Ingrid's feet tap-tapped as she descended the stone steps of the room behind the wine cellar wall. She had mulled over her confession to Elsa. She had spoken to the kindly old pastor that Elsa had recommended. They had a good long talk that left her feeling somewhat better, and he directed her to the story of Jael the wife of Heber. It wasn't until later that she'd learned the man with the soft hands and gentle manner was actually the head of the Lutheran Church of Arendelle. But she wanted another perspective, from someone she could trust to be discreet, so she had come down to talk with Frida.

As she came around to the front of the ice mirror, she was surprised to see that the figure inside was curled up on the floor. And also that her short, spiky hair was now long and flowing. The figure looked up at her with eyes that were a beautiful blue, not blank and crystal patterned.

"Ingrid! How did you get here? What are you doing here?"

Ingrid hesitated. "The same as before; I pulled the cabinet away from the wall. I had come to talk. Is something the matter?"

"You knew about this place? You've been here before?"

Ingrid nodded. "Is that bad?"

She sprang to her feet, pressing against the inside of the mirror and gazing gratefully at Ingrid. "It doesn't matter. You're here now, and you can get me out." Ingrid paused and took half a step back. "No, you don't understand. There's someone out there who looks and sounds exactly like me, who wants to sit on the throne. Who has trapped me in here. I need to get out of here." Ingrid hesitated. "Ingrid. Look at me. Please. Do you know me? Don't you know who I am?"

Ingrid's brow furrowed. "Frida? You look different. More like her."

She stood straighter, and in a bitter, tired voice said, "My name is not Frida."

Ingrid turned away slightly, looked at her askance. "But...if you were Frida...and you wanted to..."

"Ingrid. Please. I would never lie to you."

Ingrid took another half-step back, shaking her head in dismay and confusion.

Inside the mirror she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Of course. She and I look and sound identical. How could you possibly tell who is who? No, don't blame yourself. You would have no way to tell. I understand." She paused, hand to chin. "I know! I could tell you something intimate, something no one else knows." She smiled, head down, looking up at Ingrid through her lashes. "Like where you've put your fingers, and when."

Ingrid covered her face with her hands for a moment, then dropped them to expose the thoughtful look that had replaced her blush. "Begging your pardon, but that wouldn't work. She's your reflection. She knows what you know." Her statement was met with a thoughtful nod. "Or, that is, you know what she knows. If you..."

"No, that's all right. I understand. Take the time you need. When you're sure, come back here. Please?"

Ingrid was flustered by Elsa saying "Please" to her. If that was Elsa, of course. "But I thought you were in a hurry."

She leaned a palm against the inside of the mirror. "I...can't put that kind of pressure on you. I can't rush you. You want to be certain, which is...right. You're prudent. You're very wise, Ingrid. More than you give yourself credit for. It's all right." Her hand dropped as she clasped them in front of herself. "All I ask is that when you're confident, you come back here as soon as you can. Which you would do in any event, of course. You're a good girl, Ingrid. A very good girl."

Ingrid took a moment, then stepped up to the cold, smooth surface. "If I were to release you, how would it work?"

Elsa sat in her inner bedroom in a comfortable armchair, with a book in her lap. Strictly speaking the book was in Anna's lap, and Anna was sitting in her lap,\ cross-ways, back against one arm, legs dangling over the other, and one arm around her sister's neck. The idea was that Elsa would read to her, but Anna kept interrupting with silly comments about the book or goofy expressions, so the small volume sat forgotten.

"You're hair is so beautiful, Elsa," said Anna, taking up the end of Elsa's braid and brushing it against her lips.

"Well don't go chewing on it," said Elsa with a warm smile. "Besides, I like yours better."

"Mine? Don't you know what they say about redheads?"

"No. I do not," said Elsa, her lips firm but her eyes glinting merrily.

"That's because they don't dare say it in front of you." Anna tickled Elsa's nose with her own braid, making Elsa shake her head and foof away at the sensation.

"Brat."

"Present!" replied Anna cheerfully, making Elsa chuckle.

"Anyway, I do like your hair better. Mine makes me think of..." The smile left her cheeks as the sparkle left her eyes. She thought about when Anna's hair was as white as hers.

"Hey!" said Anna, jostling in her lap. "So why'd you decide to read to me tonight?" She picked up the book and set it on the table behind her, twisting her arm awkwardly. "Or try to, anyway?"

"I was thinking about when we were little. How close we were."

"How close we are, right?"

Elsa beamed. "Yes. How close we are." She touched her forehead to Anna's. "I missed you so much, and for so long." She sat back again. "And sometimes I think about how much I missed you." Feeling Anna stir herself, Elsa quickly added, "It's okay."

Anna looked at her appraisingly. "You know, it is okay. It's okay to remember, because it makes us really appreciate what we've got. Like I've got you." She started to tickle her big sister until Elsa grabbed her wrists firmly. She giggled, then rested her head against Elsa's shoulder. "I love this. I love you."

Elsa leaned her head against Anna's. "And I love you too." She bounced her leg up and down, gently joggling Anna. "Sometimes I can't believe how you managed to keep on loving me even when I shut you out for years, and you were so lonely. People think I have powerful magic, but your love makes it look like nothing. I can't imagine how you kept loving me. I can't imagine how anyone could love someone like me."

"Hey, that's crazy talk! I always knew, even when I –" She remembered their confrontation after the Coronation, the crisis after Elsa kissed her the first time. "–I always knew that as much as you hurt me, shut me out, as frustrated and lonely as I was–" She saw the stricken look in Elsa's eyes and squeezed her hand. "I knew it had to be just as bad for you. Or worse. Because I knew that even if you hurt me, you would never hurt me." She smiled awkwardly. "If you know what I mean."

"I do." Elsa squeezed her hand back, and they sat curled up for a while.

Anna sat up as best she could. "You know who else could love someone like you? Ingrid."

Elsa blinked. "Wait, what?"

Anna gripped the arms of the chair and hoisted herself up. She stood with her arms at her side, then tried fists on her hips, then dropped her arms again. "I think you should choose Ingrid."

Elsa tilted her head. "What brought this on?"

"I've been thinking. And I know it's hard for you, what with Ingrid and me and...stuff. And I love you, and she loves you, and I think you should choose Ingrid." She exhaled. "There."

"Anna?"

She leaned forward and put her hands on Elsa's. "I love you. You know I do. And I love being with you, and cuddling and all that. And I never want to lose you again." She stood up again. "But you should choose Ingrid."

"Anna, is something the matter?"

"No! Of course not. It's just that she's totally devoted to you, and she is pretty – did you notice she's been filling out a bit since we've been feeding her properly? – I mean not us personally, except for that one time, but that's beside the point – and she maybe never had proper tutors like we did, but she's super smart, and you get along really well, and since she's your amanuensis she has a perfect excuse to be around all the time, which is good. And she'll totally understand and not be jealous if we do stuff together, and we will do stuff together, lots of stuff, even if it's not bedroom stuff, because I will always be your sister and I will always love you. And she –" Anna took a deep breath. "–She's better at bedroom stuff than I am."

"Is that what this is about, Anna? You think I'm not happy with you? When we make love? Because nothing could be further from the truth. Were you not enjoying it? Or don't want to do it again? You know I would never dream of making you the least bit uncomfortable about that."

"No, I liked it fine. I liked it a lot, as a matter of fact. More than – well, that's not important. So. Ingrid."

Elsa leaned forward, waiting patiently and gently. "Is there anything else?" she said softly.

Anna almost quivered with tension, then blurted out, "She's not your sister."

"Oh." Elsa sat back. "It does disgust– It does bother you."

"No!" Anna wrung her hands. "Not like that, anyway."

"Like what," said Elsa flatly.

"When you're with me you're risking everything. Sure Ingrid's a commoner, but that sort of thing happens all the time. And anyway, this is Arendelle. People don't get as worked up about commoner-nobility stuff as they do in, uh, Weselton for instance. But your sister. If that got out, people would...do..." She shrugged. "I don't know what, but it wouldn't be good. No, it would be bad. Very bad." Anna sat on the floor next to the chair, laying her forearm on Elsa's lap. "And you love me so much, and I love you, but for me to put you at that kind of risk every time... It's selfish of me. It's wrong. I can't do that to you."

Elsa touched Anna's forearm. "You think this is something you are doing to me?"

"Kind of, yeah." She slid her arm down and put her head in Elsa's lap.

Elsa stroked her hair. "And this is what you want?"

"Mm-hmm."

"For me to be with Ingrid and not you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You're sure? You're absolutely sure?"

"Mmmm." Anna sighed. "No. I'm not sure. I'm not sure what I want. I want you to be with her, and I want you to be with me, and I want you to not be with anybody which is a cheap crappy thing to want, and I want our secret to never get out, and I want everyone to know. I don't know what I want. I don't know anything."

"This isn't something you know, Anna. This is something you feel."

"Good, 'cause I don't know what I feel either. Or I feel everything."

Elsa stroked her hair again. "It's all right. We'll figure it out somehow. And it doesn't have to be tonight."

Anna sighed again.

"Funny," mused Elsa. "A couple of days ago Ingrid gave me a speech that she was no good for me and I should be with you. Now you give me a speech that I should be with her. I wonder if you got the idea from the same place?" She felt Anna tense in her lap. "What is it? I didn't mean anything."

Anna jumped to her feet. "I have to go check on something. On Ingrid. To see if she got her idea from the same place." She dashed for the door, stopped halfway there, turned to say something, then changed her mind and bolted.