybe some wiser part of him knew it was time Elsa had the truth. And now she needed all the truth, not just the shadowy morsel contained in that awful story.

Staring out the window, he told himself he was not looking for the tips of wych elm trees in the center of the lake, long submerged beneath the waters. Skeletal trees that could signify the resting place of a long dead Princess and the watery entrance to the underworld.

The chalet was cold from the incessant rain, though the thunder and lightning of the night before had already moved on. Kai lit the fire in the living room and then returned to the window, watching the tips of the trees whip back and forth under the shreds of dark scudding cloud. The whole world was charred grey today, and the lack of sun cast a shadow on his heart. Could he do it even on a day like this? How would his queen react to the awful truth within the letter? What about Anna?

Why, oh why did it fall upon his shoulders, to do what Agnarr should have done long ago?

Agnarr.

He missed Agnarr more than he could say. The late king had been more than his liege lord, even more than a friend. They had been like brothers. Their friendship and their bond had been tested in the fires of adversity, none so great as that tragedy twenty-one years ago.

Though Spoken Law kept his tongue from ever speaking about those dark times, Kai could remember it all too well. He did not need the pages written in Agnarr's steady hand, those pages Elsa remembered him mentioning before his last voyage. What need had he of words when memory alone was made imperishable in his heart?

What heart ever forgets pain and loss such as the kingdom then bore?

And what heart ever forgets the names of those who sacrificed themselves to save the next generation?

Though he was not allowed to speak those names aloud, he kept them forever in his heart. Her name above all.

Oh, how did Synneva manage to live, and breathe, and smile, considering all that had happened?

Kai was deeply submerged in these thoughts and roused only when Johan approached, presenting him with a cup of tea, a dollop of honey waiting on a spoon on the saucer. Kai smiled as he accepted the tea, his heart immeasurably warmed by the kind gesture. A servant always appreciated service in kind.

Gerda and Synneva were next to make their way to the living room; both women paused to look out the window and shake their heads at the poor weather. Summer storms were incredibly common, but that didn't mean that they were welcome. They both sat down to eat the breakfast Johan had prepared, making the light conversation that seemed to come so easily to women.

Kai kept glancing up the stairs in the direction of the master suite, wanting and fearing the appearance of the Queen. He finally joined his wife and ate a small portion, telling himself that if it were nice out tomorrow he would go for a nice long walk along the lake and work off some of the extra weight he had put on over the years.

That's if the entire place wasn't frozen solid.

Damn Agnarr and Synneva both.

Breakfast came and went and still the royal sisters had not come down. It was usual for Anna to sleep as much as she was allowed, but Elsa was generally quite prompt and had not quite dropped all her royal propriety upon arrival at the chalet.

Synneva followed his gaze and set down her cup of coffee. "I heard Anna coughing in the night again," she mused. "Perhaps I should go check on them."

"Not yet, dear Synneva," Gerda gently disagreed. "If they needed assistance, they would come down. The storm got loud last night, perhaps they slept poorly for other reasons. Besides, who doesn't appreciate a nice lie-in while on holiday?"

Kai schooled his face not to blush, though he couldn't keep the tips of his ears from getting slightly pink. He could only imagine what sort of activities the two young women might be getting into on a stormy night. Their softly blossoming relationship would be consummated like any other.

And that was all the thinking he was going to do about that.

All his musing was abruptly interrupted as Nils returned to the chalet, his hair still wet though he had changed his clothes. He kissed Johan on the cheek as he took a bowl of oatmeal and a plate of smoked fish and nuts. "I found traces of a small pack of wolves," he said as he tucked into his breakfast.

Synneva looked up over her coffee. "They do not normally come this close to humans, or to the chalet," she mused. "Could you track them?"

"Not nearly as well as your younger brother, Mikael, might have," Nils admitted. "The rain washed much away. I think I saw them skirt the edges of the paddocks and clearing to the west before heading back up the valley."

"Mikael is your brother?" Johan asked in surprise. "The famous tracker? I've heard it said that he can track a falcon on a cloudy day, and see a life history in a blade of bent grass. You've never mentioned him before."

"I dare say I almost forget it myself at times," Synneva firmly replied. "I do not see him often. He serves no one but himself. He would be a strong huntsman for Queen Elsa and the guild of trackers, but his mind is clouded by the past. It's been at least three years since I've seen him, and then only briefly." She deftly took control of the conversation again by asking, "You think the pack headed up into the valley and away from here?"

"I wish I could be sure," Nils replied. "But I'm not. So I would ask that everyone be a bit more cautious outdoors today. I shall accompany the Queen and the Princess on their walk, should they wish to take one, until the ground dries up and I can be sure. Besides, the additional guards are coming tomorrow. I'll ask for help from them if needed. We've got three more weeks of holiday to safeguard for Elsa and Anna. I'll not have a pack of marauding wolves come between them and their vacation."

Kai flicked his eyes over at Gerda, not surprised to see a somewhat stern expression on her face. A pack of wolves ranging close to the chalet would not be a good enough excuse for him to keep the letter to himself. He had a promise to keep and time was running out.

Damn it.

…

"Unh, Elsa!" Anna moaned.

Elsa stopped the thrusting motion of her fingers, and then leaned forward and covered Anna's mouth with a kiss. When she withdrew her lips, she whispered, "You have to stay quiet, Anna. There's no storm now, is there?"

Anna lightly bit her lower lip and shook her head. There was the sound of rain, but it certainly didn't provide an auditory cover as sufficient as that thunderstorm. Elsa slowly began to piston her fingers again, so full, so deep inside her. There was nothing else in the universe except this; this small sphere of love and devotion that encompassed their bed, the rumpled sheets, and the slick skin of young lovers. Her climax was so close, but Elsa had learned much in the few hours since they woke again this morning in the pre-dawn darkness. Elsa chuckled when Anna begged for completion, suckling her neck while ravishing her with her fingers.

"Do you want this, Anna?" Elsa whispered, then lightly bit Anna's ear.

Anna's back arched hard under her sister as the deep rolling began in her center. She would kill Elsa if she stopped now. Elsa seemed to understand the depth of Anna's need, flicking her slick thumb over Anna's nub and finding some incredibly divine spot deep inside with the tips of her cool fingers, so deep, so close now, and as the climax burst between her legs, Elsa kissed her, swallowing Anna's beautiful love-cries.

Then Anna clutched at her, almost sobbing with pleasure and a heart so full of love that it seemed impossible to contain it. She had to feel Elsa along every inch of her skin, the cool planes of her legs, the firmness of her breasts, her breath as hot and tumbled and sweet. Her hands in Elsa's love-mussed hair, kissing Elsa's jaw before cuddling into her neck and shoulders, her body finally going limp.

And despite the heights of her climax, the glory of completion at the hands of her lover, Anna treasured these after-love moments even more; this heavy and sated contentment, anchored so deep inside each other that nothing could ever separate them. Nothing could break them apart. Ever.

"Elsa," she breathed into the white skin of Elsa's shoulder. "That was… wow. You are incredible." She placed another soft kiss onto Elsa's collarbone. Elsa began to stroke Anna's back, in long and delightful caresses, murmuring words of warmth and caring into Anna's ear.

Anna's stomach chose that moment to rumble, quite loudly, with hunger.

"No," Anna cried, clutching at Elsa's middle even as she heard Elsa laugh above her. "I don't wanna go."

"Sweetheart," Elsa began, pulling at Anna's face until they were looking at each other. "What did I tell you? This is only the beginning. We have tonight to look forward to, and then tomorrow…"

"And the day after that," Anna agreed before leaning forward to hungrily kiss Elsa's lips. "And the next, and the next," she continued, pressing hot and dry kisses to Elsa's willing mouth. Elsa looked about ready to forget breakfast entirely when Anna's stomach once again made a horrid wrenching noise.

"That's it. A quick bath, and then breakfast." Elsa used her queen voice, and Anna mutely obeyed, though she was quick to pout a little.

She could not keep her eyes off her sister. Her lovely naked body was somehow just as alluring when she instantly conjured a robe of ice to draw on. She looked at Anna over her shoulder and there was a very distinct thud in Anna's altered heart, as if the syncopation of her heart rhythm had been momentarily disrupted.

Which was altogether likely. For all the many times Anna had re-read that slim little book she had stolen from Sera Avundir, for all she hoped and prayed she could find a love like that represented in its pages, to find the reality of it before her was almost impossible to believe. She had been awestruck by Elsa's beauty and soul time and again, and to see that mark on Elsa's shoulder, and know that she had created it; this all caused an avalanche of love to roar through Anna's young breast. She felt reborn, remade in Elsa's capable and magical hands.

Then Elsa lifted her wrist, oh what a heart-breakingly beautiful wrist, and beckoned to Anna. "Coming?" she asked, her voice sultry.

The bath took a while.

…

Anna tugged on her breeches and her shirt, muttering under her breath about the awfulness of clothing. "Don't get too used to them," Elsa whispered as she snuck up behind Anna and wrapped her in her arms.

"Yes, your Majesty," Anna replied, turning in Elsa's arms so she could kiss those extremely soft and kissable lips. Then, seeing as one of them had to take the initiative to leave their bedchamber before the entire house wondered what had become of them, she laced her fingers in Elsa's and led them out of the room.

Soon they were down in the kitchen, just in time to see everyone cleaning up. Kai's face immediately flushed pink and Anna just about died of embarrassment. Was it that obvious, that she and Elsa had finally made love? Did they somehow look different this morning than other mornings? "Good morning, ladies," Synneva smoothly said, her hands in the washing basin. "We saved breakfast for you."

"Thank you, I'm starving!" Anna said, reluctantly removing her hand from Elsa. She moved to serve them both as Elsa immediately veered towards the pot of coffee.

"I made a fresh pot just ten minutes ago," Johan said, coming in from the pantry with his hands full of fresh vegetables.

"Thank God," Elsa said, pouring herself a cup. "That storm last night was a real tooth rattler."

Anna could see the tips of Elsa's ears flush pink, and she mouthed at her sister, "Tooth rattler?"

Elsa shook her head, exasperated, and poured cream into her coffee.

Thankfully, Synneva could be counted upon to save them all from conversational death. "We do get rather magnificent storms here at the chalet," she said, lifting the last of the dishes into the drying pan. "I've been an avid storm watcher my entire life." Before Anna could worry that Synneva might have been awake, aware, and listening to certain night-time antics, she continued, "and yes, that storm was incredibly loud last night. Could barely hear myself think."

Anna was ravenous, but she did have a hard time concentrating on her food. Elsa had the sense not to sit completely across from her, but sitting next to her might have been even worse. With every bite of her oatmeal and lingonberry jam, Anna was aware of Elsa's presence, in a far more personal way than ever before. It was as if a new north star had suddenly appeared in her horizon, making her wonder how she had ever lived her life with the lack.

Nils came back into the room and noticed Anna in her sparring clothes. "It's a bit ugly out there, but you still want to spar today?" he asked.

"Unless the barn has been submerged, yes," Anna replied.

"We can head out later this afternoon," Nils said. "Johan and I will be scouting the tracks of a small pack of wolves this morning. I would like you both to stay in the chalet until we know what happened to them."

Instantly Anna took Elsa's hand underneath the table and felt a reassuring squeeze. Her mind went back to that night with Kristoff and Sven, the ringing of the reindeer's harness as they raced into the black night, the glowing eyes of the wolves around them. She remembered the way the wolf pack wouldn't back off until they had all jumped off the cliff, Kristoff's poor sled falling into oblivion far below.

The poor man. He had just paid it off. She hoped he liked his new one.

And though she told herself to stop being ridiculous, she couldn't help but wonder if they could be the same wolves that had been so cruelly thwarted by her just a few weeks ago. Could wolves even remember being thwarted? Or know what thwarted even means?

God, Elsa was stroking the inside of her wrist with her thumb.

Gulp.

"Anna was attacked by a pack of wolves during the freeze," she heard Elsa saying. "Is there any way that this could be the same pack?"

Anna looked up at her sister, almost incredulous. Trust Elsa to know exactly what Anna was worried about.

Nils was quick to reassure them. "Wolf packs are highly territorial, Elsa. I believe Anna had been going in the other direction, towards the North Mountain, yes? It is unlikely that the same pack is the one that has moved into and hopefully out of this valley. We'll just be very careful for the next few days, okay? No walks without me accompanying you, and stay close to the chalet at all times. We'll have more news once we've done a bit of tracking."

Elsa looked at Anna with a tinge of worry in her eyes, and Anna squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, Elsa. They couldn't handle Anna with a lute and a blanket. Do you think they could withstand Anna with a sword?"

"No one could," Elsa quietly answered, a small and beautiful smile on her lips and another stroke of that thumb on her wrist.

Anna felt that smile push its way next to her heart, lighting her insides with the brilliance of elegance and clarity that only Elsa could provide.

"How has the coughing been, Anna?" Synneva asked, bringing her out of her reverie.

"I had a brief attack in the middle of the night," Anna admitted, her voice as calm and clear as she could manage. "But then it calmed down and I was able to sleep again."

"Good," said the Royal Physician, releasing both of them from additional inquiries that could have gone all ways to awkward.

When they were done, Gerda offered to do the washing up, but Anna and Elsa shooed her away so they could do the dishes by themselves. Light conversation and some splashing of water ensued, and Anna swore her heart had never been quite this delightsome, quite this light. The spectre of the fairy tale last night was still upon them, as was the chance prowling of wolves, but neither could dim the brilliance of her altered heart.

The hours passed slowly, but for once Anna didn't mind. These weren't the stilted and lonesome hours of her childhood, wiled away in front of paintings or clocks. There was reading by the fire, and then Elsa painting her fingernails, and then another attempt at needlework to be made under Gerda's patient direction.

A few hours after their late lunch Nils finally deemed it time to head out to the barn. The rain had started to thin, and the clouds lost their menacing dark edges. Still the rain was sharp, and fell in brittle droplets that held none of the beauty of the night before. They were comfortable under Elsa's umbrella of ice, and Anna wished she could kiss her. Alas for company, even such pleasant company as Nils!

Elsa could see the desire in her face; of course she knew it, and her dear sister laughed and pulled her along until they rushed into the warm confines of the barn, filled with the scent of hay and the sound of whickering animals. Once inside she gave Anna a quick peck on the lips, not nearly enough to satisfy.

But then Anna made herself turn professional, to follow Nils through the warm-ups, and it almost hurt to turn off the constant desire she had to look at Elsa, and wonder what Elsa was thinking, what they could be doing together if only…

Ahem.

With some effort, Anna finally did focus on Nils and on the practice, and in that focus she found the joy she had always experienced in swordplay. The intricate nature of it, the concentration on the movements of wrist and foot, even to the weight of the sword in her hand, as if it could become an extension of her arm.

For a long time she was only this Anna, and no other. This somehow darting and graceful Anna, swift and slender as birds, quick and lethal as snakes, implacable and cunning as wolves.

Until the tickle returned, and she quickly signalled Nils that she needed to stop, and a storm of coughs burst from her chest. Such awful pressure there, like there was a ball of darkness hibernating deep inside her, waking to stretch and roar its displeasure at her mere existence!

Anna curled over her stomach and felt her muscles clench as the coughs roared through her, taking tiny pieces of her lungs as tribute. But, for the first time since waking from her poppy-induced healing sleep, Anna did not despair at the coughing fit.

For Elsa was here, and her hand was soft and strong on Anna's shoulder, grounding her to here and now. Her scent in Anna's nostrils, her beauty surrounding. Her breath, glorious. Was it this way for all star-struck lovers, or was Anna simply privy to the miracle that was Elsa?

The dragon in her chest finally stopped its bellowing, and Anna was able to draw several breaths without coughing. Still Elsa was with her, unspeaking. Her hand constant.

So beloved.

Anna finally looked up and into Elsa's eyes. There was no fear there. No shame or blame. Only love.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked.

"I think so."

"Good. Resume. He almost caught you by the wrist there in that last move, you know."

Anna could actually feel her jaw dropping slightly, and pulled it up as soon as she realized it. "Unless you feel you shouldn't continue," Elsa hurriedly added.

"No, I'm all right," Anna repeated, feeling as slow as molasses in winter.

"I was actually wondering something," Elsa said. She let go of Anna's shoulder and her brow momentarily furrowed in concentration. Moments later a sword of ice appeared in her hand. "I've been thinking about how the ice holds together under strain, and under other conditions. I mean, my citadel on the North Mountain lasted a pretty long time, until I got sick, at least, so I wonder what I did to make it so strong. If you wouldn't mind, could you try this, just for a few moves? See how it feels?" Elsa pressed the sword of shimmering ice into Anna's hand.

Again, Anna tried not to gawk. She took the sword in her hand but it instantly felt a little wrong. She handed it to Nils and he nodded. "The balance is slightly off, Elsa," he said. "Give her your sword, Anna, let her feel the weight and heft of the blade."

Anna offered her sword to Elsa, hilt first and across her wrist as she had been taught. She looked into Elsa's clear blue eyes as she did so, and a sense of love and devotion slammed into her heart like a punch.

Elsa was meeting her even here. Could there be any greater blessing?

Heart thick and soft with love, Anna gave Elsa her sword. For a moment Elsa looked discomfited, until Anna changed her grip on the hilt just a little. The moment the change was made, Anna saw something click in Elsa's body and stance. Elsa looked down at the sword, and then back into Anna's eyes. "Oh," she said, her voice slightly taut and strange. "I understand."

With her free hand she grasped Anna's shoulder.

And the magic coursed through Anna's veins, a cool and welcoming flood, down her arm, through the delicate bones of her wrist, until it seemed to burst like a miniature storm from Anna's palm. Eyes wide, Anna felt Elsa's magic curl outwards, the hilt forming first in her hand, the tang of the blade set deeper than the first version, the blade itself forming inch by inch in a torrent of steel-flavoured ice. A wave of delicate etchings followed in the wake, giving the thin blade a subtle splendour. The sword gave off a slight ringing sound, like a bell, when finally complete.

Elsa removed her hand when the ice-forging was complete but did not remove her strong and searching gaze.

Anna hefted the sword in her hand, her mouth suddenly dry. "That was… wow," she finally said.

Elsa laughed. "You are so erudite."

Anna briefly stuck out her tongue and then turned to Nils. "Shall we try it?"

The young man looked completely awestruck at what had just happened before him. He blinked his eyes and then said, "Yes. Yes, of course." He quickly resumed his stance and said, "Begin with the standard drill, Anna."

Holding Elsa's ice sword in her hand, Anna stepped effortlessly into the drill.

And from the first ringing sound of Nils' sword against the sword of ice, Anna knew Elsa's sword had a strong core, some fibrous and vast connection of atom to atom from the tip to the pommel. The hilt was cool in Anna's already sweaty palm. As the sword continued to withstand the bout, Nils began to press a little harder, forcing Anna to move forwards and back, testing the sword from tip to guard. It finally shattered when Nils had backed Anna into a corner and caught the blade near the hilt.

They both immediately stood down, panting in the musty barn, the sound of late afternoon rain on the roof underscoring their breath. Nils soon turned to face Elsa and said, "For your first true attempt at a sword, Queen Elsa, that was remarkably done." He inclined his head at her in respect, and his smile was wide on his handsome face.

Anna could again feel pressure in her chest and a pang of frustration iced through her. Unable to stop it, she allowed the coughs to come out, though they weren't so jagged and awful this time. She didn't even cough as long as usual. "That should be enough for today, Anna," Nils said, as the coughs began to subside. "We worked a bit harder than anticipated, so be sure to stretch and cool down really well. Get your shoulders rubbed if you need to."

Anna nodded, and her mind couldn't help but go back to early this morning, waking with Elsa spooned up tight behind her, placing kiss after kiss on Anna's freckled shoulderblades…

By the slight blush in Elsa's cheeks, the same thoughts were also on her mind. She came towards Anna and Nils and with a wave of her hand disintegrated the last shards of the ice sword. Before Anna could pout (and she had a cute pout all planned), Elsa cleared her throat and said, "Actually I had one other idea while you were fighting. Could I try making armour as well? I've studied our father's armour, I think I have a basic idea of how it's made."

"You should definitely try!" Anna said, finally clearing her throat and covering her mouth over the last small, baby coughs. She could see the tiniest wedge of fear in Elsa's eyes as she contemplated forming the armour over Anna, so Anna just looked at her with all the love and confidence in the world.

Elsa smiled, and moved behind Anna to touch her on the shoulders. "Okay. Here goes."

Anna relaxed her muscles and waited. Elsa's hands were deliciously cool, and Anna could pinpoint the very moment when the magic began to dance both under and over her skin, as if mapping her exact conformation one more time. Then the gambeson appeared, all at once, the fabric padding her body. And swiftly now, the ice crackling in the quiet of the barn, a mail skirt formed, and then all the layers of plate mail, accompanied by gauntlets, couters over the elbows, and the cuisse and greaves on her legs. The colour was magnificent, ranging from midnight blue to silver, and it was surprisingly light and easy to bear.

Elsa's breath was slightly bright as she completed her work, the back plates appearing as she moved her hands away from Anna's shoulders, a helmet forming on Anna's head. She stood back and asked, "Tell me truly, Anna. How is it? Are the joints too tight? Is it too heavy? Are you okay?"

Never in her life had Anna felt this powerful. She had never worn armour before. She looked down at her body and noticed that it looked very similar to the armour worn by her beloved Joan-the-painting. Wordlessly she held out her right hand to Nils, who just as wordlessly pressed his sword into it, his eyes wide with wonder.

Anna took his sword and then walked the ten paces back into the middle of the barn.

The hay smelled sweet and dusty. The air was gauzy with the thickness of the rain outside. Two barn kittens fought each other on a bale of hay. Anna breathed it all in.

She lifted her sword and stepped into the forms.

Pure joy ripped through her as she soundlessly, delightfully drilled, moving from one form to the other. Some of the joints were tight, but on the whole Elsa's ice armour was remarkable; responsive, light, and cool, so very awesomely cool. She felt as if she could take on entire armies. She could finally be like Joan, and withstand all evil forces.

Suddenly Nils was there before her, stepping hard and fierce into her drill, his spare sword inches from landing a terrible blow.

Anna didn't have to think, analyze, or doubt. She countered him with effortless ease. He parried harder, and she met him, blow for blow. For long minutes they fought, harder and more real than any training she had encountered so far. She was aware of the armour, Elsa's armour, and when she finally missed a counter, and knew his sword would hit her, she trusted the armour because it was Elsa's.

She heard Elsa's awful gasp as Nils' sword smashed into the gauntlet over her sword-wrist. She felt her bones creak with sudden pain, but the armour held.

Nils immediately stepped back, out of the engagement, breathing hard and apologizing. "Forgive me, Princess. But I had never seen you fight so well before, and I felt I had to do this. I had to be sure of the armour, and of you. Are you all right?"

"Yes!" Anna practically squealed. "Elsa, did you see that? That was amazing!"

Elsa was at her side, and the anxiety in her face was replaced with mirth and admiration. "You were magnificent, Anna. I mean that. I've never seen you fight so well."

Nils nodded, his breath laboured. "Really Anna, that was incredible. You… in that armour…" and the young man suddenly blushed and grinned. "It's like you both come from storybooks, though you are real and standing before me. A queen who can wield magic of ice and snow. And a princess who sacrificed her life to save the queen, and who now looks like a legend come to life. Right out of a storybook." He suddenly clicked his mouth shut, as if embarrassed at his words.

Anna laughed with him, Elsa's hand on her armoured arm. She turned to her sister and said, "Um, any idea how to take it all off? Well, not all off, just the armour off, oh please, you know what I mean!"

Elsa laughed aloud with her, stepped back, and flourished her wrist. In an icy swirl, the armour vanished, leaving Anna in her ordinary tunic and breeches.

"That will be useful again, Elsa. Don't forget it," Anna said as she wiggled her wrist a little, gritting her teeth against the ache. "It's fine," she said automatically, pre-empting her sister's concern.

"Let's have a look," Nils said, the authority in his voice enough to overpower the Princess. She held her wrist to him and he gently took it in his hands, moving it back and forth.

"I do think it's sprained, though it's a credit to the armour that it's not broken. How did you miss that counter, Anna?" he asked, just as he had asked a hundred times in their post-sparring deliberations.

"Didn't have my elbow high enough," Anna said.

"Right. You'll have to work on that." He reached into the pouch he kept in the barn with the weaponry and took out a roll of gauze.

But then he paused just before applying it and looked at Elsa. "If you feel up to trying one more thing, Queen Elsa," he said, slipping into more formal address, "could you see about bringing down some of this swelling?"

Anna looked at her sister and knew how much this request would delight and terrify her. To Elsa's credit, she simply stepped forward and took Anna's wrist in her cool hands. Then she closed her eyes, breathed slowly for a few moments, and suddenly Anna felt a small wave of frostiness course through her wrist. The sensation lasted only a moment, and then Elsa released her hand. "That's all I dare. I'm sorry."

"It's not like I expected you to heal it outright, Elsa," Anna softly chided. "It does feel a little better, though. Why don't you wrap it up, Nils?"

Nils was already wrapping the injured wrist with a field dressing. "Have Sera Avundir look at it when we get back as well, okay?" Nils asked as he finished up.

"Okay," Anna promised. She took Elsa's arm and steered them towards the door. The rain was now just a soft drizzle, and the three of them walked towards the chalet, an umbrella of ice for Nils, and another for Anna and Elsa to share.

He allowed them to draw ahead for privacy, shadowing them from a dozen paces back. He had been unable to trace that pack of wolves, and cursed the rain for providing cover.

"How are you feeling? Really." Elsa asked.

"My wrist is probably be sprained, and my chest feels a bit tight," Anna admitted. "But this rain and cool air feels wonderful. That got pretty intense in there."

"My heart about stopped when Nils went to attack you without notice. You should have seen my hands. They got all… frosty."

Anna gazed up at her older sister. "You didn't stop him, though."

"No. I knew you could handle it. I can't protect you from everything, can I?"

"No, you can't. The world doesn't exactly work that way. And a day might come where I can't save you, either." Her voice grew sombre, for Nils' words had invoked the memory of that moment on the ice when she had saved her sister from Hans' sword.

Her magical sister, who had just enrobed her in armour of ice.

Synneva's story from the night before still rung like foe-hammers in Anna's heart. The story of a man who only tried to save his child and ended up in eternal damnation, so lost in the devil's clutches that he perpetrated his crimes and inflicted misery upon others without shame or remorse. Stealing life and power from gifted ones like her love, her dear sister, the cherished companion of her soul.

The thought of Elsa being bound with such an iron ring was somehow even worse than the thought of Elsa dead.

Elsa seemed to catch wind of Anna's sudden change in mood and drew her to a stop. "Are you all right?"

"I was thinking of that damn story Sera told. I thought it was disturbing last night, but it's somehow even worse to think of it in daylight."

Elsa didn't try to placate her, to lie and say it was just a story. She just squeezed Anna's arm and grimaced. "It shook me, too. In fact, I dreamed about that man last night."

Anna nodded. She knew Elsa had suffered from another nightmare, and she knew why Elsa preferred to stay silent about it. "Do you want to talk about it?" Anna asked.

"Not really," Elsa admitted. "It was just a dream. For now I shall simply breathe deep and enjoy the rain and good company."

"The birds are rather cheery for being sopping wet, aren't they?"

"I was talking about you, lutefisk."

"It's not considered very nice to call someone names that have to do with fish. You could say something nicer, like rose-petal, or honey bunches, or…"

"I like pickled herring."

"Just you wait, your most luminousness. I might just decide, at a very inappropriate moment, to refer to you as pickled herring."

"Do your worst, I am not afraid."

"How about I do my best?" Anna quipped back, halting in her steps. Surprised, Elsa paused and Anna reached up with her non-injured hand to draw her face in close for a kiss. After a few moments of barely restrained ardour, Anna pressed hard one last time and then drew away, smirking.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Elsa whispered, tenderly cupping Anna's face with her hand.

There was a delicious lump in Anna's throat. She felt she could never deserve the love that Elsa now showered upon her. So many years of drought and loneliness to sweeten the new reality they shared. Those empty years only deepened the joy she now felt in Elsa's company.

"Do you mind if we walk on just a little further?" Elsa asked.

Anna shook her head. "No, the walking is good for me. I'll still have to stretch, but this is a nice cool down."

Elsa suddenly looked back to Nils, who was very busy scanning the sides of the clearing and the tops of the soaked trees, anywhere but at the royal sisters, his cheeks flushed. "Nils, we're just going to walk to the lake and back."

"I'll stay a few paces behind," he replied, talking to a particularly boring bush by the path.

Elsa nodded and once again took Anna's arm, quietly steering them past the chalet. The rain was starting to subside, becoming a softer pitter-patter upon the umbrella of ice. The air was beginning to warm, hinting of evening sunshine.

Then they were around the corner of the chalet, and through a break in the trees they could see the edge of the lake with it's absent island. It was a blessedly soft and rhythmic meander that brought their feet to the shores of the lake. The rock surrounding the water had been scoured until there were no rough edges. Tumbled, chewed, buffed and harassed by wind and water for millennia, these small rounded stones were caught in this moment of time with a most persistent existence. Here they would remain until they fragmented and were ground into dust, the particles of which would rise into the air and fall as rain and snow upon the mountains of Tibet, and the rain forests of Brazil, and the slowly changing shores of the fjord.

Anna stared at these round stones and was struck for the first time in her life by a sense of immortality. Each stone had a story, a universe of existence and interactions that dated back to the dawn of the world and stretched forward into the unseen future.

Just as she held a similar universe in her own mind, galaxies of thought and intention strung along a wave of time that hinted of eternity.

Her parents were not gone. She hosted their stories in her mind as she stored their ancestry in her body. Even the cells, tissues and organs that had been their physical bodies had drifted apart to ride the waves of the sea, permeating endlessly over land and water.

They were part of the unbroken tree that sealed Elsa and Anna to each other, forever.

"Dearest?" Elsa asked.

Anna bent down and picked up a stone, thick and flat and rounded about the edges. "Just thinking some deep thoughts," Anna murmured, holding the rock before slipping it into her pocket.

"What do you think of your tutor?"

The question was so unexpected and out of context it seemed ludicrous. Yet Anna would not tease or be sarcastic. Not with this stone in her hands that was just another manifestation of the unbroken tree.

How could a simple stone be so lovely?

And if a stone could hold such beauty, it was no wonder she found the Queen of Arendelle to be a most amazing galaxy of beauty and grace and general luminousness…

Answer the question, lutefisk.

"Ser Eklund? I think he is fussy and pretentious and a total joy-killer. On a beautiful day, will he move the lessons out of doors so that I may cavort with ducklings? No. Not until I can translate Old German or understand the royal genealogy of Spain. Why do you ask?"

"What would you study if you were given the choice?"

Anna didn't even have to pause to consider the question, for she had considered it many times before. "Philosophy. Astronomy. Geography. Blacksmithing. A bit of physics."

"Physics?" Elsa laughed.

"Well, so I can understand pitch and yaw and trajectories and how momentum can send certain ancestral busts into contact with certain coronation cakes. To speak of a purely hypothetical scenario, you understand."

"Oh, hypothetical. Yes, I understand completely." Elsa's voice was filled with mirth, but Anna could sense a strange unease that sent small waves of ice through her words.

They had resumed their quiet walk, the stones shifting lightly under their feet. Anna kept looking at the lake, as if the island would spontaneously rise from the depths with all the force and fury of any kraken. What other power might such a huntsman have stolen over the years?

Could Elsa be hunted?

Leave it be, Anna. It was a story. A story.

"Have you ever wondered what you would do with your life if you weren't a Princess? What would you have done, Anna?"

"That I don't really know," Anna slowly replied, lacing her fingers with Elsa's. "I mean, I learned pretty young that such questions were irrelevant and almost dangerous. Thoughts have power. Think something long enough, and hard enough, and all that attention could be enough to bring the thought to life."

"Well then, I think I shall get you a new tutor. You deserve to learn the things you've always wanted to learn. And you are clever enough to apply what you've learned to the betterment of the kingdom."

"If we're going to ask each other rhetorical questions, mine would be how you have so much faith in me," Anna said, her heart glowing with the compliment. "I don't feel I've earned such trust."

Elsa stopped them again, and then turned to face Anna head-on. Her eyes were blazing with a furor that Anna rarely had the privilege to see. She reached into one of her pockets and brought out a piece of metal, sharp along one edge.

"This is a shard from Hans' sword," Elsa explained, holding it on her palm. "I had Kai salvage every piece of his broken sword from the ship that lifted us out of the water that day. The remaining pieces are in a drawer in my study. Hold it and tell me about my faith and trust in you, Anna." With that, she deposited the shard carefully into Anna's raised palm.

Anna's eyes prickled with tears and she looked at the piece of metal. She couldn't speak.

Elsa was relentless, and drew Anna's astonished stare with her next words.

"I know you would not have me speak of debt to you. But all my perceived debt would be instantly erased if you would understand completely what I'm about to say to you right now.

"You are my salvation, Anna. You are the reason I exist. You saved me in every way a person can be saved. Your integrity is blinding. Your loyalty has no equal. Your willpower is endless. Your courage awes me. You are the most incredible woman I have ever encountered. To have you by my side each and every day is a gift and a joy. You throw statues at cakes and smash wolves with lutes and throw snowballs at snow monsters. You do all these things from some truth that is embedded deep in your heart, and that gives you strength and purpose. Oh yes, Anna of Arendelle, I have faith in you. I have faith that, no matter what storm might arise, you are like a tree that can bend but cannot be broken.

"Look at that piece of sword, Anna, and see in it a true reflection of your quality."

As Elsa first began to speak, Anna wanted to blush and softly negate the words. But as she went on and on, tears caught in Anna's eyes. Hans' betrayal of her that day had left a wound that had festered slow and deep near Anna's heart, that maybe nobody could ever love her, foolish Sapphic girl as she was. Elsa's repeated assurances of her worth had helped, as had their recent midnight thunderstruck communion, but never had her words struck quite as deep as they did now.

And then Elsa continued.

"Anna, I want to ask you something," Elsa said, rather abruptly.

Wiping her eyes carefully with her hurt hand, Anna simply looked at Elsa.

"I want you to become co-ruler of Arendelle with me."

Anna was shocked into stillness. Elsa's words skirted the edge of Spoken Law, but she would not speak a new law of this magnitude into existence without Anna's permission.

Elsa must have taken Anna's stillness for hesitation, for she suddenly continued, "I would give you more, Anna, if only I could. I would make you my partner in every part of my life. But for now, this is what I can give. Will you accept it?"

Anna's throat was so thick with emotion she could not speak. She glanced down at the shard of the sword and remembered how it felt to work the forms in Elsa's armour, especially the moment she absorbed and countered Nils' surprise attack. She thought of following Elsa through the snow-dark the night of the coronation. She remembered the moment she was brought back to life on the icy fjord, looking down into Elsa's adoring eyes.

And she remembered the bright bits of lightning on Elsa's skin, and how the thunder had masked her cries of release, and how it was Anna, simply Anna, who was able to bring all of this to pass. Where once she despaired of having power to match Elsa, such thoughts did not haunt her anymore.

She looked into Elsa's waiting eyes and knew her worth. Deep as oceans, strong as mountains, and infinite as an unbroken tree.

"Yes, I will." she said.

...

Well, what did you think? Give that review box some love! And brace yourselves for some impact, the next chapter is quite interesting...

Now, feedback on reviews!

Guest 1 Dec 17 - your review made me smile as I envisioned you jumping from your desk to read it. I hope you enjoy what's coming.

Guest 2 Dec 17 - You are welcome for the update. I always write as much for me as anyone else, though of course it's nice when other people appreciate it! I'm glad you've seen Prague - I'm enjoying it so far. I'm still technically jobless, though that will hopefully change in January!

punky32 - I'm glad to be back. I do appreciate that you find my work beautiful. Keep reading!

waldengarver - I remember you from the very beginning of this story, and it warmed my heart to no end to see your review. Thank you so much for always chiming in, it's appreciated more than you know. I hope you enjoy what's coming.

balticbard - I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. Victorian? I'm not sure if I've read any Victorian, though I do try to keep a certain sense of pace and style. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

glittering-snowfall - It is my pleasure to meet you, and thank you for recommending my fic on reddit and tumblr. I'm not much of a social media person. It means so much that you shared your thoughts with me. It is my goal, in a way, to produce emotions in my readers, and it seems I have succeeded in this story. And thank you for the well wishes on my life. I'm still trying to figure things out, but writing is one constant I will keep. I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter.

Master Kosa - Dobry den! Thank you for reviewing. As far as the statement about the last best journey of Elsa's life... no, this fic has a happy ending, I promise. I can't promise anything about the sequel, though. You'll just have to keep reading. As far as Prague goes, I just need to get my Zivno now, and a job... and I will enjoy the city as long as I'm able. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please share your thoughts when you have a minute.

LunarMiko07 - Great to meet you! I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 16, and I hope you loved Chapter 17 as much. Let me know, okay?

wannasalad - I loved watching your progression through the last few chapters of the story. Yeah, that ending in Ch 14 has done a perfect job for me of prepping people for what is to come. This (chapter 17) was relatively fluffy compared to what is coming. I hope you continue to read and enjoy. Thank you so much for chiming in - it's so appreciated. I'm glad you came here from a recommendation and I hope to hear from you again, maybe on this chapter?

celticknight - However you came here, I am so thankful you left a review. It means a lot to me, and helps me keep writing. And best fic you've read in a while? That's pretty high praise to me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

janparowka - Well, chapter 16 was partly due to you, wasn't it? You messaged me when I needed it most, so thank you. I've found such joy and fulfillment in continuing this story. And yes, I can imagine the style is a bit different, picking it up almost a year later. I hope there's better continuity in style and movement in the chapters to come. Please continue to review, your notes mean a lot.

with-love-maud - Welcome to the story, and thank you for taking the time to review. I'm so pleased you have enjoyed the fic so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy it. And thanks for sending love - I might need it, being away from home for Christmas. Vesele vanoce to you!

See you all in a week or so for Chapter 18. It's gonna blow your minds. Vesele vanoce (merry Christmas) to all of you!