A/N: I took the prologue of this story down for now as the writing was just piss-poor quality. Because of this I will get a new chapter in tomorrow.
"Do you think she'll like it?" Anna asked with wide eyes scanning around the dining hall.
"I am certain that your sister will love it," Rilen smiled.
Anna hummed to herself as she walked up to the long table of polished wood, straightening out the tiniest cresses in the sheet of linen cast over it and adding the smallest adjustments to the flower arrangements. The dining hall was a large room with a dark floor of hardwood and walls that shone crimson in the chandelier's candle light.
Different shades of blue were being draped along the walls in the form of party streamers and ribbons and a long banner with the words 'happy birthday Elsa' written with blue paint. . The smell of mint filled the air with all the Diradona mountain flowers displayed along the dining table, the violet variant that grows in the cold north. A rarer kind exists, one which only grows in the summer. A golden Diradona, the same one depicted on Arendelle's flag and the cape flowing from Rilen's back.
"I am sure she'll be much appreciative of all this," he said.
The princess stepped away from her work, trying to see the room as a whole whilst she played with one of the auburn pigtails her hair was styled into. As always she was wearing one of her practical-focused outfits: a white shirt and green summer dress with shoes made for running. Not very appropriate for a princess but an outfit, no doubt, that helped in today's venture.
"Honestly I am amazed I managed to put this all together myself," Anna said as she stepped back in and corrected the way some of the knives and forks where laid out.
"Sorry that none of us had time to help you this time your highness."
"Don't worry yourself about it Rilen. You and the others had the coronation to think about," Anna said with a comforting smile. "At least your around to give me an opinion at least."
"And as I said your highness, I am certain your sister will love it."
"She deserves something like this. Even though she locks herself in her room all day and never talks or responds to any of the letters I slip under her door, she's still my sister and I still love her."
"Very selfless of you your highness."
"Things will change tomorrow anyway. Tomorrow is Elsa's coronation day," Anna sang, "I mean for the first time in forever those gates are gonna be open again and I'll finally get to see my sister after what—"
"13 years," Rilen slipped in.
"Right, exactly," the princess was shivering with enthusiasm. "Have you got a gift for her?"
Rilen face turned fearful, "I was supposed to get her something?"
"Well, yeah," Anna said, now looking a little frightened herself.
There was a tense moment of silence before Rilen's snigger shattered it all. "Of course I got her majesty something."
"Oh good," Anna giggled, "You had me going there for a second."
"I had the blacksmith fashion her a letter opener, I figured her majesty might be having use for one in the days to come."
"Nice. What about clothing?"
Rilen frowned, "sorry your highness?"
"What are you going to wear tonight?"
Rilen cast his vision over the full suite of plate armor he was wearing, his expression riddled with confusion, "What's wrong with what I am wearing now?"
"Rilen," Anna gasped, "you can't wear this to my sister's birthday dinner."
"But your highness, its part of my oath as both a knight and the guard captain to be ready to defend you and your sister at all times."
Rilen had never been one to think much of appearance, not in the sense of dressing up anyway. He'd gladly comb out his long silver hair and bath regularly to remain looking presentable, but at heart he was a solider, a sworn knight to the royal family. He just couldn't see himself donning a suite of silk rather than steel or applying polish to a pair of shoes rather than his long sword.
"Come on Rilen, I think you can deal with dressing up on one special night for my sister's sake."
Rilen sighed, "very well your highness. I will do so under the assumption of me dressing up being your command."
"There you go, that's sort of the spirt to be in. I think?"
"What about you your highness, what dress will you don tonight?"
Anna shrugged and hang her hands behind her back, "I won't be attending."
"You won't?
Anna shook her head, "I'll be in my room. My little present to Elsa really, me being the one locking herself in her bedroom and Elsa getting the palace to herself for a day."
Rilen couldn't say he liked the idea of that, and not just because he couldn't imagine a personality like Anna's being cooped up in a confined space for more than a couple of seconds. Elsa likely wouldn't be able to enjoy herself knowing her sister would be suffering for her benefit. "Mabey her majesty could be convinced to be reunited with you a day early," Rilen said, "I could try speaking to her if you wish me to your highness."
For a moment Anna's eyes lit up with a twinkle of hope. It faded however when the princess diverted her attention to the floor, "it's alright," she said, "Elsa likes to have her own space, I've come to terms with that."
"I'll talk to her anyway, though now that I think about it, I do fear it'll be trying enough to get her out of her room at all."
"Well everything is set up for her down her if she wants it and you know what they say: it's the thought that counts."
"Will this be all then your highness?"
"Yeah – oh wait, wait I almost forgot. Kai has been helping out with the cake, would you mind going down to the kitchen and checking up on him?"
"Certainly," Rilen bowed, leaving the princess to tinker with her decorations.
The corridors were second to silent, the only noise being the metallic cluck of Rilen's plate armor. He remembered a time when so much more life filled these old walls of wood and stone. A time when you'd walk into the palace of Arendelle and think you were in the centre of the world. A time when merchants where once allowed to sell exotic goods in the courtyard; when dignitaries and envoys from foreign countries would be anxiously awaiting in the entrance hall to pay homage to Arendelle's beloved monarchs. It was a time some may have called a golden age.
It pained Rilen to see the palace now, with its closed gates keeping merchants out of the courtyard and the ballroom devoid of balls. he could only pray that Elsa would start setting things right after tomorrow.
Arriving at the kitchen, Rilen stepped through the white double doors and the smell of freshly baked vanilla sponge found his nose. At a long table running up and down the room's centre was Kai. a large man with Auburn hair running around a large bald spot. He stood before one of the tables dressed in the smart servant attire of green and white.
"Rilen?" he said, "I cannot say I was expecting you."
"Her highness, Princess Anna sent me down to check on your progress."
"Formal as ever I see," Kai smiled, gesturing to the double layer sponge coated in sky-blue frosting. "I am just about finished. In fact, I was about to start taking it to the dining hall."
"Ah, then it seems my coming over here was a pointless endeavour."
Kai chuckled, "Mabey not completely pointless. I could do with some help carrying it onto the trolley."
"Where are all the other servants?"
"Preparing the throne room for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," Rilen sighed, I can only hope things will go smoothly."
He walked over to the opposite side of table so that the cake was kept between him and Kai. They both took two corners each of the tray it was sitting on and – when both nodded to confirm they were ready – lifted the cake off the table.
"Have there been any outbreaks with her majesty's powers?" Kai said in a hush as the two took the cake over to the trolley at the end of the table.
"Just one," Rilen said as they slowly lowered the cake until it was resting on a solid metallic surface. "It happened when we were playing our routine game of chess yesterday. My fault really, I was the one who convinced her to try moving a piece without her gloves."
"Tears?"
"Not this time, she did look awfully distort afterwards however."
"I am sure her majesty will learn to control her gift in time."
Rilen sighed, "We've been telling ourselves that for years and tomorrow she becomes the new queen of Arendelle. A queen is expected to live outside of her bedroom."
"Speak to her about it. You've served her parents closer and longer than any of us after all, she respects your council I do believe."
Rilen nodded before diverting his attention to the trolley, "will you be needing any further assistance?"
"I can take it from here."
"Then it seems I have a rather awkward conversation with our soon-to-be queen to get under way."