Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away from here, lay a small village. This village, located at the edge of the woods at the edge of the kingdom at the edge of the civilized world, consisted of exactly seventeen buildings. Most of those buildings were small houses, small shops, small workshops, and small stables. There was one building, however, that was not small.

It was the only building that was not small, and it was at the very end of the main road that ran through the village. This particular building, simply referred to as 'the mansion' by the villagers, was a lot bigger than it needed to be. According to many, it was a lot bigger than it was supposed to be.

They had not always thought so, though. You see, a few years back, a kind couple lived in the mansion, letting the villagers make use of their spare rooms whenever there was a need for it. They would let the children organise sleepovers in the spacious bedrooms, jumping on and off the beds to their heart's content.

The couple was a happy couple. But happiness rarely lasts. The woman became pregnant, and the entire village was filled with joy. After a long, arduous pregnancy, she gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter. The woman, deadly exhausted, lived only long enough to see her once, and bestow upon her name: Anna.

Anna's father was heartbroken by the loss of his wife, as any good man, good husband, would be. He mourned her loss for years, but eventually, when his daughter reached the tender age of ten, they had both decided that it was time to pursue happiness again.

On one of his many travels, Anna's father met a woman - a lovely young widow with two daughters, only a year older than Anna. They moved to the small village, taking up residence inside the mansion, and everyone was happy once more.

But as stated before, happiness rarely lasts.

Anna's father passed away not a year later, when a ship that took him on one of his many travels was caught in a storm, never to be heard from again. Little Anna was devastated. Her stepmother was not.

Happiness was now gone from the mansion, where Anna continued to live with her stepmother and stepsisters, none of which cared particularly much about Anna. They did fancy the mansion, though, and believed that in such a building, the inhabitants ought to have a maid.

They believed little Anna to be the perfect candidate. And who was little Anna to object? She had no one in the world left for her, except for her stepmother.

And thus Anna became their maid. A slave in what had once been her happy childhood home, running chores while dressed in rags, while her stepsisters made fun of her, and her stepmother kept piling up the chores.

It was like that for eight long years. Little Anna had grown into a fine young woman, though still a maid. Some things never change, do they? Anna had grown used to her position. She rarely complained, and certainly not anytime she could be heard. However unfortunate her treatment was, she never mouthed back. Never disobeyed an order. For that was what she received: orders, veiled as requests.

It was during one such ordered request - cleaning out the fireplace - that Anna heard the bell hanging from the front door clinging, and her stepmother's shrieking voice, telling her to go and answer it.

Her attempts at tidying herself up only left her with more grey smudges on her face. But after years of having this issue, Anna did not really mind anymore. She was nearly always covered in some form of dirt or grime.

The man on the front porch was, clearly, not used to it though. As soon as he saw Anna, he took a discreet step backwards. The first few times, such a reaction had hurt the young redhead. But that had been many years ago, and at this point, she really did not care in the slightest.

"Is this the Barfont residence?" the man asked stiffly, noticeably raising his nose.

Anna had half a mind to reply in the negative, because, officially, it was still Anderson Manor. But her stepmother had made it clear that it should never be called such, because that would be very bad for Anna Anderson.

"Yes, good sir. Who can I say is calling?" Anna asked as politely as she could, for she was no fool and she recognized fine clothing when she saw it.

"Royal messenger," the man replied, clearly irritated with Anna's lack of foresight. "And make it snappy."

She gently closed the door, walked to the grand staircase, and raised her voice. "Stepmother! Royal messenger at the door!"

There were several high-pitched squeals, before Anna could make out the request to escort the kind sir to the tea-room, where they would welcome him.

The request being what it was, Anna did not hesitate to comply, kindly requesting the stiff old man follow her down the cold corridors to the tea-room, where her stepmother and stepsisters were waiting for him with smiles that did not suit their faces in the slightest.

"Welcome to our humble abode," her stepmother said warmly, waving the messenger in. "Whatever can we do for you?"

The man in his fine suit cleared his throat, bobbed his head up and down a few times, and then delivered his message. "Three weeks from now, Our Royal Majesties the King and Queen, as well as our Royal Highnesses the Princess and Prince, will visit your village. For lack of better accommodations available, the honour to house them will be bestowed upon you. Three bedrooms - a double and two single - will be needed for several nights, as well as three meals a day for every day they reside here. Will that be an issue?"

"Oh heaven's goodness, no! Of course that will not pose a problem," Anna's stepmother chimed immediately, all smiles and kindness and affection. "We will start the preparations immediately!"

The three of them saw the messenger out together, leaving Anna to linger in the hallway. As soon as the door closed, they turned around to face her, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Well, wench, you heard the man. Start the preparations!"

Three weeks Anna spent cleaning the house, tending to the garden, cleaning the house again, preparing the guest rooms, acquiring complicated recipes, and cleaning the house again. All the while, she had to listen to her stepsisters prattling on about how they would charm the prince, who would no doubt beg them both to marry him.

Their mother only encouraged them to make that their future, of course. They were not poor - not even by any stretch of the imagination - but marrying into the royal family would see them considerably better off than they were now. And it really didn't matter that the prince would probably never actually become the king, seeing as the princess was three years his senior.

When the King and Queen passed away, their firstborn child, their daughter, would take to the throne. Anna knew that, so that meant her step-relatives had to know too. But gold was gold, and silver was silver, whether you had a kingdom to rule or not.

But finally, the day was there, and the entire village was dressed their best. Anna thought her stepsisters to look ridiculous: their corsets too tight for them to breathe, and their skirts too wide for them to fit through the door. Her stepmother, while slightly more moderate, still looked like a frilly sort of bug.

She herself wore simple and plain clothes - the only kind of clothes she had. An old, grey corset with a plain green skirt was the best she had been able to find, somewhere in the back of her closet.

Of course she was not allowed to wait outside and greet the royal family. She was, after all, nothing but a servant, resigned to watch everything from one of the upstairs windows. The two royal carriages, large golden boxes drawn by magnificent white horses, rattled down the main road, slowly coming to a stop before their front porch.

As the guards cleared the area of citizens, Anna mentally ran through her chores one more time. The entire house was clean, the beds were made, fireplaces lit, the garden was presentable, dinner was as good as done and only needed to be served when they rang for it.

All that remained to be done was... remaining out of sight.

The doors of the first carriage opened, and for the first time in her life, Anna caught sight of the king and queen. The king was a tall, fair man, his brown hair trimmed immaculately, modest sideburns and a distinguished beard framing his slightly-square shaped face, with a strong, prominent jawline.

The queen was nearly as tall, and at the very least equally as fair. Her long brown hair spilled down her back in a long braid, reached down to the height of her hips, gentle blue eyes, a serene smile and a slightly heart-shaped face.

From the second carriage, a young man emerged. To call him handsome would be an exaggeration, Anna supposed, though he wasn't nearly as poorly looking as some of the boys and men she had seen around the village. He had his charms, his face childlike and innocent, his grin slightly toothy and his hair black and slightly ruffled.

Finally, the princess also emerged from the second carriage, and Anna - as well as the rest of the village - was immediately awestruck. Whatever the prince lacked in appearances, the princess definitely had to spare, being as tall as her mother and carrying herself with dignity. Anna saw the entire village staring at the snow-white hair, carried in the same manner as her mother's, and the piercingly blue eyes that were sort of like her mother's, yet entirely different.

"Presenting, the Majesties, King Adgar and Queen Idunn, and their children, Princess Elsa and Prince Olaf!" one of the attendants announced loudly, as if anyone could have mistaken them for someone else. Like the butcher down the street, or the weird old woman that lived in the cottage in the woods.

The mansion being as old as it was, Anna could follow the royal company all throughout the house, simply by remaining one room above them, and hear every bit of the conversation. She smiled to herself as the prince remarked on the flowers in the garden, and she sighed with relief when she heard the queen saying that the rooms were to their liking, and nothing needed to be changed right now.

And just as soon as they had arrived, they all left again - this time with her stepmother and sisters, to take a tour of the village, and the surrounding patch of cultivated woods. Naturally, they did not leave before ringing the bell in the kitchen, though, summoning Anna to come downstairs.

"Make sure dinner is ready and waiting for us when we return. It will not do to keep us waiting, understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Anna nodded respectfully, feeling the curious gaze of the royals on her - which her stepmother dismissed with a small wave of her hand.

"She's just the maid, Your Majesty. No one of importance, really."

Almost two hours later, Anna had the entire dinner spread out over the dinner table, lit the candles, and made herself scarce again. It had been made clear to her a long time ago that she was not important enough to enjoy her dinner with the rest of the household, and had taken her dinner in her room ever since. Tonight would be no exception.

She had long since finished her meagre meal consisting of soup and a chunk of left-over bread, and was making her rounds past all the bedrooms to poke up the fireplaces, when the bell in the kitchen rang for her.

She entered the kitchen dutifully, eyeing the gathered household warily. The princess smiled at her - not the wicked smiles her stepsisters gave her, but an actual, sincere-looking smile - before bending over to her brother and whispering something in his ear.

"Anna, we're done with dinner. Our royal guests have decided to retire for the night. Are the rooms ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," Anna replied with a dip of her head.

"Good, you can go to bed after you've cleared the table. Now, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, if you would follow me, I'll show you your rooms."

She started pilling plates upon one another and gathering cutlery, hurriedly carrying everything over to the counter. "Here, let me help you with that."

The redhead swiftly turned around, finding the princess in front of her, amused smile gracing her lips as she gathered up the goblets from the dining table. "Oh, Your Highness, no!" she objected. "I'm perfectly capable-"

"I have no doubt that you are," the princess countered good-naturedly. "Nonetheless, I'd like to help. We made this mess, so it is hardly fair you would have to clean it up all by yourself."

"If my stepmother finds out she will-"

"Do not worry, she's escorting my parents upstairs. Even if they do not retire straight away, my mother will probably talk them to sleep in the hallway."

The redhead smiled shyly as the princess turned around again, gathering the remaining silverware from the table and placing it with the rest.

"How about this, you wash, I dry?" the princess asked with an arched eyebrow. "I do want to help, but I'd rather not..." she trailed off.

"I insist you just let me do this, Your Highness," Anna tried again, more strongly this time.

The blonde sighed. "Fine, then we do this the hard way... As a citizen of this kingdom, I order you to accept my help."

Anna briefly wondered whether defying a ridiculous order like this one would still be considered treason, but soon opted not to try her luck, dipping her head silently as she started scrubbing the dishes.

As it turned out, Princess Elsa was remarkably adept at household chores, considering she'd probably never have had to do them for herself. With Anna cleaning them, and Elsa drying them and placing them on the now-cleaned dining table for Anna to put away later, the chore was finished swiftly.

"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" the princess smiled cheerfully.

"No, Your Highness. I suppose it was not."

When Anna turned to face her, the princess was still smiling, though slightly more mischievously now. "Well then, I'll be retiring for tonight as well." The blonde didn't step towards the door, though, but instead took a step closer towards Anna, ducked her head, and placed a firm but gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight."

Anna stood in place five more minutes after the princess had left the kitchen, the only thought going through her head being 'the princess just kissed my cheek,' over and over again.

Anna was up early the following morning, make sure that everything was set for breakfast, before retreating back to her room again. After all, it would not do for the royals to grow annoyed by the presence of a simple maid like her. Never mind the fact that she wasn't actually a maid, but the rightful owner of the mansion and the daughter of a wealthy merchant.

Besides, Anna had no idea how she was supposed to act if she came face to face with the princess again. The simple act of kindness and the kiss to her cheek still left her head reeling whenever she thought back to it.

Sitting by the window in her room, looking out at the backyard, she could hear the murmurs from the breakfast table, located directly below her. There was the low din of the king's voice, immediately followed by the shrill laughter of her step-family. Anna really wondered how idiotic anyone would have to be to consider those laughs even close to real. Ugh.

It was not long after when the bell rang again, urging Anna to get off her windowsill with a weary sigh and make her way downstairs, into the dining room.

"There you are, Anna! What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Anna replied solemnly, head bowed down.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm taking the King and Queen out today. The Prince and Princess have decided to remain here and take a tour of the gardens. You needn't take care of lunch. Dinner, however, needs to be perfect, so after you've cleared the table, you better get to the kitchen and not leave it until it's done."

"Of course, Ma'am."

Piling plates onto each other and gathering used cutlery, Anna watched the king and queen step into their carriage, closely followed by her step-mother, as the princess and prince, accompanied by her vile step-sisters, walked off into the garden.

Even on her own, clearing the table and cleaning the dishes was a chore that Anna could easily manage and complete within a remarkably short amount of time. Knowing herself to be home alone, she broke out into a gentle humming, which slowly developed into a full song, as she performed her chores, bustling around the kitchen.

"Wench! What did we tell you about keeping that ruckus down?" a shrill voice snarked from the kitchen entrance, startling Anna and causing her to drop one of the soup-filled pots to the floor. "Look what you did now, sister. Always making a mess everywhere you go! You're useless!"

"I-I thought you were all out?"

"I came back to tell you the garden is a bore, and we'll be headed out into the village soon."

The woman, dressed in one of her best dresses, stalked towards her like a lion approaching a prey. "Shouldn't you be cleaning that up?" she smiled snidely, pushing Anna down to the ground.

Breaking her fall with her hands, Anna landed right in the middle of the pool of soup on the ground, thankfully having been cooled off by the cold stone. "Oh, look at yourself!" her step-sister cooed. "Now you've made an even bigger mess! Can't you do anything right?"

Rather than attempting to get up, and undoubtedly suffer more torment, Anna just bowed her head, watching the soup drench her simple dress further. "What? Do you think you're too good to talk to me now?"

The clanging of more pots clattering to the floor startled Anna, causing her to dive in on herself as she felt more stuff falling around her. "There, there," her step-sister said sweetly, smile still in place. "Now you have plenty of work to get you through the day. Clean this mess up, clean yourself up, and then get dinner ready!"

She was out of the door before Anna could reply, her "and no singing!" ringing through the hallway as she made her way outside again. Sniveling slightly, Anna got up from the floor, allowing her eyes to roam around the kitchen. It was an absolute disaster area.

The soup was a lost cause, Anna knew, since she could feel it sticking to her legs, her skirt having gotten heavy with the fluid it absorbed. The salad dressing was splattered onto the floor as well, and partially on Anna's back, she suspected. The earthen bowl in which it had been prepared laying in splinters. She'd have to replace that one. At least the meat seemed to have gone unnoticed, so she felt relatively confident she could still whip up a meal, even if it wouldn't be as great as it could have been.

With a deep, exhausted sigh and a last sniff, she got back to work. Before she could properly get started, though, she was stopped again. "What... happened here?" a soft voice asked from the doorway, and Anna was shocked to see Princess Elsa standing there, hand raised to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, um. Nothing, Your Highness," Anna mumbled quickly, attempting to produce a smile. She could feel that it was entirely unconvincing though. The princess gingerly stepped into the kitchen, taking care not to step on anything sharp or jagged, and made her way to Anna.

Before she realised what was happening, she felt two soft arms encircling her and pulling her into a hug. "You poor thing," the princess murmured against Anna's temple. "You're a terrible liar. Tell me, what happened?"

Anna shook her head, attempting to push the princess away gently. "Your Highness, my dress... It's stained, and it will soil yours."

The blonde merely chuckled. "That's quite alright. I have more. Now stop dodging the question."

"It's nothing, really. Just my step-sister."

The princess hugged her a little closer, clearly not caring about Anna's dirty clothes or her insistence to keep her distance from the princess. "Does this happen often?"

Anna chuckled grimly. "Try all the time." She took in a sharp breath, tacking 'Your Highness' onto the end of her sentence.

When the blonde finally let go of her and took a step backwards, Anna noticed the large, orange blotch on the front of her dress. "I um... I think I ruined your dress..." she muttered shyly.

The princess merely shrugged. "Like I said, I have others. It's not really that big of a deal."

Anna nodded shyly, looking around the kitchen again. "I think... Yes, I should probably start cleaning this up... And prepare dinner," she muttered sheepishly, already reaching for the mop.

The princess merely nodded. "I do think you should clean, yes. Yourself most of all. However, would you terribly mind not preparing dinner for tonight?"

Anna turned towards her, confusion plain on her face. "I don't-"

"Just don't prepare dinner," the princess interrupted, voice full of determination. "Just trust me on this. Don't prepare dinner, and just come when you're called for tonight... Do you trust me? Or should I make it an order?" she asked, her voice slightly teasing.

"N-No, Your Highness. I'll do whatever you want," Anna replied warily. Apparently, that was enough for the princess, who nodded at her, turned around, and strode outside. Anna followed a little while later, and as she made a beeline for her bedroom to get dressed into a clean outfit, she noticed the prince, a stepsister on each arm and his shoulders slumped, with the princess slowly trailing behind them, walking off into the direction of the village.

To say Anna was not anxious, or afraid, or terrified, would be a lie. Sitting in her room, imagining her family's reaction when they would walk into the kitchen and find the table as empty as could be, the redhead anxiously followed the movement of the sun in the sky, growing more and more antsy as the hour of her inescapable trouble drew closer.

What had possessed her to even do this? Princess Elsa had asked her not to, sure, but whatever had made Anna think it would be wise to listen and trust her? Surely, she'd just smirk and laugh along with the rest when her stepmother kicked her out of the house...

Maybe she should just leave before they got the chance?

The creaking of the gate opening signaled that she had come to that question just a few minutes too late. As the sun was slowly descending behind the mountains in the distance, Anna closed her eyes and listened to the good-natured babbling coming from downstairs. Until...

"ANNA! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

The redhead had seen her stepmother angry before, of course. It was pretty hard not to, considering how easily she was angered. The shrill, screeching tone her voice had this time, though, she had not heard before. And she wished she hadn't heard it now, too. But, knowing it was too late to change anything now, she swallowed her pride and hurried downstairs and into the kitchen, where everyone sat or stood, turning their attention to her the moment the door opened.

"Pray, do tell, wench..." her stepmother started acidly. "Where's the food? Do you expect us to gnaw on wooden sticks? You're the most useless waste of my time I have ever seen!"

Before Anna could muster up enough courage to speak back, to defend herself against these accusations that, while partially true, were really not her fault, another voice beat her to it.

"Actually, I asked her not to prepare dinner," Princess Elsa replied casually from her seat at the table, drawing all the attention to her.

"Why, dear?" the queen asked, clearly confused.

"Because I caught ugly, evil stepsister number two over there throwing food at her in the kitchen, and we're not having dinner with people that treat their family like that."

Anna secretly rejoiced in the purple colour her stepmother's face turned as she looked at her daughter, who had turned about as scarlet-red as Anna's fiery hair. Before the scolding could start, though, the king cocked his head with a concerned look. "Family? I thought she was just the maid?"

Princess Elsa sighed audibly. "Father, there is no such this as 'just a maid.' You taught me that, remember? Anyway, that's not important right now. What is important, though, is that this maid is actually Anna Anderson, daughter of Fredrick and Martha Anderson, and the official owner of this mansion," the princess revealed with a sly grin. "We've actually been staying in her house, not that of the Barfont family."

There was a stunned silence around the room that seemed to last an eternity. Eventually, the queen was the one to break the silence. "Is this true?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, Your Majesty, of course it isn-"

"I wasn't addressing you," the queen interrupted immediately, making it very evident where the princess had gotten her manners from. "I was addressing Anna."

Anna found herself, once again, with all eyes turned towards her. Two sets of eyes, however, made a particular impression. Her stepmother was leveling her with a look that could make a willow wither, clearly warning her not to be a foolish little maid. The princess, however, was shooting her an encouraging look that was so powerful, that Anna subconsciously already found herself nodding before she had taken a decision.

The king nodded as well, accompanied with a weary sigh. "My loves, go and pack your belongings. We are leaving within the hour."

It was clear that Anna's stepmother was preparing a defense, an objection of some kind. It was, however, equally clear that the royals had no interest in hearing it as the queen and prince left the room, and thus she swallowed the words unspoken. Before she left the room, the princess turned to Anna. "Go on, Anna. You as well. You're coming with us."

Anna was astounded and didn't move. How could she? She had just been told to pack up her stuff and join the royal family on their way to... somewhere else. Somewhere not here.

The king also looked slightly surprised, but didn't make any objections, instead, he turned towards the young redhead. "Well, you heard my daughter, Miss Anderson. It would be best if you did not keep her waiting."

Being called Miss Anderson, for the first time in a decade, snapped her out of her head, quickly bustling up to her room and haphazardly tossing the few belongings she had into a dusty suitcase. When she came down the stairs, she was surprised to find the royals waiting for her patiently. Apparently, they were very quick at packing their bags, or they had never fully unpacked them.

As they walked outside and were greeted by the royal guards, Anna's step-family also came hurrying outside.

"Wait, my love!" one of her stepsisters screamed. "I would cut off my toes to be with you!"

"My darling prince!" the other screeched. "I would cut off my entire foot to gain your love!"

Prince Olaf turned around with a combination of confusion and horror on his face. "Whatever use could I have for either of you, with or without your feet?" he asked them, voice slightly raised and sounding agonized. "Now leave me be in peace, you wretched women!"

As the prince clambered into one of the waiting carriages, Anna noticed one of her stepsisters fainting, her mother and sister taking no effort to stop her from crashing to the ground. Attempting her very best to suppress her smile, she made way for one of the guards, intending to ask for a horse, when she suddenly felt a slender but strong hand grasp her elbow.

"Oh no you don't," her stepmother hissed in her ear. "You're not going anywhere."

"Ma'am," a heavy voice droned from behind her. "Let go of the royal guest, please."

They turned their heads around to find a large guard with a mop of blonde hair, sitting astride a giant reindeer instead of a horse.

"This is my daughter," the older woman said, her voice catching and breaking very convincingly, and for a moment Anna thought this dream would end, and she'd have to go back inside. The guard, however, merely shrugged. "None of my business, ma'am."

When her stepmother let go of her arm, Anna immediately heard the princess's sweet voice. "Anna, why don't you go and wait for me over there, by the carriage? I have a last matter of business to attend to."

Naturally, the redhead did as was asked of her, taking great care not to actually touch the golden carriage as she watched the princess speaking with her stepmother and stepsister, the other still splayed across the ground. The gorgeous blonde made a casual motion with her hands, waving over at the house, which caused her Anna's stepmother to blanch and take a staggering step backwards, whereas her stepsister joined her sibling in her fainting spell, falling at the princess's feet.

Anna was still wondering what the princess had told her family... step-family... when she returned to her side and motioned to the door. "Go on, climb on in, Anna. You'll be driving with me and Olaf."

Anna did as she was bid, how could she possibly not? Inside, she found the prince smiling at her goofily. "Welcome in the royal carriage, Anna. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable. It's going to be a long, long ride."

"Where are we going, Your Highness?" Anna asked demurely.

"To the royal palace, of course," the prince replied with a goofy smile and wink. "And please, call me Olaf. The whole 'your highness' business reminds me a little too much of the horrible times I had to spend with your horrible relatives. No offense," he added quickly, looking a little guiltily.

"None taken, I assure you," Anna answered with a knowing frown.

As the carriage started moving, Anna found herself staring out of the window, watching her childhood home growing smaller in the distance with every turn of the wheels.

"Do not worry, Anna," the princess said softly. "This is not the last time you'll see your home."

Despite all the excitement and adrenaline coursing through Anna's body as the carriage rolled away from her hometown, she eventually dozed off. Or, maybe, she dozed off because of the excitement. Events such as those she had experienced today, would, after all, take their toll on anyone.

When she finally woke up, it was to the sound of hoofs clacking against the cobblestones, and the incessant creaking of the wood as it rolled over the paved roads. She opened her eyes, finding that she was not the only one who had fallen asleep during their journey.

Prince Olaf was stretched across the opposite bench, his feet cradled in his sister's lap, gently snoring and occasionally murmuring to himself. Princess Elsa, on the other hand, appeared to have been reading. Appeared to have been, since she was actually looking at Anna when the redhead opened her eyes.

And the blonde didn't turn her eyes away once Anna noticed her looking, either. She just continued looking at Anna, her head slightly cocked sideways, and a small smile playing along her lips. For a moment, Anna wondered if, maybe, she had embarrassed herself by saying something ridiculous in her sleep, and she frantically attempted to remember her dream.

She failed in that endeavour, although she did vaguely remember the princess featuring in her dream in one way or another. Which, really, was quite the cause for concern.

"Something wrong, Your Highness?" she croaked, blushing at the sound of her voice as her throat was still coming to terms with being in use again.

The princess' smile merely grew a little wider. "Nothing wrong, no. Shouldn't be long before we arrive back at the castle..."

"Oh... okay. Good," Anna responded warily, still not knowing what she should expect to happen once they arrived. She had no idea why the princess had insisted she came along in the first place. She knew that it would probably be easiest to just ask, and judging by the princess' acts of kindness towards her so far, she wouldn't be insulted or laughed at when she did.

But with the blonde still looking at her like that, icy blue eyes expressing a curiosity and interest that Anna wasn't used to, the redhead found it difficult to form a coherent sentence. Let alone having an actual conversation. She didn't know why, but the blonde across from her put her on edge - not necessarily in a bad way, mind you - but on edge nonetheless.

"That's my carrot!" the prince suddenly yelled, bolting upright and almost kicking his sister in her face while doing so. With astounding speed and easy, the blonde moved her head aside, dodging the foot, before looking at her brother sympathetically. "Dreamt that someone stole your carrot again?" she asked with a small smile, while simultaneously managing a small frown.

"Yeah," Olaf muttered, rubbing his neck. "I swear I always have the weirdest dreams... I don't even like carrots!" he added with a roll of his eyes. "Sorry about waking you up," he then muttered, shyly looking at Anna.

"Oh, Miss Anderson was already awake," Elsa interjected easily. "We were having somewhat of a staring contest, I believe. Which I lost, because you nearly poked your toe in my eye."

Both of the royals chuckled slightly, eventually leading Anna to release a soft laugh herself. It looked as if the princess was about to say something again, but before she could do so a knock sounded on the door of their carriage. "Your Highnesses, we have arrived."

Before anyone could respond to the guard outside, the door was thrown open and Olaf bolted out of it, giving a rejoicing hoot and crying that he was finally free from his captivity. Watching the young man run inside, it was hard to believe that he was the prince of a kingdom.

Princess Elsa, thankfully, was more contained in her happiness to be home again, climbing out of the carriage in a way befitting royalty, before turning around and helping Anna clamber out - albeit a lot less gracefully. "Ah, it's good to be home again..." the blonde sighed contentedly.

"Why were you in the village in the first place, Your Highness?" Anna asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Some ill-conceived flight of fancy in my father's head. He believed it would do us some good to be away from the castle as a family..."

Several guardsmen and servants approached them, clearly intending to take their luggage from them. Elsa gave them a small nod, before turning towards an older couple. "Kai, Gerda, did the rider get here in advance?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the woman nodded.

"Good, good. This is Anna. She'll be staying with us for... some time. Could you please see to it she is taken care of?"

As the servants nodded, the blonde turned towards Anna, giving her a small nod. "Goodnight, Anna. Make sure you get enough sleep. I'll see you again tomorrow."

The redhead hardly had the time to come up with a reply before she was whisked away by the servants, who were apparently to 'take care' of her. She wasn't entirely certain if that bode well for her, but, then again, she figured it could hardly be worse than what her step-family had put her through... Yes, she'd be alright.

The servants that were leading her onward, Kai and Gerda if she recalled correctly, kept babbling, pointing out where things could be found. "Over there is the art gallery. Might be worth visiting, if that sort of thing catches your fancy," the man smiled, pointing towards an open door. "Princess Elsa can regularly be found there, although, regrettably, Prince Olaf does not even seem to know it exists."

"Up these stairs are the royal offices. It's where all the paperwork and decisions are made. Basically, that wing is where the kingdom is ruled from," he continued, apparently oblivious to the fact Anna was only listening half.

"And down these stairs," the woman eventually chimed in, "are the servants' quarters. All the servants, other than myself and Kai, live down in that wing."

"Where are we going?" Anna eventually piped up, having expected to be led down to the servant quarters.

"Why, to the guest chambers, of course, Miss Anderson," Gerda replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Princess Elsa told us you'll be her guest for the time being, and we can hardly have a guest of the princess sleeping out in the courtyard, now can we?"

Okay, so apparently she hadn't been taken to the castle to work as a maid here. It was one of the things Anna had thought logical. Maybe the royal family had been impressed by her work ethic and decided they could always use another good maid to work in their castle. But it would seem that was not why they had brought her here.

Her two guides did not seem to pick up on her discomfort, babbling on and on about everything that could be done in and around the castle for a visitor. Anna vaguely made a mental note of some of the things - checking out the stables, climbing the west tower, and maybe visiting the art gallery - but was mostly still puzzling over why she was supposed to be here in the first place.

"Now then, Miss Anderson, here we are," Gerda smiled, opening a door for her. Anna slowly stepped into the guest room, letting her eyes wander around. She had grown up in luxury, before her father had died, and wasn't a stranger to wealth. Despite that, however, the room around her seemed fit for a princess, rather than her guest.

"It's quite late. Would we be correct in assuming you would prefer to turn in for the night?" Gerda asked with a kind smile, making it very clear than any answer Anna could give would be the correct response.

"Yes, please..." Anna muttered, still slightly dazed.

"Would you like me to draw you a bath, then?"

Anna shook her head from side to side for a moment, as if to rid her head from confusion and amazement. "No, thanks... I can... I can draw my own bath."

"Very well, then, dear. I will see you tomorrow morning. Sleep well."

When she was left alone in what was, apparently, her room for now, Anna took a slow stroll around the magnificent space. She noticed that the windows could be opened, looking out over the city, and the sea behind it. She noticed that the handles on her dressers and drawers appeared to be made out of gold. She noticed the silver frame around the vanity mirror, as well as the several silver decorations placed around the room. She especially noticed the large bed, fluffy pillows lining the headboard and dark-red curtains hanging from its top.

Eager as she was to immediately dive into the bed and leave this entire day behind her - good as it may have been - she decided that she really did need to clean up first. Walking into the adjoining private bathroom brought her face-to-face with more gold and silver, although not enough of it to make the bathroom seem... excessively gaudy.

Drawing a bath for herself was a nice change of pace. On a usual night, back in the village, she would draw three baths - one for each of her step-relatives - and then be too tired to draw one for herself. Hence, she often just washed herself on the cold stones of the kitchen before retiring to bed, hoping no one would call out to her for refreshing their bathwater.

Knowing that event to be highly unlikely tonight, Anna carefully lowered herself into the scalding water, marvelling at the sensation of the filth and dirt coming loose while she tried to recall the last time she'd actually taken a bath with water that was hotter than her body temperature. The only time she could recall was when she had been getting ready for her father's departure on his business trip. The one from which he had never returned...

Determined to steer her thoughts into a more positive direction again, Anna closed her eyes, letting her mind wander away from the dark corners of past memories, and attempting to look to the future. She still had no idea what was expected of her in this castle, but Princess Elsa had said they would see each other tomorrow, so Anna would just have to ask then.

Finally having a chance to unwind, Anna's brain quickly sought out all the memories of the blonde princess it had piled up in storage. The way she had insisted on helping with Anna's menial chore, the way she had kissed her cheek, the way she had consoled Anna when the entire kitchen was a mess, and the way she had stuck up for Anna when it really mattered. The way she had been looking at her when she woke up in the carriage... as if it wasn't strange at all, and she had been doing it for hours...

And maybe she had? Anna found, oddly enough, that it didn't really matter all that much at this point.

The redhead remained in the bathtub until the water was cooled down too much for her to still be warm and comfortable. She quickly dried off and slipped into one of the nightgowns she had packed into her trunk, before making herself comfortable in the bed, which was entirely as soft and warm as it looked.

Tomorrow she'd talk to the princess, and she would get the answers she craved so badly. But for now, she would just lay here and let the gentle waves of sleep overtake her.

Sleeping in was not something Anna could afford. Or rather, it was something Anna had not been able to afford for... well, almost a decade, really. Of course, there had been the few times her step-family had taken a trip to somewhere far-off and exotic, not deeming it necessary to bring Anna along. On those occasions, she had had the opportunity to sleep in, yes.

But this was wholly and entirely different.

For one, the bed was much softer and warmer, and she was surrounded by comfortable pillows which she could arrange and re-arrange as much as she wanted, without any of them feeling like they were filled with sand or peas.

But, most comforting of all, was the fact that she knew she would not, at some nearby point in time, hear anyone shrieking for her to get out of bed and make herself useful. Of course, Princess Elsa had requested to see her sometime during the day, but Anna felt relatively certain that someone would come by at some point to tell her when she was supposed to be where.

And, while it was true that she had originally planned to stay exactly where she was until such a person came by, even the fanciest, most comfortable bed couldn't keep her from eventually growing hungry. She reluctantly left her bed, easily slipping into last night's dress and braiding her hair after having quickly brushed through it.

She figured that, judging by the servants' comments from last night, Anna was free to wander throughout the castle unescorted. And she could probably go down to the kitchens and politely ask for some food, right?

Opening the door of her room gave her the first startle of the day: a young man, looking terribly nervous, standing mere inches from her door. It was quite evident that he had been waiting for her to open it, but she couldn't remember having heard a knock, despite having been awake for some time now.

"Good morning, Miss Anderson!" the young man gulped, looking as taken aback by the opening of the door as Anna did by his presence.

"Um... hello. Were you... waiting for me?"

"Yes Miss, I was. I am to escort you to your breakfast."

"Hm... strange, I didn't hear your knocking. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Oh no, Miss! I hadn't knocked."

Anna cocked her head sideways in confusion. "Then...?"

The young servant rubbed his neck, looking down the corridor. "Princess Elsa expressly ordered me not to disturb you, and to be waiting and ready whenever you wished to have breakfast."

"She... ordered you to wait in front of my bedroom door?" Anna asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, Miss. Her exact words were 'I want you to be the first thing Miss Anderson sees when she opens this door, have I made myself clear'."

"Alright, then. Lead on," she smiled happily, feeling more at ease with servants than royalty. They had only taken a few steps before a new question entered her mind. "I'm sorry, how long were you waiting in front of my door?"

"Since seven this morning, Miss," the servant replied casually.

"And what time is it now?"

"Ten minutes until noon."

Breakfast was magnificent. Anna had the entire room for herself, a large table decked out with pretty much every sort of food Anna knew existed, plus several others, and the three servants that Elsa had ordered to attend to her went through great lengths to ensure her that, yes, it really was okay to have 'a little bit of everything.'

As it turned out, there was too much food for Anna to actually be able to do so. Which was... regrettable. She really hoped there would be opportunities to try the smoked beef sandwich, the vanilla-strawberry pudding and the Coronan sliced fish.

But even without having been able to eat everything, this breakfast was just... wow. Anna hadn't had a breakfast like this even when her parents were still alive and all was still good. And her tummy was making that very clear as she was walking back to her room, letting her know that it was uncomfortably filled, and that she should probably take it a little easier next time.

Easier said than done, though.

She figured a bath would probably do her some good, and since she did not have to adhere to the 'only bathe every other day'-rule anymore, there wasn't really anything stopping her from enjoying another scalding hot bath, filled with more scented oil than was really necessary. And more than she had intended, but that she would deny under any circumstance. She was not a klutz, after all.

When, more than an hour later, she had finally made herself presentable again, and the pruning of her skin had faded away, she was finally called to the Princess' study, the long walk to the other wing of the castle filling the redhead with dread and anticipation.

The blonde princess looked entirely in her element behind the large mahogany desk, scribbling onto a parchment and occasionally blindly dipping her quill into the inkwell. As soon as Anna was escorted in, however, she immediately placed all of her work to the side, folding her hands on top of the desk and dismissing the guards and servants.

To her surprise, the princess' didn't start talking. She just sat there, much like they had in the carriage, the blonde looking entirely at ease and Anna entirely confused as to what was expected of her. Just when Anna was beginning to actually get uncomfortable, Elsa's lips spread in a smile.

"So, Anna... May I call you Anna?"

All she could do was nod wordlessly, because of course the princess could call her Anna.

"Well, Anna. I imagine you would have quite the collection of questions for me by now. Did you enjoy your breakfast?"

"Yes, Your Highness," she responded, sitting up as straight as she could. "It was a bit... much. But not in a bad way!"

"Yes, well. I didn't know any of your preferences, so I told the cooks to make sure to make everything you might like for breakfast."

"Like you told the servant escorting me there to wait for me outside my chambers?"

The princess nodded, eyes twinkling. "I hope he did not disturb you?"

"No. He waited for almost five hours, standing about three inches from my door, though."

"I see..." the blonde muttered. "I did not know at what time you would get up, and I did not want you to miss out on any rest... I will make sure the servant is adequately compensated for his trouble, though. I had not meant for him to have such an arduous task."

Anna nodded, secretly quite happy that Elsa recognized the servant's trouble and would reward him for a job well done.

"Now," Elsa mused out loud. "The important question, of course, is this: How long will you be staying here?"

Anna assumed it was a rhetoric question, and that the princess would provide her with the answer any moment now. When the silence dragged on, however, and the blonde just looked at her with raised eyebrows, she started considering the possibility that, maybe, she was actually asking Anna how long she wanted to stay.

Which was pretty ridiculous. Hence her reply. "Um, you're asking me?"

The princess' smile grew even wider. "I am not in the habit of talking to my inkwell, Anna. Who else would I be asking?"

"Well, I sort of thought you'd be telling me how long I could stay, Your Highness," Anna muttered shyly, even more confused than before.

"Well, I brought you here. I would be a terrible host if I told you to leave, now wouldn't I? Unless you want to leave, that is..."

"No!" Anna blurted out. "I mean, um, I'd rather not, Your Highness."

"Very well, then. You can stay at the castle indefinitely. I have already made the arrangements and cleared it with my father, although several... adjustments will have to be made. Nothing for you to be worried over, I assure you."

"Okay, Your Highness."

"Ah, right. First minor adjustment, Anna. I really need you to start calling me Elsa, instead of Your Highness. It's a matter of great importance."

"I... I'm not sure I understand..." Anna stammered after a moment.

"I did not bring you here because I need more people to curtsy to me, Anna. I brought you here, hoping that, in time, we can become friends. And while, yes, my social station might be a bit higher than yours, I think we can make that work."

Anna felt her jaw going slack, her mouth literally hanging open as she tried to process her thoughts. "B-But I'm just a maid."

"No. You're the daughter of one of the richest merchants in the kingdom, may his soul rest in peace. You're definitely not a maid, you're never going to be a maid, and you'll never function as a maid again," Elsa argued vehemently. "You've been downgraded by your so-called family for long enough."

Under the intense glare of those vibrantly blue eyes, Anna could do nothing but swallow and nod obediently. The princess' face immediately cleared, an easy smile sliding across her lips again.

"Father and Mother will be busy all day, but I think you should join me and Olaf for dinner tonight," she suddenly suggested.

"I'd be honoured, Your Highness," Anna responded immediately, bowing her head.

"No, Anna. You're supposed to say something like 'yeah, okay, that sounds like a plan, Elsa.' We literally went over this not even a minute ago."

Even though Elsa's voice was teasing, Anna realized that she was actually being serious about this whole 'no formalities' business. Frankly, she still found it a little hard to wrap her head around it, but for the sake of everyone involved, she was willing to give it a go.

"Alright... Elsa. I'd love to have dinner with you and Prince Olaf," she said, immediately enjoying the way the name rolled of her tongue, though still feeling weird for using it.

Elsa, meanwhile, smiled widely. "Much better. Now, you should probably work on the 'Prince Olaf' bit as well, but there's plenty of time for that later. Would it be alright for me to be sending some servants by your chambers over the next hour to run some minor errands?"

"Of course, Your-... Elsa. I'll be there."

"Great. I should get back to my duties now, but I'll make sure to have someone fetch you for dinner. Don't worry about staying in your room, my servants are very adept at tracking people down..."

At Anna's slightly questioning look, Elsa chuckled. "We sort of used to lose Olaf from time to time when he was younger. We had a lot of practice with finding people because of it."

Anna had barely returned to her chambers when there was a knocking at her door. Opening it revealed a throng of servants, young and old, gathered outside, patiently waiting to do... whatever they were here to do. "Yes?" she asked timidly, watching the old, stately man standing in front of the line.

"Miss Anderson. Pleasure to meet you. Princess Elsa has asked me to ensure your chambers are to your satisfaction. Is there enough room? Do you find it lacking furniture in any way? Would you prefer a room on the other side of the castle, with a view of the forest, perhaps?"

"No, this is fine, thank you," Anna replied happily, having had a view of the forest her whole life, and not really willing to give up a view of the sea of all things.

"Very well, then. Miss. Enjoy your day."

The next servant immediately stepped forward, brandishing a pencil and a little notebook. "Good afternoon, Miss Anderson. My name's Elias, I work at the kitchens. The princess has asked me to ensure that we are aware of any allergies you might have, and whether there are any ingredients we should avoid using during your stay here."

"Oh wow," Anna blurted before she thought better of it. "Well, uhm. I'm not really picky when it comes to food, I suppose. I don't tend to react too well to peanuts though, so if Elsa asked you to take note of that, you probably should?"

"Very well, miss. Thank you very much for your time."

The next three servants, all women of varying ages, came with several large bags, asking permission to enter Anna's chambers. As soon as they were inside, they started unpacking the bags, revealing a stunning amount of dresses, nightgowns, shoes, hair accessories, chemises, riding wear and bathrobes. "Princess Elsa said to let you pick whichever you want for your new wardrobe, and to take anything you wish to part with away from your old. It will be donated to the poorer citizens of the city."

Anna spent nearly an hour sifting through the clothes, feeling guilty each time she picked a piece of wardrobe she liked, the servants immediately hanging it away in her closet for her. She parted with almost her entire old wardrobe, seeing little use to keep the clothing she would probably never be wearing again anyway.

The two servants after that, still faithfully waiting in the corridor, were there for much the same reason, except they had a single bag with them. When they splayed its contents out on the bed, Anna was stunned to find silver, gold, and more gems than she could name lying in front of her. "Let me guess, Princess Elsa said I could have my pick?" she asked the servants.

"No, Miss. Princess Elsa actually said you could have it all, if you wanted. Most of it comes from her private collections - jewellery gifted to her but never or rarely worn. Her Highness simply has too much to make use of it all."

"She's giving me her private jewellery?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Dear God," Anna muttered. "I'm in way over my head."

Once she had worked through the entire throng of servants outside her chambers, Anna had gingerly started exploring the castle. It hadn't been long before she had realized that the layout was actually remarkably simple. Hence, when a servant found her exiting the art gallery and offered to escort her to the dining hall in the main wing, Anna told him she knew the way, and that, yes, really, she'd be fine on her own.

And she would have been.

If she hadn't encountered the king on her way there.

"Ah, Miss Anderson, how lovely to see you!" he bellowed, appearing quite pleased to encounter her. "My daughter informed me you will be staying with us for some time?"

"That's correct, Your Majesty," Anna said with a curtsy. "I hope it is not too much of a bother."

"Nonsense, nonsense, of course not! I wasn't really surprised to hear it, mind you. My daughter has a way of getting whatever it is she wants. And apparently she wants you. Now, I shouldn't keep you any longer. You have the look of a woman with places to be," he smiled, nodding once before walking off in the other direction. "I'm sure we will see each other soon enough, Miss Anderson. Enjoy your night."

"Of course, Your Majesty. You too, Your Majesty."

After the awkward meeting, Anna stood in place for a half a minute. Her mind was spinning with the fact she had just talked to the king, and was now on her way to have dinner with his son and daughter. Her life sure had taken a turn for the unexpected...

She managed to reach the dining hall in no time, Elsa looking adorably surprised about her not having an escort.

"Hello Elsa, Prince Olaf," Anna said, making sure to only curtsy to the prince.

"No fair, Els. Why can she skip the formalities with you, but not with me?"

"Because I told her not to be so formal around me anymore. If you do the same, and Anna likes you well enough, I'm sure she'll comply."

The prince immediately turned toward Anna, who was still standing in the doorway. "Could you please just call me Olaf, and not curtsy or bow or use my titles?" he asked, looking so sincere that it automatically brought a smile to Anna's face.

"I can't make any promises," she started, "but I'll try... Olaf."

"Yay!" the young prince cheered, doing a little wiggle-dance in his chair. "Now can we eat?"

"As soon as Anna has taken her seat, yes."

Anna immediately sat down in the only vacant seat, the servants immediately moving into gear and placing their dinner out on the table. "Tonight," one of the chefs proclaimed, "we serve Corona swordfish with a fresh vegetable salad, as well as DunBroch pork, salted, with chocolate cake as desert."

"Thank you," Elsa smiled. "You can leave us now, I'm sure we will manage just fine. I will call on you when we are finished."

As they started piling their food onto their plates - less ceremoniously than Anna had expected of royalty, for which she was grateful - Elsa started the conversation. "So, Anna, have you had a chance to explore the castle yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I have, yes. I was actually in the art gallery when your servant came to fetch me."

"Oh!" Olaf piped up. "Can I show you around the city tomorrow? Or the day after, perhaps?"

Elsa canted her head sideways. "Olaf does know where all the interesting spots are. I might even join the two of you, if time permits."

"That's great! You don't get out as often as you should!" Olaf babbled on.

"I think I'd like a tour, thank you very much," Anna responded when their attention landed on her again. And as Elsa and Olaf discussed the highlights of their tour, and which little shops they absolutely hadto show Anna, the redhead could only think of one thing.

How remarkably normal it felt to dine with royalty.

Living at the palace was great. It was the absolute best thing that had ever happened to Anna. That could, possibly, ever happen to anyone. No matter who. Anyone would be overjoyed at living at the royal palace.

And Anna, of course, was no exception.

Everyone was so very polite to her, it was almost excessive. Really, when the servants would encounter her in the corridors, they would smile at her and dip her head. It almost made Anna feel like she herself was royalty, instead of just being a guest of royalty.

That idea, of course, was entirely too ridiculous to entertain. Anna Andersen, royalty. Just the thought made her snicker to herself as she roamed around one of the three royal gardens, taking in the sight of exotic flowers, towering sculptures by famous artists, and a pair of trees that seemed to be as old as time itself.

Studying the trees up close, Anna found something that brought a smile on her face: in the bark, on either side of the tree, were small notches, indicating a slowly growing height, each notch marked with a number that would, she assumed, correspond to the age of the child being measured.

"That's Elsa's," a voice came from behind, startling her. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Prince Olaf smiled apologetically.

"That's alright, Prin- Olaf. You were saying?"

"That's Elsa's. Mine is on the other side. I always hoped I'd grow taller than her someday, but that hope is slowly starting to fade away now. I'll just always be small and adorable."

"We used to have a measuring scale like this at home, too," Anna thought out loud. "It stopped after my parents... Well, you know."

"Speaking of which," Olaf smiled shyly. "Elsa asked me if I could ask a servant to ask you to come by her study. I figured that, since I knew you were here anyway, I might as well ask you myself."

"Thank you, Olaf. I'll go and see her straight away," Anna smiled. For some reason, it always made her happy when she got to spend time with Princess Elsa, even if it was just sitting in her study, walking towards dinner together, or something else terribly mundane. "Don't worry, I know the way."

And indeed, Anna knew her way around the entirety of the royal palace by now - with the exception of the dungeons, since she had absolutely no reason to be down there, and the private wing of the royal family - much for the same reason.

The princess, amongst her many hidden skills, seemed to possess the uncanny ability to see through walls and doors, calling Anna in mere moments before her knuckles could reach the wooden surface. She walked into the study and sat down across from the beautiful blonde.

"How did you do that?"

Elsa cocked a single eyebrow in response, but Anna knew she understood the question, and after a minute of silence, the blonde relented. "You walk with a certain... bounce in your step. It's a happier step than anyone else in the palace, and it's quite recognizable."

"You paid attention to the way I walk?" Anna asked incredulously.

"I always pay attention, Anna. That's something you might want to remember..."

"Duly noted, Your Highness," Anna smiled in return. "Now, I hear you've been looking for me?"

"Not quite," Elsa chuckled. "I knew exactly where you were, I just needed someone to go out and fetch you for me. We need to have a little talk, you and I..."

"Did I... Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no. Don't be silly, of course not!" Elsa rushed to say. "I... have been thinking. Anderson Manor. It is, even now, technically your property, not your stepmother's. I was wondering if you would want to see them... moved out, so to speak?"

"Would that even be possible?"

"Anna, you're friends with the Crown-Princess of Arendelle. Everything is possible now. The question is, is it something you want?"

Anna leant back in her chair, mulling over the question inside her mind. On the one hand, it stung that they were living in her childhood home, ruining every good memory she had of the place. On the other hand, it would soon be winter, and no one survived an Arendellian winter without having a place to live... If they evicted them now, they would surely not survive the winter, and that was not something Anna wanted to have on her conscience.

"Would it, perhaps, be possible to have them moved out of Andersen Manor, and into... somewhere else? Something small, but decent, so that they could survive the winter?"

Elsa furrowed her brow for a moment, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

"Well, maybe there's something in the city that's vacant? Something no one's interested in, perhaps?" Anna ventured carefully.

Elsa rummaged through the papers on her desk for a moment, procuring a detailed map on faded parchment, and lazily tracing her finger over it, occasionally shaking her head or murmuring to herself. Eventually, her finger stopped on a small square behind a set of larger squares. "This might do well."

"What is it?" Anna asked, squinting her eyes but unable to read the squiggly handwriting.

"It used to be a small hut, used as living quarters by the staff of the nearby hospital when they were on-call. It was refurbished a few years back, and is a 'proper' place to live now, albeit small enough that no one has actually wanted to live there. The location is also not too... ideal. I think it will do well for your family, though," the blonde smiled.

"They'd be able to survive the winter there, right?" Anna asked uncertainly.

"Oh, absolutely. There's even a fireplace, and a small shed to store firewood."

"It will do nicely, then," Anna murmured with a distinct frown.

Elsa nodded once, rolling the map up again. "Very well. If you would, please go to your chambers and find the best dress in your wardrobe. Put on some jewellery, put up your hair. I'll make sure the carriage and the carts are ready and waiting outside when you're done."

"Um. I'm not sure I under-"

"We're going to pay a visit to Andersen Manor, Anna. You and I, together."

Elsa had been true to her word, and when Anna had come outside, dressed in a beautiful green gown, hair done up in an elaborate bun, and wearing a silver choker with a snowflake pendant, she found one of the royal carriages waiting, Elsa already sitting inside. Behind the carriage stood four large carts, filled with a large team of heavy-built men and guards.

Elsa had merely smiled and shrugged when Anna had asked what it was all for, and the journey towards her home village had been remarkably quiet - Elsa had been reading, Anna had been sleeping, and it was like no time had passed when they arrived. In reality, it was probably early in the afternoon by that point, the carriages having left several hours before noon.

Naturally, the presence of a royal carriage in the small village garnered the attention of absolutely every inhabitant, and when their procession stopped in front of Andersen Manor, Anna could see the guards keeping the townsfolk - all familiar faces - back from mobbing their ride.

The cheering and waving was ever so frantic when Elsa stepped outside, everyone waving at the Crown-Princess in awe. As Anna stepped out too, there was a bellowed chorus of her name, and she bashfully waved at everyone she knew. Which was to say, she waved at absolutely everyone.

With all this commotion, it was not surprising to Anna when she saw her stepmother and sisters coming outside, looking at her with a mix of loathing, envy, fear, and annoyance. Elsa easily slipped her hand into Anna's, leading her towards the front door.

"I see you're back," her stepmother smiled acidly.

Anna nodded resolutely. "We won't be long, though."

"Good," one of her stepsisters sneered. "We don't have time for the likes of you anyway!"

Elsa motioned towards one of her guards, who immediately handed her a small, golden pocket watch. "Let's see. You have... well, let's say... one hour. That is, by that time I expect you to have packed your bags and any other belongings, and to be seated in one of those carts."

"Your Highness?" Anna's stepmother asked, taking a small step backwards and looking positively aghast.

"You're being evicted out of Andersen Manor, and re-located to a new dwelling in the capital," one of the higher-ranked soldiers grunted.

"On whose authority?!"

Elsa smiled easily. "On Anna's, of course. It's her Manor, after all. And allow me to remind you that disregarding my... request... could, in theory, be seen as treason to the monarchy. Now, we wouldn't want that, and you have already wasted... almost five minutes."

Anna never considered herself to be a mean person. Or evil, or vindictive. Yet, watching her stepfamily scurrying around the large manor, trying to fit anything they could get their bony hands on into their suitcases, was actually quite satisfying.

"Your Higness," Anna's stepmother asked, curtsying before Elsa, "would it be possible for some of your strong companions to help us move some of this furniture?"

Again, Elsa smiled easily, albeit shaking her head at the same time. "That won't work, no. See, your new home isn't quite as spacious as Anna's Manor, I'm afraid. We're dealing with a bit of a dwelling-issue in the capital, but I assure you we got you the best we could arrange. And, please, allow me to specify that you owe that much to Anna. If it had been my choice, you could have lived on the side of the street for what you put her through."

"So we can't take our furniture?" one of the sisters screeched.

"Technically speaking," Elsa shrugged, "it's all Anna's furniture. If she's willing to part with some of it, you can take it. Otherwise, I'm afraid not."

Anna looked around the sitting room. "You can take those hideous curtains you had me put up," she shrugged, pointing at the fluffy, purple drapes. "As well as the rug. The rest stays."

Elsa nodded, giving her guards a small wave. "Anna, please have a look around and see if there's anything that you absolutely want to keep. We want to make sure these vultures don't scurry off with something that does not belong to them," the blonde continued.

Honestly, there wasn't that much here that Anna really valued. In one of the spare rooms, however, behind dusty and abandoned furniture that she could hardly even remember, she found two portraits - one of her father and one of her mother, badly faded and showing cracks in several placed.

Before she could even shed the first tear about these - she could still remember they used to hang over the fireplace, together, in pristine condition, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she found Elsa standing behind her, a sympathetic smile on her face. "We'll take them with us, Anna. I'm certain we can find someone to restore them for you."

"Really?" Anna asked, a spark of hope ignited in her chest.

"For you? Of course," Elsa replied as if it were really such a simple matter. "Kristoff, please take those to one of the carts," she continued, watching as the Captain took the two frames gingerly, walking away with them.

Anna had moved through several more rooms before she found something that actually had a meaning to her. In a closet, behind a locked door that one of the soldiers forced open, she found a large crate, containing all of her childhood playthings - a rocking horse, spinning tops, marbles, skipping ropes, and even her old ice skates.

"Elsa? Can we take these with us to the city?"

A small nod of the princess' head and a flick of her wrist towards one of the guards was the response.

"I'd like to donate them to the orphanage," Anna murmured after some consideration. "At least that way, they'll still do some good."

By now, the house was starting to feel remarkably empty, even though all the furniture was still in its place. All the ugly little decorations had been removed, making her home seem more like just that: herhome. It wasn't until she checked the final few rooms - the upstairs bedrooms, that she noticed.

"They took my mother's jewellery!" Anna raged, stomping down the stairs and outside, finding her stepfamily seated in the back of one of the open carts, stuffed in-between their belongings. "Who? Who of you took my mother's jewellery?!"

Three faces looked back at her blankly, answers not forthcoming, and in no time, Elsa was standing beside her. "She clearly asked you a question," she spoke, her voice soft, but at the same time cold and demanding.

When the only response they garnered was the slight narrowing of eyes, and the upturning of noses, Elsa heaved a deep sigh. "If that is how you want to play this game, then so be it," she said, waving a group of guards over. "Gentlemen. Please unpack all of their belongings again. We're looking for jewellery, which is not to be damaged. As for the rest... I could honestly not care less."

Anna - and the entire village - watched as the guards dragged the suitcases and bags off the carts again, splaying them out on the ground, opening them up, and carelessly tossing the contents aside in search for the missing jewellery. More often than not, Anna heard the ripping of seams, the breaking of small stone trinkets, and the tearing of fabrics.

Every few minutes, one of the guards would present a small piece of jewellery to Anna for checking. The first few were earrings and bracelets that Anna knew belonged to her stepsisters, and upon the shake of her head, they were carelessly tossed aside. Some of them, the redhead noticed, later to be trampled by careless guards walking around.

It wasn't long before her mother's wedding ring surfaced, hidden in a small velvet pouch taken from one of the bags. Soon after, a pair of pearl earrings that her father had gifted her mother with upon Anna's birth also saw the light of day, and before long, there was only one missing piece.

"We've searched everything, Your Highness," Captain Kristoff said, "but there's no sign of the necklace Miss Andersen described."

Anna already felt tears welling up, knowing how important the necklace had been to her mother, and not seeing it resurface ever again. Elsa, however, laughed. Not the inhibited chuckle or smirk, but an actual laugh.

"Of course," she breathed, shaking her head and walking towards the cart, the heel of her shoe landing on a brooch and causing a loud crack. Once she reached the cart, she looked up at the three women, smiling. "Please take it off, now."

Anna's stepmother merely scoffed. "You've already had your monkey-servants destroy all our belongings. What else could you possibly have to wave over me, that could make me hand you the only prized possession I have left?"

There was an eerie silence around the cart, everyone - including the townsfolk - seeming to hold their breath in lieu of Elsa's reply.

"Captain," Elsa called over her shoulder, "might I borrow your sword, please?"

Even though the weapon looked too heavy for the lithe princess to handle, she twirled it around in her hand as if she had been born with the steel held in her tiny fist. Then, quick as lightning, the tip of the weapon was pressed under the stepmother's chin.

"I demand you take off the necklace and hand it to me, in one piece. The alternative will see you punished for treason, disrespecting me, and being a general waste of time, space and effort for everyone around you."

Very carefully, the necklace was removed and dropped in Elsa's free hand, after which she removed the sword and easily tossed it back to Kristoff. "Thank you, Kris. Much appreciated. Now, Anna, is this the missing necklace?"

The redhead could merely nod, pressing the pearl necklace to her chest.

"Very well. Let's get back to the city then," the blonde smiled.

Within minutes, they were on their way, leaving most of the destroyed belongings of the stepfamily behind to be rifled through by the townsfolk, who would surely find some use for even the most broken trinket.

The journey did not take long, but Anna, being no fool, could literally see Elsa growing more and more anxious as they drew closer to the palace. Once the blonde started actively fidgeting, Anna decided that she should ask what was wrong.

"Is something the matter, Elsa?"

"Not really, Anna," Elsa smiled weakly, shrugging. "I was just wondering... well, now that Andersen Manor has been cleared of their vile presence, you could... move back in there, if you wanted."

Anna smiled. "The thought had passed my mind, yes."

"You will be leaving the castle, then?" Elsa asked, eyes trained on the window.

Anna shrugged slightly. "If you want me to, yes. But I was hoping to stay a while longer. Andersen Manor is an awfully large house to be living in on my own. Perhaps, in time, with a partner. Or maybe I'll... I don't know. I need to give it some thought."

"I'd... never want you to leave, if you didn't want to yourself, Anna," Elsa smiled, looking more appeased now.

"Good. I'm pretty hard to get rid of," Anna smiled in return.

Anna smiled to herself as she let her fingers glide over the newly-recovered jewellery, sitting in front of the vanity in her room in the royal palace. She had opted not to be present for the big reveal of their new home to her stepfamily, but she had heard the stories. It was hard not to, since all the guards were talking about it.

They hadn't taken it very well. At first, they hadn't believed they were actually expected to live in the little building. The threat of coming face to face with Princess Elsa however, had gotten them to at least go inside with the scant few belongings still left to them.

Which is when they had been told they'd have to go and find jobs to sustain themselves, because the Crown - Elsa, in this case - would only pay their rent for the next two months. As far as Anna knew, they'd never worked a single day in their lives, so she found the entire idea quite humorous.

The knocking at her door distracted her from her thoughts. Standing in the corridor, she found a page, maybe ten years of age, chest proudly puffed out. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Elsa of Arendelle, wishes to inquire whether Miss Anna Andersen would join her for a visit to the Grand Theatre," the boy spoke, loudly and clearly, in an adorably formal manner.

Anna couldn't supress her giggle, which the page didn't seem to mind. "I'd love to. I do need the time and place, though," she smiled.

The boy nodded, taking a deep breath. "Her Royal Higness, Princess Elsa of Arendelle will be delighted to meet you in the sitting room in the south wing at seven, from where she will escort the esteemed Miss Andersen to their destination. Her Royal Highness also asked me to pass along that she is quite fond of the afore-worn green dress."

Anna nodded. "Alright, got it. Thank you very much!"

The boy quickly trodded off, looking immensely proud of his accomplishment.

Not entirely unexpectedly, Anna arrived in the sitting room almost half an hour early, feeling jittery and nervous, and realizing she was about to go to the theatre with a princess, and she had never even seen a theatre from the inside. Or... from the outside, really.

To her immense surprise, Elsa was already waiting for her. "Well, well. You're early," the blonde smiled. "Ready to go?"

Anna was fairly certain it would never be normal for her, the way people looked at her as she walked into the theatre with Elsa, the way the crowds automatically parted to let them through, the way they didn't have to wait in line before being allowed in, and the way how there were always at least three guards walking with them.

"So," Anna asked to break the silence... "What are we watching tonight?"

Elsa smiled at her, gently squeezing her hand. "Well, if you're not opposed to it, I heard that a company from Corona is in town, and performing a play I've been wanting to see for a while now. It's called The Missing Heart."

Anna smiled widely. "Sounds good to me!"

Anna wasn't even surprised anymore when they were escorted to the balcony seats, which had been reserved for just them and their guards. Drinks and snacks were speedily brought to them by employees, and Anna eagerly waited for the curtains to slide open.

She didn't have to wait long, and before she knew it, she was watching a romantic tale unfold, about a kidnapped princess, a charming rogue who attempted to save her, a really intelligent horse, an evil witch and a high tower.

Anna was so enthralled by the actors' performance that she hardly even noticed that Elsa spend more time observing her than she observed the stage. The play ended after nearly two hours, but it would still have been too soon for Anna if it had lasted doubly as long.

Elsa, apparently, noticed. "Anna, don't sulk. If you want, you can come back here tomorrow. Or the day after. I'll even come with you, if you want."

"I think I'd really like that," Anna smiled at Elsa, looking up at her bashfully as they made their way through the main foyer.

"We could have done better," Anna heard a male voice saying, off to the side, "we did not have a lot of time to prepare. Princess Elsa specifically requested this play being performed tonight. We only got the word earlier today, but I think we did pretty well, considering. Besides, Her Highness was here with her esteemed guest, so we are honoured to even have performed at all."

Back in the carriage, Anna considered asking Elsa about the play, and why she had chosen this particular play for them to watch. As she sank into the fluffy pillows of the bench, however, she found that she did not particularly care right now, and really just wanted to sleep.

She tried to fight the fatigue, she really did. Nevertheless, she felt herself drifting off, Elsa's gentle smile, and the feeling of her long, slender fingers pushing back a lock of stray, red hair behind her ear, were the last things she remembered before she dreamt of being a handsome rogue, saving a very, very blonde princess from a tower.

By the time she woke up, Anna was pretty sure she wasn't in the carriage anymore, and she wasn't on her way back to the palace anymore either. The bright sun and chirping birds were pretty obvious indicators of it not being night time anymore. And, spreading herself out leisurely, made it evident that she was, in fact, in her bed.

By the time she had deduced that, she figured she might as well open her eyes. Upon doing so, she found an explosion of colour right before her face. Only when the sleep left her eyes and her vision became focused, did she realize she was staring at a gigantic bouquet of flowers, left on her nightstand, with a small, hand-written note sitting in front of it.

Dear Anna. You were asleep and I was reluctant to wake you from your slumber. You were quite adorably snoring. I hope you do not mind me facilitating your transfer from the carriage to your bed. I'll send a servant by your chambers to take care of the dress. Hope you enjoy my flowers! Love, Elsa.

Anna quickly peaked underneath the duvet, finding that she was, indeed, still wearing last night's dress, now all wrinkled and twisted, and that only her shoes had been taken off for her to be more comfortable.

Anna read Elsa's note two more times, smiling to herself at the princess' thoughtfulness and kindness, while also being a completely proper lady at the same time. She would have to make sure to properly thank her later today.

When she opened the door of her chambers thirty minutes later, dressed in a new dress for the day and craving breakfast more than ever before, she found several servants waiting outside. One was merely there to inform her that breakfast was ready whenever she was, the others to clean and refresh her room, take care of her dress, and address any other issues Anna might need addressing.

This, the redhead thought, was something she would never ever get used to.

Breakfast consisted of three different kinds of freshly baked bread, a variety of imported fruits, several kinds of meat, and a stack of pancakes. Apparently, Elsa had told the kitchen that they would get in trouble if she would not be satisfied. By the looks of it, Elsa had also told the kitchen that she was an overweight giant with the appetite of an entire army.

Upon exiting the dining hall, Anna came face to face with yet another servant, this one carrying a silver tray, on which lay a single daisy and another small note. Anna recognized Elsa's handwriting before she even picked the little piece of parchment up.

Dear Anna, I am sorry to say I will not be available until later today. I will be sure to send for you when I am, though. In my absence, please have this flower to keep you company...

Anna took the daisy, dismissing the servant with a smile and a nod, and placed it behind her ear, firmly held in place by a fiery strand of red. Since she did not have any obligations to fulfil in the palace, she decided she'd explore a little more, maybe take a walk along the outer wall - Olaf had mentioned the view was quite remarkable.

Before she could ascend the wall, though, she had to cross the main courtyard. Which was a little difficult right now, since there were dozens of guards, wearing all of their armour, swinging swords at each other, grunting, heaving and shouting resounding from the high stone walls. With little difficulty, she reached the man standing at the head of the group, occasionally barking orders and instructions. It was the blonde guard that had accompanied them back to the village the day before.

"Good afternoon, Miss Anderson," he suddenly said, back still turned to her. "Anything I can be of assistance with?"

Anna, momentarily taken aback by even being noticed, let alone being talked to, wavered for a moment. "No... Not really, um..."

"Sir Kristoff," the man said, turning his head to look at her with a smile. "But just Kristoff is fine, Miss."

"Just Anna is fine, too," the redhead smiled, feeling more at ease without the formalities. "So, you're a knight, then?"

The man nodded, barking another instruction at a nearby duo. "One of the few we have, here in Arendelle."

"Aren't you a bit..."

"Young?" the knight interrupted with a small grin. "Probably. I seem to excel at combat and tactics, though. I managed to defeat everyone else in a tourney a year or three ago. So I was knighted, and put in charge of the men."

"I see," Anna nodded, looking at the sparring men as well. "What, if I might ask, are they doing?"

"Elsa - pardon, Princess Elsa - asked me to make sure that everyone is in prime condition for the arrival of Princess Rapunzel of Corona later this week."

"A foreign princess is visiting?"

"Indeed," Kristoff nodded sagely. "She and El - Princess Elsa - have nee friends since childhood. Every now and again, they visit one another, even without any actual reason."

"So," Anna murmured, elongating the vowel. "You and Princess Elsa seem to get along nicely?"

Kristoff side-eyed her. "I'm not sure what you mean..."

"Well, you call her 'Elsa,' and only belatedly add her title, so I'm guessing you are more than just a knight, right?"

Kristoff nodded again. "I've been her personal guard for years - even before I became a knight - so I spent a lot time together. If you mean to imply we're in a sexual rela-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, no!" Anna hurried out, waving her hands around and blushing ferociously. "I was implying no such thing!"

"Good," Kristoff smiled. "Because I am fairly certain that the princess already has her eye on someone else."

"Really?" Anna asked, cocking her head to the side. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. She must meet tons of princes and dukes and barons and whatnot. Well, that's nice. For her, I mean. Nice for her."

Though, Anna thought, for some reason, the idea was entirely too strange to even be comprehended. She could not imagine Elsa as being love-struck, fawning over some foreign royal or dignitary, being devoted to a man like that. Not quite able to discern why the thought seemed so strange, she dismissed it for now, and focused on something else that was strange.

"Why, pray tell, are you looking at me like that?" she asked the burly knight in front of her, who was looking at her with narrowed eyes and a confused smirk.

Raising his eyebrows at her question, the knight simply slapped a gloved hand across his eyes with a groan, before responding. "Nothing, Anna. Absolutely. Nothing. At all."

"Well, if you say so," Anna muttered hesitantly, being pretty certain that there was something, but not willing to push for an answer. Instead, she remembered a better question.

"So, what is it with you and the reindeer?"

As it turned out, Kristoff was actually quite pleasant company, Anna thought. Even if he was a little brusque at times, a little weird with his reindeer, and barking orders, instructions, and the occasional insult at the training guards.

So pleasant, in fact, that she had quite forgotten the time, and hardly even noticed the servant who had come to deliver Elsa's message - 'come see me in my study whenever you so desire' - until she actually tapped her shoulder.

Of course, Kristoff's company was not so pleasant that she would forego Elsa's presence in his stead. He seemed to completely understand when she excused herself, giving her an awkward half-wave while he told one of his men never to turn his back to his opponent.

Surely enough, she found Elsa in her study, although it didn't really appear as if she was doing anything, other than staring out of her window and out over the bay. That was, until Anna stepped inside, and the blonde turned her full attention towards her, a large smile on her face.

"I see you got my flower," she smiled, causing Anna to reach up and touch the daisy behind her ear - to which she had grown so used by now that she hadn't actually realized she was still wearing it. "Did you sleep well?"

Anna nodded bashfully. "I did, yes. My apologies for being so unsociable last night. And thank you, really, for everything."

"You're quite welcome, Anna," Elsa smiled, "it was no bother, really."

"I still feel quite guilty about falling asleep like that."

The blonde chuckled. "Well, if you're worried about your lack of socializing, you will get to make up for it tonight."

Anna raised her eyebrows in a quizzical expression, not understanding what Elsa meant.

"It is time for you to meet my parents. Properly meet them, more than just in passing."

"I'm not sure if-"

"They insisted," Elsa interrupted with a genteel smile. "So, how did you spend the day?"

Anna smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, I had a lovely chat with your reindeer loving bodyguard..."

"You mean Kristoff?" Elsa asked, one eyebrow raised.

Anna couldn't repress her laugh. "You mean to tell me you have more than one reindeer loving bodyguard?"

Elsa shook her head with a smile. "No, I suppose not. You're right, that was a silly question... I assume he was nothing but nice to you?"

Anna nodded instantly. "A bit rough around the edges, but yes, he was. He also told me you'll be hosting a visiting princess soon."

The princess' smile grew a little wider. "Yes, Rapunzel should arrive here in a few days. I must confess to being quite excited. We haven't seen each other in months, and writing letters isn't really the same."

Anna nodded again. "I can imagine. From what Kristoff told me about her, she seemed quite a... extraordinary person."

Elsa laughed heartily. "Oh, she is, she is. But don't take my word for it, you'll find out for yourself in a few days."

"You mean I actually get to meet her?" Anna asked, jaw almost falling slack.

"Of course," Elsa replied instantly, shrugging as if it were the most obvious matter in the world. "It's not like I'll be hiding you away in some remote part of the castle so you two do not encounter each other, after all. I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly."

"Anna, could you please stop fidgeting," Elsa asked with some measure of exasperation as the redhead followed the princess through the corridors. "Your anxiety is getting contagious. And it does not at all make sense for the two of us to be nervous about spending an evening with my brother and parents."

"Not for you perhaps," Anna groused softly, "but I'm about to spend an evening with the king and queen, Elsa."

"After already having spent several with the princess, Anna. Really, my parents are not that different from me."

"Easy for you to say..."

Elsa stopped, looking Anna over and gently tucking her hair behind her ear again, avoiding the bright yellow flower that Elsa had used to replace the daisy earlier that evening. "Stop running your hands through your hair. You look fine. More than fine, even. Just take a deep breath, and enjoy yourself."

Anna did as she was bid, taking a deep breath, and nodded at Elsa. "Alright. I'm ready."

"Of course you are," the blonde smiled in return.

When Elsa opened the door to the lounge where they would be spending the evening, Anna was struck by the scene in front of her. It seemed so entirely... domestic. Olaf was splayed out over a couch, book resting on his chest, but eyes fixed on the fire roaring in the hearth. The queen sat in one of the chairs, primly working on some work of embroidery, while the king was leisurely perusing the bookshelf.

"Mother, father," Elsa smiled, "I brought Anna. As instructed. She's a little nervous to meet you, though, so please tell her you won't eat her."

The king instantly turned around, small smile playing around his lips. "Not tonight, in any case," he laughed, receiving a gently scolding look from the queen.

"Come on in, dear, and make yourself at ease. We're all just... doing what we enjoy to do to unwind. You can talk, if you wish, though silence is often prevalent when it is just us. Just make certain you are comfortable and enjoying yourself."

Anna gave a stiff nod, taking up a space near Olaf, who had graciously folded in on himself to take up less room. Elsa disappeared behind her, probably to fetch something or other, and everyone returned to their activities. Without looking up, however, the queen addressed her.

"So, Anna, how are you finding the castle?"

"It's... something else," Anna replied honestly. "It's amazing, don't get me wrong. It's a little much to take in, though. It has been... quite some time since I was treated decently... To be waited on at every turn is something that I will, probably, never get used to..."

The queen smiled gently. "Give it some time, dear. I'm sure you'll grow accustomed to the luxuries of your situation, in time."

Anna nodded, watching Elsa sit down in an easy chair with a worn book in her lap, eyeing the two of them with a small grin. "I'm not entirely certain how much time I will have to grow used to it, though," Anna said, eyeing the queen and Elsa alternatively.

The queen, still focused on her embroidery, chuckled slightly. "Well, that entirely depends on you and Elsa, now doesn't it?"

Before Anna could respond, Elsa did so for her. "We've not really discussed the matter. Not in detail at least," she offered, looking at her parents with a slightly pointed look that seemed to contain a warning of some sort. Before Anna could turn it over in her head, though, the king turned towards her as well.

"Speaking of matters like these, I heard that you and Elsa dealt with your... relatives?"

"Yes, sir," Anna replied with a nod.

"Everything went satisfactorily, then?"

"Absolutely, sir," the redhead answered, smiling shyly.

With a soft hum of acknowledgement, the king turned his attention back to the bookshelves, allowing Anna to let her eyes wander throughout the room, looking for something to occupy herself with.

In the far corner, she noticed some painting supplies that looked like they hadn't been used in some months, half-finished landscape waiting to be completed. Two of the four walls were lined with books, and Anna recognized a few of the titles as stories her parents had regaled her with in a time long past. She also noticed several stacks of cards, a variety of board games, musical instruments and drawing equipment.

What really piqued Anna's interest, however, was the chess-set placed on a small table in one of the corners, looking like it had been made out of the most exquisite kind of stone, black and white, and yet sparkling with something that seemed... well, Anna didn't know the right word.

"You play?" a voice, belonging to the king, suddenly asked.

Anna wavered a moment, shrugging, which was apparently enough of an answer, as the king turned away from the bookshelves, took the game-set and placed it on the table in front of her. "Care to share a game with an old man?"

Anna could, of course, not possibly refuse. This was the king of Arendelle. Asking her to play chess with him. What was she supposed to do, say no?

She knew the rules - her father had taught her, after all - and could still remember some of the tactics and strategies he had imparted, as well as a few that she had devised herself. "It'd be my pleasure," she smiled, only for Olaf to suddenly snort.

"You'll go back on that once he has beaten you into submission. It's the only reason he's so eager. We all refuse to play with him anymore."

"Don't listen to him," the king smiled. "I fear my son is somewhat of a sore loser."

Olaf merely rolled his eyes, not dignifying his father's remark with a verbal response.

Three turns into the game, Anna realized that she was entirely outmatched, the king having, apparently, anticipated her every move way in advance, and being prepared for whatever play she was making. Thus, she figured, she'd try something else entirely. Moving her bishop across the board, she played it so that she took a pawn off, and enticed the king to put his queen at risk. He could now either take her bishop with his queen, leaving it vulnerable, or Anna would be able to remove one of his knights from the field - the pieces he seemed to use most actively.

Her opponent actually raised his eyebrows. "Bold move, indeed!" he laughed after a moment, idly scratching his chin as his face took on a look of concentration Anna had not yet seen. "While it pains me to bid my knight goodbye, a good king never sacrifices his queen," he smiled after a few minutes.

As soon as he made his move, using his rook to threaten one of her pawns, Anna took her bishop and dismantled the white knight. When she lost her pawn the next turn, she couldn't help but think it was entirely worth the trade-off. She also couldn't help but wonder whether she could use the king's penchant for keeping his queen safe against him.

Three turns later, she got a chance to test that theory, this time threatening his only remaining bishop. By that time, their game had caught the attention of the other royals, the entirely family gathered around their chess-game. Anna was not labouring under the delusion that she could actually win this game, but she could at least do everything in her power to ensure that the king had some opposition.

Moving her knight to a safe spot from where he could, in her next turn, take his queen out, Anna bit her lip, waiting for the king's counter-move. It seemed to take forever, but was really only seven minutes, if the clock near the door was to be believed. Eventually, he gave a grim chuckle, moving his queen aside, but leaving his second knight vulnerable. A vulnerability that Anna immediately exploited.

"Well played, I say... Well played," the king muttered, eyes scanning the board. "You seem to have caught on to something..."

The game continued on, and, while Anna gave it her best effort, she found her loss of pieces making it remarkably difficult to corner the king, or his queen, in any possible way. Seven turns later, he had her check-mate, and even Anna had been able to see it coming.

"I haven't had a game like that in years!" the king laughed after they shook hands. "You simply must promise me we'll do this again sometime!"

"I'd gladly have my rematch," Anna smiled, placing the pieces back in their box. "It's been an eternity since I played chess myself. I can only get better."

"Oh, Elsa, love, do keep her around, would you please?" the queen suddenly smiled. "She'll save us all from being eternally badgered into playing chess."

Elsa also smiled. "I'm not entirely sure I want to sacrifice Anna to the chess-monster, though..."

"There's no such thing as a chess-monster, Elsa," Anna chuckled. "Just those who are good at the game... and those who are not."

The words only registered in her mind when they had already left her mouth, and she had just, sort of, maybe, insulted three of the four royals in the room. Woops.

To her surprise, and delight, however, everyone started laughing amicably, the king loudest of them all.

"That's right! Finally someone who understands!" Then, suddenly turning more serious, he turned towards his daughter. "Oh, I do approve, Elsa. She's quite a peach to have around."

Elsa smiled broadly, and the entire room was silent for a few moments, until Olaf piped up. "Well, now that this agonizingly tense match of chess is done, I think I shall return to actual fun activities," he chuckled, grabbing his book, and starting to stare off into the fire again.

Anna was about to ask, but the queen already answered before she could. "Olaf is a dreamer. He enjoys living in his own world almost as much as he enjoys living in the real world."

As Anna was about to answer, her eye fell on the image the queen was embroidering, a radiant sun on a purple background. "Wow, that's amazing!" she blurted out.

The queen looked amused, but shrugged modestly. "Anyone could do it, really, with a bit of practice."

"I... I never learned," Anna admitted hesitantly, knowing that any proper lady would have learned embroidery at a young age.

"Well, then, I could teach you, if you'd like?"

"Really?" Anna asked in amazement.

"Of course. Come sit here, I have some spare materials you can practice with."

It was one of those nights again.

The nightmare came around every few weeks, and although she had lived through it a dozen times by now, it was never any less horrible.

It started as always - complete darkness, the smell of dust and mould clinging to her nostrils, the air cold and heavy. "Now remember," the voice behind her drawled. "Remember this place well, Anna. If you're not careful, this will be your home soon. Don't presume me to be your mother. You don't have a mother. You don't have anyone. You can keep your room, but I expect you to work for it. If you do not prove yourself useful, this cellar will be your new home. Do I make myself clear?"

She wanted to object. She always tried. But her lips always formed the same words. "Yes, ma'am. Crystal."

"Good. Now, your father's old bedroom needs to be cleared out. It's not like he'll be needing it anymore, now is it?"

And then, the scene would invariably shift to another time, another place.

She would be practicing her violin - it reminded her of the time she had spent with her father, learning to master the instrument through hours upon hours of practice. She was up in her room, quite away from everyone else. But it had not been enough.

"What is that horrible ruckus?" the first voice would ask, immediately followed by the second. "Oh, I swear I'll strangle that little imp. She's at it again!"

In no-time, her step-sisters would be in the room with her, forcefully pushing her onto the ground, her precious instrument held in their grasp and out of her reach. "So this is what you use to torment all those around you, huh?"

"What is it, a guitar?"

"No, you dunce, it's a lute," the other would reply, swinging the delicate instrument through the air and onto the ground. Anna was incapable of moving, forced to watch as her most beloved possession was smashed to pieces in front of her eyes.

She had, foolishly, thought herself better off when her step-mother arrived to see what all the commotion was about. But, taking in Anna's tears and the broken violin, she actually smiled, before saying: 'oh, well done, girls. I was worried we wouldn't have enough kindling for the fire tonight."

This part of the nightmare always ended with Anna tending to the fire, forced to watch the remnants of her violin burn into cinders before the scene would shift again.

The third part of her nightmare was, dare she say it, even worse. The scene always started in the morning - the first day of summer - where her step-sisters would be discussing their attire for the country-fair that afternoon. And Anna foolishly expressing the wish to go as well.

She tried to bind her tongue every time she had the nightmare. But her dream-self was a foolish young girl that never learned.

The following hours were always a haze, only a few moments standing out clearly: being forced out of her dress, and into the old, ragged, and worn clothes that her 'sisters' had taken off of the scarecrow in the small vegetable garden. Her brilliantly red hair falling to the ground in tandem with the swooshing sound of the scissors, long tresses pooling at her feet. And the stinging pain in her cheek, left by her step-mother's hand, when she had dared to utter a complaint.

After that, she would face the entire village - dressed like a scarecrow, and with hair not even befitting that of a boy. The response would always be mixed. Some looked at her with pity in their eyes. Most of them laughed and pointed. And, knowing that there was nothing she could do, Anna took the abuse, hot tears prickling her eyes as she braced herself for the next shift.

Except, this time, the next shift never happened. She felt a soft, warm hand on her shoulder, quite different from those of her supposed relatives. And, when she turned around to face the stranger, her eyes opened to find a dark room, blankets pooling around her waist, and a platinum blonde with a warm hand on her shoulder sitting next to her bed.

"Are you alright?" Elsa murmured softly.

"Yeah," Anna sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes and the sweat from her brow. "Yes, I'm fine."

"I passed by your room... You were crying..." Elsa said waveringly.

"I... know. My step-mother used to complain about how much noise I make when I have nightmares..."

Elsa nodded, eyes growing steely. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Anna considered it for a moment, before shaking her head. "It's all in the past now. It doesn't matter anymore."

Elsa sighed, but nodded nevertheless. "I'm inclined to disagree, but I won't pressure you into talking."

Anna smiled faintly. "I'll tell you some other time. Right now, I just want to go back to sleep. You should too, I would think."

Elsa's hand softly squeezed her shoulder as she laid down again. "I'll stay a little while. Until you're asleep again," the blonde murmured decidedly.

"Thank you, Elsa... For being there for me..."

The last words that registered in Anna's mind before she fell asleep brought a soft, earnest smile to her face.

"I'll be here for you for as long as you want or need me, Anna. Consider that a promise."

Even though it wasn't a formal visit, the preparations that were being made for Princess Rapunzel's arrival to Arendelle were a little hard to miss. Anna noticed the servants were more concerned with polishing armours in the hallway, dusting off the paintings in the gallery, mopping and sweeping the floors, and beating the carpets. She noticed the guards taking their patrols much more seriously, their training schedules having intensified considerably, and their posture even more rigid and proud than before.

The castle wasn't the only place where preparations were being made, though. Anna had made a habit of making trips into the city - which was so much larger than her village that it was a little daunting - enjoying the hustle and bustle of city-life in general.

And, over the past few days, the streets had been swept clean, the signs in front of the quaint little shops had been cleaned and polished, minor inconveniences like broken benches were repaired, and the flower beds were refreshed and watered on an almost daily basis.

And she still had no earthy idea when Princess Rapunzel would actually be arriving. Elsa refused to say anything about it, which was beyond aggravating. Olaf had merely smiled and told her she'd find out soon enough when it would have happened. Kristoff had, not so subtly, hinted that there would not be a lot of commotion when it happened.

This not being an official visit, Princess Rapunzel apparently forwent all the bombast of usual royal visits. The harbourmaster had told her that, on occasions like these, the Princess generally arrived with a single ship, taking only a handful of guards and servants along with her.

Had the Arendelle port not been such a busy place, Anna would have attempted to put some form of surveillance in place, spotting the ship ahead of time. Things being as they were, that was not going to work out, because a new ship arrived at least three times a day - and the same amount would generally also leave each day - so there was not really any way to monitor it.

So, she had just given up. By now, the redhead was resigned to the fact that she would find out if it happened. Elsa had promised to introduce them at some point, after all. And really, she didn't know why she was making such a big deal out of this, because it wasn't like she had not yet met enough royalty in her life. She'd certainly met more than she had expected half a year ago.

Having the entire morning to herself and only planning to meet Elsa in the late afternoon - after having barely seen her for the past two days - Anna had decided to visit the local orphanage. It had become something she did at least twice a week, watching the little children playing with the childhood toys she had donated. When the headmistress had found out who Anna was, she had been invited inside for tea, and given the opportunity to play with the children herself.

Now, on her way back from there, something most peculiar happened. While walking down one of the main avenues, there was something unpleasant nagging at the back of her mind. It wasn't something she was consciously aware of - not at first, at least - but it was enough to give her pause and make her stop dead in her tracks.

Paying more attention to her surroundings now, she immediately figured out what it was. And 'it' made her cringe outwardly. There were some things in life that you really didn't need, and Anna was of the firm conviction that those two voices were at the top of that list. Still, her step-sisters making such a commotion were probably something that might be interesting to watch. Especially now that they could not actually do anything to her.

She followed the shrill shrieks to a small bakery, where a small crowd - about fifteen men and women of varying ages - were gathered. Easily weaving through them and reaching the front, Anna found her non-siblings actually wearing aprons and working in the bakery.

If that could be called working.

The customer, a petite young woman that appeared to be Anna's age, dressed in a pink dress and walking on bare feet, who sported a stylish brown pixie-cut and whose face was covered in smudges, was standing in front of the counter, hands daintily folded in front of her with an uncertain smile on her face.

Inside the little shop, one of her step-sisters was waving a rolling pin around, looking like she was threatening the other, their aprons, faces, hands, hair, and everything else, covered in flour. Anna was no stranger to their arguing, but this one seemed particularly... severe.

"Good grief, woman, I told you to be careful with that! Look what you did!"

"It's not my fault that sack ripped! If you had just helped me like I asked, this wouldn't have happened!"

"You're blaming me now? How mature of you, you spoiled little-"

"Don't even dare! Just help me clean this up before Hendrick gets back, or we'll both be fired. Again!"

"You made the mess, you clean it up. I'm helping a customer over here, you blind oaf!"

The customer-woman raised two dainty eyebrows as Anna's step-sister, still covered in flour, turned towards her. "Yea, what is it?" she asked, her voice gruff and her entire demeanour unwelcoming.

"Pardon?" the customer asked, seemingly a little taken aback.

"You deaf, lass? I asked what you wanted."

"No, I heard you quite fine the first time, really, it's-"

"Then what's the problem, eh?" the step-sister interrupted acidly.

No longer able to see the travesty of social interaction going on, Anna stepped forward with her most polite smile in place, immediately catching the attention of her supposed relatives.

"What are you doing here?" they asked, almost in unison.

Anna shrugged, smile still in place. "Oh, you know. Saving this poor damsel from you two." In an afterthought, she continued: "How's the new house working out?"

In a show of complete disrespect - as well as a stunning reveal of how not to be a lady, merchant, or any other decent being, her stepsister actually spat at her feet, a large glob of spittle going astray and landing on her own chin.

"Okay," the customer with the bare feet - what was up with that, really? Was she so poor she didn't have shoes? She could have some of Anna's if that was the case... - said, as she took a step back. "I'm definitely not buying any bread here. She turned around swiftly, walking down the road in the direction of the castle, undoubtedly going to find another place where she could get a cheap loaf of bread.

Anna stuck around long enough for the owner of the bakery to return, watching her stepsisters getting scolded and forcefully being removed from the shop, with the very clear message that they were not to return ever, before turning tail and following the bright pink dress she could still see a little distance down the road.

If someone were so poor that she could not afford shoes, Anna would be damned if she did not try to help out. Especially since she knew how agonizing it was to deal with her stepsisters, even in passing.

Easily catching up, she started walking by the girl's side. "Hey there."

The woman looked up as if she'd been torn from her reveries, looking Anna up and down before flashing a small, almost-mischievous grin. "Hello."

Anna smiled in return. "I saw what happened back at the bakery. I feel like someone should apologize for that travesty. And since they certainly aren't going to do so - trust me, I'd know better than anyone - I figured it might as well be me," she said, smile still in place and shrugging casually.

"That's... very kind of you," the woman replied, not breaking her step. "It was a most unpleasant experience, although you did not in any way make it so. Therefore, I do not think I can - or should - accept your apology, as much as it is appreciated."

The redhead nodded. "Okay, sure, that makes sense." Taking a quick glance at the bare feet, Anna quickly made a decision. "Still, I imagine it was not really something that brightened your day. Perhaps I can help make it better?"

"Oh... I suppose..." the woman replied carefully, albeit with a smile. "What did you have in mind?"

Anna, now overtaken by enthusiasm about her idea, cheered for a moment. "You'll see, come on!" she exclaimed, hurrying the woman towards the castle. "It'll be worth it, trust me!"

She almost dragged the woman through the castle's gates, marvelling at the guards who seemed to be saluting her. It was a new addition to the many things she was not used to. She wondered why Elsa would have instructed them to do so.

Not that it really mattered right now. She was going to clean this poor girl up, give her some snazzy shoes, and feed her properly. Not necessarily in that order.

Her plans came to a screeching halt, though, when she encountered Elsa and Olaf in one of the upstairs corridors, both carrying heaps of scrolls and parchments, but stopping to greet them nonetheless. As Elsa opened her mouth to say something, Anna was already preparing a response as to why she was bringing this random stranger into the castle.

"Oh, I see you two already met," the blonde said with a smile.

"Yeah, I know, but I saw her in- Wait, what?"

Elsa raised a single eyebrow. "I had planned on introducing you this afternoon, but it appears that won't be necessary."

"Introducing?" Anna asked, face scrunched up in confusion.

The brunette behind her giggled, letting go of her hand and stepping forward. "I did not yet get a chance to introduce myself," she said, voice light with laughter. "Princess Rapunzel of Corona, a pleasure to meet you, Anna," she continued with a small curtsy.

And it would not be an exaggeration to say that Anna's brain short-circuited. This... This poor, little, dirty, bare-footed person was the princess of Corona? What the...

"But... But... your feet... and your face... and- and-"

Rapunzel's smile grew a little wider. "I prefer going bare feet when possible, although my parents aren't too happy about it. As for the dirt on my face, I was picking flowers with some of the children near the school, so they could give them to their parents."

Anna cocked her head to the side. "You're Princess Rapunzel of Corona, and here I was, thinking I'd get you cleaned up and fed, before gifting you a pair of shoes... I feel so stupid right now."

Olaf guffawed amusedly, with Elsa and Rapunzel simply beaming at Anna. "Don't feel stupid on my behalf," Rapunzel smiled. "I'm well aware that I look decidedly less royal than is expected of me."

"As for your intentions," Elsa cut in, "they're part of the reason I li- appreciate you so much. You always try to do something good to those around you. It's admirable, really."

"Wait," Anna suddenly gasped. "How did you know who I was?" she asked the foreign princess, quickly catching herself and adding 'Your Highness' to the end of her sentence.

"Oh, please, no formalities. I get enough of those at home," the doe-eyed brunette smiled widely. "As for recognizing you, there aren't that many redheads with freckles and blue eyes of your age running around town." She turned towards Elsa for a moment. "Your description was remarkably on-point, as usual, Elsa. Sunny disposition, childlike enthusiasm, adorable- ouch!"

Anna raised her eyebrows as Elsa nudged Rapunzel in her side with her elbow, dropping several pieces of parchment in the process. It sort of made her wonder what Elsa had told her best friend about Anna, but she realized it would be quite inappropriate to ask. Besides, there was another question nagging at her mind right now.

"How long have you been here?"

The petite brunette shrugged. "Almost two days, now."

Okay, so, Princess Rapunzel was in town, and she looked much more... princess-y after having cleared the smudges of dirt from her face. Even if she still refused to wear shoes. And she wanted to spend the rest of the morning with Anna, because she had heard 'so much' about her from Elsa. All good things, if she was to be believed.

Princess Rapunzel was also a lot like Elsa, in many ways, Anna discovered. She was, for instance, adamant about Anna just calling her 'Rapunzel' or 'Punz,' and foregoing the formalities entirely. She even went so far as to roll her eyes at every little slip-up the redhead made, albeit good-naturedly.

She also took remarkable interest in the art gallery - a place Anna had come to frequent as well, during the hours she couldn't spend outside or with Elsa. Rapunzel certainly knew a thing or two about art, regaling Anna with the stories behind some of the paintings - mostly those that had been brought over from Corona - and going into great detail about the events portrayed, or the artist behind the painting.

Eventually, they stopped near one of the smaller ones, hanging separately in the back. "Hm, I'm surprised to see Elsa had this one put up here. I gave it to her for her last birthday..."

Anna took a closer look at the painting - one she'd only glanced over previously. It featured a tower in the background, with a single window, from which a streak of gold reached down. In the foreground, placed on a hill and separated from the tower by woods and green fields - was the silhouette of a man sitting on a horse.

There was something oddly familiar about it, even though Anna was certain she'd never visited Corona. That she would have remembered.

Rapunzel smiled, looking as if her mind were quite somewhere else right now. "This painting," she started, voice trailing through the gallery softly, "actually depicts a story. It's about a princess, kidnapped from the royal castle as an infant, held in an impenetrable tower by her evil mother, and eventually being rescued by a handsome-"

"You mean 'The Missing Heart'?" Anna asked, suddenly recognizing the story.

"Oh, you know it?" Rapunzel asked with a slightly wider smile.

Anna nodded happily. "I saw the play not that long ago, actually. Elsa took me to the theatre."

Rapunzel's eyebrows shot upwards at that little bit of information, although Anna couldn't quite decipher what was so special about it. "Did you know the story truly happened?" she asked, robbing Anna of the chance to ask her own question.

"I did not," the redhead confessed.

Rapunzel nodded slowly and solemnly. "I was robbed from my cradle very shortly after my birth, and only returned to the castle a few years ago."

Anna's eyebrows shot up so far they almost disappeared into her hairline. "You are the princess from the story?"

Rapunzel nodded slowly. "The dashing rogue is my husband, Prince Eugene," she added with a small smile.

"Hardly a rogue if he's a prince," Anna laughed lightly.

"Oh, trust me," Rapunzel continued. "It took some convincing before my parents were on board with me marrying a former thief with only accusations and debts to his name. But love is love, and you can't do much about that... Speaking of, I'm a little surprised you and Elsa went to see The Missing Heart. Together."

"Why is that?" Anna asked, still inspecting the painting.

"Well... Never mind. Forget I said anything," Rapunzel suddenly chimed, waving her hand around carelessly, still smiling, as if she was keeping in some sort of important secret.

Anna, now having grown curious - and only more so by Rapunzel's deflecting - continued badgering the foreign princess for an answer, until she eventually gave in.

"Oh, fine. It's just that, in Corona, the play is usually... Well, traditionally, it's something Coronans do together on one of their early dates. It was written as a play about love, obviously, and its audience is, generally, a reflection of that. There are countless of couples who will tell you that The Missing Heart was their first date."

"Oh," Anna chuckled nervously. "That's nice. I think? I mean, it's not like Elsa and I are a couple. Or, you know, anything even remotely close to that. We're friends. Just friends."

Rapunzel cocked her head to the side, raising a single eyebrow with a mischievous grin. "Yes. I had noticed..." she replied cryptically.

This time, when Anna badgered her for an explanation, the brunette refused to provide one.

Anna was hurrying. She really did not enjoy hurrying, but some times actually called for it. Being late for a chess-match with the king - for which he specifically requested your presence two days in advance - was certainly one of those times.

When she slipped into the now-familiar room, she was not surprised to find Elsa, Olaf, and the king and queen seated at various spots throughout the room. And, although in hindsight she realised it was a little silly, she was way too surprised to see Rapunzel sitting in the corner, working on the landscape-painting that Anna had noticed upon her first visit.

"Ah, Miss Anderson, you're here. Good, good. I've already set up our game!" the king spoke loudly, waking Olaf from his slumber, who immediately reached for his nose - as if to confirm it was still there.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, sir," Anna smiled bashfully, sitting down. Apparently, that garnered Rapunzel's attention.

"Someone has the courage to engage in a game of chess with him? Poor girl," she smiled crookedly.

"Actually," the queen spoke up, not tearing her eyes away from her embroidery, "Anna's remarkably skilful. She nearly bested my husband last time they played."

And yes, Anna thought proudly, she nearly had. It had taken several games, but she was slowly starting to form a strategy that might actually end the game in her victory sometime soon. Sometime soon being in a few weeks, hopefully. At best.

It had also become customary to actually have conversations during their chess-matches, either with each other, or with those who were doing their own thing. It was slightly distracting, but it was a price Anna happily paid if it meant being able to socialize with the others.

Halfway during their game - Anna was losing this one quite miserably, and she was well-aware of her new strategy not working out at all - the queen put her embroidery aside, heaved a deep sigh, and levelled her daughter with a stern glance.

"Elsa, sweetheart. We need to have a word."

Anna tried to focus on her strategy. She really did. But, since it was already sort of a lost cause, she figured she could listen in. After all, if it were a private conversation, they would have moved somewhere else.

"What is it, mother?" Elsa asked, putting her book down in her lap.

"Have you talked to your guest yet?"

Okay. Now Anna was definitely listening.

"What about?" Elsa inquired, sounding honestly confused.

"The reason for her stay here, of course," the queen replied gently, with an odd undertone.

"Mother!" the blonde princess said, her voice a disgraced hiss.

"I can confirm that she has not," Rapunzel chirped from her corner, sounding irritably amused.

"Rapunzel!" Elsa countered, this time in an undignified yelp.

"Um, what are we talking about, exactly?" Anna ventured to ask, hesitantly. "I'm sort of pretty sure we're talking about me. But that's all I got..."

"Nothing to worry over, child," the king replied gently. "That being said, Elsa, your mother is right, and you cannot put it off indefinitely."

Anna raised her eyebrows slightly. This sounded ominous. "Is this your way of telling me I'm overstaying my welcome? Because, if that's the case, I'll-"

"No, no, of course not, dear," the queen rushed to interrupt. "Nothing of the sort. Our beloved daughter is just being difficult for the sake of being difficult, making a big deal out of something that is really nothing but a formality."

"Mother!" Elsa hissed again.

"Daughter," the queen replied in a deadpan tone.

Elsa huffed, crossing her arms as she looked at the room around her. "Why can't you all just mind your own business?"

The king shrugged as he moved his knight across the board. "In a way, this is a matter of state. Being the king, this is my business," he replied easily, eyes shining happily as Anna made her move and threatened his king.

Elsa sunk down into her chair. "Just give me a bit of time. I promise we'll talk about that soon. Ish. Soon-ish."

"Very well, dear. But remember, the longer you wait, the harder it gets," the queen replied as she took up her embroidery again.

"Talk about what?" Anna asked, now entirely perplexed.

Unfortunately, the entire room seemed hell-bent on ignoring her question, and business went on as if the entire conversation had never even happened.

Anna smiled, leaning up against the low fence surrounding the playground near the large, somewhat dreary-looking building. It had taken some effort for her to actually find the building, but luckily the citizens of Arendelle's capital were happy to point her in the right direction.

When she had asked Elsa, she had confirmed that Anna's childhood toys and playthings had been sent to the orphanage, as per her instructions. And even though she had absolutely no doubt about the fact that Elsa spoke the truth... well, she just wanted to see for herself.

Maybe it was out of a desire to see her old toys one final time, maybe she just wanted to forget about them being locked away in that chest, and make new, happy memories of little children having fun like she used to have herself.

Whatever it was, the desire found her standing at the edge of the orphanage's playground, elbows resting on the picket fence surrounding it, watching as the children - and their caretakers - poured out of the building to enjoy the dazzling summer's sun, the soft sea breeze, and the gentle whistling and chirping of the birds around them.

It was not long before one of the caretakers took a key from his belt, sauntered towards one of the sheds with a throng of little children following him, and unlocked the door. It was like a sloppy but well-performed vanishing trick, watching the children all cram into the tiny shed.

The magic was complete when all of the children came running out again, laughing and cackling, chattering and hollering with and at one another, carrying their chosen toys in their arms, or dragging them behind them.

The redhead did not have to wait long to see some of her toys making their appearance. That little blonde girl over there was definitely dragging Anna's old skipping rope behind her, two of her friends giggling as they both took one of the ends and started swinging and singing in a steady rhythm.

Anna remembered some of the villagers swinging the rope for her, oftentimes with her father on one end of the toy, chanting similar songs and laughing as she clumsily stumbled through the self-imposed routine.

And that boy over there was racing along on one of her old bikes, bright yellow and dark green, laughing and cheering at his own speed while a caretaker desperately attempted to slow him down, running behind the ecstatic boy with a face that belied amusement, despair, and resignation.

Anna clearly remembered zooming around the village on that little bike, saying hello and waving at everyone she encountered, getting free snacks from some of the merchants and vendors. Quite honestly, she had all but forgotten about it, only now realizing that it had been behind lock and key for almost a decade.

A familiar bag caught her eye as a group of several children walked by, carrying it between them to a little sandbox underneath a tree. It definitely held her old marble collection - or what was left of it after her supposed 'sisters' had pilfered it, making off with her most precious marbles and leaving her with only the plain ones. Still, those plain old marbles were cause for great joy amongst the little children, who were now organizing a true tournament to see who the best marble-player was.

And over there, Anna noticed two girls playing with her favourite spinning top - another toy that she had entirely forgotten over the years. The realization made her feel guilty towards her inanimate childhood companions, silly as she knew it was.

"Hello," a kind voice suddenly came from beside her. "Are you looking to adopt?"

The kind voice belonged to a kind-looking woman, standing next to her on the opposite side of the fence, looking at her expectantly and wearing a patient smile, hands folded in front of her.

"Oh, me? Oh, no, absolutely not! I mean, I'd love to have children, but I'm- I'm not... I don't have a husband. Or anyone, really. I'm not ready to be a parent. I'm just here to watch them."

At that final piece of information, the woman raised her eyebrows inquisitively, smile never wavering, even as Anna realized how that must have sounded.

"Um. I did not mean that the way it sounded. I'm not some kind of creep or anything. It's just... Heh, well... Some of the toys they're playing with used to belong to me... I donated them to the orphanage after I re-discovered them in my old childhood home... They'd been taken from me, a long time ago."

The woman's eyes suddenly lit up, the patient smile turning wider and more radiant. "Oh my, you must be the princess' esteemed guest, then. The only donation we have received in a while came from her..."

Anna laughed sheepishly, scratching her ear. "That would be me, yes. Anna Anderson, Princess Elsa's guest at the Royal Castle."

"Well, my name is Margaret," the woman smiled, opening the gate of the fence, "I'm the headmistress of Arendelle Orphanage. Why don't you come in and meet some of the children? I'm certain some of them would like to personally thank you for your kindness."

"Oh, no!" Anna blurted. "I mean, I wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone, and they all look like they are having so much fun, I would not want to keep them from that."

The woman laughed softly. "I assure you, it would not be an inconvenience to anyone, dear. If you really do not wish to come and say hello, I can hardly force you, of course. But I'm sure they would like to meet you, Miss Anderson."

"Well, if you are sure," Anna wavered, "I suppose it cannot hurt to come and say hello really quickly?"

"That is the spirit, dear," the woman smiled, waving her along towards a bench near the centre of the playground. She waved one of the caretakers over as well, motioning towards Anna. "Ingrid, this is Miss Anderson - the princess' guest who donated the new playthings. I'd like for the children to meet her, would you gather them, please."

The woman shook Anna's hand with an easy smile, before whistling loudly - which must have been some sort of signal, since all the children immediately dropped what they were doing and gathered in a half-circle in front of the bench.

"Alright, little ones," the headmistress said loudly, but not unkindly, "settle down, please. There's someone very special I would like you all to meet. This lovely young woman is Anna" - the redhead gave them a shy wave as the headmistress continued. - "She is staying at the castle as Princess Elsa's honoured guest. The chest with toys that the guard with the funny horse brought by used to belong to her. She decided that she has grown too old to play with them, and that you should all have a chance to enjoy them."

As the headmistress finished speaking, the little blonde Anna had seen before - skipping rope still clutched in her tiny hands - got up and stood before the redhead, giving a deep dip of her head. "Thank you for the toys, Miss Anna," she muttered, voice barely audible, before looking up again, a shy smile tugging at her lips as she nervously fiddled with the rope in her hands.

"You're very welcome," Anna smiled in return, watching as some of the other kids got up from their perch as well, stepping forward and either dipping their head or holding out their little hands for her to shake, thanking her for their new toys, and telling them which ones were their favourites.

Once all the children had thanked her, the headmistress smiled at them all proudly, telling them that they could go back to their activities, and reminding them that it would probably be rainy tomorrow, so if they wanted to do something outdoors, they should make use of the opportunity today.

"As you can see, Miss Anderson, the children are quite enchanted by our new acquisitions," the elderly woman smiled eventually.

"Clearly," Anna laughed lightly. "They're all so polite and well-behaved... Nothing like the kids in my village used to be..."

"They need to be, if they ever want to be adopted," the woman smiled sadly. "Some of them will, unfortunately, remain here until they are of age and go to one of the workhouses, or get hired by one of the businesses... Those that are lucky will find new parents and a new home... But only the polite and happy children have a chance at that."

Before she could respond, she felt something tugging at the back of her skirt. Turning around revealed the shy blonde with the skipping rope, one of her friends standing a few feet behind her, biting her lower lip. "What is it, Ellie?" the headmistress asked, eyes twinkling and apparently already knowing the answer.

"Maggie does not want to swing the rope anymore... Maybe Miss Anna wants to play with her skipping rope too?" the little girl asked shyly.

Anna only gave the question the briefest fraction of a moment of thought before nodding enthusiastically. She did not even have to pretend to be enthusiastic about the opportunity - the children were a delight, and she could not possibly refuse having fun with one of her favourite toys one last time.

And, while it had not been part of her plan for today at all, Anna somehow found herself swinging the skipping rope, singing and laughing along, for almost half an hour. Immediately after that, she was whisked away by some of the boys, apparently being the perfect final candidate for the marble-tournament. That lasted for an undetermined amount of time, after which Anna was pulled along again, this time to teach some of the girls how to keep the spinning tops spinning.

She had absolutely no idea how long Kristoff had already been watching her play with the children when she finally noticed him, standing just outside the fence, watching with a tilted smile, Sven the reindeer standing behind him, tongue lolling out of its mouth.

At the same time, the children also seemed to notice him, a chorus of 'Ser Kristoff!' and 'the funny horse!' resounding around Anna, pulling a laugh from her almost-sore throat.

"I'm sorry, kids," Kristoff smiled, patting some of them on their heads as they gathered near the fence. "I'm afraid I have to take Miss Anna away from her important duties on your playground."

This time, there was a resounding chorus of 'boo' and 'no' going around, the headmistress shushing them quickly. Anna smiled as she dusted off her skirt, kneeling in front of the gathered group.

"How about this?" she smiled. "I'll have to go to the castle now. The princess probably needs me, but I'll come back and visit as soon as I can, okay?"

"Tomorrow?" one of the boys immediately asked.

"I don't know, Timmy," Anna replied honestly. "But I'll come back and play with all of you when I can..."

Eventually, the children allowed her to leave their domain - albeit reluctantly - saying their goodbyes with frantic waves and loud screams and hoots. She and Kristoff were quite a ways down the street when the headmistress finally convinced the children to return to their games.

Anna took a deep breath, before releasing it slowly. "So, I am guessing Elsa requested my presence?"

"Yes," Kristoff nodded. "And before you ask: no, she did not specify why. Just that I was to find you and bring you to the art gallery."

"The art gallery?"

"Yes," Kristoff nodded again. "It's a large room in the east wing where they keep a lot of paintings."

However unbefitting of a lady - even if she wasn't nobility - Anna could not refrain from rolling her eyes. "I know what an art gallery is, Kristoff. I just don't know why Elsa would want me there."

"As I said," Kristoff smiled, "neither do I."

The door was closed.

Which was odd, because the door to the art gallery had not been closed for the entire duration of Anna's stay at the castle. In fact, prior to today, she had not even given the thought of the art gallery havingdoors a moment of her time.

She could hear voices inside. One was clearly Elsa's, the other appeared to belong to Princess Rapunzel. Should she just go in? Should she knock? She should totally knock. Anna gave herself a resolute nod, before rapping her knuckles against the dark wood.

It took a few moments for Elsa to actually open the door, one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows quirked. "The gallery is freely accessible for everyone, Anna. There is no need to knock."

The redhead shrugged. "The door was closed."

"How observant," Elsa drawled, voice dripping with playful sarcasm. As they walked into the gallery, Anna noticed a table in the middle of the room, chessboard set up in the middle of it. In one of the far corners, Rapunzel was working on some painting Anna could not see, looking fiercely concentrated, but still sparing Anna a quick smile and wave.

"Did no one ever teach you sarcasm is unbecoming for a lady, Elsa?" Anna asked teasingly, earning her a huff from the blonde.

"I'm among friends, now. I can do as I please. And it pleases me to have a game of chess with you, if you're amenable?"

Anna sat down with a quick nod. "Of course... Though I didn't think you enjoyed the game?"

Elsa's smile never faltered. "I don't like it when I do not get what I want," she shrugged. "I can never beat father, but I think I might be able to take you on well enough."

Three moves into the game, Anna finally asked the question on her mind. "So, you had me brought here from the city just because you wanted to play a game of chess?"

Elsa nodded quickly. "I really craved a proper opponent. Rapunzel never learned to play."

Anna raised her eyebrows sceptically - any proper lady knew how to play chess, especially royalty - and heard Rapunzel's laugh from across the room. "I was kept prisoner in a tower for most of my life. My primary pastimes were painting and stargazing. That and hair-brushing, which gets really boring after a year or two..."

Four turns later, Anna was relatively certain she had the princess backed into a corner - figuratively speaking, of course - and was assured of her victory. Elsa talked a big game, but when it came to actually playing... not so much...

Just as she was about to make her final move, the blonde surprised her by packing up the pieces and neatly placing them in their box. "Elsa, what are you-?"

"Making sure I do not lose," Elsa grinned slyly. "My method is always successful."

"I think that's called cheating," Anna pointed out dryly, crossing her arms and pouting playfully.

"Perhaps... Then again, I was not really interested in playing chess, anyway. I just need you to remain where you are and look pretty for a while, and playing chess seemed like a good way to keep you rooted in place... I just overestimated my own skills at the game. Grossly, it seems..."

Anna furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why do I need to sit here?"

Elsa gave her a small smile. "I can't tell you, but I would be very grateful if you could just do as I ask for a while. It should not take long..."

"What should not take long?"

The blonde shot her a tired glare. Getting the hint, Anna nodded and sat back in her chair. "Never mind. If you want me to sit here, I'll sit here," she smiled. "It's not like I cannot use the rest after the morning I've had..."

The princess tilted her head with an unspoken question, and Anna launched into a lengthy tale about the orphanage, her old toys, the children, the games they had played, how absolutely delightful all the little ones had been, how kind the headmistress was and how they had called Kristoff's reindeer a 'funny horse.'

Throughout the story, Anna entirely forgot about the concept of time. Elsa was an attentive listener, nodding and humming at the right moments, asking questions and elaborations when possible, and adding in some anecdotes of her own when pertinent to what Anna was telling.

The redhead was a little surprised when, after who-knows how long, Rapunzel got up from her stool and started shaking her arms out, stretching and bending to chase the stiffness from her joints. "Alright, Els. She's free to move again."

"Finally," Elsa sighed with a smile. "I did not think it possible for anyone to keep you still this long, Anna. It's a good thing you had so much to talk about..."

Anna furrowed her brow again, watching the setting sun outside. "I've been here for hours, haven't I?"

Elsa and Rapunzel both nodded yes at the same time.

"Care to tell me why?" the redhead ventured carefully.

Elsa smiled tightly, getting up from her seat. "I was planning to wait, but we might as well show you now, I suppose. Come on..." She took Anna's arm, slowly walking towards the end of the gallery. "Remember how I promised to get those paintings of your parents restored by a professional?"

Anna nodded, feeling both sad and hopeful. "Of course."

Elsa sighed warily. "Well, unfortunately, they all told me that the paintings were too damaged. Apparently, there are things that even a princess cannot make happen. I have them stored in the north wing now, where they are safe and won't be damaged any more than they already are..."

Anna nodded sadly. "I see... Well, you did what you could, Elsa. I'm grateful for that, at least."

Elsa gave her a patient smile. "The paintings could not be restored. However, knowing Rapunzel to be the artistic genius that she is, I asked her advice on the matter."

The other princess nodded now, falling in as Elsa stopped talking. "The professionals were right, of course. The paintings really were too damaged to be restored properly. I offered to simply re-do them entirely..."

At that bit of information, Anna suddenly jerked her head up, looking at the two princesses beside her with new hope. Elsa continued the story. "I agreed, because I figured that if you did not want them, and just wanted to keep the old ones, at least we would have tried. I also suggested a slight... change, though."

At that, the blonde gently took Anna's shoulders, turning her around and bringing her face to face with the canvas Rapunzel had been slaving over for the past few hours. The sight immediately robbed her of the air in her lungs, bringing prickly hot tears to the corners of her eyes.

It was a large, wide canvas, portraying both of her parents exactly the way they had been displayed on the original portraits. Rather than facing forward, though, they were both facing slightly inward. And there, in between the two of them, sat Anna.

She saw herself, clad in the very dress she was wearing right now, all fiery-haired and sun-kissed skin, and with one of the most happy and radiant smiles she'd ever seen anyone wear on a painting. The way Rapunzel had positioned everything, it looked as if her parents were looking at the image of their daughter, their eyes filled with happiness and pride.

Anna hiccupped slightly, trying to keep her tears inside, but not capable of stopping them from falling, but at the same time smiling widely. She abruptly turned around, wrapping her arms around both Elsa and Rapunzel, and pulling them close as she sobbed a barely audible 'thank you.'

Rapunzel muttered a soft response, voice catching and clearly feeling emotional as well. Elsa said nothing, merely pulling Anna closer, rubbing one hand up and down her back, the other firmly around her waist.

Anna could not possibly tell how long they stayed like that, and neither did she care. Both Rapunzel and Elsa seemed perfectly content to stay in their position for as long as Anna needed them to. And none of the servants passing by the gallery had the heart to disrupt them.

Anna had meant it when she promised the children of the orphanage that she would return to play with them. She had not expected, however, that it would turn into a habit - visiting the orphanage every day had never really been her intention, but the little boys and girls were simply too adorable and enchanting. When they kept asking her to return, how could she possibly even consider denying them that pleasure?

She had to admit, however, that it was terribly exhausting. As she trudged through the corridors of the castle - a hot bath the only thing on her mind - she reflected on the dozens of games of tag, hide and seek, and everything else the little tykes cooked up.

At the end of the day, however, it was totally worth it. Just seeing their faces light up whenever she approached the orphanage was enough to instantly make her day. Not that her days needed to be madereally, because she was as content as she could possibly be.

With every afternoon spent at the orphanage, it had become a habit for her and Elsa to hang out in the mornings, starting with breakfast - where they were often joined by Olaf and Rapunzel - before taking walks in the gardens, or play games in one of the many parlours, or just browse some of the little shops dotted around the city.

Yeah, she loved playing with the children at the orphanage. But, if she were honest with herself, her mornings were probably still the favourite part of her days. It was almost frightening how much she enjoyed spending time with Elsa - even if they just spent their time doing absolutely nothing, it was still so enjoyable that Anna would happily cancel any appointment without a moment's notice, just to do nothing.

It seemed other people had picked up on Anna's feelings about her time with Elsa as well. Kristoff kept giving her funny looks whenever he saw the two of them together, even going so far as to give her a thumbs up with a truly creepy smile at some point.

All Anna could do in response was looking questioningly. She had no idea what he was going for, but if it was to confuse her, he was successful.

Princess Rapunzel also kept giving her knowing smiles and winks, which made the whole situation even weirder. Still, who was Anna to question any of them about any of this? Sure, they'd asked her to consider them equals, and she was trying, but really, how successful could they expect her to be in that regard?

She was torn from her quiet reveries when she reached the door to her chambers, finding a small boy in a page's uniform waiting in front of it. He looked entirely too enthusiastic about his job.

"Miss Anna! I have a message from the princess!" he yelped as she walked up to him, standing stiff as a board, hands folded on his back.

"Very well, let's hear it then," she replied with a grin, urging the boy on with a small nod.

The small boy returned her nod with one of his own, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat. "Her Royal Highness Princess Elsa of Arendelle," he started, "cordially invites you to be present at the royal ball, which is to be held one week from now, in honour of Her Highness' highly honoured guest. Should you be so inclined to accept her invitation, she will make arrangements for you, so as to ensure that you shall not want for anything."

Anna had to actively fight her smile and squeal about the adorable formal air the page tried to carry out. Instead, she gave a small curtsy. "Please inform Princess Elsa that I would be honoured to attend the Royal Ball, good sir," she murmured with a smile, watching the boy puff out his chest, give her a resolute nod, before running off to deliver the message.

As soon as the boy was out of sight, turning the corner so quickly he almost bowled one of the maids over, Anna let her grin spread across her face with an affectionate chuckle and a shake of her head. As soon as she stepped into her room, she noticed the small card placed on her vanity.

You are hereby cordially invited to attend next week's Royal Ball, to be held at Arendelle Castle in honour of Her Highness Princess Elsa's highly honoured guest. Please mark your attendance status on the back of this invitation and send it retour at the earliest convenience.

Underneath the formal invitation - which seemed a little unnecessary, consider the page had just invited her - Anna found a small note in Elsa's own handwriting.

Attendance isn't really optional! I'll make sure a new dress and some jewellery will be brought to your chambers as soon as I can. I absolutely need you to attend and look your best! Nobility from all over the kingdom will attend, as well as some of the royals of neighbouring kingdoms! It'll be lovely! - Elsa.

Anna smirked down at the note. Of course, she hadn't been planning to not attend the ball. Still, it was good to know she never really had any choice in the matter. Without giving the matter any more thought, she started untying her dress, the only thing occupying her mind being the hot bath that was waiting for her just behind the door on the opposite end of the room.

The entire matter didn't pop up again in Anna's head until the following morning, when, on her way to meet Elsa for breakfast, she bumped into Rapunzel near the art gallery.

"Sorry, I wasn't-"

"Apologies, I didn't-"

"Oh, Anna, it's only you," Rapunzel said with a giggle as she got up from the floor.

"Only me?" Anna laughed, "that almost sounds like an insult, Your Highness."

"Oh, please, you know I didn't mean it like that," the princess grumbled with a roll of her green doe-eyes.

"True," Anna conceded, helping Rapunzel up from the carpet on which she was still sprawled out. "You're not having breakfast with Elsa and me this morning?"

"Afraid not," Rapunzel replied airily. "I'm off to an atelier in the city to get my new dress fitted. Need to look dashing for the ball next week," she continued with a wicked smile.

"Right," Anna drawled. "Can't have anyone outshining you during your own ball, now can you?"

Rapunzel drew up her eyebrows, her eyes growing even larger than they were before, and her smile growing to a concerning width. "Yes, that would be truly horrendous. Good thing it is not my ball, then, is it not?"

Anna felt her brow furrowing without any conscious instruction, her expression quizzical. "What do you mean?"

Rapunzel, for some reason, just stared at her blankly for a few moments, before shaking her head with a wry grin, muttering something about being late, and running off, her bare feet thumping against the carpeted floor.

By the time Anna's mind had caught up enough for her to be able to phrase a question, Rapunzel was long gone, and she was left alone in the corridor. "I wonder what that was about," she muttered to herself, turning to resume her walk towards breakfast.

She was not surprised to find Elsa waiting for her at the breakfast table, looking as prim and fresh as she always did. Olaf, however, was nowhere to be found. Apparently, the blonde noticed Anna's eyes scanning the empty seats, as she gave the redhead a small smile. "My brother and best friend have both excused themselves from breakfast this morning. Rapunzel is headed into town to acquire a new dress, and Olaf... well, I imagine no one really knows where Olaf is, but no matter. It's just the two of us today."

Anna hummed thoughtfully as she took her seat. "I actually bumped into Rapunzel on the way here. She was acting very odd..."

"More so than usual?" Elsa asked with an amused grin and an arched eyebrow.

Rapunzel was, admittedly, always a little goofy. Still, Anna thought, she was odder today than she was usually. Probably. "I'm not sure?" she winced. "I think so? She was talking about the upcoming ball and how it wasn't-"

"Oh!" Elsa suddenly interjected. "Speaking of the ball, would it suit you for a tailor to take your sizes today? I commissioned a dress for you from my personal tailor, but she will obviously need your sizes."

"Oh, um, right. Sure, that's fine. No problem," Anna responded, surprised by the prospect of actually getting a custom-made dress for the upcoming ball.

"Great. Now, you were saying, before I so rudely interrupted you?"

"... I'm not sure. What was I saying?"

"You tell me," Elsa responded dryly, sporting an affectionate grin and a roll of her eyes.

The ball was still a week away. Anna was... fairly certain she read that correctly. So, she really didn't understand the urgency that seemed to keep all these people milling around her room in its grasp.

Okay, yes, of course she understood the tailor. It made sense for her to be here to take her sizes, because she would actually need time to make the dress that would 'make her shine like a princess.' A prospect the tailor was very enthusiastic about, Anna figured, judging by the seven times she thanked her for the opportunity to dress the redhead. Anna didn't have the heart to tell the woman that she hadn't had any say in the matter.

But really, there was a jeweller here, who wanted to know exactly what kind of jewellery Anna wanted to wear to the ball, having his employees drag two suitcases filled with silver and gold and gemstones from which Anna could have her pick. Of course, Elsa had already made arrangements for any payment that would need to be received.

Then there were the caterers, who needed her to taste all kinds of delicacies, so that she could tell them which were her favourites and which she really didn't like. The redhead had told them that they should probably sort all of this out with the princess, really, because it was hardly a decision she herself should be making.

But they were adamant, and apparently Elsa or Rapunzel really valued her input in these matters. Or they were delegating some of their workload. For which Anna really couldn't blame them, because she had seen the mountains of paperwork both of them dealt with on a daily basis, and no one should be forced to get through that much boring and monotonous work.

And it also wasn't like Anna was about to complain about tasting all of these delicious snacks. Because she most certainly was not. Nor did she particularly mind feeling useful - something that had been slightly lacking since she hadn't been used as a slave by her stepfamily.

Which should most certainly not be confused with her wanting to return to that dynamic.

The most confusing thing, however, were the documents that had been delivered to her chambers. Entirely by accident, Anna imagined, because it really didn't make sense for Elsa to purposefully send her a copy of the guest list, as well as detailed descriptions of the commissioned decorations for the Grand Ballroom - a room Anna had visited only once, and which was eerily eerie when it was filled with nothing but stuffy air and silence.

Of course, by the time she had realized she was reading documents that were probably definitely not meant for her, it was already too late to stop reading. And so she knew that there were several princes, princesses, dukes and duchesses, earls, barons, and marquises and viscounts that would be in attendance. The thought of mingling with a crowd like that made Anna's head swim, and almost made her want to back out of the whole thing.

But Elsa had made it clear that that was not an option, even if she would get to the point where she would seriously consider it...

Anna was looking forward to the ball. Really, she was. Honestly and truly.

That did not mean, however, that she was entirely happy with the recent developments that the royal ball entailed. Earlier this morning, Anna had received word that, unfortunately, Elsa would not be able to join her for their usual breakfast and quality time today.

Which was not that big of a deal, of course. Anna could do without Elsa for a day. That being said, Anna had received the same message yesterday, and the day before, and had thus barely exchanged a handful of words with the princess over the past three days.

And no matter how often she kept telling herself that 'it was fine' and 'it did not matter,' she never really could get herself to believe it. Because it wasn't fine and it did matter.

From the window in her chambers, Anna could see Elsa walking around the garden, just as she had expected. Elsa walked around the garden every morning, and every morning, there had been a different man with her. It was not hard to see what was going on, even for a peasant like Anna...

Royal Balls did, after all, entail courting and arranging marriages and discussing politics and managing trade and... probably a whole lot more. Still, though, that didn't mean Anna was fine with it.

She would readily admit to being more than a little peeved at the disturbance to their routine. Just... not out loud.

And watching Elsa with these men did not make it any better. The first day, it had taken her some time to figure out why Elsa had decided to spend time with the man that was trailing behind her like an eager puppy. She hadn't even looked as if she was particularly enjoying herself, and Anna knew for certain that the prince - probably? - had seen more of Elsa's back than he had seen her face...

The day after had actually been worse. The new man was sort of handsome, she supposed, if you overlooked his long, curly hair. He was, however, also incredibly hands-y. Anna's blood had started to boil as she had watched the man clutching Elsa's hand as if his life depended on it, even after Elsa had pulled away a few times. She had almost opened her window to throw something at him when she saw him attempting to actually put an arm around her...

And she probably could have hit him, too...

Today was, impossibly, even worse than that. Today's visitor was dashing and elegant, knew how to carry himself, seemed to respect Elsa and showered her with charming smiles and amusing stories. His hair was the same shade has her own, Anna had noticed, and his crisp white suit, excellent bone structure, and alluring eyes made him... quite something to look at.

Honestly, she wasn't really certain why she was not swooning over him herself.

And it seemed Elsa was actually enjoying her time spent in the gardens today. She laughed at the stories, and seemed to do a fair bit of talking herself. Which, for some reason, did not make Anna feel any better. At all.

Deciding she had seen enough of their romantic rendezvous, Anna slipped on her shoes and swiftly left her chambers. It was almost time to go to the orphanage anyway, and she could easily just drop by the courtyard to see what Kristoff was up to...

As it turned out, Kristoff was brushing his reindeer, a task he took very seriously and carried out with extreme precision.

"So, what's got you all down in the dumps?" he asked, feeding half a carrot to Sven and eating the second half himself.

"Oh, it's nothing," Anna muttered with a dismissive wave.

"If you're this glum about nothing," Kristoff stated dryly, "I'd really hate to see you when there's actually something. Carrot?"

Anna almost said yes to the proffered vegetable, but caught herself just in time, noticing the thick layer of gooey reindeer saliva covering it. "Ew, no!"

"Suit yourself," Kristoff murmured as he took a bit from the carrot, continuing with his mouth full, "but seriously, what's wrong?"

"It's silly," Anna replied with a sigh. "I haven't had a proper conversation with Elsa in three days, because she's out with nobility and royalty all the time now, or holed up in her study to prepare the ball..."

Kristoff frowned, putting the carrot and brush down on a nearby crate. "Ah, yes... I can see how that might be unfortunate... But it's only temporary. You will have plenty of time to spend with her after the ball, after all. And, let's face it, it's not like any of those men are going to change her mind."

She looked up at him, taking in his big, over-enthusiastic smile and encouraging nods of his head. The only possible response seemed to be to roll her eyes. "Sometimes I really wonder if I am from a different planet or something. Half the time, I have no idea what you guys are talking about."

"What do you mean?"

"What would Elsa not change her mind about?"

Kristoff gave her a look that was a little hard to place, equal parts amusement and concern, and seemed to be mulling over his reply for a few seconds. Just when he opened his mouth, however, Anna heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Anna!"

Rapunzel came barrelling down the courtyard, waving enthusiastically, and slowing down only just in time not to charge Anna, Kristoff, and the reindeer into the hay-shed behind them. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Care to join me for a little foraging into the city? I need to buy some accessories to go with my new dress."

"Oh, um... Sure?"

Rapunzel proved to be deceptively strong, dragging Anna away from Kristoff and his activities with seemingly no effort at all, leaving Anna to just wave weakly, chuckling as Kristoff returned her wave with a dumbfounded look.

This jewellery store was unlike anything Anna had ever seen.

True: Anna had never actually seen a jewellery store from the inside. There wasn't one in her village, where all the jewellery was just made by the village blacksmith on request. And seeing a shop like this from the outside was just not the same as being in the middle of it. And this seemed to be the most up-scale jeweller in the city.

There was gold, silver and platinum everywhere, and a good part of it was beset with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and stones that Anna could not possibly even begin to name.

So, she did the only logical thing to do: she folded her hands behind her back and stayed close to Rapunzel, not touching anything as they made their way through the store, and holding her breath every time Rapunzel picked up a piece of jewellery to inspect.

"What about this one?" the princess asked, nearly poking Anna in her eye with the bracelet she was holding.

"It's nice, but a bit too... clunky, perhaps?"

Rapunzel seemed to consider her reply for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you're right, of course. I wouldn't want to catch too much attention..."

"That's... not what I meant," Anna objected feebly. "It's your ball. You can attract all the attention you want. I just thought it'd be-"

"It's not my ball, Anna. I told you this, did I not?" Rapunzel huffed good-naturedly, already holding another bracelet.

"You did," Anna conceded, shaking her head at Rapunzel's choice in jewellery again. "But you weren't particularly coherent, and refused to explain what you were talking about..."

Rapunzel heaved a theatrical sigh that was way too exuberant to be realistic, giving Anna a look that she most often received as a young child. "Isn't it obvious, Anna?"

"If it were, would I look this confused?" Anna countered, pointing at her own face.

Rapunzel giggled, moving to the section of the store where the necklaces were on display. "Right, no. Probably not. Honestly, though, it's really not that confusing. It's not my ball, and that's all there is to it."

"Then whose is it?" Anna asked exasperatedly.

"Well, the invitation said-"

"That it was for Princess Elsa's honoured guest, yes," Anna interrupted. "I got the same invitation as you."

"Then how can you not see?"

"See what?!"

Rapunzel sighed - a real, actual sigh, this time. "How many guests does Elsa have at the moment?"

"About a dozen?"

"No, no. Forget about the princess and dukes and whatnot. Those arrived after the invitations were sent out. How many guests did Elsa have before?"

Anna searched her brain for the correct answer, but Rapunzel was apparently fed up with waiting.

"Two, Anna. The correct answer is two. You, and me. And it isn't my ball."

Anna's brow furrowed in confusion for a brief moment, before realization set in, and her jaw fell slack. "Elsa's hosting a ball for me?!"

"Finally!" Rapunzel cheered. "You finally caught on. Of course, it would have been infinitely easier if Elsa had just gathered her wits about her and told you herself, but hey, she's understandably freaked a bit, so we'll just overlook that."

"Why?" Anna asked. "Why is Elsa freaked? Doesn't she host balls like this regularly?"

"Oh, yes," Rapunzel nodded, handing a necklace to the merchant. "But that's not the part she's anxious about. Now, before you ask: I really can't tell you anything more. That's... really something Elsa should do herself."

And, true to her word, Anna did not manage to pry any more information in the forty-five minutes of jewellery shopping that followed that particular conversation.

"You haven't told her," Rapunzel's voice drifted into the cold and dark corridor.

"Not yet, no. I've barely seen her as of late," Elsa's voice responded, attempting to sound airy but coming across as hesitant and nervous instead.

And Anna knew this was not okay. This being her, eavesdropping on two princesses in the art gallery, at three o'clock in the morning, while they were having an obviously private conversation. But... despite knowing that, she could not quite manage to tear herself away.

"Anna deserves to know," Rapunzel sighed, sounding tired.

And, since they were talking about her, Anna figured she had a tiny little bit of right to be listening in, so she shuffled closer to the door, silent as a mouse, and held her breath.

"I know, Punz. Trust me, I do. And I will tell her, when the time is right."

"And when is that?"

"I don't know!" Elsa's muffled reply came, and Anna surmised that she had covered her face with her hands.

"Do you even know how she'll take it?"

"Of course not... How could I?"

"Oh, I don't know," Rapunzel responded with a grim chuckle. "Have you tried discussing it with her like an adult?"

"Sarcasm really does not suit you, Rapunzel," Elsa admonished.

"Acting like a little child does not suit you either," the reply came instantly. "Yet here we are."

"Point taken," Elsa sighed dejectedly.

"Honestly, though, Elsa... Imagine what happens when you eventually tell her, in front of all those people, and she doesn't take it well. Don't you think that'd be... traumatically embarrassing? For the both of you?"

"You're right..." Elsa conceded after a long pause. "It's just... so hard."

"It's really not, though. You ask her to come to your study, tell her everything she needs to know, get her opinion on matters, and done."

"But what if-"

"Then you just continue as planned, and prove everyone's rumours about the ball wrong. They don't know any better. If you tell them it is just a ball because you were bored, who are they to dispute that?"

"True, I suppose," Elsa admitted slowly. "But-"

"But," Rapunzel interrupted immediately. "-you're going to have to tell her at some point, whether you want to or not. No one else is going to do it for you, Els. Well, Kristoff came pretty close earlier today, but I interrupted him, and Anna appears to be... a little dense."

"Hey!" Elsa objected.

"Sorry, Els, but it's the truth. She's a great woman, but she's dense as a rock. The whole castle knows by now, and yet she hasn't got a clue."

"It's really not polite to listen in on conversations like this," a voice came from behind her, causing her to whirl around in shock. There, only a few steps removed from her, stood the queen, clad in her nightgown and holding a candle. "You should probably go to your room before someone catches you," she continued with a small smile.

Anna barely managed a mute nod before scurrying to her chambers and wrapping herself up in her blankets. The conversation she had overheard kept playing inside her head, over and over again, her brain attempting to find the meaning of the words.

Sleep, she already knew, was very unlikely for her tonight...

As she had expected, Anna did not get a wink of sleep after overhearing the conversation between Elsa and Rapunzel, her mind constantly whirring to discern the meaning of it, constantly wishing they'd just specifically said what they were talking about, and constantly wondering what could possibly have Elsa so anxious that she couldn't even talk about it to Anna, whom it apparently concerned.

Still, Anna considered herself to be someone who didn't shy away from problems, but rather faced them head-first. Even in her sleep-deprived state, she knew that the easiest way for her to find out the truth was to talk to Elsa. And if Elsa wouldn't come to her, then she would just go to Elsa.

And tonight was the big night, so there wasn't really any time to spare, either.

Which was exactly the reason she found herself standing in front of Elsa's study, having inquired and confirmed that the princess was in there, and was alone. Knowing there would be a good chance of the blonde attempting to evade her if she had informed her of the impromptu visit, Anna had made sure to do the exact opposite, and forced Olaf not to tell Elsa anything about her questioning.

Olaf was surprisingly amenable to keeping the information from Elsa. Apparently, he too thought they needed this little conversation...

Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a deep sigh, Anna raised her fist and gently rapped it against the wood in a melody she considered to be somewhat of a signature of hers.

"Come in," Elsa's voice drifted through the door, sounding distracted.

Anna slowly opened the door just far enough to side-step through the crack, before closing it silently. It took a few seconds for Elsa to look up from whatever paperwork she was reading, but when she did, her expression was almost comically surprised. "Anna? I... didn't expect to see you here..."

Anna grinned hesitantly. "If I'd told you I would come by, would you still have been here?" she asked shyly. "Because somehow we haven't seen each other for days, now, and I've been led to believe we have something of some importance to discuss..."

Elsa huffed a humourless laugh. "I suppose we do, yes. Please, have a seat."

Anna did as she was asked, not saying anything and merely raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I..." Elsa started slowly, clearly fumbling to find the right words. "I should have talked to you about this a lot sooner..."

"Then why didn't you?" Anna asked, instantly regretting the fact she interrupted the blonde, because they'd never get to the heart of the matter like this.

"I was gathering my wits, as well as my courage," Elsa responded after a thoughtful silence. "Normally, I'm quite good with words, but for some reason I could never quite work up the courage to do what needed to be done."

"Which is to throw me a ball?"

"Ah, so at least you've figured that much. That's... good."

"I had some help," Anna admitted reluctantly. "Rapunzel had to practically spell it out for me."

Elsa hummed softly. "My apologies for that. I should have been the one to tell you, of course. I dedicated the ball to you because... well..."

"Elsa," Anna interrupted again, seeing the blonde struggle with her words. "If you're throwing me a goodbye party because you want me to go back to my village, where I have a perfectly lovely mansion waiting for me, you can just come out and say it, okay? I won't be angry or upset..."

That was a lie, of course. She would be upset, but she'd be understanding too. She'd always known she couldn't live at the castle forever.

"What?! Anna, no! That's not it. Not even remotely close," Elsa bristled fiercely enough to startle the redhead. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Well, the whole avoiding me business, the whole not telling me business, you struggling to form proper sentences, and the fact that you're throwing a ball for me."

Elsa sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You make a fair point. I really handled this entire situation quite poorly." She paused for a moment, looking out of the window before continuing. "I said it before and I'll say it again, Anna. I won't send you away from the castle if you don't want to go. You're not an inconvenience to anyone, and you can remain here for as long as you want."

"But?"

Elsa's lips quirked upwards slightly, for just the briefest of moments. "There's not 'but' to that statement. I simply miscalculated. For a while, I operated under the impression that you were as knowledgeable about the ways of the court as everyone in my environment. But you're not a lady, or a princess or a queen. So you had no way of knowing, or even suspecting, what I expected you to know and suspect. I only realized the error of my ways when Rapunzel pointed it out."

Anna bit her lip as she slowly nodded, urging Elsa to continue.

"Everyone kept telling me how foolish I had been. And, since I waited so long, it became only more difficult to tell you what I needed to tell you."

"Which is?" Anna urged, feeling an upsetting combination of anxiety and impatience.

Elsa heaved a deep sigh, staring out of the window again. "Foreign royalty and nobility would not have come to Arendelle just to say goodbye to a peasant, Anna. Even if she were the daughter of a rather successful international merchant."

Anna felt her eyebrows pulling together. "That... actually makes a lot of sense. Brings me to the question at hand, though: why would they come?"

Elsa smiled tightly. "There are a lot of reasons for a princess to throw someone a ball," she said slowly, as if to make sure Anna would understand every word she said. "The most prominent, however, is-"

A knocking on the door, followed by the door being opened and a redheaded, smartly dressed, well-carried man entering the study, interrupted Elsa and caused Anna to groan.

"Elsa," he smiled charmingly. "Terribly sorry to interrupt you, but your parents asked me to come and find you, and bring you to your father's study. They seemed... cross."

Elsa closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Was Rapunzel by any chance there as well?"

The redhead nodded mutely.

"Great," Elsa groaned.

"Your father bid you to come to his study post haste. It... did not seem like he was joking," the redhead continued hesitantly. "It might be best not to be rebellious."

"You have no idea," Elsa groaned as she got up. "Anna, this is Prince Hans from the Southern Isles. We've been friends for as long as I can recall. Hans, this is Anna."

The prince extended his hand with a bow, kissing Anna's knuckles as she proffered her own hand. "Miss Anna... It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you that you seemed almost too good to be true."

Anna could merely raise her eyebrows before Hans continued. "Elsa, I really think that-"

"Yes, yes. I'm coming. Um, Anna, I hate to cut this conversation short like this, but we really do not want to see father upset. Shall I come to your chambers when I'm ready so we can... continue our conversation?"

"Um. Sure, works for me," Anna responded hesitantly. "Just don't take too long, please..."

"I'll do my best," Elsa promised before she and Hans scurried out of the study and out of Anna's sight.

The redhead dropped herself back into the chair she had just occupied, heaving a deep sigh and staring at the ceiling. "Now I still know diddly-squat."

Anna hated waiting. She preferred just being able to take action, set matters into motion, and ride along with whatever happened afterwards. Hence, sitting in her chambers and waiting for Elsa to show up was a jarring exercise in patience.

And Anna was quickly beginning to learn that she had very little of that to begin with. And, having been waiting for hours, and knowing that the ball would begin in hours, Anna had long since gotten the horrible feeling that Elsa had resumed her attempts to avoid Anna.

When there was finally a knocking at Anna's door, at five in the afternoon and thus only three hours before the ball was to start, Anna elatedly jumped off the bed she had been moping on to throw the door open. Only to find Gerda, the elderly servant that had showed her this room when she first arrived at the castle, and whom she had met several times since, smiling back at her.

"Good evening, dear," she smiled. "I've been asked to be your servant for tonight, and to make sure you have absolutely everything you need."

"Oh..." Anna muttered, trying her best not to let the disappointment seep into her voice. "Have you, by any chance, seen Elsa?"

"I believe she's still with her parents in the King's Study. Seems they're discussing some rather important issues. I brought you dinner, since I wasn't certain if the finger food and snacks at the ball would be able to sustain an energetic young thing like you."

The redhead smiled gratefully as Gerda placed the tray with food on her side-table and made her way into the bathroom. "You just go and enjoy your dinner, dear. I'll draw you a bath and prepare everything to get you ready in no-time at all. You'll be the belle of the ball tonight, you'll see."

Anna nodded her assent, foregoing a verbal response in favour of stuffing her face with the simple but delectable food Gerda had delivered - a simple vegetable stew with an assortment of sides. Despite the fact that she still hadn't talked to Elsa, and knew nothing of whatever was going on, she felt the nerves and excitement for tonight's ball grow in equal measures.

She'd never attended a ball, of course. There had been the occasional banquet, back when her father had still been with her, but that had just been with the other villagers, and every now and again a colleague her father had met through his trading.

Tonight would consist of princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, barons and baronesses, possibly even kings and queens. Who could ever have expected little old Anna to be found in such company? She certainly hadn't envisioned such a scenario for herself... At least not before she'd had the good fortune of meeting Elsa.

And what a blessing that had been, Anna mused as she tidied up the plate that had, moments ago, contained her dinner and made her way to the bathroom, were Gerda was quietly humming to herself, testing the water temperature.

Not only had Elsa improved Anna's living conditions by, at least, a tenfold, she had also become a close friend. Someone who would listen when Anna needed to get something off her chest, and someone to whom she could go when she needed advice on something. Someone who would stand up for her whenever it came down to it, and someone who had, without hesitation or fault, taken her side.

But also someone with whom she could play games, or just silently sit and read, barely acknowledging one another but still taking comfort in the fact that they were sitting together. Someone with whom she could endlessly talk about every topic under the sun, but also someone she could comfortably watch while she worked in silence, taking in how her expressions changed while reading foreign letters or important documents.

Even if, at some point, Anna would have to return to her village and live in her childhood home, she had little doubt that there would always be some form of contact between her and Elsa. Despite not having known the blonde princess for all that long, it was almost impossible to envision a life completely devoid of her presence.

Just attempting to imagine such a life caused Anna's stomach to sink, and her insides to knot uncomfortably. She and Elsa had grown inexplicably close in the time she had spent at the castle, something of which Anna was still in awe. It was hard to believe that her best friend was the princess of the kingdom.

Though, at the very least, it made more sense than her also having befriended a princess from another kingdom. As well as a knight who shared carrots with his reindeer. The thought alone made her grimace, and she tried to focus on the hot water rinsing her body.

Yes, Anna realised... She was beyond lucky to be in the position she was in right now. She could only hope that tonight would not be an explosive end to what might as well have been a dream come true...

Anna stared at her reflection in the mirror, barely able to recognize herself in the image in front of her, even though she knew that the mirror couldn't lie.

The woman in front of her looked like a princess from a fairy tale, her fiery hair tamed and artfully manipulated into a stylish bun, leaving only a few tendrils to frame her face. Her make-up had been applied moderately, accentuating the blue hue of her eyes and the red of her lips, as well as making her eyebrows and eyelashes just a tad more pronounced.

The dress, a summer green skirt topped by a black bodice embroidered with golden floral patterns, must have cost at least a fortune and was made out of the softest and most high-quality cloth Anna had ever laid eyes on. She wore a simple silver bracelet on the one arm that wasn't covered with a sleeve, and from her neck dangled a delicate silver chain holding a shiny snowflake pendant.

"Are you ready, dear?" Gerda asked from behind her. "You certainly look ready, if I may be so free as to say so."

"Thank you, Gerda," Anna smiled earnestly. "You've done a great job."

"It was entirely my pleasure," Gerda smiled in return. "Come, I'll escort you to the ballroom."

She silently followed the matronly woman through the castle's corridors, which were all but deserted. Anna figured everyone had already migrated towards the ballroom, and her suspicions were confirmed when, after a few more turns, she could hear the soft din of dozens of conversations, which nearly drowned out the sound of music coming from the ballroom as well.

"I was instructed to let you enter the ballroom through the side entrance," Gerda explained as they took another turn. "It should allow you to enter relatively unnoticed. At least, for the time being. Princess Elsa felt you might not appreciate being announced, and having everyone gawking at you."

"She felt correctly," Anna muttered, though the sound quickly turned into a yelp when she felt herself being pulled sideways and around a corner.

"Gerda, I need to borrow Anna for a moment, please," Rapunzel's voice sounded airily. "I'll show her inside when we're done."

"Of course, Your Highness," Gerda responded with a kind smile and a curtsy.

As soon as they were alone, Rapunzel started staring at Anna intently, before releasing a frustrated puff of air. "She didn't talk to you."

It wasn't a question, but Anna shook her head in response nonetheless. "She started to, but we were interrupted."

Rapunzel shook her head with a frown - something that did not fit her features in the slightest. "It seems that, with all their good intentions, her parents only made matters worse," she brunette sighed. "God, she's such an idiot," she continued, grumbling to herself before turning towards Anna again.

"It's really not my place to tell you this... And, for heaven's sake, it should not have been me to tell you this... Obviously it should've been Elsa who told you... But because she's such a chicken, I guess I'll just have to... Can't let you walk in there unprepared... That would be cruel-"

"Rapunzel," Anna interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "Could you, perhaps, just tell me now?"

"Oh, right," the brunette responded sheepishly, before taking a deep breath. "Just don't freak out."

Anna nodded, silently urging the princess on.

"Elsa threw this ball to propose to you," Rapunzel blurted, words coming out so quickly Anna had to replay it mentally to figure out the meaning.

"Propose what to me?"

This time, Rapunzel was the one rolling her eyes. "Marriage, Anna. What else?"

Anna blinked dumbly. Once. Twice. Again, and again, just staring at the woman in front of her. After what felt like hours, but was probably minutes, she let go of a nervous little chuckle. "You're joking, right? Gosh, you looked so serious... That's-"

"I'm not joking, Anna," Rapunzel interrupted. "Honestly, it's glaringly obvious to anyone with eyes that Elsa is interested in you, Anna. Romantically interested."

Anna wavered for a moment, stepping backwards and leaning against the cold brick wall. "No... No, she's not..."

"She is," Rapunzel countered with an understanding look on her face. "She sends you flowers, Anna. She took you to a play that is, traditionally, a play people go to on dates. Elsa would move mountains for you, if you would ask her to..."

Anna could not do anything but shake her head feebly. "It's not... I don't..."

"By royal standards, Elsa has basically been courting you, Anna," Rapunzel continued, gentle but undeterred. "And like I said, she really should have told you this herself... But I did not want you going in that room, filled with people who believe the two of you to be in love and already gossiping about your marriage."

Anna's mind was frantically scampering around, trying to make sense of the information Rapunzel was providing her, and over-analysing everything that had occurred since she had met Elsa. Now, in hindsight, a lot of the blonde's actions could be viewed in an entirely different light, but the redhead still had trouble wrapping her mind around it.

At least everyone else's comments now made sense. Even Kristoff's vague hints were logical, now... Still, Anna's mind sought for any evidence to the contrary, any way out of the predicament she had somehow gotten herself into.

"But... Elsa was meeting with all those princes? Why would they be courting her if they were here for the-"

"They weren't courting her," Rapunzel interrupted gently. "It's just common decency for Arendelle royalty to properly welcome foreign royals when they come to Arendelle. The kings and queens have a little chat over coffee, or tea, or bourbon, and Elsa takes their children - princes, in these cases - out for a walk in the gardens."

"Oh..."

"Yeah," Rapunzel sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose firmly. "Listen, Anna... I know this is a lot for you to take in... I need to go inside, or I'll be missed. I think you should stay here and make sense of everything... Get your own feelings on the matter sorted out, okay? I'll let Elsa know that I've told you everything. When you're ready, just seek her out in there, alright? Or, if you think you'd be uncomfortable, come and find me. We'll work this out, I promise."

"Okay," Anna murmured softly, grateful for the strong hug Rapunzel wrapped her in. "I... I'll be right in."

As she watched Rapunzel retreating form duck into the ballroom via the small, non-assuming door, Anna felt her mind shifting into gear again. She turned around, taking the few steps towards the nearest window, and looked at the city below. "It really does, sort of, make sense," she muttered to her reflection. "All the doting, the promises, the notes, the flowers... How did I not see this before?"

Frowning at her reflection, she decided she needed to answer herself if she was to get any conversation going. "Of course you didn't notice," she grumbled, "what peasant girl would ever expect the princess to be courting her, right?"

"Right," she nodded to herself, rubbing her fingers over her chin. "The question now, though, is what I am going to do with the information now that I have it."

Again, her reflection nodded. "I suppose you should figure out how you feel about this, huh?"

"Yeah. I really should," she muttered. "But where to start?"

The reflection in the window frowned pensively, before looking positively enlightened. "How about this? For a moment, we pretend that Elsa is not a princess. Just imagine her being a regular woman..."

"That's kind of hard to do, though..." she muttered under her breath.

"But you like her, don't you?" her reflection asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Of course I do," Anna immediately nodded in response to her own question. "She's my best friend."

"And...?" she urged herself on.

"And she's kind and gracious, and polite and she's always there for me, and she's so beautiful and graceful and elegant and-"

"Let me stop you right there," she interrupted herself. "You're starting to sound like..."

There was a short silence as she looked at her reflection, waiting for the sentence to finish.

"Like you want to kiss her."

The mumbled words coming from her reflection - coming from her - gave Anna pause, hands gripping the windowsill tightly as she turned them over in her mind. Yes, she thought Elsa was a beautiful woman. But, then again, everyone would think that, right? It wasn't even an opinion. Just a fact, really...

Still, the words from her little conversation with herself caused her to imagine a vivid scenario of her and Elsa, walking around in the gardens, moonlight casting an ethereal glow on Elsa's pale skin. Their hands cradled together as they slowed to a stop near the large fountain, Elsa's free hand finding purchase on her hip, turning her towards her.

Being able to discern the faint freckles dotting the bridge of Elsa's nose, before drowning in those incredible blue eyes as Elsa pulled closer towards her. Her soft, minty breath warm against her own mouth. The whispered sound of her name, tumbling from those lips, just before they clasped together. Warm, soft lips sliding against her own and-

Her own gasp pulled her out of her own mind, and her reflection looked back at her, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. It took a few deep breaths before she looked and felt calm again. "Okay, so... I think it's safe to say I'm not opposed to that idea," she muttered at the window.

She was slightly surprised to find her reflection throwing her a smirk. "I'd say you're a little more than 'not opposed,' Anna..."

The redhead rolled her eyes, watching her reflection do the same. "So I find Elsa physically attractive, so what?"

The ensuing silence was longer, Anna and her reflection just staring at one another. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Physical attraction is all fine and well, but that's hardly what you build a marriage on, now is it?"

"So," her reflection responded immediately. "Let's go there, then. Can you see yourself living with Elsa?"

Closing her eyes again, Anna tried to picture it. Most of the images came quickly. Sharing breakfast with Elsa. Sitting in Elsa's office and working alongside her. Taking walks around the gardens, or the city, or the bay below. Having dinner together.

"But," she heard her reflection mutter. "These are things you already do now..."

"Maybe living with Elsa is not that different from what I am already doing..." Anna mused in response.

"Take it further," her reflection commanded gently. "Imagine a future."

Anna focused harder, the pictures changing rapidly behind her eyes. Going to bed with Elsa, snuggling up against her side as they kissed each other goodnight. Waking up together, day after day, and going about their business. Her and Elsa, chasing after a little girl, giggling as they ran laps through the throne room. Her and Elsa, sitting near this very window, overlooking the bay, old, wrinkled hands holding each other tightly.

As she opened her eyes again, her reflection looked back at her with a distinct look in her eyes that Anna could not really place. "What are you thinking?" she asked silently, already knowing the answer - she was talking to herself, after all.

With a deep breath, her reflection responded. "I'm thinking I just envisioned a whole life with Elsa, and the thought left me eerily giddy."

"Then I think you know what you - we - need to do."

Anna nodded once to her reflection, feeling silly about talking to herself for the first time. "Yeah. I need to get in there, and tell Elsa that she's an idiot."

"That too," the image in the mirror chuckled. "Go get your happy ending, Anna."

The redhead nodded again, turning towards the ballroom, before turning around to her reflection again. "Thanks, Anna."

As she took determined strides towards the small door, she mumbled a few last words to herself. "You're welcome. Don't mess this up."

Anna paused for a moment, hand resting on the doorknob to the ballroom, to close her eyes and take a deep breath. The sheer enormity of what she was about to do - what they were about to do - dawned on her, and she would be lying if she told someone she wasn't mildly terrified.

She supposed that was only to be expected though, if you were about to be engaged to the crown princess of Arendelle. Especially if said princess did not actually inform you of this beforehand, giving you some time to prepare. To wrap your mind around the whole idea of being married in the first place, being married to a woman in the second place, and being married to your best friend in the third place.

But, knowing that she couldn't change anything about it at the moment, and that she had no such luck as to be better prepared, the redhead pushed the door open as she slowly let the breath flow from her lungs.

As soon as she stepped inside, Anna's senses were overwhelmed. The scent of dozens of perfumes mixing together wafted into her nose, causing her crinkle her nose in distaste as she attempted not to gag. Luckily, no one had noticed her yet, all too caught up in their conversations, which, blending together, caused enough of a racket for everyone to have to raise their voices just ever so slightly to be heard.

Anna's eyes skimmed over the crowd, desperately seeking out some familiar face to cling to, someone who could help her keep adrift in this crowd of nobles and royals, where she still did not feel like she actually belonged. Over on her right, on the dais, she could discern Elsa's parents... but that was a can of worms she really wasn't interested in opening right now.

When she panned further to the left, she noticed Olaf, who was surrounded by gentlemen of his own age. As if sensing her gaze on the back of his head, Olaf turned around. Anna almost snickered at the apologetically shocked look Olaf shot her, but she was grateful that he seemed slightly more appeased when she gave him a shy wave.

Anna's search wandered further, and she finally found whom she had been searching. On the far side of the ballroom, she found Elsa and Rapunzel. In a sense it was funny, she thought, how well she knew those two women already. Anyone else would see them and think that they were just having a pleasant and polite conversation.

No one noticed the firm set of Elsa's jaw and the distant look in her eyes. And no one noticed the fiery glint in Rapunzel's eyes, and the way her hand gestures were just a little more animated and forceful than they usually were. Rapunzel was berating Elsa, who was entirely aware of everything she had done wrong. Still, Anna figured, she best go and come to her rescue.

Her feet took off before she could tear her gaze away from Elsa. Miraculously, she didn't hit anyone as she made her way through the crowd. At least not until she was about halfway there, and nearly toppled over a pretty brunette with a dainty gold crown resting atop her elaborate hairdo.

"Oh dear," Anna immediately started. "I am so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going, it was entirely my fault. I hope I didn't spill wine all over you?"

The brunette laughed lightly. "Not to worry. No harm no foul, no?"

"Right," Anna confirmed with a nod, relieved at the fact she hadn't upset some foreign royal with her clumsiness. "Excuse me, I think someone is waiting for me over there."

"I'm sure you're right," the brunette smiled kindly. "Perchance we will see each other again before the night is out, hm?"

Anna gave a quick, non-committal nod as she ducked sideways and in-between a group of chatting gentleman with waxed moustaches, slowly but surely making her way towards Elsa. The closer she came, the clearer it became that Rapunzel's berating was only getting more and more enthusiastic, and Elsa looked properly ashamed of herself.

It wasn't that Anna didn't think Elsa deserved it, because she really had thrown Anna for quite a loop by keeping her out of the loop. But... she still didn't like the look in Elsa's eyes, a mix between confusion, hurt and fear that she would not even wish upon her stepsisters.

Okay, maybe that was a lie. But she definitely didn't want to see that look in Elsa's eyes.

"There you are," Anna blurted as she came within hearing distances. "I've been looking all over for you, Elsa."

"Anna, I-" the blonde started, before immediately being cut off by the redhead.

"Rapunzel, would you mind if I borrowed her for a moment?" Anna asked sweetly.

Clearly, Rapunzel understood that it wasn't actually a question. She gave a nod with a small smile, and squeezed Anna's shoulder as she passed by them. "Certainly. I've been waiting for you to show up so I could go and have a look at all that chocolate over there."

Anna looked to follow Rapunzel's gaze, seeing a large table filled with chocolate, lined up against one of the walls. Somewhere down the line, she definitely had to go and have a better look at that.

"Um. Okay. Have... fun?"

"Oh, I will," Rapunzel grinned impishly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Anna smiled as the unspoken question registered in her mind. Will you still be here tomorrow? Are you and Elsa going to be okay?

Anna gave her a reassuring nod, before turning to Elsa. "Walk with me, please?"

Elsa wavered for a moment, seeming torn between walking and talking with Anna, and running like the demons from hell were on her tail. Anna decided to make the decision for her. "It wasn't as much as a question as it was a demand," she smiled, hoping it did not come off as too demanding. "I think it's the least you can do for me."

Elsa gave her a resigned little nod, demurely hooking their arms together and walking onwards, no clear destination in mind. If Anna had expected Elsa to start the conversation, she would have been sorely disappointed. "So... engagement, huh?" she started, trying to keep her tone light.

"I am so sorry," Elsa mumbled, looking as if she were about to cry.

Anna moved her head from side to side. "I confess it threw me for quite a loop when Rapunzel told me. I would have liked to have heard it from you, at least..."

Elsa nodded. "I know... I tried to tell you so many times... But my courage left me every time."

"I'm not that scary, am I?" Anna asked softly. "Did I ever do something to make you think you couldn't talk to me?"

At the sound of sadness, confusion and insecurity in Anna's voice, Elsa seemed to freeze, turning towards her and taking both of her hands in her own. "No, Anna. It's not you, never. I was just a coward."

Anna gave a curt nod as they continued walking. "So... How do we move on from here?"

Elsa hummed under her breath. "Well, I was hoping that, after tonight, we could still be friends. But I totally understand if you'd prefer to go back to-"

"I actually meant that question to be more in terms of our apparent impending engagement," Anna interrupted. "And I'm sure we'll still be friends, and I see no reason to suddenly flee from the castle. Unless you want me to go, but you told me several times that you don't, so I'll just go ahead and run with that answer until you tell me differently."

"Well, the announcement of the engagement is all rumours. I've never actually confirmed it, nor has anyone else. So we can just move on with the night and pretend that it's all just a misunderstanding and-"

Before Elsa could finish her response, they were interrupted by an elderly couple, who introduced themselves as the Duke and Duchess of somewhere-far-away and animatedly shook their hands. "Your Highness. We were surprised when the news of your engagement reached us. We just had to come out and see it for ourselves. You both must be so thrilled about the prospect!" the lady gushed.

Elsa raised a hand as she started speaking. "To be honest-"

"Yes, we certainly are," Anna smiled demurely, batting her lashes at Elsa. "I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

The look of pure and utter shock on Elsa's face made it hard for Anna to keep the charade up and keep herself from laughing. She also realized that, now that she had confirmed the rumours, there was absolutely no way to back out of it without humiliating the both of them.

Elsa had offered her an out, and Anna had refused to take it.

"Well, if I may be so free as to say it," the gentleman smiled kindly, "I think Her Highness is equally as lucky to have found you."

"That's very kind of you," Anna smiled shyly, ducking her head.

The two of them toddled off towards the snacks, and Elsa nearly pulled Anna from her feet when she started walking again. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" she asked in a low voice, making sure not to be overheard.

"Yes," Anna responded simply.

"You just confirmed the rumours, Anna. If we don't get engaged tonight, the whole kingdom will be talking about it. And the neighbouring kingdoms to boot."

Anna sighed. "I said I knew what I had done, Elsa. No need to spell it out."

"Then why?" the blonde demanded.

"Well," Anna started, pulling her and Elsa towards a more secluded spot. "Since you didn't actually talk to me about all of this beforehand, you probably have no clue about what I feel. You avoided the conversation because you were afraid of rejection, but apparently the thought that I might want to be engaged, and married, to you never crossed your mind."

Elsa stared back at her, entirely flabbergasted. "But-"

"Is it really so unimaginable that I might be romantically interested in you as well, Elsa? With your perfect hair, and your perfect eyes, and your perfect face, and your perfect everything? You're kind and polite, and loving, and caring. Is it really such a stretch for me to feel the same way about you as you do about me?"

"I... suppose not," Elsa conceded. "But you never-"

Anna sighed, rubbing her temple. "I know. I... only figured this out recently for myself. Like I said, when Rapunzel told me, it threw me for quite a loop and forced me to take a good look at my own feelings. All of this would have been so much easier if you'd just come to me a bit sooner."

"I... I know," Elsa sighed sadly. "So, you're not angry with me?"

Anna laughed without any humor. "Oh, I'm angry with you, alright. But tonight is not the night to talk about all of that, and I'm not letting my anger get in the way of something this big. I'll be honest with you, I'm still really confused. I'm not entirely certain of what I'm feeling, at all. But I can imagine the two of us together, getting old, sharing a life. So, tonight, you're going to propose to me, just like you've planned. And, spoiler alert, I'll say yes."

Elsa took a deep breath, appearing as shocked as Anna had felt before the ball started. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Anna confirmed. "However, first thing tomorrow we're having breakfast together. You and me. No Olaf, no Rapunzel, no parents. Just the two of us. And we're going to have a long, difficult conversation about the topics of marriage, future, and the importance of open communication."

Elsa gave her a firm nod. "I think that's a brilliant idea."

Anna smiled up at her. "Of course it is. Now let's go and pretend like this night has not been a complete mess of confusion and emotions for the both of us."

Elsa nodded again. "Would you be opposed to walking by my parents to let them know I did not bring the kingdom to ruin?"

Anna laughed under her breath. "No, I think we should probably go and do that. I imagine they have known about your plans for a while?"

"Yes. And, before you ask, they entirely approve of my choice in spouses. They'd love to have you as their daughter-in-law. They do not approve, however, of my... inability to..."

"Say no more," Anna interrupted. "I'm pretty sure I get the picture."

They reached the king and queen without further interruptions, and Anna imagined that being stared down by the two of them felt akin so some sort of inquisition without questions. Finally, the queen smiled gently. "Anna, I'm so glad to see that the two of you have... worked everything out."

"Me too," Anna smiled in return. "We still have a fair bit of talking to do, but we agreed to put that off until tomorrow."

The king cleared his throat nervously. "Does that mean that the engagement is-"

"We'll be announcing it in an hour or so," Elsa cut in.

"Ah, I see. Very good. It would be embarrassing for everyone if it weren't to take place after all the rumour you've started..."

"I didn't start any rumours, Father," Elsa corrected. "Things just tend to get a life of their own around here."

"Well, you can't blame people for talking when you invite a lovely young lady to live in the castle with you, and then take her to a play, have dresses and jewellery made for her, and persistently bug the royal florist for fresh bouquets," the queen laughed, causing Elsa to turn beet-red.

"For what it's worth," Anna whispered in her ear as they walked away, "I think it's really cute."

Before they could walk a few feet onwards, Olaf skidded to a halt in front of them. "Did you guys figure it out?" he asked, sounding out of breath. "I mean, Anna, I'd have told you, but everyone kept telling me that it wasn't my business and that I shouldn't butt in. But really, it was painful to watch how clueless you were and-"

"Hey!" Anna interrupted in mock-outrage. "Are you calling me stupid?"

Olaf wavered for a brief moment. "No... Not really. More like, dense maybe? Yes. Definitely dense. Not stupid, though."

Seeing as he at least had the decency to look apologetic, Anna decided to cut him some slack. "Fine. I can live with dense. Keep that in mind for the next time, and make your hints more obvious, please..."

Olaf gave her an exaggerated bow. "Very well, Milady. I shall keep that in mind. Now, if you'd excuse me, I see a lovely lady standing on her own."

Olaf walked off with a ridiculous strut, causing Anna and Elsa both to snicker as they continued their own walk around the ballroom, nodding to total strangers, and exchanging pleasantries with the few that actually approached them.

"So, Anna forgave you for your idiocy, huh?" Rapunzel's voice suddenly sounded from behind them. They pivoted around the find the tiny brunette standing there, hands resting on her hips and still looking royally angry.

"Yes, she did," Elsa conceded with a dip of her head.

Rapunzel turned her attention towards Anna. "Does that mean I can stop being angry at her?"

Anna chuckled. "No need to keep up appearances for my sake."

Rapunzel launched forward, wrapping the two of them in a very un-royal hug. "Thank goodness. It wasn't fun at all to be berating you all the time, Elsa. I hope I didn't go too far."

"You didn't," Elsa assured her, returning the hug gently.

"Good. Because you totally deserved all of it," Rapunzel smiled impishly as she pulled back.

"Trust me, I know," the blonde smiled in return.

And just like that, the petite princess dashed off without further explanation, leaving a throng of annoyed and disgruntled guests in her wake as she sped in between them.

As they continued to walk, Anna noticed a presence behind her. She inconspicuously peered over her shoulder to find a small, elderly gentleman standing behind them, busily rubbing a piece of cloth over his monocle.

Anna didn't think much of it, until she noticed him walking behind them again after a few minutes. A few minutes after that, he was casually standing behind them as Elsa talked to some ambassador from somewhere-or-other. Fifteen minutes after that, he was standing beside them as they decided which snacks to indulge in.

When she was reasonably certain that he was out of earshot, and she and Elsa were on the move again, she gently nudged the blonde's side. "We're being followed."

To her surprise, Elsa sighed. "A small man, wearing a monocle and a horrible looking toupee?"

Anna nodded mutely, because there really wasn't much for her to add to Elsa's description.

"That's just the Duke of Weselton. He wants us to notice him and engage in conversation. If we're lucky, he'll either get distracted or he will lose interest. If we're not-"

"Your Highness," a squeaky voice interrupted. "Such a pleasure to see you again."

Elsa's arm noticeably stiffened as the Duke walked up to them with an exaggerated spring in his step. "And I see your friend is keeping you company."

Elsa's smile was more of a forced grimace than anything else. "Anna, meet the Duke of Weselton. Sir, Anna Anderson."

"You must be very good friends, for you to be staying here and all," the Duke smiled.

"We're a little more than friends, sir," Anna responded with a fake smile of her own.

"Ah," the man murmured, hastily pulling his hand back. "So the rumour is true, then?"

"If you are referring to our engagement," Elsa answered testily, "then yes. We'll be announcing it tonight."

The man's pleasant countenance turned into one of apparent disgust and disapproval within the blink of an eye. "That's unfortunate. I didn't want to believe what everyone was saying, Your Highness. I've always thought quite highly of you."

"And now you don't, because I decided to marry a woman?" Elsa countered, keeping her cool.

"Indeed. It's unnatural. It disgusts me! It's an abomination," the man sputtered, jumping up and down in agitation. For a moment, it looked as if he would jump them, but before he could even decide to do so, Kristoff stepped in between them.

"Keep it down, old timer, or I'll have to escort you outside," Kristoff said in an intimidating baritone.

The man huffed one final time, before spinning on his heels and stalking off to the other side of the ballroom. Kristoff just watched him go, before turning towards the two of them. "Glad to see you two finallyfigured everything out. If you need me, I'll be lurking in the shadows."

And just like that he disappeared out of sight again, leaving Anna to wonder if he were some kind of magician. Then again, disappearing in a room this crowded wasn't exactly difficult.

Anna was about to ask whatever had just happened, but Elsa already spoke before she could utter the first syllable. "He is offended because I decided to marry a peasant woman over one of his sons," the blonde shrugged. "I'm sure he'll get over it. Eventually."

"If you say so," Anna murmured uncertainly, looking at the retreating form of the small duke. As she watched him disappear from view, she walked up to something that was a startlingly familiar shade of yellow.

"Twice in one night," the familiar voice of the woman she had almost toppled over before laughed. "I'm beginning to think you're searching me out. Oh, Elsa, hello. You look well."

"Belle," Elsa smiled in return, giving the woman a loose hug. "I assume you've met Anna?"

"Yes, we ran into one another earlier tonight," the brunette smiled. "Proper introductions, we did not have, though."

"I see," Elsa smiled. "Well, Belle, this is Anna Anderson. Anna, this is Belle. She's the princess of France."

"Oh my," Anna stammered. "Again, I'm so sorry. Like, even more than before. I mean, I was sorry before but-"

"I assure you it is quite fine," the brunette princess laughed daintily. "I am sure you had no ill intentions."

"Belle and I have been friends since we were little," Elsa smiled. "Although, generally, we do not get to see each other more than twice a year."

Belle nodded sadly. "So, my friend, the rumours are true?"

Elsa nodded as well. "Yes. Although I'll go crazy if anyone asks me that question one more time tonight."

"The only way to prevent that is to make the announcement, non?"

Elsa looked at Anna, who gave her a determined nod. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Famous last words," Elsa muttered with a wry smile, waving Belle goodbye. "You do know that the announcement is generally concluded with a kiss, correct?"

Anna had read enough romance novels to know that that was generally how things went, so she nodded demurely. "Yes, I'm aware of that."

"And you're alright with that?" Elsa asked uncertainly.

Anna heaved a deep sigh. "Yeah. I'm good."

With an understanding nod, Elsa led her to the dais, where they met up with the king and queen again. After a single hand gesture towards one of the guards, the sound of trumpets suddenly caused the entire ballroom to fall silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Her Royal Highness, Princess Elsa of Arendelle," a herald called loudly, catching the attention of the few people that were still murmuring.

Anna had to admit she was impressed by the calm façade Elsa managed to present to the ballroom. Anna knew she was pretty close to terrified, evidenced by the barely-noticeable trembling of her hands, and the drop of sweat rolling down her neck.

"Everyone, welcome to Arendelle. I'm glad to see that you could all join us for tonight's momentous occasion. I'm certain that many, if not all, of you have heard the rumours regarding the reason for tonight's ball."

There was a slight lull while everyone murmured with their neighbour, before returning their attention back to Elsa.

"Some time ago, I met the most wonderful person," the blonde continued. "And in a place where I least expected to find love, I did just that. Many of you would call our relationship unconventional. And I would be the last to disagree with that statement. But not for any of the reasons you would name. Not because she is a woman. Not because she is not of royal, or even noble, descent.

Our relationship is unconventional because every relationship is. Two people, loving each other, wanting to spend their lives together... is the most beautiful thing I can imagine. And I want to spend the rest of my life with Anna. So," Elsa paused, turning towards Anna and magically producing a small box from... somewhere.

"Anna Anderson, would you do me the honour of marrying me?" she asked, holding out the prettiest ring Anna had ever seen.

"I would love to," Anna smiled, pulling Elsa just a little bit closer towards her as the blonde slipped the ring around Anna's finger. "The honour would be all mine."

Elsa kept moving closer while the crowd applauded and cheered. So close that Anna could smell the chocolate they had just had on the princess' breath. So close that she could see the tiniest freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. As their lips touched, Anna closer her eyes and released a happy, content sigh.

The kiss was chaste, and never seemed to end.

And Anna wasn't sure she ever wanted it to end, either.

Anna rubbed her temples as she stared at the clock on the far wall, then back at the food in front of her, and back at the clock again. Elsa was late. Which was to be expected, considering it was nine in the morning on the day after their engagement ball. But, nevertheless, Anna kept fearing that Elsa had decided not to have the agreed upon breakfast conversation and was back in hiding.

Then again, the redhead figured, she should probably cut Elsa some slack. When Anna had decided to retire for the night, at around three o'clock and after having endured at least a hundred handshakes and congratulatory well-wishes, Elsa had still been socialising with all the foreigners that had flocked to Arendelle for the occasion.

It was, then, only to be expected that Elsa would be much worse off this morning, right? She was probably just asleep still, and for Anna to blame her for that would be pretty hypocritical. Seeing as sleeping was one of her most favourite pastimes...

Besides, they lived in the same castle, for heaven's sake... Even is Elsa were avoiding her - which she wasn't, just for the record, probably - she wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. They were bound to run into one another at some point, even if Anna were not planning on actively seeking the blonde out. Which she was, of course.

The clock striking half past drew Anna's attention for a moment, leading her to miss Elsa's entrance into the room until the blonde was already seated across from her, looking so dishevelled Anna suspected she had only just rolled - literally - out of bed.

"Anna, I'm so sorry I'm a little late. I overslept and-" the blonde started firing off rapidly, looking way more apologetic than Anna deemed necessary.

"Hey, hey, easy, Elsa. I'm not mad. You got to bed pretty late, I imagine, so I can't blame you for oversleeping, really..."

Elsa let out a relieved breath, causing Anna to huff. "Way to make me out to be some sort of tyrant that needs to be feared, Elsa... I can't possibly be that bad, can I?"

"No," Elsa started slowly. "But I figured you'd be more upset. Not just about me being late but about... all of it, you know?"

Anna smiled, aiming for gentle and reassuring. "I am more confused than upset, Elsa. You worry too much, it's not like I'm going to murder you in your sleep because of some perceived slight. I find myself to be quite reasonable, and if one of us does something wrong, we can just talk about it, like we're doing now. Besides, you look like hell, so I'll go easy on you this morning," she added with an impish smile.

"Sheesh, thanks, Anna," Elsa grumbled. "You just look way too prim and proper for a morning like this."

They were silent for several moments, Elsa nibbling on a piece of toast while Anna was working out what she wanted to say. Eventually, the redhead sighed and leaned her head back. "So, how does all this work?"

"Breakfast?" Elsa asked in a confused tone.

"No, I meant our engagement, marriage. You know, the rest of our lives?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows into her hairline. "Well... If you want to just annul the engagement, that's fine too, Anna. We can just wait a few weeks and blow the whole thing off. We don't have to pretend-"

Anna playfully slapped her hand over Elsa's mouth, silencing her instantly. "Elsa, you're great and all, but I swear, if you're going to imply I don't want to marry you again, we'll be in big trouble."

"So," Elsa started once Anna had removed her hand again, "you really want to go through with this?"

Anna nodded instantly. "Yeah, I do. I know it's crazy. I feel like it was just yesterday when we met, but I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Even before I figured out the whole romantic angle of the situation, it was unfathomable to have a life without you in it. I'm just a bit confused about the... logistics?"

"Logistics?"

"Yeah. Logistics," Anna muttered, uncertainly.

Elsa gave a pensive nod, more to her breakfast plate than to Anna. "You will continue to live here, of course. In the castle, not in the breakfast room," Elsa clarified sheepishly. "That being said... um... we'll probably start... sharing rooms. At some point. If you want?"

Anna gave a slow, hesitant nod. "Um, sure. But... let's build up towards sleeping together, if that's alright?"

"Yes. Totally," Elsa rushed out. "Um, concerning your mansion back in your village... you can just keep it as a holiday home or something. There's no need to immediately make any decisions on that..."

"Okay," Anna nodded again, making mental notes. "What about work? Will I be expected to help running the kingdom? Because, you know, I have zero experience in that department."

"I could teach you, if you want? Or, you could do something entirely different. I mean, as Princess-Consort, you don't necessarily need to be involved in kingdom management. As Queen, it'd be-"

"Wait, wait," Anna interrupted, waving her hands. "Princess? Queen?"

"Well, yes," Elsa replied dryly. "You're marrying a princess, Anna. That would make you princess-consort. And since I'm my parents' firstborn child, I'll ascent to the throne when the time is right... and become queen. With you, beside me... as... another queen."

"Is that even possible?"

Elsa nodded quickly. "It is. It's unheard of in Arendelle, but it's definitely possible."

"Okay... well, if I'm going to be a queen someday... I'd like to help in any way I can..."

"I'll teach you everything you need to know," Elsa promised softly, placing her hand on Anna's. "Don't worry about that. It will all be fine."

"Alright," Anna conceded after a moment. "So... when will we be getting married, then?"

"Let's hold off on that for the time being," Elsa replied slowly. "We can have our wedding in a few months' time. We only had our first kiss yesterday, after all..."

Anna nodded. "I agree we should definitely have a few repeat performances of that kiss, yes," she smiled mischievously. "But I need you to make me a promise first."

Elsa merely looked inquisitive, her eyes spurring Anna on to continue.

"I need you to promise me that, whenever there is something you need to tell me, whether I'll like it or not, you just come to me and talk to me, Elsa. We can't do this whole surprise-life-changing-decision thing again. It's not fair to me to keep me in the dark like that."

"It won't happen again," Elsa claimed, giving Anna's hand a squeeze.

"It better not," Anna muttered. "I swear it, Elsa. I'm letting you off easy this time. But I won't be so easy going if it happens again."

"I understand, Anna. I promise it won't happen again. Ever."

Anna gave a nod, squeezing Elsa's hand in return. "Good. Then, how about we go for a walk, and maybe after that we can go practice our kissing a little more?"

The redhead couldn't help smirking at the blush that overtook Elsa's face as she pulled her up from the chair and started dragging her towards the gardens.

Anna carefully ran her hand through her hair, making very sure not to disturb the delicate silver crown perched on top of her fiery strands. The king and queen had given it to her, and insisted that she wear it until she'd receive a formal crown after her wedding.

It consisted of fine silver bands, which formed a delicate floral pattern, adorned with emeralds and sapphires, which caught the light and shone up every time Anna had turned her head in front of the mirror. Despite that fact that she absolutely adored her new accessory, it still felt a little weird to be walking around town like this.

Apparently, the news from last night had spread through the city like a wildfire, and now even the children running about were aware of who Anna was, eyeing her from afar, pointing and nudging one another, and eyes growing wide and round whenever Anna would wave at one of them.

"How much time do we have left?" Anna asked Kristoff, who trailed exactly one step behind her today, seeing as Elsa was with her parents, and thus well-protected even without her personal bodyguard.

"Enough for you to drop by the orphanage," the knight smiled. "Though we won't be able to stay long."

"That's alright," Anna smiled in return. "I just want to swing by and say hi."

As the orphanage came into view, Anna realised that word of her arrival must already have travelled ahead of them, nearly all of the children standing near the gate, waving their little arms off, the adults standing behind them with indulgent smiles.

"Princess Anna!" Ellie, the shy, blonde girl, called loudly as they approached, waving frantically as one of the caretakers opened the gate. Anna immediately found herself swarmed with little bodies, the adults standing behind them and curtsying politely.

"This is going to take some getting used to," the redhead murmured to herself, patting heads and shoulders whenever they would come into reach.

"Hey there, everyone. I can't stay long today, but I wanted to come by and say hello to all of you really quickly. Have you all been behaving properly?"

All of the kids nodded, a chorus of 'uh-huh' and 'yes' resounding across the little square. "Can we see your crown, Princess Anna?" one of the boys asked excitedly.

Anna gave a quick nod, kneeling down to their level so they could see it from up-close. "Of course you can, but no touching, okay?"

All of the orphans obediently folded their hands behind their backs, eyes inspecting the silver crown with more interest than Anna had thought possible. The girls repeatedly told her how pretty it was, the boys shyly nodding in agreement.

When Anna got back up to her feet, she felt a little hand clinging to her skirt. "Princess Anna?" Ellie asked, looking up at her through long eyelashes.

"Yes, Ellie?" Anna responded, kneeling back down again.

"Now that you're a princess, does that mean you'll stop coming by to play with us?" the little child asked, looking as if she were about to cry.

Anna immediately drew the little blonde into a hug. "Of course not, little one. I'll still come and play with you guys as often as I can, okay?"

"But won't you be really busy?" one of the other children asked.

"I might be," Anna conceded. "But I'll never be too busy to visit all of you. I promise."

The children cheered for a little while, before being shepherded back inside by the caretakers. Anna smiled kindly as the headmistress walked up to her. "Your Highness," she curtsied. "You really needn't come by if it is an inconvenience. We would all understand, and the children would, too."

Anna shook her head kindly. "I assure you that spending time with these adorably little beasties can never be an inconvenience," Anna smiled. "I meant what I said: I'll still come by whenever I can. Sure, it might not be as often as it has been up to now, but I'll still come by nonetheless."

"I'm sure the children would love that. And I can say with certainty that the caretakers would appreciate it as well. The children are always so exhausted when you've been by, they go to sleep like babies."

"That's good to hear," Anna smiled, nodding to Kristoff, who was indicating that it was time for them to continue. "It seems I need to be off, now, though. I'll send word to let you know when I will be coming by again."

"Of course, Your Highness," the headmistress said with another curtsy.

She and Kristoff walked on in silence, having grown comfortable with one another in the time Anna had spent at the castle, knowing there was no need for idle chit-chat when they did not feel like it.

They turned the corner onto the main street running through the city, finding it to be moderately busy, considering it was a cloudy morning. The usual laidback and sociable atmosphere, however, seemed to have been disturbed, people looking grumpy and annoyed above anything else.

The reason soon became apparent, when Kristoff and Anna walked into - almost literally - two street sweepers who were clouding the air with dust and sand by sweeping too roughly, occasionally hitting people's legs with their brooms, and at one point even knocking someone's hat off.

When Anna suddenly found the end of the broom closing in on her face fast, she was only slightly surprised to find Kristoff suddenly standing in-between her and it, the broom hitting his armoured chest with a dull clunk, not doing any damage whatsoever.

"Sir!" Kristoff boomed at the sweeper. "I'm going to have to ask you to be more careful!"

"Who are you calling a 'sir' you big oafish imbecile!" a frighteningly familiar voice screeched loudly, swinging the broom at Kristoff's head with great fervor.

Now that they could see underneath the rim of the head, Anna recognized one of her stepsisters, realizing that the other street sweeper would probably be the other one. Kristoff easily grabbed the broom, stopping it mid-air, glowering at the woman.

"Assaulting a Royal Guard is an offense to the Crown, Miss," he grunted, ripping the broom out of her hands. "I'll see to it that you lose your job, at the very least."

"Again," Anna muttered dryly from behind he guard, catching her stepsister's attention.

"You!" she screeched loudly, pointing her finger accusingly, immediately catching her sister's attention as well. "Why are you here with a Royal Guard?"

Kristoff huffed. "It's my duty to protect the members of the Royal House of Arendelle," he muttered through gritted teeth. "And if you don't show some respect, I'll-"

"Why are you protecting that silly little wench, then? She's no royalty. She isn't even a noble! She's just an insignificant, unimportant, useless little waste of-"

"ENOUGH!"

Anna looked around to find the source of the voice, pretty sure it was a heavier one than Kristoff's, and came from a different direction. Her eyes grew wide when she noticed the King of Arendelle - as well as the entire royal family and Rapunzel - walking up to them.

"That is enough," the king continued angrily, stepping forwards. "That is no way to speak to, or about, my future daughter-in-law. Your future princess. Your future Queen!"

Anna's stepsisters gulped, opening and closing their mouths like fish on land, as their mother walked up behind them, eyes narrowing dangerously as she took the situation in, and dropped the bag of garbage on the pavement beside her. "You mean to say that she," she started, pointing a crooked finger at the redhead, "is going to-"

The queen interrupted her, voice equally as icy as Anna's stepmother's. "Anna will be marrying our daughter, Crown Princess Elsa. And, when the time is right, she will ascent to the throne and become the new Queen of Arendelle."

Olaf chimed in, cheeky smile gracing his face. "I bet you are wishing you had treated her better right about now, aren't you?"

Upon noticing Prince Olaf, both of Anna's stepsisters seemed to regain their speech. "My prince!" the first one screeched. "You came back for me, my love!"

The second one dropped to her knees in front of Olaf. "My beloved, I will devote my life to serving you. Take me to be your wife and-"

"Stop it!" Olaf bellowed, and Anna marvelled that this was the first time she'd seen him angry. "You two ugly wretches cannot seriously believe that I would want to marry you, can you? Not after I've seen how you treated Anna? I treat the filth under my shoes better than you treated your sister! Get away from me, and stay away, or I'll have you exported to the northern most border of this kingdom, in a hut on the Northern Mountain!"

Both women broke down in pathetic sobs and cries, resembling heaps of garbage piled on the street. Anna's stepmother, however, stepped forward, ducking beside a distracted Kristoff and grabbing Anna's hand.

"Anna, my love. I know we have not always treated you as well as we could have. Should have. But we're your family, remember? Your father would have wanted us to get along! Can you not find it in your beautiful heart to forgive us?" she implored, falling to her knees as well.

Anna carefully took her hand from the other woman's clutches. "If I hadn't known you so well, I might have," she admitted. "But I know this is just you, hoping to improve your social standing and personal finances by getting in my good graces now that I am to be royalty..." She sighed, a brief silence stretching between them.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I don't harbour any ill will towards any of you," she admitted with a small smile. "You may have been my family, once... But I have a new family now," she continued, turning around and walking towards Elsa and her family. "A family that appreciates me. A family that values me for who I am. I wish you the best of luck in life, but you will have to go about it without me."

"Come on," the king said, "let's get going."

Before they could walk away, however, Elsa turned around again. "Anna may have the goodness to forgive you for everything, but I'm afraid I'm not that big-hearted. If I ever see you mistreating her, or anyone else, I'll personally drop you off in the woods somewhere mid-winter, far out of anyone's reach. Consider that a promise," she said in an icy tone, before hooking her arm through Anna's and walking after her parents.

Anna smiled as she looked out of the window and took in the bay below her. The sun was slowly setting, turning the sky a bright red, and the sea a sparkling orange. It had been exactly two weeks since their engagement - she still couldn't really wrap her head around it, but supposed that would come, eventually - and tonight was the night of their first official date.

It had been a terrible hassle to find a suitable time for the both of them - Elsa spent nearly all of her time working, and Anna spent most of her time either at the orphanage, or with Elsa in an attempt to learn how to govern a kingdom.

But eventually, Anna had decided to just ask Elsa on a date, providing a fairly random day. Elsa had immediately agreed, and Anna had overheard discussions about postponing meetings and delegating paperwork, so apparently Elsa had been looking forward to this as much as she had.

Next problem had been to decide on a venue for their date. Anna herself had never actually dated. And she had certainly never dated a princess. Where did you take a princess, if you wanted her to have a good time?

She had immediately struck all the expensive restaurants and other 'distinguished' forms of entertainment. She was certain Elsa had been to each and every one of them already, and Anna wanted their first date to be something she'd remember forever.

"I assume," the blonde's voice suddenly came from behind, sounding breathy and nervous, "that our date does not consist of standing in this corridor?"

"You assume correct," Anna quipped, turning around and immediately feeling her mouth opening in amazement. Elsa was wearing a long, navy-blue dress with little sparkles that reminded Anna of freshly fallen snow. The dress left a single shoulder bare, revealing a tantalizing amount of flawless pale skin, and for the first time since Anna had known the princess, she wore her hair loose, rather than in a bun or braid.

"You look um... really amazing," she said around a flustered blush, nervously swiping a strand of hair behind her ear. She knew that her own ensemble - the emerald dress she'd worn to their engagement ball - didn't measure up to her fiancée's, but was nevertheless pleased to see that she had the same effect on Elsa as the blonde had on her. "Shall we?"

The blonde dipped her head with a faint smile as she took Anna's arm and followed her down the corridor. "You look quite spectacular yourself. Mind telling me where we're going?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Anna grinned.

"You did say there would be food, correct?" Elsa asked, aiming for casual but landing far-off.

Anna hummed affirmatively. "Indeed I did."

"Good," Elsa said, her stomach making itself known in that very moment, causing Elsa to blush.

"Skipped lunch again?" Anna asked knowingly.

Elsa gave her an embarrassed nod. "Time slipped past me completely."

Anna's smile grew a little wider as they walked outside, a coachman already holding the door open for them. "How about this? I'll bring you your lunch tomorrow, so you can't possibly forget."

As they settled on the soft cushions, Elsa shook her head. "You really don't have to, Anna."

"I don't mind," the redhead shrugged. "It won't be a bother, really. Plus, I'll get to spend some extra time with you, and I'll be assured of the fact that you take proper care of yourself."

"Well, if you put it that way," Elsa reluctantly started, looking out the window as they rolled out of the courtyard. "I suppose it would be nice to have lunch together in my study, tomorrow."

"I knew you'd come to see things my way," Anna grinned. Her smile grew only wider as she watched Elsa, who was clearly trying to figure out where they were headed.

"Please tell me we are not going to the Pearl of the Seas," she suddenly groaned. "That place is filthy as the backside of a wild hog."

Anna snorted a laugh, quickly covering it with her hand. "Not really the place for royalty to dine, now is it?"

The blonde shrugged. "I sometimes slipped into some of the servants' dresses to go out and explore the town. I learned... a lot."

"I can only imagine," Anna chuckled. "I think there are more sailors and ladies of the night in the Pearl of the Seas than there are oysters to be eaten."

"I can confirm that," Elsa answered with a shudder.

"So no, that's not where we're headed," Anna responded, placing a calming hand on Elsa's shoulder.

"Great. Are we going the the Café de Commerce, then?"

Anna grinned impishly. "I considered it. But escargot are probably not really my cup of tea, so I decided on something a little different."

"They do serve more than just snails, Anna," Elsa said with a tilted smile, before quickly frowning again. "The Savory Swede, then?"

"Nope," Anna replied, laughing as Elsa let out a frustrated groan. "You'll just have to sit back and wait, Elsa. We're almost there anyway."

With a very unladylike pout and huff, Elsa sat back in her seat, staring out of the window with narrowed eyes. "Perhaps you were planning to go to that restaurant around the corner? Because you'll be sorely disappointed to learn they closed-"

"Two weeks ago, yes, I know," Anna nodded seriously, eyes glinting with mischief. "But that wasn't where we're going, so no worries."

"I hate you," Elsa glared.

"No you don't," Anna replied easily.

The blonde sighed. "You're right. I really don't."

Moments later, the coach crawled to a stop, earning Anna another confused look from the blonde. "There isn't anything here?"

"Of course there is, silly," Anna laughed, taking the blonde's hand and opening the door before the coachman had a chance to do so for them. "Come on, Your Highness. Follow me."

The redhead looked around, smiling to herself as she confirmed that everything was exactly as she had planned. The coach had delivered them to the fancier side of the docks, where private ships were anchored, peacefully bobbing up and down. A few feet behind them, the Royal Guard had cordoned the area off, three fully-decked knights standing guard to make sure they would not be interrupted.

Elsa stepped up next to her and automatically hooked her arm through the redhead's, turning Anna's attention back to their actual destination. She could already see it, at the end of the pier. Evidently, Elsa had noticed it too, resulting in a small gasp.

"Is that?"

"Uh-huh," Anna smiled widely, leading them to the single table set up at the end of the pier, two chairs waiting for them next to it. "I found a lot of restaurants to take you to, but eventually decided I did not want to share you with anyone else. She pulled out Elsa's chair, motioning for her to sit down. "So, with a little help from Kristoff, I arranged this."

As they took their seats, Anna and Elsa both looked out over the glittering orange water next to them. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful the simple things can be," Elsa muttered, fingers delicately tracing one of the flowers in the vase on the table. "Thank you... for reminding me."

Anna felt her cheeks flush at the look Elsa gave her, and the deep, thoughtful tone in which the words were spoken. "Um... My pleasure?"

Elsa's serious mood disappeared as suddenly as it had come on. "You better believe it's your pleasure, Miss. It's not like I take just any lady to dinner."

"Hey!" Anna objected. "I'm taking you to dinner, remember?"

"Oh... right," Elsa chuckled. "Looking at the food spread out in front of them. "I guess we better get started then, hm?"

"Indeed," Anna nodded. "We'll have to help ourselves, though, seeing as I did not want to ruin the atmosphere by bringing servants to wait on us."

"I'm sure we can manage just fine by ourselves," Elsa agreed, already reaching for some of the vegetables.

For a moment, everything was silent, except for the sounds of water hitting the pier, and food being piled onto plates. As soon as they had both finished gathering their desired bounty, Anna cocked her head sideways. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything," Elsa replied instantly, pouring wine into two goblets.

"How did you know the house was mine?"

"Huh?" Elsa asked, looking up with a frowned brow.

"Back in the village, before you brought me here... You just suddenly knew that I owned the house. I've been asking myself how you knew for a while now."

"It's really not that hard to figure out," Elsa started.

"Right... You probably just checked the land deed. Or maybe you looked it up in the registry, before you left the castle?"

"Actually," Elsa grinned. "I just figured it out because the people in your village like gossiping way more than is appropriate for anyone."

"Oh... right."

"The baker told me that the butcher's wife had heard from the hairdresser's son that the shoemaker wanted to strangle your step-family for everything they put you through," Elsa chuckled. "Or something like that. Before I knew it, everyone wanted to talk to me, so I asked some questions, got some answers, and that's the long and the short of it, I suppose."

"That does sound like the village I grew up in, yes," Anna conceded.

"They told me a lot of things about you, as well," Elsa smiled. "I'd love to hear your side of some of their stories, though."

Anna gulped audibly, almost choking on her wine. "Oh dear..."

Anna took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before letting the air rush out of her lungs again. Today was the day. She wasn't nervous. Nervous did not manage to cover the load of feelings inside her right now. Did not even begin to cover it.

"Anna, dear, if you do not stop breathing like that, I'll never manage to get this right," the queen's amused remark came from behind her, before the fingers started pulling on the laces of her corset again. "So just hold your breath and keep the panicking until a minimum until I'm done."

"Why is it that you're dressing me up, again? I'm pretty sure Gerda was supposed to-"

"Stop talking, dear, I'm still busy," the queen replied easily. "And no one can rob me of the pleasure of making sure my daughter-in-law looks at her very best. Especially today."

"Noted," Anna gasped as the queen pulled some of the laces a bit tighter. "I do kind of need my lungs today, though."

"Oh, stop whining," the queen laughed in return, playfully tugging the lace even tighter. "I know for a fact that Gerda would have made sure to pull at least twice as hard, so be glad you got stuck with me, and have a little pity on Elsa."

Apparently, her torture was finally over, and she was allowed off the stool and in front of the giant mirror on the other side of the room, while the queen started fussing over her fiery hair. The white dress was... impeccably white, with silver embroidery running over the corset in floral and fractal patterns. Her skirt flowed out widely, showing off the same embroidery as the corset contained.

"Where did you put the veil, dear?" the queen asked, looking around the room.

"Didn't see it," Anna replied breathlessly, still lost in her own reflection. "Can I marry myself?"

"If I were to reply 'yes,' my other daughter would be very upset with me," the queen chuckled as she scurried around the room. "So I'm sorry to say that you will have to settle for the blonde."

"Oh, the horrendous torture," Anna laughed, slapping her hand across her forehead.

"Oh shush," the queen admonished, finally having found the veil and gently placing it on Anna's head, making sure not to disturb a single hair more than the bare necessity. "There you are. All ready to go and get married."

"I certainly look more ready than I feel. I suppose that will have to do, right?" Anna laughed nervously.

"I remember saying something similar on my wedding day, and everything turned out quite well. Come now, we mustn't keep your wife-to-be waiting. Not for very long, at least."

Anna could hardly recall anything from the trek downstairs, only the hushed whispers from the servants they encountered, the high-pitched squeal from someone who could only be Rapunzel, and the proud, admiring look from the king as he stood in front of a closed door, waiting for her.

"Well, well, don't you just look like a vision?" he smiled, gently squeezing her shoulders. "Elsa's a lucky girl."

Just then, the trumpets outside started to sound, heralding the arrival of the bride. It took Anna's mind a split-second to remember that she was the bride, and that this was her moment to shine.

"Ready?" the king asked, holding out his arm for Anna to take.

"Nope," Anna responded earnestly as the doors started to open slowly.

"Good. Let's get going, then," the king laughed amicable, stepping forward and into the light.

Anna felt everyone's gaze burning on her, the 'ooh's and 'aah's resounding throughout the courtyard. She only had eyes for Elsa, though, who was standing near the altar, dressed in an equally white dress as her own, although hers was tight-fitting, rather than having the elaborate and wide skirt Anna's had. The embroidered patterns seemed to match, though.

"I'm going to barf," Anna whispered as they were halfway down the aisle.

"Unless you barf snowflakes," the king responded in a hushed voice, "I would highly recommend against that course of action."

The unexpected response managed to bring a smile to Anna's face, lessening her growing panic slightly. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the alter herself, holding Elsa's hands in her own and looking into those gigantic blue eyes.

"You look-" Elsa started.

"Like I'm about to be sick?" Anna asked with a small, tilted smile.

Elsa giggled. "Really amazingly terrifyingly beautiful."

"Funny. I feel more like-"

"Same here, Anna. Same here," Elsa confided in a small whisper.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the priest started. "We are gathered here today, to bind together the lives of these two individuals, and to..."

She honestly didn't hear most of what the ancient man beside them was telling the crowd, although she caught some snippets dealing with the future of the kingdom, eternal happiness, and eternal loyalty. Elsa gave her hands a soft squeeze, before letting one of them go and taking one of the silver bands from the purple pillow Rapunzel held up.

"Do you, Elsa Arendelle, First of Your Name, take Anna Anderson, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the man droned on.

"I do," Elsa replied immediately, no hesitancy at all as she slipped the ring around Anna's finger.

"Do you, Anna Anderson, take Elsa Arendelle, First of Her Name, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Absolutely," Anna replied breathily, fumbling with the ring for a moment before sliding it around Elsa's dainty finger.

"Then," the man continued, "I hereby declare you to be wife, and wife. You may now-"

Their lips already crashed together before the priest could tell them what they were now allowed to do. Kissing Elsa, apparently, never got old, no matter how often Anna had already indulged herself in that particular pleasure. The applauding crowd disappeared into the background, leaving only her and Elsa, kissing, loving, embracing, caring.

That, and Rapunzel's ear-shattering cheering.

She was in the middle of reviewing a harvest report when the servant knocked on the door. Recognizing Elsa's facial expression - a mix of tiredness, annoyance, and headache - Anna decided to do the servant a pleasure and be the one to do most of the talking.

"Come on in," she called, watching Elsa push the ledger with trade agreements to the side.

The servant, a boy no older than sixteen, loitered in the doorway for a minute, waiting for permission to speak - something most servants had already stopped doing when dealing with Anna.

"Your Highness," he started eventually, "the King and Queen have requested both of you to be present in the throne room as soon as convenience allows."

Anna quirked her eyebrows, sending her wife a curious glance. "Did they say why?"

"No, Your Highness," the servant responded demurely.

"I see. Thank you for the message, we will head over in an instant."

With a quick bow, he made himself scarce again, leaving Anna and Elsa alone. "Are we in trouble?" Anna asked carefully.

Elsa shrugged, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I don't think so. Usually, when I'm in trouble, Father would call me to his study, not the throne room."

Anna gave a steady nod. "Well, best to just go and find out, hm?"

"You're right," Elsa responded as she got up from her seat.

"Married for almost two years, and you still sound surprised every time I'm right," Anna huffed playfully, automatically grabbing Elsa's hand and lacing their fingers together.

"Well, it's not my fault it's such a rare occurrence," Elsa shrugged as they stepped out of the study and locked the door behind them.

"Take that back!" Anna warned with a playful glare.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll tell the Duke of Weselton that you'd be delighted to attend his big birthday to-do."

Elsa laughed, nearly snorting. "And you think he'd believe that? After we threatened to cut off all contact with his Duchy because of some of the things he said?"

"Probably not," Anna conceded. "But you'd still have to go."

"Ships get lost at sea all the time," Elsa shrugged as if it made no difference.

Before Anna could form a response, they'd reached the large, double doors leading to the throne room. Without wavering, Elsa stepped through the one opened door. Rather than the usual hustle and bustle, the entire room was eerily quiet, and it became even worse when the door was pushed closed behind them.

"Father, Mother," Elsa said with a dip of her head, watching her parents sit on the two thrones at the end of the room.

"Daughter, Daughter," the king returned the motion, more playful than his daughter. "You got here awfully quick."

"As fast as convenience allowed," Anna quoted the order. "We were just lazing about in our study anyway."

"I find that hard to believe," the queen smiled.

"Fine," Anna conceded with a sigh. "We were eager to find out what all this was about. We've never been summoned like this before."

"Have a seat, have a seat," the king said, getting up from his throne and stepping down the dais, his wife following closely behind him.

"Um, Father?" Elsa asked, looking at him with large eyes.

"Just do as I ask, Elsa. Have a seat."

"Up there?" she asked, just to be sure.

"No, on the ground," the queen responded drolly

"Anna keeps telling me sarcasm is unbefitting for a lady," Elsa smiled as she stepped onto the dais and hesitated in front of her father's throne.

"She's probably right," the queen replied with a nod, motioning the redhead to make her way towards her wife's side. "She tends to know about such things, doesn't she?"

After a final nod from both the monarch, Elsa and Anna slowly lowered themselves onto the thrones. The hard wood of the throne felt foreign underneath Anna's arms and hands, and the small, purple cushion on which she was seated failed to make the throne comfortable.

And while she tried to get over the odd sensation of sitting on Arendelle's throne, the king and queen just looked up at the both of them with matching smiles, before turning towards one another. "It seems they are ready," the king nodded slowly.

"Just as I told you they were," the queen agreed with a nod of her own head, before turning back towards the two princesses.

"I think it's time we start discussing your ascension, dears."

When the king and queen had told them it was time to start discussing their ascension to the throne, Anna had thought that was a good idea. There was notoriously little information on the subject in the library, and Anna vehemently disliked not knowing what to expect.

She certainly had not expected their ascension ceremony to be held barely six months later, yet here she was, dressed to the nines in the traditional dress worn by the queens of Arendelle before her, consisting mostly of purple velvet and golden embroidery. And something that, Anna was pretty sure, had to be a wine stain.

And then there were the hundreds of faces looking up at her. And at Elsa, who was standing by her side, dressed in a fairly similar garb, but decidedly more masculine. Apparently, the fact that Arendelle would have two queens for the first time in its history did not warrant a slight deviation from customs.

Anna turned her attention back towards the crowd, recognizing most of their faces. Rapunzel and her husband were standing nearly in the front, next to the king and queen - pardon, prince and princess, now that they were no longer the ruling monarchs. Slightly behind them, Anna noticed Belle and her husband, who had become as close to her as they were to Elsa. Several other foreign monarchs and leaders were present as well, and Anna smiled a little when she realized that the Duke of Weselton had sent several envoys, but had neglected to grace them with his own presence.

Which was probably for the best.

Anna's eyes were drawn back towards the priest, the same man as the one who had married them, as he made his way towards them. Two servants trailed behind him, both carrying a purple pillow upon which one of the two royal crowns rested.

As the entourage climbed onto the dais, the crowd fell silent. "Sirs, Ladies, I here present unto you, Queen Elsa, and Queen Anna, your undoubted queens. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" the priest started, followed by a loud rumour from the crowd.

Anna couldn't make out whatever it was they were all yelling, but she figured she wasn't really supposed to, anyway. When they settled down again, the priest turned towards Elsa. "Madam, is Your Majesty willing to take the Oath?"

Elsa nodded her head solemnly. "I am willing."

The priest offered Elsa the two royal heirlooms, a golden staff and a silver globe. "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Arendelle, according to their laws and customs?"

"I solemnly promise to do so," Elsa nodded.

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?"

"I will," Elsa replied with another nod.

"And will you protect your peoples from dangers within and without the borders of your Queendom?"

"I will," Elsa repeated one more time, before placing the two artefacts back onto the tray from which they came. One of the servants rolled a small side-table towards her, and Elsa picked up the quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and signed the document with a flourish.

"Then I hereby declare you, Elsa, Queen of Arendelle."

The entire crowd rose as one. "All hail Queen Elsa!" they shouted as if from one mouth, after which the priest made his way towards Anna. He ran her through the exact same vows and promises, made her sign the same documents, and then bid them both to bend their knee.

As they sat there, one knee on the cold floor of the throne room, hands clasped together, the former king and queen stepped forward, took the crowns from the cushions, and gently placed them upon the heads of their successors.

They rose again, both with tears in their eyes, seeing the emotion mirrored in so many faces below them that it took Anna's breath away.

"All hail the Queens!"

The Headmistress looked slightly confused when she welcomed them into her office. "Your Majesty... Anna," she said, curtsying before motioning towards the seats in front of her desk. "If you are here to see the children, I'm afraid we've put them to bed some time ago."

Anna smiled at the use of her name, something that had taken a lot of badgering and persistence. "I know, I know. The children go to bed at the same time every day, and I've been present for the story-reading often enough not to ever forget it anymore," she smiled kindly.

Elsa smiled as well. "We were, in fact, hoping to speak to you without any of the children learning of it. At least, for now."

"Does that mean...?" the Headmistress started, leaving the unfinished question to dangle in the still air of the office.

Anna took a deep breath before replying. "We're here because we want to adopt, yes."

"Oh, that is marvellous to hear!" the elderly woman beamed. "Might I venture a guess as to whom?"

Elsa scoffed, momentarily startling the headmistress. "I hardly think there would be any guessing involved," the blonde queen smiled, looking at Anna. The redhead felt a slightly apologetic smile creeping onto her face.

"Little Ellie will be delighted, I'm certain," the headmistress said with a smile as she rummaged through her desk. "Although she's not as little as she used to be, of course."

Anna nodded slowly. "Almost eleven now. Of course, she's been 'almost eleven' since her tenth birthday, if she is to be believed."

"Indeed, indeed. One of the eldest orphans here. The older they get, the lesser their chances for adoption become. People want adorable babies, or cute toddlers. No one is interested in adopting a pre-teen."

Elsa smiled kindly. "Perhaps our setting an example might bring some change."

"That would indeed be very welcome," the headmistress replied as she placed several scrolls onto the desk. "Now, shall we get the paperwork started?"

All in all, it took almost three months to get the entire adoption in order. Elsa had wanted to make sure that the laws regarding ascension to the throne for adopted children were properly amended before the adoption went through, and Anna had wanted to make sure that everything inside the palace was ready to withstand the little whirlwind the shy, blonde girl had become over the years.

It was a beautiful summer's morning when the two queens made their way back towards the orphanage, in broad daylight, this time, and with ample curiosity from the citizens that watched them go. Within minutes, half the city had heard the news that the queens were adopting an orphan. Even before the two of them had confirmed any of those rumours.

"Anna!" the tiny blonde screeched as she crashed into the redhead, only mere seconds after the two queens having entered the dining hall. Moments later, she untangled herself from the redhead and curtsied towards Elsa. "Your Majesty..."

Elsa giggled, ruffling her hand through the child's hair. "How often do I have to tell you that you can call me Elsa, little one?"

Ellie smiled guiltily, before turning towards the headmistress, who had joined them. "Ellie, would you come to my office, please?"

The smile slipped from Ellie's face, being replaced by one of confusion and sadness. Anna had often seen how the children would be called to the headmistress' office whenever they had gotten into trouble, and she knew from experience that Ellie prided herself on that never happening to her.

The two queens followed into the office as well, but Ellie hardly seemed to notice as she took a seat on the small chair that was there specifically for the children. "Headmistress, I promise that I didn't-"

"Shush, Ellie," the headmistress interrupted good-naturedly. "Of course you haven't. You're not in trouble."

"Oh... That's good. Why am I here?"

"You've been here for a very long time, Ellie," the older woman started.

"Six years, four months, thirteen days," Ellie rattled off. "I kept count on the calendars in our room."

The headmistress nodded gravely. "A very long time, indeed. A couple came by last night, and they told me they would very much like to take you home with them."

"Someone wants to adopt me?" Ellie practically screamed, hands tightening around the seat of her chair.

The headmistress nodded and waited for Ellie to calm down a little. "Yes, they do. And they promised that you can come by whenever you want to play with your friends."

"Do they live far away?" Ellie immediately asked. "Could I come back every day?"

"They do not live very far away. In fact, I think you can see their home from the playground..."

"Really?! That's amazing!" the girl cheered, jumping up from her chair. "When will I meet my new parents?" she continued eagerly.

"Well, nothing is official yet," the headmistress replied calmly, tempering Ellie's enthusiasm somewhat. "They only wanted to adopt you, if you wanted to be adopted by them just as much."

"But..." Ellie started, frowning and pursing her lips. "How can I know that, if I haven't met them yet?"

The grey woman placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder, squeezing it softly. "Tell me, Ellie. Would you like to be a princess?"

For several agonizing seconds, it was deathly quiet inside the office. The headmistress grinned patiently while the words sunk into Ellie's brain, slowly taking hold and revealing their implications. When their meaning finally dawned on the little blonde, she slowly, very slowly, turned around, facing the two queens with a look of surprise, elation, and gratitude. Among those, however, Anna also saw doubt.

"Really?" she asked, her voice so small it sounded like it might break at any time now.

Anna beckoned Ellie over, who immediately clambered into her lap with practiced ease. "If you want it too, Elsa and I would very much like to be your mothers, and for you to come live in the castle with us."

They didn't get a verbal response, but instead found themselves head-butting one another as Ellie threw her arms around their necks and pulled both of them in for a hug simultaneously. Anna could feel the hot tears dripping down on her bare shoulder, and after a few seconds a sniffling sound could be heard from between the mop of blonde hair.

When the little girl pulled back, though, her entire face was composed again, and she quickly wiped her eyes and nose with the hem of her shirt before looking back up at them and straightening her back. "I'd very much like to come and live with you... Mother," she smiled shyly.

Neither Anna nor Elsa knew a better way to respond to that than to draw the little blonde in for another hug.

"Am I really going to be a princess?" a muffled voice came from somewhere in between them, spurring their laughter on.

"Yes, Your Highness," Anna replied in a strangled voice.

She felt her wife's presence behind her before she could hear or see, her gaze focused on the steady falling of snowflakes outside the window. Moments later, Elsa's frame lowered itself onto the empty seat beside her, their hands immediately entwining.

Anna took a moment to stare at their hands, once smooth but now old and wrinkling. "Has the crisis been resolved?" she asked with a playful grin.

"Don't mock her, love," Elsa admonished gently. "Relationships take a lot of work, you know that."

Anna chuckled too. "Yes, you were a handful, so how could I ever forget? But is everything okay again?"

Elsa nodded slowly as she freed her slowly greying hair from its bun. "Yes. Nothing but a misunderstanding."

"That's good," Anna smiled, resting her head against the headrest and looking outside again. "Imagine having to go to war with Corona over the cancelled engagement between our two Crown Princesses."

"Queen Rapunzel would never let it get that far," Elsa smiled, looking at the snowflakes as well.

"Neither would we," Anna added softly. "Besides, they love each other. Even a blind man can see that."

Elsa nodded slowly. "And when they get married, Corona and Arendelle will be unified through their bond. Everyone's happy."

"Except for the Duke of Weselton, who has been making outrageous claims about our daughter," Anna groused.

"We'll deal with that tomorrow, dear. For now, let's forget all about work for a moment and just enjoy the company," Elsa responded as she rested her head on Anna's shoulder.

"Speaking of company," Anna murmured as she leant her head against the top of Elsa's. "Mother and Father sent a messenger, letting us know that they will be staying at Anderson Manor until next week, but will be back in time for Ellie's birthday."

Elsa hummed contently. "Rapunzel and Eugene should be here sometime after the weekend, and Belle and her children will be arriving shortly after them."

Anna heaved a deep sigh, closing her eyes and letting herself relax for a moment.

"What's that sigh for?" Elsa immediately asked. "Something wrong?"

"No..." Anna hummed. "That's the whole thing. Sometimes I wonder how I got to be so lucky as to be here right now, living this perfect life. With you. With Ellie. With friends like Punz and Belle... It all just seems too good to be real sometimes, you know?"

Elsa nodded. "I do know. I feel the same way sometimes."

Anna sighed again. "I love you, Elsa..."

Elsa hummed in response, attempting to stifle a yawn.

"I love you too."