When Princess Anna later arrived in the royal dining room, her hair was freshly combed and braided, and she had changed into one of her more formal dresses for the evening. With tight long sleeves and a high collar, the ensemble was mostly black velvet fabric accented with Arendelle purple and green. Bramble vines stitched in fine gold thread decorated the sleeves and bodice, as well as on the matching black slippers she now wore. Her slim neck was adorned by a delicate gold chain with a simple gold medallion embossed with the royal crocus, and little gold earrings of wild pearl hung from her ears, matching the pins she had threaded throughout her braided hair.

Altogether, she knew she had taken far more care with her looks this evening than she normally did. She had needed some time alone with her thoughts after everything that had happened that day, and so had ended up spending over an hour getting ready by herself. She was happy with the results. Anna felt she looked sophisticated and grown up, not at all like her usual girlishness. When she had emerged from her bedroom and felt Elsa's gaze on her, she hadn't been able to help the hot blush that had sprang up on her cheeks. A part of her had hoped that the other girl might compliment her on her improved appearance, but her new slave had simply watched her leave with those unreadable eyes and politely wished her a pleasant evening as she shut the door.

Queen Iduna smiled at her only daughter as she took her usual place directly across from her at the end of the long, polished table. For a moment Anna could almost convince herself that today was just another normal day like any other, and that her life hadn't been thrown into a small whirlwind by the arrival of one very pretty, very unusual slave.

"Good evening, dear," Iduna greeted her warmly. "You're looking quite nice tonight."

She was an older, gentler, and far quieter reflection of her more vivacious daughter. The queen's years had been kind ones and she could easily have been mistaken for Anna's older sister. Her rich brown hair was full and simply styled, and her gown, though of the finest materials and quality, was surprisingly modest for her rank. Although the queen could have easily draped herself in the finest jewels and bright silk fabrics, ostentation was simply not her way. Iduna was a mild, unassuming woman of modest birth, and her sudden elevation to royalty twenty years earlier when she had married the then charismatic and boisterous Prince Agnarr of Arendelle, had done little to change her general inclination for staying out of the spotlight.

"Good evening, mother," Anna replied with equal warmth, pleased that at least somebody had complimented her looks. Then she added, glancing left to where the king usually sat at the head of the table between them, "Is father not joining us tonight?"

"I'm told his meeting is running long, but he should be with us soon. I've ordered the staff to wait to serve us until he arrives."

"Oh! Good. That's good."

She couldn't hide her relief, which her mother of course took notice of immediately.

"Is everything alright, dear? You seem a bit unsettled. You're not coming down with a cold again, are you?"

Anna fought the urge to roll her eyes. Couldn't a teen girl be suffering nobly under the weight of complex thoughts and emotions, without everyone instantly assuming she was falling ill? Her mother might as well just ask her if she was suffering from her monthly's!

"No! No, I'm alright, mother. Everything is fine."

It perhaps might have been left there, as Anna wasn't yet sure how to talk about all of the things that were currently swirling around in her head; however, the queen, for all her reputation for shyness and introversion, had always displayed an unnaturally keen sense for other people. She peered back across the table at her with an assessing look.

"Agnarr told me about his surprise for you, earlier today," she said, giving a very small frown, which was about as close as she ever got to looking disapproving. "I wish he would have discussed it with me beforehand. I would probably have counseled him against it, though perhaps that's why he didn't tell me."

"You would have?"

This surprised her. Her mother almost never disagreed with her father, as far as she knew.

"Yes, Anna," Iduna said, her frown turning up into a fond smile. "I know how you are with servants and the like, and we've never had slaves here in the household before. I'm sure you're finding it uncomfortable and strange. Your father only wants what's best for you, I know, but... Well, he can be very Arendellian, sometimes."

The way she said this, with just a hint of exasperation, abruptly reminded Anna of the fact of her mother's Northuldran heritage. Migration between the two neighboring nations had been commonplace before the war, and no doubt a great many families had more than a little northern blood in their veins, whether they openly admitted it or not. Anna had always known that her mother had come to Arendelle with her family when she was a young girl, but somehow the topic almost never came up in conversation. Now, after talking about and thinking about Northuldra more in the past few hours than she had ever done before in her life, Anna found herself looking at her mother with new interest.

"Was it strange for you, when you first came here?" she asked, suddenly deeply curious. "Northuldra doesn't have slaves, so… It must have been strange, right?"

If her mother was surprised by her daughter's question, or by her certainty that slaves didn't exist in her place of birth, she didn't show it. Instead, she seemed thoughtful, a faraway expression entering her eyes.

"Well, I suppose I haven't thought about it for a while, but… Yes, I think it was a bit of a shock. I do remember the first time I saw a slave here. Your grandmother had brought me along with her to the market for some errands, and I saw this poor fellow dressed in rags, unloading a cart into one of the shops there. His feet were chained together, and he must have fallen while carrying one of the heavier sacks. He'd hit his head and there was a great deal of blood, but nobody stopped to help him, or even seemed to notice…"

Iduna trailed off, appearing lost in the memory. Anna forced herself not to interrupt, afraid that if she did so her mother wouldn't finish. After a moment, she seemed to recall herself and looked back at Anna with a sad smile.

"I asked my mother why nobody was helping the poor man. Couldn't they see that he was hurt?"

"And what did grandma say?" Anna had to ask, fascinated by this story.

"She told me he was a slave, and therefore he was none of our business. Oh! And she promised me a caramel apple if I came along quickly and was a good girl." Her mother chuckled at this, shaking her head at the memory before she continued. "By the time we returned home, I was covered in sticky caramel and had forgotten all about the hurt slave. Your grandmother was a very canny, very practical woman, Anna. A survivor. I often wish you could have met her."

So, her mother felt it too? The wrongness of it. The distastefulness of treating slaves as though they were less than human. She didn't say it directly, but it was there, hidden just under the surface of her story. Anna felt a surge of hope swell up in her breast. Perhaps there was a chance…?

"Momma, I… I don't want Elsa to be my slave!" she burst out, feeling like she had to say the words that were beating in her chest or else she might just explode.

"I hate it! I tried to tell father, I tried, but he just wouldn't listen to me. Do you think…?" She had to swallow around a hard lump of desperation that had lodged itself in her throat. "Do you think you could ask him to… to let her go? He would listen to you, if you asked. I don't see why she has to be my slave, or anyone's slave. Why can't she just be a regular servant, or… or my assistant, or something? I mean, he could free her…right?"

Her mother's expression was not unkind, but she was shaking her head with increasing firmness as Anna's words got away from her.

"Sweetheart…" she started, sighing, "I would be happy to talk to your father for you, but I'm certain you won't like his answer. She is a prisoner, Anna. She isn't just some normal slave girl bought at auction. Your father will never, never agree to set her free. Now, if you really can't stand to have her here, I'm sure he would be willing to find her a new owner if I ask him to. Your father just wants you to be happy. Do you want me to tell him to send her away?"

"No!" Anna nearly shouted, horrified by the very idea. Send Elsa away? Let her be shipped off to suffer as someone else's slave?! She might end up in the mines, or one of those new factories, or in some farmer's field. She would never forgive herself if that happened.

"No, no that's not what I want. That's not the problem at all. I like her! I want to keep her here, I just…"

The queen looked sympathetic as she watched Anna struggle with what to do. Truly, she had never seen her daughter this distraught over something before.

"Then keep her, Anna. Keep her and treat her well, and know that by keeping her with you, you've done the best for her that could be hoped for," she advised. Seeing her daughter's stricken expression, she added, "Oh, my dearest Anna… You really do have a kind and gentle heart. I wish things could be different for you, but this is the world we live in, I'm afraid."

Anna opened her mouth to say something childish and angry, but she was saved by the king's hurried entrance into the dining hall, interrupting them.

"I know, I know! I'm sorry my dear, the meeting got away from us. Good evening, Anna! Oh, have you done something different with your hair?"

The king sounded in high spirits as he bent to kiss his wife on the cheek and cheerfully greeted his daughter. As he moved to take his place at the head of the table, Anna realized with an unhappy start that he was not alone.

"I've invited Lord Raspaitin to join us this evening," he informed them, still smiling at his family. "Poor fellow has ridden across half the country in the past few days in my service, and hasn't had a decent meal in ages. I took pity on him. I know you weren't expecting any guests this evening, my love, but I assured him you wouldn't mind."

As though summoned by some invisible signal that only they could hear, Anna watched with rising horror as two servants appeared at her elbow and began setting another place on the table at the seat next to hers.

"Well, come along, Gregor! Don't be shy, take a seat man. Cook is probably in a fit by now over the delay. To hear her tell it, our little family dinners demand more precision and timing than a bloody military campaign."

Her father's closest advisor glided out of the shadows of the doorway and into the room like an ill omen, heading directly to his newly prepared place next to the princess.

"Your Majesty honors me," was all Lord Raspaitin said, bowing to the king and queen before taking his seat.

Anna eyed the man as surreptitiously as she could out of the corner of her vision, not daring to look at him directly. In the almost two hours since she had seen him last, it appeared as though he had found time to wash the road dust from his face and don fresh clothes. His hair was neat and his beard freshly trimmed, but the faint odor of horses and sweat still lingered. She didn't mind the smell of horse so much, but the tang of male sweat was far less appealing to her sensitive nose.

To hide her displeasure and dismay at his joining them, Anna accepted a footman's offer of wine and promptly buried her face in her glass. The floral bouquet of the wine was like an oasis, and the pleasant, soothing warmth it spurred in her belly was also welcome. She had to force herself to only take a few polite sips before lowering her glass back down to the table.

Most of the dinner passed in a blur of polite talk which she largely didn't participate in, the conversations interrupted every few minutes by the arrival of the next dish or the offer of more wine. Anna was thoroughly miserable throughout. She felt unsettled by her earlier talk with her mother and suffocated by the presence of the dour lord seated next to her. Even worse, every time Lord Raspaitin opened his mouth to speak, she dreaded that he might bring up what had happened by the stables earlier that day. However, as several courses came and went and he had yet to mention it, or even attempt to engage with the princess at all, she found herself relaxing just a bit.

Perhaps he really has let it go, she thought.

"And how are things getting along with your slave, Anna?" King Agnarr boomed across the table, the sudden question startling her so badly that she nearly choked on her half-chewed piece of pork tenderloin.

Anna's mind raced. Why hadn't she thought about what she was going to say when he asked her about her slave? The subject was obviously bound to come up at some point during dinner!

What would he want to hear? After her talk with the queen just now, Anna was fully aware of how desperately she didn't want Elsa taken away from her. When she had been getting ready for dinner, she had vaguely imagined that she would simply beg her father to free Elsa, but she couldn't very well do that now. Not after what her mother had said, and definitely not with Lord Dark-And-Scary sitting right next to her.

Should she just lie? Tell him that Elsa was the most perfect, most docile and obedient slave that ever existed? She pictured her new slave, seeing in her mind's eye that fair, perfect face, those diamond-cut eyes and cunning lips…

…As it turns out, Anna, I'm afraid that your new slave is a rather disobedient one. I hope that doesn't upset you…

Elsa's earlier words rang through her mind.

No, no that would never do. Anna was terrible at lying to her parents. Her face always got all blotchy and red, and she would start breathing funny, and they always knew immediately that she was being dishonest.

Right…. right, she thought to herself. Can't lie, so I need to be as honest as I can be, but I also can't say anything that might get her taken away, or punished. This is going to be tricky!

Wow, who knew owning a slave was going to be this stressful?

Steady, Anna, you can do this. Stop overthinking it and just say the right truths.

"She's wonderful, father!" Anna nearly shouted after the moment had stretched out far too long, projecting as much cheerful honesty as she could muster. "I thought it might be strange, having her around all the time, but… but now I can hardly imagine being without her."

There. Nice. Very smooth, Anna.

She probably sounded a bit drunk, with the way she was almost shouting, but she certainly hadn't lied!

"Really?" the king said, looking both pleased and surprised by her sudden enthusiasm, "And you seemed so dead-set against her earlier… I'll confess, I'm relieved you've come around to the idea."

"Well, she's very likeable, and she's well-read and interesting, and I'm really enjoying having her around. She's…" Anna searched for the right word, "Perfect."

Still all true. Dang, but if anything, she was underplaying just how enthralled she was by her slave. It was embarrassing just how much she already admired her. If she told her father every wild, glorious thought she was having about the other girl, however, he would probably be worried that she had hit her head.

"See, your old father here does know a thing or two, doesn't he? I told you that she would be well-suited for you."

Her father seemed so genuinely happy that she was happy, that Anna started to feel a bit badly. He really did care deeply for her.

"What duties have you given her so far?" the king was asking, his tone becoming a bit more probing, more professional in his interest. It seemed she wasn't going to get away with just a few quick reassurances that all was fine between her and her slave.

"I hadn't really decided yet," Anna was forced to confess.

"She claimed to be experienced in keeping all manner of household accounts and ledgers, and in mathematics and the like," the king said, swirling his wine glass in contemplation. "Her obvious fluency in the northern dialect is also a great asset. I expect her to assist you in those areas, Anna. The professor tells me you lack confidence in anything beyond basic arithmetic, and your grasp of Norstla is abysmal. His words, not mine! If you are going to rule over a united Arendelle and Northuldra someday, and I very much intend for you to do just that, then you would do well to become fluent in the old northern tongue."

Anna's head was spinning from all his suggestions. It occurred to her that she hadn't yet asked Elsa what she did for a living back home, before being taken captive and brought here as a slave. It felt like an embarrassing oversight. There was clearly still so much to learn about the enigmatic young woman, a prospect which she found exciting.

The king continued, not waiting for her to comment on or argue against what he had said.

"I'm glad you are happy with her, Anna, but I have heard a few… concerning reports about her behavior already."

Anna immediately shot an accusatory glance at Lord Raspaitin beside her, but the man merely smiled that bland, dead smile of his.

"Reports?"

"Yes," he confirmed, a stern, no-nonsense edge to his voice. "Kai tells me that she was impertinent and disrespectful earlier today, both to him and to yourself, and even Lord Raspaitin here admitted that he had a disagreeable run-in with her today in the courtyard. He is too much of a gentleman to tell me what was said, exactly, but rumors are already flying amongst the staff. I know you are not accustom to being stern with servants, but that kind of behavior simply cannot be tolerated, Anna. Not from a slave in my household."

"Elsa didn't do anything wrong in the library!" Anna cried, "It was Kai who was at fault, and I told him as much at the time. As for the courtyard, well…" Here Anna started to lose steam, faltering as she glanced over at Raspaitin, but she quickly rallied. "It was an accident, a misunderstanding. I talked it over with her afterwards, and she greatly regretted what she said. I'm sure nothing like it will ever happen again."

There! Again, none of it was a lie, necessarily. It had been an accident, and they had talked it over. Elsa definitely regretted cursing out Lord Raspaitin in front of a half-dozen witnesses, and certainly she didn't plan on repeating the mistake… though not for the reasons the princess was implying.

"See that it doesn't," was all her father said.

Mercifully, or perhaps intentionally, her mother used the distraction of the final course being brought in to shift the king's attention away from further discussion of her slave and on to something else, and Anna nearly slumped down in her seat with relief.

God, she was ready for this dinner to be over with. She just wanted to go back to her rooms and change into something more comfortable, and maybe even hug Elsa and cry a little, just to relieve some stress.

"I'm sorry, Princess Anna," a baritone voice said beside her, just above a whisper. Anna lifted her head to meet the lord's eyes, realizing that the man was speaking to her. Her look was not friendly, and he made a conciliatory gesture with his hands.

"Truly, I did not plan to tell the king about our little mishap earlier, I assure you, but he'd evidently already heard a rumor and he asked me directly about it. I could hardly lie, Your Highness."

Odd… The man actually sounded as though he were being honest. If what he said was true, then she really couldn't blame him for telling the king what he did. Had she been misjudging him all these years? She wasn't a child anymore, she told herself. Perhaps the intimidating lord was not as frightening as she had always built him up to be.

"It's alright, my lord," she said, easing her scowl into a more neutral expression. "I understand."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. I'll admit it was troubling me that I had given you and your slave such a fright earlier. I promise, I am not usually in the habit of running down beautiful young women with my horse!"

He chuckled at his own joke, smiling at her, and Anna forced herself to join in with a polite laugh. It seemed like he was making a real effort to put her more at ease, but something about him still just made her skin crawl.

"I have something for you, by way of an apology, I suppose."

Anna felt her eyebrows lift up in open bewilderment. Really? A gift seemed completely out of character, from what she knew of the man, and more than a little forward. Already these were more words than he had spoken to her in all of her collected memory, beyond the basics of polite greetings, though this was not the first time he had joined her family for dinner.

As his hand withdrew from an inner pocket of his formal coat, she grew even more confounded by what he revealed to her upon his upturned palm. Squatting there in his hand, and glimmering dully in the candlelight, was what looked to be a little mechanical dog. It was no larger than a deck of cards and was roughly sculpted, almost ugly, but there was obvious genius behind its construction and design. Ignoring her evident confusion, he gave three quick winds of the screw that jutted up from the center of the dogs back and set it down on the table, pointed in her direction, and she watched as the little mechanical instantly began wobbling and hopping along, its tiny metal jaws opening and closing as it went. It stopped after only a few jumbled paces, coming to rest before her.

"I used to make things like this all the time as a boy. It was a hobby of sorts," Lord Raspaitin was explaining, a certain wistfulness in his tone.

She looked up from the little brass dog to stare at him, thoroughly at a loss for words.

"Before my scientific interest turned to more useful things, that is. But I still rather enjoy them. I had a somewhat lonely childhood, and you must forgive me if this is inappropriate for me to say, but I feel perhaps you can relate. It's a trifle, but I hope you might find him amusing, Your Highness."

"It's very kind of you," she finally said, as unnerved by his sudden candor as she was by the gift itself. "You made this, then? It's very clever, and the gears are quite small."

"Yes, I made this one a long time ago. I don't have time for such hobbies anymore, I'm afraid, but if you are interested, you are always welcome to come and tour my laboratory here in the castle. It's rare that I find someone like yourself who takes a real interest in such things. Your Highness would always be welcome."

She assured him that she would certainly consider his kind offer, while fervently and silently resolving to do no such thing, and thanked him again for his little gift.

How odd…

As the excruciating dinner finally came to an end, Anna suffered through more light banter and conversation with the inscrutable lord, but despite his charming gift, his playful words and gentleman's manners, she couldn't help but wonder…

Elsa said he was infamous, but she wouldn't yet say why… Just what are you hiding behind those dead gray eyes and empty smiles, my Lord Raspaitin?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Oh my god, Elsa, you won't believe what happened tonight at dinner," Anna moaned, leaning heavily against the door to her chambers, shutting out the outside world with a loud thud. "Lord Raspaitin was there! Can you believe the bad luck? The man nearly kills me with his horse today and then has the nerve to show up for dinner like… Elsa?"

The princess looked around and listened. Her rooms were quiet, only a single lamp still lit on the mantle. It was a bit cool, as there was no fire yet lit in any of the fireplaces, and her rooms were noticeably silent and empty.

Most obviously, her new slave was nowhere in sight.

"Elsa, are you asleep somewhere?" she asked, crossing to her bedroom. The other girl had been so worn out earlier, she had probably gone to bed. Peering in, she found the lamp on her vanity still lit and her bed still neatly made. More importantly, the room and its oversized bed were also empty. Frowning now, she walked to the bathroom and confirmed it too was empty.

The dinner had gone long. It was getting quite late. Where could she be at this hour?

"Elsa?" she called again, thinking surely her slave had to be here somewhere. She went to check the study as well. Empty. All of the rooms were empty.

She wasn't here.

Well. This was unexpected.

She dithered, uncertain as to what she should do about this development. Her own exhaustion and the two glasses of wine she had drank at dinner certainly weren't helping her either. She tried to remember what her slave had said she was planning to do for the evening. Elsa had mentioned being tired, as well as a bit hungry. Anna had recommended she go down to the kitchens for some food with the other servants, as there was always an evening meal available there, and had given her simple directions that the other girl had seemed to comprehend. That would surely have only taken an hour at most, however, and Anna would have expected her to be long back by now.

Had she gotten lost? Possible. It was a big castle.

Had she fallen ill again, and was passed out in some dark corner, or been taken to the infirmary? Also possible, but no, someone would have come and told her if that had happened.

Could she simply still be lingering in the servant's quarters? This thought was strangely no less comforting than the others. Elsa was a very beautiful, very likeable girl, after all. She had that certain quality about her which drew people in and caught the eye. There was absolutely no reason why she wouldn't be instantly popular with the other servants.

Especially the men.

Ugh, that was an unpleasant thought! Anna felt a tension headache forming, as well as a scowl.

She should be happy if Elsa was able to make some friends. The girl was all alone in a strange place. The princess wanted her slave to be happy here, and making friends with the other servants was bound to make her happier. Dammit, why was she feeling jealous and angry? Elsa deserved to have a whole crowd of friends at her beck and call!

At a loss as to what she should do, Anna collapsed into a chair and resolved to wait, chewing her lower lip. If Elsa didn't return in the next thirty minutes, she decided, then she would simply have to go out and look for her. What she definitely wouldn't do was ask anyone for help, or tell them her slave was missing. Gosh, that would only give them the wrong idea! Wherever Elsa might be now, Anna was certain it was innocent, and it would be terrible if she got the other girl into trouble over a simple accident.

Anna watched the clock tick by, getting more and more anxious with every passing minute. Just as the time she had given herself was about to expire, however, she was startled by loud, pounding knocks on her door. She jumped to her feet and raced to answer it.

"Elsa?!" she cried out hopefully, flinging open one of the doors.

She was shocked to see not one, not two, but three of her father's guards standing there in the hall. The one to the forefront still had his fist raised, halted mid knock by her speedy answer.

To her mingled horror and relief, she next saw that in the tight grip of the other two guards, one to each arm, was none other than her scowling slave.

"Beggin' your pardon for troubling you at this late hour, Your Highness," the guard in front of her said, his voice grating like tumbled rocks on cobblestones, "but does this here slave belong to you?"