Author Notes: This story contains themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If femslash or the thought of two consenting adults engaging in a relationship that is considered taboo in the real world offends you, then this story is not for you. I welcome reviews and critiques, but the world already has enough hate, so please keep your flames to yourself. There are many other wonderful stories on this site, and I won't be offended if you choose one of them instead. Standard Disclaimer: I don't make claims on any Disney trademarks/copyrights and mean no infringement on them or anybody else.

Chapter 5.

The late summer air still felt warm, and Kristoff Bjorgman rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as he started down the castle's front stairs. He was a little confused and more than a little concerned about what just transpired between him and Arendelle's royal sisters. "Well, that could've been slightly more of a disaster." Kristoff felt a headache coming on and that headache's name was Elsa. "How do I get in her good graces?" He spoke to the air; Sven might have an insight or two once he'd reached the stables, but for now he was alone. "At this rate, she's going to turn me into my own product and sell me to the Southern Isles."

His plan was simple; see Anna, invite Anna to ride to the valley, hug Anna, go home. He'd gotten all the steps finished, but that bit in the middle didn't go at all as planned. Nerves got the best of him, and Anna's reactions made him worry he might have gone overboard with the enthusiasm.

It was obvious she didn't want to go. He expected her to be a little shy about what happened, but she was downright embarrassed and he ended up practically begging her to come. Even then she was hesitant.

She must be worried Elsa's going to find out we kissed, the way she tried to get me to leave. Did she like it that much? Kristoff groaned. "What made me lie, though?" The words unexpectedly rolled off his tongue when it seemed Anna was too shy to say it herself. He tried to correct his mistake but Anna cut him off and he never had the chance.

It wasn't so much a lie as an exaggeration. He liked the kiss; Anna's lips were warm and soft, and she tasted faintly like chocolate, mixed with something definitely feminine. Even so, to say he loved it was a lie, and a big one. It made him all the more eager to get her out of the castle where they could talk without worrying that Elsa might come around the corner at any moment.

I wonder if she was afraid that if she went with me, Elsa would figure out what happened. "She'll find out, anyway. Anna should tell her before someone else does."

"Tell Anna what?" The voice came from near his waist. "Did she say yes?"

Kristoff nodded. "She did. I told you to keep an eye on Sven, Olaf."

The snowman made a gesture of dismissal. "He fell asleep. I was happy because he talks a lot."

"Yeah, sometimes he gets going like Anna, doesn't he?" The blond glanced up at the last fading red and yellow lights of day. "I think she really liked me kissing her, but she was too embarrassed to talk about it. That's gonna make things harder tomorrow."

Olaf shrugged. "Didn't you make a plan? You make a lot of plans. Do I need a plan?"

"No, Olaf, you don't. You'd forget it, anyway."

"Forget what?"

Kristoff chuckled as he ducked under the overhang of the stable roof and started toward Sven's stall. He'd be cranky when Kristoff woke him up, but he had to come home to hook up the sleigh in the morning. As expected, the reindeer was asleep in the unusual position he seemed to find most comfortable; hind legs sticking up in the air, and forelegs folded under his head.

"What a weirdo. Come on Sven, time to go." The reindeer rolled over and snorted. "Let's go, sleepyhead. You'll be more comfortable at home, anyway."

"Lemme sleep," Sven replied, though the voice sounded suspiciously like that of the only human present.

Kristoff sighed. "You won't get your snack. They're fresh, too."

The reindeer stood up, shaking his head. "Carrots are good."

"Aren't they? I love mine, it's so perfect. You like it too, right?" Olaf jumped back as Sven's teeth came close to removing his nose. "No, no, no. You can't have it; there are more at home."

Sven shook his head and whinnied, his version of laughter. He'd taken to teasing the snowman about the carrot he had for a nose, and Kristoff generally found it amusing, but tonight he only clucked his tongue and took Sven's muzzle, sliding the bridle into place.

Finished with the tack, Kristoff took the reins and tugged. "Let's go."

After they passed through the gates Olaf spoke again. "Did she say yes?"

"I already told you she did," Kristoff replied, used to answering the same question from Olaf several times. "At first she didn't want to. I suppose it might be she didn't like me kissing her, but she'd have told me that then. Or tomorrow would be perfect since we'll be alone. I mean, I'm gonna talk about it, so she shouldn't be embarrassed to. It would've probably been easier if Elsa hadn't shown up."

It would have been easier if he hadn't compounded his original lie by calling their relationship official. That was an even bigger blunder than the first, though he only said it hoping Anna would balk at the upgrade. She didn't, and he dug himself an even deeper hole.

"Oh, Elsa. She's in love with Anna, isn't she?"

Kristoff chuckled. "Not in love, Olaf. They're sisters; that's different. But, yeah, Elsa loves Anna."

Olaf rubbed his chin. "But Anna loves you. Does she love Elsa too? Isn't that wrong?"

"Different things," Kristoff replied. "Though, I think they're closer than most sisters are." He remembered the way Elsa looked at Anna; it wasn't the way one sister normally looked at another, at least among his own sisters. "Elsa's really attached to Anna, anyway." He rubbed the back of his neck. Really attached.

"They're in love," Sven said, snorting and tossing his head. "It's obvious unless you're an idiot."

Olaf laughed. "I bet Anna got worried when Elsa came in, huh?"

The tall blond shrugged. "There's something between them, but I doubt Anna sees it. She wouldn't spend so much time with me if she did. Elsa's definitely jealous, though."

"She'll freeze you if you make her mad," Sven commented.

"Did you make Elsa mad?" Olaf looked up at him. "I don't want Elsa to be mad. She's scary when she's mad."

Kristoff blew out his breath. "She got really upset when I asked her to come, but I'm pretty sure it's only because she didn't want to see me and Anna being all lovey. Not that that's going to happen."

Sven grunted. "She hates you."

"She's only looking out for Anna," Kristoff returned. "That's what family does. It doesn't mean she hates me, right?" Sometimes he wasn't so sure Elsa didn't hate him, but usually the Queen was pleasant. She even tried to tease him on occasion though she wasn't very good at it.

Then he remembered the look on Elsa's face when Anna told her his family wanted to meet her. It went beyond not wanting a ride; she was angry about something, and it involved the trolls. She's never met them, has she? A memory tickled his mind; the sound of thundering hooves. He'd followed them and found the trolls, but there was more; something to do with a curse and … the rest eluded him.

Whatever Elsa disliked about the valley, she very obviously had no intentions of ever going there. It hurt him a bit that she would have such animosity toward his family, but he'd learned that with the Queen, it was best not to ask about things that made her emotional.

I wonder if she was teasing, asking about me and Anna getting married. I hope so—she didn't look like she was teasing, though. That's an expression I'd rather not see again. If she's that concerned about it I've got to be really clear with Anna tomorrow. Can't have Elsa worrying I might propose right away—or at all.

"What if she still expects me to?" Kristoff sensed that Elsa only partially believed him when he said he didn't plan to ask Anna to marry. The look she gave her sister when he denied the intention was definitely possessive—as if she wanted to lay claim to Anna completely, and not just as family. If she still thought he might propose, he could be in serious trouble. The idea of having the Queen of Arendelle mad at him made his blood run cold. If she got very angry, it would be more than his blood that caught a chill.

"To do what?" Olaf looked expectantly at him.

Kristoff blushed and looked away. "Nothing; it might not matter anyway, so I can't worry about it right now."

Only two months had passed since he met Anna, but they quickly became close, and he enjoyed her company greatly. He wouldn't mind keeping that closeness forever, but he doubted it would bloom into a marriage proposal. Given how much Anna seemed to love him, though, he didn't want her sister worrying about a quick engagement—or Anna to expect one.

If he didn't know how ridiculous it was, he'd think Elsa was in love with Anna, especially after the little confrontation he'd just been through. It was hard not to notice the way Anna looked back sometimes, too—even tonight, gazing at Elsa with unabashed adoration…. "That really is idiotic. Those two wouldn't go that far."

"Who wouldn't go that far?" Olaf seemed confused.

Kristoff laughed. "Anna and Elsa."

"Go how far for what?" The snowman looked intently at him.

"They wouldn't—" realizing that Olaf wasn't able to keep anything to himself, he stopped and grinned. "Nah, it's nothing. Anna's in love with me so it doesn't matter."

Sven grunted. "Idiot."

"That's right," Olaf added. "Doesn't Anna want to marry you? Geez, you're so forgetful sometimes."

"I never said that was a fact," Kristoff grumbled. "Why would she want to? I mean, sure Anna loves me, and sure we'd be happy enough together, but I'm a commoner and a…."

Half-breed, half-breed, nothing but a bastard. The taunts he endured in childhood still haunted him. They were right, but it hurt to hear it over and over again. When his adopted father forgot him that night at the lake, he decided to not go back. Whether he found the trolls by accident or fate didn't matter; they welcomed him and loved him, and he loved them back. To him, they were his real family—they'd never abandon him, or make fun of him. I guess it's like that for Elsa and Anna, too. Elsa just isn't good at showing it.

"Do you want to get married?" Olaf grinned. "Anna's nice; I like her."

Kristoff looked away and colored slightly. "Well … I don't know. Anna is nice, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that." He sighed. "I'm not ready for that at all." Anna's sister aside, things changed for him when they kissed.

Kristoff knew little about kissing. He knew little about girls in general; other than Anna, the only women he interacted with were those on his customer list. Even so, he could tell that the princess was a very good kisser. So he didn't hate it, he simply didn't love it the way he expected he would.

He expected to hear trumpets and angels singing, but all he heard was Sven laughing. He expected to want to kiss again, and again. Instead, he found himself trying to find an excuse not to repeat the experience. His expectations for the future didn't shatter; they simply faded away into the realization that what he felt wasn't love after all.

It's not the same as hers, anyway. Maybe I just don't understand; is it different for guys? Are guys supposed to hear angels singing? That does sound a little … weird. I like being with her, I like holding hands with her and hugging is really nice, but…. Aren't I supposed to want to … even if we shouldn't do that until after the wedding?

They reached the town square, and he paused, looking over to where he and Anna stood that afternoon. If Anna thought nobody would mention seeing them kiss to the Queen, she was delusional. He was in a race against time to talk to her before her sister did find out what happened.

"I probably shouldn't have been so insistent." Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck. "I could've gone alone and talked to Grand Pabbie first." It wasn't advice he'd ever expected to need, but then he'd never expected to have a princess fall in love with him, either

He'd never asked what it should feel like to be in love; even if his family were experts, talking about himself—especially about that—was too embarrassing. Now he faced having not just a girl, but the Queen of Arendelle's little sister, in love with him and he was completely lost.

"Talked about what?" Olaf still looked at him with a curious expression.

"Telling Anna I want to … I dunno what I want to do, actually."

"Is it because Elsa's in love with her?"

Kristoff shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Elsa isn't in love with Anna, Olaf. Drop that, will you? Her feelings have nothing to do with this, anyway." Probably. If she is, then I'm….

"You'll end up frozen you if you make Anna cry." Sven nudged him.

"No, I won't! At least … I don't think Elsa would freeze me." He knew parents could be protective, but the ability to freeze him and the rest of Arendelle on a whim went slightly beyond grabbing a bow. If he didn't have things straightened out with Anna before Elsa found out about that kiss, he'd have bigger problems than outrunning an arrow, too.

It confused him to be so conflicted about something so simple. He did love Anna. He loved her a lot. Was he in love, that was the question, and one he couldn't answer. He wanted to always have her in his life, but was that enough of a reason to marry? He got aroused when she cuddled next to him on the sleigh, but the temptation to act on it was easily controlled. Would he be able to do the kinds of things a husband should with her?

When he looked at Anna like that it seemed … wrong, somehow. He loved her, but he got the feeling he wasn't meant to be with her with forever. That feeling went beyond the difference in their stations, beyond the closeness they'd developed, beyond Elsa's obvious … possessiveness? "Nah, Elsa may be a little too attached to her, but she'd never seriously try to stop her from being with the lucky guy who steals her heart."

Sven snorted. "Isn't that you?"

"Is it?" He'd been so focused he hadn't paid attention to how Anna reacted to his suggestion about handling his family's obsession with marrying them. "Does she not want me to propose? Was it too soon for her, too?" he murmured. "Maybe she's not as in love as I thought."

Another snort sounded in his ear, and Sven nudged him hard, leaving a smear of drool across the side of his head. "She isn't."

Olaf trotted ahead of them. "But Anna is coming tomorrow, isn't she?"

"She's coming. I just hope I don't fall on my face with this."

"With what?"

"We're going to talk about some things, and I don't want to sound like an idiot. That's all." Kristoff kept his voice even but inside he was far from calm. He didn't know if Elsa would be happy to find out he wanted to slow things down with her sister, or if she'd be furious that he made Anna cry—if Anna did cry. She'll cry, but hopefully not much.

Oh, no, what if I made her think I want to talk about getting married? Kristoff stopped at the edge of the square and groaned. "I really did overdo it, didn't I?" Sven's grunt reinforced the realization.

At the time, all he worried about was convincing Anna to ride with him; it never occurred to him how she might interpret his insistence. Is that the reason she didn't want to come? Is she worried about Elsa, too? Or is she not ready either?

"Overdo what?"

Getting irritated with his diminutive companion's eternal curiosity, Kristoff just growled and started walking again.

I don't want to get married yet, but I do love her. Am I in love with her? Is she in love with me—or am I in the way of someone else? Whatever I do, Anna comes first; whatever I do…. He looked again at the sky, sighing. A fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Bjorgman. Let's hope you get out without being banished or turned into a block of ice.

In the parlor, an uncomfortable silence followed the ice cutter's departure; the ticking of the clock on the mantle counted time as the seconds passed. Anna started to speak once but thought better of it when she saw the look on Elsa's face. It was one of annoyance she didn't quite know how to respond to; she couldn't tell if Elsa was annoyed with Kristoff or with herself.

Probably both. She came in ready to fight about that marriage thing and Kristoff shoved his foot in his mouth every time he opened it. Maybe she's embarrassed about how mad she got when he asked her to come with us. I wonder why she did? His family's great … other than trying to marry us every time we're there. She must've heard us talking about it; is that the reason?

"I'm sorry he showed up so late," she murmured when the silence grew too long.

"Was he pressuring you to go with him?" Elsa felt surprisingly calm being alone in Anna's presence, given her certainty that such an event would be disastrous. "He didn't actually propose, did he?"

The way Elsa's voice wavered surprised Anna; in fact, the entire exchange surprised her. Elsa's mood bounced all over the place; one moment she was the warm sister Anna loved, and seconds later the stiff, distant woman she'd been for the last ten days.

Elsa seemed to be fighting an inner battle about how she close she should be with Anna. When Anna looked back, her sister had been struggling the same way for some time, and distance appeared to be winning. Kristoff had something to do with it, but Anna had no idea how.

It's one thing to not like me spending so much time with him, but she looked almost scary talking about marriage. Being jealous doesn't explain why she's avoiding me, either. It should make her want to spend more time with me, not less.

"No, he didn't propose." She spoke quietly, unsure how she should answer the first question. "I honestly didn't know if there was something I had to do tomorrow, so he wasn't pressuring me. He really wanted me to go, and I wasn't sure if I felt like riding that long, that's all."

Elsa sensed that Anna wasn't telling the whole truth, but she was desperate to lighten the mood and didn't press the matter. Instead, she smiled, wanting both to change the topic and to praise her sister for a likely once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. "I'm shocked you came down so early. You even beat me."

A broad grin spread across Anna's face. "My mission was successful, then." The smile dimmed. "At least part of it; I'd hoped to spend the extra time with you, but Kristoff showed up."

Elsa drew in a deep breath. "I would have liked that." Gesturing toward the door she continued in an apologetic voice, "I'm sorry about just now. I was trying to put him at ease, and I failed miserably. Not that I mind you going; I was … I shouldn't worry. He adores you too much to let anything happen to you. You couldn't have a better guard."

Blinking several times, Anna tried to put together a coherent response. Minutes earlier, her sister looked as if she wanted to banish Kristoff to somewhere he'd never get back from. For her to apologize now—and even praise him—was something she didn't expect from the Elsa she'd seen for the last two weeks.

"I know you were trying, Elsa. You're just … I don't think he could tell you weren't being serious. Usually, he gets it when you're kidding, but ... I guess he was preoccupied today or something, and … well, sometimes you try too hard and it shows. Just smiling is enough."

"You're right." Elsa frowned. She wished desperately to be as free as her sister when she spoke to others, but every time she tried, it seemed to make things worse instead. "I should know better than to try to be funny around him. Are you mad at me?"

Anna shook her head. "How could I be mad at you? I'd hold off on the teasing for a while, though; you make him nervous even when he gets it. You are the Queen after all." If he's around after I tell him.

"That's the last thing I want." Elsa stared at the ceiling. "You're in love with him, and he adores you; I'd be a terrible sister for trying to come between you." She wondered if her tongue was bleeding from forcing herself to lie. More than anything, she wanted to come between them; she wanted Anna to herself, the ice cutter be damned. She's not yours, she won't be yours, and she can't be yours, Elsa. It's wrong on every level. "I simply don't want to see you hurt. Being in love is painful sometimes."

"I'm not in—" Anna turned red. Elsa looked at her curiously, and she managed a weak laugh. "He's a great guy, he really is. I'm just more interested in getting to know you again than in getting married right now." What does she mean love is painful? Well, I love her and it hurts being ignored, so … "I guess not being important enough to talk to is pretty painful." The color drained from her face when she realized she'd spoken aloud. "Elsa, I didn't mean—"

Elsa fought to control her embarrassment as the temperature dropped. She couldn't take offense at the statement, even if it was blunt; it revealed how unhappy her sister really was. "I truly am sorry that I haven't been able to spend more time with you, Anna. It isn't that you aren't important, it really isn't. I simply haven't had a break."

"More like you've been avoiding me." Anna blew out her breath. The temperature dropped again. "That's how I feel, Elsa. You may not like to hear it, but you're hurting my feelings; a lot."

"That's something we can discuss later." Elsa's voice came out more stiffly that she'd intended. She wasn't ready to discuss it; she needed more time to find the right words and being put on the spot made her even more uncomfortable. If she didn't postpone the matter for now, she would likely end up in tears, and with tears came snow. "It certainly isn't a topic for the front parlor."

Anna got angry. "That's exactly what I mean!" She didn't care that the temperature was still dropping. "You've been saying we'll talk later for two weeks now. If I've pissed you off, tell me why instead of shutting me out."

"ANNA!" Elsa looked around when she realized how loud her voice was and tried to pull her magic back inside before it grew any stronger. Don't feel. Don't let your emotions show now, not now. Not tonight. I have to end this before anyone else sees. In a whisper, she continued, "Don't speak like that in public! We will talk, I promise."

"When?" Anna crossed her arms angrily, not lowering her voice in the least. "Tomorrow? Next week? The fourth of never?"

It started to snow. Elsa knew her sister felt ignored; she'd known it for a week, but the fear of Anna discovering her secret drowned out the voice of her conscience. Avoiding, ignoring… No matter what word she used, the result was Anna looking miserable and alone. I've been too preoccupied to see what I was doing to her. How could I hurt her only to protect myself?

"We have to go, Anna. I promised we would talk, and we will." Elsa gritted her teeth and forced the snow to stop. She'd wanted it to be a surprise for after dinner, but she knew if she didn't say something now Anna would be too angry later to care. "I asked Bridgette to arrange my work so we could have tea tonight. We'll talk then." She hoped she sounded calmer than she felt. If she'd made Anna that angry… What if it's too late?

At first, Anna thought Elsa might be trying to put her off again, that there'd be some excuse later why she wouldn't make it. She'd never lie about something like that. Did she really take what I said this afternoon to heart? Does it really matter? "Are you serious?" Elsa nodded, and Anna squealed and leaped at her, sweeping her into a tight hug. The momentum knocked the Queen off balance and propelled them both through the doorway and into the hall.

"I'm so happy! I can't wait—it'll be so fun! There'll be tarts, right? Tarts are so good with tea. Ooh, and truffles? Oh, right, I already mentioned that this afternoon. Chocolate cake would be yummy. We could wrestle for the last piece; I won't try to strip you this time—wait, what?" She stopped and looked embarrassed. "That didn't come out right."

A deep cough from behind them startled her. She let go of her sister and slowly turned around to face Lord Fritzen, whose expression showed extreme irritation.

"I should hope it didn't," he growled at her. "It's hardly appropriate to discuss stripping a grown woman—the Queen of Arendelle!—in the main hallway, Your Highness. It is certainly not proper to say such a thing when you are also assaulting her, don't you agree?"

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded! And I was only giving her a hug." Anna fought against showing her embarrassment.

"With respect, Ma'am, suggesting that you are in the habit of forcibly removing your sister's clothing would be shocking enough to a visitor. To do so while wrapped around her as you were might even be construed to mean your relationship is inappropriately close."

Despite her desire to go off about the suggestion, Anna tried to remember she was in the hallway, and spoke as calmly as possible. "It was a simple hug, and your suggestion is ridiculous, My Lord." Just like thinking about being Elsa's lover was a while ago. We don't really look like that, do we?

Lord Fritzen snorted. "A simple hug does not almost knock someone down, Ma'am." The man's face darkened. "I can only hope your words don't indicate what does happen in private." His tone came close to insulting, but as Anna was about to point that out, the man bowed shortly to Elsa. "I apologize for speaking so directly, Your Majesty, but I trust you see my concern."

Anna clenched her jaw. She liked Lord Fritzen about as much as she liked that bastard Hans, which said something considering she'd wanted Elsa to freeze that jackass and ship him back to the Southern Isles as an iceberg. Elsa was also afraid of him which made Anna like the man even less. Her sister was still nervous around others, especially the Council, but he was different; something happened between them in the past that made for a distinct temperature drop when she was near him.

"She was speaking of something from our childhood, My Lord." Elsa felt irritated both with her sister and him. Anna had trouble controlling her mouth to start with, and it got worse around the man standing in front of them. Even so, it did seem strange for him to assign such importance to something so simple. He hasn't noticed anything, has he? Dear Freya, please, no. "Though frankly, while Anna shouldn't mention such things, what I do in private is none of your concern." She fought the blush that reddened her face and the snow threatening to return in force.

Before the accident, she and Anna often tussled over the last piece of chocolate, be it truffles or cakes. Elsa was significantly larger, so her sister devised the trick of pulling Elsa's nightgown over her head so she had to fight her way out of it. By the time that happened, whatever they'd been arguing over was in Anna's stomach. The memory was sweet, but the image of it happening now made her sweat.

Lord Fritzen frowned more deeply and studied her for a long moment before grunting and bowing again. "My apologies for overstepping my role, Ma'am. It is not my place to correct Princess Anna or to intrude into your personal life."

"It sure isn't!" Anna nodded emphatically. "Try to remember that next time."

"There won't be a next time." Elsa knew her sister would say something else that they would both regret and moved to end the conversation. "I understand your concern and thank you for your observations." She smiled gently. "I'm certain Anna also appreciates your position, don't you, Anna?"

Recognizing that Elsa's calm expression meant she expected an equally calm response, Anna assumed a regal stance and nodded. "Indeed, I do. Thank you, Lord Fritzen, for your opinion; asked for or not."

"Anna!" Anna looked at her innocently, and Elsa wished for a moment that she could drag her sister back into the parlor and have a long, not-quite-nice talk about social decorum. She didn't know why she felt such a sense of panic around the man before her; the reason hid in the mists of her childhood. Her fear existed very much in the present, however, and she'd do almost anything to keep him from growing any angrier.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Your Majesty." The older man ignored the barb. "You should already be in the sitting room." He turned to Anna with a darker expression. "I assume something you did is responsible for the delay?"

Anna pursed her lips and tried to be civil. "There's no law that says the Queen has to appear early; what's wrong with not doing it once in a while?"

The older man narrowed his gaze. "Don't you think our guests will take her late appearance as a comment on her opinion of them?"

"We are still ten minutes early, My Lord." Elsa spoke quickly. His mood seemed slightly improved, and she wanted to keep it that way. "Our guests already have their opinions about me, which they communicated quite clearly this afternoon. I think it more likely they're relieved to be without my company for as long as possible."

"She was talking to a guest," Anna added. "It's not like she was wandering around aimlessly."

Lord Fritzen made a noise of disgust. "The ice cutter shouldn't take precedence over representatives of our allies, don't you agree? He is here far too often that a discussion couldn't wait."

"Just because he's a close friend doesn't—"

Elsa interrupted her sister. "It needed attending to tonight." She tried to maintain the regal coolness she'd managed to find. "Now, I believe we should consider the matter settled, or we will be late."

The Lord stared at her for longer than anyone should at their monarch; Anna, sensing Elsa was struggling to remain calm, grabbed her hand and started walking. Elsa went willingly, and Fritzen, after standing in place for a few seconds longer, finally followed.

"He's a bully," Anna said under her breath as she towed her sister down the hall. She glanced back, saw Elsa's frustrated expression and repeated the words slightly louder. "I wonder if he ever has something positive to say."

Elsa knew that if she yanked her hand away Anna would get needlessly upset. Every moment of contact made her heart pound harder, however, so she withdrew it gently and kept a neutral expression as they turned the corner toward the dining room.

"It won't be about you dragging the Queen around." The corridor bustled with people, both servants, and guests. They were lucky not to have been overheard in the front hall; there were far too many people around now to let the redhead keep going. "Anna, please don't make a scene about it. These men may hate me, but they don't hate Arendelle, and we need to show them that Arendelle remains vital to them and their trade. Going off over a simple comment won't look good."

"It wasn't a simple comment." Anna was still irritated. "He has no right to correct you, anyway. It was just a hug." Though hugging her was soooo much better than hugging Kristoff—soft and warm and peaceful. That's how a hug should feel. That's how hugging Kristoff should feel. I should want to pull him closer, not push him away. Why can't I feel the same thing with him I do with Elsa?

"It's his job to correct me." Elsa drew in her breath and let it out heavily. "I hate it, you hate it, but his job is to train me, Anna. I may be able to bluff my way through a meeting, but I know as little about the world outside the gates as you do—probably less. The ability to place a country on a map and list important facts about it doesn't mean I won't make a horrible blunder when I'm face-to-face with someone. You can only learn so much through an oak door."

Anna swallowed hard, hearing Elsa's voice crack. They rarely discussed it, and never at any length, but she sensed Elsa was as unhappy behind the closed door as Anna herself was on the other side of it. She didn't want to upset her sister even further right before dinner, though, so she smiled brightly and bumped Elsa's shoulder again.

"I wonder if the kitchen has any lemons. Wouldn't a lemon pie be perfect for the weather?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Elsa was more than willing to be distracted. "You're the one who keeps tabs on the sweets. I've gotten enough complaints about you stealing desserts to suggest you know exactly what the kitchen has."

Anna couldn't decide if her sister was joking with her. She really is lousy at humor today. "No lemon pie then, I guess. Marta cut the last ones up for tea this morning."

Elsa stifled a snicker, though Anna heard the noise, as she turned and smiled mischievously. Returning the smile with a slight one of her own, she made sure her voice was soft. "There are things you can't protect me from, Anna. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate that you try."

"You protect me from a lot more." Anna glanced over her shoulder to find Lord Fritzen walking close enough behind them he might be able to overhear what they were saying. "It's my job to protect you from bullies." From the scowl, she was fairly sure he had, which was her intention.

"You're a brat." Elsa leaned closer so she wouldn't be heard. "Stop poking the bear, too." She realized a moment later she and Anna were rubbing shoulders and quickly stepped back. That wasn't so bad, actually; not in the parlor, either. I survived that hug, too…. Maybe avoiding her wasn't the right thing to do. Though holding her hand was … hard.

They reached the doorway of the sitting room before Anna was able to come up with a witty response, so instead she took Elsa's hand again, giving it a quick squeeze before putting on her most welcoming smile and going inside.

Elsa stood there for a moment, only partially to give those already assembled time to stand up and face her. Mostly, it was to still her heart, which started thudding again when Anna took her hand. Avoiding, probably a mistake. Touching … that's still debatable. When Lord Fritzen coughed, she drew in a deep breath, tried to smile, and joined her sister.

Anna glanced at her as she greeted the guests, wondering at the expression she'd seen fleetingly when Elsa looked at her from the doorway. There was a visible ache on her face, one that Anna couldn't decipher. I'll ask at tea. There's so much to talk about we might be up all night.

With a chuckle at the idea of sitting until dawn eating sweets with the Queen of Arendelle, Anna took a seat next to the envoy from Grottony and his wife. After first apologizing for her accent, she struck up a conversation in their native tongue. She'd disliked her foreign language lessons growing up, but she'd listened and now spoke both passable Grotton and Farsish. Elsa said this was an important dinner, and Anna would to do everything she could to help out.

When the envoy asked about her favorite foods from his country, she happily started listing them, tea fading to the back of her mind. She didn't like to act as one, but she was a princess, and if it made Elsa smile more easily, she would be the best princess their guests had ever seen.

Author Afternotes: I hope to have another chapter posted next weekend, and possibly one more by the end of the month. Years of typing have caught up with me, and I will be going in for surgery the first part of September. It will be a few weeks before I can type again, so there will likely be another gap in posts. I'll do my best to leave you with enough to chew on before then.

The girls' relationship is starting to heat up, but it's going to be angsty for a while longer. That doesn't mean there won't be an occasional flare-up; in fact, the next chapter will earn the M rating, so stay tuned!