A/N I do not own the rights to Frozen or Wolf and Spice. And now, on with the story.

Chapter 4

Anna walked through the corridors and nearly right into the hulking form of Sergeant Ragnar, who apparently was far more aware and had literally spun around to avoid the distracted Princess moments before she would have collided with him. "Easy there, your Highness. Wouldn't want it known a warrior of Yoitsu had knocked you senseless..."

She smiled at the cloaked man, "Sorry, I guess I'm just a little distracted today."

The older man nodded and smiled slightly, "No wonder. War with former friends, and a strange neighbor showing up, offering to help. Enough to make anyone thoughtful, I should imagine. Of course, I have to admit, I think the Captain would have come down here by himself regardless of what the King had decided."

Anna paused, "Oh, is Prince Naeil that fond of war?"

The old man actually looked stunned for a moment, "Oh goodness no, little lady, But he is rather taken with your older sister, has been for a while."

Anna looked at Ragnar, "What do you mean?"

The sergeant laughed and Anna clearly saw that this man had fangs in his mouth, his canines hung longer than the rest of his teeth. "Whoops, I probably have said too much! Please, don't worry your Highness. It's nothing really, just the Captain saw a portrait of your sister some time ago and...well, she is pretty."

Anna stood there thoughtful for a moment. Ragnar picked up on her sudden change of mood, "So yes, when I say he probably would have come down here regardless of the King's decision, well, the Captain's a good man."

Anna finally smiled, "Thank you, Sergeant. For everything." As she ran off down the hall, her mind raced with ideas. I knew he was perfect for you, Elsa!

Elsa sat in her chambers, idly brushing her hair as Kai read off a list of the navy's current state. She knew she should be paying more attention, but her mind kept wandering back to that moment in the Garden.

Kai had noted her distracted state and paused for a moment, "Prince Naeil mentioned something," he stated.

She stopped brushing her hair and turned immediately, "What? What did he say?" she asked.

Kai looked at his queen calmly, "Nothing, but I just wanted to make sure that was what was on your mind." Closing the book, the aide sighed. "If you wish, we can do this some other time when you are not so, preoccupied."

Elsa frowned and put down her brush, "I'm sorry, Kai. I should know better."

Kai looked at the young woman for a moment and sighed once more, "How should you know better, my Lady. You were kept isolated for so long, and then with the events surrounding your coronation," he trailed off, not wanting to bring her unhappy memories. Kai smiled, "I'm actually pleased to see you distracted in such a way, especially in this dark time. It gives me hope."

Elsa looked at her aide, "Hope?"

Kai shrugged, "Well...surely you have considered, the future?"

Elsa's eyes widened and she blushed, and the room filled with snow flurries, "Kai, we're facing a warfleet being here in less than a week, now is certainly not the time for this discussion!"

Kai nodded calmly, reopening the book, "As you wish, your Majesty. Now, shall I continue my report?"

Elsa breathed deeply, reigning in her powers, and resolving to focus on her aide. "Please."

Anna knocked on the door, and heard some shuffling. It opened to reveal Kristoff's face, "Hey sweets," he said with a smile.

Anna stepped in and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Hi! So...I'm thinking we need to get ready for dinner."

Kristoff smile grew. "A quiet romantic dinner, just the two of us," he said, raising his eyebrows playfully.

Anna let a pause hang in the air, "Actually, I was thinking more of a double date."

Disappointment flashed over his face, but he buried it and scratched his head knowingly. "Let me guess, you and me, a Queen and a certain visitor from a mysterious land."

Anna beamed, "Yes, what do you think?"

Kristoff's face grew serious. "I still say there's something odd about him."

Anna laughed, "Haven't you been paying attention, there's something odd about all of them. However, it's not like they have tails or anything."

Finally in his chambers for a moment, Naeil locked the door and sighed, as a pair of wolf ears perked up from his head and his long white tail was finally allowed to wiggle freely through the air. Looking into a mirror, he smiled sadly. "What am I doing?" he muttered. "She could never..."

Ragnar raised an eyebrow and pulled his hood back, his own gray/black ears now exposed and his own tail flicking underneath the cloak. "Oh come now, boy. You just met the woman, how can you know she'll never accept you? I mean, look at your parents. There's a mismatch if anyone ever saw one."

Naeil looked at the old sergeant, who just grinned. The man definitely showed his wolf side now. "It's not just my...features, Ragnar."

Ragnar's eyes softened, "Your grandparent's faced the same obstacle. That didn't stop them."

Naeil nodded, "Yes, But I also saw her...every year going out to his grave. Until she finally decided to just stay there."

Ragnar sighed, "With all due respect, I was there when he was still alive. They were happy. They loved their children, and the nieces and nephews when her family returned. They loved the entire pack. Holo and Kraft both understood that she would live long after he'd passed. They chose to spend his precious moments together instead of living alone." The old sergeant put a hand on the prince's shoulder. "You can't live your life worrying about the what ifs, Naeil. They'll drive you crazy if you let them."

Naeil looked at the old wolf's face and smiled, "When did you get so wise?"

The sergeant smiled, "You forget our lineage, pup."

There was a knock on the door and the two immediately froze, "Who is it?" asked Naeil.

"It's Princess Anna."

Ragnar threw his hood back over his head, as Naeil carefully retucked his own tail back into his britches. Adjusting his hair slightly to cover his flattened ears, he took a deep breath and unlocked the deadbolt, "Princess Anna," he said, smiling. "To what do I owe this pleasure."

She smiled, "Well, Kristoff and I are going to be having dinner with Elsa, and I was wondering if you'd join us."

It took every ounce of self control the young prince had to not wag his tail furiously and let his ears stand straight up. "I'd like that very much," he blurted out.

Anna beamed, "Great, I'll have the staff guide you to the private dining room at seven."

As the princess ran off, Naeil stepped back grinning ear to ear. Ragnar smiled, "See, her sister's already got your back. You might as well start picking out baby toys." The prince turned beet red, "Sergeant," he growled in irritation.

Meanwhile Anna raced down the hall, "Great...now I just have to go tell Elsa..."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Snowflakes ripped through the room as Elsa bolted out of her chair. Anna backed away, "Calm down, Sis."

Else stormed over to her sister and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Calm down!? You just invited a complete stranger to a private dinner! WHY SHOULD I BE CALM?"

Anna straightened herself up and took her sister's hands into her own. "Elsa, relax. It's just dinner. And you're right, I did invite a complete stranger to it. What better way to get to know him?"

Elsa blushed bright red and turned away, rubbing her arms nervously. "Anna, why did you do this? With everything going on, this really isn't the best time."

Anna looked at her sister, and smiled. "Elsa, it's the perfect time. You are a wreck right now. You need something like this to put everything in perspective. You need to know there are those out there that care for you and will be by your side."

Elsa sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to get out of her sister's spiderweb. "Alright, but you need to behave yourself. I don't need my sister trying to get me engaged before Arendelle's safe."

Anna face beamed, "Why sister, I wasn't even thinking that far ahead." Her eyes narrowed playfully, "Are you thinking of marriage, because I recall someone chastising me for getting engaged to someone I'd just met."

Elsa blushed and shook her head, realizing what she'd just said. "No, no!" She gritted her teeth in frustration. "Just dinner, nice conversation...no funny business!"

Anna nodded, hugging her sister from behind. "Great, see you then...and, I think you should let your braid hang down," she suggested as she raced out the door.

Elsa's eyes narrowed as her sister left. Then she walked slowly over to the mirror. "Let my braid hang down." she muttered. Then looking at the mirror, she pulled the hair pin holding her braid in a bun on her head, "Would he actually like that better?" she thought, a slight smile coming to her lips.

Around Weselton Harbor, the army waited to board the ships that would take them to Arendelle. While provisions were being loaded however, the soldiers spent most of their time waiting. A young soldier sighed as he drank some hot tea out of a mug, looking into the woods surrounding their encampment. Another soldier walked slowly towards the fire grumbling. "Hurry up, wait, hurry up, and then wait again."

The young soldier nodded absentmindedly, still staring off into the woods. The other soldier plopped down and looked into the woods himself. "Damn wolves..."

The younger soldier sighed, "They seem to have been a lot more active around here in the last couple of days."

The older man snorted, "It's because they smell the food boy...nothing more." Grabbing a rock he hurled it into the forest, listening to the sound of it bouncing off the trees and along the ground. "Filthy animals any ways..."

In the woods, a pair of golden eyes peered out at the encampment, as a figure clad in a gray/white cloak idly tossed the rock the Weselton soldier had just thrown up and down in his hand.