Elsa knew she was trembling.

She knew her expression was far from composed, judging from the anxiety on Anna's face. But she was too angry to care; it was a white-hot searing fury that ate away at her insides, that cried out to be set free in blistering ice.

Elsa took a deep breath and reined in her emotions. She would not give Frederik the satisfaction of having gotten to her. He had already gone too far, laying out his plans like that, looking at her as though she was a piece of meat and he was a starving wolf.

There were too many people watching. Elsa was unable to let her emotions show, and she knew he knew that.

Her face melted into a reassuring smile which she directed at Anna, who visibly relaxed. Elsa returned to her seat.

Frederik, who had taken his seat not long after Elsa had, smiled placidly at her. "Thank you for indulging me, Queen Elsa," he said formally. "I trust you will carefully consider what we have talked about."

Before she could respond, a knock sounded at the door. Frederik waved at one of his attendants to deal with it. "I gave clear instructions we were not to be disturbed," he snapped.

The guard whispered in the attendant's ear. The attendant crossed the hall to whisper in Frederik's ear. Frederik's expression didn't change, but Elsa was a keen observer, and she saw the king's hand tense.

Frederik smiled suddenly. "I do beg your pardon, Majesties," he said, turning to Elsa, "but an urgent matter has arisen which requires my immediate attention."

He wasn't meeting her eyes, which made Elsa instantly suspicious. "Didn't you say you were not to be disturbed? Your orders sounded quite clear, King Frederik." She knew she was walking a thin line, but the momentary flash of anger in his eyes was her reward.

"I deeply apologise," he said. "We will adjourn for now, and meet again tomorrow. Anselm, Farmund, a word, please."

King Frederik swept from the hall, deep in whispered conversation with his brothers, leaving the Arendellian delegation behind.

Elsa met Anna's questioning eye; she nodded, once, and pursed her lips together. We'll talk later.

A guard appeared in front of Elsa and bowed stiffly. "Your Majesty," he said, "we have orders to escort you and your family to the drawing room."

"The drawing room? Why not our rooms?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," replied the guard. "I wasn't informed why."

Anna took a step forward. "We're not prisoners, we're a visiting royal family," she snapped.

The man bowed lower. "I am sorry. I have my orders from the king and my captain; I am to escort you to the drawing room until I receive further instructions, and I was strictly warned not to budge on this."

Anna swelled with indignation, but she took a step back, deferring to Elsa. Her eyes were narrowed, letting her sister know exactly how she was feeling.

She saw there was no point in forcing her authority on a simple soldier. The battle was between her and his master, and he was just following orders. "Very well," said Elsa. She swept out of the hall, head held high, not waiting for the guards; they were forced to scramble to the front and lead the way. Anna or Kristoff had fallen in behind her; Elsa dared not even look at them. She knew they were still being watched, eager to spot any ammunition to use against them.

Instead, Elsa focused her thoughts on the abrupt turn of events. The sudden secrecy, the change in Frederik's demeanour, the way he was unable to meet her eye… the only thing that would explain all of it was that something had happened to Hans.

Had he escaped? That would change everything. Frederik knew that Hans was his only bargaining chip, and the loss of that bargaining chip would spell disaster for all his grand plans. Frederik would definitely not want her to know that he had escaped by tucking her away safely in the drawing room. She had visited it before; it was a magnificent gilded prison, but a prison nonetheless.

But if Hans had escaped, where had he gone? Where could he go? Who had gotten him out? Why hadn't he warned her?

The last thought was quickly scratched out. He wouldn't have confided in her about his escape plans; Hans had an annoying habit of plausible deniability – for all the good that had done him, she thought furiously.

That, plus she was being watched, meant she was unable to help him, and would have to wait helplessly for things to unfold. And if that meant Elsa was to wake up the next morning to see him swinging from the gallows…

She was shaken from her thoughts by Anna catching her wrist, and giving it a little shake. He'll be fine, she mouthed, disguising it as a cough behind one hand.

Clearly, Anna had arrived at the same conclusion as she had. Elsa gave her sister a tight little smile. He hadn't been fine when Frederik's guards had come for him.

There was a blazing fire in the hearth, refreshments laid out on a side table, and servants who bowed when they entered. "The king sends his regards, and deepest apologies for the inconvenience," said the head servant.

"Thank you."

"Would you care for some tea, Your Majesty? King Frederik has procured some excellent Darjeeling from India; he meant it as a parting gift, but under the circumstances, he thought it would serve as his sincere apology."

"Please convey my thanks," said Elsa, accepting the cup. The familiar aroma filled her senses; Frederik had certainly spared no expense. Not only had he known her favourite variety of tea, he had also ordered a premium blend Elsa normally only purchased once a year. She took a sip, knowing that there would be two teaspoons of sugar and no milk in it.

She wasn't disappointed. What was the use of an excellent spy ring if not for the subtle mind games Frederik was so fond of?

"For Her Highness, we have a selection of chocolates from Paris," said the man. Anna gripped Kristoff's wrist tightly and attempted not to squeal. "And for you, my Lord Baron, some cakes that we hope will be to your liking."

At least they hadn't insulted Kristoff by giving him something Frederik thought he would like. Elsa saw Anna discreetly kick him in the shin; after a beat, Kristoff thanked the man for his consideration.

Anna, at this stage, reminded Elsa of a water skin close to bursting. Elsa took the hint and made her excuses to the servants, dismissing them so the Arendellian royals could recuperate from the morning's excitement in private.

She took no chances with securing the room. One ice raven remained to perch in a corner of the room, while an ice ferret took up its post under the chaise lounge. "Still, we should speak about anything… private, in whispers," Elsa cautioned her sister.

"Right, whispers. Got it." Anna swatted at Kristoff, who released her hand. They had started out holding hands, but judging from how enforced silence was making Anna antsy, it devolved into a warning grip on Kristoff's part. "He's escaped, hasn't he?"

Elsa put her hand on Anna's knee, drawing her sister's undivided attention. "I think so. It's the only explanation I can think of." A stray thought struck her. "Anna, did you…?"

"I didn't," replied Anna. "Well… I possibly, maybe, might've been involved, indirectly… But it doesn't matter! Frederik can't threaten you anymore." She raised her voice. "My, these chocolates are amazing. Elsa, you've got to try one."

"What do you mean, indirectly?" Elsa hissed, adding: "Why, thank you, Anna," in louder tones.

Anna exploded into a round of fake, loud coughing. "We gave him a file," she said in an undertone.

Elsa closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was aware of Anna and Kristoff staring at her fearfully.

"You what," said Elsa calmly.

"Can I have one?" said Kristoff loudly. He caught Elsa's eye and nodded.

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. "Did he ask you to?"

"Yeah," said Anna.

Elsa glanced at Kristoff. "Did you know about it?"

He nodded. Kristoff glanced at both sisters, his alarm growing as he realised that neither were bothering to keep up the pretence of the covering conversation.

"He didn't say anything to me," said Elsa, trying not to sound hurt.

"He didn't want you to be involved. You would be the number one suspect if anything went wrong."

"Well, now it happened," said Elsa hotly. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"We didn't think we should tell you," said Anna uncomfortably. "We thought – "

"– the less I know, the less implicated I am," Elsa interrupted hotly. "Does nobody think I am capable of anything?"

"Elsa, that's not it. We thought… that you had enough on your plate already. We were wrong. We're sorry. We just wanted to share your burden." Anna's mouth tightened. "Besides, you decided to keep Hans a secret from us for nearly a year, so that says a lot about your decision-making process."

"Uhm, guys?" interrupted Kristoff in a stage whisper. "Getting a little loud."

"Oh." Elsa looked down, and realised she and Anna were standing. She sat back down and reached for her tea. Anna, still looking guilty, grabbed a handful of chocolates and stuffed them into her mouth.

"What did you and Frederik talk about?" asked Anna casually, through a mouthful of chocolate.

Elsa nearly choked on her tea; Anna rushed to rub her sister's back.

"Say something, Elsa, you're making me nervous. Well, more nervous… you were trembling when you came out of the room, don't think I didn't see you…"

"Anna, I don't think we should talk about this now," she hissed, glancing at the doors.

"... It's that bad? Oh my god. He's an ass. What did he do? Did he threaten to sic Anselm on me?"

"Anna."

"Don't worry, I won't freak out. I gave Frederik a verbal smackdown, remember? I promise I can take it." Anna crept closer to her sister.

"He proposed to me," whispered Elsa.

The ensuing "what" was so loud, Kristoff jumped to clap a hand over Anna's mouth, but he shot Elsa an outraged look of his own.

"You said you wouldn't freak out," hissed Elsa. She had frozen her tea in her surprise. It didn't improve her mood.

Anna swatted Kristoff away. "That… squashed krumkake, wants to marry you! How am I not supposed to freak out!" Anna's mouth opened and closed rapidly, and she threw herself back on the lounge with a loud snort of pure frustration. "That wasn't something I'd expected, but who cares! He can't make you do anything now!"

Miserably, Elsa unfroze her tea. It was undrinkable now, much to her dismay. She put the ruined cup to one side.

"Elsa? Are you okay?"

"I don't know," said the queen. "I still wish you – or Hans – had told me about all this. I understand why you didn't, but… I can't help but feel useless. At least I would know that he's safe."

"Oh." Anna chewed on her lower lip. "I hadn't thought of that. He assured us he'd be fine."

"He's an idiot," said Elsa gloomily. "He always says he's fine, even when he's clearly not."

Arendelle's royal family sat in silence. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked, oppressively loud. Anna sat with her arms folded across her chest, alternately glowering at Elsa (who avoided her gaze) and the teapot (which didn't care at all). Kristoff was also glowering but his ire was directed at Anna, who didn't seem to notice.

Their collective sulk was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door. "Your Majesty? May we enter?"

"Yes, of course," said Elsa. She straightened in her chair.

The servant from earlier entered with a bow. "I hope the refreshments are to your liking, Your Majesty."

Elsa glanced at her cold tea and the mostly untouched sweets. "Yes. Thank you."

"We apologise for the interruption, but His Majesty King Frederik has requested the pleasure of your company in his study."

"Oh. Yes, certainly," said Anna, moving to rise from her chair – but was stayed by Elsa's hand on her knee.

"Tell the king we shall not be summoned like a hunting hound," said Elsa, her tone even and pleasant – and filled with frost. "If he wishes to talk, he knows where to find us."

The servant blinked, but otherwise didn't react. "I will deliver your message. Good day, Your Majesty."

Anna turned wide eyes on Elsa once the man was gone. "Elsa, was that wise? What if we're wrong, and he's gonna do something nasty?"

"Either way, he's on the losing end," said Elsa, pushing away the spike of anxiety from Anna's words. "This proves it. He caught me by surprise earlier; he's trying to push me into doing something rash now."

Anna nodded. "That makes sense, but what if it's important?"

"I agree with Elsa."

Both sisters turned to look at Kristoff. "He's up to something," said Kristoff, furrowing his brow. "First he puts you in here, and now he wants you to go to him. I don't trust him."

Elsa nodded slowly. "We'll 'll come if it's important," she repeated. "After all, he's the one who put us here."

A different servant returned to strongly request Elsa's presence in the study. Elsa tried not to read too much into it as she declined the request.

Finally, King Frederik himself appeared. "You've been rather cruel to my servants, Your Majesty," he said.

"If you wish to talk to me so badly, you would come. And here you are."

He smiled. It was thin and dangerous. "Indeed. But I wish to talk to you in private."

"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of my sister and her consort," said Elsa.

Frederik glanced carelessly at Anna and Kristoff, gaze flickering as though they were beneath his notice. "You were kind enough to grant me a private chat earlier. What's changed now?"

"You didn't cancel the entire meeting so abruptly and bar us from returning to our rooms earlier," said Elsa. "You didn't keep us here like prisoners earlier."

Frederik frowned. "Shall we drop the act, then?"

"Please."

"You know Hans escaped," he spat. "You've led us on a merry dance."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Frederik," said Elsa, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"You don't have to mince your words. I know you had something to do with little Hans' escape." His gaze swept over Anna and Kristoff. "All of you."

"And how would we have anything to do with that?" asked Elsa coldly. "None of us have seen him since he left Arendelle, and we've been in the company of you or your delightful brothers ever since we arrived in the Southern Isles."

"One doesn't need to see a rat, to smell a rat."

She rose from her chair. Kristoff and Anna were quick to follow suit. "Mind your language," snapped Elsa.

"I have nothing to fear from all of you," retorted Frederik. "Your sister and her peasant are powerless. You wouldn't dare conjure so much as an icicle because you know what I can do to them."

Elsa gritted her teeth. "I think this meeting is over. You've lost, Frederik. Without Hans, you have no power over us. What did you think you could accomplish by holding us hostage? I cannot produce Hans from my pocket. My family and I have no idea how he escaped."

"You're lying," he said silkily. "Maybe you didn't have anything to do with it directly, I'll grant you that. But one of you helped him escape."

"It's over, Frederik," Elsa repeated. "There's no reason Arendelle should continue this farce of peace talks, let alone listen to these absurd accusations." The more she spoke, the more Elsa was beginning to see why Hans had chosen this moment to escape.

"You would leave and put everything we've worked for in jeopardy?"

"No. We have already done plenty. The ice ships are Arendelle's gifts to the Southern Isles, despite the ridiculous allegations you've thrown about. They should serve as a symbol of the lasting peace between our kingdoms." Elsa rose to her feet.

"If you leave, there will be war," threatened Frederik.

"War? What for? Everyone can see that we have come as invited. We have generously given you wondrous ships that outstrip your entire navy. It will be a war the Southern Isles cannot win. And with Hans free of your control…" Elsa advanced upon Frederik. "There is nothing stopping me from using my powers."

Frederik took an involuntary step backwards. "You're no killer."

"Don't test me." Her voice grew harsh. "We are leaving. We will forget you ever dared propose marriage to me. Arendelle and the Southern Isles will never be friends, but at least we will be neutral. Is that clear?"

As she spoke, the temperature in the room plunged. Their breath formed icy clouds in the air. Fury blazed in Frederik's eyes, the warmest thing in the room.

"You witch –!"

"Do you promise?!" Elsa snapped. She made frost creep up his shirt collar and touch the skin of his neck.

Frederik closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the fury had mostly died out, replaced with hatred. "I promise."

"No sending spies to Arendelle; I will withdraw mine as well. Your black-cloaked men stay in the Southern Isles, and no more princes will be welcome in Arendelle as long as we both live. We want nothing to do with you," said Elsa. "It's over."

"And then your pet prince gets to live out his days in Arendelle, keeping your bed warm," said Frederik bitterly.

Anna shouted angrily. Elsa's hand flashed out; Frederik's head rocked back from the force of the slap.

They stood there, staring at each other. Elsa's chest heaved with anger and adrenaline; her palm throbbed.

"So," said Frederik, "it appears that you don't always rely on your powers to do your dirty work. Thank you for confirming that little fact for me."

Anna growled, but Elsa didn't respond. There was no need to sink to his level.

"I accept your terms. They are overly generous, my queen," spat the older man.

"More generous than you deserve," replied Elsa. "We are returning to our rooms to pack, and we are leaving the Southern Isles immediately afterwards. Farewell, King Frederik."

The doors weren't locked, but Elsa used her ice powers to fling them open. It seemed appropriate somehow.

"Elsa? Is something on your mind?"

Elsa gripped the side of the ship. "What'll Hans do now? He's on his own. Even if he escapes the Southern Isles, he can't go anywhere, he's a wanted man; Frederik will find him and force the authorities there to send him back to the Southern Isles."

Anna scoffed. "No, he won't."

"What makes you so sure?"

"He'll survive. It's what he does. I mean, look at his brothers." Anna shuddered. "If he could grow up with all that, he'll make it out of here too." She grasped Elsa's hand, squeezing it. "He even survived being killed. You've got to give that guy some credit."

That brought a smile to Elsa's face. "You're right," she said, resting her head against Anna's. "He'll be fine."

The moment they arrived in Arendelle, Elsa's heart sank; it was time. She had been delaying as long as she was able, but now the threat of Frederik and the Southern Isles was gone, she would have to address it.

The knock on the door of her study came precisely an hour after midnight.

"Come in."

Thorir entered, locked the door behind him, and bowed. "Your Majesty."

"Thorir. No – Baron Halogaland." Elsa waited for him to approach her desk.

"You sent for me, my queen?"

"I did," said Elsa carefully. "I have some things to discuss with you."

"I see. You usually summon me at midnight for our usual meetings, Your Majesty."

She made no immediate reply. Elsa stood, and approached him cautiously. "Thorir, I know everything."

Silence. He stared back, waiting for her to continue.

"You're my spymaster."

Thorir nodded.

"But you've also been the spymaster for Frederik. You were behind the attack on Hans. de Falsen's not the traitor. You are." Carl had gathered enough information for her to solve the last part of the puzzle, but she had only had the opportunity to do so away from Arendelle.

Thorir cleared his throat. "I told Frederik only what he needed to know for his plans, so I would know how to counter them if anything went wrong, but it could not be traced back to me. Hans had his own men investigating me; I used de Falsen to throw him off my trail. Unfortunately, de Falsen took matters into his own hands."

"That doesn't excuse what you did."

Thorir bowed again.

"I trusted you," said Elsa. "You served my father, and my grandfather before him. Your loyalty had always been beyond question."

"I serve Arendelle, Your Majesty, and not you," he replied. Flinty gray eyes bored into Elsa's.

"You ordered the attack on Hans."

"I ordered that a simple warning be delivered," said Thorir. "de Falsen took the opportunity to settle a grudge."

Elsa's expression was a cold mask. "I know what de Falsen did. But what I don't know is… why Hans? I thought you approved of him."

"He betrayed this kingdom once," said Thorir flatly, "and he might do that again. I couldn't take the chance. Especially since he grew ever closer to you, my queen. You took him into your confidence, and he started communicating with the Southern Isles again. Surely you understand that the conclusion I arrived at was not unreasonable."

The nobleman's words were stilted. Elsa grasped the meaning instantly. "What would you have done if I'd put myself in his power?" she challenged him.

"My queen…"

"No, we've come this far. Let's get this out in the open, so we never need to talk about this again." Elsa's gaze hardened. "What would you have done to me if I'd handed Arendelle to Hans, Thorir?"

The baron's eyes were as hard and emotionless as hers. "I would have deposed you, my queen."

"Then take it for yourself?"

"No. I know my strengths; I would not be serving the kingdom that way. I would have put Princess Anna on the throne."

A few more stray pieces of the puzzle found their places in the jigsaw. "... That's why you encouraged her to learn more about governance; that was because I'd given Hans a position in the government. You were preparing her for the worst. You pushed for me to give Kristoff a proper political title so he could take a more active role in governance, too, like a proper consort might. And de Falsen..."

"de Falsen was a loyal but unwitting puppet. He was the only one highly-placed enough to serve as a convincing decoy for Hans' man, and as a bonus he thought he was saving Arendelle from Hans."

Elsa pursed her lips. "Carl suspected you. I didn't believe him, at first."

"If I didn't take care of him first, he would have uncovered everything eventually. de Falsen isn't subtle." The old nobleman smiled. "I really shouldn't be surprised that you figured it out, Queen Elsa."

"You may be Arendelle's spymaster, but I am Arendelle's queen," she said. "There are some secrets of the crown reserved for me."

"You were always the cleverest person I've had the pleasure of knowing, Queen Elsa," said Thorir. "Your father would have been proud."

Elsa shook her head. "Were you the one who betrayed Hans to Frederik as well?"

Thorir inclined his head briefly.

She stared at him. There was no sarcasm, no malice in his voice; he spoke with quiet gravity. And yet, she felt chilled looking at his solemn face.

He noticed. "Do you hate me, my queen?"

Elsa gave him a chilly smile. "No. How could I? You've spent your life in service of Arendelle. Your devotion to Arendelle has never been in question. I would be a poor queen if I was unable to see past your actions against me personally. You have served your kingdom well." She takes a shaky breath. "But I will never trust you again. Your career is over. You will hand in a letter resigning all your government positions, and retire to your estate. I will ensure you receive all honours that are due to you for your service."

He inclined his head. "That is more than I deserve, Your Majesty."

"Don't be a fool. You have never wronged my family." Elsa sighs suddenly, the queenly facade dropping from her shoulders. "But I cannot forgive what you have done to me. I looked up to you like a father, Thorir."

"When you were born," said Thorir suddenly, "I was the one who advised your father to disinherit you from the throne. He refused."

"What?" Elsa asked.

"I asked again after the accident with Princess Anna. I had thought that the burden of your powers weighed heavily on your shoulders, and was too much for you to bear. But you proved me wrong."

Elsa listened gravely.

"Although I only groomed Princess Anna for the throne as a last-ditch measure, she has proven herself to be a wise and capable ruler. The greatest joy of my life – and, ironically, my greatest regret – is that Arendelle and the world will never see Princess Anna be Queen." He smiled. "Either way, I am satisfied. All my life was spent ensuring that Arendelle has a great leader. Whether it was you, Queen Elsa, or your sister."

"I know."

"Is there anything else you wish to know?" asked Thorir.

"Does Anna or Kristoff know any of this? How you manipulated them as well." Elsa was disgusted. She had tried so hard to keep them out of the sordid parts of governance, and it had happened anyway.

"No."

"Does Frederik know who you are?"

"No. He never will; I've taken steps to ensure that."

Elsa paused before asking her next question. "Will this come back to haunt us?"

Thorir looked her in the eye. "No, Queen Elsa. I know the risks of being a double agent."

A chill passed through her body. "Nevertheless, you will write a full report and tell me everything in detail."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Is there anything else you wish to say to me?"

"I have loved you like my own daughter," replied the baron gravely. "And sometimes, fathers make difficult choices."

Elsa thought of the shackles, and exhaled slowly.

He swept her a deep bow, holding it for as long as he was able. "I will have my resignation on your desk by noon tomorrow. You will never hear from me again. Goodbye, Your Majesty."

"Goodbye, Thorir," she whispered as he left the room.

In the wake of Baron Halogaland's shocking resignation, it fell to Elsa to restore order. She called a state meeting immediately, promoting council members and appointing new people to fill the various positions now left vacant.

Everyone was shocked, to say the least. How had the senior statesman juggled so many roles for years, and kept Arendelle functioning smoothly? And to resign so abruptly, and completely disappear from public life?

People talked, of course. It was rumoured that the Baron's resignation was connected to the royal family's trip to the Southern Isles – itself mired in rumour that its true purpose was marriage talks which had failed. The whole thing had been Baron Halogaland's idea, so his resignation was punishment for the failure.

Elsa didn't say anything; not even to Anna. She was still at a loss how to break the news to her sister.

"We are very much alike. As Queen, you have to be capable of doing things people would hate you for. You have to forget that you're human, and be prepared to sacrifice pawns for your own ambitions."

She had hated Hans for saying such cruel things. But in her heart of hearts, Elsa knew that she had hated him because he was speaking the truth.

Governance was hard. A single person carried the conscience of a nation. Thorir, too, had been one of these.

But she was stubborn. She clung to the hope that things would be better now.

Elsa dismissed her council early, with instructions to reconvene early the next morning. She wandered into the castle gardens.

She found a familiar stone bench and sat.

"Kai said you'd be here."

Elsa smiled up at her sister, and patted the seat next to her. "So I am."

Anna sat. "I heard Thorir retired."

"Yes, he was waiting for us to return before he handed in his resignation," replied Elsa.

"I wish he had said goodbye, at least." Anna looked sad. "To us."

Elsa fidgeted with the hem of her dress. She'd chosen the wrong day to wear real fabric instead of her ice. "Anna…"

"I know there's more to it," Anna interrupted gently. "You'll tell me eventually. I trust you. I mean – we promised each other there'd be no more secrets."

Relief washed over Elsa. "It's not easy to tell; I couldn't find the words." Now that the timeline was clear from start to finish, she related the truth to Anna, who listened intently and only spoke to clarify points of the narrative.

"God," she said when Elsa was done. "That was so… are you mad at him?"

Elsa shook her head. "No," she said. "I don't know why. I should be – he's lied, he's betrayed us, he was responsible for so much suffering."

Anna placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder. "I think I understand."

"You're not angry? We were both manipulated."

"I kind of understand why he did it, though. But I can look past that. I mean – don't get me wrong, if Thorir was here right now I'd punch him. But I learned a lot, and it's been good for everyone." She hesitated. "Papa and Mama made their mistakes, too."

Elsa stiffened. Only the reassuring touch of Anna's hand stopped her ice from forming.

"Now we're both adults, it's easy to imagine what they were thinking, how much they must have agonized over their decision. But it doesn't change that we missed out on so many years together, and you were alone for so long, and so scared all the time."

"You're the most mature out of the two of us."

Anna laughed. "You exaggerate."

Elsa leaned her head against Anna's shoulder. "I'm really not. You've been amazing, Anna, with everything. The Southern Isles invasion, Hans coming back from the dead, the entire thing with Frederik. A part of me wishes you'd be queen instead of me because you're clearly so much better at it than I am."

"Idiot," said Anna pleasantly. "You act as though you didn't thwart the invasion by yourself, and you didn't chair the talks with King Krumkake. I mean, if I had ice powers, I'd have turned him into a icicle long ago."

"Okay, so maybe your diplomatic skills could use a little work. Nobody's perfect," said Elsa. Anna laughed.

She had already been given plenty of time to adjust to Hans' absence. It was easy to lose herself in the bustle of everyday life and forget, for a while, that Hans had ever been here.

True to her word, all her informants were recalled once Elsa arrived home. But occasionally, traveling merchant ships would bring news from the Southern Isles; how the entire kingdom had been turned upside-down in search of the escaped prince, how the king had made many enemies in his search, and that the manhunt had given birth to a legend equal to Russia's missing Romanov princess.

Unfortunately for Elsa, when the stories of the escaped prince-turned-rebel spread, so did her own legend, and Elsa was forced to endure a wave of nobles visiting Arendelle to request her hand in marriage.

(Anna had laughed herself silly at first, until Elsa appointed her the royal chaperone and guide for the visiting nobles. She'd changed her tune after the first five men.)

Elsa had kept her patience. She'd entertained all the suitors, and waited until they left at last, exasperated by Elsa's constant refusals. Elsa felt very much like Penelope weaving her shroud, waiting for her Odysseus.

Luckily for the kingdom, Arendelle's economy had not suffered the breaking of trade relations with the Southern Isles. This was partially because the Duke of Weselton had abdicated in favour of his nephew; the new duke had apologized to Elsa personally and trade had not only resumed but increased. Some of her rejected suitors had taken the opportunity to turn their mission into a success by proposing trade relations, which Elsa gladly agreed to.

She was glad. She would not ruin her father's kingdom.

Today, Elsa was visiting the docks. She liked these official visits because they were a chance to enjoy the salty sea breeze and talk to people.

The ship docked closest to her was currently being unloaded. Elsa paused, careful not to get in the way of the dockworkers as they moved up and down the gangplank. She didn't recognize the colours they flew.

"Where are they from?" she asked her harbourmaster.

Lindor consulted his ledger. "Bristol, Your Majesty."

"Hmm." She knew the name, vaguely. It was a British trading port, developing rapidly as Britain's trade expanded. "That's interesting. We trade with Britain regularly, but I don't think we've had any ships specifically from Bristol visit."

"Many of the tea merchants have moved their operations there." The harbourmaster nodded at the crates currently being unloaded. "Those are your Darjeeling leaves, Queen Elsa."

"Hmm. That's good."

The captain approached, bowing shortly. "This is Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle," said Lindor.

"Your Majesty," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Captain William Harris."

She smiled and nodded. "You've come from Bristol? How was the voyage?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It was rather uneventful, I'm happy to say." He cleared his throat discreetly. "I have a letter for you, my Queen."

"A letter?"

"Yes." He presented it from his jacket pocket; a cream-coloured envelope stamped with the crest of the tea merchant. "Twinings sends his regards and gratitude for your patronage, as always."

She took it. "It's very kind of him to remember me," said Elsa.

Her afternoon treat to herself was to let Anna finish the inspection of the docks, and launch the new ship. Elsa would retreat to the library with a good book and a pot of tea, fresh off the ship. This afternoon, the smell of the sea clung to her. It seemed appropriate to be reading The Odyssey.

Which reminded her of the letter. Mr Twinings wrote her a personal message every year, as thanks for her royal patronage. It was a massive endorsement of his business that his tea was being shipped to faraway Arendelle, and Elsa in turn appreciated the discount he was willing to offer in gratitude for that endorsement.

Even if she knew what was going to be inside, she would still have to write a reply. And to write a reply, Elsa would have to open the letter.

She crossed the room to her desk and slit open the letter. Elsa pulled out the thick paper –

– and frowned as a thinner sheet fell out.

Elsa scanned it. It was innocuous enough, until she noticed the handwriting.

It was Hans' handwriting.

Elsa,

No doubt you're surprised to see this, and I can anticipate the questions you have. Yes, I'm safe and well. No, I'm not in Bristol any longer. I was there just as long as necessary to ensure this letter found its way to you.

I must thank you again for stonewalling Frederik. You probably don't know it, but by forcing Frederik to come to you, his study was left empty, and I was able to retrieve my pardon. Frederik's been keeping it very quiet, but he knows the pardon is gone and it's with me. He can't do anything about it, and it's driving that spymaster completely insane.

I don't know if I can come home to you anytime soon. Make no mistake, I am not enjoying my freedom or anything absurd of the sort. It's taken me long enough to figure out what I want, and I'm not about to throw that all away.

This isn't me asking you to wait (because I've heard you're currently the most eligible bachelorette in Europe). This isn't me telling you that I'm yours, because God knows I have been that ever since the day you saw something in me that was worth saving.

This is me asking for your forgiveness, for everything.

Yours,

Hans

She reread the letter a few times until she had memorized its contents. Elsa crossed the room to the fireplace. She balled the letter in her hand, an absent frown on her face, before dropping it in the fire.

He was a fool. Of course she would wait; she had been waiting for so long.