Today was the day. At long last, it was time for their journey to Eldora.

Elsa herself had mixed feelings about their departure. She was never truly comfortable with leaving Arendelle in the hands of others...even her Council. Every day that she was away from the Royal City filled her with a sense of anxiety. And ever since her parents had died at sea, the Queen was always wary of travel by ship. Even though rationally she knew her powers made it all but impossible for her to drown (she could simply freeze the water around the ship if she had to) Elsa couldn't help but feel nervous as her vessel sailed into the open sea.

Still, she was looking forward to seeing Marisol again. Her family from Corona would be attending as well, and Elsa was always glad to spend some time with them. Anna in particular was eager to be off; the Knight was always excited to see new places, after all. And if Anna was happy, then Elsa found it hard not to feel the same way.

The Ice Queen was waiting for them, looking magnificent, as it stood moored in the Royal Harbor. Dozens of Arendellians had been chosen to be part of the delegation: Arald, Evangeline, and Kale among them. Elsa's personal opinion of the General had fallen significantly following his frequent insults made at her consort's expense, but she couldn't deny his military expertise. He had been relatively quiet since the night of Drell's betrayal, however, and from a certain point of view it was an improvement.

"He hasn't thanked me," Anna had pointed out. "But he hasn't said anything else to me, either."

Most were already on the ship; Elsa and Anna were among the last to board. As a phalanx of Royal Guards ascended the boarding ramp in front of her, the monarch found her gaze drawn to the water. Cast in the glow of the evening sun, the reflection truly was a sight to see.

"It's time, Your Majesty," Corporal Vale said, gesturing to the ramp. Nodding, Elsa started forward...then realized that Anna wasn't walking with her. Startled, the Queen glanced around to find Anna standing back. The Knight's gaze seemed inexplicably drawn to a spot some meters down the docks. Elsa stared at the location carefully, but she couldn't perceive anything out of the ordinary. All that was there was a collection of old shipping crates tied down to the docks by a thick piece of molding rope.

Glancing back to the ramp briefly, Elsa hurriedly walked over to Anna's still form.

"Is there something wrong, dear?" the Queen asked calmly. It had been a long time since Anna had had an 'episode', and it had never been triggered by water, but Elsa wasn't going to discount the possibility.

To her relief, Anna immediately responded. "No...no," she murmured distractedly. "I was just...it's not important. Come on, we're going to be late!" And without further ado, the Knight leapt forward and raced up the boarding ramp. By the time Elsa could even think of a sarcastic quip about how Anna had been the one holding them up...not to mention the fact that the ship certainly wouldn't be leaving without the Queen of Arendelle, Anna was already standing atop the vessel's deck. She flashed the Queen a grin.

Elsa's eyes narrowed, but the Queen could only sigh as she stepped onto the ramp herself and took her last steps on Arendelle's shores. Soon, she and Anna were leaning against the boarding rail and watching the Castle slowly fade out of view.

Behind them, the sun was setting.

\

"Haven't I told you not to come up here?" Elsa demanded.

Form her perch on the crow's nest, Anna turned around and offered the Queen a cheeky smile. It was almost an old joke between the two of them at this point. The Knight had clearly demonstrated that her climbing ability made it all but impossible for her to fall...and she would likely survive the drop regardless.

Wordlessly, Elsa dropped to Anna's side and knelt on the wood beside her. Still leaning her arms against the protective wooden railing in front of them, the Knight shifted slightly and rested her head comfortably on the monarch's shoulder.

Elsa smiled, wrapping an arm around Anna's slim frame and pulling her consort in tighter. Above them, the moon was shining brightly; it was visible even with a thick layer of clouds darkening the night sky. The stars were not so lucky, however.

"It doesn't look like you'll be learning about any more constellations tonight," the Queen remarked.

"Nope..." Anna agreed.

The Queen sighed. It was a shame to disrupt such a peaceful moment, but if her lover was suffering, there was no way that she was not going to get involved. "Anna, what happened earlier? While we boarded, I mean. You seemed almost frozen for a moment. I know you've said you're doing better since Drell's arrest..."

"It was nothing like that," Anna interrupted. "I wasn't having a flashback of Jocasta or anything. Don't worry about me; I'm fine!" she assured the Queen.

Seeing that Elsa wasn't going to let the subject drop, she continued. "Where we were...near those shipping crates. I've been there before. Around a year ago, in fact."

Elsa frowned. "You were working in the harbor?" she questioned.

"No," the Knight answered. "I was just looking for a place to sleep. There was nowhere else to go in the city, and the snow was blowing in hard from the east that night. Those crates gave me some protection from the blizzard...enough to survive anyway."

A familiar combination of compassion and pity bursting within her heart, Elsa moved to the side and hugged Anna as tightly as she could. Even though the Knight had grown accustomed to a life bereft of poverty, it seemed as if she would never be able to forget the experience. "I'm here..." Elsa cooed soothingly as Anna leaned into her chest. "Talk to me."

Several moments passed before Anna overcame her hesitation. "Elsa...you know how much I appreciate what you've done for me. But...the last thing I've ever wanted you to think is that providing for me is why I'm with you."

The Queen smiled slightly, remembering a recent vision. "Anna, I know that if you were the Queen and I was the thief, you would still love me. But remember Anna; you're human. There's no shame in taking pleasure in a life of luxury, or in enjoying having your material needs fulfilled. It doesn't make me think that they're the only reason you're with me...or even the most important one."

Anna sighed. "You have no idea how amazing it feels Elsa, just to not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. It's such a relief. For the past several months, you've had to deal with a vague threat of attack hanging over your head. But imagine having to worry about death every day. I woke up and didn't know if I was going to eat that day, or where I was going to sleep at night. Hunger and cold...they were my constant companions. I was never more than one bad day away from death. Just being able to go down to the kitchens and eat whenever I want...I love it, Elsa."

Elsa embraced her consort even tighter, rubbing her back soothingly. Anna had never opened up about her homeless years so candidly before, and getting whatever she wanted to say off her chest would only be healthy for the Knight.

"Of course you do," the Queen replied. "I'd be shocked if you didn't."

"But that's not exactly what I'm embarrassed about. And considering how you do so much for me without even being asked...it's not fair. I have no right to feel this way," the Knight murmured.

Keeping her arms around her lover and continuing to speak in soothing tones, Elsa asked, "Feel what way, Anna?"

"Like it's all going to end," Anna admitted. "I know you would never force me to live back out on the streets again. But a stupid, irrational part of my brain keeps whispering that I've been way too lucky...and that one day everything's going to go back to the way it was before."

"How long have you been feeling like this?" Elsa questioned, making no effort to disguise the sadness in her voice.

Anna bit her lip. "Since I moved into the Castle, I guess. But it's been the least of my worries, what with the conspiracy and all that shit happening. But over the last few weeks...without having something to worry about, my mind keeps drifting back to the idea that one day I'm going to be poor and alone again."

"That would never happen, Anna," Elsa replied firmly. "Even if something happened to me, you'd always have a home in Corona. And even if you didn't, I've bequeathed quite a large sum of gold from my personal vault to you in my will. You're the last person on earth who's going to become poor."

At that, Anna frowned slightly. "I appreciate the gesture, Elsa. But if something happened to you, money wouldn't mean shit to me. I'd rather be with you and poor than rich and not with you."

"But you'd rather be with me and rich than with me and poor. There's nothing wrong with that, Anna."

"I know!" the Knight huffed. "But I shouldn't be feeling this way! It's not fair to you...for part of me to think that somehow you'd allow me to end up on the streets again. I know you wouldn't...but I'm still frightened of that happening!"

Elsa nodded, placing a kiss on Anna's cheek. "And I don't blame you. Anna, your life has changed so much in the past year...of course it's going to be disconcerting. I don't pretend to know what it's like to be poor, but I think I understand what you're going through. Part of your mind thinks you've been so fortunate that the universe is bound to bite you in the ass. But you haven't been! You earned everything you have now. I can't think of a single person who deserves a good life more than you do."

The Queen sensed Anna taking in a breath of relief...relief that Elsa understood her fear. And how could she not? Anna's past several years had been fraught with poverty, hunger, and even assassination attempts. It would take her subconscious sometime to accept that she was safe now...in every sense of the word.

Gently, she raised a hand to Anna's cheeks and dried the few tears that had managed to make it through. "How about a game a checkers, followed by some cuddling in bed?" Elsa offered.

Anna's head dipped in agreement.

\

"I thought Eldora was a desert country," Anna pointed out as she leaned against the railing. They had arrived in Eldoran territory several hours ago, but the Knight still hadn't seen even a single grain of sand. The Ice Queen was traveling upriver towards the capital city; both sides of the river were covered in grass and trees.

She wasn't disappointed. Spending a week in a desert had never exactly been appealing to her. But still...it seemed strange. According to Elsa, Eldora was situated close to the global equator, meaning that it should by all rights be one of the hottest countries in the world. And indeed, the air had steadily grown warmer as their journey had brought them closer to its shores. But once they had approached Eldora's borders, the temperature became akin to what Anna had experienced in Corona.

"A lot of it is," Elsa explained. "About two thirds of it, actually. But the area around the capital...around two hundred square miles, has a temperate climate. It's considered one of the greatest mysteries in the world, as a matter of fact. The heat and sand almost immediately give way to mild temperatures and fertile grasslands."

Anna frowned. She was far from a geographical expert, but Elsa's words simply did not seem possible.

"Is it magic?" the Knight questioned eagerly.

The Queen offered her a small smile. "Perhaps. Scientists certainly haven't been able to explain why a large chunk of land is about thirty degrees colder and far less arid than it should be. Eldora's been this way for as long as anyone can remember. My guess is that a powerful mage was responsible. Of course, from what we know now, it could well be a remnant from the time of the gods."

"A remnant from...there's the city!" the Knight exclaimed. A large collection of buildings some ways up the river was slowly becoming visible. As they grew closer, Anna could perceive that the capital was noticeably smaller than Arendelle's Royal City...or even Corona's. Still, it was an impressive sight, and the exotic architecture was entirely new to her young eyes. Most striking of all was the Palace at the center of the city. It was lower and smaller than the great Castles Anna was used to, but it had an undeniable sturdiness to it.

\

Docking quickly at the city's harbor, Elsa, Anna, and an assortment of Royal Guards were the first off the ship. It was customary for Royalty to greet one another as soon as they arrived in each other's domains, and the Queen had no intention of looking disrespectful in any way.

A red-wooded carriage and a collection of Eldoran soldiers were there to greet them. After watching Elsa exchange the usual pleasantries with their welcoming party, Anna accompanied the Queen into the carriage. The horses were strong, easily pulling their vehicle along the cobbled roads. All around them, the city was bustling with energy. Stalls and vendors of all kinds were offering and trading wares, some of which Anna had never even heard of before.

"It's a prosperous country," Elsa noted as Anna continued staring out the window. "It has access to the resources of the desert, but also possesses more than enough fresh water and fertile land to provide for its people. As you can imagine, that makes it a tempting target to some of the more opportunistic regions to the south. If not for Arendelle's vow of protection, I'd be surprised if it had not been attacked by this point.

The Knight nodded, her gaze now directed at the large Castle coming into view. As she'd observed previously, it was a wide, low building. It had a certain grandeur to it; the scarlet-brown stones that formed its walls were an impressive sight, but it also looked...old. She remarked on this fact to Elsa.

"It is. This Castle has been standing for all of recorded memory. Probably for thousands of years. Of course, it wasn't always the Eldoran Palace. But every nation that has controlled this region has never seen fit to take the building down. It was well suited to their purposes, and building a Castle in this region is not an easy task," the Queen explained.

Their carriage stopped, and the door was opened for them. Stepping down behind Elsa, Anna found herself staring at the Palace in front of her, noting in admiration how the sunlight pleasantly reflected off its stone surface. A gentle pull at her arm brought her back to reality, and Anna forced herself to walk forward arm in arm with Elsa. Escorted by both Arendellian and Eldoran guards, they soon found themselves at the door to the entrance hall.

"Presenting, Queen Elsa of Arendelle! Accompanied by her consort, Lady Anna of Arendelle."

They were ushered inside the hall. It was a single massive room featuring a high ceiling of polished stone, held by a several thick circular pillars positioned across the floor. Standing before them was an olive-skinned woman adorned with a small golden tiara.

"Queen Marisol," Elsa greeted, dipping her head slightly in respect.

Bowing, Anna couldn't help but notice that Eldora's Queen was undeniably hot. Her figure was incredible, and magnificently complimented by the short-sleeved scarlet golden dress she wore. Her skin possessed a creamy olive tone that looked familiar to Anna, though she couldn't recall from where.

A slight nudge from her side made her jolt. Elsa was glaring at her. Whether it was because Anna had forgotten to bow or whether the Queen had actually noticed Anna's admiration of Marisol's form, the Knight wasn't certain. She hoped it was the former.

"If you and your attendant would accompany me to my study," Marisol invited, "We have much to discuss."

\

"It's good to see you again, Elsa," Marisol said once the three of them had adjourned privately to the Queen's office. "And it is nice to meet you as well, Lady Anna. The rumors of Queen Elsa's beautiful consort were certainly not misplaced."

Anna blushed. "It's an honor, Your Majesty," she said respectfully.

"Not Your Majesty. Not yet, anyway. I'm still a Princess as far as the law is concerned," Marisol corrected gently. The Knight paled, realizing her mistake, but to her relief the Eldoran royal did not dwell on the subject.

Elsa stepped forward, taking one of Marisol's hands in her own. "I'm sorry about Gustav, Marisol," she said. "He was a good man, and a good King. I...I know how it feels to lose a parent; I know that hosting so many foreign sycophants and opportunists must be infuriating. Remember that you have my support, just as Eldora will continue to have the support of Arendelle."

Even to Anna's untrained eyes, it was plain that Marisol was struggling with her emotions. Even those like Elsa, who had been trained to be Royalty since birth, could lose control of their regal masks if a situation was painful enough. Marisol's mask was visibly cracking.

"Thank you," the future Queen finally managed. She sighed audibly. "I would love to catch up with you, Elsa, and get to know you, Lady Anna, but I must assist my mother with the preparations and get ready to meet with the next arriving dignitaries. Most should be arriving within the next twelve hours. I would enjoy sharing lunch with the two of you, tomorrow, however."

Anna's Queen nodded. "Of course."

"I'll have you shown to your Quarters, but feel free to roam the city and the Palace if you so desire," Marisol offered. Nodding again, Elsa took Anna smoothly by the hand and prepared to leave the office.

"Wait," Marisol interrupted. "I should warn you. Arendelle usually deals primarily with the nations of the northern hemisphere, but many of my southern neighbors will be attending this coronation. Many of them will not approve of your relationship, both due to Lady Anna's low birth and the fact that you are the same gender. So far, many of them will have only heard rumors about your choice in consort, but once the truth is made plain to them...be prepared for hostility."

"There's no need to remind us," Elsa replied solemnly. "We're accustomed to it."

\

Less than an hour before dinner was scheduled to begin, the two women were lounging in their Quarters within the Palace's Guest Wing. They had just returned from a tour of the Castle grounds, and Elsa was eager to wash up before sharing a meal with so many foreign royals.

Knock! Knock!

Elsa watched as Anna hopped up and opened the door. The wood swung aside to reveal Rapunzel, Eugene, and Thomas, all of them with broad smiles on their faces. Before they could even say a word, Anna had already leapt forward and clutched Rapunzel in an embrace.

The Queen walked forward, standing behind her consort and waiting her turn patiently. When Anna finally released the Princess, Elsa found herself swept forward and caught in a hug of her own.

"When did you guys get here?" Anna blurted out. "And where are your parents?"

"About an hour ago," Eugene replied. "And I'm afraid it's just us. Marcus and Lenna send their love, but there's currently an incident with a group of pirates raiding our coast. Nothing to worry about, but they're staying behind to assure the people and form a plan to track down the brigands and their ship."

Elsa sighed. She'd been looking forward to seeing the rest of her family.

"Don't you have any insights, Eugene? Being a former Coronan thief and all?" Anna questioned. "Do you have any idea how to find these pirates."

"Hardly," the Prince replied. "I'd never even set foot on a real ship before meeting Rapunzel...and I'm out of practice. Anyway, Marcus can handle it. The two of us have some...important news."

The Queen's eyes swung to her cousin, and it was that moment in which the Coronan Princess finally chose to speak. It was only two words, but they were life altering. No wonder the new arrivals had looked so happy.

"I'm pregnant!" Rapunzel announced.

Anna started leaping up and down in joy, almost immediately seizing the Coronan Princess in another hug. For a moment, Elsa simply stood there. She was utterly stunned. In a few short months, she was going to be an aunt!

"Congratulations!" Elsa finally managed. "When did you find out?"

Rapunzel smiled, still trapped in an unbreakable Anna-embrace. "About a week ago. My monthly visitor didn't come by on time, and a short session with some of the Castle Physicians confirmed it. In around eight months, I'll be a mother! Wow...I'm still giddy about it!"

"For my part," Thomas cut in, "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. With how often these two go at it, you'd think our Castle would already be filled with children...ow!" he muttered as Eugene elbowed him in the ribs.

Finally extracting herself from Anna's arms, Rapunzel faced the Knight directly. "Anna, there's something we wanted to ask you. You've saved my life more than once, and despite the short time we've known each other, you've proven to be a remarkable friend. So...we were hoping you would be our child's Surrogate."

"Its Surrogate! Of course I'll be its Surrogate!" Anna exclaimed. "Wait...what's a Surrogate?"

Eugene chuckled. "It's a Coronan thing...a tradition really. A holdover from a very distant, violent past. Today, a child's Surrogate is a position given to a close friend of the mother's, one who is not blood-related to the child," he explained, nodding to Elsa meaningfully. "In the event that the child's family perishes, the Surrogate is expected to assume custody of the child."

"It's pretty morbid when you think about it," Thomas added as Anna's jaw dropped.

The Prince-Consort sighed. "True. As I said, it's a holdover from a time when there was no guarantee that a child's family would live to see them grow up. Today, it's basically meant as a position of honor."

"Which is why I want you to have it," Rapunzel cut in.

Anna was prevented from further babbling by a gentle knock on the still opened doorframe. Standing there was Kayla, one of the servants chosen to accompany the delegation on this trip. She was one of Anna's favorites among the staff, after all.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," she bowed. "And Your Highness…es," she bowed again to the Coronan royals. "And my Lady," Kayla curtsied to Anna as smoothly as she could. "The staff wanted you to be informed that dinner will be ready in twenty minutes."

\

Elsa wasn't sure she had ever seen Anna so happy, and that was definitely saying something. All throughout dinner, the Knight was wearing a smile on her face even as a significant portion of the guests made sure to ignore her. In a foreign country, surrounded by a diverse collection of dignitaries (many of whom respected the Knight) and subject to Elsa's piercing gaze, no one was bold enough to outright insult her consort. Still, it was easy to see that many were less than enthused about her presence.

Yet Anna didn't seem to mind. She spent the entire meal chatting with Rapunzel, speculating about the baby's gender and guessing the date that it would be born. In fact, the Knight almost seemed more excited about the news than the child's actual parents.

Elsa knew why.

For the first time in her life, Anna was feeling like she was part of a family. It was something that Elsa had once taken for granted; even after her parents had died, she had still had a network of loyal and caring individuals ready and willing to support her. With her position as Elsa's consort and close relationship with Rapunzel, Anna was now starting to feel like part of that family network.

And it was time to make that official.

"Anna," Elsa beckoned as the dinner group finally began to break up. "Before you and Rapunzel continue to debate whether the season its born in will help determine the baby's gender, can you come with me for a moment? I want to show you something."

Finally, the Queen mused as Anna followed her out of the hall. After so much pain and suffering, we've finally earned some happiness. It was true. For the first time since her parents had gone sailing off on that fateful voyage, Elsa finally felt as if all was right in the world.

A/N: I'm sorry for the slower pace of these chapters; sports season has started and exams are coming weekly. So don't panic if the next chapters take a week and a half or two to come out.

Responses:

ThunderChild14: Thank you!

BatteriezNotIncluded: You'll have your answer soon enough!

WinterWolfDragon: Doing my best!

3Gs: Oh, it'll last forever! Everything's completely fine...

Gwiley16199: Next chapter!

Syrathia: Then I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Winterwonderland4343: It may come in a way you don't expect.

Shtoops: Hope you like this one, then!

ClaireCooper: I'm not too sure about that.

Guest 1: Anna is not a Goddess; she is a completely normal girl. No that's not misdirection; I really just want a protagonist who is important only because they were in a certain place at a certain time. There is plenty more coming!

Veoviing: Of course not!

Leto: Interesting, though I have no plans for that yet.

Gamernerd6: She was introduced in one of the books, not my story. A quick google search will find it. Since I am ironically not very fond of those books, she's not that an important character.

Sedryn: First come first served!

Strab: You'll see…

ObsessiveImaginings: She was superhuman durability; otherwise she'd already be dead.

DVINM: I can't wait for your reviews of the next few chapters!

PascalDragon: I'm not sure that the question will make Anna remember.

Miruvin: About that…

CoolNickNack: Of course! Plenty more! I've been busy though so not quite as fast.