All Frozen in the Arendelle Front

Twelve Months Later

Just like Queen Elsa had feared every day, Anna never recovered from the severe psychological effects that the war had inflicted on her.

The Princess of Arendelle continued to suffer nightmares, flashbacks, memory trouble and even anxiety attacks as the months passed, sometimes she would disappear into the mountains just to be alone and her eyes remained in that cold, grieving state that her friends eventually accepted as normal in her.

It was usual for Anna to freeze in the middle of any conversation, suddenly transported back to the Front by a powerful flashback, and the Guards became used to see her wandering all over the castle during those awful nights when she would be too scared to sleep...

Elsa would always try her best to comfort her sister, and sometimes there were a few days when the old Anna managed to shine, play and even laugh a little while they shopped at the Town or perhaps during a camping travel with Kristoff and the others.

The Summer of the following year was a particularly pleasant one, like nature was somehow trying to compensate for the snowy and frozen months of the year before, and that was when the Queen announced her plans to build a War Memorial cemetery to honor the fallen of the Arendellan War.

A beautiful valley in a forest of the mountains was chosen as location for the special cemetery, soon a great team of volunteers began to work, thousands of rocks were transported from the mountains to serve as gravestones and five months passed before everything was ready...

It was a cold day of late November when Anna visited the War Memorial for the first time in her life, there was some snow falling from the silvery sky and her military green cloak, which she had decided to wear for the special occasion, was whispering and rippling thanks to the wild bursts of wind coming from the mountains.

"This is really beautiful, Elsa" Anna said, looking all around them as they enjoyed a peaceful walk between the tombs- "The families are going to love it!"

The Queen of Arendelle was wearing her royal outfit that day, the very same that she had displayed at the coronation ceremony more than four years ago, and she looked happy and relieved to see that Anna was particularly cheerful that day...

The royal sisters found themselves all alone at the War Memorial, since the few military officers that had been allowed to visit so far had departed already and it would be officially opened to the families the following day.

It was not very frequently that Anna and Elsa could enjoy together a private and peaceful moment like that, and so they tried to walk slowly as they talked and admired the beauty of the gravestones, inscriptions, trees, bushes, flowers and silvery benches that could be found all over the Memorial.

"Oh look, this is General Matthew's tomb" Elsa said, coming to a halt in front of a particularly large and beautiful gravestone- "I approved the design myself, just wanted it to be perfect... Do you like it, Anna?"

Anna advanced a few steps, she placed her green and purple flowers on the tomb and after that the peaceful princess just remained there, frozen in silence as she stared at the tombstone with a cold and distant look in her eyes...

Elsa thought at first that perhaps her sister wished to remain silent for some time as a personal tribute to their fallen friend, but Anna's silence continued for too long and she remained all still and quiet just like a statue made of ice.

"Anna?"

"W-what?" Anna replied, quite surprised as she turned around to look at her sister- "Oh, sorry for that, Elsa... I was back at the Sammel... for a moment."

"I see, just take it easy" Elsa said, placing her left hand on Anna's right shoulder- "Look, it's getting dark! We have to return to the Castle..."

"Fine... Elsa, can we build a snowman before dinner tonight?"

"Sure, why not?"

Anna and Elsa held hands as they walked side by side, they took some time to leave the War Memorial behind, the wind was getting stronger and finally they reached the horses that had been waiting for them at the edge of the forest.

They mounted, and when Elsa turned her head to look at her sister she was delighted to see once again the sparks of old Anna gleaming in those teary blue eyes...

"Let's have a good race to the Castle, Elsa!"

"Wait!"

Anna took a very good advantage before Elsa could react, their cloaks were rippling in the wind as they gained more and more speed and the royal sisters, recalling good times, laughed and played all the way back to Arendelle Town...