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Chapter Text

Anna clapped her hands and everyone snapped to attention.

Dusk was spilling through the castle windows. The working day officially over, she’d shed her more regal queen-like dress in favor of a pair of loose trousers and a green tunic shirt that hung down past her knees.

Elsa and Kristoff were similarly attired, though his outfit was mostly brown, and Elsa’s was blue as she’d formed it completely from ice.

Olaf looked the same, but apparently clothes were restricting when you could disassemble your whole body at will, and he didn’t really have anything to hide anyway, so they’d all let it go.

“Alright.” Anna announced, “I hereby declare that family game night has officially begun!”

Elsa snorted. “Hereby?”

“Shut up, I’m being fancy.”

“She’s still stuck in Queen mode.” Kristoff whispered loudly to Elsa and Olaf. “With all those meetings today, she’s been so formal she asked about my health and commented on the weather during lunch. Lunch we had in our suite. In private.”

“You looked sunburnt!” Anna protested.

Olaf studied Kristoff. “I don’t know, Anna. He looks the same to me.”

Kristoff, whose neck was indeed sunburnt from spending most of the morning inspecting ice shipments on the docks, just shrugged.

“Urg, fine. Tease me all you want, but just for that, I’m picking tonight’s game!”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “I believe it was your turn to choose regardless.”

“Yeah, I went last week.” Kristoff said.

“And, I was the week before.” Olaf chimed in.

Anna took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I hate you all.”

“No, you love us. You told me no less than six times in the past 72 hours.” Olaf interjected. “There is a countdown to family game night on your schedule with a big heart drawn over it.”

“OKAY, enough!” Anna threw her hands up in exasperation. “I chose Sardines. We are playing Sardines today!”

Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf shared a look.

“Sardines? As in…the fish?” Elsa asked.

“Kinda? You know, how they’re all packed in a can together?”

“Yessss…?”

“I thought it was a good name for that game Olaf made, reverse hide-and-seek? You know, the one where we all seek and one person hides?” Anna explained. “Cause when you find the person hiding you have to hide with them, and last time we ended up packed into a closet like sardines.”

“Okay, cool. I was worried there for a second you were suggesting we have an eating contest or something.” Kristoff wrinkled his nose. “Elsa would have had an unfair advantage.”

Elsa crossed her arms. “Excuse me? I seem to remember someone else eating a whole pumpkin by himself at the last harvest festival.”

“You're the only person here who actually likes those nasty little fish.”

“And I don’t eat!” Olaf grinned.

“Oh. Yes, I suppose you have a point.” She conceded.

Anna rolled her eyes. “Can we focus here? Please?!”

“Sorry, Anna.” Elsa apologized with a crooked grin. “We’re all ears.”

Olaf ginned back. “I don’t have ears.”

Anna pinched her nose in a gesture very reminiscent of a certain Ice Queen currently laughing at her expense. “I’m going to have the lot of you chucked into the Fjord.”

“Oh no, not the Fjord!” Her family echoed.

“I’ll drift away like an iceberg!”

“I’ll smell like a wet reindeer!”

“Water! My magic’s only weakness!”

The three of them broke down again while Anna glared.

She gathered herself visibly as the laughter died out. “Are you quite done?”

Three heads nodded.

Anna waited.

“Go on, Anna. Tell us the rules.” Kristoff nudged her.

“Do you promise not to interrupt this time?”

Elsa and Olaf mimed locking their lips and tossing away the keys.

“Okay. Rules.” Anna began. “One person hides. We’ll determine who with a round of rock, paper, scissors. The first person to find the hider will be the one who hides next. Everyone okay with that?”

Everyone nodded again.

“We’ve played this before, so I have added a few extra stipulations. Firstly, no one may hide in a place that cannot fit at least two other people. Yes, I’m looking at you, Olaf.”

“I thought the grandfather clock was an excellent spot!”

“Maybe, but it is really easy to find everyone when they have to stand around the clock exposed because only you fit inside.”

“Fair.”

“New rule number two. All hiding spots must be accessible without the use of magic or climbing ropes.”

“Hey!” Kristoff protested. “Elsa and I only hid in the rafters one time!”

“And you nearly gave Gerda a heart attack. Out of bounds.”

“If we can’t climb, then you shouldn’t be allowed to use your friends’ houses in town as hiding places either.” Elsa pointed out. “I refuse to go knocking on random citizens’ doors again.”

“Okay, the boundary will be the castle wall.” Anna agreed. “Oh, and no hiding in the secret passageways! I don’t want to have to pull cobwebs out of my hair. That’s all I can think of, does anyone else have something to add?”

Kristoff, Elsa, and Olaf glanced at each other, then shook their heads.

“Nope, sounds good to me.” Kristoff said.

“Great! Let’s get this party started!”

Chapter Text

Kristoff won rock, paper, scissors. 

The whole group dashed down to the ballroom, and took up position on the royal dais at the far end. 

“Everyone face the wall!” Anna instructed. “Foreheads to the wood people, eyes closed. Anyone who peeks gets a twenty second penalty.”

Elsa and Olaf saluted and did as instructed. “Yes, sir!” 

Kristoff studied the room, noting all the exits as he prepared to run. “How much time do I have to hide?”

“You have until the count of 100. We promise not to skip numbers.” Anna answered.

Elsa smirked against the paneling. “No promises on how fast we say them though.”

“Right… guess I’ll have to be quicker.” Kristoff shifted on the balls of his feet and flexed his legs. “Ready when you are!”

Anna nudged Olaf. “Take us away!”

“One!” Olaf crowed.

“Two!” 

“Three!”

“Fourfivesix!” Anna shouted.

All three of them heard Kristoff’s boots thump, thump, thump as he peeled out of the room. A door slammed in the distance, and then nothing. Only the quiet ticking of the clock in the hall accompanied the rest of their countdown.

“READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME!” Anna yelled.

She cupped a hand around one ear. Nada. 

“You hear anything, Anna?” Olaf asked.

She shook her head. “It’s quiet as a mouse. Alright, let’s go! Last one to find him is a stinky piece of lutefisk!”

Anna lunged forward, only to be jerked to a stop as a hand grabbed her shirt collar.

“Woah there.”

“Elsa, what gives?” Anna frowned up at her sister. “Holding people back is cheating!”

“I’m not trying to cheat.” Elsa released her grip, but moved in front of Anna before she could run off. “I just realized something. If we all start heading in the same direction, we’ll all find him at the same time!”

“Oh. I see how that could be an issue.”

“How do we want to start?” Elsa waved a hand at the ballroom. “There’s the waiting area just off the dais, the main entrance, and the servants’ entrance.”

Olaf held up a twiggy hand. “How about we each pick one, and if we meet afterwards, call it a coincidence?”

“Works for me. Dibs on the main entrance!” Anna shouted and zoomed through the doors before either of her companions could blink. 

“I want the one with curtains!” Olaf exclaimed.

He quickly waddled behind the dias, leaving Elsa standing alone in the ballroom.

“...I suppose I’ll take the servants’ entrance then.” She muttered into the empty room.

Elsa walked calmly towards the camouflage door. Painted to look like another part of the decorative paneling, it was almost impossible to tell it apart from the rest of the wall unless you knew where to look, and Elsa always knew where to look. Anna might have explored the castle more when they were growing up, but Elsa had developed a sixth sense for noting where people traveled. A skill that had proved invaluable in avoiding unwanted contact for thirteen years.

Cold memories began to bleed around the edges of her thoughts, and she shook her head. Reasons aside, it is useful to know all the shortcuts.

The wooden entrance swung open silently at her touch. Gerda must have oiled the hinges recently. Elsa slipped inside just as a crash echoed from the direction Anna had gone. Olaf’s distinctive laughter followed.

With all the noise the other two are making, I’ll know where NOT to look. Elsa grinned to herself as she followed the tight hallway up towards the second floor of the castle. Hmm, now if I were Kristoff, where would I hide?

She immediately considered and discarded the castle stables. That was the most obvious answer. Sven lived there, so Kristoff spent a considerable amount of time in the stables as well. But, everyone knew that. A few of the castle staff had even started referring to it as the “King Consort’s office.” 

Kristoff was too cunning of a player. He had to be fully aware that was the first place someone would look. Plus, Anna had taken the quickest route in that direction anyway. If she didn’t reappear in a few minutes, then Elsa would have her answer.

Perhaps the better question is, ‘where is the least likely place to find Kristoff?’ Elsa mused.

She stepped out onto the landing just outside the Queen’s suite. This section of the castle held the royal residence quarters, the library, and the royal offices. The staff had extinguished all but a third of the sconces for the evening, casting the whole corridor in shadow. 

Elsa moved towards the offices first. Pushing open the door to Anna’s just a crack, she peeked inside. Piles upon piles of documents lay stacked upon every available surface like snowdrifts. A smattering had found their way to the ground along with a few of Anna’s sweaters. In short, the office was chaotic. More importantly, there was nowhere a man of Kristoff’s stature could have walked without leaving a trail. 

She winced and closed the door. I need to have a chat with Anna about her organizational habits.

The next office was hers. She barely glanced inside before moving on. Elsa might not use it as often these days, but she knew the placement of everything inside by heart. Not a single pen had been disturbed. 

Kristoff did have a real office up here, but from the way the handle struggled when she turned it, he clearly didn’t use it.

“ELSA? KRISTOFF? WHERE ARE YOU?”

Elsa swiveled towards Anna’s shout. That was close. From the floor beneath?

If she hasn’t found him yet…

As quickly and as quietly as she could manage, Elsa abandoned her search of the offices and ran for the library. Crossing the threshold, she flattened herself against one of the bookshelves and eased the door shut behind her. No need to give Anna or Olaf any clues about what she’d already checked.

Heart thumping in her chest, Elsa closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm the ice prickling at her fingertips.

Come on, I can’t make it that easy for them. Calm down.

She glanced at the ground. The floor and door were clear of the telltale sparkle of frost, but the closed door made it impossible to tell if she’d left a trail in the hall. 

Waving a hand in the direction of the offices, Elsa recalled her magic. The ice in her veins receded a bit, but that was all. She didn’t feel anything melt from outside the library. Hopefully that meant nothing was there.

The faster I find Kristoff, the better. 

Elsa studied the room. A grandfather clock ticked quietly near the entrance, while tall built-in shelving units with cupboards ringed the exterior. A few freestanding shelves stood to both sides of the room, circling the seating arrangement at the center. With tall windows behind, and the fireplace facing the sofa and paired wingback chairs, there was always enough light to enjoy a book no matter the weather or the time of day. 

Tonight though, the library was as dark as the fjord outside. The sun had set hours ago. The banked coals in the fireplace glowed weakly, put to bed by the castle staff like the sconces in the hall. 

She squinted into the gloom, trying to make sense of the bulky shadows.

I suppose he could be crouched behind one of the shelves. They are tall enough.

Elsa stepped towards the nearest one. It was stuffed to bursting with natural histories, beastaries, and maps of the surrounding kingdoms: the sort of books she’d expect Kristoff to enjoy. A quick check around the opposite side revealed…

More books.

There goes that idea. Elsa turned to leave, planning out her route to the kitchens as she went. I think Anna would check the portrait gallery after the stables, so if I take the south corridor and go down the servants’ stairs again, I might…

A metallic clink sounded to her left.

Elsa froze.

Whipping her head towards the sound, she narrowed her eyes at the two built-ins tucked between the library door and the fireplace. The shelves stretched from about the height of her hip to the ceiling with deep cabinets beneath. The shelves looked undisturbed, but the cabinet doors…

Is that…a light?

There was a small gap between the doors on both units. The left one was dark, but one up against the fireplace had a small halo of light spilling from the cracks. Barely noticeable even with coals banked, but it was there.

Elsa grinned.

Bingo.

She grabbed the knobs and flung the cabinet doors wide.

“Hey, Elsa.” Kristoff waved up at her. “Should have figured you’d look here.” 

“It wasn’t my first guess.” She admitted. “Nice spot.”

The cabinet was bigger than it looked. Kristoff could actually sit inside without having to hunch over completely. Definitely spacious enough to fit at least two more people if they didn’t mind tangling limbs a bit. He was currently wedged up against the doors to block the light from a lantern he’d smuggled in. It was sitting on top of a book with a reindeer on the cover, and another book lay open on his lap.

“Isn’t it? Roomier than I expected. Gerda cleaned a few of them out to make space for winter linens.” 

“Too bad I know about it now.” Elsa pointed out.

He grinned back and shrugged. “That’s what keeps the game interesting.” 

Kristoff scooted over a bit to make room. “Now get in here before Anna or Olaf finds us.”

Elsa climbed in across from him. Folding her knees and tucking them in front of the lantern, she leaned against the wall and pulled the doors closed. 

They sat there for a while, listening. Footsteps pattered somewhere in the distance. A couple voices called back and forth, the words too muffled to make out. An owl hooted outside. 

Kristoff broke the silence first.

“So…” Kristoff whispered. “How are things?”

Elsa quirked an eyebrow. “Good?”

“That sounds like a question.”

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

“You know.” He waved towards the north. “Up in the forest.”

“Oh.” Elsa fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “Things are going well. Better than I thought, really. Wrangling the spirits is a lot like dealing with the council nobles. They all want something, and that leads to conflict. You just have to convince them your solution to an issue is the best option.”

“Something you have a lot of practice with I’d imagine.”

“Well, all those meetings I sat through as Queen certainly helped.” Elsa chuckled ruefully. “I’d rather listen to an Earth Giant complain about soil dampness for hours then sit across from Lord Larkin when he gets started on the ‘glorious history of heraldry.’”

She made a face. “Never, ever, bring up his family crest. Do not look at it. Do not comment on it. Your ears will thank you.”

Kristoff snorted. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I warned Anna about him, but you know Anna.” Elsa shrugged. “I’m sure she listened to his story, commented in all the right places, and then somehow led him to think signing off on her projects was all his idea.” 

Kristoff smiled. “Anna would. She got invited to the Lord Treasurer's daughter’s birthday party last week. I didn’t even know he had a daughter.”

They shared a chuckle at that.

“Anna has always been good with people.” Elsa agreed. 

“It’s mind boggling.” Kristoff shook his head. “If someone new so much as walks up to me at a party, I start sweating through my shirt.”

“And I begin freezing stuff.” 

“Exactly. Put Anna in a room of strangers and she’ll leave with a room full of friends.” 

Elsa flexed her fingers against the icy weave of her clothing. “It’s a far more useful magic than mine.”

“I don’t know about that.” Kristoff nudged her knee with his own. “Ice cream in summer, cold compresses whenever you get a fever, the ability to build bridges in an instant, fashion on demand, and creating life, among other things? Sounds pretty useful to me.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “I’ll admit it has its moments, but there are plenty of drawbacks. I telegraph my emotions if I’m not paying attention. I have destroyed more dishware than I care to admit because someone startled me. I get weird looks for wearing summer outfits all year round because I forget that most people need to change with the seasons.”

She huffed. “Oh, and I make tiny beings of pure chaos when I sneeze.”

“The last one…yeah.” Kristoff tried not to think of the legion of snowgies locked in the ice palace on the North Mountain. “Please never get sick again.”

“I will do my best.”

Kristoff nudged her again. “Seriously though? I think your magic is awesome. I know Anna feels the same. Without it, we never would have met. Can you imagine the princess of Arendelle marching up a mountain and bumping into an ice harvester like me under normal circumstances?”

“With Anna, I could fully believe it.” Elsa remarked dryly. 

She nudged him back. “Don’t worry, Kristoff. I’m perfectly happy the way I am, magic and all. It’s been…a long journey, but if I could go back and change it? I’d just open the door sooner.”

“Good. Because if we ever go back in time, I’ve been tasked to burn all the doors in Arendelle. Orders of the queen.”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Really. Anna also made me swear to drag her away if I ever saw her hanging around with a man sporting serious sideburns.” Kristoff laughed. “She didn’t specify when though, so until I’m told otherwise, it is my mission to keep such men at least three feet away from the queen at all times.”

“Aren’t sideburns in fashion with the younger nobility right now?”

Kristoff nodded. “It won’t be an easy task, but for her, it’s always worth the effort.”

Elsa smiled. “I’m glad Anna met you Kristoff.” She reached over and booped Kristoff on the nose. “If I had to set off an eternal winter, at least it helped my two favorite people fall in love.”

He blushed, and patted her knee a bit awkwardly. “Thanks, Elsa. You’re my favorite too. Well, not my favorite, favorite. Anna is my favorite, obviously. You’re great, my second favorite for sure. People that is. Sven is a reindeer so he’s at the top of the list, but maybe not above Anna…”

Elsa held up her hands laughing as he stammered on. “Relax, I get it.”

“Good. Great. I’m going to shut up now.”

They fell in a companionable silence for a few minutes. A floorboard creaked. A broom swept down the hall, then faded away. The polished boots of a guard clomped around for a bit before turning off down the stairs. The castle was quiet. Anna and Olaf were probably searching the other wings. 

“How long do you think until they find us?” Elsa eventually asked.

Kristoff shrugged. “Half an hour at most. Anna is pretty determined, and our hiding spot is at Olaf’s eye level. Real question is who finds us first.”

“I’ll bet Anna finds us before Olaf.”

“Maybe, but will she think to check here? The cabinet looks a lot smaller than it is. You know Olaf checks everywhere. ”

“Which is precisely why Anna will win. He looks in places you couldn’t fit a single person, much less three.”

“A dozen chocolate cupcakes says she’s the last.”

Elsa put a hand on her chest, feigning shock. “You’d bet against your future wife?”

“You in or not?”

“Oh, I’m in. A ride on Nokk to the place of your choice. Anna will find us first.”

“Can I go as fast as I want?”

“As fast as you want.” She agreed, then smirked. “It's cute you think you have a chance of winning.”

“Hey! What makes you so confident? Olaf doesn’t sleep! He spends every night exploring.”

“But he’s only had three years.” Elsa explained. “Anna and I grew up here. When the gates were shut, I might have spent most of my childhood locked in my room, but she made the whole castle her playground. I think she knows the castle better than the people who built it.”

“That doesn’t mean she’ll look here.”

“I’d start thinking about baking if I were you.”

“Guess we’ll see.” Kristoff said. “All three of you have lived here your whole lives, and you still found me first. Might not matter how familiar they are with the castle.”

“That is true.” Elsa conceded slowly. “I still get lost in the outdoor sections.”

“And you don’t live here anymore. If we’re going by familiarity with the castle as the only factor, Anna would have found me in seconds.”

“Point made. But I still think you’re going to be baking me cupcakes.”

“I’ll have Nokk take us to a bakery in Corona.”

Elsa rolled her eyes while Kristoff chuckled. 

“Speaking of castles and living arrangements,” Kristoff wiped his eyes, and leaned back against the wall to meet Elsa’s gaze. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how are you adjusting to life in the forest? Not the whole ‘dealing with the spirits’ thing, actual living stuff. As someone used to roughing it myself, I know it’s a big change.”

Elsa rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s been an adjustment, sure, but the Northuldra have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable. Especially Honeymaren. I owe her a lot.”

Kristoff cocked his head. “Why is that name familiar?”

“I might have mentioned her once or twice.” Elsa shrugged. “We are living together after all.”

“You’re doing what now?”

“YOU’RE WHAT?!” Anna shrieked.

Chapter Text

Elsa and Kristoff both jumped and hit their heads on the ceiling. Through the stars dancing before her eyes, Elsa squinted up in the direction of shout. Anna stood there with cabinet doors wide open, staring at Elsa with her mouth agape. 

“Guess I win.” Elsa muttered. Any sense of triumph at being right was fading into trepidation at the look on her sister’s face. She had a sneaking suspicion that even chocolate cupcakes weren’t going to be worth whatever came next.

“Yeah. Congratulations, you’re good at Sardines. Doesn’t matter right now.” Anna shook herself and shoved Kristoff’s shoulder. “Scoot over, I have got to hear this.”

Elsa began to sweat.

Kristoff obliged. Moving the lantern to Elsa’s side of the cabinet, he shuffled over until his shoulder hit the far wall. Anna climbed into the spot he vacated. The cabinet was large, but not that large. Anna and Kristoff were shoulder to shoulder, their legs tangling on either side of her own, and when Anna leaned forward with an expectant glint in her eyes, her face was a mere foot away from Elsa’s. 

“Alright. Spill.” Anna commanded.

Elsa’s fingers trembled. The dark library called her, promising distance at worst, escape at best from the flood of questions she was about to experience. She shifted towards the opening…

The cabinet doors snapped shut. 

“Nope. Still playing, remember? You’re not getting away that easily.”

“Anna…” Elsa pleaded.

“Don’t let me stop the conversation.” Anna’s smile was positively predatory.

“You were just about to tell Kristoff how you ended up living with a woman you just met.” 

“It’s not like that!” Heat crawled up Elsa’s neck despite the ice dancing in her veins. “She’s just being nice!” She had to make them understand. Sure, it was unconventional. It had given her a pause at first as well, but the Enchanted Forest wasn’t Arendelle. She couldn’t just assume things…could she?

Anna and Kristoff shared a look.

“You both know I moved to the forest rather, impulsively. I didn’t really think about the fact that there wasn’t anywhere for me to stay.” Elsa struggled to explain. 

“I was going to make an ice house of some sort, but I didn’t want to stand out more than, well,” She waved a hand at all of herself. “More than I already do. The Northuldra are familiar with magic, but there wasn’t a point in pushing my spirit status in their faces.”

Elsa plowed on. “I was kinda wandering around the fire pit that first evening, and Honeymaren asked me why I looked like a lost reindeer.”

Anna snorted. “I know that look. All big eyes and wringing hands. You always get like that at parties if I leave you alone too long.” 

“I do perfectly well at parties.” Elsa protested weakly. 

“Elsa, I find you and Kristoff hiding out on the balcony thirty minutes into any event.”

“Hey, we make it at least an hour before ditching!” Kristoff groused.

“I do not ditch. I slip away for some air.”

Anna rolled her eyes, but let it go. “So, Honeymaren approached you. What happened next?”

“Well,” Elsa figited. “I told her that everything was fine, I was just trying to decide where to sleep. There is a really nice spot up on the hills overlooking the lake. It was a bit far from camp, but very serviceable.”

She looked at her hands. “That’s when she laughed at me and pulled me into her goahti.”

Kristoff whistled. “Bold move. Respect.”

“She was just being nice!”

Anna looked torn between impressed and indignant. “So, you slept with a girl you just met that day? I thought we had a whole talk about this. I’m disappointed, Elsa.”

Elsa’s face was truly on fire now. “IT WASN’T LIKE THAT! We just slept. In SEPARATE beds!”

Anna and Kristoff grinned. 

“I think she doth protest too much.” Anna said.

Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m just staying with her until my goahti is finished. We cut the beams for the frame yesterday, and the cover just needs a few more stitches. There is nothing else going on.”

Kristoff elbowed Anna. “She said ‘we.’”

“She did, didn’t she?”

“I. Am. Friends with Honeymaren. Friends do stuff together.” 

Anna tapped her chin thoughtfully. “True, you have a point. What other stuff do you do together?”

“Thank you, Anna.” Elsa sighed in relief. “Honeymaren and I mostly spend time together doing chores. Laundry, dishes, cooking, and cleaning. I know more than most royals, but I’m still learning. Honeymaren is an excellent teacher, she is really patient when I make mistakes or freeze up. She said the stew I made last weekend was my best attempt yet!” 

“That’s great, Elsa!” Kristoff clapped her on the shoulder. “You’ll have to cook for us sometime.”

“Ooh, a family dinner, but we all cook! Sounds fun, I’m in.” Anna agreed. 

Elsa wrinkled her nose. She hadn’t forgotten about Flemy stew. The stench was burned into her memory. “How about I just cook?”

“Fine by me. I’m a disaster in the kitchen anyway.” Anna clapped excitedly. “A homemade meal from Elsa, this will be so much fun!”

“Don’t get too excited.” Elsa cautioned. “I’m not very skilled yet. My first stew ended up bubbling over then burning to the pot. We both got covered in the stuff and had to bathe for like an hour to get the smell out.”

Anna furrowed her brow. “That’s a lot of water to carry. Do the Northuldra have tubs like we do?”

“Yes, but we just used the river. It was more convenient.” Elsa ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll admit, there is a lot I’m getting used to. The communal nature of many Northuldra customs still give me trouble. I haven’t been brave enough to bathe with everyone else yet, but when it’s just Honeymaren and me, I don’t know, it’s easier.”  

Anna and Kristoff just stared at her.

“What?”

“Elsa,” Kristoff steepled his fingers and leaned forward. “Beyond chores, what else do you and Honeymaren do?”

“Well,” Elsa thought for a moment. “We talk a lot. She takes me on long walks in the forest, I take her riding on Nokk. We work on my goahti some days, other days we help Ryder look after the herds. She tells the best jokes, and I enjoy reading her the books I brought from Arendelle. Oh, and we are close to the same size, so we can share clothes! It’s already come in handy more than once. Ice dresses are not great near open flames.” 

She winced. “I occasionally forget to permafrost them when we’re alone. She tossed me her jacket the last time it happened and left the goahti really quickly. Her face was all red, so I made sure to cool down the room once I’d spun up another outfit.”

Kristoff made a strangled sound, and Anna clapped a hand over his mouth, her eyes dancing. “You have trouble keeping your clothes on around her?”

Elsa shrugged. “Goahti must run warmer than structures in Arendelle. I’ve never had a problem keeping my dresses together before, and Honeymaren gets flushed rather often. I’ve tried to keep the temperature level, but it doesn’t make much of a difference. The last thing I want is for her to suffer heatstroke, but she always refuses ice when I offer it for her fever. I’m at a loss on what to do.” 

Anna and Kristoff shared another look.

“Poor Honeymaren.” Anna said.

“Poor Honeymaren indeed.” Kristoff agreed.

“Do you think she has any idea?”

Elsa squirmed as they both studied her. 

“She hasn’t got a clue.”

“Nope, not a clue.”

“I’m sitting right here.” Elsa crossed her arms. “If you’ve got something to say, please, go ahead.”

Kristoff held up his hands. “She’s your sister, Anna. You tell her.”

Anna threw him a dirty look. “Fine. But if this goes south, you’re trudging through the snow to bring her back.”

“Fine by me, Sven’s saddlebags are packed anyway.”

“Hey!” Elsa gasped. “I resent that implication.”

Kristoff looked pointedly at the ice creeping over the wood beneath them. Elsa pretended not to notice. 

Anna shuffled upright, and leaned over to cup Elsa’s face in her hands. “Elsa. Do you like Honeymaren?”

Elsa felt her face warm again. “Of course I like her.”

Anna’s blue eyes drilled into her own. “Do you want to spend time with her?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to do things alone with her?”

“Anna, you know how I am around people. I already said I’m uncomfortable in groups.”

“Do you think she’s pretty?”

Elsa’s eyes twitched. “I suppose?”

“Do you like sharing a bed?”

The temperature inside the cabinet plummeted. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Anna grinned like a reindeer in a granary. “So you DID share a bed.”

“I, we, it wasn’t…NOTHING HAPPENED!”

“Sure.” Anna drawled. “I bet you both were rather disappointed.”

She released Elsa and leaned back against Kristoff, looking incredibly smug while her sister sputtered incoherently. “Elsa, you like Honeymaren. Romantically. You’re practically dating.”

Elsa hugged her arms closer, eyes looking anywhere other than Anna and her soon to be brother-in-law. She can’t be right. I would know if that was the case. It’s Honeymaren! 

Honeymaren with her warm brown eyes that looked like liquid gold when the sun hit them just right. Honeymaren, lifting a load of firewood, her arms straining her jacket tight around the defined muscles. Honeymaren laughing at a joke Elsa told, leaning in so close that she could count every freckle on her nose. Honeymaren with sleepy eyes settling down on the blankets beside her, brushing a warm hand along her arm as she wished her ‘goodnight.’ 

Oh…

Suddenly a lot of things began to make sense. The funny little grins the elders would shoot her across the fire when she offered Honeymaren a hand up from her seat after a meal. How Ryder never mentioned Elsa moving into her own goahti even though he knew they were building one. The reindeer cows Yelena gave them to ‘start their own herd.’ Every time Elsa offered to help with a task around camp and somehow the conversation steered towards marriage customs, peppered in with reassurances that all couples were welcome and had a place in the community.

…Does everyone… Oh, God. 

Elsa dropped her head onto her knees, every inch of her skin on fire. I like Honeymaren and everyone knew. Except me. 

Ice formed, melted, and reformed around her curled body as she unpicked every interaction, every glance, every conversation she’d had with the Northuldra since moving to the Forest. 

I was so blind. Elsa moaned internally. She pressed her nose harder into her knees as she felt a headache bloom behind her eyes. I’m supposed to ride back tomorrow! What am I going to do? Do I act like nothing changed? Has anything changed? “What am I going to say to Honeymaren?”

“You could just tell her the truth.” Anna suggested.

Elsa’s head flew up. “Did I say that out loud?”

Kristoff and Anna both nodded. 

“You muttered a few things about laundry, odd looks, and reindeer too.” Kristoff supplied. “Though the ice sculptures were a little more informative.”

He gestured at the floor of the cabinet. Elsa gulped. She looked down. On every available surface not occupied by limbs or fabric stood the frozen memories she’d been worrying over. Tiny Elsas danced around tiny Honeymarens with smiles on their faces; Northuldra chuckled in icy detail as the two figures walked past arm in arm; and there, right on top of the book Kristoff had been reading, was a slightly larger figure than all the rest. Rendered in perfect detail down to the drops of sweat sliding down her face, Honeymaren hauled a load of firewood towards the lanturn.

Anna picked up the sculpture of Honeymaren and whistled. “Wow, someone doesn’t skip arm day.”

Elsa wished she could melt and slip away through the cracks in the paneling. This is way worse than the snowgies. “I noticed.”

Anna smirked, dangling the figure from one hand. “I can see that.”

“Give it!” Elsa snatched for the sculpture, but Anna swung it out of reach.

“Nope, I think I’m going to keep this. I have to know what my future sister-in-law looks like!” Anna teased. “When you bring her to game night we should get a new family portrait done.”

“That’s a good idea, I’ve been meaning to try one of those new photograph things General Mattias keeps going on about.” Kristoff said.

Anna squealed. “Yes! We can do a group one and then couples photos! I can get one with you, and then Sven and Olaf, finally Elsa with Honeymaren. I heard that it’s so much faster than a painting so we can take a ton in a single day if we want!” She was practically bouncing with excitement. “I’ll raid the castle wardrobes. Costumes for everyone!”

Elsa made another grab for the ice sculpture. Anna dodged her.

“Uh uh, Not getting it back until you agree to bring your girlfriend over for photos next week!” Anna declared with a laugh. “I can’t wait to meet her, officially of course.” She wiggled the statue. 

Elsa glared. “She is not my girlfriend.”

“Only because you haven't asked her yet.”

“Anna…”

“Elsa…”

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. Her magic was fluctuating as wildly as her emotions, but that was nothing new. Netting the snow with a thought, Elsa yanked it close. The ice in the room quivered, then melted away leaving Anna holding a handful of water.

“Cold, cold, cold!” Anna shook the melted ice off her fingers. “No fair, Elsa!”

“When I want you to have a sculpture of the woman I MIGHT be interested in, I’ll make you one.” Elsa said. “Anxiety projections do not count.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re considering it.”

Elsa sighed. 

“I’m considering it.” She whispered.

Anna threw herself across the cabinet and gave Elsa a hug that knocked the wind out of her.

“I’m going to have another sister!” Anna shrieked.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Elsa gasped out around her ribs being crushed.

“We’re proud of you.” Kristoff muttered quietly. He reached out and patted Elsa’s shoulder. “It takes a lot of courage to acknowledge your feelings.” 

Anna pulled back so she could see her face, but didn’t completely release Elsa from the hug. “When are you going to tell her? You are going to tell her before next game night, right? We have to meet! I remember seeing her in the crowd with the Northuldra when we first arrived, but with all the commotion I don’t think we were officially introduced. And now that I know she’s managed to seduce my sister, well…” 

Anna winked. “I have to give her the talk. ”

Elsa’s eyes widened in horror. “Honeymaren didn’t seduce me!” 

Kristoff raised an eyebrow at Anna. “The talk ?”

Anna puffed up her chest. “You know. The ‘hurt my sister and you deal with me.’ That talk. All threatening and protective. I’m the Queen too, so she has to listen.”

“Isn’t that my job?” Kristoff asked. “That sort of speech is normally from a father or brother, right? I am Elsa’s brother.” 

The two women blinked at him in shock.

Kristoff flushed and rubbed his neck self-consciously. “Or, yeah I will be. Brother-in-law, that is. It’s close enough.”

Anna bit her lip. “You’d threaten someone for her?”

Kristoff was truly blushing now. “You’re both my family. Of course I would.” 

“That might be the hottest thing someone has ever said to me.” Anna said slowly. “Kristoff Bjorgman, if we weren’t already engaged, I’d get down on one knee right now.”

“Enough. No one is threatening anyone, especially not an innocent woman!” Elsa exclaimed. “Honeymaren hasn’t done anything!”

Anna raised an eyebrow. “As far as I can tell, it’s not from lack of trying.” 

“She might like men! Did you think about that?”

“You can like both.” Kristoff commented with a shrug. 

“Argh, that’s not the point!” Elsa threw up her hands. “She might not like me !”

“Elsa, she pulled you into her bed, ate your terrible cooking, shared her clothing, and took you for long walks on the riverbank followed by skinny dipping. Spirits, you have reindeer together.” 

Kristoff nodded. “Reindeer are a serious commitment.” 

“I’m pretty sure that’s a proposal in some cultures.” Anna mused.

“Okay. I’m done.”

Elsa untangled herself from Anna, and threw open the cabinet doors. The dark library lit up as blue sparks gathered on her palm. A flurry curled into being overhead, then whooshed out of sight at her direction. Down the halls it went, bypassing doors and locks as it arrowed through the castle.

Anna peeked out. “What are you doing?”

Elsa’s magic found its target and began heading back. “Reminding you all that it’s game night, not 'tease Elsa about her love life' night.” 

“woAH!” 

Olaf spun into the library carried on a whirl of snow. The little snowman plunked down outside the cabinet and grinned up at his family. “Hi, guys! There you are!”

“Olaf, what happened? Where were you?” Elsa asked, exasperation bleeding into every word. “We’ve been hiding in here for an hour!”

Kristoff looked at the grandfather clock. “It’s been twenty minutes.”

“It felt like an hour.” She muttered under her breath.

Olaf clapped his twiggy hands. “I was in the stables asking Sven if he’d seen anyone, but then we started talking about hay and I got distracted. Did you know that hay contains more nutrients than straw, because it’s harvested before the grass goes to seed? I learned that from Elsa’s collection of encyclopedias. She let me borrow them last week!” 

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m regretting a lot right now.”

Olaf tilted his head to the side. “Hey, Elsa. You’re looking a little red. Are you okay?”

“She’s in loooove .” Anna crooned.

He gasped. “In LOVE? That’s wonderful!”

“OKAY! I’m ‘it’ next, so I’m going to hide. Right now.” Elsa clamored out of the cabinet before anyone could elaborate. She practically ran towards the library doors. 

“No leaving the castle!” Anna shouted after her.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “I remember the rules, Anna!” Halfway down the hall she remembered something else. “Oh, and Kristoff, you still owe me cupcakes!”

She flung open the servant’s entrance again and disappeared into the castle. Olaf chuckled and dutifully began counting.

“You owe her cupcakes?” Anna asked.

“Long story.” Kristoff climbed out of the cabinet and stretched, his whole spine making a cracking sound as he pushed to his full height. Shaking the circulation back into his shoulders, he turned and pulled Anna to her feet. “How embarrassed do you think she is?”

“On a scale from one to ten?” Anna pointedly looked at the library floor. “About seven.”

Icy footprints radiated from the shelves and out the doors, leaving a clear path that glittered in the moonlight.

“Should we tell her?”

“What? Naw,” Anna grinned. “We’ve messed with her enough tonight. Let’s give her five minutes to melt everything.”

Kristoff led her over to the couch and threw a couple logs on the fire. “What if she doesn’t notice?”

Anna’s grin widened. “Then I guess we’re going to win Sardines.”