October 4

"You mean to tell me," Elsa repeated, "That you decided to have a conversation in which you revealed everything about our plans...without first checking if the hallway outside was clear of Ungifted?" Her voice was cold, tempered steel. The Goddess's poise had not deserted her, but an icy storm of anger clearly simmered just beneath the surface.

Evangeline lowered her head. "Your Worship, I-"

SMACK. The Goddess's hand whipped out, striking Evangeline's cheek with fingers coated in frost. The spymaster stumbled backward, keeping her eyes fixed upon the ground. Her cheek was so cold...it felt like it was burning.

Yes, the pain from the blow stung, but it didn't cause her nearly as much agony as the thought that she had failed her Goddess. Because of Evangeline's carelessness, all of their plans had been thrown into jeopardy. Kale had been silenced, yes, but his death would require some creative explanations. Worse still, it was always possible that he had spoken with an ally before their men had discovered him.

She dropped to her knees. Evangeline did not expect mercy; she knew she did not deserve it. "Your Worship, I take full responsibility for my mistakes. I submit myself to your judgment. I am fully aware that death is a fitting punishment for my transgressions."

Elsa said nothing, and for several moments Evangeline continued to stare at the floor. Finally, the tension in the room built up to a point where she could no longer stand it, and the spymaster hesitantly raised her gaze to stare upon the Goddess's form.

The spymaster was met with an angry, exasperated glare. "Perhaps," Elsa agreed. "But I do not throw away useful servants on a whim. I am not so rash as to let anger cloud my judgment. A single failure does not mean that you are no longer valuable to me. Nor does it negate the years of service you spent preparing for my return. Your skills are still a useful asset to our cause, and they will be valuable to my reign once my divinity has returned. I would be a fool to kill you."

Her heart was beating at lightning fast speed. How fortunate was she, that her Goddess did not let petty anger distract her from their ultimate goals! No, Evangeline would not die this night. She would continue to serve her mistress; that is how she would atone for her mistake.

"Send out every available agent," the Goddess ordered. "Search the area where Kale was killed, retrace his steps from there back to the Palace, and interrogate anyone who might have seen him. It's possible he discussed his newfound knowledge with an ally, however little time he had before our men found him. Have your agents comb his entire route to that alley, looking into every shop he might have entered. If anyone claims to have seen a man of his description, I want them brought back to the Palace for a full interrogation."

\

"I told you how cold it would be out here," Elsa admonished gently as she observed Anna's subdued freezing.

The Knight shook her head. "I'm fine," she promised. "This jacket is big enough, and how many women can say they've had an outdoor picnic in the middle of a blizzard?" she continued happily.

Elsa shot her an exasperated smile. Since the two of them were due to leave for Eldora in a few days, Anna had proposed that the two of them spend some quality time enjoying Arendelle. This, to the Queen's initial shock, had entitled journeying out onto the Castle grounds during a snowstorm with a warm blanket and a picnic basket. Elsa's powers were more than enough to shield the area around them from the falling snow, as well as clear a large enough patch of grass to serve as a host for their picnic. Nothing she could do would shield Anna entirely from the cold, but the younger woman was still enjoying the experience.

They'd eaten the food given to them by the bemused kitchen staff in relative silence, simply enjoying one another's company. The hot soup had kept Anna warm throughout the meal, but now that it was finally gone, the Knight had begun to shiver.

"Are you sure you're not cold?" Elsa asked skeptically.

"I'm fine," Anna repeated. "Still, if you're so concerned about the cold, how about you warm me up?" Without waiting for a reply, she moved over to Elsa before lowering herself to the grass and placing her head on the Queen's lap.

The Queen brought a hand to her lips, stifling a chuckle. "You're ridiculous," she noted as Anna's head settled upon her legs. It wasn't long, however, before she gently began to run her hand through Anna's red locks of hair. The Knight merely smiled, enjoying the warmth of her Queen's touch as she watched the snow to continue to fall around them.

"Before I forget," Elsa said after another few minutes had passed, "I have something for you." Stretching out her arm, she reached out to the picnic basket and pulled out a small yet heavy bag. She placed it on the ground beside Anna, allowing the telltale chinkle of the coins inside to reveal its content.

Anna's eyes widened. Keeping her head in Elsa's lap, she reached over and picked up the bag as the Queen resumed stroking her hair. Judging by the size of the coins inside and the weight of the bag, it was a considerable amount of money. "What's this for?"

The Queen smiled. "You've been working as my personal attendant for several months now, and as a Knight of Arendelle, you're entitled to receive a small sum four times a year. Arendelle does make it a point to pay the servants of the crown, you know."

Biting her lip, the Knight cocked her head in confusion. "I know that," she replied. "But I thought that was already accounted for. I mean, you know, the food, clothes, and everything else I get...isn't that technically my pay?" she questioned.

"Of course not. Working as an attendant and a Knightly pension wouldn't be nearly enough to pay for everything you use-" Elsa stopped suddenly as she saw Anna's face fall. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean it that way. You're not a burden; you know I don't think of you that way," she continued, guilt plain in her voice.

The Knight nodded uncertainly. "I know. But still, that means, everything I have...it's all been a gift? I mean, I already knew it was, of course, but I thought some of it was officially payment for my employment. So, even officially, all of it is charity?"

Elsa's face flushed. "I...suppose you could look at it that way. All the expenses your upkeep has added to the Castle's maintenance have been refunded directly by my personal vault. It's not a big deal. The fortune of the Royal Family is vast; my ancestors started accumulating it centuries ago. And it isn't simply a mountain of gold sitting behind a locked door, benefiting no one. It's constantly invested and re-invested in various businesses throughout Arendelle, and thanks to some wise decisions made by my accountants, it's constantly growing."

Anna's eyes widened. She'd known Elsa was rich, of course, but the true size of the Royal Fortune was something she had never looked into before. "How big is it? she asked curiously.

The Queen shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. It invests in a lot of companies, and continuously gives some of those profits to various charities; it's constantly changing. It's almost certainly the largest in the country; more than enough to pay for anything you could ever want without even having to think about it. All my life, I've reimbursed the Castle for my personal living expenses; my grandparents started that tradition decades ago. Once you officially moved in, I simply doubled the regular payments."

She made it sound so easy. But however much money it was, it was paying for Anna to live a lifestyle equivalent to that of royalty. Elsa must have noticed Anna's bewilderment, because she asked, "That doesn't bother you, does it?"

After a moment's hesitation, Anna shook her head. "As long as it doesn't really cost you anything in real terms, I guess it's not a big deal. But...I have a question for you," the Knight prompted.

"I'm all ears, darling."

Again, Anna bit her lip. "Don't take this the wrong way; you know how much I appreciate you taking care of me. Still, I can't help but wonder...did you enjoy it? I mean, did you like taking a homeless girl and giving her a life of luxury? I'm not saying that I think you viewed me as some sort of project, but...you know..." she finished awkwardly.

Elsa frowned. "Anna...I hate the fact that you were homeless. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could go back in time and save you from all that pain. But in a way, however, I did enjoy it. I want you to be happy. And it makes me feel proud to know that I helped give you a happy life, even if you've done more for me when you really think about it. Why? Was that the answer you were looking for?"

Anna answered that question by reaching up, wrapping an arm around the Queen's neck, and pulling her down into a long kiss.

It was several moments before their lips finally separated. "Anna," Elsa continued, "A lot of people think that I take care of you out of repayment for saving my life. And fine, if that's what they want to believe, it saves me from a lot of pointed questions. But they're wrong. I chose for you to be by my side because I love you. You've made me happier than I've ever been. That's why I provide you with everything you ask for...and a lot of things you don't. I'll always appreciate you saving my life, but even if you hadn't, it wouldn't change anything between us. Once I gotten to know you, I could never have let you go. If it makes you feel better to think of your life here as a reward for saving me, you're welcome to do so. But I don't. I'd gladly give it to you even if you'd never been forced to risk your life for mine."

Anna nodded, not quite sure what to make of her words.

"I never intended for you to become my protector, or my champion. I didn't fall in love with you because I thought you'd make a good hero. That's not why I want you to be at my side. You know that, don't you?"

The Knight smiled. "I do. You're so cheesy sometimes," she noted. "But that's what I love about you."

Elsa raised her eyebrows. Anna looked up at the Queen in puzzlement as she retracted her hand from the Knight's hair and placed her palm several inches above Anna's cheeks. She was just about to ask what Elsa was up to when a cold clump of snow materialized from Elsa's fingers and landed right on her nose.

"Elsa!" she protested, sitting up suddenly and hurriedly wiping the white powder off her face. "Who was the one who was just worrying if I was too cold?" The monarch simply shot her a bemused smirk.

"You'll survive. You know what to expect when you tease the Ice Queen."

The Knight scowled. For a moment, Anna was tempted to dart outside of their protective bubble, form a ball of snow, and hurl it at the Queen, but she knew that confrontation wouldn't end well for her. Besides, she was enjoying herself during this winter picnic, and a snowball fight with the Ice Queen would soon force her to go back inside the Palace and warm up. No, she'd have to get Elsa back later.

Sighing, she lowered herself back to the ground. "Forgive me, my Queen," Anna replied dramatically, as she maneuvered her head back into Elsa's lap. "I humbly request a Royal Pardon for my treasonous actions."

"Now who's being cheesy?" Elsa questioned. Anna opened her mouth to make a retort, but the monarch's hand hovered threateningly over the Knight's cheeks, and so Anna reluctantly closed her lips.

Her gaze wandered over to the bag of coins. "I still have to decide what to do with my 'salary'. If you intend to continue taking care of me, I guess I don't really need it." Elsa offered her a short nod in response. "Can...can I give it away? Would that be okay? I know it's weird to be giving money to charity when I'm technically getting charity myself, but..."

"Don't worry about it," the Queen assured her. "I think it's a great idea. All you have to decide is where to give it to. We can look into it once we're back in the Castle," she offered.

Anna hummed peacefully in response. That was indeed something they would do when they returned. But right now, she was content to simply sit in her lover's lap and enjoy the cold, wintery day.

"Way! Way! Make way for the Prince!"

\

October 8

Anna's eyes shot open.

"Way for the Prince! Make way for Prince Hans!"

She'd been sleeping at the edge of an alleyway, using a discarded box as a pillow and relying on the brick wall on her side to shield her from the snowfall. Still shaking off her sleep, all Anna could focus on was the sound of a carriage thundering through the road outside.

The sound reached a crescendo as the carriage sped passed her alleyway. Just as it zoomed by, its front wheel briefly dipped into a dent in the road. The impact sent melted snow in all directions.

Anna's eyes stung furiously as the dirty liquid splashed onto her face. Inwardly cursing every Royal who thought that the streets of his kingdom were his own personal playground, the thief slowly wiped the wet mud from her eyes. By the time she'd finished, the carriage had long gone.

Damn the Prince! Dreams were Anna's one respite from her wretched existence. She could never remember what they had been about, but the fading happiness and tranquility in her heart told her that she had just been in the midst of a very good dream.

It was always that way. Anna would go through the day struggling with her miserable life, then settle down for a few blessed hours of sleep. Her dreams, whatever they were, would fill her body with a sense of comfort that the waking world could never offer her. Once she awoke, that peace would stay with her for a few precious moments. Then the hunger in her belly and aching in her back would remind Anna of the realities of the world, and cold emptiness would come to dominate her emotions once more.

"A-Anna?"

\

It caused Kristoff pain just to look at her. Here was a woman once slated to be the Queen of Arendelle, a privileged resident of Arendelle's royal Palace and a hero in every sense of the word. Now, he could barely recognize her. Anna's clothes were worn and tattered; every inch of them was stained with something. The full cheeks and firm muscles that he remembered had long been wiped away by malnutrition.

Standing in the alley behind her, the ice-harvester took a deep breath. "A-Anna?" He could barely say her name. Immediately, she whirled around to gaze upon him in shock. The thief's hand hovered over the hilt of the small knife holstered on her belt.

"Who the hell are you?!" she demanded. He'd been hoping for signs of recognition, but there were none. It was just as Pabbie had said. Upon his return to the trolls, Kristoff had immediately informed them of Elsa's plan. Pabbie had been less surprised than Kristoff had expected. Her status as a goddess answered many of the questions he'd harbored about her magic.

The trolls were now resolved to oppose Elsa, but their magic was not combat-oriented. While they prepared what spells they could, Kristoff had gone to find Anna. He'd hoped against hope that he'd be able to help her regain her memories, and that Pabbie would then be able to find a way to restore her powers. The elder troll had been doubtful to say the least, but he'd eventually consented and given Kristoff a locator spell.

Kristoff grimaced. "I'm...we're friends, Anna."

"I don't have any friends," the thief scoffed. "And I certainly don't remember you. How the hell do you even know my name? None of the wanted posters in Arendelle ever listed it," she remembered. "And if you're here for the bounty, forget it. I'd sooner gut myself than be handed over to the authorities " With that, she pulled the dagger from her belt and leveled it at his chest.

"No! I'm not here for the bounty," he said quickly, desperation mounting within him. "I...I know your name because we were friends, Anna. You saved my life more than once. I know you won't believe any of this easily, but please...just hear me out," Kristoff added as her face shifted into an expression of incredulity. "Two years ago, you tried to rob the Queen of Arendelle. She spared you from punishment, and after you saved her from a kidnapping attempt, you came to live at the Palace. Eventually, you fell in love with her, and apparently she reciprocated your feelings. You met me and my...friends while trying to find a way protect her. Then-"

"I'm not in the mood to deal with a crazy person. Fuck off!" Anna interrupted.

Kristoff tried to step forward, only to be met with a threatening stab of her knife. "It's true. After she betrayed you, you gave up your memories. My friend's magic took them away. But now we need you back! Please Anna...remember me. Just try."

Anna took a step back. "I don't know how you know my name...maybe you heard me mumble it in my sleep. But I'm not an idiot. Just...stay away from me. I don't have any money, and if you're after my body...I'll gladly stick you with this knife before you take a step closer. Don't follow me or you will regret it." With that, she turned around and took off running.

"Anna!" Kristoff raced after her. "Wait, please!"

Kristoff was strong, fit, and reasonably well fed. Anna, at the moment, was none of those things. Yet somehow, the distance between the two of them increased rapidly. He couldn't catch her. It took less than a minute for Anna to lose him in the city streets. He came to a stop in another alleyway, leaning against the wall and struggling for breath.

Does she still have her...no, it's impossible. She wouldn't be this poor if she did. It didn't matter. He could find Anna again with the spell, but the result would be the same. Kristoff couldn't convince her. Next time, she might hurl her knife into his chest, and that would be the end of him.

"Damn it!" He lashed out, kicking a thin wooden crate near his feet and watching as the wood splintered into a dozen pieces. It brought him no satisfaction, did nothing to erase the anger and frustration consuming his heart.

Pabbie was right. His magic couldn't be reversed. For several moments, Kristoff simply stood in the alleyway, allowing hopelessness to overcome him. The trolls couldn't beat Elsa on their own. Anna was the only person who stood a fighting chance against her, and for that she would need her powers back. And the entire point was moot if she couldn't even reclaim her memories.

How had Pabbie described it? The spell of memory loss created a wound that could never be healed. Kristoff once again cursed himself for allowing Anna to go through with it. Perhaps, with time, she'd have been able to recover from Elsa's betrayal, and Pabbie could have restored her powers. At least that way, Anna might have avoided her return to a life spent sleeping in alleyways.

And that was only the start of it. If Elsa succeeded, the entire world would suffer. Humanity would spend an eternity suffering under the reign of an evil and invincible Goddess. Kale's sacrifice had come to nothing. Once she regained her divinity, Kristoff couldn't even imagine what horrors Elsa would inflict on the world. What would she do with the trolls? To him?

A blurring of his vision informed Kristoff that he'd begun to cry for the first time since Sven's death. He just felt so helpless. Anna was wandering around homeless and alone, Kale had died for nothing, and the remainder of his friends were about to be subjugated by an unstoppable Goddess hell-bent on domination. And he couldn't do anything.

Kristen's fingers reached up to his eyes, wiping off the tears that had formed. Scowling, he brought his hand back down to his side, noticing idly how the encroaching sunrise caused the moisture at the edge of his fingertips to twinkle.

Wait...the thought stirred one of his deepest memories.

There was something Anna had said to him long ago, during their journey to the trolls. At the time, Kristoff hadn't thought much about it...other concerns had proven more pressing at the time. But he hadn't forgotten about it completely. Growing up surrounded by magical beings had instilled Kristoff with both appreciation and curiosity where magic was concerned, and Anna's words had sparked that interest. At the time, they had been talking about Elsa.

"Her magic can heal almost anything...though not as much as Princess Rapunzel's," Anna said.

"Princess Rapunzel? Of Corona?" Kristoff questioned. "What can she do?"

"She...I mean...it's rumored her tears can heal literally any wound. No matter how serious, as long as the victim is still alive," Anna replied.

Later, after things had settled down, she'd described the Princess's magic to him in more detail. A single tear from Rapunzel could heal any injury; it had once brought Anna back from the brink of death after she'd been struck by an arrow.

His mind began to race. Pabbie always described the spell of memory loss as an injury of sorts; did that mean Rapunzel's magic would work to mend the wound? The elder troll said that nothing he was aware of could reverse the spell, but he didn't know about Rapunzel.

For a brief moment, his exultation evaporated as he remembered Elsa's claim to Anna: her entire family had been in on the deception. Then it came rushing back he remembered what Kale had told him. Elsa didn't plan on sparing her family from the suffering she would inflict on the world once she regained her divinity. If that was true...then Elsa's words to Anna had just been another lie. Perhaps the Coronan Royal Family were the good people Anna had believed them to be.

Kristoff couldn't be sure. Maybe Kale hadn't gotten the details right and Elsa's family was involved with her schemes. Or perhaps Rapunzel's magic wouldn't help reverse Pabbie's spell. Both of those things were very possible.

It didn't matter. There was a chance that they would be willing to help him, and a chance that the Princess's magic could heal Anna. If that happened, there was a possibility that Pabbie could restore Anna's powers. And, perhaps, there was hope that a restored Anna would be able to stand up to Elsa's temporarily weakened magic.

Kristoff knew it was a long shot, but he didn't care. For the first time in months, there was a path forward. He was going to take it.

A/N: That moment that Kristoff remembered occurred in Chapter 24. Yes, that was said then so that this could happen now. I can't believe that took place 50 chapters ago. No one can say I don't plan ahead!

Responses:

Spanky1998: Here it is!

WinterWolfDragon: Huh. Someone actually beat you to the first review. That hasn't happened for a while!

DimmensionalLover: Rapunzel certainly has a part to play.

Shadowfax321: That he was.

Guest 1: No sequels planned; with the way this ends, there's no way to make another full story after it. The ending is, well, going to be built up to for a long time. No last minute twist or deus ex machina, the pieces had been and will continue to be put in place.

The Chronicle: Great review! I don't think Anna needs to necessarily find out the truth about Elsa in order to fight against the Goddess. Anna is depressed and angry thanks to the betrayal and memory loss, but she's still Anna. Regardless of how she feels, she'd fight for her friends even if she hates her life. About the ritual; they need to stop her before it completes. If the Goddess completes the ritual, it's game-over. Period. An Anna with her powers back would grow stronger thanks to her status as a consort, but a Goddess will always have the advantage over a consort. That advantage would only grow if both reach their full potential.

CoolNickNack: That knowledge would help them.

ClaireCooper: If Anna believed that an evil goddess was about to subjugate the earth and oppress all of humanity, she would join the fight regardless of the fact that she's depressed and hopeless. That's who Anna is. She wouldn't enjoy it, but she wouldn't be able to turn her back on the entire world, even if the world hasn't done a thing for her.

Shtoops: Never seen Star Trek.

PascalDragon: You'll find out next chapter.

Vidgamelords: No promises.

Gwiley16199: Can't wait for everyone to see how it unfolds…

FreelanceBum: Agreed.

Guest 2: Thank you!

Shuraban: Don't think they can do that.

Andilite: I certainly have a plan.

Veoviing: Hang in there!

ObsessiveImaginings: Fixed, again. Thanks!

Volchise: Two days?! Wow.

Strunvokunril: Life only gives me so much time to write.