Astrid stared out the window overlooking Arendelle, biting her lip worriedly. Her plan had changed so many times in the past 48 hours that she could hardly keep track. It was so cold and dark that she couldn't even tell night from day anymore. The whole town had locked themselves inside, and the castle was flooded with the poor who didn't have the means to stay warm. At this point, venturing outside was too dangerous, which is why the sudden flash of color and movement caught her eye. Two horses galloped over the bridge and into the courtyard, where servants instantly ran out and caught them. Astrid felt a stab of fear as she recognized them as Hiccup and Rapunzel's horses. She had been relying on them to help Jack end the winter, and if their mission had failed… Suddenly, four men on horseback raced through the open doors and disappeared into the town, and she was instantly suspicious. She ran to Rapunzel's room and found some warm clothes and a coat, hoping that no one would recognize whose they were. In the main hall, she found the children's old nanny crying.

"What's happened?" Astrid asked.

"The two horses have returned," the woman cried. "They returned without the children!"

"I saw people leaving the city, who were they?"

"The Duke of Wesselton, ma'am," the woman said, trying to regain her composure. "He is determined to put an end to the storm. He's sent some of his men to…I think they're going to…to kill Jack."

Astrid looked up in alarm. That would not guarantee the end to the winter. In fact, it might curse them to an endless winter. Hadn't she heard people muttering about a prophecy of some sort? Then another thought occurred, the Duke had not come straight to her this time, but had gone around her authority, fraudulent as it was. Were they on to her? Did they know?

"Don't worry," she found herself saying. "I'll stop them. Tell the others that I believe the royal family is in trouble and have gone to rescue them."

She threw open the doors and struggled against the wind to reach the stables. There, she mounted a roan named Stormfly and took off after the Duke's men before they messed things up further.

Jack had no idea how long it had been since Hiccup had left. He snapped out of it when he heard a loud commotion outside. Immediately, he was on guard, running out to the balcony to get a better view. Four men were fighting his snow bunny on the stairs, but before he could do anything, they managed to push Bunny over the edge and into the chasm. Petrified, Jack watched as they shattered the gate to the ground and surveyed the courtyard with crossbows at the ready. He moved into action, spinning the ice cannons around and pelting the intruders with snowballs. Shouting, the men headed straight for the palace doors and burst inside.

Jack waited on the balcony, not sure what to do. He could run and build another castle deeper in the mountains, but what if Rapunzel needed to find him again? No. He had to stay. Calmly, he moved back inside and stood in the center of the snowflake, directly beneath the chandelier. If it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they would get. Soon, two of the soldiers kicked open the door.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can do this..." Jack ducked as they let loose their arrows. Looking up, he saw a sharp spear of ice had stopped the arrows just before they pierced him. "So, the hard way, then."

He waved his hands, creating other walls of ice to block them. One he managed to pin against the wall, the tip of his ice slowly reaching for the man's neck. Then he created an ice block and used its force to push the second fighter out to the balcony. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him.

"Jack!" a feminine voice called out. "You don't have to do this! Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

Jack turned to see Astrid, concerned but not afraid. He realized with a start how angry he was, and how close he had come to killing too innocent men. He stopped the ice from moving any further and tried to catch his breath, tried to calm down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man pinned to the wall raise his crossbow. Before he could react, Astrid leapt to stop him and deflected the arrow upwards. There was a crack in the ice, and Jack looked up to see the chandelier falling. He tried to jump out of the way but for once didn't get traction on the ice. He felt the ice break of his head before he blacked out.

"You idiots!" Astrid screamed. "We can't kill him yet! What if the only way to stop the winter is to have him do it? What happens if when we kill him we lose our only chance at ending this storm?"

"Why would he unfreeze the kingdom?" sneered the man who looked in charge. He was breaking the icicles around him to get free.

"Right, because this was obviously his malicious plan all along," she said sarcastically. She looked down at Jack sympathetically. "I don't think he's a bad person. He's only trying to do what's best for his family. He just made a few mistakes along the way."

She bent down and picked him up easily, glaring at the Duke's mercenaries as she did so. "Now, help me get him back to Arendelle."

"Why should we answer to you? You're only in charge thanks to a fluke," the second man scoffed.

Astrid narrowed her eyes at them. "The way things are going, if this turns out to be an official abdication, then Prince Henry, my fiancé, will be crowned king. Which makes me the future queen of Arendelle, so if you still wish to continue our trade deal, then watch. your. tongue."

She turned on the spot and marched out defiantly, feeling satisfied as she heard the men follow her meekly.

Jack woke a few hours later, his back aching from the uncomfortable stone bed. Blinking, he looked around and realized he was in one of the dungeons in Arendelle. He sat up and looked down at the manacles enclosing his hands and binding him to the floor. Sadly, he moved to the window and peered out into the frozen wasteland and shivered in horror.

"What have I done?" he whispered.

The door behind him opened and Astrid slipped in. Jack decided he needed to trust her as an ally, regardless of her intentions with his brother. He doubted that would matter any more.

"Astrid, please," he begged. "You have to let me go!"

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really, truly am. But I just barely managed to stop the Duke of Wesselton from killing you." She moved to the window and stared out distractedly. "The people are freezing and some deaths have already been reported. I'm under a lot of pressure by the other political leaders to do something."

"Wait, you make it sound like you're in charge now. Where are Kristoff and Anna?"

Astrid hesitated. "They went after you when Hiccup and Rapunzel did not return," she said.

"You mean they haven't come back yet?" Jack asked, voice rising.

There was one tiny shred of hope he was still clinging on to, taken from a snippet of conversation he had heard when Elsa was dying. True love's kiss. Maybe, just maybe that would be enough to save Hiccup.

"No, and honestly I'm starting to get worried," Astrid said. This, at least, was the truth. She knew Jack would abdicate the throne, which would make her heir as soon as she married Hiccup. But she needed him alive for that.

"You should be. Because I accidentally froze his heart," he cried, voice breaking. "He's dying. The only thing that can save him now is..." He closed his eyes. "Is for you to kiss him. True love is the only thing that will save him. And then, you two can convince the others to let me go. The farther away I get from the kingdom the safer it will be."

Astrid swallowed, feeling a rising sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. "I'll do my best," she promised, leaving him in peace.

She quickly marched back through the castle with a new sense of urgency. A maid stopped her just before she tried to slip away.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, m'lady," she apologized. "But the Duke of Wessleton is demanding to see you, and the kitchen is starting to run out of soup. We don't know what to do, ma'am, as all the royals have left."

"Oh...of course," she said, smiling. "Please, lead me to the Duke so I may address him."

Astrid looked back over her shoulder worriedly, but resisted the urge to leave. Instead, she slipped back into the part of the helpful fiancée, although it was just a shell masking the panic she felt inside.

The winds were picking up and Hiccup could see the snow cloud building around Arendelle as Toothless fought his way into the middle of the storm. He had no idea what had happened since he left Jack, but apparently something had happened to make him this upset.

"How are you feeling, Hiccup?" Rapunzel yelled from Angus' back.

He gave her a shaky thumbs up, barely able to smile reassurance. He knew it was absolutely killing Rapunzel to not be able to heal him. They had no trouble making it through town, as it seemed everyone had sought refuge inside. Finally, they glided over the ramparts and landed in the courtyard, Rapunzel yelling at the guards to open the gates for her and Angus. Servants rushed from the hall and surrounded them, helping Hiccup down and wrapping him in a blanket, ushering him inside.

"Well, is best be going then," Merida said.

"No, please, stay," Rapunzel begged. "I still owe you a sled. The servants will take care of the animals."

Merida nodded-Toothless was looking a little tired and hungry-and led them to the stables. Rapunzel turned to follow Hiccup, but found the captain of the guard waiting for her.

"Your majesty, I'm afraid I have bad news. Things are not right in the castle. It's your parents."

"What about them?" Rapunzel said, gulping.

"They've disappeared."

The servants led Hiccup to the library, where Astrid had been conversing with the other diplomats. As soon as she saw him, she ordered everyone to clear the room and ran to his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked breathlessly, helping him to the couch.

"Jack's magic," he coughed, trying to feel the warmth of the fire. "It hit me. The only way to save my life is true love's kiss." Astrid looked away, unable to hide her guilt. "Astrid?"

"I'm sorry, Hiccup," she said. "I really, really am. But I don't love you."

"What?"

Astrid went to the window, something she'd been doing a lot lately. "I'm not even royalty," she confessed. "I just saw a good opportunity to support my family. I wasn't even after your hand in marriage, I was just trying to be your friend. And now my siblings are freezing to death and I'm not there to help them."

"I'm freezing to death, but I'm right here!" Hiccup insisted, horrified and shocked at what he was hearing.

"I can't help you," she cried. "I'm not cruel. I don't want you to die, you seem like a really nice person. But there's nothing I can do."

"You could at least try," he said, feeling small.

"I'm sorry. But I think I found a way to end this storm, and that's my top priority."

Defeated, Hiccup sank into the pillows, too cold to argue. Sighing, Astrid left, locking the door behind her. She stumbled down the hall in shock, hardly believing what she had done and what she was about to do. But it had to be done for her siblings to survive. A few rooms away, she found the foreign leaders quietly talking amongst themselves.

"Prince Henry," she gasped, leaning on the door for support. "Has died."

A round of horrified gasps. The prince from the Northern Isles helped her to a chair.

"What happened?" the Duke of Wesselton asked shrewdly.

"King Jack blasted him with his ice magic and froze his heart," she said, managing to pull up a few tears. "He died in my arms...shortly after we completed the marriage ceremony."

"Married?" the others echoed.

"Yes. He wanted to ensure I would be taken care of."

"In that case, your majesty," the prince from the Southern Isles said. "You are truly in charge of the kingdom."

"Arendelle looks to you, m'lady," the Duke of Wessleton said. "We need to stop this winter. What shall you have us do?"

"With a heavy heart," she began, closing her eyes and pausing for a moment. "I accuse King Jack of treason and...sentence him to death."

Jack curled up on the stone slab that served as a prisoner bed and sang quietly to himself.

"Sadness swirls within me like the snow

I've frozen out the only friend I'll ever know

There's no way I can win

But I wish that I had been there for him long ago

Life's too short..."

A few stories above, a gust of wind blew open the window and extinguished the candles and what little flames flickered in the embers of the fire. Hiccup tried to move closer to to the fire, but with no strength left only succeeded in falling off the couch. Teeth chattering, he tried singing to keep warm.

"Life's too short

To be such an oblivious fool

So reckless that I couldn't see

Life's too short to be so desperate to be loved

That I only ever thought of me

I wish I saw things clearly

I guess I'm just not the sort

Now all I know is...life's...too...short," he ended in a whisper, unable to move any part of his body.

Suddenly the doors were unlocked and Rapunzel and Merida poked their heads in, looking around. Rapunzel gasped and rushed over to Hiccup, quietly singing so her hair already glowed by the time she reached him. Hiccup felt a faint surge of warmth, at least enough to let him talk.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered. "Astrid...doesn't love me."

"She's a peasant from here, in Arendelle," Merida said. "Ah finally remembered. Too late, it seems."

"Nothing can help me now."

"Astrid is planning to kill Jack," Rapunzel said. "I heard her sentence him to death just a few minutes ago, and they headed down to the dungeons."

"What?" Hiccup gasped, horrified. "They can't!"

Just then a loud explosion rocked the castle. Merida ran to the window and looked down.

"Turns out they can't," she confirmed. "That was your brother blowing a huge hole in the wall to escape."

"I've got to go after him," Hiccup said, trying to stand.

"You can't!" Rapunzel said.

"Maybe I can convince Astrid not to kill him. Maybe I can convince Jack he does have the power to melt the snow. Maybe..." he swallowed. "I can at least let him know that I don't hate him. Maybe then he won't hate himself."

"You're dying," Rapunzel said gently, tears streaming down her face. Stay here and at least let me try to find my parents so they can say goodbye."

Hiccup shook his head stubbornly and managed to get on his feet. "If I'm going to die, I'm going to die with my brother."

"Stubborn as a Scot," Merida said, shaking her head in disbelief. She stuck her head out the window and whistled. "Toothless!" she yelled.

Eagerly, the dragon flew from the stables and landed on the windowsill, squeezing through the narrow gap and ready to help.

"Rapunzel, you and Hiccup go."

"But I don't know how to fly a dragon!"

"No time to argue, jest get on!" Merida snapped. "Keep Hiccup alive until you find Jack. Toothless should help, too."

"You've never let anyone fly on Toothless without you," Hiccup said.

"Yah; well first time for everything. Thank me later. Now go!"