The royal ship of Astor arrived at the docks of Calidae in mid-morning, belittling the rest of the ships in the harbor not only in size but in elegance. The Phoenix, as it was aptly named, was a magnificent vessel painted a deep crimson and black, complimented by the giant sail with the flag of Astor flying proudly, the colors matching the rest of the ship.

As soon as the ship was properly docked and still, Sophie emerged from the cabin onto the deck and cringed at the heat that hit her like a fiery tidal wave.

Certainly didn't miss that aspect of Calidae, she thought as she and Aaron stepped onto the rickety dock. Her brother was silent, looking towards the city with distant eyes. Although this heat could be rivaled by the sheer coldness emanating from Aaron right now.

Aaron walked past her, not even sparing her a glance. The twins hadn't spoken barely a word to each other the entire two-day voyage back to their home kingdom. Aaron had sulked like a somber child the whole way, ignoring Sophie's remarks even when she attempted to make civil conversation about something unrelated to Elsa or the events on the rooftop two nights before.

Sophie admittedly was at a loss for how to handle the situation, having never been given the blatant cold shoulder by her brother and best friend. She certainly didn't like the silent treatment, but figured it was best to give Aaron some time to come to terms with the fact that what happened had been necessary. Sophie's reaction surely was no surprise to Aaron, but he found it childish and callous that she had eavesdropped in order to affirm her suspicions and the scheming was something he would not easily forgive.

Despite the awkward air between them, the royal pair walked down the pier together towards the heart of the city, their guard escorts lined up on either side of them clad in black and red steel armor, the flame symbol of Astor shining proudly on their chest-plates and gauntlets.

I hate the fact that Father thinks we need to be surrounded by guards… like we can't handle ourselves, Sophie thought as the royal convoy entered the central trade district of Calidae. She wasn't surprised to see the dirty cobbled street deserted, a clear sign that word of the royal twins' arrival had reached the city well in advance. There was nobody to be seen as the party moved up the large hill towards the palace, nestled at the head of the city like a misplaced golden crown, dwarfing the surrounding buildings. They eventually passed through a residential section which was not much more than a large slum with beaten down wooden homes and worn-out street signs in every direction.

Sophie led the pack of guards and her brother up the street, climbing the hill in the direction of the enormous golden rooftop of the palace. She sensed movement somewhere to her right and instinctively paused, narrowly avoiding a small stone that was on target for the side of her head. The guards drew their weapons and stood at the ready, searching for the source of the projectile, but the tension quickly simmered when they saw nothing but a small boy, no older than seven years old, standing alone in a nearby alleyway, armed with a second rock and a face plastered with rage.

"This is for letting my papa get sick, stupid royals!" he shouted and hurled the second stone which fell lamely at Sophie's feet, his mark missed entirely.

"Watch it, boy!" a guard yelled, taking an aggressive step towards the child before being stopped by Sophie holding an arm out in front of him.

"Go on ahead to the palace with Prince Aaron without me," she ordered.

"But your highness –"

"Go."

There was a pause as the guards gawked until Aaron interjected. "Well, come on, then," he said and began to walk ahead. The guards obediently followed, sheathing their weapons, and Aaron shot his sister a knowing look and nodded, a silent indication that he knew exactly what she was about to do.

Sophie adjusted her glasses as she approached the boy and squatted to be eye level with him. He was wearing nothing but dirty rags for clothing and a pair of broken sandals that looked barely functional. "Brave kid," she said and the boy just stared, attempting a defiant expression, making no move to flee. "I like that. What's this about your papa being sick?"

The boy eyed her wearily for a moment before speaking. "H-he's got a bad fever and has to stay in bed a lot. We don't have any money for a doctor and he keeps getting worse…" the boy let out a sniffle, his eyes becoming moist with tears.

Another one... Illness is running rampant among the peasantry lately... It pains me to see that even a boy of this age blames the entire Sinclair family for how this kingdom has turned out...

"I see," Sophie said, frowning. She reached into the pocket of her black travel pants and pulled out a single gold coin with an elegant flame design on its face. She offered it to the awestricken boy. "Take this. Tonight, go to the tavern on the south corner of this street," she gestured to a building down the road with a large wooden sign over the door. "Give this to the man that runs it and tell him you need something called icebloom tea. He'll know what you mean. Tell him the Black Swan sent you and it's urgent. Take the tea to your father and tell him to drink every drop. It's a special medicine that will make your papa feel much better. He should be back on his feet very soon. Understand?" she finished with a gentle question to make sure the boy processed her instructions.

He nodded and accepted the coin from her hand. Satisfied, Sophie stood and turned to catch up with her brother.

"Things will get better, kid. I promise." With that, she walked briskly away, leaving the bewildered boy in the alleyway staring with an open mouth at the gold coin in his hand – a fortune the likes of which he had never seen in his young life.

King Harold stood in the extravagant front hall of the palace waiting for his children's arrival, stroking his thick black beard and staring at the large wooden doors in anticipation. When they opened, the guards took their stations outside and allowed Sophie and Aaron to enter their home without the burden of their company.

Harold broke into a hearty smile and met them halfway through the room, raising his arms. "Ho-ho! So good to have you two home! I was beginning to think you would stay in Arendelle forever!" He brought Sophie into a warm hug and clapped Aaron on the back.

"Wouldn't that be a disaster," Sophie drawled as she hugged her father.

"Well… how did it go? What are the princesses like?" Harold asked, directing the questions mostly at Aaron.

"It was nothing special, father. Our relationship with Arendelle will remain –"

"He flirted with the future queen and got wine thrown in his face," Sophie interrupted, shrugging.

Harold looked rather confused for a moment, but when Aaron didn't defend himself, he sighed in frustration. "I thought I told you to be polite and proper. I figured you could at least manage that," he stated, although he didn't sound particularly upset. "Bah – nevermind. I'm just glad you're back. You have no idea how uncomfortable it was being alone with my brother. Speaking of which…"

A thick silence followed as the twins anticipated the king's next sentence. "Alexander would like to speak to both of you, immediately."

The twins looked at each other first, and then the floor. It wasn't as if they were surprised at the request to speak to their uncle, but it still made them uncomfortable knowing they were being summoned the moment they walked in the door to their own home. They had hoped they would at least have a few hours of peace before being confronted by Alexander.

"I see. We will go to him as soon as possible," Aaron said. "By the way, how is the –"

"Nothing's changed, I'm afraid," Harold responded before he could finish.

"I see. And how are things going with –"

"Just the same."

"Any news about –"

"No news, I'm afraid."

Aaron sighed. "Has anything gone right during our time away?" Harold didn't bother to respond, a somber expression creeping over his bearded face. Sophie folded her arms and started to walk through the hall towards the inner part of the palace. She was eager to get to her room to freshen up after the long journey, but Aaron could tell she mostly just wanted to walk away from the bleak conversation happening in front of her. He followed after a moment, promising his father they would catch up later.

After a brief visit to their respective rooms located near each other on the north side of the palace, the twins emerged into the north hallway simultaneously to begin their trek to the throne room to see their uncle.

They wordlessly began to walk together, a rare uncomfortableness nestled between them. As they reached the enormous winding marble staircase that led to the fifth floor where the throne room was located, Aaron surprised Sophie by muttering a sentence.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"…Am I ever?"

Aaron sighed. She wasn't being particularly difficult (at least not by her standards) and he still held on to some of his bitterness, but he just couldn't bring himself to face their uncle without having his sister on his side. "Fi, we have enough things to worry about without being at each other's throats as well."

"You're the one pouting and acting as if what I did was not completely justified," she stated, folding her arms. "I mean… she was a Highborn, Aaron! I'm still surprised you didn't kill her the moment you saw her magic."

"You think I didn't consider it? Of course I did, but I… I just couldn't… there was something different about her… and then we started talking and I…"

"You what? Fell in love with her?" Sophie asked, a sarcastic bite to her words.

"…I'm not sure. But it doesn't matter now. We will never see her or Arendelle again. It's over."

"Maybe for now, but you and I both know that if her secret is revealed, Arendelle ends up just like Astor, and if that happens, it's on your conscience – not mine."

By now, the pair had fully climbed the lengthy staircase, arriving at the top where there was only one destination; a huge steel door embroidered with the symbol of Astor guarded the entrance to the throne room like a metal sentinel.

"…That's not necessarily true."

"You're just saying that because she has a pretty face," Sophie quipped, causing a scowl to form on Aaron's face. He didn't bother to respond, pushing the giant door open and stepping over the threshold to the chamber beyond, Sophie slowly following.

The throne room was nothing more than a long, mostly empty corridor dimly lit by lines of torches along the walls, casting ominous shadows that danced along the floor and accentuated the elegant red carpet leading to the throne itself. At first, the twins could see nothing but the silhouette of the throne on a slightly elevated platform and a man lounging on top, one leg lazily thrown over the side and his head rested upon a balled fist. When he saw the pair enter, the man flicked his wrist, summoning a bright flame from thin air that hovered above his palm and cast an eerie orange glow on his face.

It would be a stretch to guess that the man on the throne was blood-related to the twins; he looked absolutely nothing like the siblings even ignoring the heavy scars that line his face, creating a gruff and intimidating visage. His ferocious features were accentuated by his long black hair that fell past his brow and a set of piercing gold eyes, the color unnaturally yellow and bright, almost like a cat.

"Well… Well… Well…" the deep baritone of the man's voice filled the chamber and sent chills down both Aaron and Sophie's spines. "If it isn't the White Panther and the Black Swan of Calidae," he drawled as the pair approached and dropped to one knee in almost perfect unison.

"Uncle," they greeted him simultaneously.

"Lord Alexander!" he boomed, throwing his foot to the floor and leaning forward on the throne. Every torch in the room flared brightly in response to the sudden outburst, illuminating the room in a flash of orange light. "You two don't deserve to address me so casually right now. I was beginning to think you'd stay in Arendelle until I was forced to bring you back," he continued, his voice back to its original slow, steady cadence. "I assume that your extended visit means there's something to report?"

The twins stood now, keeping their gaze down and avoiding eye contact with their uncle. It was Aaron who responded, preparing to lie through his teeth. "We were invited by the heiress to the throne to stay an extra few nights, but there is nothing else to report."

Alexander sat back and played with the flame in his hand, flicking it back and forth at will. "The only reason I was okay with my brother sending you two to that little party was because there was going to be plenty of royalty from the Northern Kingdoms there – a perfect chance to spot another Highborn. I suppose it was a fruitless endeavor."

Sophie glanced over at Aaron for a split second. "We didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The Northern Kingdoms are clean, as far as we know."

Alexander grunted. "Well I hope you enjoyed your time playing castle, my dear niece and nephew. You won't be off making leisurely visits to other kingdoms any time soon." With that, he extended his arm and tossed the flame in his hand onto the carpet in front of the twins' feet. Instead of the red carpet catching fire immediately, the flame magically grew into a circle that surrounded Aaron and Sophie, trapping them inside a fiery ring that reached their waists. Both siblings merely clenched their jaws and bared the heat, unfazed by the threatening display of magic.

"I need you here. After all, family is oh-so-important, wouldn't you agree?" Alexander smirked.

Neither sibling responded for a few seconds. Alexander merely waited with a scowl, eventually snapping his fingers and causing the ring of fire to dissipate with a whoosh.

"Go," he stated abruptly, a jarring change in tone. The twins gave a half-hearted bow and turned to leave the throne room, trying to conceal their relief at the dismissal.

After the door fully shut behind them, there was an ominous silence. Then, a distinct cackling howl erupted from the throne room and a small spurt of red flame spilled out from under the steel door.

The twins didn't even bother to look back as they walked away.