"I could've done that," said Anna, as Ingrid filled their glasses and sat down.

"I'm sorry," said Ingrid. "If you'd rather, I won't do it again."

"No, it's not that." Anna tasted her wine. It was cool and pleasantly tart. "I'm sorry. I keep trying to make you comfortable, but… Could you just not be a servant for a while?"

"I'll try."

Anna took another swallow of Riesling. She held up her glass, looking at the faint yellow tint it gave the light. "I, um… Ingrid? Could you do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"If I start to have something to drink tomorrow, could you tell me not to?"

"If you like."

She saw the concern in Ingrid's eyes. "It's not a big deal, but…" Anna thought about what Gerta had told her about her mother. "I just don't want to make it a habit, you know?" Don't drink every day. Don't drink alone. Don't drink before… Well, at least it's close to five.

"I suppose so."

"You haven't touched your drink."

Ingrid picked up her glass, held it to her nose, and inhaled the bouquet. She held it up to eye level, swirled the wine in her glass, and watched it run back down the inside. She took a mouthful and winced, puckering her face.

Anna was surprised. It had seemed okay to her. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"I'm sure it's fine."

"Then why did you make that face?"

"I'm sorry. I've never had wine before. I'm not used to it."

"Then what's with all the bouquet and legs and connoisseur stuff?" Anna replied to Ingrid's blank look by demonstrating the sniffing and swirling.

"It's what I've seen people do. I didn't want to look foolish."

Anna laughed. "It's okay. You don't have to drink it."

"I was surprised. But it is nice. Tart, like sour apples." Ingrid took another drink, with more satisfaction.

"Well, I'm relieved. It'd be pretty embarrassing if I couldn't tell good wine from bad. I mean, royal banquets and stuff. I have to look like I know what I'm doing."

"I'm sure you do know."

Anna drank again. "It doesn't feel like it some days." She paused, then forced herself to brighten. "Anyway, not a lot of drinking where you grew up?"

"Not wine. Beer with dinner, of course, and with lunch for the men. I had to have a little, but I didn't care for it. Akvavit on special occasions." Ingrid took another swallow of her wine, with growing satisfaction. "This is nice."

"It is. And I know what you mean. I had to have a little wine with dinners when I was growing up. Heaven help us if the Royal Princess didn't know her Merlot, or spooned her soup the wrong way. So, everyone else in the family liked their beer?"

"Except Anders." Ingrid brightened at the memory. "One time he said, 'It'd be a terrible thing if I became a drunk. Can you imagine me drooling, slurring my words, not even able to stand up? What a life!' " She laughed lightly, until she saw the distraught look on Anna's face. Ingrid sank in her chair, head bowed. "Because…he was already… It was funnier when he said it. Sorry."

Anna sighed. "It's okay, Ingrid. I'm glad you can laugh about it. I'm glad someone can laugh about something." She sipped. "Oh, what are we going to do?"

"I, um… That was a rhoric – rhetorical question, I suppose."

Anna shrugged. "You got any ideas?"

"You have someone you love, who loves you. That's worth fighting for."

"I could say the same thing to you. An' you had her first."

Ingrid spluttered on her wine. "I – I can't have her. She has me."

Anna leaned forward. "So she's not worth fighting for. Not good enough for you, eh?" Ingrid's eyes and mouth flew open, her face went beet red. Anna put her hands out in a 'calm down' gesture. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Relax." She gave the girl a moment to collect herself. "Remind me not to tease you again." Ingrid nodded. "But you want me to fight for her, and not you. I mean, you not – not you fighting for her. Why?"

"You…want me to?"

Anna smacked her forehead with her palm. "I want to understand. I want to figure out what's going on. Where I stand. What you're up to."

"I'm not up to anything." Ingrid's eyes were pleading. "I just want to make things right." Ingrid took a deep breath and sat up straight. "If I may, I'd like your permission to ask a question. A very personal question. It's a — "

"— terrible liberty, you're not worthy, blah blah blah. Oh for Satan, spit it out." She saw Ingrid wince. "I'm sorry. I don't mean it. Sorry."

Her mouth dry, Ingrid took another drink of her wine. She closed her eyes. "If you were in love with Kristoff, why didn't you fight for him?"

Pointing a finger at Ingrid, Anna said, "You weren't there. Let me tell you what happened." As Ingrid refilled their glasses, Anna told her what had happened that night, all the way from surprising Kristoff in her outer room to waking up hungover the next day. It might have been the wine, the passage of time, her new love with Elsa, or all three. But it didn't sting like it did the first time. When she got to the part about kicking Lissi out of the room, she was actually grinning, and Ingrid was quivering with suppressed laughter. Even the hangover was transformed from a painful memory to an entertaining story.

"And then Elsa came back and, well, you know the rest." Anna relaxed back in her seat. Her smile disappeared. "I swear to god, Ingrid, if I had known…"

"It's fine," said Ingrid with more passion than usual. "It's good. You're better than me. You're a princess."

"No no no." Anna waved her hands back and forth. "Princess is what I do, not what I am. You, me, Ingrid, Anna; we're the same."

"I don't mean to argue, Your Highness, but nope." Ingrid shook her head, stopped herself as the wine made itself felt. "You are gracious – "

"Hah."

"An' cultured and educated – "

"Double hah."

"And very, very, very pretty. Prettier than Elsa."

"H– What? She's beautiful. The beautifullest."

Ingrid nodded, then stopped herself again. "She's more beautiful than you, but you are prettier than her."

"I – " Anna thought. "I have no idea what that means."

Ingrid raised her finger, about to speak, then halted. "With your permission, I will explain tomorrow. Wine makes it hard to think."

"Yep." Anna rubbed her eyes. "So what do we do now?"

"You love her. You need her. And she needs and loves you. Go to her. And I…will be her faithful servant, as always. And only her servant."

Anna's eyes narrowed. "You love her too."

"I do. With all my heart. But if she could love you without sharing the ini – intimacy she craved, the least I can do is follow her example." She smiled, weakly. "It's what's right. I am her loyal servant, and yours." She squared her shoulders. "And now, by your leave, I shall help her prepare for dinner."

Anna smiled, her eyes crinkling. Waving a hand grandly, she said, "Thank you, Ingrid. You may go."

Ingrid stood up. "Whoo!" She wavered. "That was interesting."

"Y'know, maybe you shouldn't go just yet. Maybe you should lie down for a bit. I'll go check on Elsa, and you rest up. Okay?"

"As you wish," said Ingrid, as she lay down on the divan. Anna stood up, unsteady but steadier than Ingrid. "Send her my love and my apologies." Ingrid's eyelids drooped. "You are pretty, she is beautiful, and I am…"

Anna paused, but the sentence didn't finish, so she left to join her lover for dinner.

Before Ingrid lost her battle with fatigue, she thought, Why was Kristoff kneeling? but fell asleep before she could find the answer.