Elsa, after going to her chambers, washing her face and changing gowns—grateful to Gerda for having had the foresight to have a spare commissioned, left for Arendelle Cathedral.

When Kai came to collect Elsa from the groom's chambers of the cathedral, he looked upon her and said, "You look beautiful…" as he fought back tears. "Your mother and father would have been very proud of you, such a strong and resourceful young woman. I am deeply honoured to be the one to stand with you this day."

"Thank you, Kai… Gerda and you have been like a second set of parents to me, ever since I was a young girl. I cannot tell you how much it means to me for you to be here." The Queen took a moment to collect herself, fighting back her own tears, then spoke, "Will… will I be a good wife? I know that this marriage came about by virtue of necessity for the kingdom, however I want to do right by the woman I am to marry… and I already feel that I have done a poor job of it so far—having been struck several times for my efforts."

Kai began with a slight chuckle, "The princess is certainly a fiery one, but I do believe you will be a good wife." He continued, "Just keep in mind that a strong, lasting marriage relies on talking through your problems to resolve them, compromise—from both people, and knowing when to apologize when one has done something wrong."

He then walked over to the young Queen and grasped her in a tight hug, which she reciprocated with equal vigor. She said softly, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, "Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you."

They proceeded to make their way down to the pulpit to await the arrival of the red-haired princess.

Standing before the close to a hundred people gathered in the cathedral, Elsa tried not to fidget nervously under their gazes. Her people were hopeful, chatting quietly amongst themselves. Her ears caught mention of more than a few recalling the day her parents were wed. The visiting dignitaries, on the other hand, were either wary, curious, or a mixture of both.

And there was more than one hostile gaze as well, amidst the crowd.

Yet Elsa continued to maintain her calm facade; the picture of sophisticated grace. Her gaze glided over to the enormous set of double doors at the other end of the cathedral, where her bride-to-be would enter from. As if on cue, the guards standing poised on either side opened the doors to reveal Anna in all of her splendor.

And Elsa's throat tightened at the sadness and resignation on the girl's face, her teal eyes fixed on the bouquet of White Heather held tightly in her hands. She watched as Anna looked up, as if realizing that the ceremony was starting, and her previous expression abruptly vanished, to be replaced with the polite smile befitting of a wedding brought about by an arranged marriage.

The organ began to play, and Anna began her slow deliberate walk up the aisle to join Elsa and the priest at the front of the cathedral's main chamber.

The mid-afternoon sun shone in through the array of stained-glass windows lining the chamber, creating a brilliantly colorful ambiance in the room. Although the spirits of the guests at the ceremony were high, those of the Queen and her bride-to-be had been tempered by the events of the day.

While the princess was making her way up the aisle, Elsa thought to herself, 'Have I done the right thing, arranging this marriage?' The thought immediately left her when the young princess stepped up across from, and turned to face her. She suddenly felt her heart race at the sight in front of her, seeing the young woman under the cathedral lighting in her wedding dress. It was a cream ankle-length A-Line gown with cap sleeves, square neckline, princess waist and lace detailing. Her hair was once again done up in a tight bun, not a stray strand to be found.

"You… you look beautiful…" the blonde uttered, barely louder than a whisper, but loud enough to startle the redhead out of her own thoughts.

She didn't know how she'd just let that slip out. But she said it, and a blush fell across her pale skin.

Clearing her throat, she looked straight past her, her back straighter than a well polished stick. "That was… well, I spoke the truth," she murmured. Ah, embarrassed, she was.

Anna gave Elsa a tight smile, mouthing a soft thank you before the priest began.

"Dearly beloved…" he started off.

Elsa wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, she was too busy staring at Anna. She genuinely thought Anna looked beautiful, even if the girl didn't agree with this marriage. Elsa mentally shrugged, trying to brush off the weird feeling in her gut. I want this, I need this. It'll help with the alliance… right?

As Elsa broke from her thoughts, the priest declared, "To live together as woman and woman is to live in trust and love, to share joy and sorrow, and to faithfully stand by each other until life ends." He continued with further biblical passages of love and devotion for several more minutes, but Elsa paid them no heed, steeling herself for their upcoming vows.

The priest then solemnly intoned, "In the presence of God our Creator and before these witnesses, I ask you, Elsa...Will you take Anna who stands beside you, as your wife?"

Elsa readily replied, "I will."

"Likewise I ask you, Anna...Will you take Elsa who stands beside you, as your wife?"

Anna paused for a few brief seconds, then said, "I will."

"I would ask that you now join hands, and, Your Majesty, please repeat after me," the priest spoke. Once they had joined hands, Elsa rubbed gentle circles on Anna's knuckle with her thumb, and he continued, "'I, Elsa, now take you, Anna, to be my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.'"

The queen spoke loudly, but with a gentleness that seemed to surprise the redhead beside her, "I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, now take you, Princess Anna of Dunbroch, to be my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life."

"Your Highness, please repeat after me," the priest briefly interjected after the Queen had finished saying her vows. Then, he continued much like before, "'I, Anna, now take you, Elsa, to be my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.'"

"Tha mise Banfhlaith Anna de Dunbroch a-nis 'gad ghabhail-sa Bainrigh Elsa de Arendelle gu bhith 'nam chéile phòsda," Anna began in Scottish, then upon realizing her mistake, continued in the common tongue, "with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life."

"In the presence of God and before these witnesses, you have promised each other that you will live together in matrimony, and have joined your hands as a sign of this. I therefore declare that you lawfully are wife and wife," the priest intoned, voice growing louder.

"Now...give each other the rings, which you shall wear as a sign of your vows of faithfulness."

As Elsa slipped the wedding band on the redhead's finger, she spoke, "Med denner ringen tar jeg deg til ekte." As she did so, the faintest glimmer of tears began to well in the corner of her eyes, which she fought back; noticed only by the priest, Anna, and Kai.

If the slip bothered Anna, she didn't show it as she placed the band on the blonde's finger, repeating in the common tongue, "With this ring I thee wed."

The priest then launched into prayer for a few minutes, finishing the ceremony with, "Merciful God, you who have established marriage, and blessed woman and woman, we pray: Let your blessing rest upon Elsa and Anna. Fill them with your love and build their home in peace. Grant them your grace and strengthen them with your Spirit, so that in times of joy and sadness, they may place their trust in you, be faithful to each other and help each other towards eternal life."

He turned to Elsa, and declared at last, "You may now kiss your bride."

The blonde paused for a short moment, unable to do just that. She'd never been with…Well, never had any intimate contact with a royal. Ever. She gulped, watching the redhead grin with a slight sadness hidden behind her smile that only Elsa noticed.

She'd been forced to marry someone she barely knew and then, meeting someone that had called her a pawn. She was lonely, and she needed to rely on her newly wedded wife to find the warmth and happiness she desired. She didn't want this marriage to go to waste just so they could expand their kingdoms and trading agreements.

Love.

Love was what she wanted.

"Your Majesty?" she heard Anna whisper, a hint of confusion in her voice.

Blinking, Elsa allowed herself a smile. "I apologize in advance…for the kiss."

Anna shook her head, that faintly-sad smile of hers widening slightly. "You can do that later, first…kiss me."

Obliging the girl in front of her, eyes slowly closing, Elsa pressed her lips with...god, the softness of Anna's lips beneath hers...Elsa felt shivers running down her back, their kiss deepening with the eagerness and the passion of the redhead—

The queen quickly pulled away, cheeks flushing. She wouldn't be able to stop herself from continuing if this kiss were allowed to escalate further. And when she pulled away, she could see the want in Anna's eyes, however unaware the redhead may have been of it. Her heart skipped at the thought.

"That wasn't so bad, right?" Anna whispered breathlessly. And what could Elsa say that wouldn't betray her speechlessness…?

"No…not at all," the queen breathed in reply after what felt like hours, swallowing hard.

Shortly after, Kai came up to the newlywed couple and interjected, "My apologies for the interruption, Your Majesty and Your Highness, but we must make our way back to the castle in preparation for the party"

Elsa took a moment to let her heartbeat settle so that it did not feel like it was going to jump out her chest. Still endeavoring to recover her breath after the passion of her first kiss with her new bride, she softly replied, "It's alright Kai." She then hooked her arm around Anna's and said, "Shall we?"

The redhead trying to calm her own racing heart responded breathily, "Yes… let's."

They then proceeded to the carriage outside the cathedral, waving to the crowds gathered both inside and out.

When they arrived at the castle outside a private entrance away from the main gates, Kai opened the carriage door to let the women get out. "We shall be making our way to the main ballroom, where you will be formally introduced for the first time as a married couple to the nobility of Arendelle and our guests," he began, a slight smile forming on his face. "You will make your way to the throne, where I shall make the announcement."

Stopping just outside the closed doors to the ballroom, Kai gave the young women a moment to compose themselves. "Are you ready, Your Majesty?"

"Anna, are you ready to go in?"

The redhead, seemingly trying to show more courage than she currently felt, replied energetically, "Y-Yes! I was born ready."

The Queen then nodded to Kai, indicating that they were ready.

Kai motioned to the guards to open the doors, and led the newlyweds to the throne. Once they reached the throne, they turned to face the assembled crowd. "People of Arendelle and visiting dignitaries, I am honored to present...Queen Elsa and Princess-Consort Anna!"

The ballroom was filled with slow music, and the chandeliers shone splendidly with crystals of light, royals bowing left and right to their fair maiden for a dance which they'd gladly accept or respectfully decline. Servants were running around, bringing out delicious food and satisfying the incoming nobles. You could say it was a mess, but it was handled quite well.

While the ballroom was in full swing with entertainment, the newly wedded couple sat next to each other in the front, on their royal thrones, watching the fun with smiles across their faces. They were quiet, and neither of them knew where to begin.

"I hope you are satisfied being here with me," Elsa started, turning to her redheaded bride, who gasped at the sudden voice. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"Oh, no, no! I mean, of course… I'll be satisfied… If you treat me with your utmost respect. As well as I would too, Snow Queen."

Elsa chuckled, "Of course. But… nobody has ever called me Snow Queen for a long time, I'm surprised you're calling me that now." She looked straight ahead to the crowd of dancing nobles. Slowly she took a sip of her wine. "But I'd call you that as well, considering the multiple slaps you've given me—"

"You're never going to forget about that are you?"

Elsa shrugged, twirling her wine glass. "Well, it was definitely a sight to see. I've never gotten such… well, a vulgar introduction from my wife." Anna blushed, seeing Elsa's smirk and her playful eyes.

Anna folded her arms together. "Vulgar? Considering you were the one who called me a pawn—"

"It was necessary, and I absolutely did not mean it."

"—you don't have the right to call my palm against your face vulgar."

Ah, not even an hour after marriage, and they were arguing. Anna wondered what would have happened if they had met differently; how everything would've changed nicely, and no push and pull would be given.

Elsa sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Do you really want to argue in front of all these people, Anna?"

"If you really want it, then yes, I would love to, Your Majesty."

Truthfully, arguing in front of their guests was the last thing Elsa needed right now. It took some effort, but she managed to calmly set her wine glass down on the armrest of her throne, rising to her feet as she did so. Managing a tight smile, the queen turned to face her redheaded wife, extending a hand and fighting the urge to retaliate to Anna's sarcastic remark.

"Shall we go properly greet our guests?"

Socializing, apparently, seemed to be Anna's strong suit with the way her face immediately lit up at the suggestion. Elsa stifled the sigh of relief threatening to spill free from her lips, though it was doubtful Anna would've heard her anyway as she grabbed the queen's hand, leading her along into the crowd.

The threat of war seemed to overshadow even the most lighthearted of conversations, the majority of which centered around the incoming hardships, but the nobles took care to put on their best smiles when the newly wedded couple approached. After all, it was bad taste to talk of one's personal matters in front of the royal house unless specifically asked after.

At least in Arendelle, anyway.

Anna of course, didn't give a whit and happily gossiped away with the ladies, dragging more than a few gentlemen into the fray with a few cleverly-barbed strikes at their ego. The general tipsiness probably helped. Elsa was content to stand by her wife, her mind miles away as she mentally reviewed her priorities, a number of which were now shifting due to her success in marrying the princess of one of the most battle-hardened nations in the world. She was abruptly brought back to earth by a loud bellow from a belligerent guest, who no doubt had more than his fair share of wine if the ruddy look and alcohol-laden breath were any indication.

"Aye, Dunbroch may be the most powerful warriors on land, but on Berk our ships be our pride, and you'll find not a better army at sea," he proclaimed proudly, his enormous belly barely a foot away from Anna. Her diminutive stature seemed laughably small in comparison, but she didn't budge an inch, her eyes matching fire for fire as she shot back at him.

"Those wooden tubs can't possibly hold up to the Southern Isles' modernized fleet. The only reason you vikings have any land to claim at all is because no one else wants it."

A hush fell around the small circle gathered around the two at Anna's words.

"What do you mean by that, lass?" the man asked, squinting his eyes at Anna. "You're not some sort of spy, are ye?"

"No, of course not!" Anna retorted. "Why would I be? I don't even like the Southern Isles. Gosh, that Prince Hans, he is not a good man."

"Anna!" Elsa whisper-shouted, gaining the redhead's attention. "Shush," she snapped, giving Anna a stern look. The queen cleared her throat and turned to the drunkard, "If you'll excuse me, my new wife and I would like some privacy, please."

The man glared at the two women, swaying left and right.

"She's a...She's a feisty one, I'll give 'er that," he said, his words starting to slur a bit more. "But 'ey, y'know that...proposal of yers?"

Elsa stiffened, her eyebrows slowly drawing together as she warily met the man's gaze. Her focus had returned, and she realized now that this 'drunkard' was actually Chief Stoick of Berk—a nation well-known for their crafty fighters and formidable navy. Rumor has it that they even had dragons under their command, though no dragon had ever been sighted for the past thousand years. Every part of her was tense at the recognition of the man before her, ready to use the Ice Queen persona she was so infamously known for if this took a turn for the worse.

"Yes? What of it?"

"Consider it accepted," Stoick growled, "This'll show yer lass that Berk's got what it takes t'deal with those southern pansies."

The queen didn't say anything, instead gripping onto Anna's arm with a fair amount of strength. She managed a slight grin and nodded to the…fine gentleman. The redhead seemed to realize what she'd done, but still with her rather feisty mouth as the...gentleman had called her, she replied to him, "Well, thank you for accepting the proposal...but it seems like you don't like it, considering your tone."

"Anna." The blonde glared at the girl, watching her huff with her arms crossed together. Elsa had never seen someone—someone royal… a princess!—act with such disrespect to someone with a nation of strong fighters. She could even draw war between Arendelle and Berk!

The man clicked his tongue and growled, wanting to say something before getting interrupted with the queen bowing her head down. "I apologize for my wife's behavior…It's been…a rough day on her, so please spare your breath on her."

"H-Hey—"

"Now, please excuse us, I must…" Elsa glared at her wife. "I must have a talk with my wife." Without waiting to hear another word from any of those gathered, she grabbed Anna's hand and quickly dragged her through the crowd of royals, who were either bowing or greeting...and possibly murmuring insults about her and to her.

She felt Anna flinch in her grip—her hand was probably too cold if the slight tingle of her powers humming in her fingertips was of any indication. "H-Hey, let me go! Where are we going?!"

Elsa didn't say anything, too angered to even reply to the redhead's obnoxiously loud voice.

It didn't take long until the voices of tens of royals become a soft whisper and they were walking through the dim hallways, the moonlight shining through the windows to light their way. Arriving at Elsa's room, the queen quickly threw her inside and slammed the door. Judging by how much her wife's eyes had widened, Anna didn't expect this—never expected Elsa to be so rough and forceful, even if she had been slapped multiple times that day.

The blonde leaned against the door, hands behind her back and forcing down the guilt at such a rough handling. "You do not embarrass me in front of these people, you hear me?" she murmured, teeth grinding against each other.

Elsa watched as Anna crossed her arms, glaring at her. "Well, the man agreed to whatever it is you wanted him to, so—"

"An alliance with Arendelle for the war," the blonde ground out once more, her hands clenching into fists behind her back. She could feel the ice hissing across her skin at her anger. "An alliance which could very well fall apart anyway if you continued to antagonize Chief Stoick as you did."

Anna stared at Elsa for a few minutes, face displaying disbelief. "Have you...never talked with a viking before?" Elsa blinked at the bizarre question and frowned at her new wife.

"Oh course I have, I've been trying to get Chief Stoick to join our cause for months now." She responded stiffly. "Frankly I don't understand how he agreed with you when you've been nothing but-"

"You don't get anywhere with vikings using flowery words and fancy politics, Elsa." Anna cut her off with a raised brow and a slight twitch of her lips. "They are a rugged, simple people so they prefer a style that reflects that. Papa taught us that when you want a favor from a viking, you question how well they can do it. They'll prove you wrong and rub it in your face more often than they would be outright offended. Especially when they are drunk." Anna smiled. "I wouldn't have been so brash as to outright insult someone with potential dragons at his back while we're already at war if I didn't know it would work in getting him to help us."

Elsa looked at Anna with shock, "You know how… to talk with… vikings?" Elsa was in disbelief. This fiery redheaded girl knew more about vikings than she did. Elsa usually prided herself with her knowledge on many things. She was able to convince almost anyone to join her in a matter of minutes, except when it came to the vikings. The vikings were a tougher, much… harder type of people to convince to join her alliance. "It… it took me months to get them to join, but you… no, I don't believe it." Elsa forced a smile, looking at the redhead. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

Anna looked at Elsa, flabbergasted, "No I am not! I might be a bit feisty, but I am no liar!" Anna glared at Elsa, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Why would I do that? I don't like the Southern Isles, I want to see them destroyed."

Destroy…Elsa thought. "Do you think it's that easy to… well, simply, 'destroy' the Southern Isles?" the queen asked, slowly stepping forward and closing in on the girl. "Such a crude word, and yet...you still seem to fail to understand that just wanting to 'destroy' the Southern Isles...isn't so simple." They were just a millimeters away, yet neither of them flinched at the feeling of their breaths puffing against each other's flushed faces.

"W-We were talking about vikings a moment ago, now we're talking about that stupid—"

"That 'stupid' kingdom, you say, is strong. They have their own allies, too. And with that, we don't just have the Southern Isles to deal with in this war." Elsa straightened herself up with a huff, looking directly into her wife's eyes, fear flitting briefly across those teal pools. "Now, if you'd like to come out and apologize—"

"Did you not listen to what I've just said, earlier?!" And with that, the fear was gone.

"I'VE HEARD!" the blonde yelled. "But this is my kingdom… and I'm the Queen. So you will have to listen to what I say, and there will not be any consequences."

"There will be if you're being so formal to those Vikings! They don't need formality!"

"Several people have already witnessed you actively insulting Chief Stoick—it is for their sake that you should apologize," Elsa retorted, eyes narrowing. "If word gets out that my newly-wedded wife is picking fights with our allies, what will my people think? Where will their hope and confidence go?"

Hope? Confidence?

Anna let out an exaggerated huff. "God, you people! You take offense over everything! Politics are so much simpler back in Scotland."

She shook her head slowly and looked away from her wife, afraid she would do something rash. She was getting tired of this game...how one minute Elsa could look at her like...she was the world's most precious gem before treating her like an uneducated barbarian the next. "Listen, if I apologise, that makes us look weak to Stoick. It makes me look like someone who can't back up her own words and thus, he loses respect for the both of us. Why would he fight for someone who apologises for trying to defend their kingdom?"

"This isn't about Stoick anymore, this is about the rest of our allies wondering if they can still trust us—trust me—after you insulted another!" Elsa persisted, jabbing an accusatory finger in Anna's direction. "Vikings make up but one facet of Arendelle's alliance against the Southern Isles, and I can't afford to lose any of the others."

"So have your...your...servant, the man with the belly—"

"Kai? My housecarl?" Elsa corrected through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that man! Why don't you have him issue the apologies instead?" Anna snapped, her own eyes narrowing. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing right now, anyway."

Elsa took in a sharp breath. She glared at Anna, clenching her fists. "I don't care if he's apologizing right now, you have to do it too. Under my command, you're going to apologize to the Vikings." Elsa said through a clenched jaw. "If you do not obey my orders, I will not hesitate to…" She trailed off, not really sure what she would, or could do, to the new Princess-Consort.

Anna realized this and smirked, "Or you'll what? Just because you're the Queen, doesn't give you the right to punish someone who won't 'apologize'. Please, Your Majesty, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the party."

Elsa couldn't believe this. Anna was so...stubborn! So pig headed and blind to the dangers of what she could have inevitably caused with the other guests. She didn't need a riot on her hands over this. "Yes," she ground out, "I do mind. We will be retiring so you don't cause any more trouble and you will be writing a public apology tonight and announcing it tomorrow."

"Like hell I will!" Anna shot back, marching over to the door before Elsa could stop her. The slam it made as her wife exited would've been heard all over the castle if it wasn't for the party's own din, and the queen faintly wondered how it hadn't fallen off its hinges with such a forceful action. She sighed heavily, moving over to one of the windows and staring out at the multitude of ships docked along the harbor, each flying different colors.

And each a force to be reckoned with, should they turn against her.

"Argh! I don't understand her at all!" Anna fumed, hitching her skirts a little to help her move faster down the hallways back to the party. So consumed was she in her frustration that she didn't notice the other person heading her way until they both bumped into each other.

"Sorry, I wasn't—Oh! Hey, you're uh...you're the housecarl, right?" Anna asked, recognizing the portly servant standing in front of her.

"That's correct. My name is Kai, Your Highness," he said, bowing slightly at the waist, "Do you know where your wife is?"

"Well… I sort of just stormed out on her," Anna admitted. "She wanted me to make some apology I don't need to make." Anna shrugged. "I really don't see the point in it, especially since I know more about Vikings than she does."

"Well, Your Highness… you sort of… how do I put this lightly? You sort of caused a commotion."

Oh.

Anna stayed stupidly quiet, despite the fact that she knew, Vikings weren't so easily to be dealt with, with just fine political words. She glared, turning around to look down the hallway she had just stormed through. She almost expected her wife to show up at the other end of it in an instant, trying to coo her kindly, and say that she was wrong. Oh, but the stubbornness of this cold woman! The stubbornness of both of them!

This marriage was heading nowhere if these two had to act like this with such childish behaviors towards one another.

But Anna knew how much of a child she was. She'd always gotten her way before this time and never once had she been screamed at in such a way.

"Your Highness?"

The redhead blinked. "Oh, right… um… I guess you should go get her then? I don't feel like getting her at this moment."

"Of course."

Anna sighed and looked down at her feet as the servant continued on his way, "I guess I should apologize." She raised her head and stared down the moonlit hallway, glaring at nothing. "No, I am not going to apologize for something I know more about than her. The commotion is probably something about someone being too drunk." She humphed and crossed her arms. "I am not apolo-"

"Anna?"

Anna tensed up and slowly turned around, seeing the blonde walking towards her.

Kai was at her side, a small frown on his face. He whispered something into the queen's ear before hurrying back the way Anna had originally seen him come from, passing them both to presumably head back to the party.

"I assumed you would have been back at the ballroom by now," Elsa's quiet voice drew her attention, and Anna turned her head away, nose in the air.

"There are too many hallways in this castle. Do you honestly expect me to know my way around after a single day?" she scoffed, still angry about earlier.

A tired sigh reached her ears, followed by the swishing of fabric as Elsa resumed walking. "I assumed you would have familiarized yourself with the route when I brought you to my room," the blonde said as she passed Anna, and the redhead noted curiously that the queen had her arms wrapped around her middle, shoulders hunched to her ears.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?" she asked as Elsa continued on her way, apparently not waiting for her.

"I'm going to check in with the guards while Kai announces to our guests that I'm retiring for the evening," the blonde answered, her voice flat and not even bothering to slow her pace as Anna began following after her. "You're free to do as you like. Retire as well, rejoin the party, go for a stroll...it doesn't matter to me."

Her voice held more than a touch of bitterness to it, but Anna chose not to remark on it, especially since Elsa seemed to be leading her back to the ballroom anyway. That painting certainly looked familiar from when they had rushed out earlier…

"Really? It doesn't matter?" she couldn't help but goad, noting how Elsa's shoulders stiffened even more at that.

"It doesn't. You're an independent agent capable of exercising your own will, obviously. You should enjoy your wedding day as much as you can," the queen said, voice carefully even, and something about the way she said it gave Anna pause.

Anna didn't like it. As if Elsa retiring for the evening—so early as well—meant that the wedding was exhausting. A burden. A nuisance. As if Elsa never wanted to get married but was forced to for the sake of her kingdom.

Music and the din of a multitude of voices reached their ears, indicating that the party was nearby. After turning the corner, Anna spotted the doorway leading into the ballroom, where the festivities were still in full swing.

Elsa continued on her way, ignoring the merriment within her reach.

It was almost haunting the way her wedding dress shone in the moonlight coming in from a nearby window, and the light cast from the ballroom. Her pale skin looked even paler, and her blonde hair looked almost white.

If the party was Life, Elsa looked like Death.

Anna's throat went dry at the comparison, and she swallowed hastily. "I-It's your wedding day too, you know," she found herself calling out, hesitating outside of the ballroom.

Only then did Elsa stop in her tracks.

"I know," the queen said softly, and there was that lilt again that had Anna second-guessing everything. "I know...but this would be the best time for an assassin to sneak through our defenses. You wouldn't want a repeat of earlier today, would you?"

And no, Anna honestly wouldn't.

"But they failed already. They wouldn't be stupid enough to try again so soon," she found herself arguing. Why was she even arguing? She finally got Elsa off her case—she should be making the most of it! So why…?

"Enough."

One word, cold from her frozen heart, bitter like her eyes, Anna's back arched straight from the chills of those two syllables. Goosebumps filled her arms and hair stood up like an army commanding just from her voice. Her blue eyes were quite enlightening, and swinging her head back slowly, her back straight and proud like a rightful queen of Arendelle… well, like her father.

"One more word," she muttered, and Anna swore her world was shaking with her trembling whisper—a threat, "about what I did… and you—"

"And you'll what? Kill me?" Anna wasn't scared. She was terrified. But Anna knew better than to let her guards down and get torn up by her Queen's threat.

Elsa flinched and closed her eyes at the word 'kill'. "No… I won't," she sighed and continued down the hall, footsteps echoing through the starry night and the distant music in the ballroom. "Do what you will. If you want to leave…" She stopped herself, taking a clear look into Anna's sturdy expression. "... If you want to leave… I won't stop you."

There was a slight pause and everything silenced down to a whisper for the moment. As if they were in the dark, together, in their own little world, and the words echoing around them repeatedly like flies. Anna just didn't understand… Didn't understand the kind of person Elsa was.

Anna nearly backed away in fear—no, in rejection. Never in her entire life had she been rejected before. And to have this beautiful woman to—dang it.

"W-What? Why would I want to—"

"Because I'm a monster." No. "I was…" She turned back, bitter eyes from before turned into vulnerable, scared blue eyes. Elsa couldn't even look at her wife, a hand covering her eyes because that was where they showed all her weakness… Everything. Like an exposed nerve. "I was something that…" A big breath and she looked at her, ocean blue filled with tears. "I don't want to hurt you like how I did with… with that man."

With a blink, Anna's heart cracked. Maybe just a little. "W-What? No, He tried to kill—"

"It may not seem like it, Anna, but I have a heart too… I'm a person—a special kind of person. I… I'm not as cold as you people think I am. I like helping people, but I… I get scared. I should've… I should've just…"

The redhead frowned. This wasn't the girl who she was married to. Never this… sad and unsettled. Broken. Manipulated. Brainwashed. Anna still stayed quiet, knowing that she could not say anything that would soothe Elsa. She was shaking, arms quickly crossed around her body like it was the closest thing she could hold onto to.

Looking down like a defeated puppy, the supposedly strong Queen… as people say she was, sighed and turned her back to Anna and walked off.

For a moment, Anna could only stare after her retreating form, ethereal in the moonlight. The day had been a whirlwind of activity and emotions from the very start, violently tugging her from hot to cold to hot to cold to hot to…to…to...

Cold again, the redhead thought, lowering her gaze to the wedding ring comfortably fitted on her finger. It gleamed beautifully in the cool light of the moon seeping through the windows and the warm light edging from the ballroom.

The marriage was never going to work at this rate. It was falling apart at the seams before it even really began; the two fighting nearly every time they spoke with one another. Anna fiddled anxiously with the band on her finger at the thought. She knew, deep down, that she was being difficult. Her actions before the wedding, the spat with Stoick—as well-intentioned as that was—and even her attitude and arguing towards apologising to the Viking. Anna knew she was acting like a brat.

But this was hard for her too. The way Elsa spoke down to her like a child who knew nothing, the constant whiplash in moods and just...the entire situation in general had Anna's nerves on end at all times and if there was one thing she inherited from her family, it was a quick temper and the stubbornness of a bull when angry.

Even so...Anna remembered the tenderness and fear in Elsa's eyes when they were at the altar, the gentle way she spoke to her then, and found that she genuinely and full-heartedly wanted this marriage to work as much as possible.

So with a soft sigh, she turned on her heel and walked back towards her changing room to give her new spouse—and herself—some much needed space and quiet time to think.

Distancing herself from Anna and anyone else she might happen to run into, Elsa locked herself away in her study, forgoing her earlier declaration of checking in with the guards despite what she had said. A good portion of the stress that collected within her muscles waned once she was safely alone inside the room, and only then did she finally remove her arms from their protective placement around her upper body.

Walking towards her orderly desk, Elsa worked her hair free of her bun and then sagged defeatedly into the chair situated behind the desk, dropping her head into her hands and exhaling loudly. She tiredly wondered what she was going to do about her new, fiery handful of a wife and the giant mess she found herself in.

Her anger at Anna's complete and utter lack of tact back in the ballroom had already ebbed into little more than a mild irritation. With her mind clear of its earlier fury, Elsa conceded that an apology would not be...completely necessary. It would be preferable, of course, but if what Kai had informed her concerning the inebriated states of many of the guests that had seen their display was true, then…

"Then I'm working myself up over nothing," the queen muttered into the silence of her study.

No...not 'nothing'. It's just...not the worst case scenario. I'll still have to put forth a gesture of good faith soon while they're still in Arendelle for the festivities, but...they won't leave over this. They won't...declare war.

Or would they? She sincerely hoped not because she really was not in the mood to have another war on her hands, especially when she was already battling an admittedly intense one with her recently acquired hot-headed wife.

Somehow she needed to amend the volatile state of her brand new marriage. Perhaps if they actually sat down and chatted civilly for once instead of going at each other's throats every time they were within distance of each other they might come to understand one another better.

Elsa sighed. At this point, it seemed like a daunting task...Anna unfortunately knew how to push most of her buttons and clearly, she knew how to push Anna's in return. Still, Elsa had made this bed...she might as well lay in it and at least try to make this work.

...But not now. Elsa was too drained to even think about having another confrontation with the feisty redhead. She would sleep in her old chambers for tonight...let her new wife have their new, shared bedroom privately. The second Elsa's thoughts turned to resting, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Sleep sounded wonderful right about now…

Participants for this chapter: Cyrianu, wolfypuppy7, The Wandering Quill, iamrotting, squaresrcool, Nojamhere, CanITellUSmThin