My dearest readers, whether you have been with me for quite some time now or whether you are just discovering me, I would like to let you know that this fanfiction was a very long time coming. It was started at the beginning of a summer as a bit of procrastination so that I could avoid writing my Salutatorian speech until the very last moment. After that it was completed on bus rides to work and home every day over the summer and it sat for a very long time in my notebook until I finally found the time to type it up… a day before I leave for college. So yeah this has been a long time coming and I really hope you enjoy it. It's been a lot of blood sweat and tears for a little bit of fluff, but I think it's worth it. As always thank you so very much for reading and enjoy!

He saw the castle now, coming down from the mountains it was always the first part of the city he saw. When he was a child he always looked up at the towers and spires in awe and curiosity. Everyone had been curious about the castle since the death of the King and Queen at sea, but now that it was open again the sight meant something much more to him. Though he lived there the castle was not his home. He was not royalty and the strong walls of the fortress meant nothing to him. The sight of it however made him spur Sven on faster. The castle was not his focus, only the one who was waiting for him there.

When he finally hit the city Sven all but sprinted for the castle gates. He knew that Anna would be there like she always was, bundled up against the cold with a fist full of carrots from the palace kitchens. Sven loved Anna; she always remembered him and made sure to give him plenty of treats after a long day's work. Kristoff was glad that his two best friends got along so well. He was equally as tired as Sven. His muscles ached and he was ready for a warm meal. He listened to the sound Sven's hooves on the icy snow covered cobblestones in front of the castle. It was all he could hear which was curious to him as the sun was just setting and the city was usually full of life and sounds until the night had come completely, making the world dim and dark. He passed off the thought supposing that it simply wasn't a market day and therefor that people would be home already.

As the sleigh pulled past the doors and towards the stables both Kristoff and Sven found themselves disappointed. Anna was not there anxiously waiting for their return as she usually was. She was not there, however upon entering the stable Kristoff found traces of the fact that she had indeed been there. She had left a candle, a note, and of course a rather sizeable stack of carrots from Sven. Anna spoiled that reindeer rotten. He had told her on multiple occasions that all she was doing was fattening him up, but she wouldn't have him stopping her. She was brutally stubborn at times and he loved her more for it.

Lifting the candle off the grain barrel on which it had been set Kristoff noticed that barely any of the wax had run down its side. She must have been there mere moments before their arrival. Kristoff nearly kicked himself as he used the candle to light the stable lanterns. Sven hated the dark and Anna knew it. He smiled softly at her thoughtfulness as he went about preparing a stall in the shed for his friend.

Kristoff replaced the candle and grabbed the carrots. There was quite a handful there, even for his large strong hands. He imagined that Anna had brought them down in multiple trips with her small palms and petite fingers, lovingly and with care each time to not drop a single one. He wondered how many had indeed fallen with her clumsiness. He chuckled as he brought a carrot out to Sven.

As he exited the stable Kristoff decided that he was far too tired and sore to bring the ice he had harvested indoors to the building in which it was kept. Or at least that was the reason he would give if anyone asked. In truth, even as tired as he was, the sole reason for not putting the ice away presently was that after a seemingly endless trip he wanted to see Anna more than anything. He told himself that he would care for the ice in the morning as he simply unhitched the sleigh from Sven and lead the reindeer indoors. Sven bedded down quickly with what was left of the carrots. He was just as exhausted as Kristoff and he was happy to be in a familiar, warm and relaxing place.

"Hey, share!" Kristoff shouted only half joking to Sven as he held out his hand expectantly. He still wasn't used to castle etiquette, so a quick chomp on a carrot between friends was one of the types of things he did to maintain his sanity.

Receiving one of the root vegetables from the reindeer, Kristoff did just that. Winter always reminded him of his childhood, hard work all day long followed by a few carrots and a good night's sleep curled up next to Sven. It was a hard life, but he had a family that loved and cared for him when he needed them, so he couldn't complain.

Lazily he tossed the carrot's top away into the direction of Sven. He didn't mind eating the greenery. With a yawn Kristoff finally got around to reading the note which Anna had left for him. He read it and smiled fondly at the beautiful script which filled the page. He always admired the way that she could make words look as if they were dancing across paper.

Kristoff,

Sorry I couldn't be down here to welcome you as you arrived home, we have some guests to entertain tonight and unfortunately I could not be torn away for long. Elsa only remembered to tell me earlier this week after you had left to work.

Dinner will be served in the great hall tonight, a full state affair. Before you think of taking dinner in your room tonight you are expected to attend. Elsa and I will stall our guests until you are ready, so tend to Sven, bathe and get ready as soon as possible. I know you're tired, but it is very important that you be there.

We'll be waiting.

-Anna

P.S. I left a few things for you on your bed.

Kristoff sighed and patted Sven on the head as he exited the stable. If it weren't for Anna's note he may have just walked into her bedroom to say hello before returning to the stable to hit the hay literally with Sven. He was tired beyond all things, but he appreciated the fact that Anna found him important enough to require him to attend a state function. That being said it was still an extremely annoying thing to have to deal with and he barely had the patience for such a thing tonight. He would just have to try for Anna's sake.

As he walked into the castle, everything ached, no more than any other time he returned home after a long week of working in the mountains, but today climbing the stairs seemed especially difficult. This had been his final full trip into the mountains to cut ice for this winter, and he told himself that that was the reason he had been feeling especially tired, that it was weeks of work with little to no rest that was wearing him down. At the same time he knew that a lot of what he felt was caused by dread of the night's event.

He still wasn't completely sure of how to get around the castle. It had been over a year since he had met Anna, but it had only been mere months since he had moved into the castle. Anna and Elsa had insisted on his moving in with them once they had realized the "severity" of his living conditions. He hated how they had referred to his home as severe. He had lived in a small hut he made himself a couple miles away from the troll's home. It wasn't quite the castle of course, but to him it was a rather nice place. It had kept him warm and it was comfortable with a little shed on the side for Sven. Regardless though he did like the ability to be near Anna, something he had in the castle but not his home.

Though he was generally lost in the palace, he was proud to say that he could at least locate his room, the kitchens, the great hall, Anna's room, Elsa's chamber, the library, and most of the exits. It was to his room that he was currently traveling. He took the servants entrance and staircase up to his bedroom so that Anna, Elsa, and their apparently important guests would not see him in his present state. He didn't know much about diplomacy, but he did know that a disheveled sweat covered man wandering about the castle did not reflect well on Arendelle.

While marching up the back stairwell Kristoff met a very busy looking Gerda. Before rushing off to do something or another she informed him that a bath had been drawn for him in the tub room adjoining his quarters. He hated bathing in a bath tub, being that he was partial to showering beneath a waterfall or washing himself in the running waters of a river or stream. However he thanked the woman kindly as they both went their separate ways. It wasn't her fault that he would not return to the mountains simply to bathe.

When he reached his room he threw the door wide open. It still didn't seem like "his" room, but it was and he had to admit that it had grown on him since he had first walked through the door. The room was lit by hanging lanterns, likely lit mere minutes ago by Gerda or another castle worker. He was glad of this because it saved him a few moments of time.

After closing the doors behind him he began to peel off the layers of clothing that were clinging to his skin from sweat and snow melt. The first things to go were his hat, scarf, jacket and boots. They were quickly followed by socks, pants, layers of shirts and all the other clothing he had been wearing. He tossed the aside as he walked into the adjoining room to bathe.

It didn't take him very long to wash up and once he was fairly certain that his scent couldn't offend anyone he returned to his bedroom wrapped up in a towel. The bath had helped his muscles relax and he felt a great deal better as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He wished that he had the time to trim his hair or at the very least shave. He looked rather scruffy and he didn't want his appearance to affect the perspective of others towards Anna, however at the same time he hated to keep her waiting, and this outweighed his worries.

He slicked his damp hair back with one hand as he walked over to his bed. It would have to make do. He quickly saw what Anna had left for him on his bed and frowned lightly. It was the formal attire he was expected to don for tonight's occasion.

Kristoff hated formalwear. It was far too fancy for his taste and it never seemed to fit him right. He had a large frame and it seemed as if no tailor could ever find it in them to make a suit jacket that fit his broad shoulders.

He sighed in defeat as he picked up the garments and began to dress himself. Anna must have had a hand in choosing his clothing for the night because at the very least he liked the color. There was a cream colored dress shirt that went below an evergreen colored vest and a black suit jacket. They fit him relatively well in comparison to other such articles that he had worn previously. He then pulled on a pair of black dress pants that had been laid out for him and after tucking in his shirt and vest he tied a matching evergreen sash around his waist like a belt. He tugged on his dress socks and a pair of black boots before combing his hair back with his hand again.

He was silently thankful that there was no tie or cravat there for him to wear. They were always too tight around his neck and he personally thought that they looked foolish. Once he was dressed and ready he took another peek down at his bed. Lying there was yet another note from Anna, one that he promptly picked up and read so as not to waste time or miss any important information.

Kristoff,

Hope you like the clothes, I think they will fit this time. Enter from the Great Hall's Ballroom entrance. It's the one in the front that is stained so dark it almost looks black. I'll be inside waiting for you.

Love,

Anna

Kristoff smiled broadly, regardless of how tired he was he couldn't wait to see Anna. She had signed the note "Love" and while he was sure it meant nothing and was merely a kindness, it made him happy and caused him to renew his vigor for seeing her. Dinner or not he was off to see Anna and in that moment, that was all that mattered to him.

He left the room quickly, flying down the stairs to get to the grand hall. He had kept Anna, Elsa, and their guests waiting for far too long. He hated the feeling of keeping people waiting; he had never had to keep a strict schedule before when he lived in the mountains, but now here in the castle he feared letting people down. Now that he lived in the walls of the fortress being on time was a necessity for him.

He did not waste a moment swinging open the door of the Great Hall. It was strange because he normally took a moment to collect himself before entering events such as a state dinner. He did not want to embarrass himself or Anna.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I…" Kristoff trailed off as he entered the room. This was no state dinner. It was a full-fledged party complete with a mixture of aristocratic and common guests. He saw some of the fellow harvesters he had worked with just mere days before lining the walls while mingling with young women from the town. He also saw merchants and nobles from both Arendelle and beyond. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Sven playing with Olaf, but the person who was holding the majority of his attention in that moment was the young lady currently striding towards him.

"Surprise!" The whole room cried in unison as Kristoff's jaw practically fell to the floor. Surprise indeed.

Anna with her arm linked through Elsa's finally made her way over to him as the crowd shouted. She was smiling broadly and was obviously quite proud of herself.

"It was all Anna's idea." Elsa said plainly quirking an eyebrow at him. "You know it's impossible to say no to her when she's excited about something."

Kristoff, mouth still slightly agape, nodded at the snow queen. She was right, it was impossible to reason with Anna or call her off once her mind was set. Digressing from that fact however, he was still in shock and it was all he could do to not ask what exactly was going on.

Anna released her sister's arm and closed the remaining distance between herself and Kristoff. She nearly laughed at his awestruck look as she embraced him. He was completely surprised, just as she had intended for him to be. She grinned broadly as he returned her hug and got close enough for her to whisper in his ear. "You didn't seriously believe that I would forget about your Birthday, did you?"

Kristoff looked down at Anna in confusion until he realized that she was correct. It was indeed his Birthday. He had been working hard all week and due to this he had completely forgotten about his own Birthday. "No, but I did." He said with a light laugh that slowly became haughtier as he realized just how foolish it had been of him to forget about his own Birthday. He had turned twenty two but of course had felt no different throughout the course of the day until just now. "Anna," He managed to choke out between bursts of laughter, "I completely forgot that my Birthday was today!"

She smiled offering him her hand. "Of course you did, you've been working so hard as of late that I personally consider it a miracle you even know your own name anymore."

Kristoff was still quite in shock and due to this he simply stared at her hand until Elsa explained. "The quest of honor always receives the first dance of the night with either the Queen or the Princess." She smiled softly, "Anna is simply anticipating your choice."

Kristoff returned Elsa's smile as she walked away and towards her throne. He had begun to feel more comfortable around Elsa. They were a lot alike, loners with a love of quiet and the land. Personality wise they were both staunch realists and they both desperately loved Anna, albeit in different ways. He was very glad to see that she was too at least seemingly at ease with him.

He took Anna's hand gently as she led them to the dance floor where they would dance the first song of the night alone together. Kristoff sighed as Anna led him out, he was nervous. He danced, but only at festivals. He could do Arendelle's traditional jigs and dances, but not whatever royal high class dance the crowd likely expected of him.

"Anna." Kristoff said softly, whispers filled with worry. His legs and back were killing him still, but that did not cripple him nearly as much as his fear. He had been worrying all day about failing or embarrassing her and it seemed now that his worst fears would become a reality.

"Yes Kristoff?" She asked seeing the worry in his eyes as they finally stepped into the center of the room. All eyes were on them.

He loved the way she said his name and just the way she was looking at him made him feel amazing, but that did not change the reality of their situation. "Anna, I can't dance."

She smiled softly. "Of course you can, trust me."

Kristoff sighed muscles protesting as he bowed before Anna, crown Princess of Arendelle. He at the very least knew how to start a dance.

The music began to play coming from the raised tier at the side of the room on which a band played. Anna curtsied and smiled up at Kristoff. Her eyes were alight with happiness as Kristoff offered her his hand. He prayed that he would not disappoint her.

She took it and Kristoff began the first step. The song had finally clicked in his mind. It was a traditional waltz that was known throughout the Kingdom. It was danced at every festival, wedding, party and ball in the land. Sometimes people just danced it for no reason at all, just as he and Anna had just a couple weeks before.

Kristoff held her close as they danced. As others began to join them on the floor he spun her out and in keeping her close to him as they moved together. He was holding on as if she were the only thing holding him to the Earth. "How long have you been planning this?" He asked softly.

Anna smiled devilishly, her cheeks red from glee and the warmth of their proximity. "Since you said that you would move in with me."

It all made sense to him now. She had been planning to do this for months. That was why she had asked him to dance with her last week; she was ensuring that he would be ready for today. It also explained all the secrets between them between them since he had moved in and why he had been called down at the beginning of the month to be properly measured for a suit.

He smiled as he brought her into a quickly forming circle that was characteristic of the group aspect of the dance. About eight or so other couples were with them in a circle with others forming more and more rings around them. As the tempo of the song increased the circles moved clockwise and counterclockwise around each other. The men lifted and spun the women in the air on every fourth beat, setting them down seemingly to only pick them up and spin them once more.

It was great fun, and as Kristoff spun Anna her skirts flew through the air. She was the picture of loveliness and seeing her kept Kristoff's mind off the ache of his muscles. Her hair was the color of sunset in the light, her cheeks were ruddy with the excitement of the dance, and as he set her down after the final turn, the dance floor cleared once more. It was only them and as her feet met the floor her lips parted slightly. He wanted more than anything in that moment to kiss her. Her beauty was playing games with his head, making him dizzy and making him forget where he was.

He was lost in his thoughts momentarily until a swish of skirts reminded him that he needed to finish the dance. They fell back into the steps of a normal waltz with Anna a little too close than what was strictly proper, even for a festival dance. She quirked her eyebrow at him playfully, knowing that he knew exactly what he was doing, and as she did so he shifted his hand a little lower on her back than what would be considered proper.

All eyes were on them, and as they finally concluded the dance, Kristoff was quick to lead Anna off the dance floor. He hated to be the center of attention; however he had to admit that being the center of her attention was not that bad at all.

"Why are we leaving?" Anna asked as they walked away from the dance floor and towards a table heaping with various refreshments.

Kristoff sighed sadly; he hated to see the first indications of hurt in her eyes. "I'm tired Anna. It's been a long day and…"

Anna cut him off placing a delicate finger over his lips. "You've done a lot of hard work." She smiled softly, letting him know she understood and that it was okay. "I know how you feel, not entirely of course, but somewhat. I've been working hard too, a lot of work goes into planning a party."

He felt guilty, Anna didn't understand what hard work harvesting was. He wouldn't even let her come along with him to see how it was done for fear that she would get hurt. He knew she would be alright, but in his heart he couldn't bear to bring her. It was a dangerous job and he'd seen too many men die doing it to let her even come along for the trip. He felt bad that he wasn't being nearly as enthusiastic about the party as she likely wanted him to be.

He was sure that she had put some very hard work into planning everything perfectly and down to the detail; every detail including her gown which was obviously made to match his current finery. The top was rather tight across her chest, which he was embarrassed to think was what called his attention to the gown in the first place, and the bodice and gown as a whole was obviously made to flatter her figure. It matched his clothes in that its fabric was the same rich evergreen as his vest and sash. He was also sure that it was no accident that the accents, trimmings and lace were the same cream colored beige as his undershirt. She was even wearing black ribbons in her hair and had black embroidered flowers and vines on her gown to match his jacket. He could only imagine the exhausting work she had put into planning her dress and his garb alone.

Her work was not manually exhausting like his was, but rather it was very mentally taxing and tedious. She had done all this for him and the very least he felt he could do was enjoy it.

Anna smiled at him understandingly, but he could tell that she was hurt. "It's okay if you don't want to stay long, I kind of sprung this all on you and I'm tired too, so I understand. Maybe have some cake before you go though?" She pointed to an enormous cake on the nearby refreshment table. "It's carrot cake."

Kristoff softened, she only meant well. "I'll stay." He said quietly, but with a decidedly sure tone. "Of course that is under one condition." He could never say no to her, but he was a man of business and therefor he was going to debate with her for terms on which they could both agree.

The look on Anna's face was bright and glowing and Kristoff knew that no matter what her terms were, she would be more than happy to comply. Her smile was broad and she seemed mere moments away from squealing with delight. Such was the commonplace attitude of Anna, but as people looked in their direction she was able to reign herself in and return at least partially into "princess mode". "Anything." She said softly in controlled tones she used only to veil her true sense of excitement from other guests. Kristoff already could see through this though, he knew her better than most.

Kristoff smiled. "Every dance of yours tonight belongs to me." He had felt so alive while dancing with her and he was sure that holding her in his arms was the only thing that was keeping him awake.

Anna laughed and laughed hard. Kristoff was confused, not believing that he had said anything funny in his request. She pointed to a piece of paper tied to her wrist by a ribbon. She untied it and handed it to him. "This is my dance card." She said as he took the elegantly designed piece of paper and unfolded it, "Read it."

She was still laughing as he looked down to see his name written on the card once, but rather largely so it took up all the spaces on the card. Anna giggled beside herself and in a very un-princess-like manner when he looked up at her entirely dumbstruck. "Elsa said it was rude, but I didn't care. It's your birthday and I've missed you. You're the only one I wanted to dance with tonight."

Kristoff shook his head at her and laughed heartily. After a week of hard work it was nice to come home and be around the woman he loved who was quite a piece of work. He took her hand in his as he walked closer to the refreshment table. He was definitely going to take her up on that carrot cake.

Thanks so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this little tale of mine, and I look forward to seeing some of your comments and reviews on it. I've toyed with the idea of continuing it if anyone is interested, and I also have a few new ideas for some Frozen fics rolling around in my head. Let me know what you think and what you'd like to see next! Thanks again guys!

-Emily