Disclaimer: Frozen and all recognizable characters are owned by Disney. (Though I'm pretty sure you all knew that, already. ^_^ )

Summary: Rather than talking to paintings, after Elsa shut her out, Anna took to playing with her invisible friend, Mara. Only, as she grew up, Mara didn't go away.

For once, Anna was precisely on time.

She politely ignored the surprise this caused the guards... and the servants... and the Bishop? (Okay, that one was just insulting, she decided. She didn't think she'd ever been late for church services, before.) Elsa had simply smiled at her - Anna had promised her that, even if she never showed up on time for anything else, she would for this, and Elsa knew what her promises meant - and watched citizens and visiting dignitaries file into the church. That was the only reaction she cared about.

As time went on, and more and more people showed up, Elsa couldn't help but become increasingly nervous. Even Anna's presence could only do so much. When she caught her muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Conceal," though, she swatted her arm, reminding her with a pointed look that, not only had that approach not worked, they knew what actually would.

"Sorry. Habit," Elsa whispered before they had to take up their positions in front of the crowd.

The choir was in their loft overhead, singing a slow, dignified, solemn song. It sounded pretty enough, but Anna personally preferred their more lively offerings. She supposed that wouldn't be appropriate to the occasion, though. More's the pity, she thought.

As the Bishop picked up Elsa's crown - which seemed more like a hairpin to her, but she supposed if that was what Elsa wanted (their parents' crowns having been lost at sea with them), she could have it - she took a moment to scan the crowd. There was a stuffy-looking old man that Mara told her was the Duke of Weasel Town-

Weselton.

Whichever. Oh! There was Hans, sitting in the row behind him, with- Oh, dear. She stifled a momentary urge to snicker as she realized the man sitting next to Hans had fallen asleep, and was using his shoulder as a pillow. Well, at least he wasn't drooling or anything. Still, when he (discreetly) waved at her in greeting, she couldn't help but shoot him a sympathetic look as she gave him a tiny wave of her own in acknowledgement.

She couldn't remember what it felt like to fall asleep leaning against someone like that. She presumed she had at some point, probably with one or both of her parents, but the only thing that even came anywhere close that she could remember was the morning after their funeral, when she'd woken up next to Elsa... and that hadn't been repeated. Hugs were one thing, but her sister didn't like her to be around when she was asleep, just in case she had a nightmare or something, and her magic got away from her while she slept.

Once Elsa had acknowledged Mara was real, asking if she wanted any help with her dreams had gotten a very chilly response. Having not grown up around Anna, Elsa's opinion of Mara seemed permanently tainted by what little she knew about her past. Mara, in turn, didn't especially like Elsa, and hadn't actually wanted to help her in the first place.

After that, Anna did her best not to volunteer anyone for anything without at least getting an idea of how receptive they'd be to it.

And speaking of Elsa...

Anna returned her attention to her sister as the crown was placed in her hair (and she wondered if it would actually stay in place, should Elsa let her hair down), and the Bishop held out a pillow with the traditional orb and scepter on it. Elsa, naturally, began reaching for them.

Only to be halted by a discreet clearing of the throat by the Bishop. "Your Majesty," he began softly. "The gloves."

Oops. They'd both briefly forgotten about that little detail, it seemed. Elsa hesitated, looking at her gloved hands. Anna, purely by reflex, took a step closer. She quickly covered by holding out a hand for Elsa to give them to her. After slowly peeling them off her hands, she did exactly that. Anna momentarily placed her other hand atop Elsa's, her eyes and smile plainly stating that she knew Elsa could do this. Elsa allowed an infinitesimal smile and almost undetectable motion of her head in place of a nod, her own expression conveying love and profound gratitude.

The entire exchange lasted no more than a second.

Elsa turned back to the Bishop and picked up the scepter and orb, then held them up and faced the crowd as he began the traditional chant, the crowd getting to their feet. "Sem hon heldr inum helgum eignum ok krýnd í þessum helga stað, ek té fram fyrir yðr... Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" the crowd repeated. Anna would have liked to acknowledge her sister's new status with them, but she'd been instructed over and over that she was to remain quiet at all times during the coronation itself. Not that she was entirely sure what had been said, Old Norse not being a language she knew very well at all...

The approximate translation would be, "As she holds the sacred objects, and having been crowned on this sacred site, I present... Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Really, there were so many benefits to having a translator in her head, she thought with gratitude as Elsa carefully placed the orb and scepter back on the pillow. Elsa even managed to wait until after everyone had begun the trip to the palace to quietly ask for her gloves back.

Anna was so proud.

One foot in front of the other, Elsa told herself. Be calm. Graceful. Dignified. The worst part is over, after all.

That was debatable, really. Oh, true, she didn't need to take off her gloves again unless she wanted to, and after her announcement at the reception, everyone wouldn't be focused on her again. But that hadn't taken very long at all, while the party? That could go on for hours.

"Queen Elsa, of Arendelle," Kai announced as she drew near the throne set up on the (slightly) raised dais. That still sounded so strange to hear. Wrong, even, in some ways. She'd always known that she'd be the queen one day, but...

It shouldn't have been so soon. She didn't feel at all ready.

Though she wasn't sure she would have, had it been put off for another decade or two.

Anyway, it was done. She'd been crowned before God and country. Now she had to lead them to the best of her ability.

"Princess Anna, of Arendelle," Kai continued, gesturing toward the opposite side of the room than she'd entered from. Anna wasn't late, though she was trying not to be obvious about the fact that she was running. Given that they'd come back from the church together, though, Anna had needed to hurry to be in position in time (since protocol dictated they not come in through the same entrance, something she made a mental note to change in the future), so Elsa was willing to let it slide, just this once. Anna couldn't help but wave at the crowd, and, to Elsa's (well-hidden) amusement, an older woman near the front waved back.

The crowd, which had been bowing out of respect, rose and applauded, before going back to whatever dancing or conversing they'd been doing before. "So, this is what a party looks like," Elsa commented. Somehow, it didn't seem quite as terrifying as she'd always envisioned it would be.

"Yeah," Anna replied with a smile. "It's nice, isn't it? Maybe a little warmer than I thought it would be..."

"And what is that amazing smell?" Elsa wondered. They simultaneously inhaled deeply, closing their eyes momentarily as they savored the smell, then chorused, "Chocolate." They shared a giggle, Elsa privately marveling at the fact that they could. All those years alone in her room with her fear, she would never even have been able to imagine such a thing.

"Your Majesty," Kai spoke up, breaking the moment and bringing her back to the reality that she couldn't just spend the night talking with Anna like she wanted to, she had guests to interact with. Whether she liked it or not. "The Duke of Weasel Town," he continued, gesturing toward a short, older man in a dress uniform.

"See? Even he calls it that," Anna murmured under her breath, even as the Duke irritably corrected, "Weselton! The Duke of Weselton, Your Majesty." He was far more diplomatic and respectful by the second sentence, nearly distracting her from her (hidden) amusement at Anna's comment. She'd all but given up trying to get her sister to call Weselton by its proper name, by that point.

That amusement, however, crumbled when she realized with a sinking feeling that Anna hadn't been speaking to her. Or anyone else physically there.

Damn it, she'd promised not to do that...

"As your closest partner in trade," the Duke continued grandly, stepping closer, "it seems only fitting thaht I offer you your first dance as Queen." He then launched into an... interesting... series of... Could she even call those dance moves? He concluded the, er, display with a deep bow... which had the unfortunate side effect of causing his toupee to peel up and flop down toward the ground, just barely avoiding coming off entirely... and completely exposing his bald spot.

For the second time in as many minutes, she and Anna shared a laugh. This time, though, they muffled it as best they could.

She cleared her throat, and the Duke straightened up, his hairpiece flopping back into place with an audible slapping sound. He was looking at her, now, so she buried her amusement. "Thank you," she said graciously, "only I don't dance."

"Oh," he remarked, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"But my sister does," she added mischievously.

"...what?"

"Lucky you," the Duke remarked before energetically leading her - dragging her, almost - onto the dance floor, ignoring her protests. "If you swoon, let me know; I'll catch you!"

"Sorry," Elsa whispered. She probably could have danced with him, but that would set a precedent she'd rather avoid - she didn't want to be stuck dancing all night - and besides...

She hadn't had the occasion to tease Anna like that... Actually, had she ever? From what she understood, such things were perfectly normal between sisters.

Watching the Duke's... performance? She couldn't bring herself to call it a dance, exactly. Whatever it was, she was even more glad she'd decided to bow out.

Even if the look Anna shot her at one point promised that she was going to pay for it.

Thankfully, before Anna was forced to endure another 'dance' with the "Chicken with the Face of a Monkey" - and what was that supposed to mean, anyway? - she was rescued by Prince Hans very politely cutting in.

"Oh, bless you," she said softly, once the Duke was out of hearing range.

"You looked like you could use some help," he replied with a smile, before sweeping her into a proper dance. After that... They fell into a conversation surprisingly easily. It could have been the novelty of having someone new to talk to, she supposed - that seemed to be Mara's opinion, anyway - but he just genuinely seemed like a nice guy. He didn't laugh at her, even during an embarrassing story (which she would admit to telling just to see how he'd react). He was funny, charming, and knew all too well what it was like to be outshone by an older sibling. Or two. Or... "You have how many brothers?"

"Twelve older brothers," he confirmed, sounding just the slightest bit annoyed, though not at her. (She knew what that sounded like, and this wasn't it.) "Three of them pretended I was invisible - literally - for two years."

"That's horrible." Even when their relationship was at its lowest point, Elsa had never done anything like that.

"It's what brothers do," he replied with a shrug, still smiling.

Smiling while talking about something that distresses him, Mara observed. Guess your sister isn't the only one who knows how to conceal things, hmm?

Maybe not... But, then, she could hardly blame him for not wanting to lay himself bare to someone he'd just met that day.

Granted. Still, a bit more caution is called for, I think.

It wasn't like he'd proposed, or anything... But Mara did understand people better than she did, she conceded.

So she was a little more careful when talking about anything related to the palace or Elsa, specifically. General questions about Arendelle were safer, though she had to rely mostly on secondhand knowledge there. She lied and claimed she'd been born with the white streak in her hair, not even mentioning the belief she'd once had that she'd been kissed by a troll (which may or may not have been caused by Mara's memories of the event; Anna still wasn't sure exactly when she'd first shown up).

She also claimed ignorance of why the palace gates were closed. She was, however, quick to point out that, really, that only meant people couldn't wander into the palace to talk to the ruler whenever they felt like it. Arendelle still engaged in plenty of trade and diplomatic relations, as evidenced by his presence.

"Then it might be possible to return, for a more lengthy visit, to see you again?"

"To see... me?" Somehow, despite how well they'd been getting along, the question still managed to catch her by surprise.

"Yes, you," he said, smiling. Her heart began beating faster. "I'd love to be able to get to know you better." His expression turned shy. "Maybe even... deepen our relationship."

Deepen their...? Oh! She was momentarily dumbfounded by the realization that Hans wanted to court her. "Are...Are you sure you've got the right sister?"

He chuckled, never breaking eye contact with her. "Absolutely."

The bastard's smooth, I'll give him that.

Mara's comment was like ice water being dumped over her head. "I'll, ah, need to discuss that with Elsa, of course..." She was the Queen, now, after all, in addition to being her big sister and, technically, legal guardian. Like it or not, this was a decision she needed to be involved in.

"Of course," he agreed readily. "I don't sail back to the Southern Isles for another couple of days. Perhaps tomorrow, you could show me around Arendelle?"

"Okay!" she agreed immediately, then winced (mostly) internally and added, in a more controlled voice, "I'd like that, actually." It would give her the chance to explore her own kingdom's capital - hopefully, she'd be able to at least project the illusion of being knowledgeable, rather than ignorant and sheltered - and having a real flesh and blood person with her should make Elsa happy.

And having one who's also interested in courting you might make her insist on the guards.

Hmm. There was that, she supposed. But maybe that could be a good thing. Whatever guard or guards accompanied them would surely know about Arendelle, right? They could do whatever explaining was required.

Conversation stayed light after that, though they somehow still found plenty to talk about. It was only when she caught sight of the distant clock tower in town - barely visible from the palace balcony they were standing on - that she realized how late it must have been. "Oh, I've taken up your whole evening, haven't I?" she asked with a wince. "I'm-"

"Ah!" He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't you dare apologize. I can't imagine a more pleasant way to spend the evening than this."

She blushed. She'd never had anyone talk to her like that, and she had no idea how to handle it. Which wasn't to say she didn't like it. "You're too kind. Still, if we're going to be spending the day together tomorrow, I should find Elsa and let her know now."

"Of course." He bowed, then took hold of her hand and kissed it softly. "Until tomorrow, then, Your Highness."

Her blush, which had almost gone away, returned with a vengeance, and her initial reply consisted mostly of stammering and giggles. She shook her head, focused as best she could, and tried again. "Until then, Prince Hans." Much better, she decided as she headed back inside the palace.

She'd only gone a few steps before drawing to a halt. Mara was squirming inside her in a way she'd never felt before, and she had no idea what to make of it.

Don't speak, Mara said urgently before she could ask anything. Just... wait. Something's here. Something... familiar.

Somehow, she just knew Mara didn't mean the good kind of familiar, either.

So she waited.

Hans waited a full minute, until he was sure Anna was completely out of earshot, then stood at the edge of the balcony, leaning on the railing as he stared out at Arendelle. It was a quaint and lovely, if modestly sized, kingdom. He could rather get used to it, he thought. "You're sure?" he said softly, not looking behind him.

He knew what he'd find, and it wasn't something he enjoyed looking at.

"Entirely," a hissing, distorted voice replied. "Arendelle's new Queen definitely possesses some variety of elemental magic."

"Powerful?"

"It must be. Some time ago, a wraith was dispatched to this land to... investigate. It suddenly stopped reporting in, and all trace of it vanished."

His eyebrows rose. To kill a spirit - which sounded rather redundant to him, frankly - as a child... And her power would only have grown since then, presumably. "So, what should we do?"

"Continue with your present course, for now. The young princess should provide the opening we need to get past the Queen's defenses."

"Works for me. She is a rather charming young lady."

"As you say. But do not lose sight of our goal."

"Please. Remember who you're talking to." There was a rumble overhead. He looked up to find the sky, which had been fairly clear earlier in the evening, had clouded over. "Hmm. Hope that doesn't ruin our outing tomorrow."

The creature behind him was silent, attention elsewhere.

Anna felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She'd thought he'd really liked her - and he did seem to, actually - but the whole time, he'd been plotting to get close to Elsa to... to...

To what?! And what was that... thing... that was out there with him?

Anna, get away from them, now!

But she couldn't just let Hans and that - was it some kind of goatman? A gargoyle-esque creature, maybe? - plot against Elsa like th-

ANNA, PLEASE!

She was in motion before the words had finished. She'd never heard Mara sound so panicked before.

The creature poked its head inside, as if it had heard - or sensed - something, but by then, there was nothing to be seen but empty hallway.

Anna managed to wait until they were in an entirely different wing of the palace before she spoke up. "They were talking about you, weren't they?"

...yes. As I told you, I am not proud of my past.

And from what she'd overheard, Mara clearly had defected from whatever evil that creature - and evidently Hans - worked for.

She felt sick. If she hadn't heeded Mara's paranoid instincts, for once...

It isn't paranoia if they actually are out to get you, is it?

She supposed not. But Hans... How could he be working with... whatever that was?

It's understandable. Thirteenth son of a king? He'd have few other methods of acquiring the kind of power he's no doubt been raised to seek.

No, she was not going to sympathize with him.

Nor am I. I simply understand his reasoning. He's a fool if he expects any kind of equal partnership, though. Right now, though, we need to find your sister.

"I'll say," Anna agreed anxiously, increasing her speed.

I was hoping... But I suppose I was fooling myself, thinking I could escape this.

"You're not alone, though. Not anymore." Whatever it was that Mara was running from, if they had to face it, they would do so together.

One way or another.