Chapter Six: The Restaurant.

I cannot believe it took me this long to crank out another chapter. Well, actually, I can. I have burned myself out on too many projects in the past, so I don't know why this is surprising to me. Anyway, I apologize for making you wait, and I thank you all for your patience. We haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. The next chapter will be better, I promise.

Also, to NamelessSaint, I read your comment, and I appreciate the feedback. Maybe I haven't found the right balance between shoving my OCs into a spotlight and shoving them into a corner. At least I know people are reading my stuff. As usual, if anyone has suggestions for future chapters, ways to improve the quality of the story, etc., please leave a message in the whatchamacallit.

One more thing. Every time I upload a new chapter, somebody keeps posting the same comments over and over again. Whoever's doing that, I would really appreciate it if you stopped.

… Could be a robot, for all I know.

February 7th, 1840.

The royal coach trundled down to the harbor, carrying Elsa and Olaf to where Kristoff and Anna's vessel was expected to dock. It had been three weeks since Anna and Kristoff had departed from Arendelle on their honeymoon to Corona, and Elsa and Olaf could not be more excited. At long last, the happy couple would be returning to Arendelle, and Elsa would see her sister again.

Their excitement, however, was tempered by an unsettling presence in the harbor. In the weeks since Anna's wedding, the Farmer's Front had been growing larger and stronger in the poorer areas of town, and the bustling harbor was now awash with stevedores and harbormasters in tattered orange shirts.

Elsa had tried everything to improve the standard of living in these parts of town, but her recent efforts had been largely unsuccessful. Somehow, she knew the Farmer's Front was putting obstacles in her way: buying off guards, sabotaging the infrastructure, anything they could do to undermine the Crown. But the worst part was, in spite of the evidence, nobody could prove that the Farmer's Front was responsible for any of this. And so the cycle continued.

As the coach continued in the direction of the harbor, Elsa took her mind off the recent dissent by rereading a letter from her sister.

Dear Elsa,

I hope you're doing well since we last saw you. Kristoff and I are having a lovely time in Corona. Rapunzel and Eugene send their regards, and they say they would love to have you visit them sometime. Rapunzel's mother, Queen Arianna, is a free spirit, and seems to share her daughter's love of adventure. King Frederic is more of a homebody by comparison, but he has proven to be a gracious host.

When we set sail for Arendelle, we should be back home on the seventh, around six in the evening. When we get home, I hope we can check out whatever new business Oaken is running that week.

With lots of love,

Anna

If the letter was accurate, Anna and Kristoff would be arriving today. Olaf could barely contain his excitement, but Elsa remained apprehensive. And not just because of the growing presence of the Farmer's Front. Being this close to the harbor brought up unpleasant memories of her parents being lost at sea. And like any older sibling in her position, she worried for her sister's safety out on the open waves.

Please let her be okay, please let her be okay…

She didn't notice that the coach had grown a little colder until Olaf reached out and took her hand in his.

"Don't worry, Elsa. They'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"I'll just be more comfortable after I see them safe and sound."

"How about a hug?"

Elsa smiled and scooped him up in her arms. "You know me so well."

"If you ever decide to visit Corona, will you take me with you?"

"Of course, sweetie. Maybe we can join Rapunzel on her birthday and see the Festival of Lights."

"You mean it? Don't toy with me, Elsa. My heart can't take it."

"I'll see what I can do, Olaf," she laughed.

Ten minutes later, Anna and Kristoff's vessel arrived in the harbor. Elsa's entourage parted as she watched her sister come running down the gangplank, leaving Kristoff in the dust with their luggage.

"Elsa!" Anna ran straight up to Elsa and hugged her close. "It's so good to see you again. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Anna."

"Hey, what about me?" said Olaf. "Don't I get a hug?"

"Oh, of course, Olaf. Come here." Anna knelt down to hug Olaf.

"I hope there wasn't any trouble on the way back," said Elsa.

"Elsa, we're fine. You can see for yourself. The ship is in one piece, and me and Kristoff—Kristoff?" Anna looked behind her to see her husband carrying two enormous steamer trunks on his shoulders. "Whoops."

After two of Elsa's guards helped Kristoff with the luggage, the royal family climbed into the coach.

"So," said Anna, "what's the latest? Is Oaken trying anything different this week?"

"Well, he did apply to open a seafood restaurant. It's not far from here, actually. Is anyone hungry?"

Kristoff shrugged his shoulders. "I could eat."

"Let's check it out. Elsa, I have so much to tell you about our honeymoon!"

As the royal family entered Oaken's newest establishment, they could see that the loan he had borrowed was money well spent. The restaurant was clearly a success, judging from how busy the staff was that evening. Still, despite how busy it was, Oaken was more than happy to provide a table for the royal family.

"So, Anna, Kristoff, how was Corona."

"Did you get to see the lights?" asked Olaf.

"Uh, no, Olaf, we didn't. Sorry. Rapunzel's birthday is in June. But Corona was great. It's a beautiful country, the food was delicious…"

"Your sister basically ate her weight in Coronian chocolate."

Anna gave Kristoff a playful swat on the arm. "Anyway, we got to see Rapunzel and Eugene… Oh, Rapunzel got a new bodyguard recently."

That got Elsa's attention. "A bodyguard? Really?"

"Well, officially, she's Rapunzel's handmaiden. Her name is Cassandra, and she's an absolute beast with a sword. She wants to be Captain of the Guard someday like her father."

"Well, it sounds like you both had a good time over there—Oops." One of Olaf's buttons fell off his chest and rolled across the room. "Uh, hang on, I'll be right back."

Olaf climbed down from his chair and chased after the lump of coal. It rolled to a stop at somebody's feet. The customer knelt down and picked up the lump of coal before Olaf could get to it. Olaf looked up to see the familiar mangled uniform of the Farmer's Front.

The anarchist looked down at Olaf with obvious contempt. "Well, well… The heretic's little pet. Didn't think I'd see you here tonight."

"Can I have my button back?"

"I don't know why we allow you and that witch to stay in Arendelle. We should've driven you out by now."

"Hey, don't talk about Elsa like that!"

"Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

"Um… Uh… Heh-heh…"

At that moment, another customer approached the anarchist. "Excuse me. Some of us are trying to eat. Now why are you hassling this little fella?"

Olaf looked up and saw the familiar face of Ambassador Prometheus Merryweather. Instead of the elegant suit he wore to Anna's wedding, he was rather dressed down in a simple laborer's outfit. Elsa did the same thing sometimes to keep a low profile when she walked the streets of Arendelle.

"What do you care?" said the anarchist. "This thing isn't even human."

"That's the least of my concerns," said Prometheus. "He didn't do anything to you. Now give him back his button."

"You some kind of magic lover or something?"

Prometheus looked the anarchist dead in the eye and his voice dropped an octave. "Sir… don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

"… Fine." The anarchist gave Olaf his button back and turned to leave the restaurant. "Here's your stupid button. This place is dead, anyway."

Prometheus took a breath to calm himself down before turning to Olaf. "Are you okay, little guy?"

Olaf put his button back on. "Yes… thank you."

"Come on, let's get you back to your table. It's Olaf, right? You sang at Princess Anna's wedding?"

"Yes, sir, that was me. I'm actually here with the royal family tonight."

"Well, this should be interesting."

They returned to Olaf's table to find Kristoff sharing some anecdotes from the honeymoon.

"So, anyway," said Kristoff, "the second day we were there, I tried to get a tan on the roof of the castle, and I got a little sunburnt."

Elsa cringed sympathetically. "Ooh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah," said Anna, "he could've used your help that day."

Kristoff absent-mindedly scratched his shoulder. "Yeah, but it's mostly cleared up now, and… wait… is that Olaf and… Uh, what was his name?"

Elsa and Anna turned around to see Olaf walking back to the table with Ambassador Merryweather. Elsa's heart got caught in her throat at the sight of him.

Prometheus nodded to Elsa with a smile. "Your Majesty, it seems Olaf here got in a spot of trouble. Just wanted to bring him back to you safely."

"Th… Thank you, Ambassador. We didn't realize you would be here tonight."

"Oh, I'm just here on vacation this time. It's not an official visit. And please, call me Prometheus."

Elsa left her seat to put and arm around Olaf. "Olaf, sweetie, are you all right? What happened?"

"Uh, well, I was chasing after my runaway button and I got cornered by one of those Farmer's Front guys. Then Prometheus stood up to him for me and I got my button back."

"Thank you so much, Prometheus."

"Well, of course, Elsa. It was probably a boneheaded move on my part, but I couldn't let him get pushed around like that."

"You are… very kind, Prometheus."

"Elsa, where are your manners? Prometheus, would you like to join us?"

"Oh. Princess Anna. I'd love to join you guys, if that's all right with your sister?"

Elsa gave a nervous smile. "Um… ahem, of course. I don't mind at all."

"Thank you. Just let me get my food and I'll be right back."

For the next couple of hours, they ate, drank, and chatted about everything and nothing. After Kristoff and Anna had exhausted their honeymoon stories, Elsa began asking Prometheus about his life in Aquila.

"So… Prometheus… I remember your father was a General during the Revolution… Did you happen to serve anywhere?"

"I wanted to serve the cause… desperately. But my father didn't want me joining the Continental Army."

"Why not?"

"My father used to say that war turns boys into men, and men into monsters. He was afraid I would either be killed in battle or corrupted by the horrors of war. So we reached a compromise of sorts. Instead of joining the rank and file, I acted as a spy, stealing secrets from the Albinite forces to weaken their presence."

"Your father must be very proud of you."

Prometheus chuckled modestly. "I just wanted to help build a better future for myself and my country."

"So, Prometheus…" said Anna, "… is there… anyone special waiting for you back home? Like a… lady friend?"

Prometheus's face grew tense before he took a deep breath and released it. "No… No, there isn't anyone like that waiting for me."

"Interesting…" Anna shifted her gaze to Elsa and nodded her head sideways toward Prometheus.

Elsa's eyes darted back and forth and she leapt up from her seat. "Please excuse me. I'll just be a moment." She ran off toward the ladies' room as fast as she could.

Anna stood up and followed her sister into the ladies' room. She found Elsa in one of the stalls, hugging herself tightly and hyperventilating.

"Elsa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Just go back to the table."

"… Why won't you ask him out? You're obviously fond of him. And I think he likes you too."

"I… I admit that he's… very sweet. He doesn't judge me for having magic powers… He has a very warm presence that makes me feel… safe… Yes. Yes, I like him, okay? There. I said it."

"Then what's the problem?"

Elsa began to lose control of her magic as a patch of ice collected under her feet. "I just… what if he doesn't like me as much as I like him? What if he thinks I'm peculiar or unattractive or something?"

"Elsa, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You're not peculiar, and you're very, very beautiful. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

"What if he doesn't feel that way?"

"You'll never know how this will play out if you don't give it a try. Sure, you could choose to close yourself off from the world again, live a lonely life being isolated and safe from rejection… but if you do that, you may look back on your life and wish you'd done things differently. And by then, it'll be too late."

"Anna…"

"Look, Elsa, if he's not interested, it won't be the end of the world. Someday, you'll find the right guy. But you have to be willing to let your guard down. And it's worth it, trust me."

The ice began to dissipate as Elsa grew calm and focused again. "… Okay. I'll do it. I'll ask him."

"That's the spirit. Come on. The boys are waiting for us."

As the Stark sisters walked back to their table, Prometheus and Kristoff stood up and helped them with their chairs.

"Well," said Prometheus, "it was nice to see you all again. Thank you for letting me join you. Unfortunately, it's getting late, and I need to turn in soon."

Elsa stood up from her seat again, knowing this was her chance. "Wait… Prometheus… Out of curiosity, how long will you be staying here?"

"A couple more days, at least. Why do you ask?"

"Well… tomorrow afternoon, I was planning to go for a ride out in the country. And I was wondering if you would like to… to… to join me?"

"… I'd love to join you, Elsa. That sounds wonderful."

Elsa's heart fluttered in excitement. "… Just to be clear, you said 'yes', right? I just want make sure I heard you correctly."

Prometheus chuckled. "Yes, Elsa."

"Great! … Great. I… I have a council meeting tomorrow morning, but I should be done by two o'clock. Would that work for you?"

"Absolutely. I'll see you tomorrow, Your Majesty."

As Prometheus left the restaurant, Elsa turned to face Anna, who was equal parts excited and smug. "Well? Didn't I tell you?"

"I… I knew he would say yes."

"Sure you did."