Elsa stared.

Just stared.

She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if she had completely lost her sanity.

In fact, she was pretty sure she was still dreaming, that this was another fantasy, and any moment now she would awake and again find herself alone in the empty recesses of her refuge. She would have definitely pinched herself awake too. If only her body didn't seem entirely numb to any response from her brain. The only feeling she remotely seemed to be able to make out was the quickening thrum of her ribcage.

What had Anna just said?

It was poetic. It was powerful. And every part of Elsa's body had frozen to bear witness to the incredible sight of her sister's outpouring. The words were ricocheting around in her head as she struggled to escape the dense cloud of excitement that the words had wrought.

Anna had completely caught her off-guard with her confession. But through its entirety, her sister's eyes had been shut tight.

Was she aware of what she was saying?

The redhead opened her eyes, and the passion and vulnerability held there was more than enough proof for Elsa to know that the girl had meant every word.

Anna loved her. Anna loved her. Every image she had repressed of kissing her sister, tasting her, whispering never ending promises of love, didn't seem so out of reach anymore.

She was giddy, like a teenager dealing with their first crush. She had never experienced such a feeling, and the prospect of having her affections reciprocated brought butterflies to her stomach.

But just when she began to feel a slight tinge of hope, her sister started backing away.

Her eyes were fearful.

Even without saying a single word, Elsa immediately knew what Anna was feeling. The horror in her eyes resonated with the blonde with a terrifying sense of familiarity.

Regret.

The regret of loving someone.

I'm sorry, Elsa.

She had no control of her body. It had simply moved on its own. And before she knew it, she had rushed forward to grasp Anna's forearms.

In the expressive moment of ardor, her rationale did not matter. Nothing could have stopped her.

Because Elsa knew that Anna was scared.

She was about to lose her. She was about to lose Anna. And she would be damned if she let her little sister run away like the coward she herself was.

Leaning in she captured the redhead's lips.

Elsa was briefly aware that no more than a minute ago she had been just the same as her sister.

She really was a hypocrite.

But for the short duration that their lips met. Elsa didn't care. She was kissing Anna. And Elsa let herself get lost in the tingling sensation of their lips dancing in a tentative waltz.

It was gentle.

Chaste.

Though not in the least bit underwhelming, a silent song being spoken as their lips hesitantly found solace in the embrace of the other.

Her insides melted as she cherished the welcomed feeling of intimacy.

Elsa broke away first, and pressed her forehead to Anna's.

Anna must have still been shocked from the kiss, as she was staring wide-eyed at her, unmoving and struck with stupor.

Elsa blushed and was surprised herself by the fact that she had been the one to initiate contact for once.

She was about to apologize for her forwardness, when suddenly…

Anna's knees buckled, and her eyes fluttered to the back of her head.

She was falling, just like the time she had been struck with her magic all those years ago.

Elsa rushed forward to catch her sister before she hit the ground.

"Anna?!"

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Honeymaren asked.

The tribe elder didn't answer immediately, currently preoccupied with collecting the previous night's firewood scattered around the campgrounds as she mused on the tribe's whereabouts. It would still be a while till they returned. Especially today, where hunting would prove to be an arduous task with the thick snow impeding their movement.

"I am sure she'll be alright. If there's anyone who'd be able to get her out of her nest it would be her sister." Yelena assured.

"I was referring to Anna."

The Northuldran sage grimaced at that. The queen had looked tired. She didn't know the details of the redhead's journey here, but it was more than apparent that she was fatigued. Perhaps she should've been more adamant on the young queen resting before she had departed to look for Elsa.

A rumble reverberated through the campsite and shook Yelena from her thoughts.

The rumble grew louder and louder, signaling a mighty presence approaching the village.

The trees of the forest parted as a figure being propelled by a thick and wide layer of snow entered the clearing at breakneck speed.

"Yelena!"

The sight of Elsa holding an unconscious Anna to her chest had the Northuldren elder moving to meet the pair halfway. Elsa's eyes were urgent and she desperately looked to the woman for assistance.

As the fifth spirit stood before her, It took everything in Yelena to stop herself from slapping the said blonde. Part of her wanted to immediately scold Elsa for waiting till now to come out of her hiding, but the older woman digressed, as it seemed there was a much more important task that required her attention.

Yelena kneeled and Elsa lowered her hold of Anna, so that the village elder could properly examine the redhead.

Anna's brows were furrowed as she was breathing rather heavily in her state of unconsciousness.

Sweat trailed along her face, and Yelena placed the back of her hand to the redhead's forehead, alarmed at the high presence of heat found there.

"She's burning up."

Elsa swallowed thickly as she searched anxiously along her sister's damp face for a way to help her.

Yelene narrowed her gaze at Elsa. "What happened?"

Reluctantly, Elsa recounted the events of the past hour to Yelena—of Anna first arriving at her door all the way up to the redhead fainting in her arms and her rushing to the campsite for help. She made sure to exclude the more...passionate exchanges that had occured between them, less the others be informed of the fact that she had assertively kissed her sister, and had thoroughly enjoyed it.

"And you're certain that nothing strange happened before she fainted." Yelena asked with a hint of suspicion. In addition to being the tribe leader she was also the official doctor of the village. The title didn't attribute much in comparison to truly qualified practitioners, but regardless, Yelena found it very hard to believe that Anna would just faint out of the blue.

Elsa sighed. "Yes." She lied. "We were just talking, and then she just...collapsed."

Yelena didn't press the matter, and she gently opened an eyelid to check Anna's pupil, making sure that there was no evidence of brain damage.

As Yelena continued to examine Anna, Elsa sat there helplessly and was forced to mull over her stressful but rather heartfelt reunion with her sister.

Ignoring what had happened would be foolish, and this time Elsa found herself reflecting upon her actions.

She had been happy.

Yet as quickly as the feeling came, the reasonable side of her mind had returned and promptly smothered the flames of desire. The emotional high she had been intoxicated in had long faded, and the blonde was filled with the oh so familiar feeling of guilt.

Elsa had corrupted her, had corrupted her more than pure little sister. In the process of her self imposed isolation she had somehow managed to influence Anna to break up with Kristoff. The ice harvester must have been so heartbroken and confused Elsa thought.

How could she have been so foolish to think that she could have a normal relationship with Anna, even if the latter returned her feelings? As much as she had tried to convince herself to never think about it, to never think about even the smallest possibility of being together with Anna, she did. Very often. And in every instance, she would come to the same conclusion by the end of the night. She could not be together with Anna. It wasn't a matter of want. The kingdom would revolt if they ever found out, and Elsa would never be able to live with herself if she willingly put Anna into that kind of danger.

Elsa knew it was wrong. Every logical bone in Elsa's body knew that the way she felt for Anna could not be seen as anything but wrong. They were two women. On top of that they were sisters. Related by blood. Thirteen years of isolation or not, it was a sin. Elsa acknowledged that it was undoubtedly wrong.

Then why did her heart feel anything but that?

In the past few months, Elsa had willingly created another door. A door to contain and rid these repulsive feelings that had come to arise. But it had been opened. And it was horrifying to Elsa; a door that she'd spent six months cultivating had been easily torn apart because she had absolutely no self-control. When Anna had confessed, when Anna's lips had met her own, her discipline had evaporated into thin air.

Elsa stared sadly at Anna's unconscious face.

Why?

Why do you continue to follow me?

Can't you see how much I'm hurting you...?

"Elsa."

Yelena's voice brought her out of her daze, as the elder had completed her examination.

"If you keep that sad look on your face any longer, I might have to forcefully pry it back to something that's more appealing." The elder's bluntness caught her off guard.

"I never took you as a violent person."

Not a half second passed and Yelena countered with a retort. "I never took you as a coward."

Elsa visibly winced at the other woman's words.

Yelena sighed. She felt a tad bit bad for her rudeness, but she wouldn't apologize. Instead she looked back down at the redhead.

"She doesn't seem to be exhibiting any damage to the brain, but she clearly has a fever. I can't be certain, but I don't think she's rested since she's left Arendelle. Her fever could simply be from her overexerting her body."

Elsa sighed in relief. It wasn't the best news, but at least it didn't seem like it was anything too serious.

"Regardless, I do not think it is wise for her to remain here. I am not a certified doctor, and I'm sure you have those much more suited to treat her back in your kingdom. In case it may be something serious, I suggest you leave with her as soon as possible." Yelena proposed.

Elsa nodded and stood to her feet.

"I will return, once Anna recovers-"

"No." Yelena interrupted.

The blonde stared at the elder in confusion.

"What?"

Yelena briefly looked away before turning back to meet her gaze firmly.

"No Elsa. I apologize, but from here on out, you are not welcome amongst our people, and I hereby forbid you to return to Northuldra."

It may have seemed cruel, but Yelena's face did not demonstrate any such harshness, as the concern for the blonde was palpable among her features.

Elsa continued to look baffled.

"But why?"

"It is not a matter of reason. It is just something that I've decided, and I will not change my mind."

Elsa was truly lost and she searched the elder's face for anything to suggest a reason for her banishment, but came up empty handed as it was clear that the finality of Yelena's decision was set in stone.

Yelena's eyes softened, and Elsa realized that the elder was simply worried about her.

"Go home."

Home?

How could she go home…?

It was the one place where she couldn't go.

The one place where she could hurt the only person important to her.

How could she go back there?

Honeymaren approached her.

"Elsa."

The blonde looked up at the brunette.

"I once said that you belong out here. But it was...selfish for me to say that. I never realized how much it hurt you to be here. And I'm sorry it took us this long for us to realize."

Elsa was prepared to argue but Honeymaren didn't give her a chance to do so as she continued.

"You're one of us Elsa. You are a Northuldran, and you should never forget that."

"But your home is in Arendelle."

Honeymaren kneeled next to Anna's resting form.

"Your home is with her."

As heartwarming as the display was, Elsa couldn't fully agree with the twos' sentiments.

They just didn't understand.

They didn't see how much of a monster she was.

And there was still another problem.

"But my role as the fifth spirit-"

"Will always be welcomed." For the second time today she was interrupted.

"If the forest comes across any problem, we will send for you. Only God knows why you think it's appropriate to live out here when you have an entire castle to work with." Yelena said with a smirk.

Elsa's shoulders deflated. They really didn't want her here.

She didn't have the heart to argue, so instead she nodded.

"Thank you...both of you."

Elsa reached down to pick Anna up in the same bridal carry hold from before, before turning to face the two Northuldran one last time.

"Promise you'll send for me if you need anything."

The pair smiled and nodded.

She headed to the edge of the forest where she knew the river's outlet would lead to the fjord.

Closing her eyes, she beckoned the spirit of water, and her animal companion emerged from the surface of the frozen stream.

Extending her hand, Elsa conjured a large chariot made of ice, with two shafts connecting the makeshift hansom to Nokk's hind legs. Gently, she placed Anna's resting form in the spacious area of the chariot before grabbing the extended reins of her horse.

She looked upon Anna's face and took a deep breath to calm her thoughts.

She would put everything aside for now. Right now she needed to get Anna back home.

Home…

Elsa felt a strange sense of relief wash over her at the thought. She was finally going home.

Whether she wanted to or not.

Elsa redirected her attention to the water spirit.

"Hey Nokk, I need you to go fast for me this time, okay?"

The palace physician received Elsa outside the infirmary.

"It doesn't appear to be anything serious, Your Highness. Merely a fever from exhaustion. Though I would highly suggest allowing Her Majesty to rest for a couple of days. I would presume it to be from the stress from her work or perhaps some other factor, but Her Majesty was exhibiting quite a few sleeping problems over the past two months, and it's safe to say that her state of unconsciousness is simply her body trying to recover from the lack of rest."

Elsa nodded, satisfied with his diagnosis. "Thank you, Oliver." The man had served as the official doctor of the castle for years, and had always done his due diligence regarding the royal family's health, today was no exception. The gray-haired physician nodded before leaving Elsa to herself. She tiptoed into the infirmary, the subtle smell of alcohol caused her to scrunch her nose slightly, but she relaxed at the sight of Anna resting peacefully, rays of sunlight falling on her face through the adjacent window.

Elsa sat on the stool next to the bed, and held Anna's hand in her own.

The redhead had been asleep for the entire afternoon since they had returned.

She closed her eyes and thought back on the events following their arrival.

The journey back to the castle had been quick. Elsa had to imagine that Anna's trip to the forest was a lot more arduous. When they had departed from Northuldra, Nokk seemed to have sensed her mistress's urgency and had galloped powerfully through the fjord to return to the kingdom, breaking a record time of a mere four hour transit. It had been a rather bumpy ride, but Elsa could not have been more appreciative for the spirit's effort.

As she made her way through the castle gates with Anna in her arms, the guards looked awfully pale at the sight of her return and soon the rest of the royal guard, Mattias, the entire advisor board, and head servant staff were informed of her arrival and made their way to the courtyard to crowd around the two sisters, rejoicing at the sight of Anna still alive and breathing, albeit questionably healthy.

She was informed by the council that the queen had gone missing in the past day and a half, and the entire castle had turned into pandemonium in the process. They had accounted for a horse missing from the stables and had suspected the queen had left the castle grounds on her own. Elsa realized then with a wince that she had left said horse back in the forest. It wouldn't be too big of a deal she thought. The Northuldran were good with animals and would take good care of the young horse.

That still begged the question on how Anna was able to leave the castle by herself.

After allowing Anna to be taken to the infirmary by a few servants. Elsa with a cold gaze searched amongst the mass of royal guards for the one responsible for the lack in security.

"Who was in charge of surveillance when she left?" Elsa demanded with a voice hard as stone.

The guards remained silent, none of them willing to answer under the blonde's frigid stare.

Even Mattias, who had taken the position of the official Arendelle army General, seemed a bit shaken up by the blonde's cold disposition, but the man still had the decency to speak up.

"Your Highness, the fault is all of ours. We should've all been more diligent." The general tried to calm her.

Elsa liked Mattias, but even so, lenience would not be offered so kindly, especially when it came to Anna's safety.

"I appreciate your sentiments, but I believe I asked for who is directly responsible for this error." Mathias winced but made no act of further argument.

A deathly silence passed through the courtyard.

When it appeared that no one was going to speak, an aged man with chestnut brown hair stepped forward to break the silence.

Elsa identified him as Sir Hugh. The captain of the royal guard.

The man swallowed nervously before speaking up.

"Your Highness...I was...the one responsible for the night watch...and I apologize for my lack of diligence. But you have to understand that it was just a mistake. I would never have missed Her Majesty leaving the castle under normal circumstances! S-she must have intentionally avoided my surveillance to flee the castle grounds, and I don't think i-it's appropriate for me to be punished for your sister's s-shiftiness" He stammered, failing to project any form of confidence in his claims.

Elsa knew that he was a good man. He had done his job well for years, and his hard work was the very reason he had been promoted to captain. But the way the man spoke of his sister, trying so hard to pin the responsibility on anyone else but himself, Elsa's heart churned with cold anger.

With a quick flick of her wrist, Sir Hugh suddenly became encased in ice from below the neck, gasps echoed around the courtyard at the biting cold emitting from the blonde's presence.

Sir Hugh's eyes filled with fear as Elsa moved to stand a mere inches away from the captain's face.

"Do you think I care whether my sister tried to avoid your surveillance? When you took your oath to serve the royal family, you swore your undying loyalty to prevent any harm that may come to the kingdom's sovereign. If you think Anna's 'shiftiness' excuses you from your duty, then you are sorely mistaken, Sir Hugh." A cold wind began encircling the platinum blonde as she struggled to keep her anger at bay.

Sir Hugh's voice hitched as his body filled with shame. "Your Highness-"

"You will refer to me as Your Majesty." Elsa interrupted him.

"I may have been absent and had temporarily left sovereignty in Anna's hands, but now that I have returned, you'll address us both as your queen. Co-queens if you will."

The statement may have been directed at Sir Hugh, but Elsa intended the message to be addressed to everyone present in the courtyard. It seemed to do the trick, as everyone, including the board of advisors, stared in shock at the sudden announcement.

Elsa redirected her attention back at Sir Hugh. "Worry not. I will not harm you. But as punishment, I am demoting your title as Captain of the guard as a way for you to reflect on your actions, do you understand?" Sir Hugh nodded quickly, relieved at the light sentence. With a quick wave of her hand, the ice encasing the man dissipated, and Elsa took a deep breath.

She turned to Mattias. "I am designating the additional role of Captain into your duties for the time being. See that nothing like this happens again."

Mattias blinked before smiling softly, more than happy to accept the title. The new captain of the guard bowed. "As you command, Your Majesty."

Elsa smirked. She would never admit it, but hearing herself referred to as Your Highness in the past six months had made her feel strange. Now that the former denomination was brought back, Elsa couldn't help but feel a rare sense of pride.

Her attention then shifted to the six advisors of the royal council, who were still staring at her with wide eyes.

"Come, we have much to discuss."

Elsa had spent the next few hours in the council room catching up on the past month's documentation, mostly in regards to the position of trade for the kingdom. It was like she had never left, and the advisors seemed to recognize that. All of which had paid respects for her return, and assisted in catching her up with the kingdom's present day issues.

"The Kingdom of the Southern Isles has ceased the previous month's trade agreement." Erik, a rather short man with trimmed black hair, in charge of monitoring trade status, brought up the issue. "Since the situation with Prince Hans, the King has been very lenient in our exchange of goods to rebuild former relations with Arendelle, so this is a surprising turn of events."

A stout, tall figure, Halvor, the official Master of Letters, followed up on Erik's initial claim. "But it isn't just the trade agreement, they have seemed to close off all forms of communication with us. Our last few letters sent regarding the cease in trade have been left unanswered."

"Perhaps, we should send a representative then, to negotiate." Ingram, the blonde man charged with the maintenance and deployment of the nation's navies, proposed a solution.

"No." All the eyes of the council fell on her.

"If the Southern Isles refuses to continue our trade agreement, then so be it. As far as I'm concerned, they are not and will never be in a position to make demands after what their slime of a prince had attempted to commit onto our kingdom." Elsa had to stop herself from going any further with her insults for the prince. "As a trade partner, they are dispensable. They were mainly a provider for textiles, but that can easily be rearranged to our trade agreement with Corona."

Murmurs fell within the council at Elsa's verdict, and then Gerard, the eldest of the council, spoke up to silence the noise.

"I for one, agree with Her Majesty's judgement on this issue. Queen Anna has also expressed a similar response to the Southern Isles' actions."

Elsa smiled at the mention of the redhead.

"Then it seems my sister has done quite the good job in my absence." Nods and hums of agreement filled the room.

Elsa then stood to conclude the meeting.

"With that being said, I shall take my leave to check on Anna. Thank you for your cooperation. You are all dismissed for the day."

Elsa turned to leave the table, the rest following suit, but she was stopped by Eira, one of the two women on the council.

"Your Majesty, there is one last thing that I need to discuss with you, if you don't mind."

Elsa nodded for her to continue, the rest of the advisors already clearing out from the meeting room.

"I am not sure if it is true, but there are rumors that Queen Anna is no longer courting the royal ice harvester."

The blonde's chest tightened at the reminder.

"I...was not aware of that." She lied.

"I was wondering if it would be appropriate to allow these rumors to spread. The citizens have been expecting a wedding to officially announce the couple for quite a while. I for one, think it is irrelevant for the time being. But the question of an heir will come up in the future, and this rumor will likely not bring forth a positive response."

Elsa's mind felt cluttered again.

She was efficient at managing the kingdom's affairs, matters of trade, and economic implementation; those were all within her job description. But everytime it had something to do with Anna. Had to do with these ridiculous feelings, Elsa had no idea what to do, and the blonde once again found herself at a loss for words.

She sighed mentally. She had to say something to Eira.

"Make sure the rumors do not spread. I can attest to the fact that they are not true. And I will see to that an official wedding date is arranged soon." As difficult as it was for her to make the claim, it was what had to be done.

The female advisor bowed and left the Queen alone.

She stood there alone in the council hall, uncertainty once again gripping her in the way that had her suffocating as the emptiness in the room matched the emptiness she felt in her chest.

An hour had passed since then, and Elsa was brought back to the present. She continued to sit next to her unconscious sister with their hands held between, thinking about what she had discussed with Eira.

They couldn't be together.

Anna needed to be with Kristoff.

In fact, Anna could be with anyone.

So long as it wasn't her.

What's best for the kingdom.

What's best for Anna...

Elsa was starting to get tired of reminding herself of the empty words that had practically become her slogan. If she was honest with herself, she really didn't know what was right anymore.

She just wanted Anna to be safe.

And happy.

Like how she had been when…

Kristoff proposed...

Elsa stood, her mind suddenly clear on what she needed to do.

She needed to fix things.

She would speak to Anna when she woke. She would tell her to forget the kiss. That it had obviously been a stupid lapse of judgement on her part. She knew that Anna would very likely not agree with her, but there were a lot of things the redhead didn't agree with her on, and this would just have to be one of those times where she would need to be more stubborn.

Keep her safe.

Your feelings don't matter.

Elsa stood and exited the infirmary, gently closing the door behind her. She approached the servant standing outside of the room.

"Have someone find me as soon as she wakes." The young female maid nodded respectfully.

Elsa then made her way to the castle stables.

She had an ice harvester to talk to.

Kristoff wasn't in the castle stables, and Elsa was not surprised.

If Anna had truly broken up with Kristoff then it was likely that he had gone back to his home outside of the castle grounds.

Fortunately, the man had previously divulged Anna on where that was, and the redhead had gone on to inform her of the whereabouts of the home in the case of a situation like this arose. Perhaps not precisely this situation...but it turned out to be helpful anyway.

Now, Elsa found herself a mile away from the castle, standing in front of a rustic cabin in the outskirts of town.

She knocked twice and waited.

A few moments passed, and Elsa heard a loud crash from inside followed by a curse.

"Sven! What was that for? Do you know how long it took for me to cook that?!"

Even through the thick wooden door, Elsa could clearly make out the familiar voice of her fellow ice harvester.

"Yes, I know there's someone at the door...but that didn't mean you had to go and completely ruin our dinner. Whoever it is, they can wait. It's not like it's the queen or something..."

Kristoff opened the door and his jaw hung open.

"Hi." Elsa waved with a small smile.

Kristoff looked at anywhere but her, as he sheepishly tried to cover up what he had just said. "You didn't happen to hear that just now did you?"

"Hear what?" Elsa feigned ignorance.

Kristoff visibly relaxed. "Oh good. I mean...nothing!" He quickly recovered. "I'm surprised to see you here. I haven't seen you in…"

"Two months." Elsa finished.

Kristoff smiled sadly. "Right..."

A brief silence passed, and Elsa looked past the blonde into the inside of his home. "Can I come in?"

Kristoff perked up. "Oh yeah, sure!" He moved out of the way and the platinum blonde walked through the doorway.

All the while, Elsa examined Kristoff. She had expected him to be more...upset? Either he was quite skilled at hiding his emotions, or perhaps...

"Did you want to join me for dinner?" He asked, interrupting her thought process.

She stared at him and then turned her attention to the stew that had been spilled across the floor, and the reindeer sitting next to it who had been responsible for the mess.

Kristoff followed her gaze and then laughed in realization.

"Don't worry about that, I made more. It's flemmy stew! Upgraded version number five." He said with a proud smile.

Elsa recalled the flemmy stew he had made during Christmas a few years back. She didn't know what version that one was, but she highly doubted it had made enough of a revision to be considered appetizing. But Elsa didn't have the heart to decline. And she hadn't exactly eaten yet.

"Sure." She smiled.

The man nodded and went to fetch her a plate, and soon the pair sat in a rather comfortable silence as they ate their meals, Elsa stealing glances occasionally at the other blonde, still attempting to gauge some sort of visible response to the alleged breakup.

Kristoff finished his meal and looked to the royal sitting across from him, who had surprisingly managed to stomach a third of her portion. "Considering how horrible it tastes, I'm impressed you managed to eat that much."

Elsa met his gaze and smiled softly. "It fairs well compared to what I've had to eat living in the forest."

Kristoff nodded.

Another silence passed, though this one was a bit more awkward.

Elsa sat there as she battled with the words in her head.

She was usually eloquent, and didn't struggle with speaking her mind, but this wasn't the usual topic of trade negotiation and economic trends that she had practiced her entire life for.

This was far more difficult, and she just didn't know how to bring it up.

I'm sorry Anna broke up with you. I'm actually in love with her and that's mainly the reason why I left. I can't be with her though, so you should probably get back together with her, and get married, so I can continue isolating myself from the only person that makes me happy. Elsa groaned internally. No matter how she thought about it, it just wouldn't come out as something that would make her seem remotely sane.

Kristoff continued to look at Elsa as she fought with herself internally while fiddling with her thumbs. He smiled. That was something he had managed to pick up on from the three years he had spent with her. The blonde would always fidget with her fingers when something was on her mind.

"I may not be as close to you as Anna is, but I feel like I know you well enough to know when you're struggling to hold something in." Kristoff said knowingly.

Elsa looked away.

He waited patiently, and made sure not to press the platinum blonde.

It felt like an eternity passed before she finally decided to speak up.

Elsa sighed.

"I'm in love with Anna."

Kristoff didn't say anything, and Elsa took that as a signal to continue.

"I've been trying to deal with these feelings for a while now. They're wrong and sick, and I can't even be remotely around her without losing myself. I..that's why I ran away. That's why I left Arendelle..and..Anna came to find me. She broke up with you because of me. I ruined everything. I ruined everything for you...I'm sorry Kristoff..."

Elsa couldn't bring herself to meet Kristoff's eyes.

"But I'll talk to her...I'll fix this. You and Anna should get married as soon as possible. And then things will be just like...before." Elsa finished shakily. Even she didn't believe herself.

Elsa finally looked up to check the other blonde's reaction.

Kristoff stared at her impassively, and the lack of emotion there unsettled her.

The ice harvester closed his eyes for a brief moment, and then looked back at her with the same passivity.

He smiled softly.

"I broke up with Anna."

Silence. There had been many throughout the day, but this one wore heavily on the homely atmosphere of Kristoff's home.

The statement was so surprising that it didn't initially register in Elsa's head.

"What?"

Kristoff leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "She didn't break up with me. I did. I was the one who brought it up."

The lack of reason laced within his response had her in a confused daze.

"But why? You love her. I know for sure that there's no one else out there who loves her more than you do."

Kristoff smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

Elsa's throat hitched at his response, but she wouldn't back down so easily.

"Kristoff. Anna and I can't be together."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Elsa waved her hands frustratingly in front of her. Kristoff was being increasingly more difficult. "We're sisters! We can't be together! If people found out, they would throw us out of the kingdom! Anna doesn't want a life like that. Anna doesn't want to hide...She was sheltered in the castle almost her entire life. And everyday in my room I could tell how upset she was for not being able to leave. I can't do that to her...she doesn't want that..." Elsa trailed off sadly.

Kristoff looked unimpressed.

"I think you're confusing what she wants with what you want for her."

Elsa opened her mouth to argue.

"Let me finish." Kristoff waved to cut her off. "It's true, I wasn't there when she was younger. I don't know nearly as much as you do regarding her childhood. What I do know, is that in the past two months, Anna has worked her ass off day in and day out to maintain this kingdom. Everyday she stays up late in her office, just so she can get a little bit more done. You wanna know why? It was so that one day when you returned, you would maybe stop seeing her as a child and start letting her make decisions for herself!" Kristoff said the last part forcefully with a hint of annoyance.

Elsa stared speechless at Kristoff.

It was late. Any chance of activity from the outside had long passed, and the only sound that could be heard was the gentle creaking of the cabin walls being jostled by the night wind. Elsa and Kristoff sat there. Seconds turned into minutes.

"You know, she hates being queen." Kristoff said softly to break the silence.

A pause and Elsa nodded.

"I know."

"You know she loves you."

She didn't need reminding.

"I know."

"She just wants you to love her too..." Kristoff said with a hint of sadness.

Elsa gripped the fabric of her dress painfully.

"...I know."

"So what's stopping you."

Elsa felt tears at the edges of her eyes.

Her voice cracked as she struggled to speak the truth laid within her heart. "I'm afraid...I'm afraid I'll let her down. I'm afraid she'll find out that I'm not the one that can make her happy...and she'll leave me...all I ever do is let people down." She whispered mostly to herself.

Kristoff didn't say anything, and Elsa thought for the first time today the ice harvester agreed with her.

"I guess that's just something you two will have to figure out together."

Apparently not. Kristoff rose from his seat and made his way to the door.

"But-"

"No buts. If you have something to say, save it for the person that really should be hearing it." The ice harvester opened the door, signaling that the duration of her visit had reached its end.

Elsa looked dejected. She wanted to argue, but it seemed Kristoff really wasn't going to budge.

She made her way out of the cabin, looking at the blonde helplessly one last time, before thanking him for the meal and bidding him goodnight.

She walked about ten steps away from the home before his voice stopped her.

"The heart isn't so easily changed. Grand Pabbie once told me that."

Elsa didn't turn back to look at him.

"What if I don't want these feelings..." She whispered beneath her breath.

Kristoff simply smiled, somehow able to make out her soft spoken words. "Your feelings are a part of you. It's about time you stop running away from them, Elsa. You deserve to be happy. You both do." And with that the ice harvester closed the door, leaving Elsa alone, awash beneath the silent white light of the moon.

She slowly made her way back to the castle.

As Elsa passed through the castle gates, the guards posted outside the walls bowed in acknowledgement, but the blonde was far too lost in her thoughts for herself to notice.

Elsa entered the foyer, and she was approached by Kai, bearing the news that she hadn't anticipated to have arrived so soon.

She wasn't ready for this.

She really wasn't ready for this.

"Your Majesty, your sister has awoken."

A/N: Hey guys! I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love writing about Elsa as queen, it just fits, and we all know that's where she truly belongs :)

Some of y'all have asked me if I'll be finishing this story soon, and my answer to that is, no. I have a lot planned out, and you'll start seeing the plot develop over the next few chapters.

Once again, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review! Next chapter I'll be changing the story rating to M, for...reasons ;)

Until next time!