A Snowball's Chance in Hell

Chapter One

Elsa stood on the balcony overlooking the castle courtyard. Despite her initial promise that they would never close the gates again, she had been forced to resume closing them at night after several items went missing from the stables and the castle kitchens. The gates weren't due to open for another ten minutes or so, and Elsa enjoyed the peace and quiet of the early morning before the hustle and bustle of the day took over.

A gust of wind picked up and tugged at the edge of her silk bathrobe, causing her to clutch it to herself so that it wouldn't fly open. Elsa knew that she should probably be getting properly dressed, but after years and years of trying to conceal herself and her powers, she relished the time when she was able to traipse around her room in nothing but a bathrobe, if even that. The wind brought several leaves onto the balcony, drawing Elsa's attention to the hills outside of the city. As summer gave way to fall, the trees shifted from fields of green to a vibrant sea of reds, yellows, and oranges.

But even the crisp, cool autumn air was still a little warm for Elsa's tastes. She traced lazy circles in the air with a finger, releasing just enough magic to lower the temperature around her. No frost formed on the balcony railing, but goosebumps rose on Elsa's arms nonetheless. She simply stood there, enjoying the feeling of the frigid air swirling around her and sneaking under her robe.

The sound of the courtyard gates unlocking brought Elsa out of her reverie. She quickly ducked back inside, but peeked out and the gates to see why they were opening early. The gate guard pulled the massive door open just a crack, allowing a lone figure to slip inside before they shut again. She watched the newcomer cross the courtyard for a bit, wondering who could have been important enough or vociferous enough to get the guard to let them through.

When the stranger reached the halfway point of the courtyard, Elsa finally recognized Anna walking toward the castle. Well, not quite walking. Storming, plodding, or stomping all felt more appropriate. Elsa chuckled to herself as she watched her sister approach the main doors. Only Anna could look so cute while stomping around, she thought.

The thought gave Elsa pause. She'd had a lot to think about after Anna nearly sacrificed her own life to save her. After all of their years apart, Anna had leapt in front of a sword to save her, a woman she barely knew anymore. They had been spending a lot more time together since then, but Elsa was having trouble reconciling this new woman that called herself her sister with the carefree, reckless child that she'd known years and years ago. Anna was still reckless and carefree, for the most part, but the small child of Elsa's memory had blossomed into a remarkable and beautiful woman. Elsa's mind jumped back to the party that they'd had to celebrate her return and the return of summer.

Anna was late to the party for… some reason or another; Elsa couldn't remember. She's probably out with Kristoff again, she thought, peeking at the clock while maintaining the illusion of listening to her visitors. She had been in the middle of a conversation with a delegation from the Southern Isles that had been sent to apologize profusely for Prince Hans' behavior when Anna's arrival was announced. She glanced toward the grand staircase, but immediately did a double take. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. There was no way that she could believe the woman practically gliding down the stairs was her sister, who would occasionally trip over her own feet on a flat surface. Elsa absently excused herself from the conversation and made her way over to the staircase, a feat made much easier by guests parting before her like the sea. She reached the base of the stairs at the same time as Anna, who grinned and nearly leaped forward to give her a hug.

Elsa returned the hug, her mind still reeling. It was definitely Anna, from the green silk dress, to the flowing copper hair, and the smattering of freckles across her face. Elsa had never seen her look so… grown up before, and it was an astonishing sight. Anna gave her one final squeeze and pulled back from the hug, looking up at her and still smiling broadly.

"You look… beautiful," Elsa said. The word had never felt so inadequate, but it was all that she could come up with. Anna smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She mumbled a quick word of thanks as a blush spread across her cheeks. Elsa's eyes were glued to her sister, unable to look away. After a moment, the younger woman looked up at Elsa quizzically.

"Is… everything okay?" Anna asked. She brought a hand up and wiped her fingers along the edges of her mouth. "I don't have chocolate on my face, do I?" she mumbled hurriedly. She made a few more swipes across her mouth, looking curiously at her fingers when they came back clean.

"N-no, it's— I just…" Elsa gave up trying to respond, failing to bite back a chuckle. Just like that the spell was broken. The mesmerizing woman transformed back into Anna, her little sister. She was still beautiful, but Elsa was no longer frozen in place, ogling her wordlessly. She held her arm out for Anna, who took it eagerly and pressed herself into Elsa's side for a moment before they headed out to mingle with the guests.

Elsa had felt something stir in her that night, but the party had presented more pressing concerns, so she ignored it. It wasn't until she had accidentally walked in on Anna and Kristoff sharing a private moment that she realized what it was. She was developing feelings for Anna, ones entirely inappropriate to feel for one's sibling. Waves of jealousy surged through her at the sight of Anna and Kristoff being so close, followed quickly by a touch of sorrow that she could never share a similar moment with Anna, which was in turn wiped out by the massive guilt and shame she had for even considering such a thing.

She'd spent nearly an entire day locked in her room after that, attempting to sort out the whirling maelstrom of conflicting emotions running rampant inside of her. She had refused to see anyone, even Anna. Especially Anna. Through it all, she came to the conclusion that while she loved Anna as a sister, there was a creeping desire for more. Elsa wanted to feel the warmth of her sister's body pressed up against hers, to run her fingers through Anna's luxurious hair, and taste the softness of her lips. She knew it wasn't romantic love, but rather infatuation. Lust, even. Regardless, the feelings were there, and they were strong. Her room had been covered in several inches of snow and several jagged icicles by the time she'd regained her composure. Since then, she'd been trying to maintain a modicum of distance between Anna and herself. She trusted her iron will to keep her from making any rash decisions or foolish mistakes, but it was still better not to risk it. Besides, it is not like it would ever happen. She's happy with Kristoff.

Elsa snapped back to the present when the bells of the city clock tower tolled, announcing the new hour. She stepped away from the doorway she had been hiding behind to see it was covered in a thick layer of ice. Damnit, she cursed silently. Groaning, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Come on, Elsa, get a hold of yourself. Control. Control, she chanted to herself. She took deep, even breaths, waving her hand to abolish the ice that had formed on the door. When she opened her eyes, everything was as it had been. Well, I'd better go see what she's upset about. She started for the door before remembering her attire, or lack thereof. Getting dressed first might help. Letting out one final rush of air, she tossed her bathrobe aside and grabbed the undergarments from her bed. Once they were on, she walked into her closet.

The first time she'd entered her closet, she was sure she'd discovered an extra bedroom of some kind that Kai had simply forgot to mention. It was certainly big enough. She swore it was as big as the room she and Anna had shared as children. However, the rows of clothing lining every available surface eventually convinced her that the room was, in fact, a massive closet. Her massive closet. Elsa had spent nearly ten minutes walking around the closet and trying to find some sort of organizational pattern, but spending so much time surrounded by her old clothes had brought back unpleasant memories. In the end, she'd ordered all of her old clothes to be donated to charities throughout the city, save for a handful of dresses she'd inherited from her mother.

Now when she walked into her closet, it felt more alive. Where before her wardrobe had been dark, stuffy, and concealing, now it was light, airy, and perhaps a bit more casual than was strictly appropriate for a queen. Running her hand along a number of hangars, she settled on a soft lavender dress with short sleeves that ended just above the elbow. She always thought it made her look a little more approachable, and it was miles better than her 'ice' dress which, despite its name, could get horribly stuffy in the warmer summer months.

While she struggled to get the zipper of her dress all the way up, a glint of light caught Elsa's eye. After she managed to finish zipping up her dress, she moved to the back of the closet and looked over the object that had caught her eye. It was a black silk dress, or at least the seamstress had called it a dress when she had presented it. Elsa had always thought it looked more like an apron with the way it left her entire back and shoulders exposed. The front was even held up by a thin strap that went around her neck. Though, most aprons she'd seen were longer than the hem of the dress, which didn't even reach halfway down her thigh. The most… prominent feature, however, was the neck line. The one time Elsa had tried the dress on, it plunged well past her navel, nearly reaching her hips. It was even lined with sequins, naturally drawing the eye to the vast trail of skin that it laid bare.

Still, it was a lovely dress. Elsa had never had the opportunity to wear it—she could only imagine the scandal if she showed up anywhere in such a risque outfit—so she kept it on a dress form in her closet instead. Every now and then, she considered putting it on before attending one of her many royal functions as queen, but she had never quite been able to work up the courage to actually do it. She ran a finger down the luxurious fabric, briefly lamenting the fact that she would likely never be able to wear it, before turning on her heel and setting off to find her sister.

Anna stormed through the halls of the castle, grumbling to herself, "Kristoff, you stupid, boorish… idiot." She passed several servants along the way to her room, but all of them wisely kept their heads down and let the rumbling storm blow by unhindered. When Anna finally reached her room, she threw the door open and slammed it shut a moment later. She sat down roughly on the bed and ripped a boot off of her foot, haphazardly tossing it into the corner of the room. She tried to pull the other one off, but it was more stubborn than its twin and got caught on her heel. The boot held firm after a few tugs, so Anna yanked with all of her might, sending herself sprawling backwards onto the bed and the boot flying across the room.

Afterward, she simply lay there and stared at the ceiling. All of the frustration and anger that she had been holding onto was gone, leaving her tired after her forced march across the city. She reached up and ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh. "I thought…" she whispered to the empty air, "I thought I loved him. I thought… he loved me." She draped an arm over her eyes, squeezing them shut against the tears that had followed her all the way from the outskirts of the city. Once the threat of tears had abated, she sat up and looked around the room.

"I need a bath," she mumbled absently. She stood up and reached over her shoulder to try and unzip her dress. It took several moments of struggling and using one arm to push the other higher, but she finally managed to grab the zipper of her dress well enough to pull it down. She carefully stepped out of the dress and laid it over the back of a chair. She turned on her heel to head for the bathroom only to stop mid-step when an unfortunate realization hit her. I forgot to tell someone to draw a bath, she thought dejectedly. She pressed a hand to her face and let out a frustrated groan. A knock on the door startled her, forcing her to pause before calling out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, your highness," Kai's voice came from the other side of the door. "I've had a bath drawn for you in the Royal Bathing Chamber, should you require it."

Anna skipped to the door, pulling open just a crack so that she could stick her head out. "Thank you, Kai," she said, smiling gratefully, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kai bowed slightly, but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Forgive me for prying, your highness, but… is everything well? Several members of the staff mentioned that you seemed rather… cross upon arriving at the castle this morning."

Anna shrank back behind the door a bit, as if trying to physically hide her embarrassment. "Yes," she replied, "I was just… a little frustrated. Everything's fine, though. Thank you."

The rotund butler merely nodded and headed off to whatever he had been doing before. Meanwhile, Anna slipped on a fluffy cotton bathrobe and scurried down the hall to the Royal Bathing Chamber. As she shut the door behind her, she marveled once again at the sheer size of the place. Over a dozen large copper tubs lined one half of the circular room, while the other side was filled with half a dozen even bigger baths were carved into the floor of the castle itself. The stone tubs were big enough to comfortably accommodate up to eight people while the copper ones were easily big enough for two.

Anna walked over to the nearest copper tub. It was full of water and even had a few little wisps of steam rising off of the tranquil surface. She stuck a hand into the water and let out a contented sigh as the heat seeped into her fingers. Shrugging off her bath robe and tossing it over the side of the next tub in line, she carefully hopped into the bath. Unfortunately, the tub was a little too full and some of the heavenly water spilled over the lip and onto the floor. Anna pulled the ribbons out of her braids and raked her fingers through her hair until they came undone, leaving a disheveled waterfall trailing down her back and into the water. She dipped down low enough to fully submerge herself before popping back up and settling down to soak for a bit.

She looked around the cavernous room some more while the warmth of the bath seeped into her body. She'd never seen it come even close to being fully occupied, and the only time she'd ever seen more than two people use it at once was during some boring economic conference her father had hosted. She'd walked in hoping to enjoy a soothing soak after an early morning horse ride, but was instead greeted by a dozen naked men from neighboring kingdoms conversing in and around one of the stone tubs. It had taken her a month before she was willing to set foot in the room, even fully clothed.

The sound of the nearby door opening shook Anna from her memories. She shrank down into the tub, peaking over the edge as the door swung open. However, she relaxed almost immediately when she heard the voice that drifted into the room.

"Anna?" Elsa called out as she took a single step into the Royal Bathing Chamber, scanning empty tub after empty tub in search of her sister. "Kai told me you might be—" She froze for an instant when she saw Anna slowly sitting up in a nearby tub. She quickly averted her gaze as Anna's bare shoulders rose into view, mumbling, "Oh. I didn't realize you were already in the bath. I can… just wait out here." She moved to retreat to the safety of the hall.

"Elsa, wait!" Anna cried after her sister, sounding a little more desperate than she meant to. She settled back into the tub until only her head was above water and kept talking at the open door, hoping the queen was still on the other side. "You don't have to go," she said, waving a hand below the water to create a small wave, "but you… can, if you want."

Elsa stood stock still, her hand trembling on the doorknob. She's practically inviting you in, she thought. She couldn't deny that she'd had a few horridly inappropriate dreams that started out like this. She squeezed her eyes shut and silently berated herself. She'd never make the offer if she knew… She paused, unable to form the words even in the privacy of her own mind.

"Elsa?"

Anna's voice carried that hint of sadness that Elsa had heard so often growing up. It was the one that always entered her sister's voice when she finally gave up trying to get Elsa to end her self-imposed isolation and come out of her room. It tore at her heart to know that Anna still thought of her like that. She took a deep breath and stepped back into the bathing chamber, doing her best to hold a sincere smile. "Of course," she said, walking over and sitting on the edge of a nearby empty tub. "I just didn't want to intrude."

"You're not intruding," Anna replied, giggling, "In fact, you're free to join me, if you want. There's plenty of room and the water's amazing." She lifted a leg. Her foot broke the surface of the water in the middle of the tub, emphasizing all of the empty room.

A surreptitious agreement left Elsa's brain, picked up words in her vocal cords, and was almost out of her mouth before she caught it and chained it up in the back of her mind. She'd been so distracted by the thought of joining Anna, then the sight of her sister's leg rising out of the tub, that she'd almost responded without thinking. "No, thank you," she finally forced out, "I already bathed this morning in my personal chambers."

"I know," Anna responded, her eyes flitting up a bit, "I can tell, but I figured I'd ask to be polite." She leaned back against the end of the tub again, but caught her sister giving her a confused look. She giggled again before explaining, "Your hair." The simple explanation seemed only to confuse her sister further, so she kept going, "It's always… fluffier after you bathe."

"Fluffier?" Elsa echoed. She reached up and felt her hair, suddenly self-conscious that it had somehow frizzed up into some uncontrollable mess.

"No, no. It looks fine," Anna assured her sister, "It always looks good, it's just… fluffier sometimes." Anna shrugged, unable to find a better way to put it. Unfortunately the motion caused ripples in the water, and the ripples drew Elsa's eyes downward, giving her a clear, full view of Anna's breasts under the water. Elsa could only stare dumbly for a second before riveting her eyes to an oddly shaped stone in the floor.

Please don't let her have noticed, she begged silently. She listened for some kind of uncomfortable rustling or awkward silence following her little lapse, but she only heard Anna humming happily to herself. Elsa let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and just listened to Anna's humming. She had recently discovered that Anna had a lovely singing voice, and now made a conscious effort to hear her little sister sing whenever she could. She sat on the cold, uncomfortable lip of the bath tub and watched Anna, glad to see the young woman so happy over such a simple thing and secretly a little jealous about that selfsame fact.

After another minute or so, three quick raps sounded at the door. Elsa smirked as she recognized the knock, calling out, "Yes, Kai?"

The door out to the main castle opened, but the butler stayed on the far side of the threshold. "Forgive the intrusion, your majesty, your highness," he said, speaking loudly to make sure his voice would carry to his unseen liege ladies, "Breakfast is served in the Eastern Dining Room, per your request."

"Thank you, Kai," said Anna, waving toward the door as it closed. She nestled down into the warm water until it was up to her nose, reveling in the heat one last time before she got out. Soon, her hips started to ache from being bent at an awkward angle for so long. She stood up suddenly, flinging a good deal of water onto the floor. "Alright," she chirped happily, "Let's go eat!"

However, Elsa was, ironically, frozen in place. She had been watching her sister's head a second ago, but now her field of vision was filled with Anna's bare thighs. Rivulets of water ran down the muscles, toned from years of horseback riding.

I wonder what she tastes like.

The errant thought sent Elsa's heart up into her throat. She gripped the lip of the tub harder, feeling the cold metal grow frigid under her touch. She was sure that Anna had heard her somehow, so she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the disgust to come flying at her. The first words she heard didn't contain the vitriol that she expected.

"Hey, Elsa, can you hand me my robe? It's colder in here than I thought."

Elsa cracked an eye open to see Anna's outstretched hand pointing at a spot next to her. She followed her sister's finger with her eyes and saw a rumpled bathrobe sitting just to her side. She quickly grabbed it and thrust it out to Anna, who took it gratefully.

"Thanks," she said, carefully stepping out of the tub. Anna draped her robe over her back, but immediately cringed underneath it. "Oh, oh, cold!" she yelped, fixing Elsa with a playful glare, "That's not funny, Elsa!"

"I didn't do…" Elsa's sentence trailed off when she realized what had happened. Her freezing the metal in the tub had chilled Anna's bathrobe. She brought a hand to her mouth to cover her giggle. "I'm sorry, Anna," she apologized, unable to keep the smile off of her face, "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Sure you didn't," Anna muttered, huddling under her bathrobe. She rubbed along her arms to try and get warm, still glaring at her sister. She stalked over to where Elsa sat and put a finger in her face, saying, "I'm gonna get you for that." Her glare immediately melted into a playful smile and she bopped Elsa on the nose. While Elsa blinked in confusion, Anna grabbed one of her hands, intertwining their fingers and pulling her toward the door. "Come on, I'm hungry."

That circle in the rug is forty-seven rows wide, but forty-nine rows long. Does that technically make it an oval? Elsa wondered to herself. She was standing in Anna's room with her eyes fixed resolutely on a circle in the pattern of the rug while Anna dug around in a pile of clothes for… something. At least Elsa thought that's what she was doing based on the random articles of clothing that kept flying through her peripheral vision. Her intense study of the circle was interrupted by something landing on her face. "What the…" she wondered aloud, carefully grabbing the cloth and holding it out at arm's length. She bit her lip to suppress a snicker, holding a pair of bloomers identical to the ones she and Anna used to find in their grandmother's dresser.

"Aha!" Anna cried triumphantly, standing up from the pile of clean, but unfolded, clothes in a pile outside of her already overstuffed closet. She held her favorite pair of green panties in her hand. Turning around, she saw Elsa holding her pair of winter bloomers. "Oh no. Oh no no no." She scrambled across the room, snatching the offending undergarments and hiding them behind her back. She chewed on her lip for a second while her sister just smirked at her. She huffed irritably, saying, "I wear them when it gets cold, okay? Not all of us are immune to the cold like you."

"Oh, really?" Elsa replied, lifting a hand and holding it in front of her mouth.

"Elsa," Anna tried to sound threatening, but it was ruined by the small step backward that she took. "Don't you dare."

"Don't what?" Elsa asked, feigning innocence. "Don't… do this?" She blew across her palm, sending a wave of cold air toward her sister. Anna yelped and jumped backward, flailing an arm in Elsa's direction.

"That's not funny, Elsa!" Anna shrieked. She shivered as goosebumps rose on her arms and legs. She glared at Elsa, but the queen was too busy laughing to notice. Anna couldn't help but smile as well at hearing her sister's laughter, even if it was at her expense.

Elsa rode out the last of her laughter, smiling warmly at her sister. However, after a moment, she became painfully aware of a simple fact. Clearing her throat, she kept her gaze high and hoped her voice was steady as she said, "Um, Anna?"

"Yes?" Anna replied, worried about her sister's sudden change in demeanor. Elsa wasn't looking at her anymore, instead looking just above her. Anna ran a hand through her hair, but only felt a damp, flat mess. "Is… is everything okay?"

Elsa looked down briefly, focusing on Anna's face as best she could. "O-of course! You should really get dressed, though. We don't want the food to get cold."

Anna glanced down, belatedly realizing that she was still naked. She quickly covered herself and sprinted to her closet, muttering, "Oh… right. Sorry." Unfortunately, the mad dash gave Elsa an excellent view of her sister's shapely buttocks and lithe thighs as she retreated to the safety of the closet.

The next few minutes were torture for Elsa. She had never known Anna was such a fashion victim, and was forced to sit through half a dozen clothing changes and watch her sister perform what felt like a repeated striptease in between each one. She hadn't snapped yet, but the heat building between her legs was making her very much aware that 'ice queen' was just a nickname.

Never thought I'd be using my gifts this way... She thought to herself as she cooled herself down a little whilst they made their way to the dining room. Unfortunately, Anna had taken advantage of Elsa's hand being clasped in front of her and linked arms with her sister, pressing up against her side. She had eventually settled on an airy dress that mixed vibrant reds with sombre brown tones creating a whole that accentuated each and every one of her curves. As if it wasn't hard enough already.

Despite the extended fashion show in Anna's room, they still made good time and were only a little late for breakfast. Though, the wisps of steam still rising off of the porridge that had been laid out led Elsa to believe that Kai may have purposefully come to get them a little early, anticipating their delay in getting to the dining room.

"Elsa? Aren't you hungry?"

Elsa looked up from the porridge she had been mindlessly stirring. She was hungry, but was finding it hard to eat when every time she glanced over at her sister, Anna was leaning down and giving Elsa a clear view down the front of her dress. Elsa opened her mouth to respond, but quickly took a bite of food instead, not trusting her voice to be steady at the moment. Anna seemed satisfied and went back to her own food, reaching across the table to grab a biscuit. Elsa took another bite and cast about for a topic of conversation while the silence stretched between them. An image of Anna stomping across the castle courtyard flashed through her mind.

"Is everything alright, Anna?" Elsa asked. "You appeared rather cross when you came back to the castle this morning."

Anna nearly choked on her biscuit, coughing and sending small bits of it flying across the table. Once she could breathe again, she turned to her sister, who was fighting to hide a smirk. "How did— I mean, you— Wha—" She sputtered for a few seconds before she took a breath and asked, "You saw me?"

Elsa bit back her reply at the last second. Giving Anna the idea that she'd simply been watching her come home—hiding behind her doorframe, no less—seemed a bit… unnerving. "No," she ultimately said, "but several members of the staff mentioned that they saw you storming through the halls early this morning." She smiled when Anna blushed, embarrassed at having been caught. "I'm not upset," Elsa assured her sister, reaching across the table to lay a hand on top of Anna's. "I'm not mom, or dad. You're your own woman and you're allowed to do as you please, within reason. I just want to know if you're okay."

Anna smiled warmly and rolled her hand over to hold her sister's. "I'm fine, Elsa," she replied. "I was just…" She paused and chewed on her bottom lip, unsure of whether she wanted to burden her sister with her personal problems.

Elsa smiled and squeezed Anna's hand, saying, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. If you say you're okay, that's enough for me." She sat back and scooped a bite of porridge into her mouth. Afterward, she noticed that Anna still seemed to be fighting with herself over something, so she tried to change the subject. "How are things between you and Kristoff?"

"They're… fine, I guess," Anna muttered. She put her spoon down next to her bowl and slumped down in her chair, her appetite gone.

Oops. Elsa winced. She'd been trying to lighten her sister's mood, but had accidentally struck at the crux of whatever was bothering her. It was Elsa's turn to struggle with what to say. You're her older sister! Comfort her! Seeing Anna so sad and defeated broke her heart. Elsa wanted nothing more than to hold her sister close and tell her that everything would be alright, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Instead, she settled for laying a hand on Anna's arm. "Again, you don't have to tell me. Just remember that I'm here for you if you want to talk."

Anna let out a sigh, but sat up a little bit. "Thanks, Elsa," she said, giving her sister a half-smile. She opened her mouth to keep talking, but was interrupted by a trio of quick raps at the door.

"Hold that thought," Elsa told her sister, winking before turning toward the door. "Yes, Kai?"

The door opened and Kai poked his head in, bowing. "Forgive the intrusion, your majesty, your highness," he said, "I only wished to remind you that your weekly session of open court is due to start in ten minutes."

"Of course. Thank you, Kai." Elsa nodded, but noticed Anna slump back down in her chair out of the corner of her eye. "Actually… Kai?" she called after the butler, who had begun to make his exit but stepped back through the doorway at her summons. "Please apologize to the petitioners for me and inform them that the start of open court is being pushed back by an hour."

"Of course, your majesty." Kai bowed, then retreated and closed the door.

"What was that about?" Anna asked. She watched with a raised eyebrow as her sister stood up from the table.

"I just thought you'd enjoy spending a little more time together before I have to attend open court," Elsa replied. She walked around the table and offered a hand to help Anna out of her chair. Once her sister was up, she held out an arm. "So, what do you want to do? Take a walk through the gardens? You could show me those ducklings that you told me about."

Anna took her sister's arm and laid her head on Elsa's shoulder. "That sounds like fun."