A/N: At last, here it is! Short, sweet, and traditional. Tears in my eyes. Not going to lie, the introduction/ending music of the visual novel Long Live the Queen played in my head as I wrote this. I'd honestly recommend listening to it. watch?v=h2jNza1Ly_I&list=RDGATSzo91JqU&index=5

Not quite done yet!

"Nervous?" Rapunzel asked.

Elsa turned to her cousin. "What? Of course not," she said firmly. "I've been waiting for this day for so long; I've never wanted anything as much as I want her. Why would I possibly be nervous?"

The Princess of Corona rose to stand in the middle of the parlor. Technically, Elsa didn't need any help getting ready for the day, but it was tradition for the bridesmaid to braid the bride's hair, after all.

"I can hear how heavily you're breathing, Elsa," Rapunzel noted. "And you don't even need to breathe. We don't have much time left, so I recommend you get whatever's bothering you off your chest quickly."

Bowing to the inevitable, the Queen sighed. "Literally nothing has ever gone perfectly for Anna. Even when things work out for her, there's always a cost. I want to change that. I want to give her the best day of her life," she said. "But divine powers or not, I'll only ever get one chance at this. What if it goes wrong?"

Rapunzel frowned. "I'm fairly certain nothing could happen today that would make Anna unhappy…other than the wedding being cancelled. And if something does go wrong, so what?"

"I remember your wedding going smoothly," Elsa pointed out.

The Princess shook her head. "Only because you didn't taste the wedding cake. It was a disaster. Honestly, I don't know what the chef was thinking."

"Well, I was never one for cake," Elsa replied.

Rapunzel's hand moved to sit atop the Queen's. "Elsa, there is nothing you could do today that would disappoint Anna. Well…" she paused. "There is one thing."

"I'm not backing out," Elsa said. "I just want everything to go right. I'm just…I find it hard to believe Anna has kept herself in one piece after everything that's happened. And the hostility she's getting…I want to give her one perfect day."

Even with all of her powers, there was so much that the Queen could never do for her love. If the wedding went wrong, there wouldn't be any second chances. It would just be yet another in the long string of disappointments that comprised Anna's life.

"Oh, you two are hopeless." Rapunzel seemed to be resisting the urge to laugh. "Always worried you're not good enough for one another. You remind me of how Anna was acting the day after your first kiss; she was terrified she wasn't worthy of you." Her hand moved to the Queen's shoulder. "Elsa, it's over. The threats are gone. Anna has a safe and happy future ahead of her, and the thing she wants more than anything is to share it with you. It wouldn't matter to her whether the wedding was in the throne room or in a back alley."

Despite herself, Elsa smiled slightly. "Well, why didn't we just go with that other option then?"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "It might not have mattered to her, but the rest of us would prefer you to have a wedding where we could all have space to watch. And we would appreciate a nice ambiance."

"I thought weddings were for the enjoyment of the brides?"

"You're confusing weddings with wedding nights," the Princess said, a small blush on her cheeks. "Now let's finish with your hair. I think we've all waited long enough for this."

\

Anna couldn't stop fiddling with the ring on her finger.

Elsa had made the wedding band herself. It was constructed out of a metal so strong that nothing but divine powers could have managed to shape it.

The Queen had insisted on using nothing but the most valuable material she possessed for the band. Even Elsa knew little about the metal that had gone into the forging. Some centuries ago, a single smooth bar of the material had been offered as tribute to Elsa's ancestors. It had been, the visitors claimed, the only one of its kind in the known world. Legend held it to have appeared in the middle of a village square in a mysterious flash of light.

How much of that was true wasn't known, but the metal matched no other known material on the planet. Prior to Elsa's ascension to divinity, generations of metalworkers had tried and failed to even dent the smooth surface of the bar.

The band on the Queen's finger was different. It was made out of simple steel. Anna had gone down to the city some days ago and purchased it from an unremarkable street vendor. Even during her days as a thief, Anna might have been able to afford the trinket.

It had been Elsa's idea. There was a certain symmetry, she'd said, in each of them carrying a piece of the other's beginnings on their fingers. Royalty and peasantry. Anna didn't quite understand the symbolism, but she was happy to go along with what her Queen wanted.

"Stop tapping your foot," Eugene advised.

Anna whirled upon him. "Excuse me? I'm about to marry the most beautiful woman in the world and the love of my life! Be thankful tapping my foot is the only thing I'm doing."

"First of all, the most beautiful woman in the world is my wife," he said with a small smile. "And second, Elsa's not going to be happy if she has to freeze your feet to the floor in order to get through the ceremony."

Judging by Anna's gradual descent into hyperventilation, the joke hadn't helped.

"Anna, you saved the world. Next to that, what's getting married to a woman who is absolutely crazy about you?" he asked. "You could faint in the middle of the ceremony, and it wouldn't change anything. In fact, she'd probably just find it cute and fall in love with you even more."

Fainting in the middle of the ceremony. "Don't put that thought in my head!" Anna held up an arm as if to shield herself. She had collapsed during their first kiss. How would she make it through their wedding?

"Anna," Eugene intoned, leaning comfortably on the wall. "It. Will. Be. Fine."

She glared at him. "Are you going to tell me that you weren't nervous for your wedding?"

Eugene tugged on his collar. "Well, no…I was terrified. I actually considered begging Rapunzel to make the wedding completely private. But Thomas told me the same thing I was telling you, and he was right."

"I've heard about the cake incident."

The Prince's face paled, but he smiled fondly. "So I threw up a little bit onto her dress? She didn't divorce me. Besides, what's a wedding without a good story?"

This time, Anna did laugh. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. This day was everything she had ever wanted. She and Elsa had survived anything the world could have possibly thrown at them. A gathering of their friends and family was nothing by comparison.

A knock on the door.

"Elsa's at the dais," Thomas said. "It's time."

\

A combination of magical illusions and mundane discretion ensured that most of the Palace's residents had no idea a wedding and a coronation were about to take place.

They'd both felt the throne room was the right location. Not only was it traditional, but it was the place where their long struggle had finally ended. The beginning of the next stage in their lives would take place on the same ground as their ultimate triumph.

It was, Elsa was sure, the first wedding in Arendellian history where the majority of the residents weren't human. All of the surviving trolls were present, making up the bulk of the guest list.

The only others in the hall were those aware of the true events of the last year. Elsa's family, of course, joined by a few others from Corona who had come to know Anna over the last few months. From Arendelle there was only Lord Arald, who Elsa had known would accept the truth, as well as the families of Kai and Gerda.

It was an eclectic mixture, to be sure.

But as soon as the doors to the throne room opened, Elsa had eyes only for one person. She was clad in a classic white wedding dress, and a bouquet of red roses sat in her hands. Even from afar the Queen could see a twinge of nervousness on Anna's face, but the smile it bore was enough to light up the entire room.

Anna walked slowly through the center of the hall, her own eyes locked on Elsa. She made her way between the two rows of benches, Eugene carrying her bridal trail a few steps behind her.

A small sniffle briefly diverted Elsa's attention to Rapunzel. The Princess was standing a few feet to Elsa's left, a single tear glimmering in her eye.

The Queen felt her heart race with every step Anna took. Their gazes locked, and in that moment Elsa realized she had nothing to fear. This was meant to be, and nothing could ruin it.

It wasn't destiny that had brought them together. Fate had used Elsa as a pawn and had cared nothing for Anna. No. They had fought for this moment. Years of strife and despair had beaten them…broken them. Yet they had remade themselves. Against all odds, they had made this moment possible.

Inevitable.

\

Anna barely heard Marcus reciting the words. Elsa's lips tinged in a silent question, and the Knight gave a quiet nod in response.

Immediately, she felt the familiar presence of Elsa in her mind. The goddess was letting all of her emotions shine forth, powerful and unfiltered. Anna recognized the dulled yet still potent grief the Queen held for Kai and Gerda, and the even more ingrained sense of loss for her parents. There was guilt for what she had failed to notice. Despite their vows, those emotions had not disappeared. They would never fade away completely.

And there was fear. Elsa was afraid of what a future of distrust and hostility might mean for Anna. She was afraid that the Knight would always bear the scars of the past.

But above all else, there was love. Her feelings for Anna radiated through their link like a blazing inferno. The happiness emanating from Elsa's being was almost blinding. There was confidence, too. A belief that as hard as things could be, they would get through them together.

Anna allowed her own euphoria to show itself, gladly allowing Elsa deeper access into her mind. Despite all of her demons and future challenges, she was happy. Judging by the smile on the Queen's face, Elsa got the message.

All was well until a sudden voice permeated the fog of the Knight's thoughts. "Anna, it's time!"

With a gasp, she realized Marcus had already finished his speech and asked Anna whether she would remain by Elsa's side through all things.

"Uh, can you say that one more time? Sorry. I was…distracted."

Muffled laughter rippled out from the crowd. Anna was briefly mortified, but the classic sight of Elsa raising a hand to her lips in order to shield a giggle instantly dissipated the fear. Blushing, she realized her wedding had just gotten its good story.

The King of Corona smiled indulgently. "Will you, Lady Anna of Arendelle, pledge yourself to the woman standing before you? Will you be Elsa's partner in all things? Will you share her burdens, suffering, and hardship? Shall you bestow upon her your triumphs and prosperity? Will you be her wife?"

She reached out, lacing her fingers through Elsa's own. "I will," Anna declared. "For all eternity."

Marcus repeated the questions to Elsa, even as the Knight continued to bask in the joy radiating from her Queen.

"I will," Elsa's voice echoed throughout the room. "Forever."

"Then as Sovereign of Corona and Friend of Arendelle, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss-"

Anna lost track of the words as Elsa darted forward, bringing their lips together at last. The kiss was gentle, but the Knight's mind felt faint as cheering exploded throughout the hall. At last.

For the first time in forever, she felt complete.

When Elsa finally pulled back, Anna was so lost in the moment that she barely registered Marcus walking off to the side. The Knight shook herself out of her wonderous delirium as Elsa took his place in front of the throne, a shining silver circlet materializing in her hands.

Anna had known this would happen, but it still took several seconds to remember the protocol. They were married. The Knight felt like the happiest woman in the world, but there was still one last piece of ceremony to complete.

Moving directly in front of Elsa, she faced the audience and dropped to one knee.

"Anna of Arendelle, will you guide and protect your people to the best of your ability?" the Queen questioned.

The Knight smiled. "I will."

"Will you to the best of your power uphold the ideals of love, honor, justice, and mercy?"

Anna dipped her head. "I will."

The top of Anna's hair bristled as Elsa's lithe fingers calmly placed the circlet on her head.

"Honored guests, I present to you Queen Anna of Arendelle," Elsa proclaimed to the crowd. "Knight of the Realm, Hero of Our World, and my wife. What say you?"

Her heart skipped a beat as the clamor of voices rose from the audience. Trolls, nobles, and commoners each spoke in their own way, but the words were all the same.

"Long live Queen Anna!"

Queen-Consort Anna of Arendelle rose to her feet. She had never believed such a thing was possible. But now, staring out at the supportive faces of the crowd and sensing Elsa's beaming smile behind her, it felt as real as anything had ever been.

"Thank you!" she yelled back. Turning around, she met her wife in a fierce embrace. Elsa's eyes were shining with pride.

"My Queen," Elsa whispered, bringing her lips to Anna's cheek as Rapunzel and Eugene still clapped wildly. "I love you."

"I love you too. More than anything," Queen Anna replied, even as a brief puzzlement took her. A strange sensation had draped over her being; it was a feeling so unfamiliar that she almost didn't recognize it. It wasn't until Elsa had begun to lead her into the crowd that she understood what it was.

Anna realized that, for the first time in her life, she was at peace.