I think I'm good on the disclaimer. We all know who owns what. Anyways, here's another chapter to hold you over. Enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review!

A Celebration IV

The party was a huge success. Due to the warm weather and cool breeze, it was cozy enough to float between the palace walls and the courtyard. Some of the party even spilled out into the village where people played games and danced around the may pole. As for music, it washed all of Arendelle in a flood of celebratory harmony that anyone caught in the tide would be forced to dance throughout the night. Not one soul missed the beautiful arrangement of food from around the coast as it was too delicious and there was too much of it. When one plate was just about finished off, another would soon replace it.

Comments were given with a smile as Elsa was approached from every angle. The food was immaculate, the decorations were magical, the Prince was charming, and the hosts were too gracious. She could only keep up with so much before the room started spinning and she needed to take a seat. This was when Riordan stepped in. He took complete control, but only when she bade him to do so. Either Rolland was the mastermind behind the containment of the King's charisma or Elsa was too persistent to ignore when it came to her personal wishes. Whichever it was, he came in exactly when he needed to at just the right moment.

"He's trying his best, you know." Rolland pointed out when Elsa stepped aside for the fifteenth time that night.

"I'll have to thank him later then, won't I?" She chuckled, scanning the crowd for Finn or anyone with a familiar face. Rolland, despite his word, still somewhat intimidated her when they were alone. Presence alone can make anyone feel pressured.

"I think you should thank him with a dance."

Elsa rolled her eyes and sighed, "I don't dance."

"You might for your King." Rolland said more forcefully, as if pushing the topic would crumble her will.

"I don't believe I asked your opinion on the matter, Captain." She said sharply and turned a cold shoulder on him to sink into the crowd. Anywhere besides the watchful gaze of Rolland and Riordan was freedom, at least for a little while.

"Your Majesty." Said the women.

"My Queen." Said the men.

They all bowed or curtsied, respectfully, as she breezed by them. Every now and again Elsa would stop to exchange a few words about family or politics, which was pleasant enough. She kept it short though as she pursued any one of her family members. Seeing as it was Finn's birthday, she didn't want to seek him out too much, so she chose Anna. Sure enough ,standing with a plate of truffles off to the side, Anna bobbed her head happily to the music as she watched Edith and Kristoff dance clumsily across the floor.

"Should I fill up my own plate or can I steal a piece of yours?" Elsa asked slyly as she wrapped her arm around Anna's.

"No! Take one of them. I actually grabbed a couple you might like." Albeit they were bitten into, Elsa still ate them. What were sisters for if they could not eat after one another? It was a sibling thing.

"Have you danced at all?"

"Of course! Kristoff has gotten so much better at dancing. I mean, he still kinda stumbles around, but I mean hey, that's totally okay. My feet aren't even sore!" Anna kicked her left foot up and pointed at it, nearly missing the rear end of the Duchess of Some-Place-Important. Elsa covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, but it came out louder than she expected anyways.

"How about Thomas? Has he led any pretty young ladies out onto the floor."

Anna turned red and her cheeks puffed out as she gestured towards the floor where her soon stood with a young girl. She was bouncing around on one foot, clearly irritated, as Thomas tried to apologize over and over again. Two left feet, the poor girl.

"I think he's been sweet on her all night. That's the fifth dance they've had together and she hasn't left him at all." Elsa recognized the young girl with curly brown hair. She was the daughter of a soldier in the Queen's army and had been presented earlier that evening to the court as Lady Brynn.

"And how has Edith faired?"

"Not really. I think she scares the boys," Anna pointed to a few young men who stared at her longingly but wore an expression of utter petrifaction when she drew near. "Edith is…well, I don't really know who she takes after more."

It was true. Between the three of them, Finn and Thomas, Edith was certainly more tough than they were. She had fallen out of the same tree at least five times in the same year, not shedding a tear once when there was a broken bone and there had been plenty of those.

"I think she's a good combination of the two of you." Elsa patted her sister's arm gently.

"Oh! Look, Finn is with that Princess…uhm, what's her name? Capsa? Calyp?"

"Princess Callipsa." Elsa corrected, watching as her son led the young, dark-skinned girl to the marble floor. Together, they were certainly a sight to see. He was like the moon to her midnight, his white-blonde contrasting with her dark black locks. It was almost like watching the piece of a puzzle being fitted together.

"Oh, yea, that's the name. She's beautiful."

Together the sisters watched as Finn swept the young girl around the dance floor, gracefully lifting and setting her back down when the music hit the queue. They were so focused on the pair of them that neither of the girls noticed the King, followed by his Captain, approached them.

"I haven't danced with my wife all night and I think I'd like to take a turn around the dance floor before the party is over." The King's voice rose above the onlookers and drew an audience. Under their scrutiny, she could not deny him without drawing questions, so she took his hand and allowed him to lead her.

"I'm not very good at this." She bowed, following his own, and then they came together.

"Good thing I'm your partner then." He said, gripping her waist and hand tightly.

"Watch your feet."

"My dear, I am so light on my feet that your stumbling would not have the slightest affect on me whatsoever."

"If that's what you think." She laughed.

"Aha! Rolland told me you might think that was funny. I'll have to tell him he's won the wager."

Elsa dared to glance at the crowd where Rolland looked on from the sides, standing still and alone. Anna must have dashed off somewhere, probably filling up her plate again. In any case, he him or turning the poor man into an ice cube.

"What was it that you wagered?"

"He wagered coin but I told him that if he was right, I would allow him one brief dance with you."

Her heart sunk. Did he know? Was this a test? Perhaps the rumors had reached his ear, but then again, what rumors had there been? Not one soul knew or suspected that Rolland might have feelings for her; and not one soul might have thought she returned those feelings in full. The thought sent chills down her spine, literally, and she could feel a thin sheet of ice rising to her skin like goosebumps.

Keep it together. You've done nothing wrong. She said mentally, trying to calm herself before anything too unfortunate occurred.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She said simply.

"Aw, why not? It's just a bit of fun."

"Our guests, and our son, might get the wrong idea."

Riordan stopped and waved for Rolland, "It's like dancing with a lame animal, I promise. Just suffer the man one dance and then I'll cut in to rescue you."

Hesitantly, Rolland took Elsa's hand while the King offered his to his mother. No one seemed to respond negatively, so she went along with it as another song picked up where they had left off.

"He insisted." Rolland mumbled, almost embarrassed by the entire ordeal.

"And you should have been more resilient." Elsa hissed, stiff in his arms and giving herself at least three inches of space from him. It made the dance more difficult but he had no right, neither of them, to put her in that position.

"He doesn't know about us, Elsa."

"Good, because there's nothing to know."

"Is it so wrong to have just one private moment between the two of us, right here? I might not be a good dancer, but I know how to hide things, too." His voice had dropped to a sadder tone and his eyes revealed nothing to her besides a familiar iciness she herself had given him on countless occasions. It did not feel good to be locked out.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I just don't want to compromise this. It shouldn't have happened, you and I. He's my husband and you're his friend…"

"You can't help who you fall for, Elsa."

True enough. She never thought she would love Finn, a child who might be born with her curse, but she did. Rolland was just as much of a surprise as her arranged marriage and despite trying, she fell for him anyways. Love was weird.

"I know that." Right now, more than anything, she wanted to rest her head against his chest and forget the world. He was so comforting, so complete, and so very warm. She never thought that a woman of her caliber, ice cold and Queen of many, would ever want to be wrapped up in something so intimate. "I've tried."

"Tried what?"

"I've tried to love him, but I can't. He's too difficult, and he's never here," she began. "He's told me he wants to stay here with us and have more children, but I don't want that. Ever. Finn barely knows him and what kind of a father spends thirteen years at sea just to come back when his son his finally good enough to be around? It's not right. He and I, we're not right."

It took Rolland a few minutes to speak again, but when he did, it was resigned, "Give him some time. He means well and he loves you, as in he really loves you. You might not see it now, but you can love him, too. Then you'll forget all about this, all about me, because you and him make sense."

Elsa dropped her arms and broke away from him. That wasn't right, that wasn't right at all. Rolland was fierce from the beginning when he made his vows to her. Always near, always beside her. Hearing him say those horrible things felt like an alternate betrayal, as if she should have been the one to push him away, not the other way around. Suddenly, the room felt a little too crowded and the doors were too far away. Emotions hit her like the frosty winds of a heavy ice storm and she felt powerless against it. There was nowhere to go without drawing attention to herself, so she drew herself in. Heartbreak felt like an impervious barrier of fear and rejection that she had never experienced in her life before.

It hurt.

"Mom!" Finn shouted excitedly, losing his smile when he caught sight of her face. She must have looked so afraid. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes!" She breathed, shaking herself out of it. "What's the matter?"

"I was just going to introduce you to Callie." Callie? Who was Callie? Elsa glanced over to the side where she saw the nervous Princess standing beside her King father and Queen mother.

"Oh…OH! Yes, take me to her. I'd love to meet the Princess."

Finn nodded and led the way, weaving through the crowd to meet the bashful girl he had been keeping company all evening. Elsa engaged in heavy conversation right away, something she only did when formality became the perfect distraction from outside influences. Finn, who was content to listen, stood firmly beside her. He watched her features light up without really reaching her eyes and he knew after a few exchanges that she was not 'okay'. There was nothing, besides reaching for her hand, that he could do to bring her comfort in the sea of onlookers.

Thirteen be damned, he stayed with her the rest of the night in silence while she collected herself. When it came time for Princess Callipsa to return to her ship, Finn bowed and said his farewells, thanking them for their attendance. Then, there was nothing else. The party dwindled down to villagers in the courtyard and out in the village. Celebrations would continue throughout the week, but the royals were set to leave in the morning. Except those staying within the castle walls of course, they would be staying for a bit longer.

"I think I'm going to retire to my room. Why don't you stay with your cousins and enjoy the rest of your birthday?" Elsa patted her son's hand as she prepared to rise from her throne.

"Are you sure?" He watched carefully, fully expecting her to change her mind.

"Absolutely." That was that. She kissed his forehead, said goodnight, and disappeared into the crowd completely.

Finn joined his cousins in lively jig that made them look more adequate at the dance than the drunkards attempting the steps. Laughter continued on throughout the night but it did not reach Elsa's room, for she had boxed herself in her father's old study. Thick ice ran up the walls and covered the doors, keeping anyone out who might try to get in, and snow covered everything. How long it had taken for the anger and frustration built up inside to finally break through her careful command. She was not one to break down because she had been pegged the jilted lover, but rather the one to finally cave in privacy when the burden became too much. She was still too much in control of herself to let it storm like before. At least outside the fjord was not frozen over, but inside the quiet darkness of the study, a queen shook with the unraveling of her broken heart.

Okay, I had to focus on Elsa romantically, just a little bit. If you thought that Rolland was being insensitive or a huge dick, that's totally okay. If you also thought that this chapter lacked a little action, then that's cool, too, because next chapter is going to be HOT. I promise. Anyways, thanks for all the support!