Edward was waiting by the sleigh as Kristoff was off talking to a customer who ordered the ice. They had already unloaded all of it and the mountain man had said after they finished up here they'd be off to the castle to prepare for dinner. It was well into the evening with the sun beginning to go down. The young man looked down at the clothes that Elsa had lent him and frowned at the wear they had accumulated during the day. He could wear them again but he if he was indeed going to a dinner with the royal family, he'd like to have clean clothes on.

This brought him to the thought that burdened his mind, he was loathed to ask the Royals for another change of clothes. He also doubted the 30% he was going to receive from Kristoff would be enough to pay for clothes and a room for the night. The only option he had left was to ask the ice harvester if he could borrow some clothes for tonight. The mountain man may be a larger man than Edward but the wonderful addition to most sleeveless vests were they came with a belt to tighten the article of clothing. The longer sleeves of the shirt he would wear under the vest was another issue. But he planned on rolling up the sleeves to his elbows in a way that still looked professional. The same could be done with the pants, the only thing that he couldn't change was the boots. Thankfully the snow and ice made little impact on the boots he wore throughout the day, so he was comfortable with wearing them.

Now all he had to do was muster the nerve to ask the man for some clothes, yet every time he tried an annoying thought would keep him from speaking.

Asking someone who's given you job another favor is depending on them, dependence leads to inefficiency.

The young man couldn't tell if those were his thoughts or the thoughts his instructors had drilled into him for so many years. Edward wanted to move on from the past but there would always be a piece that was firmly rooted in history, more than happy to repeat it.

His attention shifted back to the ice harvester who was walking back to the sleigh with a large smile on his face. In his hand was a bag that seemed to jingle with each step he took, it was by no means a fortune but for one's day work it sounded satisfying.

"Another order fulfilled, and here's your cut." Kristoff opened the bag and rifled through the contents for a few moments before pulling out a handful of coins. He gave them to the brown-haired man before securing the bag and shoving it in his pocket. Edward looked in his hand and was pleasantly surprised to feel a small bit of heft to it. There was enough in his hand for three days at an average price inn. When he looked up with a raised eyebrow, Kristoff pointed to an older man who was speaking with a sailor.

"You should be thanking Mr. Jorgen when we were talking about the payment he asked about you. I told you we found you yesterday with nothing but the clothes on your back and that you took ice harvesting to earn some money. The old man once told me that bandits had robbed him and left him with absolutely nothing, he says he wouldn't have survived the night if the decent couple who happened upon hadn't given him some money. He said he never saw them again so he couldn't repay their kindness, I guess this is his way of doing so."

Edward couldn't help but stare at the older man with gratitude. The man in question said nothing but nodded his head with a small smile before going back to his business with the sailor. Kristoff caught the look and couldn't help the smile that lit up his face, he also had put some extra in the cut as a small thank you for helping out but he wasn't going to tell the guy. "Alright, now that that's settled we should get going, we need to find you something to wear. Hopefully one of the suits Kai made ready for me will fit you."

The brown-haired man's head snapped over to the mountain man with a half jumbled refusal on the tip of his tongue.

"You're too kind but…"

Kristoff raised a hand to stop him.

"But you have nothing to wear because you worked in the only clothes you had that weren't torn. Don't worry about it, I never wear them, I hate how constricting they feel. You, on the other hand, seem to not mind them at all, were you some official or something in Blackdust?" Edward lightly chuckled before answering.

"No, father felt that one should always look immaculate, no matter the situation. He made me and brother live in suits and fine clothes for the longest time in everything we did. Whenever we would tear them, we'd be punished, both of us." Kristoff couldn't stop his jaw from dropping a bit as he imagined himself in that scenario. He could barely go a few hours without tearing something and the guy in front of him basically learned to live in one and got punished for it? Part of him wanted to say something but Edward continued as if he was commenting about the weather.

"When we learned how to move with them, we were then taught how to fight with them restricting us. I cannot tell you how hard is to swing a sword when the shirt you're wearing a size too small and you had to have every stitch and button secure. Not to mention the tears we'd receive while learning to fight counted also, so we were punished. After a while, you get used to it, but when you take it off, the freedom you feel is exhilarating." Edward turned to see the mountain man's stunned expression and couldn't help the chuckle that passed his lips. To be completely honest, he liked looking like a gentleman. It helped cover up the darker aspects of himself by portraying a man who was calm and collected.

"It's ok Kristoff, it's all in the past. Besides, I can remember all the times I ripped some of my brother's clothes just to get him in trouble. Even though I would be punished as well, it was fun to see his facial expression when he found out it was his clothes and not mine." Edward got the change in expression he was hoping for, the mountain man began to chuckle before they began mounting the sleigh.

"Well try to avoid ripping my clothes, Kai would pop a blood vessel if he found out."

"Don't tempt me, it's been a while since I've seen someone do that."

Elsa was finally putting the finishing touches on the mountain of paperwork that was on her desk. The documents ranged from invitations to trade agreements and policy letters that honestly could've waited for a later time. However, Queen Elsa strived to finish all her duties ahead of schedule and continue to work for the good of Arendelle. There was one document that she had in her hands that she reread over and over to be comfortable with its contents.

It was a letter to King Alrick that asked for Prince Ahimoth to come to Arendelle in a month, a few weeks earlier than the Winter Solstice gathering.

The gist of it explained their concerns about bringing them to the gathering without so much as meeting them, so she suggested they come early so she would get to know them. In the event that the two kingdoms were beneficial to one another and no potential issues would come up with them and a visiting kingdom Prince Ahimoth would be permitted to stay until the end of the Winter Solstice gathering.

Elsa had rewritten the letter three times to ensure it wouldn't offend King Alrick but for some reason, she felt that this letter would offend him. While it was true they needed to get to know one another, the King could take the letter as a statement saying she was going to judge them to see if they were worthy to attend her gathering.

But isn't that what I'm doing?

The platinum beauty covered her face with her hands and groaned beginning to feel the start of a headache. When she heard the doors to her study opened she suppressed the urge to groan even louder and put her hands down preparing to receive her visitor. When she saw her baby sister playfully smiling at her distress, Elsa couldn't help but even make a more exasperated groan.

"Not happy to see me?" Anna walked up with a smile on her face when she watched her sister put her hands back on her face but didn't miss the smile under them.

"I'm always happy to see you, Anna, I would just be happier if you came in with a box of chocolates and some red wine." The brunette chuckled a bit before going around her sister's desk and began rubbing her shoulders. While she was behind the blonde, Anna looked over her shoulder and read the letter that was addressed to Blackdust. After a few moments of reading, she had a few guesses as to why Elsa was groaning into her hands.

Normally, she would've brought it up and hopefully be able to help the blonde brainstorm some ideas to remedy the situation. However, she remembered the reason she came in and also felt that Elsa needed a break. "Well I know where to get some if you come to the main dining hall, we can have some appetizers before everyone gets here."

Elsa separated her fingers to look through them toward the large clock that was in the corner of her study. When she realized that it was a little bit over a quarter an hour before dinner she began to rise. She hadn't meant to let time get away from her like that.

"I'm sorry I guess I've been working too hard again, thank you for coming to get me." Anna gave her a quick hug before beginning to physically drag her out of the study and towards the dining hall

"It's no problem, Elsa, now we need to hurry, I saw Kai and Gerda already at the table. I'm sure Kristoff and Edward are back by now so they should be coming soon." When the two sisters made it to the dining hall they were immediately greeted by the two older servants who were almost like surrogate parents to them. After their parents died, Kai and Gerda had stepped up and seen to the two of them as if they were their own children.

Kai would always impress the importance of acting regal and would scold them both (usually Anna) on behaving as royalty should. However, he was also patient and understanding which lead the sisters being able to come with him with anything. Gerda was mother hen for the royal sisters, she was fiercely protective yet pampered the two. When she had first met Kristoff, the mountain man could feel her scanning him to the smallest detail due to Anna's attraction to him. At first, she was wary of the man but after hearing all he did for Anna, Gerda took him under a loving wing.

The death of her parents really hit Elsa hard, especially with her isolation from Anna. If it weren't for the constant support that the two servants had given her over the years she shuddered to think where she'd be now. The two stood up in their chairs before bowing.

"Good evening Queen Elsa and Princess Anna." Kai would always address them with their titles no matter how much they asked him not to. At first, Anna grew quickly annoyed with it and once tried ordering him to stop, however, the older man refused to say that addressing her any less was a lack of respect. Gerda was less uptight and always addressed them with terms of endearment whenever they weren't in a formal setting.

"Are you two sweethearts doing well?" The royal sisters nodded at the older woman before taking their seats next to them. Elsa, of course, at the end with Anna to her right and Kai with Gerda next to him on her left. The other servants had set seven plates, Kristoff sat next to Anna with another plate next to his, while there was an extra plate next to Gerda for their newest guest.

Thinking of him, Elsa hoped that they all could learn a little more about the stranger. While privately, she hoped she could learn more about Blackdust from him if he proved trustworthy. If he could at least some of the rumors around the kingdom it would be a big help. Her thoughts were interrupted when the doors opened to reveal Kristoff and Sven walking towards them. He has dressed in a light blue long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up under a black sleeveless vest with blue trimming. At his waist was a red sash with brown trousers that were tucked in his usual pointed boots. Sven looked to be freshly bathed and brushed so there would be no shedding in the castle. The bandage on his leg was also freshly dressed and the veterinarian said that he was healing faster than they thought.

Anna slowly and regally walked up and got into Kristoff's personal space with an unreadable expression on her face. The mountain man began to sweat when he remembered the last time they were together. She had declared he was on probation until further notice, he hoped by the time he got back she would've calmed down but the look on her face said otherwise. Pivoting with the grace of royalty, Anna went over to Sven before a smile broke out on her face and she began scratching his chin.

Elsa put a hand to her mouth to cover the sight of Kristoff frowning and crossing his arms then turning the other way looking like a pouting child. It seems that he was a little jealous of his friend getting more attention from his girlfriend than he was. Everyone began to settle into their seats with Sven sitting a little off the table next to Anna, now all they waited for was the last two members for their dinner.

The minutes ticked by as they all had some small talk before the doors opened again with Edward walking in, except he wasn't alone. On his shoulders was Olaf who was waving at everyone. "Look guys, I'm finally tall!" The young man carrying the snowman chuckled before throwing the little guy on his opposite shoulder eliciting a squeal of happiness.

Elsa's eye widened a bit at the display, generally whenever people met Olaf for the first time they'd be put off by the fact he was a walking talking snowman. Yet it looked like Edward treated him like an excited child which warmed her heart. During the year of her reign she's met many foreign dignitaries and generally ones who could not accept the tiny snowman had trouble accepting her powers. This led to them attempting to either take advantage of her to gain leverage to dissuade her from freezing their kingdom to them being suspicious of her.

Seeing Edward playing with the tiny snowman earned some trust in her eyes, it seemed that he truly wasn't afraid of her abilities. It almost hurt to cut the interaction short but dinner was about to start. "Alright Olaf, I think it's time Edward put you down so we can start dinner, don't you think?"

The little snowman looked up from his perched and nodded before hopping down then waddled to his seat next to Kristoff. Edward checked his borrowed clothes for small snowflakes and began whipping them off. The ice harvester had been gracious enough to lend him a light brown long-sleeved collared shirt with a darker brown sleeveless vest with buttons. His trousers matched the vest and he tucked the bottoms into his boots. The outfit wasn't terribly baggy on him due to the buttons but judging the raised eyebrow by a plump smartly dressed man in next to Elsa, they could tell it didn't belong to him. Edward bowed at the waist toward Elsa before taking the remaining seat next to the older woman.

With everyone finally here Elsa rang the small bell that was next to her and servants began to enter the hall carrying plates of food. They set the table and bowed before leaving, Anna was the first one to make her plate which of course included chocolate as well as a beautifully roasted duck and some rice. Kai and Gerda were next, they took some vegetables as well as soup. Kristoff stiffly filled his plate, all the while trying to look as well mannered as possible but Edward had already counted four mistakes he made but chose to say nothing. Olaf already had a plate set for him by a servant since his small arms had no way of reaching over to grab the food. Given his constitution, Elsa had asked the servants to prepare his meal accordingly. His plate consisted of rice, soft vegetables, and soup.

That left only Elsa and Edward with empty plates, the blonde generally waited until everyone made their plates since she ate the least. She raised an eyebrow at the way Edward continued to look around the spread, darting from one delicacy to the next. "Edward is the food not to your liking, I can ask the chefs to make something else if you like?" The young man instantly looked up like a deer in headlights before shaking his head with his hands raised.

"No the food looks amazing your Majesty, I just haven't seen so much in a long time is all." He instantly began to fix his plate with all the manners he's learned as a child when his plate was full he began eating. The young man focused all of his attention on his food and ate the way a gentleman should, however, what got everyone's attention around him was the speed at which he ate. He used his utensils to cut up and his food into bite-sized portions with such grace and began to inhale his meal. Everyone at the table watched him and tried to see if he actually chewed, however, all they saw was a piece went into his mouth, he would swallow before his utensil retrieved another piece and repeated the process. It didn't take him long to clean his plate and put his utensils down before whipping his chin with a napkin then looked up to see everyone staring at him.

He instantly when over a mental checklist of what he did to ensure that he executed all the manners he was taught. When he concluded that he had done everything a gentleman should he raised an eyebrow before speaking. "Why is everyone looking at me like that?" Kristoff was the first one to pull through his stupor and answered.

"It's just, we haven't seen anyone eat so fast. For a second there I was worried you were going to choke the way you just swallowed the food." Edward chuckled a bit before scratching his head.

"Yeah I have quite the ravenous appetite, I apologize if it offended you." Before anyone could reassure him that he didn't they all heard the clatter of food hitting the ground and turned to Olaf. apparently, he had tried to imitate the way Edward ate and stuffed his food down his mouth...only for it to come out the other side of his head and to the floor. He turned his head completely around to look at the food on the ground before turning it back and chuckled.

"Not as easy as it looks, and I don't have a stomach."

Private Paduk ran as fast as his legs could carry him, in one hand was a pistol while the other was clamped on his side where blood slowly seeped out. The events that had happened thirty minutes ago were burned into his memory, the ambush they set went horribly wrong. The guards managed to kill the first few bandits but more just kept pouring in, they began to fight with swords and spears to combat the onslaught. At first, it seemed hopeless until the sergeant pulled a small black ball from his pocket with a string coming out the top.

At first, he had no idea what it was but when the sergeant ran to the flame in the cave, it clicked in his head and Paduk abandoned his opponent and ran. The other privates seemed to understand as well and tried to disengage their opponents with little success. Before he could get to the mouth of the cave, a bandit blocked his path and began to grapple him. They struggled for a moment but when Paduk heard the sound of the fuze close by, he did the only thing he could do at that point.

He spun them around so the bandit's back was facing the explosive and gave him the biggest bear hug ever. All he remembered after that was being knocked off his feet and flying out of the cave. It seemed that the bandits had carried sacks of gunpowder with them and when the bomb went off, so did the sacks. Paduk hit the snow hard and his ears rang even harder, he didn't want to get up and would've stayed down if he didn't see the sergeant calling for him. With no small amount of pain, he pushed the dead body off and made his way to the sergeant and dropped to his knees to survey the damage.

It wasn't good.

While the sergeant managed to throw the explosive away and tried to stay close to the wall to avoid the blast, he was caught multiple times with the gunpowder sacks exploding. His skin was red and slick with blood as well as burn marks. His breathing was labored however his eyes were focused, he still had a duty to Arendelle and this wasn't going to stop him in the slightest.

"Paduk, listen to me, you need to run. Get to Arendelle and inform the Queen that we found the base. There will be more bandits to check the sound of the explosion, that will buy you time. Hopefully the advance scouts we sent earlier will make it in time to rally a significant force and they can meet you on your way down."

The sergeant stopped when they heard men shouting from up the mountain, he hurriedly pushed the private away before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a pistol. He held it out to Paduk with his strength beginning to dwindle as well as the light in his eyes. "Long live Arendelle."

With that, he dropped the pistol in the snow and stopped breathing altogether. Paduk stared at his sergeant's body for a moment before a gunshot rang out and he felt a burning pain in his side. A silhouette was descending towards him and his brain forced his body to take the weapon and run as fast as he possibly could down the mountain. This brought him to the present where he still ran hoping the snow would cover his tracks. Not once did he turn around to see if he was still being followed, he hoped the scouts had made it to Arendelle and the Queen sent them reinforcements. He prayed they would run into him as he ran through the thick trees.

Before long he saw the trees beginning to get thinner until he pushed through them and made it out the forest. The sight that greeted him made his feet stop. On the ground were the two scouts that had left earlier, their bodies were still and had red snow underneath them. Surrounding the bodies were five bandits and one man dressed in a black cloak with the hood down. Paduk could only say one word before he was gunned down by the five bandits that had noticed him.

"Prince…"

The dinner had actually gone pretty well, the main topic was mostly about Edward. He told them that he lived in Blackdust as a child and joined the military as soon as he could. He regaled them of his travels and the many wonders he's seen in the world. Anna and Olaf fired question after question about the things he's seen, while everyone else at the table quietly listened. After a while they finished dinner and Kai and Gerda coordinated the servants to clean up and left the dining hall.

Anna suggested they relocated to the parlor to continue their conversation, which leads to all of them sitting in front of a fire. Anna was sitting on a couch in between Edward and Kristoff, with Olaf on the floor closest to the fire and Elsa in her own chair on Edward's left. The brown-haired man had rolled his sleeves up as the heat of the fire filled the room.

"Alright I get that you travel a lot but you haven't really talked about where you're from a lot, what's it like?" This got Elsa's attention as she stared at the young man who grew quiet. It seemed that he needed to bounce the question in his head a few times before he could answer.

"I guess in one word, I'd say industrious. Most people spend all day working, whether it'd be in the mines or not you rarely saw anyone lounging around. Even children were forced to work to keep a roof over their heads, every day was a struggle for the next meal. Unless you were a soldier, if you were in the military, you received a home and three meals a day. Most joined to escape poverty, however being a soldier in Blackdust's military is hard, harder than most kingdoms. Their training methods are brutal yet highly effectively continuously breeding the strongest of warriors and sending those who could not hack it back into the dirt." Anna tried to imagine such a place and couldn't help but think of the kids at the orphanage she visited and played with every week. She couldn't stand the idea of them being forced to either work just to keep a roof over their heads or become a soldier. She couldn't help the next question that came out of her mouth.

"Is that what happened to you?" Elsa mentally facepalmed at her sister's question, something like that would bring up painful memories. She was about to apologize for her sister when Edward shook his head.

"No, my father decided to press me and my brother into military service at a young age. He said there was only so much he could teach, but the experience would be the greatest teacher. He had spent years teaching us how to fight and by the time we were allowed to formally join the military, we were more competent than the senior trainee candidates. After a while they sent me and my brother out into the world in opposite directions, the last time I saw him was the night before. He challenged me to a fight and beat me, saying that he'll always be the best. As long as I could remember, he was always the best at everything. I tried my best to keep up with him but he kept getting better and better."

Elsa noticed the faraway look in the young man's eyes that Anna and Kristoff didn't seem to notice as fatigue began to overtake them. They were still listening but it got harder and harder for them to focus on the story.

"After a few years, I left the military and began to travel on my own. Just to experience life with my eyes. I doubt he left the military, knowing him he's probably fighting as we speak just for kicks.." The faraway look had a flash of anger in them before it disappeared leaving a somewhat somber expression on his face. He sighed before turning to Anna about to ask her if he answered her question only to see her softly snoring on Kristoff's shoulder who was also sleeping as well. Edward couldn't help the smile that crept onto his lips as he took in the couple.

During the day, Kristoff wouldn't stop talking about Anna as they worked. At first, it annoyed the young man but when he saw the passion in his eyes as he spoke he couldn't help but continue to put up with the man. He didn't know them long but anyone could see the love they had for each other if they just observed them. Even though the brunette was upset at the mountain man she was fiercely protective of him and he saw the way she looked at the ice harvester every so often as they had dinner.

"Cute aren't they?" Edward turned to the beautiful Queen as her eyes were on the two love birds. He could see the love and pride that the woman had for her sister and her mountain man, however deep inside her eyes though he could see something else. He recognized it because he had the same look in his eyes whenever he looked at a happy family.

Loneliness

Part of him wanted to reach out and brush away that look in her eye, however, he knew that she was royalty and a Queen. He had no right to touch her. Instead, he turned to face her with a small smile.

"They are very cute, it'd be a shame if someone were to drop some snow on them." The blonde laughed her sinfully melodious laugh before turning to the young man.

"That would be a childish application of my abilities, Edward."

"She's your sister though, childish pranks keep you two close."

Elsa could see the twinkle in his eyes as he said that and couldn't help but wonder. "Are you speaking from experience?" The young man shrugged before answering.

"My brother and I used to be close as kids because we would always have fun pranking the other."

Elsa nodded but then something came to mind and she was hesitant to ask but the inviting look in his eyes gave her the push she needed. "You two used to be close, why aren't you now?"

Edward's face darkened for a moment as he turned away while remaining silent. The blonde instantly felt guilty for the sudden shift in the young man's face and before she could apologize he answered in a low voice.

"We haven't been the same since our mother died."

That one sentence made Elsa's heart stop cold for a moment. The guilt she felt before was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. She mentally scolded herself, why would she ask such a question? His family matters were his alone and weren't any of her business. She changed a look in his eyes and was surprised to see in blue depths there was only acceptance loathing in his gaze. His expression was far off as if he was locked in a memory for a moment before it all disappeared and he faced her with the same smile he had before.

"You should cherish the time you have with your sister, you never know what life could throw your way."

Elsa couldn't help but notice the way he tried to cover up the sadness he must've felt a moment ago with a smile. He reminded her so much of herself it was almost alarming, Anna would probably agree if she was awake right now. A small snort made the two of them turn to the sleeping couple next to them.

Anna had fallen onto Kristoff's lap as his hand rested on her shoulder, both were obviously still asleep but even so, they could somehow stay in tune with one another. Elsa smiled before getting out of her seat and offering a hand to the young man. "Perhaps we can relocate to my study and continue our conversation there so we don't wake them."

"What about Olaf?" Edward turned and quickly dismissed the thought when he noticed the snowman was hypnotized by the dancing flames. His eyes reflected the golden colors as his face had a blank happy expression on it, it seemed he was completely oblivious to the world around him. Elsa waved her other hand and made the snow flurry above him a tad bigger so even if he were to get even closer to the fire, he wouldn't melt so quickly.

"I think he's quite preoccupied at the moment." Edward agreed and took her offered hand, fighting to fight off the waves of feelings that flowed through his arm as he grasped her small gentle hand. The waves almost made him twitch if it wasn't for how hard his body stiffened at her touch. The man couldn't help but lose himself a for moment in her blue eyes as he rose to his feet. The way her eyes sparkled in the glow of the fire what's downright intoxicating, his soul told him to let go but his brain would not listen. There were kingdoms that would consider touching royalty as an act of treason but right now he couldn't bring himself to care in the slightest. He didn't know why but Edward was completely under a different spell from this beautiful woman than she had on Arendelle.

Elsa on the other hand, couldn't help but hold her breath when his hand enveloped hers and she felt an instant heatthat flowed into her hand. She had shaken hands with many foreigners dignitaries and most of them were men but none of them ever made her feel this way. The heat traveled up her arm and throughout her entire body, she was so happy that the dress she was wearing now had long sleeves because she could only guess how many goosebumps went up her arms.

Her brain kept telling her she should let go, that she didn't know this man very well and the only thing that should concern her about him was the information he could have on Blackdust. Her soul, on the other hand, kept her from pulling away. It was completely intoxicated on the feeling this made her feel with just a touch. She couldn't help but trace the chiseled forearms that were laid bare with her eyes.

When he and her captain had that handshake she could see the way his muscles bunched as they squeezed the older man's hand and she could tell her captain was being overpowered. Such brute strength lied in those arms that could easily crush her dainty hand. However, his hand was gentle as if it was cradling a small flower, the knowledge of him being capable of strength yet be so gentle called out to something feminine in her.

And his eyes…

The deep blue eyes that he had were soul deep. They were inviting yet guarded. When she watched him earlier today, his eyes were a lot more closed off. Even at dinner, he may have smiled and looked happy as he spoke but his eyes gave away nothing. Now that they were focused on hers, she could see that deep down he was a very tortured person. The type of person who would put the needs of others ahead of his own with little thought and expected nothing in return. The type of person whose past haunted his nights and made him closed off to the outside world.

Just like me…

Her brain's warnings grew quiet as her hand began to lift on its own with the intention to place it on his cheek. For a long time, she wanted someone who had been through the same thing she had. The loneliness and guilt that plagued her for so long, she hoped it'd be someone else with powers like her but she seemed to find someone just like her without being an Elemental. Elsa wanted to know what had turned him this way, the happier persona he portrayed himself earlier looked to be what he used to have been like. Growing up she wanted someone like her to save her because she didn't think anyone could understand. Anna shattered her expectations and saved her despite the obstacles, now looking at someone with the same eyes as her, she couldn't help but want to help him. To save him from the way he felt about himself, she knew it wasn't her business but she couldn't help herself.

Her hand almost reached his cheek when a soft sneeze from her sister snapped them both out of whatever trance the other cast on them. They let go of each other's hands and turned to Anna who was still sleeping on Kristoff's lap. Elsa couldn't help the blush that crept on her cheeks when her brain caught up with what had just transpired. Edward was also flustered and couldn't help but send God a quick thanks for having the sleeping sister snap him out of it.

He coughed in his hand before turning and gesturing to the door. "Perhaps we should relocate." Elsa couldn't face him and nodded before taking quick steps to the door which Edward held out for her. When the two went through and closed the door, one of Anna's eyes crept open and she had a smile on her face.

Now we have something to talk about at our next sleepover.

On the way to the Queen's study, neither of them said a word to one another. Elsa was trying to calm the heart beating so hard against her chest and mitigate the blush that dusted her cheeks. Edward was berating himself for his behavior and thought that the beautiful blonde next to him was offended by his actions. He kept thinking of what to say to apologize since he felt a simple 'I'm sorry' wouldn't do.

A moment passed and they made it to the study, the young man held the door for the blonde then entered behind her. The sight that greeted him actually didn't surprise him, the way she walked, talked, and acted screamed grace. Her responses were highly intellectual as well as her eyes being inquisitive. There were bookshelves lined along the walls filled with scrolls and hardcover books. Even from here, Edward could see the books didn't have the usual layer of dust that indicated they haven't been used.

Most people would have a large collection of books on display to make them seem more educated yet they would not touch them. That wasn't the case here, he could plainly see that the queen was an avid reader and treated her books preciously. A modest oak desk stood in between two windows, there were documents and books neatly stacked on the top and a candle in the corner. A fireplace with a couch in front of it was built in between two bookcases that could easily illuminate the entire room.

Elsa began to approach it using the moonlight from the windows as a guide when Edward strode past her and already had the matches in his hand. With a flick of the wrist, the fire came to life, the young man used an iron poker to stoke the flames a bit before returning to the tool and turning to face the woman.

For a moment neither of them said a word as they looked everywhere but the other person in the room with them. Huffing in frustration at himself, Edward cleared his throat and slightly bowed at the waist before speaking.

"Your Majesty, I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I have no idea what possessed me to touch you longer than what was necessary, please accept my apology." Elsa's head snapped to the man and she couldn't help the stutter that came out of her mouth as she hurriedly spoke.

"N-no, it was fine, I guess we both just lost our heads for a moment. And please just call me Elsa if we aren't in a formal setting." Edward nodded as he straightened back up and looked around the study to avoid falling back under the trance her eyes had put him in earlier. He recognized a few of the books that lined the shelves when he looked over to the desk he saw one of his favorite books on the side. He chuckled as he picked it up and turned to the woman who was watching him.

"Shakespeare? Please don't say Romeo and Julietis your favorite work on his." Elsa chuckled and gave him a devilish grin as she walked next to him then plucked the book out of his hands.

"Alright, I won't say it."

"So many wonderful works and you pick one of his most widely known…" The young man shook his head with a dismissive wave of his hand. The blonde raised an eyebrow before poking him in the chest with a daring smile.

"Alright, then what's your favorite then?"

"The Complete Works of Julius Caesarof course." Elsa started to haughtily laugh as she placed her book down.

"And here I was hoping for a more refined taste in art after you question mine." Edward could see the playful glint in her eyes and couldn't help but play along.

"Julius Caesar is something that one should be well versed in, it shows what a single man is capable of if he applies himself." The blonde made a dismissive gesture as she spoke.

"It's always about the men in history if it a woman then it'd be even less known."

"Well, you know what they say. Behind every great man, there's a great woman guiding him." Elsa couldn't help her mind going blank for a moment at his words. As a single monarch, she had been constantly underestimated because of the fact she was a young female. It was refreshing to see a different opinion among the monotony of veiled misogyny.

"I wish more people shared your opinions, Master Edward." The man shrugged before speaking again and looking over her desk at the books that were neatly stacked.

"Everyone wishes for rats to not exist but they remain unchanged." As he looked at the book titles a half written letter caught his eye. On the top was a name that made him focus solely on the letter.

King Alrick

He knew he shouldn't look into other kingdoms' handwritten letters, especially one on the Queen's desk but he couldn't help but read it. It basically contained that Arendelle asked Blackdust to send Prince Ahimoth earlier to get to know their kingdom before making any decisions on coming to the Winter Solstice gathering. It made sense, Blackdust was very secretive, having a wild card at a gathering of neighboring kingdoms was foolish. As he pondered the letter, he didn't notice Elsa watching him.

Now's my chance.

Her brain told her she should ask him about Blackdust and get information from him. The thoughtful way he looked into the letter proved he knew something but she remained quiet. Their short exchange had brought out the open look in his eyes and she could tell he enjoyed speaking to her. Judging by the way he looked at the letter, his thoughts were focused and stiff like a soldier. If she asked now, he'd probably give her a professional answer.

Which is what I want...right?

Opening her mouth Elsa prepared her words that would determine who she would be talking to in the next moment. The professional that the Queen of Arendelle wanted to speak to or the Edward that Elsa had begun to grow to like speaking with.

"Do you like The Tempest?"

Well that was a long chapter I hope you all enjoyed it drop a review please and stay tuned.