Chapter 1: Asking Permission

Kristoff waited nervously outside the door of the Queen's study. He had been trying to pluck up the courage to knock for the last ten minutes, but had yet to lay his hand to the polished wood. A part of him wondered if this was appropriate - Elsa received subjects every Saturday week; maybe he should just put himself in the queue to receive an audience with her and wait until then. But no, would that be too formal for a question like this? And formalities aside, where should he even begin? Ohhh...

Ever since he had entered a relationship with Princess Anna, Kristoff had been unsure how to interact with her regal older sister. Elsa almost always presented herself as guarded, wary and mistrustful of others. She had appeared particularly protective when she had walked in on Kristoff and Anna kissing in an empty ballroom one day, a few months after the Great Freeze. A summons to the throne room had followed, in which Elsa had made clear that while her baby sister was a woman and she could not stop their blossoming romance, she would be paying very close attention. Hans was the only example she needed to cite to get her message across, and Kristoff had heard it, loud and clear.

Since that time, the Queen and the Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer had agreed to be cordial with each other, for Anna's sake. Kristoff got the sense that Elsa still largely tolerated him, maybe even harbored a gentle dislike for him, if her rather brusque habit of referring to him as "reindeer man" was anything to go by. As it was, they had yet to reach at the very least an affectionate understanding with each other. So it had come as a surprise - perhaps to them both - when Elsa had (after about a year or so) asked Kristoff to call her Elsa.

Which brought Kristoff, in a rather roundabout way, back to his initial worry. For the conversation that he wished to take place, how was he to address her? Would he need to say 'Your Majesty' or 'My Queen' over and over again, while laying prostrate on his hands and knees and hoping she did not kill him with one icicle's clean stroke to the head? Or should he refer to her as simply 'Elsa' and attempt to butter her up that way?

Perhaps it didn't matter what the context was. He was likely a dead man anyway. But even if Anna did know why he was coming to see her sister, she would likely be disappointed in him if he didn't at least try. Hang it all!

His knuckles rapped the door's wood without even fully realizing that was what he was doing. "Enter," a regal voice commanded from the other side. Oh, well. It was too late to turn back now. Kristoff's fist closed over the doorknob and slowly turned it.

He found the Queen inside her orderly, clean study, perusing over papers at her desk. She glanced up and blinked in surprise at the identity of the visitor. "Kristoff. What a surprise." Her tone did not betray whether this surprise was a welcome or unwelcome one.

Kristoff willed his feet to move closer to the desk. He could acutely feel his legs shaking, his knees knocking, and could only pray that Elsa didn't see. Elsa cocked one eyebrow, her face tight in a way that betrayed her impatience.

"Well? Speak." The sharp order only sent Kristoff into an even further dither and he almost involuntarily fell prostrate before her. Unnoticed by him, Elsa rolled her eyes, wishing he would get up off his knees, but not voicing the thought aloud.

"Oh, Your Majesty, if it pleases you, I would like to ask your favor in this one request," Kristoff rambled, still expecting an icicle to pierce his temple at any second.

Elsa's expression creased. "Very well. What is it you desire, young man?"

"If it pleases Your Majesty - I mean, Elsa - I mean..." Never, in all his life, had Kristoff been this terrified. Wolves he could handle. Avalanches he could handle. But this? How was he still alive? Nerves absolutely shot, Kristoff couldn't hide his distress any longer, and burst into tears.

Elsa's eyes widened. A tiny bit of concern reached out to the man. She had never seen her sister's... boyfriend this on edge.

Meanwhile, Kristoff was gulping back the sobs, trying in a valiant effort to pull himself back together. "Your Majesty... I am in love with your sister. And I am amazed to find that she seems to return that love. I... wish to ask you for her hand in marriage." Finally. He got the words out. Kristoff then promptly closed his eyes, waiting for the icicle to come, or for a cube of ice to encase him alive.

Neither came. At the very least, he was still feeling something, which meant he wasn't dead. And he certainly didn't feel cold. Nervously, he opened his eyes, tears still glistening in them, and raised his gaze to the Queen.

Elsa was staring at him as if she had never seen him before. At long last, she cleared her throat, broke the silence.

"Does Anna know of this?"

"No, I came alone." Kristoff amazed himself at the ready reply, which only psyched him out again. "I... I know the last time your blessing was sought, it ended... less than happily. Which isn't your fault!" he blasted out the last before Elsa could punish him for his error. "I... have a ring. I feel I am... ready to propose, but I wanted to ask your permission first."

Elsa dipped her head in acknowledgement, though she hid her shock at Kristoff's sensitivity, balanced by his courage to come before her at all. "And why do you feel the need to do this?"

Kristoff blinked, turning over the inquiry in his mind, searching for some deeper, hidden meaning. What was she saying? That to come here was not necessary? And if it wasn't, did that mean she had already made a judgement on the matter - yes or no? While attempting to work out an answer, Kristoff thought of Anna. Her quirky ways and gentle smile. How she never stopped talking, especially when the subject was Elsa and how the princess worshipped the ground the Queen walked on. The love for Anna he felt was so deep and raw, the tears streamed down Kristoff's face anew.

And there it was, the answer. "I love the princess, and she is my dearest. Only you are a greater idol in her heart than me. What is dear to her is dear to me, my Queen."

Silence. Kristoff waited, hoping he had spoken the right words. He knew without a doubt that he had spoken true, laid bare his heart, but would Elsa be moved by his eloquence?

It appeared so, as Kristoff spared a glance at the Queen, to see that tears were clinging to Elsa's face. Once again, Elsa was peering at him as though she was seeing the man in a new light.

"You truly mean this..." The inflection lay somewhere between a statement and a question. In any event, she appeared moved. Indeed, though she would never say so, Elsa was... deeply impressed. More than anything else, she was shocked. Someone other than Anna had essentially just told her he loved her, albeit in a transitive way. Kristoff loved Anna and Anna loved Elsa, therefore, Kristoff loved Elsa. Elsa did not know much of anything about love, other than that it thawed, so she hadn't known that love could be... analogous. Regardless, it was apparent that Kristoff meant what he spoke. For his part, Kristoff was astonished to hear bobbling in her voice as she spoke next, the tears flowing down her own cheeks. "All I want..." Elsa's voice cracked. "All I want is for my sister to be happy. And although I don't consider myself an expert in love, it is clear that Anna cares for you." There was a long pause before Elsa spoke next.

"Yes..." she got out through her tears. "You have my permission. And my blessing. Just please... please make her happy. And whatever you do, please don't hurt her."

Kristoff blinked as Elsa finally broke down in sobs. "Hurt her? Your Majesty, never! I would rather die first!"

The sobs died down into hiccups, and Elsa finally got out, "I know you would." And then, little by little, she gave him a shaky smile. It was the first time she had ever smiled at him.

It was a start, at least.

Kristoff and Elsa followed Ingrid out of the rocky clearing, the Queen carrying the urn and leaving a frozen Hans behind. All the while, Elsa was staring at her sister's fiancé in bewilderment. He never ceased to amaze her. Kristoff noticed and awkwardly chuckled.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

Elsa shook her head. "You were willing to lay down your life for your Queen..." recalling when Hans had held him at sword point and threatened to kill him.

Kristoff just smiled. "I was willing to lay down my life for my sister. Important distinction."

Elsa waited for him to tack on in-law at the end, the way he had when they just missed the boat bearing Anna to Misthaven, but the qualification didn't come. Kristoff was still just smiling at her, and it was infectious enough that Elsa dared to smile back.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Kristoff shrugged. "We're friends, aren't we? You said so yourself."

Yes... she had. Elsa recalled moments earlier when Ingrid had been unsure of Kristoff's presence, questioned Kristoff's allegiance. It's OK, he's OK. His name's Kristoff... He's my friend. Still smiling, Elsa linked her arm through Kristoff's as they trailed after Ingrid. "We'll be family soon enough, reindeer man."

And for the first time, Kristoff noted, this nickname was said from a place of affection.