A/N: Here is the next chapter, it is the last one that occurs not long after the previous chapter or start of the story. As I've said before this story is going to encompass many years. I am debating splitting sections into "books" within this one story because we wil be coming up on some big-time jumps. We'll see how the flow goes I guess. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Please review and let me know your thoughts. As always I don't own Froze or it's characters, they are the property of Disney.

Surprise Visit

Sweden and Finland were not happy with her decision to accept Pieter's offer of courtship and Elsa had to remind them that they had forfeited their chances of marriage alliance when they covertly assembled an armada to attack her country in an attempt to force her hand. Norway on the other hand was content, while the King expressed his disappointment that his son was unable to properly demonstrate his interest in a union, he was happy for his distant nephew.

Elsa had thought that with the headache of the suitors over and the birth of her nephew that there would be peace and calm over the winter season. She had of course been naive, the other suitors had left within a week of her announcement that she had entered an official courtship with Pieter, but within a week of that the Vakrettian government had sent a small army of dignitaries to oversee the courtship and lay the groundwork for any diplomatic relations and trades that would develop from a royal marriage should it occur. Her own council had even started making proposals for the marriage contract the day after she'd informed them of her intentions. She was exhausted and only wanted to enjoy the winter with her family and with Pieter, who had been invited to move into a suite in the guest quarters.

There was a knock on the door that drew her attention from the documents on the state of the kingdom's sewage infrastructure, she was relieved. "Enter." Kia walked in and bowed, "Your Majesty, the Coronian ship has been spotted entering the harbor."

Elsa smiled. The Coronian's were arriving for the christening of Christopher. She was excited to see who her uncle and aunt had sent, she knew it was unlikely to be Rapunzel who was in the middle of her own pregnancy, but perhaps Eugene was able to make it.

A half-hour later Elsa stood at the top of the main steps to the castle waiting for the Coronians to arrive, Kristoff had offered to go down to the docks to meet the delegation. The sound of the royal carriage coming through the gates announced their arrival. Elsa waited patiently as the carriage came to a halt and Kristoff stepped out, immediately following him was Eugene, and then to Elsa's shock and joy, her aunt and uncle emerged. Forgetting herself for a moment, Elsa rushed down the steps towards them. She just barely contained herself and resisted the urge to hug them, instead she nodded her head to her uncle and aunt as was proper for monarchs to do when meeting one another. "Your Majesties, this is a wonderful surprise." Her Aunt smiled and opened her arms, "Come here my dear one." Elsa complied and hugged her mother's sister with all she could. Queen Arianna looked so much like Elsa's mom, the same chestnut hair with red highlights, the same heart-shaped face, the only obvious difference being their eyes, Arianna's were blue-green while Iduna's had been the same teal as Anna's.

Elsa finally stepped back only to be swept up into a hug by her uncle. King Frederic was an imposing figure, the same height as Kristoffy though his shoulders and chest were even broader. His hair and beard were white-speckled brown. His eyes, a kind gentle blue. Elsa found herself giggling at the older man's excitement, he let her go, stepped back, and blushed; "My apologies, Your Majesty, it would appear my daughter is rubbing off on me."

Elsa lay a gentle hand on his arm, "for the better," she smiled and gestured toward the castle doors, "Would you like to meet your great-nephew?"

"More than anything." Queen Arianna smiled.

Anna was joyful when she saw King Frederic and Queen Arianna enter the nursery. The Queen didn't hesitate to take the little baby into her arms. "He is beautiful Anna." She smiled down at the little boy. Christopher stared up at her, his little fists wrapping around her finger as he cooed happily. Christopher was proving to be a very contented little baby. "Congratulations, Kristoff, how does it feel, being a father?" Frederic asked as he clapped the young man on the back. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It is amazing yet absolutely terrifying" The King laughed, "no truer words have been spoken."

"How is Rapunzel?" Elsa asked as she took a seat next to Arianna who was completely enraptured with her nephew.

"Doing well," Eugene replied, he was trying to discreetly take peeks at the baby, " She's begun what I've been informed of as 'nesting'. I believe the royal nursery will be completely hand-painted by her by the time we return."

"I am surprised you all came, honored, but I assumed at least one of you would have remained with her," Anna admitted as she rubbed her son's head.

"She wouldn't have it, wanted us all to be here for this little prince's big day." Arianna finally chimed in as she looked up to her nieces, "I'm glad she was so insistent. I've missed you both dearly."

"And we, you." Anna smiled. She turned to address Eugene and nearly knocked heads with him as he was so close looking at Christopher. "Would you like to hold him, Eugene?"

Eugene blushed and rubbed the back of his head, "No, I mean, can I?" Elsa and Anna chuckled at his nervousness, "of course, need to get some practice in right?" Anna joked as she took the baby from Arianna, kissed his cheek quickly, and laid him in Eugene's arms.

"Damn, he's so tiny." Eugene gasped, he'd not expected for the baby to feel so light,

"Not that tiny, he's grown quite a bit in the last few weeks," Kristoff stated.

"They come smaller?" Eugene replied with surprise and shock clear on his face.

"Sometimes," Arianna answered.

The family sat comfortably for an hour or so talking about how they and their kingdoms were doing before the door opened again and Prince Pieter walked in. Upon seeing the guests he stopped and bowed; "Your Majesties, my apologies I didn't realize you had arrived," he said directing his comments to Frederic and Arianna, he then turned and bowed to Elsa, "Your Majesty, I hadn't realized you were with your family, I will come back another time." He started to turn but Elsa stopped him. "Your Highness, please stay and join us. Let me introduce you to my aunt and uncle."

Prince Pieter complied, "I would be honored." Elsa moved towards him, taking his arm and escorting him over to her uncle first, "Uncle Frederic, may I introduce Prince Pieter of Vakretta. Pieter my uncle King Frederic of Corona." Elsa decided to go with a hybrid introduction, not too formal or informal. Pieter bowed to the King, "It is an honor to meet you, your Majesty."

Frederic for his part just simply nodded, his eyes trained on the young prince. "Aunt Arianna, may I introduce Prince Pieter. Pieter my aunt, Queen Arianna," again Pieter bowed and when Arianna offered her hand he kissed it gently. "It is an honor, Your Majesty." Arianna smiled, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Your Highness. I heard you are responsible for saving my niece and great nephew's lives. I am grateful for it."

Pieter shook his head modestly, "I did nothing no other doctor would have, Ma'am, I simply supplied my expertise and support to Doctor Olsen, he is the one who helped her Highness deliver the prince safely."

"Humble I see, that is a good trait in a Prince Consort," Arianna remarked causing Elsa and Pieter to blush.

"Elsa, if I may, could His Highness show me his favorite places in the castle?" Frederic not so subtly requested. Elsa looked at Anna who's eyes were wide than Arianna who rolled her eyes but gave a nearly imperceptible nod of her head.

"Of course. Dinner will be served in an hour's time, I will have a servant find you."

"Thank you." Frederic smiled before looking at Pieter, eyes hard. Elsa could feel Pieter stiffen, she gave his hand a squeeze which he returned and then the two men left.

"Oh boy, I don't envy him," Eugene smirked.

"I thank God I was married to Anna before we met." Kristoff chimed in. As for Elsa, Anna, and Arianna, they just shook their heads in laughter.

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Pieter walked silently next to the King of Corona as they moved down the castle corridor. Pieter was positive the King didn't actually want to see his favorite room in the castle, but he figured he would move in that direction anyway. They were almost to the music room when the King finally spoke. His voice was hard yet almost reminiscent.

"You know the first and last times I was ever in the castle were for Elsa." King Frederic stated suddenly. Pieter turned to look at him, his face solemn as he gazed down the hallway. "Elsa was born three years after our Rapunzel was taken from us, but Arianna had insisted that we be here in Arendelle for the birth of Iduna's child. They were always close, Arianna and Iduna, despite the five years between them and the fact that Arianna came to Corona to be my bride at eighteen. I can still remember that winter solstice night and all of our surprise when not even an hour old Elsa created the tiniest flurry as she sneezed. None of us had known what to do, it was a miracle, beautiful, yet conversely dangerous. We knew that if the wrong people found out about Elsa's gift that her life would be in jeopardy. It was agreed that we would all keep her powers a secret from those outside of our family.

They'd walked into the music room now. Frederic walked to the corner of the room where a small portrait of an infant Elsa adorned the wall, Pieter couldn't believe he had never noticed it before. "She looked so like Rapunzel when she was born, her hair of course more of a white gold blonde compared to Rapunzel's honey gold, but they both had wide inquisitive eyes, rosy chubby cheeks, and an aurora about them. Now we know it was due to them both having magic, though we hadn't known about Rapunzel's gift until after she returned to us. It was hard to be around her, even though both Arianna and I loved her so much."

He sighed and walked around the room, his eyes never finding Pieter's instead gazing upon the portraits. They eventually came to another portrait in the opposite corner, it was Anna as an infant. "As the years drew on and there was no sign of Rapunzel, Arianna and I fell deeper and deeper into despair. When word came that Iduna was expecting we couldn't bring ourselves to return, to see happy children in the arms of their parents when we had none. It was selfish, we know that now, we knew it then, but grief can be all-consuming, an endless pit of misery."

Again he began to walk this time to the Grand piano in the room, upon it a small portrait of the former King and Queen and their daughters, Pieter had seen this one multiple times. It was one of his favorites, the Queen sat at the piano bench, a two-year-old Anna on her lap, standing next to her a five-year-old Elsa and standing protectively behind them all with a hand on Elsa's shoulder was the King. They looked so happy. "We wouldn't return until word that Agnar and Iduna had gone missing at sea." He swallowed and then looked at Pieter straight in the eyes, Pieter could see the pain, the regret that resided inside them. "Anna had welcomed us with open arms, we arrived just a day after the funeral, but Elsa, we were told she was taking no visitors. I tried, Arianna tried, we knocked on her door, offered our support, our help, but she never responded. We of course knew based on the cold radiating from her room that she was in immense pain; Agnar and Iduna had written us several letters over the years of how Elsa's powers became out of control when Elsa's emotions got to be too much. We stayed a week, but she never spoke with us, only Gerda ever entered her room."

He shook his head, "Perhaps if we hadn't been so absent from their lives, if we'd been less selfish and visited, especially after the accident, so Elsa would know that there were others that knew of her powers, who accepted her not in spite of her gifts but rather because they made her who she was; then we'd have been able to help her in that difficult time."

Frederic brought himself up to full height and stepped towards Pieter, who did his best to stand still and demonstrate poise as the older man glared down at him. "But we are here now, and I will protect my niece, whether she wants it or not. These girls have been through so much, more than anyone should have to go through in their life, let alone so early, especially Elsa. Rapunzel and Elsa both grew up isolated, they are fawns in this world, still learning to navigate a world that they thought they'd never be a part of. Yet Elsa grew up not only isolated but believing herself to be dangerous, with guilt in her heart that only grew with each passing year. I will not judge my brother and sister-in-law, I don't know what I would have done in their situation, but I have seen the aftermath of their decisions, and Elsa may never truly recover from the isolation and self-flagellations."

Pieter knew that the King spoke the truth, and he wouldn't disagree. In the months he'd been in Arendelle he'd been witness to several decisions and the proceeding events that could only be explained by the Queen's childhood and her very low self-opinion of herself; including her life-risking decision to take on an Armada alone. Pieter knew that Elsa spent every waking moment and possibly even those asleep, trying to make up for her past. "I want my niece to be happy, to find love if possible. I will not let her marry for political reasons alone, so if you do not think you can love her as she deserves, whether it be romantic or platonic, then I suggest you find a way to politely end this courtship and go home."

Pieter did not speak immediately, instead, he gestured for the King to follow him as he walked to the window that looked out into the garden, below the Queen of Arendelle could be seen sitting on a bench that was obscured by all view save this one window. She appeared to be staring into nothing, a flawless statue, but then suddenly wisps of snow began to play around her, dancing joyfully. "She comes here every day at this time, just for a few minutes. I believe it is a way for her to settle herself, to connect with who she really is." He smiled down at her. "I want to know that woman; I want to help her find what she so clearly looking for; I want to lift some of the burdens both familial and political from her aching shoulders; I want to see her smile, laugh, cry, and scream. I want to be worthy of being beside her. I want to be her friend and if she will allow me her love. I don't believe either of us is in that place yet, where we can claim to be in love, but I feel myself falling for her a little more with each passing day."

Pieter turned and look at the King of Corona, his face still hard but a slight smile tugging at his lips. " I promise I am not here for political reasons, that I am not searching to advance my lot in life by marrying into a throne. I've been married for love before and I will not enter marriage without at least a strong friendship and respect nor would I wish any less for her, she deserves better."

Frederic was silent and seemed to be assessing him again before speaking, "Good, I'm glad we have an understanding. Come let us rejoin the others for dinner."

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The christening was everything one would expect it to be for a baby prince second-in-line for the throne. It was attended by royals and nobles from Norway, the United Kingdom, Chathos, Zaria, Belgium, France, Spain, several German Dutchies, and of course Vakretta and Corona. As a sign of goodwill Prince Pieter was named a Godfather along with King Frederic and Elsa was named Godmother along with Queen Arianna. The town was decorated in chrysanthemums, calla lilies, and crocuses. The citizens crowded the courtyard to get their first glimpse of the baby prince as the royals left the castle chapel. Anna wore a long cream-colored dress with a sweetheart style bodice with purple rosemaling decorated the hem and bodice. Kristoff was coordinated in matching cream and purple suit. Elsa wore a pale blue A-line dress with off the shoulder long sleeves, delicate ice calla lilies, chrysanthemums, and crocuses dotting the hemline and transparent train. Pieter's unlike Kristoff's suit was coordinated to be in contrast to Elsa's gown it was a midnight blue with pale blue stitching on the lapel and cuffs that matched Elsa's. As the royal family stepped out of the chapel the crowd cheered loudly. Prince Christopher dressed in a traditional white gown with lace crocuses startled and turned into his mother bosom at the noise, this just made the crowd let out a collective awe.

King Frederic leaned over to his wife as he watched the display, "They make quite the sticking image," he observed. Queen Arianna, "They really do. I believe Arendelle will have a long and stable future with those four at the helm."

"Four," Frederic questioned.

Arianna smiled and laid a hand on her husband's, "Yes, four. The prince is a good man and it is clear to anyone with eyes that he already adores Elsa. He will be the safe harbor she needs when the waters become too rough."

Frederic didn't respond he had learned long ago to trust his wife in these matters, Eugene being the most recent example.

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Elsa was not surprised that he had come to find her, he always seemed to know when she needed space but still desired company, she guessed it was due to their connection, she had made him after all, he was an extension of who she was.

"The party is starting to end." He told her as he waddled over to the bench and somehow managed to get on top of it to sit.

"Really, have I been here that long?" She hadn't realized how long she'd been in the garden, looking at the stars, letting her mind clear, her magic escape and play around her.

Olaf nodded, "it's been an hour I think. Anna usually gets nervous when you're gone so long, but Christopher was fussing so she was a bit distracted today to notice."

Elsa nodded, Anna was proving to be a very diligent and committed mother. She was still feeding her son the majority of the time, allowing the wet nurse to take just three feeds a day, early in the morning, midday, and a night feed. Elsa had been right the night Christopher was born, while Anna still tried her best to be present for Elsa, her main priority had shifted to her son, and Elsa could not blame her.

"Can you always feel what Anna and I are feeling?" Elsa asked her creation, amazingly the question had never come up before.

"Kind of. With Anna, it is generally only when she is feeling something so much it explodes from her or if her feelings are direct towards you. Her normal feelings I'm unaware of." That was interesting to Elsa, she didn't know what it meant but it was very interesting. She was still trying to learn as much about her magic as she could

"And me?"

"With you it's different, I'm always aware of you, even when we aren't together, even when you go far away and I can't go with you, it's like…" he paused his twig fingers going to his narrow snowman chin in thought, "a constant humming, its normally low, and your feelings are indistinguishable, but when you start to really feel; when a particular emotions grows stronger than the others, it stands out and I know what it is."

Elsa frowned, she felt a lot all the time, her emotions were always trying to get the better of her, they were always threatening to overwhelm her. "I'm sorry Olaf, that must be horrible always feeling how I am feeling in addition to your own feelings, it must grow tiring."

Olaf shook his head and beamed up at her, "No, it isn't, it makes me feel alive, I think I would be lost if I didn't know how you were." Elsa couldn't believe his words, there was no way she would survive 10 minutes being aware of another's feelings. But Olaf was different, he was so innocent so pure the personification of childhood happiness. She leaned over and gestured with her hand instantly refreshing his snow. He giggled, he'd once told her it tickled him when she did that.

"Prince Pieter is standing a the balcony waiting for you." Olaf suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Elsa felt confused again, why would he be doing that, "He is?"

Olaf nodded and hopped down and offered his twig hand to her, Elsa good-naturedly rolled her eyes before taking the proffered hand. "I believe he is hoping to have one last dance with you before the party ends, well that and he wanted to make sure you weren't disturbed."

Elsa again for the third time was taken aback by Olaf's statement, "How do you know that?"

Olaf just shrugged, "We'll her told me about the dance, as for protecting you? He's been standing there for like an hour and he has that 'I'm going to make sure she is alright if it is the last thing I do' look on his face that Kristoff, Eugene, and Uncle Fredric get when they are looking at Anna, Rapunzel and Aunt Arianna."

Elsa just laughed and hugged Olaf, "You are very perceptive, have I ever told you that before."

"Several times."

A moment later they were at the balcony, Elsa could see Pieter leaning on the balcony railing. At the sight of them he shot up standing straight, then he walked down the short steps and met them, he bowed offering his hand to her. "My Queen, I hope you had a resting respite."

Elsa blushed, Olaf had been correct once again, "I did, thank you for standing guard, though I feel bad you've missed so much of the evening on my account."

Pieter looked up at her, his eye twinkled and a smirk came to his lips, "Your account is all that matters to me, My Queen. "

The heat raised in her cheeks, even more, she never knew what to do when he flirted with her so. Saving her he bowed again and gestured towards the ballroom, "May I have this last dance before the evening has commenced?"

Elsa nodded her head and offered her arm, Pieter took it onto his arm and led her along, it was only as they stepped on the dance floor that she realized she hadn't wished Olaf goodnight. Pieter twirled her onto the dance floor, causing a gasp and laugh to escape her before she could reconcile her forgetfulness, and again Olaf was forgotten; though the little snowman didn't matter because for the first time in his life he felt unencumbered joy coming from his friend, and he was happy.

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