Author Note:

Hey, everyone! Sorry about the unexplained absence for the past few weeks, and so, here's an explanation: I have school. Lots of it. And unfortunately, it takes precedence over anything else in my life at the moment. Fortunately, I've been able to finally get a small story out of my head and down as actual words, so here it is!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, too, but it will probably be another few weeks before I can do another multi-chapter fic. I do promise a few more, but school is just wrapping up for me so I really need to focus on that for a while. Don't worry: I'm not leaving forever, but it will probably be much longer than even I want. That being said, I hope you guys enjoy this and thanks for reading!

In hindsight, it was her fault, really. All those late nights spent reading and writing laws and other documents – usually printed in small, intricate calligraphy – in the dim light of one, maybe two, candles had finally caught up to her. And since she showed no sign of stopping that habit any time soon, this had to be the solution.

It all began a few weeks ago, when the Queen of Arendelle started noticing that her headaches were growing a little more uncomfortable as the days progressed. It was not uncommon for her to experience a slight ache just behind her eyes, but what used to be a dull pain she could ignore was slowly turning into something a little sharper.

It was not until she started having trouble reading that she went to see the castle doctor.

"Well, here you are, your Majesty," he said gently as he handed her a small, leather case. She opened up the flap on one side and carefully removed a pair of silver reading glasses.

"Thank you, Doctor," she sighed, looking down at the delicate instrument in her hands.

He gave her a comforting smile. "As I said before during your eye examination, it is not uncommon for your family to need glasses to read. Both your father and mother needed them. But at least it is not all the time."

She cast him a small smile in return. "I suppose I should be grateful for at least that," she said with a small laugh, "According to my father, his father was as blind as a bat for much of his life."

"Yes, you don't seem to be showing any signs of that happening," he assured her, "Now, they may seem a little strange at first. If you find yourself getting dizzy, you may remove them for a while, but I would recommend trying to keep them on whenever you work. Your eyes will eventually adjust to them, and soon you'll be wondering how you could have ever functioned without them."

"Thank you, again, Doctor," she said as she began to leave.

"Oh, and your Majesty?" he called after her, "I know it's not exactly my place, but if you must stay up into the early morning hours, may I suggest lighting a few more candles? Your father had the same problem, and his eyesight only got worse the more he did it."

She nodded. "Alright. I will," she promised.

She immediately headed back to her study, where a fresh pile of papers was sitting on her desk. She sighed as she sat down, and pulled the glasses out from their case. They rested perfectly on her nose, and although the crescent-shaped lenses did initially distort her vision, after a few minutes she found it much easier to make out the written words again.

With a contented smile, she dipped her pen and got to work.

Anna was bored. She was currently flaked out on one of the chaises in the castle gallery, staring up at the (from her point of view, upside-down) painting of The Swing while hanging her head off the edge of the sofa. She had no idea what to do, as Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were busy up in the mountains and would not be returning home until the next morning, while Elsa was currently in her study.

Anna thought about seeing the Queen, but she was getting the sense that she might be bothering Elsa a little too much during the day. Elsa never said anything about it herself, and Anna doubted that she ever would, but if there was one person Anna could read like a book, it was her sister. Elsa seemed to be more tired lately, and there was only so much make-up she could apply before the dark semicircles under her eyes fought their way through. The Princess had overhead some of the servants talking about how the studious queen would always stay awake well into the night working on documents – documents she would have finished if she had not stopped to indulge her little sister in whatever activity she was asking to do. There was the odd time when she had to put her foot down, but Anna knew it hurt Elsa to say 'no' to her. She tried not to abuse that power too much.

She spent another minute hanging off the couch before practically leaping off of it in a burst of pent up energy. Maybe she could just talk with Elsa for a few minutes? It did not have to be a long distraction for either of them, even though Anna did have this great idea for a ski jump off the roof of the castle…

She knocked on the study door before pushing it open. She started happily: "Hey, so I know you're kinda busy, but I just thought that–"

Something was different. And she did not like it.

Elsa was initially oblivious to it. "Hi, Anna," she greeted warmly, "I'm not exactly that busy. What were you thinking?"

"What are you wearing?"

Elsa was taken aback for a second. "Um, excuse me?" she asked in response to Anna's blunt question, "A normal dress, I guess."

"No…on your face. Y…you're wearing…"

"Oh." Elsa reached for her reading glasses and removed them. "You mean these? Sorry, I sort of forgot I was wearing them." Anna continued to stare at her, which caused her to shift uncomfortably. "Is there something wrong?"

"Why do you need glasses, Elsa?" Anna's voice quavered just a little as she spoke, which only brought up more concern in her sister.

"Apparently all those late nights I spent going over work with little light were giving my eyes some problems. It's not that big a deal, however. I only need them to read," Elsa explained with a gentle smile.

Anna took a small step back. "Th…that's why?"

"Well, that and the fact that it runs in the family. It was only a matter of time, I suppose." Elsa's warm smile was beginning to fade away to a worried frown as she observed Anna's drastic change in mood. "Is everything alright, Anna?"

"Oh, yeah. Everything is fine," the Princess lied.

"Ok," Elsa said slowly, "Is there something you wanted to see me about?"

Anna suddenly thought about what Elsa had just told her. If she had been spending her time at night working late on documents because she had been busy doing things with her sister in the daytime, and her eyes had grown weaker because she was working at night, then did that technically make it Anna's fault that Elsa now needed reading glasses? Guilt and other unpleasant feelings she could not exactly place began to wash over her.

"No, never mind. I'm sure it can wait," she replied quietly before slowly heading toward the door.

The door closed with a gentle, cool breeze before she could make it. "No, it can't," Elsa told her firmly as she rose from her desk to cross the room to her sister, "Something is bothering you, and I have a hunch that it has something to do with those glasses."

Anna sniffled. She had not realized that she was on the verge of tears. She nodded in response to Elsa's observation, and then allowed herself to be guided over to the couch in front of the fireplace. They sat down together, and Anna immediately snuggled closer to her older sister, eternally grateful that she could finally do that and no longer feel Elsa stiffen with worry.

"I'm sorry," Elsa whispered into Anna's hair, "I should have told you that I was seeing the doctor, but I guess I figured it wasn't that big a deal."

"It's not that," Anna murmured. She sighed heavily before turning to face the Queen. "It's… I guess I'm upset because, well… You're getting older."

Elsa looked taken aback for a second. "Well, yes, that is something humans do," she said with a small grin.

Anna looked away sheepishly. "I know I always joke about it, but… There's always been a part of me that wished that you actually were immortal, Elsa," she revealed quietly, "But…you're not. You're human, and… I…I don't want to lose you."

"All this came about because I got a pair of reading glasses?" Elsa wondered carefully.

"I guess when I saw you wearing them, it was like I was looking into the future. Let's face it, Elsa: in the right light, your hair is white, not blonde. And you've always been so reserved and studious and professional whenever you're at that desk. And…I was always able to look past it until you started wearing those glasses. Y…you just looked…"

"Older?" Elsa finished gently.

"I just saw you, like, thirty years from now, and… I know it's a long way away, but it's also not, and we're not getting any younger, which means that soon we won't be able to do certain things, and I don't want either of us to get older yet because we lost so much time already, and I–"

"Whoa, slow down," Elsa said calmly, yet firmly, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you know, there are some things we won't be able to do once we get older, like sledding indoors, or skating around for hours, or staying up really late binging on chocolate, or even building snowmen–"

"Stop," Elsa commanded gently, "Anna, even when I'm ancient and have stiff joints and a bad back, I will always be up for building a snowman. That will never change, ever again." She then added with a smile, "And, I don't think I'll ever not want to indulge on chocolate."

"But what about what other people will think?" Anna demanded, "We can't act like kids all the time, can we?"

Elsa's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Ok, who are you, and what have you done with Anna?" she asked humorously, "That's normally my thing to worry about."

Anna laughed softly. "I guess I've done some growing up, too, huh?"

"Anna, you know how I feel about those lost years. I don't care how old I am, if you want to do something, then I'll do it. I am prepared to make up for lost time in whatever way I can, no matter what."

"Oh, well, in that case: I had this idea earlier that involved skis and you icing the roof over," Anna suggested with a grin.

"Ok, there will be some things I won't do, that being one of them," Elsa responded playfully, "Seriously, Anna, the roof has a seventy-five degree pitch, and you want to ski down it?"

"I bet I could go really fast…" Anna added with a sing-song voice.

"And that is supposed to sway me? You'll break every bone in your body!"

"You worry too much sometimes, Elsa."

"It's my job," Elsa responded lightly.

"I thought your job was ruling Arendelle?"

"Exactly. That's a job based on worry. And don't forget that I also have an exciting career being your older sister."

"And it's my job as the younger sister to shake things up every now and then," Anna told her teasingly.

"You're still not skiing off the roof," Elsa said flatly.

Anna pouted. "You're no fun," she grumbled.

"I love you, too," Elsa replied as she held Anna closer.

They sat in silence for a moment, Anna still wrapped in Elsa's arms. Elsa had closed her eyes and allowed her head to gently rest against her sister's, as she was beginning to succumb to the exhaustion of so many late nights and early mornings in a row. Anna could tell her sister was beginning to doze off by the relaxing of her breathing, but she still had one more question she wanted to ask.

"Elsa?" she said softly.

"Mhmm?"

"I know you want to do a lot of things yourself, but you know that if you ever need help, you can ask me, right? You seem to be working a lot, lately, and…well, I worry about you, too."

"Anna, I'm fine," Elsa murmured.

"You're falling asleep on my shoulder," Anna retorted dryly.

At this, Elsa tried to save herself from her nap. "No… I'm awake, see?" she protested weakly.

Anna shot her a glance.

"Ok, fine. I am pretty tired. You're also a very comfortable pillow."

"Aww, thanks, Elsa," Anna laughed, "But…seriously, if you ever need a break, I'm here for you. That is what my job as your heir is, right? To help you out?"

Elsa was quiet for a moment long enough for Anna to believe she had actually fallen asleep. Then: "Yes…it is…"

"There's a 'but' in there, isn't there?" Anna sighed.

Elsa pulled away so she could look her sister in the eyes. "I think I can relate a little to how you felt about my glasses," she said quietly, "I don't like to think about you getting older anymore than you do about me. I really do appreciate your offer to help, Anna, and I'll admit that it might be wise for me to take it. It's just…sometimes I forget that you've done some growing up, and sometimes I wish you were back to being that five-year-old who I had to leave."

"Oh Elsa," Anna whispered. She felt tears forming in her eyes, and could see her sister's watering up as well. She pulled the Queen in for another hug, and said, "Sometimes I miss my eight-year-old sister, too. But don't worry: that five-year-old is still here."

"I wish I could say the same thing," Elsa murmured painfully.

Anna pulled away, but kept her tight hold on her sister's shoulders. "Hey," she scolded playfully, "I may not see her a lot, but I know she's still right here." For added emphasis she poked Elsa in the forehead with those last two words.

Elsa laughed softly in response. "Ok, ok, I get it. Promise me you won't ever change, Anna," she sighed.

"Only if you promise me the same."

"It's a deal."

Anna beamed. "Great! So it's settled. When we're both, like, in our nineties we'll totally still be building snowmen and having snowball fights."

"I can't wait to be giving our future staff heart attacks with worry, then," Elsa stated humorously. The clock in the corner then chimed the hour, so she added with a groan, "I should really get back to work if I want to have everything finished for tomorrow's council meeting."

"My offer still stands," Anna reminded her gently.

Elsa glanced at her and remained quiet for a moment. "Alright," she finally sighed, "What do you know about the local guilds and their incomes?"

Anna stared blankly at her. "Uh, whatever you can teach me?" she said sheepishly.

The Queen chuckled softly. "Come on, I'll show you the basics," she said as she rose from her seat on the couch rather reluctantly, "Really you just have to go over the records and write down the expenses and payments made to each of the guilds in a chart for me to go over later."

"I'm beginning to regret offering to help you," Anna commented as she followed her sister over to the desk. She took a seat opposite Elsa and began looking at the mess of letters and numbers on the pages in front of her.

"Didn't you come to see me because you were bored earlier?" Elsa asked slyly.

"Yeah," Anna replied, "But when I came here looking for something to do I wasn't expecting this as a result. Seriously, how have you not gone crazy yet from all this paperwork?"

Elsa cracked one of her trademark smirks. "Who says I haven't already?" she responded. She then reached for her reading glasses and put them on before getting to work.

She wrote for a few minutes before she realized that Anna was not doing anything yet. She glanced up to see her sister trying very hard not to laugh. "May I ask what is so funny?" she wondered with a raised eyebrow.

Anna snickered before replying through her giggles, "Wow, you really do look like an old lady with those glasses."

With a casual wave of the Queen's hand, suddenly Anna found herself underneath a falling pile of very cold snow – some of which made it down the back of her dress. "Elsa!" she squealed as she leapt out of her seat to attempt to shake the snow out.

Elsa merely went back to work, and said calmly, "You were right, Anna. That eight-year-old still comes around every now and then."