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The soft light of the winter moon spilled through Elsa’s bedroom window, casting diamond shadows across the floor. Its blue hue reflected how she felt inside, cold and alone in an endless night of grief.

This used to be her parents room. She’d hoped that assuming the space after her coronation would have helped her feel more connected to them and her royal role, but if anything it just reminded her that they were gone.

Knock knock knock-knock knock! 

Anna’s signature rap at the door tore her from her thoughts. Elsa’s heart swelled and sank at the same time. She tugged their mother’s scarf a little tighter across her shoulders and kept her gaze on the inky sky, if only to hide the tears from her younger sister a few moments longer.

The door slowly creaked ajar, then her flame haired sibling burst into the room, bubbling with sunshine and merriment, even though it was well past midnight.

“Elsa? I saw your light on…. You can’t sleep either, huh? I’m just too excited about the Winter Festival! So I snuck down to the kitchen and made hot chocolate. Want a sip?” Anna paused her rambling to taste the steaming drink, closing her eyes to appreciate its scalding sweetness. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes again that she realised the atmosphere in the room was as cold as the ice outside. Her cup clunked on the side-table as she hastily set it down and took quick strides over to her elder sister. Anna grasped Elsa’s narrow shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Oh Anna…” Elsa shivered, then turned to hold her sisters hands. Under the moonlight Anna’s cheerful freckles seemed to dance across her rosy cheeks, while Elsa’s tears left silvery trails down her pale, sullen face. “It’s just…. It’s our first Christmas together in forever… but we don’t have any real family to share it with.”

“But we have each other” Anna glowed, eager to cheer her sister “And Olaf and Sven and….” She paused to stare wistfully into the mid distance, holding a hand tenderly in line with her heart, “Kristoff.” she finished with a sigh. 

“I mean our family….” Elsa said in a hushed tone, regretting her choice of words as soon as they left her lips. Anna abruptly ripped her remaining fingers from Elsa’s gentle grasp and shoved them under the hollows of her arms. 

“Wait, you mean you don’t see Kristoff as family?” Elsa’s icy blue eyes stared at her, but she was unable to open her mouth. Anna huffed. “Oh! So he’s just some man I met up a mountain? He’s not good enough to be real family?” 

Elsa gripped the shawl tighter again and raised her other hand like a white flag. “Anna…”

“Don’t Anna me! Kristoff is not Hans, and you know that!” Tears prickled in Anna’s eyes.

“That’s not what I meant!” Elsa whispered, but her fiery sibling had already slipped through the doorway and slammed it with such force that the wooden panel rattled behind her.

Down the hallway Anna fumed, ferociously tugging her own door closed with another ear-ringing slam! Her mind was a maelstrom of stormy emotions and cloudy half-thoughts. Impulsively she pulled on her black boots and clicked the clasp of her magenta cloak. Throwing open her bedroom door and charging down the hallway again, this time in the opposite direction, she quickly found herself in the Royal Stables with her face pressed into the warm, silky hair of her horse’s flank. She rubbed away her hot tears and took a deep shuddering breath, saturating her consciousness in the familiar, comforting sensations of the stables. Warm hay, worn leather, the steady inhales and exhales of a broad, calm chest. There was someone else special to Anna that felt like that, and her stomach gnawed in want of him. 

She gave one last sniffle and with a decided flick of her chestnut braids, heaved herself off the big animal to retrieve his bridle, saddle and blanket. “C’mon Havski, let’s go for a ride!”

Her trek this way up the mountain was becoming like second nature. Kristoff had been teaching her to read the signs of the wilderness. Only a few months before she would’ve been lost in the woods. Now she followed her instincts past familiar boulders, through particular patches of trees she had come to recognise. The higher up the mountain she rode, the wind grew chillier, but her heart warmed at the distant glimpse of gold in the all-white landscape. It was the hearth of Kristoff’s log cabin, flickering through the windows like a beacon guiding her to where her heart wanted to be. Recently hand built by both of them, the simple structure was starting to feel like a second home, safe and warm.

Anna dismounted and led her horse to the small adjoining stable. Boots and hooves crunched through the recently fallen snow and a pair of antlers suddenly protruded from the stable door to greet them.

“Hey Sven” Anna tickled the reindeer’s furry brown chin. He was confused but pleased to see her and gave her hand a welcome nuzzle. Havski nickered hello and settled in comfortably next to his friend. Digging in the nearby sack, Anna pulled out a carrot for each steed and gently shut the half-door behind her. “Look after Havski for me, will you Sven?”Anna smiled warmly despite the tear drops frozen like crystals to her face.

Ding a ling. Anna rang the curvy cast iron bell by the cabin door.

Silence.

Ding a ling! This time with more force, less patience.

Rustle, stumble, groan.

Her blonde beau opened the door and rested an elbow on the door frame, his shaggy head hanging like a snow laden branch. 

“Hey Anna” he groaned groggily, still shrugging the green robe over his broad bare shoulders. It took a few moments for his sleep addled mind to process what was in front of him. Suddenly his head snapped up and his elbow dropped. “Wait….what? Anna did you seriously come riding out here in the middle of a winter night, in nothing but your boots and pyjamas?” 

Anna snorted. “And cape! I’m not crazy you know.” 

He rolled his eyes and then met her glare with a bemused crooked smile. “Anna, you must be as cold as ice! Come in.”

In a heart beat, all of Anna’s tension melted and she let herself be pulled through the doorway by his firm grip on her elbow. 

Kristoff pushed the door closed then gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind Anna’s ear. “I can see you’re upset, Anna. What are you really doing here?”

Anna looked down and touched the crook of his free arm. Reflexively he cupped her elbow in his palm, offering reassurance.

“Oh, well…  I had a fight with Elsa…. about not having any family at Christmas.” 

Kristoff said nothing, but lifted an eyebrow, imploring her to continue. 

“I saw the light on in her room. She was wearing mother’s shawl. I haven’t seen it in years….” Anna’s throat tightened, her voice barely a rasp. “Not since ….. they left… oh Elsa!”

The sudden realisation struck her like a sword from above. Her hands flew to her face to catch fresh hot tears and her knees buckled beneath her. Strong arms caught her but followed her descent, pulling her into a tight embrace, her body cradled in Kristoff’s folded legs.

“She was missing mother and father….” Anna pressed the side of her face into his chest, the feeling of the stables washing over her again. “After all these years she must blame herself…. No wonder she feels guilty accepting you as family…”

Still he did not speak but brushed his lips across her auburn fringe and rested his cheek on the crown of her head. His intense warmth was soothing and she melted into his embrace.

“I didn’t mean to be so insensitive… I mean I miss them too… it was hard to be alone all those years, but now… I’m just so happy to have her back… and Olaf and Sven….” She swiped at her eye with her wrist and glanced up with glossy eyes. Her fingertips traced the line of his jaw. “And you…”

An involuntary groan rumbled through his chest as her palm scraped across his stubble. She pulled at his ear, eliciting a hiss, which she promptly smothered with her own wanting lips. Their bodies moved to accommodate each other like water and oil.

His kiss was soft, empathetic, and accompanying a deep exhale from his nose that whispered across her neck. The intensity of her stirred emotions resurfaced anew, pouring out of her lips and into his. The slender fingers of her other hand slipped under his robe, over his muscular shoulders, baring his skin and bathing his angles in the golden glow of the fire. His hand snapped up to grasp the back of her nightdress, to hold her back. This was not the time. But her insistence overpowered his resolve and too soon he found his fingers entwined in her hair, falling to the floor with her again.

Outside in the stables Havski’s ear twitched in the direction of the strange noises coming from the other side of the adjoining wall. 

Thunk thunk thunk. “Uh!”

Sven’s tail swished at a non existent fly, but otherwise he remained unperturbed. Nothing new.                               

The pinks and purples of early sunrise chased away the twinkling stars of night. The hearth was now reduced to nearly embers, though a few errant flames still flickered.

Anna sat upright, weaving her auburn hair back into two neat long braids. Her brows were knitted in contemplation. Suddenly she stopped and thumped a fist into her open hand. 

“I have to make this right with Elsa! Show her that I understand, but that she still deserves a family, especially at Christmas.”

Kristoff pulled himself up and rubbed the back of his neck. His hair was tousled and his head a little spacey. “Uh…..well I have an idea.”

“Really? Yes!” Anna pecked his cheek and scrambled up to pull her boots back on as she hopped toward the door. “Tell me on the way back to Arendelle!”

Slam!

Before he even knew what had happened, Kristoff was sitting alone in the middle of the worn rug, the brief icy blast from outside sending sharp tingles across his bare skin and shocking him to full consciousness. No Anna, and no clothes.

By the time Kristoff had made it outside to the stable Anna had already tacked up Havski and Sven.

“Took you long enough!” Anna stirred. 

Kristoff gestured down his body at his thick winter clothes. “Well, I kinda needed a few essentials! Are you sure you don’t want to put something else on?”

“We’ll ride so fast, I won’t even feel it!” Anna laughed as she leapt into Havski’s saddle, picking up the reins as her horse danced a little, ready to get going. 

“Woah there, Feistypants!” chuckled Kristoff incredulously and adjusted the pack on his back. Sven nudged his elbow and Kristoff spoke for his reindeer friend.

“She’s crazy!”

“Yeah, but I’d probably just do what she says.” Kristoff replied with a lopsided grin. “She’s very persistent.”

Havski pulled his head at the bridle with impatience and Anna clicked her tongue. “Last one there is a quart of lutefisk!” she shouted mockingly as she spun her horse on its quarters and bolted off, spraying Kristoff with a shower of powdery white snow. 

“Ugh! No way!” he yelled after her, swinging himself onto Sven’s back. They were off, racing down the mountain, their hearts thundering as fast as the hooves beneath them.

Though the gates were open now, the arching halls of the castle still felt a little too exposed, so Elsa had sought solace in the library where it was cosy and familiar. Gazing into the dancing fire, she realised now that everyone she’d ever loved was here within these walls, even if only in spirit. They would never be forgotten or replaced in her heart, whatever or whoever came into her life. 

Olaf came waddling by the sofa Elsa was sitting on and picked up the box of Christmas decorations by her feet.

“Ooh, what are these seasonally tasteful trinkets?” he giggled cheerfully.

Elsa smiled sadly and turned to look out of the tall windows. The sky was bright blue now, a clearer winter’s day she had not seen since she and Anna were little.

“Anna and I were going to decorate the tree together. It’s past breakfast time. That’s late to sleep in even for her! I hope she’s not still mad….Where is she?”

Knock knock knock-knock knock!

Elsa leapt up from the sofa and Olaf dropped the wooden box at the same time. “Anna!” they gasped. 

The heavy wooden door opened a little and Anna’s cheerful face poked into the room. 

“Elsa!” she squealed, flinging the door open and running to take hold of her sisters hands. They squeezed each others fingers and spoke quickly at the same time.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it!” 

In a rare moment, Elsa got the first word in “I didn’t mean that Kristoff wasn’t good enough to be family… I just—“

Anna interrupted to save her sister the pain. “It’s okay, I understand. I miss them too. They will never be replaced. But even though mother and father aren’t here anymore, you still deserve a family now. And family means the people who care about you.”

Elsa caught a sob in her hand, though her eyes crinkled with a smile.

Kristoff coughed into his fist, still standing at the doorway with his other arm draped over Sven’s withers. “Uh Elsa, I have something for you”

Her dainty hand beckoned him to come in then she anxiously held it at her chest not knowing what would come next.

Kristoff took a few cautious steps towards her, his hand rustling in his pack. He pulled out something small wrapped in what looked like a snippet of hide and offered it to her in his huge palm. “An early Christmas gift.”

Elsa smiled at him tentatively and delicately unwrapped the object as he held it. Elsa gasped as the last fold was opened and took the gift in both hands, holding it closer to her bewildered gaze. It was her signature snowflake, carefully carved from pale wood and decorated with delicate engravings of more tiny snowflakes and stars, making it seem as if the ornament were sparkling.

“Oh…. Kristoff! Elsa gasped. “You made this?”

“I know it’s not much.” he scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. 

Elsa held the carved snowflake to her chest. “It’s everything!” 

“Hey, ice is my life!” he shrugged humbly. “I know something special when I see it.”

In a surprise to both of them, Elsa leapt forward and hugged Kristoff, slipping her arms under his and tucking her chin into his shoulder. After a moment of shock, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground in a big bear hug. Her feet hit the ground again and they laughed in relief. Sven, Anna and Olaf quickly swooped in to join the family embrace. 

Olaf sighed happily. “I like warm hugs!”

Their arms soon untangled and an awkward moment of adjustment in personal space followed, until Elsa put her hand on Anna’s arm, smiling at her tenderly. 

“You’re right, Anna. He is family.” She touched Kristoff’s arm with her other hand and a glimmer of admiration crept into her smile. “I think there might be a little bit of magic in you too, Kristoff.” 

He coughed then grinned back at her with cheeks ablaze. “Don’t forget your favourite reindeer!” Kristoff chimed in Sven’s voice. 

With a giggle, Elsa rubbed Sven’s furry chin. “You too, Reindeer Bro.”

Anna sighed contentedly and Elsas fingers knitted elegantly in front of her chest. It was only then that she noticed her sister’s hair was damp from melting snow, and that her clothes were the same as the night before.

“Anna, did you seriously go out in the middle of a winter’s night in nothing but your boots and pyjamas?”

“And cloak!” Anna huffed through chattering teeth and crossed her arms, avoiding Kristoff’s sly grin. 

He wrapped a thickly clothed arm around her shivering shoulders. “Rode so fast you didn’t even feel the cold, huh?”

Her eyes turned electric blue as she shot him a glare and bumped him with her hip. Then with a smile, she took his hand and pulled his embrace a little tighter. “You’ll soon warm me up.”

Elsa giggled. “Well if you look in your room, the seamstress delivered our new outfits for the Winter Festival this morning.” She glanced at Kristoff, matching his cocky grin and wiggled her eyebrows. “I ordered you a matching one.”

The gruff Mountain Man gritted his teeth at the idea, but Princess Anna squealed in glee! Squeezing her love’s hand, she spun his huge frame and raced out the library, down the hallway, towing him recklessly like a kid with a reliable old teddy bear.

Bump!

“Ow!”

“Sorry!”

With an unqueenly snort of laughter Elsa shook her head and put her special gift in Olafs twiggy fingers. “There ya go little guy. Will you do the honours and put this on the very top of the tree?”

“Oooooh! With pleasure!” Olaf tittered. “Though I’m not really sure why you have a small forest in your lounge room.”

Sven lowered his head for his frozen friend to climb aboard, and balancing between his antlers, Olaf stretched up to put the carved snowflake on the top of the tree.

“We’ve gotta get this right, Sven! A little to the left…. No, the other left…. Do I even have a left?”

Anna and Kristoff quickly returned to the library, skidding through the door with matching outfits and flushed faces. Anna spun cheerfully in place, her skirt and braids twirling. 

“Elsa, I love this design, thank you!” 

Kristoff felt a little awkward, but nodded in appreciation of the thought to include him. 

Elsa twiddled the end of her platinum blonde braid contemplatively. “Actually Kristoff, I have something to give you too.”

“But you already…”

Elsa rolled her hands, summoning a blue and white glittering mist. Anna and Kristoff gasped - Elsa’s magic never lost it’s majesty. She hovered her hand over Kristoff’s and the magic settled to reveal an eternal ice statue of a miniature Sven pulling Kristoff’s new sleigh, full of Christmas gifts and Olaf holding the reins.

“Thank you. Wow! That’s nice ice!” Kristoff chuckled in awe as he examined the gift from all angles. He reverently set the figure upon the mantle over the fireplace and stood back to admire it, letting out a low whistle. “Flawless.”

Anna clapped her hands in excitement. “Now we can finally decorate the tree together! My favourite part! And of course krumkake! And hot glog! And… oh I love everything Christmassy!”

Elsa slipped her arm through Anna’s and smiled. “Me too. It’s so nice to come together as a family for Christmas.”

“It takes a village to raise a family!” Olaf chirped in a sing-song way, as he scuttled down from Sven’s antlers.

The sisters suddenly grabbed each others hands and squealed in union. “The village! I have the best idea!”

“We can invite all of Arendelle to celebrate with us!” Anna squeaked.

“A Christmas party at the castle!” gushed Elsa.

“We can have a festive feast after the Yule Bell celebration! Soup, roast and icecream of course.”

Elsa leaned forward with a mischievous smile. “We can dress up the boys!”

“Eeeee!” shrieked Anna and Olaf in delight!

“Uggggh!” groaned Sven and Kristoff throwing their heads back. Kristoff rolled his head to the side to look at Sven and goofily spoke for the reindeer.

“Did someone say krumkake?” 

“Great idea! I think I saw some in the window of Blodget’s Bakery.” He replied in his own voice.

Sven looked back at him knowingly. “The girls would really appreciate it if you went out and got them some, Kristoff.”

“Well, when you put it like that!” Kristoff shrugged.

They turned tail and dashed out of the library, only for Kristoff to momentarily poke his head back in the doorway and stick his tongue out impishly. 

Together the sisters laughed at his cheekiness and shouted jestingly at the now vacant doorway.

“Just don’t mess up your outfit!”