Disclaimer: I do not own "Frozen", or any of its associated locations and characters.

This story takes place about 2 years after the events of "Frozen".

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The hot yellow sun hung high in the sky, making the crystal-blue water below glisten and shimmer in its light. There was not a cloud in the sky, its bright blue hue almost perfectly mirroring the ocean below. It was nearly noon in Arendelle, and a small procession of finely-dressed individuals was making its way through the castle gates and into the square below.

Anna sighed almost dreamily as she looked out over the sparkling waters of the fjord. "Could it be any more gorgeous? Today is perfect."

Beside her, the girl's elder sister smiled softly in reply, giving a small wave to a few of the townspeople as she passed. "It's beautiful." Elsa agreed.

"Too bad we can't actually enjoy it." Anna rolled her eyes, looking down at the large, puffy dress that held her delicate frame. She'd give anything to be in one of her light summer skirts, ready to run down through the fields to pick flowers with Olaf, or hike up into the beautiful green mountains with Kristoff and Sven, or do anything fun, for that matter. But, alas, Anna was the princess of Arendelle, the current heir to the throne… and duty called.

Normally she did not mind attending to political matters or meeting with dignitaries from other kingdoms. In fact, after all those years cut-off from the world, it was actually exciting to meet so many interesting people from lands far away. But on a day like today, with the bright sun, clear skies, and fresh mountain breeze enticing her so, it was almost torturous to have to pull herself away from it all. Being responsible stinks. She decided.

Although she did not voice this thought aloud, Anna's sister could read it perfectly on the young woman's face. "The Duke and Duchess will only be here one night." Elsa tried to reassure her sister. "You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful weather tomorrow. Don't worry."

"I guess, but –" Before she could finish her reply, Anna was cut-off by a deep voice calling from the docks ahead of them. "Anna!"

The young girl's mouth stretched into a smile, and she felt her heart flutter a bit at the sight of the tall, muscular figure in the distance. Anna waved eagerly at her boyfriend as he stepped off the small wooden boat, and raced ahead of her sister and their guards to greet him.

Just in time… "Hey there, stranger." She said with a smirk, giving Kristoff a quick peck on the cheek. It had been nearly a week since they'd spent any time together, though to Anna, it felt like a lifetime. He had been busier than usual the past several days, making ice deliveries to some of the smaller villages up in the mountains, or, as was the case today, on the other side of the fjord.

The Midsummer festival was fast approaching, and there were parties and celebrations big and small planned all across the kingdom. Citizens of Arendelle were eager to find ways to keep their food fresh in preparation for their festivities. Thanks to Elsa's unique powers, Arendelle now had a near-constant supply of ice year-round, making the people very happy and Kristoff's business extremely successful. So successful, in fact, that word had begun to spread to other kingdoms about this rare commodity – plentiful ice on even the hottest days of summer, with a unique property that prevented it from melting almost indefinitely.

It was an idea that intrigued many of Arendelle's trading partners – including Duke Eirik and Duchess Alina Baglien of Raledith. They would be visiting Arendelle that very day to discuss, among other things, expanding their trade agreement to include this special ice, and the potential of using it to more easily transport perishable goods to Raledith's other trading partners across the land. Their ship was due to arrive at any minute, and Elsa and Anna had come down to the docks to greet their guests personally.

Kristoff smiled crookedly at Anna's greeting. "Hey." He replied, looking down at her. The young woman's pale green dress hugged her figure perfectly, contrasting nicely with the red in her hair, which was loosely plaited into an elegant up-do. She was stunning – well, Anna was always stunning in his eyes. But even more so than usual. "Wow." Kristoff muttered, taking in the view. "You look… wow." He cleared his throat, feeling a warmth rise in his cheeks. "Uh… I mean, that's a nice dress."

Anna did not miss a moment of his reaction. She giggled softly. "Thanks. It's new."

"What's the occasion?" He asked. Kristoff looked over her shoulder, and noticed Elsa and the guards for the first time. What are they doing down here? He wondered.

Anna raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't remember." It wasn't a question. She shook her head, sighing, then reached up and gently grasped his shoulders. She turned him around and pointed at the enormous wooden ship that was steadily approaching the dock.

Kristoff groaned at his own foolishness. "Oh no… That was today?"

"Yup."

"And I am so not prepared for this."

"Doesn't sound like it."

It was difficult to tell whether Anna was annoyed or amused. In truth, she was a little bit of both.

Mentally kicking himself, Kristoff backed away from the docking area as the enormous ship pulled into the empty spot and prepared to drop anchor. Anna followed suit, stepping in line beside her sister. Kristoff stood a few steps behind them, shuffling uncomfortably. How could he have been so careless? He had been told about the Duke and Duchess' visit weeks before. As Arendelle's Ice Master, he was expected to meet with them as well to answer any questions and provide input about the proposed ice-trade agreement.

Kristoff was overcome with dread at the mere thought of this meeting. He had spent the past two years trying to avoid dealings with royals and dignitaries at all costs, but, inevitably, he always found himself in this sort of position. It was agonizing, torturous. He never knew how to act or what to say, and felt as though his every move was being criticized. Kristoff supposed it was just something that came with being romantically linked to a princess, and he would have to get used to it.

But there were days when it took its toll, and he wondered whether it was all worth it. Then he'd simply take one look at Anna and remember that yes, it was.

Still, he had a feeling that today would be one of "those" days. He could tell from the moment Duchess Alina took her first step off of the boat.

"Just look at this place…" Alina's green eyes scanned the distant square, sizing-up the cluster of shops filling the marketplace. "This is really it? The great Arendelle they're always raving about?" The tall, dark-haired woman scoffed under her breath, shielding her eyes from the sun's warm glow.

Duke Eirik shuffled along behind his wife, her polar opposite. Short, stout, and blonde, he stroked his rather impressive moustache thoughtfully. "I don't know, dear. They do have some lovely views… There's a certain charm about this place, I'd say."

Alina shrugged, unsmiling. "I suppose it's rather… quaint. In a way."

Elsa and Anna exchanged a glance. "They do realize we're standing right here, don't they?" Anna whispered. Elsa shrugged, raising an eyebrow. "Um… Hello?" Anna gave a little wave at the couple as they approached.

"Ah, a welcoming committee!" The Duchess laughed brightly, her demeanor suddenly changing. "Princess Anna, I presume? What a pleasure, dear." The woman extended her hand, clutching Anna's briefly as the young girl gave a small curtsey.

"And Queen Elsa. You're even more stunning than they say." Alina gave a low curtsey to Elsa as she spoke, though there was something oddly critical in the way she looked at her.

The Duke bustled forward and offered similar greetings, though his certainly felt a bit more warm and sincere.

The Duchess snapped her fingers above her head. Almost instantly, a servant appeared at her side, a sizeable trunk and two small traveling bags balanced precariously in his arms. Alina pointed toward Kristoff, nodding at the servant as she did so.

"Um… I, uh…" Kristoff sputtered. Before he could say any more, the servant had unloaded the luggage into the young man's arms and scurried back onto the ship. "Oof!" Kristoff's legs buckled for a moment, as he had not been anticipating the immense weight.

Alina glanced doubtfully at the man for a moment, then gave the queen a small nod. "I trust your servant is capable of bringing our things back to the castle?"

It took a moment for everything to click in Anna's head. Suddenly, her brow furrowed in anger. She took a step toward the Duchess as she spoke. "Excuse me." The girl said icily. "But he's no servant. Kristoff is my –"

"Ice Master." Kristoff cut her off abruptly, placing the luggage on the ground a bit less gently than he'd intended. "Arendelle's Ice Master. Kristoff Bjorgman." He tried to sound friendly, extending a hand toward the woman in greeting.

Alina raised one dark eyebrow in response as she stared at the large, outstretched hand. She did not take it.

Kristoff glanced down, and noticed the faint layer of dirt that covered his palm. "Sorry." He hastily wiped it on his trousers. "Just got back from a delivery." His words came out faster and faster with each one he spoke. "No rest for the weary, right? … Heh." Kristoff gave the woman a sheepish grin, extending his slightly-cleaner hand anew.

The woman's stare remained icy, but she held out one hand and brushed it briefly against Kristoff's before pulling it away again, as though she feared he may give her some sort of disease. She said nothing.

The Duke, on the other hand, offered a hearty handshake. "What a pleasure, what a pleasure!" Eirik glanced sideways at his wife, winking. "What did I tell you? Charming. Quaint." He beamed at her.

Elsa's blue eyes bounced back and forth between Kristoff, whose cheeks were growing redder as his forced smile slipped closer and closer to a scowl, The Duke, who was now examining the docking area with child-like interest, The Duchess, who wore an expression as though she had just smelled something horrible, and Anna, who looked dangerously close to hurting someone. "Ahem." The queen cleared her throat softly. "Now that we're all acquainted, let's head back to the castle, shall we?"

"Yes, yes, that would be lovely." Duchess Alina's smile was strained, but she simply summoned her servant once more for her luggage, gestured for her husband to follow, and followed the queen's lead back toward the castle.

Anna walked well behind them beside Kristoff, scowling. "Unbelievable! What a – a –"

"I know. But Anna, you've gotta relax." Kristoff placed a warm hand on her shoulder, trying to sound cheerful. "It's fine… I'm kind of used to that sort of thing by now." He muttered, half to himself. True, no one had ever been quite so overt, but Kristoff was no stranger to raised eyebrows or skeptical stares from Arendelle's noble visitors when they saw the likes of him roaming around the castle, being introduced as someone of importance, or included in royal functions.

"Used to it? What do you mean?" Anna asked, puzzled.

Kristoff shook his head. "Never mind. Just don't worry about me, okay?" He cocked his head toward the woman walking ahead of them. "Worry about making a good impression with Miss Sunshine over there so we can seal this deal and get her on the next boat out of here."

The princess tried to stifle a laugh. "Sounds good to me." Anna did not speak for a few moments, then bit her lip, glancing sideways at her boyfriend. "I should probably be walking up there with my sister…"

"It's fine." Kristoff gave her a smile. "I'll hang back here." He watched as Anna gave a tiny nod, then hurried away to join Elsa toward the head of the procession. It was not until she was out of sight that he allowed his smile to falter. Well this is going great, isn't it? Kristoff thought miserably. And he had an awful feeling it was just going to get worse.

Of course, he was right.

It was like he was invisible. Kristoff sat with Anna, Elsa, Duke Eirik, and Duchess Alina at the long dining table as they were served lunch, but he may as well have been in another room altogether. Even Anna ignored him, though he couldn't say he blamed her. Despite the icy first impression, the Duke and Duchess seemed to become increasingly charming and interesting as the meal wore on, while Kristoff simply became increasingly awkward and uncomfortable.

Eirik told thrilling tales of his days in the Raledithian military while his wife described in detail the beautiful landscape of their kingdom, nestled deep in the forest in the far south. Anna and Elsa handled the conversation with ease, asking questions, offering opinions, and responding to everything with polite interest. Kristoff, meanwhile, spent half of the meal struggling to determine which fork to use and where to put his napkin. This was exactly why he hated eating at the castle and instead relished in the nights when Anna would visit his small cabin on the outskirts of the main village, where he would cook her whatever she wanted, and they would eat with one fork, one spoon, and a napkin you could put wherever you pleased.

After dessert, it was time to get down to business… for everyone but Kristoff, it seemed. Duchess Alina had many questions about Arendelle's ice business, of course. But not one of them was directed at him.

"So, your highness, I understand you've been using your unique… gift to increase ice production. Very clever, I must say." Alina's lip curled into a smile. "But surely that isn't your only source, particularly in the colder months. Are there many lakes in the mountains? Rivers?"

Elsa smiled, and nodded toward Kristoff. "There are plenty of bodies of fresh water in Arendelle. In the winter, the ice is quite plentiful. Kristoff, how many sources would you say we harvest from?"

"Oh, I'm not sure…" He replied uncertainly. "Must be close to a dozen, if you count some of the smaller –"

"Fascinating!" The Duchess did not even look at him once. "Certainly with such a booming business, there must be a great deal of men in your employ?"

"I'm certain of it, though I'm afraid I don't dabble too much in that side of things. Kristoff?" Elsa looked to him yet again.

The young man shrugged, feeling a bit nervous and still somewhat taken aback by being cut off before. "Twenty? Maybe thirty. In the busier months, we usually –"

It was the Duke who cut-in this time. "It's amazing that you've been doing so well, even in the summer! I believe your delivery man –"

"Ice Master." Anna and Elsa corrected in unison, their annoyance poorly masked. Kristoff said nothing.

"Ahem, of course… Ice Master had just completed a shipment before we arrived. I trust there many this time of year?"

This time, Elsa did not reply, but simply nodded at Kristoff. Anna gave him a small smile of encouragement.

Here goes… "Uh, well I'd be happy to answer that, if you have the time to listen." There was a slight edge to Kristoff's voice, but he tried to shake it off. As he continued speaking, his frustration was slowly replaced with nervousness. "We have this… well it's sort of a festival. To celebrate the solstice. I'm not sure if you have that in Raledith, but, uh… It's next week and people need ice. For their food. Obviously." He saw the Duchess' lips begin to curl into a smirk. A slight warmth rose in his cheeks. "So we've been getting lots of orders. From everywhere. Well, not everywhere. But from lots of the smaller villages. So Sven and I – Sven, he's my reindeer – we've been making lots of trips into the mountains. Usually just a few blocks, small orders, you know? Sven likes to complain that it's a waste of time… Well, okay maybe he doesn't 'complain', but I can just kind of tell when he's annoyed, you know? Heh, it's funny. Sometimes it's like I can tell exactly what he would say, if he could. And I sort of talk for him, I guess. People think it's a little crazy, but I really…"

Anna caught his eye and gave the tiniest shake of her head. Kristoff turned to face Duke Eirik and Duchess Alina, who were staring at him, eyebrows raised. With a sigh, Kristoff sunk lower into his seat. "Yeah. It's really busy right now." He finished lamely, wishing in that moment that someone would just kill him, right then and there. This is humiliating…

"Thank you." Elsa said warmly, trying to turn the attention away from the embarrassed young man. "Kristoff is very passionate about his job, and about our kingdom's ice business. It's been really wonderful working with him. If you'd like, we can walk the grounds a bit and I can show you how we're able to prevent the ice from melting." She rose, and the others followed suit.

"That would be lovely." Alina practically bounced out of her seat, beckoning her husband with a flick of the finger. They followed Elsa as they headed through the large double doors and back toward the main hall.

Kristoff remained standing beside the table, staring at his feet. Anna lingered in the doorway. "Are you coming?" She asked.

"I don't think I'm really needed here right now. I've done enough damage." He replied, shaking his head. "Besides, I think it's about time I figure out where Olaf took Sven off to while I was gone." Kristoff tried to smile, but Anna could see right through it.

"Are you okay?" The young woman crossed the room to touch his cheek gently. "I know you hate this kind of thing."

A large, warm hand came to rest on top of hers. "I'll be fine. You should probably head out there. They'll wonder where you are."

A small sigh escaped Anna's lips. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

"I know. But it could have been worse, I guess."

"It could always be worse." Anna agreed, smiling crookedly. "Will I see you tonight?"

"Maybe. We'll see."

Her face fell slightly, but she did not argue. "Okay… Thanks for putting up with all this." She paused. "I love you."

He smiled. "You too."

Anna peeked around the room to make sure they were alone, then stood on her tiptoes, kissing him softly for a moment. She pulled away reluctantly, gave him a tiny smile, and then she was gone.

Once he was alone, Kristoff let out the sigh he had been holding in and sat back at the table, holding his face in his hands. What is wrong with me? He had made a total fool of himself, as usual. How much more of this could he take? Kristoff stared out the window at the warm summer sun, one thought filling his mind –

Was it really worth it?

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A/N: This is just the beginning! I hope you liked it and I hope it wasn't awful! This story will definitely have its humorous moments, but it's a bit on the more serious-side, so it can be tricky to write the characters properly sometimes (since they are usually more comical in the film), but I'm trying my best! Please favorite this story so you can follow it as it continues! And if you get a chance, please review! I just please ask for no flames. It's okay to not like my story, but constructive comments are always preferred :) Thank you for reading!