Oh, his are so much worse. Elsa has repression-and-isolation Disney problems. Alloran has moral-quandary-war-horrors Animorphs problems. But neither of them know the details and have considerately opted to leave it that way. He does a gesture with his tail that reads as a deliberate formality, so Elsa, hands still folded near her waist, inclines her head in a way that is a respectful acknowledgement of his rank while secure in her own.

She looks at him with muddled happiness and sadness -- she's empathetically glad he's free from whatever it was that was keeping him from speaking, and glad he is pleased to speak with her. Often, when Elsa speaks with people, it's the business of making decisions for the kingdom among advisers, or overseeing festivals, which is more planning and supervising (and making ice sculptures for children) than deep conversation. She's pleased that someone (besides her sister, or Olaf) is speaking to her like just another person, not as the queen who nearly trapped the kingdom in an eternal winter. The people of Arendelle have forgiven her for that wholeheartedly, but she's never forgotten how easy it is for her to make mistakes with enormous consequences.

But she hears the sadness and regret, the weight of it obvious even to Elsa. Instead of inquiring about the circumstances that would lead to one not being able to talk, she opts to ask something more general.

"Is royalty a title you can lose?" Elsa asks. "Where you come from."