A/N: Thank you, so much for the reviews! I obsessively check my email for them :)
I cannot guarantee an update schedule :( It depends on my downtime at work. I will try to ensure that I post an update at least by Friday weekly.
Also, I have gone back and fixed a few errors: Typos, words I missed, I had the names of his ships in Dutch not Danish so those have been changed (my head canon is that the Southern Isles are magical Denmark and Arendelle is magical Norway), and I had some fashion malapropisms I corrected (I had waistcoat where I meant tailcoat, and vest where I meant waistcoat). I'm not perfect, so I'm sure there are things I've missed, but I'll keep looking.
Fixed the lines indicating a scene change as well in all chapters; I apologize for not noticing their absence prior.
Fru - Madame in Norwegian...I think
The pounding on Elsa's door came much too early; she had arrived in Arendelle only the previous night and all she wanted to do now was sleep. She pulled the covers over her head and hoped her would be visitor would go away. Alas, this was not to be for Anna opened her door anyway. "So…" Anna said as she lay down next to her cocooned sister.
"It's too early," was Elsa's muffled response.
"The sky's awake, so…."
"Alright, alright, I'm up," Elsa threw the covers from her head, sat up, and looked at Anna with a very grumpy countenance.
"Tell me everything!" Anna sat up and smiled widely at her groggy sister.
"Can I please have some tea first?"
"Sure! I brought some with me," Anna jumped from the bed and brought over the tray she had placed on the desk.
"Of course you did," Elsa said under her breath.
"He ran alongside the ship telling me that I wasn't supposed to read the letters and ran right off the pier," Elsa said unable to prevent a smile and a chuckle.
"Sounds like you had a good time," Anna smiled as she helped her sister pin up her braid.
"I honestly did," Elsa took in a deep breath, "Anna, can I ask you something? If you say no, I completely understand."
"Why wouldn't I let you ask me something?" Anna asked confused.
"No, I mean if you say no to what I ask, I understand."
"Oh, ask away."
"May I send an invitation to your wedding to the royal family of the Southern Isles?" Elsa blushed while asking, though she couldn't figure out quite why.
Anna was a little surprised by the request, but smiled at Elsa, "Of course, I can't say no to you."
Elsa smiled and hugged her sister close, "Thank you, I'll have it sent out today."
"There's something she's not telling me," Anna said as she sat down on a barrel in the stable.
"Like what?" Kristoff asked sitting down in the hay next to her.
"I don't know, but you should have seen her face when she asked me if she could send the invitation. I mean, she said it would be alright if I said no, but the look on her face told me it would so not be alright if I said no."
"Are you sure you aren't over thinking this?"
"Maybe," she sighed.
"Besides, don't you have something to do with the dress soon?"
"The fitting!" Anna leapt from the barrel and ran to find Elsa.
"Princess Anna, will you please hold still?" the royal dressmaker Fru Sorenson asked impatiently as she tried to pin the hem of the dress.
"Sorry, I'm just so excited!"
Elsa placed her hand over her mouth to hide her grin. The dress was beautiful white silk, left her shoulders exposed, had fitted sleeves that went to her wrists, flared dramatically at the hips, and was accented at the waist and neckline with delicately embroidered green and purple rosemaling; it had been her mother's wedding dress, "you look amazing, Anna. I know mama would have been so happy to see you in it," Elsa beamed.
Anna smiled and wiped her eyes with the cloth the Fru Sorenson had given her to prevent her from using her sleeve, "Now it's your turn!" she said hopping down from the platform.
"My turn?"
"Yes, Queen Elsa, your dress must be fitted as well," she was handed a purple gown and instructed to change into it behind a curtain.
Fru Sorenson laced up the back of the gown and turned Elsa so that she could finally see herself in the mirror. It left her shoulders bare, with only small sleeves encircling part of her upper arm, and showed more of her chest than she was comfortable with, but not enough to be considered inappropriate. The sheath style floor length skirt fit her well, and the embroidered rosemaling was done in green and white to match the colours of her sister's gown.
"Wow, with that dress you might be getting married not long after I do," Anna teased.
The past few days had been exhausting, productive, but exhausting. Pabbie would be the officiant, the shorter tables and chairs were being prepared for the trolls, the dresses were fitted, Kai would be giving Anna away, and Sven was the best man. She could guarantee nobody would ever forget this wedding.
She sat at the desk in her study going through the stack of neglected letters and documents she had been dreading to go through. She made a stack of invoices to go to the finance minster, a stack of trade proposals and denials to go over with her advisers, a stack of letters from various aristocratic families offering their sons (most not directly) that she would have to politely decline, and one letter she would open later in her room.
"Your majesty, it's getting rather late, perhaps you should call it a night?" Gerda urged when she came to pick up Elsa's fourth pot of tea.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," she said as she stood and stretched, "Good night, Gerda."
She tossed the letter on the bed and changed into her nightgown, brushed her hair, and busied herself with other parts of her nightly routine. The letter sat there, beckoning her. She wanted nothing more than to tear into it, but she refrained; taking pleasure in the almost torturous anticipation.
Finally she ran out of things to do and greedily tore open the envelope.
HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,
You are full of surprises. I had expected you to tear my letters into tiny pieces, or burn them. Maybe freeze them, throw them at the wall and laugh maniacally as they shattered. It never entered my mind that you would bother to read them. I guess if anyone deserves to know secrets that could utterly destroy my reputation it's you.
The invitation to Anna's wedding was received recently and my parents are honored. They will be attending (you should receive their acceptance promptly). I, as can be expected, have been drafted to captain the vessel to deliver them. It is likely they intend to stay at least a fortnight; I offer this as a warning.
It appears that since my injury my parents have decided that chasing after men with swords that have ships that shoot cannon balls at me is dangerous. Father, mother, Klaus, and Reinvald (for reasons I don't understand) are against me resuming hunting pirates. Wolfgang and my uncle Ansgar, the Admiral of the Fleet, see my activities as vital to the safety of trade in the region.
Mother, father, and Klaus tell me they don't want to lose me after just getting me back. I appreciate their concern, but here I'm useless. Mother and father keep trying to marry me off, telling me that I can be useful to some princess or duchess advising them as their husband. I know they mean well, and that would be wonderful, but none of the women they have introduced me to have I had a connection with. Klaus, thankfully, seems to have dropped that subject with me altogether.
Reinvald you did not meet, and I consider that a blessing. He is Klaus' fraternal twin and his polar opposite; I am the only one of my brothers that does not have either an identical or fraternal twin. He stands my height, has golden blonde hair, light brown eyes, and a lithe form; women fall all over themselves to get his attention. It is terrible to say such things about my own brother, but I don't trust him. He is incredibly vain and self-obsessed. Where Klaus has intelligence Reinvald has cunning. Klaus, Wolfgang, and he are the only of my brothers that still live in Baltia. My father made him finance minster, I believe to keep an eye on him. He married his wife, I believe, because she matches him in physical beauty and vanity, but lacks any real character or mental strength; she is a trophy to him. He claims the same logic in my remaining here as the others, but I don't believe it. Curiously, he's the only one I don't a memory of whilst I was under the mirror's influence.
The Daggry is a total loss, and it will be nearly a year until another can be built. I have argued that I can do just as well with four ships if they cannot find a brig sloop to replace her in the mean time, but thus far my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. In an incredibly juvenile act of rebellion I take a daysailer out as often as I can.
I hope things are going well with the preparations for Anna's wedding. If there is anything you would wish me to bring from my kingdom or the surrounding area, please don't hesitate to ask.
Your Eternal Servant,
ADM Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles
HRH Admiral Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles,
Anna's wedding is coming together quite nicely. I had some trouble figuring out how to seat Kristoff's family (he was raised by trolls). Also convincing the staff that I had no way of talking him out of Sven, his reindeer, being his best man was a tedious affair. Her wedding will doubtlessly be a memorable one.
Pabbie, the troll elder, and Gerda both wish to meet you; their reasons you can probably guess. Since the death of our parents, Kai and Gerda are the closest people we've had; Kai will be giving Anna away.
I know my castle isn't nearly as grand as yours, but your family is welcome to stay in Arendelle as long as they like. Your mother and father are kind people, yes, your mother can be a bit absent minded, but it's endearing, and I welcome your father's advice. My parents were aware that I was to be queen one day, but my preparations for the position were not what I would have liked them to have been. I am certain they believed they had more time to teach me. It's a lot to have thrust upon you at one and twenty. I spent the better part of my life isolated for what everyone thought was my own good. Sadly, I know the cell with the hand shackles had been made specifically for me. It was a failsafe in case my powers become entirely uncontrollable. I was isolated after an incident in which I hit Anna with my powers when we were children. The blast hit her in the head (that's why she had the white streak in her hair). Pabbie was able to save her, but removed all her memories of my magic. He told my parents that fear would be my worst enemy. As you well know, he was right. My parents did the best they could to try to protect everyone, including me, but they didn't understand my powers anymore than I did.
As Anna's wedding approaches my advisers have been pushing me to get married as well. I have met with dozens of men over the past few years and most I have been able to drive away quickly. A well aimed "accidental" ice spike during a sneeze works rather well; especially when I lie and tell them that that's normal for me. It isn't that I don't wish to marry, but my parents married for love, my sister is marrying for love, I want the same. Most of these men are so full of themselves they have room for nothing else.
Regarding if I wish you to bring anything for Anna's wedding, I only expect you to bring me my handkerchief.
Truly,
Queen Else of Arendelle
Hans read the letter so many times he could nearly recite it verbatim. He felt privileged that she would trust him with such things, and even more confused about the blue cloth he kept in his left breast pocket. He finally folded the letter and placed it in the drawer of his nightstand and left to see his uncle Ansgar as requested.
He read the missive twice just make sure he understood it, "Who are you going to send to their aid?"
Admiral of the Fleet Prince Ansgar Westerguard placed his elbows on his desk, interlaced his fingers and laid his forehead against them, "Rear Admiral Bjarnesen."
"Bjarnesen! He doesn't know how to maneuver brig sloops to avoid frigate long guns, let alone take advantage of them!"
"I know, Hans, but he's all we have available."
"Corona needs aid not sacrifices! For the love of Baltia, give me the Halvmaane, Svane, Fyen, and Stjerne and let me go!"
"I wish I could, but your father wants you here."
"Let him come after me," he said with determination.
Hans held Ansgar in his stare until his uncle looked down and sighed in defeat, "fine, but this is entirely on you. Dahl is readying the ships now."
"Aye aye, sir," Hans saluted before rushing to find Lieutenant Dahl.
Hans quickly found Lieutenant Dahl at the docks going over a list of provisions, "Admiral Westerguard," he saluted.
"Do you have crews for all four?"
"Aye, sir."
"Good. There's been a change of plans. You'll be sailing under me, not Bjarnesen. I'll have my necessities brought on board the Stjerne. We sail at dawn."
"Where shall I tell the navigator to set course?" he asked as Hans walked away.
"To Hell."
It had been weeks since Elsa had received a letter from him, but she had little time to worry about it. The wedding was fast approaching and guests would soon be arriving. After the last time many of these kingdoms sent representatives she was thankful most were willing to give her a second chance.
"Most of the kingdoms' representatives will be here the day after the tomorrow if the weather holds out," Kai said to Elsa as she went over the list of things that needed to be done for the wedding as well as to accommodate so many guests for such a time. Some were only staying a few days, others a few weeks, "we received word from Baltia that they will be arriving a few days after the others. It appears some unforeseen circumstances have delayed them," Kai said as he handed her a letter, and walked on ahead of her. She flipped it over to find the familiar "H."
HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,
If you are not already aware we will be a bit late in our arrival at your lovely kingdom. I am entirely to blame for the delay, and I offer my apologies. I got myself in a bit of trouble recently.
Corona's merchant ships were being heavily raided by a small fleet of pirates and they sent our kingdom a request for aid. To make a long story short, I took the Halvmaane, Svane, Fyen, and Stjerne against my father's wishes. I only arrived back today. We disabled the pirate fleet, but took some damage ourselves. This time I don't believe any of my fleet is beyond repair, but my parents are rather upset with me (Reinvald is livid for some reason). The man that was to be sent would have most likely gotten himself and all the crew killed. He's not incompetent, but he's not used to that type of combat. He's excellent with a ship of the line, but you can't fight pirates like you would fight another national navy.
The King and Queen of Corona are very happy with the results, my ships can be repaired, and I suffered only minor injuries. I will have a new scar on my side when the cut heals. There were no swords involved this time, thankfully; I am an accomplished swordsman (being trained when I was unable to feel fear has made me incredibly efficient with a blade), but it is difficult at best to fight a man in such a way on a swaying ship blinded by cannon smoke. A piece of the gunwale flew off when a cannonball impacted it, sliced through my uniform and grazed me. Alright, maybe a little more than grazed since stitches were involved, but I suffered neither organ perforation nor major blood loss and it is in no way as severe as my last injury. Normally I stay away from home until any injury heals, but I knew I had to return quickly as to ensure my parents would not miss Anna's wedding.
We will be departing in the morning, which is a bit of a problem for me. My father has insisted that I wear my naval uniform for the duration of our stay in Arendelle. He does this as punishment, not because of the hat, but because all of my uniforms now smell of saltwater and gunpowder! He tells me that I should "enjoy the smell of victory."He knows I abhor the sulfurous stench of burnt gunpowder. I can force myself to live with it out at sea, but not aboard the royal flagship! A normal wash will not get the smell out immediately, it takes time. Normally I would have plenty of uniforms to replace these, but a good portion of my uniforms were destroyed with the Daggry.
Please pardon the blood smears on this page; my bandage was changed and I didn't realize I had gotten some on my hands.
Your Eternal Servant,
ADM Princes Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles
The letter was bad enough, but the blood stains were too much. She was torn between anger and relief; she was angry that he took his own safety so lightly, but relieved that he was able to help Corona without loss of life; though she knew the anger was disproportionate to what it should be but she didn't know why. Either way, he was going to hear about it when he arrived.