Even compared to the other balls she'd attended while in the Castle, the party was magnificent. The grand ballroom was crowded with nobles and dignitaries sampling a wide variety of Arendelle's delicacies. Dozens of circular counters were scattered throughout the room, Elsa and Anna each having been given a seat in the centermost table. Unlike the other gatherings, this party was more of a banquet than a dance. Since it meant that neither she nor the Queen would have to entertain any propositions, Anna had not complained.

She moved around the room, freely socializing with the guests. The atmosphere was decidedly more welcome than before. For once, Anna felt like one of them. "What a lovely sword, milady." "Congratulations, Lady Anna." Finally, the attendant had achieved a modicum of acceptance from the aristocracy.

Anna did her best to behave properly, as Elsa had instructed. She spoke cordially with anyone who introduced themselves, ate her chocolate calmly and cleanly, and drank no more than two glasses of wine. Socializing with this crowd still took quite a bit of effort, but no longer was it the arduous torture that it had been not two weeks ago.

"Lady Anna?"

The Knight turned away from staring at a large, chocolate cake to greet the woman in front of her. She looked to be about eighteen, no more than two years younger than Anna herself. She was slightly overweight, but that did little to detract from her smooth skin and soft smile. Her outfit consisted of a simple dress of white that was both relatively fashionable yet reasonably modest.

"I'm Lorana Altman, my lady," she greeted, accepting Anna's handshake. "What a lovely ceremony. I'm glad I was able to witness it. The first female Knight in centuries...and the first of Queen Elsa's reign! It must be an honor," she said warmly.

Anna smiled. "It is," she agreed as they detached their hands. "I was pretty nervous," she admitted. "But at least I managed through it with my dignity intact. I can't say I ever thought this would happen to me..."

"Indeed. Your historic rise is the talk of Arendelle," Lorana said. "Before you rescued Queen Elsa, you were a peasant, yes?"

The Knight nodded. Lorana's tone was curious, not condescending. She seemed to be a bit...aristocratic in the way that she mentioned the peasantry, but Anna wouldn't expect much else from a member of the nobility. She'd seen far worse.

"So what did you do before you rescued Her Majesty?"

Anna shuffled uncomfortably. This was by far not her favorite topic, but she sensed that Lorana's curiosity wasn't going to let her dodge the subject. "I lived in one of the orphanages for sixteen years. I never knew my parents; they left me on the doorstep as a baby. After I came of age, I got by doing various odd jobs. Working at inns, mostly. Some summers I helped farmers with woodcutting...or sailors at cleaning their ships. I didn't earn much, but it was enough to survive."

In actuality, Anna had rarely managed to get such work, and when she had she'd always been fired quickly. But there was no reason to tell Lorana that.

"Is that all?" the other woman asked curiously. "That doesn't seem like very stable work...or enough to live on for over two years. How did you survive for that long?"

Anna did her best to shrug nonchalantly. "It wasn't easy. I only had one set of clothes and didn't always have a roof over my head, but I suppose in the end I had just enough."

Lorana smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I can't deny that I admire you greatly, Lady Anna. I've led a privileged life; I doubt I would have managed to last long in your situation. The only skill I have is climbing, and that wouldn't get me far."

"You like climbing?" Anna asked excitedly, eager to direct the conversation to a new subject. "Me too! Before I could fight, it was pretty much the only thing I was ever good at."

For an instant, Anna thought she saw a spark alight in Lorana's eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it came.

"How good are you?" Lorana asked with a curious grin. "Do you think you could climb up the wall of the Castle...as long as there wasn't any Royal Guards trying to shoot you down, that is?"

"Probably," the Knight answered. "I had a lot of practice growing up in the orphanage; I spent a lot of days climbing a waterfall. The other kids laughed whenever I fell, but by the time I was thirteen I could make it all the way to the top."

"Did it ever help at all? You know, before you met Queen Elsa?"

The redhead paled.

"Not really," she said, her voice cracking nervously. "I mean, uh, it was helpful when cleaning ships in the port, but other than that, not at all."

Lorana frowned thoughtfully. "That's a shame. Were you ever tempted to steal anything? I mean with not much money in your pockets it must have occurred to you. All you would have to do is climb up to some nobleman's bedroom and swipe his entire purse."

Anna froze; the piece of chocolate in her left hand dropping to the floor. No, this woman couldn't possibly be...

The other woman stared her down, her gaze like that of a hawk hunting prey. After a brief moment's hesitation, Lorana hurriedly backed away from the Knight and forced her way through the crowd until she reached the center of the room. As Anna watched in shock, the younger woman climbed up onto one of the center tables.

Within ten seconds, the entire room was staring at her.

A large, older man forced his way towards the improvised platform. "Lorana, get down immediately!" Lord Altman ordered, panic in his eyes as he stared at his normally polite daughter.

Lorana ignored her father. "Lords and Ladies of Arendelle, I have learned a terrible truth. This woman," she pointed at Anna, "Whom we have all come to celebrate, is a liar and a criminal! All of the thefts from the rooms of nobles over the last few years; they have all been her doing!"

The room stared at her.

"It cannot be!"

"Is this true?"

"Do you have proof?"

"I have none," Lorana admitted. "But I am certain. I will never forget the night she tried to rob me...or the look of her face. I know it is she. Even if this accusation destroys my reputation, I cannot stand by and let a dangerous criminal live within striking distance of our Queen."

Rage swept through Anna. "Dangerous?" she cried. "All I ever took was a few coins! I never hurt anyone!"

The room went deathly silent. And as Anna caught a glimpse of the horror and exasperation on Elsa's face, she knew she had made the greatest mistake of her entire life.

"It was you?!"

"She stole from my son!"

"A criminal...Knighted?"

"Arrest her!"

A blast of ice shot into the air, coalescing into a giant, hovering snowflake. The room's collective attention swung from Anna to the one person in the room capable of such magic.

"Anna has been pardoned!" Elsa declared. "I have known about her past for months; she told me immediately after she moved into this Castle. She was desperate, homeless, and unable to find work. Yes, she turned to thievery. But I know for a fact that she only stole small quantities of gold...and only from those who could afford to lose it. She never injured a single person during these crimes. Yes, it was wrong. But her actions were forgivable. She has redeemed herself...and earned where she is today."

A chorus of hostile mumbling arose in reaction to the Queen's words. Elsa's expression wavered just for a moment before a decision was made.

"This gathering is over. Lady Anna will remain a Knight in my service. I will grant reparations from my own vault to any who have lost a handful of coins in one of her heists. You are all dismissed. Thank you."

Horrified and bewildered, the mob of guests was slowly ushered out of the ballroom. Anna didn't wait around to watch them ride or walk back to the city. Before anyone could stop her, she tore through one of the ballroom's side doors and raced towards the Royal Suite.

\

Elsa sat alone in her study for over an hour. Her guards were under orders to turn anyone away. Be they a Council member, Kai, Gerda, or even Anna...no one would be joining her in this room.

How could this have happened? After their lives had finally seen some peace, one well-meaning, sheltered nobleman's daughter had ruined everything within five minutes. Knighting Anna had been a huge gamble, and now it had failed more spectacularly than the Queen would have ever thought possible.

Just as Elsa had chosen to demonstrate once and for all that Anna had her complete support, the redhead had finally been outed. In the back of her mind, the monarch had always been aware of the possibility. But as the months went by without a single hint of recognition from the dozens of aristocrats who had seen Anna, the Queen had become convinced that it would never happen.

She could have been more careful. Should have been more careful. But how? The entirety of the city's nobility would have eventually seen Anna regardless, even if she had never been Knighted. Elsa couldn't help but wrack her brain desperately, searching for a way through which this nightmare could have been avoided. But none came to her.

Much of the aristocracy had disapproved of Anna before this recent revelation. But now their outrage would increase threefold. For a peasant to be consorting with the monarch was bad enough. But a criminal...a thief who had preyed upon the ranks of the nobility for over two years? Even if Anna had never taken more than a few coins, her actions had instilled paranoia into more than one wealthy citizen of Arendelle.

Anna was up in their room, she knew. But Elsa hadn't spoken to her since she'd fled the ballroom in horror. A large part of the Queen wanted to comfort Anna immediately, but the rational sections of Elsa's brain knew it was a terrible idea.

Frustration and anger filled her entire being. Chances were, she would lash out at her consort as soon as they were alone. The Queen tried to tell herself that it wasn't fair to blame Anna for the situation. The Knight wore her heart on her sleeve, that was just who she was. And after all, she was utterly unpracticed when it came to interacting with Arendelle's upper classes.

But why? Why couldn't have Anna have shut her mouth? Just for once? She could have said nothing and simply acted surprised upon Lorana's accusation. It would have been just as effective, if not more so, than an emphatic denial. People would have still been suspicious, of course. But their reactions in such a scenario would have been nothing compared to the uproar that was about to ensue.

How could you have been so foolish?! Is one, brief moment of common sense too much to ask?

Elsa gripped the sides of her desk tightly. Her breathing was even and deep as she willed herself to calm down. Even with all of the Queen's diplomatic training, it was a difficult struggle.

But she had to do it...for Anna's sake.

Left alone, who knew how rash a terrified and guilty Anna could be? Would she run away, thinking that Elsa was going to abandon her? It was unlikely, but the possibility sent the Queen's heart racing even faster. Either way, Anna had to be supervised and comforted. And there was only one person who could do it.

She made a mistake. It happens. Blaming her won't fix anything; the damage is already done. She'll feel terrible enough already without you piling onto her guilt. Anna's given her life for yours time and time again without a second's hesitation. The least you could do is find it in your heart to forgive her.

But Elsa couldn't. At least, not completely. Not yet. But she could suppress it. Within a day's time, most of her frustration towards Anna would disappear. Right now, she needed to hide it as best she could. Even if the redhead was the most impulsive woman on the face of the earth.

It's not the end of the world. I'm still Queen, and I will remain Queen. I'm still rich and intelligent and gorgeous with the most amazing woman in Arendelle in my bed and nearly unstoppable magic at my fingertips. The nobility is not going to rebel over this. To do so would be a death sentence, and all but the most conservative are far too loyal to the crown to contemplate opposing me openly. They will complain, they will whine. I'll have headaches for years. But at the end of the day, I will still be the ruler of Arendelle. If it wasn't for Anna, I wouldn't even be alive.

Focusing on that thought, Elsa finally rose from her chair.

\

She could hear the sobbing from halfway down the hall.

Elsa moved past the seemingly stoic Royal Guards on duty and hesitantly opened the door to their bedroom. Anna's head was buried in a pillow; her body was splayed out facedown across the bed. Her protective instincts kicking in, the Queen moved over to the Knight and began to gently rub her back.

Anna's sobs gradually lessened over the course of the next minute. Finally composed enough to talk, the Knight rose to her knees and faced the Queen. Her eyes were red with tears; mucus was dripping down her nose towards her luscious lips. Her anger dissipating much quicker than expected, Elsa lifted her fingers and slowly began to wipe the tears from Anna's cheeks.

She knows how badly she screwed up. There's no point in scolding her for it.

"All my...fault," Anna managed through her continuing light sobs. "You have to...send me away. I can't be here anymore. The nobles, they'll...never let you hear the end of it. I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot!"

The Queen frowned sternly. "Anna, I'm not going to lie to you. Yes, this is a big problem. But I can deal with it. I am not sending you away. I made you a promise and I love you far too much to even consider breaking it. This-" she indicated Anna's uniform, "Is your life now, and this Castle is your home. One verbal mistake on your part isn't going to change that. It doesn't matter even if every single lord and lady in the kingdom calls for your removal. You are never going to live out there again."

"Thanks Elsa, you know how much that means to me, but-" Anna bit her lip. "You could send me to Corona," she offered sadly. "Your family would make sure I'm taken care of, and this way-"

"No," Elsa hissed, her frustration rapidly being converted into fear of losing the one she loved. "You are mine. You're reckless and irresponsible and sometimes just plain stupid, but you are mine. I don't care what anyone else thinks; we are not going to be separated. You are going to remain a Knight, my Knight, until the day you die. Or have you forgotten your oath already?"

Anna nodded vigorously, a small smile on her face. "Of course, my Queen."

Elsa wasn't cure what caused it. Arousal from Anna's words, her emotions running high from stress, or the possessiveness brought on by her fear. It was probably all three. But for one of the few times in her life, the Queen lost control.

She leaned forward, smashing her lips against Anna's. The Knight, judging by her initial reaction, was downright shocked, but it wasn't long before she began to reciprocate. But that didn't mean she was going to be allowed to take charge. The Queen pressed forward, pushing her tongue deep into Anna's mouth and pushing her consort back against the headboard.

She felt so powerful. The kingdom of Arendelle, its vast armies and uncountable riches...all of it belonged to her completely. Magic the world had never known could be called from her fingertips upon her slightest whim. And most importantly, Anna was hers...and glad to be hers.

Grasping Anna's hands tightly, Elsa deepened the kiss. Sensing what the Queen wanted, Anna laid back submissively against one of the bed's large pillows and allowed Elsa to control her movements. Fingers twitching excitedly, the monarch moved one of her hands to the Knight's uniform and began to undo the top button.

And then she realized what she was doing.

The Queen pulled back, retreating from her consort's mouth and shuffling off the Knight's body. It took all of a second for the grin on Anna's face to morph into a deep scowl.

"You want me, Elsa." It was not a question.

"Yes."

"Then take me."

Elsa shook her head. "Not now. Not like this. We're both so stressed that we're not thinking straight." It took the Queen supreme effort to resist the urge to ravish the red-haired minx in front of her, but decades of emotional training reasserted themselves. This was not the right time. Not when they were both so volatile to go from seething and sobbing one minute to passionately kissing the next. When they made love, it was going to be done right.

And at the moment, they had other concerns.

Cursing herself for being distracted so easily, Elsa pondered her next words. A long, painful talk was ahead of them. How they would deal with the Council. What Anna would say to those who questioned her about her unscrupulous past. How they would deal with the uproar. It would all have to be discussed within the next few hours.

The Queen took a deep breath.

\

He sat down in the red leather chair, gratefully accepting the glass of wine from the man sitting opposite him. He took a small sip, savoring the aged yet strong taste. His host, on the other hand, failed to take a drink from his own glass. Lord Ambrose Duron had never been known for his politeness.

"I'm glad to see you in person Ambrose. I take it that this invitation means that you are considering my offer?"

The noble in front of him scowled. "Considering it, yes. But I have many reservations. How do I know that this isn't all an elaborate setup by the Queen's agents? You'd be gathering all of her enemies together and slitting their throats in one stroke."

He nodded, understanding the point. "With another monarch, yes, it would be possible. But not Queen Elsa. She would never put so many innocents in danger simply to safeguard her own rule. And the last thing she wants at the moment is to antagonize the nobility further. Even after the recent developments, Elsa has no reason to suspect a true uprising. Only with my assistance, after all, would such a thing be possible."

"Perhaps," Duron agreed. "But why take such a risk at all? You're in the Queen's company often enough. Why not stick a dagger in her back the next time she walks past?"

He scowled. "You know as well as I do that anyone save Elsa's guards are forbidden to carry weapons in her presence. The rule is a holdover from more tumultuous times, but the monarchy has never seen fit to revoke it. Maids, nobles, and Council members alike are searched by the Royal Guards before they meet with her. Even guests arriving for a ball are scanned for weapons before entering a party. One of Elsa's ancestors had her throat slit during a dance, and since then..."

His host considered the words for a moment, then nodded. "And your plan neatly sidesteps such precautions. Based upon your letters...the scheme is well-thought out, I admit. And you seem certain that we would find success," Duron noted.

"Certain?" he laughed. "Nothing in this world is certain. But with the element of surprise and the proper planning, yes, I believe the odds would be in our favor. As long as you have as many allies as you claim."

"Of course. The vast majority would be content to sit on their asses and allow Arendelle to fall into ruin, but there are more than enough patriots willing to place it all on the line in order to save it. If your plan proves to be as reasonable as you claim."

He nodded. Since Lady Anna's disastrous Knighting Ceremony several days ago, the news had spread throughout the kingdom like wildfire. Much of the aristocracy was in an uproar as they realized that a former criminal could soon become their Princess-Consort. It had been easy to identify those most willing to rebel, though it was doubtful that any would do so without his assistance. Even the most conservative nobles were hardly willing to risk suicide.

But with what he could provide, the fall of Queen Elsa was suddenly within reach.

The revelation about the kingdom's newest Knight had been enough to send some of the most conservative nobles over the edge. They had never been happy to see a female Queen in power, not without a husband by her side. And her magic hadn't exactly won their approval. Choosing a peasant girl as her consort only enraged them further. But even then, their loyalty to Arendelle was enough to keep them passive.

The prospect of a notorious criminal becoming Royalty, however, was too much. Duron and his ilk had finally had enough. Convinced that the Queen would lead Arendelle to destruction, they were now willing to rise against her. They would find allies, he knew, with the religious fundamentalists among the ranks of the aristocracy. The conspirators did not have to agree on why Elsa had to be dethroned; they would be willing to work together for a common goal.

"And what happens after the Queen is dead?" Duron questioned sternly. "Will you seek the crown?"

"Of course not. I hold no desire to possess the throne myself. My only desire is to see Elsa destroyed. I will be happy to allow you to lead this revolt. Once the dust settles, it is very likely that the crown will fall to you."

Even in the dim lighting of the room, he could see the gleam in Duron's eyes. It was all too easy. Of course, in truth it was incredibly unlikely that any of the conspirators would end up in control of the throne. Duron and his ilk grossly underestimated the loyalty of the military and the populace to Queen Elsa's line. They were blinded by their love of tradition, assuming that the rest of the kingdom was nearly as outraged by Elsa's decisions as they were.

But it didn't matter. All that mattered was Elsa's death.

Responses:

WinterWolfDragon: I wouldn't count on the Council accepting her soon.

Betagamma: Yeah…

3Gs: Ask that question again in thirty chapters.

JPElles: I don't know how long its going to be, but there's still plenty to go!

Mpsantiago: She definitely has, but some people aren't going to be so forgiving.

Sokat: I don't know if that was destined.

DrakeAzureSaber: Duck and cover.

Darthvaderisnotme: I wonder how long it takes to read now.

RisingDaemon: Expect the unexpected.

Elizabeth112: Forgiven legally, yes. That doesn't mean the nobility will have let it go.

Jascmaster: Not really, she's not a true friend or true enemy. Just someone who thought she was doing the right thing without thinking it through.

FreelanceBum: Not sure how to respond to that. But yes.

TheSeleduck: No problem!

Star: Lorana is a sheltered nobleman's daughter who isn't too caught up on the affairs of the realm. She didn't really think her analysis through. The rest of the nobles don't think that Anna is plotting against Elsa, but they resent the Queen for picking a criminal as her Knight and consort.

Lionheart: About that…

Moonwatcher13: Agreed.

Yuiiub: No.

Leelan: Anna wouldn't run away unless Elsa told her to. And Elsa's not going to do that.

Snowboardgurl: Not exactly. She could heal herself in a fight, and that's really useful. But it can't heal everything; some injuries are too serious. When Anna was shot in Chapter 19, for example, Elsa's powers couldn't do much more than slow down the bleeding until Rapunzel (who can heal anything) stepped in. Elsa can't heal most fatal wounds.

Tigger: Not intentionally, but yes.

No.18: Huge embarrassing scene.

Superjoshe: More to worry about than those two.

Shadowfax321: I think she's already done enough community service.

ClaireCooper: False sense of security…

Kyoko-nyaa: Yeah, explaining her side, not the best idea.

Shinkicker: Read chapter 8.

PascalDragon: Too late for that.

PrincessLia: Elsa and Anna don't have easy lives.

ObsessiveImaginings: Oops.

Guest 1: Poor Anna.

Sedryn: Of course not!

SleepingZombie: I'm definitely not that good by a long shot, but I appreciate the confidence!

MasterBlackCrow: Stirring up trouble!

BlackMistMeast: Exactly.

Psyokuma: It matters a lot. Anna was pardoned, but people don't like former criminals who consort with their Queen and become Knights. If she had been found out while just a guest of the Castle and had no relationship with Elsa? Fine. Now, not so much.

Shtoops: Lady Anna just has a better ring to it, I guess. Arendelle's system isn't an exact copy of the British system.

Raven: Hang in there!

AlexisPayton: Agreed.