Tony would surely need to fire his new assistant. He understood why Pepper had moved on, but that didn't mean it made it okay. Andrew, the newest one Tony had hired, had decided it would be good for Tony to attend some sort of children's theater. It wasn't that he disliked children; he just disliked children singing. Supposedly, this was some sort of program that his company donated to, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He managed to make it into the small theater with minimal paparazzi interaction, only to find the inside packed to capacity with children. The curtain was closed, and a hum of conversation filled the air. He found his seat rather easily, chatting with a few children about Iron Man for a few moments before the lights went down and everyone became quiet.
"Good afternoon, boys and girls." A feminine voice filled the space as an older woman stepped onto the stage. She had a grandmotherly quality about her, and the children seemed more than happy to see her. He vaguely wondered how many of them were here because it was the only real highlight they had. "I hope you're excited for an afternoon of music and dancing. And, as always, we'll need your help." Ah, crowd participation. Tony sincerely hoped they didn't expect that of him; several children would come out scarred if he tried to sing. The older woman went through a basic safety rundown for the adults in the room before disappearing behind the curtains.
It only took a few more moments for them to be pulled open to reveal a much younger woman in a dress, her hair up as she swept across the stage and began to sing. The children seemed to light up at the first notes of the song, and he had to admit it touched his heart as well. She was animated, moving from one side of the stage to the other as she sang about handsome strangers and a ball. It was impressive, the amount of energy she was giving off nearly infectious. He was floored when another woman stepped out, a white updo offset by her darker dress. Her part was more solemn, adding an interesting contrast to the bouncy girl who didn't seem to notice the second woman's appearance. Whoever she was supposed to be, it gained a gasp from the crowd of children, and indeed as he turned to some of the youngest near them, he saw admiration and wonder in their eyes. The quieter one hit a long note, and Tony could swear he felt a chill pass over his spine. She sang of concealing something, keeping a secret from someone.
All too soon, the song was over, and there was raucous applause. Tony clapped along, and everyone grew quiet as a piano began to play a quiet tune. A few children gave excited sounds as the stricter woman returned to the stage, looking lost. He made a mental note to look up whatever this was based on, and then she began to sing. Her voice was low, singing about an internal storm; he could certainly relate. The song began to pick up and she seemed to become more confident as she strode across the expanse of stage. Her cape was soon gone and she was waving her hands about as something that looked like fake snow fell around her. As the song built to its crescendo, her waving arms seemed to cue large set pieces being moved into place. They looked like ice, and he found himself more curious about the original show now more than ever. She tossed her small crown to a child in the crowd and let her hair down in its braid. She spun, her dark dress disappearing and being replaced with a light blue number that seemed to bring on her confidence in full force. Tony found himself drawn in; when the final high note hit, he resolved that maybe Stark Industries funding this wasn't so bad after all. The other sister came back again to sing with a blonde man and soon the show was over. Children were cheering and running around.
"Thank you all for coming, lovies." The older woman was back, and things settled down just a bit. "As a special treat for today, we have two very special guests." His brow rose; he knew he was one, but Andrew hadn't mentioned there would be another. He rose as the introduction continued, heading for the stage. "Firstly, please welcome Mr. Stark. You may know him better as Iron Man." There was a cheer as he stepped onto the stage, giving the wave to the children. "And second, Queen Elsa of Arendelle." The cheer was equally as ecstatic, and Tony began to think very hard. He hadn't heard of Arendelle and wasn't aware that he'd been cofunding with royalty. To his surprise, the actress in the light blue dress stepped back out, leaning down to shake a few hands and give smiles. A few more words were said, but Tony wasn't paying much attention as "Her Majesty" moved to stand next to him. She gave a regal bow of her head in acknowledgement of him before turning to face the crowd. Soon, children were filing out, but not before getting their photos and autographs from the hero and the queen.
"Thank you for coming today, Mr. Stark." He turned to see the queen offering a hand. He took it and gave a gentle shake. "And thank you so much for funding this place. I don't know what we'd do without you." She gave him a warm smile, and he found himself wanting to see her without all the stage makeup. He gave his own smile.
"It was my pleasure, Your Majesty." He let his amusement slip into his tone, happy to find she gave a laugh at his quip. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me for some lunch." Her brow arched as she fought a smile.
"Sure. Let me just get changed and I'll meet you back here." Before he could respond, she'd turned and was striding off backstage. Tony stuffed his hands in his pocket, excited at the idea of spending the afternoon with her. Belatedly, he realized he didn't even know her name.