"So what am I supposed to do again?" Olaf asked for the third time, scratching his snowy head with a wooden stick-arm and staring up at Anna like a lost child.

The princess silently huffed in frustration. "All you have to do is take the ring, carry it down the aisle, and give it to the priest."

"Why can't the priest take it himself?"

"Because he doesn't have it. You'll have it."

"Why wouldn't he have it if he needs it?"

"Because you're the ring-bearer!" Anna raised her voice, finally becoming fed up with trying to explain this concept to the little snowman.

Olaf stared with a blank expression for a moment before breaking into a wide grin, showing off his impressive buck-tooth. "Okay! I don't really get it, but I'll do my best!" In what could only be described as a very Olaf-like fashion, the magical snowman gasped and bounced up and down, changing the subject. "I'm so happy you and Kristoff are finally getting married!"

Anna chuckled and turned her attention back to the diamond ring decorating her right hand. "Thanks, Olaf. Me too."

The princess and snowman had been talking outside the castle gates in the courtyard for a little over half an hour as they waited for Elsa to join them. Anna tapped her foot impatiently. "Where is she?" she asked as she folded her arms and gazed at the giant wooden doors.

As if to answer her question, the gates swung open, revealing the Snow Queen dressed in a beautiful black silk blouse and skirt, complete with a pair of sturdy black boots. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Anna. Oh, hi Olaf! Are you two talking wedding plans?"

Anna beamed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Yup! I can't believe it's finally happening!"

The older girl gave her trademark close-lipped smile. "I'm glad to see you're excited. But there's still plenty of planning to do. A royal wedding doesn't exactly happen in a week," Elsa said, strolling over and grabbing her sister by the arm as they began to walk together. "Olaf, you should go talk to Kristoff and tell him you'll be a part of it. Anna and I have something we need to do," she suggested when she noticed the little snowman began to follow them.

To the relief of the sisters, Olaf had gotten pretty good about taking the hint when they wanted to be left alone, and he bounded away without question. "M'kay! Bye Elsa, bye Anna!" Just like that, he disappeared back into the castle with a new mission – and a new person to annoy.

The sisters made their way across the walkway and into town. When Elsa had told Captain Holdt that she and Anna were going to the cemetery to visit their parent's graves, he had insisted that she bring along a guard escort just in case.

She had refused, finding it silly to think she would need protection just to take a stroll through town in her own kingdom. While it was true that not every person in Arendelle was one-hundred percent sold on Elsa's reign, any dissenters would be foolish to make a public spectacle of it, or, god forbid, try to take her life in broad daylight. Between Elsa's powers and Anna's spunk, the two felt safe enough to make the venture to the cemetery alone. Besides, it would be nice to have the time alone to talk.

At least, it would have been if they were ever given the chance. As soon as the royal sisters set foot in the central plaza, they were noticed by a single on-looker with a big mouth.

"It's the Queen! A-and Princess Anna!"

That was all it took to open up the floodgates. Before they could walk more than ten feet, the siblings were surrounded by people, some shouting meaningless greetings at them and others just trying to get a good look at the rare sight of the royal sisters. There was no malicious intent to the crowd, at least as far as Elsa could tell, but the sudden burst of attention was perturbing considering the nature of the outing in the first place.

The sisters attempted to press on, linking arms, but it was no use. There were people insisting that Elsa show them her powers, some even being quite rude. Unfortunately, Anna was fanning the flames and making things worse.

"Hi there! Oh, hey, good to see you! Yes, this is my natural hair color! Oh – I… No, I'm engaged, I…" Anna was overwhelmed by the onslaught of questions, compliments, and random comments. The bombardment never ceased as more and more people started to notice the growing crowd and added to it. Soon, Elsa couldn't even see where she was going.

Can't a queen have a moment of peace?

"Excuse us," the queen finally stated, stopping in her tracks. The crowd immediately hushed and stared at their monarch. "My sister and I have somewhere very important to get to. If you all wouldn't mind…" she gestured with one hand and the crowd stood aside as if she were controlling them like they were made of ice. Just as she was about to continue on, she noticed a little brunette girl at the edge of the crowd clutching a small teddy bear and looking up at her with a shocked expression. There was a moment of awkward silence as the crowd grew silent, taken aback by their queen's frustration.

Way to go, Elsa… How cold can you be?

Unable to resist the opportunity and seeing a chance to redeem her little outburst, she approached the little girl. She was an adorable kid, dressed in a tiny blue dress and her hair was put up into careful pigtails. She reminded Elsa of Anna when she was that age, and she was suddenly hit with nostalgia.

Summoning her magic, she brought her hands together and let the blue light swirl from her fingertips. With practiced ease, a large glistening blue snowflake made of ice appeared in her hands, about the size of a fist. The crowd ooh'd and aww'd at the sight of their queen's powers until Elsa was holding a perfect snowflake ornament in her hands. She knelt down to offer it to the little girl who accepted it wide-mouthed and speechless, dropping her teddy bear to the ground, its value completely outweighed by the gift from the Snow Queen.

"Careful, it might be a bit cold to the touch," Elsa said with a warm smile.

The crowd quickly flew back into a frenzy, but this time their attention was on the little girl and the ornament.

"It's Queensice!"

"Is it as cold as they say?"

"I want to touch it! Let me see, let me see!"

Elsa and Anna took the opportunity to slip away from the distracted mass of onlookers and continued on their way undisturbed.

"That was really impressive, Elsa," Anna said as the two of them entered the first few rows of tombstones in the cemetery of Arendelle.

"What, that little ornament? You've seen me do much better."

"Not that, silly. I meant the way you were able to get that crowd off our backs so easily. Those people would jump off a cliff if you told them to."

Elsa pondered for a moment. She hadn't even really considered how easily she was able to get the attention of her people and get them to do what she wanted. It was to be expected from someone who could freeze you head to toe with the point of a finger, but there was clearly more to it than that.

"I guess it just takes a balance of trust, respect, and fear. I don't think anyone would like me if I didn't use my powers to amuse and create once in a while."

Anna clung tighter to her sister's arm. "That's why you're the best Queen Arendelle's ever seen!"

The pair were in the midst of the cemetery now and were approaching the tallest hill where three large stones were perched, each engraved with Nordic markings. The first two were marked with their parent's names, King Agdar and Queen Idunn, and the third stood slightly aloof but was made in the same style as the late king and queen's graves. That one read "Abram Fredriksen."

Elsa stopped in her tracks as the tombstones came into view. "Second best," she said to Anna, who followed her gaze to their mother's stone and nodded in silent understanding.

The princess and queen made their way to the top of the hill and knelt in the grass, pleasant memories flooding their thoughts. This wouldn't be the first time they had made this visit together, but not since the third stone was added commemorating the man who had been their uncle, mentor, and friend.

Anna put her head on Elsa's shoulder as they sat there in silent mourning. Wetness welled up slowly in Anna's eyes and soon enough she found herself sniffling and wiping hot tears from her rosy cheeks. Elsa put her arm around her sister and couldn't help but smile a little when she noticed that the redhead had chosen to wear the climbing boots Elsa had given her for her sixteenth birthday. They were embroidered with the initials of each sister and were very special to Anna. There was no doubt she had chosen to wear them today for a reason.

Elsa finally broke the silence. "You know what Abram said to me when he got sick?"

Anna shook her head, ruffling her hair against Elsa's shoulder. "He said 'Elsa, if you have any more secrets left in you, tell me now. I don't want to be in heaven and find out that Anna was actually a mermaid all along or some other nonsense.'"

That garnered a heavy chuckle from the redhead despite her growing cascade of tears. "A mermaid? How did he know that was always a dream of mine? That man knew us too well."

"Mhm. I'm glad he kept his sense of humor until the end."

Abram had gotten sick right after Elsa was given her rights as queen back after the Great Thaw. The physicians of the castle said they didn't know what was exactly wrong with him, but there was a silent understanding among Elsa, Anna, and Abram that he was simply old and his time had come. He took it with grace and dignity, accepting his death well before it came, and never failed to offer his guidance to the girls until his last breath.

For the next few hours, Anna and Elsa sat in peace and reminisced about their parents and Abram, telling stories and bringing back old memories that had been tucked away but far from forgotten. Finally, the light from the sun began to sink into the horizon and the cemetery was lit in the gentle glow of an orange sunset.

Anna picked some white and blue flowers she noticed growing on a nearby hill and carefully placed them in front of King Agdar's grave, a gesture that brought closure to their visit. The girls stood and began to take their leave just as dusk was upon them.

As soon as they began to descend the large hillside, Elsa spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and froze, placing a hand in front of her sister to warn her to do the same. From behind a tombstone in the distance, a dark figure appeared and began moving towards them. Elsa squinted as the figure grew closer and she could make out that it was a hooded man wearing a black cloak. It was too dark to tell much more than that.

"Can we help you?" she asked, a question that was meant to be more of a threat, but the man didn't respond. He was only about ten feet away now, approaching at a steady pace. Startled, the queen held out her left palm and released her magic, creating magical ice at the man's feet that spread instantly and crawled up his legs, binding him in place. He let out a gasp when he realized he was trapped and Elsa advanced on him, her hands up at the ready. Anna held back, unsure of what to do.

The man threw back his hood and shot his hands up in surrender. "Please, Queen Elsa, wait! I just want to speak with you!"

Elsa hesitated, but wasn't convinced. She approached close enough to study the man's face. He looked to be in his late thirties, with curly black hair and a tan complexion, a feature that was uncommon in the Northern Kingdoms. He definitely looked foreign, but from where, Elsa could only guess.

Anna spoke first, standing at Elsa's side, unfazed. "If you just wanted to talk, you shouldn't be sneaking up on an ice-wielding queen wearing a dark cloak. In a cemetery. Genius idea," she said, folding her arms.

"I apologize for startling you, but I heard in town that the queen and princess were seen heading towards the cemetery and I had to take the opportunity to speak with you. I wasn't sure I would get the chance again and I…"

Elsa interrupted, taking a step closer. "Wait… I recognize you…"

The man took a deep breath before responding. "You would, Majesty. My name is Liam Stroenburg. I… used to be a member of your Royal Guard."

Elsa squinted, taking a closer look at his face until finally her memory spurred. "Used to… you're the guard that deserted two years ago!" Elsa said, her fear becoming replaced by a mixture of curiosity and anger. "You have quite a lot of nerve approaching me after a crime like that."

"I know, trust me, and I will accept any consequence as long as you hear what I have to say. You can kill me, you can lock me away for the rest of my life, but please, give me a chance to tell you my story first. It could very well save not only your lives but the entire kingdom of Arendelle. I beg of you," he pleaded, clasping his hands together.

Elsa paused. She certainly hadn't expected that. Unsure of what to say, she looked at her sister, silently asking her opinion. The younger girl just shrugged, equally puzzled by the sudden turn of events.

"I say we hear him out. I remember this guy, he used to sneak me chocolate from the kitchens when Gerda wouldn't let me have any more. He can't be that bad. A little dumb, but not bad," she said casting him a wayward smile. The guard gave Anna an appreciative look but remained silent and waited for Elsa to speak next.

The queen eyed Liam up and down. She saw no downside to hearing him out, but couldn't even fathom what it could be all about. Unless…

Suddenly, she remembered. This guard was from Astor, and had deserted while Aaron and Sophie were staying in the castle. Surely that was no coincidence, and Elsa found her curiosity getting the best of her. "Fine. We'll hear you out, Liam, but for your sake, it better be worth our time."

The man simply gave a quick nod. "Of course, Majesty, but not here. What I have to say should remain behind closed doors. I live only five minutes from here in a cabin near the north side of town. We can talk there," he said and began walking down the hill in the direction he came from.

Anna began to follow immediately but Elsa hung back, gawking. When the younger girl noticed her hesitation, she turned to her and folded her arms. "Since when have you been so paranoid, Elsa? What's the worst that could happen?" she asked.

"This is just… a little strange, isn't it? Do you really trust him?" Elsa asked.

"Hmm… well he already said he would forfeit his freedom just to tell us something. It must be important. That's no small gesture, right?" Anna replied. Her logic was sound, and Elsa acquiesced. The sisters began to follow the former guard just as he reached the bottom of the hill and looked back.

Although she didn't say it, Elsa was less afraid of Liam himself than what he might have to tell them. Somehow she had a feeling it would bring back some painful memories.

The queen and princess followed the former guard through the cemetery in thick silence for what seemed like hours when in reality it was only a few minutes. They reached a crossroads and instead of taking the path leading back to the city, Liam followed the trail into the thin outskirts of the forest that overlooked the northern half of Arendelle. After a brief hike in which Elsa cursed herself for not wearing better shoes, the three came to a quaint cabin filling a small clearing.

"Here we are," Liam said, stepping up to the porch and opening the front door. "It's nothing special, but make yourselves at home. My wife is in town at the moment so we should be able to speak in privacy."

Anna did as her host said and entered, immediately flopping onto a comfy looking armchair in the middle of the one-room home. "How cozy!" she announced. Liam broke into a goofy smile at the compliment.

The cabin was small but homey, complete with a fireplace, kitchen, and what looked like hand-crafted furniture that matched the wooden exterior. Elsa thought she could sense the slightest scent of honey, but couldn't place where it was coming from. Despite the comfortable setting, the Queen fidgeted as she entered, her anxiety building.

"Please, take a seat, Majesty. I want you to be as comfortable as possible," said the former guard as he began to prepare a pot of tea in the kitchen that made up the left half of the room.

Elsa nodded a thank-you to her host before joining Anna on the sofa near the fireplace, the redhead giving her best attempt at a reassuring smile. Unfortunately, it barely helped.

Whatever this is about, why can't I shake the feeling that Aaron is involved?

Liam took a few minutes to finish the tea, pour it into separate cups, and bring it over to his guests, dragging a wooden chair over from the dining room table for himself. He offered the beverage and the sisters gladly accepted. Liam sat forward, his chair much less comfortable than Anna and Elsa's, but he didn't seem to mind. He scrunched his eyebrows together and stared into space for a moment. The sisters weren't sure what to say, so they simply waited in silent anticipation.

"Where to even begin," Liam finally said, taking a sip from his cup and sighing.

"What's this all about, Liam? How about you begin by telling us why you just up and left your duty as a royal guard one day without a word?" Elsa asked. Her question sounded more bitter and biting than she had intended, but Liam didn't seem offended. It wasn't that Elsa was particularly angry about what had happened two years ago, but she felt she had a responsibility as a monarch to uphold her rules or risk looking like a total pushover.

"Yes. I'll get there, but first, you should know why I joined in the first place. For starters, I wasn't born in Arendelle. I was born in Astor, in a small village west of the capitol. Like most of the kingdom, my family was very poor. There are very few legitimate means of making a good living in Astor, you see. Some live off the land or try to create cheap business with what limited goods we had – mostly fish and copper. My father was a fisherman and my mother a seamstress. They made an honest living, which is more than a lot of people can say. Unfortunately, many resort to crime. It's a rough place, even in Calidae, there are so many people without homes or anything of value. Stealing is quite common, but it is almost always out of necessity. There just isn't enough wealth to go around."

Both sisters were already about to burst with all the questions they had, but decided to let the man continue. Elsa had known already from her father's journal how poor the people of Astor were, but hearing about it firsthand was still unsettling. How could Sophie and Aaron let that happen when they so clearly were in no economic trouble themselves?

Liam took a sip of tea before continuing. "Anyway, one of the only honest ways to make good money is to join the military, and many young men do just that. I knew that I wanted to one day move to Calidae and join the royal guard, it was my dream ever since I was a young boy. However, it isn't easy to do. There are a lot of people with the same ambitions. When I came of age, I joined the militia. It was terrible at first, but at least I was fed every day. I wasn't moving up any time soon, or so I thought, but one day I got lucky. I was stationed at the entrance to my village when I got word that the prince and princess would be passing through. That was the day that sealed my fate."

"So you knew Aaron and Sophie, then?" Anna asked, and Liam chuckled.

"Indeed, I did, although it's strange to hear them called by their real names. To the people of Astor, Prince Aaron is known simply as the White Panther and Princess Sophie as the Black Swan. Many of the common folk wouldn't even know their real names if you were to ask them."

Elsa set down her teacup, suddenly very curious. "White Panther and Black Swan? Why would they ever take on such silly aliases?"

Liam shrugged. "I'm not sure of the exact origin. My guess it has something to do with their uncle spreading propaganda about his niece and nephew. Fear-mongering, I suppose, might be the appropriate term."

"Uncle? Don't you mean father?" Elsa asked.

"Ah. I am not surprised you have no knowledge of Alexander Sinclair, the king's brother. He probably wants it that way. Tell me, have you ever found any texts that chronicle the history of Astor or its royal family?"

Elsa recalled her frantic attempt to find out about the mysterious place two years ago. "Now that you mention it, no. The castle has history books about nearly everywhere except for Astor."

Liam shook his head. "That's exactly how he wants it. I'm not surprised. But I'll get to that."

"Right, sorry to interrupt," Anna said.

"It's quite alright. As I was saying, I was tasked with escorting the White Panther through my city. Why they chose me, I don't know, but it changed my life. You see, Aaron actually started talking to me, making conversation like I was his equal. He asked about my family, my hobbies… he was kind, which was something I would never have expected from the White Panther himself. Long story short, I ended up telling him that it was my dream to one day be a royal guard. Two weeks later, I was transferred to Calidae and began basic training as a castle guard. I knew it was no coincidence – Aaron had done me a favor, and my dream had come true… or so I thought at the time. I had known about the Fire Lord since I was a child – everyone did. But working at his home and being in his vicinity every day was… nothing short of traumatizing."

"Fire Lord?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right," Liam said, looking Elsa dead in the eyes. "This may be a shock to you, but you aren't the only ruler with powers like yours, Queen Elsa. Alexander Sinclair, Harold's brother, wields magic much like yours, only he commands fire, not ice – and he rules his kingdom with it through fear and destruction. King Harold's reign is an illusion, a farce, a cover-up for the truth. The kingdom belongs to Alexander and Alexander alone. He is ruthless, psychotic – even his own family is under his control for fear of being incinerated in an instant. I have witnessed his power first-hand. He has killed with the flick of a wrist and, worst of all, there is nobody strong enough to stand up to him."

Liam paused for a moment and let his confession sink in. The sisters were both left speechless. To think that Aaron and Sophie were directly related to a being like that was haunting in more ways than one, and Elsa was suddenly furious recalling what had happened on the rooftop before they left.

"That means… Aaron and Sophie are…" Elsa wasn't sure what to say next. Evil? Liars?

Liam continued. "Alexander Sinclair is obviously a monster, but the twins… I was never quite able to figure them out. Many fear them simply because they are members of the royal family. Alexander's cruelty was not exactly a secret, and he trained his niece and nephew from a young age to become deadly fighters. Those two are still the most skilled swordsmen I've ever come across in all my years as a military man. However, during my time in the castle of Calidae, I came to know them better than most. Aaron and Sophie were not simply pawns of their uncle, nor were they your average prince and princess. Several times they were seen sneaking out of the castle at night. Where they would go, I never found out, but the guards knew better than to do anything about it. God knows we weren't much more than decoration at the castle anyway. But the Panther and the Swan were always kind to the guards. I remember they brought us extra rations of food on our late night shifts and occasionally some wine from the kitchen even though we were never allowed to drink. I grew quite fond of them, in fact."

Elsa was slightly relieved to hear that, but her uneasiness was growing. "And the… 'real' king and queen? What about them?"

Liam snorted. "They might as well have been ghosts. Harold and Alma were kind folks, but they were rarely ever around. To me, it seemed like their only purpose was to fool visiting dignitaries or ambassadors. Otherwise, they simply lived in fear of Alexander just like the rest of us."

"That's horrible!" Anna shouted. "How could this be happening right under our noses!? Elsa, we have to do something!"

"Calm down, Anna. Remember, Astor is very far away and it sounds like this secret is enough to get Liam killed just for telling us."

Liam nodded gravely. "Working in Alexander's domain was… awful. Every time he entered a room, the temperature raised to ungodly levels. He was cruel to the guards, he would toy with us, give us completely ridiculous tasks. He kept some sort of… pet in the chambers. No, not a pet…a monster. It was a golem made entirely of molten rock, some sort of beast he had created with his powers… occasionally we would have to keep watch over it and it would just stare at you like you were a piece of meat…"

Elsa felt chills run up her spine hearing about what it could've been like if she had turned out the wrong way. A golem? Was that somehow similar to Marshmallow, the ice-beast she had created out of sheer panic?

"I haven't even gotten to the worst of it. The reason I'm here, in Arendelle, and not still trapped back in that hell hole… it isn't a pretty tale."

Anna was sitting at the edge of her seat now, completely captivated. "As you might already know, Queen Alma is no longer alive. I'm sure you've heard she fell ill or some other… bullshit…" Liam was growing upset now, temporarily letting his professional demeanor slip. His eyes were growing watery as he started to recall something.

"I-I'm sorry… but the truth is… Alma was murdered… by none other than Alexander, her own brother in law!" Anna gasped and threw her hand over her mouth. Elsa was equally shocked but showed less of a reaction, scrunching her face together.

"The only reason I know is because I was on duty that night. I'll never forget it. I was posted down the hall from the throne room, making my rounds like usual… there was some kind of argument - I could hear voices from behind the door yelling and screaming over something or other... Of course I couldn't get involved, I just had to listen and pretend it wasn't happening. I was merely a low ranking guard, after all. Then there was a burst of heat and… Alma's voice... and the twins… I heard her screams, I heard her beg for her life, I…" the man was struggling to continue.

"I couldn't stand to be in that castle any longer. Not with that monster. Not serving that monster. I would rather die. So I did what I always do, like the coward I am, I ran. The next day I sold my guard armor and almost everything I own to buy a boat. I scrounged up whatever supplies I could, I did some things I'm not proud of just to get what I needed, and I set sail within the week. That's how I came here."

"You sailed all the way from Astor to Arendelle… by yourself!?" asked Elsa, incredulous.

"Not exactly. I washed up on the shore of Penbrooke three days later and from there I travelled north looking for work. To this day I still don't know how I was able to survive that voyage, but somehow I did it. I guess the gods were on my side. Anyway, I worked odd jobs for a time, glad to be away from Astor and given a chance to start over. I did anything that would make me money, but most of my jobs involved delivering goods.

I eventually came to Arendelle about four years ago delivering carpets to a tavern. I decided to buy a drink at the bar before leaving and, by pure dumb luck, I happened to meet Captain Holdt there. He was off duty and was simply looking for someone to chat with. We started talking - I told him I was a former military man looking for work and, bless his soul, the man got me a job at the castle as a member of the royal guard. I owed him so much. That's how I came into your service, Majesty. Until…"

Elsa was a little put off by the informality of her guard captain's hiring process, but she decided to let it slide for now. She was finally putting the pieces together. "Until the White Panther and Black Swan showed up unexpectedly one day."

The former guard gave a solemn sigh in confirmation. "I panicked. Aaron and Sophie would surely have recognized me if they saw me and it's not like I could have easily avoided them. Those two have a knack for being where the weapons are at all times."

"But I thought you said the twins were kind to the guards? They probably wouldn't have even said anything," Anna suggested.

"It's possible, but I couldn't risk it. What if they charged me with treason? What if they deported me back to Astor? That would surely mean my life. Aaron may be forgiving but Sophie… she's one that follows the rules. And I broke the rules."

There was no counter argument there, and Anna and Elsa merely gave Liam a sympathetic look before he continued. "So, like I always do, I ran. Again. I fled from the castle, but I remained in Arendelle. I have grown quite fond of this place, after all. I found work as an ice harvester and have been living out here ever since," he gestured to the surrounding cabin.

"I even found myself a wife. Things have been… good. This is a life I never would have found in Astor. Queen Elsa, you have to understand that my desertion was not personal. I have remained loyal to you and this kingdom ever since. That's why I have found you today and told you all of this. Arendelle is my home, and you are my only queen." He placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head, sitting upright in his chair.

Despite her queenly responsibilities, Elsa had already made her decision regarding this man's life. "You have been through a lot, Liam. Stay. Live your life here in Arendelle, but remember that you owe it to the Snow Queen. I shouldn't have to remind you, however, that you are not to come to the castle again."

Liam looked visibly relieved. "Of course, Queen Elsa. I am yours for eternity."

"I do have one question though… why did you wait until now to come to us with this? Surely you could have found a way to speak to us earlier?"

Liam rubbed the back of his neck. "Partly due to fear. I am a coward when it all comes down to it. But also… your powers, I'm sure you know, are not only known to the people of Arendelle but other kingdoms as well. Word has spread about you, Majesty. I worry that if and when Alexander hears that there is another ruler like him out there…"

Elsa started. "You don't think he would go to war with us, do you?"

Liam shook his head. "I can't be sure. I was never exactly in the inner loop of the royal family of Astor, but there were rumors of other magic users called… Highborn, was it? Anyway, I didn't think they existed until you revealed yourself, but now... I can't see Alexander ignoring it. I had to tell you so you at least know he's out there and he may very well have you in his sights."

"Well we don't know if that's true, right? And even if he does, Elsa can handle him, I'm sure," Anna said, although her expression contradicted her optimism. There was a distinct uncertainty lingering in the room.

"Right. Liam, what you have told us is invaluable. Thank you." She glanced out the window and noticed it was now pitch black outside. "I believe we should be going now. Kai is probably having a panic attack," Elsa said, setting down her teacup and standing. Anna followed suit, her usually cheery demeanor faltering as the sisters made their way to the door. "There is also a certain letter that I feel the need to read..." she finished.

"I am forever indebted to you, my queen, my princess," said the former guard as the royal sisters saw themselves out, bowing to each of them deeply. Elsa and Anna returned the gesture with a slight head nod each.

"Goodbye, Liam," Elsa said.

Liam said just one more thing before closing the door - two words that echoed in Elsa's head the entire way home.

"Be careful."