Elsa watched Anna make her twentieth circuit of the small vestibule, heeled footfalls echoing around the chamber like hammer blows. Each time she passed under a stream of light coming through the high windows her white and purple dress shimmered and winked, light refracting off the thousands of tiny crystal beads like frost reflecting the sun.

"You're going to wear a hole in the marble if you keep this up," Elsa commented lightly from her place beside the closed wooden doors, trying hard to hide her smile. Anna threw her a contemptuous look, white gloved hands opening and closing as she tried to calm herself. How in the hell Elsa had worn gloves for most of her life the princess would never know. They were itchy and constricting and hot.

The queen put a hand over her heart and pantomimed being struck by something. "If looks could kill, little sister, I'd be dead on the floor."

"You're not helping," Anna said, continuing to pace.

Elsa sighed and fell into step beside her, linking arms.

"Anna, you're going to be alright. Just breathe."

"I can't," Anna whined and stopped in front of the doors that led into the chapel. "What if he's not waiting for me? What if I trip? What if I somehow fall into a candle stand and light the whole chapel on fire?"

"Yes, what if that exact scenario happened?" Elsa said, raising an eyebrow. Sometimes her sister's imagination blew her away. Anna looked on the verge of tears, a telltale redness creeping into her nose as her eyes turned glassy. The queen quickly stepped in front of her and took her sister's face in her cool hands, forcing the princess to look at her.

"Anna, listen to me. You're going to be fine; you just have to calm down. You're not going to trip, there are no candles in the chapel save for the unity candle behind the altar, and Kristoff isn't going to leave you for two reasons. One, he loves you more than life itself. You two were engaged for almost two years, which is a far cry better than your first attempt." Elsa winked at Anna's outraged expression. It felt good making light of the whole Hans situation even if it had happened almost three years ago. "And the second reason, Kristoff knows his life would be forfeit if he broke the heart of the queen's little sister."

"You wouldn't dare," Anna said with a small smile, attempting to dab the tears from her eyes before they fell and ruined her carefully applied makeup. It had taken Gerda almost an hour to get it right.

"Dare what? Castrate the poor fool and use his man bits for inkwells while his head makes a pretty decoration on my wall? No, of course not. How utterly barbaric," Elsa grinned devilishly. Anna playfully pushed her, anxiety lessening the more she laughed.

"You're horrible."

Elsa shrugged. "I have my moments. It's just good to hear you laugh. This should be a happy day! You've dreamed about it since we were little."

Anna rubbed her shoulder sheepishly and cast a nervous glance over at the still closed doors. How long did it take for everyone to be seated and for bishop Arren to finish? Reluctantly taking her sister's advice, she took a breath that started at her toes and stopped at the top of her head. After a five count, she exhaled the breath in a rush. Elsa was right, she had been dreaming of this moment for years. Anna partially blamed all the romantic stories and poetry she'd read over the years; those lovely pages painting pictures in her mind about how beautiful romance and love could be when it was true and pure. She'd spent hours devouring as many novels as she could find, oftentimes rereading what she'd already read and envisioning herself in the place of the maiden or exotic princess. But what the stories had never touched on was how nerve-wracking it was standing outside the chapel waiting for the doors to—

The old polished wood creaked on its hinges as the two guards inside pushed them open in perfect unison, bathing the vestibule in warm golden light. Anna blinked in the sudden brightness and felt Elsa step next to her, right arm linking with her left.

"Just remember to breathe. This is your day," the queen whispered as they stepped up to the threshold. Anna swallowed the lump in her throat as all three hundred guests seated in the pews flanking either side of the chapel rose and turned to look at her. At about the same time, the choir standing in the circular loft above the altar began to sing a gentle ballad in Latin that grew in volume as Anna and Elsa began their slow march up to where bishop Arren and a nervous Kristoff waited.

Elsa glanced at Anna out of the corner of her eye and felt a warm smile spread across her face. Her sister was a natural beauty, like sunshine captured in living flesh, but today she was practically radiant. The dress Elsa had commissioned for the princess, partially because it was tradition for the ruling monarch to have a say in what a soon-to-be-wedded princess should wear, and partially because Anna was scatterbrained and forgot to send for the royal tailor, was a stunning piece of clothing the likes of which Arendelle hadn't seen in years.

The princess wore a primarily white silk dress accented with wide stripes of soft lavender in the front folds of her skirt in order to break up the monotony of pristine white. Beads of cut crystal had been painstakingly sewn atop the white silk like a spider's web; the bands of light streaming in from the high arch windows on either side of the chapel made the crystals flash and shimmer like caged fire as Anna walked. A light lavender sweetheart bodice, embroidered with creeping purple ivy, complemented with matching lace hemming along the wide shoulder straps, hugged Anna's slender waist and chest. And under it all was a long sleeve, high necked gossamer underdress that tapered into triangular points at the back of her hands. Upon Anna's request, Elsa also had a veil made that could attach to Anna's tiara which she barely wore but was adamant about wearing today, her hair pulled back in an intricate bun braid complete with interwoven purple ribbon.

In comparison, Elsa wore a more plain-looking dress to not draw attention away from her sister. It was a modified version of her coronation dress with a few marked differences. A light blue bodice and skirt replaced the green and purple original, set over top a dark blue underdress with a matching gossamer cape. She'd made a few changes to the gown, shortening the sleeves, lowered the neckline of the underdress, and replaced the fabric with gossamer silk rather than the suede of her old coronation dress. Her skirt was embroidered with swirling snowflakes along the bottom, and the white gold clasps that held her cape in place just below the hollow of her throat had been carved to look like snowflakes. It was a beautiful dress, but it paled in comparison to Anna's as Elsa had intended.

The two stopped at the bottom of the altar where bishop Arren stood three steps higher than the rest of the assembly, red and white ceremonial robes as immaculate as ever. In his hands he held a massive leatherback tome already opened to the proper page, and nodded affectionately at the royal sisters. Kristoff shifted again, no doubt knowing his bride-to-be was standing mere feet from him but was unable to turn and look at her until she was given away.

"Dearly beloved," Arren began in a clear voice that carried the entire length of the chapel, "we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Anna Frosberg and Barron Kristoff Bjorgman in holy matrimony."

Elsa fought back a snigger at the mention of Kristoff's "official" title. It had been a necessary step in ensuring Anna could marry the man she loved while making absolutely sure that, should they have children anytime in the future, their claim to the throne would go unchallenged. Elsa had named Kristoff "Barron of the Northern Mountains", a title that really meant nothing since there was no land or power attached to it, but it cemented him as part of the elite nobility and gave him the lawful right to marry Anna. Still, the title had galled the ice harvester at first until Elsa had explained he could either take the title or leave Anna.

"Who here has the authority and right to give away the princess?" Arren asked looking out over the crowd just as he was supposed to.

"I do," Elsa said stepping forward and raising her voice. "I, Elsa Frosberg, ruling monarch of Arendelle Kingdom and Queen of the Northern Realms, do hereby give my sister's hand freely to Barron Kristoff Bjorgman."

Bishop Arren nodded and smiled. "The Church accepts and recognizes this giving."

Elsa bowed slightly at the waist and turned to take her seat in the front row, leaving Anna and Kristoff to finish the rest.

The two lovers slowly turned towards one another, neither having seen the other since sunrise that morning. At the sight of his dazzling bride, Kristoff mouthed a stunned "wow", eyes as big as dinner plates. He was dressed in a fitted black, open-fronted jacket with silver buttons and a lavender undershirt dyed to match Anna's dress. A royal purple sash around his waist brought the outfit together and cut the mountain man a handsome figure. Anna seemed as stunned as her husband-to-be, though he couldn't see her expression until Arren allowed him to lift the veil as the ceremony continued.

It didn't take long for the vows to be exchanged, the rings brought by a bounding Olaf who practically sprinted down the aisle with gleeful delight, and the final "I do's" to be said. Anna all but lunged at Kristoff when Arren finally announced them husband and wife, grabbing the mountain man by the collar and pulling him into a blushingly deep kiss that lasted a few seconds longer than was necessary. Arren discreetly cleared his throat and the two separated, both red faced but smiling a giddy smile that only newlyweds could grin.

To say the reception and accompanying ball directly after the wedding was large would have been a gross understatement. It was a massive event hosting numerous royal guests from kingdoms far and wide, all eager to participate in the celebration of the princess of Arendelle's wedding. Hundreds of people packed the spacious ballroom and the castle courtyard, both decorated by Elsa with help from her arctic magic. Some danced, others ate, while most congregated in tight clusters eager for the festivities to fully commence. The queen made her appearance an hour after the wedding, after changing into a gown better suited for the night's festivities. Anna and Kristoff appeared a few minutes later, the princess declaring the party officially begun, much to the joy of the crowd.

For hours, Elsa circulated the ballroom, bowing to dignitaries, dancing with eligible princes, as well as once or twice with an absolutely elated Olaf who had made it a game of meeting and greeting everyone at the party, and discussing some of the finer points of trade and negotiations with those trusted few with whom she did business on a regular basis. By the time the sun had finally set, the queen retreated to her dais and sank gratefully into her cushioned throne, never so happy to be off her feet.

What I wouldn't give for a sensible pair of shoes, Elsa thought as she attempted to wiggle life back into her numb toes and glaring daggers at the opaque blue shoe encasing her foot. Heels were the appropriate party fashion, but she'd give almost anything to just slip into a pair of soft suede slippers and lounge.

By now, most of the guests had filtered out of the ballroom. Those who wanted to continue private conversation, or who wanted a chance to leave the stifling chamber, fled to the courtyard or the isolation of the adjoining hallways, significantly thinning the crowd. The queen lazily watched the few remaining clusters of dancing couples make slow circuits around the dance floor, not noticing Anna as she mounted the dais until the princess threw her arms around her and squeezed tightly. Elsa gave a startled squeak, a small burst of arctic air rolling from her fingertips.

"Why are you up here all alone?" Anna asked suppressing a shiver as the cold air brushed past her.

"My feet have revolted against me and refuse to stop screaming," Elsa said, wiggling her foot.

"That's what you get for wearing heels," Anna replied in her sweetest voice. She didn't have to tell her sister 'I told you so' flat out; Elsa already knew what she was thinking and made a face.

"That's what I get for being queen."

Anna stuck her tongue out, and Elsa laughed. It still felt strange spending time in the ballroom with her sister. Of course the last three years had seen countless balls and parties take place in the spacious chamber, but the queen could still see the ghosts of that fateful day three years ago replay in her mind's eye when she'd very nearly brought her kingdom to its knees. Through the press of bodies, she could see her freshly crowned younger self quickly moving away from a frustrated Anna, back and shoulders so tight she could still recall the muscle cramps. Then came that terrifying moment when it had become too much to hold in any longer. Her ice had sprayed from her hands in a crackling blast, effectively cutting herself off from her sister and subjects with a wall of glittering spikes. Elsa felt a shiver run down her spine and looked away, not wanting to see the ghosts anymore, not wanting to feel the threads of guilt and shame that still lingered, or the fear that still crept up on her at night when she was alone with her thoughts.

"Hey, are you ok?" Anna asked seeing the change in her sister's expression.

Elsa let out a quick breath and gave her a reassuring nod. "I think I just need to get outside."

"Ok," Anna said, standing and pulling her up by the arm.

"You really don't have to—"

"Oh hush. I know how you get when you're around crowds too long. I would have come and rescued you sooner, but Kristoff insisted on 'just one more dance'," Anna said imitating her husband's voice in an exaggerated way.

Elsa smiled and allowed herself to be led away, nodding to guests as she went in both greeting and farewell. Anna pushed open the tall balcony doors just beyond the ballroom with her hip, and Elsa practically cried with relief. The night had turned out cooler than expected, and the cold air was like a soothing balm on her skin. Moving to the railing, the queen closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp night air, letting the wind pull loose strands of hair free and tug at the icy fabric of her 'Snow Queen' dress, as Anna had come to call it.

"Better?"

"So much better," Elsa grinned putting her weight on the banister, happy to give her aching feet a reprieve. The two stood in companionable silence for a handful of minutes, looking out over the courtyard at the kingdom beyond and at the tiny specks of golden light shining from hundreds of windows illuminating the night. Arendelle was a beautiful kingdom by day, but it was at night when the town and countryside truly came to life as candles and fires were lit, yellow jewels glimmering in a not so distant galaxy. Not too far in the distance, the sisters could hear the gentle peal of ship bells as heavy freighters, loaded down with trade goods and produce, slid into port with the wind in their furled sails. A sea breeze rolled past the castle bringing with it the scent of cooked food, the sound of muffled conversation, and salt water as it swirled around the courtyard like a dervish.

Anna scooted closer to her sister and nudged her with her shoulder. "I saw you dancing tonight."

Elsa snorted and rolled her eyes. Ah yes, dancing. It wasn't that the queen couldn't dance. The curriculum for becoming a proper royal demanded that she know at least thirty dance routines varying from ethnic jigs to back achingly straight waltzes. Growing up in self-imposed isolation, Elsa had been traumatized by the very idea of having another person touch her, so learning these dances had been a difficult chore, but she'd found a measure of peace in the rhythmic flow of a body drifting in sync with a musical score. It reminded her of how her power flowed through her body, flurries and fractals spiraling in time with the beat of her heart. After the Great Freeze, the queen had slowly embraced her secret love for dance; though, after years of limited human contact, getting up the courage to dance with strangers had been a nerve-wracking experience.

"Yes well," Elsa coughed, "the duties of a queen are never done."

"Oh stop it; I know you enjoyed yourself," Anna scoffed lightheartedly. She tapped her chin as if trying to remember something. "Who was that one guy with the fluffy black hair and long coat tails?"

"Prince Vestrad," Elsa sneered recalling the name instantly. It wasn't like she could have forgotten. The Turkish prince had a nasty habit of speaking in third person, making any form of conversation awkward and very one-sided.

"He seemed to…know his way around the dance floor," Anna giggled, knowing her sister would pick up on her sarcasm. Watching Elsa and the Turkish prince dance had been like watching a moose try and tiptoe across a frozen lake. Not only had he been unbalanced, offbeat, and uncoordinated, he'd been blessed with large feet that seemed to be just as awkward as he was. Elsa attributed a large portion of her foot pain to that dance and winced at the memory.

"He was just nervous," she said offhandedly.

"He was a cad," Anna sniffed.

"Granted, yes. But anyway, how did your dances with Kristoff go?" Elsa asked turning the tide of conversation. Anna made a face somewhere between a wince and a smile, and the queen suppressed a laugh.

"His lessons definitely paid off, and after a few drinks he loosened up." Anna puffed out her cheeks and released a slow breath. "Loosened up quite a bit actually. Every new song he wanted to try a different step until I think we were just skipping around the ballroom while everyone watched. Olaf thought it was the funniest thing and copied us for about an hour."

"Well, at least you can't fault him for not attempting to try," Elsa giggled with a lopsided grin. Again, Anna stuck her tongue out at her. The queen had required Kristoff to start dance lessons the week after his proposal to her sister, hoping that the mountain man would retain at least small fragments of class for their wedding dance. It appeared her foresight had paid off.

"You really were beautiful today," Elsa said after a stretch of silence, her eyes wandering up into the heavens where the stars were beginning to shine like distant frost on a blue-black blanket. For once she didn't feel like something was glaring back at her and was contented just to stare at the natural beauty of the night sky. She felt Anna shift beside her and knew her sister was blushing without having to look.

"Thank you. You were beautiful, too."

There was a strange tightness to the princess's voice that caught the queen off guard. Elsa turned and was bewildered to see tears sparkling in her sister's eyes. Immediately, she tensed and cupped Anna's face in her cool hands, concern creasing her brow.

"Anna? Anna, what's wrong?"

The princess smiled and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm and sniffed. "I…I don't think I've ever been this happy before," she said somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "I just never imagined things would have turned out this way. Three years ago I got you back, and now I have Kristoff. My heart honestly feels like it's going to explode."

"Well, let's leave the exploding of hearts until after your wedding night, all right?" Elsa teased pulling her sister close and resting her chin atop Anna's strawberry blond head, long arms resting on her shoulders.

"I just…all those years we spent apart I dreamt of what it would be like to have you as my sister again. I would stay awake for hours envisioning what we'd be doing when we were older."

Elsa felt a familiar twinge of shame and grief twist in her gut. There wasn't a day that went by she didn't think about her past actions and how much pain she'd caused her family. Sometimes the guilt was enough to make her physically sick, but Anna would always be there, sunny as a summer day, ready to forgive her though the princess was adamant she needed no forgiveness.

"But never in my wildest dreams," Anna continued, "did I imagine we'd be where we are now, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world. I have you back," Anna squeezed her sister tighter, face pressed into the curve of Elsa's throat where her neck and shoulders met, "and I have a wonderful husband. I think there's only one more thing that could make me the happiest person on earth."

"What's that?" Elsa asked quietly, moving a stray lock of Anna's hair back into her braided bun.

"I want you to be happy," Anna whispered.

Elsa pulled back, a bit surprised but more confused than anything. "But I am happy. I have you; what more could I possibly need?"

"I can see the look on your face when you watch couples dance," Anna said pulling away and looking down at the ground as if she were admitting to a crime.

"I…what are you talking about?"

"It's okay you know, feeling the way you do," she prompted looking up at her sister with a small smile, unshed tears making her blue eyes practically glow in the dim light. "It's okay to feel lonely, but you don't have to be alone anymore."

"Anna," Elsa said taking her sister's hands in hers and squeezing them, "I'm not lonely. I have you and Kristoff and Olaf and Sven. I have the family I always wanted, the sister I always needed. Why on earth would I need a man to make me happy when I have all of you?"

Anna didn't have an answer readily on hand, but she could see that, though her sister was smiling, the smile never reached her eyes, and it was her eyes that always told the truth when the queen lied. Elsa was lonely, had been for years even after the Great Freeze.

"I just think—"

"Hey, there you are!"

Both sisters turned to see Kristoff wobble around the corner and totter towards them. He was obviously intoxicated, but not so much that his speaking and basic walking skills were terribly impaired. He weaved once before righting himself and smiled his customary goofy grin.

"I wondered where you two got off to."

"Just some girl time," Anna said helping her husband to the railing. "Are you ready for round three?"

Kristoff made a face and attempted to swat Anna away but only managed to land his hand atop her chest which seemed to please him greatly. "No more dancing. My feet are killing me. I don't know how you royals do it at every party."

"Let's not forget, you too are a royal now, and we just happen to have tough constitutions," Elsa replied straightening. A sly smile began to spread across her lips. "Which is something I thought mountain ice harvesters were famous for, or so you boast on a regular basis."

"Hey, I'll have you know that my constitution is plenty strong. You may have tough feet, but we ice men have bear paws for hands and reindeer backs for shoulders."

"Sounds positively primeval," Elsa teased. "Are there other body parts that are represented by various animals, or does it stop at hands and shoulders?"

Kristoff opened his mouth to retort, but Anna swept in before he could further embarrass himself. Verbal jousting with Elsa was like fighting a hurricane with a kite, so to keep him from stumbling over his words, she locked their lips together. Things progressed quickly from there, hands wandering and their kiss deepening, until Elsa was forced to blast the two with a wave of arctic frost, wrenching two oh-so-satisfying screeches from them both.

"What was that for?" Kristoff said shaking ice from his hair.

"Oh hell, that's cold," Anna hissed bounding from foot to foot, shaking her hands in an attempt to warm them.

"A reminder that you two are still in public," Elsa said with a perfectly arched eyebrow, "and also in the presence of your queen. If you insist on getting…physical…please excuse yourselves to your quarters."

Anna pressed her lips into a thin line, attempting to hide the embarrassment and mirth warring inside her. She seemed to come to a sudden decision and jumped up, dress twirling around her as she spun to look at her husband.

"Our Queen is right," she said stepping away from Kristoff and making for the door. Before she crossed the threshold, she looked back at him over her shoulder and gave the mountain man the most seductively evil look she could muster. "If we're planning on getting physical we should do it where no one can see or hear us."

Elsa groaned and put her head in her hands as Kristoff leapt to his feet, previous intoxication forgotten, and chased after his bride. She watched them go, hand in hand, until they'd disappeared from view.

Castle life has just gotten a whole lot more interesting…and loud, she thought making her way back into the ballroom.

Too tired to continue the festivities, and with her sister on her way up to begin her wedding night, Elsa decided it was time to retire and let the castle staff herd what was left of the party guests off to their proper nighttime destinations. She had just relayed this to one of the guards when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning slowly, she watched with transfixed wonder as the couple twirling on the dance floor finished their last graceful steps, bodies in near perfect sync. Elsa couldn't see who the gentleman dancer was, but the woman she knew to be one of the many visiting daughters of Duke Wellmore. The girl was a fairly decent dancer but was outmatched by the skill and grace of her male partner. To say he was fluid would have given fluidity a poor name. To say he was graceful and bold would have seemed cheap. Elsa had unparalleled access to the best tutors while growing up, and she'd only seen one man with the ability to sweep across a ballroom like that, and he was six years dead. So to see such skill now stopped her in her tracks.

The couple came to a breathless standstill as the song finished with a resonating note. The man bowed deeply at the waist while the woman dipped into a low curtsy before skittering off to rejoin a cluster of woman huddled by the entrance doors. They greeted her with squeals of delight that Elsa could hear from across the ballroom. She rolled her eyes.

Some of these poor girls are hopeless. Give them one dance and they practically fall to pieces.

Shifting back towards the door, the queen was about to walk away when she noticed the young dancer was making his way towards her. Through the press of bodies, she could see he was smiling and groaned internally.

No, I will not dance with you, you self-serving peacock of a—

"Captain…Revel?" Elsa said in stunned surprise as recognition dawned on her. Revel stopped a few feet from her and sketched a deep bow, right hand pressed to his stomach while the other disappeared behind his back. Somehow he made the sharp motion seem smooth, his body clicking into position like a well-oiled clock.

"One and the same, Majesty," the Captain said a little breathlessly, rising from his bow and flashing a broad grin that showed off his pearly white teeth and made his striking green eyes dance.

"I didn't know you were in attendance tonight," Elsa said looking around as if expecting the rest of her guards to suddenly appear in dress attire.

"Princess Anna insisted I come in plain clothes this evening," Revel said looking down at his surprisingly sharp suit and shrugging. "I must say, it feels strange being out of uniform and a part of the crowd for once."

Lucky you, Elsa thought looking the Captain over with a critical eye. Indeed, she hadn't recognized him while he was twirling Duke Wellmore's daughter around the dance floor. There had only been a few times the queen had interacted with Revel after the attempt on her life a year ago, and he had always been in uniform: pressed purple jacket and pants with three gold braids hung from his right shoulder to show rank and status. His hair had always been slicked back with oil or hidden under his tall captain's hat, but today he wore it loose, which allowed the chocolate locks to curl a bit in their natural wave. A coal black fitted jacket, matching pants, and moss green undershirt, complemented with a forest green sash, had replaced his uniform, showing off his broad shoulders and slender waist. It was a shock the queen hadn't been expecting. Even more surprising was that Revel seemed to carry himself with a natural ease even while in dress clothes. Sure he seemed as uncomfortable as anyone would be in a starched suit with a collar so stiff it could be used as a shovel, but the Captain disguised his discomfort well, and Elsa felt a new respect for the man beginning to grow.

"You have a natural grace, sir. I've not seen dancing like that in years," Elsa said with an appreciative nod.

"Thank you, Majesty!" Revel beamed, and it was like watching the sun break through a fog bank. "I would ask you to dance, but it appears you are on your way out."

Elsa looked over her shoulder at the surprisingly empty hallway and sighed, her weariness returning. "I was. This has been an eventful day, but I am ready to retire for the evening."

"Please, don't let me keep you from your rest. It was a delight to see you as always, Majesty," Revel said rolling into another perfect bow before snapping back to attention with a broad smile on his face.

Elsa bowed and turned to leave, but for some reason had the uncontrollable urge to glance back as she made her way down the hallway. Revel was still standing in the doorway watching her go, but his jovial smile had slipped into something of a crestfallen frown. The change surprised the queen, but she glimpsed it for only a moment before a body passed in front of the Captain and he was lost from sight.

That was…odd, Elsa thought as she glided through the entrance hall and mounted the spiral stairs leading to the residency wing. She was about to take the final turn towards her room and jumped when an ecstatic cry echoed down the hall.

"Oh for the love of God," she groaned and rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "Maybe sleeping in the library would be a safer choice tonight. Maybe moving my room to the other side of the castle would be best," she groused under her breath as another cry echoed down the hall.

The library was exactly where the queen headed, bypassing her sister's room where she and her husband were enjoying their first "official" night together and heading for the blissful solitude of old books and a warm fire.