"This meeting is adjourned. We will reconvene in a fortnight's time to reassess the effectiveness of the quotas of produce in the new trade agreement."
One by one, leaders of Arendelle's neighbouring provinces took their leave. Northuldra was going through some freak weather and anticipating an unusually poor harvest, so Queen Iduna and other leaders arranged to pool their resources to see them through the rest of the season.
"You'd better go and get ready, dear," she said to her daughter with a kind smile.
Elsa returned it, hoping it didn't come off as too strained. She could fake her emotions if she wanted to, but today would truly be a test of her acting abilities. She was already more tired than usual after her night at the festival. "Yes, Mother." Iduna squeezed her daughter's arm before she left.
As usual after one of their meetings, Yelena hung back until it was just her and Iduna left in the room.
"How are you, Your Majesty?"
Iduna smiled fondly. "I've already told you, Yelena. Such formalities aren't necessary when it's just the two of us." Her nose crinkled. "I still find it weird."
And with good reason. Iduna was orphaned when she was young, long before she lived in Arendelle and met the prince. The saying was true. It took a village to raise a child, and every family opened Iduna with open arms for meals and games, to join their families when she had none. But Yelena, as the chief elder, played the largest role. She took Iduna in. She fed her, clothed her, nurtured her up until she began living in Arendelle, and even then, Yelena's home was always where she went back to when she visited Northuldra. Iduna always saw her as an adoptive mother, so now being in such a position of power over her felt bizarrely unnatural.
"Very well." Wrinkles formed at the corners of her eyes when Yelena smiled. "How are you, Iduna?"
"Busy. but a good busy. Now, more of my days are spent tying up loose ends before Elsa takes the throne in the winter. I hope Northuldra isn't struggling too much with this dry spell by the way," she added.
"We'll manage," Yelena assured her.
"You always do."
"And how is Elsa? I didn't get the chance to chat with her earlier."
Iduna made a halfhearted hand gesture. "The fact that she's about to be crowned is suddenly becoming a lot more real."
"Oh? For her or for you?"
"Both?" She shrugged. "I don't know. There's been some…" She trailed off. "Never mind."
Yelena immediately recognised that tone. "I know you don't need me to take care of you anymore," she began. "But you can still talk to me, Iduna. About anything." She put a gentle hand on Iduna's arm, and the queen felt a warmth bloom within her at the maternal gesture, something she often gave out and yet experienced so rarely. Something she missed dearly, more than she'd like to admit.
"It's nothing," she insisted, downplaying it as much as she could. "Just a little bit of mother-daughter tension. You know how it is." And Yelena did. There had been plenty of that when Iduna told her of her plans to marry Arendelle's prince. "Elsa does all the right things. She shadows my meetings to learn the ropes. She keeps herself updated on international relations. She's fluent in dialects from across the region. She's well equipped to take the throne. But we're starting courting arrangements and she's not been entirely… receptive."
Yelena quirked her brow. "I would have thought she'd be excited considering how smitten you were. Romanticism runs in your genes."
"Apparently not," Iduna replied flatly. "She's far from excited, but duties are duties. It's what has to be done."
"But if she's unhappy about it, surely you've considered the possibility of her ruling alone?" Yelena questioned matter-of-factly.
"I mean, I've considered it, and Elsa would certainly prefer it, but it's not the most ideal of options. Firstly, that would end the line of succession. Agnarr and I had no other children, nor he any siblings, and I don't even know where to begin when trying to hunt down cousins so far removed from his bloodline that I've never even met them, if they even exist. And ruling a kingdom on one's own is difficult. I say that even after having done it for the last three years. I don't want to burden her with that, especially not as she's first starting out. Having a partner on her side could aid the transition."
"Solitude can be a choice, you know?" Yelena posed. "One shouldn't have to marry just for the sake of partnership. I've been Northuldra's sole chief elder since you were a child and I've not yet let the place fall apart. It's possible if that's what Elsa wants."
"Northuldra is just a village, not an entire kingdom." Iduna heard the extra bit of bite in her voice before she could stop herself, something that she instantly regretted.
"I lead it just as well as you lead Arendelle," Yelena calmly defended.
"I'm sorry. I meant no offence."
"I know you didn't, my dear." Yelena's kind smile was back. "I shan't puppet you on how to run your kingdom or parent your daughter, but just remember that you have people around you who have been through it all and are willing to support you if you need it."
Despite the fact that Yelena was essentially aiding Elsa's argument, something Iduna still wasn't entirely sold on, the conversation did make her feel more at ease. Yelena had that effect on her. "I know. And I thank you for it."
XXX
"I'm sorry about last night. Kai cornered me and I didn't have an out."
The two women were in Elsa's bedroom, waiting for the royal family of Germonia to arrive. It was to be a fairly diplomatic affair. The king and queen would be discussing a new military treaty, something that had been a long time coming, while Elsa and the prince would… 'get to know each other better'.
Elsa shuddered.
Honeymaren finished securing the clasp on the back of Elsa's dress. It was one of her mother's old dresses, and it felt foreign on her skin, as if it didn't belong. She'd much rather be in her outfit inspired by the fjord.
"It's fine," Elsa replied curtly, her tone sharp.
"It doesn't sound fine," Honeymaren said after a moment of silence. The princess didn't reply. "If you're upset with me, I understand."
That got Elsa out of her trance real quick. "I'm not upset. I just… have a lot going on in my head."
"About today?"
"About everything."
Honeymaren affixed the pendant around Elsa's neck, just a simple sapphire. The princess could feel its coolness on her collarbone. "Tell me about last night," Honeymaren requested, trying to take her friend's mind off of the looming task ahead.
And there was so much Elsa wanted to tell her. The horse ride. The festival. The dancing. One of the best nights of her life. "It was like nothing I'd ever seen before." Elsa's voice was full of wonder as she recounted the events of the evening. To Honeymaren, it almost sounded like a fairytale. "I was surrounded by so many people who knew exactly who they were, and it was like for the first time in forever, I could be myself too. Not a princess." Just a common man.
Elias.
"I wonder if you'll be able to find a suitor at one of these things," Honeymaren thought aloud. "You seem so much happier there. I'm sure you'll be able to find someone you genuinely want to be around, as opposed to…" Her nose wrinkled in mild distaste. "...Prince Florian."
And that was another thing. "Relationships there aren't like they are here, Maren." Elsa tried to keep the tremor out of her voice. Honeymaren knew about her. Most of her. Surely she wouldn't judge. "They're… more free."
"How so?"
Here it goes. "Men court men, women court women, and everything in between."
"Oh." Honeymaren's eyes were wide. "Wow."
"Yeah."
"And the queen doesn't know anything about this?"
"How could she? This is everything we were taught was wrong and unnatural. Or maybe she does know about it but doesn't talk about it. It's like talking about it makes it real."
Honeymaren didn't say anything else. She didn't have an explosive reaction to the information, but Elsa still had no indication of how she really felt about it. She changed the subject. "How do you think I'll know when I find a worthy suitor?"
"Gosh, I don't know." The lady in waiting rocked back on her heels, thinking it over. "I guess the person has to do more than the bare minimum for you."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Ryder was asking me whether he should ask out this girl in the village we know. She's not my favourite person, but he seemed keen. So I asked him what he liked about her. He started going on about how she was kind and loyal and–"
"Isn't that what people are meant to be like anyway?" Elsa interrupted, a brow raised.
"Yeah, exactly!" Honeymaren agreed. "So I basically said 'okay, she's not gonna insult you or cheat on you but what else?' And he realised he didn't really know. So I guess that's my point. Whoever you choose to court wIth shouldn't just be nice. There should be something specific about him that's unique, not something generic, you know?"
Elsa flinched at the use of male pronouns, but everything else Honeymaren was saying made perfect sense. It put what she was feeling into words. Marrying someone nice was something she would do if she absolutely had to, but she didn't want just someone nice. She wanted…
Her mother's knock startled her, sending her crashing back to reality. Iduna opened the door dressed and ready for business. Arendelle's perfect queen.
"The royal family of Germonia has just pulled into port," she said. "Are you ready?"
Elsa saw Honeymaren give her an encouraging smile in the mirror, silently nudging her along. The sooner this all started, the sooner it could end. "Coming, Mother."
Together, princess and queen walked towards the Great Hall, arms linked. Sunlight fell from the sky in shimmering beams, making everything dazzlingly bright. It did not fit Elsa's mood at all.
"How are you feeling, darling?"
As if I'm walking towards the execution block, she thought glumly. "A bit uneasy."
The queen sighed. "Nerves are normal, my dear."
"We both know these aren't just nerves, Mother," Elsa replied, with too much sharpness in her voice. And yet, Iduna held her resolve.
"They're on their way to Corona, so this is a short stop for them. They aren't even staying the night. Their ship will be departing before supper as soon as it refuels. You can entertain Prince Florian until then, can't you? I remember him to be quite a fine young man." If there was one word that didn't go with the prince of Germonia, it was 'entertain'. "I mean, it beats diplomacy with King Magnus and Queen Eleanor. That couple is not an exciting bunch."
At least Elsa knew where Florian got it from.
"I'll do my best," she finally said.
"That's my girl." Iduna squeezed her arm before releasing it just as they reached the Great Hall. And just in time, because barely a moment later, Kai announced the arrival of the royal family of Germonia.
Elsa hadn't seen Prince Florian since her time at boarding school, Willows Academy For Young Royals, but she remembered him being… plain. A cookie cutter character. Exactly what you'd expect a prince to look like, behaving exactly how you'd expect a prince to behave. No surprises in that sense. But Elsa couldn't remember a single thing about him. She had some vague impression of the other boys who had been in her class. Naveen had been eccentric. Eric had been a hopeless romantic. Even Charming had been… well, charming.
But Florian?
At least he hadn't been annoying.
"Queen Iduna. Princess Elsa." King Magnus shook each of their hands stiffly. "Thank you so much for hosting us."
"The pleasure is ours," Iduna replied. "I hope that your voyage was smooth."
"Conditions were favourable," Queen Eleanor said in the most monotonous voice Elsa had ever heard. This was going to be a long few hours.
A mildly uncomfortable silence settled on the group before Iduna cleared her throat. "Well, I believe we should make a start towards the conference room. I also have a few documents that need to be given to Queen Arianna if you're able to take them with you when you leave this evening. Elsa, perhaps you and Prince Florian would like to have a walk through the gardens?"
A demand presented as a choice. Her mother was a good queen indeed. Elsa plastered on a smile that managed to look sincere. "It would be my pleasure."
The king and queens took their leave, leaving the two young royals alone. Prince Florian bowed low, and Elsa curtseyed. They may not have seen each other in years, but Willows Academy had taught them well. "I didn't have the chance to tell you this before you left," he began. "But I'm sorry about your father."
Elsa didn't know what she expected him to say, but it definitely wasn't that. "O-oh. Thank you. I mean, it was a long time ago."
"We never spoke to each other at school, but I could tell you were badly affected. I just felt the need to say it."
"I… appreciate that," she said awkwardly. She fidgeted with her hands before stopping herself, reminding herself that fidgeting wasn't acceptable royal behaviour. "Why don't we take a walk? It'll be a nice change after being on a boat for so long."
The prince agreed and held out his hand. Right. They were courting. Elsa took it.
"I don't know when's the last time you've been to Arendelle, but we can take a stroll through the calluna gardens. They're lovely this time of year."
"Alright."
They walked in silence, and Elsa tried to focus on the vibrant colours of the leaves around them, the pale whites, bright pinks, golden yellows, burnt reds, but she couldn't. She didn't like this one bit. Everything felt stiff. This was too uncomfortable. She had to say something.
"So… Do you like chocolate?" Really? she thought. That's the best you could come up with?
"Um… not particularly. It's a bit sweet for my liking."
"Oh." Well, at least the awkwardness wasn't by her lack of trying. And what kind of sick person didn't like chocolate?
Another painful bout of silence. Elsa kept glancing at her companion, noticing for the first time how uncomfortable he looked as well. She could just about make out that he was worrying the inside of his cheek, a trick they were taught by their etiquette tutor to avoid openly biting their lip and looking 'undignified'.
"I apologise," she finally said when they found themselves under a patch of shade. "I know this is supposed to be courting, but I've never done that before. And I don't know if I'm entirely ready to. It's something my mother is… encouraging. It won't be fair on you if I don't make this information known."
Elsa held her breath. She immediately knew she shouldn't have said anything. This was about more than just her. This was a matter of international diplomacy. What if Prince Florian was actually hoping for this all to amount to something? What if this truth resulted in a rift between Arendelle and Germonia she hadn't even considered before? She could have just royally screwed up.
But to her surprise, Florian let out a relieved sigh, a smile showing on his lips. She didn't think she had ever seen him smile before. "Oh, thank goodness."
To say she was confused would have been an understatement. "...what?"
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was afraid of saying anything. My father was the same. He was adamant that I begin my 'courting journey' or whatever this is. God knows why. He and Mother are far from aged and sick. There's plenty of time before I ascend to the throne."
She blinked. "Why are you doing this then?"
"Father can just be stuck in his ways, but he doesn't realise… I mean, I suppose I haven't told him, but…" Florian grinned like a young boy in love. "I'm courting Snow White."
"Oh." Elsa's eyes widened. "Oh. Snow White from–"
"Willows, yes."
With those words, the biggest weight was lifted from Elsa's shoulders, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she could finally breath. "That's fantastic!"
Florian looked bashful. "Do you think?"
"Yes! Why don't you just tell your parents?"
He shrugged. "She's not technically a princess. The daughter of a nobleman, sure, but…"
"But it's not enough for King Magnus," Elsa deduced.
"Exactly."
"Wow."
"That's one way to put it."
Elsa shifted her weight on her feet. "Do you think you'll tell him?"
"Someday I will," Florian replied. "When I'm ready. When both of us are ready. I think this is a part of growing up and coming into our own. One day, Elsa, we're going to be running our kingdoms. How can I do that if I can't even stand up to my father and marry whom I choose to instead of who he picks out for me?"
"You make an excellent point," she acknowledged before posing another question. "Do you love her though?"
"Truly," he answered without a second thought. "I do."
Elsa admired his firmness in his response. "It must be nice," she mused. "Being so sure of yourself. I sometimes feel like living as a royal is a constant battle. Have self assurance, and you've already won half the fight."
He gave her a kind smile. "Your time will come. I'm sure of it."
Immediately, Anna's face flashed in Elsa's mind, and she felt something in her chest stir. "I really hope so."
XXX
"Elsa, hey!"
The sun had set, the royal family of Germonia were long gone, and Anna's voice was of familiar comfort to the princess after a long and gruelling day.
"Shoot, or is it Elias today?" Anna stammered, coming to her side.
"Elsa is fine," Elsa concluded after a brief moment of deliberation. She actually did feel like a princess today. Her blue eyes darted towards the end of the corridor, acutely aware that they were within one of the main wings of the castle, not far off from the queen's chambers. "Anna, I'll come find you later in the–"
"Oh there you are."
Elsa's heart dropped as Queen Iduna approached from down the hall. "I sent Kai to find you but I didn't realise you'd be here." Her gaze turned to Anna, and Elsa felt her anxieties spike even more.
"Good evening, Your Majesty," Anna greeted, quickly curtseying. She managed to pull it off seamlessly, despite the nerves working away inside her at the thought of being this close to the queen.
"Good evening. I don't believe we've met before." Her eyes went back to her daughter expectantly, as if waiting for an explanation.
"This is… uh…"
"I'm Anna," the redhead quickly butted in, saving Elsa from any more awkward fumbling. "I'm a new seamstress. Eliza hired me. She thought you guys could use an extra set of hands, what with the upcoming coronation and all. Sorry, I'm still pretty new. I was asking the princess where Honeymaren would be. A new shipment of fabric has come for me and I believe she put them away somewhere."
Elsa was thankful that Anna was able to pull off that lie like it was nothing. "She was in my bedchambers earlier and said she'd be returning to her quarters after. She should be there now."
Anna nodded and gave the two royals a final curtsey before scurrying off. The queen watched her go. "Is she working this late?"
"She loves what she does. I suppose it doesn't feel like work to her."
"Do you speak to her often then?" Iduna asked.
Elsa gulped in a way she hoped wasn't too obvious. "Occasionally. In passing."
"Well anyway, I wanted to ask how your day was, my dear. I had some last minute work I needed to address and didn't get the chance to speak to you at supper."
The two entered Iduna's room and she began pulling pins from her hair, putting them on the dressing table in a neat pile so they could be used the next day. "King Magnus and Queen Eleanor were as lively as ever," she said sarcastically.
Elsa's spirits brightened significantly. This was one of her favourite parts about their relationship. To put it very crudely, she loved being able to bitch about their royal duties with her mother. "Do tell."
"Did you know that Germonia is importing rocks from Corona? That's their business with Queen Arianna. To discuss rock trade to combat their kingdom's growing rock shortage." Iduna snorted, something very unbecoming of a queen. "I pity her. She has no idea what she's in for." Hairpins now removed, she began brushing out her hair, the teeth of her comb smoothing out her brunette locks. "I hope your afternoon with Prince Florian wasn't as mind-numbing."
"It wasn't, actually," Elsa confessed. "We had a good time. We strolled through the gardens and after that, we went to the music room. I played while he practised a song he intends to sing to Snow White." She paused for dramatic effect. "Who he's courting."
Iduna almost dropped her comb. "No. Seriously?"
Elsa nodded. "In secret. King Magnus doesn't approve because she's only a nobleman's daughter, but he wants to ask for her hand in marriage."
"Well knowing King Magnus, I don't think there'll be much of a reaction. I don't think the man is capable of reacting to anything."
Elsa laughed. She loved when her mother was like this.
"I suppose you must have been relieved," Iduna continued. Thankfully, there was no accusation in her voice. "No need to worry about marrying into that bloodline."
"I was," she affirmed. "And it was interesting to see someone my age so… smitten."
"Well, I'm glad you gave it a try anyway, my darling." Iduna stood and pulled her daughter into a hug. "I know it was daunting. But the first date is always the hardest."
"I know, Mother."
"But perhaps Prince Florian may have inspired you. Love is possible without parental intervention, you know? It's just a matter of finding it."
Once again, the face of a smiling redhead appeared in her mind's eye. Elsa found herself grinning at just the thought of her. "Yes. Perhaps he has."
XXX
"You need to be more careful, Anna," Elsa said the moment she entered the secret dressing room. Like she suspected, Anna was already in there waiting for her. "I know my mother doesn't suspect anything yet, but we can't give her the tools to."
"I'm sorry," Anna immediately apologised. "I was just excited to see you. I didn't think that the queen would show up."
"It's alright. It wasn't your fault. These things are hard to predict, especially in a palace this big." Elsa took a seat in one of the chairs facing Anna. "But I think we should set some ground rules, just to be safe."
"Yeah," Anna agreed.
"When we're in the castle, unless we're with Kai, Kristoff or Honeymaren, or if we're alone, it might be best for you to call me Princess Elsa." Her nose wrinkled in mild distaste. "In case anyone overhears."
"Got it."
"And if I'm with my mother, or if she's nearby, I think it would be best if we didn't speak."
Anna's face fell slightly. She hid it well, but Elsa still noticed. She didn't like it. "Oh."
"It's just that under normal circumstances, it's rare for me to be speaking to a seamstress," Elsa quickly amended. "I don't want to give anyone a reason to suspect anything."
"I understand." She swallowed. "Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of right now."
"Right." Anna paused. "How was your date?" There was something in Anna's tone that Elsa couldn't quite dissect.
"It didn't work out."
"Well that's good, right? You didn't wanna court this guy anyway."
"I suppose so, and my mother wasn't displeased at the fact that nothing had come from it. But it doesn't mean more suitors won't be coming."
Anna blew a raspberry, which made Elsa giggle. "At least your mom didn't react badly. I guess that means you can take your time with things."
"I suppose so."
"And until then, we can still keep going to those festivals. Help you take your mind off things." Anna grinned her cute grin and Elsa willed herself not to melt.
"Anyway… you said you were excited to see me?" she questioned, drawing to mind Anna's words from earlier.
"Oh, yes!" Anna bolted up, the energy in her completely renewed as she grabbed her satchel and rummaged through it. "You know that whole 'Elsa', 'Elias' thing that you were talking about, and how I have to ask whenever I see you? I can still do that, but I realise from earlier that that could be a little risky even if I think we're alone, in case we're overheard. And I was in the village today when I found this" Anna withdrew a small velvet pouch and handed it to the princess. "Open it," she prompted with a gleeful smile.
Elsa felt a twinge of guilt. She hated when members of staff gave her gifts, even if they were friends. She always felt bad, as if she was a pampered princess taking their hard earned wages just by accepting their presents. "Anna, you didn't have to get me anything…"
"Yes I did! Now open it."
She raised a brow but pulled the pouch's drawstring and taking out its contents. There were two little woven bracelets, the patterns so intricate Elsa couldn't help but stare at them. One was pink and the other was blue. "Oh, these are lovely."
"And they're not just bracelets." Anna sat down on the arm of Elsa's chair. "You said you're Elsa today, right?"
"Yes…"
Anna took the pink bracelet and fastened it around Elsa's wrist, her fingers brushing against the princess. "There. Now I know. And if there's ever a day you're feeling like Elias, you can wear the blue one. Even if we're around other people and I have to call you Elsa or Princess Elsa, we'll both know who you really are."
The more Anna spoke, the more Elsa felt her emotions threaten to spill out. It was rare that she ever let her feelings show, much less in the form of tears. That time with Anna had been an anomaly. And yet, feeling the weight of the bracelet against her skin, Elsa felt like she could cry from happiness. She had never felt so seen. So understood. Not by her mother, not by Honeymaren, not anyone. Not until Anna.
Elsa was silent, and Anna feared she had done something wrong. She quickly fumbled for an excuse to leave. If the princess was upset with her, she'd better make herself scarce. "Anyway, it's getting late and you probably have lots of princess stuff to get to in the morning so I'm just gonna go and–"
"Anna." Elsa stood up and held her by the wrist just before she could get out the door. Anna held her breath, but to her surprise, the princess hugged her. "I love it."
Anna squeaked. "You do?"
"I really love it. Thank you." Elsa released her and Anna swayed on her feet a little. Anna stared at her. This was the happiest she had ever seen the princess. Had she really done that?
"No problem." Anna gestured vaguely towards the door. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."
The princess smiled. "See you tomorrow."
Even when she was alone, Elsa's heart was still racing. She twirled the bracelet arond her wrist, relishing in this gift. She couldn't believe that Anna had given her something that was so perfect.
The events of the last twenty four hours replayed in her head. The festival. The ride on Nokk. The talk with Prince Florian. The talk with her mother. All the times that Anna had popped into her thoughts unannounced. All the times Anna made her feel understood, even though it had barely been a day.
Elsa didn't know much, but she finally knew one thing for sure.
That girl had her absolutely smitten.
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