Author's Note: I do not pretend to know very well how monarchial governments are run. I've done a bit of research and settled on a mish-mash of terms and ideas, and since Arendelle is a fictional kingdom, I think I can get away with it. :) I don't know what Elsa's age is supposed to be at the time of the movie, but I raised it a bit then maybe it is generally thought to be.

Chapter 1

Eyes as cold as the ice seeping out from a pair of pale fisted hands swept the length of the long, mahogany table. The eyes of the fifteen uneasy men lining either side of the table looked away.

"What?" Queen Elsa of Arandelle drew the word out and her ministers shivered as they literally felt her displeasure. Fear began to settle in the swiftly cooling chamber.

Normund, her Forsvarsminister licked his lips and cleared his throat, bravely taking the queen's attention away from Frederik, the Finansminister, who had originally said the displeasing thing, but lost the nerve to repeat it.

"You must begin discussions of potential suitors for your majesty's hand."

In a very small corner tucked in the back of her mind, Elsa knew this day would come, she just had not expected it to come so soon. It had been almost over a month since her re-instatement to the throne and she was already overwhelmed by all the things she had to attend to, on top of still figuring out the finer points of controlling her abilities.

"This seems rather sudden."

"We would not have brought it up this soon, your majesty," piped up the Lord Frederik, regaining his courage, going even so far as to allow a hint of censure enter into his voice, "but since you insist on allowing Princess Ana to become attached to a—a—-a mere ice-harvester, we have no other choice but to depend on you for a strong alliance."

"My Queen," Lord Yrian, her Handelsminister added, "many of our military allies and trade partners have broken their agreements with us."

"Have you found out why?" Elsa asked, but in her heart knew the answer. It was further confirmed by the way Lord Yrian could no longer keep eye contact with her as he struggled for a tactical way to answer.

"Because of this." Elsa opened her palm before her and a delicate snowflake fluttered up from her hand.

"Yes, your majesty . . . they do not want any dealings with an 'ice-demon'— Their words, not mine!" Yrian hastily added when Elsa's eyes flashed at him.

"And I have had word through the latest census that nearly a quarter of Arandelle's citizens have departed for other kingdoms."

"Good riddance to them all . . ." growled Lord Sjurd, her Statsminister. He had been her father's prime minister and his greatest friend and filled a paternal rôle in her life since the passing of the King. He regarded any slight to the Queen as a slight on himself as well.

"I had hoped . . ." Elsa murmured, so only Sjurd, who sat close to her right, heard her.

"I know, your majesty. Unfortunately, not everyone is as understanding of your powers as others," Sjurd said gently, "nor as forgiving."

If they were alone he would have taken her hand in consolation, but in the council room Elsa strove to keep things formal. She had had a hard enough time getting her government to take her seriously, to see her as a strong leader, not a young queen out of her depth. She may have been age to rule at twenty-five, but she still felt all of fifteen in the presence of her father's seasoned council members. She could have chosen other people, but the King had trusted them, and they had served him well.

The anger that had been welling in Elsa mixed with sadness at the report. Ice began to crawl down Elsa's maroon gown to the floor, then up the wall to frost the large stained-glass window behind her.

"Your majesty . . ." her Utenriksminister began carefully "we could begin the discussions now, if you like—"

Elsa raised a white hand, silencing him. "I will think about it." She swiftly rose and swept out of the chamber, her fur trimmed mantle fluttering as if caught in a sudden breeze as it trailed behind her.

The Cabinet sighed in relief as warmth seeped back into the room. The Kulturminister rose from his chair first.

"Meeting adjourned?"

Gerda, their chambermaid, on Elsa enquiring after the whereabouts of her sister, directed her to the stables.

Elsa stepped briefly into her own chambers where she removed her mantle and stripped out of her formal-wear to her linen undergown, then with a wave of her hand, ice overtook the undergown and transformed it into her "Ice Queen" dress, as Ana dubbed it. When spending time with her sister, she usually created this dress or something less formal; it helped her step from "Queen-mode" to "sister-mode". Unfortunately, though, she felt that the conversation she was preparing to have with Ana would have to dip into both rôles. Elsa hoped she could do it; nothing else was going right.

Glossary:

Forsvarsminister: Minister of Defense

Finansminister: Minister of Finance

Handelsminister: Minister of Trade

Statsminister: Prime Minister

Utenriksminister: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Kulturminister: Minister of Culture