Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters! Frozen all goes to Disney!

A/N: I realize it has been a long, long, long, long, long, long time. For that, I apologize. Writer's block is a nasty, nasty creature. But I seem to have found my muse again! I do hope you enjoy!

Elsa sat in front of her mirror adjusting her braid and crown. From the mirror, she could see both Anna and Georg giving disapproving looks. They were the same looks she had received since agreeing to meet with the new Duke of Weselton. The ceasefire had been well over a month ago, but with Anna's engagement party and wedding planning, Elsa hadn't a spare minute. It was two weeks ago she had offered the Duke an audience. She had wanted to meet on neutral ground as a show of good faith, but Georg had convinced her to have the meeting in the castle. Now, they wanted her to cancel all together.

"I will say it once more," Elsa's voice was calm and steady, "I will not cancel. I will not show weakness. Not to a new Duke, and certainly not to the new Duke of Weselton."

Anna groaned and flopped down, rather unceremoniously, on the chaise, "Elsa, I'm not saying show weakness. Maybe just send Kai in your place? He does well with proclamation…"

Georg was about to contribute until Elsa sighed and turned to face both of them, "He will be in my kingdom, in my castle, with my guards in the room. I seriously doubt he will make an attempt on my life. You two seriously have such imaginations!"

She laughed slightly, trying to downplay the entire situation. Really, she was tired of everyone second guessing her decision, especially after having put their complete faith in her when Weselton had gone to the battlefield with her. She was a Queen, and she had magical ice powers. She was more than capable.

Outside her door, she nearly ran right into Kristoff in the hall. He caught her shoulders to steady her before quickly letting go, awkwardly looking away.

Anna followed her sister out the door and grinned when she saw her fiance. "Great! Kristoff, tell Elsa she should send a representative to the meeting with the Duke! You think it's the safe thing, right?"

Kristoff continued to look away, shuffling nervously. Oddly enough, he wasn't nervous because of the Queen. He was nervous about Anna's reaction to what his answer was going to be. The Princess had a tendency to overreact to certain things.

"Actually, I think it's kind of brave." His words were soft spoken.

"Exactly! Wait-what?" Anna raised an eyebrow curiously at him while Else smiled triumphantly towards Georg and her sister.

Anna took a step closer to Kristoff, her eyes narrowing, "Why on earth did you tell her that!" She slapped at his arm, which Kristoff easily dodged out of reach.

"What?" He exclaimed as he kept dodging slapping hands. One would think he'd be used to Anna's temper by this point. She hadn't exactly hidden it when they first met, but he had expected their affections for one another to at least ease some of it. Then again, there were times even he had to admit, he deserved to be slapped. After all, he wasn't raised in a palace, and the transition from mountain man to prince was a difficult one.

Anna groaned and threw up her hands exasperatedly, "You've just told my sister-the one who had an attempt on her life recently, mind you-that it was a fine idea to meet with the Duke of Weselton!"

Kristoff couldn't help it, he couldn't hold in the small bout of laughter. Anna's eyes narrowed when he doubled over, laughing harder and harder. The passing maids glanced nervously at the man and irate Princess. Kristoff couldn't care less at the rash of hits to his arms until, in her rising agitation, Anna punched him.

"Ow-Ow!" Kristoff began rubbing his shoulder to ease the pain of the blow as he stood up. Anna had her hands on her hips, her lips pursed angrily.

"Stop laughing! This is serious!"

With hesitation, Kristoff let out another small chuckle. He quickly attempted to turn the noise into clearing his throat, "Anna, I think you and Georg are overreacting just a little. I mean, Elsa has proven she is more than capable of taking care of herself."

Anna crossed her arms defiantly, "She was almost murdered, Kristoff."

His hands went to his hips as his chest puffed out in the smallest of proud ways, "She survived, Anna."

"She had a war!" Anna exclaimed. She was now desperately trying to get her point across, and failing to come up with reasons why her sister should not attend this meeting.

"Which she single-handedly rode out onto the battlefield and accepted Weselton's ceasefire." Kristoff leaned forward as he put her in checkmate, "Not to mention, your sister has ice magic!"

It was the final nail in the argument. The one factor which always seemed to allow Elsa the ability to do as she saw fit. She had magic. She had powerful magic, and was no longer afraid to use it. There was still a bit of control to be learned, but for the most part, Elsa had completely embraced her magical abilities. Anna, having only recently realized her sister's abilities, albeit for the second time in her life, was slowly getting used to the idea her sister wasn't hiding in isolation anymore. A part of her was always going to want to shield Elsa from the possibility of fear or rejection, and not just because of her powers but because of her nobility. Just like Elsa was always going to try and shield Anna because of some ludicrous idea she was too curious and a little naive.

"Ugh!" Anna threw her hands up and stalked past her fiance towards the stairs, "If you aren't going to be helpful then just go play in the barn with Sven!" She was off after her sister and Georg, leaving Kristoff with a bemused look on his face. Anna was feisty, and all together hard to keep up with, but she was his. She loved him, despite how agitating he could be to her, and despite the fight they just had, she would come around. Anna always did.

Kristoff simply shrugged and continued towards his bedroom. His laughter could be heard throughout the hall.

Anna flew down the stairs, trying desperately to catch her sister and her suitor. The pair had taken to daily walks in the gardens, usually so they could slip out past the barn and towards the wooded area. They thought they were being discrete, but Anna had spent her life exploring the castle grounds in her many attempts to break free of her confines. She had caught them on more than one occasion with their lips locked passionately. The princess really hope that wasn't how she would find them currently, not when she still had an argument to make.

Reaching the courtyard, Anna spotted her sister's flowing purple cape. She called out, but the couple apparently did not hear her. Naturally, her next instinct was to run to catch up. Perhaps a little undignified for royalty, but when had Anna ever confessed to being dignified?

"Elsa! Wait!" Anna reached the end of the stone path and the hem of her sister's cape. Both Elsa and Georg turned to her, the Queen's eyes widened in surprise and curiosity at the sight.

"Anna, please," Her tone was more professional as she turned to face her sister with an earnest look. She was tired of having the same discussion with Anna, especially when it regarded her own safety. Quite honestly, she was tired of having the safety conversation with just about everyone.

"Elsa, I just want to talk. Please." Anna stopped in her tracks. She suddenly found herself rocking on her feet in one of those rare situations where she was unsure if Elsa was angry, upset, or frustrated. She was also unsure which, if any, were directed towards her.

Elsa gave Georg an apologetic look, to which the young prince only smiled warmly and nodded before walking away towards the stables. The Queen, on the other hand, inhaled deeply and walked towards her sister. Her expression softened the closer she came, and when she was next to Anna, Elsa offered her arm. Tentatively, Anna reached out.

"Look, I know I'm not Queen or anything, but-" Anna paused when her sister held up a hand and cleared her throat.

"Anna, I understand. I know you're worried, but I promise you everything will be alright. This is just a meeting, nothing more." Elsa couldn't help but smile at the uncertain face her sister was making.

"Your Majesty." One of the guards approached, bowing low and then snapping back up to attention. He waited silently for her approval before going on, "The Duke of Weselton has arrived. He is waiting in the throne room."

Elsa nods and smiles, "Well, duty calls." She grasps Anna's hands and gives her one more reassuring look, "It's going to be okay. I promise."

She leaves Anna in the garden, heading forth towards the castle. The walk was quiet and simple. One guard opened the doors to the private hall of the residence, and Elsa nodded with a smile. A pair of armed guards meets her at the doors to her throne room, and when she is ready, Elsa nods again. Each soldier takes hold of one side of the double doors and they open. There is trumpeting to announce her presence as she walks past the heavy decorative curtains surrounding her throne.

At once, she is met with a kneeling figure. His head fully of jet black hair is bowed, and one arm is crossed over his chest. His traditional uniform and possibly overwhelming amount of medals looked sharp and certainly spoke to his influence within his own country. Perhaps he would prove her wrong and be more open minded than his predecessor.

"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Queen Elsa of Arendelle." Kai proclaimed once the trumpets stopped, "Your Highness, this is-"

"I'm well aware who this is, Kai." Elsa responded coolly. So much about this meeting took her back to the day she first met Georg, however she was less inclined to rekindle trade or any other sort of negotiations with Wesselton. The previous Duke had labeled her a monster, a wielder of sorcery and practitioner of dark magics. He had sent his men to kill her, which in the grand scheme of things wasn't as bad as what Hans had intended, but still pretty bad.

"I'm more interested in why the Duke of Weselton sees fit to enter my palace, let alone my country. I made it quite clear our trade agreements had been voided."

The Duke stayed kneeling, but his presence emanated powerfully. The pure vibrations of pride and assurance coming from the young man was intriguing and quite impressive. Elsa was careful not to let her edge be swayed, and kept her steely gaze.

"I am aware, Your Highness, and I come not on behalf of the sovereignty or my family's honor, but on behalf of my people, to beg your forgiveness." The Duke's voice was rich, and he spoke smoothly as if it were something he was simply born to do. His words didn't seem rehearsed or even prepared by a well-trusted courtier. The fluency of his speech was close to anyone who was speaking truthfully from their heart. However, Elsa knew all too well how deceiving well bred men in nice uniforms could be. She had absolutely no intention of trusting one so quickly.

After a moment of silence had passed, the Queen took a small step back and sat down gently on her throne. Her cape was draped elegantly over one of the armrests by Kai without hesitation. The royal butler took a moment to scrutinize the young Duke before his Queen, sizing him up with his own impression. He knew Elsa would ask him later what his thoughts were. The sister's thought of Kai and Gerda like family, and they had basically watched both girls grow up within the castle walls. Until asked, though, Kai would keep his opinions to himself. Despite his initial indecision when Prince Georg had appeared, the royal butler had an odd feeling rising in the pit of his stomach whenever he scrutinized the Duke.

Elsa cleared her throat and folded her hands properly on her lap. She was used to royal proceedings, and had spent much of her youth preparing for the role she now occupied. Little by little and with Anna's help, the Queen had learned to have more confidence in herself, especially when interacting with other people. A lifetime of isolation tends to make social settings quite awkward at times.

"If you are going to beg for my forgiveness, you can at least do so on your feet." Her tone had softened only somewhat, but still remained neutral. The only way she could truly see the intent behind the Duke's words was if she could look him directly in the eyes.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Duke rose to his feet slowly. He gently clasped his hands behind his back before raising his head. His dark hair was cut short along the sides, but grown out on top, showing his youth in a rather giving tell. His face was clean shaven with a strong, square jaw, and his eyes were the deepest blue Elsa had ever seen. He was neither shy nor forceful as he looked at her directly, never breaking eye contact.

"My name is Johann of the House of Reigher von Haustein. My uncle," He spoke the term and his jaw tightened in apparent disdain, "Previously held the title of Duke, and I come before you today, Queen Elsa, to assure you he no longer has a place of rule in the duchy. My family is appalled at his behavior, and have quite honestly been concerned about his mental well being for some time. His ill-advised campaign against Arendelle only confirmed our suspicions."

Johann paused for a moment. Perhaps to collect his next thoughts, or perhaps to give Elsa time to respond to such unlucky news. A decline in health, mental or otherwise, was always sad business but for heads of nations it was harrowing. Decisions were scrutinized, actions micromanaged, and every move calculated to the inth degree just to prevent the possibility of destabilizing an entire country. If the previous Duke had indeed deteriorated mentally, he had gone so unchecked long enough to not only threaten but proceed to war on Arendelle.

"I have taken over as Duke to Weselton, and in doing so my first promise to the people was to come to Arendelle and attempt to right the wrongs done unto its people and its Queen." When he finished, Johann bowed deeply, his arms spread to his sides as if in offering. He stayed this way until the Queen spoke again.

To say Elsa was impressed would be a slight overreach. Truthfully, she had expected something of this nature to happen once the conflict between the two countries had been dealt with. Weselton relied heavily on trade from Arendelle, and Arendelle was always willing to give to those who needed it. Her proclamation to end trade with Weselton had not been an overreaction or a decision made by a slighted youth. Elsa knew exactly what she was doing when she had given the orders. She did not feel the least bit remorseful for her evaluation of this young man. Even she would admit, however, something about him intrigued her.

Here, standing before her was a fresh faced young man who could easily be overtaken by the smugness and prideful nature of youth. Yet he was seeking forgiveness in the hopes of renegotiating trade. For most nobility, this would seem a natural move for the betterment of the people. These days, the ruling class was becoming younger and younger, and ego played a much heavier role in decision making. Hans was a prime example. To see such a young Duke submit that ego to whatever barrage of responses Elsa could throw his way was very impressive.

"While I appreciate your words, Sir, they are just that. After an assassination attempt and then followed by a declaration of war, surely you can appreciate my skepticism in opening my borders to Weselton again."

The Duke rose once again, and Elsa could see the slight disappointment on his face. Surely he didn't think it would be that easy? Elsa was fair, but she was not naive.

"Your Majesty, if you would just-" Johann's words were cut short by the throne room's doors being shoved open. Both Elsa and Johann looked in the direction of the doors with surprise. Elsa's reaction quickly transformed into annoyance when Georg began striding up towards the Duke.

Elsa was on her feet almost instantly, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her. Slowly, she could feel the frosty snowflakes creeping up her hands from her fingertips as she tried to control her annoyance. They had discussed the matter previously, alone in her room before including Anna on the decision. Georg had told her he would respect her arrangement to speak with the Duke, and that he would not interfere. Elsa's annoyance was quickly manifesting into anger. While she had spent plenty of time learning to control her powers, it still proved difficult to manage when she was mad. She could always correct whatever snowstorm suddenly appeared, but it was always after her initial outburst would subside.

"Prince Georg, I'm assuming you have an extremely good excuse for interrupting my audience with the Duke of Weselton." Her words were not an invitation for an excuse, but more a warning.

Georg's footfalls faltered momentarily when the Queen spoke, but he soon regained his stride until he was standing next to Johann. He didn't look at the Duke, nor did he meet Elsa's gaze directly. His eyes seemed fixated on the throne behind her as if he were any other subject in her kingdom. He stood at attention, rigid and solid, and one arm was extended towards her, presenting an envelope.

"If it pleases Her Highness, I've just received word from one of our scouts on the Northern Mountain. He sends word of the formation of a blockade. Interestingly enough, this blockade flies a flag with Weselton colors." At the last sentence, Georg turned his head towards the Duke. His eyes narrowed and nostrils flared, like a wild predator about to pounce on its prey. Before he could act, his extended hand felt five delicate fingertips remove the letter from his palm. Georg looked back towards the throne only to see Elsa standing before him, reading the letter intently. There was a panic in her, and there was a noticeable temperature drop in the room. Georg could see every breath he took. His instinct quickly switched from wanting to throttle the Duke to a need to comfort the Queen. Though, he didn't dare in front of the public eye.

When she had finished the letter, Elsa looked up at Johann, her eyes wide, "So you come to ask forgiveness while you mount another campaign against my kingdom?" Her voice trembled in anger as her fist crumpled the correspondence in her hand. White and gray fluffs of cloud began to swirl together overhead, mixing together like paints on a canvas. One by one, tiny specs of white floated to the ground in a delicate dance around the room.

The Duke, with a look of shock on his face, took a step back from Elsa. "I swear, Your Majesty, Weselton has no intention of marching on your kingdom again. These men could easily be from the previous campaign. My country is in discord, and the retreat was not well executed. I swear!"

Georg couldn't help the smirk that had crept onto his face. War was all he really knew, and he excelled greatly at it. If there was truly a premeditated blockade by Weselton's military in the Northern Mountain, it would mean another military campaign for him to spearhead. Not that he was interested spending anymore time away from Elsa, but the thrill of combat was a thirst he would never quench. On the other hand, the look of utter horror on such a presumptuous kid's face was very entertaining.

"Just because you swear to it doesn't make it true." Georg replied, maneuvering himself between the Queen and her guest. "Why should we trust you?"

Johann looked between Elsa and Georg. His mouth opened and closed several times as if he wanted to speak but his brain would not formulate the words to do so. Unusual, given his penchant for eloquently formed speech just moments ago. It was becoming clearer to Elsa that he had been coached on how to approach a royal station higher than his own, and when deviated from his initial plan, his facade was cracking.

"Please, Your Majesty, let me fix this. Let me prove Weselton is different. I'll ride out myself and dispatch the men in the Northern Mountains. Please!"

Elsa took a step closer, the look on her face giving even Georg chills down his spine, "I will give you two days. Two days to reach your blockade and disband it. Then I will hear your apology. Now get out of my castle." She turned away from him, ascending the few steps to her throne before walk back behind the curtains.

Georg signaled to the guards waiting on either side of the throne to escort the Duke out of the castle, but before he moved, he grabbed the Duke's arm tightly. "Let me be very clear about something, Sir. The Queen may believe in second chances, but I do not allow such lapses when it comes to her safety. My men will be accompanying you into the northern pass. I will know if you intend war, and please believe me when I tell you the ice powers of the Queen will be nothing compared to the hell I will reign down on you."

He released the Duke's arm, throwing him back slightly. Johann looked back at him, his ego now fully restored and his eyes indignant towards the Prince. He said nothing, however, as the guards escorted him from the palace while Georg went to follow Elsa.

A/N: So, yeah. I'm alive. I apologize for making you all wait so long for this, and I apologize this isn't exactly my best work, but I'm getting back into the swing of things! With my muse back...well, we're going to have more chapters! Constructive criticism and ideas are always welcome.

I've also decided to open up a request line. If any of you are interested in any one shots between characters. I've been thinking for a while I might do a story package for those who want it. Let me know!