Yes, I know it's been forever since the last I updated, I'm so sorry. Life and severe writer's block got in the way and it's hard to push through, but I seemed to manage. Slow but sure, am I right?

There was a bitter taste at the back of his throat.

Yet he stayed true to his composure, standing tall and proud at the docks as green eyes trained on the golden lion crest etched on the blood red flag as the wind blew past it, coming closer as the ship broke through each lapping wave of the fjord. His jaws were set, shoulders tensing up, using the small hand that grasped his as his sole focus in staying calm. Wilhelm insisted on coming, wide blue eyes pleading as he called out for him just as he was climbing into the carriage.

"I want to come!" the boy had stated, cheeks puffing when he told him that he should best stay put at the castle and wait. "I want to find Mama…" his tone has changed, soft and came out as nothing but a murmur as his eyes were casted downward. "I want to help."

Anna's touch against his shoulder and the look on her face was all he needed as a confirmation before he nodded, finally allowing the boy to go with them. He was lost without his mother, not as bright and cheerful as he clung to those around him, and he didn't have the heart to see his beloved son in such state.

Yet the dread lingered, growing larger as the ship had finally docked, and the cold presence of his own mother at his side had not helped in one bit. He had tried, desperately, not to advert his eyes away as the wooden plank was lowered, allowing passage down for those who had boarded it. His mother had not told him of who she had called upon to Arendelle, but he had a few guesses, and some of them sit uncomfortably with him.

Among the stream of men that walked down, the first brother had appeared, one that he had expected to come solely due to his specific set of skills that he knew their mother would consider useful. Behind him, two others followed -and this time it made him shifted his footing as he watched them.

What he didn't expect was for the fourth to appear, tailing behind the other three, bringing just the smallest wave of gratitude in the youngest Prince' heart.

The four brothers approached them straight away, bowing respectfully before the Queen of the Southern Isles. "Mother." The first greeted, hazel eyes trailed toward the Princess before his body moved to turn toward her, nodding. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Lucas of the Southern Isles." His hand gestured toward the others behind him. "These are my brothers, Jurgen, Rudi, and—"

"Prince Lars of the Southern Isles, milady."

The strawberry blonde-haired Princess gave them a polite curtsied, lowering herself. "Princess Anna of Arendelle." Looking back up, a small smile had graced upon her lips. "I'm thankful that you all are willing to come and help us in this dire time."

"Under our mother's order we could do nothing but comply." Jurgen retorted with a sarcastic smile. "It's quite unfortunate, if only our brother had married you instead so this would not happen and we would not even need to set foot here at all."

The corner of Rudi's lips tugged into a smile, if only more than a split of seconds, yet it had not escaped Anna's attention as her eyebrows furrowed at their bold wordings. Her lips parted, undoubtedly to question their reasonings, yet Lucas had interrupted by kneeling down in front of Wilhelm -who had stood dutifully by his father's side, offering a smile. "And you must be our brother's young son. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Wilhelm."

"Aren't you an adorable little Prince." Lucas commented, "You almost reminded me of your father during our childhood. Less lanky, but close." The added comment made his jaw tightened, but Hans had remained silent, watching from the corner of his eyes as Lucas ruffled his son's hair before standing back up. "Well, you do not expect us to just stand here all day, do you, Hans?"

"I—"

"Of course not." Queen Adela interrupted, hand waving dismissively as she began to turn on her heels, intending to head back to the castle. "Your youngest brother merely hasn't seen you for so long."

"Did you miss us, Hansy?" Rudi teased, grinning as he walked past the still standing auburn haired Prince, shoulders bumping against one another as he shared a laugh with Jurgen who had went ahead.

A hand gripped his upper arm, prompting him to look up and see Lars' eyes behind his spectacles. "Come, you don't want to stand here like a fool." He nodded to the group that had made their way halfway toward the awaiting carriages, noting that even Anna had moved ahead -following the Southern Isles' Queen, and that they were the only ones who remained.

Bending down, he lifted Wilhelm up into his arms to save time in catching up, falling in the same steps beside the third oldest brother.

"I know how you feel about them, especially Rudi," Lars sighed, fingers running through his dark hair. "But Caleb and Klaus chose each of us for a reason after receiving Mother's letter." The Prince Consort and his advisor -respectively, were the two oldest, and had taken their part in many royal decisions for the kingdom. Hans knew not to doubt them, after all each one of them had received intense and specific training since they were young.

"I'm just worried."

"For your wife?" when he had nodded, the older Prince had only placed a hand on his brother's shoulder as a form of comfort. "I understand. We will find her, I'm sure of it."

They didn't know she was pregnant.

Each and every possibility had been carefully calculated as they figured a way out for each problem that may arise, or so they thought. They had prepared themselves should the Queen of Arendelle would have written or not written, in which should the latter case happened then it would be the Duchess who wrote first -but they had faith in the young Queen's curiosity. With each answer that they received they had sent out a reply that would only feed more into her urge to know further, driven her up until she agreed for a meeting away from prying eyes.

They had prepared for every choice that she may take, had planned at least ten steps ahead, yet they forgotten to prepare for a more… natural obstacle that may appear.

"She has one son already," her mother had grumbled, in the dimly lit kitchen shortly after their arrival from Hølen, as she paced back and forth by the dining table, pausing only to glare at the shut door that would lead to the Queen's room. "Why does she need to have another?"

She had not spoken a word in respond, knowing that her answer would only irritate her mother further. Ever since she was young, she had learned how to appeal best to the woman who had given birth and cared for her, to know when to speak up and when to stay silent, to know what would please her the most.

This letter in her hand was definitely not something that would please her.

Duchess Atalie had lifted her eyebrow questioningly as she accepted the handled letter, noting the stiff expression on her daughter's face as she took out the parchment out of the envelope, reading over the written words with furrowed brows. Even when she had finished, it had taken her a moment of silence before she put down the letter in her hand, the corners of her lips tugging into a small smile.

"So, the Southern Isles decided to take part in this, after all." Nodding, her hand had reached forward to her glass of wine, sipping on the alcoholic beverage with a hum. "No matter, minor inconvenience. Besides, the more the merrier, don't you agree, my darling Sofia?"

The Duchess may have sounded almost nonchalant over the news that had been brought by their spy, but she knew better, she could see the burning anger behind her eyes, how annoyed she was over it. "What shall we do now, Mother? What do you wish me to do?"

"What do I wish?" the tone used was cold, stabbing in a way that only her mother could do, and Sofia had to try her hardest not to flinch, especially when stormy grey eyes leered up at her, though just then her gaze had softened. "Oh, my darling daughter, you would do anything for your mother, wouldn't you?" her dutiful nod had only made the woman to reach up, cupping her daughter's face in her hand, thumb caressing her cheek. "Then you already know what I wish."

"The Queen is not—"

Atalie's grasp on her daughter's face tightened, blunt nails digging into her skin so suddenly that this time she did flinch, though unable to move away. "Sofia," her tone may have been gentle, but there was warning behind it. "You know I need what she has as soon as possible."

"But it's not possible, Mother." Arguing with her mother was the least that she wanted, but she had no choice. "Not without harming the child in her womb."

"Then, God help us, rip that thing out of her."

"I can't."

Narrowing her eyes, Atalie tugged her daughter closer as she rose from her seat, her other hand joining the first in cupping her face, smiling. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Sofia, you're Mama's most talented young doctor, aren't you? I let you learn all those medical things for a reason despite your father's disagreement, remember?" receiving a silent nod, she released her hold on the young girl, instead patting the top of her head gently. "Then use that knowledge and don't disappoint me. Or have you decided not to listen to your own mother anymore?"

Sofia's lips parted, ready to express that no, it was not the reason why she had been denying her mother's wish, that it was their lack of proper equipment that served as her biggest issue, but she had never gotten the chance as the floor under their feet trembled, enough to make the mother daughter to stumble, breaking the focus of their conversation as loud crackling came next along with a gush of cold air that blew past them.

Queen Elsa.

Making their way to the door that would lead them right to their guest, it had taken the Duchess extra effort in opening the door as she expressed how cold the knob was to the touch, and as soon as they succeeded, she could not believe the sight that she was seeing.

Across from them, where a brick wall once stood, was now nothing but a large gaping hole, broken stones scattered across the floor along with frost that had covered most of the room's surface -even up to the ceiling above them.

She had heard stories of the Queen who could wield ice and snow, had heard of what she was capable of, but she had never truly believed in it, up until now when she had seen it with her own eyes. Not mere play of magic to awe children but one enough to take down walls.

At her side, Duchess Atalie had barked orders for the men they had hired, on the verge of cursing yet she had held herself from stomping that low, teeth gritting at the realization that she may have let her guest to slip past her fingers.

"Find her!"

Her magic had reacted with her distraught.

All this time she had been held captive she had denied the idea of using her power to turn the tables around, to escape the Duchess' grasp, all because she was reminded of what had nearly happened with Wilhelm if she lost control each time she even considered the thought. She remembered the pain down in her abdomen, the panic and the horror that overwhelmed her when she had felt it, the running thoughts of possibilities of what had happened with her beloved unborn son back then.

Her doctor's words, the warning regarding her using her power during her pregnancy and the possibility that it could harm the child she was carrying, rang loud and clear in her head as if it had only been spoken yesterday.

She didn't want to risk her child's wellbeing, she couldn't.

But after listening in to what Duchess Atalie and her daughter were discussing outside, of her desire over what she had -which she didn't even know for certain what, and her ruthless order for the young girl to rip her child out of her without even a second thought, treating it as nothing but a obstacle she needed to rid of, something in her snapped.

Frost grew from underneath her feet, spreading across the floor and climbing up onto the walls and even the ceiling, seeping through the stones as cracks formed at where her ice expanded until the wall came crumbling down, allowing her passage out to the world and away from her captors.

And she did the one thing she should have done a long time ago.

Run.

Adrenaline filled her veins as she commanded her feet to carry her as fast and as far as they could, pushing through past the trees as she attempted to create a large distance between her and the shouting behind her -Atalie's mercenaries chasing her no doubt. She had to get away, surely there was someone, anyone, that could help her, someone who would see the situation she was in and just… helped her get out of Atalie's clutches before she could do more harm to her and her child.

But there were only towering trees that provided nothing but shade over her head, she couldn't even find a pathway that would assure her that people often passed through, and her body was starting to weaken once more, exhaustion weighted her down as she stumbled to a small clearing while the voices behind her grew louder as they came closer to her.

Falling to her knees as her legs gave up under her, her breath came in labored pants while her heart raced against her chest, listening as the men closed their distance behind her. This could not be it, after escaping and running away, could it this be the end of it all? She couldn't go this far for nothing.

Raising her hand up in the air, she had forced all the magic that she could gather in her palm to shoot up into the sky, using it as a beacon with the hope that someone from her family would see it -no matter how far they were, and would understand.

Trashing about, just as two men had grabbed and yanked her up to her feet, her resistance was met with a cloth being shoved against her face, blocking the air from entering her lungs as the sharp smell filled her nose, redeeming her mind into a spiral of blur as her consciousness quickly faded, eyes fluttering as darkness engulfed her once more.

"Good night, Queen."