Title: Anna Under Advisement
Set: Autumn, several months after the events of Frozen.
Summary: "With a sudden dramatic sob, Anna threw the door open and flung herself on Elsa. 'K-kristoff and I had a f-fight!' she wailed." It seems that romantic relationships are not Anna's strong suit. But at least she has Elsa to help her find her way. Oneshot featuring sisterly bonding and some queenly advice.

A/N: Hello! Me again. I know it's been ages since I uploaded anything... Seems my fanfiction muse has gone on an extended vacation. (Or been smothered by schoolwork, one of the two.) But I've been obsessed with Frozen and these two lovely ladies since long before the movie came out, and when it finally hit theaters, my delight overflowed and produced this little fluff piece. I've been editing and tweaking since, and with winter break I finally got the chance to go over it with a fine-toothed comb and post. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or any of its characters. All rights belong to the Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Elsa was in the counsel chamber when it happened. In the midst of reviewing a harvest report, she was interrupted by two loudly shrieking voices. The words were indistinct, but the tones clear—Anna's high-pitched chirp and Kristoff's much deeper tenor. It didn't sound like they were having a very pleasant conversation.

The advisers assisting Elsa all turned toward the door with befuddled expressions as the voice drew rapidly closer.

"No, I do not understand! How can a stupid troll concert be more important than me?"

Elsa winced.

"You're not listening! I don't have a choice!"

"Of course you have a choice!" Anna shrieked. "Everyone has a choice!"

"You—you're just—you're impossible!" There was a sudden pounding of large feet, and then a terrific bang as a door slammed.

"Well fine! See if I care what you do!" Anna screamed, though Kristoff had to be out of hearing range. Another flurry of feet sounded as she sprinted in the opposite direction.

"Oh, dear," Elsa said quietly. Her advisers all turned back to the table, obviously trying very hard to look as if they hadn't noticed the commotion. But really, most of the palace had to have heard.

"Excuse me for a moment, please," Elsa said, getting to her feet. She had a feeling she would be more than just a moment, but no sense overcomplicating things. She gathered her skirt around her and swept out the door, scanning the corridor for any sign of her little sister.

Nothing.

She headed toward Anna's room. On the way, she spotted Gerta and pulled her aside. "Would you please bring some hot chocolate up to Princess Anna's room?"

"Of course, dear." The servant smiled a little sadly, leaving Elsa with no doubt that she knew about the fight.

"Thank you."

Elsa trotted up the spiral staircase and through the portrait gallery before stopping outside Anna's door. It was firmly shut. She studied its painted pink flowers for a moment, wondering how to go about this.

"Anna?" She knocked gently. "You in there?"

Silence for a moment. Elsa waited, glancing up and down the long hall. No one in sight.

She knocked again. "Anna? It's me, Elsa."

Nothing.

Elsa swallowed a prickle of guilt. This must be what Anna had experienced all those years, shut out in the hall. It had been for her own protection, but… it would have hurt. Still, leaving the door shut hadn't exactly been fun, either.

The thought of Anna knocking sparked an idea. Elsa glanced around once more, making sure they were alone, then leaned down so her lips were near the keyhole.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" she sang softly. Words flowed into her mind more easily than she would have expected. "Or go skating in the halls? You could introduce me to the pictures on the walls."

There was a loud, throaty sniff from the other side of the door, and a shuffling, as if Anna was moving closer. Encouraged, Elsa went on.

"Come on out, best buddy. I hate to see you so bluuuuue… Do you wanna build a snowman?"

The door opened a sliver, and one of Anna's bright blue eyes peeped through, her lashes wet with tears.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" Elsa faltered. "It doesn't have to be a snowman…"

Anna blinked and snuffled. "Y-you remember that song?"

"Of course," Elsa said softly.

With a sudden dramatic sob, Anna threw the door open and flung herself on Elsa.

"K-kristoff and I had a f-fight!" she wailed.

Elsa stumbled back, startled for a moment, and then wrapped her arms gently around her sister. She hesitated slightly before placing a hand on Anna's back, but relaxed when nothing happened. "I know. I… heard."

"Oh, great," Anna groaned. "Anyone else? Does everyone know?"

"Er, no. Just… um, just me, I think," Elsa lied. "I… have good ears."

Anna was too caught up in her misery to question this. "I don't know what to do! He's being so stubborn! I keep asking him to do things and he keeps making up these positively horrid excuses to avoid them! I'm sorry, but trolls do not have five concerts a week. And even if they did, they wouldn't be worth going to!" Anna pulled away, crossed the room, and collapsed dramatically on her unmade bed. "Why does Kristoff hate me all of the sudden?"

"Oh, Anna…" Elsa glanced down the hall, where Gerta was just arriving with a tray bearing two mugs, a pot of hot chocolate, and a bowl of marshmallows. Elsa took it from her, offering a quick smile in thanks, while Anna continued to moan.

Elsa used her foot to ease the door shut and crossed to the bed, dodging the heaps of assorted goods cluttering the floor. She carefully cleared a spot on the bedside table for the tray, then poured Anna a mug and added several big marshmallows.

"Here," she said, interrupting her sister's tirade.

Anna blinked in surprise, as if just noticing the tray. She took the cup gratefully and sipped. After lowering it to her lap, she let out a long sigh. "I just don't know what to do, Elsa. I always mean for things to go well, but… we just end up fighting." Anna looked like a lost puppy.

Elsa propped one of the many pillows crowding Anna's bed against the headboard and leaned against it. "Well… Why don't you start at the beginning, and tell me what happened?"

"Okay." Anna nodded and took a deep breath. "The beginning. Well, let's see… I was out in the market earlier, helping Kristoff with his ice. And I was thinking about how that harvest ball-thing is coming up, right? And I thought, Hey, I know! I'll ask Kristoff to be my escort!"

Elsa hid a wince. She could guess how that had gone over.

"So we came up here to the palace, and I was like, 'Can I ask you something?' And he was like," she deepened her voice in an imitation of Kristoff, "'Sure, Anna'."

Anna proceeded to relate the rest of the conversation word for word, while Elsa did her very best not to roll her eyes. Anna was in her element now, talking a mile a minute. At least the story had absorbed her enough to make her stop crying.

As she rambled about Kristoff's lame excuse—he had a "troll concert" (with dramatic air quotes) to attend that day—and the fact that he had used it the last three times she asked him to come to a royal event, Elsa poured herself a mug of hot chocolate, using the tips of her fingers to sprinkle tiny ice crystals in and cool it.

"I just don't know what to do," Anna wound down several minutes later. "Sometimes I think…" She trailed off, her eyes fixed on her stock-clad toes.

"You think what?" Elsa prompted, cupping her mug in her hands.

"Kristoff's lost interest in me," Anna whispered in a low voice, before breaking back into hysterical sobs.

"Oh, Anna!" Elsa set her mug aside and scooted forward to hug her sister. Anna leaned in gratefully, and Elsa settled back against the headboard with Anna practically on top of her. She rubbed Anna's arm gently.

"Anna, Kristoff cares for you. You know that."

"I did." Anna sniffed. "But now he acts like I have influenza."

Elsa forced a gentle laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "If you had influenza, you know Kristoff would be right here next to you, worried sick."

"… Do you know anybody I could catch influenza from?"

"Anna!"

"Well, if it'll make him come back…" Anna wiped her nose with the sleeve of her gown. Grimacing, Elsa pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over. Anna blew her nose loudly. "What do I do, Elsa?"

"Well…" Elsa said slowly. "Kristoff is certainly… interested in you. So it can't be you that's keeping him away."

"It can't be troll concerts, either," Anna grumbled. "I don't even think they're a thing!"

Elsa ignored that. "Have you thought that maybe the Harvest Ball just isn't something he'd enjoy? Nor was the party for Lady Britta's birthday or the banquet announcing Duke Felix's engagement. You know, Kristoff doesn't like people much."

"… But he likes me," Anna said stubbornly.

"I thought you just said he didn't."

"Um…"

Elsa chuckled and shook her head. "Anna, you know Kristoff wants to be with you. But you have to think about his other feelings, too. He's confused, so he's making up excuses."

There was a moment of silence while Anna processed this.

"That's silly," she said at last. "He could just say he doesn't want to go."

Elsa sighed. "It's not always that easy, Anna." She was silent for a moment.

"So… what should I do?" Anna asked hopefully. Elsa experienced a rush of pleasure, realizing how much her opinion meant to her sister.

"Well…" Elsa said slowly. "I guess you should find him and ask if he has something he'd like the two of you to do together. Maybe you can attended one of those concerts," she added mischievously.

"Oh, no. The last time I heard the trolls sing, they tried to preform a marriage ceremony!"

"What?"

"Er, nothing…" Anna sat up and reached for her cup of hot chocolate, draining the rest of it in just a few gulps. Color was fast returning to her face, and soon she was searching the floor for the boots she had apparently flung off.

"Better?" Elsa asked, sitting up and reaching for her mug.

"Better," Anna agreed. She located the boots and crammed her feet in, then straightened her disheveled skirt. "I'm going to find Kristoff and apologize." She frowned at herself in the mirror. Her attempts at smoothing down her strawberry blonde hair were only making it into more of a mess.

"Here," Elsa said, shaking her head. She set down her cup, crossed to the dressing table, and picked up Anna's hairbrush. She hesitated briefly before touching her sister's braids, remembering the way they had turned white…

Love, she reminded herself, taking a deep breath. Her hands remained free of ice as she unfastened Anna's hair, ran the brush through the tangles, and redid the braids. "There you are."

"Thanks, Elsa." Anna beamed.

"Of course." Elsa smiled back, reaching for her hot chocolate again.

Anna headed for the door. With her hand on the knob, she paused. "Hey… Elsa?"

"Hm?" Elsa peered over the mug's rim.

Anna hesitated, almost seeming shy—a rarity. "Thanks… you know, for the advice. And the hot coco."

Elsa smiled softly. "Anytime. I… I'm sorry I've never been able to give much before."

Anna waved her hand. "Oh, that's all forgotten. And besides, I'm sure there'll be plenty more times I need it. In case you hadn't noticed—" She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial stage-whisper. "I'm kind of a mess."

Elsa giggled. "Really? I never would have guessed."

"I seem to be good at hiding it, but… it's tragically true! I'd be lost without a guiding big sister."

"And I'd be lost without a persistent little one." Anna's smile could have melted all the snow on the North Mountain.

"Now go on!" Elsa said, making shooing motions. "Kristoff is waiting!" Or sulking. One of those.

"Right! See you later!" Anna dashed out the door, and Elsa turned to gather the tray, taking in the mess that was Anna's room. Maybe she'd straightened up a bit…

"Oh!" Anna yelled from down the hall. "And when I get back, I'll introduce you to the pictures on the walls! You'll love Joan!"

Elsa laughed. "Can't wait!"

A/N: So there we are! Nothing too substantial, but I hope you enjoyed. And please don't think I'm trying to be negative about poor Kristoff here... I love him to death, troll concerts and all. (Just had to throw that in there...) If you liked this (or even if you didn't), please leave me a review! I'll give you some hot chocolate... -Dovewings