Author's Note: As with the first page, the Italian briefly used here will be translated into English at the end of this chapter.

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Page 2

Tuesday was a whirlwind from start to finish. The celebrations for my coronation anniversary had lasted from July 26th to July 29th, making July 30th a day for goodbyes and wrapping up important business. I was so busy with dignitaries who needed private audiences before their departures that I only saw Eugene to bid him good afternoon and goodnight. He spent most of his time in our library when he wasn't riding with Anna near the fjord or fencing with Lieutenant Drabløs in the garden, much to the delight of our swooning housekeepers. While I was impressed by his footwork and swordsmanship during lunch with Anna among our tulips, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was over-performing for his audience; I suppose being diminished the night before made him strive to prove his worth the next day.

Wednesday couldn't come fast enough for me. I started my morning on an empty stomach because I rarely eat before diplomatic meetings. The sunrise usually finds me at my desk, which is always stacked with a number of documents and ribboned envelopes that require my undivided attention. The truth is that I would rather be out riding at dawn or helping my citizens with their daily tasks in person, and Wednesday was no different. The morning wore me down before I had a moment to sit back and breathe while Anna enjoyed her beauty sleep in peace.

By the time I finished signing a new bill for public expenditure, Kai and the rest of my men were ready for a daily briefing. Our meeting covered current events in Arendelle and a full day's schedule, which included giving Prince Eugene an official tour of the kingdom. Close to ten, I entered the audience chamber alone, where I would receive him. Watching the clock made me more impatient than I should have been. After all, he wasn't running late, but I was worried about him oversleeping.

When Kai walked into the room and announced Eugene's arrival at exactly nine-fifty-five, I mentally sighed with relief before rising from my chair and asking him to show him in. Eugene came through the doors, his demeanor relaxed and confident. He wore raiment that matched the yellow and purple colors of Corona's national flag. As an "artisan" in my own right, I took the time to finally admire the beautiful details in his sun brooch before meeting his self-assured gaze. The man with the heavy heart from my ball was gone.

"Your Majesty," Eugene said as he bowed from the neck, greeting me with a more graceful bearing than the one he had carried on my balcony.

"Your Highness," I said, giving him a nod to reciprocate his gesture of respect.

He stood up straight, looking taller than what I remembered. "It's an honor to be here for this historical tête-à-tête."

His formal language prompted me to respond in kind. "The honor is mine," I replied, holding my hand out to the wingback chair beside my own. "Please."

"Thank you," he said, making himself comfortable without delay.

I sat down and poured him a cup of chamomile tea. "I trust that you slept well?" I asked.

"Stupendously, in fact," he answered.

I gave him his tea. "I'm happy to hear that."

He thanked me before taking a sip. "Chrysanthemum?"

"Chamomile," I verified.

"Splendid," he claimed.

As we held our teacups, silence came over us. The hour of business was calling. We both started to speak, only succeeding in interrupting each other at the same time. An awkward smile broke out across my face while he awkwardly tapped his fingers against his knee. We tried again, ending up with the same result. I drank my tea to hide my embarrassment.

"Forse dovremmo rivolgerci all'italiano?" he recommended helplessly in Italian.

I rested my cup on the small table between us. "English would be best for now."

"Then English it is," he remarked.

Gerda brought in a platter of honey-nut pastries as a show of goodwill from Arendelle to Corona. Eugene complimented me on my hospitality without actually touching the sweets on the table. I moved the conversation into more serious territory by politely asking him what Corona wanted from Arendelle. He expressed interest in our abundance of ice, salmon, and Norwegian wool. Along with precious minerals and herbs, we were already exporting other textiles to Corona while importing agriculture, timber, and gemstones from the island kingdom. Even the sapphire on my coronation dress had been from Corona's mines.

In return for the goods he sought, Eugene offered Arendelle weapons, wine, and pottery. Corona had a very strong reputation for blacksmiths who designed the finest weapons in all of Europe, so his offer captured my interest. Tariffs and trade route security concerned me, however. There had been pirate ships along our trade route in late July, leaving some of our naval vessels and merchants compromised. On top of offering additional protection, Eugene proposed that we establish a larger council consisting of more representatives from our kingdoms to further monitor the fairness and safety of our practices.

Conversation flowed smoothly between us as we bounced ideas back and forth. He was smarter than I realized. I learned that we were equals in the realms of common sense and realism, making it easy for us to speak to one another. We formed a mental rapport that exceeded my expectations for the meeting.

"What're your thoughts on the overall picture?" he asked me, leaning forward.

"Your vision is worth implementing," I said to him.

Eugene stood up when I did, maintaining eye contact.

"Everything we discussed will be presented to my advisors for further review before a formal agreement is drafted in the coming days," I confirmed.

Eugene's eyes twinkled. "Well then, I look forward to doing more business with you, Your Majesty." He extended his hand to me.

I smiled at him apologetically because the custom was for him to bow, but in his excitement, he must've forgotten it. He retracted his hand and shifted his eyes from left to right, clearing his throat and bowing. When he looked up at me, he cracked an apologetic smile of his own.

Not wanting to seem cold in the eyes of my trade partner, I handed him his teacup and grabbed mine for a toast. "To good relations," I said with my cup lifted.

"To good relations between nations," he appended, following suit.

"Between nations," I echoed.

We drank to our declaration. I noticed that he held out his pinky finger instinctively, making me stifle a chuckle that would've sounded rather unladylike. I didn't even realize my body was laughing until it was almost too late. After he finished his tea and opened his eyes, I let him know that I would be seeing him shortly.

"Grazie per il vostro tempo, Your Majesty," he said in Italian.

"Grazie per il vostro, Your Highness," I responded.

With that, Eugene bowed again. I set down my cup and jingled the bell on my table, signaling to Kai, who was standing outside of the room, that the meeting was over. He came in and escorted Eugene to the hallway, where my giggling housekeepers waited for him. They gasped in awe upon seeing him.

As the doors closed, I heard Eugene saying, "Sorry ladies, but I'm spoken for."

I shook my head before biting into the pastry he had neglected. Kai walked back into the chamber and told me that my private secretary was waiting for me.

"Let him in, please," I told him, deserting my first meal of the day.

Thor entered with his leather-bound journal and dragon pen, eager to take notes from my meeting with Corona's diplomat. He also had the light of curiosity in his eyes. "How did it go with the prince, Your Majesty?" he questioned.

"Well," I honestly answered, relaxing my shoulders.

"Was he charming?" he continued. "They say he's a charmer, that one."

"He behaved," I shared.

Thor chuckled at the humor in my tone. Kai interrupted us with a folded note from Anna that read, "Good morning, Sis!" Warmth poured into my heart as I opened it. The note explained that she didn't want to disturb me during my meetings, so she had asked Kai to inform me that she would be in town until lunch. "Just keep up the great work" was written at the bottom.

Before I could spend another second praying that she wouldn't be late for lunch, Thor quickly brought me back to my duties by saying he was ready to perform his. The window seat in the gorgeous sunlight became our sitting area. I relayed the terms Eugene and I had agreed upon without missing a single detail. Thor listened to me attentively, nodding as I spoke, but I barely heard him after the clock struck eleven with a loud chime. It was time for me to hold audience with my people.

Once I was certain Thor had enough material for my advisors, I ended our meeting and visited the the Great Hall, where a crowd of Arendellians had already gathered. I welcomed everyone before seating myself on my throne and opening audience, secretly daunted by what was to come. Requests for guidance, expressions of grievances, and questions about policies filled the hall as the line of people in front of me grew shorter. The event felt long and cumbersome because I didn't want to sit there like some untouchable goddess who supposedly held all the answers to their earthly problems. I itched to be in the town square with my people, serving their needs directly or making gifts from ice and snow for Arendelle's orphans.

Still, I managed to get through the hour with a smile on my face. By twelve, I was being summoned by Father's clock to have lunch with Prince Eugene and our advisors. I ended my last meeting on a warm note and then headed to the dining hall with my stomach in knots. Anna was still in town, while Olaf was with Kristoff and Sven in the North Mountain assisting Arendelle's ice harvesters for the summer, leaving me alone. Even though the castle was full of people, it felt empty without them.

I wanted everyone to be present for such an important moment in time, but sadly, I couldn't have my chocolate fondue and eat it, too. I still asked Kai to send someone into town to get Anna and bring her back as soon as possible. He bowed and left to do what I had requested. I added frost to the Arendellian decorations in the dining hall to complement the sunny Coronan ones. The knots in my stomach tightened when the advisors walked in with bows and cordial greetings, the latter of which I returned.

All that was left to do was wait for Prince Eugene. This time, he arrived five minutes late. He tried to apologize for the delay, but I couldn't focus on his words because I was too distracted by the leaf in his hair. His sweaty face, flushed skin, and heaving chest told me he had been overexerting himself. My guess was that he had been fencing in the garden again and forgot to finish smartening up after removing his gear.

Dying to fix him up myself, I cleared my throat and pointed at my own hair, hoping he would understand what I was trying to communicate.

He finally touched the leaf on his scalp. "Oh! Uh...! Eheh! Just a minor wardrobe malfunction," he called it.

My attention was drawn back to the other men in the room when Kai and my footmen pulled out the chairs at the dining table. Everyone sat down in unison as if they all shared one mind after I took a seat. Kai clapped his hands, urging my staff to bring our courses. The first plates to be rolled out of the kitchen held Fiskekaker, a cuisine Anna had loved when she was a little girl. The salmon cakes came with potatoes and roasted asparagus dipped in olive oil; Eugene and his advisors ate them up without leaving any crumbs behind.

Up next was Fiskesuppe, Mother's favorite. With its creamy broth, diced cod, thick shrimp, and tender root vegetables, it was heartier than what I would typically have for lunch, so I ate it like a bird. One of Eugene's advisors wolfed it down like there was no tomorrow while everyone else stared at him. Eugene tried to get their attention by raving about the beautiful summer weather in Arendelle. His hungry advisor changed the topic to his admiration for Arendellian culture, extending his compliments to our goods.

I longed to ride Freyja while the men discussed the quality of Arendelle's silk fabrics. I couldn't take her out of the stables on Tuesday and knew that Wednesday would end with the same outcome. Feeling caged, I stared at the gray-haired men at my table like a cockatoo behind gold bars. They spoke passionately about the relationship between Corona and Arendelle as I slipped into a daze. I tried to ground myself by looking at my hands.

After returning to my body, I made an effort to join the conversation about the recent clashes with pirates on the Corona-Arendelle trade route. My economic advisor, Håkon Castberg, jumped at the chance to rant about his disdain for pirates. He was met with unanimous agreement from Eugene's men. One man, however, was louder than the rest.

"Those rats were all born to be monsters," Eugene's ravenous advisor barked. "They're dangerous. They should be thrown in jail and destroyed like the vermin they are. Death to them all!"

The table grew silent except for the sound of spoons clinking against bowls. As if a dam had been broken, memories of me yanking heavy chains came rushing back to my mind, sweeping away a portion of my composure.

Eugene, who sat to my left, noticed the twitch passing through my hand despite my attempt to hide it. He turned to his rowdy advisor and lowered the wine glass in his hand. "Ah, ah, ah! I think we've had enough wine for one day."

"Nonsense, Your Highness," he refused. "I'm no drunkard. I simply spoke my truth!"

"Loud enough for France to hear," Eugene said between gritted teeth.

"But surely such truth is worth hearing," the man argued. "In my humble opinion, banning the death penalty in Corona has had its drawbacks."

I saw real offense flash across Eugene's eyes. "Drawbacks?" he asked.

"Yes," his advisor insisted.

"I don't believe in the death penalty myself, Lord Bastian," I stated firmly even though my heart was pounding. "It's barbaric and does nothing as a preventative measure. If possible, finding a way to correct criminal behavior would be a more humane approach. Monsters are created, not born. Some people in prison are irredeemable, but not all."

Lord Bastian didn't challenge me. To my surprise, he lowered his eyes to his bowl. Eugene, on the other hand, raised his eyes to mine. I looked away from them as I thought about the dungeon I had been thrown into by Prince Hans and my own guards. I thought about how frightened I had been―how painful the handcuffs had felt because they were so tight.

I thought about how I had been treated like an animal. Suddenly, I was back there, trembling in the dungeon as guards banged on the door.

"She's dangerous!" I heard them shouting in my head.

The sting I felt from biting my lip too hard snapped me back to reality. Eugene was staring at me as if he could see what was happening in my mind. Frowning, he looked around the table while I pressed my napkin against my mouth. Everyone had their heads down except us. No one spoke up in support of my opinion, making me lower my own head.

"I agree with you wholeheartedly, Your Majesty," Eugene suddenly said.

I looked into his eyes. He shared his desire to work on implementing psychological rehabilitation programs for criminals and similar support for at-risk youth in Corona. I could tell by the passion and seriousness in his voice that he meant what he was saying. Admiration touched my heart because I had never heard such clear-cut and progressive ideas on the matter from a man of state. His words also made me feel less alone at the table. Our advisors awkwardly returned to the topic of Arendelle's beautiful summer weather, shifting the atmosphere away from death.

Eugene drank his red wine in silence.

With my eyes on my untouched cod, I murmured to him, "Grazie."

"Non menzionarlo," he murmured back. "Permettimi di scusarmi a nome del mio consulente."

"Non menzionarlo," I whispered.

Author's Note

"Forse dovremmo rivolgerci all'italiano" means "perhaps we should turn to Italian?" "Grazie per il vostro tempo" is "thank you for your time." "Grazie per il vostro" is "thank you for yours." "Grazie" is "thank you." "Non menzionarlo" is "don't mention it." "Permettimi di scusarmi a nome del mio consulente" is "allow me to apologize on my advisor's behalf."