A/N: Right, so my interest in this has returned and I'm going at a sort of re-write with this, and re-uploading some of the earlier chapters as I move forward. So apologies about the mess, and I hope everyone is doing well.
I. The Summer of 1846
Where two worlds collide
Great Britain maintained no official ties with the Kingdom of Arendelle. Indeed, the Act of Vienna declared it as a part of the Kingdom of Norway and Sweden but its small size and relatively isolated position left it outside the view of the Great Powers. Before the oddity in mid-June, few even knew of the existence of the Kingdom, and fewer of that group considered it anything more than a forgettable dot on the map.
When the time had come for the young queen's coronation, the news barely passed diplomatic circles. Britain had no interest in the affairs of such a small entity, her eyes were squarely fixed on China and India and problems elsewhere. In secret, however, the Queen gave instructions for a single envoy to attend the event. This mission was then handed to the otherwise unknown envoy Mr. Darling. Parliament had no hand in the matter. And even then, Darling's orders were to simply present to the young queen a letter from Her Majesty Queen Victoria: a letter which, while the exact contents were unknown, was assumed to offer support to the girl as she had once experienced the same feeling years ago.
Mr. Darling returned to find London abuzz over the mysterious Blizzard which had descended not just upon London, but across almost the entirety of the Northern Hemisphere. From London to Rome and even New York snowfall had fallen and the Thames had even briefly become frozen. Panic had swelled in some parts of the world, as people remembered the dreadful summer of 1815 and the troubles it caused. The potato blight was problem enough, an extended freeze of crops would downright catastrophic.
And then there was the Royal society, bickering away at the exact cause of the event. There was no explanation, no reason which seemed to explain the phenomena. Only one man had suggested it was of a supernatural force: he was ridiculed from the building and politely informed of his dismissal. Mr. Darling's report, however, brought a large concern to the forefront of discussion not just in London but in all of the Great Powers. If there truly was a person, let alone a woman, capable of so great a display of power, then what exactly would it mean for the rest of Europe? The woman could spawn winter across the globe and freeze rivers on accident; many wondered what she would do if angered.
England could not allow such a danger to their shipping. It was decided, after possibly the shortest debate in Parliament's history, to dispatch a squadron in order to "establish good relations and protection from any rebuke against the Kingdom of Arendelle."
The squadron was placed under the command of Commodore Gordon MacNeil, the Earl of DunBroch. A veteran officer of the Navy who had served admirably in the conflict with China, and a man recognized for his ease and confidence, he was a simple choice to lead the mission to Arendelle. He departed on a sunny a clear morning in command of three ships: the HMS Norrington, the HMS Nautilus, and the HMS Arrow.
Across the continent, however, other eyes began to look towards the "Snow Queen of Arendelle" in curiosity. And as Metternich was awakened with word from the Austrian dignitary, there was already a rising cry for action to be taken.
The die was cast.