Darkness had long since claimed the day as Anna strolled into the castle. Alma had been waiting with her dinner and a report of the days events. Upon hearing of Gerda's illness she had wanted to rush to the woman's room. But Alma had insisted that she eat first. After wolfing down her dinner, much to Alma's dismay, she headed for the servant's quarters. Not bothering to change from her travel clothes Anna eased into the dimly lit room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Though she had not been in the room since she was a child, there was a familiar comfort in it.

Gerda was wrapped in several blankets, upon the bed. As she drew closer she found Elsa slumped to one side of a large wing back chair. Her feet propped up on a foot stool and a open book lay face down in her lap.

Both women were asleep. With great care she eased the book off her sister's lap. Once it was free she leaned in and placed a soft kiss atop the blond hair. Elsa didn't stir. She laid the book on the nightstand.

"Anna?"

In the quiet of the room the soft spoken name caused her to jump. She turned to find Gerda looking up at her. The woman's eyes were heavy with sleep as she started to stir.

Anna stilled her with a hand upon her shoulder. "I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered. "Go back to sleep."

Gerda nestled back into the covers. She looked past Anna. "Don't let your sister sleep in that chair all night. She needs her rest."

Anna glanced back at Elsa. "She's fine. How are you feeling?" She touched a hand to Gerda's forehead and was relieved to find it cool to the touch."

"I'm fine. Queen Elsa has been fussing over me all day." Though she tried to sound stern, Anna noticed the faint smile on the older woman's lips, as she looked at Elsa.

"Well, then I guess it's my turn." Anna pulled the blankets up on her.

"No, you go to bed."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Gerda. You can't order me to bed."

Brown eyes stared up at her and started to mist over. A hand cupped her cheek. "No, you're not a little girl anymore." She sobered. "But I'm still responsible for you. You need to get some proper sleep."

Anna caught the hand and held it to her cheek. "For tonight, you are my responsibility. Go to sleep, Gerda." She smiled down at her as she pulled the hand away and pressed a kiss against it. Anna tucked the hand back under the blankets. In a moment Gerda was softly snoring.

Taking a spare blanket from the foot of the bed, Anna curled up in a chair opposite Elsa. She drifted off to the steady crackle of the fire and the comforting sound of soft snores.

The End