Anna was standing in a large living room, but something was...wrong. It was as if only half of her consciousness was present. Her awareness of the room around her flickered constantly. One second, everything was perfectly coherent. The next, it was all a blur.

Still, she was able to perceive her surroundings with relative clarity. The room was brightly lit thanks to the sunlight shining in from the wide glass windows. All of the furniture looked antique; it was a style she had never seen before. A dozen or so men and women were sitting in various couches or chairs that were scattered around the room. Some were deep in discussion, while others were relaxing calmly. None of them seemed to notice her.

"Ahh-" a deep groan on the far side of the room attracted her attention. To her surprise, the speaker was a young girl no older than thirteen. And yet the entire room fixated upon the sound as if their lives depended on it.

An older man hurried to the girl. Anna's grasp on reality grew more and more tenuous as the scene played out. In the back of her mind, she could hear a soft yet commanding voice calling to her. For the moment, she resisted the sensation.

"Quiet, everyone!" The man ordered. "Annette, are you...?" The world blurred out, and by the time Anna returned, his sentence had been finished. Everyone in the room was staring at the young girl intently, but Annette was hardly taking notice. She was staring at the floor, her eyes completely blank.

Then she began to speak. Her words were so quiet that they were almost inaudible; they were spoken in a dry, dull tone. Anna tried to get closer, instinctively knowing that this was a speech she would want to hear, but her legs had turned to jelly.

The Knight did her best to listen, but she could only make out a handful of words from the girl's speech. Her awareness of reality was flickering faster now, and the voice in the back of her head continued to intercut her thoughts. "Two...pass...land...flower...Anna!...reborn...flesh...first...name...We have to get ready!...crown...weakened...wiped...returned...betrayal...domain...shall know-"

"Wake up!"

\

The Knight bolted upright in her bed. Sitting beside her was Elsa, a look of exasperated disapproval resting on her face. "Anna, I know you enjoy your sleep, but the first guests have already arrived. And the ball starts in less than a few hours."

Anna nodded, still in a daze from her dream. Elsa's gaze softened, as she perceived the disturbed look in the Knight's eyes. "Bad dream?" she questioned. "Usually you're a light sleeper; it took me forever to wake you up. I hope it wasn't too..."

"I'm fine," Anna affirmed. Still, Elsa's words had her thinking. She was a light sleeper; it was probably a product of many nights spent out on the streets, where even the slightest noise could indicate an approaching threat. More than once, Anna had awoken just in time to fend off a would-be thief. As much as she had despised herself for robbing nobles of their coins, at least she hadn't been as bad as those who preyed upon the homeless.

So why had this morning been different? It had just been a dream...right? Anna had had her fair share of dreams since coming to stay at the Palace. Some of them she could barely remember.

But a handful had been different. They seemed more real than any nighttime vision had a right to be. Anna had usually written off these decidedly more lucid dreams as a product of having a more comfortable bed to sleep on, but part of her couldn't help but suspect that there was more to the story.

Pssh. I'm just being paranoid. Not everything strange has something to do with magic or this conspiracy. Weird dreams are just that: weird dreams. It's not like someone's imprinting them on me. Even if such a power existed, that's not something an enemy would do. They'd give me haunting nightmares that would keep me awake for hours, not strange scenes that just make me curious for a few minutes.

"Okay," Elsa replied, "Let's get ready."

\

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle, accompanied by her consort...Lady Anna of Arendelle!" the herald cried as the couple walked into the ballroom. Immediately, the hundreds of assembled guests curtsied to the monarch as she strode onto a raised platform. Anna was at her side; their arms were linked together. Already, the redhead was receiving dirty looks.

Beside her, she felt Anna stiffen. This was the first time that the Knight had officially been announced as her consort. Even if their relationship had been public knowledge for months now, having a herald declare it to the country's assembled nobility made it seem far more official. As Elsa had intended, of course.

The room was filled by several massive long tables. Each seat was occupied by an aristocrat, but the tables themselves were empty for the moment. Tomorrow would be the first dance, but the initial night of the Solstice was traditionally a welcome feast. The ballroom, being the only room big enough to host so many people, had been chosen as the venue by virtue of necessity.

"Lords and Ladies of Arendelle!" she greeted warmly. "Welcome to the Solstice celebrations. I am honored to be your host for the next three days." At this, the aristocrats nodded at the typical opening address. They were all waiting for her to officially christen the party, upon which they knew her servants would flood into the ballroom carrying a massive array of food and drinks.

"Now, before we begin, there is a matter I would like to address." Immediately, several of the assembled noblemen shifted uneasily.

"I am well aware that many of you disapprove of Lady Anna's Knighthood, as well as her position as my consort," she intoned. "Her past makes you suspicious, if not outright furious, and many of you believe that a woman with such a background has no place standing beside Royalty." Her tone was as hard as steel now; all pretenses of this being a casual address were long gone.

Elsa's gaze swept around the room. "To an extent, I understand your concerns. Lady Anna is highly irregular, and I am well aware of that. Although her thievery was driven out of necessity and done with care to cause the least harm possible, her actions still were to the detriment of many of you. In recognition of this, the crown has granted generous reparations to everyone she has stolen from- ten times the three coins she would typically take- directly from my personal vault."

The assembled nobility stared at her. Some of their gazes were stubbornly fixed, but a few were glancing around the room nervously.

"But to disrespect her is to forget one thing. Without her heroics, I would be dead. Three times, she risked her life to save mine- the first even before we had met. To demean her value is to imply that my life, the life of your monarch, is worth less than a stolen handful of coins."

The room was deathly silent. Seizing on their hesitation, Elsa continued. "I believe in redemption. Arendelle believes in redemption. Lady Anna's actions have made up for her past one-hundredfold, and in my opinion there is no one more worthy to be my consort. If you do not wholeheartedly approve of my relationship with Lady Anna, either because you wish that I married a King or one of our kingdom's own nobility, I can tolerate that opinion as long as you remain respectful to both of us. But to disrespect her is to disrespect me. I ask you to keep that all in mind. Now...let the feast begin!"

Elsa couldn't resist a sly smirk as the dumbfounded nobility was suddenly set upon by dozens of dutiful servants.

\

Anna was sitting at the Queen's right hand, putting her etiquette lessons to good use. Some of the guests at the central table seemed too nervous to speak to her in the monarch's presence. A few, probably the most liberal of the bunch- who had always at the very least tolerated her- were being friendly. They asked her about her deeds on Elsa's behalf, and Anna was happy to answer them. Elsa, of course the subject of much conversation herself, was always sure to discreetly intervene whenever the subject drifted too close to her imprisonment in Lucrania.

She made it through the entire meal without incident, a fact that filled her with pride. Many of the aristocrats were rising from their seats now. Some were going to their rooms to retire, but many others remained in the room to socialize. For some of them, this was the first time they had seen their friends in months.

The result's of Elsa's gambit would not become clear for a significant amount of time, but the early signs were promising. It had not been intended to win over the hearts and minds of the conservative nobility; even Anna wasn't naive enough to believe such a thing could occur. But by equating disliking Anna with disloyalty for the Queen herself, it was possible that the voices of opposition might quiet down for the time being.

And if they were lucky, perhaps one or two aristocrats who were on the fence about Anna might become willing to tolerate her status once reminded that their monarch would be dead if it wasn't for her actions.

The Knight was eating some dessert, a large piece of chocolate cake, and resisting the urge to stuff the entire thing into her mouth at once when a young man made his way over to Elsa's side. Thanks to his relatively muscular frame, dark black hair, and glistening blue eyes, Anna had to admit that he was somewhat handsome. And, according to a quick whisper from Elsa, he was the heir to a rather large estate.

Anna couldn't help but clench her teeth as he approached. He seemed far too purposeful in his movements.

"Queen Elsa," he bowed. "I was wondering if you would do me the honor of speaking with me privately for a few moments? My father is currently ill and has remained at home, but he asked me to speak with you about a manner of some importance."

"Of course," Elsa replied without missing a beat. The Knight scowled. As the Queen rose out of her chair, Anna made to follow.

A single glance from the monarch stopped her in her tracks. The Knight was here tonight as a member of the nobility, not the Queen's protector. A group of Royal Guards would accompany Elsa at a slight distance, but Anna's presence would be considered a violation of his request to meet alone. Reluctantly, she remained in her seat.

\

Per the suggestion of the man accompanying her, James Landon was his name, Elsa led the two of them to a secluded hallway a few minute's walk from the ballroom. Her paranoia was kicking in, but the Queen forced herself to analyze the situation rationally. He'd have been searched for weapons before entering the party, her guards were standing on alert several meters away, and her own abilities could end his life in an instant. As long as she was careful, he could pose no threat to her.

They walked through the halls, passing several servants. The aristocrats were forbidden to bring armed guards into the Castle, but each was allowed a small retinue of servants to attend to their needs. Elsa's staff was large, but even they would have trouble catering to the entirety of the country's nobility at once.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the visiting servants visibly struggling to carry his lord's laundry down to the washing rooms. Does the nobility even have their staff trained? Elsa couldn't help but wonder.

It was times like these that made the Queen appreciate the abilities of the Palace's ever-reliable employ of servants.

"This should be fine, Your Majesty," he recommended once they were in the middle of a hallway. This corridor was lined not with doors that led to rooms where eavesdroppers could lurk, but large portraits that covered much of the walls. Elsa nodded approvingly.

"First, let me say that you have my condolences for your father's illness," she began. "I hope it is nothing too serious." Her words, while mostly intended as a political courtesy, were not false. The Landons possessed plenty of influence and an even larger amount of wealth, but so far they'd been relatively quiet during her reign. She'd never had an issue with them and, as far as she could remember, neither had her parents.

The nobleman nodded. "The physicians are confident that he will recover within the month. His fever was breaking even as he ordered me to attend the Solstice as his representative. He asked me to speak to you about a matter that both he and I find of grave importance."

Her eyes narrowing slightly, Elsa nodded. "Very well."

"I will be blunt, Your Majesty. Given my family's financial and political capital, as well as your current lack of a husband, I humbly request that you would allow me the honor of courting you." His words were spoken confidently, but Elsa could hear the slight tremor of anticipation that lurked underneath.

She kept her regal mask fully in place. "You wish to court me?" Elsa demanded. Only the slightest amount of incredulity was allowed to seep into her voice.

James bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. I am not so arrogant to simply ask for your hand; such a request would be an insult to such an intelligent woman as yourself. I merely ask for the chance to prove my worth."

The Queen glared at him. "You flatter me. But as you are well aware, I am currently involved in a happy relationship and see no reason to change the situation. This refusal is not personal, but I'm afraid I must decline your request." So, what now? Do you simply criticize Anna as unworthy of my affection, or promise to save me from my unholy attraction to women?

Her guest simply nodded. "I do not wish to insult Lady Anna, Your Majesty. She has proven herself worthy of her station, and from what I have heard she is more than fit to be your protector and friend."

"Then why do you seek to replace her?" Elsa questioned with deceptive mildness.

James winced slightly. "I simply ask you to look to the future, Your Majesty. You are, of course, entitled to find Lady Anna attractive. I certainly do not begrudge you for such thoughts. But beauty is temporary, Your Majesty. What I could offer you, on the other hand, will last a lifetime."

In a way, she was disappointed. By pointedly not insulting Anna, he had deprived her of the chance to criticize him harshly. "I do not intend to demean your family, but I have no need of your wealth and political influence. I have more than enough of both as it stands. And I assure you, Lady Anna offers me far more than her physical attractiveness."

"Can she offer you that?" he pointed to the portrait behind her.

Elsa turned around...and immediately felt her heart drop. Focused on James, she hadn't even realized where they were standing. Adorning the wall behind them was a massive portrait that had been painted over a decade ago.

The picture depicted a scene that had taken place in one of the Castle's living rooms. Elsa, at the age of four, was sitting on the carpet holding a doll of herself. Kneeling next to her was her mother, a doll of a Knight in one hand and one of a dragon in the other. Her father was sitting in a comfortable sofa nearby, looking up from his book and beaming at them.

Her eyes began to water even as James continued to speak. "A life is not complete without family, Your Majesty. No matter how much you may fancy Lady Anna, she could never give you..."

"Leave," she hissed.

He stepped back in surprise. "Excuse me, Your Majesty?"

Elsa turned around, gesturing to her guards. "Escort him out my presence," she demanded. Nodding, two of them gently but firmly shepherded the nobleman out of the hall, ignoring his protests. Unable to resist, the Queen turned back around to stare at the portrait.

She missed them so much. Anna had helped fill the void in her life created by their deaths, but nothing could ever make her forget about two people who had raised her and loved her from birth...and had left her life without so much as a goodbye.

The Queen wanted that again. She wanted a family, a real family. Her relatives in Corona loved her, but that wasn't enough. One day, she wanted to have children. Perhaps not right now. But Elsa would never consider her life complete until she had a chance to raise a son or daughter as well as her parents had raised her.

But she wasn't going to do so without Anna by her side. Elsa couldn't imagine raising a family without her Knight standing beside her. True, that meant she could never have children of her own, but adoption was always a possibility. There were plenty of children who lived in Arendelle's orphanages. Elsa couldn't imagine anything more fulfilling than adopting a young, unfortunate child, and raising them alongside Anna.

Anna. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the young Knight would always be a part of her life. The Queen simply couldn't imagine a future without her. Elsa would do everything in her power to ensure that this relationship endured until the day one of them died. Once, the monarch had been uncomfortable with some of the aspects of romance. But now, her uncertainty was gone.

She knew what she wanted.

\

Anna was sitting in her bed, comfortably reclining atop the sheets. She was wearing her favorite red silken nightgown while reading a book she had picked out from the library. If her lessons with Gerda had accomplished anything, they had at least managed to improve Anna's reading level to that of a young teenager. Now that she could actually read some books without struggling, the Knight found that she rather enjoyed the activity. Elsa had been only too happy to recommend some tales that were kept in her library.

Still, her mind couldn't help but wander back to the Queen. Anna knew that she was being accompanied by a large group of guards, but the nobleman who had swept her away still unnerved her. It was always possible that he was part of the conspiracy...or even that he intended to seduce his host. The Knight wasn't sure which possibility frightened her more.

Creak. Anna sighed in relief as the bedroom door opened to admit Elsa, who looked none the worse for the wear. In fact, Anna could see the Queen smiling brightly as she approached the bed.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Anna remarked. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing. It's just..." Elsa smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're here Anna," she said, her voice warm.

The Knight offered her a bemused yet welcoming grin. "Well, I'm glad you invited me," she remarked. Anna wasn't sure what was going on with Elsa, but so far it didn't seem to be something to worry about.

Her smile widening, the Queen made her way onto the bed and next to Anna; the sheets crinkled only slightly under her slim frame. The personal attendant did not resist in the slightest as Elsa gently cupped her cheeks and brought her in for a passionate kiss.

It was nearly a minute before they pulled apart. And as they stared into each other's eyes, Anna finally heard the words she had waited months to hear.

"Anna, I'm ready." Some nervousness leaked back into Elsa's voice as she spoke the words, but they were spoken with an air of finality.

Yes! As exhilaration raced through her body, Anna found herself repeating Elsa's words in her head again and agin. It took several seconds for them to fully sink in. Gods...she'd waited so long for this moment, and now that it was finally here, she could scarcely believe it.

Their lips met in a furious kiss. Anna pressed forward, attempting to drive the Queen's head onto the pillow. Elsa didn't go quietly, a fact that Anna appreciated, but the Knight's strength was far too great for her to overcome. Anna lost track of how long they continued kissing, the Knight herself remaining fully on top.

But it wasn't enough. Anna's hands were about to reach up and unclasp Elsa's dress when she felt the monarch's fingers reaching for the hem of her shirt. Equally surprised and delighted, the Knight lifted herself off the Queen and raised her arms in the air. It took Elsa less than two seconds to lift Anna's shirt into the air before tossing it onto the floor. Grinning, Anna reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, leaving the entirety of her upper body bare.

Then a familiar, uncomfortable sensation flooded through Anna. She'd grown far more secure in her status as Elsa's consort as time went on, but now the fear of being unworthy made itself known once again. Look at her! She was attractive, yes, but that was nothing compared to the gorgeous Queen sitting in front of her. Anna's shoulders and chest were coated with blemishing freckles. Her breasts were far too small; her proportions were nothing to Elsa's stunning physique.

"You're...amazing, Anna." The Knight looked up to see Elsa staring at her intently; it was if the Queen's eyes were glued to her chest. Anna's confidence rose as Elsa came forward and enveloped her.

The Queen's actions were every bit that of a virgin, but Anna wasn't complaining as Elsa's hands eagerly yet cautiously roamed over her bare skin. The Knight let out a soft moan as Elsa's fingers stroked her chest. Their lips met again in a brief, ecstatic kiss. But as much as she was enjoying the Queen's ministrations, Anna couldn't help but note the injustice of the current situation.

"Take it off," Anna managed. "With magic."

Elsa hesitated only for a split second before nodding. With a brief motion of her hands, the ice that made up her dress began to dissolve rapidly. Five seconds later, Anna found herself staring at a completely unclothed Queen.

In that moment, the Knight couldn't help but wonder how she had managed to bed a Goddess. Perfect was the only word she could use to truly describe Elsa. For her part, the Queen smiled as she beheld Anna's admiration...even as a sliver of nervousness remained. With a slight gesture of her head, she motioned to Anna's still clothed legs.

The Knight's hands furiously undid her trousers' buttons. She stretched out her legs over the bed before hurriedly removing her pants; within seconds her undergarments followed.

As Elsa's eyes surveyed the rest of Anna's naked form, the Knight couldn't help but ponder how sublime the moment was. Here she sat, a peasant from the lowest possible of all births...poised to claim the most powerful woman in the world. Making love to a Queen was one thing, but doing it in the center of Arendelle's Royal Palace...the monarch's official chambers, just made it feel so empowering.

"You're sure?" Anna felt herself asking. The Queen nodded, and with that the last of Anna's restraint disappeared completely. She came forward, embracing Elsa's mouth in yet another kiss as her finger slid into the monarch's slick opening.

Elsa's moans betrayed more than just pleasure. There was elation, of course, but there was also surprise and even a bit of pain in her voice as the Queen was introduced to the art of love for the first time.

"Yes, Anna..." the Queen gasped as the Knight continued to penetrate her. And then, with no warning but a raising of Elsa's voice so profound that Anna would have been surprised if the guards at the end of the hallway didn't hear...the monarch was pushed over the edge.

Elsa was breathing heavily, but it wasn't hard to see the indulgent smile that would soon be formed by her lips. Anna knew her face was wearing the same expression. True, the Queen hadn't lasted long. But, even though she hadn't yet peaked herself, Anna couldn't deny that this was the best sex she'd ever had. For maybe the first time, it felt real.

Her grin widening, the Knight laid back onto the bed. "Your turn," she beckoned.

\

After washing up quickly, the two women had changed into their sleeping clothes before climbing into bed. Not many words were exchanged between them, but the silence was comfortable. Elsa had a feeling that she still had a lot to learn when it came to the pleasures of the flesh, but for now she knew that both of them were satisfied.

As she closed her eyes, the Queen couldn't help but feel that everything was right with the world.

\

The clock struck midnight three hours after the two women feel into the realm of sleep. And, without so much as a command, a plan that had been developed and refined for weeks was finally put into action.

A/N: A few comments about responses.

As things begin to heat up, I know you guys will be asking a lot of questions. Many of you will make guesses, some wrong, some right. Since refuting the wrong guesses while saying 'no comment' to the correct ones will be far too obvious, I will not be saying anything in response to predictions about the future, though I will still thank the author for reviewing.

Not that I don't welcome predictions, of course! It's always nice to see where you guys think this story is going! I just don't want to spoil everything for anyone.

And since a lot of prior foreshadowing is going to come into play, I'll give you guys a few chapters after something has happened to see if you can spot where it was foreshadowed. Eventually, I'll leave an author's note if something was missed.

Responses:

WinterWolfDragon: You'll find out the second one soon enough.

3Gs: Probably literally.

Darthvaderisnotme: That speech was her plan. It seemed to work out, but it might have been too little too late.

FreelanceBum: Yeah…

Moonwatcher13: Yes, the first review is first, and so on. There's a list so it's not too hard to keep track.

Snowboardgurl: I think Elsa would agree.

No.18: It's been around seven. Keeping pace with real life time has just been a coincidence.

Guest 1: Thanks! It will be a fun ride.

JPElles: That might be too dark for Disney, but not for me!

Knziewrwlf: Happy now?

Tithi: Plenty happens next chapter!

Shtoops: No spoilers!

BlackMistBeast: It might not be so easy.

MasterBlackCrow: You'll see.

RisingDaemon: Fixed!

ObsessiveImaginings: It's safe to assume that they did. The conspirators have been VERY careful.

Sedryn: This okay?

Betagamma: One more to go…

ClaireCooper: It's for your own good.

Leelan: Keep hoping.

Raven: Yeah, sure! Though I don't pretend to be an expert. Write something that you would enjoy reading, but try to keep it at least somewhat realistic. Have an overall plan, you can change things, but it's better than just going chapter by chapter with no sense of direction. Keep your characterization consistent, when one of your characters does something, think to yourself 'Is this really something they would do?' Make sure you have good pacing, space out action and intense scenes relatively evenly so people don't get bored. Have your protagonists 'lose' sometimes; a story is very predictable if your main characters constantly win. They should make mistakes, and even sometimes suffer major defeats.

Mpsantiago: Same-sex marriage is already legal in Arendelle; it was mentioned long ago in an early chapter. In this story, 'courting' means 'dating' so while it doesn't always lead to marriage, there always is an expectation that it might.

MarbleLights: Action coming soon!

PascalLights: Big showdown yes, but far from final.

Sephyxia: Her powers don't quite work like that, though that would be nice.

Awesomeness-Unleashed: Yes, I have tried very hard not to make the villains stupid. You haven't even seen the best of their intelligence yet.

WhiskeyDragonette: Wow, thanks a lot! But no spoilers.

Piccolover: You're welcome!

Malekoydaerb: The conspirators are certainly competent.

TrickMaster32: I'll do my best!