An impatient noise escaped Anna's lips as she tossed the letter aside. The seal of The Southern Isles gleamed dimly under the sunlight, coming from the window. How long would they keep sending the same message over and over again?

"Please, Your Highness, you must reconsider this!" the Prime Minister pleaded.

"What else is there to reconsider, Prime Minister?!" Anna shot back fiercely, "We just lost our Queen, all because of their stupid plan!"

"I understand, Your Highness, but breaking off from the Alliance and cutting off all ties with The Southern Isles would leave us in a vulnerable position, especially with Nordgard running amok!"

"It's because of them we lost Queen Elsa!" Anna screeched, "My sister! They treated her like she's some… some weapon, or attack dog, and used her to fight their battles! And now she's gone! Disappeared! No one knows of her whereabouts, let alone her safety! How are they even going to take responsibility for it!?"

"Your Highness, please wait!"

Anna glanced at the unopened letter. Even without reading it, she knew what the contents would say; that The Southern Isles were sorry for her loss, that they wish for their Alliance to remain strong.

How dare they? How could they? After all that happened?

A part of her was even angry at Elsa for allowing herself to be led around by these scoundrels. Even if it was her own decision, Elsa still had to be the one who suffered in the end. Even though they promised to be together, always...

Anna leaned back on her chair and breathed deeply, trying to curb the spinning sensation in her head. She reached for the box of chocolate and popped two balls of candy into her mouth.

Better.

Chewing and savoring, Anna was thankful on the fact that chocolate existed; it never failed to give her a mood boost. She popped a few more before chastising herself to not drown in the pleasure, lest she get herself fat.

A knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called.

The door swung open and the royal butler appeared.

"Kai, what is it?"

"Pardon me, Your Highness, but someone wishes to see you."

"Me? Who is it?" Anna asked curiously. The butler looked uncertain, at which the Princess gave a nod of encouragement.

"It's King Karl of The Southern Isles, Your Highness. He is here at the harbor."


Anna couldn't hold back her fury. How dare they show their faces around here. She gritted her teeth all the way from the castle, through the town, and into the harbor. She didn't care that her look put some of the townspeople off; she never cared much for keeping up appearances anyway. Unlike that stupid big sister, who got herself and others into this mess because of all these politics.

A small gasp escaped her mouth; Anna chastised herself for even allowing such negative thoughts about Elsa cloud her mind. Still, the bastards were here, and she would make sure they get ripped a new one.

When the carriage reached, she wasted no time getting down. Before her stood the entire entourage of The Southern Isles. The tall, blond one in the middle is obviously Karl, Hans' eldest brother. The ones beside him were Edvar and another man with slicked black hair. Linus, if she recalled correctly? But it didn't matter. She focused her attention at Karl, staring daggers right at him as she stepped closer.

"Hello, Princess Regent Anna," the King bowed and smiled. "It's good to see you."

"It's not," Anna hissed. "Tell me why you're here."

"Your Highness…!" Ludvig, the Prime Minister who was standing before her, chastised. Anna ignored him.

The King looked taken aback, but smiled softly once more.

"I apologize to inconvenience you, Your Highness, but-"

"Inconvenience!? We lost our Queen Elsa! All because of you! And now you dare to show your faces around here!?"

"Your Highness, please…!" the Prime Minister pleaded. "Apologies, Your Majesty. The Princess Regent is still distraught with the disappearance of the Queen. I implore you that in your good heart, you will not take this as an offense."

"None taken, Prime Minister Ludvig," Karl nodded. "Indeed, Your Highness Anna. It is through our carelessness that the mishap happened to Queen Elsa. But rest assured, we are doing out utmost to-"

"What are you here for, exactly?" Anna cut him. "Coming all the way here uninvited…. If this is about maintaining the Alliance…"

Karl paused a little before answering, "If I may, Your Highness, we did send a correspondence to let you know of our visit… Perchance it hasn't managed to get into you?"

Anna turned a faintest shadow of pink. So that's what the letter was about… She cleared her throat and refocused her gaze at Karl.

"Even if I did, I'm sorry to say that I'm not interested in what you have to say, Your Majesty," she dismissed. "Not after you abandoned your own ally, our queen, to her fate. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Yet before she could turn to leave, Karl swiftly stepped forward and got down on his knee. Even his entourage seemed shocked at his action.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing!?" Anna let out a shriek, forgetting that she was supposed to be fierce and dismissive.

"Your Majesty, please, stop this nonsense! This is unbecoming!" Linus chastised. He was about to lean and reach his King's hand before the King himself looked at him and shot him a look that made even him back off.

"Be quiet," Karl whispered coldly. He turned back to Anna, "Your Highness, I know ours was a grave mistake. We take full responsibility for this and assure you that we are doing our utmost to locate Queen Elsa and rescue her, if needed be. All I ask for you is that you let us protect Arendelle, as your sister the Queen protected us."

Anna was taken aback at this gesture, unsure what to say next. She looked at Edvar, who followed his king to his knees.

"Please, Your Highness," said Edvar. At this gesture, the entire entourage of The Southern Isles got down to their knees.

Well this is awkward…

Anna glanced at the Prime Minister, who smiled and nodded at her.

"Please rise, Your Majesty," Anna said, her expression softening. The king stood up and looked at her, his face warm. As if he was encouraging Anna to speak her mind.

"You said to allow you to protect us… what do you mean by that, exactly?"

"We will provide military assistance to protect Arendelle during these times of war. Five hundred men and five warships from our Navy, at the ready to defend your coasts. More to come if needed be."

"And what will you ask in return?"

"Nothing. Your sister, Queen Elsa, has defeated the Warlock. If our reports are correct, he will not be returning anytime soon. It is our duty to continue her efforts and bring this war to its conclusion. And then we shall finally have peace."

Anna mulled over the words of the King. He seemed sincere enough. She glanced at Ludvig, who again smiled and nodded.

Elsa, if you were here… what would you do?

But Elsa wasn't here. She was in command. She was responsible. Her people's wellbeing should take precedence over her pride and emotions; that's what Papa and Elsa always taught her.

"We accept your proposal, King Karl," Anna firmly replied. "On behalf of Arendelle, I thank you for your assistance."


"Kristoff, don't you think she's late?" said a slurred voice.

"I know, Sven, you don't have to keep telling me," Kristoff replied the reindeer in his normal voice.

"But it's already half past ten now," the man's voice substituted the reindeer's, "She was supposed to be here two hours ago."

"I don't know," Kristoff said, annoyed. "Maybe she's busy. Now that she's effectively the ruler of this country, we can't expect her to be at our beck and call all the time."

"You're right," Kristoff's slurred voice spoke for Sven. "I feel like I'm lost in the woods."

"Yeah… Lost in the woods… wait, is that?"

A slim figure moved through the dark woods. Kristoff stepped over and lifted his lantern. The figure kept getting closer until Anna revealed herself, looking a little out of breath but otherwise cheerful.

"Huff… I'm sorry! Huff.. huff… I kept you waiting long, didn't I?"

"That's okay, come here," Kristoff beamed, arms outstretched. The Princess leapt and the ice harvester caught her, pulling her into an embrace. They shared a brief kiss before settling down.

"How was your day?" Kristoff asked, passing a cup of hot chocolate to the Princess.

"So – so. But busy," Anna huffed, taking a sip from her cup. The warmth and sweetness of the beverage did wonders to quell the cold of the night. "You have no idea. King Karl of The Southern Isles came today."

"Karl? Isn't he…?"

"Hans' brother, yes," Anna nodded, "He wanted to offer military assistance to Arendelle. Providing manpower to watch over our coasts."

"Well isn't that great, though?" Kristoff took a sip from his own. He only amended when he saw the grim look on the Princess' face. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean it that way… I know what you said about how it's their fault for Elsa's disappearance, but-"

"What, you don't think it's their fault!?" Anna glared at her boyfriend, who seemed to flush even redder.

"No, I mean, obviously it's because of their idea that Elsa is… gone," Kristoff trailed, seemingly getting cautious at his choice of words. When Anna's glare did not dissipate, he instead elected to change the subject. "Anyway, aside from that, what else happened today? You seem pretty tied down."

Anna kept staring at the nervous Kristoff before finally averting her gaze into the fire.

"The offer seemed simple enough, but the administration was a nightmare," she huffed. "It's an agreement involving two countries, after all. Even against an ally, we must be careful, otherwise there could be hidden clauses that they could take advantage of. In short," the Princess added, noting the look of confusion on the ice harvester's face, "keeping proper documentations on this was the bulk of the work today."

"Oh… I see." Kristoff muttered. He didn't quite understand much about politics, but he inferred there wasn't any big issues from what Anna just said. She probably was just tired. He reached for her shoulder and gently pulled her closer to him. Anna closed her eyes and nuzzled at the boyfriend's chest, enjoying his warmth. They sat in silence, enjoying the calm and company of each other in this rare, precious moment.

Minutes passed before the silence was finally broken by an incoming rumbling. The trolls; Kristoff's family, had decided to join in the festivities.

"Anna!" Bulda chirped, throwing herself at the princess and hugging her. "Long time no see, my dear! Why, where have you been?"

"Nice to see you too, Bulda," Anna smiled, hugging Kristoff's surrogate mother back. "I'm sorry, I've been rather busy lately."

"It's okay dear," Bulda assured, getting off Anna's arms, "I'm sure it must be hard for you during these times."

Anna smiled sadly.

"Hi Anna!" came another voice. "Warm hugs?"

"Olaf!" Anna's smile widened. There he was, Olaf the snowman, looking healthy and not missing a single thing. The part of Anna not knowing about Elsa's safety was a lie indeed - Olaf was okay, and his magical connection with Elsa reflected the queen's wellbeing. Elsa was safe and sound, at least for the moment.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner." She looked at the trolls. "Thank you for keeping him company," she added a nod.

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Cliff, Bulda's husband, waved his hands dismissively. "We love having him around. Charades have never been easier with him on our team, right Olaf?" he winked at the snowman. Bulda shot him an annoyed look.

"Yes, we were a great team!" Olaf beamed.

Anna knew Olaf's existence must be kept secret now because of his peculiar connection with Elsa. Who knows what evil forces will try and get their hands on him to try and get to Elsa before they could? That's why she let him stay with the trolls instead.

"Princess Anna," came an elderly voice. Pabbie, the leader of the trolls, approached the Princess.

"Pabbie," Anna gasped, letting go of her hug on the snowman, "Any news about Elsa?"

"No, unfortunately, not yet," the elderly troll shook his head. "We are still trying as best as we could."

"Oh, I see…" Anna hung her head.

"Hey," Kristoff called, placing a hand on Anna's shoulder, "Don't worry, Pabbie and others are trying their best. Besides, Olaf said he could feel that Elsa and her baby are fine. We should just leave it to them now."

"You're right, sorry, I was dwelling too much on it," Anna smiled, stroking Kristoff's hand.

"Ooo… love is in the air!" Bulda cheered. "What a fine partner you've got here, Kristoff, my son!"

The trolls cheered in unison at the young couple, turning both their cheeks red.

"Anna, will you be staying the night?" asked the young troll Pebble, tugging her skirt.

"I'm sorry Pebble, but I can't, I must get back to the castle soon," Anna smiled, crouching to match the kid's eye level. "But I can stay for a round of charade."

"Yay! Let's go!"

The party made way deeper into the forest, to the trolls' home. Kristoff was about to follow suit when he felt a nudge on his leg. It was Pabbie.

"Kristoff, may I have a moment?"

"What is it, Pabbie?"

"I did not let the Princess know because it will worry her, but… We can't track the Queen. We've tried to, but this is the first time our scrying failed."

"What!? Oh!"

Pabbie held up a finger and Kristoff caught himself, lest he would alert Anna to their private conversation.

"But… you have Olaf with you. He has a special magical connection with Elsa. Couldn't you get something, anything from him?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes… But I suspect something is interfering with the connection between him and Elsa. Something magical."

"Magical? Magical how?"

Pabbie stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps Elsa has gone somewhere deep. Deep enough that our powers can't touch her. Another realm, rife of magic."

"Another realm…" Kristoff pondered. "Do you have any idea where?"

"I know of only one."


Hans glanced at the newspaper beside him.

A Clash of Ice and Fire! Duel Between the Warlock and The Snow Queen Ended Up in a Stalemate! The Snow Queen Disappeared!

He had read and heard that Elsa disappeared at the conclusion of the duel, and no traces of her were found. As if she was spirited away by supernatural forces.

The Warlock, on the other hand, was rumored to be crippled by the battle. No one knew exactly what happened, but it was said that the damage he sustained were near fatal, even he had to recuperate. To no one's surprise, the place where the Warlock was supposedly recovering was also a closely guarded secret. Of course it would be, for he was their strongest weapon.

At the duel's conclusion was The Southern Isles Alliance Army's overwhelming victory. Without the Warlock and their superior firepower, the White Wolf Army was quickly routed. The Alliance Army had the home turf advantage and as such had managed to launch a pincer attack, thanks to the diversion created by the duel between the Snow Queen and the Warlock.

Ten days had passed since then. And almost two weeks since that night when the Warlock burned his heart.

The thought of that night flashed again in his head. Agony. Searing pain that choked him and almost killed him.

The light on the Warlock's hand grew intensely. Hans' vision started to turn red, and then black. The pain had long surpassed his threshold. His consciousness was wavering.

"… But no. I expect I still have use for you." The light faded from the Warlock's hand. "I shall keep you for my amusement for now. And rest assured, I have no intention of harming the Snow Queen… too badly, yet."

Hans quickly downed the glass of whiskey in his hand and poured another.

The Warlock had left him a mental scar that could not be easily healed. Yet it was not the reason why he drowned in alcohol these past few days.

"Elsa…"

He took a big gulp from his glass and set it aside. Besides sorrow, rage started to boil inside him.

Anger at the Warlock who betrayed him, who reneged on his promise. But most of all, anger at his own powerlessness to stop him. Anger at his own helplessness that caused him to be manipulated by circumstances and these Nordgardian scums.

Hans resented his current, weak self. He was supposed to be the one using, not the one being used. He was a master manipulator, always had been. When he had a goal, he always managed to make sure he would see it through the end. No matter the means, no matter the sacrifices.

He was a monster.

But he changed. Elsa changed him, taught him how to love. To have compassion for others. But what good was compassion, when he couldn't protect the one whom he held most dear?

He couldn't protect Elsa.

He had to revert.

He had to become a monster once again. But most important of all, he needed to be patient. He needed to play the long game: to destroy the ones whom took his love. These Nordgardian scums. But most important of all, The Warlock.

And this time, he would see it through without fail.


Her eyes were heavy, but her mind was awake. The long, dreamless sleep had finally ended, and sense of reality slowly crept back to her. The soft touch on her back... a bed and a pillow? Surely it was already noon; she could see the light even through her closed eyelids. How come nobody woke her up for the morning meeting?

She tried to unravel her lids, but they were heavy. It took her a few shuteye blinks that she finally managed to get them open. The light filled her eyes and blinded her, and at first she couldn't make out anything but blurry images. Then other sensory stimulation started coming back to her, slowly, one by one...

The smell of herbs and musk filled her nose. The feel and touch of warm and soft fabric. And the faint murmurs from around her.

Elsa's sight finally settled on the face of an elderly woman, who was sitting beside her bed. Her expression was austere, and she was not smiling. She had sharp features and her hair was long and white. As for her clothes… she had never seen such style of clothing before.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

Elsa opened her mouth but the words would not come out. Her throat was severely parched.

As if sensing it, the elderly woman reached for an earthenware cup and poured water from a jug into it. Gently, she reached for Elsa's back with her free hand and supported her into sitting position.

"Drink," she said, handing the cup to Elsa, who took it and drained it greedily, "Slowly now."

Elsa let out a satisfied sigh and handed the cup back to the woman.

"Thank you," she breathed. Her body was stiff and sore all over, but she managed to sit up.

"You're welcome," the woman said, still not smiling. "Now, do you remember who you are? And where you come from?"

Elsa nodded. "I am Elsa, from Arendelle," she said.

Gasps all around.

She almost immediately regretted the premature honesty and naivete in her answer as the crowd in front of her stirred. Now that her senses were fully functioning, she just noticed the large gathering of people standing behind the elderly woman.

"Is there… something wrong?" Elsa asked nervously. Cold started to gather in her hands. "If… if I may ask… who are you? And where am I?"

"We are the Northuldra. And this is our home."


A/N: So there you have it! Hans, Elsa, and Anna will each have their own role to play in the grand scheme of things. How their paths will intersect, we will see soon.

Stefan would likely be returning soon, what's with Hans's schemes to destroy Nordgard from within. Would he be an ally or an enemy, only time will tell. :)

As always, reviews, faves and follows would be lovely! See you at the next chapter!