Chapter 10: Courting.

Fourteen years – Eleven years.

Elsa rolled her eyes for the tenth time when Prince whatever-his-name-was yet again tried to impress her by naming the number of some expensive thing they had in his palace (like Elsa didn't know his kingdom was close to being bankrupt and desperately needed a trade alliance with Arendelle). They were casually strolling through the halls, but the elder princess really wanted to be anywhere else. Preferably in her room, watching how her experiments were going.

Yes, she had conducted some experiments with her powers, and kept them concealed in a chest to which only she had the key (it was normally filled with jewels and fine clothing, but Elsa couldn't care less about all that junk). Her first experiment was to test how long her ice could last without melting. She soon discovered ice created by her powers melted at the same time as regular ice, but if she cooled down the space around her ice, it could last for days or maybe even weeks. She also experimented with the physical properties of her powers, seeking to create the hardest ice she could. The results were impressive; her best efforts could easily compete with steel when she attacked a set of castle-forged armor and her sword didn't crack even under repeated blows.

However, the other experiments weren't as innocent.

She wanted to test what she'd read in the book, and so she had captured a bunch of mice with an ice trap and experimented on them. She froze the limbs of the first one and it quickly got frostbite. Upon further testing she discovered that by applying the proper amount of force she could easily shatter the frozen limbs to pieces, and yet no blood would be spilled.

She then froze the organs of the second mouse. She fed it well but despite her best efforts it seemed to be getting smaller and weaker with each passing day, as though food couldn't satiate it. The results were just like the book had predicted.

When it came to the third mouse, she did something worse, but much more merciful; she froze it's heart, and as expected it's fur first turned white and then it turned into ice, like she had made an ice replica of the original animal. Despite she tried all that came to her mind, the mouse would not shatter and no fire could melt it.

As for the forth mouse… well, that one was more complicated, because she had frozen its head. It was difficult to determine if it had memory loss, but she was still trying to find out anyways. That's why she wanted to go to her room.

But then again, she wanted to see Anna too… Wait. No. Scratch that. She definitely didn't want to see her naïve little sister. Lately all she did was swoon over the multiple princes and nobles courting her, most of them at least a few years older than her. She talked all day about how amazing they were, how handsome, how charming! Elsa wanted to throw up every time she heard her. She just didn't understand how she could like those brutes instead of her.

"Princess?" The prince snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him briefly only to discover he was shivering, almost violently so. She sighed, waved her hand and the temperature rose to normal.

"Sorry." Elsa threw out an apology just because she didn't want to get in trouble for being rude, not because she was truly sorry. If it were up to her, she'd turn all those suitors into ice-statues.

"It's okay. Now, as I was saying, I have five horses of my own and…"

Elsa tuned him out again as they continued to walk. She almost missed her etiquette classes… almost. At least he was the last of five, so she wouldn't have to deal with them until the night of the ball. Anna, on the other hand, despite being the youngest, had a mind numbing fifteen suitors. And to Elsa's despair, she seemed to like them all… well, maybe except that man who was like twenty. Oh, how she wished she could freeze them!

In that moment they arrived to the balcony and positioned themselves there to look over the beautiful gardens of the palace, while the prince kept talking about himself. Elsa leaned on the banister and rested her chin on her hand, watching it all with a bored expression… that is, until she spotted Anna under a tree, giggling as she talked to some blonde boy, probably one of her suitors. Her cheeks were bright red (Elsa hoped because of the heat of the sun) and her eyes were shining with affection for that stranger.

The older girl frowned and gripped the rail tightly until it started to crack with newly formed frost. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but it was for naught. She was very angry, not just at her sister for being so naïve and quick to give her love to anyone, but also with all those suitors attempting to take Anna away from her. But she wouldn't allow it. Oh no. She wouldn't give up on her that easily. After all, Anna was rightfully hers.

"Princess where are you going?" The prince tried to chase after her when Elsa started walking furiously towards her room.

"I'm feeling a bit undisposed. I'm sorry." She said curtly and hurried towards her destination. She had to prepare herself, even if the ball was still a few days away, she needed to plan her move carefully.

"A… masquerade?" The king asked raising an eyebrow at his daughter, who had suddenly become interested in the suitor's ball.

"It could be fun." Elsa shrugged. "Plus, I think it would allow me… us, Anna and I, to evaluate better the suitors' personalities without being distracted by their looks."

"I guess that could be true." The king agreed, to Elsa's surprise. "But it being such short notice… I don't know." He shook his head and the princess feared she had lost her opportunity. Thankfully the queen intervened, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"I think it is a wonderful idea, dear." She said, figuring it was a good signal her daughter was finally taking some interest in this whole courting process. Perhaps she actually liked one of the suitors. "And we still have three days to plan it, so maybe if the staff works a little harder we could make the needed adjustments just in time."

"Okay." He sighed. "I guess we could make it work." At this, Elsa smiled, but then his gaze turned strict. "But you'll have to put in some effort and start being nice to your suitors."

"I will, thank you father." She promised and, making a little courtesy, got out of the king's studio and grinned as she went to get all she needed for her plan.

"… So I told him that his hair was so soft it could be a girl's hair, and he got all red in embarrassment." Anna giggled as she recounted her day to her sister. Her heavily occupied sister, who was trying to concentrate on the legal records she was pouring over. It was a necessary distraction, otherwise she might decide to search for the prince and freeze his ass.

"And then we went to feed the ducks and he started telling me about his reindeer, Sven, and he said reindeers are better than people." She paused, placing a finger under her chin as she thought about something.

"But they certainly don't smell better than people. Because he introduced me to Sven later and he smelled pretty awful." She made a face of disgust. "Still, I think Kristoff is very nice, and I'll probably choose him."

"You said the same about Erik." Elsa rolled her eyes. "And Leo. And Alexander. And Hans."

"Well… Erik has pretty eyes. And he's very chivalrous." The younger girl answered. "And Leo has a good heart, he's so sweet! And Alexander makes the best jokes and always makes me laugh!" She giggled, remembering said boy. "And Hans… Hans is probably the best after Kristoff. He's tall, and handsome, and has dreamy eyes and a beautiful smile! And his voice is soooo enchanting!" She sighed dreamily as she remembered each prince, much to Elsa's anger and frustration.

"How enchanting can the voice of a boy be?" Elsa retorted with clear irritation.

"Very." The younger girl responded with a frown on her face. "Come on, don't tell me you don't like any of your suitors!"

"Not at all." She answered honestly.

"But… how could you not?! I mean, I've seen your princes and they all are pretty handsome."

"How can you like your princes?!" Elsa answered, getting up and looking at her sister with fury. "They are all jerks who just want to use you for your title!"

"They're not! They are all wonderful, and no matter who I choose I'm sure I'll live happily ever after with him." She said stubbornly as she sat up and crossed her arms over her chest while Elsa sighed internally. This must have been the tenth time they'd had this fight in the last week.

"You will not, you idiot! You won't get your happy ending if you choose any of those assholes! They are ambitious, and selfish and have microscopic brains!"

"That's not true!" Anna yelled as tears started to appear on her eyes and her face turned red in anger. "You only say that because you're jealous!" A hiccup interrupted her, but she kept going. "B-because mamma said that when you meet your prince, your life will change forever and you will be truly happy. But you'll never be happy if you keep being so mean and stubborn!" She immediately got up and walked furiously out of her sister's room, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"She said that, huh?" Elsa mused out loud, not even a little impressed by Anna's outburst. "Well, my dear sister, I know better, and I will prove it to you. Neither of us will be happy if we're not together."

Anna was at the ball. She was wearing her finest dress, a floor-length, forest green gown made especially for the occasion, and a mask with green feathers that covered part of her face. Truth to be told, she was enjoying the evening quite a lot, and had to admit Elsa's idea of making it a masquerade was pretty exciting. It forced her to guess who was behind the mask. Though, normally it would be easy to distinguish between her suitors' varied accents and tones, but her situation was made very difficult due to the orchestra playing just a few feet away.

It was during one of her brief lulls in conversation, when she was getting some chilled punch, that Anna thought about Elsa. She had been acting weird lately, like she was up to something, which wasn't usually a good thing. Sure, Anna herself sometimes got in trouble, but not for the more dangerous reasons Elsa did. Anyways, she hoped for her own good that the older princess wasn't planning anything reckless. Especially if whatever she was planning could potentially ruin the wonderful night she was having.

"Anna." Her father pulled her out of her thoughts just as she was stuffing her face with chocolate to alleviate her anxiousness at having to interact with so many people she didn't want to disappoint. She swallowed and gave him an apologetic smile, but apparently he wasn't there to chastise her about her manners. "Have you seen your sister?"

"Not really." The redhead shrugged. "Lost her in the crowd about an hour ago."

"Did you see what she was doing?" He asked, apparently fearing the worst.

"I think trying to escape from one of her suitors."

"I see." He sighed. "Well, I'll keep searching. Tell me if you see her."

"I will." Anna promised with one of her enchanting smiles.

"Thank you." He nodded at her and then left. Anna sighed in relief; he hadn't noticed she had her hands covered in chocolate. The princess was about to go clean her hands, when suddenly a tall figure (at least tall compared to her) blocked her path.

"Uhm… excuse me…" Anna was about to ask the stranger to let her move when he looked down at her from behind his blue and silver mask before making a graceful bow. He gently grasped her chocolate covered hand and kissed the back of it, much to Anna's embarrassment.

"Ah, princess Anna. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier, but the crowds kept me from reaching you." He said, now looking down at her, his black hat's single white feather blocking the light of the chandelier. His voice was high-pitched for a man, and his height was not quite what you'd expect of an adult. That combined with his thin body made Anna assume he must have been about her age. One of her suitors, probably, but… she was pretty sure she'd already talked with all fifteen of them… unless this one was new.

"I-it's fine. Don't worry." She assured him with a little grin, and internally cursed herself for stuttering, but she couldn't help it; she always got nervous when she talked with a prince, especially when they were as close as in that moment.

"You look quite beautiful in that dress, you know? But you look even more beautiful without the mask." He said with a coy smile and a confident tone that made Anna's legs weaken.

"Thank…thank you." She smiled nervously as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wish I could say the same, but honestly I have no idea who you are." Anna said, trying to decipher the identity of this suitor.

"It's better that way." He shrugged, much to Anna's disappointment. "At least for now."

"Does that mean you will tell me at some point who you are?" She tried again.

"Maybe. If you dance with me." He answered, extending a hand at her and pointing towards the dance floor with his head. Anna wanted to accept more than anything, but…

"I-I… I have chocolate on my hands." She admitted blushing.

"And your lips too." The prince chuckled before reaching with his hand and wiping it from a corner of Anna's mouth, coming so close that butterflies appeared on the princess stomach and she felt like she'd faint. "There, all cleaned." He smiled triumphantly.

"But my hands…"

"Use my handkerchief." He said, handing her said item as he spoke. She eyed at it for a moment before starting to clean her hands with it. Normally the name was embroidered, but in this case it only had two letters: E and A. Maybe the stranger was Erik then? No; he was way taller. Who then? Well, she'd soon find out, even if she had to rip his mask off with her bare hands.

Once she'd finished, she returned the handkerchief to the prince and let herself be led to the dance floor. There, under the bright light of the chandeliers, she could appreciate him better. He was dressed in a bright blue suit jacket; elegant and soft, it sparkled and shone in a way she had never seen before. His pants were a deeper blue, reminiscent of the night sky, and his vest was of an icy blue so light it almost looked white. But the difference was obvious when contrasted against his shirt and shoes; pale and shimmering, they were clean and pure like freshly fallen snow.

"You're staring, princess." He teased her with a smug smirk.

"S-shut up." She blushed, deviating her gaze. "Princesses don't stare."

"Sure they do." He contradicted her as he took her left hand with his right one and placed the other one on her waist, pulling her close and making Anna's breath hitch. "Do you know how to dance, princess?"

"All princesses do." She answered, glaring at him.

"That's true, but I've heard you are quite clumsy." He teased again.

"Hey! That's rude!" She pouted, even though she knew his words to be true, but he just laughed good-naturally.

"I was just joking. Truth to be told, I'm not very good at dancing myself." He admitted, which made Anna smile at him, after all, he was the first one of her suitors who admitted he was anything less than perfect. "So, I apologize in advance if I step on your feet." He joked.

"You better not." Anna chuckled as they started dancing. True to his word, it was a bit awkward at first, like he didn't know how to lead. He was constantly looking at his feet and readjusting himself to the pace of the song, so Anna tried to put him at ease. "Hey. Just relax, when I chose my fiancé it won't be based on how well he dances."

"I-I'm sorry." He blushed, finally looking up at her eyes. "I just really want to impress you. I like you a lot."

"Well, I'm certainly flattered." Anna answered honestly. "You do seem like a very nice guy, but I feel like I don't know much about you, why don't you tell me?"

"There's not much to tell." He said, much to Anna's surprise. "I'd rather hear about you."

"Me? But I'm just… me. I mean…"

"Please, don't try being modest. You seem like a very interesting person." He interrupted her. "Just tell me about yourself, what you do normally, the people you interact with… all of those little details." Anna eyed him for a moment, trying to discern why he would ask such odd things, things no one had ever asked her before. But really, his genuine interest warmed Anna's heart, making her want to trust him with all she was.

"Well… normally most of my day consists of attending my various classes, preparing me to be a queen or a princess someday."

"Queen? I thought you were only second in line to the throne."

"Yeah, but…" She was about to say something, but bit her lip and said something else instead. "In case I marry a king from another kingdom."

"I see…" He said, apparently wanting to ask more, but changing his mind at the last second so he wouldn't upset her. "And you like those classes?"

"Not really. But it's my duty to the kingdom." Anna shrugged. "The worse one is definitely maths though." She made a face.

"That is blasphemy!" He exclaimed looking almost offended.

"Don't tell me you like math!" Anna retorted, and when he nodded she exclaimed jokingly: "And here I was thinking you were perfect!"

"Math is perfection, my princess." He smirked.

"Oh, shush you." She slapped his arm in a playful way, making him laugh.

And so they continued dancing and talking until the song ended and he convinced her to walk a little around the gardens, where he took a flower and placed it on her hair, making her feel like she'd faint at his closeness. Then they talked as he guided her around in a way only a gentleman could, and Anna had to admit she was impressed he didn't get lost (she herself sometimes got lost in the huge palace). At the end they arrived to a secluded place; a small garden area surrounding a beautiful fountain while fireflies fluttered here and there. It was beautiful, and Anna found herself sighing at the sight, thinking it was very romantic; probably the perfect spot for a first kiss.

She blushed at the last thought, but now that she thought about it, she really liked the company of this prince. He was so nice, and gentle, and always showed more interest on her than any of the others. Plus, he didn't judge her when she got chocolate on her hands and face, or when she tripled ungracefully over a rock, or when she snorted when she laughed. More so, he seemed to smile fondly at her when she did any of those things, like he loved her imperfections. It didn't make sense, but Anna liked it. She liked being loved for who she was, and this stranger seemed to be able to do that for her and more, plus he seemed handsome enough, and he was obviously around her age. She couldn't think of a better candidate for her first kiss, nor a better night; the night of her ball.

"What are you thinking, my princess?" He asked suddenly, startling her a little and making her blush at how he called her 'his' princess.

"Nothing. Just that this is a beautiful night."

"Not as beautiful as you." He said honestly, brushing a strand of hair behind Anna's ear, making her heart skip a beat.

"Y-you mean it?" She asked with hope, looking up in his blue eyes, trying to find some hesitance, but she didn't find any.

"Of course." He answered, and when his lips moved, Anna could help but place her eyes on them trying to discern what they would feel like on her own, but she suddenly felt nervous. Could she do it? Was it even proper for a princess to initiate the kiss? And what if he didn't like it? What if her breath stank? What if…

"You want to kiss me." The prince said smugly, making Anna's eyes widen.

"I-I don't." She tried to deny it, but her blush betrayed her.

"Go ahead." He encouraged.

"I'm nervous." She admitted shyly. "I haven't done this before."

"You haven't?" He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Well… I have, but with my sister. It was a game though, so it doesn't count." She said, blushing even more and feeling more nervous at each passing second, her body tense in anticipation.

"Well… then this one will count." He replied as he placed both of his hands around her waist, pulling her closer in a way that made Anna's heart beat so fast she thought it'd burst out of her chest. Somehow she still managed to hesitantly bring her arms up and around his neck before looking at his eyes. "Just relax." He instructed before slowly starting to lean in, closing his eyes. Gulping, Anna closed her eyes too and waited for the moment their lips would meet.

And suddenly she felt it. The kiss. Her first real kiss with a real prince. His lips were gentle on her own, yet firm. They were cold, but not unpleasantly so… much like Elsa's actually, and the loving sigh he let out when they kissed was so real that Anna felt her heart might explode with joy. This was a true love's kiss, there was no doubt about it, and so Anna decided she wanted to marry this prince, have kids with him and live happily ever after together, like in fairy tales. That's all she wished for.

When the kiss finally ended, Anna looked at his eyes lovingly and said, with all the feel she could muster:

"I love you."

"I love you too." He replied without missing a beat, so confident about it, like he had been saying it all his life. It made Anna's chest fill with joy.

"Will you tell me now who you are?" She asked. "Please?"

"Okay…" He said hesitantly before taking off his hat to reveal a patch of black hair, which was odd considering none of Anna's suitors had black hair. All was clear though when he removed his mask and revealed the shocking truth.

"You…!" Anna gasped in horror when she saw her sister's face, instead of that one of a handsome prince.

"Surprise." Elsa smiled awkwardly, hoping Anna would take this well enough.

"How did you…? I mean… you were… the prince…" Anna stuttered, definitely in shock, and feeling betrayed. "Why?!" She almost screamed as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "To prove your point? To keep me from marrying a prince? So that I would always be with you?!" She paused, trying to swallow the knot on her throat and glaring at Elsa, wanting to communicate all the negative things she was feeling with one single stare.

"Well, let me tell you something, this is not how it works! Sisters can't always be together. Each one of us has to make her own life, and if you can't, then stop interfering in mine!" She yelled, angry because Elsa had just ruined her special night and her first kiss. She felt frustrated and disappointed for having been fooled, and she wanted to cry. She never imagined Elsa could do such a mean thing to her.

"Anna, it wasn't like that…" Elsa tried to explain as she went to grab Anna's hands, but the younger princess stepped back and glared at her.

"I hate you!" She yelled before turning around and running away while wiping her tears, as her heart shattered into pieces in her chest. She had just fallen in love with a prince who didn't even exist, and it was all his sister's fault.

Elsa, on the other hand, just stayed there, looking at the retreating form of her sister trying to contain her own tears, because her plan hadn't worked and she had just pushed her further away. Now Anna hated her, and she hated herself. She hated the suitors, and she hated her parents for bringing in said suitors. She hated the other kingdoms for wanting an alliance with Arendelle. She hated everyone!

And so the princess sank down to her knees, crying, hoping desperately she could go back in time, to when she and Anna were happy, just the two of them… together. But of course she knew things with Anna could now never be like that again, and she cried even louder, because she hadn't just lost her sister, but her best friend too. Her only friend really, and also the person she loved most in the world. Her poor heart would probably never recover from that.

A/N: I hope your hearts didn't break much with this… because this is not even close to how heartbreaking the others chapters will be hahahaha :D

Anyways, please don't hate me, and if you liked this chapter, please review/favorite/follow, I really appreciate all the support you give me. Which reminds me, there's a new cover! So, if you want, please check it out on my DeviantArt, TaniaHylian.

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13 :)