"The past is never dead. It's not even past." – William Faulkner

Fredrik walked through the bustling streets of Arendelle, savoring the bright afternoon sunshine that warmed his chilled skin. It felt incredible, especially afterbeing subjected to the cold temperatures inside the castle. He sat down near one of the many piers, his brown eyes watching the ships gliding through Arendelle's clear blue waters. The blue reminded him of the Queen. The memory of her brought a smile to Fredrik's face. Truthfully, she was the most beautiful woman the young soldier had ever laid eyes on and he was having a hard time getting her off his mind. He kept remembering her flawless porcelain skin, her platinum blonde hair, her soft red lips, her icy blue eyes…

It all fits so perfectly, mused Fredrik as he continued to watch the ships.

The Queen epitomized winter, from her appearance to her powers, but not in her temperament. She wasn't the cold monarch he'd expected and he found that more alluring than anything else. The way she'd eviscerated Mireau had shown that she did care for her people, aristocrat or commoner, and would do all that she could for them. She wasn't cold at all. In fact, Fredrik suspected she was an even warmer, kinder person in private. He wished he could've talked to her more, gotten to know her, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself.

And it never will, echoed a dark voice in his head.

That thought brought Fredrik back to reality. Back to who he was.

You're a commoner. Worse, you're the runaway, bastard son of a coal-miner and she's royalty. Why would she ever need to see you again? questioned the voice.

Fredrik looked down at his reflection in the water and found that he hated it more than ever. No matter what uniform he put on, he couldn't change who he was, his lineage. He'd felt it in that council room, surrounded by people from noble families, whose ancestors had ruled for centuries before them. Fredrik didn't even know who his mother was. His father had always just referred to her as some whore before threatening him not to question it further. Fredrik remembered the various scars covering his body, not all of which came from combat, and let out a sigh. He felt like he was branded by past, covered with constant reminders of the lower creature that he was.

Look at yourself, dressed up and pretending you're somebody respectable. Your actions back in Africa confirmed what you are. You're no hero, hissed the voice, once again hitting Fredrik's weak points.

Fredrik wearily got up and walked away from the water, eager to leave his heavy thoughts there. War with Weselton now appeared to be a possibility and Fredrik suspected General Broulard would be eager to give him a part in it. That alone gave him enough to worry about.

Monster, persisted the voice.

Fredrik continued walking, not really seeing his surroundings. He passed by the mango stand without noticing it, only wanting to get back to work.

Elsa sat in the royal library later that evening. After meetings, hours of reviewing documents, and the possibility of war in the not so distant future, she needed to relax. She opted to read instead of going for a walk. She was reading a one of her favorites, a collection of ancient Greek myths and stories. Something about them always captured her imagination. Maybe it was all supernatural powers. She could definitely relate.

As the queen flipped through the book, she came across a myth she knew well: the myth of Sisyphus. As she reread it, she couldn't help but see the similarities to her current situation. Despite her best hopes, she suspected her attempts to avoid war with Weselton were an exercise in futility, just like Sisyphus' attempts to push the boulder up the mountain. After all her efforts, that boulder would probably just roll back down the mountain and war would commence anyway. It wasn't an agreeable idea, but Elsa wasn't one to delude herself.

Being queen has made me such a pessimist, she thought.

So many lives hung in the balance, all them depending on what the Duke would do. Arendelle would never be the nation to start a conflict, no matter what General Mireau proposed. Just the thought of the scheming General made Elsa frown. She knew him well enough to know he was more concerned with personal glory than service, even at the expense of his men and his country. She suspected he wasn't much different than the Duke in that aspect…or Hans. If there was one thing all three of them seemed to share, it was their complete commitment to their own advancement. Elsa noticed the tiniest bits of frost creeping onto her book and focused on calming herself. Hans was gone, Mireau was her subordinate and the Duke was still a good boat-ride away.

Elsa lost herself in her reading, not looking up until late into the night. Finally deciding to go to bed, she got up and left the library. The castle halls were deserted, save for a few guards, who bowed at the sight of the queen. Elsa was just rounding a corner, when she ran straight into her little sister, whose blue eyes went wide with shock.

"Elsa! W-what're you doing here?" Anna asked, clearly not expecting to run into her older sister.

"I live here. It's kind of my home and workplace," answered Elsa.

"Oh right. That's not what I meant. I meant…uh, what're you doing up right now?"

"I was reading. What're you doing up this late? You wouldn't be sneaking out to see Kristoff would you? Or maybe you already did and you're just getting back."

Anna's eyes widened and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks despite her best efforts to suppress it.

"Don't be silly. I was just…out for a walk by the stables, enjoying the night," said Anna lamely.

"You look very pretty for a solitary late-night walk," observed Elsa wryly, noting Anna's appearance.

"Well, you gotta look your best. You never know when a dignitary may drop by."

"Uh huh," said Elsa, trying not to laugh at Anna's attempts at lying, "Just get to bed and stay there."

"Oh sure. I'm right on that," said Anna before disappearing down around the corner, relieved Elsa had let her go without a lecture.

Elsa shook her head before heading into her room. While she still worried for Anna, she was glad she was happy with Kristoff. It was all Elsa had ever wanted for her little sister: to be happy. If there was anybody who deserved it, it was her. Anna had always seen the best in people, even those who didn't deserve it. She'd always opened her arms to them and tried to be their friends. Even people who'd hurt her.

Like me, thought Elsa.

The thought made her sad, even though it wasn't exactly her fault she'd shut Anna out. Her parents hadn't handled the situation particularly well, although Elsa couldn't hold it against them. A child with uncontrollable ice-powers isn't something many parents have to deal with. But things were better now. Her parents were gone, but she and Anna were closer than they had been in years, something she valued more than anything else.

Fredrik lay awake that night in his quarters. He couldn't stop thinking about his new assignment. General Broulard had given him his own cavalry battalion to command, filled with experienced soldiers and eventually recruits who'd shown aptitude in training. He knew he could lead, but he wondered if he could command the respect of the experienced dragoons, many of whom were older than him. Fredrik hoped his reputation, including his nickname, would give him some aid in that department. He'd have to be The Lion to lead effectively, even if he didn't want to be.

He tossed and turned, sleep continuing to elude to him. With a sigh, he gave up and decided to go for a walk. The officer's quarters were separate from the infantry barracks. Fredrik walked into the small grove of trees off to the side of the building. It was a bit chilly out, but the lingering summer heat kept it from getting too cold. It was certainly warmer than it was in the castle.

Fredrik continued walking amongst the grove, but froze at the sight of two figures walking together in the moonlight. From his spot he couldn't make out their faces, but they wore what looked like general's uniforms. As they walked closer, Fredrik slipped behind a tree to avoid discovery.

"Do you think Weselton will attack?" asked a voice Fredrik didn't recognize.

"I'd bet my soul on it," said another sly voice.

Fredrik knew that last voice immediately. The sly tone was unmistakably General Mireau.

"At least our forces are increasing," said the other voice.

"Yes, our queen will increase our forces, but she won't use them. Meanwhile, Weselton can attack us whenever they choose. I swear incompetence runs in the family," said Mireau, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Family?"

"Yes family. Her father was an incompetent fool just like her. Even worse actually. He nearly ruined Arendelle by closing us off from the outside world and letting our military decay. When he finally took his dirt nap…or sea nap if you will…I had hoped Arendelle would finally have capable leadership. Instead, we got a twenty-one-year-old girl who's more concerned with the well-being peasants than decisive action," said Mireau hotly.

"I couldn't agree with you more. I suppose it's up to men like us to save Arendelle," observed the other voice.

"Truer words have never been spoken, my friend," said Mireau as the pair walked off into the darkness.

From his hiding spot behind the tree, Fredrik watched them go, barely controlling his seething anger. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. He had a momentary thought of attacking Mireau in the darkness and giving him a much deserved beating. The queen was only trying to avoid losing hundreds of Arendelle's troops yet Mireau found that condemnable. Evidently, he didn't consider the enlisted men people. They were nothing more than pawns to him, a means to an end. A resource to fuel his quest for personal glory. The queen obviously didn't see them that way. She realized they were real people with actual lives and loved ones who would miss them if they died in combat. It made Fredrik glad she was leading, knowing he, Jørgen and all his other comrades would never be sent into battle needlessly under her watch.

Author's Note: I really appreciated the first reviews and those who followed. Unfortunately, I was having some technical difficulties, so I deleted the story and re uploaded. Let's hope that fixes everything, but don't worry. This story isn't stopping anytime soon.