Eugene made his way through the castle, appreciating the colorful decorations as he made his way to his room. An early dinner would be served soon, due to the celebration tonight, and he needed to wash up from his recent excursion with Kristoff and Rapunzel. He had instantly taken a shine to the ice deliverer, though on the surface it seemed as if they were opposites. Eugene had found, however, that they both possessed a sense of adventure, an admiration for beauty, and a knack for falling in love with princesses they didn't deserve.

Light shone through an open window in the hallway and Eugene looked through the glass to see the castle's courtyard. Two figures ran across the gray stones, and he instantly identified them as Rapunzel and Olaf. Rapunzel had been completely enamored with the little snowman and did anything he wanted; there was no telling what he wanted to show her now.

The squeaking of a door drew Eugene's attention down the hallway. People came pouring out of a set of double doors, all looking very solemn, apart from two. Elsa and Anna exited last, walking much slower than the rest of the crowd. Eugene could hear the sound of their laughter and continued to look on as they hugged. Anna then turned down the next hallway, Elsa looking on with her hands clasped behind her back. After the younger sister was out of sight, Elsa hung her head, like she was deflated, and slumped her shoulders.

Eugene hesitated. If he kept walking past Elsa, she would know he had seen her sign of weakness. Maybe he could just turn around and go another way…

Too late. Elsa must have realized someone else was nearby because she straightened and turned to look at him. Forcing a smile, she folded her hands in front of her.

"Eugene. I'm glad to see you."

He walked toward her and smiled. "I was just walking back to my room to get ready for dinner. " He nodded at the room everyone had just walked out of. "Everything go okay in there?" He had chosen his words carefully, going with a serious question rather than a joke. The hurt and confusion in Elsa's eyes told him she was in a delicate mood.

"Yes, fine. Thank you." She nodded slowly. "I won't keep you any longer." She turned to walk away, but Eugene stayed planted. He couldn't get her defeated look out of his head.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" It rushed out of his mouth before he could stop it, yet even more evidence of the kindness which being with Rapunzel had ingrained in him.

Elsa paused and looked at him. She opened her mouth to reply, but then seemed to think better of it. She took a step closer to him, her eyes now wide and displaying her vulnerability. "Maybe…some advice?"

Eugene crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. He still wasn't thrilled at the idea of being alone with the Snow Queen, but maybe helping her would secure his place on her good side. "Sure. What do you need?"

She sighed and clasped her hands together. Her eyes wouldn't meet his own. "It's Arendelle. My kingdom is…dying." She finally looked at him, her eyes glassy. "The freeze killed all of our natural resources. We have nothing to trade and nothing to feed our people with. It will be at least a year before we can get on our feet again, but I fear we won't even last that long." She shook her head as the hallway grew noticeably colder. "I don't know what to do."

Eugene swallowed hard. He wasn't quite sure what he had expected, but it wasn't that. He knew she was asking him because he was the Prince of Corona, one of the wealthiest kingdoms there was, but he couldn't see a way out of this one. "What does Anna think?" he asked instead.

"She doesn't know. She came to the meeting very late when we had already changed the subject, and I don't have the heart to tell her." By this time, Eugene could tell that Elsa was using every ounce of strength she had in her body to keep herself from breaking down. He had seen the same look on Rapunzel's face dozens of times, and knew it wouldn't be pretty when Elsa lost it. He wished that he had Rapunzel with him so that she could comfort her cousin.

Eugene tried to think of something, anything that he had learned over the past few years that would help Arendelle, but he had never seen a kingdom in so desperate a situation. Unless they received aid from somewhere it would be impossible…

Wait a minute. He was the Prince of Corona!

"Rapunzel and I can help," he offered in a gentle voice, glad to see Elsa's expectant expression fill with hope. "I'm sure that if we write to Corona and tell them what's happened, the King and Queen will send over supplies immediately."

Elsa's brow furrowed. "But I couldn't pay you back… Not for a long time, anyway."

He shrugged. "Then don't. You're not just another kingdom; you're family. The King and Queen will love this chance to do something for you."

The Queen of Arendelle actually smiled. "Do you really think so?"

He chuckled, thinking about how Rapunzel's parents were the kindest people he had ever met. "Yes, I do. We'll write to them tonight and have the boat leave first thing in the morning."

Elsa sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Eugene, I don't know how I could ever thank you."

"There's no need to. Family, right?" He offered her his hand and she shook it tentatively. Just as she pulled away, Anna came running around the corner.

"Elsa! Oh, hi Eugene," she said between breaths as she skidded to a stop beside them. "Elsa," she said, turning to her sister. "Kristoff's coming for dinner, okay? I just need to get him and then I'll be ready!" Giving Elsa no time to answer, Anna sprinted down the hallway and was out of sight in seconds.

Eugene chuckled, Anna reminding him so much of Rapunzel. Elsa joined in with his laughter, shaking her head.

"Well, I suppose I should let you get ready for dinner," Elsa said with a smile. "And thank you, again."

Eugene smiled, feeling pretty good about himself. He knew Rapunzel would be right on board with helping Arendelle. "It's nothing, really. All I did was remember that I'm the Prince of Corona."

Eugene chuckled along with Elsa, and he thought in that one moment that maybe they were more alike than he would have ever thought.