A/N: I hope everyone enjoys this chapter (although I'm sure there will be contention). Please review, it makes my day.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights,

TheHarleyQueen

'And now announcing: King Hayden and Queen Elsa of Arendelle!'

The ballroom was done, of course, to perfection. Like Queen Evie would settle for anything less. Elsa had been married in the Blood Palace, but this- this was something else. The walls and floors of the room shone, and the thrones atop a balcony were made of gold and jewels. They weren't symbolic of anything but the power of the Kings and Queens. Elsa could see King Jay and King Carlos sitting at their thrones, both in suits that looked to be sculpted for their bodies {Queen Evie went all-out, for every gala, every ball, every dinner. She was amazing}. But the Kings, handsome though they were, weren't what attracted the attention of the room tonight. No, that was the Queens.

High Queen Mal wore the dress she'd worn to the coronation of her late husband, but it had been woven tighter, had thin strings of gold woven into the dress itself, and it shone {the thin splatters of blood on the dress didn't detract from the effect at all, Elsa thought. If anything, they made the dress even more unique, more perfectly suited to the High Queen}. But the High Queen wasn't the centre of tonight's festivities, and that showed.

Queen Evie laughed as she danced with her wife, her dress floating out around her. Her hair had been curled, and she left it down, contrasting with the bun of the fae queen. Her makeup made her glow in the soft candlelight, her lips painted a dark purple and her eyes dark. And her dress. Made entirely of chiffon and lace, it covered her skin and clung to her body, accentuating her curves and proving {once again} her beauty. The dress sparkled with thousands of tiny diamonds, and would be considered a masterpiece {if anyone other than the Angelic Queen was wearing it, because the dress's beauty paled in comparison to her} And so, when Elsa entered, the first thing she saw was the Queens, dancing to a song as upbeat and vibrant as they were, drawing the attention of the room.

But as Hayden lead her onto the dancefloor, she realised that she, too, was drawing a great deal of stares. And to no wonder. She had been the villain of her own story, but had turned to love to good, and had allowed another person to be locked up on the infernal Isle {that she'd regretted it the moment it had happened was inconsequential. These people didn't know that}. But Elsa wore a dress made of ice, and wore red lips, and danced with her husband, ignoring the glares that came from the people of this land {they didn't call it Auradon anymore but had never renamed it}. They weren't, after all, her people. They didn't matter. And so she danced, changing partners and floating through the room, happy with her place in life.

Eventually, she joined the Queens.

But they just dragged her in, smiling and laughing, shaking their heads and throwing their arms in the air. Queen Evie pressed a kiss to her lips as they danced, changing the colour of her lipstick {and when Hayden spotted it later, he just laughed, "She is a good kisser, isn't she?"} and the High Queen just pulled Elsa in closer {"I saved you for a reason. I know what you did in the Isle Court. I'm glad you've found happiness"}, spinning her around dancing as if there were no tomorrow. Queen Evie's birthday parties were always a night to remember.

When Elsa extracted herself and her husband from the dancefloor, the Queen had long since joined their husbands on the balcony overlooking the floor, and the four sat together, looking over the guests with smiles on their faces and gleams in their eyes {from their vantage point, they could see Helena and Lonnie kissing in the corner, could see Dimitri and Astoria basking in their love (there were very few nights in the year when they dared to come out and do such), could see Evie's darling Sal dancing and flirting with boys {having taken her mentor's place as the Slut of the descendants} and they'd decided that this was perfection, exchanging secretive smiles}.

'Ladies and Gentlemen: Duke Hans and Duchess Anna of the Southern Isles!'

Hayden frowned, "They didn't tell me they'd invited them. I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have brought you if I'd known she was coming."

Elsa rolled her eyes fondly. Sometimes, he could just be too kind. She wondered how he'd have turned out if he wasn't raised on the Isle of the Lost, "It's fine. I've no qualms with your father, and I know you miss him. If Anna wishes to complain," she broke off, putting her hand to her stomach lightly, where you could just see a bump if you knew to look, "Then that shall be her problem. I have the Queens' favour where she doesn't. If anything comes to blows- verbal or physical- she'll be the one to suffer."

Anna was wearing a gown similar to the one she'd worn the day that she met Hans, but for one change- her arms and neck were covered. Hans was a jealous man {Hayden had told her many times} and he was protecting what was his from the rest of the world {not uncommon among the descendants, or the villains who'd survived the Day of Reckoning}. Her hair was piled on top of her head, held in place by one hundred pins, each topped by a diamond, making her shine almost as much as Queen Evie. But where everyone else was smiling, excited for and proud of their monarchs, Anna's face was solemn. She held herself as far away from her husband as possible, shoulders tense and eyes dead {and maybe, if the ice hadn't changed her, Elsa might have felt sorry for her sister- after all, she's been happy with Kristoff. But most of their friends were now dead, and Anna was still alive and beautiful, even if her youth was slipping away}.

Elsa could feel her sister's eyes boring into the back of her neck, but she ignored it, turning instead to gossip with Felicia Facilier, who stood proudly in a traditional Zulu beaded dress {she'd spent years tracking down her heritage, because her spells and potions relied so heavily on olden stories, and she didn't know where the stories came from}. Hayden held her close to his side, and she smiled. Happy.

{She fit in at last}.

"You know, you didn't deserve what you got," the Duchess of the Southern Isles whispered in her ear. The snow queen whipped around, hand pressed to her chest, eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh! Anna! I didn't notice you! Would you like my champagne? An attendant handed it to me a while back, but, well," she broke off, sending her sister and excited glance which wasn't returned, "I'm not exactly in a condition for alcohol."

The redhead seemed unmoved, pressing her lips tighter together. She did, however, take the flute from her sister, and downed the whole thing in one gulp. But she still remained silent.

"Erm, well… it's really good to see you, Anna. I thought that you and Hans didn't come to these events anymore? Not that there's anything wrong with you being here, I just thought you hated the Queens' parties?"

"Our presence was required here," Anna replied stiffly, the alcohol doing nothing to loosen her tongue, "by the High Queen herself. That's not an invitation one can refuse on the pretext of disliking parties." The white streak in Anna's hair had been joined by several more since Elsa's coronation and not the magick kind. She looked tired, where her sister looked no older than her early twenties. A queen trapped in time and a duchess trapped in marriage. So altered by their circumstances.

"Yes, well aren't you glad you came? It's the party of the year, Evie's parties always are. And aren't the decorations simply gorgeous? She's outdone herself, this time."

"On a first-name basis with the Queens, Elsa? I suppose it's just another betrayal to add to the list, at this point?" A few tears sprung to the Queen of Arendelle's eyes. She may not love her sister anymore, or even like her very much, but they were family. And the children of the Isle had taught her to honour and cherish family. She tried to defuse the situation.

"I- yes. Evie married Hayden and me, and Mal saved my life. I've been round to the palace a few times when Hayden's been busy. They're all lovely people, Anna." The duchess's eyes narrowed.

"You know what you are, Elsa? You're a whore. Perhaps not literally," she continued quickly, seeing her sister trying to break in, "although you weren't exactly a virgin when you married Hayden. But you change yourself, sell yourself out, just to be fucking liked. I wish- I wish you'd died with mum and dad."

By this point, the sisters were drawing a fair amount of attention, with even the Kings and Queens rising from their thrones to watch. And when Anna's words rang out across the ballroom, it began to rapidly be filled with shouts. All the children of the Isle of the Lost knew how Queen Elsa had fought for their rights and safety within the Isle Court, knew she was the reason that so few of them were dead {and the body count so still so high}. Several people tried to come to the rescue of this angel that had saved them so much pain but were held back by the sight of King Carlos, descending the staircase, heading directly towards the two sisters of Arendelle.

"Dutchess," he began, and left the acknowledgement at that {after all, he was the King. He could do whatever he wanted}, "Your majesty." He bowed to Elsa, but not the bow of acknowledgement of an equal- a bow to acknowledge a superior. The hall was, by this point, utterly silent. Deference from King Carlos was unheard of. He'd always been the most secluded of the Kings and Queens, of the Iron Court. Even on the Isle of the Lost. And now, he'd named Queen Elsa his better.

"I trust that you weren't hurt, your majesty," he continued speaking to the Queen of Arendelle, ignoring her sister entirely, "and that you hold very little attachment to this urchin." When she shook her head, he just smiled. And then he turned to face the wife of Hans, "Your sister is worth a million of you, for she has maintained kindness in even the cruellest of circumstances, has found love in a situation she thought hopeless and has given us what we were due. Your sister was the hero of her story, but she held nothing against the villain, which is more than most could have said. You don't deserve to breathe her air," he broke off, grinning, "and you no longer and your husband are to leave, immediately, and never come near Elsa or Hayden ever again. If you neglect to follow my order, I'll make my mother's death look like child's play."

He raised his voice, allowing it to echo across the hall, "Hear this and let it be true: should you ever hurt Queen Elsa again, the wrath of Pestilence shall rain down upon you. Duchess Anna of the Southern Isles, so it is said, so it shall be." His spouses' voices echoed him, "So it is heard, so it shall be." And the vindictive smile on the King's face was enough to send Anna scurrying for the door, and set the guests off, cheering wildly. And Elsa just smiled.

"Well, now that that fun is out of the way," Queen Evie's voice sounded from the balcony where she stood, "the High Queen has an announcement." All attention turned to the thrones, and Mal stood up, smiling.

"It's been just less than a year since I killed my husband," there were cheers, "and since we took what was rightfully ours!"

"But this is now a kingdom, and kingdoms must be run. And Evie and I have sworn to never have heirs." This time, the hall was deathly silent, "But we know someone who already has." Elsa's eyes widened, and she knew what was coming before Mal said it.

"Once the Iron Court chooses to abdicate, the Child of Queen Elsa shall rule."

{We trust you.}

"Mine save yours once, Elsa. One day, yours shall save mine."

The cheers were deafening.