Chapter 21: Making amends.

Anna stirred on her sleep when she felt the first rays of sunlight caressing softly her eyelids. She instinctively pulled the covers (or in this case, furs) over herself in an attempt to gain a few more minutes of sleep. But she soon discovered it was impossible. Her mind was already more in the real world than in the fantasy of her dreams. And that troubled her to no end. If the previous day with her sister had been difficult, she didn't even want to imagine how this one would go.

But, even though she'd like to pin all the blame in Elsa, she had mulled things over as she waited for sleep to take her, and realized that maybe she herself had been rather unfair to her. She'd been assuming the worst of her sister. She saw her as a monster, and treated her with fear and distance, while… yeah, she had done terrible things, but she was still her sister. And she was supposed to try and negotiate with her, so she might as well try and be friendlier with her, right? But only if Elsa also treated her better than the day before, of course.

With that objective in mind, Anna rose from the snow bed with a deep yawn as she stretched her arms and back, feeling a pleasant sensation extend through her whole body. She didn't know if it was because of how tired the trip had made her, or how comfortable the bed was, or because she'd (finally!) slept alone instead of with her husband, but she truly had never felt more well-rested than that morning.

Once she got up from bed, she noticed a rather comfy-looking outfit laying on a chair next to the bed. It looked a bit like those clothes she'd seen the ice-harvesters wearing; gray and made of leather and furs. It wasn't fancy, and she'd normally refuse to wear something like that, but since she was in a palace made entirely of ice on top of Arendelle's tallest mountain, she supposed it was a good idea, and started to undress and slip into her new outfit.

Once she was dressed and had her hair in her traditional twin braids she hadn't wore since she became a Queen (Hans said they were childish), she went out the door and looked around, trying to see if either Elsa or Percival were nearby. But she didn't see anything but an ice wall and the magnificent ice stairs that descended to the many floors the palace had. She hadn't exactly counted the day before, but she remembered her legs hurting quite a lot, so she guessed they were at least five. Why did they bother to have so many floors? She had no idea. Maybe torture chambers, maybe ice rinks. Either way, she decided she'd explore each one of them until she found the dining room; she was starving.

And so, she glided on the stairs' railing until the floor directly under the one where Elsa's room was, and found… a pair of large doors that didn't bulge no matter how many times she tried to open them.

Then, she went down another set of stairs, only to be met with the exact same problem. The next floor was only a bit different because it had small doors on opposite sides, presumably leading to two hallways or rooms. But they we're also frozen shut. That only left the ground floor. Huh. So maybe the palace did indeed have five floors. And she couldn't gain entrance into any of them.

Thankfully though, as soon as she set foot on the main hallway, she smelled something absolutely delicious. It smelled like freshly cooked meat. And also, something else… something both sweet and bitter. Something that made her mouth water instantly as she inevitably closed her eyes and inhaled with pleasure, letting a hum of approval as she realized what she was smelling.

"Chocolate!" She exclaimed happily once she identified the heavenly smell. Hot chocolate had always been her favorite drink after all.

"Elsa said you'd like it." Anna turned around at the sound of a masculine voice and, as expected, found Percival standing just a few feet away. His tone was monotone, almost bored and annoyed. Like he disapproved that Elsa wanted to please Anna.

"Oh." Anna said awkwardly. "Uhm… Where is she?"

"She's in the dining room. Over here." He answered before turning around and leading her across the hall and to a small door. He opened it and they walked in.

The dining room was nothing fancy, really. Just a small table made of transparent ice and three icy chairs, two of them covered by furs. At the other end of the room, there was the kitchen also made entirely out of ice, including a furnace and a stove. Anna briefly wondered how the ice didn't melt with the heat of the fire.

"Anna." Elsa, who was sitting in the icy chair, greeted her as she stood up.

"Uh… hi." Anna answered, not deciding how to act around her, considering last night's events.

"You must be hungry, please sit down." Elsa gestured to the chair in front of her, and Anna obeyed, taken aback by the gentle tone Elsa used. Then, her sister turned to Percival. "I need to speak with my sister alone. Do not disturb us, or I'll turn you into another decoration for my main hall." She threatened, her voice sounding completely different than before, and her gaze turning murderous.

Percival looked like he wanted to protest, but he wisely just frowned and left, leaving them alone.

Anna noticed there was already a plate in front of her, with a sandwich on it. There was also a cup of chocolate, all hot and steamy. With marshmallows. Just how she liked it. Her mouth watered and her stomach twisted in anticipation. She really wanted to just start eating and placate her hunger, but… she noticed her sister didn't have anything to eat, and decided to refrain herself in case this was some kind of trick.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She asked carefully.

"I've already had breakfast with Percival. Unlike you, I am an early riser." Elsa explained, an amused smile plastered on her face. "Honestly, even if I had wanted to sleep in, I wouldn't have been able to with how loud you were snoring."

"S-sorry." Anna blushed and looked down at her plate, ashamed by what Elsa had just said. She'd always snored rather loudly when she slept, and Hans constantly woke her up at night and told her to shut up for that very reason. It was also quite un-queenly.

"Don't be." The older woman replied, as she continued to smile, surprising Anna. "I missed your snores."

"Really?" The redhead raised an eyebrow, not believing her for even a second. Elsa seemed to realize this, because she snorted.

"No." She admitted. "But I did miss you. With or without your loud snores."

"Very funny." Anna deadpanned, but she still smiled fondly at her sister. She couldn't remember the last time she (or anyone, for that matter) had treated her so nicely. And so, she proceeded to eat her delicious breakfast, feeling warm inside.

Once she'd finished, she let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back, looking at Elsa, who was staring directly at her. She hadn't spoken the whole time Anna had been devouring her sandwich, and obviously neither had Anna; she wanted to finish her food as quickly as possible, before it turned into ice. But now, silence was killing her, and as she remembered last night she felt bad. A part of her wanted to just forget the last day had even existed and start anew, but… she also knew it was important to at least address it, or else it might happen again in the future.

"Uh… Elsa?" She called out to her sister despite herself.

"Yes?" Elsa answered, looking at her in a way Anna couldn't quite name. It was cautious, but curious at the same time. Bold, but not indecent. She couldn't decide what to think of it.

"About yesterday…"

"I'm sorry." Her sister interrupted her before she could finish. Anna almost couldn't believe what she'd heard.

"W-what?" She asked with wide eyes.

"I'm not going to repeat it." The Ice Queen rolled her eyes. "But as I said, I probably shouldn't have treated you like that. I suppose so many years of being a slave to your husband can't be undone in just one day."

"I wasn't a…" Anna was about to protest, but realized it was no use. Partially because Elsa surely wouldn't change her views about marriage, but also because deep down she knew she pretty much obeyed everything Hans said. Even if she wouldn't admit it. "Okay, whatever. I'm also sorry. I shouldn't have said such bad things about you to your face."

"I accept your apology, but being sorry won't take us anywhere." Elsa smiled mischievously, and the younger sister instantly knew she was about to suggest they did something childish and/or evil. "And I have planned quite a few things for us to do today, if you're up for it."

"What kind of things?" Anna asked, though she was almost sure she wouldn't like the answer.

Elsa's smile widened even more.

As soon as she stepped out of the palace, Anna started trembling. She thought it was cold before, but now she realized it was actually quite warm inside, compared to the snowy peak of the mountain. She didn't say anything however, because she was more worried about what her sister had planned.

Elsa said she wanted to show Anna her kingdom, and Anna really hoped she didn't plan to do that on foot, or else she might freeze out there. She feared Elsa had forgotten normal people weren't immune to cold.

Once they had both descended the beautiful stairs that led to the palace, Elsa whistled a loud and clear note, but nothing happened. Anna looked at her questioningly, and only got a self-satisfied smile before, two seconds later, an eagle scream resonated trough the mountain, followed by the distinctive sound of gigantic wings batting.

Anna's eyes widened. The eagle! Of course!

The magnificent beast appeared in her field of vision soon enough, generating a potent breeze as she got closer and landed in front of them, with her fifty-feet wings spread proudly. The snowy animal radiated a cold aura that generated both fear and respect (as if its sheer size wasn't enough to make anyone shit their pants), however, Anna found herself wanting to get closer to the magical animal; to touch it and see if its feathers really were as smooth as they looked.

"Close your mouth, or you might eat a fly by mistake." Elsa teased, but in her eyes Anna could see she was quite proud about the reaction her creation had provoked on her.

"It's amazing." The younger woman replied with a smile that almost went from ear to ear, not being the littlest bit ashamed by just how impressed she was by her sister's pet. Sure, she'd already seen it once, but not so close. And it had been during the night. And she had been crying and worrying her sister would be killed. This time though, she could appreciate the eagle in all its chilly glory.

"Thanks." Elsa smiled, walking towards the animal and extending her hand to give it a pat on the head. "She was my first living creation, which is why she's my favorite."

"She?" Anna asked, and Elsa shrugged.

"I know she technically isn't either male or female, but I like to think of her as a girl. Her name's Jairah."

"Jairah." Anna repeated the strange name, fascinated by how the beast looked at her when she pronounced her name. Her eyes were deep blue, and Anna could see her own reflection in them as if she was staring at a mirror. Those eyes were hypnotizing, and revealed the eagle's savage, but not evil, nature. Anna didn't think she'd ever seen something quite as fantastic or magical.

"You can touch her." Elsa informed her when she saw Anna's fingers twitch as if she desperately wanted to reach out for the beast. "She won't attack you unless I order her to."

Anna swallowed loudly. She really wanted to do just that; it was something out of a dream! The most exciting experience she'd ever had! But… what if it was a trap? What if the eagle killed her? What if…?

Suddenly, before she could decide whether or not she was willing to risk her life by petting a creature that was literally out of this world, the eagle's giant head rushed towards her at great speed. Anna's heart did a little jump and her stomach dropped as she held her breath, thinking she was a dead woman… but then she felt it's peak rubbing against her chest in an almost affectionate manner.

Confused, she turned to look at Elsa, but she just smirked, amused by the sight of the Queen of Arendelle being attacked by an eagle made entirely of snow who only wanted some cuddles.

Soon enough, Anna seemed to understand what was going on, and hesitantly brought her hand to the top of its head, and slowly petted its feathers.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the eagle closed her eyes and leaned towards her with an almost happy expression. She seemed to like it.

And Anna… well, Anna remembered when one time she had been able to caress a dove. And she was surprised by how similar yet different it was. The eagle's feathers were slightly more rigid and compact, and their shape was sharper, almost as if they were weapons on their own. They were also notoriously colder; Anna could feel it through her gloves. But, despite those differences, they felt very similar to a real bird's feathers. Just larger. They were soft, and fluffy, and when she dug her fingers in them, the eagle would close her eyes in appreciation.

Anna decided that Jairah, for all her long claws and sharp peak, and gigantic stature, was a softie.

"So, are you ready to go?" Elsa asked as she approached to put some kind of modified saddle on the eagle's back and secured the straps around its torso. Anna immediately understood what she was suggesting and her eyes widened in fear, and she took a step back.

"You want me to ride her?!" She exclaimed. The eagle let out a happy scream as an answer, and the redhead gulped. "You can't be serious."

"Why not? She's my main form of transportation, and I assure you its very safe." Elsa explained patiently. When Anna kept looking at her with wide and scared eyes, she changed her tactic. "I didn't think you were a coward." She sighed. "But oh well, I guess you'll have to walk, while I fly high in the sky." That said, the eagle lowered its head and Elsa easily climbed on it, positioning herself on the strange saddle and gripping the reins. The eagle spread its wings as if it was about to take off, and that's when Anna realized what was happening.

"Wait!" She screamed, not wanting to be left behind. Elsa tried to contain a knowing smirk, but failed. However, Anna didn't notice, because she was to busy trying to climb on top of the eagle. That is, until a strong hand grabbed her and pulled her up, and she was able to sit on the saddle, just behind her sister. Instantly, ice ropes appeared around her waist, and tied her to the beast.

"Hold on tightly!" Elsa warned her, and before Anna could process what was going on, she felt her stomach drop as they took off to the sky.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist and clung onto her for dear life, and closed her eyes tightly as if that would stop her from feeling vertigo. She'd always imagined flying was a relaxing and totally pleasant experience, but though certainly this was stimulating, the most dominating emotion was fear. She didn't know why; it was instinctive.

Each time the eagle batted its powerful wings, they ascended even more, and Anna's heart skipped a beat. The air grew colder, the wind blew faster, and Anna clenched her arms tighter around her sister's torso, fearing she would end up falling at any moment.

Just when she thought she might faint for how fast her heart was beating against her ribcage, however, they stopped ascending and suddenly the only sound she could hear was the roaring wind, which was still passing rapidly at their sides, making her cheeks hurt due to how cold it was. But at least it wasn't as violent as before. Anna figured they weren't going so fast anymore.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down her racing heart, but it was difficult when the most extreme thing she's ever experienced before was ride her bike down the castle's stairs. Still, at the end she managed to crack one eye open, and she saw… blue. Everywhere she looked there was a rich blue color. It took her a few seconds to realize she was looking at the clear sky for the first time since six years ago.

She then let go slightly from Elsa, just enough to look at what was under them. As expected, she found herself staring at a vast extension of white and grey clouds that dominated the sky to every direction she looked. From up there they didn't look as harsh and intimidating; they seemed more like large pillows. And she kinda wanted to jump into them, though she knew that was probably not a good idea.

What she didn't understand was how they didn't fall to their deaths if the eagle was no longer moving its wings. But oh well, she supposed it was magic. Though maybe she'd seen a bird or two do just that, and those weren't magical.

Weird. She thought. It must be a bird thing.

"No longer scared, little sister?" Elsa asked, clearly amused by how, even though Anna's grip on her had lessened quite a bit, she was still clutching her tightly.

"A little." Anna admitted, as she continued to look around, trying to adapt to the brightness of the sun, which she hadn't seen in such a long time. She had truly missed its light, and how warm it could make her in just a few seconds, and how bright the colors were under its rays. Particularly, she admired how shiny it made Elsa's ice dress look, as well as the eagle's feathers. The light was almost blinding, but she liked it.

"It's normal, I guess." Elsa shrugged. "Not every day you are able to fly on top of a giant snow eagle." She giggled, something Anna hadn't hear her do since they were little kids, which put her somewhat more at ease, and she found herself smiling fondly at the older woman.

"That's true." The redhead answered, also giggling. But suddenly there was a turbulence that made them lose a bit of altitude, which scared her to death, and she ended up clinging to Elsa and shutting her eyes again.

"Relax, it's safe." Elsa assured her, still laughing. "I do this all the time, and I haven't fallen even once."

"I can't help it!" Anna complained, though she did let go slightly of her sister and opened her eyes. "Take it easy, okay? This is all new to me."

"I know, don't worry." She responded, using that gentle tone that seemed so foreign to Anna, knowing the things she had done. Yet it was also somewhat familiar. It was the tone she always used with her when they were younger.

They flied peacefully for a few more minutes. They didn't speak; they only enjoyed the view and felt the wind on their faces. It was a very relaxing experience, just like Anna had dreamt flying felt like. Up there in the sky, her mundane problems seemed to disappear, and her tension evaporated. Her shoulders relaxed as she saw mountains and valleys in the clouds beneath them, and a happy smile appeared on her face.

Even if she wouldn't admit it out loud, part of that happiness she was feeling was due to her sister being there with her. Not the Ice Queen, Elsa; the girl who was always there for her as they grew up. Who now had taken her into a magical trip she knew they'd both enjoy; who was now sharing with her a small part of her quotidian life. A part that was no doubt special for her.

But she knew nothing lasts forever, and soon she found herself shivering because of the very low temperature there was up there. Not even her heavy clothes and the sun rays could keep her warm when the wind was so cold she was sure her face was covered in frost. And though she said nothing, since she didn't want this to end, Elsa seemed to notice and ordered the eagle to descend.

The descent was tough for Anna, as the dreaded sensation of vertigo once again on threatened to empty her stomach, and she clung to Elsa like her life depended on it. Thankfully, it was over soon enough, and she opened her eyes to see they were now flying under the clouds, and over the kingdom of Arendelle. Her kingdom.

The sight was both beautiful and terrifying. She'd always knew the eternal winter was widely spread throughout the land, and that even the fjord had been frozen. She'd also heard rumors about entire forests being buried under thirty feet of snow, but she never believed them… until that very moment.

All she could see was white, as far as the horizon went. If she didn't knew better, she actually would have believed she was still above the clouds. Except the black stone that made the mountains and constructions was easily distinguishable, even if it was mostly covered by snow. The pine trees also appeared as tall white objects at the base of the mountains, instead of the green color that they used to be.

Here and there, gigantic and apparently random shapes made of ice had formed. But Anna realized they were no random at all; they were blocking the main roads. And next to each one of them, a snow monticule rested. She knew the stories well enough to know those monticules were actually snow monsters made by her sister to either scare people off or kill them. They were the main reason Arendelle couldn't seek help from another kingdom, together with the frozen fjord.

Speaking of the fjord… the ice extended as far as she could see. She always thought the problem was somewhat local, but apparently not. She wondered how many people had actually been affected by Elsa's magic, and how far the unnatural winter had truly reached.

But she also recognized that there was certain beauty in this terrible event. The land seemed calmer and more at peace than ever; there were no people running around, no animals out on the woods, and the water of rivers and waterfalls wasn't moving. Everything was static. Frozen in time.

Still, she felt a chill run down her spine and dread settle on her stomach when the sight reminded her what she had been sent to do.

Suddenly, the dagger hidden on her left sleeve started to weigh a ton. She decided Elsa seemed to be nice and reasonable enough to make an arrangement with her. She'd convince her. She wouldn't kill her. Not now. Not ever.

"Uh… Elsa?" Anna called when they started to head back towards the North Mountain. Her sister answered with a little hum of acknowledgement. "I was wondering... why did you freeze the kingdom?" She instantly felt her sister tense, and feared she'd turn her into an ice statue or something, but fortunately she just let out a sigh and answered.

"I wanted revenge." Was her sole response.

"Oh. Uhm. Okay." Anna thought for a moment about what she could say, but unfortunately thinking before opening her mouth wasn't one of her strong points. "Well, you already got it, you know? Many people have died and the others are slowly freezing to death, so… you think maybe you could just thaw it?"

"And why would I do that?"

"Uh…"

Quick Anna, think! There must be something she wants more than revenge! I mean, she leaves away from everything and everyone, with a very weird prince as company. Surely she isn't happy! No one wants to be alone.

Wait… that's it! No one wants to be alone. And judging by how she's treating me today, I bet she likes my company.

"Because then you could come live with me." Anna answered, happy to have found a solution so fast. "We'd live at the palace, like when we were kids. We'll be together all the time, and we will eat tons of chocolate! It'll be just like before, I promise." She giggled. "Well, as long as you never again use your freaky ice powers, that is."

For a moment Elsa said nothing, which was weird, considering Anna thought she'd made an offer she wouldn't be able to resist. But when her sister spoke again, her voice was full of venom.

"So that's why you're really here." Anna was taken aback by her tone, and unconsciously leaned slightly away from her. "You want me to thaw the kingdom and surrender myself, so I can be put back in a cage or executed."

"What? No, of course not!" Anna exclaimed, horrified Elsa would even suggest she'd do something so evil.

"Even if you don't lock me up or kill me, which I doubt, I would still be a prisoner in the palace; being unable to use my magic, and servant to the 'true Queen'. Just like before." Anna noticed the temperature descended quickly, and she suspected it wasn't only because they were arriving to the North Mountain. She knew then she'd screwed up. But she didn't understand why. Hadn't Elsa been happy when they both lived at Arendelle's castle?

"Elsa, look, you're being overly dramatic. And honestly, I only said that you shouldn't use your magic because it's clearly dangerous. I mean, look at what it's done!" She said, pointing to the frozen kingdom. "But you shouldn't be upset. I know we can both work out a solution."

Elsa paused, probably thinking about Anna's words, and the little sister hoped she'd be reasonable enough to consider what she'd just said, but when her shoulders tensed again, she knew that wasn't the case.

"I thought you knew me better than that." She spoke trough greeted teeth. "You should have seen everything I've gone through to get where I am now." Anna fought the urge to scoff at that. What did Elsa knew about sacrifice, after all? She was just a grown up brat that had never truly faced adversity.

"What you've been through? You should see what I've been through." She said, picking up a fight with Elsa despite knowing it probably was ill-advised. "I married Hans instead of my true love just because you couldn't control yourself and froze his damn arm off!"

"He deserved it!" Elsa exclaimed but Anna would have nothing of it.

"But I didn't! And yet you only ever think of yourself and never take responsibility of your actions." By this point, Anna's face was hot with accumulated ager towards her sister. "You only know to hide and run away while people suffer for what you've done! I am known as the Useless Queen, you knew that? People hate me because of this eternal winter you caused!"

"You know nothing about me!" Elsa answered, equally angry, as the eagle suddenly landed on the castle's balcony, allowing her to descend. Anna, however, had to fight with the icy ropes that had kept her in place. "You are the selfish brat that always lets me take the blame for your pranks and jokes!"

"Whatever I did when we were little girls surely wasn't as bad as freezing an entire kingdom, or killing our father!" Anna argued, though she honestly didn't remember much of her childhood, as she kept trying to untie herself.

"You know what? I don't want to argue with you anymore. You wouldn't understand anyways." And with those icy words, Elsa turned around and crossed the round room to the entrance, which led to a hallway and didn't have a door.

Still wanting to give her sister a piece of her mind though, Anna practically ripped the ropes off of her and jumped into the floor, only letting out a grunt of pain when she felt her ankle hurt at the impact, before running to catch up with her sister. Just when she was about to cross the empty doorframe and reach her though, a door materialized from thin air and she hit it face-first.

And so, Anna ended up falling on her butt and wondering how a day that started so well could have ended so badly.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please leave a review and fav/follow. It'd really help me to continue writing. As always, thanks for reading and see you soon :)

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.