CHAPTER 11

Queen Elsa and Princess Anna stood just outside the ballroom doors, waiting for Kai to announce their arrival. The sisters hadn't seen each other all day and were glad to finally be together again.

After her small breakdown in her study, Elsa had absconded to her bedchambers. Even if she was an emotional wreck, she was still the Queen and needed to look the part. After quickly fixing her hair into it's usual bun and reapplying her makeup, she focused on creating her ice gown for the evening.

After attempting several designs, she finally settled on a slightly altered version of the one she created in her ice palace. The light blue of the dress was replaced by a dark violet color, and the cape was now almost black, even though it was still completely transparent. Elsa's powers often understood her emotions better than she did, and the outfit was evidence of that. The dark colors were appropriate for someone in mourning rather than someone attending a ball.

"I suppose it's perfect." she said to the mirror with a sad shrug, and left to meet her sister. She rounded the corner to stand by the ballroom door and was floored by the sight of the younger woman. The Princess was also dressed in a dark gown that seemed to change from deep crimson to black depending on how the light hit it. Her hair was down and styled into waves, framing her face perfectly. The dress complemented the auburn locks so well that it made her appear as if she was on fire.

Long velvet sleeves covered her arms and shoulders, and the dress seemed conservative as a result. The plunging v cut-out on the back said quite the opposite. Elsa felt her cheeks growing warmer as she took in the creamy, freckle-dotted porcelain of Anna's almost completely-exposed back.

"Wow." Elsa said out loud as she approached her sister. "You look..."

Anna chimed in to finished the Queen's sentence for her, twirling the skirt around as she did.

"Beautiful? Thank you, darling, but I once again must insist that you are, in fact, beautifuller."

Elsa let out a giggle and blushed at the complement.

"Thank you, Anna." she said as she quickly pressed a kiss to her sister's lips. Anna gasped in surprise at her usually-reserved sister.

"Elsa, not here!" She pulled away, looking around nervously. "Someone might see us!"

Elsa shrugged, a devilish grin overtaking her face.

"What can I say, I like to live dangerously." She winked at the Princess, who playfully shoved the older girl with a smile on her face.

The sisters shared a laugh, but quickly quieted as the music from inside the ballroom died down and the doors were pushed open.

"Here we go." said the Queen, apprehensively. Despite her improvements in social situations, Elsa still became easily flustered in front of too many people. Anna knew this and did whatever she could to help. The redhead gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled. Elsa returned the smile before turning to the door and putting on a regal expression.

She heard Kai announce her name and made her way through the door to the front of the room. She was followed soon after by her sister, and after a light smattering of applause, the music began again.

King Aleksander quickly approached them, Mattias in tow behind him. The King was still wearing the over-the-top outfit from earlier, while the Prince was dressed in a brilliantly white formal military uniform. Elsa noticed his pistol holster was now occupied.

"Your Majesty." The King and Prince quickly bowed to Elsa, who returned the gesture, before turning their attention to the Princess.

"Princess Anna. It is wonderful to see you again." the King said as he slightly dipped forward. He took her hand and laid a kiss on her knuckles as he had earlier to Elsa.

"It is good to see you too, Aleksander. It has been too long." the Princess replied. The King released Anna's hand and moved out of the way so the Prince could greet her.

Mattias approached the Princess slowly. Elsa noticed his eyes were wide, and a sheen of sweat was forming on his brow. She giggled to herself. He was clearly taken back by the Princess's beauty, just as she was earlier.

"Your Highness." he said, dropping to one knee and bowing his head. "It is so wonderful to finally see you again, after all these years apart."

Elsa watched the interaction, curious as to how Anna would respond to her future husband. She stifled a laugh when the woman rolled her eyes.

"It is lovely to see you again too, Prince Mattias." Anna said. The man rose to his feet, taking Anna's hand as he did and raising it to his lips. He planted a kiss there that Elsa could have sworn looked even more gentle than the one he had given her earlier.

"You look incredibly beautiful this evening, Your Highness." the Prince said. Anna blushed nervously.

"Thank you, Mattias." she replied. "You look quite handsome as well."

The Prince stood silently with a goofy smile on his face for longer than was comfortable. Aleksander and Elsa watched, amusement apparent on both of their expressions.

Anna, face red and eyes shooting back-and-forth awkwardly, cleared her throat.

"Oh, sorry!" Mattias exclaimed, finally releasing Anna's hand and stepping back. Aleksander chuckled while the Queen clicked her tongue and shook her head in exasperation

"Ahem." the Prince said, bowing towards Anna and offering his hand. "Princess Anna, I would be honored if I could have this dance."

The Princess looked at Elsa, not sure of what to do. Elsa gestured toward the ballroom floor. The sisters usually shared the first dance when balls were held in the castle, but this was different. Anna had to keep up appearances, at least for now. Elsa made that clear with her gesture.

Anna nodded her understanding before turning back to the Prince.

"The honor would be mine, Mattias." she said, taking the Prince's hand and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.

"Shall we follow their example?" Aleksander asked the Queen, bowing and offering his hand in a similar matter to his brother.

"We shall." Elsa said, and took the King's hand. They made their way to the floor, standing near the Prince and Princess.

The waltz began, and the two couples began to dance. Elsa's brow furrowed with worry for her sister. The King took notice.

"Is everything alright, Elsa?" he asked. "You seem troubled."

"I'm fine, Aleksander" she lied. "Thank you for your concern."

She looked over towards her sister, trying to read her face to get a sense of what was happening. The two were speaking as they danced, most likely catching up on each others lives.

'I hope she's alright.'

Princess Anna couldn't help but feel happy. It was wonderful to see her friends again. She admired the way the two men had grown, having only memories of them as children to compare them to.

The King looked, well, kingly. His opulent robes and large beard made him look like a man with power. The Prince, on the other hand, still had the boyish charm and childlike glow in his eyes that she remembered, despite his masculine features. His uniform was well pressed and adorned with medals, and Anna had to admit that he looked quite dashing. He was also a very good dancer. 'Elsa's better, though.' she thought.

The two shared stories as they danced, telling tales of growing up, about their parents, and about their kingdoms. Anna became more and more at ease as the dance went on. Mattias was just how she remembered him to be; kind, caring, and full of life. The two were quickly back to acting as though they had seen each other constantly over the past fourteen years.

"So the military, huh?" Anna queried. "What made you do that?"

"I wanted to help my Kingdom in any way I could." he began. "Being royal is great. I mean, we get pretty much everything we want, just because our parents are kings and queens. I joined the Guard to repay my debt to the kingdom. Plus, I was always good with a sword and a decent shot with a pistol."

"Hmm. I think I understand." Anna replied. "You didn't want to feel like you were taking without giving."

"Exactly." Mattias responded. "Plus, I look really good in the uniform" he said with a wink. Anna rolled her eyes. The Prince chuckled at the gesture.

The two continued dancing in silence for a moment before Anna's curiosity forced a question.

"Have you ever been in battle before?" the Princess asked him.

"Once, yes. The capitol city was raided by privateers, and I helped repel them." Mattias said, pointing to the scar on his lip. "That's where this came from."

"What happened?" Anna replied.

"I made a mistake, and I almost lost my life because of it." the Prince explained. "I engaged one of the privateers in single combat. He wasn't much of a challenge, but I lost sight of the rest of the battle as we fought. As I struck him down, another came up behind me. I turned around just as he brought his sword down. I wasn't able to completely dodge his swing, and he struck my face."

Mattias stopped his story for a moment to focus on the waltz that was still playing. He dipped the Princess low to the ground before picking her back up and twirling her. Anna swore that the man was showing off. He continued his story after the interlude.

"I focused on my target and lost sight of the battle going on around me." he said, brows furrowing slightly with anger. "If I had been a second slower, or the privateer had been a second faster, I'd be dead."

"That's terrible!" Anna gasped. "I could never imagine being in a battle. I mean, I've fought before, but not in a battle. It must be scary."

"It is." Mattias replied. He scrunched his face slightly in curiosity. "Forgive me Anna, but did you say you've fought before?"

"Yup." Anna said with an enthusiastic grin. "I fought some wolves once in the forest. I used a lute to save my friend. Hit a wolf right in the head with it. Then I threw a snowball at an ice giant. Then I punched Prince Hans off of the deck of a ship."

Mattias stared at her for a moment, brows raised in amusement.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she said.

…

"WHAT!"

"You punched a prince?"

"Yup."

"And fought wolves with a lute?"

"Yes." She answered. "I used a torch, too."

Mattias shook his head and laughed.

"As feisty and capable as ever, I see." he said endearingly.

"I do what I can." Anna said with a grin.

The dance ended, and Mattias separated from Anna. He bowed in thanks, and she curtsied in return.

"Thank you, Anna. I enjoyed that very much." the Prince said. "It was good to catch up with you."

"Likewise." Anna replied.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I will let you be for the evening. I'm sure this is as overwhelming for you as it is for me, so we can just enjoy the party tonight and discuss arrangements tomorrow."

"Oh, um, right, the uh- the arrangements. S-sounds good." Anna stuttered nervously. It was then she remembered that she would have to wed Mattias. Even though it was just going to be until Elsa could get the marriage annulled, the thought of being wed to anyone but Elsa for any time at all made her sick.

Mattias bowed and walked away, quickly getting lost in the crowd. Anna moved towards her sister, who was still speaking with Aleksander.

"Excuse me, Elsa? Could I have a word with you? Alone?" she asked.

Elsa nodded and turned to the King.

"Apologies, Aleksander. Please excuse us for a moment." the Queen said.

"No apology required, Elsa." Aleksander responded with a smile. "I'll be around if you need me." With that, the King left the sisters alone.

"What's wrong, Anna?" Elsa inquired. "Did Mattias upset you? Did he hurt you? I swear, if he-"

"No, no Elsa. Mattias didn't do anything." Anna said, cutting her sister off. "He's fine. He's still nice as ever, exactly like I remember him." Elsa relaxed, noticing the temperature had dropped slightly.

"Good." she said. "So what's the matter?"

"I just feel a little woozy, nothing serious, though." Anna answered, assuaging her older sister's concern before it could manifest itself. "I was wondering if I could leave the party for awhile, maybe take a walk and clear my head." Elsa smiled warmly before responding.

"Anna, you don't have to ask my permission to leave. You are just as royal as me." Elsa walked her sister to the door. "You can go, and take as much time as you need to feel better. I'll stay here and deal with the nobility." she said with a wink. Anna giggled.

"Thank you, Elsa. I love you." the Princess said. "I'll see you later."

"I love you too, Anna." Elsa replied, planting a kiss on the younger woman's forehead. "Feel better."

Anna smiled as she walked away, and Elsa turned back to the party. She could feel the eyes of a hundred noblemen and women, all wanting an audience with her.

The Queen gathered herself and walked towards the crowd.

A/N

Hey everybody. Sorry for the delay with this chapter. I had a very busy weekend. But I'm alive and in good health, and it's full steam ahead!

Thanks for sticking around. You folks are great!

-Cosmic