Cassandra had been in Arendelle for nearly three years. There were days she was too busy to think of anything but whatever was going on at that time and days where she had all the time in the world to reflect on her life and those around her. Cass couldn't ask for more, not as Arendelle's Royal Protector, or the friend and lover of the Queen. Though the anniversary flail that Elsa had gotten her last year hadn't hurt. She'd carried it around everywhere for a good month and still sometimes did so when she wanted to make the palace guards nervous. It didn't have the control of a mace or sword, but the momentum it could build up more than made up for that. The smashing capacity alone...

Anniversary weapons aside, it was a good life. A busy one, with people she loved. Cass was happy. The epiphany hit her like a brick to the head as she sat across from Elsa at breakfast. They usually took breakfast in Elsa's room. It was part of the morning ritual. Breakfast together (lunch, as always, belonged to Anna), go over the day's itinerary, occasionally get distracted. Frequently get distracted.

"Cass?"

Cass realized that she'd been distracted again, giving herself an internal shake as she looked at Elsa and smiled. Was this what Anna and Rapunzel felt like so much of the time? It was terrifying but Cass resolved to ignore that terror. "Sorry, I was just thinking about you."

Elsa laughed, leaning her chin on her hand as she gazed at Cassandra. "I love you."

Cass wondered when the other shoe would drop. When something would happen to take her away from Elsa or Elsa away from her, or for Elsa to find someone better. That was why she felt so terrified of this strange and unusual sunshine that she felt beating in her chest. It was almost suspicious how happy she was. How every morning she'd wake up next to Elsa and every evening she'd fall asleep spooned up with her. She shrugged that feeling off, knowing logically that it was just paranoia. "I love you too."

"I've been thinking about our plans," Elsa said, her toes tracing patterns on Cass's foot. "Do you have any suggestions as to timing?"

"We should do it in the spring," Cass suggested, pleased to be on the kind of subject she was good at. The planning anyway. What they were planning made that terror try to swallow her up. "Between yours and Anna's birthdays. Spring is always a good time for this kind of thing, though I could be convinced for fall if we're impatient."

Grinning, Elsa replied, "I'll always be impatient with you, but time to plan would be welcome."

Tabling that and trying to ignore the way Elsa's foot made her stomach do flips, Cass picked up her clipboard and flipped through the pages on it. She had a job to do. "We have a representative from Feronda next week. That should be fun. I'll beef up security."

"Maybe we can finally make some progress with them."

"My sources tell me they've been in chaos lately. Again. Another sibling vying for the throne, accusations of poisoning. Ever since Queen Ava was deposed they've been less than stable," Cass said. "It would be in our best interests to help them achieve some kind of stability."

Elsa nodded. "Let's hope they're willing to listen to reason this time. It feels a bit like playing dice, you never know what's going to come up."

Cass smiled ruefully. "Anyone is better than Geraldine the Mad."

After Ava, the next in line had been a brother. Things might have worked out if one of his sisters hadn't been ruthless and she had forced Arendelle into several border skirmishes as well as sinking her country into untold misery before a popular uprising had placed another sister on the throne. Cass liked that one and hoped she could weather this new chaos. They could work with Queen Evelyn. No one wanted another Geraldine.

"That is a reason I never liked the idea of a big family," Cass joked. She got up from the table when Elsa did and let Elsa pull her into her arms. She let Elsa get away with a lot of things, but the hugs? The hugs were among the best. The only person that gave better hugs was Olaf.

Cass would never admit that to anyone, even under punishment of death.

"I'm happy with my family right now," Elsa said, leaning her forehead against Cass's. "You and Anna, Kristoff and Olaf. And our extended family down in Corona, of course."

Damn, another smile came to Cass's face. Elsa was killing her. "And we'll have a nice excuse for them to visit."

"We will." Elsa laughed, her eyes gleaming and her just-for-Cass smile twisting something in Cass's chest. The good kind of ache, that happiness again that had been so foreign to her for so long.

Their kiss was sweet, lingering as Elsa was obviously trying to delay the start to their official duties. Willing to indulge her, Cass almost didn't hear someone rush in.

She pulled her head back to glare at the interloper and Elsa said. "Unless someone is dead, dying, or pregnant, it can wait."

Anna shifted on her feet, bit her lip, and darted her eyes anywhere but her sister and friend. Rather than answer their question, she pointed at a large sword leaning against the far wall. "Oh hey, where'd that Zweihander come from?"

Squinting her eyes at Anna, Cass tilted her head, then glanced at Elsa. "Unless you want me to toss Kristoff into the ocean I think we need to make it a double wedding instead."

"Engagement pres-" Elsa's eyes widened, her response to Anna's question cut off as she caught on to what Cass was implying. "Anna!"

"Double wedding?" Anna said, instead of actually telling them the news that they'd already guessed. Her hands moved to cover her stomach, and then her eyes fell to a ring on Elsa's finger. Confusion turned into a mixture of joy and shock on her face. "Wait, what?!"