Chapter 13:
Bring back the Sun

For the following days, everything was being taken care of while waiting for Rapunzel and Eugene to arrive.

It would have been a short time until then if the princely couple weren't accompanied with troops of the Coronan army. The ships didn't form an armada bigger than the fleet of pirates who had attacked on the Collapse, but it still made an impression.

Anna was in Arendelle preparing her people for shelter and her military forces for battle, and Elsa was in the Forest coordinating the upcoming fight with the Northuldra and training along the tribe.

Even if the battlefield would be in neither of their lands, the two sisters still had careful measures to make sure that nothing would go wrong. Their instinct was saluted by Mattias and Yelena on each side. They both took the mental note to talk together about the siblings when this would all be over.

Ryder nodded to himself when he finished his staff training session. He felt ready, but didn't tire himself too much, keeping his energy for the actual fight. He saluted the other men and women he was practicing with and went to the river to clean his head from the sweat. He then realized that he didn't bring any towel, and looked around, searching for the nearest goahti to ask to borrow a cloth from someone. Which wasn't excessive, given how generous the tribe was. He identified the closest one as being his sister and her girlfriend's house, and shook his hair before entering.

"Ahtohallan's sake!" He exclaimed at what he found inside.

He placed his hand over his wet face quickly, though he picked through his fingers to see the progress of what was happening since none of the two women had exclaimed. In fact, they were eyeing him with concern.

"What?" Worried Elsa.

"N-nothing." He sighed with relief. "For a moment I thought that I had bumped into something else."

The two lovers frowned from where they were, one from the ground where she was doing push-ups, and the other from behind the book she was reading, seated on her back, or rather casually perched with her legs crossed.

"Into what?" Frowned Elsa, still clueless.

"Nothing." Insisted the man.

He then understood that the blonde was sitting on Honeymaren's back at her demand to add difficulty in her exercise. Elsa didn't seem like a very heavy person, but that still was impressive.

"You're warming up for battle?" Awkwardly asked Ryder.

Honeymaren scoffed in between two hoarse breaths. "No, I'm making some eggs." She said before staring at him. "Of course I'm training, dummy. Just like you with your staff."

The man averted his blue eyes. He rubbed the back of his head. He had asked that because at first sight, he thought that the two girlfriends were doing… Another physical posture.

"O-okay. Well, that's really good training, good job."

Actually, when he underlined it, Honeymaren switched from doing push-ups from her palms to doing them on her fingers. He gulped at the reminder that she could crush him with her bare hands anytime she wanted, and remembered to not steal berries from her anymore.

As he looked away from his sister, he paid attention to what the blonde was doing at the same time, Elsa's body going up and down with Honeymaren's moves.

"And you're… Reading a book?" Frowned Ryder, unsettled by Elsa's choice. It wasn't even a book about war strategy or anything, but one of those he recognized as Anna's novels that the blonde had borrowed from Arendelle.

Elsa lifted a sarcastic eyebrow.

"Not that I think you should train," hastily said the herder, "you're an amazing Fifth Spirit with incredible powers. But…"

He didn't know what to say, and she gave him a merciful smile. "I need to clear my thoughts from all the stress, and reading a book is quite efficient."

Ryder nodded. Now he felt very awkward. Elsa simply smiled and flipped her page, resuming her reading, and she shifted a bit as Honeymaren put her palms down again and now did push-ups with one arm only. However, the blonde was used to the different balance, and simply had to tilt.

"I uh…" Said Ryder with a cough. "I actually came in to ask for a towel. I forgot mine in my goahti."

"Sure. There's one folded on the shelf." Said Honeymaren, her sentence punctuated with strong breathing, but she didn't slow down her session. She even pointed with her free hand, which she then placed back behind her thigh.

Ryder hurriedly took it with a 'thanks' and left to dry his hair outside. He could not stand the intimidating women any longer.

"This is why I'm so bad with girls." He sighed.

Elsa lifted her eyes from her book after he left. "That was weird."

"Meh." Said Honeymaren as a shrug, before she switched to her other hand.

Elsa naturally shifted again to keep her balance.

"Mitt lys?" Asked the brunette after a moment.

"Hmm?"

"You've been losing weight."

Elsa blinked at the surprising remark. Not that it wasn't like Honeymaren; her lover always had the habit of checking on her health. Elsa found it adorable - and Anna very useful - but she was persuaded to actually have gained kilos recently with the more frequent meals she had in Arendelle's castle.

Her incredulity then turned into a smirk.

"Are you sure it's not rather due to you gaining muscle?"

Honeymaren widened her eyes, blushing a bit.

Elsa noticed the slight stop in her push-up pace, and smiled as she continued. "And you find me lighter because you're lifting me more easily?"

Another discreet interruption of pace happened in the moves beneath her.

She wondered if she had made her girlfriend feel abashed or aroused. Honeymaren still wasn't answering, surely lost in thoughts, so Elsa kept going. "Well, even if it's anxiety that recently made you train more, due to my powerless state and the fact you had to move me around… I have to say, it's nice that you'll be able to lift me everywhere all the time."

Now she was certain that the brunette was blushing, because her push-ups completely stopped. Honeymaren let out a heavy sigh, but it was out of exhaustion, not annoyance.

"Lifting you everywhere, uh?" Said the Northuldra.

Before Elsa could tease her again, the brunette suddenly stood up, making her lover stumble and drop her book. She tripped to the floor, but the huntress had quick reflexes and held her belly from behind to prevent her fall. Elsa was about to say something when her voice turned into a strangled shriek of surprised delight. Honeymaren had twirled her around to place her hands under her thighs and lift her in the air. Elsa wrapped her legs around her torso, and her face now was higher than hers.

"It's a rather interesting feature indeed." Grinned the brunette.

Elsa blushed with an impossibly dopey smile, and circled her lover's neck with her arms. It felt incredible to be held like that.

After staring at each other, the brunette put her forehead against hers.

"I was thinking…" Murmured the Northuldra. "This might be our last moment of tranquility before the big storm, if you get what I mean. So…"

Elsa perfectly saw where she was heading, her whole soul and body willingly pressing against the brunette, and the latter silently groaned in delight. She stepped to the bed, the blonde still in her arms like she weighed nothing more than a delicate feather, and they hungrily kissed each other all the way.

The Spirit felt like soaring, the sensation accentuated by the fact her feet were up in the air. Honeymaren smelled like sweat and soaked linen, but gods, did it feel incredible to Elsa's mind, now buzzing with love.

Right when her brain was about to let go, however, she parted from Honeymaren's lips, and put a finger on them to make a pause.

"Wait."

The brunette widened her eyes in surprise. Elsa then took the hands that were under her thighs to put them away. Honeymaren's heart collapsed in her chest with disappointment when the blonde hopped down on the floor, until Elsa smiled at her.

"I need to place my bookmark, or I'll forget where I was at."

The Northuldra sat on the bed with a heavy flump and Elsa picked the novel and her bookmark. She carefully joined them, and placed the book on her trunk.

"There."

"Doesn't the Fifth Spirit have a good memory?" Smiled Honeymaren from the bed, looking at her with passionate eyes. Her breathing was still heavy from her training, but also not slowing down given the new pace of their hearts.

"Yes, but you tend to make her forget everything she was doing when you snatch her like that." Smirked Elsa, walking back to her and circling her neck again.

She delicately shifted her head down and they both closed their eyes to kiss. Honeymaren took her down with her as she dropped on the bed, and Elsa's giggle filled the goahti.

"With all due respect, I still prefer to ride a reindeer." Mumbled Ryder, but his voice was strong enough to be heard by the two women in front of him despite the wind.

It was also heard by Nokk, who slapped his back with his tail, as Ryder was the one on the rear.

"GAH! I'm sorry, Water Spirit, I'm sorry! But it's the truth!" Apologized the herder, still holding to his convictions; despite his admiration for the magical entity, the comfort wasn't optimal. Riding a horse made out of ice was as weird as it sounded.

Honeymaren chuckled in front of him, and it was in Elsa's ear, so she smiled in turn. "We're almost there. It won't be long." She assured.

The brunette turned to her brother. "You know, you should be grateful that we're traveling at high speed and cutting by the fjord, or the journey would have been two days longer."

Ryder had a sigh and whine as he imagined traveling in such conditions. Thankfully, they were all going to head to the battlefield in wagons, but he didn't dare to remind them out loud to not receive another whisking slap of an ice tail.

They eventually reached Arendelle's town harbor. Their arrival on water indeed was a great shortcut. However, they could already see a main Coronan ship maneuvering at the docks, followed by others further in the fjord.

"Oh, no, we arrived too late!" He gasped when he easily understood that the prettiest ship was for the princely couple.

"Not quite." Smiled Elsa. "Trust my experience, it takes a lot of time for the ship to properly set itself on the harbor. We'll arrive right on time."

Honeymaren smiled and appreciated Nokk's gentle slow down after his galloping, and he carefully dropped off the three of them on the dock where Anna waved at them next to Kristoff. The brunette returned the wave, a smile stretching her face at the Queen's contagious outburst of happiness. Rapunzel was soon to land, and now Elsa and her Northulda friends were here too. She was beaming in joy, and almost made the others forget that a war was coming.

She went to quickly hug them before returning her attention to the maneuvering of the ship. Rapunzel and Eugene appeared on the quarter deck and smiled back at her, and Ryder noted that they were exactly as Elsa and Anna described them.

Honeymaren smiled as she saw her girlfriend's joy at the sight of the couple. The sisters were radiating an aura that made the Nattura siblings instantly certain that the Prince and Princess were good and trusty people, and Honeymaren observed them from the end of the dock.

Anna and Rapunzel surprised everyone by hugging powerfully as soon as the brunette put a foot off the landing board, though they were more startled than shocked; the two women were bubbly and their common enthusiastic trait was heartwarming.

Eugene comically walked around the two who were taking a lot of room giggling and jumping, and Elsa and him settled for a simple, though sincere, hug. Then they switched people - and therefore switched greeting styles - and Anna presented her husband.

"Kristoff Bjorgman of Arendelle." She said with a proud smirk, showing him with a gesture of the hand as he approached.

"Welcome." Bowed the King. "I'm honored that you accepted our request, and honored by your presence."

"I should be the one honored." Assured Eugene, bowing along with his wife.

Honeymaren noticed that the couple hadn't bowed to the Arendellians, which indicated how much friends they were. It even was likely that Anna had forbidden them to do so.

"You're a commoner who became a King. You're my hero!" Continued Eugene, only half joking. His brown eyes sparkled with genuine admiration.

Rapunzel admired the docks and the part of the town she could see from there, then her gaze naturally drifted to the highest building.

"This place hasn't lost its beauty since our last visit." Complimented the Princess.

"You'll have to excuse the state of the castle." Said Anna, automatically apologizing to her guests when she saw what Rapunzel was staring at. "We're still under reconstruction."

"It's okay." Assured the brunette with a warm smile.

Eugene looked around. "Wait, does the Unification Statue still stand?"

"Yes, it does." Smiled Anna.

It was intact, a fact which the Queen could only qualify as a miracle. She knew that it wasn't a target during the attacks, but the bandits could just as much have destroyed the bronze statue in collateral damage while aiming for the town's houses to scare the people. It would have been very effective on many minds if they took it down.

To appease her nervosity, she recalled a happy memory.

She told the Prince about that time she was walking through the crowd to help her people physically and mentally, and had met a kid staring at the statue in awe.

"He was adorable." Recalled Anna. "The way he stared at it, I swear… It was like he was admiring every centimeter of copper."
Eugene chuckled tenderly. Anna sighed fondly.

"He was glad that we represented my mother and my father as kids. Believe it or not, he always dreamed of having kid role models. He only ever saw statues of adults. Whether it be illustrations of mythological ones in books, or decorative ones in fountains for example. I liked that kid right away." She laughed. "He looked very smart too. I told him that I hoped that, with such heroes to look up to, he would be an open-minded person once he grows up."

Then Anna sighed, but for another reason.

"However… I asked him later where his family was, because I wanted to make sure that he hadn't lost them in the crowd of workers and deliverers. He pointed at a man, who actually was walking angrily at us. The guy grabbed his arm and took him away from me. I was so confused, you might imagine… He told me that he was his father, and that he didn't trust me at all. That he preferred when Agnarr was King. He said that men make better leaders, and that Runeard would have protected Arendelle better if he were in my place. You know me, that drove me enraged in a second. I told him that it was a surprise attack; it was logical that we couldn't react in time, and I was very sorry that the town suffered from it. He didn't want to hear a thing. So I couldn't help asking him what his wife did for a living."

Eugene grinned. "Good idea. To show him that women are capable too."

"He told me that she died four and a half years ago."

"Oh, shit." Murmured the Prince.

Anna winced. "I felt stupid instantly. I asked him if her death was linked to Elsa's whiteout, you know…"

Eugene's heart broke in half as he did the math and saw the years coincide, until the redhead scoffed. "And he said that no, but he wished, so that everyone could see how irresponsible women in power are."

Eugene blinked. "He wished that his wife died out of cold to prove a point?"

"Go figure." Shrugged Anna.

Despite the slight humor, she still looked sad. The Prince put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey. He was still bitter about the damage in the town, you really shouldn't take it personally…"

"I don't. I genuinely don't. I just feel… Very sorry for this kid. I wonder if I should go back to his house, and ask for news."

Eugene looked at her admirably. "You are persistent in a caring way, it's a good quality."

Anna smiled. "Thanks."

Behind them, Rapunzel and Elsa were in a joyful conversation.

"Everytime I see snow, I think about you." Said the brunette excitedly. "I'm like, 'Is it actually snowing or is Elsa upset?' Then, I remember that you are in control, so it can't be you. Then I think, 'Is she happy today?'"

Elsa smiled at the brunette's words. "That's lovely, Rapunzel. A bit weird, but kind of you."

"I'm often called weird and kind, so I'm used to it." Shrugged the Princess.

They laughed, then turned to the Nattura siblings.

"Here's Honeymaren, my partner." Smiled Elsa, pointing at her then accompanying her gesture by a hold of her hand.

The Northuldra grinned at her immediate touch. The intention was adorable. Elsa always wanted to bring Honeymaren more forward, into the light, and often introduced her as her partner early in the conversation, even though Rapunzel obviously already knew that they were a couple.

Honeymaren couldn't hold back her pride and let out a slight smirk, then she turned it into a genuine smile when she saw Rapunzel's beaming one, too contagious not to be replicated. Ryder was then introduced in turn, and he happily shook hands.

"Sorry I'm late, sorry I'm late!" Exclaimed a voice, and a bouncy snowman appeared.

He was panting, but quickly caught up his breath, and placed his bowtie correctly. "I couldn't pick a color to best suit Corona guests. I was like, do I pick yellow, or purple? Or maybe yellow with purple stripes? Yes, I do own a yellow bowtie with purple stripes. And then–"

"Eugene, Rapunzel, meet Olaf." Smiled Elsa, shaking her head at both his arrival and the natural surprised reaction from the couple.

"I figured it was you." Smiled the Prince. "Hello."

"Hi!" Smiled Olaf back, and he shook the man's hand with his tiny fingers. "Wait, do I have the international reputation of being late or do you say that because I'm a talking snowman?"

They all chuckled. They didn't get to meet and greet him on their last visit, as he was busy in the mountains with Kristoff. Back then, Anna and him weren't engaged, and he spent a lot of time ice harvesting with the volunteer snowman.

"So, yellow bowtie it was?" Teased Rapunzel, and she kneeled to be on his level.

She felt like she was doing one of her charity events in Corona because that was how she talked to kids.

Olaf chuckled happily. "Yes, because the Coronan and Arendellian flags both have yellow. It's a common point! Just like I'm the link between Anna and Elsa." He added proudly.

The siblings smiled at him then at each other, and Rapunzel giggled, before hugging him warmly when he opened his arms. Anna had been right in her correspondences; hugging Olaf wasn't cold at all, it was like embracing all the great things about Winter. He also smelled like chocolate, and the mischievous Princess understood that he wasn't late only because of bowties.

When she stood back from the hug, she saw a spot of chocolate at the corner of his lips, and Elsa did as well. The Spirit sighed like a mother and licked her thumb before rubbing his face.

Olaf indeed groaned like a child and tried to take care of it on his own, and the two struggled.

Rapunzel laughed and stepped away to give Elsa some space, finding herself next to Honeymaren again.

"Let's greet each other properly." She chuckled, offering her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same for me." Assured Honeymaren, warmly shaking it. "Elsa told me about you multiple times."

Rapunzel grinned. "In a good way, I hope?"

Honeymaren smiled with amusement. "You have no idea. Seriously, she admires you to no end."

"She tells me a lot in her letters." Admitted the other brunette, smirking. "Though I'm honestly humble compared to her magical range. Really, she's incredible."

The Northuldra nodded with energy. She knew a lot about that, as Elsa's fellow tribe member, friend and lover. "I can't agree more."

However, Honeymaren insisted with her gaze. "But you were able to heal her broken ribs!" She exclaimed, her voice rising in admiration as she recalled the vivid explanation from her girlfriend. "That's stupefying."

The Princess blushed, looking down shyly. "Thank you. It's nothing, really."

"You have amazing restorating magic", said Honeymaren, insisting. "Being able to bring someone back to life is a divine gift. Trust me, as someone who worships magic and laws of Nature, you're truly remarkable."

Rapunzel didn't add anything, and rather tilted her head.

"You express yourself very well for someone who learned about Elsa and Anna's language last year." She complimented, effectively changing the topic to avoid being praised any longer.

She was celebrated well enough in Corona, she didn't want her aura to pursue her here.

Honeymaren smiled slyly. "Arendellian soldiers cohabited with us for thirty years, so we kind of had to. Besides, my tribe had no choice but to learn that language back when we built the dam, since Runeard refused to use ours when he gave orders."

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she realized that the Northuldra was referring to the colonization. "I…"

"Don't worry," chuckled Honeymaren, reassuring her when she felt her tension, "I was born way after all the… Mandatory teaching. We had dressed out wounds on both sides. When I was a child and asked the soldiers about their culture, it was out of genuine curiosity, and they were a bit reticent at first, not wanting to repeat the errors of the past. I remember them checking with Yelena, and her agreeing. Ryder was very happy that I asked because he didn't dare, and he really wanted to ask to try their uniforms on." Laughed Honeymaren.

Rapunzel giggled in turn. "That's cute."

Their shared laughter brought Eugene to walk closer, and he circled his wife's hip with his arm. She smiled up at him, and he did back, then he smirked at Honeymaren. "So it's true, what they say. Women who love women do know how to make them laugh…"

The Northuldra crossed her arms defiantly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rapunzel chuckled at her expression, and the stillness of her husband's arm at her hip, like a chill had roamed his back. "Careful, Eugene, she's a renowned huntress."

He winced, but the two others smiled. He however didn't know what to add, the Northuldra woman making a big impression on him. He was saved by the bell when Anna indicated him to accompany her as the lead of the group while they all moved towards the castle.

Eugene admired the bridge, then turned to the Queen.

"I heard that the two guards who had come with you to Corona married each other?"

The redhead nodded with a chuckle. "Yes. I'm so happy for them. I didn't attend the wedding, though, they did it in a small committee."

"The jubilee went very well, according to the press."

"Nice to see that you catch up on Arendellian celebrations." Noted Anna with a smirk.

The Prince winked. "Every newspaper that has Arendellian news on the front page is a must-read when it comes to the castle at breakfast. Sometimes I have to quickly grab it before Punzie does. She complains if I do but then she asks me to read it out loud. Coronan reporters praise you a lot when they want to sell through headlines."

Eugene cleared his throat before he took an exaggerated voice. "Her Majesty Queen Anna of Arendelle! Human side of the Bridge, and Dam Breaker!"

Anna chuckled.

"Did I get that right?" He grinned.

"A bit too much, but thanks for the compliment."

They smiled, and he tilted his head to her.

"Are you okay? You seem tense."

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just… When you mention the press…"

He frowned, letting her continue. She chuckled nervously.

"I'm not liked in every local newspaper, you know. Some people still regret that I took the throne, and they say that I'm too young, and…"

"Yet you did many great things as a Queen already. Do they only see the bad stuff?"

Anna sighed. "They really do."

"Hey, don't let it affect you. Rapunzel and I admire you for taking the throne at such a young age. She's still a Princess."

Anna had a small smile. "I don't take it bad. I'm only sorry for them. As to their attempts to affect me…"

She thought for a moment, looking up at the castle while they stepped in the courtyard.

"My father used to say… A ship does not sink as long as water doesn't get inside, even in the most violent storm. Don't let insults reach you and they will never bring you down."

Eugene wanted to reply something, then he really took in what she just said, and opened his mouth to note it, but didn't really dare.

"Yeah, I know." Winced Anna after his silence. "Quite ironic that he told me that, uh? Given the way he died."

"I…" He scoffed, then shrugged. "Frankly, I don't even know what to say."

"Fate, irony… I've been thinking a lot about it." Admitted Anna. "We also talked a lot about it with Elsa. It helped a lot to share this grief, this pain together. And when I thought that we had gone through the topic in length and breadth, the vision of their shipwreck up North reopened my scar like it had just happened yesterday. Like a fresh wound."

She remained quiet, the distant sound of seagulls coming to them. "What's great though, is that after that, Elsa went to Ahtohallan. And she brought me back what turned out to be the best balm in the world."

She turned to Eugene with a clumsy expression. "To keep going on the open wound metaphor. She did not literally bring back balm from the glacier."

The Prince chucked. "What was it?"

He congratulated himself for asking the question, because Anna's face lit up instantly. "A memory of my parents praising me, just before they left." She chuckled with emotion. "And you know what?"

The man was all ears.

"They had planned to tell me about Elsa's magic once they returned."

Eugene was in shock. "Oh. Uh… It's a good thing, then, no? I mean… It's too bad, and a bit of a shame, but…"

Anna smiled. "Yeah, it's a good thing. It brought me so much joy to know that it's what was supposed to happen. In another universe, if destiny had been different, I would have known about Elsa, we would have been best friends again way earlier, and… Who knows, maybe Mother would have told us about the Northuldra."

She shrugged. "But this is not how things turned out to be. Here I'm the Queen, and I fully intend to make them proud. This is why I try to be strong. To not let anyone tell me I'm not worthy of anything."

Eugene nodded in support. "I getcha. When I married Rapunzel, people hated me for a while, because… How could an ex-thief become a Prince?"

Anna gave him a sad smile. She knew about that issue a lot since she married a commoner. Kristoff was everything but a common man, but it was impossible to explain that to politicians.

"So I started to help." Said Eugene. "A lot. I helped around, everywhere I could. I signed up better laws, I participated in forums, I listened to the people. Turned out that the so-called 'low man of the people' was the helping hand they had been waiting for a long time."

Anna smirked at him. "Show them wrong, right?"

He laughed. "Yeah."

This thought led to another, and his eyes drifted to the top of her head, where her crown was missing. He wondered why she wasn't wearing it. Of course, it's not like he required her to have it as she welcomed royal guests, but he was curious.

"Did you… Lose your crown during the Collapse?"

Anna had a surprised look, and her widened teal blue eyes seemed to fill with sadness, so he instantly regretted his question.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"No, it's okay. I… Yes, I lost it. But it's currently being remade by the same manufacturer. He's really nice and promised me to do it even better. It's almost finished, and we have fitting planned for next week. Guess I won't wear it on the battlefield tomorrow."

An awkward silence followed, and Anna mercifully continued to not make her friend feel bad.

"During the Collapse, the bandits have looted and ransacked the castle from the wine cellar to the attic. A lot of the jewelry is gone, and most of my dresses are all stained or ripped apart." Said the Queen with a stern face. "Hans promised them riches and prosperity along a great outlet, and they had fun. His only demand in return was to be the one to face me to obtain the crown."

"You mean literally? Is he the one who has it?"

"No, and I'm fortunate, in a way. A groundskeeper saw a pirate escape the castle from the back door of the inner garden, and he had it in his hand. He apologized saying that he could have run after him, but I didn't blame him. The bandit was armed, and I'm glad that he didn't risk his life."

Eugene nodded solemnly. "Hmm. And it's very likely that this thug melted the gold in a secret place before Hans heard about it."

Anna nodded too. The Prince had a wince. "I know a bit about thief techniques…"

"It's fine." Smiled the redhead. "I thought the same."

They had all reached the great hall of the castle, and several members of the staff came to assist and help, as well as serve refreshments.

"This place truly is amazing!" Complimented the Prince, and the maid who gave him a drink blushed in his presence.

"Thanks." Replied the proud Queen, and she wondered if he only meant because of the free food. But he was actually admiring the architecture along with his wife, both jaw dropping at the new decorations of the hall. Anna had a pinch to the heart to know that the castle wasn't at its full beauty with all those scaffolds.

A valet approached and stood next to the Queen. "Sorry to interrupt. Her Highness Your sister is calling for you."

"Oh, right, I'm coming." Said Anna right away, and she followed him after giving Eugene a little wave and smile.

He watched her go and thought. He noticed how the sisters' titles got reversed now and wondered if it had been weird for them for a period of time. In fact, since the 'Her Majesty Your sister' had switched from one girl to the other, the staff had trouble getting used to it, even if it had been a year since Anna's coronation. It was always amusing when the team got it wrong, though, and the most recent members of the staff made fun of the oldest when it happened.

The Prince smiled and turned to his wife, lovingly smiling as he watched her admire the place with sparkling eyes.

Honeymaren, who had come to stand near him, noted the deep attention in his eyes. She had no idea why, but it instantly made her like him. The way he was devoted to the woman, perhaps. The Northuldra blushed when Eugene felt her gaze and their eyes met. Honeymaren awkwardly tried to continue their previous conversation.

"So you… Uhm… You're not surprised that I'm Elsa's partner?" She noted timidly.

He had a supportive smile.

"We didn't make same-sex marriage legal in Corona yet, but it's on the right track. We have a lot of paperwork to deal with. I'm happy to see that it's a common thing in the home land of your partner."

Honeymaren blushed again, but emotionally this time.

"And it doesn't surprise you that I'm a Northuldra?"

Eugene now smirked, playing the full sass game. "You're saying that and the statue of her parents is still standing." He gestured with his thumb to the doors. "It's proof that it's common for an Arendellian to match with a Northuldra."

Honeymaren was about to reply that it wasn't a good parallel, because Elsa's father had no idea that his wife was from her tribe until a long awaited reveal. But she was grateful for his comical approach.

"Sorry. I am just… Very stressed about making a good first impression with royal people. Elsa is of great stature, and I don't want to shame her."

The Prince shook his head slightly. "I doubt that she ever had to think about that kind of thing, Honeymaren. You seem to be a wise, open-minded person, with genuine interest in her culture. And she clearly is deeply in love with you, one could tell by the way she introduced you. If anything, I'm ready to bet that you make her proud. And proud of her love towards you, too."

Honeymaren's heart beated hard in her chest at his words.

"I may have just met you, but I have no doubt that you love her back even more. I know that it's very difficult to not be starstruck at her magic and aura."

He quickly lifted his hands defensively with a chuckle. "She's not my type, though. But she is admired everywhere. If anything, when people talk about your couple, it's with envy, not resentment. Both men and women wish they were you."

Honeymaren chuckled with a grin. "I feel very lucky to be her chosen one indeed."

She took advantage that Elsa was busy far from them to continue her intimate thoughts. "Being her girlfriend is overwhelming sometimes. For the best, of course. It's like… Living with ice itself, with all its beauty and might but none of the cold."

Eugene nodded with a grin. "I think the same about Punzie and the Sun."

They both looked at their lovers who were having a vivid and enthusiastic chat with Anna; Elsa had been calling her sister to talk about their mutually borrowed books with the Princess.

The Northuldra smiled. Elsa did have an immaculate and bright aura that made her exhale the power of ancient glaciers, while Rapunzel in front of her was beaming the warmth and splendor of a star.

Eugene and her let out the same blissful sigh as they watched them.

"Indeed, it must be incredible to be the Snow Queen's girlfriend." Smiled the Prince.

The brunette tilted her head. "One of my biggest disappointments in life is to not have been able to witness Elsa's ice palace when it was still standing."

"Oh, I get you." Said the man, remembering Anna's letter saying that all of Elsa's creations had disappeared when she passed out in Ahtohallan. "I'm a fan of castles, actually. So I understand the feeling. I'd have loved the view from that North Mountain."

Honeymaren smirked, definitely not running out of praises. She was happy about the topic and glad she could spill her compliments without her lover overhearing, since Elsa blushed a lot when she did and the Northuldra didn't like to embarrass her.

"According to Kristoff, it's the most majestic, flawless and stunning ice creation Elsa has ever done. And I totally believe him, even if he's very biased." She said, her eyes sparkling.

She then pouted. "But still. Even the best I could imagine probably is no match for reality, and I'm frustrated."

The brunette looked at Anna gesturing at a photographer so that Rapunzel and her could take pictures together, an activity to which the Princess cheerfully agreed.

"It's a shame that this technology of photography didn't exist yet back then. A black and white image wouldn't have given the ice palace justice, but still… I would have something…" Murmured Honeymaren.

Eugene smiled. "Why don't you ask her to create a new one? And vanish it afterwards, because I suppose that it's enormous."

Honeymaren winced slightly. "I don't know…"

"You've never asked? Given your charms, I supposed that she easily ceided to your requests."

The Northuldra snorted when the Prince had an innuendo smirk.

"It's not that simple. I mean…" She sighed. "If anything, I would actually encourage her to not build it again."

"What? Why?"

"Because Ahtohallan now is her… Second and new ice palace, you know? And this place is sacred, and she spends time in it, and recharges herself in it, and really it's what makes her her. And I wouldn't change that for anything in the world. In fact, I think that if the ice palace still stood, she wouldn't go back to it. It was a milestone, not a home. It's part of her personal journey to go beyond and find herself with the Spirits, with Ahtohallan. She journeyed into the unknown instead of creating reclusion and now she's never been more herself."

The Prince remained silent, his dropped jaw smiling, which was uncharacteristic of him. He then scoffed, impressed.

"How long have you two been together?"

Honeymaren's tan skin filled with blush once more. "Uhm… Several months…"

She actually precisely knew how much time, but pretended that she was a clueless Northuldra who didn't understand how modern calendars worked. Eugene absolutely saw through her lie, but nodded gently.

"It looks like you've been a couple since forever. You know her very well."

The Northuldra fidgeted with her tunic. "Anna often says that we're a match that was destined to happen. But she exaggerates things a lot. Yelena - our tribe chief - once said that a Northuldra and the Fifth Spirit naturally falling in love with each other was a blessing that had a mystical reach. Especially when said Fifth Spirit freed the tribe from the claws of a magical mist trap that was there for over three decades. But, frankly, how does one not fall in love with someone who casually walks through something that was until then impassable, and looks like…"

She gestured to the Snow Queen from head to toes, referring to Elsa's general beauty and aura, her long untied hair shining a bright white and the ice shards of her outfit reflecting on the floor.

"Her?" She finished in a loving sigh.

The Prince chuckled. "Dang, if you're not deeply in love with the woman."

As if she got called, Elsa suddenly turned to them, and the two went still. However, the Spirit actually was looking at Kristoff behind the pair.

They discreetly sighed in relief when they turned around and back, not wanting to make Elsa feel awkward.

Rapunzel stopped her conversation with the sisters after the photograph to watch Elsa and Kristoff take care of the evening's organization while Olaf and Anna talked about food.

She admired that, despite living in the Forest now, Elsa still made decisions around the castle. The Princess walked to her partner.

"Does Elsa adapt well to the Northuldra life?"

Honeymaren turned, and her blood started to boil; then she calmed down. Rapunzel meant no disrespect, in contrast to critics who asked about that more bluntly. Honeymaren had the mannerism to defend her girlfriend since before they were even together. When Elsa had started to join the tribe, merchants were suspicious about how an ex-Queen could now live in the wild.

The brunette automatically switched to her usual sarcastic answer.

"She already was half-Northulra, in fact."

Rapunzel was surprised by her reply. "...Yeah, but I mean, in the daily."

Honeymaren blamed herself for her sentence, but chose to go on to mask it. "Oh, she really is amazing. It took her long to learn some tasks and basics, but it's obvious that anyone else would have been the same. When Anna comes along, she teaches her in turn, and I get to see the progress she has made through the months with that perspective. It's funny."

Rapunzel smiled tenderly at Honeymaren's love and admiration. Elsa indeed seemed to be a fast learner.

The Northuldra chuckled at a memory. "One day, she lifted a whole tree that our… Lumberjacks - I think it's the term you use?" She interrupted herself, and Rapunzel nodded encouragingly. She knew how difficult the language barrier was. "That our lumberjacks had freshly cut, with her magic, and effortlessly made it float in the air to put it at another spot. I swear I never saw such synchronized jaw-dropping." She laughed, joined by the brunette. "She didn't even break a sweat, for a task that would have taken three men and three times more time to do."

Rapunzel smirked. "She is stronger than three men."

Anna appeared out of nowhere. "A hundred men, even."

They both jolted at her presence, but the redhead's face was beaming with such admiration for her elder that they forgave her.

The Princess nodded in silence. She knew something about Elsa's strength. Not only was the blonde athletic, with great stamina, but Rapunzel also had witnessed when she had turned Summer into Winter. Accidentally.

"We finished cutting wood in one afternoon, when it normally took days." Continued Honeymaren. "Yelena was in awe."

"I easily imagine." Grinned the Princess.

They interrupted their discussion when they realized that Anna's presence back to them actually meant she was about to speak up. They hadn't realized that the people around them had been preparing a toast.

Anna smiled then made a quick speech to address everyone and thank her guests for coming, whether it be the Coronan couple or the Northuldra siblings.

They all clinked their glasses, and Ryder blushed.

"Shouldn't we refrain from drinking, if we want to be in good shape tomorrow?" He whispered in Northuldrian to his elder.

Honeymaren chuckled. "We have plenty of time to digest it before battle. Also, this is light liquor. Nothing compared to the Northuldra festive drinks. Have a try, you'll see."

Ryder frowned, dubious, then had a gulp. He gave his sister a smirk. "Oh. We're good."

"Here's your room." Smiled Anna with a large move of the arm to show the guest bedroom. "The staff dropped all of your belongings from your ship, but please, if you need anything, tell me."

The Coronan couple nodded thankfully, and Rapunzel admired the decoration of the place, walking around with awe. She passed a hand along the bed's framing, observed the paintings on the walls, and dropped her jaw at the details on the folding screen.

In the meantime, Anna stood still near the door, and Eugene noticed her nervosity when he came back from the bathroom after making a quick tour himself.

"Are you alright?"

The redhead forced herself to smile. "Y-yes, I think."

The Prince frowned, then it occurred to him that it was the first time she was alone with them since their arrival, as the others were downstairs.

"You can tell me." Assured Eugene, his voice lower, to not even be heard from Rapunzel who had opened the doors of the balcony and was admiring the view with a gasp.

Anna smiled wider, and this time it was sincere. "Thank you. For your kind and listening ear."

The man winked. "I'm a master at it since I engaged with Punzie."

She sighed, giving herself courage. "I'm kind of… Dreading tomorrow."

Eugene tilted his head. "I thought you were optimistic about our chances to win."

Anna snorted slightly. "Oh, I still am. I'm pretty sure that with my army, yours, and Elsa on our side, we're already done. But…"

"What is it?"

She escaped his gaze with nervosity, and caught her own reflection in the mirror of the room.

"I don't know if I have the stature. To… To lead the people into war."

The Prince remained silent for a moment. They had just come back from the war meeting, where the group had established their plan of action. And indeed, they all came to the logical and political conclusion that despite Corona lending a powerful hand and the Northuldra being present on the battlefield, Anna would be general of the alliance army.

"Hey." Gently pressed Eugene, seeing that Anna was lost in thoughts too. "You're an excellent Queen. A brilliant natural leader. This will be easy peasy."

"...You think so?" Timidly asked the redhead.

At this moment, Eugene realized how young Anna was. Even if he genuinely knew her capacities, her power, her talent, he was struck by her age. Of course, Rapunzel was young too, but it was different. Despite asking her mother for Queen classes a few days before, his wife only was a Princess. He admired how strong Anna's small shoulders were.

"I'm certain to the point where I could put my life into your hands, Your Majesty." Smiled Eugene with a small bow.

Anna had a sarcastic smile.

"Sorry, dramatic much?" Giggled the man.

"No, I like it. Now I'm picturing myself as a hero from adventure novels, and I think you helped me."

"You're welcome." He snorted. "By the way, you are a hero from adventure novels."

"Pff. Please." Said Anna modestly, dropping her hand at him.

She however took the compliment right in her heart. Her doubts vanished instantly; despite her family's assurance during the war meeting, she still felt weird about that role, and was glad to have asked her friend. Eugene confirmed that she had nothing to be scared of.

The man stretched his arms with a contented expression before sitting on the bed, visibly tired by his trip. Anna instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry to bring you to the fight so soon. You should rest. I should go."

"It's okay. You couldn't do much about it, Hans' ultimatum forced us to rush." Said Eugene. "A nap now and going to bed early tonight will be enough."

He then tilted his head with amusement. "Or maybe you're desperately looking for a way to apologize?"

The redhead's freckled cheeks filled with red, and she looked elsewhere again. Yep, he hit right.

"You know, if anything, we're even now." He said.

Anna turned to him with curious eyebrows, so he continued.

"Four years ago, you came to Corona for fun. Today, we come to Arendelle for war. Seems like a fair exchange to me."

She blinked at his words. "...How?"

He winced. "Yeah, it sounded better in my head."

She chuckled, and sighed. They exchanged a smiling gaze, and she made him understand that she was glad of his positivity.

He winked and dropped on the bed for a nap, and Anna walked to the balcony to join Rapunzel.

"The view is magnificent!" Exclaimed the brunette, making the Queen smile sincerely for the first time in the last two hours.

Rapunzel's joy was radiant, matching well with the bright Sun behind her. It was true, what the Coronan authors said. The true rays of sunshine of the kingdom come from the Lost Princess.

Anna pointed at different things they could see from the balcony, also taking that opportunity to tell the construction progress, Rapunzel nodding energetically at her explanations.

After a long moment, they rested their forearms on the railing, admiring the Coronan ships unloading their troops and equipment.

The Queen's eyes followed the streets where curious Arendellians were observing the arrival of their allies and the preparation of their own army. Some civilians were helping with food donations, which the soldiers happily placed in crates.

Anna lost herself in the deep purple and pine green of the war flags that the guards were setting up as military ensigns. She felt patriotic for a moment, but also poetic.

"I love that Arendelle's symbol is a crocus." She mused out loud, and Rapunzel turned to her. "I see a new beautiful symbolism about it pretty much every week."

"Oh yeah?" Smiled Rapunzel. "What was the last realization?"

Anna smiled, looking at her kingdom. "That our kingdom has a horrible past, with Runeard's actions. The revelation was a shock to everyone. It was like our history was nothing but a field of ashes. And then we started over. We right the wrong. We rebuilt our relationship with the Northuldra. We honored them. And it was peace and prosperity again. And then the Collapse happened. But look; everyone made efforts, and we're thriving again. It's exactly like a flower that has enough willpower to grow in the cold and even pierce through snow."

"Like a crocus." Completed Rapunzel when Anna was about to.

The redhead grinned. "You got it."

They contemplated the landscape in silence.

"You know what?" Smiled the brunette. She waited for Anna to turn so she could say it face to face.

"That crocus never bloomed so beautifully."

"So, what are the Coronian news?" Smiled Anna as she poured wine in Rapunzel's glass.

The Princess smirked in amusement. "Asks the one who reads international newspapers everyday and exchanges letters with me all the time."

"Come onnn, I'm sure that you have exclusive stuff to share." Grinned the redhead.

Rapunzel blushed a bit as she smiled. "I'm preparing myself to be Queen."

Anna gasped in delight and beamed. "Really?"

"I mean, I asked my mother to give me royal training. I'm not taking her role any time soon." Chuckled the brunette. "It was hard for me to make up my mind… I always loved the freedom and offbeat feeling of just hanging around in Corona, helping here and there, you know?"

Anna nodded, and Rapunzel continued. "But I realized that I would love to be the people's Queen someday, even if it meant to embrace the attachments with it. I'm willing to take the responsibilities involved. However, I wasn't raised like you with tutors and everything to be taught manners, politics, etiquette… And it would be very awkward for me to hire teachers at my age. My mother was very comprehensive, and I can't wait for the lessons to start."

"It's a beautiful idea." Replied Anna, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Then suddenly, they widened.

"Wait… Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, did my letter arrive at the wrong time?"

"What? Oh, no, rest assured, I had already made my decision before we departed with the troops. Besides, helping an ally through war is a very good thing to do as a Queen, so I'm off to a great start." Winked the brunette.

Anna nodded with a smile.

"You're the one who inspired me." Admitted Rapunzel.

The redhead pointed at her comically. "...Me?"

Rapunzel nodded, and the Queen blushed. "Oh. Well. Thank you, I… It's so touching, I don't know what to say. I… I'm happy for you, really."

She had a timid smile, and Rapunzel knew that the compliment had made her heart soar. Her friend had once shared with her how much she used to consider herself nothing else but the spare, unworthy of ruling the land someday.

They clinked their wine glasses and smiled at each other before drinking.

While they tasted it and talked about grape varieties, Anna did a quick move of the hand to mime the vineyards and nearly burned her sleeve above a candle on the table.

Kristoff had a quick reflex and grabbed it to place it away. Her wife expressed her gratitude and had a guilty smile.

Elsa placed her hand back next to Honeymaren's after she had lifted it in case she needed to spray ice, and chuckled.

"It's like that time with Bruni…"

Anna gave her a deadly stare. "We don't talk about Bruni."

Elsa snorted. "Fine."

"No, wait, now I want to know." Smirked Rapunzel.

The redhead turned to expand her deadly stare. "We don't talk about Bruni."

"Okay, okay." Accepted the Princess with wide eyes, not denying the chill in her back at the teal blue eyes, which ironically held as much fire as the mentioned Spirit.

Elsa gave her a look that meant 'I'll tell you later', and she smirked at the memory of that day she visited Anna with Bruni and the two had accidentally burned a curtain when they played together. When Elsa came back from the marketplace and saw the two rascals pointing at each other, under Gerda's angry stare, she had to do everything in her power to not laugh out loud. The maid's reaction when she saw the damage had been legendary. She didn't care that Anna was the Queen and that the Fire Spirit was ancestral, she gave them a scold they would remember for a long time.

Honeymaren and Eugene were having a discussion next to her.

"They've been through a lot, the girls, uh?" Asked the Prince.

The brunette sighed with a smile. "Yeah. Ryder and I sometimes talk about all the sadness they had to cross as siblings, except they were separated, unlike us."

Eugene nodded.

"I think that if we had been on different sides of the Mist when it stood, we would have lost our minds." Admitted Honeymaren. "I know that a door and a magical barrier aren't the same, but…"

"I getcha." Assured the man, sparing her the rest of her sentence.

On the other side of the table, Rapunzel turned to the Queen.

"Oh, I just remembered, Anna. You were right, the two bandits you identified after the Collapse that turned out to be Coronan indeed are linked to Hans."

Anna sighed. Sometimes she didn't like to be right.

Elsa hadn't followed their letter correspondence, and gave them a frown. "Why, yes, he recruited them to attack the kingdom along with hundreds of pirates coming from all over– What?"

Anna made her stop with a smirk. "They're not just Hans' pals or recommended bandits. Those two are brothers, and they're Hans' cousins."

The Princess nodded. "Stabbington brothers. We stopped counting how many times they escaped prison."

"Oh." Said Elsa.

"Nice name." Said Olaf next to her. "Also, their sideburns matched, it was a good clue."

He then looked at Rapunzel, then Anna, then Elsa. "And now I start to see why there were theories that you three are cousins."

Both sisters widened their eyes, and the Princess frowned. "What?"

"When you debarked from your ship, I heard Arendellers say that you probably were cousins."

Elsa blinked in confusion. "Cousins? But they know about our family tree. And we don't even look alike."

"Sure you do. You have the same eyes. And same face shape. And body too…" He added, tilting his head.

The three women were confused again, disagreeing completely.

"I'm serious." Stated Olaf.

"Well that's dumb. Our families aren't related." Snorted Rapunzel, and she suddenly looked sorry. "I mean, no offense to the townspeople…"

Anna shrugged. "Many of them are newcomers, they don't know the family tree well yet." She explained, and Elsa admitted that it was true.

Kristoff joined in, sensing that Olaf's remark on their similar morphology had brought tension.

"Many of them still think that I'm a royal from another kingdom. When they learn that my name isn't "Of Bjorg" but "Bjorgman", they are surprised. In a good way." He smiled.

The meal went on with happy conversations, until the dessert, which Anna and Rapunzel ended at high speed.

Eugene and Kristoff exchanged a glance. Their wives usually were fond of sugary treats and took the time to savor them, why were they so hurried?

"Well, someone owes me a presentation of her wedding dress." Explained Rapunzel with beaming excitement on her face.

Anna clapped her hand together, sharing her glee. "Let's go, let's go!"

She then hooked her arm with the brunette, and tugged her in the corridor with great energy.

Eugene shook his head as they quickly went away. "I know that those two love shiny things, but I hope they won't get a stitch running like that."

"I see that your sister hasn't changed since the last time we saw each other." Grinned Rapunzel. "Still a determined and diligent soul, if not even more today."

"Yeah. She's very dedicated. Maybe too dedicated." Winced Anna jokingly.

She smiled at the Princess, who chuckled at her humor. The redhead smiled as they made their way through the castle.

"One morning I was sick, and she had been sleeping over, and she made the quickest round trip I had ever seen with Gale to the Forest to grab me some Northuldra soup - which is amazing, by the way, you've got to try it. I felt better the following day, because they put medicinal herbs in it that are just perfect, and she took care of me so early in the sickness that it was very efficient. But when she came back with a bowl of it and a lid above, she had her hair in a tangled mess, with a very happy face, and it was hilarious. The soup was still warm, I couldn't believe it. I would have loved to see Honeymaren's face when she bursted in and out of the camp."

Rapunzel laughed out loud, and while they walked, they passed in front of the portrait gallery. She knew for a fact that it was Anna's favorite room, which she fully understood with her own love for art. Some members of the staff were busy placing some paintings back, and she stopped.

"Was this room impacted by the Collapse?"

Anna appreciated the tone of the question.

"Not much, thank goodness. Or rather, thanks to Ahtohallan. Bruni's presence in the castle prevented it from being set on fire with the explosives the bandits were using. I'm really glad he was there, he saved us from a lot of destruction. Many paintings had fallen down from the walls with the shaking due to cannonballs, and we have several frames to fix. But thankfully, none of the canvases have holes. I would have been devastated if, in addition to my dresses, they had destroyed my favorite paintings."

Rapunzel had a sad smile. Anna then snorted.

"Kinda wish that Runeard's portrait was still hanging and they destroyed it."

The Princess chuckled as they continued to walk. "I'm surprised that you didn't burn it already to unwind."

"I would gladly use it as a target for training and cut it in half, trust me. But… I would like to recycle the canvas for something else, for ecological reasons. I heard that the oil painting can be removed and that the linen can be turned into bags. Besides, the Northuldra would never forgive me if I threw the solid wood of the frame away, especially with such engravings. I've just been busy with many things lately, that are more important, so it's just dusting in the attic."

Rapunzel nodded, then frowned when they walked up the stairs.

"Wait, you said that the thugs had destroyed your belongings… And they searched for jewelry in every corner of the castle… How come your wedding dress didn't get destroyed?"

Anna grinned. She didn't expect the question, but loved that she got to answer it.

"Because I have a very extra big sister, that's why."

She didn't add anything, setting suspense. Thankfully, Rapunzel didn't have to wait long to finally understand, because they reached the room in a minute.

Anna opened the doors of a wardrobe and showed what was inside. Actually, only one outfit was presented there, on a shiny golden dummy, and the outfit was so magnificent that Rapunzel couldn't reproach the single use of the wardrobe in any way.

Anna's wedding dress was made of the purest of whites. It even seemed to emit light on its own, and Rapunzel naturally wondered if it was magical. Even that simple fact reminded her of Anna's beaming soul, of how genuinely good her aura was. The dress had thin sleeves, which dropped on the sides when presented, so Rapunzel supposed that they hung at the top of Anna's arms and left her shoulders bare. The dress then cascaded down in a beautiful flow that was made of swirls and wisps, hand-sewn in the most delicate fabric imaginable, and the brunette wondered how miraculous it was that her energetic friend didn't rip it apart. She imagined that her wedding had made her more emotional than excited, so she must have moved around with poise and elegance.

Rapunzel's eyes drifted below. The hem of the dress seemed to be made of aerial fluffy parts, like the sky had delicately dropped snowflakes on it and they never melted.

As for the train, it was entirely made out of ice, as incredible as it was because it seemed to have all the colors of the rainbow. The clever thing Anna had mentioned earlier was that in fact, the ice train helped to preserve the dress.

It was wrapped all around it, in a protective way that looked and acted like a cocoon, but the train was transparent enough to not hide any of the outfit.

As it twirled and made several turns from the top to the bottom, Rapunzel had some trouble finding out what the design pattern was. But when she tilted her head to find out, it made a lot of sense.

A giant crocus. Aggregated with some… Sunflowers?

She smiled as she imagined Elsa crafting those details with love, as the train was, just like the rest of the dress, very elaborate. She lost herself in contemplating the outfit as a whole again.

"That's…"

The Princess found herself in a lack of words. "Utterly amazing." She finally breathed out, and Anna giggled with pride. "Also, very ingenious, the ice train thing."

"I know, right?" Grinned the Queen. "I mean, because of how beautiful it is, and Elsa's idea. When she twirled it around, she told me it would avoid dust gathering, and apparently it prevents damage too. It's like a capsule that stops time! And the dress is like, immortal." She said excitedly, her tone far from royal, which Rapunzel found adorable. "Her ice is so magical, the thugs had not been able to pierce through it with their blades. It's both unbreakable and flexible, while being super light, I have no idea how Elsa does it but it's awesome."

Her teal blue eyes were sparkling in joy, and the brunette put a hand on her shoulder.

"You have all the reasons to be proud and in awe of it. It's excellent work."

"Coming from someone who sews her own outfits, it means a lot, so thank you!"

Two floors below, the rest of the group was having digestive tea.

Honeymaren stood on the balcony with Ryder to point at constellations while Olaf took notes next to her, so Eugene took advantage of it and slid on the couch next to Elsa.

"She already knows how to speak your language very well, she's a fast learner. Either that, or you're an excellent teacher."

Elsa winced as she had to tell the truth, and she explained the same thing that her girlfriend actually told his wife earlier, about the colonization.

A long silence followed. Elsa was a social awkward and struggled to find a way to relax the tension, so she tried humor.

"You know, despite Honeymaren's interest and efforts, she still messes up and confuses expressions sometimes. It's hilarious, because she gets offensive or absurd when she doesn't mean it."

Another silence followed.

'Great. I just said out loud that I find my girlfriend stupid. What the hell, Elsa?' Thought the Spirit angrily.

"She still has a lot to learn, and I love teaching her." She precipitally added. "She actually encourages me to correct her."

Eugene grinned. "You two bond very well and make quite the pair."

"Thank you." Smiled Elsa warmly, her heart filling with pure warmth everytime she realized how happy she was with Honeymaren.

"Speaking of all those years when the Northuldra were trapped in that portion of the Forest… Lifting the Mist must have been liberating for her."

"Well, it appears to be one of the reasons why she fell in love with me, yes." Shrugged the blonde modestly. "She often reminds me that I opened the world to her, in all meanings of the term."

"Awww." Commented Eugene, gently nudging her. He then felt bad, still not sure if she was comfortable with touch or not. She didn't seem to mind, rather blushing with a shy smile.

"I don't even need to be Northuldra to understand how she felt." Smirked the Prince. "Also, didn't you come back from the dead on a magical horse wearing a sparkling white outfit?"

Elsa winced. "Anna is very descriptive in her letters, isn't she?"

Eugene burst into laughter. "And yet, you didn't hear Punzie reading it out loud to me with an admirative tone."

Elsa smiled. "Anna was the one who announced to the tribe that I was gone, when she came back from the destroyed dam and Yelena asked where I was. They all thought I was dead, but it's not like I had planned to arrive ten minutes later by the water."

The Prince smirked. "Dare to tell me that if you wanted to make a huge presentation of the new you, you would have made it any different."

Elsa thought for a moment, in the mood to answer his tease. "...You might be right."

"See?!" Exclaimed the man happily. "You have a sense of drama and stage, the girls are right."

Elsa was about to reply to defend herself, then she frowned. "When you say the girls…"

"Rapunzel, Anna and Honeymaren. Also, pretty much every woman I ever met in Corona and who has heard about your adventures in the Forest like the living legend that you are. I gotta say," he added when he saw blush return on her cheeks, "you have quite an effect on women in general."

Elsa blushed impossibly deeper, and avoided eye contact. Eugene grinned as he saw that his genuine remark had hit as a compliment like he meant. The blonde was in fact avoiding his stare to bite her lip and avoid a smile. He bent to talk in a lower voice.

"So… To come back to the topic of Honeymaren falling in love with your amazing self and you loving her back… I'm pretty certain that the entire rest of the community of women loving women is very envious of her luck."

Elsa strangled herself in shock.

"Shush up!" She blabbered, slapping his arm as her composed face broke into a grin.

They laughed together before joining the others on the balcony.

She happily pointed at the stables below, and they all could see the horses getting prepared for transportation by the staff.

The Prince noticed Elsa's interest for the way they cared about the animals, and smirked.

"So you're definitely a horse girl, uh?"

Elsa turned and was about to reply, when suddenly, an ethereal neigh sounded below, coming from the fountain on the left of the stairs. Eugene looked down vividly, along with Rapunzel, both surprised by the specific and mysterious neigh, as no horse was this close to the castle.

"What the..." Murmured Eugene. "Did that fountain just neigh at me?"

The water actually even seemed to wobble back to answer him.

He frowned and moved his head forward over the edge of the balcony to look better, and missed Anna and Elsa exchanging a smile. Rapunzel barely had the time to see in a side glance that the Arendellians were taking a careful step back that a giant quantity of water - in fact, the whole fountain - raised to the sky in one zoom and slapped Eugene in the face. It propelled him backwards and he waved his arms before falling abruptly on his butt. He blinked in utter confusion while everyone else bursted into laughter.

The neck and head of a horse appeared on top of the column of water, stared at him with angry bright blue eyes, and snorted. The water fell with gravity again and splashed back into the fountain, its water loop then returning to normal. Eugene stood up with wide eyes, stunned and astonished by what had just happened. The water that had fallen on the wood of the balcony even levitated in drops and returned to the fountain.

"Can... Can someone care to explain?" He blabbered, turning to the laughing Queen and King. "I love magic, but I'm in for a little explanation as well."

Anna tried to retrieve her breath, holding her belly as she calmed her laughter down. "Nokk is very defensive of Elsa on the horsie fan point."

Eugene blinked. "THAT was Nokk?"

Elsa smirked. "Do you know other Water Spirits?"

The Prince scoffed in astonishment and Rapunzel handed him a towel she had picked from the bed, biting her lips to hold her laughter.

Eugene thanked her, then pointed at the courtyard. "He can form in those fountains?"

"He can form anywhere with water." Said the King. "And he can sense the sass." He added, which made everybody laugh.

Eugene thought that he would sleep peacefully as he wasn't very anxious about the battle to come on the following day, but to know that the Spirits were sentient, omnipresent and protective of Elsa placed him in an alerted mode.

Author's Note:

PHEW. What a chapter. Yeah it's not the longest one (longest one until now was the 9th... 17K words omfg... now will that be the longest of the fic? dun dun dunnn) but that took a LOT of logistics and management.

I'm serious you guys have no idea how annoyingly painful it is when there are two brunettes AND two royal couples at once in a scene hfgjfdhgdsh it hurts the brain to find how to nickname them all!

I hope you liked this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write it as always. Some moments actually were the first things I wrote in the earliest drafts, when HTBC was just pieces of paper and bullet points; just like for Untangling the Frozen Knots, I started with the crossover banter to have the energy, the core, of the fanfic. Though the actual core is in chapter 14 and 15 hehehehe stay tuned!