As Anna and her group ventured into a large sandy area with large boulders towering over them, she glanced over her shoulder and when she saw no guards around, a slow smile formed. "Thank goodness we didn't run into any of the guards when we're dressed like this."

"We're not out of the woods yet, Anna," Kristoff said, peering around the area. "How much farther are we, Eugene?"

"We should be coming up to it anytime now," Eugene confirmed. When he slowed down, he gestured for everyone else to do the same which they all obeyed. "We'll be running into them soon."

When the group went further into the area, Anna's eyes scanned the area as she crept forward, listening to the waves nearby. "You really think that they'll believe that we're from Lady Caine's crew, Eugene?" she quizzed, her eyes still focused on her surroundings.

"Certainly," Eugene responded. "There's not a chance that they'll know that it's a hoax. Even Golden Eye will be fooled!"

Kristoff stepped over a large log on the path and held his hand out to help Anna over. "Have you met him before?"

Eugene shook his head. "No, but I know a lot about him." Maximus raised an eyebrow, neighing at him. "Hook Foot told me that he used to be part of his crew. That is how I know a lot about him, Max."

"What do you know about him?" Anna questioned, jumping over the log.

"He named the Robin Gallery after himself," Eugene answered. He ducked under a long-hanging tree branch and his group did the same. "And he assigns jobs to his crew members by playing favorites. Hook Foot told me that he was the swab when he was on his crew."

"Well, that sounds like a real swell fellow," Kristoff said sarcastically. "He's a pirate so that doesn't surprise me. I wonder what jobs we're going to get assigned."

"All we have to do is make a good impression on him," Eugene said. "It'll be easy."

"You used to be a criminal so you'll have no problem," Anna commented.

Without hesitation, the group instantly froze as soon as they heard a couple of slurring voices nearby. Anna could make two of the voices be Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck while one of the new voices was a female's voice while the other one was a male.

"It's the pirates!" Kristoff whispered. "We're getting close to them!"

"How many are out there?" Anna asked, her eyes scanning the area.

Eugene carefully took a quick peek from behind the boulder and backed away before anyone could see him. "Just the same four that we saw back at the theatre."

Kristoff gingerly snuck a peek and jerked his head down. "How are they not back with their crew already?"

Before Anna could open her mouth, Eugene gestured for her and Kristoff to be quiet and the four pirates scanned around the area for any guards nearby. When they saw that the coast was clear, the male pirate and female pirate began berating Ruthless Buck and Long Floyd.

"What the bloody hell were ye thinking?" the male pirate growled. Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck had their arms crossed, sighing in frustration. "Ye were supposed to meet us back at the east harbor! Were ye not paying attention to the captain?!"

"We came to this country for booty!" Ruthless Buck snapped. "There's nothing wrong with us plundering into a new part of the country, Peepers!"

As Peepers and the female pirate continued to chastise Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck, Eugene scoffed.

"Peepers?" Eugene shook his head, rolling his eyes. "What kind of name is that for a pirate? I know a lot of thieves with better names than that!"

Kristoff turned to him with burning eyes. "Eugene, shut up!"

"No really, Kristoff? Have you ever heard someone—"

After Anna shushed Eugene and Kristoff, Maximus shook his head and Sven glared at Kristoff and Eugene. The pirates didn't seem to notice that they were there. Anna placed her hand on the boulder as she resumed listening to the pirates.

"Aaarrrgggghhhh! Ye two just had to head to that museum!" the female pirate growled. "Do ye realize what could've happened if Peepers and I hadn't gone back to find ye?"

Long Floyd rolled his eyes. "Relax, Myra, we got away before they even noticed us."

"Well, I have some news straight from the horse's mouth," Peepers informed. This caused Maximus to frown. Anna paid extra attention, hoping to hear something new, but it was only what she'd already heard of Lady Caine's heist.

"What?!" Ruthless Buck asked. "Blimey! Yer joking aren't ye?"

Myra shook her head. "Rolley almost got caught by the guards! If it hadn't been for Anne, we all would've been arrested!"

"Do ye know who turned us in?" Long Floyd asked.

Peepers shook his head. "No, but if I ever find out who it was, I'll make them pay!"

Just then, Eugene gestured for the group to follow him and they obeyed. As Anna followed her group she took a deep breath, knowing that what they were about to do was risky.

Eugene turned to his group and said, "Alright, follow my lead."

"What are you doing?" Kristoff inquired.

"Watch this," Eugene grinned.

After Eugene turned the corner towards the pirates, Anna and Kristoff both turned to each other. "We're dead." Kristoff, Anna, Maximus, and Sven carefully peeked over the boulder at Eugene.

"Ah, ahoy there, mates!" Eugene said, marching over towards the pirates in pirate fashion. Anna gulped when Peepers, Myra, Long Floyd, and Ruthless Buck spun around to him.

Myra cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Ye look familiar. I know that I have seen ye before."

Eugene grinned. "You most certainly have on many wanted posters."

"Blimey! I know who ye are!" Peepers exclaimed. "Yer Flynn Ryder!"

"That can't be Flynn Ryder!" Ruthless Buck denied. Anna and Kristoff turned to each other with concern before they turned back to the scene. "His nose looks different!"

Eugene sighed. "They just never seem to get my nose right!"

"Well, I be, Flynn Ryder!" Myra exclaimed. "I haven't heard about ye in so long that I was starting to think that you got arrested. I didn't know that ye turned to piracy! What would explain why ye suddenly disappeared into of thin air!"

Eugene pretended to scan around the area. "There aren't any guards around, are there?" After Peepers and Myra shook their heads, he glanced over his shoulder to the boulders. "The coast is clear! You can come out now!"

"That's our cue," Kristoff muttered.

Anna glanced over to her boyfriend. "We can do this. I know we can." She turned back towards the boulder. "Duty calls."

The group came out from behind the boulder and stalked over towards Eugene and the pirates. You can do this, Anna. You can talk like a pirate. You can think like a pirate. You can act like a pirate. You are not a princess; you are a pirate. That's right, you're a pirate.

"Who are they?" Long Floyd inquired, clenching the necklace in his fist.

Eugene smiled and gestured at his group. "These are my crewmates, Jake and Adrie, and our companions, Apples, and Carrots."

"Nice to meet—" Anna quickly stopped herself from doing a curtsey. Remember, Anna. You are a pirate, not a princess. "I mean, ahoy there, mates!"

"She's new to this whole pirate business," Kristoff quickly lied, rushing to her side. Anna forced a chuckle out of herself. "For a while, she used to be a thief. She would pretend to be a lady and steal into mansions during balls."

"Almost sounds like Lady Caine," Myra commented.

"Anyhow, have you seen Lady Caine and her followers?" Eugene asked. "We got left behind and we're trying to get back to our captain."

"Ye didn't hear?" Peepers asked.

After Peepers told Anna's group about Lady Caine and the Grand Spector, Eugene faked shock. "Blimey! I can't believe it! We just broke out of prison and left to get back to her crew!"

"Wait a minute," Ruthless Buck slurred. "Shiver me timbers! Ye three must be the lackeys that got caught by the guards!"

Eugene nodded his head. When Myra asked him how they escaped, Eugene lied to the pirates about how they got arrested, by using Lady Caine's three followers' plot at the line for the Historical Auction. "Then we knocked out the guards and broke our way out. We almost got caught on our way here but we managed to slip by just fine."

Myra crossed her arms with a cocked eyebrow. "Ye still haven't made it out of Delitpen yet? It'll only be a matter of time before the guards find ye."

"Oh, bother. Wait a minute!" Eugene's eyes locked on the sky and he scratched his chin, pretending to be in thought. His eyes peered back to the pirates as a grin slowly made its way across his features. "Are you heading to Pazatrille?"

"No, we're going to Hogan," Peepers responded.

"Aye, that's perfect!" Eugene exclaimed. "Pazatrille is on the way to Hogan! Maybe you could drop us off on your way to Hogan?"

"Why are ye needed in Pazatrille?" Myra questioned.

"That was where Lady Caine is heading to," Eugene replied. "If you drop us off at Pazatrille on your way to Hogan, we'll help on deck."

The pirates were silent for a mere moment, causing Anna worry. Were they not going to help them? Did they suspect that something was up? Her train of thought broke and she was snapped back into reality when Peepers grinned and laughed like a happy drunk.

Peepers stepped forward and placed his hand on Eugene's shoulder. "Sure, we'll give ye and yer crewmates a lift, Ryder! Golden Eye will be so pleased to meet ye!" When his laugh grew louder, Anna noticed that Maximus scanned around the area for any sign of someone approaching.

Eugene almost fell over when Peeper slapped him on the back and chuckled. "Thanks, mate!"

Anna let out a breath. She turned to Kristoff with a smile and he gave her one in return. Finally, they had gotten a break and things were starting to go their way. They deserved it after everything that they had gone through. Now, all they had to do was to follow the pirates' lead and make sure that they wouldn't get found out. They just need to hold out as long as they could before they got to Pazatrille. She was confident that they could pull off their pirate disguises. How hard could it be?

Eugene clasped his hands together, peering around the water. "Now, shouldn't we be heading to the ship?" At first, Anna wondered why Eugene didn't say the Robin Gallery until she remembered their hoax.

"Ye mean the Robin Gallery?" Peepers questioned. "Why, aye! We'll be heading there!"

For a bit, Anna and her group continued to follow the pirates forward in the sandy area, making their way to the docks. As they were walking, Anna and Kristoff noticed that Maximus kept peering in the back.

When they finally were heading towards a boardwalk, Anna could hear the conversation between Peepers and Eugene.

Peepers cackled and slapped his hand on Eugene's shoulder. "I'm quite impressed, Ryder! Ye went from being a thief to piracy! And I had no idea that you would be on of Lady Caine's mates!"

"Yes, I have been loyal to Lady Caine for many years and Jake and Adrie are her newest crewmates. She is a wise leader and we are honored to have been part of her crew."

Peepers nodded his head with an impressed look. "She sounds like a good leader. If only we met her."

"Has Golden Eye ever met her?"

"No, but Lady Caine sounds like a leader that Golden Eye would like," Peepers slurred. Anna was surprised and relieved that this pirate crew never met Lady Caine. If they had known her, it likely would've hurt their hoax. "What jobs does Lady Caine assign ye on her ships?"

Eugene smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "I was the navigator. From all of my thieving days, I know the ocean by heart. When I told her about my adventures, she was impressed and gave me the job. I had been part of her crew for five years now."

"Blimey! Ye has been her follower for that long, mate!" Long Floyd spoke.

"How long has Jake and Adrie been part of your crew?" Myra questioned.

"They both have been with us for two months," Eugene said.

Peepers glanced back at Maximus and Sven. "What about those two? It seems like Carrots might be older than he looks." Kristoff and Sven glared at the pirate. "How long were they in ye crew?"

"We had them in our crew a year after I joined," Eugene said. "They are very wise-cracking pets. When we were in prison, Apples and Carrots came back and distracted the guards before we escaped."

When the group came to a standstill on the boardwalk, Anna realized that there was no ship at the dock, leaving her dumbfounded. She wondered if they had missed Golden Eye and the rest of his crewmates until she heard Peepers snapping his fingers and Ruthless Buck and Long Floyd racing over to a large boulder.

"Where's the ship?" Kristoff questioned, causing Peepers and Myra to turn to him.

Eugene ran his hand through his hair, laughing nervously. "Uh, what happened to the Robin Gallery?"

"It is out in the ocean nearby waiting for us," Peepers replied. "Now, we gotta get there right away. We don't want to get caught up with any sorpoises on the way!"

"Peepers," Myra slurred. "It is almost evening and sorpoises don't come out until late at night. We'll be back on the ship by then."

"Sorpoise?" Kristoff asked, raising his eyebrow. "What's a sorpoise?"

"They are mammals that roam the sea," Peepers began. "They usually hunt seals, dolphins, and sometimes mermaids, but humans can be their prey too. They circle their prey and either they charge at them or they pull them underwater."

"Whoa," Anna commented. "I never even knew those creatures even existed."

"I've seen one before," Eugene confirmed. "Fortunately, no one got in the water because we used fire to get it away."

"Aye, they hate fire because of the brightness," Peppers commented. "Why do ye think they come out at night?"

Peepers and Myra turned just in time to see Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck pull something out from behind the boulder. As the two pirates laid the long lifeboat on the ground in front of the group, she couldn't help but wonder how long that boat had been there. If they'd known, they could've used it to get to Pazatrille instead of disguising themselves as pirates.

Anna could tell that Kristoff, Sven, and Maximus were thinking the same thing when they turned to Eugene with a sharp glare. Fortunately, the pirates didn't see their expressions.

Kristoff crossed his arms and put on a blank expression when he turned to the pirates. "There was a boat here?"

"It's one of our lifeboats from the Robin Gallery," Myra explained. "The Robin Gallery was docked here until we learned that someone had turned us in. We were just about to leave when we noticed those two buffoons didn't make it to the docks. When Peepers and I decided to find them, Golden Eye left this lifeboat behind for us. Ruthless Buck and Long Floyd knew where it was because after we found them, we stopped at the west harbor and told them about it."

The lifeboat would've to be gone regardless, so Anna decided that Eugene was right, his plan still was the only way to try to get the map back. Anna peered down at the large lifeboat with an uncertain expression on her face.

"Will it fit M—" Right when Peepers and Myra whirled to her, Anna faked a cough into her sleeve and cleared her throat. "Will it fit Apples and Carrots?"

"Sure, it will," Myra answered, taking a paddle out of the boat. "Once we used the lifeboat to steal some horses and took them on the ship with us."

After the pirates placed the lifeboat in the sea, one by one the pirates and Anna's group stepped into it, with Anna being the last one in.

Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck had paddles in the back of the boat while Myra and Peepers had paddles in the front of the boat. Once they made sure that there weren't any guards nearby, they paddled away from the docks. Everything felt like slow motion as Anna watched the docks get farther away from her.

While the lifeboat sailed further, Anna peered over to the edge and stared down at her reflection in the steady water. Little waves moved up and down as the pirates pushed their paddles into the sea, creating a loud splashing gurgle. Soon after, she could hear Eugene and Kristoff wonder if they could run into any sharks along the way, which Peepers denied.

Anna was torn between some thoughts in her mind. She wasn't sure if she was excited or anxious because this was her first time in the ocean on a rowboat. After all, she and her group were surrounded by pirates and on their way to the rest of the pirate crew. This was not the trip that she had imagined she would get when she left Arendelle for that dinner party at Baron Rupert's manor.

"What do you do on Golden Eye's ship?" Eugene inquired. Anna still stared at her reflection as she listened to the conversation. "What are your jobs?"

"I am the first mate and Myra's the quartermaster," Peepers answered. By the sound of it, Peepers and Myra were the two favorites of Golden Eye. She could see why, because Golden Eye actually had left a lifeboat behind for them. If Peepers and Myra hadn't decided to head back into Delptien, Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck likely would've been left behind. "Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck are two of the gunners."

"How long have you been on Golden Eye's crew?"

"We're old salts. Peepers and I have been Golden Eye's crew ever since he first became Captain," Myra replied. "These two have been since a few years after the Captain gave us our ranks."

Eugene nodded. "I could see why. You all seem to be very well skilled."

"Aye, me heartie," Peepers commented. "We're honored to have a skilled thief such as yourself on board."

As she listened to Eugene's chuckling, Anna was amazed that he was doing so well in this con. She wondered how Rapunzel would react to this hoax that her husband had come up with.

In the reflection on the ocean water, the bow of a large, golden ship appeared. She could hear the reactions of Kristoff, Eugene, Maximus, and Sven.

"Is that the Robin Gallery?" Kristoff asked.

There were so many words that she would use to describe the beauty of this ship, but she couldn't decide on what word to use.

"Aye, Jake," Peepers slurred. Two pirates peered down from above and threw the rope down to the lifeboat. "This ship had been around for almost twenty years. Golden Eye had been in charge of it ever since he first found it!"

Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck each tied the rope to the end of the rowboat, and Anna almost shook as she felt the lifeboat coming out of the water and closer up to the deck. She peered down at the water again where in her reflection, she was staring at herself with the ship above her.

When the lifeboat finally paused in midair, Anna's eyes turned from her reflection to the deck of the Robin Gallery. All around were pirates scattered around the deck. Some were working while the majority of them were drinking and singing "Drunken Sailor". After they left the lifeboat, Anna couldn't help but peer around. She'd never thought that she would end up on a pirate ship. She had seen pictures of them and even heard many tales about ghost ships when she was younger.

Anna watched Peepers and Myra approach three pirates with Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck following behind them. When she heard some voices nearby, she turned to see two pirates quarreling over something. She was just about to rush to put an end to it until she remembered her disguise. Remember, Anna, you are a pirate named Adrie. Eugene's plan will work. You can do this.

She backed away from the two pirates and went over to her group. She made sure that none of the other pirates were listening before she spoke to her friends. "Alright, now what?"

A grin made its face across Eugene's features. "Now, the fun will begin. We'll just keep up with my plan and get on the Captain's good side."

"What jobs do you think he'll give us?" Kristoff questioned, doing his voice for Sven.

"You and Max will be fine," Kristoff assured, petting his best friend. "Eugene will fit in as well. Anna and I are the ones that—"

"Ah, don't worry, Kristoff," Anna slurred, patting his shoulder. Maximus didn't look too sure. "We'll fit in just fine!"

"How do you know? You and I have never been around pirates!"

Maximus turned to Eugene and nodded in agreement. Anna understood why Maximus and Kristoff would be doubtful, but she thought that they should be fine.

"My plan will work!" Eugene spoke. "We just have to think like a pirate!"

Instantly, a new pair of footsteps arrived on deck and paused. "Ahoy, me hearties!"

In no time, everyone on deck turned to the middle where a tall, slim pirate stood. He wore a blue waistcoat, dark breeches, and a tri-corner hat with a long white feather sticking out of it. He had messy dark curls, a long goatee, and a black patch on his left eye.

"That must be Golden Eye," Eugene whispered to Kristoff.

"What else do you know about him?" Kristoff inquired.

"His real name is Robin Hobbs. His father was killed at sea, leaving him an orphan and he had to use street smarts to survive. When he came into his teenage years, he snuck onto a pirate's ship, and got caught. The pirates were so interested in his skills that they decided to let him join the crew, and train him into piracy. When Golden Eye grew old enough, he became captain of his crew."

Anna wondered if Elsa had read about him before in one of her history books. As she peered at Golden Eye, Anna thought that he seemed like a typical pirate that she had read in books as a child. "Why is his name Golden Eye?"

"You'll see when he gets closer," Eugene replied.

"Shut up!" one of the pirates from nearby said.

Anna was just about to turn around to punch that pirate but Kristoff shook his head at her. She jumped when she heard a squawk above her head and a blue and green parrot swooped down to Golden Eye, who held out his arm for it to land on.

When the parrot landed on Golden Eye's arm, the captain brought his arm closer to him and stroked her feathers. "Don't worry, Betsey, I hadn't forgotten about ye, lass." When he delved into his pocket, Anna expected him to pull out a cracker but instead, he pulled out a grape. "Here ye go!" He threw the grape at Betsey and her reflexes were quick before she devoured her snack.

"Arr!" Betsey squawked, causing Anna to giggle. "Here ye go!"

Golden Eye brought the parrot towards his face. "Now, that was scrumptious wasn't it, Betsey?"

"Arr! Scrumptious!"

The Captain brought his arm high and allowed Betsey to fly in a new direction. Anna peered up and watched the parrot land right next to the flag. The parrot was almost like one that she had read about as a child. She had always wanted to see one and now, she finally was.

Anna leaned towards Kristoff. "I love parrots! They're really cute!"

"They can be very annoying, Anna," Kristoff whispered. "I don't think that you would—"

Maximus turned to the couple, gesturing for them to remain quiet, which they did. Golden Eye turned to his crew.

"Me mates!" he yelled. "I am proud to declare that this heist has been a success!" He noticed Peepers and Myra. "Peepers, Myra! I see that ye two have made back! I wouldn't want my two best crewmates to get left behind now do I?"

For a bit, Anna wondered why he would have the nerve to announce favorites in front of his other followers until she remembered that he was a pirate.

"Captain," Myra began, "we have brought a special guest with us!"

Golden Eye furrowed his eyebrows. "Really? Who is it?"

Peepers pointed at Eugene. "Flynn Ryder!"

The other pirates turned to him in excitement and Anna felt awkward that they were all staring at her group, despite the fact that it was Eugene that they had their eyes on. As the pirates peered at them, Anna was able to get a better look at the crew. While the majority of the pirates were men, there were also some women. The pirates were all dressed like Anna's group, and she could tell that she was the youngest on board.

"Blimey!" Golden Eye exclaimed. "Flynn Ryder! I had heard so much about ye! What made ye decide to get into piracy?"

Eugene scoffed. "I thought that it was time that I put my thieving days aside and take a step further in my life." Anna listened to him tell the Captain the same lie that he told Peepers, Myra, Long Floyd, and Ruthless Buck. "And I am honored that your most favorite followers allowed us to come aboard with you!"

Golden Eye let out a sharp laugh and placed his hand on Eugene's shoulder. "Ryder, me heartie, ye are going to be a legend! Ye went from stealing crowns to plundering towns! I am impressed that ye and ye followers escaped from those sons of a biscuit eater!"

Eugene grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Years of experience have helped me. If it weren't for my lock picking skills, we still would be locked up."

Golden Eye nodded with an impressed glance before he noticed Kristoff, Anna, Maximus, and Sven behind him. When the Captain approached them, Anna saw that his right eyeball was golden. "Are these your crewmates?"

"Aye, Captain!" Eugene said.

After Eugene introduced them with their pirate pseudonyms to the Captain, Anna spat into her right hand and stuck it out towards Golden Eye, stepping forward. She felt disgusted doing that but she did it because one of the children's books about pirates, one pirate did it. "Ahoy there, Captain! Good afternoon, sir!"

The entire crew just gawked at her as if she had insulted someone. Well, that was awkward. Did she overdo it? Did she mess up?

Anna chucked and wiped the spit off her hand on the side of her dress. She knew that her sister would not like that. "Sorry! I guess I'm just still learning this whole pirate thing! Say, how about I give Betsey a cracker?"

"She hates crackers," Golden Eye slurred. Anna thought that that was odd. Who would think that a parrot would detest crackers? "She loves her grapes!"

"Then how about I give her a grape?" Anna chuckled. "I would steal them a lot when I was a thief." From the looks on the pirate's faces, she knew that she wasn't doing well and that she would have to recover somehow. She peered around the ship and smiled. "This is some nice ship you have here! That's the pirate life, you son of a biscuit eater!"

Golden Eye's eyebrows rose. "Pardon me, lass? What makes you—"

"Uh, she's still learning her pirate talk," Kristoff spoke. Anna nodded nervously as she listened to her boyfriend lie to the Captain about being the newest crewmates. "She even called Lady Caine a scurvy dog by mistake when she was trying to compliment her."

"Ye hear that, mates?" Golden Eye questioned. "Looks like we have an amateur pirate on board!" While the other pirates were laughing at Anna, she was just about to tell the Captain off when Golden Eye turned to Kristoff. "What about ye?"

"Excuse me?" Kristoff asked.

"What were ye before ye joined Lady Caine's crew?"

"I went from being a sailor to a thief," Kristoff said. "When I joined Lady Caine's crew, I helped her and my crewmates out of sticky situations with experience of being at sea. Lady Caine was impressed with my thieving skills."

Golden Eye furrowed his eyebrows. "Really? I have never heard of ye before."

"I never got caught by anyone," Kristoff said. "So, I was unknown."

"Good thing, ye are unknown," Golden Eye slurred. "Ye pirate name stinks. 'Jake the pirate'! What kind of name is that?!" Kristoff shot a glare at Eugene who shrugged to him. "So, ye were sailing one day and just randomly decided 'I'm just going to become a pirate named, Jake'? If I were ye, 'Jake', I would change my pirate name!"

"I had that name since I was a sailor!" Kristoff retorted.

"Wait, ye were a sailor?" Myra questioned. "Then ye should have known what a sorpoise was! Anyone that was at sea knows what a sorpoise was!"

Golden Eye stood up straight, glaring down at Kristoff. "So ye a pirate with a pathetic name and no knowledge of the sea?" He rubbed his temple shaking his head. "Argh, couldn't you have better lackeys, Ryder? It just had to be these bilge-sucking bunglers?"

"Now wait a minute," Kristoff snapped. "What is your problem?"

"What's my problem, pretty boy?" Golden Eye questioned. From above, Betsey repeated 'pretty boy'. "My problem is that I have not one but two amateur pirates on board!"

While the other pirate burst out laughing, Anna stepped forward to the Captain, pointing a finger at him just as he turned away from her. "Excuse me, we may be new to this whole pirate business, but we are very important, skilled pirates, thank you very much!"

When Golden Eye went to the middle of the ship and ordered his crew to sail away, Anna and Kristoff sat down on the barrels, glaring at the Captain.

"What a jerk," Anna commented.

"Well, he's a pirate," Kristoff grumbled. "What do you expect?" They watched as Golden Eye laughed at another one of Eugene's jokes. "Eugene's doing better at fitting in than we are."

"We will too, Kristoff," Anna said with confidence. "We just have to blend in with them!"

Kristoff scoffed and said, "Just like we did a minute ago?"

"Yeah, I know we sort of messed up," Anna admitted. "But if Eugene can fit in with them, then so can we!"

"He was a criminal," Kristoff said. "You're a princess and I'm an ice harvester. We both know nothing about pirates."

"Whoa!" Ruthless Buck shouted from above. Kristoff and Anna peered up to see that Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck were swinging on the riggings, laughing heartily. "The wind is strong!"

"I'm falling off!" Long Floyd shouted, sarcastically.

"Oh, for real," Kristoff muttered. He peered back to Anna. "At least we're heading to Pazatrille."

"Yes, think positive," Anna spoke. "It'll be easy, don't you think?"

For a long minute, Kristoff sat there in silence at her before he finally answered her. "Yes, it will."

"You hesitated."

"No, I didn't."

"Well, I get why you did. But we can do this! Trust me!"

Suddenly, something lifted Kristoff and Anna from the barrels. They glanced over their shoulders where Peepers was glaring at them.

"If I ain't drinking," he slurred, "ye two sure ain't slacking!"

After he released them and ordered them to help the crew sail away, the couple both sped off in completely different directions. Anna paused for a minute, unsure of what to do until she saw a small group of pirates making sailing knots so she raced over to them.

Fortunately, she knew how to make a sailor's knot for Kristoff had shown her last spring. Anna picked up the first rope that she came across and formed a loop with the rope. When she was finished, she tossed the knot over a pole.

Anna repeated this process until the ship finally sailed further into the ocean, causing her to stare at the sea with a smile. Now, they would get to Pazatrille to get the map from Puck and go to Bronzadelle to help Scott.

She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Golden Eye make an order to the crew. The cremates all dropped piles of gold and jewelry in front of the Captain. She wondered where they had gotten it all from. Golden Eye peered down at the treasure and nodded with an impressed expression.

"See, mates," he slurred. "I told ye that Delitpen had the finest booty! Wait till we plunder Hogan! Their loot is even finer!"

A female pirate crossed her arms. "Have ye been there before, Captain?"

"Aye, Anne!" Golden Eye smiled. "My father raised me there before we went to sea. He worked in the guard and trained me. That is how I became so skilled with fencing!" He stepped forward to Eugene. "How's ye crew, Ryder? Did Lady Caine have ye and your crewmates trained?"

Before Eugene could answer, Anna went over to Kristoff and grunted, "Now, that is what I am skilled in, Captain! Well, I am not quite mastered, but I know very well how to use a sword! Lady Caine taught me fencing right before we landed in Delitpen! K—Jake is great at fencing too!"

Golden Eye and his entire crew stared at her with a perplexed expression. Anna couldn't tell if they believed her or not but regardless, it still didn't look like she impressed them.

"Head below deck, mates!" Golden Eye announced. "We must plan out our heist for Hogan! Ryder, you and your mates can listen too! It'll teach those amateurs how a real pirate works! I'm sure Lady Caine will be impressed with them when you get back."

"Don't worry, Captain!" Eugene grinned. "They will become old salts in no time!" He pointed to himself. "They'll learn from the best!"

While everyone was going down the stairs, Anna stayed close to her boyfriend with pirates all around them. As they entered a large room, Anna saw that there was a long table with a large map and a globe, a chalkboard next to the map, and chairs in the back of the room. After everyone took their seats, Anna watched as Golden Eye stood by the table and the chalkboard.

"Alright, me mates," he began, stabbing the middle of the map with a large dagger, "it's been years but I know the entire area of Hogan like the back of my hand. From what Betsey gathered, they have yet to change their military procedures."

"I'm sorry," Eugene said. "Did you just say that your parrot told you about Hogan's guard's routine?"

"Aye, Ryder," Golden Eye confirmed. "My parrot is very skilled in gathering information. Sometimes, she would fly to other countries or ships as my spy. Then she returns to me with everything that I need to know."

Kristoff leaned closer to Anna. "I admit that's a pretty good way to get information," he whispered. "I never thought that a parrot could be used as a spy."

Anna managed to hold back a chuckle. "Ah, see?" she smirked. "Parrots are useful after all, aren't they?"

As a thought abruptly forced its way into her mind, Anna wiped the smile off her face. If Betsey spied on people for Golden Eye in countries and on ships, was it possible that she could be spying on them on this ship?

"So, I guess that Betsey recently spied on Hogan, Captain?" a female pirate asked.

"Aye, Norma," Golden Eye confirmed. "She got back with me with fresh information a few days ago."

Golden Eye was just about to address more of his plan when a voice was heard from the back of the room. Anna glanced over her shoulder to see that a short pirate was talking to another pirate. She couldn't hear them very well but their conversation seemed to have nothing to do with what was going on. Anna turned back to the front of the room where Golden Eye gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

Suddenly, the Captain slammed his fist on the map, turning all of the attention to him. The short pirate paused and slowly peered up at Golden Eye.

"Rolley," Golden Eye spoke, "why don't ye tell me what jewels we're after in that country? I'll give ye a hint: it's a shape."

Rolley smiled and cleared his throat. "Squares. Circles. Triangle—"

"No," Golden Eye interrupted, his voice echoing over everyone.

A tall pirate rose from his seat. "It's Forest Luck that we're after. It's an extremely rare diamond that was crafted from over a century ago."

"Correct, Trops!" Golden Eye slurred, turning to the chalkboard. "My father had told me about this diamond when I was a young lad and he brought me down to the mines where it is kept in a large safe. This is how the guards patrol the mines."

As Golden Eye droned on, Anna swore that she heard a 'Pst" behind her and Kristoff. After a repeat of that word, she turned to her boyfriend.

"Was that you?"

Kristoff shook his head. "I thought that it was you."

"PST!" The couple turned to see that Long Floyd and Ruthless Buck were seated behind them with bottles of rum in their hands. "Aye, we're talking to ye, mates!"

"What is it?" Kristoff asked.

"So, ye from Lady Caine's crew?" Long Floyd questioned.

"Yeah," Kristoff answered. "Is that a problem?"

Ruthless Buck shook his head. "Not at all, mates. It's just that Lady Caine doesn't take in newcomers unless she's very impressed with their skills. Ye two lack in any skills to be pirates and it is very odd of her to train anyone."

Right after Long Floyd took a large gulp from his bottle, Anna yanked the bottle from him and took a large gulp of rum. She was doing anything she could to fit in with them and this was what they did. Anna's eyes widened and she was tempted to spit out the rum but she managed to swallow it. A scowl almost formed on her face but she managed to form a fake smile.

"How did ye meet Lady Caine?" Ruthless Buck asked, slurring his words.

They just couldn't ask Eugene this? He would have come up with a believable lie.

"Two months ago, we were disguised as a lord and a lady at a masquerade party in Bellivile and we ran into her there," Kristoff lied, slurring his words.

"We mistook her for a Duchess so we shut off the lights and ripped off her necklace," Anna added. "Apparently, Lady Caine had stolen the necklace from the Baroness and she was so impressed with us that she invited us to join her crew and had Ryder take us under his wing."

A snicker escaped from Long Floyd's lips, causing Kristoff and Anna to lock eyes with each other before peering back at the two pirates. "Uh…why is that funny?"

"So, after all this time," Long Floyd slurred, "ye just stole a necklace from a pirate? Ye two really are sons of a biscuit eater!"

"Hey, Lady Caine was just so believable as a duchess," Kristoff argued. "She even pretended to be one at Princess Rapunzel's coronation!"

"Wow," Ruthless Buck slurred. "Ye lacked skills in piracy—do ye lack skill in thievery as well?"

Anna sent her fist into Ruthless Buck, sending him falling over his chair, and causing the crew to turn to the scene. The Princess couldn't decide on whether or not her recent action was foolish or helpful to their heist. Either way, the last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention.

Golden Eye swung around with chalk still in his hand. "Blimey! What are ye all staring at?"

As Ruthless Buck scrambled back into his chair, Anna and Kristoff quickly turned away from him, looking at the wall. They sighed as they spotted Long Floyd pointing at them.

"Ah, my good old crewmates!" Eugene laughed. "Always hitting someone in the kisser!"

Golden Eye crossed his arms to Eugene. "So, they're troublemakers? It's bad enough that I have two amateurs on board! The last thing I need is two troublemakers!"

Anna stood up and fisted her hips. "Well, Captain, we're meant to sink low! We're pirates! That's what we do!"

For a long while, there was nothing but silence in the room until Golden Eye clapped his hands with a blank expression on his face. Anna noticed that in the back of the room, Maximus and Sven were turning to each other with worried glances. Anna remained still as the Captain slowly approached her and Kristoff.

"I can't say that yer wrong," Golden Eye spoke. A small smile both formed on the faces of Anna and Kristoff. "But I really despise it when another pirate talks back to me!"

The other pirates laughed at the couple while Golden Eye went back over to his chalkboard. "Ryder, I understand that yer the navigator of Lady Caine's crew so you could help out the Sailing Master."

Eugene grinned. "Aye aye, Captain!"

Anna's heart thudded when Golden Eye spun to her and Kristoff with a glare. "Ye two can take turns between being a Powder Monkey and a Swab."

"Ye have to be kidding me!" Kristoff protested.

Anna crossed her arms and shut her eyes. "Well, excuse me, Captain! We can work on whatever we want, thank you very much!"

"Well, excuse me," Golden Eye mimicked, a very clear tone in his slurring voice. "Ye can work on whatever I want ye to work on, thank ye very much!"

As Anna slouched back in her seat, she and Kristoff glanced at one another before they sighed and shook their heads. While Eugene managed to impress the pirates, they hadn't.

The peaceful movement of the waves hitting each other in the moonlight relaxed Ella as she watched it through the window. The twilight sky stood above the ocean, casting a beautiful reflection through the water. Ella thought that it would be the perfect portrait for any artist to paint.

Ever since leaving the Northern Isles, Ella had a quiet day and for now, her powers weren't causing any chaos on the ship. She peered down at her violet gloves, hoping that they would help her learn how to control them.

She glanced over her shoulder and slowly surveyed the little room that she was in. The walls and the floor were wooden with some decorations on the walls and a large red rug lying in the middle of the floor. A large table laden with elaborate food and a sweet scent filled her nose, causing her stomach to once again growl. She knew that this was food that she could never afford to eat. She would dream of that hot, delicious taste on her tongue. She was tempted to scurry over to the table and snatch some food, but she feared angering the sailors.

When the sound of footsteps slowly was heading towards the door, Ella quickly stood up straight. Her heart thudded, but she did the best she could to relax by watching the peaceful ocean again. Ella heard the footsteps come to a halt. For a moment, she was unsure what to do next.

"Look, Ella," a female voice spoke softly. "I am sorry about my behavior earlier. I just don't trust strangers and I was trying to protect everyone on the ship."

Ella glanced over her shoulder where a young uniformed woman with a gray-streaked, layered bob stood before her. Earlier in the day, this woman had arrived on deck and berated the prince for bringing a stranger on board. Hans had explained to this woman, the captain, and the other sailors about Ella's situation, but she hadn't believed him until she saw Ella's bronze eyes. Ella was so worried about her powers freezing the ship that she'd gone below deck where she remained for the rest of the day.

"It's alright," Ella assured, turning her entire body to the woman. "You don't have to apologize. Honesty, I mistrust Hans because of his crimes, but I just couldn't stay in the Northern Isles."

The woman sighed, crossing her arms and peered down at the ground for a second before peering back at Ella. "I heard about how they treated you and I wish that you didn't have to go through with that. The Northern Isles have always been narrow-minded so it doesn't surprise me. Hans told me that you have ice magic."

Ella's eyes dimmed when she peered down at her gloved hands. "It's dangerous. It makes me a monster."

"Ella," the woman began, "being magical does not make you a monster. I used to have powers, but I made terrible decisions with them. Hopefully, you'll make better choices with yours."

Ella peered back up at the woman. "Do you know that Hans has fire magic?"

"Yes," the woman replied. "I've never actually seen him use them but his uncle told me."

"Do you know about what Hans has done?"

"Yes. Again, his uncle told me everything. It's been so long since I saw Queen Elsa's cousin." Ella was just about to ask the woman, but she opened her mouth before she had a chance: "It's a long story."

Ella dropped her hands in her lap, staring up at the woman. "Have you ever met Queen Elsa herself?"

The woman shook her head. "Nor did I ever see any pictures of her."

A group of footsteps marched into the room and the majority of the sailors went over to the table. Ella and the woman watched the sailors get their meals and take their seats.

"Cassandra?" one of the sailors asked. "Are you going to eat? You haven't even taken your break."

"I'll guess I'll take mine then," Cassandra answered. After she grabbed a plate and gathered her food, she glanced at Ella who still sat by the window. "You should get some food too, Ella. I can't imagine how hungry you must be."

Right when Cassandra sat down with her meal, Ella went over to the table, peering down at the food. After she gathered duck, grapes, and mashed potatoes on her golden plate, she pulled out a seat and sat across from Cassandra. As the sailors sat engrossed in a conversation about their day, Ella peered around the table. There was only one empty seat next to her and Cassandra while the others were taken by the sailors.

Ella bit her lip as she stared down at the golden utensils lying next to her golden plate. She felt like she was out of place here and that she shouldn't be around all the food, but her growling stomach reminded her to get some food inside her. After she slowly picked up her utensils, she used them to cut her duck and placed a small piece of duck in her mouth. As she felt the thick and strong flavor on her taste buds, Ella was almost tempted to devour her meal, but she knew that she had never had a meal like this before and she wanted to enjoy it. As she slowly ate her meal, she closed her eyes and couldn't have been any more grateful that she was given a meal.

When Ella opened her eyes, she peered at Cassandra, who was eating her meal. "How long have you known Hans?"

Cassandra swallowed the food that she was chewing and peered at Ella. "I just met him today. King Edgar sent me to the Northern Isles to escort him to Reignlen."

"How do you know Hans' uncle?"

"I have been a friend of King Edgar and his family for a while," Cassandra explained. "A few years ago, Gadstavion invaded Reignlen because they didn't like that they supported magic and Emperor Michael's views on magic, but fortunately I happened to be visiting Reignlen at the time so I was able to stop the invasion. Afterward, King Edgar knighted me, Cassandra savior of Reignlen, and made me captain of the guard and a member of his royal council."

"You were also knighted by Emperor Michael, weren't you?" a sailor inquired.

Cassandra nodded. "Yes, last year. An assassin was sent there for the Emperor, but I stopped him and saved Michael. The Emperor had knighted me Cassandra, savior of Goldenpolis."

"Did he offer you any positions?" the sailor questioned. Cassandra sat there in silence. "Did he—"

"Hey, knock it off, won't you?" Cassandra snapped. "Why are you so concerned? It is none of your business, Samul!"

Samul rolled his eyes at her. "Geez! I just thought that it's a bit odd that you saved the Emperor's life and he doesn't offer you a job. I would want him to give me a job! If King Edgar did, then so should he."

Cassandra shook her head. "If I were you, I would be more concerned about his safety and would care any less about the reward."

Samul backed off and went back to his meal before he started a new conversation with another sailor. Ella and Cassandra were quiet for a moment before the former spoke.

"Cassandra, what did you do before you came to Reignlen?"

"I traveled around the world," Cassandra began, "I wanted to find my destiny. Eventually, I finally found out who I was meant to be."

"I wish that I remember who I was," Ella said. "I don't even remember my own family."

For a moment, Cassandra was quiet until she finally broke the silence. "Hopefully, they were good people like my adoptive father was, unlike my actual mother."

Ella was tempted to ask this woman about her past, but she noticed that Cassandra seemed sad when she spoke of her mother so she thought that she should leave it alone.

"Do you still travel?" Ella asked, wiping her face with a serviette.

Cassandra nodded. "Sometimes."

When the door opened, the sailors turned to the doorway. After they saw who it was, the sailors gathered up their plates and left to go on deck. Ella wondered why they left until she peered up where Hans was standing in the doorway, peering at Cassandra. "Cassandra, I see that you've properly met Ella. I hope you acted better than you did up there earlier."

"For the last time, Hans—"

"She apologized," Ella answered. "She told me that she was sorry."

Despite this, Hans crossed his arms, glaring at Cassandra. "Why did my uncle decide to send you to take me to his country?"

Cassandra sighed and glared up at the Prince. "I had just come back from my visit to Kumandra and Reinglen was celebrating the announcement of George's engagement. When I arrived, your uncle was supposed to go, but then he realized that Taihru, one of Reignlen's most important trade partners was coming so he couldn't come and asked me to take you."

"That would explain it," Hans commented. He gathered his meal and took the seat at the end of the table next to Cassandra and Ella. "I didn't even know that Uncle Edgar was supposed to get me."

"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked, putting down her fork. "Your father was supposed to send a letter to you before you left. Did the lieutenant not give you the letter?"

Ella remembered the letter that she saw Hans destroy back in the Northern Isles.

"He did give me the letter," Hans confirmed. "My father just didn't write anything about it in the letter."

Cassandra cocked an eyebrow. "Can I see it? I want to look at it myself."

"It got swept away in the wind and got away from me before I could grab it," Hans lied. "I lost it right after I finished my punishment."

Cassandra's facial expressions remained the same. "Really? You know, your uncle told me about what you did in Arendelle and I heard that you're a very good liar."

Hans took a slip from his goblet. "I know what you're implying, Cassandra." From his facial expressions, Ella could tell that he was mirroring her. "But I am not lying to you."

For a long, slow moment, Cassandra's eyes gave him an intense glare. It was obvious that she knew that Hans was lying to her. Ella almost forgot where she was as she watched the stare down between Hans and Cassandra. She was almost tempted to intervene, but she felt that it would be foolish of her to get involved.

Ella peered down and took a bite out of her duck, when she heard Hans speak to her.

"Ella, how are you holding up?"

"I am doing alright."

Cassandra's eyes peered back to Hans. "What is she going to do when we reach Reignlen?"

"My uncle will help her," Hans answered.

"Will he really find me a place to stay?" Ella questioned, stabbing a piece of duck with a fork.

Hans nodded. "He'll most likely will. At least, he'll find someone that will. One way or another, you will get shelter."

"He's right, Ella," Cassandra said. "Reignlen is nothing like the Northern Isles, so someone will take you in. King Edgar and his people constantly make donations and host charity events. You'll like King Edgar."

"How long has he been king?"

"He has been ruling over Reignlen for over twenty-five years," Cassandra replied, cutting her meat. She turned to Hans right when he swallowed some of his food. "Is he from your mother's side or your father's side? That, he never told me."

"He is the younger brother of my mother and the youngest out of three children," Hans explained. "They had an older brother, August who was king before he passed away with his wife, Marguerite in a carriage accident and the crown was passed down to Uncle Edgar. He had just married Aunt Heidi when he was crowned."

"I remember Heidi telling me about when she became queen," Cassandra remarked. "She also told me that Edgar was the only one who married for love. Your uncle and your mother's marriages were arranged by your grandfather for political reasons."

"Lars told me that," Hans answered. "Reignlen had commoners married into royalty before but my grandfather arranged marriages for Uncle August and my mother because Reignlen was at its weakest and needed trading partners. The Southern Isles and Stonebridge were and still to this day are two of the most powerful countries of the world. My mother married my father and my uncle married Marguerite, the younger sister of King Wilfried. Stonebridge had recently started to allow marriage for love, but the Southern Isles, on the other hand, still arranges marriages to this day. Lars told me that in the history of the Southern Isles, there has never been a commoner who married into royalty."

"Yes, Lars would know all about that," Cassandra spoke. Hans asked her if she had met his brother, but she shook her head. "Edgar told me about him and his love of history. He told me that once Lars bored Heidi's younger sister to death at a party."

Hans sighed. "Have you met Aunt Heidi's sister? You know, Baroness Evelyn of Beliville."

After she took a sip from her goblet, Cassandra rolled her eyes and groaned. "Yes, unfortunately."

The door slowly opened and a young sailor peered into the room. "Cassandra, Captain Murphy wants to see you."

Not even a second later, Cassandra rose from her seat, placing her serviette on the table. "I'm on my way. Do you know what the captain..." She and the sailor left the room, leaving Ella and Hans alone with each other.

Neither one of them looked at each other and instead focused on their meals. Ella wanted to leave, but she didn't know where she would be allowed to have her meal. She didn't even know where she was going to sleep.

"Ella, are you alright?"

Ella peered up to see that Hans was staring right at her.

"Yes." She nodded. "I was thinking…"

"What were you thinking about?"

"Reignlen," she answered. "How long would it be until we get there?"

"It will be a week," Hans informed her. "Unless there are any delays."

For a long moment, Ella said nothing and peered down at her meal. Anything could happen in a week, especially on a ship. As her gloved hands touched the utensils, her powers were on her mind. How would they be able to get to Reignlen without her powers sinking the ship?

"How are the gloves working for you?" Hans questioned, breaking the silence and bringing Ella back to reality. Ella abruptly peered back up at him. "Have they been helping you?"

"So far, they're working well, thank you," Ella replied. "How long will I have to wear them?"

"Until you learn how to control your powers," Hans clarified. "I'm sure that you'll only wear them temporarily."

Ella peered down at her gloves and then back at the Prince. "What if I don't?"

"You'll still have to wear the gloves," Hans answered. "I am hoping that you'll know how to control them, but I can't promise that you will. I am confident that you will, though, because Lientant Larson never mentioned your powers so that is evidence that you had control of your magic before you got bewitched."

"Do your gloves help you with your magic?" Ella asked.

"Yes," Hans answered. "They help me with my powers. I've worn them ever since I can remember. They control my powers and most of all, they keep them hidden."

"The world doesn't know about your powers?" Ella asked.

Hans nodded his head, appearing saddened. "Only Reignlen and The Southern Isles know. No one outside of those countries knows about my magic. My father forbids me to ever use my powers let alone speak of them."

"Your entire family knows then? Even your uncle?"

Hans nodded without looking at her. "Yes," he answered. His eyes peered down at his meal. From where she was sitting, Ella could tell that he seemed saddened. "Everyone in my family and country knows."

Again, they both sat in silence for a while, eating their meals. No one else had come back down since they had left the room.

"Other than George," Ella began, "how many cousins do you have in Reignlen?"

Hans peered back up at her. "I have five in Reignlen. Johnathan is the oldest. He is married to Queen Runa's daughter; Marianne and them reside in Vassar. George is the second oldest. Lydia is the oldest daughter and the third. Peter is the youngest son and the fourth. And Margert is the youngest daughter and the fifth. I don't see Johnathan as much ever since he got married but the other four I see whenever I'm there."

"How often have you been to Reignlen?"

"I have been there a few times as a child," Hans explained. "Occasionally, my family and I would take trips there to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. My father usually didn't come to Reignlen because he was so busy running his kingdom. Because of my magic, my father would forbid me to go unless he went on the trip, though. The only countries that I had been to outside of The Southern Isles were Reignlen and Arendelle. My third oldest brother, Lars showed me pictures of other countries and told me of their histories. My oldest brother, Caleb, had been to so many countries with our father that I lost track of them. Out of thirteen sons, I had ventured outside of the Southern Isles the least."

Ella's eyes widened and she almost dropped her spoon. "You have twelve older brothers?" Hans nodded. Ella was quiet for a minute before she finally spoke. "I have no idea that you came from a big family. You're really lucky to have that many siblings."

"I suppose," Hans commented, a slightly bitter and almost sad tone in his voice. "Well, I am lucky that Lars is my brother." For a long minute, he was silent and he appeared deep in thought. Finally, the Prince sighed. "I had hoped that while I was serving my punishment in my country and The Northern Isles, Lars would either come visit me or write me a letter but he never did. I'm not surprised. The last time I spoke to him, he was rather disappointed."

Ella was suddenly reminded of the letter that Hans destroyed back in the Northern Isles. "That letter that Cassandra asked you about, was the same letter that you tried to burn isn't it? Your father wrote it to you, didn't he?"

"What if it is? Why is it any of your concern?"

"I don't understand why you would destroy something that your family wrote to you?" Ella asked. "If my family wrote to me, I would never get rid of it. I would keep it."

"I have my own reasons, Ella," Hans spoke, sharply. "If you were in my shoes, you would understand what I mean."

Ella glared at him, blocking out everything else in the room. "If I was in your position, I would be grateful for what I have. You come from a big family who loves you and supports you? I don't have what you have. I don't remember my family and my life. I have nothing."

Hans slowly placed down his serviette, glaring at her. "I am sorry for your unfortunate situation, but you have no right to judge me. You don't have a single clue about my difficult life from the very start."

"Hans, you're a prince," Ella retorted. "You don't understand how many people would dream of a life like that. If you knew what you had, maybe you would not have committed your crimes in Arendelle and disappoint your brother."

Hans shook his head. "Maybe if you know about my history, you would know where I'm coming from."

"I know enough for me to mistrust you," Ella answered.

Hans rose from his seat, glaring down at her. "Well, if you mistrust me so much," he turned towards the door, not looking back at her, "why don't you stay clear of me?"

Ella watched in silence as the Prince left the room.

Rapunzel was sitting on the edge of the hot air balloon with her legs hanging over. She continued to pluck the strings of her guitar, creating a soft, gentle tune. As the tune carried out, Rapunzel peered down beneath her.

All she could see the calm crystal blue water with the sunlight reflecting off the sea. The sound of a seagull almost merged with her guitar. It was a beautiful view and would make a good portrait. If only she had her journal with her, she could be writing about this or even paint.

When Rapunzel ended her song, she held the guitar closer to her and glanced down at the ocean. A smile made its way on her face as the sounds of the waves hitting echoed up to her. She wished that she, Olaf, and Pascal would be able to dive down into the sea and swim in it. She had always wanted to experience swimming underwater. Unfortunately, she knew that they couldn't possibly dare, for they would lose their hot air balloon.

"Wow!" Olaf exclaimed. "This is amazing!"

Rapunzel carefully drew her legs back into the large basket. She giggled as she watched Olaf peeked out at the sky. He was just like a child, curious to see the new world.

"It's beautiful, isn't it, Olaf?" Rapunzel asked, walking further away from the edge of the balloon. She gently set her guitar on the ground and smiled at Pascal who was sitting atop the basket. She extended her hand out to him. After he crawled onto her palm, Rapunzel rose from the ground and set Pascal on her shoulder before she turned back to Olaf. "Do you like the view?"

Olaf hopped as he swung his body around to her. "I love it! It's so pretty!" He peered out at the sky again with a large smile as honks filled the atmosphere. Birds were fluttering forward in the sky around the hot air balloon. "What are those?"

"Those are geese," Rapunzel chuckled. She was amazed that there were so many of them around the balloon. She had never been near geese before, but she had read so much about them. "They must be migrating.

Olaf turned to her with furrowed eyebrows. "Huh?"

"It means that they go from place to place when the seasons change, Olaf," Rapunzel clarified.

"Really?" Olaf asked. "But why do they move all the time? Do they feel not welcome?"

"It isn't like that," Rapunzel laughed. "It'll be fall soon so they have to leave to find somewhere warm."

"Like summer?"

Rapunzel smiled back at him. "Yes, just like that. They want to be in a place that is warm like summer."

Olaf rushed over to the hot air balloon and leaned over the edge. "Hi!" he shouted to the geese, nearing falling over and causing Rapunzel's eyes to widen while Pascal let out a squeak. "How are you?"

Rapunzel darted over towards Olaf and caught him just in time. She pulled him into the hot air balloon and released him when they were no longer close to the edge, sighing in relief. After going through everything with the cart back in Mirahton, she did not want to relive that terror.

"Olaf," Rapunzel said sternly. She made sure that the snowman was paying attention to her before she spoke again. "Please be careful when you're looking at the view. You're not in trouble. I just don't want you to fall out of the basket."

"Okay," Olaf spoke, putting his head down. "I guess that I can't watch the geese anymore."

"No, you can still watch the geese," Rapunzel said. "You just have to be more careful."

A smile made its way back on Olaf's face and he spun around. He came towards the edge only to see that the geese were now gone.

"Why are they gone?" Olaf asked. "Did I scare them?"

Pascal chuckled at the snowman and it caused Rapunzel to smile at both of her friends. She couldn't be any luckier that they were right here by her side. She just wished that they weren't on the run from the law.

"Of course not, Olaf," Rapunzel replied. "They just flew to a new area."

Olaf turned to Rapunzel with a large smile, hopping over to her and waving his twig arms. "Are we going south too? Where are we going?"

Rapunzel let out a low sigh, sliding down on the floor, running her hands through her hair. That was the first time that Olaf had asked what their future destination was.

"Did I make you sad, Rapunzel?"

"It's fine. I just never thought about it."

Rapunzel leaned her head against the basket. Where could they go? They had no map with them so they didn't know what countries were around them. Maybe they should go back to the Northern Isles to find Elsa, but how could they even know if she was still there? At this rate, she'd probably found Lord Graham and had likely gone back to Arendelle with him.

Pascal crawled onto Rapunzel's lap and chattered to her. "I don't know where we should go, Pascal," Rapunzel admitted.

"Wherever we land," Olaf began, "what are we going to do?"

Rapunzel rubbed her temple before peering up at Olaf. "We'll do exactly what Henry told us. We'll just have to stay low and be careful who we trust."

"What did Henry mean about the not trusting people part?' Olaf asked. "We trusted him, and he helped us."

"Have Anna and Elsa warned you about strangers?" Rapunzel asked. Olaf nodded his head. "That's why. They could be bad people. They could pretend to be your friend just so they earn your trust."

"Like what Hans did with Anna?"

"Yes," Rapunzel answered. Her eyes dimmed suddenly. "And like how Gothel was with me."

"Who's Gothel?" Olaf asked.

While Rapunzel told Olaf about Gothel, she felt Pascal reach his hand out to her for comfort. Her best friend had always been there for her. It had been so long since she had spoken about that woman.

"I'm happy that Eugene saved you from that mean lady!" Olaf said. "You don't deserve to be in that tower! You deserve to be free!"

Rapunzel smiled weakly at the snowman, a small giggle coming out of her mouth. "Thank you so much, Olaf."

"So she did that for your hair?" Olaf asked.

"Yes," Rapunzel spoke. Suddenly, she remembered the first time that she used the hurt incantation at the great tree. "If she knew about the moonstone's decay incantation, would she want me for that too?"

"The what?" Olaf asked. Rapunzel peered down at Olaf and realized that she'd said it out loud. "What is that? Does that have something to do with your hair too?"

After Rapunzel explained to the snowman everything about the decay incantation, they sat down and were about to have their dinner. Rapunzel was just about to reach into the basket when she noticed that Olaf was peering at her.

"Since your hair's back," Olaf asked. "Does that mean it's magical again?"

Rapunzel ran her fingers through her blonde pixie. Throughout the entire day, she had not thought about whether her hair could again possess magic. Her hair was now golden so her sundrop could return. And if her sundrop powers returned, then so would her decay incantation.

"I don't know, Olaf," Rapunzel replied. "I don't even know how my hair became blonde again."

"If your hair's magical again," Olaf began, "maybe it'll help us. Didn't you say that it would glow in the dark?"

Rapunzel smiled as the memory of showing Eugene her hair. "Yes, it did so many things. It even helped us back in Mirahton."

"See!" Olaf smiled. "It'll still help us! Elsa's powers will help her too back in the Northern Isles!"

Rapunzel chuckled, opening the basket. "Remember, Olaf, Elsa said that she wasn't planning on using her magic, but I agree that it could help her and Lord Graham." She sat a jar down next to the basket. "Wow, Henry packed so much food in here that we could last for a while." She reached inside the basket to pull out more food.

Olaf watched and asked, "Can I help too?"

"Sure, you can." Rapunzel smiled, nodding her head.

A large smile formed on Olaf's face as he delved his twig arms into the basket and helped Rapunzel pull out some food. While Rapunzel was making sandwiches, she saw that the snowman was struggling to pull out something heavy. She peered up in time to see him fall backward with something heavy in his hand.

Rapunzel and Pascal helped him back on his feet and saw that he had the book that she bought from 'BRETTMAN'S MARKET'. Olaf smiled when he looked down at it.

"A book!" he exclaimed. His eyebrows furrowed when he peered up at Rapunzel. "It is a book, right?"

Rapunzel nodded. "That's right, Olaf."

"Why would Henry want us to eat a book?" Olaf wondered. "Elsa said that they're for reading. Do people eat books too?"

Rapunzel and Pascal chuckled while Olaf stood there perplexed. Despite everything that was going on, Olaf always found a way to put a smile on their faces.

"No, Olaf," Rapunzel laughed. "You know how Anna and Elsa were teaching you to read?" Olaf nodded at her. "Well, after what happened at 'BRETTMAN'S MARKET', I figured that I could teach you how to read since it's going to be a while until you get home to Arendelle. Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes!" Olaf exclaimed, moving his twig arms in the air. "I would love that very much! Oh, can we start now?"

Rapunzel was going to start teaching him after dinner, but now that she saw that the sun would be setting soon, she thought that it was best that now would be a good time to teach him.

"Sure, we can," Rapunzel replied. "I can teach you while we have our dinner."

She finished making the three sandwiches before she gestured for Olaf to sit on the ground next to her. The snowman plopped down on her right and Pascal sat next to her on the left. Rapunzel placed the book in front of them. 'The Little Mermaid'.

"Hey, I know that one!" Rapunzel remarked. "My mother told me that Aunt Iduna and Uncle Aggnar both loved this book. This must be the one that was written by that same author."

"Oh, we should tell Anna and Elsa this!" Olaf smiled. "Have you read it before?"

"I read one version of it," Rapunzel answered. "I had just turned sixteen at the time."

When she opened the book, a small note fell out and landed on her lap. Rapunzel unfolded the note and peered into it. Don't worry, this is the cleaned-up version with the happy ending. She felt relieved that Henry had written this note and had given her a nicer version of the tale. The version that she had read was the original tale which was gruesome and ended tragically. She remembered her mother telling her that her aunt and uncle had read both versions of the tale. With everything that was going on, they didn't want to dive into such unpleasantness, and she could never read such a thing to Olaf and Pascal.

"What does it say?" Olaf asked.

Rapunzel smiled. "Henry wrote that this tale has a happy ending."

"Yay!" Olaf cheered. "I love happy endings!"

"Me too," Rapunzel said. Pascal squeaked and smiled up at them.

Rapunzel opened the book to the first page and placed her finger on the first word, with Olaf leaning closer to her. The snowman tried to make out the word very slowly.

"L—Loud," he spoke dryly.

"It's once," Rapunzel replied gently.

"Ah, that's right! Once!" Olaf nodded. He peered down at the second word that Rapunzel placed her finger on. "The."

"It's a." Rapunzel placed her finger on the third word. "What does this word say?" After a minute, she peered up at Olaf and noticed that he had a sadden expression. "Olaf, what's the matter?"

Olaf sighed and his eyes dimmed. "I don't know if I can. I'm not doing good already."

"You can do it, Olaf," Rapunzel smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder. Pascal turned and smiled at him as well. "I know you can. I believe in you and my cousins do too."

"Really?"

"Of course," Rapunzel spoke. "It just takes time, but you will get there. I promise. And when I promise something, I never ever break that promise. Ever."

"Me too!" Olaf chirped. "I always keep my promises!"

For the next hour, Rapunzel spent her time teaching Olaf how to read while Pascal was on the lookout for any potential land, despite the fact that they had yet to decide on where to go. Olaf struggled on some words, but he even almost read some perfectly. Deep down, Rapunzel knew that her cousins would be proud of the snowman.

Once they saw that it was getting dark, Rapunzel gently shut the book and held it in her arms, peering down at Olaf. "You know, Olaf. For a beginner, you've been doing pretty well."

"Really?" Olaf questioned. "You think so?"

"Yes," Rapunzel replied. "You'll get better and better the more we practice."

Olaf jumped with excitement. "I'm so happy! Soon, I will be able to read you a story! Oh, I could even read to Anna and Elsa! And Sven! Do you think Maximus would like me to read him a bedtime story, Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel chuckled. "I'm sure that he would love for you to read him one."

Olaf paused, with his eyes scanning the area. For a couple of minutes, he was quiet until he finally spoke. "Now what?"

Rapunzel was just about to open her mouth when she heard splashing from far below and Pascal chattering to her. She peered over to him and saw that he was gesturing with his tail downwards.

"What is it, Pascal?" she questioned. The splashing continued underneath them. "Is everything alright?"

Pascal smiled, peering down at the ocean. When Rapunzel peered over the edge, her eyes widened as she watched a dolphin leap out of the ocean. A smile slowly made its way across her face and she gestured for Olaf to see for himself. Olaf peered over the edge, scanning the entire ocean.

"What is it?" he questioned. "What happened?"

Not too long after, a pod of dolphins leaped out of the water before diving back into the sea. Rapunzel laughed with glee along with her group.

"Those are big fish!" Olaf beamed.

"No, Olaf," Rapunzel chuckled. "Those are dolphins."

"Are they a kind of fish?"

"Not necessarily. Just because a creature swims in water doesn't mean they're fish."

"If they aren't fish, then what are they?"

"They're mammals, Olaf." The dolphins' communications echoed up to them, causing Rapunzel to peer down at them again in amazement. There were twenty dolphins gathered around, jumping out of the water and playing with each other. "I've never seen a pod of dolphins before."

"What's a pod?" Olaf questioned.

"A pod of a group of dolphins," Rapunzel explained. Two dolphins leaped towards each other, whistling. "They travel in groups with each other. They're like family."

"You mean like you, me, Anna, and Elsa?" Olaf asked. "Eugene? Maximus? Sven? Kristoff?"

"Exactly," Rapunzel spoke, gently. Three dolphins were whistling below. "They're like us."

Olaf smiled and turned to Rapunzel. "They're so pretty! Can we play with them?"

"I wish we could," Rapunzel answered. "We can watch them."

As the hot air balloon soared further in the orange sky, the trio watched the pod in the open water below them, whistling to each other and leaping into the sea. At one time, all twenty dolphins leaped into the air and back into the ocean all at once, sending joy to Rapunzel and her friends.