V

Out of the Frying Pan...

The next morning, the royal family sat at the breakfast table, silently mulling the eventful night. After mountains of pancakes and syrup were passed around, Elsa took time in between mouthfuls to explain her idea. "We have to confront the Duke about this. I say that I alone must go and face him, and get him to confess to his crimes against the state." Nuri thought about it, swallowed, then spoke: "No. If this Duke is after your head, it would not be wise to present it to him."

Elsa gaped. "Are you suggesting that I go into hiding?" Nuri shook his head. "No. I'm saying that you should send... an ambassador, perhaps. Someone who can reason with the Duke and be tactful. Someone who always sees the good in everyone." As if on cue, both of their heads rotated towards Anna, who was cramming a particularly large portion of pancakes in her mouth.

"Whooff, mmeh?" She asked through the barrier of sticky cakes. Kristoff frowned and instantly replied. "I'm gonna go with her." He turned towards the slowly protesting Anna. "Sorry, honey, but I want to help you stay out of trouble, something everybody in this family has a hard time with." Anna swallowed her food and faced her sister. "When are we leaving?" Elsa thought for a few moments, then replied solemnly: "Today. I want this problem resolved as fast as it can be, before it escalates any further. I will not hide in the shadows and cower." Kristoff nodded, then looked at his wife. "We better pack our things, then."

Several hours later, after what seemed like the entire castle was packed away into two small bags, Anna and Kristoff stood at the top of the gangplank, waving goodbye to everybody. Elsa ran up to her sister and embraced her for the longest time, as Sven nudged Kristoff in the shoulder pleadingly. "No buddy, I'm sorry, but you can't come. Somebody's gotta keep the Queen out of trouble" he told the reindeer with a wink in his eye. This earned him an icy glare and a playful punch from Elsa. The couple exchanged one last glance and then turned and went below decks to settle into their new home. The ship raised anchor, and began to sail away from the dock, leaving only Elsa, Nuri, Olaf, and Sven to watch the sun sink into the horizon.

Back in the castle, several hours later, Elsa and Nuri lay on a couch in the sitting room, his arm placed gingerly around her shoulders. She was all snuggled up against his side when something wracked her stomach. Elsa felt something fluttering in her stomach, and it from the way the feeling set her stomach on fire, it was not fear. She clutched Nuri's shoulder. He instantly turned and saw the pain in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. Elsa open her mouth to speak and replied with a spray of blood that drenched Nuri's face.

(Danse Macabre, Saint Saens)

"By the gods!" he shrieked, lifting Elsa into his arms. Nuri looked at Olaf and Sven, whose wide eyes were as large as grapefruits. "Get a doctor, please!" he commanded. They glanced at each other, then took off running. He laid her on the ground and pried her mouth wide open. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she began quivering violently as another geyser of blood shot up, soiling Nuri's suit. He didn't know what to do, and just about as he was to administer rescue breathing before he noticed black mist drifting lazily out of her chest. The mist floated over to beside Elsa, and just floated there as Elsa stopped shaking. Nuri turned and saw the mist beginning to take... a human shape. With a sickening feeling rising in his chest, Nuri finally realized what was going on.

A woman began to fade into the black mist. A bluish-green ice dress flowed loosely. Her face was a lot like Elsa's, except the eyes were green, not blue, and there was more of a mischievous look to her. But what really defined her was the jet-black hair that shot backwards from her head into one big point.

Asle had returned.

She glanced down at Nuri and Elsa, who was finally beginning to recover. Nuri knelt in a state of shock. "Oh. It's you" she said. Elsa weakly sat up. "You... you didn't take my powers." Asle smiled. "No, I didn't. You see, with all that time spent in you, I developed powers of my own, so I didn't have to steal yours. But I'm not here to explain to you everything.

"No, I'm here to warn you. You are still in danger. The Duke of Weaselton isn't the only thing out there that wants your head, Elsa. I feel the Demon stirring once more, and he won't be easy to put down this time."

Elsa and Nuri shot each other looks of concern. Finally, Elsa spoke. "The Demon's coming back? After all that happened?" In her mind, she heard a raspy voice whisper I will show you fear in a handful of dust. The voice of a dead man.

"Yes. And I also fear for your sister and her husband, the ice man. Since your last meeting, the Duke has gotten paranoid and obsessed with Arendelle. He has become a dictator, and I doubt he will welcome your sister and her husband with open arms. More likely, his ships will open fire if he spots the Arendelle flag flying." Elsa gapsed. "You lie. He would not dare" she stated. Alse only shook her head. "May the gods have mercy on your sister" she said. Elsa turned to Nuri, eyes wide with fear. "We have to go after them, before anything happens. I am not going to lose my sister again."

Anna stood on the bow of the ship, letting the wind blow through her hair. She was going on an adventure, for once in her life, finally getting out of the castle and into somewhere unknown. Well, it wasn't exactly unknown, but it was close enough. She closed her eyes and focused on the task at hand. How was she going to convince the Duke to stop trying to kill her sister. Her concentration was broken by a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, turned around, and saw her husband standing there, smiling. "Are you alright?" he asked. She smiled back and said: "Yeah. Just thinking of what to say to the Duke."

Suddenly, the boat shook violently, knocking the couple down onto the deck. Anna brushed her hair out of her eyes and stood up, only to see three boats surrounding them. All of the ships were flying a blue flag with a black weasel on it, teeth bearing down viciously. A plank was dropped onto the ship, and Anna saw three soldiers clad in black armor. The captain of the Arendelle ship, a greasy fellow with crooked teeth by the name of Bids approached the soldiers. "What's going on 'ere?" he asked.

"In the name of the Duke of Weaselton, we are placing these two-" He cocked a thumb at Anna and Kristoff "-under arrest." Bids thought for a moment, then replied. "You can't do that! These 'ere are ambassadors! From Arendelle. Please, sir, we mean no 'arm!" Bids was cut off my a swinging sound that seperated his head from his body. Anna screamed as she was seized from behind. "Kill the crew and burn the ship! The Duke wants these two alive" spoke the lead soldier. Anna got one last glimpse of chaos before her world was darkened by a black bag. She felt something strike the back of her neck, and she knew no more.