Wayfaring Stranger

by EOTWY00xx00

Time passes. Summer ends. Winter beckons. As the fall season begins to wane, new stirrings rumble within the hearts of the two young rulers of Arendelle. A journey to the far north reveals more than was bargained for. Be wary of strangers bearing gifts...especially the gift of truth. Elsanna, rated M for smut, language, violence, anything else I may have left out.

10. To Barter With The Breathless

Hi Folks! Sorry about the prolonged absence; have many issues on the table plus computer trouble...makes for bad writing bed-fellows. But we have a longer chapter, which I hope kinda makes up for it. Once again my shout-outs go to my friends and supporters...Hunhund, who continues to be awesome, chosroes who also now helps with content examination (thank you, darlin'), brunhe who has also started his own Frozen fic, GO READ IT! Ghostofwinterspast, superiorduperior, crimsondragon6789, MoralAttention and neiromaru have all been awesome in supporting and plugging my work, YES, I promise all of you that I will finish this monster eventually.

Anyway, let's get these girls home! BEGIN!

---

"There is thy gold, worse poison to men's souls,
Doing more murder in this loathsome world,
Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell."

-William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

---

Every six hours, the group stopped to rest the horses.

Every six hours, Elsa weaved her spells over the ice and created new terrain with which to ease their journey.

Every six hours, Elgar would disappear into his carriage, supposedly to rest or check on his precious cargo.

Every six hours, Kristoff would plan another leg of the journey.

And now, after almost thirty-six hours in total, they were finally starting to see signs of home.

The first had been a subtle but rewarding sight. A buoy anchored to the bottom of the ocean by a heavy chain and now frozen in the ice some three-hundred yards off shore, came into view as the afternoon sun was beginning to set. Kristoff recognized it almost instantly, charging forward on Sven to appraise it more closely.

"It's the marker for the Ben Canyon Avsats!" he called behind him, his smile broad. "I'd know this buoy anywhere!"

The carriage, creaking and swaying from the many miles of arduous travel, pulled alongside the buoy. The simple metal structure was secured to a thick wooden bowl, the lattice-work covered in ice and sitting at an angle in the frozen water. The tiny bell atop the triangular legs was slick with frost, unmoving even with the gale of wind blowing past it.

Elgar examined the buoy as Viento, and the two young women, approached from the opposite side. "Is there some danger here we should be aware of?"

"No," Anna said, bringing the horse to a halt, "only if the water wasn't frozen over. This buoy marks a shelf that dips out into the ocean."

"A shelf of what sort?" Elgar inquired.

Anna felt Elsa tighten her hold a bit as she spoke. "We call it the Bone Canyon Ledge because of what it leads to. From this point on, the ocean gets much deeper...in fact, so deep that we have never determined how far down it goes. It just kinda drops and keeps dropping. Technically, it's also the start of the fishing grounds. But it's also the marker for where most of the shipwrecks are believed to be clustered."

"How many in total?" Elgar asked, guiding the horses and carriage away from the buoy as the group slowly moved on.

"Hundreds," Elsa said, looking at the back of Anna's neck with a glum expression. "A fisherman discovered two of them not far from here while diving to check his nets. He thought he could see...shapes, under the water. Much further down, further than he could dive on a single breath. We think that there might be hundreds of other vessels down there, swept along the bottom to collect together as one massive graveyard...and...well, we could never be certain...I mean how could we be? It's not like we could ever get deep enough to fi-...find...it..."

Elgar's eyes narrowed as the queen fought back tears. He watched as Anna slackened the reins a bit to put a hand on Elsa's at her waist, trying to comfort her. The horse slowed to a trot as the two young women held one another in the fading rays of the sun.

"Find what?" Elgar asked, a little more softly this time.

Anna's voice was steady even if her eyes were misty. "Our parents' ship; we knew it sank several miles out at sea, but we never knew where, exactly. It's possible that it could be just a few miles west of us...down there."

Elgar straightened his back and tried to regain his composure. Those deep, resolute eyes were somewhat less formidable for a moment, if only because he was distracted by the queen's words and Anna's explanation.

Olaf scampered off of Sven's back and onto Viento, bringing both girls into a warm hug...or as warm as he could produce anyway. The smile he offered was warm, at least.

"Have you ever lost someone like that?" the snowman asked Elgar. "Someone so important to you that it just turns your whole world upside down when they are gone?"

Elgar seemed surprised by the question, an impressive feat considering his normally collective and controlled nature. He raised his eyebrows and very slowly nodded his head.

"Yes. I have."

He left it at that.

The caravan moved along the coast, rolling over the beautiful blue road of the ice, keeping the shore to their left. As the sun reached the horizon in the west, the queen and princess saw the man's shadow draw out onto the ice, a solid black line with a pronounced nail-head shape near the top. It gave him a sunken look...and his face was that unreadable stone carving from earlier.

Elsa spoke quietly to him as they rode in tandem. "I don't think I have ever seen a cap quite like that before."

The man tilted his head in her direction, allowing one eye to find the queen's face from under the brim.

"I doubt you ever would had I not placed it on my head. It was made in a land very far away from here by a race of people that unfortunately no longer exist."

Anna was already feeling that tell-tale itch which told her that this conversation was headed in an uncomfortable direction. "No longer exist?"

The man nodded. "I traveled to a distant land in the southeast a few years back, trying to establish a trade route between Ludenor and a smaller nation on the border of the Asiatic continent. We came across a village, barely a way-station along a dirt path. It was a charming little thing, nestled in the shadow of a great mountain to the north. Kept the climate temperate, the days cool and the nights warm. It felt more like we were on a holiday than an official assignment from the king. I spent many months within that village, passing the time with hunting, star-charting, trading and the like. During my fifth week there, a young woman, whom I had assisted earlier that week with some reconstruction work on her dwelling, presented me with this hat. She told me it had ash sewn into the fibers, ash from a fire set by a fallen star. She implied that the hat would be my greatest source of good luck...a luck she was now passing on to me. I was rather skeptical, you understand."

"Yet here you are. Hat and all," said the queen.

The man smiled, a thin line across his square jaw. "It was raining the day I left that village two months later. The clouds were filled with lightning and thunder; it was one of the most unfriendly skies I had ever seen. The hat proved practical, if nothing else. It began to rain heavily as my battalion came over the ridge leading into the valley, towards the west...that's when we first heard it."

His voice seemed to set with the sun. His lowered tone seemed to pull the light from the sky that much faster as he spoke.

"The mountain, to the north, was not a mountain at all. Although I will never know exactly what triggered it, an eruption had begun as soon as my men and I began our journey back home. The smoke that followed the tremor told me that we had just barely escaped an active volcano."

He raised his head, looking at the two young women atop his horse. "It took less than a day for your ice to cover Arendelle, did it not, my queen? In fact, though it was the dead of summer, your powers stretched the width and breadth of nearly the entire kingdom in less than a few hours. Quite the feat considering you're supposed inexperience with wielding your magic."

"I will never see the incident that nearly destroyed my kingdom as anything 'impressive'," the queen said with an acidic tone.

"No. I suppose you wouldn't," Elgar said, losing the smile. "But take comfort in the fact that your accident was nothing compared to this actual, fully-realized natural disaster."

Elsa fell silent. Elgar didn't.

"The cloud that poured out of that mountain smelled of rotten flesh. It swept down the slope and into the village in a manner of seconds. I had never seen such fire...it seemed to hide behind the smoke and dust of the cloud. We only knew it contained flames when we saw the huts and hovels begin to burn in the distance. Even though we rode at full tilt, it still took us five minutes to reach the outskirts of the village. So amazing what can happen in five minutes...buildings crumble...well-springs fill with boiling mud...the ground swallows people whole...boulders become rubble...swords and spears melting and warping like dry leaves...bodies broiled alive in waves of hidden fire...and the smell..."

Although completely focused on what the man was saying, the queen and princess were silently happy that he had paused. The visuals he painted in their heads were giving both young women a sudden urge to vomit.

"We stayed two days more in that village, after it happened. We couldn't even approach the worst of it because the ash-cloud made it impossible to breathe; almost like trying to inhale shattered, burning glass. Actually, we stayed for a much shorter time than I had anticipated we would need to. There were three-hundred people in that village but we only buried thirty-six of them...the rest...well, we simply could not find."

Elsa and Anna held each other subconsciously, keeping their eyes on the road. They didn't look up even once...nothing their faces could say would have adequately portrayed their shared grief...and both of them knew that the lord probably wouldn't have responded to their words anyway.

Elgar kicked up the reins, encouraging his carriage forward at a slightly more brisk pace. "I wear the hat as a sign of respect when traveling. A man in my line of work gains a healthy amount of superstition over time."

"Afraid of fate catching up with you?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fate finds us all, eventually," he said cryptically, "some sooner than others. As it stands, my track record has been surprisingly immaculate with regards to near-misses. My compatriots have been...considerably less fortunate."

Elsa turned her head to look back at the buoy, nearly out of site now. It was a lonesome dot in the fading sun, a grave-marker for an incalculable amount of lives lost beneath the waves. It twisted her stomach to think that what remained of her parents was somewhere out there, hidden forever beneath the waves and ice.

"Yes...I guess some are luckier than others," she said.

Elgar's mood shifted drastically. Anna caught the tonal shift before the queen did, instinctively pulling Viento a few feet further from the carriage. His voice found their ears anyway.

"Luck?" he said, his voice gritty and unpleasant. "Luck is a human construct; a rationale for supposed benevolent confluences of energy to play in ones' favor for a time, only to abandon them to the wolves a moment later. A true opiate for the masses is the belief that such a thing as luck exists."

Elsa scowled, doing her best to bite her tongue.

Anna was a little less controlled. "I think you struck a nerve."

Elgar let out a short bark of a laugh, tilting his head back to show his large, polished teeth in the process.

"Oh trust me, princess," he said, letting his voice carry over the ice almost jovially, "my nerves are struck constantly, especially when I am made to suffer the fools that populate this world. Present company excluded, of course."

"Of course," the princess said, offering her own version of an insipid smile.

The queen didn't like the little back-stabbing comments being exchanged between the two of them, but she figured it was more constructive than dwelling on despair and old wounds. Her eyes were fixed on the shore now, as well as Kristoff and Sven in the near distance.

"I'm glad we're not far from home," Olaf said, sitting down between Anna legs in the saddle. "This has been a heck of a trip but I'm kinda glad it's almost done."

"Had enough excitement?" Anna asked, rubbing his non-existent shoulder.

Olaf shook his head. "No, excitement is fine, I can handle that...but it's the other stuff that's been going on since we left..."

Anna was concerned, letting her hands rest on Olaf's almost non-existent shoulders. "Like what, sweetie? Something on your mind?"

Olaf narrowed his eyes, a surprising feat considering how large they were. "Well...no...but I've just been noticing things since we left that campsite...stuff that wasn't as obvious at first."

"Obvious? Like how?"

"Well, you know...obvious!" Olaf said, watching as the carriage fell back behind Viento, the large horse picking up a bit of speed. "You know what obvious means, right? Like with Kai and Gerda back home! How they look at each other and how Kai always smiles more when she's around and how Gerda sneaks little treats out of the kitchen for him and how they like to disappear into that one room in the south hall and when they come out their clothes are messy and their faces are red-"

"Olaf!" Anna said, placing her hand to his mouth, trying to stop him from revealing too much. She was already giggling though, as was Elsa, who had her head buried in Anna's back with her hand to her lips trying to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, sorry...but I noticed something that was kind of...weird about Elgar," the snowman continued, lowering his voice even though they were about ten yards ahead of the lord and his carriage. "Something that just didn't seem right from the moment the sun came up..."

"Well there are a lot of things that are weird about this guy Olaf, you'll need to narrow it down a bit," said the princess.

"Oh come on, you guys must have noticed it too!" Olaf said in a rash, hushed voice, giving the princess credit where none was due. "Just look at him!"

Anna and Elsa looked at each other, turning slowly in the saddle to look at Elgar. His head was down, the broad brim of his hat covering his face as he guided the horses forward. Only his chest, hands and lower body were visible. The cold air combined with fading sun made his head look like the moon during a solar eclipse, making it difficult to look directly at him as the young women rode.

The queen and princess looked back at the snowman in Anna's lap. "Well yeah, he's creepy and stoic and rarely deals with women in positions of power, that's pretty clear...but what else?"

"Oh come on! It's as obvious as the steam that's coming out of our mouths!" Olaf insisted, waving slightly with his arms.

Anna put her hand on his head lovingly as she chuckled, trying to console him and keep him calm. "Olaf, honey, steam only comes out of MY mouth and Elsa's because we breathe and you don't. You're made of snow, so why would you need to, anyway? Plus our breath is hot, which is why you can see it in the cold air."

Then Olaf dropped an atom-bomb on the girls.

"Oh yeah? Then why can't I see HIS?"

Ice-water seemed to replace Anna's blood in her veins. Her heartbeat had never been so loud in her ears, perhaps because it was now moving a heavy sludge through her body, working three times as hard as a result. The same could probably have been said for her sister, whose grasp around her waist had gone slack, only to recoil violently into a vice-like grip. A quick look over her shoulder told the princess that not only was Elsa struggling to inhale, but she seemed to be experimenting with just how wide her eyes could get.

"Take a look if you don't believe me..." Olaf said, equating their stunned silence with skepticism.

Elsa gave her head a quick, violent shake as she stared ahead at her sister, as if trying to rid herself of a memory that simply would not leave her. But Anna's curiosity won out, which eventually guided the queen's eyes in the direction of her sisters.

The large man's face was still hidden for the most part. The four horses that clopped across the blue ice of Elsa's road were breathing heavily, their own breath filling the air with ragged puffs of steam, billowing around their heads like pipe-smoke in the relatively calm air. Even the carriage, with its spinning wheels and rumbling load, was able to kick up a fair amount of debris which at least resembled steam as it rolled along.

But the man himself...?

Nothing.

Not a puff.

Not a wisp.

Not a single curl of moisture escaped his lips.

Here the man tilted up his head, admiring the two women that were looking at him...and grinned.

The young monarchs turned their heads around in a very abrupt fashion, suspicious and fearful. If Elgar noticed, he said nothing of it; the pace of the carriage remained constant and he remained silent as the setting sun.

Anna couldn't have remained quiet if her life depended on it.

"No breath...NO BREATH!" she hissed quietly, facing forwards, clutching her sister hand as if it might pull away at any moment. "Elsa he has no breath! He isn't breathing! How is that possible?!"

It looked like Elsa would have to remain calm for the both of them. She took her sister hands in her own and clipped the reins slightly, instructing Viento to increase his pace. They put a little distance between the three of them and the large carriage-bound man before she responded.

"Anna you need to calm down, breathe a bit..." she said.

"A BIT? Why isn't be breathing at all?!" Anna asked hastily.

Elsa didn't have an answer. Her mind was racing with the new information, information that was so apparent to her little snowman creation but so oblivious to her that it made her sick to her stomach.

'He shouldn't be able to MOVE let alone fight bears and drive carriages! How is this happening? How? How?' she yelled internally.

"Are you OK, Anna? You're, uh, heh...almost as white as I am..." Olaf said, his hands on her cheeks even though she refused to look at him.

The queen's voice quavered as she tried to keep her sister still on the trotting horse.

"Anna...Anna, listen to me! I need to you to focus, OK?" she said. "Can you do that for me, sweetheart?"

Anna didn't respond, save for the rapid increase in her breathing, as if to make up for Elgar's lack-thereof.

Elsa did something a little drastic. Using the tips of her fingers only, she melted away a small portion of Anna's riding clothing, allowing her fingers to penetrate the fabric and touch Anna's stomach. The skin of the princess was immediately hot to the touch, which sent an unexpected shiver of pleasure through the queen. But she ignored it for the moment...she needed to help her sister.

A touch of cold magic flowed over Anna's abdomen and into her legs. The sudden cold had a relaxing affect on the princess; she blinked, slowed her breathing, let her posture loosen, her fingers becoming less entangled in the reins. She leaned back in Elsa's arms, doing her best no to fall out of the saddle.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said, suddenly feeling guilty, as if she were taking advantage of her sister, "I was just trying to keep you from hyperventilating..."

"And it's working," Anna said, enjoying the temperature variations as they played across her skin, "but still...how are we-"

"LISTEN to me, please," Elsa begged. "I want you to trust me. This is...well, scary news, I grant you. But we need to keep our heads, OK?"

"Yeah, like this!" Olaf said, removing his head from his shoulders and placing it between his legs. "This way I never lose it! Kinda like safe-keeping for a wallet...if I had a wallet...wait, what's a wallet again...?"

The tiny display made Anna laugh a bit. It was short and sounded a little forced, but it seemed to make the princess feel better.

'Bless you, Olaf,' thought the queen.

She readdressed her sister. "I need you to remain calm, alright? Technically, you can't really see my breath either, Anna, unless I want it to be seen. But clearly I'm still breathing, right?"

Anna nodded curtly.

'Good...at least I have her attention,' Elsa thought.

"We cannot tip our hand here, OK Anna? We just can't! The more we know about him the better and the less he knows about us, so much greater shall our advantage be. We need to be very careful with how we approach this man...if only to keep each other safe."

Anna wasn't entirely convinced. "Keep each other safe?! How?!"

Elsa leaned closer to Anna's ear. "I'm never going to let anything happen to you. If it means I need to have this man watched every day of his stay in Arendelle, then so be it. But he needs to feel confident that he has the advantage. If he does, then, if he has any ill-intention towards us, we will be able to catch him off guard."

"But his breath-!"

"He's from Ludenor, Anna," the queen interrupted, moving her fingers in comforting circles around Anna's belly-button, "and he told us about his dabbling in alchemy. It's part of their cultural history and infrastructure. They have all manner of incantation that allow them to do everything from levitate off the ground to walk across water for short distances. He may just be using an invocation that allows him to retain body heat; it's very cold here and Ludenor is in the sub-tropics. Either way, we need to be careful, yes, but we must also learn when to remain silent in case we are overreacting."

"And if we're not?" Anna asked, turning to face her sister, asking her deadpan.

Elsa took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Then I take whatever steps necessary to keep the two of us safe. No one threatens the people I love without consequences. No one."

The dark tinge that flooded Elsa's eyes sent yet another shiver through Anna. The sensation was brought on by awe, respect and a touch of intimidation.

The queen meant business.

Anna was strangely elated and intoxicated by the look...it was very reminiscent of how she had looked at her before the five of them had entered the crater two days prior.

Anna gave a sly grin and nodded. "Alright. I trust you, my queen."

"Besides," Elsa said, giving a cocky smile of her own as she looked back over her shoulder and then at her sister again, "fighting bears is one thing. Challenge me? Then you challenge winter itself. I'll take those odds any day."

"ARENDELLE, HOOOOOO!"

The sudden exclamation was enough to jerk both women's attention back to the front of the horse. Kristoff was riding full speed towards the group, his hand waving in the air from about three-hundred yards off. The smile on his face was evident even from such a great distance.

"We're here!" he called as he approached. "We're back!"

Sure enough, just as the group came around the edge of the next fjord, lights could be seen gathering on the shore. The massive mountains, covered in clouds and hidden from view on the ground, stood out of sight above the inlet, the tremendous cliffs and ridges slowly revealing the partially frozen harbor of the tiny kingdom. Elsa's road of ice seemed to lead right up to the tree-line, ending abruptly at the small road which trailed away from the shore and into the heart of the city. The break wall, a huge limestone structure designed to encompass the entirety of the city and the castle, came into view as well, its torch-lights like little yellow diamonds in the near-distance. The spires of the castle loomed up into the air, sharp and distinct and oh so welcoming to the queen and princess, as was the tall waterfall which sat behind the city, pouring almost soundlessly into the river below it. The city itself was alight; candles and fires and lanterns hung shown everywhere, shining brightly with oranges, greens, purples and reds. The smell of burning straw, wood, roasting pheasant, suckling pig and candied fruit seemed to fill the air, beckoning the weary travelers ever closer to their home.

"A jewel of color in a land beset by white," mused Elgar, his deep voice carrying closer to the two women. "It has been far too long since a Shroud has set eyes on such a welcome site as this."

"You find my kingdom to your liking?" Elsa inquired, her royal countenance returning once more.

Here Elgar's eyes seemed to waver. Rather than appraise the kingdom, he instead looked directly at the queen from behind, eyes wandering, lingering, his gaze going predominantly unnoticed by the monarch as she rode. The slight tilt of his head and grating change in his voice more than sufficed to make the queen more than a little nervous.

"To my liking? Yes, your grace," he admitted slowly, "So far, very much to my liking, indeed."

The carriage and horse joined Sven and Kristoff on the shore where Elsa's road ended. The slight incline was jarring after riding on level ground for so long, but the feeling of permafrost beneath the horses' hooves was a welcome change for the princess and queen. As the horse rounded a stand of trees and passed a few of the humble houses that made up Arendelle's modest village, the great walls of the castle swung into view.

Ten guards in their silver-gray uniforms stood at attention as the caravan approached. Upon seeing the queen atop the mighty horse, three of them stood at attention, their faces filled with glee and pride.

"It's the queen and princess!"

"They've returned!"

"UH-tennnn...SHUN!"

The line of men clicked their heels together, bringing their spears to their shoulders and raising their chins with zeal. With roaring voices, they alerted the kingdom and anyone else in earshot that their queen and princess had returned.

"HAIL, Queen Elsa! HAIL, Princess Anna! God Save the Queen! God save the Princess!"

Elsa and Anna were feeling safer already, their hands waving gently to the royal guard, as well as the small crowd that was beginning to gather around the castle gates. The small din of their people made the queen and her sister remember that here, within this city, these walls, their power was absolute. Even Elgar looked smaller on his great carriage, his hulking form somewhat diminished by the throngs of people that began to fill the square and surround his person on all sides with smiles and calls of joy.

The caravan continued on into the castle, the massive doors swinging open on their dense hinges, the iron bolts giving way to the familiar confines of the castle, so welcoming and desired that it almost felt like the pair had been away for a year, rather than a week. Kai and Gerda, their hands applauding the weary pair as they entered the main courtyard, stood at the doorway with the rest of the staff. A small army of servants and handmaidens, butlers and housecarl's awaited them, all of whom were overjoyed to see the royal family safe and sound.

Finally, Elsa and Anna felt like they could breath deep and rest easy.

The wilds were far behind. The comforts of their castle awaited them.

"It's good to be home," Anna said, Elsa hugging her tightly from behind.

---

"Kai, I need you to do me a favor..."

"A...favor, my queen?" asked the servant.

The request had come only three days after the queen's return. Kai had met Elsa in the study as per her request, early in the evening, not seventy-two hours after the she and the princess had strode through the gates of the castle, with the ice master in tow, along with their...'honored' guest.

It was a strange request, to be asked a favor by the queen. His life had been one of service since Elsa had been in diapers, always fussing and doting on the queen and princess to whatever degree was necessary for their happiness. But now the queen was meeting him under strange circumstances, secretly, without the knowledge of the princess or anyone else for that matter. He would have laid down his life for the royal family, and Elsa knew it...which made these circumstances all the more intriguing and unique.

"Yes," the queen said, clearing her throat, "a favor. This is not an order, this is not a royal errand and I am not asking any of the staff to assist you...in fact, what I am about to request of you is not to leave this room."

Kai stood at attention, his large round face and bald head slick with sweat from the fireplace. He was suddenly nervous...what could such a request entail?

"Of-of course, my queen," he said, "anything at all."

Elsa stood behind her father's table, her hands clasped beneath her navel, her hair braided simply to one side. She was again dressed in her formal queenly attire, the purples and grays and greens very fitting for her, though she seemed a little less relaxed than usual. Perhaps it was the adjustment she was making to being back in her kingdom after a week's absence...or maybe it was something weighing on her mind like a shackle she could not shed. Kai couldn't tell.

"Firstly, I must inquire as to the status of the Oktober Feiring, as well as the ETA regarding the Royal Family of Corona...what I need to ask of you is heavily dependent on those two pieces of information," she said.

Kai looked a little perplexed, but he straightened his coat with both hands at the lapels and reiterated the information.

"The Feiring is proceeding as planned, majesty. What few goods that can be spared from the castle storehouse are being used to set up a market in the town square. There will be vendors, of course, as well as musicians, craftsmen, bakers, distractions for the younger children and unique activities for the adults. There is a some sort of competition being set-up by a trader from the forested region just north of the city, a Mr. Oaken, I believe...the challengers will win a special prize, one he has insisted upon discussing with you first. Fresh produce is being shipped in from all of the surrounding districts, as well as twenty-five barrels of donated mead and ale from two of the pubs nearest the city center. They were most grateful that their debt was repaid so quickly."

"Remind me to thank them in person at the start of the festivities," Elsa said with a small smile.

"Of course, ma'am. As for your cousin, and the King and Queen of Corona, they should be arriving within the next two days. The ice-pack has been growing steadily over the last week or so, but they should make it with plenty of time to spare before the harbor closes up. All arrangements have been made to make their stay as comfortable as possible. The secondary chambers have been brought out of mothballs, cleaned and polished and made ready to receive the royal family. As instructed, I have made sure to keep... His Lordship, Elgar von Shroud, as far away from the chambers of your Aunt and Uncle as possible."

Elsa swallowed uncomfortably. "How is our guest doing, by the way?"

Kai seemed to tense a little bit. "Well, uh...Lord Elgar is, eh..."

"Speak plainly, Kai. You need not stand on formalities here," assured the queen.

Kai released a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. "Thank you, my queen. To be honest...his lordship has been the pinnacle of courtesy and graciousness since the moment he arrived. He has taken to his chambers quite well it seems...in fact, he seems to have an identical circadian rhythm to your own, Queen Elsa. He retires early and rises with the sun, eats in his chambers. He has taken quite a liking to the gallery, spending a good deal of time perusing the artwork. His...associates, shall we call them, have been equally polite and are rarely seen. In fact, unless they accompany their master, neither of them are seen at all. Very private fellows, it seems...not much for conversation..."

Elsa cocked an eyebrow. It wasn't a suspicious gesture, merely one of concern.

"Kai, please...tell me what plagues you," she said sympathetically.

The Head of the Household came closer to the queen, his fingers tented nervously in front of his broad belly. His big nose trembled slightly as he approached his queen, leaning forward to speak as if her were revealing a secret.

"I cannot place my finger on it, my queen. It is difficult to give my feelings words..."

"Try," the queen said, placing a hand on his. She was acting as a friend and confidant now, not as a sovereign.

Kai took in two shaky breaths before he continued.

"He moves...unnaturally, Queen Elsa. When he is in the great hall, speaking to the staff, making idle chatter with anyone who walks by...he is gregarious. His voice and foot-falls fill the room, to the point where even the kitchen staff claims they can hear him on the other side of the castle. Other times he seems to be singing, in Germanic or Russky, which is equally loud and even...obnoxious, at times..."

"What about the rest of the time?" Elsa asked.

Kai hooded his eyes. "He is unnaturally quiet, my lady. Several members of the staff have made mention of it. He has been seen on three occasions simply walking the halls, hands behind his back, almost strolling...and not making a sound. He seems to favor the darkened corridors when he does this. Lydia, the servant girl who checks in on him every morning? She has told me that he seems to...meld with the room. She has mistaken him several times for a large curtain or some part of the bed frame...when in fact he simply stands so still and so quiet that he goes almost entirely unnoticed. It's almost as if he can control his own shadow...allow it to grow and darken at will..."

Elsa was suddenly very aware of her pulse. "What else have you seen?"

Kai hesitated. "Actually...it is what I haven't seen that makes me wary. I have found myself talking to members of the staff in what I was convinced was an empty corridor or chamber...only to turn around and see his lordship standing there, silently, watching and listening to us. I never hear him come into a room or exit one unless he makes himself known...which is very rare. And then..."

Elsa motioned for him to continue. "Yes?"

"Well...there is the whistling..."

Elsa looked confused so Kai carried on.

"We hear it, at night, mostly...the staff and I. It is low, sometimes barely audible. But it will grow louder and louder as time goes on. It is always the same tune, one I do not recognize. But the whistle itself is what troubles me. For something that starts off so softly...it...seems to travel the length of the castle. It is sad, in a way, but also persistent...persistent in that it seems almost..."

"Almost what...?" Elsa asked.

Kai swallowed. "Inescapable, majesty. As if we hear this whistle not because we are listening for it...but because we have no choice."

Elsa took a deep breath and steadied herself next to her desk. Kai bowed again and tried to defuse the tension.

"I know it barely makes any sense, even as I say it out loud, and I hope you know, Queen Elsa, that I meant no effrontery by my words-"

"No, Kai, you're fine, really," the queen assured him, "I appreciate your candor, very much so. I will have to make a point of addressing these...oddities. But it also brings me back to why I summoned you here. I have a question; do we still have a few Søn Villskap owls in the aviary?"

Kai perked up his eyebrows, his face blank. "Why...yes, my lady. Four of them, I believe. The last four believed to exist in all of Norway. Your father had them placed upon a list of protected animals some fifteen years ago, but unfortunately their feathers make tempting targets for poachers and hunters. These four were some of his prized possessions."

Elsa nodded. "Good. Bring me the healthiest and strongest of the four. I wish to examine it, for I have a task that it must complete. You are to tell no one, not even the staff, that I am appraising the owl or that you and I have spoken of my need to do so. Is this clear?"

"Absolutely, majesty. This information will never escape my lips."

"Good. On your way then. Also, please send for my sister, I wish to meet with her in private."

"At once, majesty," Kai said, clicking his heals together before turning and leaving the study.

Elsa took an uneasy seat in the tall chair behind her, intertwining her fingers beneath her chin as she went over what Kai had told her.

'Kai wouldn't make things like this up, I know that much. I wonder...does the staff fear Elgar? He hasn't been threatening or rude, but his behavior puts people on edge. Perhaps I need to have a word with him regarding decorum in Arendelle...especially within the boundaries of this castle...'

She tapped her fingers on the heavy wooden table, her nails clicking absentmindedly as she pondered. The sudden gurgling noise from within her gut told her that she had put off dinner for long enough. She stood, straightened her dress, adjusted her crown and took a few brisk steps towards the door.

'I should eat something before Kai returns...perhaps one of the guards can summon some food for the study..."

As she swung open the heavy aspen door on its ancient hinges, she turned to search for a passing servant or guard, only to be bowled over by a flurry of rusty hair, loose clothing and dirty boots. Before the queen knew it, she was flat on her butt, splayed out, the back of her head throbbing after smacking the floor so unexpectedly.

"OOOF!"

A loud gasp caused the queen's tightly clenched eyes to snap open again.

"Elsa! I'm sorry, I didn't see you! Are you OK? What hurts? Can you move?!"

Anna was atop her sister, her hands clasped gently on either side of the queen's head. Her weight kept the blonde pinned to the ground, the odd choice of clothing hanging baggy and disheveled around Anna's arms and legs. She smelled of sweat, cinders, wood and straw. Her face was damp and her hair in a messy pony-tail tucked behind her ear. Elsa could see how flushed she looked, but whether it was from her collision with the queen or from some other recent activity, Elsa wasn't sure.

"I'm...I'm fine, Anna," Elsa said, her own breathing a bit more rapid. "You just surprised me is all. Are you OK?"

"Oh I'm fine! I hit you, remember?" Anna laughed, releasing her sister's face. "I'm really sorry; I thought you were still in the study. Kai caught me as I was coming into the main hall and told me to come here, so here I am! But you can see that...obviously, since I'm here...are you sure you're OK?"

"Where did you get that little scar?" Elsa countered suddenly, eyes fixed on her sister's face.

Anna sat back an inch or so, confused at the abrupt change of subject. "Wait...what?"

"Next to your nose...right here," Elsa said with a semi-concerned but adorable look on her face, placing her hand on her sister's cheek, her thumb stroking the skin just below the faded cut. "Where did you get that?"

Anna balanced herself on one hand, her body still laying across her sister hips and abdomen. She placed her hand softly upon her sister's, never breaking eye-contact, as she found the place indicated beneath her left eye.

"This?"

"Yes...what happened here?"

The corners of Anna's mouth twitched into the beginning of a smile that never fully formed. She leaned into her sister's hand, a small feeling of elation pouring into her heart as she felt the queen mold her hand against her cheek.

"It was nothing, really," said the princess, "I was just playing alone one day and I had a small accident. It happened a lot, actually...I mean accidents, they happened, a lot. I was riding a bike down the stairs and I kinda ran into a suit of armor. I could usually avoid them and I have NO idea why they were right there at the bottom of the staircase, but, one day, pow! Right in the kisser."

'Kisser...there's an idea...wait, what?!' the princess thought, shaking her head.

Elsa stroked her sister's cheek carefully, as if she was afraid that her finger might accidentally reopen the decade-old blemish. Her eyes were bright but her face humbled, imagining her mother and father as they tended to Anna's face, trying to keep her from crying, cleaning the cut and giving her a chocolate for being such a brave girl.

It made her sad to imagine it...if only because she wished she could have helped prevent the injury in the first place.

"Anna...look, I, I know I-"

"NO! Stop right there!" Anna yelped.

Anna was clutching Elsa's hand now, holding her still, commanding her attention.

"Anna what do you-"

"I know that face!" Anna said, firmly but softer this time.

"What face?"

"THAT face!"

"I don't make faces, Anna." Elsa protested.

"Yes, you do!" the princess insisted. "The face you have on right now is the 'I feel guilty about something I did when I was younger' face. I'd know that face anywhere! You get it every time something paces through your head that makes you feel guilty. It happens way too much in my opinion."

Elsa wasn't sure if she should be upset that her emotions were slightly less concealable than before, or unnerved that her sister seemed to be able to read her like a book.

"Please, Elsa...I thought we were moving past this. You know you can talk to me about anything, but this self-guilt-tripping thing, it...it just makes you look so sad and hurt. I hate it when you look like that."

Anna's own face was sporting a fairly deflated look as she spoke. It was distressed, searching, wanting...and in a moment the queen understood her sister's meaning perfectly.

'I must look like that every time I think of my childhood...gods...I can see why Anna gets stressed out. I can't stand to see her look so unhappy, especially over me...'

"Ah HA! Now it's the 'I'm upsetting my sister so I need to pull back' look! An Elsa classic, but still not much better. Please, Elsa, just...talk to me...you know I'll listen." Anna pleaded, nuzzling gently into her sister's hand.

Elsa took a deep breath and nodded, or nodded as much as she could from her prone position on the ground. Surprisingly, she wasn't uncomfortable...she had almost forgotten about the circumstances that had lead to them crashing to the floor in the middle of the doorway. Now, relaxation was beginning to fill her as she opened her mouth.

"Anna I...I see that cut on your face and...I dunno...I just, want to...take it back, I guess? I want to erase the parts of your childhood...and mine...where we couldn't be together. This little cut is one of those times," the queen admitted slowly.

"It's just a little scratch," Anna said, trying to reassure Elsa.

"I know that, that's not the point," Elsa said, shaking her head with a smile, "but I could have been there! I could have been next to you on that bike, or maybe chased you down the stairs as you rode it, I don't know. And maybe I couldn't have prevented you from getting a little banged up...kids get cuts and bruises, I know that. But maybe I...I could've..."

"Could have...?" Anna tried, leaning a little closer. She hoped the contact on her face wouldn't end...it seemed to make both the princess and queen bolder, less reserved. It was new, exciting...it even felt a little dangerous.

Elsa sighed, fighting back tears. "...maybe I could have at least caught you. When you fell. That's what started this whole thing, just like that night in the ballroom thirteen years ago. I wanted to catch you as you fell...and I couldn't."

While her memories of that evening so many years ago had been altered, Anna knew what had happened thanks to a full confession made by Elsa a few months prior. The princess could almost picture it...the empty, moonlit ballroom, the rush of watching her sister conjure her ice and snow, the building of Olaf for the first time at the foot of their parents' throne. And then, of course, the piles of snow being willed into existence under her feet as she climbed, higher and higher, up into the air...until Elsa's fated slip on the ice. Her failed attempt to catch the princess one final time had resulted in an uncontrolled outburst of Elsa's power, resulting in her snow-kissed hair and partially frozen head.

By now, both physical remembrances of that night had long since faded.

But the guilt...that had lasted for years and years. It seemed to have grown as well, instead of lesson.

"I seem to be doing that a lot...trying to catch you before you fall..." Elsa admitted, her eyes downcast. "But I never seem to be able to...whether it's here or back at the crater or wherever...I can never seem to catch you."

Anna was at a loss for words. Even though she now knew about the circumstances that led up to the initial separation between Elsa and herself, she had never considered the incident from that point of view. The events of that night must have colored Elsa's behavior drastically...and bolstered her concern over her sisters safety to an almost critical level.

'I knew she felt guilty, but this is awful. Oh, Elsa, sweetie...such a big heart you have...'

Anna decided she needed to do something. That something was rash, provocative and perhaps a little ill-timed...but she knew it felt right. She knew it felt good.

Her smiling lips met her sister's cheek gently, the blossom of crimson springing to Elsa's face only encouraging her. She refused to release the hand of the queen, letting it guide her, almost hold her in place as the princess leaned into Elsa's cheek. She let her lips press into the queen's beautiful ivory skin, pouring a tiny bit of heat into the contact, loitering for a few heartbeats. She pulled back painfully slowly, returning her sister's gaze with resolve, her own eyes unblinking. The queen's breathing was slow, ponderous, even though her face was cherry-red and almost uncomfortably hot.

"Well...you caught me this time, Elsa," Anna whispered, her words as ephemeral as the kiss.

Shock. Joy. Bewilderment. Longing. These feelings and more crossed the queen's face in the span of three seconds; she never dwelt on any one of them, simply because her pounding heart made it almost impossible to focus. She couldn't tare her eyes from Anna's face...the slick sheen of her skin, the way her freckles popped out, the slight sparkle of her eyes in the dim light of the hall. It was too much.

'Please..stop looking at me like that...why can't I handle it when she looks at me like that?!'

The queen let her thoughts wander for a bit. Her only anchor to the moment was Anna's hand atop her own, the warm, softer-than-soft skin beneath her fingertips. The slight beat of the princess's pulse at her jaw line, the adoring gaze that Anna unknowingly shared with her, the wonderful but subtle rush she received when she realized that her sister's young, supple body was still precariously laid out across her stomach...all these things made her swoon. There was far too much heat building within her body for her to ignore for long.

'Gods...she couldn't look ugly if she tried, could she?' Elsa thought, taking a deep, appreciative breath.

Anna let a wicked smile cross her face. "You're gonna burn a hole through my face at this rate..."

Elsa found her voice just in time to chastise her sister, a little amusement in her tone. "This is payback because I wouldn't stop tickling you that night, isn't it?"

Anna laughed a bit and finally released Elsa's hand, the queen doing her best to hide her disappointment. "Payback? Me? Surely you jest..."

"Anna, come on."

Anna's face became semi-serious again, tilting her head to one side. "Well if you want to think so, I guess it could be..."

Elsa cocked an eyebrow. "Anna...what is it?

Anna shrugged, leaning backwards and pulling the queen into a sitting position beside her. The ruffled clothes pooled beneath her just as Elsa's dress did, almost giving the royal siblings the appearance of melting into the floor.

"Please tell me..." the queen said, her own voice pleading this time.

Anna looked up at Elsa and tried to find the right words. It was her turn to blush, her whole body electrified with the possibility of confessing the truth or spinning a lie in its place.

"Elsa...you deserve happiness. I say you deserve happiness. And no memory of what you did or didn't do when you were a kid should ever stop you from being happy, understand? You have earned the right to forgive yourself. No one has the right to tell you otherwise. So please, don't worry about all the times you weren't there to catch me." Anna said, taking her sister's hand in her own.

Elsa nodded, her own face still burning slightly. She gestured to her cheek with her other hand, letting the tips of her fingers gently brush the skin.

"And...this?" Elsa asked, her voice unable to give words to the small gift given to her by the princess.

Anna looked down, weaving her fingers into her sisters. She didn't look ashamed, or even sad...more apprehensive, perhaps even a little...hopeful.

"I said I wanted you to be happy and...well, I thought that would make you happy." Anna said, very boldly, no less. "Was I wrong?"

The queen was a fool dangling from strings. Here she was, the ruler of a kingdom, a wielder of powerful magic and a commander of her own fleet and army...and yet, she was powerless in front of this young lady. The princess seemed to be an unwitting master of disarming the queen...the soft looks, the earnest endearment, the constant loyalty, the fascination with the queens every word and move.

How could this be?

How could so much subtle action and devotion strip the queen of all her defenses? How could a word, a single word from this young woman rip her common sense away, leaving her a flustered, throbbing mess?

More importantly, why did Elsa crave such a feeling more and more as time went by?

"No...you weren't wrong," the queen admitted, squeezing her sister's hand. "Not wrong at all."

The relief that flooded Anna's face was beyond cute...it made the queen smile brightly as the two of them began to stand. She focused on that face, memorized every inch, every muscle twitch, every line and curve. Though the queen didn't fully understand it, she felt like that memory of her sister's happiness would serve her well in some way, down the line. She couldn't place how...but if nothing else, she had yet another example of a time where her sister's happiness was totally her fault. She locked it away with her other happy memories, a cache of cheerful nostalgia that was slowly but thankfully beginning to fill her mind.

Elsa knew she wouldn't be satisfied until it was filled to the brim. But there was still much to be discussed...especially now.

"Anna...you know we need to talk, right?" Elsa said, her breathing slow, measured.

Anna cocked her head quizzically for a moment. She put her left hand to her own cheek, as if sympathizing with the one she had just pressed her lips to.

"You mean...about this?" she asked.

Elsa shook her head slowly, never breaking eye contact. She brought her fingers to her lips, tracing the outline carefully, as if attempting to conjure the memory back with the faintest motion of her hand.

"No," she said, "about...this."

Anna watched...and in a moment of memory and exhalation and pink-tinted skin, it was apparent that the queen's conjuring had had the desired effect.

"Oh...OH...," she said, moving her hand to her lips as well. "You mean...that."

"Yes," Elsa whispered, almost breathlessly. Her eyes were wide but soft, searching, studying. Anna was equally open, her other hand woven into her messy hair, the unruly curls now a physical representation of her mind as it was pulled in a thousand different directions at once. Though the queen and the princess didn't know it, their minds were joined in that they asked themselves the same glaring, consuming questions.

'What should I say...what CAN I say? That it was wrong? That it went too far? That it shouldn't have happened? That it can never happen again...or that I...I...can't stop thinking about it...'

The decision was, thankfully, taken out of their hands...for the moment.

"Yoo hoo! Qwueen Elsa? Preencess Anna? Are you around here somewhere?"

Both women were startled, but turned to face the cheerful voice as it carried down the hallway towards them. The collective feeling was like they had just been caught with their hands in the cookie-jar.

A large man, nearly seven feet tall, sporting a colorful sweater, wool cap and overalls was walking briskly towards the two young women. His mutton-chops and handlebar mustache were neatly trimmed and his gait was enormous. In less than seven steps he was upon them, filling their vision with his impressive rectangular frame.

"Ah, Mr. Oaken, I presume?" Elsa said with a smile.

The man clasped his hands together as if he were praying and bowed slightly to the queen. "Ja, indeed I am yer majesty. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, it is."

He turned to the younger woman. "And preencess Anna! So good to see you again...but what have you been doing? Last time I saw you in a ball gown and now..."

Elsa took another look at her sister's attire and gave a cock-eyed grin. "Actually I was about to ask that myself...what were you doing out there before we ran into each other?"

'You mean before I pinned you to the ground and kept you there for ten whole minutes...wait, what?' Anna thought, shaking her head again. "I was helping Kristoff build the bandstand near the town square. Dresses don't make much sense for that kind of work so I borrowed some of his old clothes."

Elsa felt a bitterness fill her mouth and then splash across her face. While it was well hidden physically, Elsa had a penchant for expressing her emotions through other venues.

Without warning, a window down the hall burst open, sending a surprisingly icy gale of wind down the corridor. The walls were given a tiny but obvious icy sheen for the briefest of moments as the wind whipped up Anna's hair and ruffled her borrowed shirt and slacks. Oaken's facial hair was blown flat against his face, distracting him long enough for Anna to shoot the queen a very surprised and concerned look.

"Oh my...well, that's just a bit odd, isn't it?" Oaken asked, still chipper even in the frigid hallway. He took a few lengthy strides over to the window in an attempt to shut it. "Allow me..."

Elsa gave the princess a surprisingly fiery look given the temperature that surrounded them.

"You're wearing his clothes? What happened to your clothes?!" she said in a harsh, hushed voice.

Anna's shock gave way to something that could have been amusement laced with sarcasm. She moved just an inch closer, giving her sister a small lazy eye.

"He gave me clothing that he doesn't wear anymore...faded stuff, too small for him but good for heavy labor and painting...wait, Elsa...why are you acting like this? What are you implying?" she asked.

Elsa reeled it in as best she could. The wind died almost as quickly as it had begun, much to Elsa's surprise...almost as surprising as her sudden retreat from her sister's gaze.

"Nothing! Nothing at all...i-i-it's just the appearance of impropriety. A princess in the clothes of a man, moving lumber, hammering nails...what a sight...!"

Anna pulled back slightly and put her hand to the corner of her mouth, her cheeks slightly redder. "So what if I was wearing men's clothing? They were comfy and allowed free move-"

She stopped dead in mid-sentence, her eyebrow's jumping slightly. Elsa was suddenly dreading what she would say next.

"Oh sweet Juno...Elsa! Are you...jealous?"

Elsa took in a staggered breath and puffed out her cheeks with constrained anger, wringing her hands in front of her as she chastised her sister, eyes wide, voice raspy as she whispered. "Jealous?! Of all the impertinent...! You have an image to maintain, Anna! We both do! You can't be seen wearing another man's clothes, it's completely improper and uncouth and-"

'Holy Valhalla, she IS jealous!' Anna thought, almost gleeful. "Elsa, come on, they're just raggedy clothes! I'm not being improper or unladylike; I'm just doing a little work. You pull more than your fair share around here and I'm just trying to be helpful...in a non-state-oriented kind of way."

Elsa took an exasperated breath and tried to calm down. "Anna, that's very sweet of you, but you still shouldn't be-"

"Ehhhmmmm..."

Both young women silenced their hushed conversation to look at the rather large man who was upon them again. He stood with a self-conscious look on his face, attempting to figure out why the princess and queen were being so vehement and yet so quiet at the same time.

"Perhaps this is a bad time, ja? I could come back a bit later..."

Elsa closed her eyes in frustration and huffed, attempting to retake her air of regality without giving herself whiplash. Anna did the same, trying to tuck her hair back atop her head.

"No, Mr. Oaken, this is a fine time," Elsa said, gesturing to the study. "Please, join us for some tea?"

The three adults made themselves comfy in the large warm room while a handmaid busied herself with making their drinks. A small platter of cookies and biscuits was laid out before the trader, who enjoyed the selection immensely while Anna and Elsa settled into their seats. The clouds that had suddenly gathered across the sky had dissipated rather quickly, revealing sun-kissed mountaintops beyond the edge of the kingdom. The queen and princess seemed a little agitated, stealing glances at one another over the rims of their tea-cups. It was several minutes before the trader cleared his throat.

"So...been a bit bleary here since the two of you went on your little journey. Enjoyed your little vacation, did you? What is a walkabout anyway, may I ask?"

The queen choked on her tea a bit, earning a chuckle from her sister.

'What DID Kai tell everybody when we left the kingdom?' the sisters thought in unison.

"Uh...yes, more or less. We certainly didn't want to miss the celebration so we decided to return earlier than we originally planned. Speaking of which, what is it you wanted to discuss regarding this...competition, of yours?" Elsa asked.

The burly mountain-man was suddenly very excited. "Oh yes, majesty. It is called The Masquerade Triathlon! You have heard of it, ja? Your mother and father sponsored it as a yearly event up until..."

The sudden silence and look of guilt upon Oaken's face was enough to make the sister's wince. He placed his cup down slowly, trying not to shake it as he did.

"I-I...I apologize, your majesty. I did not mean..."

Elsa smiled apologetically, waving her hand gently. "No don't, Mr. Oaken, really, it's fine. I know what you meant. It's alright. Please don't worry about it."

The man offered his own sad smile before starting again, his voice temperate but still friendly. "It was a rousing event, even back then. It was always held near the end of the autumn, right as the harvest was about to be completed. That way we could put together lots of food very quickly and everyone in the city could have one big party! And at the beginning, there was always the Triathlon! It's tradition."

"I've heard of Triathlon's but I've never seen one," Anna said, sipping her Darjeeling. "How would this one work?"

Oaken looked like a kid about to open his birthday presents. "Oh it's very simple but such fun! There are three events, each one is representative of three disciplines...you know what they are, I'm sure..."

Anna nodded vigorously before she slowed down and began to shake it somberly. "No, not really."

Oaken sipped his tea and inhaled another cookie. "There are different tests for each event. The first is a race, which will test speed. It's usually one lap around the city, following the break-wall around the castle, up the northern slope towards the Angel-Tear falls, through the pine grove and into the town square. Only the first twenty competitors who make it across the finish-line can qualify for the second round."

"Wait, how many start of to begin with?" Anna asked.

"Oh as many as they like! They each pay two krone to enter, which is put aside for the prize of the second runner up and to pay for the masks. Sometimes we get over a hundred to join...quite impressive when we do..."

"Masks?"

"Oh that's right! They all wear masks! That way when the winner is revealed, it's a complete surprise to the crowd as well as the other competitors! It also makes it very hard for anyone to cheat since no one knows who anyone is...since the masks are all identical, ja? No one be the wiser then!"

Elsa and Anna were imaging all the competitors lined up like cabaret dancers ready to run, their faces all identical, the crowd cheering them on. It would be a spectacle, to be sure, but it could be loads of fun as well.

"So what would the second event be?" Elsa asked.

"Ahhh, a test of endurance! The twenty people who make it through the race have to balance themselves on one foot!" Oaken said excitedly.

Elsa and Anna could have sworn they heard crickets in the study...that or they were experiencing a mild delirium.

"And?" Anna said, raising an eyebrow.

"That's it! They stand on logs and hold their legs up and balance on the other! The first ten to drop their legs lose!"

"Doesn't exactly sound like a challenge..." Elsa said.

"Oh, but it IS...no food, no drink, no bathroom-breaks...some last for hours, some only a few minutes. But you'd be surprised how difficult it is to find balance. Keep your leg up off the ground, stay upright, no eating, no drinking, no resting...it's very taxing. After all, you two are a qwueen and preencess! Surely you know how hard it is to balance more than two things at once, ja?"

The sister's couldn't argue with that. They both nodded, both of them starting to realize how interesting and entertaining this could all be. They eagerly encouraged Oaken to continue.

"The final event is one of skill and strength. They set up a ring, a large wooden platform with a circle drawn around the outside, you know? So that you have a boundary. The last ten contestants then wrestle each other in the ring...no weapons, no tricks, skill against skill alone. A contestant is disqualified if he is forced out of the ring, or if the other contestant takes off his mask. It is one on one each time until only two remain. No time limit and no time-outs...two go in, one comes out. The first of those two to lose his mask is declared the runner-up. The last person in the ring wearing his mask is the winner!"

The princess was the first to let her curiosity get the better of her. "And...what do they win exactly?"

Oaken smiled cautiously now. "Well...this is why I wanted to meet with your highnesses. The prizes are up for debate...but I have suggestions you could consider, ja?"

The queen looked dubious but her curiosity was piqued as well. "Go ahead..."

Oaken gestured to the mountain range behind the queen. "It is difficult to hunt in later November here, what will the heavy snow and all. And if I have heard right, even your powers cannot keep the winter at bay, correct, my qwueen?"

Elsa shook her head. "No. I can manipulate ice and snow, even create it and then melt it away, but challenging the natural progression of the seasons is still out of my reach. Even if I did melt away the snow upon the ground after it falls fresh from the sky, I cannot extend my powers across the globe. Winter has its time and my powers cannot dissuade it, not permanently and not for long."

Oaken seemed surprisingly happy about this news. "Well I guess fighting Mother Nature is a bad idea in the first place. But since that is the case, I say we use the krone we collect and purchase a grand feast for the runner-up and their family to celebrate the Yule! I will gather all the food at my trading post and even give a discount. I will provide a whole spread: Ribbe, Pinnekjøtt, Medisterkaker, fresh cod, lutefisk (of my own concoction, naturally), Kransekake, Kringle, roast ham, sausages with wine sauce, Småkaker, Juleøl of course, Julebrus for the young ones...it will be a feast for twenty people! And I will prepare and deliver it all the day before Yule's Eve. A good prize to compete for I should say, paid for by all the contestants."

The queen looked from her sister to the trader and back again. Another question seemed to be dangling from the princess's lips.

"What about the first prize?" Anna finally asked.

Oaken smiled broadly. "Well...you see, preencess, when your mother and father still attended this triathlon, it was tradition for the royal family to offer some special prize for winning all three events. Something directly from the royal family."

"Meaning what?" Elsa added, a slight hiss in her voice.

"Eh-hehhh...well...the queen would offer the winner a tribute, a royal favor," Oaken said slowly. "If I remember correctly from the last time she attended some ten years ago...she gave the winner a kiss."

The princess sat up as if a lightening-rod in her back had been struck with twenty-thousand volts. Her eyes were so wide and enflamed that even Elsa was a bit frightened by her gaze...she looked and sounded positively incensed.

"A KISS-you want!-how!-You want Elsa to KISS the winner?!" Anna spat, her fingers practically clawing at the top of the desk.

Elsa felt a twinge of warmth run through her. Anna's natural protective personality was often worn on her sleeve, but it never failed to dig-up a streak of pleasure within the queen whenever Anna jumped to her aid. In this case it was a bit premature, since Elsa was in no danger. But the mere act of leaping into the fray to keep her sister's honor intact made Elsa blush slightly...she decided she enjoyed being fawned over, even if the source of said fawning was a little unorthodox.

Plus the look on Anna's face was priceless. Elsa had had years to study and practice concealing her emotions, while Anna had almost no need for either. The look the princess sported was a contorted mess of astonishment, shock and incredulity. The combination made her look distressed...and cute as button to boot.

'Who's jealous now, eh Anna?' the queen thought.

Oaken was waving his large arms in a surrendering gesture at this point. "Sorg eller raseri, no, of course not, Preencess Anna! I was just saying what the queen had done in the past! I would never ask such a thing of you or your sister, I swear it!"

"What then?" Anna asked, a clear edge to her voice.

Oaken cleared his throat and stretched his collar as if the temperature were increasing in the room. "I was thinking something more, how you say, innocuous? There is always dancing after the market and the feast and the triathlon, or at least there used to be. So maybe, if it isn't too far beyond the line, the winner could simply have...a solo dance? With both the queen AND yourself, Preencess Anna?"

"Solo? As in private?" Anna said, her nails gouging the wood again.

"NO no no, I mean at the end of the festival, during the Harvest Promenade! Everyone dances during that little shin-dig and you two could have at least one waltz with the winner. It would be a wonderful display, and certainly something worth competing over, don't you think? We'd have every young man in the kingdom trying out! That would bring in a lot of krone, not to mention all the fun the city will have watching the competition. A perfect way to end a good year as a kingdom...in my humble opinion, of course."

The queen and princess still looked a bit uneasy. Even though Anna had retaken her seat, the messy tresses of her hair still gave her an angry, almost sinister look, regardless of her patient breathing and tapping fingers as she looked at her sister.

"What do you think?" she asked the queen.

Elsa could only shrug, trying to remain diplomatic. "It's just a dance...one for each of us. I suppose it couldn't be worse than kissing a complete stranger."

"And I am a very good dancer, I promise," Oaken said with a wink.

The princess and queen looked at him again, their eyes half lidded with amused suspicion.

"Are you now?" Anna asked, leaning her head on her hand. "Very boastful, Mr. Oaken. It sounds as if you intend to win this little competition of yours on your own."

Oaken also shrugged his huge, rounded shoulders. "Well yes, preencess. I have won it the last three times I competed, so I see no reason why I shouldn't win again. I am very good at running and balance...and no one has ever bested me while wrestling. I have had the 'hot streak', you might say, ja?"

Elsa sported the same mischievous smirk as her sister, looking almost coy as she spoke. "I don't know...there are some sporting young men in this kingdom. You think you can best them all?"

Oaken narrowed his gaze with a smile, confidence filling his happy voice. "Oh ja, I know I can. And this is a good idea, isn't it? That way you just dance with big, friendly Oaken instead of some country-bumpkin boy who doesn't know how to waltz. I keep the dancing light and fun and you get to entertain the whole kingdom. It's a win-win if you ask me."

The queen and princess laughed out loud at this, enjoying the man's friendly bravado.

"Very well," said the queen, "you have my permission to set up the triathlon. Ask Kai for whatever you want, he will see that you are well supplied. I look forward to the event. One week from tomorrow, yes?"

"Ja, of course! Thank you, Queen Elsa! I will begin at once!"

The pair watched as Oaken downed the last of his tea and made a hasty exit through the door. As he did, the sister's fell into fits of laughter, almost falling out of their chairs.

"Oh goodness, what a show!" Elsa said in between laughs. "I feel so bad for whoever has to tangle with that giant in the ring. It may even be too painful to watch!"

Anna nodded happily, giggling slightly. "Maybe we should sell tickets to that fight all on its own! We'd make a mint!"

Elsa controlled herself long enough to take a serious tone. "Speaking of, Anna, we need to discuss our next move regarding our...refund procedures, as they were."

"You mean regarding our...souvenirs, from our little 'walkabout'?" Anna asked, hushing her voice.

"Yes. We need to proceed quickly but discreetly with how we use the stones. Have you placed them in them in the coffers?"

Anna shook her head. "Nope..."

Elsa's face went one shade paler. "W-what? What do you mean?"

Anna clasped her hands together, a knowing smile spreading slowly across her face. "I found a safer place for them."

Elsa gestured with her hands in an 'out with it' gesture. "Well?! Where?"

Anna snickered and leaned closer to her sister as if to whisper into her ear. "I placed a few of them back in that secret cubby-hole in mama and papa's room. No one went snooping in there after almost four years so I doubt anyone would start now. I made sure no one followed me and no one saw me leave. I fit almost ten in that one little space and sealed it up tight. The rest I gave to Kristoff so he could hide them near his home. It was a great suggestion, really...even if someone goes looking for them, who's going to think to find something like those stones in an ice-harvester hut near the valley of trolls?"

Elsa felt her breathing slow drastically, her wound-up mind considering her sister's words. It was a clever move, making sure all their eggs were not in one basket. Perhaps it would make things more manageable.

"Well...alright. I think that'll work for the time being. But we need to plan for how and where we are going to use them. Our gold reserve is sufficient for now...but we need to decide how we're going to proceed as soon as the royal family of Corona arrives."

KNOCKKNOCK...

"Your majesty?" came a voice from the door.

"Ah, Kai, perfect timing. Come in." Elsa said.

The man stepped into the room with an impressive looking creature on his arm. The bird was almost two feet tall, with a speckled, golden face and narrow, blue slits for eyes. The beak was understated but the tufts above the eyes were long and regal, tapering off at the ends and drooping slightly. The supercilium was sharply arched, giving the owl a quizzical look, while the crown was even and rounded near the top. Long primary feathers fell below the level of Kai's perch-arm, drawing the eye to the fierce looking blood-drip designs that were the natural coloration upon the breast.

"Good grief, what is that?" Anna asked, pulling back in her chair slightly.

Elsa was a little surprised. "Father never showed you his Sun Fury Owls?"

Anna shook her head. "No...when I was a kid I was a little afraid of birds, so I stayed away from the aviary for the most part. I like ducks and geese OK, but I stayed away from the birds that looked like they wanted to peck my eyes out. I've heard of Sun Furies...but I've never seen one before."

"You're in luck," Kai beamed, holding the bird before him. "This is Nicodemus. He is one of only two males known to still be alive in all of Norway. He no longer breeds with the two females we have in our care, but he is still very strong and incredibly smart."

"How smart?" the princess asked.

Kai flustered his cheeks and made a cooing noise, but much deeper and reverberating than any bird the princess had heard before. It was melodic but firm; definitely a command-call.

Without a sound, the large bird's blue eyes shot open. The bright color was striking against the gold and white plumage, making the princess gasp slightly. In one beautiful but ominous movement, the wings of the owl unfurled, spreading nearly five feet across. The feathers that once seemed to droop were now rigid and flexed, spreading like the sail of a ship in a taut breeze.

Then Anna saw the claws.

They were almost comically large and dark red-brown in color. They seemed to viciously clutch the leather-bound forearm of the man carrying the creature, looking almost impossibly strong and sharp to be withstood by a simple leather gauntlet. They unclenched like the mouth of a wolf around a piece of flesh, before being lifted into the air on the beating wings of the huge avian.

Anna was suddenly frightened, but Elsa's hand on her own seemed to calm her, if only slightly, as the bird approached. It was almost silent as it took to the air, climbing almost seven feet straight up into the rafters of the study, hovering just beneath the ceiling. It swooped low, whirling in large circles above the trio, almost like a shark waiting for a ship to finally sink beneath the waves.

"Watch this," Kai said with a wink.

The man produced what looked like a hefty sliver of raw chicken breast from a small pouch on his perch arm. He held it in his other hand and waited for a count of three before hoisting it into the air, almost all the way up to the wooden archway above them. He then hooted three short commands and watched as the meat fell.

But so did the owl. It dove straight down after the meat; wings curled back, eyes wide, talons raked forwards. In a split second, the owl snatched the sliver of flesh out of mid air with an audible click of its claws, recovering almost two feet above the desk. It took to the air once more, slipping the meat into its curved beak in one swift movement before scarfing it down.

"Whoa..." Anna murmured.

Kai gave the owl another command, shorter this time, which sent the owl to the top of Anna's chair. It grasped the old material with a strength befitting a lumberjack, the claws gouged into the wood, locked in place. The wings folded away, bringing the creature to rest, its massive eyes returning to the unassuming slits once more.

"OK...I'm impressed," Anna said, looking straight up at the bird.

"As am I," said the queen, "you have been taking very good care of these animals, Kai. My congratulations to you."

Kai bowed deeply, accepting the compliment with humble grace.

"The owls are still synchronized with the poles, correct?" Elsa asked.

Kai nodded. "Naturally, my queen. They can travel for five-hundred miles in any direction and still find their way home. One only need give them a heading and they will find the aviary of almost any major dispatch on the continent."

"And...how much can he carry? How much cargo can he withstand during a journey of such length? One way, of course."

The servant thought for a second, stroking his chin. "At least a pound or two. But to not overbear him I wouldn't try to send him off with anything heavier than four pounds. It would slow his journey and probably tire him easily. He is a powerful bird but he has his limits, as do we all."

Anna seemed convinced that Nicodemus would drop from the chair-back and onto her shoulders if she didn't continue to watch him from her seat. The look on her face made the queen snicker slightly before she looked back at Kai.

"Excellent. You may take Nicodemus now. I need to discuss a few things with Anna and then I shall find you in the aviary when finished. Thank you Kai."

The man called the bird once more. It seemed to lazily release its claws and glide effortlessly to its trainer, never making a sound as it did. It took one look over its shoulder at the princess, eyes wide for a second, before looking forward as Kai made his way out the door.

Anna looked at Elsa. "I've got to explore this place more...that was incredible!"

"Indeed...but Anna, we need to make a plan here. I want you to continue to oversee the goings-on in the town center. Assist the crowd with preparations, build a little hype for the competition. But then I will need your help when the Corona Royal family arrives in a few days."

"How so?"

"Well...the stones have been locked away in safe, unassuming places, thanks to you. When King Godehard and Queen Frida arrive, I plan to show them the stones and tell them of our plans...as well as our situation with Lord Elgar."

"How can I help?" Anna said, eager and bright eyed.

"Simple; tell them the truth. I will introduce the king and queen to Elgar, let them make small talk of course...but then I will need you to show them to their suites, away from the guards and their own royal procession...and tell them exactly what happened in the mountains. Inform them of everything and tell them I will seek an audience with them as soon as time and privacy allow."

"So, wait...what will you be doing then?"

Elsa sighed. "Distracting Elgar."

Anna felt her temperature rise just a bit but Elsa cut her off before she could object.

"Anna please, I know you don't trust him...but I trust you. And I need you to trust me, alright? Just like when you asked me to go on ahead back at the campsite?"

Anna didn't look convinced. "I don't know about this..."

"I'm simply going to give him a private tour of the castle, with an entourage of palace guards, of course. We've been largely ignoring him for the last several days and he's been keeping to himself...but the staff is a bit on edge as result of some of his more...aloof behavior. I won't be alone with him, at any time, nor will I allow him to treat me disdain. I'll simply intercept him, as it were, before he has a chance to make the royal family uncomfortable. You gave him the lay of the land already...now it's my turn to lay down the law. Does that make sense?"

Anna nodded somberly, looking away for a second before making a face. She turned to her shoulder and gave a small sniff, which scowled up her features even more.

"I think I need a bath...I smell like oil and sealing wax," she admitted with a sigh.

Elsa giggled a little and nodded. "Go right ahead. You've been plenty active today. I'll join you for dinner in an hour or so."

"What are you going to be doing?" Anna inquired.

"Just, eh...a tiny bit of paperwork. Nothing major."

Anna shrugged a little and stood. "Alright. I'll use rosewood and a little lavender in the bathtub...you...like that combination, right?"

Elsa never had a chance to respond.

"I certainly do, Princess Anna."

Both young women snapped their heads in the direction of the door. They had not heard it open, nor even noticed how the impressive Ludenorian had slipped into the room.

But now he was there. Larger than life. Smiling at the sisters.

"L-L-Lord Elgar...good evening," Elsa said, trying to keep her voice even...and failing.

He was as tall as the door-frame, maybe taller if he corrected his posture a little. Even though he wore simple animal-skin shoes and a tunic with matching slacks, he still filled the entryway, his shoulders thick, and his arms hanging like sides of beef in a meat locker, neatly folded behind his back.

"And to you, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna," he said, bowing his head slightly. "It has been some time since we last spoke...I was beginning to think that you had forgotten my presence here."

"...not bloody likely..." Anna said under her breath.

"Actually, lord Elgar, I was just about to come and find you," Elsa offered, standing from her seat. "Anna has decided to go and freshen up for the meal this evening. We will be having spit-roasted pheasant with a red-currant reduction and boiled potatoes...a favorite amongst the aristocracy of your nation, if I'm not mistaken. We would be honored if you would join us."

The lord took three slow, massive strides into the room, his sudden intrusion coinciding with the sun inching its way behind a mountain in the distance. The room grew quiet, almost tomb-like, the air cool and thick upon the skin of all those present. It was eerie, the affect this gentleman had on the atmosphere in which he moved.

"You are most accurate, my queen. I accept your invitation...a home-cooked meal sounds wonderful. As it turns out, the princess's need for a bath is advantageous for both of us...if I might have a word with you in private, majesty?"

Elsa looked at Anna, reading between the lines as she did. Anna's face read 'go ahead, it'll be fine' on the surface, but the scrunching of her hands in the oversized shirt, the slight tap of her toe on the carpet and the widened eyes said 'NO NO NO this is a bad idea!'.

Elsa decided to simply get this over with...better sooner than later, as they say.

She patted her sister's hand and gestured for her to leave, being as gentle and sympathetic as she could.

"It's alright, Anna. I'll be along for the meal...I need to speak with him as well, anyway."

Anna remained rooted to her chair, her eyes darting back and forth between the large man with silver hair and her sister's apologetic face.

"Please? Trust me?" Elsa whispered.

Anna sighed deeply but acquiesced to her sister. She stood once more and curtsied, making her way around the desk and towards the tall man. She gave him a side look, just for a moment, but as sweet and gentle as that look was she was filling her eyes with a scornful heat, as if she could melt that head of silver hair and cover his face in molten metal.

"I'll be just down the hall," she said, before offering the lord another curtsy. "I'll see you at dinner, milord."

With that, she was gone, being sure to leave the door wide open as she left.

Elgar's eyes had followed her out of the room, but now he turned and addressed the queen directly.

"Your sister seems quite taken with me," he said sweetly.

Elsa was wide-eyed-flabbergasted at that statement. "E-Excuse me?"

The lord approached the desk, his footfalls heavy on the aged wooden floor of the study. "Well it seems obvious, does it not?"

"No, not really..."

The lord smiled again. "No? The little side glances...whispered words to you expressing her displeasure at the thought of you and I spending time together unsupervised...the way she watches me like a hawk whenever she catches me roaming the halls. If I did not know better, I'd say she was tracking me...as if she were a little fox-hound. It's almost flattering in a way."

Elsa was fighting the urge to wretch, the very idea of her sister expressing romantic interest in this...person making her slightly ill. "I can assure you that my sister has only expressed the most cordial and banal interest in your general activities within the castle. I apologize if you were given some other, false impression regarding her behavior."

Elgar smirked a bit more, the gesture almost as sickly-sweet as his toothy grin. "If you say so, your majesty. In either case, she is too young for me. My attraction has already been spoken for, anyway."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, clasping her hands casually beneath her chin. "Is that so? A countess or duchess back home, perhaps?"

The lord shook his head slowly. "No. A foreigner."

"Someone you've recently met, maybe? On your travels?"

"Yes, indeed. Though she does not know of my affections, I feel as if we are kindred spirits...cut from the same cloth, you could say."

"Such a lucky woman...share much in common, do you?" Elsa mused aloud.

Here the lord seemed to pause, as if considering whether or not that was true. He tugged on his beard absentmindedly, looking out the window for a moment.

"Not as much as I would have liked...though she does have the same proclivities as I do. A surprisingly voracious penchant for being in control, for one thing...and an interesting fascination with death as well. I suppose only a woman such as this could hold the interest of a...what did your sister call me? A bully?"

Elsa cringed at that memory. Although Anna had been in a different frame of mind when she had uttered those words, the queen was well aware that an educated, alert and pragmatic aristocrat would not so easily forget such a slight against his character. Elgar fit the bill for all three, at the very least.

"Anyone I know?" the queen said, attempting to change the subject.

The lord removed his hand from his face and shook his finger. "Tsk tsk, your grace...even she doesn't know of my interest. It would be improper to speak of someone with such familiarity, especially when acquaintances have not been established. Besides, I have a different matter to attend to."

Before the queen could press the issue, the lord reached behind his back and produced a rather robust leather pouch. It was tiny compared to the rest of body, so it was no wonder that the queen had not noticed it at first. With a pull of the drawstring and a casual flip, the man emptied the contents of the pouch unto the table.

CLING CLANG BING-BWANG!

Elsa gasped slightly as four gold ingots, each nearly as long as her hand, landed upon the desk in loud succession. The bars must have weighed five pounds apiece, each one polished and sparkling as if they had just been plucked from their casting-molds a few moments prior. The Ludenorian Crest was stamped deep into the lustrous metal, each mark punched into the end-face of all four rectangular pieces.

Elsa looked from the gold to the lord and back again, laying her hands on the desk as she did. "I'm sorry...I'm confused..."

"It's quite simple really," Elgar explained, "I wish to make a purchase."

Elsa gawked before clearing her throat. "Lord Elgar...I'm not sure how things work back home in Ludenor, but in Arendelle, we have quite a wide variety of shops, boutiques and stores at the total disposal of the citizenry within my kingdom. They offer all kinds of services and goods...at reasonable prices, too. But here, in the castle, in my study...no such goods are available. I am not selling anything."

The lord let out a short bark of a laugh, loud enough to hurt the Queen's ears with the echo. She recoiled just a hair, not enough to make herself look intimidated.

"Oh, Majesty! Your wit and tact know no bounds, do they? But then what should I expect from a woman of such...reclusiveness? I imagine you have had endless hours to practice exactly how you would express disdain and impatience with snobby, puffed-up representatives from other nations...it is part of one's catharsis, isn't it? A healthy expression of negative emotion. Tongue sharp as a dagger, you have."

Elsa was starting to feel uncomfortable again. Every time she was in the presence of this lord, she felt as though she was slowly being hoisted off the ground. No matter how much she flailed her arms or kicked her legs, it was very similar to the sensation, she imagined, of a fish being hooked and reeled in. Suddenly she was fighting to remain on familiar ground, to keep some advantage before being pulled into a new arena, foreign and out of her control. It was unsettling just how quickly this man usurped control from the queen with just a haughty laugh.

"But," Elgar continued, "all things being equal, majesty, I would just as soon hurry this along, as dinner will be ready soon and I do not wish to disturb you any further. I am here to purchase something from you because I was prevented from purchasing what I needed through regular channels of commerce in your kingdom. The smithy who heads your forge saw to that."

Elsa clenched a fist without meaning to. "I'm sorry...has Eklan said something out of turn to you?"

Elgar shook his head again. "Oh not as such, no, my queen. He simply said he was unable to procure the goods I requested of him because they were not his to sell. You see, I have brought with me a few items that allow me to repair my traveling equipment-metal bracings, weapons, axel covers and so on-but one item in particular is in short supply. So I attempted to avail myself of some of this material from your forge-master, who promptly told me that 'It is the queen's prerogative only that shall allow me to dispense this material. Without her say, I cannot simply hand you the items you want'.

Elsa was still a little confused, but at least she followed his train of thought. "So...what is it you wish to buy that only I can sell you?"

"Sand," Elgar said.

There was a long pause.

"Sand?" Elsa said.

"Sand," Elgar confirmed.

Another pause.

"Sand." Elsa stated.

"Yes...sand." Elgar said yet again.

A much longer pause.

"Sand..." Elsa said, as if she had heard the punch line but still wasn't sure why the joke was funny.

"This is an impressive study, your majesty, though not quite impressive enough to warrant such a prolonged echo," Elgar said, his face just slightly tuned-up in annoyance. "Yes. SAND. Specifically black sand collected from under that beautiful waterfall just a mile or so to the north of your castle. I wish to purchase approximately one-hundred kilos from the stock you keep just beneath the forge-house. Is there any more confusion on your part regarding this?"

Elsa shook her head as she decided to ignore the ridiculousness of the situation and simply press on. "There is sand stretching from the lip of the coast all the way to the inner walls of the fjord. You are welcome to as much as you like. Why would you purchase such a thing from me?"

Elgar gave a crooked grin. "Ahh, but you see majesty, the sand of which I speak is special. It has an unusual mix of materials within it that make it ideal for producing and harvesting iron ore. I was able to inspect a handful of the grains...the nickel, tin, iron and other particulates are dispersed in almost perfect increments throughout the stock. If I take this sand and mix it in a crucible with some of the store I carry with me-a wonderfully potent supply from the Adirondacks across the sea-then I shall be able to create a very unique, very potent supply of steel. Steel fit for the resupply and repair work I spoke of earlier...and possibly much more."

He gestured to the table. "Hence my visit and proposed business transaction. Five kilos of gold for one-hundred kilos of sand should be a more than sufficient trade, don't you agree?"

Elsa looked at the gold bars laying at her finger-tips. Something within her said that taking this gold would prove to be far more than a simple trade. If she took this gold, it showed her willingness to be friendly and cooperative with another nation and its representative. Such a gesture would almost be expected of a queen, especially under the circumstances.

But another thought also tugged at her common sense. For whatever reason, she didn't want to give this lord the impression that she, or anything else in her kingdom, had a price. It made no logical sense even as she thought about it...but the desire to establish a few boundaries, of sorts, with this man, made her very wary of his offer.

She would have to play this carefully.

She smiled her best 'oh please don't fret' smile at the tall man and pushed the gold back in his direction.

"You are far too charitable, Milord. You are my guest, a diplomat enjoying my company and hospitality. It would appear almost unseemly for a queen to take the money of a lord simply because he wishes to entertain himself in my forge. Take the sand, use it however you wish. You need not trifle yourself with such things as payment or barter. Consider it a gift."

Elgar smiled brightly for a moment and reached for the gold as if he was about to place it back in his pouch...

...until he surprised the queen by pushing the gold back in her direction, slowly and patiently, the metal making a hollow dragging sound as the sharp edges of the bars grated over the aged wood.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept such generosity, my queen," he said evenly, his eyes consuming and deep again. "For as I said back in the mountains, we must not make a show of impropriety, either to your staff or to your people. After all, a queen simply giving a single man, such as myself, such a pricey collection of goods, with no monetary exchange? How would it look? It may not be scandalous, per say, but it would likely generate a certain idle prattle undesirable of a queen...or her sister."

Elsa tried to remain firm, putting her hand back on the gold in an attempt to push it further away. "Oh I don't think it would be such an imposition...really, there is no need for such formality-"

"I insist," said the lord, a darker quality to his voice.

Elsa looked at his face and his hand with a patient but wary gaze. His own eyes were wider, piercing, rounded and bright. They did not blink and they did not waver. His hand sat upon the gold bars, fingers curved downwards, his nails almost digging into the metal like iron spikes at the end of a fallen log.

Elsa now understood Anna's apprehension at seeing the owl for the first time. In that instance, Elgar's eyes and body and hand held everything in them that the owl had held when it first took flight: Power.

Authority.

Unyielding will.

She swallowed. Hard.

Thankfully, it allowed her to think on her feet.

She picked up one of the bars, holding the glowing metal delicately in her hand, appraising it closely, looking over every inch and curve and face. Anything was better at that moment than looking into the predatory eyes of the large man standing on the other side of her father's desk.

She finally looked back, gesturing to the gold with a nod of her head, smiling softly. "Bullion grade, is it?"

Elgar's eye's closed slightly as he spoke. "The purest of my nation. Yes."

Elsa nodded. She spun the metal in hand almost playfully, letting it dangle in her fingers for a moment before she spoke again.

"A compromise, then?"

"Such as?" Elgar asked.

She placed the gold between both hands and rolled it between her palms possessively. "A queen can never have enough gold, of course. But I am also a fair queen, too. One kilo of gold is the standard exchange for one-hundred kilos of ore...any ore, really. Take the sand and use it how you see fit. I will take this bar as payment. No impropriety, no scandal...just...business."

Elgar leaned backwards slightly, pulling the remaining three ingots towards him and hoisting them into the air with his long, delicate fingers. The gold was dropped into the pouch and pulled close before it disappeared behind his back once again.

"Done. Thank you, my queen. You are frugal but fair. But...what shall I tell your blacksmith?"

Elsa made a shooing gesture as if to dismiss the idea. "Just tell him that you have secured my permission to use the sand. If he has any issue with that, tell him to pay me a visit. That alone should get his attention and silence any further argument. But if he needs to hear it from my mouth, then so be it. But I doubt you shall have any further trouble."

Elgar bowed and gave an approving grunt, of sorts. "Thank you, Queen Elsa. A fine business venture indeed. I shall see you at supper."

"And you, Lord Elgar," the queen said platonically.

The lord left the room in two loud footsteps punctuated with the CLACK of the door being swung shut behind him.

Elsa was alone.

She deflated in her seat, arms clutching the edge of the desk with surprising desperation. She righted herself but only after several calming breathes.

'What IS he?' she thought, her mind swimming. 'Looking him in the face is like looking at a cannon just before it goes off! Why does he make me flinch...this isn't right...this isn't natural...'

The look he had given her while his clawed hand practically shoved the gold into her lap made her cringe slightly. He had never spoken a harsh word to her...at least not directly...and he was the pinnacle of decorum and gentlemanly behavior.

And yet...

Elsa reached into the wide top drawer of the old desk and pulled out two sheets of parchment. The fine material was delicate but rigid in her hands, a very beautiful example of royal stationary.

She sat up from the desk and walked to the fireplace. A candlestick stood inside a small candle-holder, the white wax barely six inches long after months of use. She used the flames from the fireplace to light the wick and then proceeded back to her chair.

In the left-hand drawer was a large piece of red sealing wax, a chunk about the size of her fist. Beside it sat a bronze seal attached to a mahogany handle...the Royal Seal of the Thrown of Arendelle.

She pulled out an inkwell and reached for a swan-feather quill sitting near the far edge of the desktop.

'I think I've put this off for long enough...' she though as she dipped the quill in the blue-black ink. 'I just hope Nicodemus is a strong flyer. I doubt he will ever carry more valuable cargo than the one I send with him tonight...'

She whispered to herself as she began to write, her train of thought easier to harness as she spoke. Thankfully, her pen was not nearly as shaky as her voice.

"His Majesty
King Ardent the Just
Castle Mandrake of The Kingdom of Ludenor

"Your Most Illustrious Majesty,

I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, Ruler of the Northernmost Realm, offer you and your son, His Royal Highness Prince Gregory, warm greetings and salutations from my humble kingdom. Long has it been since our great nation's last sat in conference regarding the prosperity of our people and interests, which is why I write this letter to you today. I must bring to your attention a matter of grave importance..."

---

Next chapter...we have visitors! Read and review please!

-J