1908,

The Garden of Linnea Castle,

Arendelle

"But how did they keep it a secret, Grandpapa? That she was married to the King?"

He met Iduna's gaze, and for the briefest of moments, he saw her sitting across from him, with her long auburn curls and bright blue eyes, as happy and alive as she had always been. Oh, Milla, my darling, my heart, how I miss you so-

"Grandpapa?" And suddenly, she was gone in the blink of an eye, a ghost long since dead and buried with the rest of the royal family, yet one who still haunted him to this day- just as she did.

"I'm sorry, Iduna, my sweetheart, what did you say?"

The girl seemed unfazed by the sadness in her grandfather's eyes, for she didn't understand what caused it. "The King and Queen? How did they keep their marriage a secret? And the baby?"

"The council knew she was pregnant, but they didn't know it was the King's, right, 'papa? Except for that one councilman Lord... Lord Cornwall?"

"No, it was Lord Tromsø, wasn't it, Grandpapa? Or Lord Oslo?"

"Lord Bismarck." Netta corrected, and he nodded, smiling softly at her.

"The king and queen had an intricate network of loyal servants who were willing to keep their secret; very few within their courts gained the favors of the king and queen, and those few that did had done so with deep loyalty over a number of years; for the queen, it was much easier, because she had her sister by her side. And though a step above the majority of women, the princess was still a member of the Arendellian court, and therefore exempt from the burdens her sister carried upon her small, slender shoulders- and therefore, that innocence made her the most trusted of the king and queen's inner circle. Letters passed from the queen to the princess, and from the princess to the housekeeper, who then sent them on their way to the Isles by way of the captain of the Vinterrose. 'Diplomatic visits' every couple of months to the Isles- at least, until the queen got to be too far along within her pregnancy to travel, then the king arranged to meet her in Arendelle. It was often during those visits that the pair spent more than just 'dipolmatic' time together-"

"Time spent drawing up treaties and the like." Magda cut in, and the older man nodded.

"Yes. Though her council suspected, none ever approached her about their suspicions. She managed to keep them in the dark, even up to the final weeks of her pregnancy, even during the king's visits to Arendelle- everyone in the council assumed it was a high ranking courtier who had fathered her child; only Lord Bismarck knew the truth, and he stayed silent, upon the queen's request and his loyalty to her. The last time the king was able to visit the queen, was mere weeks before their child was born- days, in fact. He longed to be with her when her time came, but duty to his kingdom and proper societal convention would once more keep them apart."

"He couldn't be with her when she gave birth, but the court could." Netta spoke up, and the children turned to her.

"Why couldn't he be with her? Papa was with Mama when each of us were born- I think." Agnarr spoke up, glancing at his parents, who both nodded.

"This was a very different time, Agnarr." Grandpapa replied. "Remember, this was the early eighteen-forties. What was expected of ruling monarchs then was not the same as now. Back then, in the king and queen's time, it was more common for the court to bear witness to the birth of the royal heir than the father; it was also seen as improper for a man that was not a doctor to bear witness to a birthing mother."

"But the men of the court could be there." The boy filled in, a look of disgust flashing across his face, and he chuckled, recognizing the same look that had crossed her face when she was disgusted or annoyed by something that made no sense.

"It was considered important for the council and court to witness the birth of the royal heir, for succession's sake."

Eyebrows furrowed and looks were shared. "What do you mean by succession's sake, Grandpapa?"

After a moment, he sat back, trying to figure out the best way to explain the complicated intricacies of the previous court that had ruled before the boy's parents. He let his gaze drift to Magda, and felt a lump start to form in his throat; she looked so much like the others- not just Netta and Thyra, but Milla and Leisel as well.

"... and when you are old enough, mitt lille hjerte, you and Mama shall come to the Isles, for they are your people, too. For just as Mama rules Arendelle, I rule the Isles, but unfortunately, due to ancient law, we cannot rule both together. We are forced to be apart; which is why moments like this are so very precious. You see, mitt lille hjerte, I do not wish to be away from you or your precious Mama for so long; it's because I rule the Isles that I must spend time away- but that's why we have arranged 'diplomatic visits'- to the outside world and even our own countries, it appears that they are just continuous talks in regards to trade and taxes. No one suspects there are ulterior motives for your Mama and I."

"I'm scared."

"It's natural to be scared, Eliza, my love."

"But what if something happens during the birth? To... to the baby or... or me? Princess Charlotte of Wales died in child-"

"Shh. That will not happen to you, Eliza-"

"You don't know that-"

"Neither do you. But you know what I do know? I know that you're strong. You are so, so strong, both of you are. And you will get through the harrows of it, both of you. I am the luckiest man in the world, to be married to you, Eliza. That you chose me-"

"I know, love."

"Grandpapa?" The conversation faded from his memory, and he met Agnarr's gaze once more. "The succession?"

A moment passed, as confusion crossed his face, before he remembered the question the boy had posed. "Ah, yes. You see, the court was there to witness the birth as was custom, and the council to make sure that the queen truly did give birth."