Life in the castle found some normalcy if you could count otherworldly Russians and a living snowman as normal. Anna walked through the castle that morning, hoping to find her sister, but she was nowhere to be seen. Yet, she was determined to find her.

The princess walked past her father's study; however, she noticed Pavel inside. She took a peak from the doorway and found him playing chess against Olaf. Curious, she walked in to check on them as ask about Elsa's whereabouts. "You two are having a match? Who is winning?"

Pavel was leaning on his hand and seemed to grimace at his situation. He let out a small chuckle he moved a piece to another square on the board. "Is it wrong for a Red Line officer to be losing to a snowman?"

Olaf giggled as his twig of fingers moved a piece and into position. "Checkmate!"

He lowered his head in shame. "Well, that is game."

Anna could not find the right words to describe the moment. "How did you know how to play chess?"

"Elsa's boyfriend taught me."

"Olaf? That is not her boyfriend."

The snowman turned to her with confusion on his face. "Artyom is a guy and is her friend, isn't that right?"

"Yes," The princess acknowledged, "but you still have a lot to learn. He is more like a friend than a boyfriend."

"What's the difference?"

The communist laughed. "That is going to be hard to explain to you," Then he turned his attention on her, "Are you looking for something?"

She nodded her head. "Where is my sister? Did you see her?"

"Yes, the queen brought Artyom to the North Mountain to do some decorations," Pavel answered, "I don't know what she meant by that, but what I do know is that Artyom brought a few books with him and was dressed for the weather there."

Elsa was doing decorations on a mountain? What did she mean by that? "Is anyone up to for a quick walk?"

He shook his head. "I apologize, but those words hold a different meaning under a different context. One does not simply take a quick walk."

"That is just semantics. Are you coming or not?"

The underground bunker-complex in this other world had plenty of uses. An empty war room had found itself to be a meeting place between the members of the Order and OSKOM. Colonel Mel'nikov needed to have a conversation with a particular general after learning what he found from the files hidden away by Hunter. "General Vinogradov, what do you think of this place?"

The OSKOM general looked around as his second-in-command joined him in the room with Spartan Commander. "I would have to say that it is an impressive facility for our nation to build while in another world. Who would have thought all of these tanks and weapons would be finding dust after the apocalypse has happened? So, what is this occasion? I know we are not here to discuss the past of the Soviet Union."

It was time to open up that can of worms. "Colonel Klebnikov, did you pass the information to your superior?"

The OSKOM colonel nodded his head. "Yes, I did brief him about the matter, but he holds a different opinion."

"Oh, this about that little discussion?" Anatoly realized, "What does this have to do with the future of our people, colonel?"

Sviatoslav rose from his chair and looked across the table to find the general's hands behind his back. "The boy is important, perhaps too important for us to dismiss entirely."

He took his seat across from him. "I mean no disrespect, Colonel Mel'nikov, but it is highly unlikely that Artyom is a descendant of the Romanovs. All we have are those papers that back this idea up, but it is simply an idea. There is no evidence to prove it."

"General Vinogradov, have you ever been to the Moscow State Library? It is a lot more complicated than a place filled with monsters."

"No, what of it? All I know is that it has access to some old secrets back during the Cold War. What do they matter in the grand scheme of things?"

"The library used to have a secret room filled with information meant for the highest officials of the state," The commander explained, "Anything in that room is of special import and that includes the files on Artyom's lineage. Klebnikov and I read them in great detail, but the fact is that we need to use that information for both of our peoples. Especially if we want to improve our relations in this new world."

He leaned his head back in his chair. "Where are you going with this?"

Sviatoslav glanced at his equal. "Tell him."

Klebnikov and his superior looked at each other. "Colonel Klebnikov, is there a detail I have missed?"

"Yes sir," His second-in-command answered, "As it turns out, Artyom's mother is a Russian princess from this other world and is technically the grandson of a tsar. There is a possibility that if we talk with the ruler of Imperial Russia, we might be able to receive more humanitarian assistance than we realized. Although Queen Elsa's help is a good start, I am not sure she has the capacity to handle thousands of Russians on her kingdom's doorstep."

The OSKOM general took the moment to smile and laugh at the idea. Was it too unrealistic for him? "If you told me that I would be presented with a plan to meet with an imperialist emperor, I would have handed your asses to the KGB," Then his warm reaction faded, "Yet, the dire situation between Moscow and Novosibirsk Metro has forced us to these drastic measures. Had it been in pre-war, this would never fly, but our peoples need this help. Willpower can only get you so far. We need to make a good case to the leadership lest they waste the opportunity. Any options?"

Colonel Mel'nikov quickly answered, "The Polis Council would need some hefty convincing. Anything is better than dealing with fascists and the simple communists. Yet, I am not sure with how Novosibirsk would react."

"Let me handle them," He replied, "We are not forced to the brink of anarchy like your Metro and so it would be easier to bring this to the table. They are well aware that our anti-radiation drug supplies cannot last forever and if we can convince them first about the long-term gains of seeking help from Imperial Russia, your Polis Council would somehow come to the conclusion that this is our best bet."

"Good. I suppose we can end our meeting with each other until we have accomplished our goals for humanity."

"Yes. Since your Artyom is also heading to Novosibirsk as part of the Polis-OSKOM Pact, I think we can bring the matter to him about this affair. Maybe he may know someone aside from Queen Elsa to get this help?"

Castle-building was a lot harder in practice than Queen Elsa wanted to admit; however, her powers were a lot easier to handle than an army of construction workers. She guided the ice walls high enough to a point where they could make several floors above the ground. Artyom leaned closer to her with a book in hand, letting her get a closer look at the diagrams. "Thank you."

The Russian in his military gear looked around as his breath was taken away by the cold. "Why a mountain of all places? I am just curious."

"It's far away from the kingdom," Came her reply; yet, she knew it would not suffice for someone like him, "Imagine this mountain as one big canvas for an artist and my powers are a paintbrush."

"I see," He answered, "Well, if anyone notices it's going to be quite noticeable. My other question is what is the reason for building it here?"

She smiled at her companion. "When I was a girl, there was always a time when I just make castles for fun. Now I'm the queen and I still want ot build castles for fun." Her fingertips reached out to the top of the walls as she looked at the diagrams and began to construct the roof of the ice castle. Then Elsa paused and heard a siren calling out to her, but when the queen looked around there was no one to find aside from the Polis Ranger and herself.

He seemed to notice her attention elsewhere. "Is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing. I thought I heard something, it must be the wind," After this, she intended on fetching some desert from Gerda. There was a new shipment from abroad despite the coronation being over. Some people were unlucky enough to miss the event, but she still welcomed their gifts, "I was thinking about having some fun tonight with a game of charades and we'll have ice cream to enjoy it."

"Ice cream… I never thought of that for a very long time."

Elsa grew curious about his reaction. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

He shook his head. "No, there is nothing wrong. It's just that I haven't tasted it since I was a boy."

"When do you remember having it?"

Artyom paused the conversation as he looked at the castle under construction. Then he continued. "The day my world died. My mother took me through the Metro to buy some at the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful place back in those days."

The tone of his voice was different, the sorrow apparent of a homesick young man. The queen knew there was no other way of comfort beyond a simple hug. "I am sorry for triggering those memories. No one deserves to deal with that, especially you."

"Let's get this castle finished and head back. Anna is going to be looking for both of us."

Something slide through the snow as the Queen of Arendelle and the Polis Ranger turned around to find Kristoff and Sven approach them with the sleigh. "Queen Elsa, I bring news from your servant by the name of Kai. He says that you have a visitor from the Southern Isles."

"Oh, it must be Prince Hans. He'll definitely join us tonight."

"Then let us finish up." Artyom replied.

The small group made their way towards the north, but they followed a small trail that led into one of the few traces of civilization that Arendelle had. Anna had heard that a merchant called Oaken made his living in this part of the wilderness, engaging in trade with them. The influx of foreigners from another world had changed his small-time effort into one of the first people in establishing relations with those of the Metro dwellers.

He once had a small cabin where he sold his wares, but the fire from the strange bandits almost ruined him. However, this economic connection was so crucial enough for Arendelle and otherworldly Russia, Oaken's home turned into an outpost in-between the underground fortress and the castle itself. Wooden towers overlooked the surrounding area and parts of the forest were cut down for the sentries to watch from afar.

Now despite these defensive emplacements on the outskirts, it was the closest thing the princess had to a bazaar. Polis Rangers patrolled the stands while bullets and silver were exchanged for goods, both military and civilian.

Princess Anna did not seem to mind walking past them; however, she noticed strange looks from those in the outpost. "Why are they looking at me like that?"

Pavel assured her with his words. "It's not you, they are looking at, it's your walking and talking snowman. It is the strangest thing they had ever seen."

She turned around to see Olaf wave his hands and eagerly greet people with joy. Yet, his warm expression did more to disturb them than welcome them.

"Let's check the trading post. Someone must have seen them," He said, referring to why they were here in the first place.

When they entered the large cabin, there were dozens of people in line to buy from the owner, but there was a group of Polis Rangers sitting beside a strange device on the far side of the table. One of them was covering his ears with something as turned dials and pushed buttons on boxes. Then someone beside him rose up from his seat and approached them. "You must be Princess Anna. What brings you here?"

"I was looking for my sister and Artyom," She began, "Have you seen them?"

He nodded his head. "Somewhat. I did hear one of our own accompanying her majesty alone. It sounded like the two knew each other."

Anna turned to Pavel. "It's definitely them."

"Well, we just got an update that they're returning back to the castle as we speak. Something about a visitor from the Southern Isles."

"So all of this walking in high heels was for nothing?"

Pavel grasped his chin as he stared at the Polis Ranger. "You're not Russian."

Olaf's naive attitude looked into the matter. "How do you know?"

He stole a glance from the snowman. "It's his accent. A Russian would be familiar with another's dialect."

"Isn't that a bit rude to assume he isn't Russian?" Anna remarked.

"It's fine," The Ranger answered as he took off his helmet and revealed his middle-aged face, "The Red is on point with his language. I am actually not Russian, but American, in fact."

The princess was caught off-guard. "Wait-what? Then what are you? How did you get involved with them?"

Olaf shared her surprise. "Are you a leprechaun?"

He chuckled. "Devil Dog actually."

His hand reached out to shake the princess and Anna was inclined to introduce herself to the man.

"My name is Samuel Taylor, I was former embassy guard for the United States."

"Oh, you're from the new country across the Atlantic?"

Samuel's cheeks were red. "Wow, I forgot my country is really goddamn new in this period. It never occurred to me until now."

Then Pavel began to ask questions. "You said you were an embassy guard, which meant you were in a different military than most of the people I encounter from the order."

"Yes, indeed," He replied, "If the colonel could permit, he could show you the dress blues I managed to salvage from the apocalypse. Sure, you Soviets had your uniforms, but the United States Marine Corps could give your guys a run for your money."

"Ha, you wish. At least, we know how to properly march in formation."

Anna was glad to be meeting more people from the Metro. Even with their worn demeanor, there was still some sunshine underneath it all. "Where specifically are you from in the Americas?"

"The states?" Wondered the soldier, "California was my home. You could run out to the beach and surf the haves. If you could believe it, I used to grow my hair out."

She considered the thought but did not know how to imagine it. "I apologize, but it would seem so out of place for you."

"I know, but that's what you get when your family has a strong military tradition."

"Well, we got to go," The royal said, "I got to find my sister and all that."

"Good to meet you, your highness."

Prince Hans found himself standing in a quiet room as he looked at his surroundings. The castle was a beautiful place despite all of the years of rumors behind Arendelle. People had thought it would have looked dreadful ever since the gates were closed. Truly, the small kingdom knew how to surprise outsiders. All for his life, he had been looking for a place to call home and escape his father's disapproval in court. This seemed promising to him.

The door opened as he found Queen Elsa walk into the room in a purple dress. "Prince Hans, I almost forgot about your arrival. My apologies for my lack of awareness."

He smiled in return. "Your majesty, it is not my place to criticize how you manage your time. Few ever have the luxury of being invited by someone lovely as yourself."

She was not the only one as a young man walked into the room in a black sweater and a pair of strange leggings. "Artyom, meet my newfound friend I danced with at the coronation. I apologize none of you could get acquainted."

The prince bowed. "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

He lowered his head for a moment to return a similar gesture. "Artyom of Exhibition Station."

"I remember you," Hans realized who it was, "You were the one that defended the queen after Weselton accused her of dark sorcery."

"It's not the kind of the first impression I was expecting to leave, but that is what happened," Came his humble reply, "Well, I am happy to have met a genuine prince from another country."

He seemed to not be aware of the major issue in the room. "I mean no disrespect, but how does that compare to meeting people from another world?"

Artyom shrugged his shoulders. "Between that and Elsa with ice powers, it's not as much of a big deal for me as it is to you."

"Really?"

The queen spoke. "Artyom and his people are quite familiar with the strange. It's really difficult to find a good reaction to something they haven't encountered before."

It was time to look into the future of the day. "So what are we all going to do?"

Queen Elsa took a seat on the couch. "How about a game of charades and batches of ice cream?"

"I'm game," He answered, "Do you know how to play, Artyom?"

His head nodded from side to side. "More or less. One big problem is that I might make a reference that none of you understand."

"We can try to figure it out."

Out of nowhere a white blur stormed into the room and jumped into the queen's arms. "We're back!"

Elsa hugged the sentient snowman despite his cold embrace. "Hey, Olaf!"

"Who's the fancy pants?"

"I am sorry," She apologized, "But he's not used to our usual norms."

The prince smiled. "It is okay. I think it's quite nice not to be referred to as a prince every now and then."

Anna walked up to her sister and spoke. "Sis, what is with the handsome young man? Is there something you're not talking about?"

The queen smiled and giggled before the two took a seat on the couch. "This is Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. We danced at my coronation."

"Really?" Her eyes shot out in surprise, "How come you never told me?"

Her cheeks blushed as Prince Hans understood her embarrassment. Then he was approached by the man who accompanied Princess Anna. Unlike Artyom, his clothes were more acquainted with the harsh wilderness. "May I know who you are?"

The stranger reached out with his hand. "Major Pavel Morozov, representative of the Red Line to the Kingdom of Arendelle."

"You're a representative?" The prince questioned, "It's rather-"

"Unusual?" He completed his sentence, "It should be. I'm a former member of Red Line intelligence who was promoted into this role because I'm the only one who interacts with the royals a lot."

"I thought it was Artyom who interacts with her majesty the most."

Pavel stole a glance from Artyom before he laughed. "If that is the case, I'm the second person who interacts with the royals."

Anna called out to them. "Hey, who's first?"

The trio of men exchanged glances at each other. None of them wanted to be the one to try."

"Alright, I'll be it," She said before turning towards Olaf, "Now where did I put the basket."

It was a cold morning, perhaps colder than Artyom expected. Nonetheless, he needed to be awake at this time, for he had to leave Arendelle for his world. Duty called and he needed to serve Russia.

The hallways were quiet, barely a sound was left from his footsteps, only the jingling of his equipment was there a trace of him. However, he knew that everyone was asleep at this point. None of them were willing to be up at this hour as he made his way towards the side entrance. The main gates were closed and even the slightest hint of opening them would be enough to garner attention from sleepy Arendellian guards.

When he opened the door, the young man heard scrapping wood against the castle's stonework. Olaf caught him by surprise with his curiosity. "Why are you leaving in the middle of the night?"

Artyom turned around and knelt on one knee. "My people need me back home. I cannot stay here any longer. You should get some sleep."

"Well, I can't," He replied, "I am a snowman after all."

"Right, I forgot about that," It was an embarrassing moment, but he was glad that no one was there to notice it, "Will you tell Elsa and Anna that I left for work? I just don't handle goodbyes well."

He saw Olaf smile. "I will. For a friend of Elsa, you do not seem crazy about leaving in the first place. Do you love her?"

There was a pause between them since the Russian did not know how to simplify his close friendship. On one hand, he did not want to imply that, but on the other hand… it was close enough to call that relationship love. "I care about Elsa and Anna. Do you mind if you don't tell them about that part of our conversation?"

"These lips are sealed. Anything else?"

Artyom reached into his combat vest and pulled out a scarf that the queen gave to him back at his home station. "This is Elsa's scarf. Where I am going, it would be wrong of me to get it dirty beyond recognition. Could you bring this to her? She'll figure it out."

"Sure, anything for Elsa," Olaf replied with a smile, "You look like you could use a hug."

"Yes, I could," He added, "But just not now."

The snowman was surprised by the tone of his voice as he rose up and turned away from the door. When Artyom closed the door, only the magical construct with the scarf remained in his hands.