Hi Everyone! Hope you all are doing well and staying safe! This is a pretty lengthy chapter with a lot of excitement so without further ado, Happy Reading! :)


Chapter 15

The sun was shining bright and not a single cloud could be found in the sky, making this fatefully critical day seem beautifully peaceful. Arendelle's Great Thaw celebration had been going on since noon and as the clock struck three, Elsa furiously hurried to finish getting ready. She had never been this late to any festivals put on by the townspeople but unfortunately, the numerous amounts of meetings and briefings she had to go through to prepare for today had put her behind schedule. Fortunately, Anna and Kristoff had already left for the festival a couple hours ago so at least there was some royal representation in attendance at the moment.

Elsa unclipped her hair from her traditional bun and plopped onto the seat in front of her bedroom vanity, hastily brushing her silvery locks before styling it into her signature braid. As she sat there and fixed her haggard appearance, a rhythmic knock sounded at her door.

"Come in, Anna."

The door swung open as her sister stepped inside, taking a look around the bedroom, "What's taking so long, sis? Your adoring subjects are asking about you and I'm running out of excuses."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm almost ready." Elsa stood up from her vanity and hurried behind her changing screen, "How's the festival going so far?"

Anna scoffed as she leaned back against the door, closing it in the process, "Are you asking as my sister or as my queen?"

Elsa froze mid-change as she picked up on the hostile tone in her sister's voice, "So you're still upset about the way I talked to you last night, huh?"

"Of course not, Your Majesty."

"That is enough." Elsa finished changing into a less-formal lavender gown and stepped out from behind the changing screen, a look of annoyance on her face, "I will not tolerate your immature behavior. If you insist on acting like a child then I will treat you as such." She paused as she tried to lighten her parental tone, "Anna, please, I mean no harm, but I am trying to do my best-"

"To protect me? Kristoff already gave me the speech that you told him last night. And maybe I act like a child because you keep insisting on treating me as such." She uncrossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh, "I am not a child anymore, Elsa. I'm a grown woman, a married woman. For goodness sakes, a few days ago you thought I was a mother-to-be!"

"Anna, you're my little sister and you always will be, no matter how grown up you are." Elsa sat on the edge of her bed with a nostalgic sigh, "From the moment you were born, I have felt this responsibility to protect you, even if that meant protecting you from me. I love you so much Anna, and although this festival is a celebration for the Great Thaw, I still remember it as the day that I lost my sister." Elsa closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "And now with all this talk about terrorist attacks on Arendelle and Corona and the Southern Isles…" She glanced up at her sister, eyes misting over, "Our family in Corona and my husband in the Southern Isles are in great danger and despite my powerful gifts, I cannot do a single thing to protect them. But I am here, therefore I can and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I promised myself that I will not lose you again, especially on this day."

Anna remained silent as she shifted uncomfortably, "I'm sorry, Elsa...I didn't know." She slowly walked over to her sister and sat beside her, taking her hands into her own, "I don't think I fully understood how much stress you were under. But why don't you talk to me about these things that are bothering you, instead of just bottling it up inside? I assume that you would normally talk to Hans about these sort of things but I am always here for you, you know that right?

"I just didn't want to worry you." Elsa diverted her eyes downward.

"Elsa?" Anna tilted her head so that she could meet her sister's gaze, "Trust me, I can handle it."

Elsa let a small smile crack her solemn expression, "When did you grow up?"

Anna lightheartedly rolled her eyes, "Geez, sis, I am twenty-one years old. It was bound to happen at some point." The sisters laughed and shared a warm hug before Anna stood up and outstretched her hand toward her sister, "Come on. Let's go catch these Vortex spies...together."

Elsa took a deep breath as she reached for her sister's hand, "Together."


The Southern Isles' Mid-Summer Festival was in full swing by the time the sun had completely set. No Vortex schemes, or assassination attempts, or anything out of the ordinary had occurred yet which both relieved and worried Hans. As he watched the sun rise and set on this day, he could only assume that whatever attack Annaliese spoke of must be planned for the evening, which made everything that much more difficult on him and the rest of the guards on patrol.

As the festivities continued, Hans made his way over to grab a drink. He assumed that whoever was behind the attack was most likely watching him and so he knew that he had to keep up the façade of eating and drinking in a celebratory manner. As he pretended to drink some bourbon from his glass, he noticed Viktor across the plaza doing the same as he, taking a false sip from his drink as well. Viktor must have felt someone watching him as he casually scanned the plaza, his eyes finally landing on Hans. They exchanged a small subtle smirk and head nod before returning their focus on their surroundings.

Hans' relaxed body language immediately stiffened when he suddenly felt someone touch his shoulder. He was prepared to reach into his jacket and pull out one of his revolvers until he heard a familiar voice behind him, "Hans? Everything okay?"

Hans turned his head and caught a glimpse of his childhood friend, "Annaliese…" He breathed with a sense of relief, his body instantly relaxing again as he turned around to face her, "Yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

A knowing smile played across her face, "You look stressed. But for good reason."

He let out an embarrassed laugh, "I thought I was doing a pretty good job concealing my emotions."

"You are. I just know you too well." Her smile was replaced by a more serious expression, "Listen. There is something I need to go do so keep your guard up, Hans. And most importantly, do not trust anyone."

"Not even you?" He furrowed his brow in concern, "'Liese, what's going on? What's happening?"

"Just…" She let out a nervous laugh, "trust your instincts. If something seems off, then it probably is." She gently squeezed his arm before turning around and disappearing into the crowd, leaving Hans feeling even more on edge than he already was.

A few minutes later, Hans got the strange feeling of being watched and as he calmly glanced around the plaza once more, he noticed his eldest brother Klaus walking towards him. Hans was surprised that Klaus would even consider talking with him, especially after the embarrassing situation of Klaus falling ill due to exhaustion while Hans was mistakenly blamed for hurting him, as well as Hans being given the investigation lead and still being the only King Consort among the Southern Isles' princes. Klaus had purposely avoided him since his recovery about a month ago, and yet here he was coming right towards him. Hans wanted to flinch and grab the revolvers hidden inside his coat, but he hesitated when he caught the sympathetic look in his brother's eyes as he approached him.

"G-good evening Hans," Klaus stammered, "Have you been enjoying the festival?"

"Yes…" Hans tentatively took a step back, he was not used to seeing his big brother act nervous, especially around him, "Is there something you wish to tell me, Klaus?"

"Yes." He sheepishly glanced around them, "Can we talk privately?"

Hans furrowed his brows, "Is this about the investigation?"

"Umm…no."

"Then I'm sorry, Klaus, but this isn't the time-"

"Hans, look. There is something I've been wanting to tell you and right now, at this moment, I have consumed the perfect amount of alcohol where I am drunk enough to let go of my pride and be honest with you but sober enough to really mean it. So…please?"

Hans knew that he should not go somewhere secluded, but he had to admit that he was curious as to what his brother wished to talk about, "Fine." He followed his brother into an unoccupied bakery, no doubt empty due to the on-going festival, and closed the door behind them. "Alright." Hans authoritatively crossed his arms, "We have a job to do so please make this quick."

Klaus released a hesitant sigh, "Do you remember about a month and a half ago, when I first got sick from my exhaustion and you came to visit me after you were released from prison-"

"Yes, I unfortunately do recall-"

"Hans, please." Klaus snapped. Hans silently lifted his hands in mock surrender and motioned for his brother to continue, "Now at some point you and Viktor were both in my recovery room and I overheard you two discussing some sensitive material." Hans shifted uneasily, trying to uphold his nonchalant expression as his brother continued, "And I know that I should not have been eavesdropping but I was so groggy that I could not really think straight and then you said something that caught my attention." Klaus paused, causing Hans to tense up. "Hans…" He hesitated again before looking his youngest brother in the eye with a sincere expression of sympathy, "I am so sorry for your loss due to Elsa's miscarriage."

Feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him, Hans' furrowed eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Wait, what?"

"I overheard everything." He apologetically diverted his gaze while anxiously running a hand through his hair, taking a seat at a vacant table, "I didn't know that she had just lost the baby about a week before my arrival and I realize how difficult that choice to leave her and come back here with me must have been. You put us, father, and the Southern Isles above your life in Arendelle and I honestly don't understand why you would do that considering how terrible we have always been to you?"

Hans silently analyzed his brother's behavior, searching for any hint of deceit, but surprisingly he found none. Realizing that Klaus was actually being sincere, he sat down in the seat across from him and decided to be a little more truthful, "It was more Elsa's decision than mine. If it were up to me, I would not be here right now. You should be thanking her, not me."

Klaus nodded his head in understanding, his eyes carefully examining Hans, "You love her, don't you?"

Hans sighed with annoyance, tired of having to lie about the way he felt about his wife, "No. I mourned with her. I sympathized with her. There's a difference-"

"Enough with the mind games, Hans. I saw the way you looked at her while I was in Arendelle. The way you two said your goodbyes." He lightheartedly chuckled, "It's okay to love your wife, Hans. I actually envy you in that respect."

Hans shook his head in disbelief, "I'm sorry, what? How much have you been drinking? You might not be as sober as you think-"

"I am plenty sober." Klaus' smirked disappeared, "But since I am being honest with you, I might as well completely come clean." A solemn expression appeared on his face as he glanced out the window, watching the lampposts being lit for the night's festivities, "About two years ago, I was in town on my way to my usual pub for an evening of drinking, camaraderie, and female companionship. As I was strolling through town, I accidentally ran into this beautiful young lady, Giselle, who was carrying several baskets of bread and pastries. Once we said our apologies and I helped her gather her load, I asked her about the numerous baskets in her arms. She told me that every night she delivered the leftover goods from her father's bakery to the orphanage across town as a way to avoid wasting the food and to give back to the community." A silly smile spread across Klaus' face which made Hans smile as well.

Klaus turned his head away from the window and focused his attention on the table in front of him, "Hearing about this genuine act of kindness made my heart skip a beat in a way it has never done before. I have lived in this kingdom my entire life and I never knew we had a family bakery that expressed such compassion to the less fortunate. I was so touched by her act of kindness that I decided to join her on her journey across town to deliver the food. Along the way we started talking and she was so funny and witty and very bright. When I was with her, I forgot about any other woman I had ever been with, royal or not. By the end of our walk, I was smitten with her and I wanted to continue seeing her so I asked if I could join her again the following evening. She agreed and for the next month I would meet her at her father's bakery and help her deliver the goods to the orphanage. Being with her was the highlight of my day, so much so, that I would impatiently wait until the evening so that I could see her and talk with her…I was falling in love with her.

"A few months had passed before I decided to open up to her and reveal my true feelings about her and amazingly enough, she felt the same way. And thus started our secret romance and as a whirlwind of bliss and passion grew over the next year, eventually one thing led to another and…she became pregnant."

Hans could not hide his shock, "Klaus?! You got a woman pregnant out of wedlock and you didn't marry her?!"

"You and I both know that father would have never approved!" Klaus paused as he gathered his thoughts, "But I didn't care what father thought. I loved her and I wanted to marry her."

Hans glanced down at his brother's hand, noticing the lack of a wedding band, "So what happened?"

"I knew that I couldn't have both Giselle and the heir to the throne. So I had to make a choice and I chose Giselle."

Hans could sense his reluctance, "What went wrong?"

Klaus let out a humorless laugh, "We made plans to runaway together. Her family was surprisingly supportive of our plan and helped out in whatever way they could. I was going to fake my death shortly after we left the Southern Isles, like a boating accident or something, and we were going to start fresh in America. I figured if Viktor could have decent luck there with his wife and family, then so could we.

"Giselle was about three months pregnant when we were making our final arrangements but then, on the night before our great escape, I was asked to help father for some meeting with a German ambassador since I am fluent in the language. However, since I spent my evening with them, I was unable to meet up with Giselle for our usual walk.

"The next day, I got everything packed and I was ready to meet up with her for one last walk to the orphanage before heading to the docks to catch the last ship out of the Southern Isles. But as I entered her father's bakery, there was an air of sorrow and grief in the shop. Immediately, I knew something had happened and that's when her father sat me down at this table right here and told me that Giselle had unexpectedly fallen ill the night before and passed away in her sleep."

Hans let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding, "Klaus, I am truly sorry for your loss." He glanced around the shop they were sitting in, "So this was her family's bakery?"

Klaus mournfully nodded as he finally looked up from the table, "I lost the woman that I loved and my unborn child in one fateful evening. I never even had the chance to say goodbye." He cleared his throat as tears stung his eyes, "That's why when I overheard you and Viktor discussing Elsa's miscarriage, I knew that I could trust you with this information and that you would understand."

Hans sympathetically nodded, "Thank you for trusting me and for your condolences on the miscarriage. But I have to ask…why did you wait so long to tell me this?"

"Pride, mostly. I felt foolish because of the way I acted in Arendelle and the accusations I made before I fell sick. But it turns out that having nothing to do in recovery other than read books and be alone with my thoughts helped me reach a revelation of sorts."

Hans smirked as he thought about the time he spent in Arendelle recovering from the injuries he inherited from his brothers a couple years ago after the Great Thaw. He remembered how helpless he was in that room and how Elsa had taken the time out of her evening to keep watch on him and to attend to his bloody bandages. He also remembered how bitter and hate-filled he was at that time and yet, the Arendelle sisters showed him such mercy and compassion that he could not help but have a revelation of his own as he stopped blaming others for what he had become and started looking at himself as being the problem, "Yeah, I know what you mean." An awkward silence filled the bakery as the brothers stared at each other, but something was nagging Hans about Giselle's death, "Klaus? Do you know how she died?"

Klaus reclined in his chair as he tried to think back to that horrible night, "They told me that it was most likely caused by some complications with the baby that were not attended to in time."

Hans skeptically shook his head, "Klaus, isn't it rather suspicious that this happened the night before you two were planning to run away? The same night you were conveniently occupied by the German ambassador?"

"What are you saying?" He leaned forward in intrigue, "That there was foul play? That she was somehow poisoned?"

"Okay, stay with me here…" Hans closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to remember why this story sounded so familiar. Then it clicked and his face lit up in realization, "Was her sudden death similar to our mothers? Did you see her body?"

"No I didn't get the chance but now that you mention it, there were some strange correlations between the two deaths." Then it clicked for Klaus as his face also lit up in realization, "So she was poisoned?! The same man who killed our mother, killed Giselle! Hans, this must be the same man who also tried to kill our father a couple months ago! This assassin is trying to eliminate the royal family and their heirs! We could all be in danger tonight-"

"Stop talking!" Hans ordered as he tried to get his thoughts straight, "When did Giselle die?"

"About a year ago."

Hans leaned forward on the table, rubbing his forehead as multiple thoughts rushed through his mind. It does not make any sense. Father was the man responsible for "poisoning" our mother, but he did not really kill her. He just exiled her to London. So that could mean one of two things: Father found out about Klaus and Giselle and he really did poison her to keep Klaus from leaving or Father found out about them and he "poisoned" her but in reality he sent her somewhere far away from Klaus, like he did with our mother. Either way, Vortex is not behind Giselle's death because we had not yet run into Thomas Sullivan. But then who shot Father? Was it Vortex? Or is this all a ruse Father created in order to cover up these poisonings-

Hans was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as a trumpet blast was heard near the center of the plaza, signaling that it was time for King Richard to make his usual speech. "Oh my goodness…" Hans abruptly stood up, "I completely lost track of time and forgot about Father's speech. We need to be there to keep him safe!" As Hans bolted for the door, Klaus grabbed his arm, "Hans, wait! I didn't finished what I wanted to say. The reason as to why I told you about my knowledge of Elsa's miscarriage and about Giselle was because I wanted you to trust me and believe me when I tell you that you can go back to Arendelle tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Hans pulled his arm free of his brother's grasp.

"I've spoken with Father and convinced him that if you are gone for far too long after these attacks, then the citizens of Arendelle will grow suspicious of you and place more of their trust in Elsa."

Hans jerked his head back in disbelief, "And he fell for that? He actually agreed to let me go back?"

"Yes." Klaus glanced around the bakery before locking eyes with his brother, "You need to be with your wife throughout these difficult times, Hans. If it were me, I know that I would do anything to have one last evening stroll with Giselle."

"Thank you, Klaus." Hans outstretched his hand towards his brother, "I truly appreciate you trusting me with your hardships and for pulling the strings to let me go home early."

Klaus let a sincere smile crack his lips as he firmly shook his brother's hand, "Don't start getting mushy on me now, Hansey. We'd better get going if we are going to make it to Father's speech on time."


It was half-past eight and there was an air of excitement and anticipation at the Festival of Lights in Corona. In half an hour, the releasing of the lanterns would be taking place which was always a crowd favorite among the citizens of Corona. As the townspeople began preparing their lanterns and gathering in their favorite spots to view the spectacle, Rapunzel and Eugene briefly returned to the castle courtyard to pick up their specially made royal lanterns with the Corona sun emblem on them. Normally, Rapunzel would be bubbling with excitement for this beloved Corona tradition, but tonight, she and Eugene were silently solemn as they anxiously pondered what was to come.

As they gathered their lanterns and started their walk back into town, Eugene lovingly gazed at his wife, "Hey sunshine…how are you enjoying the festival?"

His voice seemed to snap her out of her worried trance as she returned his gaze with a smile, "It has been a wonderful evening. Everyone has gone above and beyond this year with the decorations, food, and music. No doubt in hopes of it being the first time they meet Evie and Flynn. I feel terrible lying to everyone about why the twins are not present tonight, though."

"Yeah, I personally don't feel too bad about it. I'm kind of used to talking around the truth." He chuckled as she elbowed him in the ribs with a disapproving look on her face.

"I just hope that I'm doing a good job putting on a convincing façade. I know you're used to portraying a nonchalant front, but I'm typically more of a 'heart-on-my-shoulder' kind-of girl. And I just can't seem to ignore that growing pit of nerves in my stomach."

"You mean this stomach?" Eugene leaned towards her and wrapped his free arm around her midsection, tickling her until she pleaded for him to stop. Once he moved his arm, he smiled as he watched her wipe the tears of laughter from her eyes, "I haven't heard you laugh this much or this hard in such a long time."

Her smile faltered as she played with the tips of her shoulder-length hair, "This past month or so has certainly been difficult. But that just makes these moments even more special."

"I couldn't agree more." He thoughtfully nodded as he grabbed her hand, "Come with me."

"Uh, Eugene? The releasing of the lanterns is going to start in soon. Where are we going?"

He gently squeezed her hand as he led her away from the hustle and bustle of the town square and towards the water, "To relive some special memories and hopefully make some new ones too."

"Wait a second…" Realization hit her as he led her to a very familiar boat, "Did you plan this?"

"This is the first time in five months that we have had a moment to ourselves since the twins were born. I figured that we wouldn't catch a break like this in a long time so we should definitely capitalize on this rare occasion." He stepped into the boat and offered her his hand, "Well, best day of your life? I figured you should have a decent seat."

Smiling from nostalgia, she happily accepted his hand and stepped into the small row boat. As he rowed them out to the middle of the water, Rapunzel could not stop smiling as she glanced around at their surroundings, letting all of those old feelings and memories rush back, "It's been a long time since we were last here. A lot has changed since my first time seeing the lanterns and your wedding proposal, huh?"

"Perhaps…" He stopped rowing and stared at his beautiful wife, "Except how lovely you look with those flowers in your hair."

"Aww, thank you, Eugene." Rapunzel blushed as she adjusted the flower crown on her head, given to her by the young girls in the kingdom, "Well, you have definitely changed quite a bit since then, Flynn Rider."

He chuckled as he leaned back on his elbows, "Yes but remember, Blondie, I am not the only one who has had a name change, Mrs. Fitzherbert."

"Touché." She giggled as she reached forward and grabbed his shirt, pulling him towards her as they shared a soft kiss. Upon ending their kiss, they looked up and noticed a mass of floating lights soaring through the night's sky. "Look! It's starting!" Rapunzel perked up as they both grabbed their lanterns and faced each other.

Eugene chuckled as he tenderly gazed at his wife, the glow of the lanterns lighting up her face, "Are we supposed to sing again? Or should I just propose again?"

Rapunzel playfully kicked him while rolling her eyes, "Well, we were having a romantic moment."

"Alright, alright. Sorry…" He changed his smirk to a heartfelt smile, "With all joking aside, a lot has changed over the past five years. You and I have both grown so much as individuals and as a couple. My love for you grows stronger and stronger every minute of every day. I don't know what the future holds for us and for our family, but let me just say that I have never loved you more than I do right at this moment."

"Wow…" She sheepishly smiled, "you really went for the whole 'romantic moment' speech thing, didn't you?"

"Blondie…" A huge grin spread across his face as he started laughing, "I changed my mind. I have never loved you more than I do right now at this moment."

Rapunzel tenderly reached out and caressed her husband's cheek, "I love you, Eugene. With all my heart. You are my solid ground in this rocky world. Your love and support has helped me get through more trials and tribulations that I can even count. Every morning I wake up to see you by my side and it makes me think back to when I was locked away in that tower and how I never imagined I would be able to experience the world, let alone be able to experience it with someone as amazing as you. You were, you are, and you will always be my new dream."

He reached up and lovingly grasped her hand, "And you will always be mine."

They both affectionately smiled at each other as they simultaneously released their lanterns into the air, holding each other's hands while watching their lanterns dance around each other before joining the rest of the floating lights in the night's sky.

Eugene lowered his gaze from the lanterns to his wife and smiled at the awestruck expression on her face as she continued to watch the enchanting spectacle, "Happy Birthday, Rapunzel."

She froze as he spoke those words, "Wait…"

"What's wrong?" His smiled immediately disappeared.

Rapunzel tore her gaze away from the lanterns to look at her husband, a concern look in her eyes, "Max is patrolling the town square right now, correct?"

"Along with most of the guards, yes. Why?"

Her brows furrowed ever so slightly, "So what about the castle?"

"What about the castle?" He looked at the worried expression on Rapunzel's face and that's when realization hit him, "Wait…you don't think that Vortex planted a bomb in the castle, do you?"

"Well, why not? They managed to smuggle one into the St. James' palace, right?" She leaned forward and grabbed his forearms, "Eugene…what if neither we nor our people were the targets? What if Evie and Flynn were?"

"Then we made a good decision in sending them far away from here?"

"Yes, but think about where we would be right now if we weren't expecting an attack. We would not be here or even in the town square-"

"We would be standing on the castle balcony releasing the lanterns with our children for the first time."

They both looked towards the direction of the castle balcony where the King and Queen of Corona were releasing their lanterns, in place of Rapunzel and Eugene. Rapunzel's eyes grew wide in panic, "We need to get over there now!" Eugene placed his hands on the oars but he hesitated, causing his wife's panic to grow, "What are you doing, Eugene?! We need to go!"

"Rapunzel…" He regretfully lowered his eyes, "your father made me promise that I would keep both of us out of trouble, remember?" He apologetically glanced up at his wife, "I'm sorry but running into a building that is set to explode does not seem like something he would approve of."

She defiantly crossed her arms, "I think he would disagree knowing that his life depended on it-"

"Are you sure about that?" He looked at her skeptically, "Don't you think your father would prefer that he get hurt instead of you?"

"Okay, you got me there but…" She firmly grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a determined stare, "They still need to be warned."

"And they will be." He gently removed her hands from his shoulders and started taking off his sash that held the Corona sun emblem on it as well as his coat.

She stared at him in confusion, "Eugene, what are you doing?"

"The way I see it. I promised your dad that I would keep us safe and if you were to get hurt then I will have to be subjected to the scolding of a lifetime. However, if I get hurt, then he is not going to scold you because you never promised him that you would keep us safe, and he won't scold me because I will be the one who got hurt trying to protect them."

Rapunzel shook her head in disapproval, "That is some twisted logic."

"Perhaps. But trust me that logic tracks." Once he finished removing anything valuable, he reached forward and cupped his wife's face with his hands, "Can you do me a favor, Rapunzel? Don't follow me. Stay here and stay away from trouble. Please?"

She nodded as her mind desperately tried to remember every detail of her husband's handsome face, "Be careful. I love you, Eugene."

"I love you, Rapunzel." He swiftly leaned in for a quick kiss before standing up and diving off the boat and into the water.

Rapunzel watched her husband swim back to shore with bated breath. Once he reached shore, she watched him start running towards the castle. When he was out of sight, she immediately reached for the oars, however, she could not find them anywhere. "What?" As she continued to search for the oars, she noticed a couple wooden objects floating away from the boat in the opposite direction of shore. At the realization that her husband purposely sabotaged her by throwing the oars overboard without her knowing, a sense of irritation built up inside of her, "Fitzherbert!" She took off her flower crown and the rest of her valuables before standing up in the boat, "Nice try, Fitzherbert, but I have never been one to shy away from a threat. Especially if my family is in danger." And with that, she dove into the water and started swimming towards shore.


"And finally, I know that we all remember that the last time we were gathered here together, I was assaulted by an unknown assailant. Fortunately, my sons have travelled from far and wide to gather in their homeland and investigate this threat on my behalf. We have unveiled a lot over the past couple months and I am very proud of the progress they have made. Much of my gratitude is deserving for one of my sons in particular, the King Consort to the Kingdom of Arendelle, Prince Hans. Let us give him a well-earned round of applause as he comes up here to join me on this stage."

Hans blinked in bewilderment at his father's words. He was shocked to hear such kind words of recognition from a man who basically ignored him until he was eighteen. As he made his way up onto the stage, a small part of him beamed with pride but he could not let those feelings cloud his judgement as he was here for a purpose and that was to keep himself and his family safe.

Once onstage, at his father's side, he graciously lifted his hand and gave a firm but kind wave to the crowd, earning him another round of cheers. The small seed of pride within him had begun to bloom as he took in the cheering crowds of people before him. For most of his life he had been ignored and cast aside by his family and the people of the Southern Isles, and for most of his life he craved for some sort of recognition from those same people. But once he began his life in Arendelle, he no longer had a desire to please these people or so he thought. He felt like this was all a dream coming true, a goal in life he never thought he would achieve. He finally made his family and people proud, he finally earned their respect.

Unfortunately, his dream came crashing down when he saw a hooded figure hovering in the shadowed outskirts of the crowd, keeping its face hidden from the light of the lampposts. As King Richard continued to praise his youngest son, Hans kept a watchful eye on the figure as they weaved in and out of the crowd. The suspicious looking figure must have felt Hans' vigilant gaze, because they suddenly stopped moving and stared directly back up at Hans. Although Hans could not make out the identity of the person, he felt himself lock eyes with them, making the mysterious figure leap up onto a nearby crate and reveal a pistol that was aimed directly at Hans.

"GUN!" Hans yelled at the crowd, "Everyone get down!"

Hans protectively leaped onto his father as the first shots rang out. Chaos ensued as people began screaming and running for their lives. The three eldest princes were immediately by Richard and Hans' side as the youngest prince began delivering orders, "Klaus, you and Simon get father out of here and to a safe place. Viktor and I will go after the attacker. The rest of our brothers will help the guards protect our people until we can successfully apprehend this person."

Simon obediently followed Hans' order as he helped Richard get back on his feet and hurried him off the stage. However, Klaus hesitated, "Hans, are you sure you don't need more backup? I can help-"

"You are the heir to the throne, making you and father the two most important royals here. Therefore, we need at least one of you to survive this madness."

"Hans, I-"

"This isn't up for discussion. GO!"

Klaus placed a firm hand on Hans' shoulder, "Be careful. Remember what we talked about. You have plans to leave for Arendelle tomorrow so don't do anything brash." With an encouraging pat on the shoulder, he swiftly leapt off the stage and followed in the direction Simon and Richard had run off to.

Viktor nudged Hans' side as he continued observing the crowds of people running in terror, "I saw which way the attacker ran, come with me."

With weapons drawn, the two brothers ran through the chaotic town square while dodging the terrified townsfolk. As a couple more shots rang out, Viktor and Hans took cover behind a tipped over cart. "So…" Viktor casually leaned back against the cart as if they were chatting over a cup of coffee, "I assume that Klaus told you about Giselle?"

"Ahh…" Hans humorlessly chuckled, "I guess I'm not so special after all."

"Don't be so quick to judge the situation, Hans." He glanced over the edge of the cart to assess their position, "Of course I knew about Klaus' plans to abdicate the throne. I am the next in line, remember?" Viktor abruptly stood up and signaled for Hans to follow him as he sprinted for better cover behind a building, "Klaus contacted me as soon as he found out that Giselle was pregnant and asked me about stepping up to take on the responsibility of becoming the crown prince."

"Alright. I suppose that makes sense." Hans obediently followed Viktor through the narrow maze of alleyways between the town's shops as they continued to follow the sounds of gunfire and screaming. They paused in an alley as they neared the shooter's location, "So would it be right to assume that you assured Klaus that you would become the new crown prince of the Southern Isles?"

Viktor continued to watch the chaotic scene unfold before them but his voice was calmer than ever, "It wasn't an easy decision, my family and I had a life back in America. I didn't want to give that all up and relocate my wife and children to some foreign land. But after talking it over with Mary, we decided that for the benefit of the Southern Isles and their allies, it would be best if I became the crown prince over Simon."

"I can't disagree with your logic there." Hans paused when he realized that the gunfire had ceased, along with the screaming.

"That's strange…" Viktor pondered out loud, "Why did they stop?"

Just as Viktor was about to step out into the open, Hans grabbed his arm, "One last question…if you already knew about Klaus and Giselle and their baby, why didn't you tell me when I confessed Elsa's miscarriage?"

"It wasn't my story to tell." Viktor smirked at his brother's perplexed reaction, "Don't look so stunned. I told you I was good at keeping secrets. I kept your confession a secret, right? As your older brother, it is my job to keep you safe." He lowered his gaze as his smirk faded into a sincere expression, "In the past, I know that I really messed things up between us. I was too busy focusing on my own life that I was never there for you. And I should have been. Especially after our mother passed away. And for that I am truly sorry." He lifted his eyes so he could meet Hans' intense stare, "Now as a father, I have watched the way my children interact with each other. The way they love and protect each other without anyone having to tell them to. They share this supernaturally close bond that I regret we never did."

"I've seen that same kind of bond between the Arendelle sisters. They've been through some pretty trying times and yet, they are willing to do whatever it takes to protect each other." He chuckled, "As much as I couldn't stand them when we first met, I always did admire and respect that kind of sibling relationship. I mean, after mother died, the closest person I had to family was Annaliese and that didn't end so well for me either."

"Uh, speaking of Annaliese…" Viktor was staring at the reflection of one of the shop windows opposite of them, "you need to see this."

Hans scooted closer to his brother and glanced at the same reflection. His heart stopped as he watched his best friend standing in the middle of the open area with a gun pointed directly at her forehead as she faced the attacker. As a knee-jerk reaction Hans, abruptly dashed towards her, "Ann-!"

"Wait!" Viktor sternly whispered as he grabbed his brother's arm and yanked him back around the corner, "Something doesn't seem right."

Hans pulled his arm free of Viktor's grasp, continuing to whisper intensely, "Well of course not! My best friend is being held at gunpoint!"

"Hans, think! Didn't Annaliese say that someone was going to try and bait you? This seems awfully bait-like to me. It could be a trap!"

"I don't care!" Hans cocked his two revolvers, "I can't let them hurt her!"

"Hans, stop!" Viktor firmly placed his hands on Hans' weapons, "What about Elsa?"

That seemed to get Hans' attention, "Elsa…" He breathed as if the full gravity of the situation was finally weighing on him. He hopelessly sighed as he reluctantly looked up at his brother, "Annaliese has a baby back in Arendelle. Kendrick's child. How could I go back to Arendelle and face our nephew knowing that Annaliese took this bullet for me?"

Now it was Viktor's turn to be stunned in silence, "W-what?! Are you saying that Annaliese and Kendrick did have a child together?!"

"She swore me to secrecy that I would not tell anyone but given the situation…" He glanced over at the reflection, watching the gunman steadily holding the weapon to her forehead, "I don't think she would mind. I need to save her."

"Okay, I have a plan." Viktor methodically wiped the sweat off his brow, "But you need to do exactly as I say and we need to do this together. No heroics, deal?" He extended his hand to his brother.

Hans apprehensively glanced between his brother and Annaliese's reflection before firmly shaking Viktor's hand, "Deal."


The Great Thaw Celebration was beginning to wind down in Arendelle, much to the royal family's relief. The afternoon and evening portion of the festival consisted of numerous fun-filled activities that went off without a hitch, including the ever popular summertime snowball fight, courtesy of Elsa. All that remained of the celebration was the finale, the fireworks display. Normally, this was the sisters' favorite part of the night, especially when Elsa integrated some of her magic into the show. Unfortunately this time, the thought of having loud explosives thundering throughout the kingdom concerned them. They knew that this finale would present an excellent opportunity for Vortex to use their own firepower under the alias of the fireworks display.

As the citizens of Arendelle started to settle down for the show, Captain Stephen noticed that Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff were standing along the edge of the town center. Finding it odd that Elsa had approved of the fireworks, he casually strolled over to them and sidled up to Elsa, "Your Majesty, I know you were adamant about keeping everything on the itinerary tonight, but would you please reconsider the fireworks?"

Elsa continued to watch the townspeople gather into the main square for the best views, "Captain, I am fully aware of how foolish this seems but trust me, I know what I am doing."

He followed her gaze, "Elsa, please listen to me. They are making themselves easy targets by gathering into this small place-"

"Edward, what did we say about trusting each other?" Elsa's tone was authoritative despite her calm façade, "We cannot cancel the show without a valid reason. That would tip off the spies that we are onto them."

"So we are just going to let these terrorists have an easy shot at us?"

Anna put on a curious expression as she nonchalantly strolled by Elsa and Captain Stephen, "Peculiar weather we've been having. Don't you agree, Captain?"

He looked up and noticed that quite a few dark clouds had rolled in under the cover of night, "Interesting. I was not aware that we were expecting any storm clouds tonight."

Kristoff sauntered over to them while glancing up at the sky, "We may have to cancel the fireworks tonight. These clouds are going to make it difficult to watch the show. And if the winds were to pick up then that would make it dangerous."

Elsa smirked, "That is an excellent point."

Captain Stephen curiously glanced between the three of them before a strong gust of wind suddenly surged through the town square. Then realization hit him, "Wait a second…" He stepped in front of Elsa and whispered, "Are you doing this? The storm clouds? The winds?"

Elsa feigned a look of surprise, "Me? I would never do such a thing. I love watching the fireworks." Another powerful flurry of wind thundered through the kingdom, making Elsa reach up and fix the loose strands of hair that fell into her face, "But this is not the ideal weather condition for fireworks. I believe I must postpone the show."

Captain Stephen watched in amusement as Elsa strode toward the front of the crowd and attempted to yell over the winds, "Good evening everyone! I apologize for the inconvenience, but due to this horrid wind and these dark storm clouds, I believe it would be best to postpone the fireworks for another evening when the weather is a little more cooperative! I would like to thank all who helped make this wonderful festival a success and I wish you all a good night! Thank you!"

The citizens of Arendelle applauded and cheered for their queen as Elsa stepped away from the crowd and rejoined her family and Captain Stephen, "As the crowd disperses I want everyone to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. This postponement of the fireworks may irritate any Vortex spies."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Captain Stephen bowed with a smirk before leaving to go inform the rest of his men.

While the townspeople went their separate ways, many still passed by the royal family to bid their gratitude and goodnights to them. After several minutes of kind small talk, Elsa spotted Captain Stephen hurrying towards them. Elsa politely excused herself and made her way over to meet him, "What's wrong, Captain?"

He casually glanced around before lowering his voice, "Do not act alarmed but we found the explosives. They are quite small and have not been activated yet. Therefore, we have not begun any sort of evacuation."

It took every ounce of control from Elsa to keep from showing any signs of concern, "Where did you find them?"

"Along the edges of the main square. They were definitely targeting the townspeople during the fireworks."

Elsa furrowed her brow in frustration, "Did we not check that area prior to the start of the festival?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It would seem that they were planted during the festival."

"I see…" She felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach, "If the explosives were easy enough to plant during the festival without being seen, then there could be several hidden throughout the kingdom. Maybe even some in the castle." She remembered to put on a composed façade as she addressed Edward, "Stay vigilant, Captain. I want you to come find me once everyone is safe within their homes. We need to find and remove these bombs tonight. All of them." Edward bowed once more before he returned to his subtle search.

Elsa watched the captain calmly talk to another guard with a smile on his face, clearly he was good at putting on a convincing front. She then turned around and approached her sister and brother-in-law, "Anna, Kristoff…shall we call it a night?"

Anna released a breath she did not realize she had been holding, "I believe so. I want to end this night on a good note. The festival has been a success in terms of celebration and more importantly, safety."

"I agree." Kristoff smiled as he reached for Anna's hand, "I suppose that nothing malicious was planned after all, huh?"

Anna smirked as she lovingly leaned into Kristoff, "A tiny part of me is disappointed though because I wanted to see the looks on those spies' faces when we got the drop on them and surprised them with our new weapons."

Kristoff rolled his eyes, "Okay, Miss Feistypants, let's not get carried away."

"That's Missus Feistypants to you, Bjorgman." She jumped onto her tippy toes to plant a kiss on her husband's cheek.

Now it was Elsa's turn to roll her eyes, "Alright, you two are both adorable and nauseating. Go back to the castle and get some well-deserved rest."

Anna defiantly raised an eyebrow, "Are you telling me as my queen or as my sister?"

Elsa matched her sister's rebellious expression, "Anna-"

"I'm joking!" Anna giggled, "Alright. Let's go home…" Anna and Kristoff started to stroll towards the castle hand-in-hand until Anna turned around and noticed that their trio was missing a person, "Elsa, aren't you coming?"

Elsa glanced around and noticed that the town square had almost completely emptied out, "I'm going to go chat with Captain Stephen before calling it a night."

Anna furrowed her brows, "Is everything okay?"

"Absolutely. I just want to give him and his men my gratitude for a job well done." She gave them a reassuring smile, "I'll catch up with you two soon. I promise."

With a cautious nod, Anna took her husband's hand and they continued their stroll towards the castle. Elsa watched them for a couple seconds before turning around and making her way to Captain Stephen who was glancing behind the three-foot high stone wall that separated the main square from the docks and the rest of the fjords. "Captain, what are we looking at?"

"Your Majesty, I have to admit that I am unfamiliar with this kind of weaponry. But I brought someone who is." He stepped aside to reveal a friendly-ish face.

"Queen Elsa…" James Jagger respectfully bowed, "Captain Stephen has briefed me about the situation at hand and I am here to help in whatever way possible."

Elsa nodded, "We could use all the help we can get."

A familiar voice sounded from behind the group, "Maybe I can be of some assistance as well?" The trio turned around to find a middle aged, redheaded woman with bright green eyes standing there with her hands tightly wrapped around the satchel strapped across her chest.

"Hannah?!" Elsa could not decide if she was happy or horrified that her mother-in-law was here. On one hand, she loved whenever Hannah came to visit but on the other hand, she did not want her here in Arendelle where there was imminent danger. Elsa hastily grabbed her hand and led her away from the group, "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to help. There has been a development in the Thomas Sullivan-Vortex case. I would have been here sooner but some strange winds swept in and postponed our ship from docking-"

"Hannah, now is not really a good time." Elsa anxiously glanced back over her shoulder and watched as James bent down and began inspecting what she assumed to be the explosives.

"Elsa, listen, Vortex is planning something-"

"We know." Elsa gently squeezed Hannah's hand, "We've found the explosives they planted."

Hannah jerked her head back in surprise, "Then why are you here?"

"I am here to help, same as you." Elsa nonchalantly shrugged.

Hannah sternly shook her head, "But you should not be here. You're the target."

"Wait, what?" Elsa's nonchalant expression immediately disappeared.

"Queen Elsa?!" Captain Stephen called as he slowly began backing away from the wall, "We've got a bit of a situation." Elsa started towards them but Edward extended his arm to stop her, his eyes filled with concern, "Stay back! They've been activated."

"They?!" The pit in Elsa's stomach grew heavier as her mind raced, "You mean all of the explosives are now active?!"

James curiously peered closer to the explosive, "It seems that they are all connected…" He leaned further over the wall and noticed a small wire that seemed to lead away from this certain explosive, "Queen Elsa! Captain! I think I found something!" He shuffled along the stone wall as he continued following the wire which lead to another small explosive, "They are connected." He whispered to himself. He propped himself up and turned to face the rest of the group, "The explosives are literally connected to each other through a small wire. They are set to go off in a sequence, like a domino effect."

Hannah rushed over to James, "So if we follow the wires, they should lead us to all of the explosives?"

"Precisely." James nodded as he leaned back over the wall, "Captain, I believe you should redirect your men to help us follow the wires."

Captain Stephen nodded as he rushed off to go inform the rest of the guards. Hannah leaned over the wall beside James, "You said they were activated, correct? How long do we have?"

"It's difficult to say." He shuffled along the wall as he followed the wire to another hidden explosive, "I can't find any sort of timer countdown, which makes sense given that these bombs are too small for that sort of thing. Hold on…" He leaned even further over the wall and peered closely at the far side of the explosive, "Do you see that?"

Hannah mimicked his body position and analyzed the bomb, "The small red light?"

"The small blinking red light." He sat up and humorlessly chuckled, "That's our timer. Fortunately, it's blinking relatively slow which means we've got a few minutes but the closer it gets to detonation the faster the light will blink."

Hannah sat beside him with a curious expression on her face, "How do you know all of this?"

"Because…" He hesitated as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Because I made the bombs. Back when I worked for Vortex."

A hard expression was etched into Hannah's face, "Well, then this is your responsibility. You made them, you can disarm them."

"That's just the thing…I can't." He anxiously rubbed his face, "They cannot be tampered with or else they will go off. Just how I designed them."

Hannah shook her head, "You need to figure this out and I need to go speak with Elsa." She stood up and hurriedly made her way towards the Queen of Arendelle who was currently speaking with Captain Stephen, "Queen Elsa, we need to talk. Captain, you should probably hear this as well."

As Hannah explained to them what James had told her, Elsa had this overwhelming sense of anger surge through her body. Thomas Sullivan was right. She thought to herself as she stared at James, recalling Sullivan's words. "You think he's going to help protect your kingdom? You think that man will stop what VORTEX has coming?" She looked away from Jagger and stared down at her own shaking hands as she continued remembering what Thomas told her, "You think you're so strong that you can handle yourself? You think your powers can save you? You think you're invincible, Ice Queen? Because I think I did a pretty good job in reminding you otherwise."

"No." Elsa whispered through gritted teeth.

Captain Stephen and Hannah curiously watched her, "Your Majesty?"

"No." She spoke with determination this time, "I refuse to let Sullivan win." She turned away from the group and marched over to James, "Mister Jagger, what would happened if I froze them? Would that also freeze the timer?"

James solemnly shook his head, "That would cause them to become unstable and explode."

A thought struck Hannah as she remembered what Cassandra told her, "Queen Elsa?" She hurried over to her side and took hold of her hands, whispering so only she could hear, "It has been prophesized that you are far more powerful than you realize." She gave Elsa's shaking hands an encouraging squeeze, "You can do this, Elsa."

The Queen of Arendelle closed her eyes and cleared her mind, letting thought after thought wash over her until an idea hit her, "What about the latches?"

"The latches?" James scratched his head in confusion, "Your Majesty, I-"

"The explosives must be attached to the stone wall somehow, I mean, they aren't just floating beside it, right? Are the latches tampered-proof?"

"Uh n-no…" He grinned in realization, "No, they are not. I know what you're thinking…" He waved her over to him and they both leaned over the wall, "These latches are about a half-inch long, maybe an inch if we're lucky. It's going to be close but I believe you can do it."

Elsa sat up and nodded, "So that will remove the explosives from the wall, but what to do next?"

"Dropping them into the water will only make them more unstable and the pressure wave from the explosion will cause more damage underwater." He methodically rubbed his chin, "And how are we going to remove all of the explosives at the same time?"

Hannah walked over to them as she pondered out loud, "If we can simultaneously remove all the bombs and relocate them far enough away so no one will be within the shrapnel range then we would be onto something."

Captain Stephen joined the group, a concerned expression on his face, "And it would be ideal to have them go off somewhere that no one will notice the explosion. We still don't know who planted these bombs to begin with."

As the group continued to think aloud, Elsa's mind raced as she tried to figure out answers to their logical questions. She glanced down at the bomb and noticed the blinking red light had quickened its pace. We're running out of time. She worriedly thought. As the situation grew grimmer, her heartrate began to increase and, in response, a strong gust of wind thundered through the town and out towards the fjords where she noticed more dark clouds rolling in. This gave her an idea.

"Get back!" She abruptly stood up and ordered everyone in the main square, "Step back! I've got a plan!"

Everyone hesitated at first but they did as they were told, with one exception, "Elsa?" Captain Stephen loyally remained by her side, his eyes wide in uncertainty, "What are you thinking?"

"Edward…" Elsa gently coaxed him to take a step back, "I need you to trust me. I can do this."

He numbly nodded and silently stepped away from her. Once he had rejoined the rest of the group and they all moved a safe distance away, Elsa extended her arm and gracefully waved it around herself in a semicircle, building a safety barrier of ice between her and the rest of the group. With a deep breath, Elsa hurried back to the stone wall and leaned over to take another look at the explosive, only to find the red light blinking even faster. Okay, you have one shot at this. Do not disturb the bombs until it's absolutely necessary. She calmly thought to herself before kneeling while facing the stone wall.

She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, then she placed her hands on the wall and did what she does best, let it go. Her ice swiftly, yet delicately, began covering the wall and it took all of her concentration to keep the ice focused on the metal latches. Letting her ice become one with her soul, she guided her ice to find each and every explosive without touching the bombs or the small wire that connected them. Finally her ice trail ended, she had found every last one of the explosives.

Captain Stephen, Hannah, James, and the rest of the guards watched in awe as her trails of ice stretched farther than they could have possibly searched in such a short amount of time. The trail of explosives stretched around the entire main square, down to the docks, and even under the stone bridge that led to the castle.

Elsa opened her eyes, stood up, and then she took a couple of steps away from the wall. As she prepared herself for the most dangerous part of her plan, a shot of pain surged through her right shoulder, the same shoulder that had taken a Vortex bullet last year. She placed a cold hand on her previously injured shoulder and grimaced, but she pushed the pain aside as she returned her focus to the situation at hand.

Elsa closed her eyes once more and let herself become connected with her ice again, feeling the pain in her shoulder grow. She grit her teeth as she outstretched her arms, palms facing the stone wall. She could sense the timer running out but before it could reach its detonation, she clenched her fists which allowed the ice to completely freeze and break the latches off the wall. In a swift and urgent manner, she lifted her arms in a scooping motion that lifted up all of the explosives away from falling into the water. Without hesitation, she promptly took a step forward and pushed the long line of bombs away from Arendelle, forcefully sending them out towards the fjords and into the dark clouds above, where the detonation of the bombs mimicked the sound of thunder.

The mouths of all who watched the spectacle were hanging open in shock. No one could believe what they had witnessed. Elsa had successfully removed the explosives and discarded them far enough away from Arendelle to avoid any damage, all without any citizens noticing. A wave of relief washed over everyone in the main square and the tension in the atmosphere that had shadowed the festival had finally lifted. Arendelle was safe and no one was hurt.

As everyone began celebrating the victory, Captain Stephen tried to get a visual on Elsa through the crowd and the ice barricade. He watched as she just stood there with her hand on her right shoulder, staring out at the fjords. "Elsa!" He called, trying to get her attention. He wanted to make sure she was alright. "Elsa!"

She turned around and tiredly waved her arm once more, melting away the barrier. As the wall of ice began to thaw, the pain in her shoulder shot down her arm and surged through her chest, causing her to collapse.

"Elsa?!" Edward pushed through the crowd and sprinted over to her. He knelt down beside her and scooped her up into his arms, "Elsa, can you hear me?!" She was limp, unresponsive and felt supernaturally cold, even for her. He checked for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief when he could feel her breathing.

Hannah ran over and knelt down beside them, "What happened, Captain? Did she sustain any injuries?"

"I don't think so." He stood up with Elsa cradled in his arms, "But we need to get her to Doctor Omsorg immediately."


Not again. Not again. Not again!

Rapunzel thought over and over as traumatic memories of the explosion in London flooded her mind. Her heartrate was racing as she sprinted through town, desperately trying to catch up to her husband and ultimately save her parents from whatever Vortex had planned for them.

Fortunately for her, the lantern spectacle was still going which meant that most people were on ships, trying to get the best views but more importantly, the streets were empty. She was relieved that no one was around to see the prince and princess of Corona running through town with panicked expressions because that would no doubt raise suspicion and create unwanted attention.

As she was turning the last corner before reaching the archway that led to the castle, she heard a familiar voice call out to her, "Rapunzel!"

I can't stop. I must get to the palace. I must save my family! Rapunzel thought as she decided to ignore whoever was calling her name.

She was about to pass under the archway when she heard that familiar voice call to her again, "Raps!"

That caused the princess to stop in her tracks. There was only one person in the entire world that called her by that nickname.

"Cassandra?" She turned around to find her former lady-in-waiting running towards her, "Cass?!" Tears of joy stung her eyes as Rapunzel wrapped her best friend in one of her signature bear-hugs, "Cass, it's so good to see you! What on earth are you doing here?"

Cassandra reluctantly pulled away from the warm embrace, "Raps, listen, there is trouble afoot-"

"Oh my goodness! You're right!" Rapunzel gasped as she turned around and started sprinting towards the castle again, "Sorry Cass, but I need to go! I could use your help though!"

Cassandra let out a small laugh, "Never a dull moment with you, Raps." She ran after her best friend and somehow managed to catch up with her, "What's going on?"

"Eugene and I suspect there's been a bomb planted in the castle, particularly the balcony where my parents are releasing the lanterns."

Cassandra furrowed her brow as they ran through the castle courtyard, "But why? That doesn't make any sense."

Rapunzel started skipping steps as they climbed the staircase leading to the castle doors, "Because that's where Eugene and I were supposed to be standing this year when we released our lanterns with-" She hesitated when she remembered that Cassandra did not know about Flynn and Evie. It was not that she did not trust her but as they were now weaving through the castle hallways, she did not know who would be listening and eavesdropping on their conversation.

As they slid around the last corner, Cassandra grabbed Rapunzel's wrist, "Raps, wait-"

"I can't wait, my parents and Eugene-"

"I'm sure Eugene is already on top of the situation. I saw him running through town before I spotted you. But you need to hear what I have to say." Despite Rapunzel's better judgment, she stopped trying to break free of her friend's grasp. "Rapunzel, you are the target. I know about Thomas Sullivan and Vortex but there is something even bigger brewing beneath all this-" She was cut off when a commotion was heard behind the closed door at the end of the hall.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel yanked her arm free and sprinted down the hall to the room that led to the balcony. Just as she was about to reach the door, she felt someone tackle her to the ground. She landed harshly on her stomach but she swiftly rolled onto her back to see her attacker, "Cass?! What are you doing?!"

"I am trying to protect you! This is a trap!" Cassandra desperately tried to wrestle her best friend to the ground but she had forgotten how strong the princess was.

Rapunzel managed to get the upper hand as she skillfully rolled herself on top of her former lady-in-waiting and pinned her to the ground, "Cassandra, I know-"

"No, you don't-" Cassandra was cut off by another loud commotion on the balcony except this time a deafening BOOM followed.

The two friends froze as the ground and castle walls shook with the explosive vibrations echoing through the halls. They briefly stared at each other with wide eyes before scampering to their feet and burst through the door. Once in the room, Rapunzel stood in shock at the disastrous sight before her, "Oh no…" She clenched her jaw and tried to blink away the tears, "Not again."


Hans silently crept through the back alleys of the Southern Isles as he got into position for Viktor's plan. As much as Hans wanted to trust his brother, he could not help but remember Annaliese's warning in the back of his mind.

"Keep your guard up. Do not trust anyone. Trust your instincts. If something seems off, then it probably is."

He let out a heavy sigh as he rounded a corner and hurried along a narrow path by the docks. Before ducking into another constricting alleyway, he paused by the water's edge to grab some fresh air. "If something seems off, then it probably is." He murmured to himself as he stared out at the water, deep in thought. He could not see much since the sun had set a while ago but the sound of the waves lapping against the docks had a calming effect on his nerves.

"Can I trust Viktor? What about the story Klaus told me? Was that even true? Did Giselle even exist or was that a ploy to let my guard down?" He pondered out loud while tiredly rubbing his forehead, "I just want to go home to Arendelle…to Elsa."

"Hans!"

Hans jumped back, startled out of his thoughts. He looked around the docks and noticed a dark figure running towards him.

"Hans!" The figure shouted once more.

Hans reached into his coat and firmly gripped one of his hidden revolvers until the figure stepped into the dim light of the lampposts.

"Gregory?!" Hans took a hard squint at his brother who was supposedly under house arrest in London. He pulled his hand out of his jacket as his brother approached him, "What are you doing here, Gregory? Last I heard-"

"I know. I know." Gregory had a bewildered expression on his face, "But there was this girl from Corona that got me out of my sentence temporarily but I can't mess this up-"

"Woah, slow down. What girl from Corona? Rapunzel?"

"No, but she claims to be best friends with Princess Rapunzel. Her name was Cassandra and she was feisty and witty, very intelligent and attractive-"

"Gregory!"

"I'm sorry." He paused as he took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "Deam Perfide is after Rapunzel and Elsa. This rogue goddess is hunting down all the supernaturally gifted individuals in the world, killing them, and taking their powers. We don't know why Deam Perfide is doing this but Cassandra went to Corona to warn Rapunzel, Moth-I mean Hannah went to Arendelle to warn Elsa, and I was sent here to warn you."

"Warn me about what?" He inquisitively crossed his arms.

"To expect trouble at the Mid-Summer Festival-"

"Dang it!" Hans immediately turned away and hurried down a narrow alleyway. He completely lost track of time and now he was nowhere near his position for Viktor's plan.

"Hans, wait!"

"Shhh!" Hans impatiently turned around, "Your warning came a little too late. We are already in the midst of dealing with trouble." He continued his path through the dark alleys, whispering to his brother, "There's been an attack. We have a rogue gunman running around the kingdom and it seems that he has decided to take Annaliese hostage."

"Kendrick's wife is here?! Why?!"

"If you had been here for the past couple months then you would know." An awkward silence fell between them as they quietly shuffled through the dark. Finally Hans broke the silence, "Who is this 'Deam Perfide' anyways?"

"Some supernaturally powered being. Her name roughly translates to 'rogue goddess'. We don't know what she is planning but we think she has been working with Thomas Sullivan and Vortex."

Hans scoffed, "And what makes you think that?"

"Because she's probably the one who helped Thomas escape-"

"WHAT?!" Hans suddenly stopped walking, causing his brother to nearly bump into him.

"Shhh!" Gregory glanced around them, "I thought we were supposed to be quiet."

Hans rolled his eyes as they ducked behind another building, "When did he escape?!"

"About a week ago. I came here as soon as I could."

Hans worriedly kept his thoughts to himself as they waited behind the building that Viktor had planned for him to be stationed. As Hans anxiously waited for Viktor's signal, Gregory piped up again, "There's something else Cassandra told me to tell you."

"What now?" Hans impatiently responded.

"She said to 'trust no one'."

Hans froze at that phrase again. Annaliese had just told him the same thing a couple hours ago.

"Keep your guard up. Do not trust anyone. Trust your instincts. If something seems off, then it probably is."

His best friend's warning repeated once more in his mind. He could not take it anymore. Although he promised Viktor there would be no heroics, Hans was sick and tired of playing the 'who can I trust' game. His mental, emotional, and physical stamina were completely worn out and exhausted. He was done.

"That is it." Hans growled to no one in particular, "This ends today." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the two revolvers before stepping out from behind the building.

"Hans! What are you doing?!" Gregory urgently whispered to his youngest sibling, "You don't understand who you are dealing with! Do not underestimate this 'rogue goddess'!"

Hans ignored his brother's warning as he marched through the center of town towards the gunman and Annaliese. Fortunately for Hans, the gunman had his back towards him and his attention seemed to still be transfixed on Annaliese. As Hans continued to approach the attacker from behind, Annaliese caught sight of her best friend.

"Your plan won't work." She boasted to the gunman, desperately trying to keep his attention, "Hans will not come to rescue me."

"You underestimate your importance to him. He will come."

"No, he won't. I warned him that a trap would be set for him. He's probably back at the palace attending to his father or maybe he's already on the next ship headed back to Arendelle. He did get his father's blessing to go home today."

Hans immediately froze at that last comment. How did Annaliese know about his father giving him permission to leave for Arendelle? King Richard had not spoken to Hans about this yet. Hans only knew because Klaus had told him the news a couple hours ago.

Instantly, a bad instinctual feeling struck Hans as he realized that this truly was a set up. He stared at his life-long best friend, his face beginning to pale as realization hit him. Annaliese had betrayed him.

"Why do you hesitate to shoot?" Annaliese asked the gunman, but Hans knew she was actually talking to him.

"I-I can't." The gunman stammered as his aim on Annaliese waivered. Similarly Hans' aim on the gunman began to falter as well.

Annaliese's calm composure disappeared, "Do it!" She angrily ordered but still neither Hans nor the gunman took the shot. "Cowards!" She yelled as she reached forward and skillfully stole the gun from her attacker. She pushed the man to the ground and aimed her gun at Hans, "Why did you hesitate?"

Hans' mouth felt dry but he managed to find his voice, "Who are you?" He felt his hand begin to tremble as he pointed the gun at his best friend.

"What are you talking about? It's me, Annaliese." She gave him one of her signature smiles, but Hans could have sworn he saw a flash of something sinister twinkle in her eyes.

"No." He firmly shook his head, "My best friend would never do something like this."

"I am your best friend-"

"Enough of the lies!" Hans yelled as he cocked his gun, "Who. Are. You?"

She smirked, "Are you going to shoot me if I don't answer?" When he hesitated, she scoffed, "Yeah, that's what I thought. The Arendelle sisters made you soft. Elsa made you weak." She took a step closer to him and cocked her revolver, "Luckily for me, my hatred towards your wife made me strong."

"Annaliese, this isn't you, the real you-"

"No! This is the real me! I am done living in Elsa's shadow! You loved me first and if I can't have you then no one can-"

A loud crack echoed throughout the empty square. Annaliese screamed in agony as she crumbled to the ground. Hans froze as he watched his best friend writhe in pain, but he was also shocked that he pulled the trigger. He glanced down at the gun in his hand and realized that it was still fully loaded, it had never been shot.

Before he could process what had happened Viktor and Gregory ran over to him, with Viktor having his gun drawn, "Well, I'd say that was quite the confession." He pointed his gun at Annaliese as she put pressure on the bleeding wound in her arm. "Queen Annaliese of Sperca, you are under arrest for the attempted murders of King Richard of the Southern Isles and King Consort of Arendelle, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles." Viktor brought her to her feet and began to lead her back towards the castle.

"Hans, are you alright?" Gregory put a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder, but Hans could only numbly nod his head in response. "It's odd…I just don't understand." Gregory pondered out loud, "What does Annaliese's jealousy of Elsa have anything to do with Thomas Sullivan or Vortex or Deam Perfide?"

A growl came from the gunman lying on the ground, "It doesn't." Hans immediately aimed his revolver at the man. The gunman put his hands up in surrender, slowly turned towards them, and took off his cloak to reveal an unfriendly face.

"Thomas Sullivan." Hans growled, "Give me one good reason I shouldn't put a bullet through you right now."

"Because I am a victim, just like you and your friend Annaliese. We were used as pawns in Deam Perfide's game."

"I am not sure if I believe you, but let's say that you are telling the truth." Hans cocked his gun and aimed it at Sullivan's head, "How did Annaliese get mixed up in this?"

"Well, like any human, Annaliese harbors hidden thoughts, feelings, and desires. Deam Perfide can sense this conflict within us and she makes these tempting, seemingly innocent, promises that are hard to refuse. But let's just say that you'd probably be better off making a deal with the devil." He shook his head with a look of fear and hatred in his eyes, "That she-beast can get inside your head and make you reveal your innermost secrets. She can get whatever information she wants out of you. She controls your mind, your every move."

"And she is controlling Annaliese? She made her try to kill me?"

"Some people put up a better fight than others. Annaliese was strong, her love for you is pure. She would not let Deam Perfide manipulate her." Thomas scoffed, "So I can tell you that the women your brother just arrested wasn't your friend."

"What are you-"

A loud commotion sounded a couple streets away from them. Thomas smirked, "You should probably go check on your brother right about now."

Hans threw a pair of handcuffs at Gregory, "Arrest Sullivan! I need to go help Viktor!"

Hans sprinted through the streets of the quiet Southern Isles town, his mind racing with what Thomas had just revealed to him. What am I getting myself into? He thought to himself as he turned the final corner.

"Viktor?!" He stopped in his tracks when he found his brother lying motionless on the ground, with 'Annaliese' nowhere to be found. Hans ran over to him and kneeled beside his brother's body, "Viktor, can you hear me? What happened?" He check for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief when he felt one, but it was faint. He noticed a small puddle of blood beginning to seep through Viktor's jacket. Oh no… He anxiously thought. Hans opened the jacket to reveal a gunshot wound in his right shoulder, the same exact spot as Elsa's bullet wound.

"Well, well…" A female voice sounded from behind him, followed by the click of a revolver, "Come with me if you want him to live." Hans froze, his mind reeling as he tried to find a way out of this situation. "I can heal him." She sweetly spoke while firmly placing the barrel of her gun to the back of Hans' head, "But I need you to come with me."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

She let out an annoyed sigh as she fired another shot into Viktor's body, this time in his left thigh, "You can't afford not to now." Hans hesitantly sighed as he nodded his head and put his arms up in surrender. "A wise decision. I knew you were the smartest, most sensible prince out of all your brothers."

Hans slowly stood up and took one last look at his brother bleeding out onto the cobblestone path. Just as he turned around to finally get a look at his captor, a swift object came out of nowhere and knocked him unconscious.


Have a great week, everyone! Please review! :)