Dear readers, this chapter and two others after this will be somewhat slow, but the action will rise again. And until then, there is a bit of mystery involve, and please leave some reviews for me. I would love to hear your thoughts, and some suggestions as well. ENJOY!

CHAPTER 3-Three Kingdoms

Sitting with her head resting against her hands for support, Elsa felt very tired. She was alone at the moment in the castle's council room. Every breath she took, she took in slowly, while from time letting out long stressful sighs. The ball wasn't supposed to end like it did, with the intrusion of the Southern Isle Princes, and a threat of war by Hans. Things were supposed to go right for a change…

"Elsa," called Anna from the other end of the door.

Composing herself quickly, Elsa gave Anna permission to let the Southern brothers in along with Arendelle's council men. By special request from Anna, Kristoff was allowed to join the meeting, so he sat close to the brothers in order to keep an eye on them. There was still no reason why they should quite trust them yet. But before they could start, Elsa could hear Anna talking to someone by the door and turns to see Rapunzel and Eugene.

"Elsa, they want to take part in the meeting, and if possible, make an alliance with Arendelle's Kingdom for the war to come." Anna informs her.

Elsa got up from her seat and walked over to them to talk more quietly. "Please Rapunzel, Eugene," she starts. "I know the two of you want to help, but for your own safety, return home like the other guests. This isn't your fight."

"In all due respect your Majesty," reply Eugene as politely as possible. "You are going to need all the help you can get. Beside from the, Southern Isles, I doubt anyone else would want to aid you in a battle involving…magic."

"He is right Elsa," Anna agrees, as she looks eagerly at her sister, imploring her to take their aid.

Elsa gave them a small smile, grateful that they wanted to help. "Anna…I don't want to involve any other kingdom in this fight, for we are asking them to fight an impossible—an unimaginable battle."

"Elsa," Rapunzel said gently. "Let us help you. We may not be able to do much but let us help you in any way we can. Our kingdom can provide some provisions and-"

"Rapunzel it's alright. The both of you should return home."

"Elsa please, let us help. I know that my parents will jump at the opportunity to help once they hear about Arendelle being in danger, and believe it or not but we will help whether you want it or not."

"But the danger! Aren't you even afraid of the possible consequences for aiding Arendelle? What about your own kingdom's safety?"

Rapunzel stepped forward and took both Anna's and Elsa's hand into her own, and looked deeply into each of their eyes. "…We are your family too…My mother, your aunt, lost her sister in that storm, while the two of you lost a mother. Eugene and I feel responsible for it. If we never have invited your parents at the last minute then…All that my mother has left in memory of her sister is the two of you. And I don't want to lose the two of you either…"

The Arendelle sisters grew quiet, looking at the ground in solemn. "We never once blame you…" Spoke Anna quietly.

"We know," Eugene reply gently, wrapping an arm around Rapunzel shoulder and squeezed her short in comfort. "We know the two of you will never blame us for it, but it doesn't change

She didn't say anything for a while. She had moved her gaze away and was looking to the side, at nothing in particular. Eventually Elsa took her hand away from Rapunzel, in-which she let go without resistant. Elsa then turn to face forward, and without ever looking back at the door, she walks back to her seat. But before seating herself, she gestured towards two empty chairs next to Anna's, and waited for them to join her.

XxXxXx

Once everyone was settled, Elsa turns her attention towards the brothers. "Please, start from the beginning," Elsa encourage. Wanting to know all that they have to tell and what they can do exactly to help Arendelle.

One of the brothers with light green eyes and pale blond hair, similar to Hans' style, including the sideburns, cleared his throat roughly before speaking. "Well you already heard what we did to Hans," Grill starts. "After it was decided that Hans should be banish and stripped of nobility, I was put in charge of keeping watch on him. He was still our brother, so I only had him located a few towns away from the capital, provided him some money, and a decant house fully furnished for him to start a simple living. He was stubborn you can imagine to live a commoner's life, plus, he felt humiliated as well. But eventually he was force to live with the decision once I refuse to supply him any further.

"For two years everything went well. Hans even had a decent job as a trader in armory within our land. I thought it was time to give him another chance to redeem himself, so I allowed him to become a soldier if he wished, and to guard the outer perimeters of the capital. But he is to be kept at low rank, still strip of nobility, and to be treated like any soldiers; only I or any of my brothers can decide if he may be rewarded for his deeds or not. He agreed, and for the next six months, he did himself well…However, he disappeared one day after drills. No one saw what happened to him, and no traces of him could be found anywhere. We had even gone in search for him, to any of the nearby islands and kingdoms he could've possibly escaped to, but there was no sign of him…

"It was a month later before today did Hans reappeared. He had somehow managed to get into the castle, and was looking through some of Southern Isles' most…precious treasure, or, at least it would've been better if he was after treasure."

"What do you mean by that?" question a council man.

The brothers looked at one another before Grill continues to speak. "…Every castle has their treasure and secrets. But there was two items among our treasure that was thought of as powerful, even dangerous if it falls to the wrong hands. So for centuries the royal family has kept these items in safe keeping. And to be honest, most of us didn't believe it was all that powerful-just some old tale that's been exaggerated…That is, until Hans managed to get his hand on one of it and used it."

"Wait-wait-wait. So you're telling us, that Hans managed to get his hand on a powerful weapon, that allowed him to conjure-up all those sand creatures, and do those other things?!" ask Anna, getting overwhelmed with the idea of magical weapons. Members of Arendelle's council started murmuring to each other. Their voices getting louder and louder then what the Southern brothers would've liked.

"Not quite." said Lukas, now taking over the explanation. He was as tall as Eugene, and wore thin rectangular glasses. He had a wet sand color for hair, and his sideburns were a bit wider than his two brothers. "This item is not really a weapon; it's just a regular book on the surface, but its contents are very much indeed dangerous. If performed correctly, then the book can open up portals to worlds unknown to this one; worlds that holds power, magic, and even Beings that welds such great abilities. Hans was able to perform the ceremony correctly, opening a portal to another world, but what world he visited we don't know. What we do know though, was that he managed to make some sort of Pact with a Being on the other side, and now he can perform all that you have seen tonight, possibly even more."

"And how did you find that out?" Kristoff ask, considering the possibility that the brothers can be in-on-it with Hans.

"How else would you explain his new abilities?" Pose Lukas, but didn't wait for Kristoff to make a remark. "Beside, Hans had to return to this world sooner or later, and we predicted that once he does, he'll go after Arendelle to take his revenge."

"And you were correct," spoke Rapunzel, glaring at the brothers. "But even if it was only speculation, why didn't you take advance precaution and warn Arendelle ahead of time?"

Lipso took in a heavy breath to keep his temper down, getting angry over the glares he and his brothers are receiving from their listeners. "Because, it would mean having to share our family's long kept secret. Plus, there was the possibility that Hans would attack the Southern Isles for the throne now that he has the power to do so. Our kingdom is at stake as well as Arendelle; we brothers had to debate with our councils on what to do in preparations for Hans' return. Not to mention, if we should lend aid to Arendelle—if it should be threaten by Hans. And now with the inclusion of the Corona Kingdom our secret will be spread even farther than wanted. Many, specially the councils, were hesitant about lending aid because of this sole reason, the news of our treasure spreading."

"I can assure you," Elsa begins, coming to defend her cousins, "that Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene can be trusted. And whatever's been said and will be said, will remain in this room. No one will say more then what is agreed upon once the meeting is over. You have my word as a Queen." The room fell quite as Elsa waits to see if any of the brothers would challenge her words, but none did. "Alright, I have one question to ask before I make my decision for an alliance or not, unless anyone else has farther questions for our guests." Some of the council men began drilling the brothers, questioning their story about Hans to see if the brothers are in fact in-league with him. But Lipso made a firm point that there really is no proof that he and his brothers are not in-league with Hans, and there is no real way to find out until there is an actual betrayal. However, the fact remains that the Southern Isle is offering, and can help Arendelle in the war to come. Some try questioning the powers of the magical book, to learn its functions and other details, but the Southern brothers refuse to answer any of those until an alliance is confirmed. When the council men had their fill with question, or couldn't get the brothers to answer anymore, they awaited for Elsa's question.

When the room was quiet again, Elsa proceeded. "Prince Lipso, Lukas, Grill. I am grateful that all three of you, and the rest of your brothers have taken into consideration about lending aid to Arendelle. I understand that by sharing your kingdom's valuable secret, you are putting yourself in a vulnerable positions by having to spread your strengths' thin. But before I confirm if there is an alliance between our kingdoms along with the Kingdom of Corona, I want to know, why consider us in the first place and what finally made you decide to help us?"

Grill was the one to answer. "Because you're Majesty, we never did send an apology, or did anything to repent for what Hans tried to do to you and Princess Anna. It was about time we do so, and with that, we can redeem our kingdom's name. For Hans has forgotten that everything he does, he carries not just his name, but ours and his county as well. Also, just like your kingdom will have need of much help in this fight, it's likewise for us. What better ally to have then someone who can already use magic in this world?"

"So, I am a fallback in-case your other weapon fails?" she posed with a raised eyebrow.

"-Not a fallback you're Majesty, but an ally that can help to strengthen our strength if all goes well, and likewise, we can help strengthen Arendelle for this specific fight."

Now all eyes were on Elsa. Her eyes were closed, and her head was leaning on her hands once again, in thought. When she was done, she opens her eyes and raised her head. She open-up her right hand and there was a small sphere of snow swilling at the center of her palm. Everyone watched her with alert, unsure to her intention. Elsa then waves it towards the center of the table, before it disperse into streams, heading towards Anna, Kristoff, Rapunzel, Eugene, and the Southern brothers. Startled, the brothers all stood up trying to defend themselves against the attack, while the others were too stunned to react. Each of the streams hit their target in the chest, but instead of entering into their heart, the streams only stayed on the surface of their clothes. There, each of the streams started forming into Arendelle's crest mark. It was small and it lay upon the Southern Isles' crest, and its crest lay upon the center of Corona's. The final result was a beautiful ice crafted pin, of all three kingdoms' crests on each person's clothing. "Now we are allies," Elsa announce.