They tried to get in as discreetly as possible. Which still wasn't discreet enough.
Instead of having dinner in the palace, Elsa and Robert were actually going out to eat, like regular people. Instead of telling the royal council, or anyone else outside of the royal family, that they were courting before going on a real date, they decided to just go on one first.
Once everyone saw them tonight and word got out, the real chaos would start tomorrow morning. They knew that going in. That's why they wanted to have one date, as normal people – or rather, Robert's last date as a normal person – beforehand.
As such, Robert made reservations under his name at the nicest restaurant in town – although he couldn't pay for all of it with his own money. Still, being Princess Joan's rescuer and a royal blacksmith was good enough for a solid discount.
He also made sure he got the most private table possible. But no matter how well he and his date were hidden, there was no way she wouldn't be recognized. Although Elsa was wearing one of her most modest, ice free dresses and her hair was back up, there was no mistaking her. There was no way that every guard stationed outside the restaurant wouldn't be noticed too.
It was only out of awe, shock and gossip that no one directly bothered them as they sat down. They hoped it would be enough to salvage anything normal – anything just for them – during this last night before the hard part started.
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"So….how was your day?" Robert broke the ice with a normal question. Elsa let out the tiniest smirk, grateful for the distraction.
"Very….Queenly," Elsa put it. "I met with officials that will yell at me tomorrow, toured the countryside and met people that won't stop gossiping about us tomorrow, and prepared for a date that'll be the talk of Arendelle for months. What did you do today?"
"Oh, made swords, took more baths than usual, got interrogated by Joan and Anna. The usual," Robert answered.
"I'd say it couldn't have been worse than Kristoff and Christian checking on me. Or Joan and Anna following up. But maybe I'm kidding myself," Elsa said.
"No, I think you got it. I only had Anna and Joan checking up on me." After a pause, Robert flip-flopped, "No, you had it right kidding yourself."
"It's easier to excuse them when you've had a few hours. And a lot of distance. Somewhat," Elsa rationalized.
"They just wanted to make sure we're on our best behavior. And we treat each other right. And get an idea of how romantic we'd be," Robert explained. "Joan explained it more coherently than Anna at the end."
"I suppose we'll wish for such gentle butting in before too long," Elsa figured.
"In between our other wishes," Robert reminded.
It took a minute of silence before Robert went to another topic. "Can I ask….what might be a personal question?" he dared.
That would have been a huge no-no so many years ago for Elsa, even right after the thaw. Even Anna figured that out before long. However, she was already more personal with Robert than any non-family member she'd ever known. She supposed more personal stuff came with this new territory.
"Go ahead," she conceded.
"Is Anna ever jealous of you?" Robert asked. Elsa didn't expect that kind of personal. He eventually figured she'd need more to go on. "I mean, when it comes to Joan and Christian."
He'd still need to give her a little more. "They both helped their parents check up on us. I doubt they made them do it. And you said they helped you figure out you wanted to date me. I don't know many kids who'd go that out of their way for their aunt."
"Maybe you don't know many kids," Elsa gave him an out.
"That one fact doesn't change my point," Robert said, hoping he'd reach the main point eventually. "The way they love you, and you love them….you're like a second mother to them. Anna must see it too. As their first mother, I wonder if she's ever felt….slighted over that."
"Like I'm a better mother than her? Is that what you're getting at?" Elsa started to frown. "There are better ways to flatter me."
"I'm starting to see that," Robert felt the frost. "But I also see how amazing you are with them. How great you'd be with any little boy or girl. That's got to be an improvement."
"By comparison," Elsa softened. And yet Robert went with his next train of thought anyway.
"But that's what it comes down to, isn't it?" he started. "The suitor search, the pressure to get married, the frustration over you not dating….it all comes down to them wanting an heir. They need you to be a mother."
"But….what they really want is you to be a mother to a proper child. A fully royal one." After a pause, Robert finished, "I'm sure I'm saying it better than they will."
"Robert…." Elsa poured anger, fear and concern in that one word.
"I know! It's way too early for you and me to….look that far ahead. It doesn't mean they won't," Robert pointed out. "They'll ask stuff like….did you put off dating because you were afraid to be a mother? Or afraid to be reduced to one? Is that why you're that close to kids who already have a mother? Or desperate enough to be one with someone like me?"
"Is this them asking?" Elsa wondered.
"Elsa, they wouldn't add what an incredible mother you'd be. They're certainly free to prove me wrong," Robert said. "It's not fair they're pressuring you to be one for the wrong reasons. And you're not a failure or incomplete if you never become one! But on the other hand, it's not fair that….Joan and Christian are the only kids who've….enjoyed that side of you. I hope that's not….for the wrong reasons too."
Robert hoped he didn't screw up for the right reasons. There were at least a few good questions and topics in there, between all the rambling. Hopefully she latched onto one of them and went with it.
"I'm kind of glad it's taken this long," Elsa started. "If I became a mother 10 years ago, maybe even five….I would have collapsed from fear. Fear from holding a baby, of freezing a baby, having a baby with powers. Now that I've held and helped raise two healthy, powerless kids….raising one of my own doesn't seem so impossible. And if it has powers….I can deal with it better than I would have back then."
"Not just by comparison?" Robert checked.
"Maybe not," Elsa admitted. "Plus….I wouldn't feel a certain kind of pressure that I did with them."
"A certain kind? Is there anything more to that?" Robert wondered.
"I missed out on Anna growing up," Elsa reminded. "Joan and Christian aren't finished growing yet, I know. But I've seen Joan become a teenager. I got to see Christian's sixth birthday. I finally got to see little kids that I love grow up past their fifth birthday. Now it'll be normal when it happens with my hypothetical baby. It feels….or it will feel if I get the chance….so freeing."
"It certainly sounds like it was worth all the waiting so far," Robert noted.
Elsa took her time before her next answer. "Anna wasn't just my sister back then. She was my best friend. She still is, but….Joan and Christian…."
She shook her head before going on. "It's ridiculous. My little niece and nephew shouldn't be my best friends. But….at the very least, I know I'm theirs. Being a little girl and boy's best friend is….well, I know the consequences of screwing that up."
"You don't have to with them," Robert jumped ahead. "They're gonna spend their whole childhood knowing you love them. And that you're the best friend they could ever have. I know it doesn't completely make up for….the last time. But you still love it, don't you? And them?"
Elsa nodded, biting her lip and more conscious of making a scene here. Yet she still managed to talk again.
"I spent a lifetime standing by and letting a little girl cry. And feel worthless," Elsa relived. "Any chance I get….and not just with them, with any little kid…."
Robert reached for her hand, just in case, but Elsa held it up. She steadied herself and continued, "I was afraid of children then. Among my other fears. But I just love them now. And thanks to Joan and Christian….I won't ever have to be scared of anything with a baby of my own. I won't have to work through childhood traumas, or be scared of them again. All I'll be able to do is love my child."
"As if you're not an expert already," Robert got in some flattery.
"But not more than Anna. See, you are learning," Elsa flattered right back. By a nicely coincidental piece of timing, their dinner was brought out to provide some closure. At least on this topic.
When they were halfway full, Elsa actually answered, "Anna can be the jealous type sometimes. Another side effect of 13 lonely years of lies. But it's not so bad when it comes to the kids. If only the kids," she semi-rolled her eyes.
Robert nodded at his overdue answer, before Elsa took him aback by asking, "Now about my jealous side. Is there anyone out there that would activate it? Anyone you….once knew personally?"
Robert was fortunate not to be eating or drinking anything at that moment. He silently thanked Elsa for that as he decoded her question. "Oh! You're asking about….my past dating history, then."
"Well, they might ask stuff about it. To discredit you," Elsa asked, semi-enjoying the turned tables. "They might look for a burned old flame to make up lies about you. About your past. With women and otherwise. Assuming they would be lying."
"They'd have to really embellish the truth," Robert shared. "There's no seriously burned old flames out there. I dated around, but I wasn't really….equipped for more. They usually knew that before long. Some hung around longer than others, but not seriously long."
"Because you weren't….equipped," Elsa repeated – only realizing later how else that could be taken.
Robert thankfully jumped back in before she got too embarrassed. "Because I wasn't serious dating material. Back then, I wouldn't let myself do the only job I was really good at. So I wasn't interested in doing much else. Or sharing that with others."
"I can see that," Elsa understood. "Whether it's being a blacksmith, or a big sister….when you're not doing what you're really meant to do, what else is worth it?"
"Yeah," Robert sighed. "It takes someone special to snap you out of that. It took me a while to see it, that's all. It can take 13 years, or even 16 years, but it happens. But no one had a real shot to do it for me until now."
"Good," Elsa blurted. She should have corrected herself, since it wasn't good he suffered that long. But after Robert smiled, and after Elsa took her next delicious bite, she figured she'd let it slide.
There were no more distractions – none they couldn't ignore – for the rest of their time in the restaurant. Despite still being in plain sight of everyone, they left together and kept walking through town, not bothering to hide their closeness.
But with guards still nearby, and with full knowledge of what could happen if they were too pushy, the people let their Snow Queen be for the moment. As such, it was a peaceful walk back to the palace gates.
"So, if I was too forward, I'd probably ask to come into your home. Even after a first date," Robert set up.
"Even then, you'd want to go somewhere you've been a few dozen times already. How fresh," Elsa quipped.
"If I were fresher, I'd point out your family's likely waiting up for us. Waiting to hear every little detail and keep you up all night," Robert theorized. "It might be easier to handle with backup."
"I've been backup free for over a decade," Elsa reminded. "But….there are certain things I can't do by myself now. For the foreseeable future, anyway. Besides, if you can survive them, you should be fine against other mobs."
"That's the most romantic invitation I've ever heard," Robert said, then wasted no time in taking it.
But Anna, Joan and Christian didn't rush them the second they got in the castle. In fact, they didn't even surprise them in the halls. It seemed they actually wanted Elsa and Robert to look for them and their questions.
What they found raised a few questions of their own. Fortunately, Kristoff was still awake to answer them.
"They tired themselves out," he explained, after Elsa and Robert examined Anna, Joan and Christian sleeping on the couch, in front of the fireplace. "They were real set on staying up until you got back. But they forced themselves to stay awake so much, they fell asleep."
They tried too hard to do something instead of letting it come naturally. Elsa could see how that worked.
"Should we wake them?" Robert checked.
"No. They probably had the right idea. By complete accident, like usual," Elsa commented. She then went in, found the nearest blanket and put it over her sleeping family. After making sure she didn't wake them, she sat down next to them and made sure they were snuggled in.
"Are you gonna join them?" Kristoff asked Robert.
Even if there was something he could do, Robert would have felt out of place. It was already perfect, as befitting someone of Elsa's stature. There was no need to force himself into it.
Not when he didn't have to.
"I can wait," Robert said with the utmost confidence.
He wasn't trying to set Elsa up to invite him over anyway. If he had, he probably wouldn't have let Kristoff stick around to sit on the right side of his sleeping wife and children – which made it hard for Robert to get too cozy on Elsa's left.
But it was still an ideal end to an ideal date, nonetheless. At least they'd have one of those no matter what.