Chapter 3 -

Fitz woke up in the library with a pounding headache. The room spun as she sat up. It was just dawn. She gathered herself, sitting back on the sofa, trying to remember exactly what happened last night. The more she remembered the more dejected she felt. She had no idea what she was going to do … not with Elsa, not with living here, not with the rest of her life. Clearly however, it couldn't involve quite as much drink.

She needed to get up and get back to the room before the staff came up here. Fitz knew that they, she and Elsa, were already the subject of conversation, and she would rather not have their arguments also become bar room fodder. She also knew she should apologize for being that intoxicated, but it was hard to give up what little pride she had remaining. She would just have to gut through this as she had so many other things. Soldier on. Stiff upper lip. As long as she kept moving forward she was sure things would work themselves out.

When she got to their bedroom, she found it long vacant. Everything was neatly ordered and put away. It was as if no one had ever been there. The bed was made, the room immaculate, her sword tucked away in a corner. It felt cold and empty. As she pulled out clothing for the day she reminded herself, "Just keep moving forward, Milly."

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Anna walked into a cold breakfast. Not because there weren't eggs on the menu, not even because Fitz and her sister were sitting as far apart as they could at the table looking in the opposite direction from one another, but because the temperature in the dining room was a good 10 degrees colder than the rest of the castle. This was the surest tell of all that Elsa was upset. She could often keep her emotions from her face, easily from people who didn't know her well, with more effort from Anna, but if the emotion was strong enough there was going to be a little draft somewhere no matter how hard Elsa tried to control it. It was clear that today she was making that effort to hide what she was feeling, and it would have been successful except that Anna knew she was upset, and it was cold.

The room was silent except for the delicate clink of china and cutlery, until Anna said, "Morning," in what she hoped was a cheerful voice.

"Good Morning, Anna," Elsa replied in her queen tone, wearing her queen face, her smile at odds with what Anna knew was going on inside of her. Anna didn't think she had slept because her eyes had dark circles under them, and she was drumming her fingers as if she had already had too much coffee.

"Morning," grunted Fitz who was staring at the toast in front of her, not looking herself either. Looking a bit … green, actually.

"So," Anna said. "What is everyone up to today?" trying not to sound too desperately chipper and upbeat.

"We can practice if you wish," Fitz said slowly and without any enthusiasm. "It's entirely up to you." That Fitz was willing to let Anna skip out of practice was a true measure of how out of sorts she was feeling. Fitz only canceled practice for physician certified injury and illness, and probably death. Usually, if she and Elsa had a tiff, Fitz worked through it by running Anna ragged, sort of reprisal by proxy, a whipping girl as it were. But her response this morning, feeble and uninspired as it was, said that Fitz was miserable as well.

And of course there was nothing from the other end of the table. The silence was deadly, or at least very tense and unnerving. Anna tried a more direct approach. "Got a lot to do today, Elsa?"

"Of course I do," she answered crisply. "I have a meeting with Admiral Naismith immediately after breakfast, and the entire Council this afternoon." At the mention of Naismith's name, Fitz winced and returned her attention to her tea. "Some of us have a schedule to keep." That remark had Fitz slowly twisting and pulling on her napkin as if it were a living thing she was slaughtering with her bare hands.

That was also the entirety of the conversation until a footman came in with Anna's plate and a large glass of orange colored liquid, which he placed before Fitz.

"I'm sorry," the footman apologized, "but we don't have tomato juice this late in the season, but the cook managed to whip up this … it's carrot. Will that be acceptable?"

Fitz turned a little greener but nodded. Then once the staff had left the room she reached into her boot and pulled out her flask. Anna looked across the table and thought that if Elsa could have shot icicles from her eyes she would have impaled Fitz right then and there. Fitz wasn't immune to her stare either.

"Hair of the dog," she said with a grim smile.

"You have got to be kidding," Elsa spat back. "It's not even 9 o'clock yet."

Fitz's smile such as it was disappeared. She stood and raised her glass. "To her Majesty's health … and the health of the dog." She downed the drink in one long draught, performed a well executed about-face, and marched from the room.

Elsa closed her eyes. Her jaw tightened. Then she put her coffee cup down with a bang. "You will have to excuse me, Anna," she said stiffly. Not waiting for a response, she stalked out a different door back into the heart of the castle.

Anna rubbed the back of her head, looking over as Kristoff came into the room.

"What's up?" he said with a smile.

"I am sooooo glad to see you," she answered, beaming back at him. "Come here and kiss me."

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"Good afternoon, Admiral," Elsa waved him to a seat in her study. Naismith was here for a private update before he presented to the whole council.

"Your Majesty," he bowed and sat, placing a leather portfolio containing the his report on her desk.

Most of what Naismith had to say was routine. Elsa trusted him to make the right decisions about Arendelle's Navy, which was essentially it's entire military, since any attack on the tiny Kingdom had to come by sea. As no one was attacking at present, that report was entirely routine as well. The bulk of the Navy's duties were pursuing the pirates that came near Arendelle's shores and assisting vessels that had been attacked by these pirates. The only matter of interest, and what occupied most of their meeting time together, was that Naismith and the Queen were strategizing on the best way to convince the council that the Navy needed at least one more larger ship.

They could neither afford nor properly man something the size of the Vigilant, but the encounter with that ship had convinced them both that it might be time to add something of a moderate size to their forces, another frigate with at least twenty four guns. Since all of the work would be done by the people of Arendelle, from the lumberjacks, to their expert shipwrights, to their sailmakers, to their foundry, it would have an economic benefit to the Kingdom as well. As Queen, Elsa could just order the ship made without any consultation, but she would much rather have a majority consensus from her advisers. If she was serious about guiding Arendelle from an absolute monarchy to something more democratic she needed to set up the ground work and then let that ground work actually do some work.

So both she and the Admiral had been talking to individual members of the Council on the matter, asking their opinion, listening to their concerns, and it seemed to be going well. If anything King William had made their job easier, no one on the council had missed that they were greatly out gunned by even moderate sized warships.

It was at the end of the meeting that Naismith took a deep breath and said, carefully, "There is the matter of the Lady Fitzwilliam, Your Majesty."

Elsa's heart leaped into her throat. She vaguely remembered Carolina going on about him last night – if any of that had gotten back to him, it would be terribly embarrassing. "Yes?" she asked.

"Well, she came and presented her request to join our Navy personally to me."

"Oh ..." This was the first Elsa had heard of this. Carolina had been adamant that Elsa not speak to the Admiral about her, not help her in any way. Elsa had reluctantly respected that request; she had even discouraged Kai from prevailing on his contacts in the Admiralty. She had hoped that eventually Carolina would see that bringing up her status and attesting to her good character was not the same thing as forcing her on the Navy, but apparently she still wasn't ready to accept Elsa's help.

"And initially I was inclined to deny her request. The command staff is not enthusiastic about adding her to our roster of officers. They don't trust her, and can't say as I blame them."

Elsa pushed any emotion his words prompted down; her face retreated into a neutral expression. This was exactly what Elsa had been worried about. The whole story of what had happened with the Vigilant was by no means widespread, and Carolina's innocence in the plot was particularly well hidden. Most people still presumed that Elsa had taken the Captain into custody because she had been wronged, and neither she nor Carolina had said anything publicly to dispel this presumption. The incident was touchy for Carolina, apparently being held in chains in her own hold was embarrassing, and Elsa had again respected her wishes by not talking about it.

"But after some circumstances, I was convinced that she was not an unworthy candidate, and that there might be a way to bring her into the Fleet, without undermining morale."

"How would you do that?" Elsa folded her hands carefully on the table in front of her. Carolina didn't want her to help, and she didn't want to alienate the Admiral by inadvertently freezing him. Her emotions were still running high, which meant her control of her magic was less than perfect.

"Well, we thought if perhaps Lady Fitzwilliam were to swear an oath in addition to those usually required of officers, a loyalty oath specifically to you and to Arendelle – her own personal ..."

"Fealty?" Elsa finished for him.

"Actually, yes."

Elsa's brow wrinkled as she pondered this. Part of her yearned to tell Naismith she had no doubt whatsoever as to Fitzwilliam's loyalty to her, and he should doubt the former Captain either. But she understood that hers wasn't the important opinion here. Carolina would need the support and respect of her peers if she was to be an effective and satisfied officer. Still... "That's rather medieval, don't you think?"

"Well yes, but it's that medieval formal quality that could make the difference." Naismith had been watching the Queen carefully. She was a difficult woman to read, and he certainly hadn't mastered it. But so far so good. "Her willingness to do more than is usually required would show others that she understands hers is a difficult circumstance."

"Very well, if that is what you think must be done." Elsa wasn't going to second guess him, not on this. "What is required of me?"

"This would have to be done in open formal court."

"I understand." She considered this for a moment. "Well that can certainly be arranged, I am sure. I am not familiar with the ceremony, but I am sure that Kai is, or at least he has a reference that will enlighten both of us."

"I also have a book or two that might help," The Admiral added.

"And doubtless somewhere in our endless collection of ancient regalia there must be the things I would need, again Kai would know for sure." Elsa was glad she wouldn't be the one sorting through that giant pile of what might charitably called history, or less charitably junk, that lived in the attic spaces.

Naismith was agreeable, he trusted that Kai would get this right. "You can arrange the court at your convenience of course, but I think sooner rather than later yes?"

"Yes, absolutely." Elsa did want Carolina to have something productive to do as soon as possible.

"Good." The Admiral nodded and looked relieved as he packed up the papers he had spread out over the table. He had managed to get to through the meeting without having to discuss what had changed his mind.

"Admiral?" Elsa added with a question in her voice. "You said circumstances convinced you of Fitzwilliam's worthiness. What circumstances?"

And there it was, the question he had been dreading. The Admiral shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "You are aware of an incident in a tavern two weeks ago, involving Fitzwilliam."

Elsa nodded slowly, wondering what that rather expensive mishap had to do with Carolina's military career.

"Well, it so happens that one of the yeomen on my staff happened to be present for the entire affair. Furthermore, he is well acquainted with one of the ... uh ... employees of the establishment." Naismith began.

"Go on." Elsa waited for the Admiral to continue. She might be imaging it, but he seemed more hesitant than when he had started.

"It seems, Your Majesty, that Lady Fitzwilliam was the one who actually started the fight."

"I knew it," Elsa muttered to herself. She had guessed all along that the 'they insulted Sven' story was a load of reindeer manure. But that didn't explain anything, in fact it made things murkier. "Do go on, Admiral. How does this convince you to accept Fitzwilliam into the fold? I would have expected exactly the opposite."

"Ahem. Apparently the precipitating event was a rather lewd suggestion from one of the other bar patrons. Lady Fitzwilliam took offense, told the ruffian to shut up, and the fight was on," said the Admiral.

"Yes, well, she is rather sensitive when someone makes reference to her parentage ... " Elsa stopped at a slight negation from the Admiral as he shook his head. "What?"

"Ah, the lewd comment was not about Lady Fitzwilliam's lack of gentle birth." Naismith squirmed a bit; he really wasn't looking forward to where this conversation was going, but his oaths forbade him to lie or mislead Her Majesty.

"What was it about, then?" Elsa looked at him quizzically.

"Ahem – well, it was a disparaging comment about the Princess Anna." Naismith looked as embarrassed as he felt. Elsa was stunned.

"What?!" she tried to hold it back and couldn't. Her exclamation was matched by a patch of ice underneath her left hand. 'Control yourself, breath, breath, Elsa!' She took a long breath, and then gestured again at him to continue. "I'm sorry, Admiral. Please, go on."

"It seems that the ruffians were insulting the ... affections of the Princess and Mr. Bjorgman." Naismith was struggling to maintain his equanimity.

This was more or less what she had expected once Naismith had confessed that it was Anna who had been insulted, and Elsa's mind was already racing through the possible courses of action. Anna and Kristoff needed do as much as they could to mitigate any negative public perception. Their union would never be universally accepted, no royal marriage ever was, but they would do well to have the bulk of the populace on their side. She needed to talk to Anna, and soon. She needed to make plans. It should not be difficult, Kristoff was a very likeable man, and he was the home town boy made good. But they, all of them Anna, Kristoff and herself, needed to move quickly, lest he loose the support of the very people they had counted on to be his champions.

As she brought her stare back from where it had fixed while she was thinking, she noticed that Naismith was still uneasy. He did not look like a man who had finished delivering the bad news. "And is there more?" she asked, wondering what else could match that revelation.

"Well yes … they ... " he coughed and tried to keep a scowl off his face.

"And they what, Admiral?" Elsa had dropped her head so she could rub her temples. She felt a headache coming on.

"Well, ah, they apparently disparaged your … uh ... relationship with the Lady Fitzwilliam." Naismith's body language was as close to a cringe as it could get without actually being one.

Elsa's head snapped up as she looked at him in horror. "My ... my ... relationship?"

Naismith could only nod uncomfortably.

Elsa groaned and sat back in her chair, looking at the ceiling while gripping the armrests so hard they frosted and shards of ice hung to the floor.

"So, what you are telling me is that my sex life and that of my sister are topics of bar gossip in the kingdom, yes?" Her eyes were squeezed shut as she tried very hard to pretend this wasn't happening.

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty." Naismith knew when to answer a question with the bare minimum of information and then shut up.

"Oh. My. God."

Some timeless eternity later, Elsa was able to look at the Admiral without blushing. "If it is in the dockside bars, what about among the gentry and nobility?" Elsa had to know the extent of the damage.

"Well, Your Majesty, it does not seem to be a topic of gossip, there. There have always been the grumbles about Master Bjorgman's lack of a noble title and so forth and so on, but that is nothing new. I gather that most of them think this is just a passing phase in the Princess' life, and that you will not allow her to marry beneath her."

Elsa grumbled at that. She had vowed that Anna would have a marriage of love a long time ago, and wasn't interested in the petty nonsense about Kristoff's not being worthy of her sister. They were right. She did have ultimate control over who Anna would marry, and she intended it be the man she loved, and the rest of the gentry could ... live with that.

"And about me … my relationship?" Elsa asked, her temper no better with considering this question.

"Hmm, actually, while you are the subject of discussion, it is always focused on the desire that you marry and produce an heir. I don't think any other possibility exists in the minds of those people."

Elsa winced and mulled that one over for a few minutes. Sighing, she finally said to the Naismith, "Thank you, Admiral. I imagine this must have been as difficult for you as it was for me."

He simply shrugged. "There was one bright spot, however. Based on my subordinate's observations, and the information he was given by the employee, one thing is absolutely certain: Lady Fitzwilliam's love and loyalty for you and your sister is deep and unquestioned. I'm sure that you knew that already, but it gives me comfort to have that proof."

"Well, that is one thing," Elsa sighed in agreement using her own magic to cool the throbbing at her temples. The rest, however - she had never been so annoyed and mortified in her life. It was a combination of feelings she never wished to feel again. Ever.

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"So it's just the two of us?" Anna came into the dining room for lunch to find Elsa sipping on a cup of coffee and picking at creamed pickled herring with her flatbread.

"Uh, yes. Looks like."

Elsa was distracted. She always carefully broke her flatbread into bite sized pieces, delicately dipping them into whatever they were served with and eating the whole thing in one small bite, just as they both had been taught and only Elsa had managed to master. Anna still preferred what the etiquette tutor disdainfully termed "the shovel method." Today though Anna watched as an entire wafer of bread was ferociously ground into a pile of crumbs on Elsa's plate. The princess decided then she needed to rescue what bread was left for her own lunch.

"Which is probably a good thing." Elsa continued, looking up from her plate. "We need to talk."

Anna almost dropped the plate of herring. "We do?" This wasn't the happy 'Elsa reminiscing about their past, or the past not shared.' Rather it was the 'Anna, there's a problem, and it is you,' request to talk. Talk being a synonym for lecture most of the time. "What did I do? It's not about last night, is it?" She was going to be more than a bit miffed if it was. Last night had been entirely of Elsa's doing.

"No, it's not about last night. I shouldn't have snapped at you when I was angry at someone else."

Anna sighed. Elsa might have apologized to her, but she still didn't get the take home message about empathy and understanding.

"And you didn't do anything." Now, Elsa looked nervous. Not her normal 'what am I doing out of my room and who are you' nervous, but something more. She seemed almost guilty. But she had said it wasn't about last night, Anna thought. So what could be wrong? The Queen continued, "But I will need you to do something."

"Oh … OK." Anna perked up. Doing things was much easier than trying to undo them. "What?"

"I need you to begin taking Kristoff to the functions you have to attend. Any royal business and Kristoff should be there."

"Oh," Anna's better mood was destined to be brief. Some things were less easy to do. "I don't know about that. Kristoff really doesn't like those fancy, formal events."

"Anna, this isn't up for discussion. You must do this."

Anna blinked. OK, so where was the nervous, embarassed Elsa of a moment ago ... had this rigid, high-handed Elsa swallowed her? "That's easy for you to say," she answered slowly. "But Kristoff isn't all that keen on taking orders, even from you." Anna wasn't keen on taking orders either, but she supposed she was actually supposed to. And probably Kristoff was supposed to as well, although when he really didn't want to do something she or Elsa proposed he always claimed he had 'duel citizenship with the trolls.' "He isn't into a lot of pageantry."

Elsa crumbled yet another piece of flatbread in her hand. She needed Anna to understand how important this was, but she didn't intend to tell her why. Anna didn't need to know that her name had come up as the catalyst for a bar fight - anymore than Elsa had wanted to hear it from the Admiral. "Anna, please. It doesn't have to be difficult. I'm not talking about formal dinners or a ball - although, there will be dinners and they will have to be a bit formal, you are the Crown Princess after all - but just take Kristoff, wearing his new clothes, to the next official engagement you have. You have that christining of the new merchant schooner next week. Take him to that. I think that if people get to know Kristoff better or quite frankly at all ..." Elsa thought carefully about what she said next ... "people will realize he is a good choice for you and for Arendelle.

"He's not going to like it, that's all I'm saying."

Elsa crossed her arms and leaned forward. "Well, that's something you need to talk to him about. He's joining the royal family. It's not a matter if he likes ..."

Anna had heard this before. "You're going to give the 'we're royalty, we do it even if we don't like it' speech aren't you?"

"It's not just a speech, Anna. It's true." Elsa didn't understand how her sister managed to miss out on the responsibility part of being royal.

"I don't know how many times you had to listen to it, but it was like my least favorite - and it always seemed to end with me not being able to do anything fun because I was wearing silly clothing and talking to stuffy people." It occured to Anna too late that in Elsa's case the speech probably ended with her not talking to anyone or going anywhere.

"Anna, don't change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject. You're asking me to make Kristoff wear silly clothing and talk to stuffy people!"

Elsa almost laughed. This was the first amusing thing that she had heard all day. But she needed to be serious. This was a serious conversation. "I am asking you to start letting him in on the expectations everyone will have of him. I really think he'll be fine with it. He's a very responsible man. Do you want me to go talk to him? To lay the groundwork?"

Anna shook her head. "No, you'll just scare him."

"I don't scare him ..." Elsa answered defensively. But Anna's arched eyebrow called her assertion into question. "Very well, you handle it. But you need to take this seriously. You and Kristoff are going to be married, which will make him part of our royal family, with very real responsibilities and duties. I need you to do this." Elsa stopped herself; this couldn't be all about her. "We need you to do this. It's very important."

"OK, OK," Anna shrugged. "But what's the rush now? We haven't even formally announced our engagement yet?"

"It's just important," Elsa wrapped her arms around herself, just as she used to when she was hiding her ice powers from Anna.

"Elsa?" Anna was clearly waiting for a better answer. An answer that was not forthcoming.

"It's just important," she repeated more feverantly. "It's just what you do ... in these ... situations."

Anna looked up at the ceiling for guidance. With Elsa it was sometimes one step forward, nine thousand steps back. "Elsa, please. I'm your sister. I know you better than anyone, which may not be all that well, but I can still tell when you're holding something back."

Elsa opened her mouth but couldn't think of anything that wasn't an actual lie, except, "Anna, I really have to go now. I have to attend that Council Meeting. I will see you, later. At dinner."

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Lunch had gone better than Elsa had planned. Now she just had to make it through the council meeting. The council meeting! She stopped dead in her tracks. The Admiral said that the rumors, or whatever they were since they were at least in theory true, hadn't seem to come to the attention of the Council. But what if he was wrong? She suddenly felt queasy.

Sure, she wasn't doing anything wrong, per se. But for all of her bravado in declaring that her private life wouldn't be an issue when she was convincing Carolina to stay, she didn't actually know that. And there was a reason, she thought with some annoyance, that it was called a private life. It was supposed to be private! Until recently all she had had was a private life, a very quiet, very alone, very private life. Now to have what was apparently a gossip worthy private life become public? Her stomach lurched and her head spun. This was one of the rare moments when she was glad her parents were gone.

She finally made her way to the Council chambers, her heart racing the entire trip. The footman opened the door and she stepped through. Kai announced her and everyone came to their feet. As she walked forward to her chair, they bowed and then remained standing, all eyes on her. Normally this was reassuring, something she was used to, the role she was most comfortable in, but today as she met the eyes of her Council, all men of late middle age, she was struck with one horrifying thought. I am in a room with six renditions of my father.

She sat. They sat. Kai pushed her chair in. She reached for a glass of water, only to have it freeze as soon as she touched it. Not an auspicious beginning.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," she started, pushing the glass away to where Kai might attempt to thaw it, or replace it, or decide that she really didn't need a drink anyway.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," the replied in once voice.

To her left sat her secretary, Ragge Ragnarsen, the sole person in the room almost her age; he was merely in his thirties. He was the fourth generation of men who bore that name, and who served the royal family. Her father had always said it made remembering whom to call easier. It just made Elsa smile when she saw him, and glad her family had a little more imagination. He kept the agenda and recorded the proceedings, at least the parts that were appropriate to be recorded. When she looked over to him to see what the first item for the day was, she found him in a furious whispered conversation with Kai.

"It is still irregular," Kai was saying. Ragge held up his hands helplessly.

"If we might begin?" she asked.

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty," the gentleman seemed a little flustered. "There was a last minute addition to our agenda, and …."

"I'll take that, Your Majesty," Master Sandvik said rising from his chair. Sandvik served as what might be considered a Minister of the Interior. He was one of Arendelle's few landholders with a large estate. He was the largest timber producer in the Kingdom. He was also one of the oldest members of the Council, both in longevity of service and actual age.

"The Council …" he began in his usual imperious tone. "The Council, along with most of the men of good station in Arendelle …"

The gentry, Elsa translated for herself.

"... are greatly concerned that you have not yet married so that you might produce an heir."

She felt a moment of panic as she considered exactly what that might mean, and exactly what they might know, and why they were bringing this up now? Had someone overheard her conversation with Naismith? Oh, god – she felt a wave a nausea pass over her. She was sure that her blush could be seen in the next room. She reminded herself that hiding under the table was not considered a queenly posture.

Naismith also seemed surprised, although his reaction was more pointed. "The Queen is still a young woman. This concern is rather premature, and she does have an heir in Princess Anna."

The council as a whole fixed their expressions in a neutral mask and sat very still.

Sandvik, however, continued. "I … We …" he indicated the rest of the council … "do not find it premature. In light of Her Majesty's, er, abnormal social instruction as a young woman, it may take some effort to make this match. And to that end …."

Elsa's eyes went wide. Did he just say what she thought he was saying? She knew it wasn't an incorrect statement. She had not had any experience meeting people before her coronation let alone being courted by them, but no one had ever called her socially stunted directly to her face before. She had always just said it to herself. Naismith must have noticed her reaction for he immediately came to her aid. "The Council is not who is making the effort or will have to live with this match, so I do not think it is appropriate for us to pronounce judgment..."

"But we are the ones who must ..." The arguing started, both men trying to be heard over the other.

"Gentlemen!" Elsa managed to get her mouth to work and while her first sound was more a squeak than a word, the rest fell in a more normal tone. "May I remind you that I am right here."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Naismith replied. Sandvik added, "Indeed, you are Your Majesty."

"And I appreciate your support Admiral, but … but I believe Master Sandvik had the floor." As painful as it was, she had to know exactly what the damage was; she couldn't assess her own standing if she didn't understand the full range of the council's concerns. "Master Sandvik, you were saying?"

"To that end, in order that we might assist Your Majesty in the orderly succession of Arendelle's royal line, some of us on the council have taken the liberty of inviting Prince Reinhardt of Luneberg."

"Oh well, I believe I met him at my birthday," Elsa interjected hopefully. She remembered that they did not get along.

"No, Your Majesty, you did not." Sandvik gave her a disapproving look. Elsa felt thoroughly chastised, but how was she supposed to remember everyone's name from that interminable night? "You met his younger brother Prince Detmar. Prince Reinhardt is the second son of Prince Nils the sovereign holding Luneberg for Emperor Ferdinand. He was visiting the King of Sweden, and I prevailed upon a deep friendship with his father to ask him to come here with the intention of meeting you."

So, Elsa considered, perhaps the brother had made a report of how awful and boring her company was – and the desires of the son did not necessarily echo those of the father. There was still a ray of hope. Please, she prayed, give me an excuse to say, 'no.' Then she asked, her voice catching - "Did he express any interest, himself, in seeing me?"

"Indeed he did, Your Majesty. We corresponded personally. He seemed quite pleased at the prospect." Sandvik was now the picture of a proud papa, his face all smiles. In fact as she looked around the room, all of her council, excepting Naismith, looked as if they had presented her with a wonderful gift in the person of this prince. And she just didn't have the strength to fight it, to fight all of them. Not today.

"When is the Prince arriving?" She asked dreading the answer.

"He shall arrive sometime in the next week. The date is not precisely fixed, but he has already set sail for Arendelle."

"Very well." If the man was already on his way, then there wasn't much she could do about it, anyway, but she could still control how his visit went. "I … and my capable staff," she looked pointedly at Kai, "will handle the arrangements from here. Master Sandvik, if you would coordinate the handing over of the pertinent details and methods of contact?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Very well," she repeated with a thin, wan smile as she looked out over the room. "So what is our next order of business?"