Dawn had fully broken by the time she dropped Stig off at the stables. Though it was finally springtime, the nights held a lingering chill that disappated with the daylight. Sonja, having dressed during the night, now sweated under the thick layers of her clothes. She stripped off her jacket long before she entered the palace, and held it draped over one arm while her satchel hung off the opposite shoulder.

A servant met her at the door to collect the items she carried, and passed along a message from her mother reminding her to take a bath before her fitting. She thanked the man before heading up to her room. The maids were already there, filling a large copper tub with alternating pots of hot and cold water.

A young woman close to Sonja's age was arranging a set of clothes on the stand near the tub, and the sight of her made Sonja grin. She wore a vibrant blue dress trimmed at the neck with same yellow fabric that lined the hem of her skirt. A pattern composed of red flower buds on green stalks had been embroidered on top of the yellow trim. Her white blouse was of the Arendelle style, somewhat loose with fitted hems at the three-quarters length sleeve. The thick mass of her pale blonde hair was pulled back in a heavy bun that rested at the nape of her neck.

"Frieda," Sonja greeted. "Where have you been? I was beginning to worry about you."

Frieda straightened and looked over to her with a kind smile. Not for the first time, Sonja was struck with just how beautiful her friend was. It was no wonder that she had more suitors than she could ever keep track of.

"I've been busy in other parts of the palace," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of her homeland. "It's an important night, you know."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me."

Frieda chuckled, and the room seemed brighter than before. "You could sound less enthused, but it would be difficult."

"It's Magnus' birthday," Sonja said, waving dismissively. She moved to stand by the tub, and trailed her fingers through the tempered water. "He's the one they're trying to marry off. I'm not all that important."

"Which is why he needs you there. He needs someone there that isn't out for his powers or his crown."

Sonja couldn't decide if there was a touch of sadness in Frieda's placid tone or not. There wouldn't be any surprise if there was. Every man in Arendelle might be head over heels in love with Frieda, but she had only ever cared for one of them.

"So hurry and bathe," the other woman continued, forcing a cheerful note into her voice. "I've laid out a dressing gown for you, and I'll be waiting just outside in the hall to take you to your mother's room when you're ready."

Frieda bobbed her a curtsy, a gesture mimicked by the other two serving women, and led them out of the room. She welcomed the privacy of being able to bathe without the presence of maids. It made her grateful for the lax etiquette of the Arendelle court. There were places that she had read about where a princess wasn't permitted to dress herself, or even walk down a flight of stairs without assistance. She couldn't imagine living with such restrictions.

A table pulled up next to the tub bore a silver tray laden with soaps and bottles of perfumes. Each one had been a gift from some visiting ambassador or a merchant wanting to gain favor, but who had no idea what Princess Sophia might like best. She passed most of the scented presents off to Freddie, but every so often she found one that she liked. Her current favorite was a French-made soap speckled with lavender that left a mild, clean smell.

Her clothing was stripped off and dropped into a pile beside the table, then climbed into the tub. The water was just warm enough to leech any residual chill from her bones, but not enough to make her start sweating again. For a long while she just sat and soaked, but she knew that she couldn't take too long. As quickly as she could manage, she washed her skin and hair with the lavender soap.

She wrung out her hair before climbing from the tub, hoping that it would help the thick locks dry out a little faster. Frieda had laid out a towel and some simple clothing she could wear while getting ready. In little more than a quarter of an hour, she had dried off and pulled on the plain dress and dressing gown. Her hair was left loose around her shoulders, in part to help the drying process but mostly because she knew that anything she tried to do with it was just going to be undone by the hairdresser.

Just as Frieda had said, she was waiting for Sonja in the hallway. She sat in a chair pulled up to the nearest window, with a basket of thread by her feet. Embroidery was yet another talent of Sonja's long time friend, and she seemed to be perpetually working on something for someone. Now, however, the embroidery hoop lay abandoned on her lap. Her focus had shifted from the colorful swatch of fabric to the courtyard below.

Sonja was careful to make as little sound as possible as she closed her bedroom door behind her. Luckily, Frieda was enraptured by whatever it was she saw, making it all too easy for the younger woman to sneak up and peer over her shoulder.

The courtyard was a flurry of activity. Servants were high on ladders, busy stringing up lanterns and bunting done in the royal colors of purple, green, and gold along the edges of eaves and balconies. Two tall, frozen fountains flanked the path that led from the gate to the palace doors, and between them stood two figures as still and straight as the plumes of ice.

They were the most easily recognized pair in the kingdom, not solely because of they unusual, icy clothing they wore. Everyone knew of the Queen of Arendelle, who commanded ice and snow. They knew her from the coins bearing her image, and from the copies of her official coronation portrait that had been popular memorabilia after the Great Freeze. "the Snow Queen" they had called her for a long time, much to her chagrin.

Sonja's brother, Magnus, had never been particularly perturbed by being referred to as "the Snow Prince", but he had also never had to hide his powers. Elsa had made sure of that. From the day that the white-haired boy had come into her life, Elsa had done everything she could to make sure that neither he nor anyone else had cause to fear his abilities. She mentored him in his powers and when she had taught him all she knew, she progressed to teaching him the arts of statecraft and diplomacy. When she and Anna had made the decision that he should be named as heir, no one had been particularly surprised.

As slight as what Elsa was, Magnus was burly. He had the broad build of their father, Kristoff, but his face favored the one in the painting that hung in their aunt's office, the one of their grandfather, King Agnarr. There was no wonder that between his looks and status as Crown Prince of Arendelle, Magnus was a much sought after husband. He had not outright declined any of the offers they received, but he had been avoiding the matter for as long as he could. No one really knew why, save for Sonja.

"Handsome sight isn't it?" Sonja said, an impish grin curling her lips.

Frieda startled from her reverie, and leaned back from the window. She looked up to Sonja with a flushed, guilty face that made the princess chuckle.

"The... the decorations are lovely," Frieda replied, attempting a casualness she couldn't quite manage. Not while her face was as red as the rosebuds on her skirt.

Sonja still smiled. She knew that Frieda was aware of her knowledge of the feelings that were shared between her friend and her brother, but they rarely spoke on the matter. Frieda had stated again and again that it simply couldn't be. "Yeah, I was definitely referring to the decorations."

Frieda ignored the statement, instead turning her attention to slippined her embroidery hoop into the basket at her feet. The blush didn't fade from her cheeks as she rose from the chair, and she didn't look towards Sonja before she began walking down the hall.

"Your mother is expecting you, Your Highness. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

The pair walked in silence down the hall and up the stairs. The top rooms of the castle were home to only two suites; one for the king and one for the queen. Sonja's grandparents had broken the tradition in their time, however, and now their children had split the suites between them. The Queen and her consort lodged in one room, while Sonja's parents had moved into the other.

Voices drifted into the hallway through a gap in the door. One was distinctly her mother's, the other belonged to her younger brother, Freddie. Their conversation was clearly heard long before Sonja and Frieda reached the room.

"What do think, Mother?"

"You know I think you look handsome in anything you wear."

"Mother, that's not helpful."

"Go with the hunter green."

Sonja heard shuffling, presumably Freddie shrugging out of one coat to pull on another. She rapped her knuckles against the door, making it swing open a little more.

Her mother was seated on the edge of her bed, half buried under a pile of frock coats of varying colors. Her brother stood before the full length mirror by the closet, fastening a hunter green coat. If Freddie noticed her, he didn't acknowledge her yet. Her mother, on the other hand, lit up with a full, bright smile.

"Sonja, sweetheart! I was wondering when you'd get here. Come in. Come in!" She waved her daughter into the room, her exuberance never faultering.

Princess Anna of Arendelle, Dowager Grand Duchess of Flink-Merak, had been a great beauty in her youth and nothing about that had changed in her middle age. Her ginger hair was threaded through with silver, and the corners of her eyes and mouth crinkled deeply when she smiled. Aside from those minute differences she looked the same as she did in her wedding portrait, which hung in the grand salon next to an old rendering of Joan of Arc. Sonja had been told that she favored her mother, but she could not see it. She did not think she looked like either of her parents.

Anna pushed her youngest child's frock coats off her lap and onto the bed so she could rise to her feet. Crossing the room to the doorway, she swept her daughter into a tight embrace that would have squeezed the air from someone else. Sonja was well-accustomed to her mother's hugs, and was prepared for the force of it. With a wide smile of her own, Sonja returned the embrace.

When Anna finally released her, she held her at arm's length to look her over.

"You get beautifuller every time I see you!" she exclaimed. She made a face before correcting herself. "Well, not fuller. More beautiful. I mean-"

"I know, Mama," Sonja interrupted, laughing. "Thank you."

Fredrik turned towards them, straightening his cuffs as he did. He looked younger than his eighteen years, but did not seem to mind. He was sleek and lean, and had fine features that were almost feminine. When they were all younger, Sonja had put him in one of her dresses for the sake of amusement.

"Fredrika" had been a very pretty girl.

"Tell me what you think," he said, striking a pose. Sonja couldn't help chuckling at the sight. He reminded her of the peacocks she'd seen in a book once.

"Dark green looks good on you," Sonja replied, giving a little shrug.

Appeased by the praise, Fredrik turned to examine himself in the mirror once more. "Hunter green, sister dear. It's hunter green."

"Whatever you say, Freddie."

"Now that that's settled, Fredrik," Anna interjected, "go see if Elsa needs your help with anything. Gerda needs to put the finishing touches to Sonja's dress."

He lingered in front of the mirror for a moment longer, then moved to kiss his mother's cheek. He reached and lightly tugged a stray lock of Sonja's hair as he passed by her. "Good luck, sister dear. No tears."

Sonja scowled at him, making him laugh as he headed out of the room. Frieda closed the door behind him, then crossed the room to help the elderly woman in the closet bring out the gown they had been working on for the last few months. Anna all but bounced with excitement as they set the mannequin down before the mirror that Fredrik had been preening in.

"Do you like it?" Anna asked, biting her lower lip and folding her arms as she waited to see her daughter's reaction.

Sonja stared at the dress, unsure of what she thought to be exact. Though she was a princess of the blood, never in her life had she owned anything as exquisite as what stood before her.

The fabric was a deep, rich blue that reminded her of the sky at night. It had been cut in the modern style, with a wide skirt and tight bodice that she already knew would require a corset. The neckline was low, almost even with the sleeves that could barely be called such since they fell off the shoulders and did nothing to cover her arms. A very sheer overlay covered the whole of it, and bore swirling patterns that glimmered in the light. She couldn't decide if the tiny, sparkling embellishments were meant to be snowflakes or stars.

Astonishment gradually ebbed into suspicion as she looked over to her mother.

"Mama…"

Anna's smile tightened at the tone. "What?"

"This is a very, very fancy dress."

"Well, it should be," the older princess insisted. "You're royalty. Royalty is supposed to be fancy. Now go try it on. I've been dying to see you in it."

Anna urged Sonja towards the gown and the women who waited to help her into it. Gerda was a little rough in her lacing of the corset, but Frieda came behind her to loosen it when she turned her attention towards the gown. Sonja was pleased to see she had been forgiven for her earlier teasing, and found her more grateful than ever to have Frieda as a friend.

"A lot of princes will be at the ball as well," Frieda whispered to her as she worked.

Correction, now Sonja was more grateful for her than ever.

She had known that there was something amiss, and she should have guessed that it was more than just Magnus' birthday that had her mother wanting her to look like the princess she was. The thought had never occurred to her that the princesses who would be arriving that evening to meet Magnus would bring male relatives with them for a similar purpose: To make a match.

No one said anything else until Sonja was laced into her dress. Gerda and Frieda stepped back as she turned to face her mother, making sure that nothing was impeding the view of her. Anna covered her mouth, tears glimmering in her eyes as she deliberately looked Sonja over. The reaction was not the one Sonja had been expecting. Squeals of delight, yes. Utter silence and tears, not so much.

"Is it that bad?" she asked, only half-joking.

Anna shook her head, dropping her hands to clasp them at her chest. "Oh, Sonja…"

She paused to gather something, be it her words or nerves. When she found it, she continued, her voice lowered to a whisper. "I wish your father could see you."

Strength. She'd had to pause to gather her strength.

Sonja moved forward and wrapped her arms around Anna's shoulders to pull her into a gentle embrace. Gratefully, Anna wrapped her arms around the younger woman in turn, and pressed her cheek to hers. She could feel the hot droplets of her mother's tears against her skin.

The court had officially mourned the death of Sonja's father for six months, but her mother had never stopped. She had coped with his absence to the best of her abilities, but the grief was still there, buried down deep. The first few months had been difficult. She'd broken down more than once, and during those times Elsa had been the one to take care of all of them.

She had trained Magnus, taken Sonja up the mountain, and tucked Fredrik in at night. Whenever a servant came and whispered that Anna had asked for her, the Queen would drop everything and go to console her sister. Sonja could remember hearing her mother's sobs and her aunt's soothing words through Anna's bedroom door until there finally came a day when the door swung open and there stood Anna. She was still in her black mourning gown, but she had a look of pure determination and cheer emblazoned on her face. That afternoon Anna took her children away from their tutors and spent the day in the garden with them simply playing games and telling stories.

Anna never locked herself away from them again after that, but there were still times when she would excuse herself for a little while to sit by herself, and there were still times when she would be moved to tears. Each year, however, her clothes became a shade lighter and they all took that as a good sign.

Sonja did not pull back from her mother, but waited for her to draw back when she felt the need to.

"I'm sorry," Anna said, finally releasing Sonja tp wipe her cheeks. When her cheeks were dry, she reached to brush off the residual tears lingering on Sonja's. "I just feel like you grew up overnight."

"Rest assured, Mama," Sonja replied, "I've been working on it for the last twenty-one years."

Anna laughed at the response, and even Frieda and Gerda cracked smiles. The quip seemed to give Anna the boost she needed, and she returned to her earlier chipper manner. She turned Sonja towards the mirror and ran her fingers through the half-damp blonde locks. The entire time she played with Sonja's hair, she chatted merrily about her ideas for Sonja's hairstyle, and even reminisced about other parties she had thrown over the years.

For the moment all was well.