Wedding preparations began immediately the following morning and leaving little room for other matters throughout the month. Everyone in Arendelle was busy preparing for the wedding celebration as they prepared food, decorations, and the entertainment.

Anna saw very little of Hans since the coronation. He was busy helping organize where guests would be sleeping during their stay, especially his large family. All twelve of his brothers would be attending with their wives and daughters. The most shocking guest was his elderly father, King Bertram, was sailing to Arendelle for the wedding and arriving His upcoming presence created immense pressure amongst the castle staff, Hans particularly was overwhelmed.

The majority of the time Anna came across Hans he would be focused on making sure everything would be perfect for when his father and brothers would arrive. The servants had moved his things into Elsa's old bedroom for the time being. Sometimes when Anna passed it at night, she could hear him pacing and talking to himself. Whatever she could make out sounded like he was trying to write a letter or practicing a speech. His father's arrival seemed to create a lot of stress for him.

Anna herself was busy with primarily the constant fittings for new dresses and helping Elsa make decisions on the reception. Her proudest responsibility was teaching Elsa how to dance. Elsa would be unable to bow out of a dance with her groom and asked Anna to show her the basics. Whenever there was time, the two would meet in the ballroom with a pianist to accompany them.

It was always known Elsa would inherit the throne and she was always busy with her studies: Arendelle laws and traditions, economy, math, history, music, and etiquette. Despite her refine air and elegant grace, Elsa was surprisingly an awkward dancer. It's odd that she would have never been taught to dance considering how important the ability is for social galas and noticed how anxious Elsa was to get so close to her whenever she took lead. She never took off her gloves except for the coronation ceremony. Perhaps she has a thing with dirt or germs? It would make sense for their parents to not bother on dance with Elsa if that was the case. After many stumbles, tumbles, and stepped upon feet, Elsa slowly improved. They laughed away their silly missteps and awkward dips and twirls. It was just like when they were little.

Anna noticed how anxious Elsa was to get so close to her whenever she took lead. She never took off her gloves except for the coronation ceremony. Perhaps she has an intense and strange fear of dirt? It would make sense for their parents to not bother on dance with Elsa if that was the case. After many stumbles, tumbles, and stepped upon feet, Elsa slowly improved. They laughed away their silly missteps and awkward dips and twirls. It was just like when they were little.

"Ah, so this is where you've been running off to," a voice broke through the piano music. Anna turned to see Hans walking towards them.

"Anna has been teaching me how to dance," Elsa beamed at him. Anna tried to impress Hans by twirling Elsa. The two sisters giggled as their height difference made it awkward.

"Maybe it would be better to practice with your actual dance partner," Hans tapped Anna on the shoulder to cut in which she reluctantly gave Elsa to him.

A noticeable blush crossed Elsa's cheeks as Hans took her gloved hands. He continued to lead her with the music only for her to stumble shortly. Elsa had difficulty regaining her footing and turned to the pianist, "May we take it from the top please?"

The pianist began playing a simpler melody in hopes that it would make it easier for the queen with Anna keeping count. Hans gave Elsa a small grin as he slowly guided her along the dance floor. The new rhythm aided her to follow his lead gracefully, however, she still had yet to break beginner habits.

"Elsa, keep your eyes on him." "You're doing fine." "Look up, Elsa." "I doubt you could really hurt his feet." "Eyes up high." "Hans, maybe we should hold off on the twirling."

"Anna! Please stop talking!" Elsa raised her voice towards her sister. Anna stopped clapping the counts and turned her head downwards. Hans paused as Elsa let out a tired sigh. "Anna, I'm sorry. I asked you to help and you're a great teacher. It's been extremely stressful as the wedding looms nearer. Why don't you dance with Hans so I can see how a proper dancing pair looks?"

Hans held out a gloved hand for Anna to take. The fluttering in her stomach returned as she placed her hand in his as his other rested on her hip. She tried her absolute best to fight back any redness in her cheeks. She grabbed her skirt with her free hand and inhaled deeply to calm her nerves. It backfired as Anna got a good whiff of his cologne, proceeding to cough into her skirt.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's just your cologne is rather strong," she coughed. "I'm not saying you stink or anything like that! Although, cologne by itself is pretty… blech. One time I was messing with my mothers makeup and wanted to wear her perfume, but I grabbed dad's cologne instead and—"

"Anna," Elsa interrupted her sister's ramblings. "Why don't we stay focused on the dance."

"Oh, right, right. Sorry," Anna giggled before wearing a serious face, making Hans chuckle as she switched demeanors so quickly. "I think your problem is that you think too much, Elsa. You shouldn't focus so much on where your feet are going. Trust your partner's lead. Listen to the rhythm of the music. Let go of everything else and the two of you will move in perfect synchronization."

The music resumed at the top once more for the new pair. Hans moved Anna back and forth at first, becoming familiar with each other once again. Their dance started as steady and simple movements, then Hans began to lead her along the dance floor. Occasionally, he would try to misdirect Anna by pretending to go in one direction but lead in the opposite. Anna always followed him perfectly. She never took her eyes off his.

"Pardon me, your highness," Gerda's voice brought Anna back into the ballroom. "We need you and Princess Anna for the final fitting of your dresses for the wedding ceremony."

"Thank you, Gerda," Elsa nodded as the older woman curtsied and left the ballroom along with the pianist. "I apologize that our lesson has to be placed on hold for the time being."

"No need to apologize, your grace."

"Elsa, we might not be able to work more on dancing," said Anna as Hans released her from his hold. "The wedding is the day after tomorrow!"

"I know, I know," Elsa sighed. "If we can find time, we can practice some more. Have I improved at all since we started?"

"Definitely! Hans, you should have seen her at the first lesson. You'd have thought she was born with two left feet!" Elsa, with her face colored red, cleared her throat thus breaking up Anna's laughter. Anna curtsied to Hans as she followed her sister to the dressing rooms, but not before she turned and told the prince, "No peeking! It's bad luck!"

Anna stood tall on a stool in front of a three-panel mirror in the dress she would be wearing for the ceremony. The dress was a pale green with sheer, olive tulle adorned with a floral pattern. She had a custom, two-toned turquoise bodice designed that exposed her shoulders with a heart neckline. It had become cooler as summer neared an end, so Anna had short sleeves added to the bodice that ended a little past her elbows. Simple dresses were preferable for the young princess, but trying on all these new, elegant dresses made Anna feel beautiful. Elsa even had a small tiara designed for her. The picture of sophisticated grace. The braids had to go.

Anna frowned at her reflection as the thought of going through another morning of detangling her frizzy hair and having it pulled tightly into a bun. Perhaps she can be a creative with the way she held her braids. Anna took the two ends and played with various styles when she heard someone clearing their throat.

Anna turned to see Elsa in her wedding dress. A new white dress with gold embroidery of the crocus flower along the edges with long sleeves that covered her white lace gloves. The train hung nicely off the bustle. "Elsa, you look beautiful!"

"Thank you," Elsa beamed as she approached her sister. She stared at the reflection of the young bride as a proud smile crossed her lips. Her eyes turned to her sister's reflection. "You are very lovely yourself, Anna."

"Me? Lovely? I-I don't know about that," Anna stammered, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear as her face burned red.

"Nonsense. You have blossomed into a beautiful young woman," Elsa flashed a warm smile that shortly disappeared as she turned her head down. "I do wish I was around more to see you grow up."

"Elsa, I'm not mad at you," Anna placed a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder who covered it with her own gloved one. A tear rolled down Elsa's cheek as Anna blinked back her own. "As long as we're there for each other from now on, I'm happy."

Elsa wiped away a tear from Anna's cheek with her gloved finger. Both of them were sniffling and giggling their loneliness away. When the air had lightened itself, Anna was the first to speak. "So, you aren't getting cold feet, are you?"

"You don't even know," Elsa sighed, staring at her hands with an intense nervousness. "This is all happening so fast. I wish the council could have waited longer for a date."

"The council? Where could this constant feeling that I'm the last to be told anything be coming from?"

"I'm sure it never crossed their minds," Elsa apologized. "You know when mom and dad…well, they were heading to the Southern Isles to meet with the king. There had been some discussion between him and dad that one of his sons marry me."

"An arranged marriage? That doesn't sound like dad. They always encouraged us to marry for love," recounted Anna.

"I think King Bertram was placing pressure on him. I do remember father was going to bring a son of his choosing here and see if we were a good match."

"Was it Hans?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Elsa shrugged. "He is the closest to my age so I can imagine dad deciding on him easily, but it could have been one of his older brothers if they weren't married at the time. Anyways, after mom and dad passed…the matter was dropped until some time after I was nineteen. The Southern Isles placed pressure on the council for an answer and it was agreed the marriage would be after my coronation. I only knew of Hans being the prince to be sailing to Arendelle a few weeks prior. I didn't know what he looked like until that day."

Anna was taken aback by all of this information. Wearing the crown came with so much responsibility and power, but so little freedom, too. Elsa was the queen, but she had no say in the man who would be her husband. Perhaps being the spare had its benefits. Is Hans happy with this? Is Elsa?

"So, what do you think of Hans?" Anna blurted, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Well, he is quite handsome, obviously," chuckled Elsa, nervously. Anna glanced at her sister's reflection whose face had turned a crimson shade. "I know he is a naval officer in one of his brother's fleets and enjoys horseback riding and polo. He's practically in charge of arranging where all the guests are staying and from what Kai has told me has done a remarkable job of sorting everyone in the appropriate rooms."

"Okaaaayy," Anna uttered. "Do you love him?"

Elsa was silent and stared wide-eyed at her reflection. Her mouth hung open, preparing itself for the words to convey. It slightly amused Anna to see her poised sister be at a loss. Slightly.

"I'm not sure," stammered Elsa.

"Oh," Anna whispered, she didn't know what to think of her sister's response.

The clock struck seven, snapping Anna out of the book she was reading in the library. Tomorrow was a huge day as it was when the royal family of the Southern Isles's ships would arrive. It was best to bathe and go to bed early. She walked quickly to her bedroom until she heard a man singing as she approached the ballroom. Her steps slowed as she tried to place whose voice it could be. Hans?

Her heart leaped at the thought of his name and quickened her pace. One of the two doors that led to the ballroom was open. Anna nearly prepared herself to slide past him, but she quickly grabbed the closed door and hid behind it when she noticed he wasn't alone.

Anna peaked into the room to see that Elsa was accompanying Hans. The two were waltzing to the song he was singing, no pianist in sight. He had such a lovely voice that made Anna's heart swell in her bosom.

Elsa was dancing and following his lead stupendously. Aside from a few stumbles, you wouldn't recognize her as the same sister Anna had been teaching to dance earlier that morning. Hans's song was approaching its finale as he twirled Elsa before pulling her close to him. Anna's eyes fell to his large hand pressing into the small of her sister's back. The couple stood close and still for one, two, three moments. Simultaneously, their faces tilted and drew towards each other.

Anna pulled her eyes away and pressed into the back of the door. One hand clutched the doorknob whilst the other clutched the fabric covering her beating, breaking heart. Elsa said she would tell her when she had time for more dancing practice. She wanted to keep this private lesson a secret from Anna. Had there been other secret meetings between her and Hans? There must've been, Elsa told her more about Hans than she herself knew.

She told herself she would be supportive of them, but when Elsa said she didn't know if she loved Hans…Then what, Anna? she asked herself, releasing her grip from the doorknob. She sauntered down the hallway to her room blinking even more tears away. Perhaps you had a chance? Get over him already. It's obvious he doesn't love you.