The thing Elsa missed most in her self-imposed confinement was fairy tales. It was a silly thing to miss, really, compared to everything else she had lost: she could never touch her family, play with Anna, explore outside or even within the castle gates, trust herself. But it was precisely because of this that it became so personal. At the end of a long fun-filled day, she and Anna had burrowed into their beds to escape the chill and listened drowsily as their father read one of the many tales to them. He had been an adept story-teller, doing all the voices and making them laugh with his impressions. Her personal favourite had been his dragon impersonation; it had never ceased to amuse her when her father, usually so mild and good-natured, boomed and growled about his horde of gold and the fiery fate which would come to his assailant.

Of course, this all had to end after Anna's accident. At nine, her parents had already been saying that she was too old for such stories, and after what she had done, it was easier to pretend that she agreed with them. Stories about princesses locked up in castles were all very well and good, but they weren't so entertaining when you happened to be the main character; especially not so if you were the one who put yourself there in the first place. She could have asked her parents or her nanny, a great bustling woman with a mouth to match, to bring her a book or even read to her from outside the door, but it would never have been the same. The happy, cosy life she had known had been destroyed, and she only had herself to blame.

The days blurred into one great grey mass, sunshine and rain becoming all the same to her. She would take her meals in her room, have her lessons from behind a door, even going to the bathroom only when she couldn't put it off any longer. Gazing out the window depressed her greatly, and the days when it snowed were the worst, when she could barely glance outside without remembering what harm she had done. Hearing Anna's voice, enticing, teasing, pleading with her to come out and play brought on her guilt and fear with devastating effect, causing her to have to physically bury her head in her arms in order to drown out the sound of her own sister. It was only when she had gone that she'd be able to stop shaking.

Today, Anna's footsteps had long since faded away and she still couldn't regain control of herself. It was snowing, and this, coupled with her sister's recent presence, was more than she could bear. Her back pressed to the wall, she could feel the ice cracking and creaking behind her in growing tendrils, branching out as she fought to master her powers, her gloved hands curling into fists. "Conceal, don't feel…" She whispered to herself. "Conceal…" It did no good – the ice continued to scrawl like icy pencil markings behind her, speeding up rather than slowing down.

Through the haze, she registered a click as someone turned the handle from the outside, and she nearly lost it. "Don't open the door!" She screamed, and the delicate markings of ice became a haphazard sheet that covered the whole wall.

The door handle fell back into place, the door remaining shut. "My apologies," The voice was smooth and deferential, and she was certain that she had never heard it before. "I did not mean to intrude."

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, her muscles unclenching a tad. "I – It's okay. I just don't want to hurt you."

The voice chuckled. "Hurt me? I rather doubt that you could hurt me."

She rested her head against the icy wall, the cold hardly bothering her. "You're new, aren't you?"

"How very observant of you."

"Are you a servant? I thought that we weren't going to have any new servants."

"There are exceptions to every rule, my lady – I assume you are my lady? And for the time being, yes I shall be." The voice paused. "But where are my manners? I have presumed that I'm to serve you, and I haven't even asked for your name."

Elsa released her knees. "I'm Elsa."

"Ahh," The voice realised. "Princess Elsa of Arendelle, of course. You are the heir to the throne, are you not?"

"Yes," She stared down at her hands. "Though I don't want to be."

"Don't want to be? Forgive me if I am being too bold, princess, but I've never heard of a little girl who does not want to be queen."

"I have…I have a curse. If I can't learn to control it, I'll hurt everyone. The prophecy said so. I already hurt Anna – what if it happens again?"

"Anna?"

"My sister," She bit her lower lip hard, fighting back tears. "I don't want this; I don't want to be like this.

"You are not the only one who has qualities that they would rather do without." The voice said quietly. Elsa waited for him to go on, but was met with a heavy silence.

"What's your name?" She queried.

There was a second where she thought that the voice had gone, and then it spoke. "Eshu, at your service."

"Eshu," Elsa tested the name, and then giggled. It was the first time she had laughed in a long time, longer than she could remember. "What kind of name is Eshu?"

There was a hint of laughter in Eshu's words. "It's the name I was given, your highness."

Elsa coloured. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be rude."

"No need to apologise, your highness. It is not the first time that someone has laughed at my name; at least from where we both stand, you cannot mock my face."

She squirmed. "I'm really sorry."

"I was joking with you, your highness," Eshu said reassuringly, and she could feel the smile in his voice. "Now, is there anything that I can do for you?"

"No." Elsa checked herself. "Well, yes, actually."

"And what is it?"

Elsa thought, frowning. Yes, Eshu was a stranger…but what she wouldn't give for one more story. "Would you read me a fairy tale?"

She expected the new servant to laugh or make some comment about her age, but he didn't. "Certainly, your highness. Is there any one is particular that you had in mind?"

She considered. "Pick one for me. Please." She added, remembering her manners.

"As you wish, your highness. I'll-" He broke off, and she listened intently in an effort to hear whatever it was that he could. "I am very sorry, but I am being called to other duties. However, I promise you that tomorrow I shall read you your story, as you asked."

"Okay." She said, disappointed, something that Eshu noticed.

"Tomorrow isn't really so far away; I'll be back before you know it. Until then," He slipped something under the door. "Please take this – but don't show it to anyone."

Curious, Elsa uncurled herself and inspected the object. It was a tiny dragon, skilfully crafted with almost loving care, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "Thank you."

"It is my pleasure, your highness. Until tomorrow." There was no doubt that Eshu had really gone this time. Footsteps padded outside and she had barely hidden the dragon in the folds of her dress when her nurse entered with her lunch on a tray.

"There you go, my lovely," She said cheerfully. "Eat up; you're looking a little pale."

"Thank you, nanny." Elsa said dutifully to her retreating back. As she munched, she laid the little dragon by her plate and gazed at it thoughtfully, before taking both it and her lunch to the window seat.

She felt that she could bear the snow for today.

xXx

True to his word, Eshu reappeared the very next afternoon. The snow had stopped falling, and she had been whiling away the hours lying on her bed, watching a crack of watery sunshine cross the room and holding the little dragon tight in her hand. Without it, she would have thought that the events of yesterday had all been a dream. She was just coming to the conclusion that either he had forgotten all about her, or that the servant had really been her father trying to cheer her up, when there was a gentle tap at the door.

"Your highness?"

"Eshu?" She pushed herself off the bed and made to sit cross-legged by the door.

"The very same. I came with the story you asked for?"

"Yes, thank you."

"It is no problem. Will you excuse me while I make myself more comfortable? It is hardly pleasant to have to read standing up." Without waiting for an answer, there was a clunk as, presumably, Eshu sat with his back propped up by the door. She unconsciously mirrored his action, hugging her knees close to her chest and waiting eagerly for him to begin.

"May I start?" She heard Eshu ask.

"Please."

"Very well," There was a slight rustle as he opened the book and flicked through the pages. "Let me see…ah, yes. Once upon a time…"

He had chosen her favourite, the one with the dragon and his pile of gold. With a vague sense of betrayal, Elsa realised that Eshu outstripped her father when it came to dramatic reading; he may have brought the characters into reality, but with Eshu, they positively breathed. She found herself closing her eyes to better imagine the scene, able to hear the clink of metal and feel the heat of the dragon's breath at her back. It was only when he finished speaking that she was jarred back into reality, the new world evaporating as soon as silence fell.

"Your highness? Was that…satisfactory?"

"I…yes, yes it was." She hesitated. "Please, will you read another one?"

"Unfortunately I only have time to read one; I have a few other issues that I need to attend to. However, if it would please you, I would be willing to read to you as many days as you wish, whatever you may want to hear."

Elsa didn't need to think twice about her decision: for the first time in what had felt like forever, she had been transported to a place far outside the bounds of her room, and it had felt good. "I'd love you to."

The door rattled lightly as Eshu stood. "Very well. Tomorrow, would you like another fairy tale, or would you prefer something different?"

From her experience, the palace library had always been full of fairy tales from all across the world, placed on the lower shelves so that she and Anna would be able to access them easily. It would take them a while to get through all of them. "Another fairy tale, please."

"As you wish. Until tomorrow."

Elsa tried to find an adequate response, and the words she had wanted to say the day before came tumbling out. "I'm sure it's very pretty."

"Your highness?"

She flushed. "Your face, I mean. From yesterday. I'm sure it's not something you would be mocked for."

Eshu laughed quietly. "You are very kind, your highness. But you would have to see me first before you can make such a judgement."

Elsa frowned slightly, weighing up her options; then, throwing her caution to the winds, she opened the door a crack and peeked out. She was met with the sight of empty space – Eshu had left as silently as he had arrived.

That night, her nanny commented on her unusually good temper when she peered round the door to ensure that Elsa was in bed. What had happened to cause such a thing?

"Eshu came to read to me," She murmured drowsily.

"Eshu? Who is Eshu?"

"He's a servant here. He promised to read to me every day. I think he's my friend."

"How lovely for you, dear. And look, your room isn't so icy this evening!"

"Hmm?" Elsa lifted her head from the pillow long enough to gaze round the room. "Oh. It isn't, is it?"

"Well, I'll let you get off to sleep. Goodnight, your highness."

"'Night." Elsa mumbled, her head already filling with images of golden light and crimson smoke.

In her nightly report, her nanny mentioned Eshu to the king and queen, but calmed them when they began to panic about this unknown servant. "No-one has been in and out of the palace for a long time now; if there were an intruder someone would have seen them by now. No, I reckon that she's made herself an imaginary friend. The poor little mite is so lonely – it's only natural that this should have happened – and it seems to have done her a world of good. Let her have her imagination; it can hardly hurt her." The king and queen agreed, and, the subject closed, everyone hurried to their beds to escape the chill winding through the corridors.

xXx

The years passed in a flurry of days, fluctuating between the good and the bad, with one constant keeping her sane. One after the other, she and Eshu ploughed their way through the fairy tales, starting with the traditional stories and her personal favourites before beginning translations of tales from abroad. Every now and then, Eshu would ask her permission to read something a little thicker of his choosing, making his way through one or two chapters a session. Whatever he chose, the result was always the same: for an hour or so, she'd be able to leave her room for a change of scenery, without moving an inch from her spot by the door. As soon as he had finished he would leave with a curt farewell, leaving Elsa to her own devices once again. The only time this varied was on her birthday or some other special occasion, when he would slide another tiny carving beneath her door. Elsa kept them in a space beneath the floorboards, but it could only fit so many. The miniature figures were accumulating quickly, and Elsa knew that soon she wouldn't be able to keep them hidden much longer.

She said as much to Eshu on her fifteenth Spring Pageant, when this time a mermaid – complete with miniscule harp – was pushed into her room. She caught a glimpse of long, slender fingers before they flashed out of sight.

"Surely there must be more hiding places that no-one but you knows about?"

Elsa shook her head, forgetting for a brief second that Eshu could not see her. "No; nanny knows about everywhere else. I swear, she can sniff things out better than father's hunting dogs!"

Eshu laughed. "I suppose she still thinks that I am a figment of your imagination?"

She tittered. It was because of this that she didn't hold back about Eshu, being very open about her friendship and what they did together. Her nanny had always responded to this as though it were perfectly normal for a man no-one ever saw arrive or leave to read to a princess, although this had noticeably changed over the past couple of years. "Yes, she does. She's starting to worry, though; I think she thinks that I should have put you aside and forgotten about you by now."

She had become adept at reading people's moods in their voices by now, and there was a definite smile in Eshu's tone. "As if you could ever forget me."

"As if I could." Elsa echoed, and felt her face heat up in great blotches as he chuckled at her clumsy response. At moments like these, she was glad that there was a door between them. At fifteen, her body was behaving in ways that she didn't completely understand yet, and she didn't have the nerve to talk to her nanny or her mother about it. She had been given the talk about the birds and the bees – through the door, of course – so she wasn't completely ignorant. But the question she really wanted answered was nigh on impossible to articulate. How do you ask anyone whether it is possible to have a crush on a voice in a way that doesn't make you sound completely crazy?

"So, your highness," Eshu continued, a smirk permeating his words. "What would be your choice today? 'Prinsessen og Frosken'? Or would you rather that we began 'Skjønnheten og Udyret'?"

"May I ask you something?" Elsa asked shortly.

She could hear the surprise in his voice. "Of course, your highness. What is that you'd like to know?"

She had left her hair down from her customary style that day, and she fiddled nervously with her French plait as she carefully selected her next words. "Why don't you like the stories about the Norse gods?"

There was a note in his tone that she couldn't place when he next spoke. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

She noticed that he didn't use her standard address, and this made her even more cautious for reasons she didn't quite understand. "It's just something I picked up on when you read them to me. Particularly when you're reading about Loki."

This was the truth. The few times any one of these tales had been chosen – purely by accident, she guessed – there had been a hard note to his voice that had marred his usually beautiful reading, something that became more noticeable whenever the god had made his appearance on any of the pages. His narration of 'Skattene i Guder' had been particularly painful; several times he'd seemed to have to pause whilst describing how the dwarves had sewn Loki's mouth shut, almost as though he were wincing. She had never up to then thought of him as a sensitive reader, and so she'd had to wonder if there was something more than Eshu was letting on.

Eshu was ominously quiet. "Those tales…they remind me too much of home."

Elsa tried to peer through the keyhole, as she had done so many times before in the hopes of seeing his face, but could see only darkness. "Things are that bad?"

"They aren't exactly easy, no."

"But surely they love you?"

"And they do such an impressive job of showing it." She flinched at the sarcasm in his words, drawing away from the door an inch.

"Why are you so angry?" She asked timidly. "It's just a story."

She could almost envisage Eshu, a dark shape in her mind's eye, biting back his emotions before speaking in a calmer, slightly mollified way. "I apologise, your highness; my personal life is nothing that I should inflict on you. Perhaps when you are older, you will understand."

"I am not a child!" She bridled.

The air of menace vanished like a snowflake in the sun and Eshu chuckled. "You speak extremely hotly for someone with powers so cold." She had given him the full details of her gift soon after they had first met, and he had accepted them surprisingly quickly for a humble servant. Eshu's words, however, had reminded her of the previous day's incident with her parents, dealing a lethal blow to her good humour.

"My powers are getting stronger," She murmured, resting her forehead against the door. "I can't control them even after all these years." As if to prove her point, frost spiralled from her fingertips across the carpet and she balled up her hands, fighting down panic.

"You have no need to fear yourself, your highness." Eshu said softly. "It is what's outside this door that you should be more concerned about."

"I am concerned," Elsa retorted. "That's why I'm here!"

"You must accept yourself if you ever want to be free."

"Do you?"

There was a long pause. "I came to terms with what I am a long time ago."

"Well, so did I." She said stubbornly.

"If you believe so, your highness. However, if you would pardon my intrusion, I'd say that your assertions can be taken about as seriously as that ridiculous play the schoolmaster puts on each year."

Elsa was well aware that he had avoided her question and was changing the subject to get out of ever having to answer it, but she didn't have the nerve to carry on down that path. "It is kinda bad, isn't it?"

Eshu snorted. "'Kinda'? What kind of lyrics are 'Winter's gone and spring is springing?'? He's hardly a natural writer, is he?"

Elsa laughed. "Don't tell him that!"

"'Spring's good and winter's bad'," He mused. "I can't say that I agree with that."

Elsa looked down at her hands, realising with a thrill that the ice was thawing in front of her eyes. She tried to tap into whatever it was that was keeping her powers in check, but all that happened was that the ice reappeared, spiralling not just over the carpet but partway up the wall as well. She sighed. "Well if your kingdom had a prophecy that it would be damned to eternal winter, you would think the same."

"Prophecies are not always needed to make people afraid." His tone changed dramatically, as though her were trying to push such thoughts out of his mind. "But enough of that. It is time for you to choose, your highness."

"'Skjønnheten og Udyret'." She said finally.

Eshu sounded amused. "Really, your highness? But we have already read it twice!"

"Eshu, it's my favourite!"

"I would never have guessed." He gibed, and there was the familiar sound of pages being flipped. "Shall we begin?"

"Please." Elsa said, and closed her eyes.

xXx

Skip forwards a couple of years, and Elsa was sitting in the exact same position, fiddling with the knife in her hands. Anna had given up on her and left, for what she felt was the last time, but to her eternal shame it wasn't her company she missed the most. Eshu hadn't visited for the past week. There was a part of her that was furious – how could he abandon her, now of all times? – but mostly she was just tired. Tired of being scared, tired of hiding, tired of feeling guilty for something she had done when she was just a child. The knife's blade, purloined from dinner, grazed her wrist, not even cutting the skin, but it helped her calm the turmoil in her head. Squeezing her eyes tight shut, she was about to apply pressure when there was a familiar rap at the door.

"Your highness?"

Eshu. She clamped her teeth together to keep down a moan at his terrible timing, and forced herself to return tersely: "What?"

He hesitated, an action that was quite unusual for all the years she had known him. "I have displeased you."

"Displeased me?" She flared up. "Is that all you can say for yourself? Where the helvíti have you been?"

"I had a…family issue."

"Oh, you have family issues?" She choked out. "My parents are dead." She bowed her head and felt her shoulders heave in silent sobs, holding a hand to her mouth to stifle her cries.

"Your highness, I-"

"Elsa," She swiped at her tears with her sleeve. "Call me Elsa, please."

"Elsa…I hadn't heard about your parents' deaths. Forgive me. I wish…that is, I hope…" He fell silent, lost for words, and this was exceedingly odd for someone who had always had the right words for every occasion. "I should have been here for you sooner. Is there anything I can do for you now?"

"You can take this away for a start." Before she could change her mind, Elsa shoved the knife beneath the door, bracing herself for Eshu's reaction. She heard him inhale sharply and she winced.

"Your high-…Elsa," He said gently. "Elsa, that was unwise."

"I know." She said quietly. She thought that he was going to lecture her, but he didn't. After a moment, he haltingly started to speak.

"Elsa, do you remember 'Skjønnheten og Udyret'?"

She rolled her eyes, unsure where this conversation was heading. "Yes, of course I do – it's my favourite, remember?"

"How could I forget? Well, her father lost all his treasures and wealth in a storm, and she and her sisters were left bereft. What happened to her in the end?"

Elsa rested her head against the door. "She met a prince – though she didn't know it at the time – and she lived happily ever after." She paused. "But I don't see-"

"You have lost what was valuable to you, and you cannot see how you can go on. But I promise you, the day will come where you find your own happy ending; much more preferable than a tragic one, don't you think?"

She smiled wanly. "Thank you, Eshu – although I can't see me finding my own prince."

There came a low chuckle from behind the door. "Indeed; not one that you would find in a fairy tale, anyway." He continued before she could ask him what he meant. "I will completely understand if you do not wish it, but would you like to continue with 'A Kis Hercegnő'?"

"Very much so." Elsa heard the book being opened, and felt the weight in her chest begin to lift. "Thank you."

"What do you want to thank me for?"

"For being so kind. I think I need kindness right now." She expected his next words to be those of the novel's author, but wasn't what she heard.

"My mother is dead. I understand how you must feel; it is not something that I am accustomed to doing."

She was stunned. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to be. It was a long time ago, and I was the one who caused it."

Anyone else would have been fooled by his matter-of-fact tone, but after years of being in his company, she could distinguish the note of pain behind his words. "I'm sure that's not true."

"I guided the killers to her. If I had been less reckless, so intent on doing others harm, it would never have happened and she would be alive."

"But you didn't know that would happen." She persisted, and heard a laugh that sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh Elsa, I keep forgetting that you keep yourself locked away behind a closed door. You are still so naïve towards me; because I read to you daily to keep your loneliness and other such monsters at bay, you regard me as something good, and trustworthy, and noble. Believe me now: I am none of those things. But you, you yourself are blind to the pure heart you still have, and whilst in most people I would find this amusing, I bizarrely can't tolerate it in you. You are everything I am not, Elsa. Stop telling yourself otherwise."

Elsa's throat suddenly felt very full, and she could barely swallow it down. "But the prophecy…"

"That is another thing – stop listening to that prophecy. It doesn't define who you are, and it never has."

"Still…will you stay with me?"

"If it will put your mind at ease, I will remain with you and ensure that your actions will not be a disservice to your character."

She nodded stiffly, feeling the tears brim over in her eyes. "Thank you, Eshu." She whispered.

"It is always my pleasure, Elsa. Always." He turned another page. "We were on Chapter Eighteen, weren't?"

It was vaguely laughable, the way he could go from serious to flippant in a matter of seconds. "Yes, that sounds about right."

"To make up for my previous absence, shall we attempt to finish the book today, and begin a new tale tomorrow?"

Elsa smiled, properly this time. "I would like that very much."

"I wouldn't have expected any other answer."

"Of course you wouldn't." She replied, rearranging herself to a more comfortable position against the door. Still smiling, she closed her eyes and waited patiently for the transportation process to begin as he began to read.

"Ez szép, kényelmes, Mrs. Carmichael, aki mindent megmagyarázott. …"

xXx

The day after, they found her collection of carvings. Whilst Elsa was taking her bath, her well-meaning nanny had taken it upon herself to finally mend the floorboard that squeaked every time she crossed over it. Despite protests from other servants about her getting on in years, armed with a hammer and a few spare nails she had raised the floorboard – and was met with the sight of Eshu's gifts. Contrary to her fears, the space was only now being filled. His most recent gift, a magician wielding a tiny staff, nestled above the figurine of a snow-white witch. He had unexpectedly presented it the previous evening, as solace for her loss.

There could be no doubt about the reality of Eshu now. After a bout of hysterics and a swooning fit that was only remedied with a vast amount of smelling salts, her nanny practically dragged her from the bathroom to her room, with only a towel for decency, slamming the door on a curious and concerned Anna. She immediately began to question her charge: who was he? Where did he come from? What did he look like? Shivering and dripping water everywhere, Elsa answered her interrogator as best she could, using what information she had – which, of course, was barely anything. Eshu's words from the night before echoed in her head; all this time and she barely knew anything about him. Who was he? She felt ice begin to stiffen her towel and she made her excuses before returning quickly back to the bathroom for her clothes, ignoring Anna's questions.

Frustrated in her attempts to root out the intruder, her nanny made immediate plans for Elsa's safety: with her parents gone, she regarded herself as the best person to protect the princess's interests. The guard was doubled, servants were threatened with the loss of their jobs if they remained unvigilant, two men were posted outside her door and two more took their place beneath her window.

Eshu never visited again.

xXx

Three years on, and she paced the upstairs rooms of her ice castle, fighting the storm of emotions inside of her. It was inevitable that Anna would come for her and try to bring her home, and then…what? She could never return – didn't want to, if she was honest with herself – and alone she could never hurt anyone again. So much for Eshu's promises, she thought bitterly. She would take measures against herself, and she would succeed.

Downstairs, she heard the doors open and close, and footsteps on the icy floor. Sighing, she descended the stairs to deal with her sister, running over the few words she had spent time preparing inside her head.

Her visitor was not Anna. The man, dressed in an outfit of green cloth, black leather and gold-coloured metal did not notice her freeze at the head of the stairs, inspecting his surroundings with interest. Warily, Elsa made her way down a handful more stairs to the sub-landing, summoning and dismissing a dozen different plans of action. Before she could focus on one, the man revolved to face her, tensing at her presence. The pair of them stared at each other before a smile spread across his face.

"Elsa? Queen Elsa of Arendelle?"

"What do you want?" She asked haughtily, attempting to conceal her confusion. His voice was familiar, yet try as she might, she couldn't put a name to his face.

The smile became a grin and the man began to walk towards her, his unnervingly green eyes scanning her face. "It is you! I thought that it must be, considering your sister could never have taken the throne unless something had occurred during my absence, but since three years have passed, I couldn't be sure. You didn't put a foot wrong at your coronation, I must say that I was rather proud to witness- now, Elsa, don't back away from me like that. You must recognise me – my voice at least – I was unfortunately seated in the back row, but you must have…" His grin faded. "You never saw me, did you?"

It was true: she had been so busy concentrating on doing everything right, preventing everyone from knowing about her powers, that she hadn't paid any attention to who was present. But she did recognise him.

"Eshu?" She murmured.

He nodded. "It is good to see you."

"Likewise." He moved towards her and she clumsily shuffled backwards. "Stay away from me!"

"Elsa-"

"Please, just go." Without waiting to see what his reaction was she ran back upstairs and turned on her heel, cape billowing around her. He had followed her, as she'd expected, loping into view and positioning himself at the entrance to the stairwell with his hands held out to her. "I told you to leave me alone!"

Eshu smirked. "That has never stopped me before."

"You saw what I did down in Arendelle – if you come near me, I'll only hurt you."

"I highly doubt that." He took a step forward and lowered his arms to his sides as she responded in the reverse. "Elsa, this is starting to become a little irksome."

"Then leave!" She snapped.

Eshu clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I have already told you, you cannot hurt me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"How can you have missed all the signs? A man only you have ever seen, whose voice never betrays the slightest waver of aging after all these years, who is able to evade capture or detection flawlessly every single day for nearly a decade."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at him. "It sounds a little like you're boasting, Eshu."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Only marginally. And my name is not Eshu."

"Then…who are you?"

"That is for you to guess; you have all the clues you need right in front of you, so piece them together."

The name was at the forefront of her brain, right at the tip of her tongue, but the revelation didn't come to her easily. "I'm in no mood for games, Eshu, or whoever you are. Tell me now or go."

"Such insolence from a mere human; I am Loki of Asgard, and you will respect me as such."

"I will do no such thing!" Elsa shot back at him, before hesitantly moving forward. "You're Loki?"

Ignoring – or choosing to ignore – her outburst, Loki raised an eyebrow at her question. "Is it really so hard to believe?"

"If you are lying-"

"I'm not. For once in your life, have some faith."

Almost absently, Elsa continued moving forward, blue eyes never leaving his. "I suppose that explains your aversion to tales about the gods."

"We are not gods," He said smoothly. "But no, I'm not especially keen on them."

Finding herself just inches from him, Elsa deliberated for a moment before lifting a hand to cup his face, half expecting a flurry of ice to flurry across it as soon as contact was made. Instead, a deep blue tinge began to spread across his cheek, expanding outwards to the very roots of his raven black hair. She flinched and Loki caught her hand, keeping it held in place. "This isn't your doing. You have nothing to fear."

"What's happening?" She whispered.

"I'm a Frost Giant of Jotenheim, abandoned at birth as a runt and adopted by my father Odin in the hope of becoming his pawn to ensure peace."

"I thought you said that you came from Asgard."

"I am of Asgard," He corrected her. "And I do. I've never known any other home." He released her but she didn't move, transfixed as the blue seeped down his neck and his arms, and the irises of his eyes transformed from emerald green to crimson. A beat or two later he frowned, tilting his head slightly to press into her palm. "You don't flinch."

"Is there a reason why I should?"

"I usurped the throne, attempted to kill my brother, succeeded in the deaths of my true father and my mother Freya, led an onslaught against your planet – and many other cases besides." He looked at her seriously. "You should not trust me."

"It's a little too late for that." She said evenly, before wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in. He reacted instantly, tensing and placing his hands on her shoulders as though to push her away. Instead, he slipped his arms down her back, one falling into place just behind her shoulder-blades and the other curling around her waist, binding her to him.

"You stupid girl." He said softly, planting a kiss on her forehead. The personal contact was overwhelming after so many years of keeping everyone at arm's length and she sank against him, squeezing her eyes tight shut as her hands made fists in her clothes. "You're shaking."

"Am I?" She grimaced against his chest at the vague tremor in her voice.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of," He ran a hand soothingly down her side. "If you wish, and you would be a fool to do so, we can find a way out of this together."

"Then I am a fool." Elsa drew back, keeping her hands at his hips. "What do you propose?"

Loki grinned wolfishly. "Shall we discuss our options?"

xXx

Nearly an hour of heated debate later the pair were stood on her balcony, watching the world thaw out below them. The tension from the argument had dropped and left Elsa free to concentrate on the job at hand, although now she understood what she had to do there wasn't much for her to focus on.

"Love," She murmured, as another chunk of snow disintegrated into a blur of blue and silver sparks that wafted upwards to join the great mass of light above them. "How did I not get that before?"

"I agree," Loki leaned against the rail, staring up at the blazing sky. "You humans are usually infatuated with the idea."

The last of the snow disappeared with a wave of her hand. "I guess this means that you're not the romantic type."

"I find it hard to understand why people feel the need to celebrate such a principle; frankly, I can't abide it."

She cast him a sly look. "You said the same thing about negative self-judgement, but then you claimed that I was different."

He remained fully engrossed in her work, face as perfectly blank as a doll's. "I did say that, yes."

Elsa nodded to herself, then with a quick gesture spread her arms wide. In a flash, the energy vanished, leaving nothing to show that it had ever triggered a premature winter. Smiling with relief, Elsa lowered her arms to her sides, basking in the spring sunshine. A rumble of thunder abruptly cut off her private celebration, causing her to frowningly search for the storm cloud that it heralded.

Loki flinched imperceptibly. "That's no storm. I believe my brother has come to pay us a visit."

"Thor? The one who dethroned you?" That had been his explanation for his three year absence, and given that he had never given her any reason to doubt him before, she had taken his explanation at face value. He nodded. "Why do you still call him your brother, even though you're not related?"

He turned his head to meet her gaze. "The same reason why I name Asgard as my home." A beat later he turned to scan the landscape, pointing out three figures and one being on four legs heading for the staircase to her castle: a reindeer, two blonde males, and one red-head that she recognised the instant she laid eyes on her. "I see we have guests."

"Anna." Elsa said softly, and her heart felt so full it hurt. She felt Loki close his hand comfortingly round hers and she instinctively entwined her fingers with his thin ones. She had starved herself of human contact for years; trickster or not, she was greedy for more. "Shall we go down to meet them?" She asked calmly, and with his silent acquiescence led him back inside.

xXx

In accordance to Thor's fears Anna left Kristoff and Sven outside, the former to admire the structure of ice, an architectural feat that only he could find time to be fascinated by.

"Oh come on, it's made out of ice!" He called after them, clearly frustrated by their lack of enthusiasm.

Thor caught her smile. "You have taken a liking to this Kristoff, haven't you?"

"What? No!" Anna exclaimed, flustered. "Well, yes, I mean, he's nice and all, but, you know, I'm engaged to be married to Hans."

He frowned. "Hans?"

"The prince of the Southern Isles." She explained.

"That is excellent news – when did you two meet?"

"Oh, yesterday."

Thor stopped short. "You've known each other a day, and yet you are arranging to marry this man?"

"I know, I know, it's a little bit rushed – I mean, that's what sent Elsa off on this whole eternal winter thing, if I had broken it at a better time – but, I mean, it's love, right?" She gabbled. "That's what you do when you're in love."

He looked at her seriously. "Your sister has a point. How much do you know about this Hans?"

She rolled her eyes. "I had this talk with Hans already; it really doesn't-"

"I say this with your best interests at heart, Anna of Arendelle," He said sincerely. "Be careful with Hans. A man you know little about is a man you cannot trust."

She felt a shiver run down her spine, although she kept her sudden doubts held back. "I'll keep that in mind."

Thor smiled, gesturing at the high doors. "Shall we enter?"

"I suppose we must." She replied, and he pushed them wide open. Stepping inside, Anna was amazed at what her sister had achieved. Having been assured by both men that the castle was at a high enough altitude to prevent the castle from melting for a while yet, she felt secure enough to glance round the surroundings in the same fashion that, unbeknownst to her, Loki had been appraising a short time earlier. She had much less time to do so, having just taken in the great icicle chandelier when a pointed cough cut short her reverie. Her gaze snapped to the stairs, eyes widening when she saw what had become of her sister. Gone was the tight twist-and-pin bun and woollen clothes; instead, a French plait looped itself over her shoulder and nestled against a sleek gown that glimmered like frost. For the first time in years she was smiling, already taking the stairs three at a time to bound towards her, happiness radiating from every pore of her being. "Elsa!"

"Anna!" Elsa cried, and the two sisters embraced so tightly it was as though they might never let each other go.

"I thought I'd lost you." Anna said into Elsa's shoulder, eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh, Anna, you never lost me. I couldn't risk hurting you, not again."

"Again? No, wait, that's not important right now. What's important is that you're here, and you've ended the eternal winter."

Elsa was shocked. "Eternal? I didn't realise-"

"Like I said, it doesn't matter," Anna said quickly. "All in the past. Water under the bridge. You know, all those clichés."

Elsa laughed softly. "I missed hearing you talk like this."

"I missed you; Olaf would have loved to meet you."

"Olaf?"

"Yes, Olaf; he was a snowman, but when you unfroze everything you kinda…unfroze him. But it's okay, honestly! Just…you're here, now. And you don't have to be alone or – or afraid anymore."

"I guess so," Elsa pulled back, eyes shining. "And neither do you."

They gazed smilingly at each other, hands on each other's shoulders, savouring the moment. However, this was quickly broken as another impatient cough rang out, causing Elsa to whirl round and scowl in the direction of the landing. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue?"

"I don't have much time for patience."

"That's obvious enough." Elsa said, words dripping with sarcasm.

The man on the sub-landing smirked, unperturbed at her words, arms folded across his chest. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Elsa shot him a defiant look, before sweeping an arm in his direction. "Anna, this is Loki. Loki, Anna."

Loki. So this was the duplicitous brother Thor had briefly told her about. A chill went down Anna's spine as the trickster gave her a small but respectful nod. "Your highness."

"Umm, I'm not the queen."

There was something in Loki's eyes that Anna didn't like. "I know."

Elsa gave Anna a nudge, smiling. "You're a princess, Anna, remember? He's just being polite. For once."

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't remember behaving anything but courteously towards you."

"That stopped pretty quickly after you met the face that went with my voice."

He laughed. "I could have behaved a lot worse."

"Better for you that you didn't."

"Why, Elsa, was that a threat?"

"Hey, you were the one who took it as that, chip on your shoulder the size of a planet."

"Or at least the size of Asgard."

Despite the light tone, Anna felt vaguely uncomfortable hearing them trade lines like this, as though she were intruding on something private. It was as if they had known each other for years, and of course, she corrected herself, they had, in a vague sense.

"What is it that you have planned, brother?" Thor asked sharply, cutting off Loki and Elsa's exchange.

Loki turned on him, eyes ablaze with malice. "Nothing that I wish to tell you."

"I wish that I had never trusted you to aid me against Malekith."

"If you remember, brother, I was the one who advised you against that course of action; I never led you into anything you were not prepared to risk."

"And you expect me to allow you to leave without getting you to tell me the truth?"

"Oh, you are going to use force on me? You never learn your lesson, do you, brother?"

Thor breathed heavily, struggling to calm himself down. "You launch an attack on Midgard, you take the throne from my father-"

"That throne was mine. To. Take."

Anna didn't notice Elsa sidling over to her until she was murmuring, amused, into her ear. "You can really tell that they're brothers, can't you?"

Anna didn't look at her, unable to take her eyes off the two bickering men. "They're not brothers though, are they?"

"To each other they are. I just can't make him see it yet." Elsa sounded thoughtful. "I was right, you know."

"About what."

"When I was a child, I told him that I was sure that his face was beautiful. It is, isn't it?"

Anna's head snapped round to face her, alarmed at the tender expression on her sister's face. She took her by the shoulders. "Elsa, listen to me. You need to stay away from him."

Elsa frowned. "What? No!"

"He's dangerous!" Anna persisted. "He's plotting something that has you at the centre, and if you don't leave him now he'll hurt you, possibly worse."

"But…he wouldn't. I've known him since I was a child."

"That's the point! He's brainwashed you into liking him without giving you any clue into his character."

"That's where you're wrong, Anna. He told me about Freya, about his trying to kill Thor, all of it. He said that I shouldn't trust him, and I took that risk and did anyway."

"But–"

Elsa held a finger to Anna's lips. "It'll be okay, I promise. Besides, if he has some secret plan, I have one too."

Anna's brow creased. "What?"

"I told you, there are a couple of things that I need to convince him of. And just before you came, he said something that was very…revealing. About his view on me."

"And?"

"I think there's more than one frozen heart to be melted," Elsa said deliberately. "And I reckon that I'm the one that needs to help it thaw."

Anna bit her lip. "How can you be so sure you can succeed?"

The corner of Elsa's mouth slid upwards. "Because it's already started."

Almost at her words, the men's angry voices became raised even louder. The sisters whirled just in time to see Loki pull back his arm, ready to unleash a bolt of magic on his brother. In a blur of movement, Elsa created a block of ice between the pair that shattered on the energy's impact, leaving Thor untouched. Loki made to strike again, but this time Elsa was between them, snapping her fingers round his wrist and slamming a restraining hand into the centre of his chest. "Stop behaving like a child having a tantrum," She snapped. "And learn some self-restraint. You two are as bad as each other." Loki opened his mouth to speak. "No, listen to me. Whatever was said, swallow your pride and back down – unless you want me to deal with."

A muscle worked in Loki's jaw and the two of them glared at each other, locked in position. Something distinctively changed in Loki's expression, and after a moment he gave her a thin smile and dropped his arm. "My apologies."

"You should be telling him that you're sorry." Elsa said sternly.

"It's not him that I want to apologise to." Loki told her, and in that instant Anna understood exactly why her sister had been so confident in her plan.

Elsa released him, smiling, and then turned to Thor. "We need to talk. In private."

Thor hesitated, then with a curt nod he followed her up the stairs, Anna guessing that he was about to hear the idea that Elsa had explained to her during the brothers' argument.

Loki waited until the tip of Thor's cloak was whisked from sight before strolling over to her, and she forced herself not to move away. "You must have missed Elsa in her absence."

"I did." Anna replied stiffly.

Loki ignored her tone. "I did attempt once or twice to tempt her outside; I thought that it might help."

"And I'm meant to believe that?"

He chuckled at her rudeness. "I would prefer it. However, as you can tell that scheme failed each time. Your sister is extremely…strong-willed."

"I can believe that." Anna said coldly.

Loki grinned. "It appears to run in the family. You know that you can trust Hans about as much as you can trust me?"

She was outraged. "Hans is not like you!"

He shrugged. "Suppose what you will – consider this as a friendly warning."

Anna scoffed. "It's possible for you to be friendly?"

"If you are a sister of Elsa's, it is." He replied coolly.

She flushed. "Sorry."

"There is no need to be."

There was an awkward silence, Anna fervently hoping that Elsa and Thor would return soon.

"So, um," She burst out. "Why my sister?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, what makes her so special? Why did you spend all that time with her?"

"Ah, I take it that you figured out that I was the unknown intruder."

"Thor told me."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Of course he did."

"So?" Anna prompted.

He paused. "Do you really want to know the truth? If I tell you, I must ask you to never reveal this to anyone."

Anna considered. "Deal."

Loki shrugged. "I was bored."

"What?"

"Ruling a kingdom in disguise, keeping everyone fooled at all times…it was just so easy, almost too easy to be believed. I visited Arendelle at random to explore and perhaps cause a bit of mischief where I could: instead, I found your sister, self-imprisoned behind a door, like a princess in one of your fairy tales."

"And the carvings?"

"A minor pastime of mine; they are not so complicated to create, and they gave her some entertainment whilst I was gone."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So…you don't have a plan, or plot, or something?"

He winked. "Oh, I always have plans; just not ones which involve using her as my pawn."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"As you already know, you cannot; but I am willing to swear to you that I'm telling the truth, for once in my life."

"Do you care about her?" Anna blurted out.

"If I did not, I would not have kept returning to her to read trivial human literature and keep her from going over the edge, and I most certainly would not have come to her now. Needless to say, I see her as being in my protection, nothing more."

"If that's what you say." She said steadily.

Loki narrowed his eyes into cat-like slits. "What has Elsa been saying to you?"

"That's for you to ask her." She replied sweetly. At that moment Elsa and Thor stepped back into view, descending towards them. "Ah, speak of the devil. We were just talking about you, Elsa."

"All good things, I hope?" Elsa asked brightly, joining the pair a second before Thor. She seemed cheerful: a good sign, if Anna was not mistaken.

"I am still not completely delighted with your choice of action, your highness." Thor said, his face dark with apprehension.

"Please, call me Elsa," Elsa told him. "And it will work out okay, I promise you. Just give me some time."

Thor nodded. "Then I shall accept your judgement."

Loki, who had been looking between the two of them throughout the exchange, fixed Elsa with a hard look. "What are you hiding from me?"

Elsa patted him on the shoulder. "All in good time, Loki."

"I will prise it out of you, you know."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." Elsa turned to Anna. "Well, this is it, I guess."

Anna stared at her blankly. "This is what?"

"Your sister and my brother are going away for a short time." Thor informed her, ignoring Loki's smug look. "They had arranged this before we arrived."

"You're leaving?" Anna asked shrilly.

Elsa lovingly pushed a strand of fiery hair behind Anna's ear. "Just for a short while. I'll be back before you know it."

"But…where?"

"Loki's picking." She looked at him. "It's funny. I can't think of you as Eshu anymore."

"My heart bleeds," Loki needled, earning him a jerk in the ribs. Smirking, he turned his attentions back to Anna. "New kingdoms, new worlds; we'll find somewhere new to rule."

"Who says that anyone's going to accept you as their ruler?"

His smirk widened. "There is always somewhere that needs a king, your highness. And a queen, for that matter."

"It took me a while to take Asgard off the list," Elsa chipped in. "But he gave in to my logic eventually. (Loki huffed.) Jotenheim was definitely out, and I don't want to govern anywhere but Arendelle on this planet. So that leaves…anywhere."

"Anywhere cold, that is." Loki reminded her.

"Yes, yes, I know. We spent an hour talking it through, remember?"

"The most tedious hour of my life." Elsa slapped his arm. "Oh, the pain. It is agonising."

Thor regarded him gravely. "You have done ill, brother. This path should never have been created by your meddling."

Loki's eyes hardened and Elsa intervened. "Maybe so. But perhaps this is a better path to travel down than what was meant to be."

"I hope that you are right." Thor took Loki by the elbow. "Come, brother. These two need some time alone to say their goodbyes."

Slightly unwillingly, Loki allowed himself to be pulled outside, leaving the sisters alone. Elsa threw her arms round Anna, gripping her tight. "I'm going to miss you."

"You only just came back to me, and now you're going away again." Anna choked, returning the hug with just as much force. "It's not fair."

"I know, I know."

"You will come and visit, right? You won't just leave me alone for years again?"

"I'll come and see you as much as I can; every week, every day if I can, even if it's just five minutes. I couldn't bear to completely separate myself from you again." She pulled back slightly. "You will take my place as ruler while I'm gone, won't you? Just for that time."

"And after that time, you'll come back?"

"My home is always with you, Anna. Of course I'll come back." Elsa paused. "And…one more thing."

Anna scanned her face feverishly. "Yes, anything!"

"Promise me you won't rush into things with Hans. I know that you have feelings for him, I understand, but-"

Anna waved it away. "It's okay. Actually…I've been rethinking Hans. A little."

"Really?"

"First you warned me about him, then Kristoff, then Thor, and finally Loki compared him to himself. I don't know about you, but the last one seems like a definite bad sign." They laughed together in a way they hadn't done in over a decade. "No, I'll let Hans down gently."

"He'll be disappointed." Elsa warned her.

"Thor said that he'd escort me and Kristoff back to Arendelle; I'll do it while he's still around, in case I need him and that mighty hammer of his to convince Hans to calm down."

Elsa giggled. "Sounds like a plan."

"It is." Anna looked down at her feet. "Also…I was thinking about getting to know Kristoff a little better."

"Really?" Elsa asked, intrigued.

"I mean, I won't try and marry him or anything, just…he seems nice. I like him. He makes me laugh. I'd like to see where things go with him."

"I agree," Elsa said warmly, much to Anna's surprise. "That's a choice of yours I can agree with."

"Really?"

"Really." Elsa looked wistfully at her sister, then at the doors. "I suppose we can't put this off any longer."

"Yes." Anna said reluctantly, before giving Elsa another fierce hug. The two remained locked together for a full minute, before silently, hand in hand, they left the ice castle without looking back.

The three men and reindeer were waiting at the bottom of the staircase, Sven giving Loki a stern look, Kristoff seeming a little uneasy and Thor glaring at his brother, absolutely furious. Loki was idly playing with a ball of magic, clearly amusing himself more with intimidating poor Kristoff than anything else. Elsa snatched down his arm. "Bad."

"Rude." Loki countered, clearly amused. "Shall we leave?"

"I suppose so, yes."

He cocked his head to the side. "If you desire to stay, stay. I am hardly holding you hostage."

Elsa shook her head determinedly. "No, no I'm coming with you. I'm not ready to go home yet."

"Suit yourself." Loki said. It may have been a figment of her imagination, but Anna could have sworn that there was a hint of relief in his voice.

"I'll see you later Anna." Elsa told her, nodding politely at the other two men. "Thor. Kristoff. It's a shame that I have to cut out first meeting so short, but I'm sure we'll meet each other again soon. Then perhaps we can have a proper conversation."

"No worries," Kristoff said weakly. "Just keep scary-wizard-dude away from me."

"'Scary-wizard-dude'," Loki grinned. "That's a new one."

"I wish you good luck, Elsa of Arendelle." Thor told her. "You may soon find that you need it. If ever it occurs-"

"It won't," Elsa interrupted. "I promise."

"What did I tell you about having too much faith in me?" Loki asked pointedly.

"We've already crossed that bridge, let's not go back over all this now." Elsa said firmly. "Come on, take me somewhere new."

"As you wish." Loki complied, taking her by the hand and leading her to a spot a short distance away.

"Goodbye, Elsa!" Anna called, giving her sister a little wave that was quickly returned, before Elsa stepped in front of Loki and gripped him by the shoulders, staring up into his face. Loki placed his hands round Elsa's middle and shut his eyes, focussing hard. Anna had just about enough time to become alarmed at the cerulean shade creeping over his skin before he vanished in a swirl of golden light, taking Elsa with him.

"Her touch makes him revert to his true form," Thor commented musingly. "I suppose that is understandable, given her powers, but I did not expect that."

"So, as a Frost Giant he's blue?" Anna guessed.

"Give the girl a gold star!" Kristoff cheered dryly, just before Anna pushed him backwards into a patch of mud. "Hey! Sven, give me a hand here!"

"Will she be alright?" Anna enquired anxiously as with some difficulty Kristoff pulled himself up and brushed himself down as best he could, complaining all the while.

"I think she might well be," Thor consoled her. "Today I saw something in my brother that I certainly did not foresee, and I have to ask myself what else may happen that will prove my predictions wrong."

"Can we go now?" Kristoff complained. "I don't mean to be rude, just, I'm covered in muck and you owe me a new sled."

Anna and Thor shared a look, entertained by Kristoff's whinging, before Anna replied. "That's fine by me: that castle will probably start melting soon anyway."

"Elsa promised to control the breaking up of the ice so that as little damage is caused as possible." Thor informed her. "She appears to think herself capable of keeping control of the situation from so great a distance."

"Of course she will," Anna said trustingly. "She's my sister."

Thor gave her a sideways glance. "Elsa told me that the secret to maintaining her power was love."

"She has a lot of that in her, she always has," Anna explained to him, despite the method of Elsa's sudden mastery of her skills being news to her. "She just needed to realise how to use it."

"It is curious how she accomplished this as soon as she met my brother in person."

"She would have discovered it if it had been with me, too." She said levelly. "He's had over a thousand years of experience; Loki would've explained it to her."

Thor dipped his head. "Yes, that sounds correct. Perhaps the key to my brother controlling his rage rests in the same treatment."

"That's what Elsa seems to think."

"I know. And now I don't doubt her." Thor indicated back the way they had come. "Shall we?"

"Yes." Anna agreed, and with a last backward glance she followed her companions back down the mountain, hoping in her heart of hearts that Elsa would find the happy ever after she was searching for.