To those of you still waiting for the monster to update; I'm working on it! I promise I'm working on it!

So this is a bit of a passion project. I've been trying for years to find a way to rewrite Disney's Aladdin in a way that didn't turn it into a cardboard copy, and I finally thought of a twist I really liked. Hope you'll all enjoy this story because I really enjoy writing it!

Don't forget to share your thoughts with me! And I'm looking for a beta-reader, so if anyone's interested, DM me!

Arendelle night

In the frozen land of Arendelle, the Ice Palace stood on a mountain like a lighthouse in the middle of the blindingly white desert. Like history's ocean waves the moving white dunes swallowed anyone who wasn't careful. The country was unforgiving. Winter was a constant, cold was the ruler, and sunlight only existed during summer. The people caught in this desert land made of moving ice and snow did what they could to survive under the rule of the queen.

But the queen offered little protection, and while her rules were there to maintain order, it didn't stop the existence of people who broke the rules.

Merida was a thief and a murderer, and she was hungry. For people like her there was exactly one way to get your hands on food; you stole it. And the best way to steal food was to tail one of the three guilds who monopolized the food; the hunters, the ice-breakers, and the fishermen.

Merida was currently hiding in a rock formation, spying on the ice-breakers who systematically sawed the ice into cubes, turned them over and found the green gold; the algae that grew on the underside of the ice.

After the ice-breakers moved aside to scrape the algae off the ice, the fishermen came in to sweep up the pawn and fish that came up for air and light.

Merida's whole body ached at the sight of all the food.

'Keep calm, there's only you now.'

The thief swallowed down as much saliva as she could and tried to be patient, all the while cursing silently to herself for her bad luck.

On the beach, which was only visible due to the line of pines that somehow managed to survive and grow through the constant winter, stood the boss of the ice-breakers talking animatedly to a widely known and most dangerous man; the royal vizier.

The queen's right hand man had apparently chosen today to inspect the ice-breakers' work, something that didn't please them either, but what could they do. All around the royal vizier, crawling through the snow, up the trees and flying in the air and even resting on the man himself, were dragons. Merida could handle one dragon if it was small enough, but the vizier commanded them, and be it loyalty out of terror or respect, the dragons were extremely protective of him and obeyed the slightest bat of his green eyes.

Merida knew of the man. Had seen him countless at a distance and remembered clearly her mother's words when she'd first pointed out the vizier to Merida. He was the shadow ruler of Arendelle, and you wanted to stay on his good side. Harming him or making him angry was the same as turning all the world's dragons and the queen herself against you.

But even someone like Merida, who should be too busy surviving to care, had to admit that the royal vizier, despite the aloof air around him and his indifferent expression, was a handsome man. Rough around the edges, a full, reddish brown beard, thick eyebrows and dark, green eyes, enhanced by the emerald green dragon that currently rested across his shoulders.

Merida wasn't at all eager to know what would happen to her if she was caught stealing food by this man, but what choice did she have. After a bear had killed her father when she was a child and the cold had taken her mother a couple of years ago, Merida had been left to provide for three toddlers. None of them had survived. But a single teenager could only do so much in a place where everyone needed as much help as she did and where the cold killed everyone who was alone long enough to let it seep into their bones.

The cold that made those pine trees equally precious and valued as food.

On the lake, the ice-breakers suddenly started shouting excitedly. Merida perked up when she heard them.

A woman ran across the ice towards the vizier and her leader.

"Seaweed!" she cried. "We found a forest of seaweed!"

Without looking back, the woman returned to the people gathering around the hole they had made in the ice, followed, after some hesitation, by the ice-breaker boss.

Left on the beach was only the vizier.

Now or never.

Merida crawled forward, her skin-sack in hand, towards a basket of algae beside one with wiggling pawns.

There was still ice in the basket of algae, and ice made noise. She had to risk it.

Merida opened her sack and with it scooped up algae and ice, casting a glance at the vizier. Only to see him watching her.

One short, inhuman call from the man and suddenly the dragons took to the skies all around the beach.

Pressing her price to her chest the thief took off. The only protection she had was a dagger gifted to her from her mother long ago, but it was all she needed. She knew the terrain, she was flexible and for as long as there were trees around her the dragons wouldn't breathe their signature fire breaths. The wood was too precious, even for them.

That didn't stop them from trying to sky-dive at her or nibble on her heels as they tried to keep up. Merida could feel the claws as they tried to grab her, feel the pain in her head as she grit her teeth and zigzagged between the trees. She could feel the cold where her clothes ripped, but she would eat or die today as well.

The village was underground, hidden under a roof of clear ice that let the sunshine through when there was any. Merida skidded through the hole she'd dug to come and go as she pleased and kept running, weaving between houses, snow piles and people. She'd left the chatter of pursuing dragons out in the cold, and even though it wasn't exactly warm here either; at the very least it wasn't freezing.

Merida went further down. Down where sunlight never reached, to the place people like her belonged.

Breathing too hard, Merida slowed from running to a fast-paced walk, huddled over her price, keeping an eye out for anyone who might suspect she had food, until she reached her den. Her safe place.

For several minutes she just sat there in the dark, breathing, listening for anything other than the rush of blood in her ears. For minutes, that was all she could hear.

The dragons had given up their pursuit.

Her giddy laugher was breathy, barely worth calling a laugh at all, but Merida had her price, was safe, and there was nothing to keep her from eating.

Opening the sack, the woman dipped a hand into the chilly mess and stuffed her mouth with ice and algae. It tasted like a piece of heaven. The salt from the water, the bitterness of the algae, the only thing that could have made this moment truly good would be if she had a fire.

Careful what you wish for, Merida.

Merida was so busy eating and trying to breathe between bites she didn't hear the door to her safe place open, didn't hear the soft footfalls. But she definitely saw the fire when its light filled the space.

The royal vizier stood before her in all his horrifying glory, the fire catching his staff and burned with a red light.

Merida swallowed and almost chocked.

"You must have been really hungry, to not be able to wait for your ration."

The vizier's voice was raspy, nasal even, and the fire reflected in his eyes as he looked around.

"Or, you've been refused your rations."

The thief could only press her precious bag of food to her chest and back up. They were in her safe place, in a room underground and the vizier was blocking the one and only exit, and he glared at her.

"You wounded my dragons."

Trembling from head to toe, Merida's fingers searched for her dagger.

"Looking for this?"

Another dragon climbed the vizier's body, dropping Merida's precious weapon in his hand. He studied it, going as far as polishing both the blade and the handle with his sleeve.

The staff was standing there beside the vizier unsupported, spreading light from a burning eye, light that fell over a room full of small, crawling dragons.

The vizier suddenly stepped forward, and Merida, back pressed against the wall, closed her eyes, holding the bag with all her might.

The man walked so close Merida could feel his breath on her.

"Your cloths got ripped. You must be cold."

Something touched her arm, something warm, rough and dry running over the exposed skin.

Another warm breath ghosted across her face, and the thief slowly opened her eyes, her own breathing shallow and short. The vizier was still before her, running his warm fingers over her skin where her cloths had torn, and looking serene.

There was a chatter of dragons all around them.

Merida breathed in as the man breathed out. Her heart was racing, and for some reason warmth was spreading through her body. The man's hands reached her face.

"Your hair is a beautiful red. I guess you're a Dunbroch, only that family ever had hair like this."

He twirled a lock of hair around his finger, the light pull pleasurable to Merida. She hadn't known she liked having her hair pulled before, and it alarmed her. This was the royal vizier, the shadow king, the queen's puppeteer!

The Executioner.

"You stole food right under the noses of the ice-breakers," the man spoke, his breath hitting Merida's eyelashes.

He was so close she could almost feel him against her, even though the only part of him that was touching her was his fingers twirling her hair.

"You have skill. Had I not been there with the dragons, you wouldn't have been caught."

Merida tried to speak, but couldn't figure out what to say. She was dizzy from lack of air, from not breathing properly, and the vizier was going to move away, take all warmth with him and feed her to his dragons or worse and he was so warm and… Green eyes looked directly into hers. He'd removed his headwear, revealing an unkept mane of hair that glowed red in the firelight.

He looked like a god.

"Let's make a deal. I will spare you, won't mention you're still alive, and tell the rest of the country you got eaten by the dragons. I might even return your blade depending on your answer."

The thief blinked and blinked, blindsided by the unexpected turn of events. A deal? Won't kill her? Hide her?

Suddenly she felt like she stood on safe ground again and she stood up straight. "What kind of deal?" she demanded.

Looking pleased, the vizier reached into his wide sleeve without taking his eyes off Merida's. "I want the other half."

The object he held up was indeed a familiar shape cut in half. A silver dragon. Like in the legend?

"The queen's power can't get it for you?" the thief mocked, trying to sound fearless despite the way her heart still pounded. The vizier's fingers closed around the little piece of silver, and when he opened them again it was gone.

"If the queen gets wind of any of this, all of Arendelle will die, buried under the storm of her wrath. Which is why I need you."

Swallowing hard, Merida mustered all the courage she had. "What if I say no?"

The vizier shrugged as if that didn't matter and stepped away.

The cold hit her like a brick, and the dragons cried out in excitement. She felt like she stood naked out in the open, surrounded by gleaming eyes and teeth.

"I'll do it!" Merida yelled desperately and reached for the vizier, grabbing onto his clothes, searching for his heat and protection. "I'll do it. I'll do anything! Please…"

Strong arms wrapped around her and she was pressed against that solid warmth. He smelled like everything good in the world.

"I'll reward you," the raspy voice whispered in her ear. "After you find the other half."