White Queen

A Dance Under the Moonlight

"Betrothal is beneficial for the kingdom."

Her lips pursed at the words that the Council had thrown at her. They were not wrong in that aspect should she sees it from the political point of view, it was what had brought she and Hans together, but she did not have the heart to let it happen again, especially since Anna had seemed to fancy Kristoff so much. Her younger sister deserved to marry for love with the man that she had chosen herself instead of falling into a marriage that she doubted would bring her happiness. Her position as the Queen's heir had been pushed down with Wilhelm's birth, now she was below him when it comes to inheriting the crown, and it seemed that people now see her as nothing more than an asset that could connect Arendelle with another kingdom.

"But of course, your aunt is more than just that, wouldn't you agree?" Holding up the spoonful of soup, she smiled as soon as Wilhelm's hand came out to reach for it as he babbled, taking it as his agreement to her statement. "She's a wonderful person with a heart of gold that deserves the world." Not just a mere pawn for the men to drag across the board they way they had once attempted with the young and newly crowned Queen. "And she can marry anyone she wanted to."

His babbles continued on, only pausing whenever he had food in his mouth, and even then his lips moved so adorably as he ate that she could not resist the temptation of giggling. His growth was closely watched by her, for even the smallest of new things that he was able to do would be cherished for her, she had to know everything. Up to this point, in the nine months that he had been living, the proudest moment that she had was when she had caught the word 'mama' in between his babbles. He may had not understand what that meant, but her heart had swelled nonetheless.

But her worry over betrothal had expand beyond her sister. Her son would also be subjected to it, once he was of age or when a certain kingdom had sent a letter for her to unite their kingdoms. She had once again pursed her lips then, for she could not see herself in her father's shoe, signing off her precious Wilhelm to marry for a mere sake of Arendelle. What if he had grown more like his aunt? With a carefree spirit and a heart ready to love, but had gotten someone who will not view and cherish that part of him? To drive him to hide himself? The thought had made her shudder.

"Mm..." the soft call made her looked up from the now empty bowl in her hand, though she had frowned when Wilhelm's attention had not been toward her, but instead toward the window, eyes wide and hand reaching out. "Mm..."

Setting the bowl down, she lifted the toddler up from his chair and held him up against her hips instead. "What is it? What do you see?" Coming toward the high window, she had leaned forward to look out to what could possibly had taken his interest but had seen nothing but the valley across the fjord. "Was it a passing bird?" Perhaps it was, or a butterfly, anything that could show itself to a certain toddler up in the castle's tower. Shaking her head, for it was such a foolish thing for her to think that something else might have been the cause of his distraction -besides children his age does tend to get distracted quite easily, she turned and began to walk away, ready to get him to clean up.

Whatever it was that Wilhelm had seen, bothered him.

He had kept on insisting to crawl toward the windows, propping himself up with both hands pressed against the glass, blue eyes curiously searching beyond the walls, even when nighttime had come and even she could barely see anything but the dark sky.

"Maybe he heard something?" her brows had furrowed at Hans' guess when she had brought the subject up, as he stood there watching their son sitting by the window, hand patting against the glass as he babbled on.

"From outside? It's not possible, Hans."

His only respond was a shrug then, for even he had no idea on what the young Prince was truly up to. Sighing, she moved to join Wilhelm by sitting down beside him, taking the toddler up onto her lap and her embrace. He needed his sleep, and she needed hers.

She hummed a tune that was once sung to her and Anna by their own mother when they were little, a lullaby that was certain to bring them into slumber. She had sung this back when she was still pregnant, when there was none but her and her unborn child in the room under the bright sunlight or the silver moonlight, and when Wilhelm had been born she had sung it to lull him to sleep too.

Fighting off the amused smile from her face as she watched Wilhelm's eyes fluttered heavily as she patted against his bottom gently until he truly had snuggled against her chest with an even breathing. His belly was full already, as she had breastfed him before giving him a chance to play a little on the carpeted floor, so hopefully he would not wake in the dead of night. "Goodnight, little Prince." Placing a kiss on his forehead, noting of how the curls of his auburn hair had grown so much, she got up with care as not to stir him back up, making her way to his crib and lying him down onto the soft bed, pulling the blanket up to keep him away from the cold.

"That song is magical, I'm telling you." Hans commented once they were out in the halls, taking her hand in his as they made their way toward their own bedchamber, and she had chuckled in return, for a song to be magical was quite amusing. "Your mother sung it for you and Anna, right?"

"Yes, while rubbing the bridge of our noses with her pinkie. Anna will snore in a matter of seconds, I can guarantee you that." Perhaps it was her laughter at her own memory of how her mother could easily quiet the hyper Anna down in a flash or perhaps it was something else, but Hans had suddenly lifted their joined hands up in the air before twirling her around as they walked, which had only made her laugh further at the sudden motion. "What are you doing, darling?"

"Having a dance under the moonlight with my wonderful wife." The seriousness in his voice had her shaking her head just as he pulled her close, bodies flushed together as his other hand moved to hold her waist and so she cannot help but put hers on his shoulder. It was truly a dance then. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"We have no song." And they were wearing their sleeping wear, no less.

"Then you shall sing, just like when you did in the mountains years ago."

"Don't remind me." She groaned, feeling rather embarrassed that she had burst into a song in the middle of a grove up in the snowy mountains, though it was the first time that she ever let go of her powers, had dared to knowing that he was there watching her. "It was so silly."

"Come on, Elsa, just this once. No one is around to hear."

So she did, just because Hans could be so persuading sometimes. Humming quietly as their bodies swayed, minding her footing as she let him twirled her around and even lifted her whole body up into the air once or twice so easily as if she was not a mother of one, and she had laughed with how freeing it felt for her, to recall of the feeling when they were new to love, when the world felt as if there was only them two in it. They loved Wilhelm so much, there was no doubt in there, but they had been so busy with their own days and businesses that they barely had time for each other.

Smooth layer of ice grew under the feet and Hans had almost slipped, if only her hold on him had not been firm and strong, and she laughed at the bewildered expression gracing his feature just as a pair of skates grew around his bare feet. "What? Are you not up for surprises, husband?"

"I thought you don't like surprises, wife." His teasing smile made her roll her eyes, as it had been their conversation long ago, when she was newly crowned and he was very new in Arendelle, back when she was a timid Queen that had her guard up at all times in fear that she may unleash the power she now had embraced.

"Oh shut it, will you."

I may have slipped one or two aspects from Frozen II, but it's so small that those who hasn't watched it wouldn't notice, but not to worry, it doesn't spoil anything. Also slipping moments from the previous fic 'Chess Piece' into this if you're a fan of a blast from the past.