Soon Kai came stepping into the dining room again, his bunad sleeve now a little cleaner. "Your majesty, the royal ice master has arrived."

Sven, the ice master's goofy but loyal reindeer came clopping into the castle yard, drawing a strong, shiny wagon bordered in colourful Arendellian rosemaling. He trotted in a little march that spoke of the pride he always had from being 'brother' to the kingdom's royal ice master and deliverer. The ice master himself tugged Sven's reins for him to halt just beside the main entrance, then disembarked to undo the harness. Kristoff looked smart in his new tan brown shirt, his trousers and fur-lined, red bordered tunic a darker shade of black than the older, rugged outfit that he still somehow kept around. He did stick to boots with pointed toes as per his mountain-man background. Disembarking, Kristoff stretched his arms with a light grunt, Sven doing the same with his back legs. "Right, Sven, old buddy, let's see how ready our friendly neighbourhood princess is for our mountain date." Kristoff suggested to his antlered brother. Sven grinned proudly for his chum, particularly because he was in good graces with Princess Anna enough for them to be romantically involved. Trotting behind Kristoff to the main entrance, the reindeer did hope his relationship with the princess amounted to something greater. "'I hope your relationship with her amounts to something greater, Kristoff ol' buddy.'" Kristoff spoke in his goofy 'reindeer' voice and stopped in his tracks, though whether or not he could read Sven's thoughts seemed to be mainly guesswork. But the cheeky smirk on Sven's snout confirmed what Kristoff had interpreted. "What're you going on about? I'm not going to force this rela - er - connection we have." he argued with a slight frown, before switching his voice to 'Sven' mode. "'Aw, come on! Kissing, cuddling up together, going out on mountain trips? Surely you two are getting somewhere…' Save it, Sven." he finished as himself with a minor amount of seriousness about what they were 'discussing.' "It's not like I'm dismissing what you're saying, buddy. It's just this feels a little…too soon. I'll log it away for some other time, alright?" "And what's this I hear about kissing, cuddling and going on mountain trips?" Kristoff nearly leapt out of his skin and whirled round. Anna was beaming up at him with arms folded behind her, possibly waiting for an explanation. "Oh - hey, Anna." Kristoff stuttered, leaning up against Sven in an attempt to appear casual. "We - we were - we were...just chatting…" He felt his cheeks burn and rubbed the back of the blond mop that was his hair. "About kissing, cuddling and going on mountain trips?" Anna jokingly finished for him before he could go on. "Uh - about mountain trips really - less about cuddling or ki - " "Speaking of…" Anna interrupted, her grin growing even wider. "Wheeee!" Before Kristoff could even react, she pounced on him with her arms wrapped around his wide shoulders! "Oof!" he grunted from the sudden force at which the girl rammed herself bodily into his torso, but what amazed him was how she stayed hanging there, her feet well above the cobblestone. All they could do was burst into hysterical laughter. Securing arms that had been built from hauling ice over the years around Anna's sides, the blond twirled her around in the air, earning squeals and even more laughter from her. Sven hopped around them energetically in a doglike display of happiness. "Okay, rule number one," Elsa mock-scolded the two with a teasing grin to match her sister's, Olaf waddling at her side. "When making affectionate gestures to the princess…" "Always handle with care." Kristoff reiterated, half-begrudgingly setting Anna down with a roll of his eyes. "Hold it, mister." Anna interrupted, grasping him by the shoulder and pulling him down for one big wet kiss. Elsa could only roll her eyes and grin, amused at how stunned Kristoff looked with his lips absorbed into Anna's. But he certainly wasn't complaining as he relished the intimate moment. "Aww, I can feel the love…" Olaf was squeaking with adoration, wringing his hands together. Then the ice harvester and princess parted, now that enough love had been expressed. "So, you ready for the road?" Kristoff asked eagerly, Sven stepping beside him and beaming. "*Born* ready!" Anna replied with that gusto her strapping blond boyfriend always admired her for. "Now, have you got clean clothes?" Elsa demanded with a raised finger. "Don't drink any well water, watch out for any strangers and - " "Oh, come on, Elsa. It's me." Anna grinned to her bossy big sister confidently. Elsa just stared at her. "I know." "Oh, that. Lililiva was new to the whole thing. She's still being trained." Anna assured Elsa, remembering the trouble Anna's horse had caused by abandoning the princess during Arendelle's eternal winter. "Well I'm sure Sven's proven much more reliable…" Elsa guessed, the reindeer himself holding his head up rather proudly. "That he is." Anna smiled at him. "Yup, there's no better chum to have at your side than a good ol' reindeer." Kristoff boasted, patting Sven on the head which made said reindeer grin, showing big, squarish teeth. Kai came over with two cases of Anna's belongings under each arm. "Your luggage, your highness." he told Anna. "Allow me…" Kristoff said, taking one case from the butler, hoisting it and loading it into the back of the wagon. "Are we sure that's necess -" Kai politely asked. "I insist." Kristoff replied, taking the other case and getting it onboard. "Must come from all that hauling ice." Anna grinned and Elsa chuckled lightly. "Your chariot awaits, highness." Kristoff exaggeratedly declared with a dramatic bow. Anna quickly gave Elsa a tight hug before taking Kristoff's hand and letting him lead her to the wagon. "Come on, Olaf." the princess called and Olaf excitedly waddled after them.

"Wait…" Elsa quickly spoke up before Anna and Kristoff could sit themselves down. "Something the matter?" Anna asked when she noticed the slight puncture in the mood. Where Elsa had been smiling just now, she now looked rather apprehensive. "Anna, there's something I heard today…" Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven all waited for whatever she was about to say. "Something's happened up north of here…" Elsa started to explain. "What's happened?" Anna asked, stepping off the wagon and standing in front of Elsa who looked quite afraid. "Anna," Elsa started again, seemingly gathering up courage to speak. "A messenger reported that a farm has just been destroyed." The queen had quite a grave look on her smooth face. "The farmer's wife and children came back from a day in town." At this news, Anna's mouth hung open and her eyes widened. She started to grow quite afraid herself. "What…" "They found the farmhouse and everything all tumbled down and smashed to pieces." Elsa went on, gently placing both hands on Anna's shoulders protectively. "The farmer and his sheep have disappeared without a trace." Anna's stomach flipped. What exactly had hit Arendelle this time? "What could be doing this?" she asked half to herself. "Oh no!" she exclaimed with a raised voice. "Don't tell me it's the du -" "I'm not sure, Anna, but I'm investigating all possible sources." Elsa calmly replied. Kristoff stood behind the sisters, just as fearful of this news. "You don't think it's...ex-Prince you-know-who, do you?" "I just sent a letter to the Southern Isles to ask for an update." Elsa told him, her hands still propped on Anna's shoulders. Olaf and Sven glanced at one another in worry. The atmosphere in the courtyard had not taken a turn for the better. "So what's the plan?" Anna asked, hoping her sister had an answer to this new incident. "Well…" Elsa turned away from Anna with a finger to her chin as she contemplated a solution. "The farm is a bit far from here. For all we know, it could just be ruffians. An isolated incident." She turned back to Anna with a new idea. "Anna, while you're out, I'm assigning some guards as your security detail. Lieutenant!" At the queen's call, five Arendelle guards came marching out of the front entrance before halting and rotating to their left. One guard, who stood in the lead, was the only woman and a few inches shorter than her male squadmates. She appeared around Elsa and Anna's age, but with a more no-nonsense expression on her narrow face and dark brown hair tied back under her shako. "Lieutenant Kari reporting, your majesty." she announced in a bold, steady voice. "Thank you, lieutenant." Elsa replied politely and Anna curtsied to the female officer. "Kristoff, I'm sure you've heard of Lieutenant Kari before?" Elsa asked the blond. "Ah, yes, Kari, the one who fought off the Red Beards gang when they went after her highness." Kristoff recalled in admiration. "Elsa got the captain to promote Kari right on the spot." Anna smiled. "Nothing more than my duty, your highness." Kari modestly responded, keeping her arms at her sides along with the other guards behind her. "Oh, you should've been there, Kristoff." Anna went, bunching her fists and bouncing about excitedly as Olaf and Sven watched. "One of those brutes was about to get me, when she stepped in and really gave it to him." "Wow, I can't wait for some ruffians to come after us so Lieutenant Kari can show us what she's made of." Olaf started gushing with a wide grin. "Alright, enough embarrassing the lieutenant." Elsa spoke out to try and calm her sister and the snowman. "Why don't you introduce your section to the people they'll be protecting?" "Of course, your majesty." Kari agreed, gesturing a hand to the four men. "This is Erik, Karl, Ivar and Sigurd." Erik was a black man with neat sideburns and a look of confidence, just as ready to do his part as Kari was. Karl had light sandy hair while Ivar had a small moustache and shorter, darker hair. The tallest was Sigurd, his hair as red as fire, his shoulders about as broad as Kristoff's. Where the other guards looked calm and professional, Sigurd wore what seemed like a neverending scowl on his wide-chinned, chunky face. "Well, hey, guys." Anna gave the guards a friendly little wave. "We're at your service, your highness." Erik declared in a straight-laced manner. "While my sister is out with Kristoff, I want you all to stay alert." Elsa instructed her guards. "No one is to go near where that farm used to be. Protect your princess at all costs." Anna faced the guards directly. "Or Elsa will have you all…" she started, trailing off the last word for a moment, "EXECUTED!" She pounced at the guards with her hands held out in claw-like gestures, making them draw back in slight shock. Olaf squeaked in fear, darting behind one of Sven's legs to hide. "Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, but the princess cackled in glee. "I'm just kidding." Just then, Anna's laughter was joined not by Elsa, nor Kristoff who felt just as shaken as the guards, but by Olaf. The snowman lay on the cobblestones simply wheezing hysterically, clutching the middle of his snow body and kicking his snowball feet in the air. Elsa just looked to the side in slight despair at her sister's antics. Kristoff shrugged as though washing his hands on the whole thing. The guards nervously glanced at each other, not sure what to make of Anna's little joke.

With Anna sitting beside him, Kristoff held onto Sven's reins as the reindeer towed the wagon over the castle bridge. Olaf sat in the back while Kari's contingent of guards rode behind the trundling wagon on their horses. Elsa lightly waved a hand out to Anna in farewell. As she turned back to the castle, a chill hung the air, even in the late May afternoon. Kai could tell how uneasy the queen felt. "Your majesty, you had best have faith in your sister." he gently told her, which made her pause. "She's proven her mettle in taking on, well, her former suitor if you recall." His little account of Anna's show of strength made Elsa smile only slightly. "I know, Kai. It's just…" She looked out at the doorway behind her as she and Kai walked through the grand corridors. "She's been through one major ordeal. I have no wish for her to go through another." "If I may speak freely, your majesty…" Kai requested, focusing his eyes on the insecure queen. It seemed he was starting to test the waters with her. "Of course." Elsa replied, ready to hear the royal butler's personal opinions. "A ruler traditionally puts every citizen before themselves, which you do, of course…" Kai made sure not to offend Elsa who just stared back at him. "But Princess Anna brings something new to the table." he continued to explain. "She goes out and greets the people without pause. She meets them face to face even out in the streets and, dare I say it, has it in her to get her hands dirty when the situation calls for it." Elsa stared past Kai as she took in all this, possibly stuck between arguing back or agreeing with these points he had raised. "There's still the part where she chose to marry - " "Well that's the beauty of that." Kai responded, holding up a finger. "Anna has learned from such a grave error, and now trusts the right sort of people, whether royalty or in Kristoff's case, a simple ice harvester." Stepping into the peaceful library, Elsa slightly nodded her head. "Well…" she went in relatively deep thought. "All I want to say is, your majesty…" Kai started as genuinely as he could, "You are doing wonders as queen. All of Arendelle can vouch that. But I wouldn't exactly say no to the sort of ruler Princess Anna would make in the long run…" Elsa had to contemplate this opinion, knitting her brows together and drifting her eyes across the fjord and the town on the far side. When she had thawed out Arendelle and returned to power, she had gladly stuck to her duties to the kingdom whilst expressing her innate powers over winter. But just how long was this life as Arendelle's first supernatural monarch to last? Until the end of her life? There was simply no answer Elsa could pick out of the flurry of thoughts that swirled in her head. "Thank you, Kai." she eventually replied, calmly turning back to the kindly butler. "Your opinion is respected and no offense taken." "Not at all, your majesty." Kai said modestly. "I am sure you will continue to do wonders for the kingdom, as you always do." Elsa gave a slightly nervous laugh. "Well definitely not the sort of wonder on my coronation." "Now let's not dwell in the past." Kai calmingly told her. "Shouldn't we turn our attention to our little situation in the present?" Knowing what Kai meant, Elsa frowned. "What do you think happened back there?" she asked, disturbed by everything that messenger had told her. "Well, a farm destroyed and its owner missing could easily be narrowed down to a band of hungry ruffians…" Kai guessed while Elsa walked over to a desk and sat herself down. "The poor lady and her children never mentioned any hints of unnatural phenomena." Elsa grabbed a sheet of paper and got a quill out of its pot. "Kai, I'd like this letter sent to the Southern Isles please." she requested. As she wrote her letter, Elsa could only wonder just what was out there stalking the kingdom of Arendelle. "There is one thing I think we can agree on, your majesty…" Kai's voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up. Kai appeared to be apprehensive about what he was about to say next. "You and I can agree on one thing though; when it comes to the princess' cooking, I only hope the ice harvesters are a forgiving audience." Remembering, Elsa just stared ahead blankly. She could only imagine just what sort of feedback Anna and Olaf's culinary skills might get.