A/N: Sorry about the delay for this chapter. I've been away on a short holiday but I'm back now so you can expect these on a regular basis again. Oh, and happy birthday, Frozen. Hard to believe that it's only been a year since I first saw you.

Chapter 12

The halls of the castle were all but deserted at this time of night with most of the occupants having turned in for the evening. Which all suited Aaron just fine. It meant less things for him to have to deal with which meant he could focus on the next day. It was Anna and Kristoff's big day and he was hellbent on making sure that nothing went wrong. At least, nothing that had to do with his department. So as he walked through the halls he had Nicolas trail along behind him and run down the list of preparations they'd put into place.

"Two guards outside the chapel, four more inside and another contingent ready to be called in at a moments notice," the man read from the piece of paper he was holding as they walked.

"Good," Aaron replied with a nod. "Only make it six guards in the chapel and station some by the main gate for immediate response. Now tell me about the wedding feast."

Jotting down a note, Nicolas flipped to another sheet. "Yes, my lord. A dozen guards in the great hall, two by the door and five near the main table with the others spread around the room. There will also be guards stationed outside every other entrance and at each corridor. Again, a more heavily armed division will be on standby should a crisis arise."

"That will have to do. Any problems arise from the guests?" As he spoke they rounded a corridor and walked towards the main entrance to the keep. Again there was almost no one apart from a few guards scattered around the hall.

"None yet, though we are monitoring them closely."

Once they'd made their way to the front doors he stopped and turned towards Nicolas. "Let me know if anything comes up. And watch that Ildonian prince closely. I don't trust him. In the meantime distribute the changes to those they concern and then get yourself some sleep. I need everyone sharp tomorrow."

"Very good, my lord. I'll do that right away." He gave a short bow and was about to turn away when his eyes spotted something over Aaron's shoulder. "Is that beast allowed in the keep?"

Turning and following his gaze down one of the side hallways that branched off from the entrance hall, Aaron spied Kristoff seated on a bench that ran along one of the walls. Sitting beside him was his trusty companion Sven. He'd never known a reindeer to sit, but then he'd never known one to understand human speech either. Looking back at Nicolas, he replied tersely, "You forget that as of tomorrow Kristoff will be a prince of Arendelle. It might be in your best interests to get used to the idea of obeying his wishes. And if he wishes for his reindeer to be in the keep then so be it."

"Forgive me," he said hastily, taking a step back. "I forgot myself."

"Just don't let it happen again. Now get to work."

With that he turned and looked back at Kristoff as Nicolas nodded and hurried away. Though he'd chastised the man for disapproving of Sven's presence Aaron had to admit it was odd seeing him inside the castle. He normally prefered to be out beyond the walls. Also, Kristoff always looked to be a jolly sort except now he just looked tired. Not to mention the slight frown etched onto his face.

Walking down the hallway, he came to a halt beside the man who looked up at his presence. "Hey, Aaron," Kristoff said as his frown quickly flipped, though he still looked weary. "Take a load off, my friend."

Before he did anything Aaron glanced at the reindeer. "Hey, Sven." After he got a bray in response he took a seat on the bench and to Kristoff said, "Shouldn't you be getting some sleep? Big day tomorrow."

"I know," he replied, nodding as he absentmindedly patted Sven. "That's exactly why I can't sleep, though."

"Nervous?"

"A little." He then gave a start and turned to Aaron. "Don't get me wrong, I'm eager to marry Anna. She's so wonderful and beautiful and… perfect. It's just that…"

"Hey, it's fine," Aaron said, offering a consoling grin. "Marriage can be a scary thing. Committing to one person for the rest of your life. Not something you want to do lightly."

"Yeah." Falling silent, Kristoff stared down at the floor again. Eventually he quietly said, "I just… do you ever… do you ever wonder if Anna chose well?"

..."What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you think there's someone out there who's better for her?"

It was all Aaron could do not to give a snort of derision. While it was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard it was clearly bothering Kristoff so treating it like a joke was probably a mistake. Instead he put a hand on his shoulder and waited until he was looking at him before saying, "I think Anna is very lucky to have you and that you two are perfect for each other. Everyone should be so fortunate as to find what you two found together."

"You mean that?"

Giving another smile, Aaron nodded. "Damn right I do." What he'd expected was some relief and for Kristoff to return to his old self but that only happened for a moment before worry began to crawl across his face. This time he sighed as he asked, "What else?"

"Well… I'm not sure I should tell you." Though he still looked tired there was now something else on his face. Embarrassment?

"Go on then," he replied with a nudge. "Spit it out."

Kristoff looked to be at odds with himself. Part of him wanted to say but at the same time he appeared extremely reluctant to talk. Whatever it was had to be somewhat embarrassing and maybe even a little humiliating. Eventually, though he turned to Sven and asked, "Do you think I should tell him?" to which the reindeer gave a snort.

"Yeah, I know. It's just… not something you talk about."

Bray.

"What do you mean?"

Huff.

"No, you're right. You know, you make a good argument." With that he turned back to Aaron and asked, "Do you promise not to tell anyone else about this?"

"I will if Sven does," he replied, giving the reindeer a smirk, who snorted again in response. "Just spill it, will you?"

..."Alright." He still looked very reluctant but didn't make any comments on it, instead simply drawing in a deep breath and running a hand through his hair. Eventually he slowly spoke. "So you know how there's the wedding feast after the ceremony?"

"Yeah."

"And how we've decided to postpone our honeymoon until after the Blooming Festival so that she attend it?"

"Uh huh."

Kristoff's cheeks had begun to take on a slightly pinkish hue and he was clasping his hands together tightly. "That means that tomorrow night Anna and I have to…" He paused to take a deep breath. "We have to consummate our marriage."

He was fairly certain he could tell where this was going but he had to ask anyway. "And?"

"And we've never... made love before."

Once again Aaron's initial reaction was to laugh but he kept it to himself again, instead electing to shake his head with a smirk instead. "Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it's better to wait."

"Yes, but…" Clearly flustered, he sat back with a huff. "I've never… so what if she… has expectations or something?"

"She won't."

"How do you know that?"

Glancing over, he saw that Kristoff was giving him a worried look, having dropped any pretext of a smile. It didn't look like he was going to feel better anytime soon Aaron reached over and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a confident grin. "Because if I know Anna as well as I think I do, and I'm fairly certain I do, then she's never done anything like that before. So she'll have no expectations." When he still looked fairly glum he added, "Just go with your instincts and you'll be fine. Worked well enough for me."

That got a vaguely suspicious look as Kristoff asked, "Have you and Elsa… you know?"

His smile faltered slightly as he looked back at the far wall. "I wish, but no."

"You wish?"

"Of course." Glancing at Kristoff he said, "She's the most miraculous person I've ever met, not to mention the most stunning. I'd have to be mad not to want that."

"So why haven't you?" he inquired, still looking puzzled.

At least that had an easy enough question to answer. "She's not ready yet."

"But how will you know when she is?"

"Oh, she'll let me know." There still seemed to be numerous questions swirling around in Kristoff's mind but he decided it was probably best to call it there. "Well, I'm calling it," he said as he climbed to his feet before holding out a hand to help Kristoff up. "As your best man I'm ordering you to go to bed and get some sleep. If Anna finds out I kept you up all night she'll have my head."

"Like you can order me around," he replied with a smirk, ignoring the proffered hand and heaving himself upright. "I'm pretty sure that as the groom I get to do that."

"And I'm the Lord Protector of Arendelle, so I think I still trump you. For now anyway." Turning back up the hallway, he set his eyes on one of the guards stationed by the main entrance and yelled, "Guard!"

Reacting instantly, the man turned and jogged towards, coming to a halt with a bow. "Yes, my lord?"

Patting Kristoff on the shoulder, Aaron replied, "See to it that Prince Kristoff makes it back to his quarters. And that he stays there."

As the guard nodded he heard Kristoff mutter, "I'm still not a prince yet."

"But you will be tomorrow, so you'd better get used to being called that." Looking back at him, Aaron chuckled when he saw that there was still some trepidation in his eyes. "And stop worrying so much. It'll be fine."

"But-"

"Okay, shut up," he interjected, cutting Kristoff off before he could continue. Placing both hands on his shoulders, Aaron did his best to put on what could pass for a consoling look. "If she truly loves you then it will all work itself out. Anything you do will be fireworks. And, for crying out loud, just stop panicking."

Kristoff still didn't look totally reassured but if he still had qualms he kept them to himself, instead saying, "Alright. I guess I should be getting to bed. Big day tomorrow." As he turned away, though, he turned back with a smirk. "What if I can't sleep?"

"Then let me know and I'll beat you with a book until you pass out."

Laughing, he shook his head. "Thanks." With that he headed off down the hallway with the guard in tow and Sven tagging along behind.

"Any time," Aaron called after him, giving a chuckle of his own.

When they were out of sight he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. Of all the things to be worried about, he thought as he turned and continued walking towards the entrance. It seemed like an absurd thing to worry about to him but then Kristoff had probably never done anything of the sort with a woman so it was understandable that he would feel nervous. If only he didn't have to stay up thinking it over and over instead of resting up for his wedding like he should be,

Stepping out out the door and descending down onto the main plaza, he tried to push any thought of Anna and Kristoff from his mind as he took in a breath of cool night air. If the castle was almost empty then the plaza was desolate with not another soul to be seen in any direction. That suited him just fine, though, it was hard to find moments with just oneself in a city like Arendelle. Letting the breath out with a satisfied sigh, he tilted his head back to look at the vast sky stretching out before him.

It was nights like this that were his favorite. There was nary a breeze to disturb the crisp air nor a single cloud to mar the sky, revealing an intricate web of stars that stretched from horizon to horizon. There had to be thousands if not millions of them up there, twinkling down at him from an ebony curtain. Cutting a swath through it all was the silvery orb of the moon, bathing the land in a soft glow on its way to the apex of the sky. It was a beautiful sight to behold and actually reminded Aaron of the first night he'd spent with Elsa. Include the waves of the aurora and the replica would have been complete.

As he watched a single shooting star arced across the heavens before winking back out of existence. Had Anna been there she would have insisted that he make a wish but he was simply content to marvel at the phenomenon. As strange and mysterious as Elsa's love for him and yet just as beautiful. But he still felt like he might understand the shooting star a bit better...

"Nice night, isn't it?"

Giving a small start, he turned to look for the voice's source only to see the princess from Maneva descending the steps into the plaza and walking towards him with a smile on her face. She had a shawl tightly wrapped around her shoulders to fend off the cold but still looked amused at his reaction. "I didn't startle you, did I?" Kresta asked as she stopped beside him.

"Not at all, your highness," he replied with a small bow. "Just caught me when I was deep in thought."

"Uh huh." Clearly she didn't believe him but she refrained from commenting on it again. Instead she looked skyward just as he had done, though he noticed that she was beginning to shiver slightly.

"Are you cold?" he asked with a concerned voice.

Shrugging, she began to rub her arms. "A little. I don't know how you can stand to live up here."

Now it was Aaron's turn to shrug. "Eh. The cold never bothered me. I take it that it's not quite so cold where you come from?"

"Not nearly. Maneva is a considerably warmer country."

"Then, if I may ask, what are you doing out here? Surely you be more comfortable indoors next to a fire."

Looking down at him again, she shook her head. "Maybe, but it can get a little crowded in there for my tastes. And I just couldn't resist being outside on a night like this. Perfect for when you want to be alone with your thoughts," she replied, gesturing at the sky.

"In that case I'm intruding on your privacy." Giving another bow, he made to walk away, saying, "I leave you to it, your highness."

Before he could take a step, though, Kresta laughed and waved the comment aside. "No no, you're fine. I think I can tolerate your presence a little longer." Giving another shudder, she added, "Probably for the best to have someone else out here to make sure I don't accidentally freeze to death."

Uncertain as to what to do, Aaron gave a hesitant nod. "Alright." He was fairly certain that being alone with another woman was a bad idea, especially one as attractive as Kresta, but it wasn't like anything was going to happen. Besides, Elsa wasn't exactly the jealous type and probably wouldn't care who he spent his time with, just so long as he was on his best behavior. And she probably wasn't going to learn about this little encounter anyway.

A few moments passed in silence as they both thought about what to say to one another when Kresta spoke up. "So, Aaron… may I call you Aaron?"

"Of course, your highness."

"Good." She looked like she was about to continue but then hesitated. "Also, don't bother with all that pomp and ceremony. It can get exhausting at times. Just call me Kresta."

"As you wish, your highness."

"Okay, seriously, stop it."

"Sorry," he replied, cracking a smile of his own. "Call it a force of habit. Now, your… Kresta, you looked like you were going to ask me something."

"Yes, I was." Once again she paused, staring off into space as she mulled over her thoughts before her eyes flicked back to him. "Earlier this evening I was talking with both Princess Anna and Queen Elsa, both of whom you seem to be on fairly good terms with."

Aaron was grateful that it was dark out, otherwise Kresta might have noticed that he'd turned slightly pale. "Of course," he replied, trying to sound as professional and aloof as possible. "As Lord Protector I have to interact with the royal family on a regular basis which has allowed for me to develop a somewhat candid relationship with the pair of them."

Despite his effort to remain nonchalant, though, she was still giving him a mildly suspicious look. "Right. Candid." She continued to scrutinize him for another moment before shrugging and walking towards the center of the plaza. "Well, they seemed to infer that you are not from here. The capital, that is."

"That would be correct," he replied as he fell into stride alongside her, inwardly giving a sigh of relief when the conversation shifted away from him and Elsa. The last thing they needed was someone sniffing around that. "I was actually born in a small fishing village far north of here called Varhan."

"And do you have family there?" Kresta asked, glancing over at him as they walked.

Shaking his head, he replied, "I used to." When he got a puzzled look he added, "I haven't been there in a little over a decade."

"Why not?"

Rather than answering right away Aaron paused to think of a more judicious response. "Let's just say that I… didn't leave on the best of terms."

"...Alright. But you did have a family?"

"Yes. A mother and a father like everyone else. And a sister."

"A sister?" The comment seemed to catch Kresta's attention as she halted her stride for a moment. "What's her name?"

Aaron hesitated again as he debated to answer. He didn't like to spend much time thinking about his sister, considering how they had parted, but he was still quite fond of her. In fact, he still had those final drawings of hers locked away in a chest beneath his bed. It probably couldn't hurt to talk about her this once. "Her name was Helena. A sweet and innocent girl if there ever was one," he said, his smile returning. But then that smile faded. "I don't even know if she's still alive."

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even noticed that Kresta had stopped again until she placed a hand on his arm, drawing his attention to her. Once he was looking at her she gave him a warm smile and said, "I'm sure she's fine."

Returning the smile, he nodded. "You're probably right." Now it was his turn to start walking again. "Anyway, enough about me. What about you? I'm assuming you were born in Maneva."

"I was," Kresta replied with a nod as they approached the center of the plaza. Turning, they meandered towards the chapel while she continued to speak. "My family used to live on the southern coast of Maneva on the shore of the sea. That is, until my uncle passed away and we had to move to the north when my father took the throne."

"Wait, your father wasn't always king?"

"No, his brother was. But he died without an heir so the crown passed to my father, just as it then passed to my brother on his passing."

"Hmm," Aaron offered as he digested that. So Kresta didn't always live in the capital. Kind of like me. "And is the northern part of Maneva very different from the south?"

Giving a scoff, she gave him an amused look. "Is the sea different from the land? Yes, they're different. The north is all cities and forests while the south is more rugged and mountainous with many farms and vineyards throughout the countryside in between."

"Vineyards?"

"Oh yes," she replied with a nod. "Wine is one of Maneva's chief exports. In fact most bottles of wine you've ever drank probably originated there."

He was about to ask more questions about this foreign land when a particular bottle of wine came to mind. It hadn't been anything particularly special but it had accompanied a very important dinner. Granted, the evening had ultimately ended in disappointment but that didn't mean it wasn't one of his better memories. "What about a bottle of rhone wine?" he asked. "Would that have come from Maneva?"

Nodding again, Kresta replied, "Definitely. From the Rouen valley in the western part of the country. Personally I'm not a big fan of rhone wines. Too rich for my tastes. I prefer more subtle ones like the white wines from the island of Corsidon."

"Sounds like you know your wines."

Giving him a shrewd look, she said, "I know my country. Even if I'll never be queen of it."

"What makes you say that?" Aaron asked as they came to a halt in front of the chapel.

Rather than continuing to walk, though, Kresta instead elected to take a seat on the step that lead to the buildings entrance, a far away look in her eye. "I have three siblings, two of which are older than me and both have kids, which would make me seventh in line for the throne after my brother. Soon to be eighth, once my sister gives birth again. But that doesn't mean I can't strive to learn all I can so that I can serve my people to the best of my abilities."

She still looked deep in thought but that was interrupted by Aaron giving quiet chuckle. When she gave him a questioning look he shook his head. "Sorry, shouldn't have laughed. It's just that you sound a lot like Queen Elsa when you talk like that."

"And is that a good thing?"

A shrewd look entered his eye as he nodded. "If anyone was ever born to be queen it would be her. Arendelle is lucky to have a ruler like her."

Coming back to the moment, he noticed that Kresta was once more watching him closely. When he looked at her, though, she looked skyward again rather than meeting his gaze. "Sounds like you hold her in high regard."

Smirking, he shook his head. "You could say that," he replied with a chuckle.

Silence once more fell between them, with her scanning the heavens and him watching her as she did so. There was something about her that managed to hold his attention and the more he learned about her he had to admit the more intrigued he became. As though she could be something special. Not that I care about that sort of thing, he thought sharply, turning his gaze upward. He had enough special in his life, thank you very much.

...Still. There was just something about her…

He was debating whether or not to ask her more questions about her homeland when she suddenly climbed to her feet, giving a deliberate shiver. "Okay, I think I'm going to go in before I lose any more feeling in my toes," she said, clutching her shawl tightly.

"Oh," Aaron replied lamely, caught offguard. However, he quickly recovered and offered, "If you like, I can walk you in." ...Why did I say that?

"No, that's fine," she replied with a smile. "I think I can find my way back. Besides, you clearly want to stay out a while longer and I'd hate to rob you of that."

For whatever reason her answer disappointed him slightly but he made no mention of it, instead giving her another bow. "In that case I'll bid you adieu, Princess Kresta."

Smirking, she responded with a small curtsy. "Goodnight, Lord Aaron," she said before turning and walking towards the keep, looking up at the sky as she went.

It took a moment but eventually Aaron realized he was staring after her. Giving himself a shake, he turned his attention to the heavens as well, his eyes settling on the glowing moon. In a few days it would be full, coinciding perfectly with the Blooming Festival. Before that came, though, he couldn't help feeling that there were some interesting days ahead. In the meantime, though, it was just him, alone with the moon and the stars.