King Adgar ran a hand through his auburn hair as he peered at the plethora of trade documents that were lying on the desk in front of him. Had it not been for these incessant papers waiting to be signed, he would have indulged in the comfort of his bed, lying next to his beloved wife. Instead he reluctantly planned to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, completing this seemingly unending task. Wearily, he blew on his tea before tentatively sipping it.

"Your Majesty, I don't mean to be a bother, but I bring urgent news regarding my latest assignment. May I enter your study?" came a masculine voice, accompanied by a firm knock.

The king gently placed his tea down on his desk, eager to postpone his current task. "Of course Kai, come in," the king replied, recognizing the voice of his friend and spymaster.

A robust young man opened the door, sending the king a knowing smile as he noticed the clutter of papers lying on Adgar's desk.

"I see you're working yourself hard, Your Majesty."

"Ah yes, these documents seem to be multiplying by the day. No matter how many I complete, I end up with a larger pile the next day," Adgar exasperated, while gesturing for Kai to take a seat. "Never mind that, what news have you brought? Have you captured those fiends responsible for attacking the villages in the East?"

The spymaster gracefully pulled out a chair and sat down. "Not exactly. My men were able to find the culprits in an inn near the site of the attack, but they took their own lives before we could capture or interrogate them. However…" His gaze shifted away from the king, fixed onto a candle adjacent to the Monarch's desk.

Adgar frowned, sipping his tea. These attacks against the Kingdom of Desera were becoming increasingly prevalent, and yet the king still hadn't the slightest clue as to what was inciting them. His people were beginning fear for their safety, something that Adgar had promised to maintain. The king gave an encouraging nod. "However…?"

"We discovered that the culprits were not ordinary bandits, as previously assumed." Kai sighed. "They were... Arendellians. Not only that, but they were Royal Guards of Arendelle."

"What?" The King stood up abruptly, knocking down his tea and a few papers. "That can't be! The peace treaty we signed only a decade ago was supposed to end our century-old rivalry! Show me your evidence that supports this accusation!" Adgar demanded.

As if expecting such an outburst, the spymaster calmly pulled out two swords and amulets from his satchel. "The symbol on the swords matches Arendelle's snowflake, and the amulet is only giv-"

"Yes, yes I know! The King of Arendelle himself gave me an amulet akin to those a few years ago," the king exclaimed. "I know exactly what it means. But this doesn't necessarily prove that the culprits are from Arendelle, no? There's the possibility that the culprits may have somehow stolen the swords and the amulets. Or they may merely be low-class Arendellian rascals, striving to revitalize our past rivalry."

Kai nodded, looking into the king's anxious, teal eyes. "You are not wrong. Those would be plausible explanations had my men not heard the attackers' last words.

The spymaster frowned. "It took us some time to translate the Arendellian phrase, but we eventually found the meaning: for His Royal Majesty, King Henrik. But at least now we have a good idea as to who has been causing the attacks."

The king pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to nullify his pounding headache. "As much as it pains me to admit this, you may be right. However, I will not allow this one attack to sever Desera's ties with Arendelle. Henrik's ancestors have been a pain in the neck for my people, granted, but I refuse to let any rashness befall our relation. Thus, you will not disclose this information with anyone besides your men. If you uncover more evidence on this topic, I expect you to report to me with utmost haste."

"I understand, Your Majesty," Kai bowed. "If it would please you, I could gather my men and a portion of our royal guards to investigate another reported attack this instant. I believe one of the villages closer to the border was attacked just this evening."

Five attacks in one week? This is absolutely ridiculous! "Hm, yes, that's a promising idea, Kai. But save that for tomorrow—you've done enough work for today. Rest, my friend. I think I'll retire for the night as well." The king mused, smiling wearily, "Perhaps tomorrow will bring pleasant news."

Kai gave Adgar a polite smile. "As you wish, Your Majesty. I bid you goodnight."

He opened the door and exited the room quietly, shaking his head slightly as his chestnut brown eyes twinkled in amusement. Arendelle, what are you up to?

/

Two silhouettes stealthily scaled the southern side of Desera Castle, and pushed open a window. The leader of the two entered the room, which—fortunately for them—appeared to be a vacant guest room. After closing the window and ensuring no trace of them was left behind, the pair left the room and hurried through the corridor, searching for a door marked by a reddish-orange marigold.

Neither man was necessarily thrilled at the prospect of breaking into the castle and killing two of its inhabitants, but the hefty reward in and of itself was very much compelling. In a few moments, they would be done with the task and free to return to their homeland—welcomed with enough gold to last a lifetime.

Exactly as it was described, the leader thought as he approached a double-door entrance with a brilliant, intricate marigold etched into the center. The figures noiselessly slipped open the bedroom door and peered inside. One of the men nodded to his partner as he unsheathed his dagger, inching closer to the peacefully sleeping Queen. They were right, you are gorgeous. Such a shame you'll have to die, sorceress. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a young red-headed child sleeping to the right of the queen.

"You kill the princess, I'll kill the queen. A clean slit through the throat will ensure they don't make a sound," the man whispered, holding the dagger.

Quietly, the second man took out his dagger and made his way to the princess.

The leader noiselessly grabbed a pillow in one hand and slowly brought the dagger to the queen's throat. Quickly, he smashed the pillow on her face, muffling any potential cries for help as he slit her throat. Blood began to seep into the pristine pillow, staining it a dark shade of red.

The second man was about to follow suit when he noticed a beautiful, golden necklace with a dazzling ruby pendant around the princess's neck. It's my lucky day, he thought, smirking. He attempted to grab the necklace, yet as he touched the ruby pendant, his hand exploded with pain—as if his hand was engulfed in flames.

"Ah! Son of a—"

"Shut up, you idiot!" his partner whispered loudly, but it was too late.

Thundering footsteps could be heard and before either man could make another move, the bedroom door burst open as a dozen guards poured into the room.

Disclaimer: The movie Frozen is owned by Disney, not me.