Had she been brought back only to witness Elsa's world collapse alongside her own? After everything her sister had been through, was this where their story within Arendelle ended? Why wasn't Elsa fighting it? Why was she accepting these unjust results? To say Anna still felt disoriented and unbalanced since being revived would be an understatement, but she knew how needed she was, and she could see it more clearly than ever now as Elsa read out the results of the vote and a unanimous sound of finality moved through the individuals present.

'It reads: "Queen Elsa has been deemed unfit to rule Arendelle".'

'Was it close? Maybe someone miscounted!' Anna leaned over, having to stretch up a bit to see the paper. Her temple throbbed, and Elsa shook her head slowly. It wasn't close. Even an optimist like Anna couldn't consider the vote "close". It wasn't a landslide, at the very least, but it certainly wasn't "close".

'I…am sorry, my queen.' Leonard mumbled, never sounding so defeated in all his time of service.

'It would seem Arendelle is of the same mind by majority. Unfortunately, for the future of the kingdom, I am with the louder voice.' Vegard sighed, and Anna's eye twitched.

'You would be.' She heard herself saying, and even a quick squeeze from Elsa's hand didn't quell what the younger of the sisters was feeling in that moment. She wanted to be reserved and controlled like Elsa, but that simply wasn't her, and if Elsa wasn't going to say something, it was Anna's turn to step up. 'Your box for other people is so tiny I bet even you can barely find it half the time!'

Anna wasn't sure that made much sense, but she didn't care. Her point hopefully got across, and based on Vegard's raised brow, he seemed to understand what was being implied.

'Incest is not something that can be taken lightly even in the most liberal mind, Princess Anna.' The councilmember was still calm, but there was certainly an edge in his voice.

'But it doesn't even – !'

'We are not having this discussion now.' Elsa extended her arm across Anna's mouth nearly, and Anna had never been so tempted to slap it away. How could she give up after everything they had endured together? It didn't make sense! 'I didn't hold a vote only to disregard it the moment the results didn't go my way. Although I let myself hope Arendelle would be more understanding, it does not surprise me that what Anna and I have cannot be fully comprehended by the majority.'

'B-but Elsa!' Anna turned to her. She didn't want to leave Arendelle. She loved the people, the land, the castle, and all the memories she had. It just didn't seem fair. Elsa was acting out of royal duty, and Anna understood the necessity of her actions, but that didn't mean Anna couldn't do something.

'Queen Elsa is an example of how a monarch should act in light of an undesirable result. She made the decision to leave her fate in the people of Arendelle's hands, and they have spoken loud and clear. Despite what history would suggest, a ruler that can only bring destruction to their land is not a ruler at all, but a plague.' Arthuria said the words, but Anna could see the pain in her emerald eyes.

It was too much. Anna had returned only to be banished again? All because she loved the wrong person? All because others wouldn't accept her private matters and life? It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair even in the slightest! And worst of all, Elsa suffered because of their relationship. Anna was the cause for this harsh prejudice. Something had to be done. Something could be done!

'Just deny the vote, Elsa.' Kristoff spoke out suddenly. 'You're still the queen. I think…I think people just need more time. Don't make a big deal of what is happening between you and…and Anna, you know? Keep it quiet and behind doors. That might work. I really, really don't want either of you to leave.'

Anna's heart skipped. She still felt a little something for Kristoff, and the fact he was bold enough to step into this particularly difficult subject proved just how much he cared about the Arendelle sisters.

'No. That would turn the kingdom against Queen Elsa more than anything else could.' Daryun growled, trying to seem controlled, but gritting his teeth all the while. 'Queen Elsa knew the risks, but I believe she made the right choice, in the end.'

'She did the "right" thing, but these fools couldn't care less.' Rynn snapped, shoving some of the papers before her away in irritation.

The room fell silent, and with every second that passed, Anna held her anger less capably. She knew Elsa was devastated. She could see through the veil of queenly perfection easily by this point. Her sister was dying inside, and there seemed to be no way to relieve the girl Anna loved of the destruction her soul attempted to endure.

'So, what now? Do we just pack up and leave? Is that what happens?' Anna's voice trembled, and she couldn't stop it from doing so. She was just so…so hurt, betrayed, and sad. Were her affections so terrible? Did she and Elsa deserve to be banished simply because they loved one another?

'No. There is a process to such things. A replacement for Queen Elsa will be required, and many administrative tasks require the current ruler's participation before Queen Elsa steps down. I will be permitting a two-week grace period for everything to be put in order. This was already planned out and approved by her highness prior to today. All that needs to be done immediately is for Queen Elsa to address the masses who, even now, await her announcement.'

Anna shook her head, but no words came out of her open mouth. It was happening too quickly. The end of everything she knew was happening without her say in any of it! Thank goodness she would still have Elsa once everything was said and done, but their home…the home they grew up in together was vanishing from the foreseeable horizon.

'I understand.' Elsa spoke without emotion, concealing her heart in a way that truly hurt Anna. 'Arendelle deserves to know. I'll speak with them now.' Elsa stood up and Anna felt her hand gripping hard onto hers. Part of her, naturally, loved the ability to be so openly affectionate, but such contact only reminded the princess of where their hearts were being thrown by people she thought she could trust to support her in her time of need.

'Elsa…!' Anna whisper-screamed, Leonard, Arthuria, Rynn, Daryun, Vegard, Kristoff, Myrddin, and a collection of guards and a few knights following in behind the important party. 'Are you really going to let this happen? Like, actually? We're being kicked out of our own home! Can't we – I don't know – stop this?'

'It was the only fair and just way. Could you imagine ruling a kingdom alongside me that wants nothing to do with you? A kingdom where the majority looks down upon you and doesn't trust a word you say? A kingdom that speaks slander given any opportunity? A kingdom that would betray you with but the right exchange presented? It's for Arendelle, Anna. It's for us. It's the only way.'

'Did you even try to convince everyone that it's not that big of a deal? I-I mean, I know it's weird, trust me, but it's not impossible to understand, right?'

'Anna!' Elsa stopped in the hall, her eyes glistening with frustration. Anna knew she had really hit a sore spot, for her big sister wasn't one for a scene. Perhaps the perfect queen simply didn't care anymore. It didn't matter how she was viewed by her most trusted advisors. 'Of course, I've tried! I gave all the evidence I could that what we feel changes nothing when it comes to ruling a kingdom aside from, perhaps, producing an heir!'

'Ahem. And I could help with that.' Myrddin, for once, said something rather than simply grinning away like a lunatic.

Both Elsa and Anna were thrown completely by the statement, and any pent-up frustration redirected to one another vanished in bizarre speculation.

'Silence, Myrddin.' Arthuria used the tone she kept in reserve for a truly kingly demand.

'I'm just stating the argument that exists.' Myrddin giggled, his mischievous mannerisms and odd physical appearance seeming like a character straight out of the fairy tales Anna used to read with Elsa.

'It's not possible. You are both women, are you not?' Daryun started strong, but then faltered at the end.

'Last time I checked.' Anna huffed jokingly but still with a hint of annoyance. The thought of producing an heir between her and Elsa was, admittedly, frightening yet incredibly exciting at the same time. But it was too early to be thinking about anything like that, wasn't it?

'It's not an argument, and certainly isn't a matter to be discussed so publicly regardless. The people of Arendelle would never accept an offspring produced under such ludicrous circumstances.' Leonard's logistics instantly overrode any hint of expectation that Anna was humouring, and it was a sobering revelation.

'So, it is.' Myrddin was shoved by Rynn ever so slightly, and Anna was sure he would be reprimanded later if Rynn and Arthuria had their way.

'Enough.' Elsa huffed. 'Arendelle is waiting for the answer they deserve. I will not relay anything but the truth.'

She could be so stubborn and honourable almost to a fault. Didn't she realize what all of this meant? She must have! And yet, what more could be said? Nothing…at the moment. Anna held Elsa's hand regardless of her hindrances, and soon enough, they were standing atop a stage within the main court of Arendelle Castle positioned outside the front gates. The bustling white noise of Arendelle's masses dimmed into an uncomfortable, expectant hum as Elsa and Anna took the stage, the most powerful people in the kingdom collected in one small area before the population that contributed to the shift in their own future.

Anna glanced about the crowd, and she could see the mixture of shock, disgust, fear, confidence, arrogance, pity, sympathy, hope, and intrigue toward what came next and who stood before them. Anna had arisen from the dead. She found more eyes were staring at her than not. Whispering. Muttering. Conversing in breaths of secrecy. If the onlookers weren't taking in the sight of Anna, they were focussed on the way Elsa still hadn't released her sister's hand. Even if they were at odds with how to handle all of this, they remained united, in the end. They were making a statement together.

Elsa finally released Anna and lifted her arms into the air, her chin raised authoritatively, and her voice booming like the queen she could be. Anna's heart quivered in admiration, but the fear of what would happen after this potentially final speech was overwhelming.

'My people of Arendelle, I will not waste more of your evening considering the delay in this addressment. I apologize for the wait, but quite honestly, I needed some time with my sister, Princess Anna, whom you see before you is alive and well thanks to your patience and no small effort from my most trusted advisors and friends.'

Anna received an applause, at least, but she knew it was partially forced. Good news was always eclipsed by drama, and what better drama to embrace than that of a queen's fall from grace and the scandal that would ruin her claim to the throne? How could the people of Arendelle turn on her so? She knew and had interacted with many of them, and yet they had no problem, essentially, sending her away forever?

'As you all are now aware, my love for Anna extends beyond that of sisterly affection. To have her back means the world to me. The thought of having lost her was unbearable, so, I must thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for permitting me the time needed to defeat Devil. I am of the impression that we have seen the last of his games.'

Anna shivered at the mention of the troll, but her sister's soft skin was touching the top of her hand again, and they gripped one another a second later.

'However, I see that many of you have little interest in such details.' Elsa went on, her intonation a little sharper, but retaining the professionalism she demanded of herself in the face of frustrating incompetence. 'Perhaps, understandably, you all wish to know the results of the vote you participated in whilst I was engaged in "lewd" and "unforgivable" acts with my sister.'

'Elsa…?' Anna blinked, and the crowd's murmurs escalated immediately. Rynn could be heard muffling a giggle, and Leonard groaned, if grinning all the while bitterly. Elsa was having the last word, in her own little way, after all. Her persona and grace prevented her from directly lashing out, but her oratory skills allowed for backhanded words of false poise.

'Indeed, I have heard the majority's wish, and that wish demands that I step down from the throne, taking Princess Anna with me, and leaving Arendelle to a new and – we can only pray – more fair, kind, and conventionally acceptable ruler.'

The talking amongst the people immediately intensified into a full-blown contrast of opinions. At least a quarter of Arendelle still wished to have Elsa as queen, and when those few supporters began to speak up, the majority was heard all around, outshouting and even beginning to get physical with those who would stand by their queen. Gerda herself was with a collection of individuals who were clearly in contention with the outcome of the vote, and when her stuttering-yet-resolved voice became a scream, Elsa could clearly see that things were beginning to get out of hand. She nodded to her guards who were positioned all around the stage, but Kristoff was soon seen dashing in and through the crowd to Gerda's aid, his size and naturally stocky build causing some of the townsfolk to second guess their sudden antagonistic approach to the ex-maid. Not only that, but Kristoff was seen as a very close friend to the royal family despite what had happened between him and Anna, and the sisters were still in charge, meaning touching Kristoff in any way surely meant dealing with the current queen. Anna would admit that a ping of jealousy touched her when Kristoff acted so valiantly for another girl, but that was merely the human side of her conduct.

Nonetheless, this was only one segment of the huge audience, and as the guards attempted to quiet the rising storm, Elsa rolled her eyes angrily, and Anna was certain she was crumbling inside having to witness the visual representation of her fate as the ruler of Arendelle. Something had to be done. The last thing Anna wanted to see upon being brought back was her sister in torment…again. The siblings had already suffered a decade of that. No more.

Elsa suddenly thrust her hands to either side of her person and created an ice sculpture that extended into the sky like a claw that wouldn't stop growing. It twisted and turned, encompassing high and across the crowd as though a titanic creature was digging its way out of the ground. It was purposely grotesque, but anytime Elsa used her powers a wave of warmth and love filled Anna. Even if her memories were distorted by Grand Pabbie, he couldn't change how she felt and the warped images that filtered into Anna's mind at the sight of her sister's unique majesty in action.

'Amazing…' Anna uttered instinctively.

The population of Arendelle, however, suddenly became much quieter, reminded of the fact that Elsa still ruled, and she was no ordinary queen when her patience was tested.

'I'm glad I have regained your attention.' Elsa said smugly, and Anna's toes curled within her shoes. 'There is no point in contesting what is now set in stone. Do not fight amongst yourselves. The decision has been made, and the votes speak for themselves. I am sorry that I have failed you all so profoundly that you wish to see me not again. I love Arendelle regardless, and it is with a heavy heart that I depart within the two-week grace period between the ascension of a new king or queen. Now, in relation to that particular turn of events, keep in mind that none of you will have a say in the matter, so, I truly hope whomever takes my place is of a sound and fair mind, for there truly are some tyrannical souls in this world…'

Elsa clapped her hands together in dismissal, her ice sculpture shattering into a display of stardust that gently floated through the air like the magic it was. She had had the last word in her own way, and Anna found her breaths coming in shorter not due to her condition, but because of the raw desire and adoration she was restraining in wake of her sister's perfection at times and her own boiling frustrations.

Elsa turned to walk away, the slightest drag in her footsteps, and Anna almost simply followed, but something in her head snapped, and she wretched herself from submission, taking centre stage and bellowing at the top of her lungs.

'Is this truly what you all wanted? Most of you – and I mean most, because I know there are some smart people here – would vote your queen away, the same queen who has done everything – EVERYTHING – in her power to appease a kingdom she knows she failed? Elsa has gone above and beyond what any queen or king would for every single one of you! You have no idea what she's been through! You couldn't possibly understand what it means to be trained – like a…like an animal – to be ready to rule an entire kingdom! I wasn't even bothered with and I still felt the ridiculous pressure that my sister had to endure for two decades! Every. Single. Day!'

Anna was honestly surprised she hadn't been pulled off the stage yet. The people of Arendelle were stunned into silence, and rightly so. The sweet, charming, understanding, and bubbly Princess Anna was lashing out like never before. She could feel her face turning red. Her brain was pulsating angrily. Her body was becoming heavier with every second that passed due to its own present fragility. And her hands…her hands felt so disturbingly hot. But none of that mattered. What mattered was having this final word in the name of her sister and the woman she adored more than any other in her world.

'But you don't care.' Anna reduced her volume, yet the silence of her city allowed for it with ease. 'All most of you care about is that Elsa is in love with me. Elsa finally found someone she can open up to completely and totally. And…and I feel the same. She is my other half. She makes my life so much better in every single way. I'm happy with her, and apparently that's not okay with "the majority" of you.' Anna quoted dramatically, finding the words and thoughts spilling out of her in a fit of passion.

'Well, I honestly can't help that I love her, okay? That's right. I see some of you getting all crazy-eyed because I said that, but it's the truth. You don't think I tried to stop it? You don't think we know it's a little weird? We do. We definitely, absolutely do. She's my sister. The first time we made love…Yeah. I just said that and it was the most wonderful thing in the world. Elsa is a super good lover, by the by. I almost feel bad that no guy will ever get a chance at her. But the first time we made love, I even stopped halfway through it and we talked about how bizarre our feelings were. Remember that, Elsa?'

Anna finally had the courage to look at Elsa, and her sister shook her head with an expression of pure, unfiltered appreciation.

'Of course, I do.' Elsa confirmed, and gasps exploded in the crowd. Anna pushed forward.

'But we both know it's love. It's a love so amazing that I can't sleep at night without dreaming about her. I can't look at her without swooning. I can't touch or be touched by her without wanting so much more no matter where we are. I look at my sister and I see an angel that makes my whole world brighter and more beautiful than ever. I love her. I love her and I can't and won't stop because it is what true love is supposed to be. I would die for her…a third time if I absolutely had to. Now that I know what real love is, there's just no way in all of Arendelle that I can stop. If any of you are actually – like really, really, really – in love, you'll know that you can't just stop what you feel.'

Anna scanned the crowd for a second, a montage of varying expressions blurring into her fading mind. Her eyes narrowed in on Mr. and Mrs. Iversen, soon thereafter indicating them with a shaky hand.

'Mr. Iversen! You and Mrs. Iversen just celebrated your sixtieth anniversary, right? Amazing! You two are totally in love. I mean, anyone can tell. But wait! We actually just found out you're long lost siblings! Oh, man! What a pickle! No biggie. Just break up! Just…fall out of love like that!' Anna snapped her fingers, and she didn't want to make the elderly couple uncomfortable, but a point had to be made now or never.

'I…I could never…' Mr. Iversen held his wife close, and the miniature conversations throughout the crowd began to progress further.

'Of course, you couldn't! Love isn't something you can always control; especially real love! It's one of the greatest mysteries in the world! What causes love? Why do we fall in love? We're the only living species in the world that seem to be able to feel something so crazy and complex…aside from Olaf, maybe.' Small chuckles, but they could've been someone coughing for all Anna knew. Her body was becoming heavier. Her vision was spinning. She was still shocked not a soul had interfered with her yet. Her voice softened as she went on into what she knew to be her final sentences before the fatigue overcame her.

'Nobody really knows all the answers, am I right? Love isn't something we can just…slap labels on and use books written forever ago to act as guidelines based on a past that doesn't even exist anymore.' Anna slowed her breathing, looking about her people and barely recognizing them anymore.

'I want to show you something.' Anna uttered slowly, and looked to her big sister again, holding out her hand. Elsa, thankfully, hesitated not in taking it, and Anna's heart skipped at the sight of her all over again. Her eyes watered in affection, and she pulled Elsa in close, for all her tiny world to see, and kissed her deeply, holding Elsa's face and going on the tips of her toes just enough to match her sister's slight height advantage. Elsa's touch was upon Anna's waist a second later, and Anna sighed inwardly, elated by the moment of it all.

Anna wanted it to last forever. She wanted to be with Elsa in her happy home forever. But that happy home was gone. Her parents were gone. Her people were gone. Her innocent past full of glorified memories was gone. Anna's eyes squeezed shut, water slipping from her lashes and down her cheeks, and she let her sister go, staring at her reflecting, glittering gems of blue precedence.

'Huh. Weird. You're still all alive?' Anna made a mock face of inquisition at the dumbfounded crowd. 'You're not sick? You're not in danger? You're not keeling over like a fish out of water? You're not melting, burning, drowning, or…er…exploding? But it's incest! It's basically the devil incarnate…isn't it? That's weird. I mean, we kissed in front of you and nothing happened. Nothing at all. Imagine how safe you would be if we kept our relationship's true depth limited to our bedrooms where you can't even see us! Huh. I think I've missed something. Oh, well. The votes have already been counted. Now that's a misunderstanding.'

Anna shrugged, dismissing the subject now, knowing she was lucky to have been allowed so much liberty for expressing her thoughts in the first place. Her point was made, at the very least, she hoped.

'I love you, Elsa.' Anna stated clearly, and then addressed Arendelle anew with a pointed finger of authority, nothing but varying levels of shock greeting the princess. 'And there's nothing a single one of you can do to stop me from feeling this way! In fact, you should be jealous, because I have what almost everyone in the world wishes and dreams of! So…so bah humbug!'

Anna grinned crookedly, swaying a little bit and wondering what on earth she had just finished with. Fortunately, Elsa still held her waist, helping Anna maintain her balance, and Anna's tears wouldn't stop the moment she heard what Elsa said next.

'Everything Anna just stated…' Elsa spoke slightly more casually than ever before when addressing her people as queen. 'Every word, concept, and thought; I agree with utterly and completely.'

And Princess Anna fell in love again and again and again.