Chapter Text

"Why isn't she knocking? Do you think she knows how to knock?"

Anna raised her fist to knock, but something stopped her. She could still remember all those times when she had knocked on Elsa's door or begged her to open the door, but it had been in vain. Why would this time be any different? Actually, when Elsa's secret had been revealed, she had run away from her. At first she had run across the castle's courtyard and then across the fjord. If that didn't say, Stay away from me, then what did?

She sighed and lowered her fist. What's the use anyway?

But then she inhaled and let go of her negative thoughts. She hadn't come here to chicken out at the last step, oh no! She hadn't fought wolves and risked her life to walk away without even trying. She would knock on the front door of Elsa's ice palace, come hell or high water. Maybe she was just a spare, only next in line after Elsa, a little sister, but it was her sisterly duty to bring back Elsa one way or another. Especially when it was her fault that Elsa had run away in the first place.

Anna took a breath and knocked on the large ice door three times. When the door suddenly opened, she had to step back from amazement.

"Huh, it opened! That's a first."

As she looked inside, she could see a vast hall made of ice. Walls, pillars, arches, a stairway and even a fountain, they all were made of ice.

"Wow!"

The palace looked magnificent, but at the same time lonely, cold, and so... void of life.

Then she heard Olaf's voice and Kristoff's. They probably wanted to see the place as much as she did, but they would have to wait. This was a very delicate matter. She would have to meet Elsa alone, or her plan to bring her home could be ruined.

Anna turned around and said, "Oh. You should probably wait out there."

"What?"

"You see, the last time I introduced her to a guy, she froze everything. And I really don't want her to get agitated this time, so..."

"But, but... Oh, come on!"

Despite Kristoff's objections, Anna convinced the guys to wait outside even though they no doubt would have liked to admire the palace from inside.

"Elsa? It's me, Anna."

Anna's voice echoed in the hall, but she couldn't hear any answer.

Hmm, maybe she is upstairs.

Anna stepped on the bottom-most stair. Before she knew it, her leg slid to the side and she fell on her bum. Luckily, she was still on the ground level when it happened.

"Ow!"

Damn. I guess I should have known that the stairs made of ice are bound to be slippery.

Her winter clothes had absorbed some energy from the blow, but she still had to massage her aching bum.

Falling on her bottom was nothing new. She had been quite reckless as a kid when she had tried to entertain herself. Yeah, her motto could have been act first, think later.

She decided to try climbing up the stairs again, but this time she took a firm grip on the railing.

It had taken some time to get upstairs because she had to take one stair at a time, but she had done it.

Anna looked around. There were half a dozen of rooms. She looked at the first room. It was empty, no signs of her sister there. The second room looked like a bed chamber. She could see a bed made of ice, which was covered with fur. Anna wondered if the fur was enough to keep away the cold. She was about to call for Elsa when she reached the third room, but her breath halted by what she saw.

Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were as big as saucers. Also, a deep red blush began to creep up her cheeks. She had seen Elsa. Elsa was humming something, twirling around as if she was dancing by herself, and… naked?

Her prim and proper sister, the Queen of Arendelle, had said farewell to her clothes and was prancing around butt-naked? That idea seemed completely foreign to her. Anna was too astonished to think what she would make of the scene. She had never seen a naked female body – except her own, of course.

Well, there was that one time when I found a sex technique book in the royal library– ...Ahem, yeah, what I meant to say was it's different actually seeing a living person without clothes.

Especially when the person in question was her own sister. Something told her she shouldn't look at her like that. But how could she not admire her body when she could see all of her for the first time? Her slender legs, curvy hips, cute navel, perfectly-sized breasts, reddish lips, sapphire eyes, and waving hair.

She tried to look away, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from Elsa's body and her movements. Those movements didn't remind any of the dances Anna had danced during the coronation ball. They were free from the rules of any dance. Elsa was probably improvising them. Little by little Anna's shame and guilt disappeared and a small smile curved her lips. It was mesmerizing to watch how Elsa moved her beautiful body as she danced. It was... like some spirit, some wild-haired maenad, had taken over her and was forcing her to dance like there was no tomorrow.

But then an unpleasant idea occurred to her which washed away her happy thoughts. Elsa was dancing like this because she was free from any constraints: Arendelle, her royal crown and dress, and her own sister. Anna tried to argue with her mind, but her arguments were weak. In the end, she couldn't deny the facts. Elsa had literally abandoned everything. She was like a newborn in her current state of undress. She had left the old to flourish again, free in her palace, like a phoenix. It was a lonely place, but it probably suited her. She could tell it wasn't meant for visitors.

It wasn't meant for her.

Anna couldn't push aside these disheartening thoughts. She sniffed and finally softly murmured, "Elsa?"

It was a surprise that Elsa had heard her, but she stopped dancing and turned to look at Anna's direction.

"Anna?" Elsa's surprise could be read in her eyes, staring intensely at Anna.

Anna struggled past sorrow to find her voice. "I rode and walked almost nonstop to get here," she finally managed, and with those words, a torrent of feeling spilled forth. "You were never far from my mind. I often wondered what you would do alone in the woods. Would you be okay? Would you find enough food? Would you find shelter from weather and danger? I thought you felt lonely and miserable after all what happened at the ball. I wanted to find you and comfort you. I wanted to say that it's okay, I understand."

And in spite of herself, Anna found herself smiling. "When I finally saw you, I felt so relieved. Your dance, it looked so good, so wild, like you were driven by some kind of animal spirit."

It was with these words, however, that Anna remembered her earlier sad thoughts. Suddenly, her tone became bitterer.

"But I guess leaving your kingdom, your crown, and me behind didn't feel so bad to you because you are here stark naked and having the time of your life. In fact, maybe I'll go away so you can continue in peace. But before I go I have a few words for you, my dear sister. How dare you? How dare you leave everything behind and run away from me again, Elsa?" Anna exhaled and gave a sad, humorless laugh. "And do you know what the funniest thing is? Despite everything you did, I still love you more than anyone else in this world."

After another humorless laugh, she continued to attempt callous sarcasm – even as she struggled to push back her tears. "Hah, funny, isn't it? So hilarious. But I'm not letting you off the hook, Elsa. Not this time. I demand an explanation! I need–"

Anna's voice cracked. She looked at Elsa pleadingly and finished her sentence with tears in her eyes. "I need an explanation. Please, Elsa." Then she fell on her knees.

Elsa stood shocked. She hurried to Anna, knelt down, and put her arms around her as she pulled her against her chest.

"Anna, I'm so sorry for everything! I know how this may have looked like, but trust me, you were never far from my mind. I love you so much, Anna! I hate that I couldn't show you exactly how much earlier. But everything I did was for you. That you'd be safe from harm, safe from my powers."

"Really?" Anna said quietly in a teary voice. She hugged Elsa as if her life had depended on it.

Elsa stroked Anna's back and held her tightly. She had completely forgotten her nakedness in the midst of their very emotional meeting. "Yes, Anna, it's true."

She continued after she had made sure Anna believed her. "When I came here I realized I've never felt so free. As a queen there was a certain way how everybody expected me to behave. And it certainly was refreshing to get away from the judgmental people like Duke of Weselton and the others who thought of me as a monster. Here, where nobody can see me, I couldn't care less about their opinion. I am free to behave how I want and wear what I want, or nothing at all. So when the sun rose this morning and the whole place bathed in sunlight, I started feeling jolly. At first I was humming, then dancing."

Elsa kept a pause and continued with a sadder tone, "But even though I was in high spirits, I regretted that I couldn't take you with me. I would have wanted to show you what I can do. We could have built many snowmen together. But I was too afraid because of my powers. Please forgive me for leaving Arendelle, and leaving you behind, Anna. It broke my heart to see the devastation in your eyes."

Anna blinked away the tears that had appeared in her eyes during Elsa's talk. Then she raised her head to meet Elsa's gaze. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Elsa. I'm here now, and I think I can understand why you did what you did. And you're not a monster! Don't ever let anyone tell you so! On the contrary, your powers, they are beautiful. How could they be not when they created something as beautiful as this palace? In fact, Elsa... everything about you is beautiful."

Anna's words brought a huge, warm smile on Elsa's face. It was the warmest smile Anna had ever seen on her.

Elsa bowed her head, closed her eyes, and kissed Anna's forehead. A few tears dropped on Anna's left cheek. Tenderly, Elsa brought their foreheads together and whispered, "Thank you, Anna. You don't know how much those words of yours mean to me."

Anna enjoyed their intimate touch until Elsa pulled back. Elsa put her hand on Anna's cheek and used her thumb to wipe away the rest of Anna's tears and those that had fallen on her cheek. Anna covered Elsa's hand with her own and closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

"I'm always here for you, Elsa," Anna assured her, her eyes fluttering open. "I'm your sister and I love you."

"I love you too, Anna. You don't even know how much," Elsa replied.

Anna beamed and stared at her sister. When her sister looked at her like that, like she was the only thing that mattered and to hell with the rest, Anna's stomach flip-flopped. A small blush colored her cheeks. She felt almost dizzy under Elsa's gaze. That look told her all the things she had craved to hear from Elsa for so many years. "I think I have a pretty good idea," she said and hugged Elsa. This time she wouldn't let go of her when there was a chance that all her dreams could become fulfilled.

She had yearned for her sister's touch and affection for years and years, so when she finally could touch her and feel her touch, it was truly heavenly. Her heart had started beating faster. It was surprising but feeling Elsa's naked body against her own had made her tingle in all the wrong places. It felt like Elsa had started a small fire inside of her, and she didn't want it to die out.

Anna released Elsa and knelt right before her. She took Elsa's hands in her own and looked directly at her eyes.

"Elsa, I have a confession to make. I have read many – maybe too many – fairy-tales and romantic novels, and dreamed about meeting a valiant hero, prince, or such – my true love. Equally many times I have dreamed about my first kiss. How would it feel like? In the books it had always been mind-blowing. Of course, because it would be a kiss from my true love. For all these years I have wondered when and where I will meet my other half? I hoped it would happen at the coronation ball. No, I was sure it would happen there. And I wasn't wrong, I met a truly amazing person that day. That person has totally changed my world. We love each other so much."

Anna didn't continue. In the silence, Elsa sighed. "It's… It's Hans, isn't it?"

Elsa looked down and confessed, "Maybe I was too quick to refuse your marriage. Maybe it had been–"

But she couldn't finish her sentence because Anna had put two of her fingers against Elsa's lips, quieting her effectively. Elsa raised her head, blinked, and looked at Anna in bewilderment. A small blush made her cheeks pink.

Anna removed her fingers and returned holding Elsa's hands.

"You have mistaken, I'm not speaking about Hans. When I was searching for you, I had time to think about what everything that had happened meant. I came to one conclusion. For my whole life I have been looking for wrong kind of persons. You are the true hero here, Elsa. My heroine. You sacrificed everything for my safety. It's something so valiant that no hero, knight, or prince can do the same, I'm sure of it. I can't even imagine how much willpower it must have taken. It brings tears to my eyes if I even think about it."

Anna's eyes practically shone when she continued. "When I saw you here and especially when you held me, something clicked inside me and everything made sense. I don't want this beautiful moment to end, Elsa. I want to hold it and savor it as long as I can. I want to recall it again and again. I won't ever forget that thrill which I felt when you embraced me after so many years. I have longed for your touch. This is our second chance, Elsa. A chance to reconnect and get to know each other again. Let's not blow it."

Anna let go of Elsa's left hand and put her palm against Elsa's chest, above the heart. Elsa's breath halted. Her heart beat almost twice as fast as before. She became very aware of her own nakedness, but it didn't seem to bother Anna. Anna's hand felt warm and soft against her chest.

"From now on, let me warm your heart, this beautiful heart which has endured so much sadness and pain since a young age," said Anna.

Then Anna guided Elsa's right hand against her own chest.

"Can you feel it? Can you feel how my heart has grown colder during the time when we were apart? I need a very special person who will make it warmer again. Will you to be that person, Elsa?"

Maybe it was Anna's words, a yearning and hopeful look in her eyes, the touch of her hand, or all of them, but that small blush had grown more intense making Elsa's cheeks and upper neck red. Elsa didn't notice that because she had gotten a few tears in her eyes – a side effect of Anna's beautiful words.

Elsa felt like she had lost ability to speak. She couldn't believe it, but she somehow managed to feel Anna's heartbeat through her winter clothes.

"Anna..." Elsa started without knowing how to continue.

Finally she said, "I will, Anna. I'll be that person. I want to be that person for you. I promise to make you feel my love in every way. Because you truly deserve it after all these years, these painful years."

After hearing Elsa's answer, Anna breathed, "Oh, Elsa." Her smile was so bright it would have given the sun a run for its money.

Her palm was still against Anna's chest and she could feel it heaving faster than before. As she gazed at Anna's beautiful lavender eyes, Elsa felt butterflies in her stomach. There was so much love in her eyes that it almost scared her. Only almost, because from now on she would never be afraid to love Anna the way she deserved it.

There was a faint cracking sound at a distance, like something was freezing rapidly, but Elsa didn't pay attention to it because she couldn't tear her eyes away from Anna. Sunny winter weather had suddenly turned into a light snowfall. Elsa felt like time had stood still and they had been gazing each other's eyes and feeling each other's heartbeat for hours. She was on the verge of understanding something which had been beneath the surface for a while. It felt like something was about to change between her and Anna. Something that was scary yet wonderful, forbidden but seductive. Something that would change their lives forever.

Then she noticed how Anna moved toward her. Her beautiful freckled face became bigger and bigger until it filled her entire field of vision. Her sister had closed her eyes and parted her lips.

One might think Elsa should have been worried, scared, disgusted, or anything which would have been appropriate for the situation. But she didn't feel any of those feelings. No, she felt nothing but happiness. It totally filled her mind. The last time she was even close to this happy was a long time ago, when she and Anna were no more than children. Only this time her happiness was combined with so strong a love for her sister that it crossed the boundary of mere sisterly love.

When Anna's face was just an inch away from her, Elsa closed her eyes as well and bend her head to meet Anna's lips with her own. She could feel Anna's heartbeat more clearly now. It was faster than before. But it was nowhere as fast as her own heartbeat. Her heart had taken a wild spurt ever since Anna had touched her bare chest.

As Elsa felt Anna's lips against her own, she experienced total bliss. Their kiss tasted like heaven. The gnawing feeling inside her, which she had felt ever since the childhood accident, had finally vanished. She couldn't stop her tears from falling. She had cried bitter tears countless times when she had been young and separated from Anna. But gradually her heart and her tears had become frozen, and she hadn't cried a single tear ever since – until today. Today Anna had thawed her heart and her tear ducts. Now she was free to cry happy tears, tears of love and affection. Tears of everlasting love between two sisters.

Maybe it was a blasphemy, but Elsa could have sworn Anna was a reincarnation of some saint. Her sister's love had washed away her sins and given her a peace, and she would be happy to surrender her body, heart, and soul to her for eternity.