It was the biggest party Arendelle had seen in 3 years.

For the first time in forever, springy music filled the Great Hall, a lively party full of guests laughing, dancing and eating and just enjoying themselves. Andy had never experienced something like it.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of mighty trumpets announcing the arrival of his brother.

"King Elliott of Arendelle," Kai proclaimed.

He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Elliott was now King, but in a good way, he was happy for him. Andy had vague memories of a smiling little kid with windblown hair and a light dusting of freckles on his face. Now before all the people stood a poised young man with hair slicked back, tall and handsome in a maroon cape and as always, the leather gloves. When had that happened? What kind of evolution had Elliott gone through, and where could Andy get one just like it?

All his life he'd thought of himself as the spare. The son that was never going to be King, never the heir. But he could be more than the extra button on a jacket, right?

Andy had stopped growing when he was 16, leaving him shorter than his desired height, but he was convinced he made up for it with his devilishly good looks and amazing personality. And a load of self-esteem, of course.

He'd seen his brother over the years, always with perfect posture and a measured smile. But he always left meals early, he always had some lecture to attend, and Andy was just left feeling rejected and angry. But Elliott was his only family, and brothers had to stick with brothers, yeah?

"Prince Anders of Arendelle!"

He was startled to see that everyone was staring at him, and then with the help of Kai's pointed look he realized he was meant to join his brother's side. He gulped. Oh. He set his shoulders back and raised his head, smiling kindly at the crowd of guests as he walked over to stand by Elliott, at a respectable distance, trying to avoid an awkward situation, but Kai was having none of it.

He ushered Andy over to stand right next to Elliott. For years Andy had noticed the staff had been trying to get the two brothers to get along again, Kai being one of the main schemers.

The music continued and Andy stood there, raking his brain to think of something, anything to say and break the heavy silence that had settled between them.

"Hey."

"...hey? Hey me?" Andy pointed a finger to his chest, never in his life expecting Elliott to be the one to actually speak first. His brother was smiling shyly at him, stormy blue eyes content for a change. "Oh! Um. Hey!"

"... you're looking quite handsome," Elliott said, a teasing smile he hadn't seen in his brother's face for years.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Andy winked, his shoulders finally relaxing. "I met the most beautiful girl today."

Elliott's laugh was a godsend. When was the last time he'd heard that? Not a boyish giggle, but the deep laugh of his amused brother. Wow.

"I sure hope you don't introduce her to me," Elliott muttered, "we don't want another Traitorous Crow."

The comment probably should've stung, but Andy just found it funny. Elliott was obviously testing the waters. He probably didn't know how to interact with him, what jokes to make. Andy wanted to let him know, gods, he wanted to cry out to the heavens that he could joke as crudely as he wanted, as long as he did not shut Andy out again. As long as they could keep this conversation going, Elliott could say whatever he wanted for all Andy cared. He hadn't realized how much he'd craved his brother's attention until that moment.

Suddenly Elliott's eyes narrowed, "What the...?"

"What? What is it?" Andy panicked for a second, scanning the room, trying to find the source of what had caught his brother's eye.

"The cake..." the King of Arendelle frowned.

"The cake?" Andy's eyes landed on the three layer cake with the blue frosting at the far end of the room and almost snorted, but that would have been un-prince-like, so he held it back.

The cake was like he'd left it hours ago, with the missing patch of frosting he'd swiped, and the hastily placed fish entrée was still stuck to the side. Looking at it now though, it looked ridiculous, the fish looked so sad stuck there where it didn't belong. Everyone must've thought they were either really eccentric or totally loony. He was fine with it. But he worried about what Elliott would think.

"Did you do that... interesting decoration?" his brother's gaze turned to him.

"...no?"

"Andy."

"...maybe."

Elliott laughed, and Andy was so relieved, he laughed along. A good, throaty laugh. When was the last time they'd shared one?

"I wanted some frosting," Andy explained between laughs, "and, uh, things went wrong."

"I can imagine..." Elliott's eyes returned to the party. Andy's stayed fixed on his brother. He wanted to say so much, but couldn't think where to start. Maybe he should tell him, in all seriousness, about Helena, the princess that had seemed to come right out of a fairytale book-

"Your Majesty," Kai interrupted, "The Duchess of Sandlame."

"Sandlane! Duchess of Sandlane!" an elderly lady snapped, after curtseying at Elliott. She reminded Andy of the weird great aunt he'd met a million years ago, the one that was obsessed with foreign spices and rugs. She had a hook nose, and was wearing a fancy orange gown, with weird little birds stitched to the sides. Her hairstyle was so complex and piled up so high on her head Andy was afraid it would fall

"Your Grace!" she exclaimed, "As your closest partner in trade, I think it's only fitting we dance a good waltz!"

Elliott smiled tightly, "Thank you, Duchess. Only, I don't know how," he glanced sideways at Andy, "but my brother does."

Elliott knew about his private lessons? "How do you-"

The old lady cackled and hooked her arm through the younger prince's, "Lucky you!"

Andy yelped as he was dragged away to the dance floor by an old lady that was far stronger than she looked. Then again Andy wasn't very hard to push around. He made strangled noises at Elliott, but the King of Arendelle was trying to hold in laughter.

• • •

Elliott felt bad for about 5 seconds, but watching his little brother struggle to keep up with the Duchess' fast pace was too amusing. Andy looked just about ready to bolt when the old lady stopped spinning him around and decided to just dance around him instead, her bony elbows stabbing his sides now and then as she pranced around.

It had been a while since he'd laughed that hard, and it felt so good he almost forgot to catch himself before his emotions got too out of control. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know.

Eventually Andy came back, cursing under his breath and rubbing his sore feet.

"You're rather fragile for one so young! But if you're up for a second round..." the Duchess wiggled her thin eyebrows, "I'll be over there, my lord!"

"Yes, of course!" Andy called back, but under his breath he added, "She has elephant feet I swear to-"

"Sorry," Elliott murmured, but his expression said he was not sorry at all. "You okay?"

Andy let his throbbing foot fall and smiled at his brother, "Yeah, actually... I've never been better. This is so cool. I wish it could be like this every day."

"Me too," Elliott said, meaning every word. Andy's eyes shone. But while looking at his face, Elliott felt a chill when he saw the white streak of hair. "But it can't," Elliott stiffened up, turning away from his brother.

"W-What? Why not? Elliott-"

"It just can't Andy!" Elliott almost growled.

"Ah..." Andy said, Elliott could hear the disappointment and sadness in his brother's tone, and it was breaking his heart. "Excuse me for a minute..."

Elliott turned just in time to see Andy walking away, head down.

He did it.

He hurt his brother again.

• • •

Andy sniffled, hoping to all the gods nobody saw it. Just when Elliott was opening up again, letting him back in- Andy had done something, something to make Elliott mad all over again. But what? He'd let the cruel joke slide, he'd danced with that crazy old lady for his sake, and all for...

Not looking where he was going, Andy managed to trip over his own feet, but luckily his hands latched on to something before he fell face-first- or more like someone.

He opened his eyes, which he'd automatically closed to brace himself for impact, only to find a vaguely familiar white material. Horrible embarrassment bubbled up from his stomach as he realized a couple of things- what he'd grabbed on to? The waist of Helena from the Southern Isles. The thing he was looking at? The back of her dress. "Prince Andy!" Helena spun around, and he quickly let her go, fumbling over his words and blushing furiously. She grinned, "If you wanted to dance, all you needed to do was ask!"

"I- I wasn't, um..." people had started to stare at what might have been harassment, which Andy swore it wasn't. He was just a clumsy, awkward disgrace. He tried to play it off by bowing, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

She smirked and clasped his hand, "Of course."

They moved around the dance floor for a while, and after Andy let her take the lead, she began to talk "I wanted to ask you myself earlier, but you were a little busy with some girlfriend."

Andy frowned. What was she...

"The Duchess?" he blurted, and she laughed, a sweet sound that made his insides flutter, "Oh, heavens, do I look like a gold digger to you? Or an archeologist perhaps?"

Helena laughed again as he spun her around, and then brought their bodies close together as they danced back and forth.

"I did it for Elliott," he muttered almost to himself.

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow, "And why didn't the King join the poor lady in her waltz?"

"I dunno. Elliott- he's... reserved?" Andy offered, feeling uncomfortable talking about his brother to a stranger, "He's not very social, I guess. We don't... He doesn't talk to me."

Andy didn't know why he was just saying those things. Those personal things, but after how Elliott had treated him he didn't exactly care what his brother could think of him sharing that information. To his surprise, Helena's beautiful eyes were full of understanding as she cupped his cheek, "I know what you feel. I have 12 older sisters."

"Twelve-"

"Let's talk somewhere private, Andy?" She said, grabbing his hand. That's when he realized the music had changed and another song was starting. He let her guide them away.

•••

What he expected to be a 5 minute walk extended to hours.

She insisted that he show her the castle, so he did. While on the tour she talked about her life on the Southern Isles, and Andy listened intently, having never left his own hometown he longed to hear stories about places overseas. After what happened to his parents he didn't plan on getting on a boat anytime soon. Helena was actually very pleasant company, she was like an open door, while Elliott on the other hand had been a double locked vault of steel.

They managed to get a slice of the cake Andy had vandalized and they shared it, eating with their fingers on the balcony overlooking the celebrations outside the castle. "Wow," Helena said, "the view is so b-"

"-beautiful? I know, right?" Andy said, "like you!"

Helena blushed, "It's kinda crazy, Andy, how we finish each other's s-"

"Slices!" He finished, grabbing the last of the cake and stuffing it in his mouth.

"That's what I was gonna say!" Helena said quickly, but her face was one of bewilderment.

The tour kept going, and he confessed about his secret waltz lessons and she teased him about it. She told him about her equestrian lessons and he immediately wanted to change around the facts of his earlier story.

Later she asked about the streak of white in his hair. "Mama said I was born with it," Andy brushed it off, not wanting to share his theory about being kissed by a troll just yet.

She asked him lots of questions about himself, and Andy found himself loving her for not bringing up Elliott once or comparing them, her entire undivided attention focused on him.

Helena talked to him about her 12 older sisters. "The oldest ones, the ones married to Lords and with a title pretended I was actually the gardener's daughter for 2 years," she told him, as they walked arm-in-arm through the royal rose garden. "But sisters are like that, I guess."

"And brothers." He laughed nervously, "Elliott and I were best friends when we were little. But then one day he... He just shut me out. And I never knew why. After that, all my life has been a series of doors in my face."

She smiled with those perfect white teeth, "I'd never shut you out."

"Wow, you'd be a good… sister."

As soon as the words left his mouth he wanted to kick himself. That was definitely not what he thought of her; but sometimes Andy said stupid things and ruined everything. But Helena handled it different. Both of them standing in that moonlit garden, she turned him around to face her, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"Seriously? Sister?" She tilted her head in a cute way, her perfect lips forming a pout.

"...Friend?" Andy's heart was beating so fast he was sure Helena could hear it, standing as close as she was. She made an unhappy sound at that. His hands were sweating, but he tentatively placed them on her waist, "Girlfriend?"

"Hmmm keep trying..." She whispered, lacing her fingers behind his neck. He was delighted to be so close to her, so close he could see the little flecks of brown on her green eyes and the... was that love?!

He shifted nervously, "Fiancée?"

"Are you proposing to me, Anders?"

With newfound confidence Andy did not know he had, he finished pressing their bodies together, both his arms around her "Would it be crazy?"

She laughed, "Would it be even crazier if I said yes?"

Before regret could even start flowing through his veins, Helena had pulled him down to a passionate kiss and every single thought that wasn't her soft lips or her nice smelling hair completely left his brain.

When she pulled back to grin at him, Andy's thoughts were racing. He could actually have a life outside his lonely world, closing that old painful door that had never opened for him and opening a new one instead- a door to love.

Life could be so much more with Helena, he thought, and with her name on his mind, he tilted her chin up for another kiss.

+++never listen to the outtake song "More than just the spare" if u wanna lead a happy life cos it will destroy you. tried to add a little bit of the stuff from that song here, it was meant to introduce anna in an early frozen draft and it just mADE ME VERY UPSET OKAY.

++ in the next chapter things get... well. you know. andy's got to ask a certain someone for a blessing. how could that ever go wrong

+ thank you for reading! & i hope u enjoyed :)! Reviews are appreciated (◡‿◡✿)