A/N: So much support! I'm flabbergasted! :)
Get spliced – To get married
Swallow the anchor – To retire from life at sea and settle onshore.
Splice the main brace – To serve out an extra ration of rum or grog to the ship's crew. I'm using loosely as a term to get drunk with the crew.
"Elsa!" Anna yelled from outside the door to the great chamber, "Elsa!" Anna opened the door and rushed through the parlor to the bedroom, "They're here! They're here! Ooh, I'm so excited!"
Elsa sat up, rubbed her eyes, stretched and yawned, "Who's here?"
"The guy you're marrying," Anna smiled and rolled her eyes.
"He's here?" Elsa threw the covers off and jumped out of bed.
Anna laughed, "Yes, Kai has gone to greet him and his family; I think he's going to take them directly into breakfast." Her sister left the room and Elsa rushed to the closet.
The dress she had worn at the first ball in Baltia, the one she had worn when she first confessed her feelings for him, had been too blood stained to keep. She contemplated the yellow one she had worn at their tea party, the pink one she had worn when he had chased her through the woods (also the one she had worn when they first kissed), the dark blue one she had worn when he taught her to dance, but settled on the red one she had worn for his birthday. Her makeup was dramatic; smoky eyes and deep red lipstick. She let her pale hair hang loose and the final touch was the indispensable necklace.
"Now, I expect you to behave yourself," Queen Adelaide said to Hans with a stern look as they descended to the dock.
"I will be a perfect gentleman," his mind finished the thought with "at least in public."
Queen Adelaide's bottom lip started to quiver and she threw her arms around her son, "My baby's getting married!"
He patted her back as she sobbed into his lapels, "Yes, just like the other twelve before me."
"Dear, let the boy breathe," King Anders laughed and offered his wife his handkerchief. She dabbed her eyes and allowed Kai to help her into the carriage.
Breakfast looked wonderful, but she couldn't eat a bite. The anticipation was driving her mad! She jumped when the doors swung open and immediately stood when Queen Adelaide and King Anders entered followed by Crown Prince Wolfgang, Princess Asta, Prince Klaus, Princess Gemma, Prince Reinvald, Princess Priscilla, Prince Jens, and Princess Brigitta on the shoulders of Prince Hans.
He was beautiful. The sun played on his auburn hair and reflected off the white of his clothes, the smile he wore made her heart feel as though it would melt; she had to fight against the part of her that wanted to run up and bury herself in his chest. "Welcome back to Arendelle, your majesties," Anna said loudly in order to snap Elsa out of her trance.
"Yes, Welcome," Elsa smiled. Queen Adelaide rushed and embraced her, pinning Elsa's arms to her sides.
King Anders laughed, "We're very happy to be here."
Hans lifted Brigitta from his shoulders, walked to stand in front of Elsa and took her hands, "I would rather be nowhere else," he smiled as he looked into her eyes. He would never know how much it meant to her that he never feared her magic, never shied away from her touch even when she left ice on his skin. He trusted her and his actions showed that more than any words he could ever say.
Jens pretended to vomit, "Jens! What I have told you about that?" Gemma scolded.
He rolled his eyes, "Yes, mother."
Hans chuckled, "Perhaps we can take a walk in the garden after breakfast?"
"I have already eaten all I think I can."
"As have I."
"If no one objects to our absence…" Elsa said open-endedly.
Queen Adelaide opened her mouth, but was interrupted by King Anders before anything came out, "Not at all," he said with a smile.
He smiled at her as they sat on a bench in a secluded section of the royal garden, "I had forgotten how truly beautiful you are," he caressed her cheek with the back of his gloved hand.
The way he looked at her when he said it and the way he tenderly touch her nearly brought her to tears, "And I had forgotten what a silver-tongued devil you are."
"Me?" he brought his hand to his chest and feigned shock, "I have no earthly idea what you could be referring too. I cannot help if you find the truth to be flattering."
She rolled her eyes, "What am I going to do with you?"
"For reasons I have yet to understand, you plan to marry me."
"This still seems surreal. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be marrying you, I would have thought them insane."
"And have been extremely insulted."
"But what you need to know is I would do it all over again if it's the only way I could end up in your arms." He was speechless, but his smile and eyes spoke volumes.
Elsa wiped away the tear that rolled down his cheek, "Sorry," he said embarrassed, "I still get rather emotional."
"Don't apologize. I hope that never changes."
"That makes one of us," he said as he tilted his head up and tried to compose himself, "You do realize Eugene bought that dress for me?"
Elsa giggled, "I don't really see how you would be able to wear it."
"That's not what I meant and you know it," he gently kissed her forehead, "I mean he knew very well I am fond of you in red."
"Really? He knew that before we lit the solstice fire?" Elsa slyly grinned.
Hans coloured, "Well, yes. I believe I told him so in a letter."
"Does that mean he bought the jacket for me? I can probably wear that."
He laughed, "I believe it would be far too big for you to wear with any of your dresses."
"When did I say I would be wearing it with anything?" It was too much fun to watch his reaction to her flirtatiously suggestive remarks. The smile fell from his face as his eyes grew wide and his face turned as red as his hair. She took the opportunity to climb into his lap, slip her one hand in his hair, use the other to tightly grip the back of his tailcoat and press her lips to those of her stunned prince, "my mother warned me about women like you," he said with a smirk and half-lidded eyes when they momentarily parted; a look that sent a surge up her spine.
"She warned me about women like me too," she pulled his hair, tilting his head back, and captured his mouth again. She lightly bit his bottom lip causing his lips to part in surprise; his grip on her tightened as her tongue penetrated his mouth. He held her as tightly as he safely could; even that close she was still too far away. Her skin called to him and the barrier of their clothing offended him in a way he had never felt before. For the first time he despised his gloves.
"Ewwww!"
Elsa released her grip on his hair and their lips parted, "Jens! What are you doing here?" Hans asked turning red.
"I got bored and went exploring,"
"How about you not mention this to your grandmother?"
Jens grinned, "What do I get out of it?"
"The knowledge that I owe you a favor?" Jens was not impressed.
"What about a huge snow fort and the company of a talking snowman?" Elsa offered, still in Hans' lap.
"That sounds like a much better deal."
Elsa motioned with her hand and summoned Olaf, "Hi, Elsa!"
"Olaf, would you like to play with Prince Jens?"
"That sounds fun!"
Elsa shot a bolt of magic into the distance, "There is a snow fort on the other side of the gardens for you."
"Alright!" Jens took off in the direction of the bolt with Olaf in tow.
"Now, where were we?" Elsa turned back to Hans.
"As much as I really hate to say this, there is a good chance Jens will not be the last person to venture this way, and he's probably the only we can bribe with a snow fort."
"Sometimes, I hate it when you're right."
"Are you certain this is the best choice for Arendelle?" Prince Reinvald posed to Elsa as she watched Hans, Jens, and Brigitta lob snowballs at each other. "He's still a child himself in all but age,"
She was slightly startled by the sudden remark, "I find his playful spirit to be one of his most endearing qualities," Elsa smiled as Hans fell over pretending Jens had wounded him with a snowball to the chest, "I have seen what he is capable of with my council and the way he handles himself under pressure, and I believe he will serve Arendelle well at my side."
"But will your people accept the man that would have killed their queen and their princess just to have himself fill the vacuum of power?" His tone was gentle but something about it made her uncomfortable.
"My people are well aware of what happened regarding your brother, and the glass that caused it. They are also aware that they would have starved if it had not been for his aid."
"And they are willing to welcome him as their king without suspicion?"
She smiled, "The people of Arendelle have welcomed the idea of our eventual union since I made my desire to wed him clear during the Solstice Celebration after Anna's wedding."
Reinvald was sincerely surprised, "Why did you wait so long to make the announcement?"
"Hans was unaware of the symbolism I had involved him in," Elsa coloured at her confession.
"Sorry, Uncle Reinvald!" Jens yelled as a snowball impacted the blond man's head.
"If you will excuse me, your majesty," Reinvald turned sharply on his heal and walked back inside.
"Veritable ray of sunshine, isn't he?" Hans approached Elsa as Reinvald left.
"He wasn't rude, but something about him is unsettling."
Elsa nervously played with her fingers as she approached her sister after dinner, "Anna, may I speak with you alone for a moment?"
"Sure!" She followed her into the great chamber, "What do you want to talk about?" the perky redhead bounced as she sat on the bed.
Elsa paced, snowflakes swirling around her hands has she wrung them, "I can't do this," she sighed.
"Can't do what?"
"I'm the older sister; I shouldn't be having this discussion with you this way."
"You haven't discussed anything with me yet?" Anna chuckled.
Elsa took a deep breath and turned away, "What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"Your…" Elsa turned crimson, "wedding night."
"Oh!" Anna put her hands over her mouth to stifle a giggle, "What do you want to know?"
"Did it hurt?"
"I've heard that it hurts for some women the first time, but it didn't hurt me. I've been told that when it does hurt it's just a little. It'll only really hurt if you're, well, if you're not…" she paused to think of the right word to use, "excited enough," she rose and put her hand on her sister's shoulder, "there's really nothing to worry about it. Just take it slowly at first and everything will be great."
He wasn't sure how she found out, but he was certain his mother must have known about the moment he shared with Elsa in the garden as she prevented them from being left alone together again. As annoying as it was, he reveled in the thought that in a few days they would be able to spend as much time together as they wanted. Right now Queen Adelaide was going over every minor aspect of the wedding with Elsa, Anna, and Rapunzel (Eugene and she had arrived the previous evening), and Hans, Klaus, Kristoff, and Eugene sat in the drawing room laughing at the queen's obsession with detail.
"Your highness, you have guests in the foyer," Kai informed Hans.
"Ahoy, Admiral!" Hans was greeted by Lieutenant Dahl and thirteen other officers of the Southern Isles' navy.
His face lit up at the sight of his former first officer, "Dahl, you salty sea dog, what are you doing here?" The two men embraced.
"The Admiral of the Fleet sent us to give you a proper wedding," Dahl laughed, "besides, do you think we'd let you get spliced and swallow the anchor without one last splice of the main brace?"
Eugene looked at Klaus and Kristoff, "I have no idea what he just said."