Trembling with the unexpected revelation from Lord Harald and exhausted from the effort of getting the noble to rest again—only after she assured him over and over that she already had guards posted at his door—, Elsa left the guestroom and carefully closed the door behind her. She didn't notice immediately, although her senses warned her something was off. When she actually looked on either side of the closed door, the two guards she'd promised Harald were absent. She assumed the danger then and quickly swept her hand across Harald's door to seal it with ice. Knowing what limited time she likely had, Elsa headed right toward the corridor that would take her to the main stairwell. She kept to the middle of the hallway, not wanting to be too near any of the closed doors on either side of her lest she be caught off guard.

Elsa almost cleared the corridor when she saw a head of blonde hair coming up the stairs below. She hesitated a breath too long before she moved on as though her original path had been up, not down.

"Your Majesty?" Liam called after her. She could hear it in his voice; he thought she knew, and so she could not stop. He wanted to confirm it by seeing her face.

The queen pretended not to hear him call her. In fact, something compelled her to skip a couple of steps and lunge upward. As she did it, she felt resistance followed by the tearing of her dress train. Gasping as she stumbled, Elsa whirled around to find Liam's dagger had pinned her dress to the step she'd leapt from. She searched Liam's face, surprised by the sourness there. He had to have been around her age—fair for a man, more so than handsome. He didn't look a thing like his uncle. Elsa did not recall even making his acquaintance, which he must have known would go in his favor.

"I... I don't want to hurt you. Please—" Elsa begged as the young man wriggled his dagger in the step before prying it up for his next swipe, tearing away more of her dress with a snarl.

"Your power can't touch me, Your Majesty." Liam laughed out her title as he lunged for her.

Elsa threw her hands up, silvery tendrils of magic swirling around them only to fizzle out and fade before they reached the fake manservant. She realized just in time to roll out of the path of his weapon, pushing herself up off the stairs only to be yanked back down by her hair.

The queen screeched and kicked at his arm, watching with relief and victory as the dagger flew out of his hand and over into the next stairwell. She tried kicking him in a more vulnerable place next. But with a vengeful growl, Liam slammed his boot right into her stomach.

Elsa heaved, unable to even buckle up in pain as Liam held her put and leaned down with his hands circling around her neck.

Why? Why did this man hate her so much—enough to assume the identity of a new manservant just to exact revenge upon her? It was his uncle that committed a wrong, not her. It'd been the Duke of Weselton who assumed the worst of her power and ordered his men to kill her.

As she felt his hands tighten around her throat, Elsa squinted and dug at his iron-grip fingers, not seeing the least bit of a resemblance between Liam and the duke. If Lord Harald hadn't told her, she never would have made the connection herself. Apparently Harald only learned about Liam's identity when he confronted his manservant about throwing out Elsa's letter. The knowledge did little good for her now, of course.

"My uncle only wanted to expand trade between our kingdoms. When you set off your blizzard, he acted in your kingdom's best interest," Liam said, oddly calm as his hands squeezed her neck. Elsa gagged and continued clawing at his hands, weakly kicking beneath him as she tried to think of what to do. "You're the one who put your people in danger. Your sister should be on the throne, not you. Funny how she's conveniently disappeared along with Prince Hans... you can fool Lord Harald and the rest of your court, Your Majesty, but you can't fool Weselton."

Elsa teared up now as she ached for air, unable even to gasp at the crushing pain in her throat. But what could she do? She couldn't cry for help; her magic wouldn't work on him. What would Anna do?

Elsa's eyes widened over a memory of little Anna jumping from snow hill to snow hill. Suddenly, she glared at Liam with cold determination that took him by surprise.

A second off his guard was all Elsa needed. She pushed her arm up and summoned a snow hill beneath her that drove her up and away from Liam. She quickly sucked in a deep breath and rolled back, grappling for the banister to pull herself up. She didn't wait to see if Liam recovered right away. She turned and bolted for the third level with Liam's shouts following her.

Anna jumped up in bed and sucked in a deep gasp for air, hearing alarmed cries on either side of her as she took in her surroundings. She'd been asleep in her guestroom in Old Arendelle. She lifted her trembling fingers to bandage coverings on her arms and shoulders, which surprisingly only throbbed with a dull ache, not the excruciating pain she'd have expected.

A cool, smooth hand took hers and gently squeezed with some reassurance. Anna glanced left and found Judet staring back at her, worry lines adding to the wrinkles on the old woman's kind face.

"The Ice Maiden... did she get away? Where's Hans?!" Anna asked.

"Ice Maiden?" Kirsten asked from the other side of her. "Anna... Hans is gone."

Although she had expected as much, dread filled her anyway.

"Gone?"

"He left with the woman who attacked the ball," Judet explained, gently pulling Anna's hand down from her bandages.

Anna gently wriggled her hand free to toss her blanket off so she could swing her legs from the bed. The princess and the Sami woman protested, clucking over her like mother hens as they tried to restrain her.

"Anna, please, you need more rest," Kirsten insisted. "I've used so much magic to help you recover these past few days. That chandelier almost killed you... I need a break too." The princess chuckled weakly and Anna didn't need to look her in the eye to catch the weariness there. Then she looked between the two of them, suddenly alarmed.

"Did you just say it's been a few days?! I... I have to go! I have to go to him!"

She gave Kirsten a pleading gaze, but the younger girl shook her head. Frantic, Anna turned to Judet next.

"This is what you meant when you said the battle for his soul had just begun. This... Ice Maiden, she wants to make Hans immortal."

Elsa fled up to her parents' old chambers, trying not to dwell on the fact that her guards were nowhere to be seen. There should have been at least two on the third level even after Harald's departure. There were plenty of valuables—paintings, antiques, clocks, jewelry, furniture, even clothing—she'd not dared touch after her parents passed away. But just because she wouldn't touch them did not mean thieves wouldn't. There should have been someone posted at the top of the stairs.

"You may not know this because you've spent the last some odd years as a regal hermit," Liam called out behind her. "But your people think it's odd you've been hidden since you were a girl. They need a ruler they can trust."

Elsa tried not to let his words distract her. She raced for her parents' sitting room, threw the doors open and instantly slammed them shut behind her. She turned the locks but also wielded her magic to stick a thick bar of ice through the door handles to make it even tougher for her pursuer to follow. The door rattled as soon as the ice formed. She gasped, backing away from the doors.

"The mistrust was not just here at home, though. The other kingdoms don't know what to make of you either." Liam raised his voice so she could hear him through the door. There was a brief pause of quiet before something slammed against the doors, cracking the bar of ice. Elsa took another step back, her heart beating like a hammer. "My uncle came here to talk with you about trade, yes." There was another slam, and Elsa realized he was kicking the doors. But his strength should not have been a match for her magic. She frowned.

"But he came to get to know you as well!" Again, the doors slammed and rattled. Elsa held herself still, entrusting herself to her magic. "He would have been on your side if your power hadn't hurt people."

Shame coursed through her. Of course she hadn't meant to summon a blizzard... and while her people were fine after the fact, she knew not all had come through unscathed. "And how do you repay him for acting for the good of your citizens?"

Elsa swallowed indignantly, not wanting to shout at this traitor on the off-chance that he didn't know she was standing on the other side of the doors. Still, how dare he justify the Duke's actions!

"You banish him and our kingdom's trade. Do you know what will happen to him at home? Hmm? Do you have any idea just how much was weighing on greater trade between our kingdoms?"

Elsa furrowed her brow, not understanding. Surely Weselton traded with other kingdoms.

She fought back her curiosity and looked all around her for the nearest object to take as a weapon if need be. She hastily removed a metal-framed painting from the wall, holding it before herself like a shield. The doors continued to rattle with each angry kick. Suddenly the center bulged and splintered with a particularly loud blow. Dust puffed out around the right handle and the bar of ice finally broke, the two ends sliding down against each other until they came loose through the handles and clattered to the floor, already beginning to melt.

The queen yelped when the next kick landed with Liam's boot through the doors. She took a step back and whirled around to face the balcony doors. She could fly out and he would not be able to follow, but shouldn't she face him? What kind of queen ran away from all adversaries?

By the time she asked herself the question, the doors slammed open with Liam between them, a dark and victorious smile on his young face. Elsa squared her shoulders and slowly turned to face him, frowning grimly.

"My mother would see the duke executed or put away for life in order to open trade with you again, you witch," Liam snarled.

"Your uncle tried to have me killed," Elsa bit back.

"Better you than your citizens!" he snapped.

The queen stood up a little taller to show him his words had no effect.

"You forget your place, though I imagine you must be confused after assuming the identity of a servant. Does your uncle know about that?"

Liam smiled, which gave Elsa her answer.

"I was here with him during the coronation. He had me stay aboard our ship as he suspected something was off in Arendelle. Who knew just how right he'd be?"

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "So when the blizzard hit, you...?"

"My uncle had me on watch for your return. Only, then your sister went to look for you... and then Prince Hans went to look for her."

Elsa cringed at his summary of the events.

"The duke by then was convinced of the danger you were. He sent his men after you while he watched over Arendelle. And I kept watch for your return—"

"In case his men failed," Elsa interrupted.

Liam nodded. "Which, of course, they did. Had he sent me instead, he wouldn't be sitting in a cell to rot in Weselton right now."

"Is that what this is? His revenge?"

Liam shook his head. "It's mine."

Elsa readied herself for the duke's nephew to charge at her. She was a little surprised when instead, he pointed toward the balcony windows. With a raised eyebrow, Elsa walked to the end of the room and looked outside.

There, far enough that she could barely make them out except as a dark line moving in from the outer reaches of the fjord.

"Ships," Elsa said. Hundreds of them.

Liam's dark laugh prompted her to turn back toward him in question. "Weselton has a navy?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Oh no, Your Majesty. That fleet is from the Southern Isles. As promised."

Elsa shook her head. "No... I sent the letter out..."

Liam only chuckled harder at that, as if the queen had just told a joke.

"This is... oh, this is my favorite part though. Your confusion! God, it's priceless."

Elsa just stared wordlessly as Liam made himself comfortable in her father's chair. She wanted to throw him off with an icy gale, but she didn't see the point in giving validity to his claims that she was dangerous. Besides, the approaching fleet was more worrisome than anything Liam could say now.

"What have you done?" she asked.

"Me? Ha! Me? You. You sent out a rather venomous letter about their thirteenth prince. True, Prince Hans is rumored to be the least favored son, but... well, you've dragged their name through the mud with tales about the prince's schemes to seduce your sister, murder you and take over the kingdom. It was a bit more than Queen Marianne could bear."

"Enough!"

Truly, she'd had enough.

"I sent no such thi..."

Then, Elsa recalled the first letter. How strange it should have seemed to her to receive a letter from the Southern Isles merely three days after his disappearance. It took at least four on the fastest ships to sail between their two kingdoms. There was no way they could have gotten word about Prince Hans unless...

"The letter. It was fake."

"It nearly gave you a heart attack though, didn't it?" Liam smiled, crossing his leg to rest his ankle on his knee. "I had a hell of a time breaking into the prince's room to steal his family's seal. Good thing he traveled with it. Probably anticipated he'd have to write back home about a certain engagement, I assume. Funny, how his scheme failed but ended up helping mine."

Elsa didn't find any humor in that. She glared at Liam.

"So, what... you wrote a false letter from me as well? Sent it to the Southern Isles?"

At this, Liam grew solemn.

"My uncle was the only one to write a letter. I put it on route for delivery for him just after you had him arrested."

Elsa turned back toward the window. She had thirty minutes before the first line of ships would reach the docks. If the port was even their destination.

"You won't get away with this," she said, more to herself than to Liam. "I'll explain everything. They'll see reason."

"You don't sound all that confident," Liam noted.

"Curse you," she hissed, storming past him in the chair. What now? Kai would know what to do. But Kai wasn't available. There was Lord Harald, the man whom she'd misjudged. But was he well enough after the attack?

Elsa paused and turned back toward Liam. "Why did you attack Lord Harald?"

"He figured me out. Obviously."

"How?"

"Found your letter in the bin in his library. I'd taken it from him to take aboard the ship at the docks that day, or so he thought... instead I just pocketed the thing and tossed it at the earliest opportunity. Didn't think a noble would go digging through the trash. Don't look at me like that. You started all of this with... your... witchery."

Elsa scoffed. "Do you hate all things you don't understand?"

Liam smiled without an answer.

"Your Majesty!" A voice called out from the damaged doorway. Elsa blinked and saw Olaf standing there with Kristoff just behind him. The snowman looked terrified when he spotted Liam.

"This is the one?" Kristoff asked darkly. His glare did not leave Liam's face.

Olaf gulped. "Yup."

"Step aside, Olaf," Kristoff said.

The snowman did not need to be told twice. He hopped out of the way at once, allowing Kristoff to lead a line of castle guards into the sitting room. He ignored Liam as he ran to Elsa and took her hands into his, squeezing them as he searched her as if to check for harm.

When he seemed satisfied that she was not physically hurt, he asked, "Are you all right?"

Elsa frowned and turned back to eye the coming ships again. When Kristoff's gaze followed, he let out a long, stunned whistle.

"Um... do those ships have something to do with him?" The ice harvester glared back at Liam, who seemed indifferent as three guards surrounded him, two with their hands on his arms.

"He said Weselton sent a letter out before... well, before any of this. As soon as he and Hans were arrested."

Kristoff's face scrunched up in confusion. "Weselton has a navy?"

Elsa shook her head. "Those ships are from the Southern Isles."

The ice harvester's eyes widened at that. Suddenly, he felt a small stick hand pat his knee. Looking down, Kristoff found a sad Olaf looking up at him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't remember his face sooner..."

Elsa blinked several times. "Remember...?"

"Liam's the one who locked up Olaf," Kristoff explained.

Anger boiled within her as she glared at the duke's nephew once again. Tiring of his smug grin, she ordered her guards to take him to the dungeons and report back to her as soon as possible. She would need as many of them as possible shortly, it seemed.

But there was something still bothering her.

"Wait," she ordered before her guards had reached the door. They paused, turning with their prisoner at hand. "Search him."

Something flickered in Liam's face. Anger? No. Worry... about what?

"What is it?" Kristoff whispered to her as they watched the third guard pat down the duke's nephew while the others held him still as he tried to shrug them off.

"Get your hands off me!" he barked.

The guard pulled aside his coat and reached into one of the pockets in the lining. Liam snarled and tried to shove the guard away, but the others intervened.

"Release me this instant! Nothing can help you now; the Southern Isles have sent their ships. Unless your queen plans on taking on the whole fleet..."

Kristoff squinted at the shining object in the guard's hand as he brought it forward to the queen.

"Is that...?" Elsa began to ask.

Kristoff nodded.

"He had a mirror shard on him."

Elsa felt the blood drain from her face. Well, at least that answered why her magic hadn't worked against Liam.

"I think... we should meet with Harald... to discuss our next move," Elsa said, her voice straining under stress.

Although Kristoff was still not a big fan of Lord Harald, he couldn't disagree. As he watched the ships coming in on the horizon, he felt Elsa's hand take his.

That, at least, was a comfort.

A/N: Apologies for the delay! I'm not sure just HOW surprising Liam's role is here. I mean, Harald was a bit of a red herring. Basically, Liam went to Arendelle with his Uncle (the duke of Weselton) and when the duke's plans were foiled, he put his nephew to work to bring about Elsa's downfall. At some point, Liam happened upon a mirror shard, which is what he was carrying that made Elsa's magic ineffective against him.

*Edit regarding Liam: Liam's a prince, but not the crown prince of Weselton. He'll likely inherit the duke's title (well, he would have, at least), so he's very close to his uncle, who we all remember well from the film. Also, it's mentioned in the film that the duke was making an effort to expand trade with Arendelle, so I sort of worked off of that and tried to imply here that Weselton was facing some sort of economic difficulty. That's what Liam means when he says so much was weighing on Arendelle's trade.

As for the twist and how he wasn't a more prominent character, that was sort of the point. He was able to get behind the scenes, first disguising himself as an Arendelle guard who imprisons Olaf to find out more about the situation with Hans. He's sent out his uncle's letter to the Southern Isles, so remember he wants to keep in the loop. Then he's officially introduced right when Kai's ice sculpture was dragged out for people to see. I know there's a lot going on in this story, but you were pretty much meant to be on guard ever since Olaf's imprisonment. You knew it couldn't be Harald because Olaf would have recognized him sooner. There really was no one else in the story it could have been, except one of the other nobles.

There are two chapters left. I'm likely going to take my time with them to get them just right. It's been a real pleasure writing this fic. I'm happy to hear from those of you who enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you very much for the kind comments and reviews. Till next time!