"Cass, I'll be fine," Rapunzel implored. "Go enjoy yourself for a few hours. Just because you've been assigned as my personal guard doesn't mean you aren't entitled to a life. Have a few drinks down in the city and meet a boy. Or girl, if that's what you prefer."

The black-haired swordsman scowled. "What I prefer is to keep you safe, Princess. Both of you," she added, nodding at the little girl bundled by Rapunzel's arm.

"We're in the safest building on the continent, on a floor out of reach of even the strongest archer," Rapunzel. And, the Princess noted silently, We're shielded by Elsa's magic and guarded by invisible wraiths. Which is somewhat creepy, but…

Cassandra's eyes were fixed on the doors to the balcony. "You're not out of her reach," the guard mumbled.

Immediately, the Princess's eyes hardened. "Cass, I appreciate your concern, but who I trust to let into my presence is my decision," she declared firmly. Frowning, she turned to the doors. "And go have fun, that's an order."

Leaving her guard behind, Rapunzel slipped through the doors to her favorite room in the Palace. The wide sweeping terrace overlooked the entire city, offering a magnificent view of the capital and the calm sea that surrounded it. Various sets of chairs and tables dotted the balcony, all sitting comfortably in the shade of the Castle's highest roof.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Rapunzel had been expecting only a single woman to be awaiting her. Instead, two of her closest friends were snuggling together on the outdoor sofa, each absorbed in the other's presence.

"Sorry," Elsa replied, unable to keep the grin off of her face as she ran her hand through her lover's white streak of hair. "You two deserve some time alone together." Reluctantly, the Queen of Arendelle untangled herself from her fiancé and rose to her feet.

Anna smiled, pulling Elsa down for a final kiss. "I'll signal you when I'm ready," she promised.

Elsa nodded, vanishing into the wind.

The secretly reinstated Knight turned to Rapunzel. "Sit down," she beckoned. "And let me hold Anna C for a moment, if you don't mind."

Perplexed, Rapunzel lowered herself to the sofa and handed off her daughter. "Anna C?" she asked incredulously.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea how confusing it will be with two 'Annas' running around? Sure, we could go by 'Anna of Arendelle', and 'Anna of Corona', but that would be annoying. So she's Anna C, and I'm Anna A."

The Princess sighed. It had been Anna A's name first, and she supposed that saving the world did earn oneself a favor or two. "Fine, we'll give it a try."

Anna had been back for two days now, but this was the first time since her return that the two women had been alone together. It was at that moment that the inevitable awkwardness set in. There was so much to ask, and none of it was easy. 'What was it like to die? How are you handling dating a Goddess? Do you think I should take Elsa's offer?'

By the look in her eyes, it was clear that Anna felt it too.

Rapunzel shifted closer to her friend, grabbing her daughter's hand as she did so.

"I can count over a dozen nightmares I've had since waking up from the freezing. I don't think I'll ever forget watching the wave of ice rushing towards us," she began. "We woke up because of you. You're the only reason this- she gestured out to the bustling city far below them- isn't a frozen wasteland. My daughter was born because you had the courage to sacrifice everything for a chance to save us. I'll never forget that."

Anna smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you. It was your tear that brought me back." She paused, gazing out far into the distance. "Do you remember what you told me, that first day we spent together?"

It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Rapunzel did.

"I thought about that a lot, after the tear returned my memories and everything had gone so wrong. It helped push me through the worst of it… and drive that shard of ice through my heart. The fact that you trusted me, even after the Goddess told all of those lies…it means a lot."

The Princess smiled. "I'm so glad you're back. Things weren't right without you here. Elsa wasn't the only one devastated when you were gone. We need you."

"Not to save the world again, I hope?" Anna smirked. She fell back into the cushions with a contented sigh. "It's such a relief just to be needed for me. No one's counting on me to kill some monster or rescue a Queen. I was the most important person in the world, and now I'm only here to give advice to a Goddess."

The Princess's gaze, having been lazily following some ships in the harbor, snapped back into focus. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

Anna frowned. "I want to support Elsa. She's a good person who can be trusted with her power. But…maybe I can help her improve the world, give her a perspective that a Queen and Goddess wouldn't have."

A knock on the door meant the arrival of their lunch, and a glance at Anna's eyes made it clear that the future Queen Consort of Arendelle was glad for the interruption. Repressing a sigh, Rapunzel internally decided to drop the matter for the moment. Today was about Anna herself, not the Knight's wider plans for the world.

The Princess took Anna C. back into her lap as Anna began to sample the plate of sandwiches. "Elsa told me a bit more about how her new powers worked," Rapunzel revealed. "Is it strange being with someone who isn't, well…human any longer?"

Anna A. shook her head. "Elsa still is human. That part of her hasn't gone away. Yeah, she's a Goddess now too, but that just lets her keep everyone safe. Honestly, it's actually a big relief," she admitted, sinking back down into the sofa. "Ever since that first assassination attempt…I was worried sick about her for two years. Now she can protect both of us from absolutely anything."

"And she can also read your mind, or teleport you to the moon if you annoy her," Rapunzel pointed out.

Anna shrugged. "So? She could always have had me executed at any time she wanted. Now it'd just be a little quicker. You're not saying you don't trust her?" she asked, her tone becoming accusatory.

"Of course not!" Rapunzel protested. The Princess knew that her cousin, even before Anna's return, could be trusted with her divine power. "I'm only making sure you're comfortable with everything. After all that happened…I just hope you're alright."

The anger fading from her face, Anna scooted over and snatched up another sandwich. "I'm fine," the Knight said firmly.

Rapunzel shot her friend a single, knowing look.

Anna sighed. "Yes, there are some things I'm having a hard time dealing with, but my fiancé becoming divine isn't one of them. I mean, thank the gods she did!" the Princess continued, her hands growing animated. "What else could protect me from an entire country that wants me dead? Or reminds me that it was all worth it when I remember the friends who died in the snow to keep me alive? Who-"

The Knight broke off as Rapunzel enveloped her in a one-armed hug. For nearly a minute, Anna C. sat contently in her mother's lap as the two friends embraced.

"I think it's incredibly brave of you," the Princess began, pulling back slightly. "Making sure Elsa is keeping quiet about what really happened, I mean. A lot of people would say that you've given the world enough."

Anna shook her head. "I'm not having the world live in fear of Elsa just to improve my reputation."

"And you're right to do it," Rapunzel agreed. Unable to resist, she pulled Anna into another embrace. "I'm just…you have no idea how happy I am that you decided to try to rob Elsa that night two years ago."

At this, the Knight laughed. "I didn't know it was the Queen!" she protested. "And…for the record, I'm really glad that Eugene rescued you from that tower."

Rapunzel playfully pushed away. "Rescued me?" she demanded incredulously. "Well…maybe. But if he had just told me about the tiara, I wouldn't have needed rescuing!"

The two women laughed, before allowing the sound to fade away into a comfortable silence.

There was more to talk about, Anna's plans and Elsa's offer to the Coronan Royals being chief among them. But for the moment, Rapunzel was happy to sit in the sun with the future Queen Consort of Arendelle, basking in the fact that their nightmares were finally over.

A/N: More to come!