A/N: Hello again, my faithful readers (all two of you). This is it, we're finally getting into the serious business with the plot. Hopefully it will have been worth the wait.

Again, please review if you like. I can write without it, but I'll get way less sidetracked if I know people are waiting on more chapters. Tell me what you do and don't like of course so I can continue to improve my writing. I'm still looking for a dedicated beta reader, if anyone is interested enough.

Chapter 7: The Calm

With another hour of crossing through the mountains behind them, Anna and Kristoff finally came to the all too familiar signs of his home. They both felt a tingling as they passed through the barrier that protected the area. Kristoff had remember being told about how the barrier had worked. Anyone with less than noble intentions or who wasn't specifically looking for the troll's home would be hit with a powerful illusion. They would see the land as more or less the same as the area around it, covered with trees and grass and little of actual note. When the individual went back out through the barrier, they would forget what they had seen and would receive the slightest of inklings that they should never try going back. The spell was of course not without its limitations. To be "looking" for the trolls was rather widely open to interpretation, and the barrier lost its potency if too many beings crossed in a short amount of time. It had, for the most part served its purpose of keeping all but the privileged few blissfully unaware that the trolls were more than myths.

As they approached the largest clearing once more, Sven slowed to a canter, then a trot, finally ending with a full stop.

"So, green or yellow?" Anna asked.

Kristoff jumped a little from how spontaneous the question was. "I don't understand. For what?"

"The streamers." Kristoff stared at her. "For the wedding, silly!"

Kristoff sighed as he dismounted. "Isn't it a little early to be thinking about things like that?"

Anna closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "It's a wedding, Kristoff. A royal wedding. There's no such thing as too early."

"We can cross that bridge when we get to it." he offered her a hand. "Once we're sure that everything's okay, we can discuss some good colours."

Anna took his hand, but looked unsure. "I thought you said it was nothing."

"It's probably nothing. That's why we're here. I don't like having to rely on my family, but, you know, but they're the ones to go to for something like this." Anna remained silent, so Kristoff moved in and embraced her. "Green. Green is a much better colour." Just then, they heard the familiar sound of rumbling. The trolls were waking up. "Don't forget what I said to you."

Anna looked at him. "Uh, which thing?"

"Ix-nay on the edding-way!" He muttered.

Anna started to nod, but then tilted her head. "Wait, what?"

Kristoff rolled his eyes. He knew Anna was sheltered, but this was a bit much. "No time!" He would just have to hope she remembered on her own. The trolls rolled up to the couple and uncurled themselves, revealed their stubby limbs and faces.

"Kristoff's home!" A voice shouted out, spreading mirth and cheer among the crowd. Even though it had only been a few days since he last visited. The trolls were like, stony, talking dogs in a way. As per the usual, they all had no shortage of stories and experiences to talk about. And of course, there were the younger ones who just had to jump on to him, as if their attention wasn't enough to take on already.

Bulda pushed her way through the crowd to her adoptive son. "You're back so soon, darling! And you brought your little girlfriend with you. So tell me, how did your little lover's quarrel work out?"

Kristoff sighed, but gave a wide smile. "It wasn't quarrel. More of a misunderstanding I would say."

"See, even when you think you're fighting, all you can think about is each other. It's like it was meant to be." Bulda walked up to Anna. "So tell me, dear, how did my little man make it all up to you."

"Well, actually. It was so sweet." She had to stop herself from choking up. "He went all around the mountains and got me these flowers. The lily of the valley. He knew they were my favourites because my mo-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold it right there." Bulda took a look at Anna's hand. "Is that a ring I see?"

Kristoff froze. Of all the things in the world he could forget, it had to be that. He had hoped to wait until the right time to break the good news. And as far away from Anna as possible. Now, the jig was up in one fell swoop. "Okay, okay. Let's try and keep this all in perspective here." He let out the slightest of groans. Look who he was asking.

Bulda yanked Anna's hand in to get a closer look. "Why, just look at this. This is gold. Almost pure, even. And real diamonds! This had to be something special from someone special, am I right?"

Anna took her hand back, her face almost as red as a cherry. "Yes, it was special. Really, really, special." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"And? What did you say?" Bulda leaned in closer, as if it really needed to be said.

"I, I." Anna stammered, her voice almost gone. She could see Kristoff giving the slightest hint of a glare from the corner of her eye, but there was little point in stopping now. They would get the truth, one way or another. "I said yes."

A chorus of cheers and applause erupted throughout the crowd, and they encircled the couple to give their regards.

"He finally did it!" A voice called out.

"This is the best day ever!" They heard another one say from behind them.

"Our boy has become a man!" That last one might have been going a bit far.

Kristoff had to struggle to get some personal space. "Look, I know you're all excited. But we came here on serious business. We need to-"

"Of course you did," one of the male trolls offered. "That's why I took the liberty of preparing this for you." He pulled out a stone slab and pushed it into Kristoff's hands. "It's a guest list." Kristoff humoured him and took a look. It was a comprehensive list. Of all the trolls. It was actually quite impressive that they all fit onto the slab.

"Okay, why don't you hold on to this for now," Kristof said quickly, handing it back. "Please, just let us speak with Pabbie. It's urgent."

One of the trolls gave him a sly smile. "More urgent than choosing a ring bearer?"

"YES!" Kristoff yelled at the top of his lungs, silencing just about everyone else there. "That means no food selections, no flower girls, no seating plans, no cake decorations and definitely no songs until we resolve our problem!" The trolls just stood there, wide-eyed. A couple of the younger ones ran off, on the verge of tears. "Look, Anna might be in danger again. I just, I just want her to be safe, okay?"

Bulda stepped away from Anna, who had snapped out of her tearful reverie, and towards her adoptive son. "It's alright, dear. If you're serious-"

"Of course I am," Kristoff said. And with that, there was a silent understanding. As excited as they were for Kristoff's love life, now was not the time.

Bulda turned around to the others. "Okay, people. Show's over! Let the man do what he needs to do. In the meantime, If you'd like to offer some ideas for the wedding, you're more than welcome to discuss it with me." The trolls stalled for a moment, then shuffled off, talking amongst themselves.

Kristoff knew that it was far from over. At some point, he would have to break it to them that as a royal wedding, the official ceremony would have to take place in the city, but that was academic compared to the safety of her bride to be. He approached Anna, who was still wiping away tears. "How are you holding up?"

Anna rubbed her eyes one last time and regained her composure. "Sorry, I was just... remembering. Did you really have to go that far? I don't think I've ever seen you shout like that."

"They had to know this cannot wait." His frown eased up, and laughed softly. "Besides, you weren't there for the time they broke the shelter I had built for Sven. I said a few choice things I didn't exactly mean."

"Oh, what happened?" Anna asked.

Kristoff rolled his eyes. Could they not go five minutes without getting sidetracked? "Well, basically a couple of the younger ones thought it would be a good idea to try climbing on it. Suffice to say, it was not. Turns out I was coming back that same night. When I found out they had smashed the thing I had spent days on. Well, I think you get the idea. My mother gave me quite the lecture. Though when they realised how much work I had put in, they couldn't stay mad at me. Eventually, they all made a new one, complete with their own personal touch. I couldn't exactly stay mad at them either."

Anna locked her hands together and smiled. "Aww, that's so cute."

Kristoff formed an idea of a response to that, but it was quickly cut short. The deep rolling sound behind him confirmed what he had been waiting for.

"Kristoff, my boy. The others claim that you needed my help urgently." Pabbie's movements were a bit sluggish, even for a being of his age, but his appearance was a relief all the same.

"That's right. At least, we think so anyway." Kristoff cupped his hand around his chin. "It's a bit of a long story."

"Uhm," Anna cut in. "Well basically, Kristoff and I were- well we were- we were together, and then suddenly this huge fire started. And I think, I think I might have been the one that caused it."

"We think this might have something to do with magic," Kristoff quickly added. "We know it seems unlikely, but at this point no other explanation makes any more sense. The queen is checking for any signs of sabotage or other signs of hostility, but we came here just to be safe."

Pabbie nodded. "I see. Do you have any reason to believe that she may have been cursed at any time?"

"Well, let's see here," Kristoff said, tapping his foot. "Well, she was sick for most of our trip together, but the doctors said that was definitely seasickness. She was fit as a fiddle as soon as she made it back to dry land. One of the people we met on our trip might have done it, but that's even more unlikely. From what I understand, any kind of magic is a huge taboo there. Even if they did have some kind of grudge against us, they're almost certainly far too afraid of attacking us like that."

"Very well." Pabbie fired up the magic in his hands. "Come closer, Anna. I will search your body for any signs of foreign magic. It will take a moment for me to be ready."

Anna stepped in front of him. "Thank you for this. I'm sorry. I've caused you a lot of trouble, haven't I?"

Pabbie was focused on the spell he was preparing. "It is no trouble, my child. I have spent many times your lifetime honing my skill with magic and learning the importance of respecting its potential. And still, I lead you and your sister down the wrong path. My only hope is that I can atone for my mistakes with the time I have left." The white magic he was wielding was now starting to envelop his hands. "Remain calm, this will only take a moment."

With a few motions and the power of precise thought, Pabbie willed the magic he had summoned to work. It formed into about hundred small wisps of light, which surrounded Anna, flying around her and occasionally even passing through. Anna shuddered a little, but through great effort managed to stay still. After a few seconds of this, A second, ghostly image of Anna appeared which shrunk down and moved in closer to Pabbie.

"Now we shall see," Pabbie explained, examining the image. "If there is any magic that has affected you recently, I should be able to detect it."

"Is it supposed to be so bright?" Anna asked, trying to get a better look. "And what's with all that light in my stomach?"

"Shhh!" Kristoff cut in.

Pabbie continued to examine, his eyes faltered once or twice. Finally, he closed his eyes and the image of Anna vanished. "I wish there was an easy way for me to say this."

Kristoff took a deep breath. "It's okay, you can tell. Even if it's bad news, we can deal with it together, right?"

"Very well," Pabbie concluded, looking away briefly. "Anna, do you remember when your sister's ice struck your heart?"

Anna bit her lip. "I would really rather not."

Pabbie sighed. "Anna, I am afraid that the ice that struck your heart. It is still there." Anna and Kristoff stood there wide-eyed for a few seconds.

"No. No no no no no," Anna stammered. "That can't be. It just- it just can't. The act you true love. You said the act of true love would thaw my heart."

"I told you that only an act of true love could thaw your heart. Magic is a powerful and volatile thing, Anna. The sad truth is that it often does not work the way it is supposed to."

Anna stamped her foot. "It was true love. I don't care what you say. Are you saying that I don't love my sister? Or that she doesn't love me?"

Kristoff had to stop Anna from lunging at Pabbie. "Anna, please, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down. I don't care what he says, it's wrong!" She continued to try and wrestle her way out of his arms.

"Please listen to me, Anna," Pabbie asked. "The bond between you and Elsa is a truly amazing thing. The fact that you are still standing here now proves that. Never doubt that for a moment. I fear that this happened because of the way you proved your love for her. When it looked like you were gone, your sister's heart was clouded by grief and anguish." he stepped closer to Anna, who had stopped flailing around. "If you wish to blame anyone, blame me. Even if I did not realise it, I taught your sister to fear her power instead of helping her to master it. If only I had understood how your father would see what I had told him."

Anna's head feel as she gained a sullen look. "So what now? Am I supposed to tell Elsa that I'm still suffering because of her? I won't go back to being locked away again. I won't!" Anna started to tear up.

Kristoff wrapped his arms around her. "Listen to me, Anna. No one is being locked away again. I'll do everything in my power to see to that." He turned to Pabbie. "Tell me, what does this have to do with what happened? We came here because we believed Anna had started a fire."

"I believe that the events that transpired a year ago has everything to do with is happening now. Anna, the act of true love you performed appears to have awoken magic inside your heart." Pabbie brought up the image of Anna again. "The magic is fighting against the shard of ice inside your heart, stopping it from freezing again. After being left unchecked for so long, the ice is starting to grow stronger and stronger, and the magic inside you now is being forced to push back harder with each passing day."

Kristoff looked thoughtful for a moment. "So you're saying Anna has magic now? And it's generating heat to counteract the ice? So it wasn't a coincidence that Arendelle happened to have a heatwave when we returned."

"That is also highly likely. The magic is likely highly unstable." Pabbie shook. "Oh, why had I not noticed such a thing sooner?"

Anna crossed her arms. "But, but, the act of true love."

"Anna, you must understand. Your circumstances are truly exceptional. There are very few people who have ever managed to survive a frozen heart. And no one has ever done it before the way you have. Do not mistake what I am saying, what you did was extremely noble and you should be proud. If you wish to blame anyone, it should be us. We have failed you twice now." Pabbie turned away, clenching his fist.

"Wait, Pabbie," Kristoff said. "What do you do now? There has to be a way for us to fix this. There just has to be." He knew all too well that he was most likely clutching at straws. For all of his wisdom and years of using magic, Pabbie could not thaw the ice that had pierced a person's heart. And that had almost certainly not changed over the past year.

"There is but one way that this can be resolved. Anna, your sister must be the one to remove the ice that remains inside of you." Pabbie illustrated this by manipulating the image of Anna, resulting in the interference in the chest slowly vanishing.

"I don't understand," Anna said, scratching her head. "Why would this work now if it wouldn't before?"

"When you came to us the previous year, there was precious little time left until you froze completely, and your sister had all but repressed her power. Now that Elsa has had a chance to learn control, and there is a larger window of time, it is possible that she can learn what she needs to in order to save you. I must warn you now: if Elsa tries to save you and fails, there is a chance- that you could die."

Anna clenched her fist. "Elsa won't fail. I believe in her."

Pabbie smiled. "Your faith in your sister is admirable. My only hope now is that it pays off. For now, I will try to keep your burgeoning power from breaking loose. In its current form, it is almost impossible for you to control. But I can redirect so that it only keeps your heart warm. As soon as I am finished, you must return to your sister and explain all of this, no matter how difficult it may be."

Kristoff nodded. "We understand. We'll do whatever we can to help you."

"Thank you. Now, I must get to work before Anna's magic endangers anyone again. This may take a while." He charged his power up again.

"What do I need to do?" Anna asked.

Pabbie breathed deeply. "Just hold perfectly still. Kristoff, you must stay back while I work."

"Alright. I'll just- I'll just be over there if you need me." Kristoff walked away as Pabbie began to apply his magic, staring up at the starry sky. Why were things never simple with Anna? He had of course come to love her quirky, unpredictable habits in his own way, but he really would have preferred to have avoided hiccups like this. He had enough on his plate as it was.

"Hey there, love master and deliver. You have a minute?" It was Ignus, Kristoff's old mentor. "So, how did my little idea go?"

Kristoff sat down. "Well, it went greater than I could have hoped. At the time, at least. Now? All it feels like I've done is jump out of the frying pan."

Ignus gave him a playful punch. "Now is not the time to be losing heart, my boy. You're going to be married, for heaven's sake."

"I know, I know!" Kristoff started, before sighing. "This is out of my hands now. And I'm not just talking about this whole fire thing."

"What do you mean?"

Kristoff glared at him. "Isn't it obvious? Anna's a princess. I'm- I'm just Kristoff. The noble houses aren't just going to let this slide. Queen Elsa will do everything she can for us, I know she will, but even she's just one woman. And she listens to the voice of her people. If enough people speak out, even she won't be able to ignore them."

"Now now, Kristoff. Your fiance believes in the queen with all of her heart. What can't you?"

Kristoff looked over to Anna. "Because one of us has to keep this relationship grounded in reality." He grumbled. "I just can't help but notice the pattern here. Once again Anna's life is in danger and it falls straight out of my hands. I know that Anna ended up doing the right thing, but I can't help but think that if I had managed to save her, then maybe I could have been ennobled and we wouldn't have this problem."

Ignus shook his head. "And then there would be no Queen Elsa to do that. And Anna wouldn't be the woman you love. Look, my point is you can't worry about what ifs, should haves and if onlys. The princess is probably more afraid than ever now that you might back out. First with this whole social status thing, and now with this out of control magic."

Don't say that!" Kristoff snapped. "I would never back out on a promise. Not then, not now. Even if I don't have the privilege to be her groom, I certainly believe I have the right to try."

"That's very good, Kristoff." Ignus nodded. "But she's the one who has to know that, not me. I know that the bond between Anna and her sister is irreplaceable. But now, so is her bond with you. Even if you're not the one who ultimately saves her, she has to know that you'll stand by her, no matter what."

Kristoff cracked a wide, warm smile. "For better, or worse."

"Go get 'em, tiger."

"Do you have any idea how this looks right now?" Mikael asked, clutching a piece of paper.

Elsa's firm expression did not move. "I am well aware, thank you. However, classified matters that demand my immediate attention have arisen, and I have complete trust in your ability to keep Arendelle's affairs in order."

Mikael frowned. "If you can't tell me what the problem is, that's fine. I'm not the one you should be worrying about, anyway. The other councilors will almost certainly see this as an attempt to evade the backlash regarding the princess's marriage, and that's not even getting into the matter of Duke Everlow. With the high councilor already taking leave right now, I don't see how I can handle all of this alone."

Elsa locked her fingers and stared at the wall. "Rest assured, I will make sure to discuss this with all the others. They may not like what I am doing, but I am acting well within my authority as queen. I also understand you've managed to build a certain rapport with the young duke. I have faith that you can make my absence more than tolerable enough."

"Authority or not, there's no doubt in my mind that the councilors will try to use this against you in the future. I just hope what you're doing is enough to justify that."

Elsa looked out of the window of her study into the mountains. "There can be no doubt."

Mikael moved in closer and lowered his voice. "I'm just going to go out on a limb here, but I suspect this has something to do with the night the fire happened, and now you know why."

Elsa looked left and right, as though the walls had ears. In her line of work, you could never be too sure. "Anna's assertions that magic was involved were correct. And there's no way for us to control it at present. Now do you understand all of the secrecy? to let this be known to the public would surely incite a full blown panic."

"I appreciate your honesty. And I understand completely. I still have concerns that the trade negotiations might not go to as planned. But you have bigger things to worry about, I can see. I only hope convincing the others will be as easy." Mikael got up and walked out of Elsa's study. His worries were far bigger that he let on, but he figured the queen was much the same way, if not more so. He remembered what she had told him on the night of the ball .Now was the time to prove that he was dependable as she had built him up to be.

The meeting room was set once again for the trade talks to continue. Mikael was hopeful that things could go just a little bit more smoothly. The duke's trading expertise had come in immensely helpful in countering viscount Bertrom's poor attempts to shake him down, and any more of that today would almost certainly accomplish little more than making him appear petty. More that he already does, Mikael thought to himself, taking the luxury of a small smile. For all of his less than savoury traits, Bertrom was certainly not stupid. And his experience vastly outmatched Mikael's. How else would the queen look past just about everything else about him? He had a plan up his sleeve for sure. Mikael just knew it.

The duke arrived with his compatriots once more, and sat opposite Mikael. His personal guard looked slightly less on edge than they did the day before, but they surely hadn't forgotten what had happened.

"Good morning," Mikael started.

"Ah yes," the duke replied. "It seems that contrary to your earlier promise, the queen will once again abstain from joining us."

Mikael bowed. "A thousand apologies. The queen still fears for the safety of her family. The princess is currently under guard, and her majesty is working tirelessly to root out any potential threats. I cannot say any more than that." The lie was a bit better put together than the one from the previous day, though it was more a lie of omission than anything else. Wait, hadn't Queen Elsa already spoken with him?

"Yes, the queen already explained as much," Mikael felt his blood pressure drop back to normal. "However, that doesn't mean I have to like it. I did get her to guarantee that she would appear to finalise our arrangements. I suppose that will have to do for now."

The councilors of Arendelle arrived, allowing the negotiations to begin in earnest again. Or so they thought.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's not waste any time. I think now is a good a time as any to draw up new arrangements regarding livestock." Everlow took the top paper of the new pile.

Bertrom cleared his throat rather ostentatiously. "Actually, there were a number of laws and provisions that we failed to account for during yesterday's talks."

The duke locked eyes with him. "You're not seriously suggesting that we start the negotiations from scratch?"

"Well, while I would prefer that we do things the proper way, there is little point in retreading old ground. The laws cannot be applied retroactively to terms already agreed on." Two of men in the room let out a quiet sigh of relief. "However, in the coming days it is essential that we follow the letter of the law when creating these new terms. Wouldn't you agree?" With that, Bertrom snapped his fingers, and one of Arendelle's servants carried in a pile of documents that made the duke's look like the index for it.

Mikael glared at the viscount for as long as he count without getting noticed. Then he looked at Everlow. The man's expression didn't falter, surprisingly. They were already more or less on the same side, and they had both been patient up to this point. How long could Bertrom's stalling possibly hold out?

Elsa had everything in place. She had checked. And double-checked. And triple-checked. To the casual observer, it seemed a bit obsessive, even for her. For Elsa, there could be no margin for error. Not with what was at stake. Even now with all of her extensive measures in place, she was all too wary that the situation she was leaving in Arendelle was far from ideal.

She closed her eyes in reflection, as she headed towards the stables. If the events of last year proved nothing else, it was that life cared little for whether you were ready or not. Elsa was the only one who could save Anna from herself. Even if she didn't want that with all of her heart, that meant they she had the responsibility to see this through.

Her personal horse, a cream mare called Frost Fall had been standing by as she had been for the vast majority of Elsa's reign, and by extension her appointment as the queen's personal steed. The handlers and the stablemen had seen to it that the horse remained hearty and able to take off at a moment's notice. Finally, Elsa was ready to put it to good use.

The head manservant Kai was waiting for her, not seeming to mind the various kinds of filth that very surely getting on his clothing. "I have gathered all of the supplies as you instructed. You'll find most of the equipment you listed in the right saddle bag, and the provisions on the left."

"Thank you for getting it all together on such short notice. You're a lifesaver." Elsa quickly checked the bags in question. Everything seemed to be in order, down to the finest detail.

"I don't think I'll bother with asking whether or not you're absolutely sure about this," Kai remarked.

In truth, that question was sitting at the back of her mind. When she had asked Anna to remain in Elsa's chambers until she returned, the queen had to repeated assure her sister that she hadn't regressed and these measures were purely temporary. Even with the trust Anna still had in her, Elsa knew all too well it was only a matter of time before her sister went stir crazy. She had gotten used to the great outdoors now, and she wasn't going to give it up so easily. That was just something she would have to trust to Kristoff.

The matter of Arendelle's government was also a concern, albeit not on the same level. Most of the men responsible for Arendelle's daily affairs and more than enough years and less than ideal circumstances under their respective belts. But she was asking them to do more than simply hold the fort. Would Mikael still be able to finish the new trade agreement? While it was more or less the entire reason he was there, the concerns that the other councilors were trying to undermine him were not lost on the young queen, nor were the implications. She would have to have a serious word with all of them upon her return. And issue an apology to the duke if need be.

In the end, it took her a moment's hesitation, but she once again managed to reaffirm inside her own head that this really was for the best.

"Well, if you must travel without any protectors, I insist that you travel incognito as much as possible." Kai produced a simple blue tunic and a brown cloak. "I have made sure these are your size."

"Thank you so much. You really have thought of everything."

With a scant couple of hours until the sun dipped below the sea line, Elsa set off with all due haste. Frost Fall was extremely accommodating to her relative lack of experience riding a horse. Together, they cut through the main roads and the side streets whenever necessary, keeping a steady pace until they made it outside the city limits.

As they charged through the countryside and the mountains, Elsa felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. There was exactly twice she had left her home like this before; her mind focused on the night that began what she had once believed to be a lifetime of solitude. That thought didn't scare her as much as she had feared. If anything, she was simply coming full circle.

She had kept the reins for almost the entire journey, only stopping a few times to consult the crudely drawn map that Kristoff had made for her. No doubt he could make something a little more worthy of royalty if he had more time, but this was perfectly serviceable, and for now that was enough. She had arrived a few minutes after sunset as she had calculated, which was fortunate as the clouds had gathered making travelling at night an impossibility.

As she made it to the stone clearing, she remember what Kristoff had told her. There was no need to announce her presence, as the trolls would have sensed someone passing their barrier without setting it off. Elsa had to steady her breathing. She had been here quite recently, but never alone. The silence was jarring. It didn't last long. After a minute or so, the familiar rumbling signalled the trolls waking up. They quickly converged to where Elsa stood and uncurled themselves.

"Your majesty," a few of them uttered. There was none of the mirth that she had remembered the last time she was here, but that was to be expected. Kristoff was family to them. In a way, so was Anna now. But Elsa was decidedly not. Even among the trolls, her title of Queen created a certain barrier between them.

Pabbie arrived a minute later. "Queen Elsa, it is a pleasure to see you again. My only regret is that it is not under better circumstances."

Elsa gave a curt nod. "Then you understand why I have come here. And that there is little time for pleasantries. I do not intend to leave this place until I am ready to help Anna."

"And what of your kingdom?" Pabbie asked. "I will share as much of my knowledge as it will take, but I do not wish for you to forsake your kingdom for this."

"I may be queen, but my kingdom is a great deal more than myself. My people are more than capable of managing in my absence." Elsa wondered to herself which of them she was telling that to. "I also have enough supplies to avoid imposing on any of you. So please, let us begin immediately."

"As you wish, your majesty." No more running. No more hiding. Elsa would learn how to perform surgery with her ice if that was what it took.