November, 1938


Elsa stretched across the hotel room's chaise longue, donning a dressing gown. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her hair was a mess, and that she didn't have an ounce of makeup on her face. And yet she had never felt more confident in her life.

She smiled rather absentmindedly, and strolled towards the bureau. It was getting quite late, and she should really be getting dressed, as she was set to go to lunch soon. Especially since she was having lunch with Max- though she had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to blame her for any lateness today.

But nonetheless, she still had standards for herself. And no matter the day, she would follow them. So she shook herself out of her still-slightly-asleep daze, and looked for something a bit sensible and businesslike- yet utterly stylish nonetheless.

And as she was getting ready, she realized that she was changing, as everything else was. Just a few months ago, she would have been more diligent about this sort of thing. No time was spent lolling around, and every choice had a specific purpose intended.

But then again, just a few months ago, she was courting Georg Von Trapp. And everyone knew how that turned out for her.

It was actually not long after that when she realized that perhaps she was fading out of splendor. Not completely, of course; that would never happen- but maybe, just maybe, she was falling from her golden world just a tiny bit.

And maybe, just maybe, she didn't entirely mind.

Yes, she knew that the years of glittering smiles, and charming, rich bachelors, and managing every tiny move she made were a finished chapter in her life. She was no longer the same Elsa as she was then, that's for certain. But that was perfect, because that summer in Aigen made her realize that she was getting older, and no longer wanted the things that accompanied that life. They were still nice to have, of course, but she had gotten tired of having a life where the only thing that mattered was that beautiful emptiness. It was all rather hollow and short-lasting.

Perhaps it came from watching Georg fall in love with that little governess. Or perhaps she was going soft. But either way, she had wanted more. And for the first time in her life, she was willing to pay the price that substance cost, no matter the risks.

Not that she was ever going to become domestic, or have lots of children- because she knew that she would never change that much- but it didn't necessarily mean she had to live a life like that, either. And judging by the way everything had gone recently, that wouldn't be an issue.

It was all rather refreshing. Not just the unexpected epiphany she'd had earlier, but also the change of scenery that greeted her as she left the hotel. Vienna was lovely this time of year, but a little holiday never hurt anyone. Especially now.

Which is why it surprised her to see Baroness Heppenheimer, though she shouldn't have been surprised. She had just recently received that telegram from her, saying that she'd be in Carinthia for a little while, and yet she'd never really expected to run into her. And because of that, she'd somehow ended up listening to the birdlike woman prattle on and on about how she and her husband were doing. It felt like forever before the subject turned to gossip, for which Elsa was grateful. Baroness Heppenheimer may have been notorious for talking about herself, but nobody could say that she didn't have a good ear for gossip.

The problem still was, however, that you couldn't get her to stop once she started. And considering that Elsa had only 15 minutes to get to the restaurant if she wanted to be on time, it was a rather pertinent issue.

Why, oh why did she only run across this woman when she had something urgent to do?

But in the end, she managed to save herself with a rather convoluted excuse, which Baroness Heppenheimer mercifully bought.

And while it wasn't ideal, she was able to make it to the restaurant only 5 minutes late.

"I must apologize for being late, I ran into Baroness Heppenheimer on the way here."

"You needn't say more."

She gave him a smile of gratitude and gently squeezed his hand.

"However, I'm not saying I would mind if you did."

"Alright, but only because you asked. She talked about what she and her husband were up to for what felt like eons, and then the subject turned to gossip."

"And?"

"Nothing involving us, but apparently Baroness Hildebrand just caught her sister having an affair with her husband. And somehow, they let it slip that it had been happening under her nose for the past two years!"

"Even for Baron Hildebrand, that's witless!"

"And by this point, I knew that it was getting rather late to be standing around and talking. So I told her that my niece's cousin was getting anxious about her wedding, and that there wasn't anyone else around to help her through it."

"But my dear, you're an only child."

"She didn't seem to notice."

"My, you certainly are devious, Frau Detweiller."


AN: I would like to say thank you to everyone who read this, especially all of you who commented, followed, and favourited! This story has just been so much fun to write, and it's been a great journey to increase my skills as a writer (as I hadn't written anything prior to this on this site). Elsa and Max have been my favourite characters in TSoM for a while now, and I've lowkey shipped them since I was young. Oh, and special thanks to gothicbutterfly95, for reviewing every chapter! But seriously, everyone who took the time to read this has been great, and I look forward to writing more for this fandom, along with many others!