"What is he thinking!?"

Elsa made her hundredth lap around her office as Anna watched dizzily from the sofa and pulled at her braids. "Just showing up, unannounced like this… I can't believe him!"

It was mid-morning and the queen had barely slept a wink, too busy trying to piece together all the events of the past few days and come up with any sort of plan on how to move forward. So far, her only course of action had been to pace around the castle nearly pulling her hair out while her poor rosy-cheeked sister followed her around pretending to be useful.

"Elsa, calm down," Anna coaxed. "I'm sure Aaron has an explanation. We just need to wait for him to wake up and ask what's going on."

"Anna, you don't understand. He's dangerous, we can't just talk to him over tea and biscuits like old pals. I have half a mind to lock him in prison as soon as he's conscious again."

"What!? Why?" Anna gasped, sounding oddly offended at the prospect. "Just because Aaron's uncle may be Arendelle's enemy doesn't mean he is. Maybe he's here to help."

"I'd like to believe that, Anna, I really would," Elsa sighed, sinking into the chair across from her sister and crossing her legs, putting a hand to her forehead in a dejected pose. "But that just can't be the case."

Anna frowned and folded her arms across her chest. The queen was thinking hard, head down and eyes sullen, and Anna knew that there was a memory racing through her mind.

She stood and sat down across from Elsa, leaning close. "There's something you aren't telling me, isn't there? About Aaron, about why the twins left Arendelle after their visit all that time ago?"

Elsa looked up at Anna and then the window. Even after all that time, the queen had never spoken to anyone about what had happened that night on the rooftop with Aaron and Sophie. Frankly, she never thought she would have to, but it seemed that everywhere she looked, the Sinclair family was there again, bringing back painful memories, like an itch that moves every time it's scratched. It was finally time to lay everything out in the open.

"Yes," Elsa said. "I'm sorry I never told you. I never had any reason to before… and I guess I figured it didn't matter anymore, I thought it was all over. What do you remember about Sophie and Aaron's last night at the castle?"

Anna thought for moment. "Hmm… Well, you and Aaron went off on a tour around the castle. I left you two alone because… well, you know." Elsa turned just the slightest bit red, remembering the excitement she felt about being alone with Aaron for the night. Anna continued, "Oh, right – I went off with Sophie instead. She was teaching me how to hold a sword that night in the barracks, I remember, and then she stepped out and said she'd be right back. Something was bugging her, I could tell, but I didn't think much of it. And then… she just never came back. The next morning, both the twins were gone and I never found out what happened."

Elsa nodded, looking a bit guilty. "That's because she came to the roof of the north tower where I was with Aaron… and tried to kill me."

Elsa paused, but Anna didn't give the startled gasp she was expecting. Instead, the redhead looked confused, scrunching her face up like she had just eaten a bad piece of fruit. "She tried to what you?"

"She tried to murder me!" Anna narrowed her eyes skeptically, and Elsa explained. "She saw my powers. Aaron had already known about them, that's why I asked him to stay in the castle in the first place. When Sophie spied on us and saw me creating snow, she snuck up and put a knife to my throat. She started talking about how I was a Highborn, how Aaron should have killed me already…" Elsa twisted her hands together. "I was so scared, I didn't know what was happening… but now it all makes sense… the Sinclairs have wanted me dead before they even knew who I was!"

Anna listened intently, never changing her expression. Her stoicism in response to her sister's near death was a little unnerving, Elsa thought, but Anna looked like she was thinking hard, trying to make sense of it all.

"I get it now…" Anna said. "Aaron already knew about your magic. But I'm confused, she tried to kill you, but she didn't. What stopped her?"

Elsa pondered for a moment. "Well… Aaron did. He said something about how I was different and suggested they just leave and keep everything a secret, which Sophie miraculously agreed to. I guess… he saved my life…"

Saying it out loud felt strange, but Elsa had never really thought about the fact that without Aaron, she wouldn't be alive right now. Elsa had been so caught up on being angry and hurt by what happened that she never stopped to think about the fact that Sophie – no, both the twins – had shown her mercy. They had kept her secret up until the Great Freeze at her coronation, after all.

Anna put a reassuring hand on Elsa's knee. "See? He can't be all bad. We have to at least try to trust him, for now. There's no way he came here on a dinky little boat to try and kill you. He must be here to help."

Elsa took a deep breath, feeling a little better about the situation. Yet somehow, it didn't make her less nervous about speaking to Aaron when he awoke. What would she even say?

Elsa had changed so much since she had met him two years ago. She remembered that weak little princess that could barely work up the courage to create a sprinkle of snow. The princess that cowered at even the thought of anyone seeing her magic. Now, she was an all-powerful Queen, adored by her people and feared by all others, a fully realized woman with all the confidence in the world – except when it came to Aaron, apparently.

"Thanks, Anna. You're right. I'll give him a chance. But if he even hints at having some kind of agenda, or siding with his uncle, I won't hesitate to throw him in prison."

Anna nodded and gave her sister a mission-accomplished grin. "Or, you could just freeze his handsome, pretty-boy face off," she giggled, attempting to get a rise from Elsa. The queen managed to only look mildly amused.

"Careful who you call handsome. Aren't you engaged?" Elsa teased, and Anna just smirked.

There was a knock at the door and Kristoff suddenly barged in without waiting for a response as if he had been summoned by the comment. He was slightly out of breath and looked a little embarrassed when the sisters both glared at him from the sofa.

"Speaking of…" Anna said.

"Hey, Elsa – erm, sorry to interrupt, but that prince guy just woke up in the infirmary and they told me to come get you right away," the mountain man said, and the sisters glanced at each other briefly before standing up to follow Kristoff out of the office.

The trio headed downstairs towards the infirmary where the Astor prince had been recovering for the past twenty-four hours since Captain Holdt had carried him there from the water. The castle's physician had said he was extremely dehydrated and malnourished, but was going to be alright, news that Elsa wasn't sure whether or not to be happy about at the time. Holdt had said Aaron was really out of it when he found him and kept mumbling about some book he had never heard of.

On the captain's orders, the guards searched the rubble for anything Aaron might have brought with him and only managed to find a small, beaten-down metal chest that they couldn't open without a key. Other than that, Aaron had nothing.

As Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff walked briskly down the steps and across the front hall to the east wing, Kristoff spoke up. "So what were you guys talking about anyway? And what's with this crazy prince guy? I always feel so out of the loop around here."

Anna grabbed her fiance's hand, falling into step with him, and hit him lightly in the chest. "I already told you about Aaron and his kingdom, dummy. Don't you pay attention to anything I say?"

"All you told me is that he's from Astor and his uncle wants to kill Elsa. I get the feeling there's a little more to the story than that. I mean, the guy nearly died sailing here and he's completely empty-handed. Doesn't exactly sound like an evil mastermind to me… If he's the bad guy, I'd say we're in pretty good shape. Right, Elsa?"

The queen didn't respond, too busy mentally preparing herself for the encounter she was about to have. There was a strange excitement in it that she couldn't explain, like the feeling you get right before you find out the answer to a riddle you couldn't quite solve. For some reason, as they opened the doors to the infirmary, Elsa found herself wishing she had changed out of the old, plain-blue dress and slippers she was wearing and done her hair rather than letting it fall lazily over one shoulder.

The infirmary was a seldom-used extension of the castle that consisted of only a few rooms that lined a single hallway. It was almost always deserted, especially considering the royal guard hadn't seen real combat in about a decade. Even Elsa hadn't been here herself since she had gotten the stomach flu as a kid – the faint smell of rubbing alcohol that hung in the air brought back the unpleasant memory.

A mousy looking nurse with a pair of round glasses scurried over and bowed as soon as the group arrived. "Your Majesties! The prince is this way. He's been asking for you," she said.

The nurse showed them to the room where Aaron was resting and then shuffled away quietly when Elsa dismissed her. The door was closed and Elsa just stood there staring at it for a few seconds, clenching and unclenching her fist. Anna noticed her hesitation and said, "Maybe you should talk to him alone first, Elsa. Kristoff and I can wait outside."

"No," Elsa spouted. "No, I… I'd rather you come with me. Anything he has to say to me, he can say to the two of you." With that, she pushed the door open.

Elsa wasn't sure exactly what she was expecting when she went inside, but it wasn't at all the sight in front of her. The room was nothing but a stone-walled cell with a window, a bed, and a nightstand, the floor a bit dusty from misuse and the lighting rather dim. Aaron was sitting up at the head of the bed and was in the middle of devouring an enormous piece of bread, spilling crumbs all over the sheets and into the long, unkempt beard that had taken over the bottom half of his face.

It had only been two years since Elsa had last seen Aaron, but he appeared to have aged six, his eyes sunken and his skin lined with stress. His hair was long and oily, coming down past his eyes and he must have weighed at least twenty pounds less than before. He almost looked like a homeless man who had somehow snuck his way into the castle and had just been caught stealing food mid-bite, wide-eyed and embarrassed. Despite his derelict appearance, he lit up at the sight of Elsa and she could see tell from the twinkle in his green eyes he was the same old charming prince he always was.

He swallowed the humongous bite of bread abruptly and almost choked. "Elsa! You look… different," he said, and his eyes flickered towards Anna who was giving him a suggestive look. "I-it's a good different. You look well. And Anna, it's great to see you. I would get up, but I'm still a little…"

"No, no! It's okay," Anna said, stepping past Elsa and leaning down to hug Aaron who awkwardly hugged her back from his sitting position, blushing underneath his newly grown facial hair. "It's good to see you, too."

Aaron looked noticeably relieved at the friendly greeting, but Elsa still hung back reluctantly. "Hi, Aaron," she managed, and he was appeased for the moment.

The prince finally looked to Kristoff, who was standing by the door and trying not to look grumpy. "And you must be that strong fellow that carried me in from where I crashed. I owe you a thank-you," Aaron said to him.

"Me? Uhh, no, you got the wrong guy, but I'll be sure to pass the message to Captain Holdt," Kristoff replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Aaron, this is my fiancé, Baron Kristoff Bjorgman," Anna chimed in, coming to stand by the blonde man.

"I see. A pleasure to meet you, Baron Bjorgman," Aaron said, and Kristoff resisted rolling his eyes.

"Great, now that we've all met, I think you've got a lot of explaining to do, Aaron," Elsa stated, turning the mood of the room instantly.

Aaron frowned, turning his attention back to his bread. "Right. I had a feeling you'd want to get straight to the point. I will explain, of course, but first, I need to open my chest, and I'm afraid I must have lost the key in the crash," he said, pointing out the metal chest sitting in the corner of the room that the others had failed to notice at first. It looked banged up but firmly intact, although still a little wet.

"And what's in it that's so important?" Elsa asked.

"You know, just a few odds and ends. Some food, a compass, my dagger… Oh, and a very interesting book about the very nature of your existence, Elsa. It's called A History of Royal Magic by Agatha Paddik."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, trying to hide how intrigued she was just form hearing the title. "You say you lost the key?" she asked, walking over to the chest to inspect it. It was about three feet wide and two feet high and was held closed by a sturdy metal handlock attached to the front with a rather large keyhole.

Aaron nodded. "I'm afraid without it, that chest is nearly impenetrable. It will take hours to –"

Before he could finish his sentence, Elsa flicked a wrist, casting a chill that crept over the lock and caused it to crackle over with magical ice. As soon as it was encased in cold, she clenched her fist and shattered the ice, causing the entire lock to be obliterated as little pieces of frozen metal scattered across the dusty floor. Before Aaron could protest, Elsa had the chest open and was digging through its contents.

"Or, you know, that could also… work. You really are the Snow Queen now, aren't you?" Aaron said.

The first thing Elsa noticed in the chest was a beautiful sheethed knife the size of her forearm with a black handle imbued with a red jewel and the flame symbol of Astor decorating the hilt. She picked it up carefully and ran a hand across the material.

"My dagger, Belle," Aaron pointed out.

"Your dagger's name is Belle?" Anna asked, peaking over Elsa's shoulder. Kristoff had to stifle a giggle.

Aaron shrugged and said, "What? I let Sophie name it when we were twelve. I guess it looked pretty, or something."

Placing the dagger gently on the ground, Elsa rummaged through some scrolls and various other objects until she saw the only book in the chest. It was a rather large tome with a purple cover and golden script. Elsa marveled at what she was holding in her hands: A History of Royal Magic. A history of the Highborn.

She turned back to Aaron and plopped the book on his lap. "There. Now, how about telling us why you're here," she said, trying to sound less demanding and more curious.

Aaron just frowned and continued nibbling at his bread.

"Whoever bakes this bread deserves a raise, you know," he said. "It really is better than anything I've had in Astor. Oh, and that nurse with the glasses is just the kindest woman. Did you know she likes to crochet in her spare time?"

Elsa folded her arms. "Aaron…" she said, realizing that the prince probably didn't need to open the chest before talking at all. He was stalling. For what reason, Elsa could only guess.

The prince sighed. "Fine, fine. Sorry for trying to have a moment before we get to the impending doom portion of the conversation."

"Impending doom?" Anna asked.

"Oh, it's just an expression. Sort of. I'm assuming you read my letter, Elsa?"

Elsa rubbed her arm sheepishly. "Er, well… I didn't get to that until… recently."

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "How recently?" he asked.

Three sets of eyes drilled into Elsa as she chose her next words. "I read it yesterday. But I already know about Alexander and his rule over Astor. Anna and I spoke with one of your former royal guards not long ago about the fire lord's powers and all the horrible things he's done. I can't believe you lied to us about who you were, you lied about everything!"

Aaron didn't say anything for a moment, staring out the window at the less-than-impressive view of the barracks courtyard. "We lie to the world, Elsa. We have no choice. It's good that you already know, though, that saves me from having to explain everything. Still, this is going to be harder than I thought," he finally said.

"What's going to be harder than you thought, exactly?" Elsa asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Aaron just looked at her for a second as he finished his chunk of bread. "Astor will be invading in two month's time."

"Two months!?" Anna and Elsa yelled in unison.

"Whoa," was all Kristoff could manage.

"Yes. Two months," Aaron stated, sounding much too calm and collected for someone delivering such awful news. "And I'm talking about a full-scale attack. My uncle's military is more powerful now than I've ever seen it. He's got some kind of agreement with a certain prince from the Southern Isles who has been funneling him money."

Anna and Elsa met eyes as soon as they heard the words 'Southern Isles.'

"Hans," Anna hissed as if the very mention of his name caused her mouth to burn.

"Yes, the Westerguard son, that's the one," Aaron confirmed. "You… know him?"

Elsa responded, "You could say we know him too well. He was the cause of everything that went wrong during the Great Freeze. He was going to marry Anna and kill me to take the throne. But how could he possibly have money to give away, wasn't he declared a criminal by his father after he returned home?" she asked, directing her question to Anna who merely shrugged.

Aaron rubbed his beard, looking intrigued. "My knowledge of the Great Freeze is limited, but I did know that Hans was a criminal. I was curious myself about how he was getting all that money. So, about six months ago, I visited the Southern Isles under the pretense of signing a trade agreement to find out more about my uncle's new benefactor. I knew there was something fishy about him. Apparently, Hans has created this sort of 'Penitence Prince' outlook for himself in his home kingdom, saying he's trying to change his ways and become a better person."

Anna scoffed and rolled her eyes, but let Aaron continue. "I never found out what exactly he had done, but it didn't seem to hurt his popularity among the people of the Southern Isles. The guy is adored by everyone, and the royal family seems to have completely turned a blind eye to his past crimes. He just had to put on that false humility guise and bam – people fall under his spell, just like that."

"That's Hans for you," Elsa said. "He's a master manipulator. Somehow I'm not surprised he's got his freedom."

"He's also a liar. He has some kind of charity fund that he claims is going towards helping the poor all across the Northern Kingdoms, but really, he's been forging documents and sending all of the money to Astor. I suppose if he has a vendetta against you, Elsa, then it all makes sense. He's working with Alexander to attack Arendelle," Aaron concluded.

Kristoff jumped in, sounding a little annoyed. "If you knew Hans was doing that, why didn't you tell anyone in the Southern Isles? If he gets caught, he won't be able to send money to your uncle."

Aaron shook his head. "He'd be able to get me thrown in prison if I publicly accused him, not to mention my uncle would know it was me. And I didn't have enough evidence to tip King Berthold off anonymously. Hans is smart, he has everything meticulously in place to keep up the ruse. The only reason I know is because I've seen him in Astor, meeting with my uncle. He's also taken a strange liking to my sister…"

Anna stamped her foot and fumed. "Ugh, he's such a creep! If I ever see his ugly, side-burned, smug little face again, I swear to GOD –"

Kristoff grabbed Anna by the shoulders. "Alright, warrior-princess, save it for later." Then he turned back to Aaron. "Speaking of your sister, I guess I'll be the one to ask the big question: Where is she? I mean, why are you here and she's not? I've never met her, but I got the impression you two were, ya know… partners in crime?"

Aaron put his head back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. "I tried to convince her to come with me…"

"No," Anna breathed. "Don't tell me she's actually on your uncle's side!"

"Make no mistake, Fi is no friend of our uncle. But she is loyal to her people. She will always be on Astor's side, and she saw coming here as a desertion of our kingdom. She couldn't bring herself to leave our father alone with Alexander. She couldn't bring herself to leave her people to suffer. I tried to explain that by helping you, I am helping our people, but she just doesn't see it that way. I couldn't convince her."

Elsa frowned, a genuine sadness washing over her. She had secretly hoped that Princess Sophie would be with Aaron, at least in spirit. She wanted to believe in the good in the princess that she had seen during her time in Arendelle, but apparently it was not there.

"So next time we see her, she will be our enemy," Elsa concluded, and the others silently agreed, downtrodden. Anna looked especially hurt by the news, eyes wet with tears, but she didn't protest. Sophie was simply out of her reach.

After a moment, Aaron said, "My people are sick, you know. There's a disease spreading through the kingdom, killing thousands every month, and the only sure-fire remedy we know of is the icebloom flower."

"That's terrible! Why didn't you tell us?" asked Elsa. "We could've made sure your people got all of the icebloom they needed. It's not exactly in short supply here. But now I guess it's too late…"

"That's actually ultimately the reason I'm here," Aaron said. "My uncle knew about the icebloom coming from Arendelle and started intercepting the shipments. When I found that out, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. That's what caused me to speak out against Alexander. He… didn't take it so well, as I expected. I was banished from my own castle. It was only a matter of time before he deemed me a traitor and killed me. So, with Fi's help, I grabbed what I could and left, hopping on the first ship I could find to come here."

"So your sister knows you're here, and that means Alexander does, too," Elsa said and Aaron nodded. "What a mess. But why would your uncle, the ruler of an entire kingdom, want to stop his people from curing themselves?"

Aaron shook his head. "What you have to understand is that Alexander Sinclair is a deeply disturbed man. I've been trying to decipher him for twenty-four years and I've never gotten any closer to figuring him out. I've learned not to question his actions anymore."

Before anyone could speculate further, a familiar voice came calling from down the hall. "Anna! Elsa! Where are you guys?"

"Uh-oh," Krisoff said, opening the door to take a look. "I don't know if this is exactly the time for –"

He was cut off by Olaf dashing through the door and bouncing into the center of the room. "There you guys are. I've been looking all over for you!" He spotted Aaron on the bed and asked Elsa in a not-so-quiet whisper, "Who's the smelly hobo?"

Elsa was about to berate Olaf for his rudeness, but Aaron started laughing and studied the snowman with child-like amusement. "Wow. I've seen a lot of things in my days, including magical beings, but I never thought I'd see a talking snowman. You really do have a talent, Elsa," he said. Then, he shifted unexpectedly and swung his feet out to sit on the side of the bed, wincing in discomfort.

"Hey there, little guy. I'm… Aaron," he said. Elsa had a feeling he left out his formal title on purpose. "I'm an old friend of Elsa and Anna's."

"Oh," said Olaf, coming closer. "I didn't know Anna and Elsa had hobo friends! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Aaron laughed again, genuinely amused by Olaf's bluntness. Anna knelt down next to the snowman and said, "Olaf! He's not a hobo, he's a prince, and you should be nice to him."

As Aaron stretched his arms out and Anna started explaining the baffling physics of Olaf's limb detachment, reality started to sink in for Elsa. She only had two months before her kingdom was under attack. Two months before she would be faced with the first act of war on Arendelle in more than ten years, and she had absolutely no military experience.

She was terrified, and wished more than anything she could speak to her father. But she couldn't show weakness. Instead, she needed to act like a queen.

She needed to take action.

"I need everyone to listen carefully," she said, and the others immediately gave her their attention. "We have a lot to do and I'm going to need all of your help. Arendelle is in danger. Anna, I'm going to put you in charge of the public. We need to make sure the city is ready to evacuate if necessary, but we can't have a panic. Alert the people, but make sure they don't know everything."

Anna nodded. "Leave it to me."

"Kristoff, I need you to fill Captain Holdt in on everything and make sure he starts preparing the military. Also, get your ice harvesters gathered in the castle and start thinking of ways to fortify the castle," Elsa ordered.

"I'm on it," the mountain man said. "I'll also send word to Grand Pabbie. I'm not sure if the Trolls will want to get involved, but it can't hurt to let them know what's going on."

Elsa nodded in approval, then knelt to speak to Olaf who was looking around confused. "Olaf, I have a very important task for you," she said.

"M-me? Okay!"

"I need you to take Sven and go to my ice castle at the North Mountain and find Marshmallow. Bring him back with you, we're going to need him."

Olaf nodded excitedly. "It's been so long since I've seen my big brother! I'll go right now!" he exclaimed and then disappeared into the hallway.

Finally, Elsa turned to Aaron. "Lastly, I need you on your feet as soon as possible. We'll start tomorrow."

"I'm feeling much better already. But what exactly are we starting tomorrow?" he asked.

Elsa took a deep breath. She had mulled it over during the conversation and come to one conclusion: the only way this would end would be for Alexander himself to be stopped, and there was only one person who could do that. Whether she liked it or not, she was a Highborn.

She was the cause of all of this.

And she was the only weapon they had.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."