Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Elsa smiled, “Well, he was sprightly.”

“Especially for a man in heels.” I said ruefully.

Elsa laughed softly, “Are you okay?”

Anna smiled widely, “I've never been better! This is so nice. I wish it could be like this all the time!”

Elsa smiled softly, “Me too....”

But then Elsa catches herself. She stiffens up, looks away. “But it can't.”

“Why not? If–“

Elsa flinched away from Anna and turned her back to her. Every morning of knocking on Elsa’s closed door just to be told to “Go away, Anna!” came flooding back to her.

Elsa sounded frustrated, “It just can't.”

Anna felt her smile drop. She tries not to get emotional, takes a deep breath like every time Elsa would yell at her to stop bothering her as a child. Every time Elsa would shun and ignore her. Every time she felt worthless because her sister had stopped loving her… what has she done to cause that?

No, Anna corrects herself mentally, She had done nothing to deserve this. Elsa’s behavior and choices were her own, just like Mama and Papa always told her. 

Anna nodded tersely, “Excuse me for a minute.”

She walks away. Elsa watches her go, sad but also resigned to this outcome. Her curse hurt everyone she loved, either physically or emotionally. And it was better that Anna be hurt in this way than killed by her hands.

Moving through the crowd, Anna gets pushed and pulled until she is bumped by a bowing man's behind and falls. Just before she hits the floor, strong hands catch her and she looks up to see who saved her.

Hans smiles, “Glad I caught you.”

Anna, “Hans.”

He smoothly sets his drink down on a passing tray. He lifts her up and leads her in a dance. Anna has not felt this way in years, not since her parents died. Hans was looking at her, seeing her, and actually listening to her.

Anna and Hans drink and chat for hours. She tells him about eating alone in the parlor. About how she would get into all sorts of mischief with no one around to tell her off.” She taught Hans how to eat krumkake and he didn’t worry about how it might get on his uniform. He didn’t ever tell her to speak more softly or stop gesturing so widely. Hans just… let her be herself, and he seemed to be enjoying her company!

Once, she hit him in the face by mistake with her hand and he just laughed! She had never had anyone be that patient and understanding with her, not even her parents. As much as they loved her… they were always so stressed about something. They never had the patience for her flights of passion. 

Anna laughs, “Okay wait, wait. So you have how many brothers?”

“Twelve older brothers. Three of them pretended I was invisible… literally...for two years.

“That's horrible.”

Hans frowned, “It's what brothers do, though I do still have nightmares about it.”

Anna leaned over closer, “...And sisters. Elsa and I were really close when we were little. But then, one day she just shut me out, and I never knew why.”

He takes her hand. Leans in close, “I would never shut you out.”

“Aw, thanks Hans.” Anna says softly, looking up at the stars. “I wish the gates would stay open a little longer. I’m pretty sure that tomorrow morning my life is going to go back to the lonely way it was before.”

Hans frowned and leaned on the railing next to Anna, “I understand. Tomorrow I’ll have to go home to my brothers and be invisible again. We don’t get to pick our family though, I guess.”

Anna stares up the stars for a moment, thinking about all those days spent eating alone, reading in the library, and sewing next to the big windows in the tower. 

“Can I say something crazy?”

Hans looks over at her, “I love crazy.”

Anna grabbed Hans’ hands, “I’m eighteen now, my birthday was a few months ago. You’re a prince, and I happen to know your family was on the list for appropriate suitors for Elsa and I… and if we got engaged, we wouldn’t have to be separated and alone again. You could stay here in the palace and I’d have a friend here! Elsa doesn’t want anything to do with me anyway, so there’s no reason she should care.”

“Can I say something crazier? Yes!” Hans says cheerfully.

“So, how should we tell Elsa?”

Anna frowned, “I would say tomorrow morning after the party and some rest, but I have no reason to think she’ll give me the time of day once the party is over. She might not come out of her rooms for weeks.”

“That’s awful!” Hans stepped back.

Anna smiled sadly, “It’s all I’ve known since I was four years old, and it’ll be much better with you here!”

Anna was silent for a moment, then nodded with finality “We will have to tell her tonight while she’s still at the party. It should be a private conversation, but it’s her own fault after treating me like this for all these years.”

“Okay, I’m with you. And… Anna?”

“Yes Hans?”

Hans looked at the floor and started fiddling with his gloves, “We don’t have to get married right away. I think people should know each other before they get married, if that’s okay.”

Anna laughed lightly, “Oh, of course! We’re only making it official so you can stay in the palace longer without having to wait months to get our families’ attention again.”

Hans sighed, “Ah, okay good. I would really love to court you, though.”

Anna felt her face heating up and it definitely wasn’t just the chocolate fondue. She pushed nonexistent hair back behind her ear and smiled, “I like you too, Hans. Let’s go talk to my sister.”

Chapter Text

Elsa was just finishing a conversation with a merchant, when she heard her name being called.

"Elsa!" Anna was weaving her way through the crowd, dragging a young, handsome man behind her.

"I mean, Queen. Me again. May I present, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles!" She displayed him proudly, like a little kid showing off their new toy. "We would like," the two began tripping over their words. "Your blessing – of- our marriage!"

Elsa’s eyes widened. Marriage? Where had this come from? Her mouth opened, but her voice had gone dry. "Marriage?" was all she could make out. Anna squealed. "Yes!" Her mind had gone blank. "I-I'm sorry, I'm confused."

Anna began rambling on about planning the ceremony, but all Elsa could think of was Anna, getting married! Then Anna gasped, bringing her out of the fog. "Wait, would we live here?"

"Here?" No. No, no no no, please. "Absolutely!" Hans. Where had he even come from anyway? Elsa had never heard of him, and suddenly he's proposing to my sister? Then again, it’s not like she kept up with Anna’s social life very well.

"Anna-" "Oh we could invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us! Of course we have the room, some of them-"

TWELVE brothers? More people to hide from? Elsa had to stop them, "Wait, slow down. No one's brothers are staying here, no one is getting married."

Anna's' face changed to one of confusion. "Wait, what?" Elsa’s gloved hands wringed together, the familiar feeling of fear coming back into my body. She could feel her fingers getting colder.

"May I talk to you, please? Alone?"

Anna hesitated, than wrapped her arms around Hans. "No, whatever you need to say you – you can say to both of us."

"Fine. You can't marry a man you just met." Unless she already knew him without my knowing.

"You can if it's true love!" So she did just meet him today.

"Anna, what do you know about true love?"

"More than you! All you knew is how to shut people out!" Elsa gasped, her eyes growing wide.

Elsa thought, She is right, after all, what do I know about true love? I've been kept to myself my whole life, alone from everyone and everything that could be a danger. Oh, Anna.

Her voice shook. "You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Your Majesty, if I may ease your-" Hans started. I had only known him for a few minutes, and I already hated that he had met my sister. He was the one who had ruined this night! Everything was going fine, until he just…

"No, you may not, and I-I think you should go," I turned to the Royal Handler as I walked passed, "The party is over, close the gates."

They replied with a short "Yes Ma'am!" and I heard Anna cry out with sadness. "What? Elsa, no. No, wait!"

Anna grabbed for Elsa’s hand but got her glove instead. She whirled around, and reached for it. "Give me my glove!"

Anna's eyes were pleading. "Elsa, please. Please, I can't live like this anymore!"

Elsa didn't mean to say the next words, but they flew softly out of her mouth. And as soon as she said them, she wished she could take them back. "Then leave."

The hurt and shock on Anna's face filled Elsa with despair, but what she said she couldn't take those words back. So instead, Elsa turned and hunched her shoulders, walking towards the door.

"What did I ever do to you?" Anna's heartbroken voice rips my heart apart more, making me wonder how it's still beating.

"Enough Anna."

"No, why?"

Elsa’s fingers started tingling, frosts forming on the inside fingertips of my gloves.

"Why do you shut me out?"

Conceal don't feel.

"Why do you shut the world out?"

Conceal don't feel.

"What are you so AFRAID OF?"

"I SAID ENOUGH!"

Elsa whirled around to face her sister, ice shards shooting out from her hand and fingers, forming daggers to the crowd of the party. Anna leaped back, hands raised and eyes wide.

Elsa heard women screaming and men cry out, but her body was frozen in a numb fog. The man, the Duke, was saying something, but all she saw was his mouth moving slowly, no noise coming out. Her gaze frantically scanned the crowd, landing again on Anna.

Elsa thought, My sister, my only family. This was it. I was done hiding from everyone, and there was nothing I could do to take that back.

Elsa’s eyes filling with tears, she turned and bolted out the door. She ran down the hall, my body numb with dread and horror, hearing nothing but the pounding of her own heart.

Hands shaking, Elsa crashed into the gates and out into the courtyard. To her horror, crowds of people were standing out there, and at her appearance began applauding. No, no I need to be ALONE. "There she is!" "Your Majesty!" "Long live the Queen!"

Elsa darted through the crowd, shivering, but everywhere she turned there was someone congratulating her, but their faces were slowly turning from happy to worried. Elsa thought, How quickly would they turn to fear?

A woman and her baby approached her, looking concerned. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" Elsa tried to gulp down my panic, breathing heavily, and backed away. "No."

There was just too many people, too much noise, everywhere, and she couldn't escape it, it was everywhere- Elsa stopped with a jolt as she hit the edge of the fountain, my hands finding the ledge to stop me from falling, but the moment my hand touched the stone, ice gathered around it, shooting up the water to form angry claws of ice, reaching for the people. Women scream and the lady with the baby backed up, shielding him from Elsa.

The Duke and his bodyguards come running around the corner at the doors, screaming "There she is, stop her!" No.

"Please, just stay away from me, just stay away!"

Elsa tried to gesture for him to calm down, but instead ice explodes from her hand, streaking towards him and discharging at his feet, throwing him backwards. He scrambles up, and points an accusing finger at Elsa. "Monster. MONSTER!"

Elsa hold back tears as she turned to run away from the courtyard. Every since Anna and her had fought, dark clouds had been gathering, and now soft flakes began to fall, and the air cooled down. As Elsa pushed through the crowd, she heard Anna yelling her name behind her.

Her head and chest throbbed as she forced herself to keep running, to get distance between us so she couldn't hurt anyone anymore. Never again. Running through the maze of corridors, torches licked the night air on either side of her, casting shadows at my feet.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Elsa now faced a dirt path leading down the fjord. Running down it,  escaping the noise and the crowds. She heard Anna calling after her, her sister’s voice growing louder as she ran closer.

She turned, having reached the edge of the path and was now standing on the edge of the water. Backing away from the hallway entrance, she tried to put distance, any distance, between Anna and herself.

But instead of feeling the water surround her foot, she felt ice. Elsa looked down and gasped, watching patterned ice stretch out over the water. Elsa looked back at Anna as she ran out the corridor, and for one last time, she saw her sister. Elsa took a hesitant step onto her ice, feeling it harden and support her weight. Gulping, Elsa looked up and ran out over the water, ice and snow forming under every step she took, leaving a glowing snowflake in my wake. Anna's cries ripped through the cold air, making her legs weak, but somehow, Elsa kept going. Reaching the edge of the water, she now faced the mountains, tall trees reaching up into the night sky, now covered with a thin layer of snow. Running up the hill, she disappeared into the mountain forest.