The library windows flapped on their hinges, banging open and closed with percussion-like cadence, the rhythm of a dirge driven by the power of the wind. A mist of snow poured through the opening in swirls of moonlit sparkles, coating the floor and the furniture with a white blanket of fine gauze. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and John stood in a line in front of the sputtering fire, their shadows dancing along the walls with each seizure of flame. They peered into the night beyond the window, a black hole that swallowed their sight and returned only dark portents.

"ELSAAAA!"

It was Inger's call that paralyzed them, a terrible roar full of wrath, striking fear in the heart of its prey. It poured through the window as if driven by the wind, penetrating the library until the walls seemed to throb with its torment.

"ELSAAAA!"

Peder plunged into the room, grimacing as the flying snow intensified.

"Your Majesty! We need to get you out of here!"

The moment of panic was broken and Elsa snapped to her senses.

"Go!"

She pushed John and Anna toward the exit. They ran into the hall, slamming the doors shut behind them, cutting off one last burst of wind that snuffed out the candles. The doors shuddered, shaking upon their hinges, then lay still, the howl of the wind whistling through a narrow gap between them. Without the candles, though, they were left in complete darkness.

Anna gripped Kristoff's arm, Sven's anxious pant leading a chorus of frantic respirations. Elsa leaned her back against the door as if expecting something might try to escape, her fingers wrapped around the handle, her shoulders pressed against the cold wood.

"Does anyone have a torch?" John said.

Everyone waited for someone else to respond, but no one did.

"Who has a torch?" he repeated.

"No one has a torch," Peder said. "We're blind."

There was a sudden shockwave, a concussion of sound that shook the castle. It rattled the windows along the hall and vibrated down the walls, the floor undulating beneath their feet. Anna cried out, a gasp of fear and surprise. They huddled together outside the library door, caught in the grasp of the unrelenting darkness.

"She's going to tear this place apart," Peder said. "We need to get out of here!"

"Elsa," John said, in a calm voice that defied the chaos of the moment, "Can you use your magic to give us some light?"

Of course! Why hadn't she thought of that?

She stepped into the center of the corridor and held out her palm, a ball of light springing up like a balloon and bouncing into the air, hanging low above their heads. It cast a soft glow around them, bathing the hall in a smokey blue light that turned the red carpet grey.

"Your Majesty," Peder said, "we need to get you out of the castle!"

Inger's scream tore through the hallway again, blunted by the doors and walls but no less savage. It was growing louder and more fierce with each call, like a gear shrieking its defiance until it shatters into pieces. Elsa had no desire to be a part of that ruinous climax, but she also knew she couldn't run away.

"There's nowhere for me to go."

"We can make our way out the back of the castle. With any luck we can escape unnoticed."

"No. If I leave she'll destroy Arendelle."

"Your Majesty, if you stay she might destroy you."

Elsa saw the conflict within him, the impossibility of the situation. He was tasked with protecting the queen and the kingdom she ruled. If they stayed and one was lost, the other might fall with it.

"Let's get everyone to the guest wing," Elsa said, "then we'll decide what to do."

Except she'd already decided. She knew that every one of her servants, not to mention her people, were vulnerable, helpless to protect themselves against the madwoman outside. Many of these servants had stayed when all others left, choosing to serve their queen despite the risk. Others had no choice, stuck in a dying kingdom because they had nowhere else to go. Then there were the guards, who honored their oath to protect Arendelle and its ruler at any cost. And of course, Kristoff and John, who sacrificed so much to help her and her people.

But most important of all, she wanted to protect Anna. Her sister once sacrificed herself to save Arendelle, and if given the chance, she'd do the same. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. Hopefully, it was within her power to stop Inger, but if she had to die to protect the ones she loved, so be it.

They took the stairs down to the second floor, and Grand Pabbie was waiting for them on the landing, flanked by two guards. The guard on the left spoke first.

"The servants and the guards await your command, Your Majesty."

"How are they?" she asked as they turned together down the darkened hallway. At the end was a gathering of servants, nearly half a dozen, standing in the light of the candles that hung from the walls.

"Alek is conscious but confined to his bed. Petra too, is unwell, but recovering."

A tremor shook the castle, followed by another ear-piercing scream of Elsa's name. The castle was crumbling under Inger's wrath, and Elsa feared it would fall wall by wall until the guest wing collapsed, taking everyone with it. She hated the thought of them trapped here, but escape wasn't an option for most of them. Alek and Petra would have no chance of escape and many of her people were elderly and may not survive a sudden exodus.

When they reached the end of the hall she was greeted by the waiting servants. Most tried to hide their fear, others couldn't. Elsa gave them a smile, hoping to reassure them, then turned to her companions.

"You are to stay here. No matter what happens or what you hear, stay inside."

"What are you going to do?" Anna said.

"I have to try to stop Inger."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No, it's too dangerous. You must stay here."

"Elsa," Anna protested, but Kristoff grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back. She shook him off.

"No! Don't try to stop me!"

"There's no time for this," Elsa said, softening the edges of her reproof, trying to sound consoling. If these were the last words she'd ever speak to her sister, she wanted them to be sweet ones. "Each and every moment we delay are moments too precious to lose. You must stay."

Anna looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she also looked angry, defiant. It's not how Elsa wanted to part ways, but she had little choice. She'd rather protect her sister's life than protect her feelings.

"Elsa," John said, taking her by the arm and pulling her aside. "You don't really expect me to let you go out there alone, do you?"

Elsa knew she was taking a risk facing Inger alone, she had no delusions of the dangers involved. What would happen when she walked out those castle doors was anyone's guess, but she had little doubt what would happen if someone accompanied her.

"Yes, I expect you to stay here. It's far too dangerous—"

"I don't care how dangerous it is!" He looked back at the people gathered behind him but they didn't seem to have noticed his outburst. Nevertheless, he lowered his voice. "I will not let the woman I love risk her life while I stand idly by like a frightened dish boy."

"John," she said, taking his hand. "If you love me then there's something I need to ask of you. Promise me that you'll help protect Anna, that no matter what happens you'll help keep her safe."

John swallowed hard and Elsa saw the resignation in his eyes. It pained her to see him so upset, to know she was causing him such distress, but Anna would need all the protection she could get.

"I have only just found you," he said, "I couldn't bear to lose you now."

Elsa felt tears rising in the back of her throat and she cut them off. This man had risked his life to save Arendelle, to save her, and she longed to stay with him. She'd never felt the way he made her feel and she didn't want to give that up, but she'd give it up, without hesitation, if it meant saving the ones she loved.

"Without Anna I will forever be lost. I need to know you'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's not harmed. Can you do that for me?"

She sensed his internal struggle as he hesitated. Then he gave a slow nod.

"Just promise me you'll come back."

It was a promise she wished she could make, but she didn't believe in empty promises.

"Thank you," she said, kissing him on the cheek. With reluctance he let her go, joining Kristoff who was trying to comfort Anna.

"Peder," Elsa said, calling to the head of her guard. "Could I have a word?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Peder approached and they stood together on the edge of the shadows, beyond the earshot of the others. Another crash resounded from outside the castle, shaking the walls and causing the candles to flicker.

"You and a few of your men must escort Anna out of the castle."

"Your Majesty?"

"If anything should happen to me, she will be the last heir of Arendelle. She must be preserved at all cost."

"Of course, Your Majesty. It will be done."

"She will protest." She was certain of this. Anna would no doubt have to be forced to leave, perhaps even subdued in some manner for Peder to fulfill the command. "No matter what happens or what you have to do, you must get her away. John is prepared to assist and I think Kristoff will help too."

"Yes, Your Majesty. But where are we to go?"

"There's a merchant in the mountains to the east, his name is Oaken. Take her there and await my command. If you don't receive word from me after the passing of a night you mustn't return to Arendelle. Flee, take her far away. I leave it up to you how to keep her safe."

"I swear it will be done."

Peder left to join the other guards. She was about to leave when Grand Pabbie called out to her.

"Your Majesty."

He waddled over and she bent down to meet him.

"The power of your aunt is great, and you have only just got your magic back. I fear you cannot win this fight. Perhaps another course of action should be considered."

"No, there's no other way. If I don't stop Inger everything will be lost."

"If you must go I'm afraid I cannot help you. However, take this, it will provide you with a measure of protection."

He slid the gem-encrusted necklace off his head, the small crystal shards glowing with a faint green light. Elsa accepted the gift and slipped it on, pulling her braid through the loop.

"Thank you. Please help take care of my sister."

"Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to protect her."

Elsa gave one last look at those she was leaving behind. Peder was conferring with two other guards, no doubt discussing how to execute her command. John was standing in the yellow light of the hall, the shadows cast by the candles partially concealing a forlorn expression. Anna was wrapped in Kristoff's arms, watching her with that same mix of sadness and defiance. Elsa gave them a smile, hoping to stem their concern, and wondering if it would be the last time she'd ever see them.

******

The sound of the storm intensified as Elsa traversed the near pitch-black great hall, making her way to the exit. The incessant howl of the wind rose as it clawed at the castle, and a flurry of hailstones pelted the walls in an unbroken rhythm. When she arrived at the mouth of the portico she found the doors closed and she considered them for a moment. She'd never given them a second thought, never really looked at them, but now she noticed how well they were constructed. Two ornate slabs of wood, almost twice as tall as she was, painted brown and decorated with a gold border. It was strange, to be noticing something so trivial as the object of her fate waited outside.

She grabbed the handle then hesitated. The brass pulsated and rattled in her hand. She wondered if Peder would have enough time to leave with Anna. Would they be able to get far enough away to escape?

She pushed the doors open, straining against the pressure of the storm, and was greeted by a blast of snow and ice that rushed into the hall as if inhaled by the castle. Elsa didn't recoil or stumble in this barrage of freezing air, standing in the doorway without flinching. The source of the blizzard stood in the center of the courtyard, a silhouette of a woman with her arms outstretched and her face thrust to the sky. As Elsa stepped onto the porch and closed the doors, the woman lowered her arms and the storm ended, the wind subsiding and the snow stopping. Everything grew still.

With the blinding tempest gone, Elsa saw the extent of the damage Inger caused. The castle walls were cracked and crumbling, chunks of them lying in heaps of gravel. The smooth tops of the surrounding battlement were riddled with jagged gaps of missing stones. The column to her left had broken apart, leaving a stump as the only reminder of its presence, and the one to her right was riddled with cracks that traced the surface of its cylindrical face. The gates behind Inger had been rent from their hinges, one missing and the other leaning against the edge of the bridge in an upward slanting line.

Elsa barely had time to consider this destruction before Inger unleashed a verbal assault.

"You!" It sounded more like a growl than speech. "You! You've taken everything from me!"

Elsa tried to remain calm, though her pulse quickened.

"Inger please—"

"You! It wasn't enough your father robbed me of my life, now you've taken my only son!"

"Inger, please, listen to me—"

"You'll pay for what you've done. I'll make you suffer until you beg for mercy!"

Inger was hunched over, hands curled, fingers spread, eyes wild with fury. Was there anything she could say to stop this woman?

"Inger, listen! It doesn't have to be this way. You're my aunt, my flesh and blood, there's no reason for us to hurt one another."

"You've given me every reason!"

She had a look of such fury and Elsa realized there would be no stopping her. There was nothing she could say to turn her away from her violent intentions, all she could do was try to forestall the inevitable. But every moment of delay was another moment Anna had to escape.

"We are family. You're my father's sister, the aunt I never knew. Stop now and I swear you'll be shown mercy."

If she was trying to postpone an angry outburst then that was the wrong thing to say. Inger let out a fierce cry, something between a howl and a yell. A pulsing white halo enveloped her, a nearly transparent outline that throbbed with intensity. Her hands disappeared beneath spheres of light, bright disks that made Elsa think of the sun reflecting off a mirror.

Elsa tensed. This was it, and she knew it. Her fingers went numb and a tingling sensation crept down her arms and prickled through her hands. The whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of her heart pounded in her ears and the heat of expectation burned in her cheeks.

Would she be strong enough? She felt the magic rising within her, but would she be a match for Inger?

"You think you're above me? I am the rightful heir of Arendelle, and I will take what is mine!"

Inger pointed her hands at Elsa and they exploded in a beam of white magic. Elsa had no time to react, all she could do was fling her arms up to protect her face, but her magic responded. The gems around her neck flared a bright green as her magic enclosed her in a protective shell, Inger's attack shattering upon the transparent ward. But the power of the blast sent Elsa flying backward and crashing through the doors, which burst open with a crash. She hit the floor hard, gasping and wheezing as the wind was knocked out of her, and she lay there, disoriented and dazed.

Get up! She's coming!

Elsa stared at the blurry ceiling which swam before her eyes, letting out a groan of pain. She felt like she'd been kicked by a giant horse, her chest throbbing and her back and shoulders burning with fire.

Get up!

She heard the zing of another blast and she swept her arms forward, flinging the doors shut with her magic just in time to absorb most of the impact. They exploded in a spray of serrated fragments that showered down upon her, covering her with bits of sawdust and charred mahogany. With effort she scrambled to her knees, seeing Inger marching toward her. Her rage had been displaced, cast aside by a maniacal grin. She approached slowly, as if to savor every moment of her impending victory.

Elsa climbed to her feet, her legs shaking, a soft temblor running through the muscles of her thighs and down into the sinew of her calves. It wasn't fear that unsteadied them, the fear had fled after Inger's first attack, chased away by the instinct to survive. Her legs were simply faltering on the edge of exhaustion, the limitations of a body pushed to the brink of its limits.

Inger was already preparing her next attack and Elsa dug deep, trying to find a source of power she hoped lay somewhere inside her. She felt a spark of fire ignite upon her chest as the gems glowed again, and just as Inger launched her attack Elsa felt the magic unraveling inside her, unspooling and pouring into her arms where it burst from her hands. The opposing jets of magic collided with a deafening BOOM! that sent a spray of cobblestone leaping into the air. Inger flew back as if attached to a spring that stretched too far, hitting the ground hard and rolling. She growled as she got to her knees, pushing herself to her feet. The rage had returned and her eyes again burned with anger.

The release of magic had taken a toll on Elsa, and she knew she couldn't continue much longer. She realized now she couldn't win, she couldn't defeat this woman of extraordinary power, not when she was so weak. She'd known what the outcome might be if she chose to face Inger, and she was willing to accept the consequences of her decision. The only thing that mattered was buying time for Anna to escape.

But had she given her enough time? Had they been able to flee the castle? She didn't know. Her own sense of time was so scrambled it lay beyond the grasp of intelligible cognition. She knew she'd need to occupy Inger for as long as possible, keep her attention while their plan was executed, but Elsa knew she couldn't face Inger head on, not again. She didn't have the strength to survive another frontal attack, but if she could get away, lead Inger beyond the walls of Arendelle and into the mountains, there was no doubt Inger would be incapable of stopping Anna's retreat.

Inger lay between herself and the broken gates, so that path was no good, and the west exit was too far. Her only chance was the north exit.

She ran out the broken doors and turned left, hopping off the side of the porch and running toward the north wall, her eyes on the door that would take her outside and thus lead Inger away. Perhaps she couldn't protect all of Arendelle, a thought that broke her heart, but at least she could buy time for her sister and preserve the royal line from destruction. All she had to do was get through that door, the door that was now only a few steps away.

But it was not to be.

A blade of magic streaked over her shoulder followed by a blinding flash of light that burned white spots onto the backs of her eyes, then a concussion of air flung her