applesforanna:

   ”Okay,” she replied, the word drawling out as children liked to do, before she was, as her mother said, off again.

   But she wasn’t exactly the most obedient thing. Even as she continued to move, her huffs grew more laboured, and her slow paces grew even slower soon enough, and even with her mother holding her up, at one point her knees buckled.

   She wanted to keep going. To go, go, go, and play like she used to, and run like she used to. So she didn’t tell her Mama she was tired, and she didn’t stop when it was too hard.

   Even with the agreement, Idun had the feeling she would be the one bringing things to an end. She didn’t want Anna to burn herself out on the first go and had tired legs. So when the huffs became easier to hear, and her knees buckled, the Queen was lifting the girl into her arms.

   "I think it’s time for a little rest,“ she said, taking the girl back to the bed and sitting with her on her lap. "We don’t want your legs to get sore from using them too much, do we? Then you’ll have to wait longer for them to feel better.”