Elsa steered clear of Anna the rest of the night, leaving her to sort through her feelings. She'd watched Anna from the head of the table all through dinner, not faltering even when Anna caught her. It was if she were trying to catch up on the six years she missed looking upon her. She could tell Anna still needed time to catch her breath though and she'd allow her that. Rapunzel, whom Elsa hadn't seen in two years was visiting and they were long overdue for some bonding time.

In the morning, Elsa swept out of bed with the rise of the morning sun and went to wash. She instructed her maids to forgo laying out her clothing and instead chose to fashion herself an ice dress. She and Rapunzel were heading out into the town so she wanted to be comfortable at least. Magic danced at her fingertips as ice swirled around her, taking the form of a more conservative blue dress. Ever since she'd embraced her powers and come to love them as a part of her, she'd started wearing dresses with low necklines and beautiful trains around the castle but she wouldn't dare do so while out in the town. She was still a monarch and was expected to dress as such.

Rapunzel however was thoroughly enjoying her time away from Corona. Not that she didn't love her people or the kingdom but she was a free spirit and needed to run free every now and then. She did well enough under the crown and sceptre but she truly shined when interacting with her people. She'd play with the children and draw on the walkways with chalk with them, she'd personally visit people who were sick or go and sing for the elderly. Rapunzel was an excellent queen, truly loved by her people. She dressed herself in a simple green dress and flat shoes and was bouncing as she waited for her cousin in the foyer. "Good morning sweetie!" the brunette greeted, taking Elsa's good arm and kissing her cheek.

"Good morning Punzie," Elsa replied with a chuckle. "Are you ready to go?" she asked, guiding them towards the doors. She patted the side of her dress, double checking to make sure she had her coin purse. Before joining her cousin, Elsa went to say goodbye to Synnöve who sure enough, was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Lucky for the queen, Anna was taking her bath so they avoided an awkward conversation there. Synnöve said it was fine that she go so long as she brought the girl back a present for waiting so long. Elsa was sure she was kidding but she resolved to fill the request anyhow.

"Yes, of course! Do you think we could walk there?" Rapunzel asked, her big eyes filled with hope. Elsa feigned apprehension but ultimately she nodded her affirmative. The guards who were tasked with escorting them seemed a bit off put that the two ladies were going on foot but Captain Gamal put his foot down when it was suggested that they could simply go by themselves.

"I can't allow the two of you to go alone without anyone to watch over you," the captain spoke up. Elsa tilted her chin slightly and he straightened up a little, hands crossing behind his back. "Your majesty," he added quickly.

"Two then, on foot," Elsa replied.

"Four?" the Captain tried but no avail.

"Two and you'll keep your distance," Elsa countered in a tone of finality. The captain huffed but he nonetheless bowed and gestured for the women to take the lead. Rapunzel giggled behind her hand as Elsa gave a satisfied smile and they took their leave, the grumpy captain and one of his subordinates following behind.

"Soooooooo..." Rapunzel started, chancing a glance back to see that their escort was out of quiet hearing range. "Anna's been a little...off since yesterday. A certain cousin of mine wouldn't have anything to do with that, would she?" she asked, leaning into Elsa's side, intertwining their fingers. Elsa looked at the brunette and sighed. As airheaded as she appeared to be, Rapunzel was alarmingly astute.

"I may have-" Elsa found herself blushing, only now realizing how scandalous her actions may have been. "-pressed her against a wall and stolen a kiss...or five." Rapunzel bit her lip to keep her scream of joy within and grinned wide. "You seem more excited about it than she did..." Elsa added, taking in the way Rapunzel practically vibrated.

"Els, I've been waiting years for you to marry Anna!" Rapunzel exclaimed. Quickly reeling it in however, she dropped her voice. "You are going to marry her, aren't you?" she asked seriously, quirking a brow. Elsa grew quiet at the question, just as they stepped off the bridge leading into the town.

"I...honestly don't know Punzie. I don't even know if she wants to be with me again. I didn't exactly give her a chance to tell me how she felt about it," she explained quietly. "I've decided to give her some space and a little time to think it over but I'm going to give chase." Rapunzel perked up at that. "I'm not going to let her go this time; not unless she tells me outright that she doesn't want to be with me."

"You sound like a little school boy in love Els," Rapunzel said with a giggle.

"Well I'm not getting any younger. I suppose I could be a little less direct and intense if I were still twenty one like when we first met but I'm to turn thirty in two months! No time for waiting around. If I'm going to do this, then I can't afford to hold back and ask myself the what-ifs if things don't work out."

"Just yesterday morning, you said you weren't going to do it and you sounded serious. I'm glad you changed your mind but what brought about this sudden change of heart?"

"Anna, she...challenged me and asked me who I am. She basically cornered a confession out of me so I cornered her in return," Elsa replied, thinking hard about what she wanted to say. Rapunzel tugged her to stop and they stood quietly waiting for her to find her words. "I run away from too many things."

"How can you say that? You're an excellent queen Els."

"Be that as it may, I'm still cowardly. I can take my time with a quill and paper and express anything carefully in the confines of my own study but face to face I just deflect. She told me that she wasn't going to let me bully her into letting me get close to Synnöve and I was offended at the time that she said that but I thought about it and she was ultimately right. I get defensive and I dismiss the people who upset me because I can; because I'm queen and I can turn my back on anyone without fear. But Anna isn't some Lord trying to force my hand in business. She's the woman I see when I close my eyes at night. She's the one who got me to feel like a person again after my coronation. She even managed to get me to trust myself with my magic. God, she's the mother of my child! I can't treat her the way I treat everyone else. I-"

Rapunzel wrapped her cousin up in a tight hug and only when she'd stopped talking did Elsa notice her own tears. Shutting her eyes, she buried her face into Rapunzel's neck and let out a shaky breath, trying to get herself under control. The last thing she wanted was an incident with her magic, especially outside of the castle. The brunette held onto Elsa until she felt her heart rate return to a normal pace and when she finally pulled back, she lifted her hands to her face to wipe away her stray tears. "Marry her Els. You'll never find another love like Anna," Rapunzel told her with a smile. Elsa gave a half chuckle and found herself smiling as well.

"Well I certainly hope you'll be my matron of honor if the time comes," Elsa shot back. She was unsure whether or not she should have been delighted or frightened by the excitement that shone in Rapunzel's eyes when she said that though.

Tears cleared away and forgotten, the two women strolled into the already busy town square. Some of the townspeople stopped their shopping and their gossiping to stare at the two monarchs though some didn't even seem to take notice of them. Reactions were mixed; most smiled or waved to which they received one in return but some simply stood back and watched them go by. Elsa had shown that Synnöve's ice was different from her own but without a feasible explanation, some of the people were wary of her. If Elsa was bothered though, she didn't show it and Rapunzel's cheery attitude distracted her anyway.

"Oh, Elsa! Look, it's so adorable!" Rapunzel gushed at the sight of a stall with a set of hand sewn teddy bears. They were each adorned in different colors with different colored fur or buttons but a few were made identical; white teddy bears with bows and buttons to match Arendelle's colors. "Robin would love one of these," Rapunzel added, picking one up. Elsa briefly wondered if Synnöve would appreciate one as well but before she could decide, Rapunzel voiced it first. "Do you think Synn would like one too? She and Robin are awfully close already. It'd just be one more thing for the two of them to be excited about."

"I'm inclined to agree," Elsa replied before turning to the stunned stall-keeper. His wide eyes passed between the two of them, clearly recognizing his queen and her royal cousin. She didn't get to visit often but Rapunzel wasn't someone who was easy to forget. Swallowing, he quickly snapped out of his stupor and managed to speak to them.

"Please, take them as a gift, your majesties. A very small token of gratitude for all you do for your people," he said, gesturing to the bears. Rapunzel saw a shift in Elsa as the blonde queen gave a warm smile.

"That's very kind of you. Truly but I must insist that I purchase them. Please take these silver and do your queen a favor?" she asked, cocking her head to the side slightly. The stall-keeper nodded, listening in. "Please continue to be wonderful," she said as she placed the coins into his hand. The man blushed and bowed low at the waist before them.

"You are much too kind."

And like that, so was most of their morning in the town. Rapunzel would express interest in absolutely anything to Elsa's amusement and the majority of shop and stall-keepers would be quick to offer whatever they'd like free of charge. Some two hours later, the brunette was sharing a candied apple with her cousin toting the stuffed bear, other trinkets and little gifts and had a flower crown resting atop her head. Elsa smiled behind her bite of the apple, watching her cousin interact with the people; totally in her element. Whereas Elsa could astound them and leave them awestruck with her power and beauty, Rapunzel was once a commoner herself. Her kindness shone through like a beacon. In that respect, she reminded Elsa greatly of Anna. When they'd go for their walks years ago, the children would swarm Anna just the same as they did with Rapunzel and she could speak freely just the same. It was inspiring to watch.

"Oh! Isn't that Anna's friend there? Vivienne?" Elsa heard her cousin ask, drawing her out of her thoughts. She glanced to the side and low and behold, the physician's daughter was inspecting peppers, no doubt on an errand run. Elsa felt herself pout, not exactly wanting to speak with her but knowing Rapunzel, she would certainly initiate a conversation. "Vivienne, how are you?" the brunette asked, strolling right up to the woman. Vivienne turned and looked alarmed momentarily, still not used to meeting royalty so often and so freely. Rapunzel took her hands just as she had when they first met and she kissed Vivienne's cheek.

"I'm fine your majesty. How are you?" she returned, stunned at Rapunzel's ease. The brunette wasn't having that though. She placed her hand up to stop her and shook her head.

"Please, you may call me Rapunzel. No objections! I'm not in Corona anymore. The only people here who are allowed to call me Your Majesty are the members of Elsa's court and people I haven't formally met yet," she said with a smile. "I mean it," she added in a serious tone for good measure. Vivienne nodded at her then took notice of Elsa who came up to Rapunzel's side.

"Doing some shopping?" she asked, looking between the two of them.

"Yes. Rapunzel and I wanted to spend a little time together before the duke arrives," Elsa replied, relaxing a bit. "It's been too long since we've last seen one another." Rapunzel leaned over and kissed her cousin's cheek in that moment and the three of them giggled.

"Are you out shopping yourself?" Rapunzel asked Vivienne, gesturing to the produce.

"Oh! Yes. My father has taken ill actually so I wanted to pick up a few ingredients for his favorite soup," the woman explained. To her surprise, Elsa's face went white hearing that Emeric was sick. Jealous of Vivienne's relationship with Anna or not, she'd taken a liking to the physician and they'd spoken often to great lengths when he came to check on Anna.

"Ill?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

"It's nothing too serious!" Vivienne added quickly. "Honestly. He's just caught a bit of a cold and I baby him so I made him stay in bed. He'll be up and roaring again before you know it."

"Thank the heavens..." Elsa muttered, the color returning to her face at her assurance.

"If you don't mind me asking, how is Anna faring?" Vivienne asked as she resumed picking through the peppers before her. "I miss seeing them every day," she added offhandedly. Elsa narrowed her eyes but it was a simple enough question; nothing to get defensive about.

"They're fine," Elsa replied simply. Rapunzel glanced back at her cousin subtly then over to Vivienne in suspicion. It took her only a few moments to connect the dots and see where Elsa's head was at.

"Vivienne? How long have you known Anna and Kristoff?" Rapunzel asked suddenly, directing her gaze to the green produce in front of her.

"How long? Well I've only known Anna for seven years I suppose. It feels like ages though. Kris used to tell me about her before she...came back to live with him," Vivienne replied, careful with her choice of words.

"Oh? You knew Kristoff before?" Rapunzel asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Yes. The first time we met, he'd come in to see my father for an injury he'd sustained while out in the North Mountain. That was maybe nine or maybe even ten years ago. I was still apprentice then," Vivienne recounted fondly. "Father had just delivered a baby so he was a little preoccupied so he asked me to have a look at Kris. He didn't speak much in the beginning and he left afterwards without saying too much but he came back to us for any injuries and back then, he was still clumsy with that pickaxe of his."

Vivienne trailed off with a chuckle, looking fondly at Rapunzel. "I can't remember when he stopped coming just to get patched up. We'd often spend hours at a time sitting outside on slow days. He'd bring two apples and he'd tell me all about his latest adventures up in the North Mountain. We stopped when Anna came back but soon, I had a pair of best friends. Brother and sister. We all only grew closer when Synn was born. Father delivered her and I was her nurse. The four of us have never really been apart since," she explained, playing with her dark tresses.

"Do you miss the way it used to be? Back when you were still an apprentice?" Rapunzel inquired.

"Oh of course I do. It was a much simpler time then," Vivienne replied with a giggle. "I wouldn't trade Anna and Synn for the world though. Hard to believe it's been ten years since it all started..."

"Is that how long you've been in love with Kristoff?" Rapunzel asked innocently, a wide smile on her face. Elsa cast her a bewildered look but she zeroed in on Vivienne when the girl's eyes widened and her cheeks and ears colored. "Oh my, you really have it bad, don't you?" Rapunzel added, giggling at her reaction.

"I-well-He's not-I'm not-!" Vivienne stammered.

"Vivennnnnnne," Rapunzel teased, making the girl blush all the more.

"It doesn't matter! He isn't interested in me…He isn't interested in anyone, especially not right now." Elsa was completely dumbfounded and she had to actively clamp her jaw to make sure that it wasn't hanging open. She had completely misread Vivienne's intentions.

"How would you know that? Kristoff is very sweet. You should tell him how you feel," Rapunzel pressed, placing her hand on top of Vivienne's.

"I-I can't. Not now…" Vivienne repeated, looking down at their interlocked fingers. "He's got enough on his plate worrying about his sister and his home. I don't want to complicate anything. Anna's my best friend and I just need to be there for her right now."

"But who's there for you right now?" Elsa found herself saying suddenly. "Your father is sick and your best friend is for the most part, unavailable. Anna and I have a lot to work through right now but Kristoff seems to be getting a bit of cabin fever staying in the castle all day. Perhaps you should invite him out one of these days." Seeing the near horrified look on the girl's face, Elsa sighed and stepped forward, lowering her voice. "Take it from me as someone who let the person I loved most slip away. Don't wait around for love. Chase it until your legs give out," she added with a small smile.

"I-" Vivienne started, looking down at the ground but Elsa shook her head.

"You?"

"Okay. Thank you Queen Elsa," Vivienne replied, smiling despite her still red cheeks.

"Oh darling, you are so cute when you blush!" Rapunzel interjected, cupping Vivienne's face, effectively breaking the calm aura and sending the three of them into a fit of chuckles. A few meters away stood off the Captain and his guardsmen, keeping a close eye on them.

"I swear, women spend their entire day giggling with one another..." said the guardsman, glancing over at his captain.

"Hush Anders or I'll tell your wife you said that," Gamal replied with a smile.

The three women spoke a little while longer and then parted, the queens allowing Vivienne to get back to her shopping. Arm in arm, they continued to stroll through the town passing out of the square and into the housing district. Elsa wanted to see for herself how the reconstruction of Kristoff's home was going and seeing as they were already out and about, she roped it into their route. "Synnöve...managed all of this?" Rapunzel asked as they stopped in front of the site. The house was completely leveled and the wreckage had already been cleared away. Elsa could see the start of a new foundation being put in place however.

"It's been broken down already. This looks like the beginnings of the construction," Elsa replied, gesturing to the tools the workman had left behind. "She'd torn right through most of it though. Spires right through the roof. Oh, if you'd seen it..."

"She'll be powerful then," Rapunzel surmised, glancing over at Elsa.

"Quite. A little slow to start but she's grasping the concept well enough," Elsa replied.

"Well she's got the best teacher to show her the way," Rapunzel added with a smile, interlocking their fingers. That managed to get a small smile out of the blonde.

"Yes, well...what I'm actually worried about is her schooling. Her powers will be erratic now that they've just come in. I don't want her to sneeze again and possibly freeze something while attending school. Then of course there's the risk of exposure and the possibility of threats..." Elsa sighed and ran her hand through her quiff stressfully. "Yet another thing I need to discuss with Anna."

"One thing at a time Elsa. Perhaps if you do manage to properly woo her, you won't need to ask all of these other questions," Rapunzel reassured her.

"You're right," Elsa huffed, looking up into the sky. Noticing the placement of the sun, she gestured back the way they came. "Come, let us get moving if we wish to make it back in time for lunch."

The walk back to the castle didn't take very long and once the captain and Anders realised they were headed back, they closed a bit of the distance between them. Escorting them back over the bridge and into the castle, the guards parted with them in the foyer. Elsa thanked the two of them for watching over them and then she and Rapunzel went to go find the rest of their family. Gerda met them in the hall and directed them towards the library where they found Eugene, Anna, and the children. Kristoff was apparently in the stables with Sven.

"Robin, look at what mommy has brought for you," Rapunzel said as they entered the library. Eugene was lounging on one of the chairs, his son nestled in his lap and Anna was seated on the floor, Synnöve tucked into her side as Eugene read. Glancing up, Robin smiled and jumped down from his perch. Synnöve too perked up at the sight of Elsa and the two of them ran over to them.

Rapunzel passed Robin the bear and grinned as the boy hugged the toy tight to his chest. "You weren't forgotten Synnöve," Elsa said, leaning down to hand her one as well. Synnöve ran her fingers gingerly over the buttons and fingered the bow.

"For me?" she asked, looking up at Elsa. She smiled wide at Elsa's nod and then she ran back to her other mother to show her. "Look Momma!"

"Oh it's adorable. The colors in the bow match Arendelle's flag," Anna commented before looking up at Elsa. The queen looked unsure, as if silently asking whether or not it was an appropriate gift. What she hadn't known was that Synnöve had only one stuffed bear before that she dragged everywhere when she was younger. She only stopped taking it with her when she started going to school but she'd cuddle with it every night while she slept. Unfortunately, it'd been lost in the wreckage. Anna caught Elsa eye and smiled, mouthing the words Thank You before looking back to her daughter.

"I'm going to love it forever!" Synnöve exclaimed. She then turned back towards Elsa dn beamed. "Thank you Q-Queen Elsa," she added, stumbling over her words a little.

"What are you going to name this one?" she asked the child.

"I'm going to call him Sir Bearrington!" Synnöve announced happily.

"And what will you call yours, Robin?" Rapunzel asked her son, walking over with him to the others. The boy climbed back into his father's lap and thought long and hard whilst clutching the bear until finally he thought of a name and looked back up at her.

"Little John."

The family gathered together for lunch, Anna having gone to fetch her brother and they settled into easy conversation at the table. Synnöve had deposited Sir Bearrington on her bed for later but it was clear that Robin wasn't going to let Little John out of his sight. He ate with the toy sitting on his lap much to the amusement of his parents. They were all listening to Rapunzel's retelling her morning with Elsa, minus the bits about Anna and Vivienne while they were all enjoying a slice of pie. The brunette was just not so subtly hinting that Kristoff should give her another tour of the town, much to Elsa's amusement when Kai entered the dining room and swiftly approached the head of the table. Leaning down he whispered something to Elsa. The queen's brows rose in alarm and then she nodded, quietly pushing out her chair. The others looked up and she addressed them hastily.

"It seems the Duke has arrived," Elsa said before turning to exit. "I'll be taking my leave now and I'll regroup with you later in the evening," she added before sweeping out the door with her butler in tow. Rapunzel furrowed her brow and she and Eugene shared a look.

"Curious. Iwan would have sent a letter ahead of him, wouldn't he?" the former asked to which his wife nodded.

"Yes. It's formality. He wasn't trying to surprise her like we were," she added.

Elsa seemed to be thinking almost exactly the same as she and Kai walked step and step together back through the corridors and into the foyer. "Why did no one alert me that the ship had docked?" she asked, looking to Kai.

"My apologies Elsa. I was unaware myself," Kai replied.

"If no one knew, how has he arrived? Surely not on foot?," Elsa asked incredulously as they approached the doors. "No, we'd have sent a carriage for h-"

The doorman swung it open for them and Elsa let out a small gasp, nearly stumbling at the sight before her. Kai moved to steady his queen before too looking up only to be stunned. Instead of a carriage or even a Duke on foot, they were met by a woman riding side saddle, a sun umbrella perched on her shoulder. She looked up from under her sun hat and her plump, red lips spread into a beautiful smile, grey eyes brightening at the sight of Elsa. The queen was stunned to silence as a guard assisted the woman in dismounting the horse though she was clearly capable of doing so herself. The woman removed her hat and swept her long auburn hair to the side. Handing her umbrella to the confused guard, the woman finally approached Elsa and curtseyed before her. "It's so nice to see you again Your Majesty," she greeted in her rich, husky voice.

Elsa cleared her throat as the woman righted herself. Slowly, the queen extended her hand to her and the woman leaned in to kiss her cheek. "A-and the same to you, Duchess Dorothea..."

AN: Okay so some people were getting a little worried about Vivienne and PMing me about her so I decided to nip that in the butt as soon as possible. She was never supposed to be a real threat, at least not in the way the Duchess is :D