A/N1: In reward for your patience, I present chapter 11, the conclusion for our little tale. If you read the old unloved chapter 10 you will notice a similarity at the beginning. Fear not, it gets better, or at least different ... a good sort of different. ;)

From her place on the parapet, the same place where she had first seen the Vigilant, Elsa watched as a line of dock workers paraded to and from the ship like a string of ants. It was just dawn, and high tide was three hours away. High tide and then they would be gone. Half of her felt like snarling "good riddance," but the other half felt differently about what might happen after the ship was gone. She closed her eyes struggling with the discord between the two feelings.

A warm hand slipped into hers, surprising her, and she started with a gasp.

"Hi," Anna said waving the fingers on her free hand. "I thought you might want some company."

"You're up early," was Elsa's response rather than 'you just scared ten years off my life.'

"Yeah, it happens," Anna answered with a grin. "So?" She gestured with her chin at the Vigilant. "Anything? Any changes? She asked hopefully.

Elsa presumed she was not necessarily discussing the ship. "Not really. I'm not sending her home, not giving her back to Avalon. It's just too dangerous for her. But once they are gone, she is free to leave."

"Free to leave?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "You want her to go?"

"It's not entirely my decision, Anna," the queen replied, more sharply than she intended to.

Anna rubbed her thumb over the knuckles her sister's hand. She could feel the tension in Elsa's grip. She had already seen the resigned look in her eyes. "I checked in on her. She's still asleep. Kai said the physician had checked her over, bandaged her injuries, and recommended rest for the head trauma."

Elsa nodded, she knew most of this already, but still her hand went to her mouth and she let out a shuddering breath when she remembered what Carolina had looked like when they had brought her on deck. It still made her furious. "I should have killed him," she said tightly, her hand clenching into a fist ... "I could have … I almost did. I was so close." She looked first at Anna and then down to the ground between them, "I wanted to."

"And for a pretty good reason, too," Anna answered. She dropped Elsa's hand so that she could pull her into an embrace. Then she ducked her head so their eyes met. "You don't think if the situation had been reversed that Fitzwilliam wouldn't have killed anyone who treated you like that. She so would have. I mean, I've seen her with a blade, vicious … and that was when she was not even angry, so if that happened to you there would be one holey sword-pierced Duke, if you know what I mean."

Elsa just looked back off to the harbor. Anna could tell from the slight quiver to her lips that Elsa was clenching her teeth.

Anna gave up on the eye contact but didn't stop talking. "Look Elsa, I am sure that some people just plain deserve the pointy end of an ice spike in their heart, but if it really bothers you then remember, you didn't do it. You wanted to, but you didn't."

Elsa nodded, "I didn't." She was still deciding how she was supposed to feel about that whole episode. How she was supposed to feel about finally releasing all that rage, let alone where it had come from. All her life she had believed that anger was as much the enemy as fear. No love, no fear, no anger … all intense emotion had been dangerous, off limits to her, and that knowledge had shaped her, practically created who she had become. She felt Anna's arms squeeze her tight. No, she corrected herself, that was not who she had become; it was who she had been. Anna had given her the chance to become someone else, and maybe that person could be angry, or afraid … as well as love.

"Of course you're angry, you have every reason to be angry …" Anna broke through Elsa's reverie, her voice rising. "I think every day, how strong you were … how strong you had to be not to have gone crazy and exploded long ago from being angry. All those years. I would have been certifiable."

Of course that didn't mean that Anna always knew exactly the right thing to say. "Those are not your most comforting words."

"Elsa." Now Anna shook her and gave her that look that told her clearly she had missed the whole point. "You are the hero here, you know that right? Our very own Saint Joan."

The queen had to chuckle. "Not my favorite comparison … burned for being a witch and all."

"OK, OK." Anna hadn't exactly considered that fact, but her mind was working quickly. "Burned by Avalon, right? So how about you've avenged her? Or … and … OK, I know, you're the Boudicca of Arendelle."

Now Elsa laughed, "Boudicca was from ancient Avalon."

"Okay, how about you being our very own goddess Skaði! You are one awesome bad-assed Queen of Winter … in fact, I think we should start calling you, 'Elsa: the bad-assed Queen of Arendelle.' Puts a whole new spin on 'to protect and defend,' which is, by the way, your job. I heard the bishop say it."

Elsa remembered that moment clearly, even if she had been concentrating on holding tight to her emotions and the ice that was leaking from her palms. That her sister remembered surprised and impressed her. "I didn't know you spoke Old Norse?"

"I don't, but I asked the bishop afterward. It sounded so cool and all. And you know it's written in Pa… your crown … the big one …. the one you didn't throw away."

Elsa whacked her sister on the arm. "Hey, I got it back." She said referring to the crown she had worn for her coronation.

"Only after a wrestling match with a snow monster." Anna hip checked her sister and stepped safely out of range of any reprisals. She held up her hand in a fair imitation of the bishop, or how he might have looked if Elsa hadn't surprised him by managing to get the scepter and orb back on the cushion so quickly.

"I now name you: 'Elsa the beautiful, the brave, the bad-assed Queen of Arendelle, also called the Snow Queen, the good at maths, languages and etiquette, she who never slides in her stockings down the hall (I got that one from Gerda), and the surprisingly good dancer considering she waited until the last minute to learn …."

"How can you stand to be near such perfection?" Elsa chuckled.

"Because I'm the person who saved the person who protects Arendelle," Anna puffed up proudly pointing to herself with her thumb. "Anna, Queensaver! How's that for a title?"

"It's perfect," Elsa hugged her sister again, "and true. You do it over and over again."

"Uh huh. And that's what makes us a great team." Anna pulled them into her version of a heroic pose and then gestured with her right hand. "Watch out 'big countries' the sisters of Arendelle are on to you, and we're ready."

Elsa smiled and even stood up a little straighter. Anna was right, she was the protector and defender of Arendelle, although now perhaps a little more literally than the Kings and Queens before her. That was a change though, it was something unique, not something she had been prepared for. She would have to see how to make that mantle fit comfortably.

As for the rest of her life, as long as she had Anna there, she was sure she could face that, too.

It was early the next morning when Elsa found herself starting down the hall that led to the guest room where Fitzwilliam was staying. Each time she would get about a couple of yards down the hall, and she would remember something urgent she had to do elsewhere. On the third time even she realized what a pathetic ruse that was.

Come on, she internally bucked herself up. What's the worst that can happen? Unbidden a voice inside her replied, just your heart smashed into pieces again. Well, she replied to herself, I won't be any happier if she just leaves, and we don't speak before she does. Yes, the voice replied, but it would be infinitely less painful in the short term.

With a sigh, Elsa told herself to be quiet and walked the rest of the way down the hall. She knocked and waited for the soft, "come in" before she entered the room.

Fitzwilliam was sitting on the end of the guest bed staring out into the nothingness of the room. She was dressed. She had a small bundle on her lap and, of all things, her sword. Elsa wondered where the sword had come from. When Fitzwilliam realized who her visitor was she slowly, somewhat painfully, began to get to her feet.

"No, really. You don't have to stand," Elsa assured her.

Fitzwilliam dropped back on to the bed with some poorly disguised relief.

They looked at each other for quite a while, neither one exactly sure where to begin. Finally Elsa decided that it must be up to her. "I wasn't sure if I would find you here."

"I …" Fitzwilliam closed her eyes and took a deep breath, when she open them she continued with greater confidence, "I was packing. Although I don't know if you would consider it packing if you have so little to pack." She gestured to the sword and the bundle. "And I was thinking."

"You got your sword?" Elsa asked. "How did you manage that."

"Your guards allowed Captain Hanson to see me before Vigilant sailed. He gave his parole, and was unarmed. He brought everything from my sea chest, minus uniforms I have no further use for, and I gave him my resignation to take back to the Admiralty in Avalon. Not that I suppose anyone is going to accept it." Fitzwilliam ran her finger down the length of the scabbard. "But cashiered in absentia is better than cashiered in person." She looked back up at Elsa, "I assured him that Vigilant couldn't be in better hands. And that he had better keep on top of my Midshipmen. They need a firm hand not some motherly pampering if they're going to make the grade. "

The silence stretched on for some minutes before Elsa spoke again, "So what will you do now?"

"I'm not completely sure. I have friends." Fitzwilliam laughed, a caustic sarcastic bark, "Well, I have at very least one friend, although friend isn't perhaps the proper word for her. She's running around in Austria or one of the German principalities now. She will take me in. I hope. She will probably find my current circumstance quite amusing. And she will probably allow me to stay as long as I'm 'entertaining' enough." She shrugged in resignation. "Not an ideal solution, but you know any port in a storm."

Elsa's eyes narrowed and her voice went frosty and chill. "So you are running away again?"

Fitzwilliam seemed completely caught off guard by that remark and looked up in surprise. "What do you mean, running away?"

Elsa wrapped her arms tightly about her middle. She turned her head to look at the wall, but her tone remained the same. "I mean, you've been running away from me since about 10 seconds after I suggested we might have something more than one night ..." her tone moved from cold to something more biting. "I'm sure you have better words for it than I do, practice and all."

Now Fitzwilliam reacted, annoyed. She stood up rather faster than she thought she could. "I beg your pardon. You threw me out."

"Oh please," Elsa turned back to Fitzwilliam, confronting her with a glare. "I merely got out of your way. You were already well on your way out the door and out of my life."

Fitzwilliam stared right back. She was not going to be made to feel bad for trying to keep Elsa from harm. "I was doing what I had to do … I am just doing what I have to do."

"Even if I shared your feelings," the queen answered in short clipped tones, "the motivation for that sailed out of my harbor yesterday."

Now what in hell was she upset about, Fitzwilliam thought. It wasn't like she could stay here. "But …" she sputtered confounded by having to explain the obvious, "don't you see …"

"No." Elsa cut her off. "See what? Tell me what I should be seeing."

Fitzwilliam turned away, irked that she had even to talk about this. "I'm … I'm not even the captain of a ship anymore, I'm just some bastard with no place to go …."

Elsa followed her, her voice now raised and angry, "Oh, it sounded like you had someplace to go!"

Fitzwilliam ignored the innuendo, and tried to move further away. "You're a queen. There is no place for me here."

Elsa caught up with her and pulled her around so they were facing. "Did it ever occur to you to ask ME about that?" she spat out furiously.

Again Fitzwilliam was dumbfounded. She sat down heavily and after a moment looked at her boots.

Elsa loomed over Fitzwilliam, her fury unabated. "You are arrogant ... and impossible. You sit there and tell me that the problem with us is that I am not available because of some imaginary arranged marriage that is entirely in your head. I am available until I decide I am not available!"

"In Avalon …" Fitzwilliam started.

That was absolutely the wrong thing to say. Elsa's voice crescendoed into a roar. "This is NOT Avalon, and I'll thank you not to mention that name in my presence again."

"But …"

"For God's sake, shut your mouth for once in your life and just listen!"

Carolina closed her mouth in surprise as much as anything else. It had been quite a while since anyone had leave to speak to her like that.

Elsa started to pace. "I do not believe that the people of Arendelle care one wit who is my lover … not even who I would choose to marry, and those that do probably aren't very happy with a witch as their queen anyway. It is true that the council and what gentry class we have would prefer an heir of my body, but they are not the people I serve. I serve all of Arendelle. And they want better roads. They want reliable trading partners. They want good markets for timber and fish. And as long as they have that the people of Arendelle do not care if I am with a man or a woman, a prince or …. or you."

She stopped pacing but continued her rant, jabbing her finger at Fitzwilliam's up turned face."So climb down off your high horse and tell me do you want to stay or do you want to go? Because if it's go, I can arrange anonymous passage for you anywhere. You'll have sufficient resources to live independently not as the lap dog of some … of some God knows what. And you will have refuge here in my kingdom as long as I live … and probably for Anna's life, afterward … as long as I don't tell her why you left."

Fitzwilliam tried to think clearly, but this was so out of her realm of imagining that she had trouble even considering it. "It's complicated …." she started.

"Of course it's complicated." Elsa snorted. "You're complicated … God knows I'm complicated. I have no illusions this will be a walk in the park. But if you think I'm worth it then you'll make the effort … and," the queen got even closer leaning down to put her face right in Carolina's. "Do not stay unless you intend to make a real effort because I am worth at least that." She stopped, pulled back and then sat down on the bed next to Carolina, the fight finally drained from her and murmured again, "I am at least worth that."

They stayed there, sitting side by side on the small bed, each looking away from the other, for many long minutes. Elsa was blinking rapidly, working hard to control her emotions, and Carolina's jaw worked and clenched as she tried to do the same. Their breathing came in small raspy shudders, punctuated by the occasional sniff.

Finally Carolina inched her fingers toward Elsa's palm. Slowly, tentatively, she slid them underneath where Elsa had supported herself by pushing down into the bed. Elsa let go the breath she had been holding and opened her hand to take Carolina's more firmly. Both of their hands shifted into a tight embrace. Then they sat like that for a while, holding hands, still looking away from each other, but the tension began to slowly drain away.

"It will be hard with us both being so stubborn and difficult," Carolina said finally, with some resignation.

"Probably," Elsa agreed.

"It will be difficult for me to introduce myself as .. as your ..." she searched carefully for a word, "…. I mean, as what?"

Elsa let out a derisive huff of air, "You'll figure something out. You're resourceful that way."

Then Carolina broached a more serious subject, one that truly troubled her. "I don't have any work here, anything to do. I will not be a kept … I'm not happy idle."

Elsa cast a glance to the woman next to her, and then shifted so she faced her. "Well to start, my sister needs a good weapons instructor if I'm going to let her handle anything more dangerous than a fondue fork. And you know, Arendelle, as small as it is, really does have a Navy. Quite a feisty one, if not up to...your previous employer's standards. They are always in need of good officers."

Carolina stiffened, imagining the welcome she would receive as the woman who got her commission via the queen's bed chamber.

As if she could read her mind Elsa continued. "I know there will be innuendo about us." The queen frowned, "Is it innuendo if it's true? Anyway, I am sure that you will quickly prove that your abilities with a ship and crew are the reason for your commission not your abilities … elsewhere." She went on thoughtfully. "And really, will it be any different than people assuming that you rose as quickly as you did in Avalon's navy because of your father, rather than because of your amazing ability? Because of your single-minded focus on excellence?"

Carolina seemed to consider that. She too shifted so she was facing toward Elsa. "Are you sure you can manage me being out ... away from you? It's not easy to be with a sailor. There is reason we don't often marry." She was only partly teasing.

"Am I the only one who will have the hard time managing our separation?" Elsa had a sly little grin on her face. Carolina had the grace to blush. "Unlike your former navy, Arendelle doesn't attack anyone, so you probably won't go too far from home, which I consider a very favorable perk. This also means you are far less likely to lose a leg, or worse yet an arm or a hand … another bonus. I could even request that you be assigned shore duty …."

Carolina shot her a glare.

"... or not."

Carolina sat, considering, still wondering if this was a dream or part of some tantalizing hallucination. She even considered pinching herself, but then she realized that nothing could possibly hurt more than her ribs. "So if I stay, what do we do? Where do we start?" Carolina asked. "Besides my promise to make an effort and not to run away." She cocked her head and leaned closer to Elsa.

"I propose we get to know each other better," Elsa said definitively. "Perhaps a little more slowly than the first time. Maybe we can even get in that game of chess?

"Slowly," Carolina pouted. "How slowly?"

Elsa gave her a grin. "That is open to negotiation."

"Allow me to plead my case then," Carolina said moving closer to the queen and putting both arms around her.

"I am a kind and generous sovereign," Elsa replied, "You may make your plea."

Carolina pulled her backward onto the small guest bed. Then with only a slight groan she adjusted herself so she was just above the queen. She leaned down.

Elsa turned her head so that the kiss landed on her cheek. Then she chuckled. "I believe this appeal should be heard privately." With the smallest gesture of her index finger the door closed and frost sealed it shut. "Now where were we?" she continued turning to look back into Carolina's eyes.

"Getting to know each other better," Carolina breathed as she closed the gap between their lips.

Midshipman Alice Wainwright rolled into her hammock to catch a little sleep before her turn at the first watch. She was too tired to remove her boots, but she neatly hung up her coat on the peg nearest her. She'd be expected to look sharp tomorrow no matter how little sleep she'd had. As she pulled her thin blanket up she felt the package at her head. It was the letter Mr. Hanson, Captain Hanson now she reminded herself, had given her early this morning. She knew who it was from; she recognized the wretched script addressing it to her, and the seal was unmistakable. Equal parts anger and curiosity tussled in her head with plain exhaustion like a calming balm over all of it. In the end curiosity won out, and she reached down into her kit, pulled out a candle and lit it.

Dear Mistress Wainwright,

I have sat for some time now wondering how to write this to you, or even if I should write at all. I am sure you are well aware that I have resigned my commission and will not be returning with the Vigilant. In fact I would suppose that our good friend the Duke not lost any time in conveying his interpretation of events and has called me all manner of things. I will not say that some of them are not true, and I will not ask you to refrain from judgment. A woman of character needs sound judgment, and a friend should not impose upon it.

It had been my hope that I might serve a useful purpose in your future career, and I do believe you have a great one ahead of you in His Majesty's navy. However, now it is clear that any thought of offering you patronage or help with advancement is impossible, and so it is with an empty hand that I must beg a kindness from you.

I would have you do two things. For the first, when you are on leave next if you would visit my mother in Bromley. Her address is below, but even if you should lose it, it would be easy to find her using my name. I will be unable to contact her for some time I am afraid, and so I think it would be a relief for her to hear that I am well and with great hope for my future. In your own interests you should mention to her that we were friends – something that you may not have realized at the time, but now I assure you we were – and that I have high hopes for your career. She still has significant influence in court, and although I will be out of favor with His Majesty, my mother will not be. I believe she can find you a worthy patron much as she found one for me. I hope you will pass on this sentiment to her, even this letter if it is possible.

The next thing I ask is that you continue on your path with the same fervor and dedication you have shown so far. Avalon needs women like you to lead, and lead you shall in less time that you can imagine if you keep your standards high and your morals sound. Take the Lieutenant's exam at the first opportunity. I daresay you would pass now, except that you are short some time at sea. I think you will find life as Lieutenant Wainwright much more fulfilling than life as Midshipman Wainwright. Certainly it will be measurably more comfortable.

Lastly as a sign of my faith, I give you this small token. The captain of a ship must always be able to measure the passage of time accurately or her navigation will suffer. This watch has served me for nearly seventeen years, and it has never varied in its accuracy. I hope it will serve you in the same steadfast manner.

I remain your faithful friend and former companion,

Millicent Carolina Fitzwilliam

Alice tugged the gold chain just visible at the opening of the envelope, and the captain's pocket watch fell out onto her lap. She studied it closely, feeling the smooth gold under her fingers, listening to it's soft persistent tick. When a tear fell on the crystal she wiped it off immediately with her undershirt. Then whispering after a short prayer for the woman who gave it to her, she reached over and tucked the watch in the pocket of her coat. Tomorrow would be another very long day, and she needed to get to sleep.

A/N2: Thanks again to grrlgeek72 for guidance and help with fixing the awkward things. Any mistakes are all mine, though. And thank you to the readers. I get a warm fuzzy just when the numbers go up ... a review sends me into a delirium of happiness. Really. You have all been wonderful. And there is an epilogue ... well actually a collection of short stories as a sequel. It's called Happily (mostly) Ever After, in case you're dying to know how Fitz and Elsa manage to deal with each other ... and Anna ... and Kristoff ... and Sven ... and Olaf ... and even Marshmallow.