Well, it looks like my stats are doing way better for this story than the last one I had out. Keep it coming and don't forget to review.

Shots rang out, cannon shots from the starboard of a fourth rate wooden ship. The heavy metal spheres that were thrown out of them flew towards a smaller derelict wooden ship somewhere farther off in the water. Most of the cannon fire had torn through parts of the deck, the masts, and hull.

A lucky shot had pushed through all the solids and landed itself on the pile of gunpowder barrels. With the impact, the gunpowder ignited, releasing a large explosion to tear apart the ship in two. Debris went flying and the main mast had fallen over, splashing into the water. The two remaining parts of the ship had tipped down and were beginning to sink.

On the fourth rate, the crew threw their hats up and cheered, jumping around and singing songs in celebration, for they had successfully completed their combat exercise.

A young black haired man who had manned a cannon on the main deck leaned himself up against the barrel, smiling at the wreckage. Suddenly, a big scruffy dog came up next to him, its nails tapping on the ground as it barked at him. The look on the dogs face made it seem happy, his tongue hanging out as he jumped on its hind legs. The young man shook his hand through the dog's scruffy hair, and looked back out to the water.

Above the noise, however, someone had cleared their throat right next to him. The young man turned to see someone much older than him, white hair and put up into a pony-tail, and a pipe in his left hand, small scroll in his right. The old man held the scroll out to him, his wrinkly face drooping.

"A messenger pigeon came, I believe it's from the Vice Admiral," the old man said. The young gunner took the small scroll and unrolled it between his fingers, looking down at it and squinting. For a brief moment, there was silence as he read and the old man huffed some smoke.

Quickly, the young man looked back up at him, crumpling the paper.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Off of a large royal ship came a familiar woman, surrounded by her personal guard as they escorted her onto the deck. She was dressed in her royal dress, black and blue with elegant patterns on it, her whitish-blonde hair braided into a bun and a crown resting on top of it.

The deck had been cleared for her arrival, as it was expected. The two guards in front of her, wielding muskets and stern expressions, had stepped to either side of her. In her vision, at the very end of the docks was a carriage awaiting her, along with an older looking Prince with his guard alongside the carriage.

When the Prince, dressed in the Prince's attire, decorated with medals, had seen her, he smiled. When she approached, she returned the smile in hopes of a light atmosphere.

"Your Majesty," the Prince said, bowing. "Might I say that my family and all of the Southern Isles is humbled to have you in our presence. Allow me to introduce myself…" the Prince said, lightly taking hold of her gloved hand. "I am Prince Johann of the Southern Isles." He bent down and kissed the back of her hand.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Elsa said. Johann looked back up at her, not taking his hand off of hers.

"And might I add, your grace, that you look even more stunning in person than from what I have heard," he kissed the back of her hand yet again. He's obviously a smooth talker, and from the practice Elsa has had, she doesn't really know how to converse with smooth talkers.

"Uhm…I am flattered…Prince Johann," Elsa stuttered nervously, Prince Johann taking note of that.

"Oh, my apologies," he said, retracting his hand back behind him, yet keeping the same smirk of his. "I have greeted a lot of nobles before and as it appears, I am coming off too comfortable and forward." There was a quick moment of silence from Elsa as she stared at his smirking face. "But allow us to put this behind us; shall we be off?" He said, lifting his hand toward the carriage.

"Please," Elsa answered.

It was later that night in the royal palace of the Southern Isles. Elsa couldn't believe how large the palace was, compared to her castle in Arendelle. Prince Johann had said that the family had organized a dinner with the Westergard family in the dining hall.

The room was teeming with servants and family members, most of them boys. The only females in the room were the Queen, herself, and several of the servants. To her, they seemed like the type of family to have a very disorganized conflict at the table, but since she was there, it was like they were being forced to sit still like children. All the brothers, clearly above twenty, were sitting side by side at the rectangular table, stretching all the way to her side, where the flattering Prince Johann was.

It was clear that the Prince was interested in her, but she wasn't looking for a husband…at least not now.

Elsa sat awkwardly, staring down at her steak and steamed vegetables on her plate. Suddenly, the King cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty," he called to her. Elsa looked up at him, straightening herself out and lifting her eyebrows. "I would like to discuss the issue at hand."

"Yes, King Frederick," Elsa acknowledged.

"Well," the King started. "On behalf of all my family, I would like to formally apologize for the arrogant behavior of my youngest son, Hans…" Elsa looked around, knowing that he wasn't present, that the seat he usually sits in had been unoccupied. She also looked to each of the brothers, most of them holding their gazes to her, except one. There was one with black hair who held his head low, looking crestfallen.

Who was this Prince?

"He was tried and convicted of Treason," The king continued. "I saw to it that he received the punishment he deserved for dishonoring both Arendelle and the Southern Isles." Elsa had to ask the question.

"What happened to him?"

"Well…" The King rubbed the back of his neck. "We were set to publicly execute him," Elsa's face grew grim. "But I was convinced by another son of mine to spare his life. So I ended up humiliating him instead, flogging him in public and banishing him from the Kingdom for the world to see his pathetic life. However, I am quite surprised that you rejected the offer of choosing his punishment yourself."

Sometime before they sent Hans' prison ship off, King Frederick had proposed that Elsa and her sister, Anna, preside over the trial so that they may choose his punishment. An execution? Elsa didn't like the fact that someone would be publically executed in the name of justice, nevertheless in the name of Arendelle.

On the other hand, she cringed at the idea of him being flogged. She guessed pain is the punishment in the Southern Isles.

"With respect, your majesty," Elsa said. "I left that choice up to you. I rejected because I do not wish to hold grudges; I desire peace over all. And I am glad that you decided to spare him, to give him a chance to redeem himself; however, it would be hard to forgive him personally, especially for what he did to my sister. I believe that I may never really forgive him at all…"

"Oh, your majesty," the Queen piped in. "You say that as if he is ever going to return." The Queen smiled, and laughed a bit. Elsa held a questioning look.

"What?"

"Hans was a…how should I say this," The Queen looked up, tapping her chin, "a burden." Elsa sat back in her chair, listening on to the Queen. "We never wanted to have him, he just came along. The truth is, we are happier now that he's gone than we even were having him around…" a slam on the table rang out. Elsa and the others darted their heads in the direction of the noise to see the black haired prince had risen out of his seat, his face coated in anger. The Prince turned, and without a word, he stormed out of the dining hall. An awkward silence lingered over them a few seconds after he left, before the Queen's laughing broke it.

"Oh, don't worry about Prince Franz your majesty," she said. "He and Hans were…rather close. I don't even know what he saw in that mistake."

Elsa looked in the direction that the angry Prince ran off to, her face holding a hint of sadness. She couldn't believe it, the way that their own parents were talking about him…were they always like this towards Hans?