An Icy Kiss

A/N: I have noticed just how few Kristelsa fics there are on . I've always thought that it was an interesting concept, and am puzzled as to why not many people have written about it. I suppose it's because Kristanna is cannon, which I fully support by the way. However, this time around I thought I'd try something different. This will be a Kristelsa love story, one that takes place a year after the film. Hope you enjoy!

It had been a year since the Great Thaw, and many things had changed in Arendelle. For one, the gates were no longer closed, and Princess Anna and Queen Elsa's friendship was stronger than ever. They worked together to make Arendelle a better place than it had been for the past thirteen years. Renovations were made throughout the village, new trade agreements opened with various kingdoms across the sea, and even improvements on the sister's social lives were made as well. For Anna, the latter had been a dream come true. Thirteen years she wanted nothing more than to mingle with the outside world, especially with Elsa. To say that it was better than she imagined it would be was an understatement.

Every day, Elsa made time to spend with Anna doing various fun activities such as riding bikes, swimming, eating chocolate, and taking walks through town together. Just when Anna thought it couldn't get any better, it did, and she welcomed it with open arms. Elsa too was overjoyed at the restored friendship between the two. In all honesty, she never thought it would be possible, especially after the disaster at her coronation. She also didn't think that the people of Arendelle would accept her now that they knew about her powers, but she was wrong. If anything, the people were more than supportive.

They loved Elsa's powers. Every time she went into town, Elsa was always pressured by one of more children to perform some snowy magic show for them, and she always obliged. As much as Elsa enjoyed the changes in Arendelle, she was still getting used to interacting with people. After spending thirteen years in isolation, she had completely forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by many people at once. Sure she seemed confident whenever she was around others, but deep down there was still that anxiety within. Nevertheless, Elsa enjoyed the company of others, especially when Anna was with her.

One afternoon, Elsa attended a meeting with the council regarding an issue with one of the ships. Elsa had gone through four of these meetings already today, and quite frankly, she was tired of them. But she knew that it was her duty as queen to see to the matters at hand, no matter how much she wanted to just relax.

"This is one of our oldest ships, and it is in desperate need of repairs," one of the councilmen said. "The mast is worn out, the bridge is falling apart, and there are numerous holes in it. I propose that we start renovations at once, and get this ship back in tip-top shape. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Well, the ship is very old, and it definitely could use some repair work, but even then I don't know if it's worth it," Elsa said.

"May I ask why, Your Majesty?" the councilman asked.

"The ship has been around for decades, before my father was even born. Who knows how much longer it has left before it completely falls apart. We have plenty of other ships that are in good condition, so why don't we just sell this one for scraps?" she suggested.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, this ship was a gift to Arendelle from the kingdom of Pralira. It's been in our family for so long that it doesn't seem right to just toss it aside for scraps."

"I understand what you're saying, but at the same time, we all know that all things eventually come to an end. If we repair the ship to the best of our abilities, and then send it out onto the sea, and then sudden a leak forms in the bottom of the ship. It would surely sink then, and many people could die. I don't think I would like to take that risk, especially when we have so many other better quality ships."

The councilman looked around the room at his fellow council members; they all seemed to agree with Queen Elsa's statement. Knowing he was outnumbered, the councilman gave in.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," he said.

"Very good. Now gentlemen, if that is all you needed me for today, then I will now take my leave," Elsa said.

"Actually, Your Majesty, there was one other thing we wished to discuss with you," one of the councilmen spoke up.

As much as Elsa wanted to freeze the man on the spot for preventing her from leaving, she knew that she had an obligation to fill.

"What might that be?" she asked, keeping a calm, polite demeanor.

"Well, it's been over a year now, and now that you've gotten adjusted to your role as Queen of Arendelle, the council believes that you should now consider taking a husband."

Elsa felt her heart sink at the words. Did he just say….a husband?

"Excuse me?" Elsa asked, wanting to make sure she heard him right.

"We believe that it's time for you to choose a suitor. You know, to preserve Arendelle's legacy."

Elsa knew this was coming sooner or later, but she never thought it would be this quick. In all honesty, Elsa hadn't given a single thought about marriage. For the past year, her concentration had been solely on restoring her bond with Anna, and improving the kingdom of Arendelle. She didn't once consider the fact that she would have to wed eventually. Moreover, she wasn't sure if she really wanted too.

"I appreciate your concern for the kingdom of Arendelle," Elsa said. "However, I am not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship at this time. Maybe in a few years perhaps."

She hoped that that would be the end of it, but it wasn't.

"But Your Majesty, time is of the essence, you're almost twenty three years old! That's when your father got married, and remember that this is the future of the kingdom we're talking about!"

"I understand that, but I just don't think I'm ready for a relationship at the moment. To be honest, I'm still adjusting to all the changes that have occurred in the past year. I really don't think a relationship is important right now."

"Your Majesty…

But Elsa had spoken. She held up a hand, which instantly stopped the councilman from speaking. She didn't want to talk about this anymore. She dismissed the council, and went back to her private study to finish what paperwork she had left. As she filled the pieces of paper out with her quill, she found herself thinking back to what the councilman had said. "This is the future of the kingdom we're talking about!"

He did have a point. Elsa wasn't going to live forever, and someday someone else would have to take the throne. And of course, it would have to someone related to her. But still she felt unsure. Elsa didn't like to commit to things unless she was absolutely sure that they were worth it. How would she know which man was the one for her? More importantly, where would she find such a man? The council undoubtedly had a long list of perspective candidates to choose from, but Elsa didn't want it to be like that. She didn't want to browse through men like shopping for clothes at a store; she wanted to naturally find someone who appealed to her, when the time came of course. There was also another reason why Elsa was so reluctant to marry, and start a family. She was terrified that her offspring might inherit her powers. It was true that in the past year Elsa had grown more confident in her abilities, and definitely had more control over them than ever before. But would her child be able to do the same if he or she inherited the same abilities? She could teach him or her how to control them of course, now that she knew that love was the key, but what if that wasn't enough? What if he or she couldn't learn how to properly control them, and end up hurting someone like she did with Anna many years ago? The mere thought of it all ending in a disaster frightened her. Frost started to form underneath her feet, and began to coat the walls around her. Elsa quickly noticed what was happening, and took a deep breath, and breathed out slow. Within seconds, the ice disappeared, and everything was back to normal. She took a break from her paperwork, and walked over to the window to look out. Outside, she saw Anna and the ice harvester Kristoff washing his sleigh. Kristoff. He was a good man, and she definitely approved of him. He was compassionate, hardworking, and trustworthy, but more importantly, he made Anna happy. Elsa watched as the two of them talked to each other while scrubbing the sled down with soap. They both looked so happy, and so full of life. The sight brought a smile to Elsa's face; the two looked so much in love. Elsa often wondered what it felt like to be in love like that. To have someone special to share your life with, someone who loves you for who you are, flaws and all, must be a wonderful feeling. For years she doubted she would ever know what that feeling was like. In all honesty, she still wondered if she would ever feel it.

Later that evening, Anna and Kristoff came upstairs to Elsa's study to tell her about the ice harvesting trip they took earlier today. Anna was ecstatic when Kristoff invited her to go with him. She couldn't stop talking about it for days. And judging by her results of the trip, she clearly had a blast.

"Elsa, it was amazing! You would not believe how hard it is to cut a block of ice! I must have tried a thousand times before I actually got it right! Thankfully, I have a skilled ice master to show me the ropes," she said, giving Kristoff a kiss on the cheek. "I love you baby," she said.

Kristoff smiled. "I love you too, Anna."

"So what did you do today, Elsa?" Anna asked, eager to hear what her sister had to say.

Elsa decided to not tell Anna about what the council proposed about taking a suitor; she knew that Anna would just encourage it. She was always asking her about what kind of man she was interested in.

"Boring. A lot of meetings, and paperwork," she said, gesturing to the large piles of paper on her desk.

"I still have quite a bit to go through actually."

"Oh I see. Well, try to hurry up! Dinner will be ready soon, and afterwards, Kristoff is going to teach me how to play the lute!"

Elsa smiled. She couldn't no to her sister. "Alright. I'll be down in a minute. Just let me finish this letter," she said.

Anna smiled triumphantly, grabbing Kristoff by the arm, and pulling him towards the door. "Come on, Kristoff, let's go to the dining hall!"

Kristoff laughed. "Alright, Anna! I'll be right there. Just let me change out of my ice harvesting clothes."

The princess nodded, and bolted down the stairs to the dining hall, leaving Kristoff and Elsa alone together.

"That girl is a huge ball of energy," Kristoff observed.

"That's an understatement," Elsa laughed.

"Every day is an adventure with her."

"I imagine it is."

"And I always look forward to it."

"That's nice," Elsa said, giving a sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Kristoff asked.

"Nothing. Just got a lot on my mind, that's all," Elsa answered.

"Well, if you need someone to talk to about it, I'm always here," Kristoff offered.

Elsa smiled. "I appreciate that."

As he started to leave the room, Kristoff spun around on his heel to ask a question; it was related to an idea that just popped into his head.

"Hey, would you like to go ice harvesting with me sometime?" he asked. "I took Anna because she's been beggin me for weeks, but now I thought I should do the same with you. It's OK if you don't want too, I know you've been around ice your whole life, and the last thing you would want to do is spend an entire day involving it, but I just thought I'd ask. Maybe you can help me cut the ice out easier, I don't know. Just a thought."

"I would love to go, Kristoff, and I can assure you that I never get tired of ice. It is my life after all," she said, sending a stream of icicles across the floor.

Kristoff smiled. Elsa's powers always amazed him. "You took the words right out of my mouth," he said.

"So would you like to go sometime tomorrow afternoon? OR what would be a good time for you?"

"Tomorrow afternoon is fine. I have two meetings in the morning, and then I'm free for the rest of the day," Elsa said. "I'll meet you in the courtyard around noon."

"Great! I'll be there! It should be fun, especially since I'll be ice harvesting with the Snow Queen herself."

Elsa laughed; Kristoff was an amusing fellow. Anna was truly lucky to have him. If only she could find someone just like him to be with. But it was a small world, and she doubted that she would find someone like Kristoff. People like him were truly one of a kind. Then again, she could say the same for herself.

A/N: I know it's a slow start, but it'll get more into the relationship as the chapters goes on. This is my second Kristelsa fic; the first being a one-shot called "So You Like Ice?" Anyway, I hope you enjoyed what you've read so far!