1

"No!" Elsa gasped, touching Anna's icey cheeks. Her sister's upturned face was frozen in an expression of fierce defiance. A sob tore itself from her throat and she threw her arms around the cold statue. "Anna, no!"

"Your Majesty…" came a low voice behind her.

"Leave me be!" She cried, but it wasn't Prince Hans; it was the tall, fair man Anna had been traveling with. For a moment she thought about sending him away and dealing with Hans herself - but she pushed away her anger and despair, walled it off like she always did and drew herself up, ignoring the tears on her face. There would be time to mourn later. Time enough to rage over her foolishness.

"I'm sorry," the man said, coming up to her. "I...we didn't get here fast enough."

"Get her into the palace," she said, unable to face him. "And tell someone to take this man to the dungeon."

She turned to Prince Hans and sent a blast of icy air toward him. Shackles materialized on his wrists and ankles, and a thick chain of ice tethered him to the ground.

"But where will you be?" He asked.

"The people of Arendelle need leadership. I see now that I cannot leave - I will never be left alone. I am their Queen, and I will remain so until I find a suitable successor." In truth Elsa had no plan, no hope for the future of Arendelle, and no way to thaw her kingdom out of the winter she had imposed. But she felt freed in one way. No longer did she care what they thought of her. Nobody had ever mattered but Anna, and Anna was gone.

It was a long day. The guests were not understanding, and she could hardly blame them, but she cajoled, bargained, and threatened until they agreed to lend their resources to cut a path out of the ice so they could return home. She had never been good with people, and by the time the day was done she had exhausted her already weary mind. It was difficult to fight back the tears by the end of the day, and finally she excused herself and swept out of the ballroom, where they had set up sleeping quarters, and pressed herself against the wall, feeling the cold building in her as it always did. Crystals built on her fingers. She brushed them off, biting her lip to hold back the pain that threatened to burst through her dam.

Beside her, the door creaked open and she stiffened.

"Your Highness, I'd like to join the ice cutting crew," said a man. It was Anna's friend again. He didn't meet her eyes, looking across the hall at the tall window. His face was solemn. "I make a living selling ice, so I think I will be of help."

"Yes, of course," she said. "What was your name?"

"Kristoff."

"Thank you for all you've done, Kristoff. If you would please…" She swallowed. "Please excuse me. I must attend to something else."

She brushed past him and made her way swiftly to her room, the cold air eddying in her wake.

In the middle of the night, Elsa awoke from a restless sleep. The room was pitch black, the curtains drawn to block out the moon. She sat up. Something in dark moved - footsteps coming toward her bed. Leaning over to the window, she threw the curtains open.

"Who's there!"

"Elsa?" A slim figure emerged slowly from the shadows.

"Anna?" Elsa whispered, clutching the sheets to her chest. "I must be dreaming."

"No, it's really me," said the dream, coming closer. She gave Elsa a tiny smile, and a tendril of familiar warmth shot through her. "I couldn't believe it myself. What happened? Was it… Kristoff?"

"Was what…?" Elsa leaned forward in spite of herself, eager to see her sister even if she was just a dream.

"The act of -" Anna paused, and to Elsa's surprise a flush rose on her face. "True love. The act of true love to melt a frozen heart."

"What are you talking about?" Her heart clenched. Of course dream-Anna thought Kristoff was her true love. Anna gave her love away to anyone who asked for it. If only Elsa was allowed to ask. "Nevermind," she said. If it was a dream, she wasn't going to waste it by asking stupid questions. "Come here."

She gestured Anna forward, and her sister stepped toward the bed cautiously. When Anna was close, she reached up with her ungloved hands and removed Anna's cloak and coat, until she stood in just her dress and boots.

Anna pulled her boots off and tossed them away. "Brrr, it's cold in here," she said, rubbing her hands together. "How do you stand it?"

"The cold doesn't bother me," Elsa said with a wry smile.

"Neat side effect," said Anna, and her face lit up as she grinned. "You'll have to tell me more about your powers."

"Later," said Elsa. "I'm tired. Come sleep with me."

She lifted up the sheets. Anna eagerly shucked her dress and climbed in with her. "Just like when we were kids," she said.

"Yes."

Her cold legs slid up against Elsa's, and she burrowed into the bed. "You're not cold," she murmured. "Come on, warm me up."

Elsa rolled onto her side and rubbed Anna's arms. Anna inched closer until she lay flush against her sister, their noses almost touching, and Elsa though that this was possibly the best dream she'd ever had.

Anna reached up to touch her hair, hanging loose from her shoulders. "Your hair looks nice like this," she mumbled as her eyes drifting shut.

Elsa pressed a kiss to her forehead. She lay awake for a while after Anna had fallen asleep, counting her sister's breaths like a prayer.

2

The next morning Anna was cold beside her, and Elsa knew it hadn't been a dream. Her sister had curled away from her, her usually rosy cheeks now colourless. She gripped the sheets as a cold hand closed around her heart again.

"It's not fair," she whispered.

But nobody was there to hear. She stood and drew the sheets up to her sister's shoulders, leaving her face exposed as if she were just sleeping.

Outside on the ice the work was slow. It would be weeks, perhaps months, before they made any substantial progress to free the ships.

By now everyone had heard about what transpired with Hans - Arendelle was a small place, and news traveled swiftly - but the people said nothing to her face. She was their Queen, for better or for worse. She walked among them and they parted before her. Whispers followed her, but they didn't bother her as they might have once. Her heart was too weary to care.

Kristoff worked at the head of the line of ice cutters. She watched him for a while, standing off to one side. He seemed tireless, his back bent not against the wind and cold, but in sorrow, his face pulled into a grimace. He wasn't a man used to hiding himself. Elsa thought perhaps she understood why Anna was drawn to him.

When they broke for lunch Elsa approached him, her hands linked behind her back.

"Kristoff," she said. He raised his eyebrows.

"Your Majesty." Kristoff stood.

"It seems to be going well," she began, looking past him at the widening path through the ice.

"The water freezes over again during the night, but we're making progress. Look, can you just… say what you came to say? I'm not used to all this - " he waved between them, " - formality. I was raised by trolls."

"Do you love Anna?" Elsa blurted out.

He stared at her. "I - well. I don't know."

Elsa felt heat bloom in her cheeks. "It's just - something she said. 'An act of true love to melt a frozen heart.' And then she said something about you, so I thought… she's so impulsive, you know? I just don't want her to get hurt and - she doesn't really think about what she's doing - "

"You mean, when she got engaged to Prince Hans," said Kristoff. He sat down on his block of ice and patted the space beside him. Elsa perched on the edge, folding her hands in her lap. She looked down at the frozen sea under their feet, a familiar feeling of helplessness rising in her. Had last night been just a fantasy? But no, Anna had been there in the morning. It was her magic, somehow, that had done this; her magic buried in Anna's heart.

"The thing about true love." Kristoff interrupted her thoughts. "Pabbie told her. When I was a kid, I… saw you, in the forest. I followed you and saw everything. You visited the trolls and they fixed her up and took away her memories of magic."

"You saw us when we were kids?" Elsa said, staring at him.

"I'd almost forgotten." He shrugged. "It was so long ago. But when she was hurt, I suddenly remembered it. I took her to my family. Pabbie told her 'only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.'"

"True love's kiss," she murmured.

"Yeah. Except Prince Hans wasn't her true love, apparently."

"Big surprise." They shared a silent moment of commiseration.

Finally Kristoff shook his head. "I should get back to work," he said. "That ice won't cut itself. I know…" he hesitated. "I know you were close. I'm sorry it turned out the way it did."

"Me too," Elsa said.

He stood and offered her his hand, helping her to her feet. "If you see Olaf, can you send him my way?"

"Of course." The little snowman was around the castle still, charming the pants off everyone he met, but the sight of him sent sharp pangs of guilt through her. It would be better if he was away from the palace sometimes.

That night Elsa stumbled into her room well past sunset. Being Queen was exhausting. Half the envoys wanted to discuss trade unions and the other half wanted to complain, until she felt her fingers beginning to freeze up underneath her gloves and she had to warn them off more sharply than she'd intended. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was far out of her depth, and she knew it was only a matter of time before alliances formed against her and someone decided they'd do a better job.

But Elsa had other things on her mind, because Anna was gone from the bed.

"What the hell," she cursed, pulling back the covers. Not even a damp spot on the sheets. Her winter clothing still lay on the floor and Elsa picked it up out of habit, draping it over a chair. It was lucky nobody entered her room anymore. Hans had told the few people he'd spoken with the truth about what happened - under duress, of course - but not many others knew what had happened to Anna. Rumours already abounded about her disappearance.

She was about to turn and leave to seek out Olaf, the only trustworthy person who might know where Anna had gone, when she heard the door closed behind her.

"I brought you something to eat!" Came Anna's cheery voice. She smiled when Elsa turned around. She had changed into a pale green dress and had fixed her hair into a single braid. A tray with steaming soup and bread was balanced in one hand. "Olaf told me you were busy today."

"Anna!" Elsa hurried over to her, sweeping her up in her arms. "You shouldn't have disappeared like that."

"I only went to the kitchen," Anna protested, carefully setting down the tray to return Elsa's embrace. "I'm starving. Did I sleep all day?"

Elsa hesitated, pulling back from her sister. "Yes. But… you're still weak. I think you should be careful. And you're cold! Put something on."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Okay. But I feel fine!"

But she draped a blanket over her shoulders while they sat at the small table in Elsa's room and ate by the moonlight.

"Have you figured out how to thaw the snow?" Anna asked after a while.

"No." Elsa tensed.

"That's okay," Anna interrupted, "I'll help you."

She sighed and disregarded Anna's eager offer. Her sister was overly optimistic, as always. "There is a crew cutting a path through the ice for the ships, though."

Anna seemed to perk up. "Is Kristoff on it?"

"Yes. He is a hard worker."

"Yeah, he seems like the type, doesn't he?" She giggled. "He was so serious when I met him. But he lightens up once you get to know him."

"I hardly think you 'know him'," Elsa snapped. "You traveled together for a few days."

"I - well - " Anna trailed off, looking down. "I know you think I'm impulsive, but he's really a nice person. And he… likes me."

She blushed. Elsa sighed and set her spoon down.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, reaching across the table to cup Anna's cheek. "I just worry about you."

Anna's face grew redder. "I worry about you too," she mumbled.

Elsa dropped her hand and they avoided each other's eyes. Anna tore a chunk out of her bread and stuffed it in her mouth. "Where's Hans?" she asked in a muffled voice.

"In the dungeon," Elsa said, "where he belongs."

"Good," said Anna emphatically. She fell silent, and Elsa looked up. Anna's hands were clenched in her lap and she bit her bottom lip. "I feel so dumb. He was so perfect and nice and I thought - I mean he tried to kill you! How could I have been so wrong?"

Elsa stood swiftly and pulled her chair around next to Anna's. "No, Anna, you're not dumb. Look at me," she said, putting her hand over her sister's. Anna sniffed, tears gathering in her eyes. "It's not your fault."

"But it is!" She said. "I just couldn't stand it if anything happened to you because of me."

She threw her arms around Elsa's waist and buried her face in her sister's shoulder. Elsa stroked her hair. The irony of it turned her stomach. "I know, Anna. It's okay."

She had to tell Anna that the curse wasn't broken. Even if Anna was angry, even if she feared her and her power - she couldn't selfishly pretend that nothing was wrong, as much as she wanted to.

But at least she could have one more night.

"Hey," she whispered, "do you want to go play in the snow?"

"That's cheating!" Anna shrieked as Elsa conjured up a snowball. She ducked behind a tree and Elsa let the snowball drop into her hands and threw it. As soon as she did, an answering missile flew across the clearing and exploded against her shoulder.

"Hey!" She brushed the snow off her coat and lifted her hands to conjure another one.

"Just goes to show you that magic isn't everything," Anna called. Elsa didn't respond, waiting until she peeked around the tree. WHUMP! Elsa hit her square in the chest.

"OOf," Anna staggered and bent over, clutching her chest.

"Aim is more important," Elsa agreed. Anna straightened.

"Let's build Olaf a friend!" she said, her face lighting up. She dashed forward and grabbed Elsa's hand, tugging her toward the trees. "Come on!"

Elsa let herself be pulled along, a smile tugging at her lips. Something seemed to make her footsteps lighter, a warmth that spread from her heart to her fingertips, erasing the chill of solitude. As they left the forest and came out into the moonlight Anna slowed, and they stopped at the edge of the trees to catch their breath. She leaned her shoulder against Elsa's and stared out at the snow.

"It's beautiful," Anna said quietly, and Elsa turned to look at her. Her eyes glimmered in the pale blue light. They were still puffy and red from earlier, but she was smiling now. Elsa leaned over on impulse and kissed her cheek.

"You're beautiful-er," she said.

Anna giggled, and then abruptly her cheeks reddened and her laughter trailed off. The blush rose to the tips of her ears and Elsa realized what she'd said, and slowly shifted away.

"You're silly," said Anna, bumping her shoulder.

The moon was beginning to set by the time they headed back to the palace. They left several Olaf-like shapes in the darkening snowfield. Near the edge of the trees Elsa noticed two sets of footprints some distance away from them - one boot-shaped, and one round and hoof-shaped. She wondered if Kristoff had followed them, or if he merely had his own night-time demons to exorcise.

"Olaf is a nice fellow," Elsa commented as they re-entered the palace.

"He ought to be," said Anna, "you made him."

"I did, didn't I?" She said softly, looking down at her hands. She was capable of more than she'd ever imagined, both good and bad.

Anna pulled off her mittens and before Elsa could protest, tugged her gloves off too, tucking them under one arm. She grasped Elsa's hands in her own. Her hands were cold as ice, and Elsa couldn't help noticing how pale they were, too.

"You did." Anna stepped in front of her and they stopped. "You made life, Elsa. Out of love. I know you can do so much with your magic. I have faith that we'll find a way to put this right."

She met Anna's eyes, saw her earnest expression, and something powerful began to build in her chest - a feeling that threatened to burst out of her - and she gave herself over to it. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She gripped her sister's hands, feeling the cold leech out of them, and leaned forward to press her forehead against Anna's.

Anna bumped her nose and grinned.

"I love you," Elsa whispered.

Anna's mouth formed a little 'o' of surprise. She blinked up at her sister. "I love you too," she said after a moment, smiling as if she knew a secret.

Elsa bent her head down and kissed Anna's cheek. "Bedtime?" she asked.

"Cuddle time," said Anna. "I'm cold again!"

As they curled up together in Elsa's bed, Anna turned to face her, her auburn hair arrayed on the pillow with its white streak like a touch of frost.

"Kristoff didn't kiss me, did he?"

Elsa hesitated. "No," she said. "He didn't."

"So the curse… it wasn't broken."

She closed her eyes. "No, it wasn't."

Anna was persistent. "I wasn't sleeping yesterday, was I? I was an ice statue."

"Yes." Elsa began to pull her arm away, but Anna grabbed her wrist.

"Okay," she said, laying Elsa's arm back over her ribs. "That's okay. Maybe I should ask him to kiss me tomorrow night. Goodnight, Elsa."

She settled deeper into the bed, and the coolness of her skin seemed to seep into Elsa's hands.

"Goodnight, Anna," Elsa said.

3

By morning Elsa had made a decision. Anna wasn't hers to keep hidden away forever, a night-time secret. Maybe Kristoff wasn't her true love - maybe he was. But they wouldn't get anywhere unless they were alone in a room together, and that wasn't going to happen with her around.

She made arrangements first, setting up the room with candles and nice plates and opening the curtains. She paced nervously, down the halls, snapped at people, avoided her guests. It felt like she was giving Anna away. The thought made her stomach clench, and she found herself unable to eat all day.

By the end of the day when Kristoff finally arrived, summoned by a messenger - she had been too afraid to face him down on the ice again, among the workers, where he was in his element - she had worked herself into a mood and left icy footprints wherever she went.

He was standing outside the door to the room when she spotted him.

"Kristoff," she said, hurrying forward.

He looked supremely uncomfortable amidst the splendour of the palace. Elsa had a moment of doubt - would this backfire in her face? Was she wrong about him? But she pushed her questions aside.

It would be fine. Anna would know she was giving her blessing, and Kristoff would surely be unable to resist her charms. If he wasn't in love with her before, he would be soon.

She ignored the strange twisting in her gut. It was just jealousy, and jealousy was irrational and unreasonable. She had shut Anna out for years, and she had no right to feel the way she did.

"You look tense," said Kristoff. He seemed to immediately regret his words, and he lifted his hands. "I mean, uh, sorry. It's just the - " he gestured to the air around her, and she realized that a small flurry encircled her.

"Oh!" She stopped, flustered. The air temperature around them dropped. Ice crystals began to form on the walls. She bit her lip - no, no! She wouldn't ruin this now!

"Hey, it's okay, I mean - don't worry about it. I think your power is awesome. I mean, scary as hell, but awesome." Kristoff shrugged, looking nervous. "Like I told Anna, ice is my life. It's nice to meet someone else who appreciates it."

He pulled his hat off and brushed the hair out of his eyes. At the mention of her sister, Elsa gritted her teeth.

"Kristoff, I wanted to tell you something," she said, taking a deep breath. "Anna is not dead."

He stared at her. "What?"

"She hasn't succumbed to the curse. Not entirely, at least." The memory of Anna's warm, lively smile calmed her, and the snow began to subside. "She still… wakes up sometimes."

"She's still alive?" His face brightened. "Can I see her?"

"Yes," she replied, "soon. She will be awake at sundown. You should have all night."

To her astonishment Kristoff's eyes widened and he turned red. "All night...?"

"What - no!" She frowned. "What I mean to say is, at sunrise she becomes a statue again. You may spend the night in each others' company, but before sunrise she will have to return to my room."

She pushed the door open. "I've arranged for an evening meal in here."

But Kristoff's eyes were fixed on her. "You're setting up a date for us," he said.

"I - well, yes." She linked her hands behind her back. "I suppose so. You seem… nice enough. Just don't ask to marry her right away."

"You did what?" Anna gaped at her.

"I set up the Primrose Room for you two." Elsa rested her hands on her knees, the picture of serenity. She wore her gloves again, Anna noted. That probably meant she wasn't, in fact, as calm as she looked. If only Elsa would just let her in! She sighed, flopping backward onto the pillow. It just wasn't in her sister's nature anymore. Maybe when they'd been younger, but… not anymore.

"You set us up on a date," she groaned. "He's gonna hate it!"

"He won't," said Elsa matter-of-factly. "He's very fond of you."

"How do you know? Maybe he hates me after all I put him through." She threw an arm over her eyes. Of course Kristoff didn't hate her. She knew that. Maybe he even loved her. But the thought made her feel strange, in ways she didn't want to analyze. She didn't feel for him the same burst of excitement and the butterflies she'd felt for Hans (the lying bastard). Nor was it the slow suffusion of warmth she'd felt when Elsa had gestured her forward two nights ago and unbuttoned her coat, when she'd climbed into bed with her sister and curled up in her arms as if she belonged there.

"Anna, don't worry. You said he likes you, right? It'll be fine. Just go." Elsa patted her arm. She stood by the bed, her back ramrod-straight, her hair perfectly coiled in a braid around her head - but her hands were ice cold, even on Anna's chilled skin. Something was bothering her sister.

"Is everything going okay?" Anna asked, sitting upright. Elsa furrowed her brow.

"As well as it could be," she said.

"Are you sure?" Anna persisted. "Nobody's giving you any trouble, are they? About your magic, I mean."

"No." Elsa looked puzzled.

She frowned. "You haven't told them I'm alive, have you? You should."

"I haven't found an appropriate moment," said Elsa. "I suppose some of the staff have implied there should be a...ceremonial funeral of some sort. I ought to say something."

"I could make an appearance," Anna suggested. She wouldn't mind addressing the whole of Arendelle. She planned on being quite the public figure, even if Elsa didn't. Parties, games, shopping, making friends with the townspeople - she was looking forward to being a real person again.

But Elsa didn't look pleased by the prospect. "We should find a way to break the curse first." She turned away and opened the closet. "Speaking of which, you should hurry or you'll be late. I've picked out a dress and everything."

Anna giggled at that. It was typical Elsa. Actually, she thought, maybe it wasn't typical Elsa at all anymore. But her sister had liked playing mother-hen. She'd always been able to force food on Anna when she was sick, or dress her up for parties when she just wanted to play. Anna watched her sister arrange a gown with winter boots and a fur-trimmed cloak on the chair, a twinge of nostalgia gripping her.

"Come on, get up," Elsa told her.

Anna swung her legs off the bed obediently. "It's freezing in here!" She exclaimed as the chilly air hit her bare skin.

"Put these on." Elsa handed her a pair of woolen stockings and she hurriedly tugged them over her feet. She shucked the night-dress and tossed it on the bed, shivering.

"Can't you do something about the temperature?" She asked.

The air seemed to shudder and become colder at the very mention of that. Elsa's shoulders stiffened. She unlaced Anna's boots with clumsy fingers. "I would if I could," she said.

"Sorry." Anna pulled on a slip, noticing with interest how Elsa avoided looking at her while she was unclothed. She filed it away under 'new and interesting things about Elsa', a part of her mind which was now bigger than even 'things I'd do if I ever left the palace'. "What will you do tonight, though? You could join us," she offered, although she knew as soon as it left her mouth how ridiculous that sounded.

"Normal people sleep at night," Elsa reminded her with a wry smile.

A nervous giggle escaped her. "Right," she said, ducking her head. "Of course."

"You should come back before sunrise, though. I told Kristoff everything about the curse, but… I would feel better if you were safe here during the day."

Anna nodded in agreeance, resting her boot on the chair to tie the laces. She felt better waking up in this room, anyway. It hadn't changed much since they were kids - but she hadn't been inside in so long that it was both familiar and strange.

When she was fully dressed and her hair neatly braided, she stood and spread her arms. "Well?"

"Perfect," Elsa declared, a pleased look on her face. She reached out and smoothed down Anna's bangs with gentle fingers. "You look perfect."

Anna's stomach fluttered. "Thanks," she said, biting her lip. Elsa reached up with the cloak and swung it around her shoulders, fastening it at her collar. She leaned in close to pin it straight, and Anna looked down at her tidily arranged hair and her small frame - just like her own - and the way her dress flared out at her hips and trailed behind her but had caught no dirt, surely an effect of Elsa's magic, and when Elsa straightened she slid her arms around her sister's slender waist and tucked her face into the crook of Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa lifted her arms in surprise, but after a moment she put them tentatively around Anna's shoulders.

"Thank you," Anna said, her voice muffled. She pulled back. "For, um, helping me."

Elsa graced her with a rare genuine smile. "You're my sister," she said. "I could do nothing less."

Kristoff was already in the Primrose Room when Anna got there, huffing and puffing because she was late in spite of everything. She peeked into the room. He sat on one side of a small table already set and spread with covered dishes. He wore something a little less worn than his usual garb, and his hat was missing. He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands - he kept picking things up and examining them.

"That's a spoon," Anna pointed out, coming out from behind the door. He dropped the silver utensil, startled.

"Anna!" He rose to his feet, holding his arms out. She ran to him and he swept her up in a hug, his arms enveloping her completely.

"Did you miss me?" She asked cheekily, and he grinned down at her.

"Well, maybe a bit," he said. He let her go, his expression sobering. "What happened with the curse?"

"I don't know," Anna said. "I think I still have to figure out how to break it. But I feel better!"

In truth she felt cold, like a chill was slowly settling into her bones, but it was nothing she couldn't bear. She pushed the thought away - everything would work out, she was sure of it.

The date was easier than she thought it would be. Kristoff didn't seem to like people, it was true, but he liked her well enough. Barring some awkward moments, between the two of them they managed to keep up a litany of funny stories and conversation. Anna found that she was enjoying herself immensely, in spite of her trepidation.

Eventually the plates had been cleaned of food and she sat back, patting her stomach. "I think I ate too much," she groaned, and Kristoff made a noise of agreement.

They sat in silence for a moment, and then Kristoff sat forward. "Let's go look around," he said.

"Sure," said Anna, bemused. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, and she followed him out into the hall.

Kristoff took her down to the ice. Anna wasn't quite disappointed; they were very much alike, Elsa and him, not overtly affectionate, not used to showing they cared in any way other than to let her into their worlds. She kept a smile on her face as he led her across the frozen ocean, out toward the ships. A semicircle of ice blocks had been cleared out between two ships, and lanterns hung from their sides. He lit them while Anna stood nervously off to one side, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Anna?" Kristoff said, holding out a hand, "you know how to dance, right?"

"Oh!" She said, surprised. "Well, yes. You dance?"

"Troll dances," he said. "Come on, I'll teach you."

Troll dances, it seemed, were harder than normal dances. Or maybe Anna was just uncoordinated. Try as she might, she couldn't get the darn footwork right - and Kristoff just danced circles around her! Trolls seemed to be surprisingly agile for being sort of boulder-like.

Anna soon found herself out of breath, her cheeks flushed and her nose and ears numb. She collapsed against the icy wall, panting. Kristoff danced backward until he reached her. He was grinning and his hair had flopped into his eyes, giving him a boyish look.

"Too much troll for you, huh," he said, throwing himself onto the ice block beside her. "I guess palace life didn't prepare you for that one."

She elbowed him. "I bet I could dance circles around you at a ball!"

He laughed, looking down at her. Anna reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes, knocking his cap askew. He looked away quickly.

Before she could lose her courage, she slid her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down, pressing her lips up against his.

His lips were warm and chapped. He froze, a small noise escaping him, before bringing a gloved hand up to touch her face. The wool scratched her cheek. She opened her eyes and pulled back slowly, a smile touching her lips. Kissing was alright after all.

"Anna," Kristoff said, still cupping her face. "I like you, but…"

She never got to hear what came after. A sudden pain lanced through her heart and she cried out and clutched her chest. It was the same pain she'd felt when Elsa's magic touched her heart. She gasped as the cold burned through her chest.

"Anna?" Kristoff asked, alarmed. A hand rested on her back as she coughed, trying to regain her breath. "What's wrong?"

"I - I don't know," she managed, straightening with some difficulty. The pain began to fade as quickly as it had come, leaving a chill behind. Kristoff stood and helped her up.

"We should get back to the palace," he said. "I shouldn't have brought you so far out."

"No, it's fine," she said, steadying herself. Her legs weren't quite cooperating. Her heart raced as she drew herself up, hand still pressed to the breast of her coat.

"What happened?" He asked. "I'm calling Sven. You shouldn't be out in the cold."

"I don't know, I just - suddenly it was like Elsa had thrust her magic into me again," Anna said softly, and she just knew that if she touched the bare skin over her heart, it would be cold.

"You're relapsing," Kristoff said, frowning. "You need the cure. But - "

She looked away. She knew what he meant. It wasn't true love's kiss. Maybe true love was just a silly notion, anyway - maybe she wouldn't ever get past 'I like you, but...'

She felt much worse by the time they got to the palace. Her legs still shook, and it felt like the seed of ice in her heart was sending spikes through her chest. Kristoff marched her straight to Elsa's room, leaving Sven outside, mournfully watching them leave.

"I'll be back soon," Kristoff promised the reindeer.

"You're not going to leave me with her, are you?" Anna demanded. "She'll mother me to death! Can't we just not tell her?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh no, she's going to take care of you. How terrible. I think you'll survive."

"Hmph. Some ally you are."

At Elsa's door, Kristoff didn't even bother to knock. Anna's hands flew to her mouth as he flung the door open - none of the staff would have dared to do that. But Elsa didn't even move, wrapped up in her sheets.

"Elsa?" Anna called, entering the room.

"Your Majesty," Kristoff added, not very subtly clearing his throat. "We have a bit of a problem."

Elsa rolled over, making a noise of displeasure. Kristoff raised his eyebrows at Anna.

"She's a heavy sleeper," she explained. She crept forward into the dark room and shook Elsa's shoulder. "Elsa, wake up."

"Hmmm?" Elsa's eyes fluttered open and she blinked sleepily up at Anna. "Who, what?"

"It's me, Elsa, I think something happened with the curse," Anna said. The cold was spreading quickly, and she was finding it hard to stand without supporting herself on Elsa's bedpost.

"Anna?" She reached up, and Anna thought for a split second Elsa was going to do what she'd done to Kristoff, and her heart picked up again and she braced herself - but Elsa only touched her temple. "Your hair… what happened? The curse?"

She sat up suddenly, and Anna had to jump backward to keep their foreheads from bumping. "I think I made a mistake," Anna whispered, and suddenly everything went black.

"Anna!" Elsa gasped, pressing a hand to her lips.

"Oh, shit," said Kristoff, but Elsa leaned over the bed and opened the curtains. Sure enough, the sky was beginning to lighten along the horizon.

"It's okay," she said. She swung her legs out of bed and stood, regarding him. He looked a bit stunned. "I take it you didn't…"

"We did," he interrupted. "Well. She um, kissed me. But."

"It didn't work. I guess true love isn't going to happen overnight, of course," said Elsa, schooling her voice to remain matter-of-fact. Her hands gave her away, as always, but she hoped Kristoff wouldn't notice.

"Or it isn't going to happen at all. I like your sister, and… I could probably grow to love her." He lifted his shoulders, clearly embarrassed by his candid confession. "But I don't think she thinks about me in the same way."

Elsa frowned at him. "She kissed you."

"She almost had a heart attack afterward. I mean, I might have been raised by trolls, but - " he shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Even I can see that her heart belongs to you."

"I - " Elsa gripped the folds of her nightgown, speechless. She darted a glance at her sister, as if she might come awake suddenly.

Kristoff backed out of the room. "Tell her… uh, tell her I'm sorry for making fun of her about Prince Hans, okay? And, if you could, tell her she's always welcome to visit."

He left, closing the door behind him. Elsa stood frozen in place.

4

When Anna woke, her sister was gone. Kristoff was gone, too, and the room was cold. Or maybe that was just her. She opened the window to let the pale moonlight in and lifted her hands, flexing her fingers. They were stiff and they ached, and with a sigh she stuck them into her armpits to warm them.

She waited in Elsa's room for a while, but her sister didn't come back. Finally, she went looking for Elsa.

The palace was a big place, but Anna quickly figured out that some hallways were more frosted over than others, and that in some places the temperature dropped and didn't rise again, so she kept going until suddenly she realized that she stood outside her very own room. Curling ice crystals like ferns unfurling in the spring had crept out from underneath the door and crawled across the walls in a tumultuous pattern, and Anna carefully picked her way across the now-treacherous ground.

Facing the door, she hesitated, her hand upraised. But she heard a carefully caught breath, and then another, a sound that set of an alarm of recognition in her head. Suddenly fearless in the face of her sister's tears she let her fist fall. Her knuckles tapped against the door.

"Elsa, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

Elsa fell silent. Anna knew she was holding her breath. She always did that. She hated crying.

"Please let me in," she whispered, laying her palm flat against the door.

"I'm scared," came Elsa's quiet voice. Anna tried the doorknob; it was open. A wave of cold air rushed to greet her as she pushed it open.

Elsa sat to one side of the door, her knees drawn up to her chest. She wore her gloves, but the room was still well below freezing. She didn't look up as Anna entered.

"Just leave me be," she said. Tears had worn tracks down her cheeks. Anna knelt beside her.

"If you wanted me to go away, you wouldn't have left the door open," she said.

"I forgot how to lock it," Elsa let out a choked-off laugh. "It's been so long since I was in here."

She bit her lip and her face contorted into a grimace as she tried to stave off the tears. Anna leaned forward and tentatively lay a hand on her back.

"I guess that's a good thing," she said, "because I lost the key years ago."

Elsa covered her face and made a hiccuping sound, which quickly dissolved into a sob. Anna wrapped an arm around her and shuffled closer until she was pressed up against her sister's side.

"What are you scared of?" she said. "Whatever it is, we can face it together."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Elsa said in a muffled voice. Slowly, she lowered her hands. "Anna, I care about you a lot."

Anna thought distantly that it shouldn't please her so much to hear it, but she ignored the thought and basked in the glow of Elsa's attention. She wanted to reach out and brush the tears from Elsa's cheeks, but the habitual shyness that struck her in her sister's presence stayed her hand.

"But something Kristoff said - I wanted so much for it to be true that it scared me." She rested her hands on her knees and looked down. "I don't want you to have to help me through every little problem."

"But I want to help you," said Anna, bemused.

"One day you'll want to have a life of your own," Elsa insisted. "We haven't really been close and… maybe we shouldn't get used to it. One day you'll leave the palace and I need to be able to handle that."

"I don't want to leave," Anna said, realization dawning on her. "Elsa, I don't want to leave the palace. I'm going to stay here with you. Forever. Kristoff said that my heart belongs to you, and he was right. It does. It always has."

"You heard that?" Elsa said, surprised.

"Yeah. Maybe I was meant to." She lay her hand over Elsa's. "You don't have to be afraid that I'll leave you."

Elsa shook her head. "Anna, you don't understand. You can't stay here forever. In a few years you'll meet someone, or maybe Kristoff - "

"No," Anna said forcefully, and Elsa looked up at her in surprise. "You're the one who doesn't understand. Just because I'm younger than you doesn't mean I'm just a naive kid. You're my sister, and I love you. I thought maybe I liked Kristoff, but I don't - kissing him just feels like kissing a sibling."

She stopped and considered that sentence. "Well. Like kissing a sibling should. You should kiss me more."

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, her cheeks flushing.

"I mean - that's not the point. The point is that I know what I want, and it's you. You're my true love." In the years before Elsa shut her out, they'd been inseparable. Years of hurt and loneliness, and now this - she wouldn't let Elsa slip away again. "It's always been you."

"I - I don't - " Elsa stammered. Her hands trembled. "You can't be saying - "

"I can, and I am," said Anna firmly. "It's okay. It's more than okay."

She took a deep breath and lifted her hand to Elsa's cheek, brushing her thumb over the crest of her cheekbone. Elsa gave her a wide-eyed stare. I shouldn't be nervous, Anna thought, it's only Elsa. Not some stranger. But of course, it was never 'only' Elsa, it was the memory of their childhood friendship, the ghost of lost possibilities. And now the bright spark of hope that was struck between them again, building up to this - to each of them leaning in a little, eyes fluttering shut, their lips just touching. Just like that, just for a moment. Elsa's lips were soft against hers, and Elsa's nose brushed up against her just barely, and her heart raced.

Elsa pulled away before she did, letting out a puff of warm breath against Anna's lips. Her eyes were still shut, her pale eyelashes lay like threads of ice over water on her skin. Anna didn't hesitate this time before kissing her again.

5. and one morning

Morning crept up on them, sloughing off the night's cloak of stars and baring herself to the world. The snow that lay over Arendelle surrendered to her golden warmth and trickled away in shameful streams down toward the harbour. The ice over the sea heaved and gave way with a great crack. The people of Arendelle woke at the sound and came out to find the ground wet and muddy underfoot, green grass rising with the sun, trees shedding their burdens, and inside the palace the ice melted with the light of day.

Elsa awoke first. She had curled around Anna and wrapped her arms protectively around Anna's waist. The first thing she became aware of was Anna's warm back pressed up against her, and the second was the light that seeped in around the edges of the curtain. Slowly, she put two and two together.

"Anna," she whispered, touching her sister's shoulder. A warmth bubbled up in her heart and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "Anna, wake up!"

"Hmmmngh?" Anna groaned and rolled over. "Wha - ?"

"It's morning!" Elsa said.

"It's…?" Anna blinked slowly and opened her eyes. "Morning? It's morning. Yeah."

"You're still awake. The curse is broken!"

A look of puzzlement crossed Anna's face, quickly followed by one of realization. "I'm awake!"

She sat bolt upright. "I'm awake! The curse is gone! Elsa, look, the sun!" She reached over and yanked the curtains open. "Oh my god, ow," she groaned, throwing her arm up to cover her eyes.

"That's what I said," Elsa said wryly, leaning over her sister to look out the window. She gasped. The snow, the ice covering the harbour, the thunderous stormclouds… everything was gone, chased away by the sun.

"It's summer again," said Anna, her voice wondrous. She turned to Elsa with a mischievous look on her face. "I think we should celebrate."

Elsa blushed beet red as her sister pushed her onto her back and crawled on top of her, one leg sliding up between Elsa's, their foreheads touching. "Anna, I really think I should go talk to the guests - "

"That can wait," Anna said. Her tone was sure, but her cheeks were equally red. Still she leaned down with a determined look on her face and tugged Elsa's nightdress off her shoulders. Elsa squirmed, a warm feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "Hold still," her sister ordered, and she bit her lip and closed her eyes.

The cool air caressed her skin as Anna undressed her. Her sister had almost succeeded in pulling off her nightdress when there was a ripping sound, and Elsa's eyes flew open.

"Oh no," Anna gasped, her composure crumbling. The tips of her ears began to turn red.

Elsa sat up and pushed her back gently. There was a tear in her nightdress which Anna regarded with a horrified look. "Hey," she said, "slow down, tiger."

"Um," said Anna. "Oh god."

Elsa couldn't help herself. A giggle escaped her. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, but the look of mortification on Anna's face was too much. She dissolved into laughter. "Your - your face," she choked out.

"I'd like to see you do better!" Anna exclaimed, shoving her shoulder.

She wiped her eyes and schooled herself. "Anna," she said, taking her sister's hands. "We don't have to rush it, okay? I, um," she paused. "I kind of want to take it slow."

She didn't want to reveal to her sister that as much as she craved her physical touch, there was still a part of her that flinched instinctively, a part of her that feared giving herself over to emotion. There would be time enough to work through it.

"Oh, thank god," Anna mumbled. "Because I have no idea what I'm doing."

Elsa giggled and pulled her forward, and they fell back onto the bed. With some difficulty and rearranging of limbs they came to a comfortable conclusion, their legs entwined, Anna's arms wrapped around her. The sunlight warmed their bare skin.

"Neither do I," Elsa admitted, "but we can figure it out together."

end