"So?"

"So what?"

"I told уоu - no secrets between us!" Anna tipped her nose. "What's the surprise, Elsa? Just say it already."

She could have grinned, but didn't allow Anna that privillege. She just turned away, pretending not to have heard it, leaving Anna with mouth agape. "Elsa!" She just shook her head, making that irritating "mm-mm" sound.

"Oh, come on!"

"Ah-ah." Elsa said, raising her finger. "It wouldn't be a surprise, otherwise."

"Can I guess? Are you...building a new castle?"

"No. That would pretty anti-climactic, wouldn't it?"

"Are you going to give that Duke of Weselton a run for his money?"

"What? What kind of language is that Anna? Goodness."

"Are you getting married?" Anna gasped and hugged her from behind. "Who is he? I want to meet him!"

"What...No! Heavens, no!" she pushed her away.

"Oh." she said. "Yes. Sorry."

"Where do you get those ideas? No." she waved away. "And you cannot keep guessing."

"But..."

"I am the eldest!" she grinned. "And I say no."

Anna groaned. "Fine. We'll have it your way."

She sat on a chair. Elsa then noticed something: she and Anna were here, but Olaf was not.

"Where is Olaf? Anna, did you..."

"Hmm? Oh, I wouldn't worry. He always comes back Elsa...surprisingly so, but he does. He is like a cat: except he'll come back when he wants a hug rather than food."

"You are really optimistic so much of the time?" she sighed and sat beside her. "I wish I was like you."

"Really? Most people out there would prefer hands with which they can do...basically everything, with the exception of turning on the heat."

"Anna, you know exactly what I mean. Do not be so..."

"Irritating?" she raised her eyebrow.

"No! I mean..."

"Well, when you have spent much of your childhood knocking on your sister's door and saying the same thing, you would get a bit repetitive, no?"

Elsa sighed. "Anna...I told you dozens of..."

"Oh, relax, Elsa!" she hugged her tightly. "I am just jesting a bit."

Are you, though?

"Yes, I know." she chuckled. "Just...please be a bit more considerate." she scratched her hair. "How is Kristoff?"

"Good, thank the heaven." she smiled. "We are both happy the way things are. Asmund has been pushing us to marry. I want to and I think Kristoff does to, just doesn't believe we can, so..."

"Doesn't believe that you can? And why so, excuse me?"

"Well, he really is a lowborn, Elsa..."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." she stood up, fixing her dress. "I will allow no tradition to keep my sister from being happy. I set that as s precedent long ago."

"Elsa, I am happy!" she stood up. "I have no doubt I and Kristoff will marry. Just...you know, all that legal stuff needs to be sorted out as well."

"I believe you, Anna."

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

Grandmother was dressed in her finest blue dress, being a light in their eyes. She was smiling, like always, and bowing her head. "Your majesty..." she didn't even finish the sentence as Elsa hugged her instantly.

"If there is anyone not supposed to bow, it's you!" she kissed her on the cheek. "I am so happy you are here."

"Me too, dear." she said.

"Hey?" Anna said, pretending to be angry. "And I? Or only Elsa gets the hug. As she always did."

Elsa and Rhaena rolled their eyes, letting one another go, and Rhaena turned and smiled to Anna, who ran to her embrace.

"Dear!" Rhaena almost fell, and laughed. "Now that is why I preferred to hug Elsa. You hug like a bear!"

"Well, as Olaf says: 'Bear hug is the warmest hug.'"

"Your majesty."

Now Grandan entered the room, dressed in full armor, with a crocus on his plate, his sword so big almost touching the ground. "Your highnesses." he bowed his head. "I am greatly sorry, but there are some urgent things I need to inform you of, your majesty." he glanced at the former queen and princess. "Alone."

Elsa sighed. Of course. It never lasts long.

"It's alright Grandan. Let's go for a walk again."

He bowed his head in approval. Elsa was looking back a few times to see if anyone is following them.

"Well. What is it?"

"Just one thing, your majesty." Grandan said. "One army of the Southern Isles apparently abandoned one of their posts near our borders." she looked at him. "Our spies say one day they were there, and the next day they just left."

"They are going somewhere." she said. "They must be preparing for some conflict. But against whom?"

"We don't know." he said. "Prince Caleb, the eldest brother of that...Hans, has become the king a few days ago."

Caleb was known to be a short-tempered man, who killed all who oppose him. He was known to be unstable and wrathful, unaccepting of compromises and peace.

Not wise to have him as an enemy.

"So we do not know," Grandan continued. "If perhaps his brother convinced him in vengeance."

"It doesn't matter." she said. "They must not approach us. You will send some spies to follow them. We must find out their plans."

"Westergaards were never planners, your majesty." Grandan said. "You know that better than I do. Most of the time they make it up while they go along."

"Then we must not give them the opportunity to think."

"That will be hard to do." Grandan said. "We..."

"Sit, Grandan." she said, raising her hand and creating an ice chair behind him. Grandan flinched. He still didn't really get used to it. "We cannot stand all the time." she made a simple chair for herself as well.

"Thank you, your majesty." he said and sat down. "We cannot follow his men. If our spies follow them too closely, they might be caught and killed, and we can only dream about new reports."

"Not if we send the spies around them, not behind them." Elsa said. However, almost instantly she shook her head. "No, no. It's the holiday. And the rumours are like wildfire: a bit of truth, many lies and you have everyone believing it. That happened to me and my powers." she gazed at him sternly. "I will have audience with king Caleb. When I have time."

Everyone else would have widened their eyes and went pale. But Grandan simply disagreed. "Your majesty, even if the rumours are exaggerated they cannot be made up. We have many trustworthy spies."

"No, Grandan." she touched his arm. "No. I want them to see me as a queen who wants peace, not the one that jumps into war."

"With all undue respect to him, your majesty, king Caleb is a mad dog, who barks at everything."

"Barks, maybe." she said. "But it would be too dangerous for him to bite. He is a king: the moment he does something inconsiderate, he loses both his crown and his head."

"If you say so, your majesty." he bowed his head. "Will I tell the spies to retreat?"

"No." she said. "We are agreeable, not insane. But do order them to cease every hostile action."

"Some would think espionage fits that category."

"Some, but not us."

"As you desire, your majesty. Forgive me for interruption."

"There is nothing to forgive, Grandan." she said, and he left with a bow.

A part of her always hoped mother would eventually give birth to a son, so that she wouldn't have to bear the guilt for all of this...politicking.

But I am the queen. I just hope I am a good queen as well. As good as father was.

Flynn and Andal were competing in archery, like good old times.

"My turn, now." Andal said and aimed at the target. Andal always needed some time before he could shoot. He was a perfectionist, and sometimes, that would bore Flynn to death. He yawned.

Suddenly, Andal let his arrow loose and Flynn flinched. "Eh!" said Andal. "Now that is how you shoot. Let me see you try, Flynn."

"I told you already." Flynn picked up a bow and an arrow. "Now I am Eugene." Flynn aimed at the target, unsure whether he will hit or not.

"I always liked Flynn more." Andal said. "Although, master Bored was always my favorite." Coincidentally, Flynn let his arrow loose and missed the target. The arrow hit the nearby tree instead. Andal laughed, and Flynn sighed.

"You see what happened?" Flynn said. "Can't you just, I don't know, be silent!"

"Oh, someone is not himself." Andal said and placed his hand on Flynn's shoulder. "Come on Flynn..."

"Eugene." Flynn said in a flat voice, and Andal rolled his eyes.

"Alright, it's Eugene." Andal said. "Eugene, you were never easy to anger. You were always smiling, joking, playing around, you were never serious." Andal punched him in the shoulder. "What happened to you, pal?"

"I got married, that's what." Flynn said, preparing his bow.

"Yeah, I guess that's bad."

Flynn's eyes widened, and he looked Andal right into his eyes. "Hey!" he said. "Listen, master Pink Mustache."

Andal's eyes widened at that nickname. Flynn wanted to smile, but now he had something else to do with Andal. "I am changed because I married, I don't deny it. But, unlike you, I like Eugene Fitzherbert, prince of Corona," Flynn presented himself like royalty. "more than Flynn Rider. I love the woman I married and I love our little angel girl." Flynn said with a proud smile, but changed his face again, to make it proper with the situation.

"And I don't regret becoming Rapunzel's husband, or Elsa's..." Flynn paused when he said that. It still sounded weird. "...Papa." Seriously, what was wrong with Martha. That's a beautiful name for a girl!

"And if I hear you say anything about my wife or daughter again, I will make sure you regret it." Flynn cleaned his hands. "Anything that is negative, of course. You can say something positive about them. But not too much about my wife."

Andal laughed, and Flynn blinked. "Oh, Flynn!" Andal said Flynn Rider's name again and Flynn facepalmed. "You really are changed. I don't hate Rapunzel, friend. Not at all. I am happy for you. I am just sorry you changed that much. But I will leave you alone now. I think you need some time alone." he picked up his bow and arrow. "Bye!"

"Well, I really do need some time alone." Flynn said and folded his hands. "You really frustrated me. Hold on...where are you going! You know I can't keep you out of..."

"Relax, Eugene. That lord Dalonar has stated he would like my service at something and he mentioned a good pay."

"I just hope it's not something...illegal. See you then..." Flynn then realized and looked at the target, and at Andal leaving. "Hey!"

"I won!" Andal yelled and ran away, leaving Flynn alone with the target he missed.

"Oh, great." Flynn said and punched his hand. "Old trickster and liar." Flynn sighed. "Well, I'm not a winner. But I am still, a father and a husband." Flynn said, smiling.

Then, Flynn heard clapping, and he turned to see the last person he wanted to. Priest Asmund. He swallowed.

"Holy man!" Flynn bowed his head. "I mean, Holy father. My father!" Flynn bowed, and smiled.

"Great job, Eugene Fitzherbert." Asmund said. "I am really impressed."

"Really?" Flynn said. "Oh, thank you! I was really confused now, and I really practiced this obeisance, so..."

"Oh, not that, it was terrible." Asmund said, and Flynn looked confused. "In fact, children know how to show respect to a priest better than you."

Flynn rubbed his neck. "Uhh..."

"I was talking about your loyalty to your family, son." Asmund said, placing his hands around Flynn. "Technically, it's nothing special, but the fact that you did that is remarkable to me."

He blinked. "Uh, thanks." Flynn said. I guess.

"For real, though." Asmund continued. "I never expected for a former thief to give such a loyal speech about his wife. When I first heard about you, I expected you are unfaithful to Rapunzel at every turn." he rubbed his beard. "But then I realized you can't be." Flynn smiled. "It would get you executed immediately."

Yeah. It would.

"So, if not out of love, I thought you remained faithful at least because you were no stupid."

"Hey!" Flynn stood up. "Listen, I do love Rapunzel! No one can tell me I don't, not even you!" Flynn grabbed Asmund's robe and then realized who he was talking to. He smiled nervously and cleaned Asmund's robe. This can get me stoned as well, that's for sure!

"I was just about to mention that." Asmund said, removing Flynn's hand. "You actually showed great love for your wife and daughter. You were around them, you helped them, and Arianna told me everything you did for Rapunzel."

Flynn wasn't sure how to feel about that last part. "Uh...everything?"

"Yes." Asmund said, again, in his flat voice. "Everything."

Flynn swallowed. Oh, boy.

"And I must admit, I think she has respect for you."

"What?" Flynn asked.

"I dare say I think she actually loves you. She thinks you are the best man for Rapunzel."

Flynn wanted to laugh, but he was too confused to do anything.

"I am really happy about that, though I don't agree with the 'best man' part. However, if Arianna likes you, I suppose I can give nothing, but approval about you and Rapunzel. On the other hand, Rapunzel said so many things about you that I got bored of all of that. I even stopped listening to her."

Flynn smiled at that.

"I am really happy about that, because, between us..." Asmund leaned to whisper. "Arianna was my favorite among the children of king Arnold. I loved her like a little sister, and I still do. So you can understand why I care about who her daughter is married to."

Flynn smiled confidently and waved his hand. "Don't worry, my father, I am absolutely..."

"Of course, I will still keep both of my eyes on you." Asmund said and let go of Flynn. "I suppose you are a good man, but if I ever see you with another woman or doing something else against Rapunzel, I will find you and convince the court to punish you." Flynn's eyes widened. "Maybe even stone to death." Flynn's mouth were wide open. Asmund said that as if he said he is going to dinner.

"But..."

"Oh, relax son." Asmund said and placed his arms around Flynn. "I am just joking." he smiled, and Flynn tried to smile as well.

"I will stone you myself on the spot, if that ever happens." Asmund said, still smiling, while Flynn swallowed and smiled nervously. The priest then petted him like a dog. "Be good, son." he said and left.

Not that he will ever betray Rapunzel, but Flynn was still terrified when he imagined his execution.

He was so surprised that he didn't react when Cassandra came to him.

"You had a problem, Eugene?" she asked him.

"Yup." Flynn said. "I think I am more nervous around him than around Frederic himself."

"Oh, don't worry." Cassandra said. "You just have to be a good boy." Cassandra said and patted him like a dog, and Flynn could only sigh in frustration.

At least he isn't scared of the priest anymore.