Chapter 5

Thick, bold rays of sunlight streamed through the windows into the throne room. When they had started the morning's light had been feeble and meek, only helping to illustrate how long they'd been there. If Elsa had to guess she'd say that they were steadily approaching noon as the sun lazily crawled towards its zenith.

All the while the well wishers just kept coming in the form of every baroness, duke, countess and lord that she'd ever heard of and then some. Even Anna seemed to be tiring of the flood in spite of her natural fondness for meeting people and that was nothing compared to the apparent exhaustion on Kristoff's face. Elsa could only imagine how tiring this had to be for someone not born into this life.

With that in mind she subtly opted to keep an eye on Aaron but if anything he was the lucky one. All he had to do was quietly stand there at the foot of the dais, occasionally sharing a word with the member of some entourage as the nobility showered their attention on them. Once or twice she'd managed to briefly catch his eye but otherwise he was quiet as ever, just another one of her attendees.

"We're almost done, right?"

The whispered question drifted across Elsa's train of thought as a temporary lull in the horde came, the guards pausing whomever was next. She glanced over to see Kristoff giving her sister a weary look and her offering a soothing pat on the arm.

"Of course, just hang in there a little longer," Anna quietly replied before giving Lord Kai a pleading look and adding, "We are almost done, right?"

Of all of them he seemed to be the least phased by any of this, tempered by years of this kind of work. "Certainly, your highness. Although we have saved the most notable guests for last."

Giving in to her own exhaustion, Elsa cut in. "How many are left?"

"Just two, your majesty."

Eager to be done, she nodded. "Then let's get on to the next one."

Lord Kai returned the nod before lifting his scroll, his eyes scanning down the list before he cleared his throat and called out, "Introducing the illustrious sovereign of Ildonen, King Cyrus."

The name sent a flurry of whispers slithering through the crowd as all eyes quickly turned to the door. Of all the names that had been announced that morning none of them carried a weight like that one. It belonged to one of the most powerful men in the northern reaches of the continent, the enigmatic king of Ildonen. Situated on a collection of islands far to the west of Arendelle over the Northern Sea, they'd somehow managed to gain holdings all across the globe by use of their supposedly indomitable fleet resulting in an ever growing stream of wealth and power. And at their head stood one man.

Admittedly Elsa didn't know much about the man but in spite of her years of self imposed isolation even she'd heard of him. Like her, he was a relatively newly anointed ruler whilst still being somewhat older and to her knowledge had only left his island refuge a handful of times to call upon fellow monarchs. However, just because she'd never met him didn't mean that his reputation didn't precede him. As such she had some idea of what to expect.

Even so, she wasn't fully prepared when one of the most confident men she'd ever seen stepped through the door.

His hair was as golden as the crown that rested upon his head, his eyes blue as the morning sky peeking through the windows above, and he stood tall amongst the entourage that flowed into the throneroom behind him. He walked with absolute purpose, his expression wrapped in a bold smirk as he strode towards her without hesitation, only coming to a halt at the foot of the dais as he patiently waited for his attendees to catch up.

His eyes never left her for an instant as one of them stepped alongside him, calling out so that the entire crowd could hear.

"Your majesty. Your highness. Please allow me the privilege of introducing his honorable grace, King Cyrus of Ildonen, Lion of the Dawn and Warden of the North."

The instant the man was done speaking Cyrus stepped onto the dais, throwing his arms wide as though to hug Elsa as he stopped before her.

"Queen Elsa," he said, his voice a velvety purr. "It's truly an honor and a privilege to finally meet your majesty after hearing so much about you. May I?"

As he spoke his hand reached out towards hers in a supplicating gesture and for a moment she hesitated. None of the others were so bold as to ask to touch her so she wasn't quite sure how to respond. But Elsa also couldn't see any harm in it so she allowed him to take her hand in his.

An affronted shock flashed through her, though, when he gave her a broad smile and stooped over as though to kiss her hand. However, before his lips actually brushed against her cool skin he hesitated, holding the pose for a moment before straightening upright again and releasing her hand.

And whether she liked it or not Elsa couldn't deny he'd caught her off guard. To be so confident as to try such a stunt and yet to also have the sense to not actually kiss her, this Cyrus knew what he was doing. But just because he was smooth she wasn't about to let his charm get the better of her so she mentally batted his antics aside to offer a response of her own.

"Welcome to Arendelle, King Cyrus. I hope that your journey over the sea wasn't too taxing."

He waved her words away with a grin, shaking his head. "Hardly. I think you'll find the sea and I are very well acquainted. Although I must say I'm disappointed. The tales of your beauty have been grossly understated, Princess Anna."

It took her sister a moment to realize that that last remark was directed towards her before giving a start and gesturing to herself. "Me?"

"Of course," Cyrus replied, giving her a bow. "When they claimed that the lovely princess of Arendelle had been affianced, what they meant to say was one of the most stunning women alive. Why, men must have been lamenting from here to the Southern Isles at the announcement of your betrothal."

Like Elsa, Anna was also caught off guard by his charming remarks but quickly steadied herself, giving a gracious smile and a nod. "Thank you, King Cyrus. You're too kind."

"Hardly. If anything I'm also guilty of diminishing your charm. But I will admit part of my eagerness to attend this wedding was to meet the man who must have been blessed by the gods themselves for you to say yes." With that his attention shifted to Kristoff, his gaze turning somewhat appraising. "And that must be this dashing young man. Prince Kristoff, I presume."

Whilst Kristoff may not have been from this sort of life he did at least have the sense to bow and offer a polite greeting. "Welcome, your grace." But then he made the mistake of thinking to add to that. "Although I'm not actually a prince yet."

In an instant Cyrus's charming demeanor vanished, his brows descending into a glower as he spoke with a cold snarl. "Are you correcting a king?"

A hushed silence quickly fell over the room as all eyes watched the pair fretfully. Even though Kristoff's words were harmless, insulting a king was not, intentional or otherwise. However, when it looked like Anna was about to intervene Elsa placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Whether or not the accusation was fair her fiancé was marrying into royalty and had to be able to stand on his own. And if Elsa felt he was in trouble then she would intervene.

To his credit Kristoff did not shy away from Cyrus's hard stare, instead squaring his shoulders and bowing his head in respect, although his voice did tremble slightly when he spoke. "O-of course not. I was just saying that-"

Before he could finish, though, Cyrus's expression changed again. His harsh frown eroded to reveal a mirthful grin as he threw his head back with an echoing laugh. Several onlookers joined in nervously as everyone realized he was only playing a joke at Kristoff's expense. The mood in the room thawed as quickly as it had frozen as Elsa felt Anna relax again, although she kept a sharp eye on the pair.

Meanwhile Cyrus didn't seem to notice any of the commotion he'd caused around him, slapping Kristoff on the shoulder as his grin turned sympathetic. "At ease, lad. You must forgive me. It's just that you look about ready to pass out up here and I couldn't resist the urge to take a swipe."

"Sorry," Kristoff replied with a relieved smile of his own. "I didn't realize it was so noticeable."

That appeared to earn him more sympathy as Cyrus nodded appreciably. "Well you are clearly new to all of this so I'll offer you a piece of advice. Relax. The reality is the rest of us are just as nervous as you are, we're just better at hiding it," he said, gesturing towards the sisters as he spoke before his gaze turned thoughtful. "Yet even upon meeting you I must say you still present something of a quandary to me. I was hoping you might answer a question for me."

"Anything, your grace."

Cyrus continued to study him in silence for a moment before speaking again. "You're a lucky man, Kristoff. You find yourself engaged to one of the most eligible bachelorettes around. Descendent of a rich dynasty, sole heir to a kingdom and, if I may, stunningly gorgeous. I don't think it's too bold a statement to say that Princess Anna could have any man in the world if she wanted. And yet she's chosen you, a commoner from the wilds whom no one had ever even heard of prior to your engagement. And so my question is, why you?"

Once again the room was silent as everyone waited eagerly for Kristoff's response. Even Elsa found herself drawn in. She obviously already knew the answer but she was curious as to what Kristoff would say.

After some quiet contemplation spent looking at the floor, though, Kristoff met the Ildonian king's eye again and simply shrugged. "Honestly, your grace? I have no idea why."

Apparently this was the right answer as Cyrus let out another laugh, saying to Kristoff, "Correct," before looking back at Anna. "He may not be able to but I can certainly see why you chose him, your highness. He's sharp. Pretty too." He flashed her a quick wink with that last comment before growing serious again. "But pleasantries aside, your wedding is tomorrow and I'm sure you have an endless list of things to attend to so I won't detain you any longer. All I will say is that I hope tomorrow is everything that you ever dreamed it would be and more."

He gave another deep bow and they nodded in return as Anna smiled, placing a hand on Kristoff's arm. "Thank you, King Cyrus."

Straightening upright again, Cyrus gave them one last smile before finally returning his attention to Elsa with an almost sheepish grin. "Forgive me, Queen Elsa. I hope you can excuse my lack of etiquette, I simply couldn't resist the urge to congratulate the happy couple."

"That's quite alright, King Cyrus," she replied graciously, although internally she found that she had to give him a begrudging respect. Genuine or otherwise that little stunt was bound to ingratiate him to everyone present. Well played, she thought as she said, "After all, we've all gathered here for them. And I know that you would not hesitate to welcome us in turn."

"Of course," he said before giving a pause of his own and she felt herself inadvertently cringing. Here it comes.

Cyrus was far from the first man to come in an effort to woo her so she knew what to expect. No matter who they were they would always try to be so smooth and then came the endless cavalcade of compliments and flirtatious remarks. Some would be bolder than others, with some going so far as to be nearly insulting, but in the end they were always the same. And so she found herself wearily dreading what he would say next.

Only it was nothing like what she was expecting.

"Unfortunately I'm afraid I must ask for your pardon once more," Cyrus said, giving a consolatory frown. "You see, for all my bluster it has been a long voyage and I'm understandably tired. But before I can rest I must see to the needs of my people. By your leave, of course."

What? That's it? He's leaving?

A sense of relief rushed through her when she realized she wouldn't have to sit through another excruciatingly feeble bout of what technically passed for courting. That relief was short lived, however, as it was quickly replaced by a sinking suspicion.

Why? What sort of play is this?

All while this was going on inside her she remained poised as ever, always the consummate queen as she nodded for his request.

"Certainly, your grace. Quarters have been made ready for you and yours and there will be a welcoming of sorts this evening in the great hall. I presume that we can expect you to be in attendance?"

"How could I resist such an invitation? After all, I'm sure there's much that you and I could converse about over a glass of wine." As he spoke for the first time since he'd arrived the slightest hint of a suggestive look crept into Cyrus's gaze. And then it was gone with a blink as he swept into another bow. "But until then, farewell, Queen Elsa. Princess Anna. Soon-to-be Prince Kristoff."

With that he spun on his heel, striding to the edge of the dias as his attendees quickly parted to make way. An approving murmur rippled through the crowd as he went, clearing impressing some of the onlookers for his well-mannered speech, but Elsa kept a wary eye on him. She'd played this game far too long to be anything but tired.

Before he stepped from the dais, though, Cyrus did a quick scan of the room. But just when he was about to leave he hesitated for a moment, his attention seemingly gravitating towards one individual. Upon realizing whom he was looking at she felt her stomach clench.

For his part Aaron didn't so much as flinch under the king's gaze, staring back with a stoic resolve of his own. No one else seemed to notice the exchange when Elsa glanced around but by the time she looked back Cyrus was already marching from the room with his entourage in tow. Aaron seemed completely unfazed by the scrutiny.

It had all happened so quickly she found herself questioning whether it had actually happened at all. Was she just being paranoid, imagining things? After all, how could Cyrus possibly know who Aaron was?

"Well he wasn't totally insufferable."

Realizing Anna was speaking to her, she looked back at her. "What?"

"Cyrus. If anything he was actually polite. That must have been a nice change of pace."

Her comment made it clear that she didn't notice anything but Elsa still felt compelled to ask.

"I guess. I'm sorry, did you see that?"

One of Anna's eyebrows arched quizzically as she took a quick glance around the room. When nothing leapt out at her she asked, "See what?"

For a moment she nearly mentioned what she saw but quickly thought better of it. Her sister was undoubtedly stressed enough as it was without Elsa adding her paranoia on top of it. "Nothing," she said before quickly switching her attention to Lord Kai. "How many more are left?"

"Just one, your majesty. The party from Maneva."

"Oh, of course." How could I have forgotten? "Send them in."

The moment he said Maneva all concerns about Cyrus were quickly forgotten as she looked back to Anna. Whatever doubts she'd had about Elsa's question had also vanished, replaced by an instant excitement as she looked expectantly across the room.

"Wait, Maneva? Then that means…"

"Introducing Prince Zachariah and Princess Kresta of Maneva!"