WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE

It was busy the next morning. Elsa had recruited Anna and Gerda to help write the invitations to the Heads of States of the countries and kingdoms she wanted to attend the festival that Arendelle would host in approximately just under a month. Though Kristoff could read and write in their native tongue, he was completely ineffectual in helping correspond with foreigners. Not wishing to seem ungrateful, Anna had Kristoff help Kai manage the Castle staff to prepare the grounds, courtyard and castle for the many foreign visitors about to attend.

Elsa was aware that knowledge of her powers would certainly be re-told around the world once their guests were able to leave for their homelands. Still, she was surprised that only King Charles's response had come so far.

News like this travels fast. She already responded back to His Majesty by Private Courier Ship which left yesterday.

In a nutshell, she informed His Grace that Arendelle would be hosting a festival to all friendly nations that would be interested in allying with Arendelle by union with Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle.

Elsa knew that by the time the King received the message, it would be too late for his son, who was already en route, to do anything but also participate in wooing the Queen. Albeit with some competition. She counted on the fact that if she did choose someone other than his son, the ensuing alliance that would follow would strengthen the security of Norway, not reduce it. The fact that most of the neighbouring powers were indeed much stronger than her small enclave of Scandinavia would force King Charles to capitulate to her choice of future King.

The festival would be in just under a month. That would be just enough time for her invitations to be sent to ALL of the European Countries she cared to receive a reply from, and from ONE other nation that was further away.

Assuming that Prince Johan would not arrive late, he would have the opportunity to court Elsa for almost a week before the other dignitaries arrived. Elsa felt that this was a subtle compliment to His Majesty King Charles that Arendelle was offering his son a 'home field' advantage.

The real choice however would not be with ANY royal prince or noble. And it was with this course of action that Elsa laid out her plan. For this, she needed the help of her nearby cousin who already had experience in exactly this kind of affair.

"By the way, Rapunzel will be coming over next week to help us with the Festival." Elsa casually mentioned as their lunch was being served. Kristoff was taking a drink of water while Anna was holding her bowl for Kai to ladle the soup in. Both had liquid splashing on themselves after hearing the news.

"Wait,what?" Anna blinked hard. "Please tell us your Grand Scheme, Elsa!". Kristoff was also nodding.

"I'm still ironing out the details, and I need 'Punzel's help to clarify if this is something that is do-able. I told her it was urgent, and she said she could get here in two days once she gets my message, so she might get here even sooner. So don't get too anxious, My Lo...Sweet." Elsa had to quickly correct herself in front of Kristoff.

"Soon Anna...the work we all did this morning of hand writing the invitations and sealing the letters was a good start to Part Two. Now let's eat, I'm famished!" Elsa said.

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That afternoon found both sisters in the Castle Library, the two level room was one of the largest in the the castle, but the many rows of filled bookshelves made the room feel crowded. An alcove on the second floor with a panoramic window had a large wooden table that was currently occupied with many books. Some were tomes and manuals regarding laws and customs of European Countries. Others were treaties and relations Arendelle, Norway and Scandinavia had with their neighbours. But the most interesting ones, to Anna anyways, were the geography and map books.

Anna was currently lying face down on a large square cushion on the floor beside the table. Her cheeks rested on both her hands as she was lying down. Her legs were bent and her bare feet were slowly waving back and forth. She had a large map book open and was tracing her finger on a voyage from Arendelle to the Dutch East Indies, quietly humming to herself.

"Oh, I would love to go here someday, and here, and here..." she wistfully said about her tropical destinations. "Elsa... how large is the world?"

Elsa was going over some research on the table above. She peeked down at Anna and looked over the rims of her small reading glasses. "Hmm, what was that, Anna?"

Anna peeked up and then gushed, "You're so cute like that! So nerd!"

Elsa rolled her eyes and smiled at her little sister. "Well my love, one of us has been doing some homework for the upcoming festival. The other one has been looking at vacation holidays. I think we can actually put the two together."

A confused look passed over Anna's face.

"Anna, do you remember your Nana Vicki, Princess Victoria, the Duchess of Kent from England?" Elsa asked. "She visited here once when you were... three?"

"Nope!"

"I didn't think you would. Well her daughter, another cousin, who is also named Victoria, became the Queen of Great Britain two years ago when she was eighteen." Elsa continued, "I've been writing letters to her since ... after the ice incident. Anyways, we've been invited to her marriage later this year. Guess who her groom is?"

Anna sat up on the cushion and crossed her legs. "It better not be you!" she pouted.

"No silly, it's going to be her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxony, her FIRST cousin." Elsa spoke, her eyes becoming large.

"Hey, you two are the same age! How neat is that?" Anna came up to her sister and straddled her on the chair, peeking over the letters her sister was holding." If cousin Vicky can marry her cousin, why can't WE get married?" She placed her hands on Elsa's waist and waited.

Elsa was still going over the letters in her hand when what Anna said registered. "Wait,what?" she thought.

Elsa peeked back over the sheets of paper and closely examined the pair of blue eyes intently looking back. The blue colour was just a tad deeper and darker than her own, and at times like this, those big wide precocious eyes made her heart ache.

"Oh Anna,... you want to marry me?" Elsa said quietly. Anna shook her head seriously and fixed a stare at her sister. Before she knew what she was doing, Elsa was also nodding her head, "Yes, I will!". She leaned over and brought her parting lips towards Anna.

Anna, always the first to react to affection, smiled wide as she raised her hands to Elsa's cheeks and sealed their lips together. As they both softly sighed, the letters Elsa was holding in her hand fluttered to the floor. Both her arms slowly lowered to the ground while Anna cradled her head as she was completely taken by her sister's love.

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"This changes things, at least, I think it does?" Elsa thought to herself. "Punzel, can you come over here for a minute, dear?"

Both Anna and Rapunzel were busy combing each other's hair on Anna's bed. They decided that their cousin should stay in Anna's room since it was so close to Elsa's room. She was family anyway.

It has been exactly four days since Elsa dispatched her message to Corona, and true to her word, Rapunzel was sailing to Arendelle the very next day. Flynn wasn't too keen to be yanked away on sudden notice however, but found that Kristoff was an excellent drinking companion.

After their initial greeting and subsequent family dinner meal, Elsa told the whole family, including Kristoff, that the following morning the three girls were going to discuss the preliminary plans for the festival. Kristoff took the hint and arranged to spend the rest of the day showing Flynn around.

"Yes cuz? What's up?" Rapunzel bounced off the bed, with Anna in tow still using the brush. It seemed that her hair was slowly starting to turn back to gold and growing, though not much since she was here last month. Magic was strange indeed.

"Actually cuz, you might want to hear this sitting down?" Elsa began. Then she stopped. How was she going to say this?

"By the way Rapunzel, I know you married a commoner who is now a prince, heir apparent. I have a plan and I want to do the same thing so I don't have to marry Prince Johan. I need your help in finding someone to pretend he is a suitor like Flynn, so that when it comes time for him to disappear, he would not be missed since he's a commoner and not royal or noble. But I also found out that my true love is Anna and I want to marry my sister now?" Elsa shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts. How was she to convey to her cousin that her love for her sister meant she would do whatever it took to spend the rest of her life with Anna?

Rapunzel already knew about Prince Johan and the reason for the upcoming festival. However that would not be the reason why Elsa demanded she come in person on such short notice. It had to be something about her courtship with Flynn. Still, what was Elsa so apprehensive about?

Elsa was opening her mouth to speak when she heard...

"Punzel, I LOVE Elsa! I want to marry her instead of her marrying some clown from Bozoland, can you help us?" Anna said deadpan.

Elsa's mouth dropped open. Rapunzel's eyes blinked twice and then HER mouth dropped open.

"Wait, wh...!" But Anna quickly placed her index finger on Rapuzels's lips to silence her and began her story.

Elsa's mind floated back as Anna spun her tale. The last four days and nights have been utterly anxious, and utterly wonderful for the two sisters. Each day brought fresh new obstacles to overcome. And each night brought fresh new wonders that they beheld with each other.

And after every time they made love, whether it was hurried and intense, or soft and gentle, Anna would rest her head on Elsa's breasts while her gasping subsided and her breathing slowed, and softly said, "Can we do that every night, Elsa?"

Elsa would look down at her sibling, while she too slowly climbed down from her post-climax peak and said, "Until the next first time in forever, my love."

Reality brought Elsa back to the present as Anna's story was ending and bringing their cousin to the their current predicament. Now it would seem whether or not Rapunzel would accept them.

"So you two are in... Love-love?" she gazed at them both. Elsa came beside Anna and took her hand. "With this ...future ring, I take you as my wife." Elsa looked at Anna and smiled.

Anna smiled dreamily back at her sister. "Yes Punzel, we've both been searching for this. We've been apart longer than we were together, but that only changed the way we look at each other now. The love we had when we were seperated thirteen years ago never broke. It only changed and strengthened."

"Well, it's... different, but if you both want this, I want it too! I've been alone myself for far too long, and like you, I found love where it normally wouldn't grow." she said as she placed her hand over the clasped hands of her cousins and smiled warmly.

Anna and Elsa smiled in unison and all three wrapped their arms around each other, just as Flynn burst in. A huge grin began forming on his face upon seeing the three beautiful ladies doing a group hug. His voice and face were beginning his trademark come-on line: "Why, hello there, The name's Flynn, Flynn Ri...!" when a pillow slammed into his face!

"EUGENE...!" Rapunzel yelled.

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The three Royal ladies were later strolling around the castle gardens where Anna was busy pointing out where the best places for the decorations for the festival would go.

"So you really created an ice rink right in the courtyard?" Rapunzel asked amazed.

Anna was shaking her head in response. "Not only that, but ice trellis decorations around it with eaves and everything! ..."

Elsa was going over in her mind what Rapunzel had discussed with her and Anna earlier.

"It was easy enough for my father to elevate Eugene to accept the title of Baron. It was the most modest of noble rank, but necessary to satisfy etiquette so he could become my prince consort and rule with me on the throne when the time comes." Rapunzel explained.

Her mind was working on how to use what she just heard as a template for her plan. She of course did not plan to marry ANY real suitor. Her mate for life would be Anna, but for the immediate problem of Prince Johan she thought of an alternative suitor.

"What about one of Flynn's friends?" Anna asked confused.

For this to work, her suitor would have to be a commoner. Since all the royals and nobles coming from all over Europe were already distant or not-so-distant relatives, they would all be known or have heard of each other.

"No, Anna, that wouldn't work." Rapunzel answered for Elsa, already cluing in on Elsa's plan. "You see, Eugene rescued me from the tower. I've never been to Corona until he took me there and restored me to my family. It was only because of his actions that I even exist as the Princess heir, so it was only right the he joins me, but my father still needed to elevate his status so the noble clique would accept him. None of Eugene's friends here or in Corona would work. The only thing in their blood would probably be whiskey or wine, but certainly not nobility."

Elsa stifled a smirk at Rapunzel's comment. Anna still looked confused.

"That's right Punzel !" Elsa continued. "You see Anna, I am already the monarch of Arendelle. If I choose a commoner as my consort over any noble or royal courter who comes to the festival, it would disgrace our family and Arendelle. No royal or nobleman would accept being passed over by one of their own countryman who is of common birth."

Where else in the world existed a country that royals or nobles did NOT exist? What sovereign nation had no existing ties with European Monarchy?

"Then I have an idea! You said that you already sent a letter overseas, right Elsa?" Rapunzel asked.

"Uh-huh, it was merely a courtesy." Elsa responded. "Why do you ask... OHH, Punzel... I see where you are going with this...! But, do you know anyone who could help us there?"

"Actually, maybe Anna was right all along. I believe Eugene has a friend or two who might just fill the bill!" Rapunzel replied enthusiastically.

"I was right? ...I mean, OF COURSE I was right!" Anna said triumphantly. "About what?"

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It seemed that Flynn did indeed have several acquaintances that would suit this purpose.

When Rapunzel approached him on the private balcony adjoining Anna's bedroom that night he was mesmerized by her long flowing nightgown, that when the moonlight struck it, almost turned transparent.

He gulped, "You... you look really beautiful in that nightgown, honey!"

"Thank You, Eugene!" Rapunzel gracefully twirled around, letting the movement spin the gossamer fabric up, thereby displaying her shapely legs. "Elsa felt badly that you were rushed into this, so she suggested I try out one of her nightgowns to see if you would like it?"

"That's very nice, so nice, really nice... of her... to let...you wear...that!" he was stammering now. The beams of moonlight that struck the material of the nightgown kept revealing body parts that were indeed unfettered with clothes underneath as Rapunzel kept circling her silent dance. "Ohhh, it's SO see-through!" he whispered so very quietly to himself.

Certain that she had his undivided attention Rapunzel asked again, "So, your old friends might be able to help us then?"

"But BABY, I already told you that they were not the most reliable of friends! We were crooks, criminals, thieves, scoundrels..." his eyes darted to her bosom, catching the graceful curves of round, firm womanhood.

"That was a long time ago. You said they were sailors who took you to places far and away." she continued twirling her arms and hips so that the light material never settled on her body.

"They were PIRATES, my precious little princess!" he was starting to drool now.

"Who have retired and are now living a nice comfortable life away and over the seas, right?" Rapunzel kept a fixed eye upon the growing bulge of her husband's trousers.

"I don't see how this can help Queen Elsa or Princess Anna, unless you think they would like getting their throats slit, held ransom for gold?" he was literally on his knees as his wife slowly parted the seams at the back and started sliding the gown from herself.

"Keep up the terrible jokes and NO sexy-time tonight, okay?" she said coquettishly.

"Okay, okay, you win! I happen to know some people who have made quite a fortune for themselves and are now living the 'good life' away from Crown and Country. This WONT come cheap. I'll guarantee that they will want heavy compensation for what you expect them to do! But I will send them the necessary news tomorrow since it will take many days to get there."

Rapunzel smiled at her true love. She knew that he would do everything he could to make her happy. Even with his less than noble beginnings, he was an honourable man!

With a twinkle in his eye, Flynn continued, "Tomorrow then, because tonight... You are mine!" he disrobed Rapunzel making her squeek.

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AUTHOR NOTES:

1) Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (b1819 - d1901) House of Hanover. She married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from her mother's homeland in the region of Saxony in Germany. She was baptised Alexandrina, after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Victoria after her mother.

2) The Knight is the basic rank of the aristocratic system in Europe but was too low to be acceptable if the Monarch was to include him into the family. In increasing rank would be the Baronet followed by Baron.

3) Some orders of knighthood, such as the Knights Templar, have become the subject of legend; others have disappeared into obscurity. Today, a number of orders of knighthood continue to exist in several countries, such as the English Order of the Garter, the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim, and the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.

4) Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.

5) The title of Chapter 9 comes from Marmion an epic poem by Walter Scott about the Battle of Flodden Field (1513). It was published in 1808.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!"

Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto vi. Stanza 17.
Scottish author & novelist (1771 - 1832)

Awesome that this quote is exactly what happens in Chapter 9, and that the MAIN Supporting Character(s) is from Tangled, the movie!

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Preview of Chapter 10

LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE

Much like the day of the Coronation, Arendelle harbour was beginning to get crowded. From his vantage point from one of the lookout towers, Kristoff was able to tell some of the ships by the ensigns and flags they were flying.

Three ships of similar design flew white flags with the Union Jack in the corner canton. One of those flags were red, indicating a member of royalty on board.

He saw ships large and small. Some with two masts and some with three. Some were sleek and fast with only one deck. Others had up to three main decks with canon aboard such as those with flags declaring themselves from the Kingdoms of Spain and Italy.

Two late arrivals, a sloop and a frigate were just making it past the gates of the harbour. They looked relatively new and the flags they flew were unfamiliar to him. The blue canton in the corner appeared to sport a circular symbol. "Hmm, I don't recognize those markings?" he rubbed the whiskers of his scraggly beard.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he headed down the stair case and into the tunnels of the castle walls. "Don't remember ever seeing a flag with Stars and Stripes?"