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Ichabod has experienced his fair share of adversity over the years - wounds, fatigue, illness. He has never experienced a cold of this magnitude, though, and he just doesn't know what to do to shake it. He has ensconced himself in the library for the time being, dozing between doses of tea and soup, and there are any number of books scattered around him.

He is simultaneously trying to research demonology while correcting a so-called history of the Revolutionary War (Paul Revere was not the hero of the entire revolution and Franklin was, for the most part, an insurmountable ass) and neither is going well. It's as if his entire brain is fuzzy and thoughts are slow and dull. He doesn't do well when his keen intellect has been blunted and he hopes that the sickness passes soon.

First and foremost, he wants to be cared for and cossetted. It is times like these that Ichabod misses his wife the most. Katrina, for all her power and glory as a witch, had been his wife first and had been very good at making him feel better even when it seemed all the world was crashing down around his ears. What he wouldn't give to have Katrina caring for him now, to have Katrina making him tea and soup and tending to him while he relaxed.

He would simply have to make do with cooling tea and a slightly-scratchy blanket in a library for the time being.

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"I can imagine it would prove salient in many areas," Ichabod says. He wants to go on to say that he feels like Elsa has a lot of affection to give in spite of her particular condition and she shouldn't let it hamper her except he's wracked by terrible coughs.

"To bed with me, I think. I am sorry I cannot be better company today. It seems the ague has gotten the best of me."

"Does your room have one of those coffee makers?" Elsa asks. "You should at least have another cup of hot tea. I'll make some for you while you get comfortable."

"Oh, yes, but I do prefer tea over coffee. You know, it's a commonly held misconception that the English don't drink coffee at all," he says, latching onto the tangent because there's nothing he loves more than knowledge and trivia and it distracts him from his current condition.

"Which is a lie. That said, I do prefer a nice, strong cup of tea."

"I'll do my best," Elsa promises, smiling gently. She just hopes that her gloves will do enough to prevent the tea from going cold. Even when she's at the most control of her own powers, her touch is always slightly cooler.

"And I don't have much of a taste for coffee, but those blended things? With the cream and ice? I like those a lot."

"They are excessively overpriced," Ichabod says, laughing weakly. "Did you know they levy almost an 8% tax on those things? We fought against such excessive tariffs in my day. There should be no reason a person should have to pay that much in taxes for something to eat or drink."

"I suppose that's why so many people in the world are going hungry," Elsa laments. If only she wasn't burdened by her powers, she could have ruled her country wisely, done something to counteract such troubles.

"I trust you do not levy such taxes in Arendelle?" Ichabod has the impression, whether it is true or not, that Elsa is a wise and fair ruler. Her dealings with him on the personal level seem to indicate integrity and intelligence and he cannot imagine that it does not extend to her position as queen.

Elsa shrugs, handing him a cup of tea. "It's not really fair for me to judge. Arendelle is small, but our natural resources are high and our location on the fjords is advantageous. It's easy not to tax cruelly when everyone prospers."

"How does your government work, exactly? Is it solely a monarchy or do you have any sort of parliament or council to help you?" Ichabod has always had something of an interest in all the varied forms of government, having come from a country so newly born himself.

"I have a council, with several ministers to advise me. They acted as my regents before I came of age," she explains. They are good ministers, loyal to her parents and so to her.

"If your mind is this sharp while you're sick, I'd hate to match wits with you on a good day."

"I'm afraid that being ill only gives me more time to think," Ichabod says, laughing a little. "So questions come easily even if I should be resting and allowing my mind to simply drift off for the duration."

"Exactly." Elsa points at, but doesn't touch, the cup of tea. "Drink that and get some rest. We can talk politics when you're better."

Ichabod takes the tea and lifts his cup to toast Elsa. "And thank you, for being such a generous friend. I hope to see you soon? When I am feeling better?"

Ichabod hopes that is sooner rather than later.

"I'm easy enough to find," Elsa promises. "Just wait for the temperature to drop."