This story is a semi-sequel to Playing Dirty, and begins right where the epilogue (Chapter 31) left off. Some of the characters from the epilogue, namely Elsa's husband and son, will carry over. But this plot is COMPLETELY separate, and you DON'T have to read the first story in order to understand this one.

Please read and review! All opinions are welcome.

Chapter 1:

It was a warm summer night in the fair Kingdom of Arendelle. Twelve gentle chimes emanated from the castle's clock tower, signifying the end of another day. All was silent as the people rested after yet another busy day of commerce and exchange. Aside from a few taverns and motels that still hummed with activity, everyone was peacefully asleep. Northern lights danced gracefully across the inky black sky, casting an elegant glow on the empty streets. The moon and stars smiled down upon a land that was undoubtedly strong and prosperous, yet still blessed with a rugged charm. Not a sound interrupted the calm, except for the wind rustling through the trees and the sound of water lapping against the boats docked in the harbor. Closed stores and empty windows lined the cobblestone streets, waiting for another morning to dawn.

Only a lone figure was wide awake, standing on the castle balcony. Queen Elsa of Arendelle smiled contentedly as she leaned over the railing and gazed across the beautiful, blessed land entrusted to her care. A single snowflake radiated from her fingertips. It swirled softly through the air, like a butterfly in a flowery meadow.

Elsa had recently celebrated her twenty-ninth birthday, but still retained all the youthful beauty she possessed on her Coronation Day. Tears welled in her eyes as she reflected upon the past few years. What a wild ride it had been! What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful life? As a child, she had surrendered herself to a life of complete and utter alienation. Many years ago, a little blond girl cried herself to sleep behind a locked door, convinced that she was a monster who had hurt her precious baby sister, and must be kept in eternal quarantine. Those were dark days.

But those days were mercifully and miraculously over. Now she had a family and a kingdom she loved so dearly. She was more blessed than she ever dared to hope or imagine. Anna was back by her side. She had gained a brother in Kristoff. She had learned to not only control her powers, but master them. They were no longer a liability, but an asset. Her reign had brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom, and the people were happy.

She also found a wonderful man to spend her life with. That was something she never even dared ponder in her wildest fantasies. Shortly after her twenty-fourth birthday, Elsa had been approached by King Harald of the Northern Isles, one of her deceased father's closest friends and partners in trade. He had implored her to accept his second son Fredrik as a suitor. The man was rude and belligerent at first, with the disastrous courtships of his past embittering him to the idea of marriage. But they soon warmed up to each other, and he proposed six months later.

Now in a few short weeks, she would become a mother for the second time.

But she would be lying to say that the past eight years had been without pain and difficulty. The full moon illuminated the enormous marble statue of her that dominated the town square. Elsa glanced at the statue with a sigh, and became melancholic as she reminisced upon the tumultuous adventure, fraught with heartbreak and sacrifice, which led to its creation. Then she glanced down at her own hands. Her wrists and palms still bore thick, heavy bands of scar tissue.

She gently traced a finger over the scars. There they would forever remain, as an eternal testament of the terrible pain and great love that had delivered the kingdom from unspeakable tragedy.

Elsa tilted back her head to gaze at the stars, wondering if her father could see her. If he would be proud of her. I miss you so much, Papa. I will always be a good girl for you. Brushing away a tear, she silently promised to protect and serve Arendelle with her dying breath.

Five years ago, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles had come to Arendelle for revenge. He entered their famous September Harvest Festival disguised as a performer, and surreptitiously filled seven hundred drinks with a most foul and hideous poison. Elsa still shuddered at the memory of children shrieking in agony, clawing out their eyes and ripping open their throats as blood, bile and a thick black sludge dribbled from their mouths.

Hans revealed himself the next day, offering the antidote in exchange for her hand in marriage. He then proceeded to bombard her with an endless barrage of physical and verbal abuse in the next few days. Elsa went behind his back, discovering the cure to the mysterious poison through consultation with Grand Pabbie and countless hours of researching the library's every book on alchemy and natural science.

Unfortunately for her, the antidote would require the blood and marrow of an ice-bearer, willingly given. Nearly two liters of blood for seven hundred poison victims. It was a torturous journey to produce and deliver the antidote, and she nearly died dozens of times along the way. But watching its healing magic at work, restoring the people to perfect health and wholeness, repaid every moment of pain. The statue was commissioned two months later, as a tribute to her heroism in what would become known as the Great Sacrifice.

Hans had also become a wonderfully changed man by the journey's end. The two remained close friends, and even now, were in regular correspondence.

It still hurt to remember that cold obsidian knife being driven through her wrists, obliterating every nerve and tendon in its path, and cleaving the bone in two. There was still a chronic soreness and stiffness in both hands, and her wrists would never regain full mobility. But Elsa never regretted her loss. She would make the same decision if the opportunity ever arose again, although she hoped and prayed that it wouldn't. Love will thaw, she thought wordlessly. A gentle flurry of snowflakes spiraled through the air upon command. Elsa dissipated her creation with a smile. And love will heal.

A soft pattering of footsteps echoed behind her. A little boy with tousled blonde hair and bright cerulean eyes stood in the doorway leading to the balcony. He clutched a light blue blanket in one hand and a teddy bear in the other, as he tried to creep forward inconspicuously. Finally, as he came within striking distance, little Prince Jon leapt at his mother. "Boo!"

Elsa's face lit up at the sight of her baby, as she pulled him up into a hug. "Hello snowflake."

The almost-four-year-old pouted. "Aw, no fair!"

She planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "Sorry darling, but Mommy isn't that easy to scare." Please don't accept that as a challenge.

The toddler covered a yawn and buried his face in his mother's shoulder. "But Auntie Anna is really easy to scare." He suddenly became awake and energetic again, as he told his story. His chubby little hands gestured wildly as he proudly explained his triumph. "Yesterday me and Kristen hided under the dinner table and yelled BOO! Then Auntie Anna falled out of her chair and landed in the chocolate cake. And then Kai chased us everywhere. Kristen got caught, but he couldn't not catch me because I'm too fast. But then I hitted Kai's butt with a snowball, and Kristen got away too."

"That wasn't very nice, snowflake. You kids made quite a big mess," Elsa chided gently. "Sometimes you might think that Kai is mean and bossy, but he does these things because he cares about you."

But it was hard to stifle a grin at the memory of Anna screaming words a princess shouldn't know, as she leapt several meters into the air and face-planted into the dinner table. The entire floor was instantly covered with spilled food and broken plates. A chorus of childish giggling erupted as Jon and five-year-old Princess Kristen, Anna and Kristoff's daughter, emerged from underneath the tablecloth. The pint-sized miscreants made a mad dash for the door, with an irate Kai lumbering after them.

Jon crossed his little arms and gave a pouting puppy-dog face that was so reminiscent of young Anna. "But it was funny! I like pranks!"

"It was funny for you, but it wasn't funny for Kai. And it wasn't funny for the people who cleaned up the mess, or the people who were trying to enjoy their dinner." She kissed the little boy on the cheek and rubbed his back soothingly. "It's okay to have fun, but you don't want to upset anybody." He nodded in understanding.

Elsa slowly sat down and pulled him into her lap. "Why don't you kids prank Mommy and Auntie Anna instead? If you only do nice pranks that won't hurt anyone, we'll prank you back. How does that sound, snowflake?"

"Yes!" Jon screamed in excitement. "Prank war!" He bounced onto the sofa and began jumping around swinging his teddy bear like a sword, whacking everything in sight. "Hiyah! Take that, you stupid dragon!" Elsa caught him just as he was about to tumble into a bookcase.

"Mommy? Kai said I need to learn re-re-reponsability. What does that mean?"

She brushed back his platinum blonde locks. "Responsibility can mean many different things. But I think Kai was reminding you to think before you act."

"So why doesn't Kristen need to learn responsablility?"

Elsa was tired, and it was too late to be giving life lessons. But these were things that had to be said. "She does too. Everyone needs to be responsible, snowflake. Everyone needs to think about how their actions might affect other people." But this simple inquiry had far deeper implications. As Arendelle's next monarch, Jon would always face higher demands and expectations than his cousin, even though she was older. Elsa knew that nothing was more aggravating to a child, and nothing was more apt to produce resentment, than perceived inequality or double standards perpetuated by adults.

But the crown prince seemed satisfied with this explanation. He wasn't quite aware of this discrepancy yet. It was far too early to taint his childhood with a lengthy monologue about the burdens of kingship. For now, it was best he remain in blissful naivete.

"It's getting late. Little princes should be in bed right now. Would you like to read a story or sing a song?"

Jon shook his head and sucked his thumb. "I can't sleep. Uncle Kristoff is snoring too loud."

She tousled his hair affectionately. "I told you not to eat so much sugar after dinner, sweetie. It keeps you awake."

"Then why are you awake?" The child's eyes glistened mischievously.

"Mommy couldn't sleep either. The baby was kicking." Elsa answered truthfully. "Here, I want you to feel this." She placed his hand over her swollen belly. A soft, rhythmic thump could be felt.

Jon looked up at her in confusion. "Why is the baby kicking me? Gerda said that kicking is not nice."

The Snow Queen smiled lovingly at her firstborn. "The baby is kicking because it wants to come out. He or she can't wait to meet you. Soon you'll have a little brother or sister to play with."

The child leaned forward and rested one cheek against his mother's stomach. "Hey, little brother or sister! Can you hear me? You're making Mommy fat! Hurry up and come out! Then we can ride our bikes and build a snowman and steal chocolate from Auntie Anna." Jon hesitated, then waved his hands around to create a sprinkle of snowflakes. "Look what I can do!"

Elsa couldn't hold back a chuckle at his adorable ramblings. He may have inherited her icy magic, but his effervescent personality had certainly come from Anna. "Snowflake, the baby will be here before you know it. You two are going to be best friends." She reached down to stroke his head, but Jon had fallen asleep. With a warm smile, she cradled him in her arms and carried him back to bed.

As she made her way back to the balcony in peace and quiet, Elsa was overcome with tender feelings towards her unborn child, whom she already loved every bit as much as she loved Jon. She would do everything to make sure that her babies would have a happier childhood than herself and Anna. "The sky's awake, little one. In a few weeks, you will begin a journey through this beautiful, mysterious thing called life. Mommy, Daddy, and Big Brother can't wait to meet you."

The baby gave a sharp little kick. Elsa smiled and continued speaking. "We love you more than you will ever know. You will never be shut out. Or shut in. You will never stand on either side of a locked door."

Then she realized that this child would face a different set of challenges than Jon would. Tears welled in her eyes as her mind flashed back to her childhood days. Tutors, foreign diplomats, and even the townspeople often belittled Anna for her clumsiness. For her awkwardness. For her rambling, incoherent manner of speech. For not being a proper princess. For not being as intellectually gifted as her sister. Though the younger girl had tried to act tough and maintain her ebullient façade, Elsa could always tell how deeply their snide remarks had wounded her.

"You will never be just a spare," she whispered. "No one will ever make you feel unimportant, or treat you with anything less than the love and respect you deserve. Mommy once knew a little girl who was told that she was just a spare. But she grew up to become the strongest, bravest, most loving person Arendelle has ever seen."

The tears began to fall. "If you or your brother grows up to be like Auntie Anna, then our family and our kingdom will have gained a wonderful new member."

The clock struck three. Northern lights continued to swirl across the tranquil sky. With a protective arm draped over her belly and a content smile on her face, Queen Elsa of Arendelle lay back on the sofa and drifted into a peaceful slumber.