Notes:

Last chapter. Thank you to everyone for your support with this story - it's been my first foray back into fanfiction after about six (?!) years, and every bit of feedback and support you've given has been invaluable.

I think I might work on an unofficial follow-up to this story at some point (going up to Frozen Fever?), but until then, I hope you enojy the sign-off.

Update 04/05: I've just started posting said follow-up, I Prefer Coffee. One day I will learn how to hyperlink, but until then, you can find it on my profile.

BFM x

Eventually, Sven broke them up with an impatient huff.

The stood awkwardly for a second, arms still about each other.

Anna smiled. "Perhaps you should look at your new sled."

Reluctantly, Kristoff dropped his arms.

Sven glared at him, and he grinned sheepishly back.

"Sorry, buddy. You, err – you know how it is."

They walked over to the sled and the reindeer shook his head in embarrassment.

Anna laughed and hopped up onto the sled's seat. "Does he not approve?"

"Oh no. He approves. He just embarrasses easily."

"Well, that makes two of you."

Kristoff walked around the sled, examining every inch with approval. From her perch, Anna watched, incredibly pleased with herself.

"There's so much room for my ice," he marvelled. "And there's a tailgate! And – " he crouched down to examine the base. "These are reinforced runners. And what's this?" He pulled a lever and jumped back in alarm as six sturdy wheels descended.

"Cobble busters," said Anna, smugly. "A simple mechanism, which allows the user to engage a wheel assembly for ease of travel on an unfrozen surface. Apparently."

Kristoff was very impressed. "Anna, this is amazing."

She exuded pride. "I try."

"I'll have to take it out, see how it performs," he sighed happily and ran a hand along the side. "It'll corner like it's on rails."

"Where do you want to keep it?"

Kristoff looked up, uncertain. "What do you mean?"

"I have no idea where sleds live. Is it like a carriage? Do they live in carriage houses?"

"Um. They sort of live outside wherever me and Sven are staying. Like I said," he hesitated briefly before walking back round to her. She swung herself round to face him, legs dangling over the edge of the seat. "We sort of stay wherever, whenever."

"You could… stay here, if you like? Well, not here, but in the castle, I mean. If you'd like to." She fiddled with her plaits. "Obviously there's your ice business and you'll want to keep that going – ice is your life, and everything – and now you're the Official Ice Master and Deliverer, you'll get accommodation at the Ice Harvester's Guild I guess – I remember reading about their guildhall, and I know it's in the town, but I'm not sure where – and then there's your family, but I'm not sure how much you stay with them? But if you wanted somewhere, you know, with feather beds to come back to, our Gates are open now…" she trailed off. "Like an extended guest? Or an open house policy. Or," she reconsidered. "An open door policy."

Kristoff was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed again. He tried to focus on the girl before him. Who he'd just kissed. For a fair amount of time. Focus.

"Ice keeps me away for weeks at a time. The Ice Harvester's Guild is on the outskirts of the town. I don't know if they're big on accommodation, though – we'll have to talk to Elsa, see what she's said to them. But…" he cleared his throat, "It would be nice to see you. Whenever you can make time, I mean – if you'd like to. When I'm not ice harvesting. And you're not busy. And – I do like feather beds," he finished, rather lamely. "Should you not ask Elsa about… extended guests, though?"

Anna looked a bit embarrassed. "We sort of… already talked about it. Hypothetically."

Kristoff smirked a little at this.

"Shhh." She gave him a gentle shove backwards and hopped down from the sled. "So… carriage house?"

He shrugged. "I suppose. That makes sense."

"Great. I'll have some people bring it up for you. Oh – Sven?"

The reindeer perked up.

"Thank you for all your help this morning. Do you think you could do one more thing for me?"

She stroked his nose and he huffed amenably.

"Could you find Olaf for me? He was wandering around the market earlier. Elsa's making an ice rink," she grinned. "And I know he'll want to be there for that."

Sven nodded and trotted off, chest still puffed out so nobody could miss his shiny new medallion.

Anna pressed a few coins into the hands of some of Pleasurable Sledding's workers and asked them to move Kristoff's sled up to the castle carriage houses. They tipped their hats and hurried off to oblige, and Anna and Kristoff wandered back in the direction of the castle.

There was a strange, slightly awkward and exciting new tension between them.

"So, 'Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer'. What does that mean?"

"Oh, you know," Anna waved a hand about. "Ice stuff."

Kristoff was amused. "Very technical."

"Elsa will have the details. I am but the humble messenger."

"Right."

In the slight quiet that followed, Anna reached for his hand.

Elsa felt thrilled – nervous, but thrilled. The servants had spread word that morning that Queen Elsa would be demonstrating her magic in the courtyard that afternoon, and that the gates were open to anyone who wished to see.

She'd been terrified that nobody but Anna would show up, but she'd put on her blue ice-gown – for strength, and to remind herself how beautiful and controlled this power of hers could be.

But Elsa was surrounded by townsfolk – by her people. Curiosity had clearly got the better of them, and men, women and children stood waiting in anticipation to see what their snow queen would do.

"Are you ready?"

The cheers that greeted her words – and the sight of Anna bouncing up and down, cheering hardest of all – warmed her heart.

Elsa stamped a foot in the centre of the courtyard.

Ice spread from under her sole, flowing across the cobblestones and dancing up the walls in gorgeous delicate patterns. She raised her arms and froze the fountains on either side so they arched above them in fantastic shapes. With a twist of her hands, she sent a spark up into the sky: it softly glowed for a moment, and then snow fell from the clear summer sky.

Finally, with an almost lazy flick of her wrist, the shoes of the assembled became ice skates.

There were cries of joy.

In the enclosure of the courtyard this was a strange sound; a new sound.

Elsa marvelled at it.

Anna made her way over to her sister, slipping and sliding like a newborn deer on the ice.

"Oh – ahh – oops – "

She threw her weight onto Elsa's arms to steady herself, grinning.

"I like the open gates."

Elsa smiled back. "We are never closing them again."

With a flash of magic, Anna boots too became skates.

"Oh Elsa, they're beautiful, but you know I don't skate – "

But Elsa had grabbed her hands, pulling her forward, skating on the ice, teasing, encouraging.

"Come on, you can do it –"

Sven went sliding past, Kristoff behind him, calling out to them before losing his balance and falling onto Sven.

"Ahh, reindeer coming through –"

And Anna clung to her sister's hands, slipping and sliding and laughing.

"I got it, I got it, I don't got it, I don't got it – "

And Olaf was there, helping Anna regain her balance and holding the end of Elsa's cape to be dragged along.

"And glide and spin, and glide and spin – "

And there was laughter, and there was joy, and though the effects of the past few days were far from over, there was hope in the air.

For only the second time in her life, Elsa felt completely free.