"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken." – Fyodor Dostoyevsky


Elsa stood behind the curtain with Anna, waiting for Kai to announce them. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, knowing she'd be expected to say something as queen. Anna fidgeted excitedly beside her, clearly eager to get into the thick of all the fun.

"Where's Kristoff?" Elsa asked quietly, attempting to distract herself.

"Out in the crowd somewhere. I'm sure he'll turn up," Anna answered.

"I'm surprised you're not with him."

"I was with him earlier to thank Fredrik, but left to get you."

"Wait, who's Fredrik?"

Anna's eyes widened. The realization that she'd forgotten to tell Elsa about what had happened to Kristoff and the invitation she'd given to a stranger hit her like a ton of bricks. She froze, her mouth unable to articulate any kind of response. Just as Elsa looked ready to pose another question, the trumpets went off, silencing the party and her sister.

"Her majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" announced Kai.

Elsa walked out gracefully to applause from the crowd as Anna breathed a sigh of relief, her mind instantly trying to think of a way to explain the situation to Elsa without drawing her ire.

"Her highness, Princess Anna of Arendelle!" continued Kai.

Anna scurried out and stood nervously beside Elsa but not too close, consciously trying to stay just far enough away to prevent Elsa from being able to whisper to her. She was still thinking of a sufficient explanation when Elsa began her speech.

"First of all, I would like to thank all of you for coming. It's an honor to host so many of our finest citizens and a pleasure to celebrate another successful harvest with you. I know the past year has been…difficult, but I personally have never felt better about our future. Please enjoy the festivities tonight. Long live Arendelle."

"Long live Arendelle!" echoed the crowd as the music started up again.

The party continued as if it had never stopped. People laughed, danced and drank while Elsa watched from her throne. Anna drifted a little bit behind her sister's line of sight, hoping to avoid the topic of the guest she hadn't exactly gotten clearance to invite. Fortunately for the princess, a long line of nobles organized themselves, eager to thank the queen personally.

An endless wave of half-hearted flatteries and forced smiles passed by the queen. There wasn't much sincerity in anything the aristocrats said, rather it was simply a matter of jockeying for position by cozying up to her. Her senses dulled. Her body moved mechanically through numerous empty greetings.

She snapped back into focus as she saw Count Montressor bow before her, flashing his pearly white grin.

"I want to thank you again for your gracious invitation, your majesty. Capri has some fine festivals, but this whole display has been most impressive," he said smoothly.

Elsa forced a smile onto her face as she tried to read the man, with no luck. She just couldn't tell if his friendliness and charm were genuine or if he was after something else, like every other guest.

"Thank you, Count. The ball and festival have gone wonderfully and I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself," Elsa answered cordially.

"It has been superb, your majesty. As far as negotiation trips go, this one has been my favorite. If all nations were as hospitable as Arendelle, the world would be a much more peaceful place," drawled the count, his hazel eyes meeting Elsa's gaze, "Oh, but enough about business and politics. They're such dry matters and this is a celebration after all. I don't suppose I could persuade her majesty to join me in a dance?"

Okay, now I'm really suspicious, thought Elsa. God, I wish I could read minds.

Was Montressor just being nice or was he trying to get close for a specific purpose? His flattery, good looks and spurious charm were all eerily similar to Hans the night of her coronation.

Wait, is that what he's after? Is he trying to take over or am I just reading way too much into this? Elsa thought, so lost in her analyzation that she didn't answer Count Montressor's question.

"Is that a no or a yes, your majesty?" he asked.

Elsa quickly refocused. "Forgive me, I was thinking… and I'm afraid I don't dance."

"Are you sure? Not to be arrogant, but I can be quite the enjoyable partner," said the count, a playful look on his handsome face.

Elsa laughed a bit at his cockiness. "I'm sure you can be, but my answer stands. You might want to see if my sister wa-

Elsa motioned in Anna's direction only to find she had vanished. She scanned the crowd and quickly spotted her sister enjoying a clumsy dance with Kristoff. Both were completely oblivious to the annoyed looks thrown in their direction, their gazes completely locked on each other in such a way that brought a smile to Elsa's face. The count followed her eyes and saw what she was looking at.

"I see the princess is occupied. Who is that gentleman?" asked the count.

"Kristoff, her boyfriend," answered Elsa.

"Ah, young love is such a beautiful thing. I trust he treats the princess right?"

"Yes, he does. Kristoff is one of the finest men I know."

"How sweet," said the count, "Well your majesty, thank you again for the invitation and please send for me if you change your mind about that dance."

Count Montressor bowed again before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Elsa to try and decipher everything about him. Aside from the ball, the visitor from Capri had been on her mind more than anything else for the past week. She couldn't tell if what she was feeling was paranoia or completely justified concern.

I'll have to ask Anna what she thinks after the party, thought Elsa, her eyes drifting towards her sister, still dancing with Kristoff. The way they looked at each other, locked in a loving embrace, stirred something inside Elsa. It was like there was nobody else in the ballroom and they were enjoying a romantic dance in private. It wasn't quite jealousy that Elsa felt. She could never be jealous of Anna and wish she wasn't happy. Rather, it was a yearning, hidden beneath her calm, regal demeanor.


Fredrik hung around the outskirts of the crowd, his mood better than it was when he'd arrived. The aristocrats had been what he'd expected, but the princess was surprisingly pleasant. He could see her laughing with Kristoff over by one of the food tables, looking like she'd just cracked a joke. Her complete lack of formality and pretension were a breath of fresh air for the soldier. Her thank you had been sincere, not just one of obligation. He'd considered switching from champagne to brandy, but decided to remain mostly sober. He didn't want to give the aristocrats the satisfaction of seeing him act like a drunken buffoon.

As he stood casually near the table of sparkling, bubbling refreshments, he saw Count Montressor walk out of the crowd and take a glass of Amontillado wine, which he tossed back rapidly. Fredrik strolled over as he picked up another one.

"Count Montressor, have you been enjoying yourself?" Fredrik asked.

The count made a face, before answering. "Oh yeah, I'm having a fine time. A superb time actually."

"Doesn't sound like it. What is it? Troubles with women?"

The count chuckled. "I suppose you could say that. Funny, I never had much trouble back in Capri. Members of the fairer sex flocked to me like bees to flowers. I clearly underestimated the apprehensions of the women of Arendelle."

"Or overestimated your own attractiveness," Fredrik said with a sly smile.

"Oh, I don't think that's possible, my friend," laughed the count, "I'll just have to be persistent. If I've learned anything from all my time at sea, it's that you rarely catch a prize fish on the first cast. In the meantime, I'm sure I can find some young woman here who's married to an inappropriately older man to be my dancing partner for the evening."

At this, the count turned and headed back into the crowd, barely hearing Fredrik wish him luck on his "fishing." Leaning back against one of the pillars, Fredrik had to admit Count Montressor was a fun guy, especially for a noble. He reminded him a bit of Jørgen, albeit much more sophisticated. Then Fredrik saw the face of his second least favorite person mingling in the crowd: General Mireau. The old man was surrounded by a group of other aristocrats, all taking turns exchanging haughty glances and agreeing with each other. The General's beady ferret eyes wandered occasionally, scanning the room dutifully. Fredrik casually slipped behind the pillar, not exactly eager to be spotted in uniform by the despised general. His brown eyes searched for an escape route and found it in an open door off to the side that nobody seemed to notice. Fredrik crept through and out into a long, empty hallway with dozens of closed doors on either side, all of which would make a fine spot to wait out the remainder of the ball.


Elsa couldn't believe she'd been so concerned about the ball. As she sat on her throne, she was actually becoming a little bit bored. Anna and Kristoff were no longer dancing, but Elsa couldn't determine their location in the large crowd.

Or perhaps they aren't in the crowd. What if they're…

Elsa flushed a little bit at the thought. She really hoped Anna and Kristoff hadn't progressed that far in their relationship. The connection they shared was genuine, but Elsa also knew Anna tended to rush into serious things…like accepting a marriage proposal from a man she knew for only a few hours. Elsa rubbed her temples at the memory, trying not to think less of her sister for doing something so stupid.

In a way it was my fault. After shutting her out for years and losing our parents, it makes sense she'd be looking for love from somebody. Hans just capitalized on that, Elsa thought.

"Are you alright, your majesty. Headache?" asked Kai from beside the throne, noticing the queen rubbing her temples.

"No, Kai. I'm fine," she answered, "Actually, I think I have to check something. I'll be back in a little bit."

Elsa exited the ballroom through the royal entrance concealed behind the gaudy orange curtains. She slipped back through the maze of hallways to Anna's room, which was fortunately empty. It boosted Elsa's hope that Anna wasn't doing anything impetuous, but she continued walking through the halls. Many of the doors were locked, having not been in use since the castle had a larger staff. Elsa passed the portrait of her parents, their regal forms rendered perfectly in the oil painting. The black shroud had been removed long ago, but Elsa still felt a twinge of sadness at the sight. She supposed she always would. Still, it was a good reminder of what was important and how it could all be taken away so suddenly. With a new sense of purpose, Elsa continued her search, hoping Anna was just somewhere back in the ballroom. She didn't want to be Anna's mother, but she still felt protective as her older sister.

Elsa turned a corner and headed down the last hallway back to the ballroom.

If Anna isn't in one of these, then everything is fine, Elsa hopefully thought as she made her way down the hall.

It seemed like every door she passed was locked up tight and Elsa knew Anna didn't have the key to any of these. Only she and the servants did. Then she froze. One of the doors was open the tiniest bit.

Oh god, thought Elsa, her mind conjuring up the most embarrassing scenarios imaginable as she reached for the handle.

Elsa steeled herself and turned the handle. She willed herself to open the door and looked inside; darkness there and nothing more. It was one of dozens of guest rooms throughout the castle and it looked completely undisturbed. Then she noticed something. The door to the balcony was slightly open, just like the door to the room. Elsa crept forward and opened the balcony door all the way.

"Hey! Find your own hiding spot!" barked Fredrik as he heard the balcony door open behind him. He'd come out there to avoid Mireau and the other aristocrats and now one had somehow found him. He spun around to face the intruder but was shocked by the sight of Queen Elsa.

"Your majesty! Please forgive me. I-I thought you were somebody else," stammered Fredrik, trying to remove his foot from his mouth.

"It's alright. I was just looking for my sister," answered Elsa mildly, observing the young officer before her. He looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.

Fredrik, however, remembered the queen, who looked more beautiful than ever. Her porcelain skin was luminous in the moonlight, while her icy blue eyes shimmered along with the dress that Fredrik speculated might actually be made of ice itself. Her platinum blonde hair was in its signature braid and the same immaculate crown rested atop her head.

Fredrik snapped out of his haze, remembering he was in the presence of his nation's leader. "I think I saw your sister back in the ballroom, your majesty."

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, glad she wouldn't have to deal with such an unbelievably awkward situation as interrupting an intimate moment between Anna and Kristoff.

"You look relieved," commented Fredrik, smiling warmly.

"I am. I just wanted to make sure Anna wasn't doing anything rash," Elsa said.

"That's kind of you."

No shit, Fredrik, he thought, internally chiding himself. He hadn't felt this stupid since he was a teenager.

Elsa's piercing blue eyes scanned Fredrik's face as if it was a puzzle. "You look familiar. What's your name?"

"Fredrik Amundsen. We met some time ago at one of your meetings with General Broulard."

The memories came flooding back. Elsa suddenly recalled her meeting with the handsome colonel the soldiers referred to as "the Lion." The same man who winced when Broulard bragged about his war exploits and hid pain behind a fake smile.

"Forgive me, colonel. I remember now. That was in August, right?"

"Indeed it was. I remember you putting General Mireau in his place most of all," chuckled Fredrik. He wished she wouldn't refer to him as colonel, but knew it certainly wasn't his place to tell her what to do.

Elsa remembered the incident, including Mireau's crazy plan to attack Weselton. "He had it coming. I can't say I was happy to see him here tonight."

Fredrik laughed. "Why do you think I'm out here?"

Elsa smiled and then remembered what Anna had said about thanking a man named Fredrik.

"My sister invited you, right?"

"She did. I uh…helped out Kristoff and she wanted to thank me. She couldn't have been more gracious about the whole thing," answered Fredrik, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, I hope you've enjoyed the ball…at least before Mireau showed up."

"Have you? Enjoyed it, I mean," asked Fredrik.

The question took Elsa back. His expression looked completely sincere, like he wasn't fishing for information for any purpose. He just simply wanted to know if she'd enjoyed herself.

"I suppose I have. It was more for everyone else anyways. Anna actually did a lot of the planning. She's really in her element at things like this," Elsa said. She didn't really know why she was telling Fredrik all this, but he seemed interested and it was nice to talk to somebody who didn't have anything up their sleeve.

"It looked like she was having fun last I saw. She and Kristoff were quite a sight on the dance floor," chuckled Fredrik.

"Were you any better, colonel?" Elsa asked with a teasing smirk.

Fredrik shook his head. "Basic training never covered ballroom dancing so I chose not to embarrass myself. What about you, your majesty?"

"I…don't dance," answered Elsa evasively.

"Is it because you don't want to?" Fredrik asked.

Elsa fidgeted, a little uncomfortable talking about her apprehensions. "It's not that I don't want to, but I never really learned and I'd rather not make a spectacle of myself trying to. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to deter suitors."

"Who can blame them," said Fredrik without thinking. Elsa's azure eyes widened and a blush crept onto her flawless cheeks.

Goddamn it, Fredrik, he thought as his cheeks heated up.

"I'm sorry! T-that was inappropriate. I uh…just meant that you are beautiful, b-but not that I was making any sort of advance! I simply-

"It's alright," said Elsa, still blushing from the comment and cutting off Fredrik's stammering, "and thank you."

Fredrik chuckled nervously and measured his next words carefully. "I should be thanking you, your majesty. For standing up to Mireau for us, I mean. I'm not blind. I know a lot of the nobles and higher-ups don't care about the enlisted men. I know they don't lose any sleep over whether or not a bunch of commoners will live to see their families again and that's why I have tremendous respect for you. I can see you care and I know you'd never send us into battle unless it was absolutely necessary. Fate chose well when it made you queen."

If Elsa had been surprised before, that last statement floored her. The sincerity was obvious, but she couldn't understand how anyone could have such a high opinion of her, especially after all the trouble her powers had caused. For the first time that night, Elsa noticed frost creeping onto her hands.

"How can you say 'fate chose well' when I still have these powers?" asked Elsa as she looked into a tiny blizzard in the palm of her hand, "They're dangerous. How come you aren't afraid?"

"I suppose because I've faced far more frightening things…and I don't think they're dangerous. I actually think they're quite amazing," answered Fredrik. Elsa read his face, looking for the slightest hint of deception or sarcasm. She found neither.

"Well, thank you again, colonel. It's been a pleasure talking to you, but I'm afraid I must get back to the ball," said Elsa. She knew she had to go back. It was her duty as queen, but she couldn't deny that deep down she'd rather keep talking to this young officer…and that fact made her nervous.

"I understand, your majesty. It's an honor to have been in your company," Fredrik said respectfully, ignoring the voice in him that urged her to stay.

Elsa left as quietly as she'd come and Fredrik was alone again. He leaned over the balcony and watched the stars again. Suddenly, attending the ball didn't seem like the waste of time it had been a few hours ago.


Author's Note: Finally those two had an actual conversation! Their different social castes make it tricky to set up and still seem believable but I'd like to think this worked. Special shout out to ScarletAvenger, Shawn Raven and Waguneru for excellent feedback. See y'all in Chapter 10.