Work Text:
“Beautiful. Simply Beautiful.” Gerda said with a soft smile as she gently adjusted the draping of Anna’s cape.
Anna could only stare blankly at her own reflection in the large floor-length mirror in her bedroom. This was a day she had been dreading. The day she was formally crowned Queen of Arendelle.
“It’s Coronation Day!!!”
“For the first time in forever, nothing’s in my waaaaaaaaaaay!”
An echoed memory of her eighteen-year-old self, giggling and bountiful of energy lingered in her mind. If only she could go back to that day, to the time when she felt most alive . Of course, if she did that, then there wouldn’t be a reason for today’s festivities in the first place.
Festivities… she sighed. The kingdom and our allies are rejoicing. I wish I were, too… but I’m not.
She had of course prepared for the day. All of the planning had to cross her desk at some point for final approvals, and the better part of the week held rehearsal after rehearsal to make sure everything went smoothly. After what happened during the previous coronation, the advisors and council members were prepared to do anything and everything to make sure there would be no mishaps. Not that there really could be. No one else had the power to create obscene weather disasters with the flick of a wrist.
The chapel bells pulled Anna from her thoughts, and her gaze suddenly went towards the window. Inside, she could feel her heart begin to thump a little harder in her chest. It was almost time to head downstairs.
“What do you think, Your Majesty?” Gerda asked, smiling into the mirror.
Anna let her eyes travel over herself once more. This was the first time she had worn so much regalia and jewelry all at once. There was a diamond bracelet adorning her right wrist, a shimmering broach attached to the center ruffle on her bodice, and a pair of diamond and emerald drop earrings hanging from her lobes. A vibrant eggplant-purple sash with gold trim crossed over her torso, its shade complimenting perfectly with the dark green gown she wore. It was beautiful but heavy-- the heaviest dress she had ever worn in her life. The stiffer outer fabric gave away to a pleated, paler green underskirt that shared gold crocus rosemaling along the bottom hemline. All of that seemed to be weighed down by the incredibly heavy cape draped over her shoulders. Around her neck sat a black ribbon choker with a gold crocus medallion in the center. Much of it was recycled from the original necklace she wore three years prior-- a part of her that still represented her youth and innocence. She made sure to include it.
Her eyes finally settled on her face, and she let out a sigh. Her hairstyle was not one she would have selected for herself, but it’s what Elsa wore to hers, and how her mother used to arrange her own hair. It was a style fitting the Queen of Arendelle, and for continuity’s sake, Anna forced her own locks into its intricate weave. It made her feel more connected to her lost family. Perhaps in a strange, spiritual way, it would channel some strength for her to get through the day.
“I… I feel smothered….” Anna admitted softly. “Elsa didn’t wear nearly this much.”
“Only for the ceremony,” Gerda said, “you can remove the heavy cape for the ball later tonight.”
That’s still hours away… Anna groaned quietly, but her moment to protest was interrupted by a swift knock at her bedroom door.
“Your Majesty ,” Kai’s voice sounded from the corridor, “ It’s time .”
Anna took a deep breath and took one last, long look in the mirror before gathering her skirts and slowly turning around towards the door. Gerda remained just behind her, making sure to gather up the cape so it wasn’t tripped upon. With every step she took down the castle corridors, she could feel her heart thumping harder in her chest.
I bet Elsa felt just like this… actually, she probably felt worse, with the whole magical suppression thing going on. Opening the gates for just one day probably sent her into a panic attack. It’s a wonder she managed to keep her composure for as long as she did.
Just keep calm. Breathe. Focus. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this….
The instant she stepped outside the main doors to the castle, the crowds that had gathered outside erupted into excited cheers. She smiled softly at her subjects and offered a mild wave in return as she descended the few steps to the courtyard and made her way to the chapel.
Just as was rehearsed, she waited in the chapel’s narthex until the doors to the nave would open and signal the start of her processional up towards the altar. However, unlike the calm, composed demeanor she held during so many of the practice runs, today she could barely keep still. Her hands fidgeted at her sides while she waited. They rubbed against the fabrics of her skirts, even shifting so her fingers traced along the diamond bands of her bracelet. They only hurried back to hang loose at her sides when the large wooden doors opened to signal the start of the service. No longer alone and now visible to her visiting attendants, Anna made sure to keep her head held high. Above all else, she had to at least look strong, poised and confident. The music began and the congregation all rose to their feet and glanced back towards the entrance, towards her , so she took her first steps up the center aisle as the choir began to sing their first hymn of the ceremony.
Queen Anointed
Our chosen Daughter
With blessed crown of gold
Anna walked slowly to keep her steps in time with the singing. As she approached the head of the room, her eyes immediately focused on the far end of the altar where she would soon be positioned, then shifted to one particular spot off to the side. If she stared hard enough, she could almost envision her younger self standing proud with a beaming smile on her face, watching and waiting as Elsa walked the same path that she did today. But there was no one there now. The platform was devoid of family members or close friends for support.
Northern glory
Our golden sister
The heirs to kings of old
Let us bless this sacred heart
Sing praise and to bring to light
Your power
An ornate chair was positioned at the center of the altar where she would sit until it was time to take the official oaths as queen. When she made it up the small steps onto the platform, she moved to carefully turn around and stand in front of it to face the congregation while the choir finished their hymn.
Noble Queen of our northern lands
We are in your hands….
There was a brief period of silence in the chapel once the music ended. Her eyes remained unfocused and straight ahead as she could see chapel staff close the large doors. Once the bells stopped their ringing, she took her seat, and the congregation lowered back into their pews. Her hands remained clasped and as still as possible in her lap as the bishop came forward to stand before a podium set up near the base of the steps.
Anna recognized the bishop’s opening sermon from the one he recited during Elsa’s coronation. It was just as long and drawn out as she remembered the first time, and she tried her best to keep her focus on the holy man and not let her eyes stray elsewhere. And she was never more thankful that when organizing the program there were choir breaks in between most of the speaking to break up some of the monotonous droning. However, it didn’t dawn on her until after the third hymn that Elsa’s service was severely abbreviated. It seemed that by this point, her sister was already crowned and heading back into the castle. She was starting to regret letting her advisors talk her into a larger service. She understood the symbolic importance of each part of the coronation, but was starting to get the impression that all of the additional pomp and circumstance was to make up for what Elsa had forcibly removed from her own ceremony entirely… and perhaps to make a show that this queen and her reign would be a bit more traditional than the last.
Finally, it was time for the crowning. Anna rose from her seat and moved to stand at the front of the platform as the bishop approached with the velvet pillow containing the sacred royal scepter and orb. She reached down to gently take hold of them and then straightened up as tall as she could. Another priest approached behind the bishop with a second pillow, this one containing her crown. It was much larger and more ornate than Elsa’s--adorned with diamonds and emeralds with a repeating crocus pattern around the entire curvature. With the headpiece in his hands held high above her head, the bishop stood behind her and began uttering the old nordic prayer that Anna recognized from her sister’s ceremony.
Anna swallowed nervously through the blessing as she tightened her grip on the jewels in her hands, and for the first time since the service began, allowed her eyes to scan about the full chapel. So many calm smiles stared back at her. She recognized some-- King Argus of Vallacia, Prince Oscar and his mother, Queen Helene of Rheland, King Frederick and Queen Charlotte of the Southern Isles, along with countless others that she’s met in the last few months, most of them from the New Year’s reception hosted by the Southern Isles so many months ago. Their silent support was a small comfort, though it did little to soften the rapid heart thumping in her chest.
It was all too soon. Barely four years since Elsa stood in this place, held the sacred relics, stared out at a very similar crowd. That young queen was nervous then, too, but for entirely different reasons. A fear of the unknown, of change, and most of all, of exposure. Not even Anna standing proudly beside her could lessen the amount of anxiety smothering the entire ceremony. Elsa stood with her back to the audience and kept her gaze mostly towards the floor. She couldn’t even face the priest anointing her. Nothing but stress from the moment she stepped into the chapel.
Anna’s nerves were of a different nature. As the second born, the spare , she spent a good portion of her life playing second fiddle, being compared to Elsa in many ways. Everything from behavior to poise to even manner of speech was scrutinized. Everyone, especially her courtiers, wanted her to be better, to be more proper, more reserved, like her sister was. The last thing she desired here, now, was for the people near and far to think that she was going to have the same attitude towards the coronation as Elsa. She made sure to position herself facing her audience for the entire ceremony. It made her feel more vulnerable while trying to hide her array of emotions, but it seemed more important that she truly be seen by her subjects and visiting nobles for who and what she was.
Suddenly, she felt the weight of the crown pressed into her hair as the bishop’s voice suddenly boomed much louder than before and spoke the final words of the invocation.
“...Sem hon heldr inum helgum eignum ok krýnd í þessum helga stað ek té fram fyrir yðr...Queen Anna of Arendelle!"
Anna was mistaken when she thought that the formal ceremonial service that morning would be the hardest part of the day to get through. Now that the Coronation Ball was in full swing, she was feeling a lot more emotional than expected. Too many memories of a time gone by flooded to the surface. Kai’s formal presentation brought her to stand at her raised throne at the head of the decorated ballroom. She knew being alone at formal functions was something she would have to get used to, but it didn’t make gazing out at the crowds of partygoers any easier.
Once the first dance of the evening began, she retreated back to her throne and sat down. In between the swishing of tailcoat tails and full skirts moving about the floor, she could almost see the very spot where Duke Spencer of Weselton pulled her into some outrageous dance— if one could even call it a dance. The tiny man seemed to hop about and step on her toes more than actually steer her about on the dance floor. If she thought about it hard enough, she could almost feel a phantom pain across her feet from the ordeal.
If only he wasn’t such a jerk, Anna mused, he could have been invited to my Coronation, too… and I could have gotten some entertainment watching him prance about like some chicken-or-a-donkey-or whatnot with some other unsuspecting girl.
Peeling her eyes away from her guests, she decided to glance down at her gown instead, and as she fidgeted and adjusted the way her long train was draped around her feet, she was suddenly reminded of something and someone else, at an inconvenient time when her younger self managed to trip over her own skirts like a clumsy fool. That brief moment of embarrassment turned her evening into a whirlwind romance that only seemed to be possible coming from fairy tales and novels.
“Glad I caught you….”
His smooth voice echoed in her mind and she let out a sigh as her fingers stroked the pale green pleats of her skirt. The shade reminded her of eyes that never left hers for hours on end. Those eyes were the most beautiful and vibrant that she had ever seen. Oh how she wished they were here to gaze upon her now… or so the man’s strong arms could lead her into a dance or two. That would certainly brighten her spirits. If only he were here.
Hans…
His presence would make all of her worries, all of her insecurities vanish in an instant. She missed having someone to talk to. Someone to laugh and tease with. General Mattias made for a nice confidant and right-hand-man since their return from the Enchanted Forest, but even he was still a subordinate in the castle, just like Gerda and Kai. The one thing she missed about her recent holiday in the Isles was that everyone there, even the princes she didn’t care to associate with, were equals with her.
Well, as equal as a slew of princes and a queen could ever be.
But with Hans, there were no ranks. Just two people. Two friends. Two...whatever they were.
I wonder what he’s up to… she mused, if he’s hiding away in his rooms reading books or painting a new masterpiece--
“Glad I caught you!”
Her eyes immediately jumped back towards the crowd and searched the room for the source of the voice. The too familiar phrase made her heart race, and she had to take a few deep breaths to remind herself that the speaker was in fact not Prince Hans, and that her former fiancé was not the only man allowed to utter such a common saying. Off to the side, she noticed King Alastor of Malengrad waving enthusiastically to one of the ambassadors of Maldonia, and the two gentlemen moved over to the side of the ballroom for a chat. She let out a frustrated sigh. No matter how much she tried, she could not shake off her visions of a dashing, handsome prince saving an awkward, clumsy princess from falling most disgracefully in the middle of the ballroom. If she focused hard enough, she could almost make out the path they took through their waltz around the room to the velvet curtains they hid behind.
Anna closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, and for a moment, she could almost hear the echoing sounds of her old laughter and babbling apologies for knocking Hans in the face. It was a noise she hadn’t heard in a long time. She missed that sound, and the aura of pure joy that the mere act brought. After so many months of mourning and burying herself in regal duties, she desperately wanted to feel alive again. She thought this event would be of some help, but instead, all she could dwell on were her memories. And since this ball wasn’t enough to get her excited, she would have to seek out her thrills somewhere else.
Once the waltz ended, she rose from her throne and tried her best to discreetly make her way across the ballroom to the large exit doors. When Kai tried to approach, she merely waved him off. “I just need some air. I’ll be right back,” she told him with a slightly-forced smile, and slipped through the entrance before he could get a reply in.
With the doors now closed behind her, she leaned against the flat surface and took in a deep breath. She wouldn’t be able to sneak away for too long… not like Elsa’s party. She and Hans were gone for hours; long enough for her to give him a proper tour of the castle and surrounding kingdom highlights. By the time they returned to the party, the hour was nearing midnight. But then, she wasn’t the main attraction that night, the woman that held everyone’s eye. She was just the princess. The spare. No one cared what she did or where she went. Anna held suspicions that Elsa and the other advisors present probably didn’t even notice her absence… only her return, because that’s when everything fell apart.
I think I’ll be lucky to get maybe twenty minutes to myself… she sighed to herself as she took off down the lit corridors. As she rounded a corner and gathered her skirts to set up a short flight of stairs, she could hear the Ball’s music growing softer until she couldn’t hear it at all.
There was a set of double doors coming up on the left, and when she approached, she hesitated before pushing them open. It was an empty, connecting corridor. Anna bit her lip and swallowed hard as she glanced down towards the floor. Her hands grasped onto her skirts and gently lifted them up so she could even see her dainty feet. After some careful kicking, she managed to get her heeled shoes off and moved to the side and out of the way. Her heart started to thump in her chest at the mere thought of what she was about to do, and her hands grabbed at more of her skirts to hike them almost to her knees. One foot then moved out in front of the other without actually lifting off the floor. Her stockings slid with ease on the polished wood floor, and she then made a few more steps just to test how far she felt comfortable going across the hall. One of her foot movements caught on the back train of her dress and she instantly flailed her arms out to regain her balance.
“ I’m beginning to realize that I like having someone to hold steady… ”
“Well then… I guess you must really like me…”
“I’m beginning to realize that, too…”
The memory made her sigh, and it took a few moments for her to right herself. This wasn’t nearly as exciting as she hoped it would be. How could it when her preferred sliding partner was stuck on an island so far away?
“Your Majesty?”
A puzzled voice behind her made her freeze, and she slowly glanced behind her to see General Mattias peering in through the doorway. Her cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment at being caught like this, though at least it was only Mattias and not one of the guards patrolling the corridors.
“Are you alright?” He asked, stepping further into the room. His eyes shifted from her abandoned shoes on his end of the hall to her position several meters away.
“I.. um… yes.” Anna cleared her throat. “I just needed to get away for a few minutes.”
“I see…” He said slowly.
“Kai sent you to find me, didn’t he? He didn’t seem at all pleased that I was sneaking away in the first place.”
“He did.”
Anna couldn’t resist letting her shoulders slump just a little. It was too soon to return to the party. She slowly walked back to her shoes and slipped her feet back into them. “I don’t want to face them all… not yet.”
Mattias tilted his head slightly to one side and stroked his chin. “I could… forget I saw you for a little while longer?” He proposed, “if that is your wish, Ma’am.”
A small smile started to show across her features. “It is.”
“And where will I find you later?” He asked, “when the time comes to retrieve you properly?”
Anna shook her head. “If I tell you, that would take the fun out of finding me, wouldn’t it?” She placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Thank you, General.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Without another word, she hurried out through the other end of the corridor and purposefully crossed over to a different wing of the castle and to a particular balcony overlooking a small portion of the gardens. She perched herself on the balustrade and gazed out at the florals below. The trickling sound of the water fountain in the center of the area also got her attention. It was a nice change to see the water flowing again. It had of course been shut off during the harsh winter months, but even before then, it was always Elsa’s signature to have the water frozen upwards in elaborate displays. The gentle movement was always something that she found rather soothing. As a child, she spent many days outside with her mother by those fountains, sometimes teasing and splashing each other, other times she was alone, watching with awe as the ducks and their ducklings played about in the water.
The pleasant memory brought a smile to her face, but in the end it was short lived. The trickling water also started to remind her of the waterfall where Prince Hans proposed to her. A sigh escaped her lips and her shoulders slumped forward. It seemed that everything this evening was reminding her of Hans, and now she was really starting to miss him.
“Wait, wait… you have how many—?”
“Twelve older brothers. And three of them pretended that I was invisible. Literally. For two years.”
Anna snorted to herself as she vividly remembered every little detail and conversation shared back then. And since her recent visit to the Southern Isles, she could easily imagine which brothers gave Hans the cold shoulder. He offered her a modest three, but in reality she could peg at least four or five to be the guilty ones.
Jerks. All of them… she sighed softly. I hope they’re not giving him too much of a hard time back home. It’s no secret that he would rather be anywhere but there. If circumstances were different, he’d have been the first one invited to my coronation.
Or… maybe he wouldn’t even have needed an invite at all! I suppose if Elsa didn’t freak out and freeze everything, then Hans and I would probably have been married by now. Maybe… maybe we’d even be living together in the Southern Isles instead. I would’ve been the light in his life that made living amongst his brothers actually bearable.
Of course, if I was living with Hans all this time, then Elsa would probably not have woken the spirits of the Enchanted Forest. She would still be alive, hidden safely away in this castle with the gates locked up tight.
And I wouldn’t have to be Queen….
Her eyes lowered to her lap as she reflected on the months since returning home from her winter holiday. So much of her time was spent sitting in with her advisors going over everything from the daily agendas to matters of foreign affairs. It was like a double-edged sword at times. One one hand, she was truly thankful for all of their assistance, at least in the beginning. Ruling the kingdom was not something she and Elsa had equal training on, and the few short times she deputized in her sister’s absence were nothing compared to the stress brought on by full-time duties. But on the other hand, her advisors still treated her like a naïve child and oftentimes preferred to take care of everything for her and contend with merely having her sign off on the final documents. That’s not what she wanted. She had to have confidence in herself to do what was right for the kingdom, and in order to learn best, she had to do things herself. Thank goodness that she had General Mattias sit in on so many of those sessions. At least he always looked out for her, and his voice often registered to her councilmen when hers could not.
How was it so easy for Elsa to garner their respect? Was it her magic? Or did she just have that natural commanding presence?
… Of course she did. Elsa had everything.
Even Hans had it, and he was only in charge for a few days! If these stuffy old men listened to him, a stranger , why won’t they listen to me?
“It seems I’ve found you again, Your Majesty.”
Anna jumped at the sound and glanced at the balcony doors. General Mattias was back and standing at attention in the doorway. That was not nearly enough time for her. Her shoulders slumped further as she let out a disappointed sigh, “You’re too efficient, General. How did you know I was out here?”
“This is where you always go to hide.” He replied and stepped over towards her. “And every time I find you here, you are always looking quite pensive.”
“Mmm.” She nodded and glanced straight out past the castle wall to the distant city square all lit up for the evening.
“You don’t seem too thrilled about rejoining the party.” Mattias said.
Anna shrugged, “I think the formality of the ceremony really took its toll on me. You know, the symbolic weight of it all…. I’m officially Queen now. And I guess I keep thinking about Elsa and what it may have been like for her when she was crowned. I can’t help but notice how our days felt very different to me. Elsa’s big day was like the highlight of my life. I finally got to see the gates reopen and meet all of these new people. There was music and just… life back in the castle again. It was like magic, especially after thirteen years of being shut in all the time. I remember being so excited to burst through the castle walls and see the city again.” She sighed softly. “I even fell in love that night.”
“The Southern Isles prince?”
She nodded. “Hans and I didn’t stick around for the whole party. I showed him some of the kingdom,” she let out a quiet giggle, “though it felt like we were really exploring this place for the first time, together. It seemed more special that way.” She gestured out towards the mountain rock face. “That waterfall over there is where he proposed to me. Those hours I spent with him… that moment when he got on his knee… I think that was the happiest that I’d ever been.”
Mattias nodded pensively and glanced out to where she had pointed. If he concentrated enough, he could almost hear the roaring of the falls. When he turned back towards his queen, his eyes immediately softened. Hans Westergaard was not a subject that was frequently spoken about. He remembered the man’s name being mentioned back in the Enchanted Forest during Olaf’s skit-like rendition of the royal sisters' life story, but that gave him a rather negative impression of the man. The tales of heartbreak and betrayal didn’t sit well with him in the slightest. However, the Christmas trip to the Southern Isles seemed to turn his preconceived notions about the youngest prince upside down. Anna spent a great deal of her time with her former fiancé, and as he kept a watchful eye from afar, he couldn’t help but notice that she seemed quite content in the man’s presence. Those were some of the only times that she even bothered to smile during her stay.
“You miss him…” He said after a brief pause, “don’t you.”
Anna sighed and slowly nodded her head. “Terribly. He was such a great comfort to me… and probably the oldest and only friend that I have left from before…” she hesitated for a moment, not really wanting to mention it out loud, “...before Elsa’s death. I wish he could have come, but I know it’s for the best that he remained away. My advisors don’t like him after what he did during the last coronation, regardless of circumstances or reasoning behind it--”
“--Your courtiers are nothing but overgrown stuffed shirts in fancy suits. They know nothing about matters of the heart.” Mattias replied.
Anna pressed her lips into a thin line and glanced at him. “But you do?”
“Well…” he let out a small chuckle in an attempt to lighten the mood, “I do have a heart…”
“Yes, you do. And a good one, at that.”
“Still,” He cleared his throat in an attempt to stay on topic, “Do you think you would be enjoying the evening more if the prince were here?”
“Oh yes.” Anna said adamantly. “We’d be spending every moment together. I’d never have left the ballroom. O-or even if I did, the two of us would probably be sitting out here, and I’d be shoving krumkake in his face.”
That got a good laugh out of Mattias. “What??”
She shrugged lightly, “it’s just something that we did before, a little joke between the two of us.” After a brief period of silence, she added much softer, “there really hasn’t been much of that around, lately. Jokes and excitement, I mean. I really was trying to look forward to today. To music and dancing… seeing old friends and making new allies…” a sigh escaped her, “to liveliness in the castle again, just like all of the splendor and wonder that happened before. Before the plans came out, my coronation seemed like something out of a dream… something to end what felt like the second most depressing period of my life. But the last two weeks of official planning and preparation only reminded me that everything I enjoyed back then, everyone whom I loved and shared so many memories with are gone. How could I possibly be happy when I’m all alone?”
“But you’re not alone, Ma’am.” Mattias said and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. “I'm here for you. You have citizens who love and support you. It is true, you have been dealt a terrible hand as of late, but your strength and resolve have seen you through the absolute worst of your trials thus far. You have such an immensely loving heart that I have never seen before in a leader. Your ascension to the throne will bring Arendelle into a new, more prosperous age.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “That is, of course, what the joy of your coronation is all about: the rise of a beautiful young woman who is not afraid to step up and do what is right and just, not merely what is expected.”
“...the next right thing…” Anna murmured so quietly that Mattias could barely hear it.
“Yes.” He nodded. “And I feel that regardless if he attended or not, Prince Hans would not want you to dwell on the past and on what was, on what no longer could be, but to revel and enjoy a day meant to honor and celebrate you, and to look forward to a bright and hopeful future not only for the kingdom, but for yourself, too. You deserve that, and so much more.”
“I wish it were that simple…”
“It can be.” He replied. “You said so yourself… you want to be happy, yes?”
She nodded.
“Then make the ultimate decision to be happy. You had your mourning period. Now it’s time to treasure your memories and let them encourage you to move on. We’ve done all that we can. Now, the change can only come from you.”
“Say goodbye to the pain of the past. We don’t have to feel it anymore…”
A timid half-smile started to form across her features as her thumb flicked away a stray tear from her eyes that threatened to fall. He was right, of course, and it sometimes unnerved her how well he could read her. Mattias seemed to channel the very energy of her and Hans’ last moments together. Perhaps it really was time to honor the promise she made to her prince during her visit. Focusing on the negative everywhere was what caused her to become miserable about her coronation in the first place. And she really was tired of feeling so depressed. For her sake and for his... It was finally time for her to live in the present. “Why General…” she said coyly, “when did you get so wise?”
“Oh you know… after thirty-four years in an enchanted forest…” He teased as he reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small handkerchief to hand to her. “What do you say? Shall I escort you back to enjoy the remainder of your celebrations? The night is still young…”
Anna dabbed her eyes. “I... I think I’d like that.” She said and gently hopped off the ledge and smoothened out her skirts. “And...perhaps you’d like to be my first dance partner of the evening?”
Mattias offered her a sweeping bow before offering his arm. “It would be my honor, Your Majesty.” They made several steps back into the castle before he added, “but I should warn you… I can’t dance.”
Anna giggled and smiled up at him. It felt like the first truly genuine smile she’d shown all day. “That’s okay. Just promise me you’ll stay by my side.”
“Always.”
Her smile grew wider and she squeezed his arm as they returned to the ballroom. Mattias wasn’t Hans, but that was alright. He was her friend, and tonight, that was enough.