Chapter 27: An act of true love.

Anna stirred awake as she felt warmth for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Something wasn't right though; the heat was barely able to reach her skin, without going any deeper, leaving her desperate for more. Even just a little bit more. Enough to placate the searing pain she felt inside her chest, to warm her limbs and force out the chill permeating her entire body.

So, the Queen unconsciously moved closer to the source of warmth without even opening her eyes. Being snuggled up under three blankets and next to what seemed to be a fire was wonderful, compared to what she was feeling when she fell asleep. Just cold, emptiness and darkness. And pain. Pain that her sister had attempted to rape her and then abandoned her to die. Just thinking about it made her want to cry all over again, and her heart started hurting so much she moved even closer to the fire.

"I really think you should stop." A masculine voice said. "I don't think you want to burn to death, right? Though freezing probably isn't that pleasant either."

At first Anna didn't recognize the voice, but then she remembered. Her husband. But… that couldn't be right! What was Hans doing in Elsa's palace?

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and realized she wasn't in Elsa's palace anymore. Instead, she was… in her room? Yes, it looked like she was in Arendelle's castle, lying on a rug just inches away from the lit fireplace. Hans, on the other hand, was sitting on a couch behind her, calmly drinking a glass of red wine.

"Wh-what… how…?" She tried to ask something; make some sense of her situation, but her throat felt utterly dry and cold, so all that came out of her were pathetic squeaks.

"I'll explain everything, I promise." He said. "But first, you should sit up and drink some hot chocolate; you sure as hell look like you need it."

Anna actually felt too weak to sit up on her own, but the promise of hot chocolate made her stand up in shaky legs, using the couch for support, before climbing on top of it and sitting herself next to Hans, still holding firmly the blankets around herself. Instantly, he smiled and handed her a cup of chocolate he had on a table nearby, and she drank it without worrying it was actually so hot it burned her mouth and throat. That's just what she needed; a hot liquid pouring some life inside her dying body.

"So… apparently you're cursed." Hans said nonchalantly. "And you're gonna die unless you find an act of true love."

"How do you know?" Anna paused her drinking of the wonderful beverage just enough to ask.

"Elsa told me. She actually brought you here, you know?" He chuckled. "She thought I was your act of true love."

Anna frowned, wondering for a moment how her sister could be so stupid, but… then she realized she hadn't mentioned the nature of her relationship with Hans in all the time she had been living with her sister. She had been too focused on forgetting the past, and Elsa had been too centered on getting what she wanted to ask. But, oh well, it's not like it mattered. No one loved her, not even her sister, so she was going to die either ways. She actually preferred to die at her home, instead of miles away on an icy mountain.

"She even got herself captured in the process." Hans continued after drinking some more of his wine. "It was kinda disappointing actually. I thought she'd put up more of a fight, but I guess her injuries didn't let her." He paused, leaving his glass and picking up a dagger he'd left on the floor next to the couch. Her dagger. "I do wonder if you were the one who inflicted them on her. Your blade is covered in blood after all."

"Not all of them." Anna grimaced, remembering the circumstances in which she had stabbed her sister. And feeling guilty for her imprisonment, after all… she actually came back for her, and brought her all the way to Arendelle in hopes of saving her. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hard on her. Maybe her hopes of Elsa being good on the inside held some ground after all.

"Well, either way, the important thing is everything worked out as planned." He smiled with satisfaction. "You hurt Elsa, I arrested her and… you got yourself mortally injured." He added with a sinister smirk.

"All that I have to do now is kill Elsa, find another wife, and then… Then I'll be the King of a prosperous nation: the Hero who saved Arendelle." At his words, Anna's already injured heart twisted painfully inside her chest, to the point she thought it'd actually break. Instantly, the few strands of her hair that were still red turned white.

It's not like Anna loved him, or thought he loved her in any way, and she had believed he was planning on getting rid of her since the beginning, but… it was very different to think those might be his intentions. To actually hear him say it out loud, in such a nonchalant voice, as if he was talking about the weather, was another level of agony. Plus… there was no way she could do anything about it. She was dying; that much was clear. And no one could save her because no one loved her. And she couldn't save Elsa… actually she wasn't really sure she wanted to. Not after… after that.

"Where's my sister?" She asked anyways, because well, Elsa had been the one who brought her there. The only one who cared about her enough to try and save her, the least she could do was pay her a visit.

"She's in the dungeons." He shrugged. "I will execute her tomorrow morning."

"She'll escape." Anna warned him, confident of Elsa's powers. "If she hasn't already."

"Nah." He served himself more wine and started drinking again. "That cell previously contained her for more than a week, and she wasn't even wounded back then. It's equipped with ice-proof shackles. Your parents weren't stupid."

"Ice-proof shackles? W-what are you talking about?" Anna asked, trying not to listen to her own mind, repeating words her sister had said to her not too long ago: "When I did something wrong, I was always hit until my hands bled or thrown into a dungeon for a week."

Could it be? Back then she assumed her sister was exaggerating, but what if she wasn't? Were their parents really that cruel?

"Oh, that's right, you didn't know." He sighed. "Your parents made me and everyone else swear not to say anything to you, but now that they're dead, I guess there's no harm on telling you."

He paused, thinking. "Where to start? Well, I guess you should know your parents were terrified of your sister, to the point they'd beat her if she so much as conjured a single snowflake, even as a child." He chuckled. "I almost felt kinda bad for her back then; such a scared and lost little girl… who got angry at everything and didn't care if she got in trouble for trying to scare off her sister's suitors."

Anna listened intently, feeling awful with every word he said. She was Elsa's sister, and yet a prince from another kingdom had realized much more quickly the abuse Elsa suffered in her everyday life. Meanwhile, where had she been? Swooning over charming princes and dreaming of her wedding day. She suddenly felt sick.

"Anyways, they were so scared they actually commissioned a pair of shackles to be made of the strongest iron, hopping they would be able to retain Elsa's magic inside them, just like the gloves did, in case she went… wild." He paused, frowning.

"Around that time, my father had taken a special interest in magical creatures, and when I mentioned Elsa he said he would very much like to use her as a weapon to conquer other kingdoms, so I tried to convince your sister to do our bidding. As you might expect… that didn't work out very well." He looked pointedly at his missing arm, and Anna immediately understood he was referring to the little incident with Elsa that ultimately resulted in her marrying the prince of the Southern Iles.

"So, as punishment, they locked her inside a cell for a week. The poor thing was so angry she refused to eat the whole time, and looked like a pathetic mess when I got a chance to see her; I bet she cried the whole time she was in there." He laughed, like Elsa's suffering amused him. "Honestly, it's a wonder she didn't turn evil and kill your parents a long time ago."

Anna didn't know if she wanted to cry or just punch her husband in the face. How could she be so blind? All those years, she let her sister suffer alone without even realizing it, and for what? To please her parents? To charm her suitors? Where did that lead her anyways? To a loveless marriage, a broken family and a frozen heart.

She began to wonder; could Elsa be really blamed for most of what she had done? Forcing herself on Anna aside… she could be easily forgiven for almost everything else, if Hans' words were true. Anna didn't remember much of her childhood, but she did remember how much Elsa loved her, how she would actually push everything aside to play with her, even at the risk of pissing off their parents. Then, as they became teenagers they had become distant, and though Anna had been happy to put all the blame on Elsa, she now admitted to herself that she was also partially responsible.

She felt awkward knowing her sister's feelings for her, but now… now she wondered what would have happened if she had given Elsa a chance. If she had just listen to her heart for once, instead to her parents' voices. If she had paid attention to the clear signs of mistreatment and tried to help Elsa back on her feet. If she had been a better sister, a better person… maybe, only maybe, her sister wouldn't be in a cell, and she wouldn't be freezing to death. Maybe they would be living happily ever after in a frozen wonderland.

If only… if only she saw things clearly.

"Hey, don't feel bad." Hans said, placing his arm over Anna's shoulders and pulling her towards him. "Elsa is a monster. Your parents knew that much, as did everyone else. So, why don't you?"

Anna closed her eyes, letting a few tears fall down her cheeks. Her heart felt like it was being crushed painfully inside her chest. Because she had believed Elsa was a monster, and she had thought she deserved to die for it, instead of seeing the truth: who cared about Arendelle? About her dead parents? Honestly, they had gotten what they deserved. They had abused a little girl just for being different, denied Elsa her birthright, and they suffered the consequences. Because anyone who chose Hans over Elsa deserved to freeze to death, including her.

So… was this how it ended? The naïve girl dies because she couldn't help her sister long ago. Now cold, lonely and unloved, just as Elsa was for years. And Elsa dies unjustly and the kingdom is thawed. But… there had to be more, right? She couldn't just go down without a fight! She had to try and save her sister, or at the very least speak to her just one more time. She had to make up for all the years they'd spent apart.

Just then, her left hand felt something hard inside of Hans' pocket, and she carefully extracted it, taking care he didn't notice. It was small and metallic, like a key. Maybe… the key to her sister's cell? Or her sister's shackles? Why else would he be carrying it in his pocket, alone? It was worth a try.

"Hans." She called her husband, who acknowledged her with a little hum. "Do you think I could see her? Before… ?" she left the question open, deeming it too terrible to finish it.

"I don't see why not." He shrugged. "Do you feel strong enough for that?"

"Yes." She answered with conviction. "Please, take me to her."

Anna entered the cell, barely able to stay standing, but making an effort to appear stronger than she felt. She didn't want to worry her sister, after all. Still, she couldn't keep herself from shivering as soon as the door opened and the cold wind hit her face, despite wearing the winter dress she'd bought at Oaken's and a black hood Hans had lent her.

She was nervous. She had no idea of what she was going to do or say. She had no idea if she'd be able to free her sister, and she was scared of finding only a monster in there, but she steeled her resolve and walked in.

"Elsa?" She called her sister, who was sitting on a concrete bed, looking out of a small window with her back turned to her. However, when she heard her voice, she turned around immediately.

Anna stopped as the door closed behind her; the metallic sound echoing through the dungeon, and she took a good look at Elsa. She was bruised and wounded, her ice dress red with blood stains, and her eyes looked cold and hollow, almost like they had no life in them. That last thought gave Anna chills.

"Uhm…" She shifted uncomfortably when her sister didn't say anything. "H-hi." She swallowed. "So, I was told you brought me here. To save me. So, uh, thank you."

"Your hair is still white." Elsa noticed, frowning with concern.

"Well, my marriage with Hans was arranged, so…" Anna trailed off, not wanting to admit Elsa's sacrifice had been in vain, that she was going to die anyways. They both were going to die.

"I was hoping you had developed feelings for each other over the years." Elsa sighed, looking down at her trapped hands. "But I already knew it was a long shot." She frowned. "I guess even when I try doing something good for once, I end up fucking things up."

"Elsa, that's not true." Anna said in a reassuring manner as she kneeled down in front of her and carefully took her hands between hers. Except they couldn't touch directly, being separated by cold steel. "You are being too harsh on yourself; you've done plenty of good things."

"Like what?" Elsa spat, sounding angry. But that anger was clearly directed towards herself, not Anna.

"Well… for starters, I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for you." Anna started, set on improving her sister's self-esteem. "You taught me that sometimes it's okay to ignore the rules and have fun. That a princess doesn't have to be poised and regal all the time, and that mischief is often worth the punishment, if shared with the right person. You also were my first kiss, and showed me that sometimes the perfect prince is actually a princess in disguise. And… that showing kindness is possible even if you're broken inside." She sighed, remembering their childhood together. "You taught me that and so much more, Elsa. It's not your fault I'm a slow learner." Anna chuckled, and waited for a few seconds for her sister to say something.

"I… I also taught you how to talk and how to walk." She finally said, just when Anna was starting to worry, and surprisingly her voice sounded happy, but also like she was holding herself back from crying. "But… you give me too much credit. Seriously, without you, I would have had no reason to try and be good. I would have never learned to love. I would have never had someone to protect and cherish. And… I wouldn't have fucked things up by falling in love with you, so… I'm sorry."

"No, Elsa, don't apologize." Anna started, but was interrupted by Elsa's serious gaze. It was obvious she still wanted to say some things.

"Please, I just… I want to get this out of my chest." She sighed. "I'm… I'm sorry for falling in love with you and ruining our relationship as sisters. I'm sorry my actions resulted in you marrying someone you don't love. I'm sorry I killed our father and caused you pain. I'm sorry I froze Arendelle, and…" She paused, pursuing her lips. "I'm sorry I froze your heart and then raped you. I-I… I really am."

"Elsa… the frozen heart thing was an accident, and I don't blame you for it." She assured her.

"But the other things weren't accidents and, what's worse, I don't regret doing any of them. Except… you know, raping you." She practically spat that word.

"I understand. You were angry, you wanted people to pay, and you had the power to make them pay. I think most people would have done the same." Anna reasoned.

"I know." Elsa sighed. "I just hope one day you'll be able to forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive." Anna assured her with a gentle smile. "After all, many of those things wouldn't have happened if I had been a better sister to you. If I had tried to help you overcome our parents' abuse towards you instead of ignoring and denying it."

"Anna…" Elsa tried to start the discussion again, but her sister interrupted her.

"Look, what I really mean to say is that I don't blame you for what happened, and I want to help you. It may be too late now, but I'm not going down without at least trying." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Elsa, we could escape, run away and live in the mountains. Just you and me, what do you say?"

"I wished we could, but you're too weak for that. You only have a few hours left to live." Elsa answered, sounding sad and resigned.

"And you're hours away from being executed!" Anna argued. "If you won't take me with you, then at least save yourself."

"Would you just let me out and leave the kingdom to suffer?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow. "I won't thaw it, you know?"

"I don't care. Being at the blink of death has set my priorities right." Anna answered with determination. "What has Arendelle ever done for me? Nothing, except drive my sister away. I owe them nothing, and to you… I owe you everything."

"And while I appreciate that you are willing to do that for me…" Elsa interrupted her rather passionate discourse. "I can't let you die. The only thing worse than death itself would be living on knowing I killed you." Anna opened her mouth to object, but Elsa kept talking before she had the chance. "But if I'm executed, there's a chance all my magic will be reversed and you will be saved."

"We don't know that." Anna answered, angry at her sister for refusing her help.

"But if there's even a small possibility to help you, I'll take it!" Elsa snarled, but when Anna flinched she softened her expression. "Please, just... just let me save you."

"No! You let me save you!" Anna answered, raising her tone of voice as, at the same time, she pulled out the key of (she hoped) her sister's shackles. She attempted to put it inside the keyhole and free Elsa's hands, but the older woman realized it and got up, stepping away from Anna. "Elsa, please! You deserve a happy life." Anna yelled, getting up with great difficulty.

"I won't be happy if you die!" Elsa yelled back, but when she saw the unwavering determination in her sister's eyes, she realized she couldn't be able to convince her, no matter what. "Alright, you leave me no choice." She sighed.

Instantly, frost covered Elsa's shackles, and quickly spread through the already icy walls and floor, covering them in sharp icicles and forming a barrier between the two sisters. Then, the ice kept spreading until it reached the door… and went out of it.

Instantly, a bulky prison guard bolted in and punched Elsa's face, yelling at her for attacking the Queen, even when Anna tried to stop him. Then, he pretty much dragged the younger sister out of the cell as she kicked and screamed at him to let her go. The last thing Anna saw before the door closed was Elsa's bloody but smiling face, satisfied now that she knew her little sister would be safe.

Boos and insults were heard as Elsa was brought onto a wooden platform at the castle's courtyard to be executed. More than a few also threw rocks or rotten fruit at her, and many did hit their mark. All the while, however, Elsa remained calm, staring down at them like their actions were completely inconsequential to her; like she was a goddess and they were just insects.

Anna was actually impressed that, even while being bruised and bloody, Elsa managed to look regal. It reminded her of their etiquette lessons, and how their teacher would always scold Anna because her posture was never quite as straight as her sister's. Actually… now that she thought about it, Elsa was always better than her in almost everything (except perhaps social interaction). She had no doubt that, if given the chance, she would have been a better Queen than her.

Even more tears fell from her eyes at the thought, joining the many she had cried since she left Elsa's prison a couple of hours ago. She just couldn't stand the thought that her sister would die for her. Such a selfless act… that she wished Elsa had allowed her to do for her instead. But now it was too late; her chains had already been tied to two wooden posts, separating her arms and immobilizing her. Her feet were also chained in the same fashion, so now she had nowhere to go.

Please escape. Please escape. Anna chanted over and over in her head, almost like a prayer. Like thinking about it would actually set Elsa free from her chains and she'd run away.

But her sister didn't escape, instead remaining stoic in her bounds as Hans started listing her crimes. Both monarchs were at the platform, and the King himself would be the one who would execute her, since he wanted revenge for his missing arm. At least Anna had managed to convince him to do it as quickly and painless as possible… she only hoped he would keep his word.

"Princess Elsa of Arendelle." Hans started talking, and everyone instantly quieted down. "Better known as the Ice Queen. You are accused of sorcery, treason, regicide, genocide, torture, kidnapping, stealing, disturbing the public peace, attempting against the integrity of the kingdom and several more crimes against the Crown." He paused, looking sternly at her. "The sentence to such crimes is death." To emphasize his words, in that moment he took his sword out of the sheath. Anna visibly flinched at the sight. "Any last words?" He smirked sinisterly.

Elsa finally raised her head, looking straight into Anna's eyes, seemingly penetrating all the way to her soul and seeing her just as she was, making her feel almost naked. Anna, however, only could see pain and sorrow in her sister's eyes; the two emotions she had fought hard not to see all her life. But that day it was different. They were both going to die soon; Anna could feel it, as her hands and feet had started turning into solid ice, making it very difficult for her to move. And Elsa… she was facing her executioner. There was no need for pretense anymore.

"Anna…" She started, speaking so quietly only the people nearby could hear her. "I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry for that. I'm doing this for you. I wished we could have spent more time together." She paused, hesitating for a moment before whispering, with tears in her eyes. "I love you."

Tears also started falling from Anna's eyes, her poor frozen heart twisting in agony at the knowledge those would be the last words of her sister. And she was barely able to contain her sobs just enough to answer.

"I-I know. I love you t-t-to." She chocked out, earning a small, bittersweet smile from Elsa, before Hans raised his sword and positioned himself in front of the prisoner.

"Lets finish this, shall we?" He said darkly, but just as he was preparing to kill Elsa, he felt a tug on his arm and turned to see Anna, lips quivering with barely contained sobs, and teary face.

"Stop. Please, you can't kill her." She cried, though that seemed more like a desperate attempt than one she had thought would actually succeed. "Please." She shivered.

"Anna, stay out of this." Hans snarled, freeing his arm from Anna's weak grip.

But the Queen didn't desist, and instead placed herself between her husband and her sister, extending her arms to the sides in a protective gesture, and glared at Hans.

"W-well, then you have to kill m-me first." She said, though between the sobs and the fact her throat felt like it was filled with tiny needles of ice, it was a miracle she could speak.

"Anna, what are you doing?!" Elsa yelled, panicked.

"I'm sorry, Elsa, b-but… I can't just let you die to s-save my life. That… t-that wouldn't be r-right." Anna answered, still looking straight at her husband. She had a defying glint in her eyes; she knew Hans wanted her dead, so maybe he would kill her, claiming she was working for the Ice Queen. And then Elsa would have no reason to die, so she would break out of her chains, kill Hans and escape. At least, that's what she was hoping for.

Hans held her gaze for a seconds, calculating his next move. At the end, he turned to one of the guards and said:

"The Queen is clearly disturbed. Grab her, and make sure she doesn't cause more trouble."

The guard nodded and went to take Anna away from Elsa. She fought, using what little strength she had left to resist, but it was all in vain. She was too weak now. She could barely breathe, and the skin on her face and belly had also started turning into ice. Even her vision was getting blurry with icy crystals. She couldn't fight the curse and the guard at the same time, but she kept trying, as she saw Hans raise his sword once again, a malevolent glint in his eyes.

"Farewell, Ice Queen." He said as he thrust his sword forward, piercing Elsa's chest.

"No!" Anna cried, doubling her efforts to get away from the guard that was holding her back.

Elsa closed her eyes, and tried to remain stoic, but with such a large blade being inside her body, it was difficult, and tears fell out of her eyes. Then, she let out a pained squeak when Hans twisted a little his sword, rejoicing in her suffering.

"Hans, stop!" Anna screamed, finding it too much to bear the fact that her sister was not only about to die, but was in deep pain. Her words, however, only made Hans twist the sword even further, to the point Elsa was screaming in agony. Even more blood flowed from her wound, and from her mouth too, painting the snow red.

And maybe that was what have Anna the strength to finally free herself from the guard and push Hans so hard, he actually fell off the platform. She, however, didn't pay him any mind, and instead went straight to her sister, cradling her face with her hands and wiping away the tears

"Elsa, listen, you're going to be okay. I-I… I… you can't… you can't leave me, you hear me?" She was almost choking on her sobs, but she didn't care. All she cared about was saving her sister, even if she knew at this point it was impossible.

Elsa opened her eyes, and when she looked at Anna, she managed to draw a little smile. Suddenly, she felt no pain, she felt no fear, because her sister's hair was finally red again, and her skin was pink instead of sickly white. The ice in her heart was gone.

Elsa opened her mouth in order to say one last thing to her sister, but she soon found she couldn't, due to the blood on her throat, but also because of how weak she felt. She could barely stay conscious. So she just mouthed out the words, and Anna was still able to understand them without a problem.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." Anna sobbed.

Elsa nodded, satisfied, and closed her eyes, ready to accept death with open arms. Just before all strength abandoned her, however, she felt a pair of warm lips on her own, and knew she might not had had a happy life, but at least she'd had a happy death.

The Ice Queen had finally died, and only one person mourned her loss.

In Arendelle, the storm continued to rage on.

A/N: So... there's only the epilogue next now, and I will post it in only one week. And I know most of you wanted Elsa to live, but this is how I had planned to end the story since the beginning, even if it's very heartbreaking. Actually, especially because it's so heartbreaking.

Also, I made a drawing of one of the jail scene, so if you want to check it out at my deviantart or Tumblr (Tania Hylian in both sites), I'd really apreciate it.

Anyways, thanks for reading, please leave a review, and see you next week :)

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.