"Elsa fell in love with Ingrid? I mean full-on, out-loud, 'I'm in love with Ingrid' in love?" asked Kristoff.

"But I felt horrible when I found out," protested Anna. "I swear."

Kristoff stood up to pace. "Elsa's in love with Ingrid?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," said Anna, her lips pressed together.

"And she was when she came to your bedroom?"

Anna nodded once.

"And did...what she did. What you asked her to do."

Another small nod from Anna.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking you cheated on me."

"No, what were you really thinking?"

She pointed a finger at him indignantly. "I was thinking – " Her hand dropped back into her lap. Quieter, she continued. "I was thinking that Hans didn't really want me, and you didn't really want me, and maybe nobody would ever really want me. Except Elsa. Maybe." She looked up at him again. "And I needed to feel like somebody could love me. That way."

"But how could she do that? No, forget that. How could you let her do that?"

"I said I didn't know!" said Anna. "I mean, I wouldn't do that to her. Not if I knew."

"Are you sure? You wouldn't have said, 'To heck with everybody, I'm hurting and I need her to make me feel better about myself.' Because you know she would. Hell, she did."

Anna crossed her arms. "I would never do that to Elsa. Or Ingrid, either."

"And you're sure you didn't know?"

"She didn't say anything."

Kristoff huffed at her. "That's not the same thing."

"Well, I think it's the sort of thing she'd mention," said Anna indignantly. Then she uncrossed her arms. "Come to think of it, she did seem like she was about to tell me something. Until I mentioned you and I were, you know, having trouble. And she and Ingrid seemed closer than usual, which I figured was because of the adventures they had together. And she seemed a little less...touchy. Not moody-touchy, I mean less, um, tactile." She put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my god, I should've known. Maybe I did know. Could I know, without knowing it? Okay, that just doesn't make sense. Does it?"

"Slow down, Anna." Kristoff held out his hands placatingly. "I'm sorry, I'm still feeling a bit rejected myself, right now. I think we can give you a pass on that one. For now, at least." He frowned. "How was Elsa when you left?"

"Fine, I guess."

"You guess? What did you say to her?"

"Well, when she explained about how you were probably proposing, which you were, I told her I had to find you and apologize, and make things right, and see if you'd take me back."

Kristoff looked at her. "Anything else?"

"Anything else what?"

"Did you talk about what this would mean about what happened between you and her? Did you talk about whether you still felt..." He shrugged. "...romantic about her? About how she would feel about having you yanked away from her, after being in love with you for so long and finally having you be in love back?"

"Well, I..." Anna thought. Her face fell. "But I just wanted to make things right."

Kristoff just looked at her again.

"Oh no," she said. "Kristoff? Do you think I, kind of, broke her heart a little?"

He shook his head ruefully. "Little bit, yeah."

"And...Ingrid?"

His level gaze stayed on her. Not chastising, but holding her accountable. "How did she take it?"

"Like, well, like Ingrid. She wanted Elsa to be happy, and she figured she'd be happier with me, and she did seem happy – Elsa I mean – until she told me about Ingrid, and – oh, Kristoff, I'm so confused now."

Kristoff stepped away to talk with Sven. " 'Propose to Anna,' you said. 'There'll never be a better time,' you said. 'What could go wrong?' you said." He scoffed. "What could go wrong."

He sat on the log again, straddling it so that he could face Anna. "A lot of guys get nervous when they propose. But there was one extra reason I was nervous. I knew – know – your situation with Elsa is, um, complicated. I thought if we were engaged, with that sort of commitment, that you could see us as a permanent thing, something solid. Something we could build our life around. That it could seal off our relationship from the stuff between you and your sister. But I was afraid I might be wrong about that. Looks like I was, even more than I thought." He saw the pain in her eyes, and took her hands in his as he answered the question she couldn't bring herself to ask. "I do love you, Anna. I always will. But sometimes, even if people love each other, they're not meant to be together."

"You...don't want to see me again?" She took a breath and put on a brave face. "That's all right. I understand."

"No!" said Kristoff, holding her hands tighter. "I want to see you, and be your friend. And maybe some day, if your complicated relationship with Elsa stops getting more complicated and gets un-complicated, we can see. If that ever happens. But I don't think we should be together right now. That's all."

Her shoulders slumped. "I'm a bad person, aren't I."

"You're a good person who's done some – not bad, exactly – some unwise things."

"It's because I 'follow my heart'."

"No, it's because you don't. Sometimes you feel like you have to fix everything, and you do what you think you're supposed to do instead of what your heart tells you to do. You have to trust yourself more, and not try so hard. I mean, sometimes you jump in, no hesitation, and it's exactly the right thing, and that's what makes you Anna. But if you do it because you're afraid and panicking, instead of compelled by what you know in your heart, that's when the wheels fall off the wagon." She stared at him, confused. "It's complicated. Grand Pabbie could explain it better. Sorry."

"So I'm not a bad person?" she said, and sniffled.

"No. Maybe a little bit. But not much." He held up his thumb and finger, with a tiny gap between.

"And you do still like me? A little?"

He held up his thumb and finger again. She swatted him on the arm. "Okay, okay," he said. He shrugged, and opened his arms to her.

"May I?" she asked. "That is..."

He nodded, and she threw herself into his arms, which closed around her in a warm hug. She felt his chest rise and fall as he sighed regretfully.

"Oh, Kristoff," she said, her face pressing against his chest. "what am I going to do?"

"You're going to ride back down to your sister, and her...Ingrid, and you're going to find out what you all really feel, and figure out where it goes from there. And I'm going to stay up here."

"You're not coming down with me?"

"No. I thought I could deal with all your human business. But I can't. Not like this."

"Human business?" Anna's brow furrowed. "But you're human."

"By birth. My family are trolls. Before that I was in an orphanage. I'm not complaining. I'm luckier than some. But that's no way to grow up like a normal human."

"But you said you wanted to be friends. You said you still love me."

"I do. But I also said that sometimes, even if people love each other, they mightn't be meant to be together. Now blow your nose." He held out a large handkerchief, which she took and used gratefully.

"I must say, no offence, but that's a really clean hankie."

"Well," said Kristoff with a shrug, "it's not like I ever use it."

"Eww." She tried to look appalled but couldn't help smiling.

It was a long, quiet ride home, with only the clop-clop of Flamme's hooves for company. Anna let the rhythm of the horse lull her into half-sleep, and wordlessly absorbed all that she'd been through, waiting for it to settle into something she could deal with. When Anna returned it was still the silent small hours of the morning. She walked the empty hallways of the castle, her candle the only illumination. It felt like a stage set after the play is over, with the actors gone and the house lights out. Strange and unsettling in its unfamiliar familiarity. So this is what it's like for Ingrid, when she's up in the middle of the night. Anna was grateful for the calm. I can see why she likes it.

And then the silence was was broken by a muffled voice. "Anna? Are you there? Is that you?"

"Elsa?" The voice seemed to be coming from the wine cellar. Anna couldn't imagine what Elsa would be doing there, let alone at this time of the night. "Is that you? Are you all right?"

"Just follow my voice. I'd like to talk."

Anna followed the voice and its instructions on opening the hidden door. In the lone light of her candle an icy monolith glittered and sparkled. She stepped around to the front and saw Elsa behind the polished surface, except different. "Are...you're not Elsa. Are you?"

"No. You can call me Frida." She smiled. Her eyes, each orb covered with a snowflake sigil, were as warm as their icy surface would allow.

"What are you doing here? Why are you here?"

"Well... First, would you like to sit down? I'm afraid I can't offer a chair, but I'm game for sitting on the floor if you are."

"Um, sure, I guess." As Frida sat on her heels, Anna sat campfire-style. Tucking her skirt in reminded her of doing the same earlier that night, with Kristoff.

"First off, I have to say that Elsa's told me so much about you – all of it good, of course – and it's such a pleasure to finally meet you. Which, really, is why I'm here. Elsa needed someone to talk to. And by the looks of things, you could use someone to talk to, too. I mean, 'talk to, as well'." She smiled self-deprecatingly.

"But why couldn't she talk to me? I thought we could talk about anything."

"Of course you can," said Frida, leaning forward. "Normally. But it's awkward to talk to you about you, now that things have become so – how shall I put this – entangled. You and Ingrid, that is."

"That's exactly the sort of thing we need to talk about! 'Her and me'-we, not 'you and me'-we."

"And I'm sure she will. Once she has things straight in her own mind. But you have to understand, it's all very confusing for her. She's torn. First she falls in love with Ingrid, to everyone's surprise including hers. Then you make her sleep with you."

"I didn't exactly – "

"No. She was willing, definitely. And how could she say no to you? But now she feels like she has to choose between the two of you." Frida sighed, then waved away the topic. "But never mind that. How are you doing? Did you get to talk to Kristoff? Did he take you back?"

Anna wrung her hands in her lap. "Mmm, not exactly."

"Oh, no." Frida's mouth was a perfect O of concern.

"I mean, he still likes me. And he says he still loves me. But he says he can't be with me right now. Not until me and Els– until Elsa and I and Ingrid get un-entangled." Frida nodded solemnly. "He says that sometimes people can be in love and not be meant to be together."

"He's very wise, sometimes." Then Frida grinned crookedly. "Did he say it, or did Sven?" They chuckled. "From what I hear, Sven's the smart one."

"Yeah." Anna sighed. "No, it was all Kristoff. Unless he got it from Grand Pabbie."

"Ah, the love expert."

Anna shrugged. "Maybe it's just as well. Kristoff said I kind of broke Elsa's heart, probably, when I ran off to try to be with him. Also he also doubted I really did want to be with him. It's all so confusing."

"Yes, I understand. A couple of confused sisters."

"I guess."

"Of course," said Frida, looking off thoughtfully, "it would've been simpler if he had taken you back. Now Elsa has to choose between you and Ingrid. And she knows whoever she chooses, the other one will be hurt. And that'll hurt her. She's so loving, it's sad that it should hurt her like that."

"Yeah." Anna bobbed her head in agreement.

"I mean, look at how much she loves you. She would risk everything to be with you. And does."

"And does?" Anna tilted her head.

"Well, you're her sister." Frida sat up straight. "If people found out about her and Ingrid, it would be a scandal, but hardly unprecedented. The master and the maid? Or mistress, rather? Practically a cliché. A delicious frisson. And other French words."

Anna smiled at the comment.

"But incest?" Anna's smile became a wince as Frida said the word out loud. "How many people would turn against her? The church, definitely. Other nations, certainly. The people? They love you, but there are limits. Risking her crown, her people, her good name and honour, everything she accomplished. All for the love of a single girl. Now that's love."

Anna's voice was as dull as clay. "Yep. That's love all right."

"A grand, epic love, that will echo down through the halls of history. Pity about Ingrid, though."

"Yeah. Ingrid."

"After all, they have so much in common. What did you say, all that time ago? They like each other. They get along with each other. They're both obsessed with doing the right thing. They both talk like they've swallowed a textbook. And when Ingrid's face isn't pointed at the floor she's very pretty. And she's not pointing her face at the floor so much these days."

"Hang on, Elsa told you that?"

"I'm her reflection. What she knows, I know. But you had a point. Serious. Reserved. They're a lot alike. Certainly not like you and Elsa. But I guess that's what makes it exciting?"

The weight of her emotions and of overdue sleep were weighing down Anna like a heavy greatcoat.

"Besides, Ingrid won't mind. She doesn't mind anything. Lose her brother, lose her queen, never complain. I'm sure she'll find someone of her own. Eventually." Frida folded her hands and touched her fingertips to her lips. "Then again, she's never going to leave the castle if she can help it. Rest of her days, probably." Her hands returned to her sides. "Gerda never married, did she." Frida leaned forward, examining Anna. "But look at you! Up late, worn out from a long ride, and here I am talking your ear off. You'd better get some sleep. I'm sure everything'll look much clearer in the morning. Right?" She smiled. "Or early afternoon, at least."

"Sure. G'night."

As Anna stood up, Frida did the same, brushing smooth her ice dress. "Sleep well." She put her finger to her lips. "What was that think Kristoff said? 'If people were meant to be together,' or something?"

Anna shook her head sleepily. "No, it's 'even if people love each other, they might not be meant to be together'."

"Right. Thanks. Good night. Come back anytime." Frida smiled as she heard Anna's steps fading behind her.