Andy was lifted off his feet and carried above the heads of the trolls, it felt like a million ants right under his royal butt. The General yelled obscenities somewhere behind him, "Unhand him you maniacs!"

"The angry man is funny," the little troll Krista was holding said once the Prince was safely deposited by her side.

"He's got his charms," Andy admitted, smiling as the sea of trolls parted to make way for the General who was swinging his sword as if he were traversing the jungle or something. Luckily Suri swooped in and headbutted the fuming general away, in a let's play! kinda way. Many of the trolls gathered lost interest and went elsewhere or folded back into rocks, but a few were still focusing on them.

"Ma, this is Prince Andy. Andy, that's— Bulda, my mother—ish," Krista was about to say more, but the troll lady —Bulda— climbed on top of a normal stone and pulled Andy close, studying him carefully.

"Let me see, let me see! ... eyes like celery," Bulda said as Krista snorted with laughter at the beautiful metaphor.

"Why not sparkling emerald orbs from the gods?" Andy mumbled, but he was abruptly cut off when Krista's mother grabbed his chin.

The troll's coarse fingers pulled his lips apart like a dentist, "Got all his teeth, too!" Bulda squeezed his bicep, "Hmm... you could knock him to the ground, but not bad!" she grinned broadly, "He'll do nicely for our Krista!"

"Wait, what?" Andy pulled back, his celery green eyes questioning the troll.

"Ma," Krista groaned as she covered her eyes with her hands, "That's not why we're here!"

"Yeah, we don't— I'm not—" Andy hastily gestured at the air between himself and Krista, like what they actually were would just pop up from thin air and present itself.

"What're you scared of? What's holding you back from such a lovely girl?" Bulda wiggled her grassy eyebrows and Krista made a mortified sound.

"Is it because of the way she sometimes spits when she talks?" the little troll Krista had been holding earlier piped up.

"Pewter!" Krista looked like she wanted to kick the little troll a good 50 feet away.

"Or how her ears get red as strawberries when she's embarrassed?" an older male troll asked, and pointed at Krista, "Like right now!"

"Come on, Andy, we'll wait for Grand Pabbie somewhere away from all of you," she didn't wait for his consent and grabbed him by his collar, stomping away from her intrusive family. So the trolls were pushy, just like she'd promised— but Andy kinda liked them. Since his family was so little, growing up around so many others must have been nice.

"I haven't seen a walk like hers since the Jurassic times!" the same troll giggled and a few others joined him.

"Pay him no mind," Bulda bounded after them, surprisingly fast for someone made of stone, "He's just teasing. But, seriously, Andy— you'll never meet a girl as sensitive and sweet!"

"Ma," Krista's annoyed pout at her mother was just the cutest.

"Oh, sheesh, Kri—Kri, it's not like we're telling him that you're smelly," Bulda rolled her black eyes.

"Even if you are," Pewter, the little troll, had also caught up with them. "He's also stinky!" he pointed at Andy.

"What? No, she's not... and I'm not either?" Andy said, a little offended. Krista actually had a fresh kind of smell, a mix between the forest and— well, a nice smell. Not like those expensive perfumes that made his head dizzy that were used by highborns... wait, why was he thinking this!?

"They're not used to... human smell," Krista rolled her eyes, "If I smelled like dirt and worms, then that'd be normal for them, I guess... Oh, here we go." They stopped in front of a house made of thick slabs of stone and moss with a slanted roof and a wooden door. Like a little hut.

"Home," Krista sighed, she tried to shut the door behind them, but at least 10 other trolls managed to barrel in after them. Krista quickly went to start a fire in the hearth, and Andy got a look around. It literally looked like the place was solely for sleeping, which it probably was. There was a bed with a thin mattress and furniture made of stone, a mirror, a basin, a kind of vanity and not much else.

"As you can tell, I don't spend much time here," Krista told him, flopping down on a stone chair, "I go with the ice harvesters, or to the village."

He liked her little house, he decided, sitting down on the cot. For as long as he'd been here, the restless pang of cold in his chest had seemed to decrease— this place had magic, he could feel it. He wondered if it was protecting him.

"She's a bit if a fixer upper," Bulda finally said, reviving their previous conversation. "Little flaws, we all got 'em! Like, she's got that thing with the reindeer," and like she'd been summoned, Suri tired to poke her head through the window, but she couldn't because of her antlers. She stood outside, her tongue hanging out.

"Oh, Ma, please—"

"It's a little outside of nature's laws," all the trolls nodded in agreement, like they weren't. But, hey, Andy figured anything was fair in a world where his brother could shoot ice from his fingertips. The thought of Elliott made his already damaged heart clench painfully.

"But you can fix this fixer upper up with a lil' bit of love!" a male troll said brightly, nudging Krista's knee playfully. The blonde looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her. Andy understood Krista's warning of 'they talk a lot of nonsense.'

"Can we stop talking about this, Cliff?" she told that male troll. She pointed at Andy's hair, "We've got a serious problem here! Are you sure Grand Pabbie—"

But it was like Krista was talking to the wall, because all the trolls were flocking over Andy, their eager faces full of questions he could barely answer.

"Is it the way that she runs scared?"

Andy patted little Pewter's grassy head, "She fought the Blizzard Dragon, I'll have you know," Krista smiled gratefully at that. It wasn't exactly the truth, but who cared?

"Or that she's socially impaired?" Bulda seemed legitimately concerned about that, trying to cover Krista's ears. The grumpy girl shook her mother's hands away.

A few trolls left after Bulda gestured them away, which was a little suspicious.

"She's been civil, don't worry Bulda," Andy tried to breeze through the questions, but they just kept coming.

"Oh, good. I was gettin' worried that her isolation was confirmation for her desperation for human hugs!" Bulda rambled on and Krista had given up trying to protest, she simply burrowed her face on her knees. For some reason, what she'd said reminded him of Elliott. "The way to fix up this fixer upper is to fix her up with you!"

Krista jerked up at her mother's latest words, "Enough, Ma! He's engaged to someone else, okay?"

The sadness and hurt on her voice startled him. He wanted to say something, but Bulda beat him to it. She spoke only to him, "So you're a bit of a fixer upper too."

"That's a minor thing," Cliff, the male troll waved away her concerns, "Get the fiancé out of the way, and the whole thing will be fixed!"

The brief mental image of Helena getting dragged away by a bunch of wild trolls was actually a little funny, but Andy refused to laugh.

"Krista, come out quick!" a troll came running in, sounding out of breath. He gave Bulda a thumbs up.

But Krista didn't catch the last part, she was just about ready to get away from her family. "Grand Pabbie's back?" She stood up and ran outside, waving Andy after her. He followed her out.

Which was a mistake.

He was immediately whisked away by a band of male trolls, while the same happened to Krista but with the females. He barely caught Krista's screams of bloody murder, as he was busy with the male trolls powdering his face with gods—know—what and trying to flatten his unruly hair.

"This—what are you— what are you doing?" Andy shut his eyes just in time as the spongy sort of material got powder on his face. He felt a heavy thing being placed on his shoulders which was nice and warm. He opened his eyes to see the mossy cape draped across his shoulders. "What is happening?"

"Let me tell you something about your, ah, quote engagement, Prince," a troll stood tall in front of him, being held up by Cliff. His shiny black eyes were piercing, "People make bad choices if they're mad, or scared, or stressed. But... if you throw a lil' love their way, you'll bring out their best!"

People make bad choices if they're mad, or scared, or stressed...

Andy thought of Elliott.

• • •

"Love's a force that's powerful and strange," Bulda gushed as she braided Krista's hair with a few more leafs. "True love brings out the best!"

"I— I don't— don't love him, Ma, stop," she said halfheartedly. Krista once again tried to pry Kivi's thick fingers from holding her down, but it was futile. She had an iron grip, as did the others holding her down as they covered her in a grassy cloak and Pewter rushed forward, holding a flower crown. The little guy placed it on her head and squealed in happiness.

"I am a love expert, do not question me," Bulda said in her usual no-nonsense way. Her mother suddenly cried out in delight, "You look beautiful!"

Kivi and the others released her and clapped and whistled and Krista just felt her ears getting warmer and warmer. Scaur had been annoyingly right when he'd pointed that out. Besides all the other things they had said, their bluntness was almost painful. Krista had tried to warn Andy— but not even she could've imagined how crazy they would get. And who knows what Bulda intended to accomplish with this whole—

When her eyes landed on Andy, her breath caught in her throat. Normal people would have found them ridiculous— with the matching capes made of moss and grass and whatever else, Krista with her flower crown and Andy had been given a silly—looking hat made out of twigs, but the Prince had never looked handsomer to her.

He had been looking slightly bewildered, but when the trolls moved away, his eyes found her. At first he looked confused, like he didn't recognize her, but then that melted into realization and finally to a smile with such fondness she felt her heart soar.

She was ushered from behind by Bulda and Kivi, just as Andy was pushed by Cliff and Scaur until they bumped into each other. Andy was still staring at her with something like adoration, and she felt a furious blush spreading from her neck to her face. Why...

She didn't notice all the trolls had gathered around them again, nor Scaur standing tall on a stone, holding an old book in his hands. All her mind registered then were green eyes flecked with gold and a freckles and a loving smile and... why him. She only noticed when a few daisies rained down on them and the sound of Bulda's cries of happiness.

Scaur clearing his throat broke the broke the spell, "Do you, Prince Andy, take Krista as your trollfully wedded—"

"Wait, what?" Andy's intense gaze fell and he turned to Scaur's voice.

"It's a wedding!" Scaur said, like it wasn't obvious, and Krista's mouth dropped open in horror. "Everyone's a bit of a fixer upper, but when push comes to shove, the only fixer upper fixer that can fix a fixer upper is true love!"

Way to ruin things, stupid family—

But two things happened.

General Winter appeared then, he came riding Suri like a madman, yelling his snowy head off about something. The second thing was, Andy convulsed again, just like he'd done before in the cave, and this time he collapsed.

Krista didn't even think as she shot forward and caught the Prince. He was shivering uncontrollably, his teeth rattling. She lowered him to the ground as gently as she could, "Andy! He's... he's as cold as ice!" her voice rose with panic.

Beside General Winter, a new rock rolled towards them and unfolded, revealing Grand Pabbie's bushy eyebrows and wild mane of hair. A bunch of crystals dangled from his neck.

"Grand Pabbie!" Krista had never felt so relieved to see the old troll.

"Found the grandpa!" General Winter informed them, but his icy eyes were only for Andy, who was leaning heavily against Krista.

"There is strange magic here," the old troll said in his slow, measured voice. He made grabby hands for the Prince, "Bring him to me, Krista."

Krista obeyed, and the troll examined Andy's half—open eyes with a frown.

"Anders. Your life... is in great danger," out of all of them, Grand Pabbie was probably the bluntest, "There is ice in your heart, and your brother put it there." Andy shuddered and tried to speak, but he couldn't. Krista gently moved the hair away from his eyes, feeling awful.

"If not removed, solid ice you shall become. Forever," the ancient troll's words sent a shiver of dread through Krista. The rest of the trolls around them murmured worriedly, Krista had all but forgotten they were still there.

"W—what... No... No..." Andy shook his head feebly, struggling to sit up, but he didn't have the strength.

"So remove it, Grand Pabbie, please," Krista said, remembering why they'd come here in the first place. He'd done it before, years ago, when the same thing had happened to the Prince. He cured his head, why should the heart be any different?

The old troll looked anguished, "I can't."

Krista's heart plummeted to the floor.

"If it was the head again, it would be easy. But the heart... only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart," Grand Pabbie explained. Andy... could...die... Andy. The sole thought almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Good thing it was not the heart. That is tricky to change." Grand Pabbie's words from ages ago came crashing back to her. Tricky, meaning that... only true love can thaw?

"An act of true love?" Andy frowned, swallowing with effort.

"Oh! A true love's kiss, perhaps?" Bulda arched a brow and grabbed Cliff, giving him a kiss.

Many trolls behind them followed suit.

Another tiny spasm shot through Andy, and his hair turned even whiter. Well over half of it was now white, barely any strawberry—blonde was left.

It pained her—gods, did it pain her— but Krista said, "We've got to get you back to Hasinta."

"Helena..." Andy corrected weakly, the tiniest of smiles on his face.

"It's not much, but it will help, at least for a short while," Grand Pabbie grabbed one of the red crystals hanging from his neck and yanked it off. He offered it to the Prince. "Earth is my element, not fire nor ice, but this fire crystal should delay the ice in his heart."

Andy could barely move his arms, so Krista took it instead and put it around Andy's neck. The Prince gasped and he sat up, his eyes relieved of pain for now.

"Thank you," he croaked, placing a gloved hand over the red crystal, which was glowing faintly. Grand Pabbie placed a hand on Krista's forehead, and then pulled away the bandage.

"It's all I can do," the troll said quietly, still looking helplessly sad.

Krista touched her head— it didn't hurt anymore. She smiled and took off the flower crown too, "Thank you, Grand Pabbie."

"Suri, to me," Krista raised a hand and the reindeer padded over. Krista watched Andy as he got to his feet, not looking quite so weak anymore. She felt a surge of gratitude for Pabbie then. They both got on Suri's back, and Krista waved her family goodbye.

"Let's go kiss Hasinta!" the General said enthusiastically, a stark contrast to Krista's sour mood. Yeah let's go make out with the Princess who is a thousand times more deserving of him. But that was a small thing to do for Andy's life. She'd pay any price, and if an act of true love is what he needed, then she'd do anything so he could have it.

They rode away.

"...Who is this Hasinta?"

• • •

Helena had grown to believe that everyone was unique. But then, her sister Cecile told her differently.

"See, sweet sister, that isn't the case with you. Astrid got the ambition, Sonja the beauty, Katherine the courage and Johanna the wits. We all have something. You, Helena, you got the grand prize— you got a little of all those things. Unfortunately, you also got all bad things too. You are cruel like Astrid, vain like Sonja, proud like Katherine, and cynic like Johanna. You are all of us conveniently put in one person. The leftovers, if you will."

She'd only named four out of twelve, but it was still enough to scare her. She wondered about Sophia and Cristina and Rowena and all the others— was she all her siblings put into one? She hoped not. They were all horrible people, and if she was their combination—

"And what did I get from you?"

Cecile's lips had curled up into a wicked smile, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She'd always been told to ignore Cecile. She was sick, they told her. That's why the 3rd Princess of the Isles was always bedridden, rarely allowed to have any visitors. She lived in the east tower, far away from all her other sisters.

"It's because she's crazy," Cristina had let slip once.

"Don't say that," her twin, Sonja, had said sharply, and she'd gestured at Helena. "The little one's listening."

"She takes after Cecile," Cristina smirked, "they are both loony."

Helena shuddered— both from the cold and from the unpleasant memory. Her fingers, tucked inside her pocket, fiddled with the special dart she'd brought for the King. Just in case he got difficult. They'd been riding for who—knows how long now. Her back and legs were sore, but they continued on to the North Mountain, where all the snow was coming from and where hopefully the King would be. And they hadn't run into Andy, which was a little unfortunate.

So far all she'd learned from this stupid trip was how much she absolutely detested the cold. Her eyes were sick of all the white. She longed for the warmth of the Southern Isles, but she longed even more for a throne of her own, so this Northern garbage would have to do.

"My lady!" the scout she'd sent ahead of the party was back, the fat man's face was red with effort, "My lady I— I think the King is at the North Mountain."

"Good!" she said, that lifted her spirits if only a little. She looked over her shoulder and spoke to the others, "We are here to find Prince Andy, but if we also find the King, be on guard for anything."

"My lady, there's... there's something..." the scout fumbled for words, but after about five seconds of illiterate stuttering, Helena rolled her eyes and left him behind, wanting to be the one to get the first look.

The Ice Palace was something she had not been expecting.

Built on the side of the mountain, it was probably the only good thing to have come out of this insufferable winter. A staircase was the only bridge to get across, below that was a mighty fall. Johanna would die if she laid eyes on such a perfect structure. She felt around for the dart, having it gave her comfort. She would be dealing with greater powers than she'd expected, so she was glad to have that safety net. The other thing that gave her comfort was the sword at her hip.

She smiled confidently, "Alright, men, let's just—"

A deafening roar echoed across the mountain, shaking the ground and the snow off the trees. The horses kicked and whined, a man was even thrown off his mount and the horse fled in terror. Helena managed to keep her own in check, tugging at the reins and doing her best to comfort the terrified animal.

"What was that?" one of the men yelled, and suddenly there was no more sun.

A large shadow descended on them, landing with a loud thump. The whinny of every horse almost drowned out the shrieks of the men. Helena, however, was already calculating.

The snow dragon was big enough to maybe eat a horse in two bites, and a man would be no problem in one—with the wicked sharp spikes it had for teeth. It was an impressive creature, she had to admit— the ice scales shimmered in the light, the neck long and elegant— she would have loved nothing more than to slice that slender neck off with her sword.

She dismounted and drew her sword. Strangely, her horse didn't flee. Good.

"Princess," one of the men warned.

"Don't Princess me," she shot back. Her blazing eyes never left the dragon's cold blue ones, "He's mine."

++++well the song transition wasn't half bad! and i like to think that the trolls weren't really talking about kristoff, but about elsa in fixer upper, so yeaa there's that

+++...most troll names are the word 'rock' translated to different languages lol

++jenn lee confirmed hans' last name is Westergard, soo princess helena has a last name now i guess

+also! im sorry i cant reply to reviews, but feel free to ask me anything through my tumblr /herrnes. my exams are over, so updates should be a lil more frequent

thank you for reading!:)