Hans' ship arrived the day of the coronation. As he came down the plank leading Sitron along, his first real view of Arendelle was gorgeous. The people were out enjoying the sunny weather, doing their shopping and going about their lives. Flowers opened their petals towards the sky on every windowsill, goods stacked in surplus in the market, and a lush, green forest carpeted the background. The kingdom was healthy and ready for his rule. The shipmates carried his luggage off into the inn loading area. All visiting nobles would be staying in the finest hotel in the kingdom, very near to the castle. While looking up at the turrets his mind dug for ways to break the ice between them. He smirked at the pun and shook his head.

As he made his way to the gates, the prince couldn't help a small smile when he felt a gentle tug on his coattails. A flower was held up to him as a girl no older than five shuffled her feet and looked down at the ground. He smiled and kissed her head, taking the flower.

"Thank you, sweet-" But she was already running to her mother. Hans laughed to himself and pushed his way into the streets of Arendelle. The girl had given him an idea.

Elsa stared out the window at the arriving ships. She could make it for today. Keep her gloves on while meeting people. The only time her hands would be bare was holding up the globus and scepter. It was best for her people.

"Ma'am." Berta snapped her out of the pep talk by draping a rich purple cloak around her shoulders. "Your parents would be proud."

Elsa smiled sadly and looked at the portrait of the late king above the chest of drawers.

"Thank you, Berta. It means a lot coming from you." The handmaiden had been by her side since she was very little and had tended to her mother before her death.

"Are you nervous?" The aged woman nudged her in front of the three way mirror and swept her hair up to the base of her neck in a graceful twist.

"Beyond belief." She grimaced, picking at the seams of her gloves.

Berta tutted and wove a blue ribbon into her braid.

"Now, now. There's nothing to be nervous about. You'll do fine m'dear. And who knows? Maybe you'll find a suitor tonight."

Berta didn't know, but she had only made the pit of dread in Elsa's stomach grow. There would be men. Men who would possibly try to dance with her. She hadn't been in close proximity to a male since she danced around with her father on the edges of his shoes when she was eight. And something told her it wouldn't be the same as having servants of the opposite sex.

Berta noticed the line of worry creasing the soon to be queen's brow and smoothed her bun down.

"You've grown into a wise, beautiful young woman. You'll know when he comes along."

Elsa managed a tight lipped smile and looked over at the candlestick and jewelry box she had been practicing on. If she did that out of fear, what would she do out of hormones?

Berta patted her shoulder and went to wait with the rest of her servants outside the grand door.

Elsa tried to calm herself down, kneading her hands together and wandering around the room. She had to get out; she felt like anyone could barge in on her in this state.

Going to the window overlooking Arendelle, she focused the telescope on the sill. This was one of her only ways to know what the outside world was like; observing from afar. Her favorite focus was on a quaint flower shop where families would wander by and sniff the freshly cut buds, sometimes the fathers would buy their daughters a little daisy. It made her heart feel warmer knowing that she was indeed keeping her people safe from her. Today there were people rushing in and out keeping the poor chubby man behind the counter busy. Her eye lazily followed an old woman picking through some tulips as a man in white bumped into her side. She focused on the man's auburn hair shining in the bright sun, who was now apologizing with fervor. Elsa chuckled at the man's flustered face. He backed up and stepped to the side, continuing to look through the roses. He straightened after a few seconds and looked towards her window, almost directly at her with penetrating green eyes. A vicious twist in her diaphragm caused Elsa to stumble back, face blushing darker than the roses he had been studying.

The stupidest possible phrase she could think of flitted through her head.

'He looked at me!'

Immediately she was furious with herself. She was at her knees at one look from a perfectly ordinary man. Heck, there was already frost at her fingertip! How would she handle the pressing crowds tonight if someone asked her to dance? She felt a door shut inside of her on top of so many others. There would be no dancing, no contact with anyone. Except Ana of course. In the meantime she needed to get herself straightened out.

As she stepped out the doors her handmaidens made to move around her but she held up a hand and made her way towards the garden. This was probably the only time she would be able to spend out here before the coronation. When the gates opened the palace would be crowded with people who were so easily hurt by her. The little garden had always been her place to come and think. The nature around her kept her sane and satisfied enough to not venture out into the world. Through the years of planting flowers and enjoying the sunlight that penetrated into the small nook, no one had bothered her. It was all the freedom she needed. Elsa gathered her cloak and slipped through the pathway, already feeling better.

On the other side of the wall, Hans was purchasing a set of white and red roses. The queen would be receiving huge bundles of flora today and the small gift of two roses would hopefully stand out. At least they would after how she found them.

Over the crowd he could spot Sitron safely tethered outside the inn.

The prince made his way along the stone bridge linking the castle to the rest of the kingdom, noting the couple of people already clumping at the doors. He leaned on the wall, looking nonchalant and simply observed for the next few minutes. There were carriages coming to deliver supplies for the ball. With a plan in mind, he waited where the carriages would turn onto the bridge and quickly hopped in the back of one. Hans grinned to himself and took a handful of the piles of chocolate surrounding him for a reward.

He heard the gates crack open then shut behind them and the carriage was brought into the barn for the horses to be watered. While the drivers undid the buckles, he hopped out the front and snuck into the servants entrance.

The castle was deafeningly quiet besides the sounds of his boots squeaking. Not that he minded since he wasn't supposed to strictly be here, but it made him question why such a large castle had little to no staff. Not a soul was seen as he tiptoed through countless halls. He really should have thought this through more since he didn't know where anything was in the castle. The window he had seen the telescope from had been facing the kingdom on the second floor, so with a quick glance to the stairs, he darted up and behind a suit of armor as a butler looking man strolled past and went around the corner. He heard him knock on a door and call for 'Princess Ana'.

So that was the younger sister. From what he knew about the family, their parents had practically pushed them apart from a young age, and that meant Elsa's room would be away from her's. Before the butler could come back, he made his way into the opposite hall. There was a grand doorway to his right with handmaidens lined up outside waiting for something.

He ground his teeth in frustration. Of course she would be guarded.

To the left he saw a smaller door with a blue pattern on it. He pressed his ear and when no sound was heard, opened it cautiously. The room was barren but definitely Elsa's. A closet stood alongside her bed next to a large portrait of her and her little sister at a young age. Like every time he had seen a picture, the silvery hair made his heart drop for a moment even after the years that had passed.

The smiles on both girl's faces showed that this was before they had closed the gates; the glowing happiness contrasted with the empty fireplace. Books were stacked in perfect piles along the bed that didn't have one wrinkle in the sheets. The floor was immaculate save a rug perfectly positioned in the middle of the room. Hope flared in his chest as he looked over the books; they had the same taste.

Before he could sit down and start reading, he took the two roses, one red and one white, and put them on her desk. He stepped away and tapped his toe. Something was missing.

He smacked his forehead in annoyance. He had to leave some kind of note! She wouldn't know who they were from!

A frantic look showed no paper nor pen in sight and he grew more and more restless as seconds ticked by. Someone could come in to clean (not that it was needed) and he would be found out!

The prince growled and snuck out of the room, closing the door behind him. This had probably been a bad idea anyway. Oh, what would his brothers say?

A door slamming open nearly scared him out of his skin as quick footsteps were heard down the hall.

"Its coronation day!" Someone exclaimed, breaking the silence in the halls. The princess was apparently up. Her running dissipated to the first floor as he found another flaw in an otherwise brilliant plan. How would he get out?

He stepped back into Elsa's room and knocked his head against the wall with a look that could peel the wallpaper off. Princes weren't allowed to make this kind of mistake! Princes that wanted their own kingdoms, that is! Heat flared through his fingers as he fought back his irritation. Trying to clear his mind, he thought back to his training. Never panic in times of pressure.

There had to be another way into the kingdom. Or at least to a place he could safely hide out. He could hear his brothers taunts already.

As he snuck down the stairs, singing rang from the other side of the castle, something about windows. The servant entrance was now clogged up with people trying to get everything in place.

A large progression moved to the dining halls with the piles chocolate he had ridden in on. As they passed the front doors, he noticed that the entrance wasn't guarded in the least. A peek outside revealed no one in sight. Hans darted out in a blur of white and pulled the gates open, slipping out onto the crowded walkway, hardly able to believe his luck. Questioning eyes followed him as he walked back to the town like nothing strange had happened. Luckily no one wanted to question the intimidating looking noble who had walked out of the forbidden gates, pouring sweat.

Sitron gave him a strange look when he finally leaned on the horse's rear.

"You don't want to know, buddy." He sighed. "Lets go." Mounting Sitron, he made his way over to the docks where his trunk was. He ran a hand through his hair in vain, trying to make himself looked like the polished prince he was when out of nowhere a green blur ran in front of Sitron.