New chapter guys hope you all enjoy. Also quick shoutout to hufflepuff19 for the follow, appreciate it. Also SPECIAL SHOUTOUT to Gabriel443 for the review, thanks I really appriecated that one.

Two whole days and not a sign of Talib or the woman. Edward had searched the market all over for that woman when he had spare time but still had no success. He had asked Elsa to not worry about the alchemist and leave it to him so she could focus on her work but with the way things were going, he'd have to tell her nothing was found.

The newly married couple departed for the valley of the living rock to get married by the trolls which was an entirely different ceremony. They also said that the two of them would be going on a honeymoon as soon as they returned. Of course Anna wanted to go by boat which took the three of them to sit down with Elsa to assure her that they would be fine.

With Anna and Kristoff leaving, one would think that meant she and Edward would have some more privacy to one another. That turned out to not be the case since Stonewell still had a field exercise for the two of them. The young man groaned as he looked over his class as they trained. Even though he'd been through some hellish experiences, he was slightly worried about spending a week alone with the Captain. There were times that he could prove the old man was certifiably insane and even when they fought, Edward never could guess what he was thinking.

Probably going to spend the week trying to kill me or something.

The young man wouldn't put it past the old guy, Stonewell was really old fashioned and believed experience was the best teacher. Which was true in most cases but it was also quite dangerous. Edward had put some thought as to who would lead the training sessions while he was gone for the week. At first he thought that maybe one of the advanced group members could fill in but changed his mind when he watched Cameron continue to prosper.

It was certainly slow going at first with him making basic mistakes and having no confidence but he kept at it until he improved. Truly the young guard was a talented individual, it just took some coaxing to get him to realize it. This also wouldn't be the first time Klein took over for the class, when Edward had to step away for something important, the guard would take over and do an excellent job.

He paid special attention to Klein today, explaining the drills in great detail as well as throwing in some tips to boost improvement. He even had the group spar with one another. Cameron came out as second best, a tremendous difference from where he started. After the session was over, Edward asked the young guard to come over so they could discuss something.

"Anything I can do for you sir?"

The young man couldn't help sighing somewhat irritability at the question. They already had this conversation about him not being in the Arendelle military thus had no rank, so he shouldn't be called 'sir'. One day, he'd probably lose his mind if Cameron said it and they'd spar right then right there with the stakes being that the guard would never say 'sir' within his earshot again.

"First you can stop calling me sir, unless you want me to get upset. Second, I'm sure you've heard of me and the Captain spending a week in the mountains."

"Yeah, a couple of us are making bets on who kills who first."

That made him chuckle a bit, he could definitely see where they were coming from. "I would be too given the situation. Anyway since we'll be gone, we obviously won't be able to teach our classes. I don't know how the Captain plans to handle that matter with his group but I would like for the rest of you all to keep training. As such, I was hoping to appoint you to teach the class while I'm away."

Cameron's eyes widened as he took in the words of the man in front of him. The instructor wanted him to take over for a week, they were almost finished with the current block of instruction. That meant he'd have to come up with something to teach while the young man was gone. Even though he had improved, he was still quite a novice and would surely have some bad habits that he didn't want to pass on to his fellow guards.

"I think you're making a mistake, I don't think I'm remotely qualified to teach anyone else. I;m sure there are other people more suitable for the task."

"Of course there are, there's always someone better than the best in this world. They probably just haven't found that person yet. Moving on though, the reason why I want you to do it is because I believe that you have the potential to do more. That you have the ability, talent, and mindset to go far and beyond what people might expect of you. I heard about what happened when the Queen was taken, Stonewell really put you on the spot but you still stood tall even when you were afraid. You have a good reason to fight and I wouldn't have anyone else teaching the other guards how to be the guardians of the Queen as well as Arendelle."

"Your words are kind sir, but…"

Klein was cut off when he saw Edward launch a fast roundhouse kick in his direction. He was barely able to get his head out of the way before the man in front of him planted his foot and lashed out with his other one that impacted the guard's stomach. The force of the kick sent Cameron back a few feet with him holding his stomach in reflex but kept a grip on his training sword from earlier.

"What was that.."

The guard didn't have time to finish as the instructor already had a sword in his hand and was closing the distance between them with it positioned for a stab. Fighting to keep the pain away, and getting into his ready stance, Klein sidestepped the attack before swinging his blade up toward the base to force it out of his opponent's hands. The move worked perfectly and the sword twirled out of the man's hand and into the air, however that didn't slow down the instructor.

He reached out with his left hand to grab the scruff of the guard's uniform before bodily throwing him away. Cameron felt his body cut through the air before hitting the ground hard. Instead of laying there opening himself up for an attack, he rolled with the force of the throw before jumping to his feet with his sword ready. Somehow, his opponent was already closing in with a sword in hand ready for the next strike. He considered his options as he blocked a series of strikes. Running was out of the question, the instructor was easily faster than any of them. Fighting him head on was also a no go since he proved he could fight off four of them by himself at the same time. With the rate and speed of his attacks, there was no way the guard could get a word in to talk and giving up was definitely not an option.

So how do I beat someone who is stronger, faster, and more skilled than me?

As the guard thought of that, he noticed something in the way the instructor moved. His sword was being swung one handed in his right hand while his left was off to the side way out of reach. With his throw earlier one would think that he would use his left arm offensively as well as his right. While his right hand was more dangerous due to it having a sword, his offhand was still dangerous.

Which inspired Klein's next move.

When Edward took a stab at the guard again, he watched his opponent sidestep it again but this time kept the blade against his to both knock it away and deliver another attack. Realizing the blade was coming at his chest and his own weapon was being pushed away, the instructor moved to use his left hand to hit the guard's forearm to push away the sword. Unfortunately for him, the distance between his hand and the guard gave his opponent enough time to see it coming and do something completely unexpected.

Cameron quickly brought his sword down forcing Edward's to drop his blade's tip into the ground. With that out of the way, the guard shoulder checked the instructor in the chest while letting go of his sword with his left hand before grabbing his opponent's. The shoulder hitting his chest made the young man loosen his grip on his sword for an instant but it was enough for the guard to work his fingers in the grip and force it out of the instructor's hand.

With his opponent now disarmed, the guard hoped that he could get him to back off long enough to talk but that wasn't the case at all. He felt an arm wrap around his abdomen and felt the world rush past him as he was thrown once again with a lot of force. He tried to roll as he hit the ground to get back to his feet again but as soon as he looked up to do so, a hard kick hit him in the chest throwing him further back.

Remarkably, he was still able to keep his grip on the two swords in his hands as he slid against the ground. When he finally stopped and forced his eyes open, he was surprised to see Edward coming down at him from the air with a flying axe kick. With some effort, Klein was able to roll out of the way as the kick hit the ground where his head was. Not giving the guard a moment of rest, the instructor charged with a myriad of kicks and open palm strikes not at all caring about the two swords in his opponent's hands.

Cameron tried keeping his weapons up and the flat sides facing the instructor so that he wouldn't injure the man's hands but all that did was give his opponent a place to land his strikes. All of which made his arms wobble. Especially his left handed strikes, despite them being somewhat slower and less frequent, they carried much more force than the faster right handed ones.

The guard realized with dismay that he was essentially back in the same predicament he was earlier, except that the instructor was unleashing even faster strikes. He mulled over his original question on how to beat a superior opponent, however he had no answer. As the fight continued, he realized the instructor kept using the same type of strikes in the exact same attack pattern. Usually that meant the guard would be able to predict his opponent's moves, but with the speed at which they were going, he couldn't counter them anyway.

He kept racking and racking his brain as he blocked hoping to come up with something, until a memory of one of their training sessions came into mind.

Groups of four kept charging the instructor who stood in the middle with his katana in one hand and sheath in another. He easily bat away any blades that came at him with the weapon in his right hand before disabling them with the other in his left. Whether it'd be a stab, swing, feint, or charge, the instructor sidestepped, parried, and countered anything they threw at him.

Some of them ended up with thin cuts on their arms as he sliced at one blade before turning around and slashing at another unexpectedly which led to very sloppy and hurried blocks. After defeating each group he would tell them their deficiencies before gesturing for the next group to come forth. It was obvious to see that their new instructor was more skilled than any of them if not all of them put together.

There was one guard who decided to ask after his group had been beaten, how would they go about beating someone who was stronger, faster, and more skilled than them?

Edward simply answered.

"Remember the basics."

While many of the other guards groaned at the simplistic answer, Cameron couldn't help but consider it for a moment. From the first training session, the instructor had a set of principles that he called the basics. They ranged from stances and fighting forms to techniques and mindsets. He always said that before anything, they all needed to know the basics if they really wanted to be strong.

Listening to him explain all of the principles was honestly quite boring since in truth, they rarely touched a sword during those days. However, it gave Klein a new view on how to fight. One of the principles was that 'no one was perfect.' it was a generic and very common phrase that didn't really seem relevant to combat, until today.

From the events of today, Edward seemed perfect to every guard in the class. His moves were strong as well as fast and he moved in a way that he could somehow see their moves before they made them. Such an opponent was daunting and even in groups of four, they still didn't like their chances. However, that didn't mean he was perfect. He said it himself that no one was, and even if he may look it now, there had to be a crack in his image somewhere.

It took another two groups going before Cameron seemed to have noticed something. The instructor never attacked first, he'd always counter and then keep the group of guards in front of him where he could see them all at once and picked them off one at a time. The first attack he would initiate would be after countering that guard then disabling him as quick as possible before facing the other three.

It wasn't much but it was something. That led to another basic principle, 'countering was much more devastating than initiating an attack first' Klein could see that whenever the instructor countered his opponent was completely at his mercy for a moment and that was all it took to knock them out. During that time, the other three usually just watched in awe as their comrade was easily knocked out.

It was how he won every fight until now, he picked them off one at a time because they all came at him one at a time.

With that newfound knowledge, Cameron went to his group and gave them a quick explanation. By the time they were up, Edward immediately noticed something. All four of them were shoulder to shoulder with their blades ready. He waited for a moment wondering which one would attack first but as a few moments passed, none of them moved. Shrugging his shoulders, he moved to attack first and picked the far one on the left.

Before his blade could touch the guard, his target took a step back while the other three charged forward with strikes. The instructor moved to dodge the three but unexpectedly opened himself up to the attack of the one he went for first. This led him to having his sheath knocked out of his hand as he took a large step back to keep all four of them in his sight. With his left hand now empty, he grasped his katana with two hands and increased his focus on the four.

He waited again to see if they would strike first but none of them pressed their attack, which led Edward to once again make a move. The result ended the same as the first time, his target would back off while the other three would move in and when he tried to contend with them, his target would dash forward with their own attack then they'd reset themselves and wait for him.

He had to admit, it was a good strategy. Theoretically, if he was an intruder and they employed this strategy, more guards would come and he would be overwhelmed at some point. Conversely though, more intruders could use this as a chance to further their goal. He would have to bring that scenario later, for now, he ran through a couple of options before deciding on one.

With a bend of his knees, Edward charged much faster than he did with the other groups. The four guards were surprised but kept their nerve and tried to stick to their strategy. The instructor swung with more force toward his first target who had to block it instead of getting just out of reach like before. That made the other three move to attack and they expected him to try to dodge them giving them another opening.

The instructor did no such thing as he waited until the very last moment before grabbing his first target's sword arm and using it as a shield. The three swords hitting the one made the guard drop it instantly before he was used as a flail to knock the other three guards down. The four of them were instantly entangled with one another and before they could free themselves, Edward pinned them with his foot over the top guard and had his blade ready to strike down any who moved.

"That was a good idea, working with one another to create an opening."

"We still lost though."

"Yes that's true, while your plan was good, there was one problem with it. While you had one draw me in and attacked with the other three is all well and good. You left yourselves open to my counterattack, had you kept one of you back just in case I tried something like this then they might've been able to buy you some time to get back to your feet. You should always remember, never commit your last ace in the hole unless you've truly thought it through. There will always be an opportune moment to use your last ace in which your opponent will be completely vulnerable. It may take some patience and some effort on your part but a moment will present itself, you just have to be open to it."

Even though he still lost that day, Klein was better and could hold his own. He thought he might've had it earlier with his shoulder check but Edward had completely recovered and was able to toss him away. The barrage of attacks he endured where relentless yet the guard stayed firm, his opponent wasn't perfect and there would be another opportunity, he just had to stay calm and be open to it. When he saw another left handed blow heading in his direction he tensed for a second ready for the hard blow until his mind clicked.

This is going to hurt.

He relaxed his hands and braced the swords against his chest where the palm strike would likely land and let his upper body go lax. When the attack hit him, he was knocked clean off his feet and hit the ground harshly. When his arms landed against the ground they let the swords out of his grip as he stayed there.

The instructor watched the guard hit the ground and expected him to try and get back to his feet but when the body didn't move, his eyes got bigger.

"Hey Cameron, you ok?"

There was no answer, Edward instantly looked down at his arm with worry. He thought he held back enough to not seriously hurt the guard. Quickly rushing over to the young guard, he knelt down and was about to try and shake him awake when a flurry of movement caught him off guard.

He felt a knee hit the side of his head as well as another leg push him to the ground before a sharp edge was against his throat. He looked up to see a triumphant smile on the guard's face.

"There will always be an opportune moment if you're open to it."

Edward sighed in relief that the guard was only faking being hurt. Honestly, he should've seen it coming. Something like that would've never worked on him in a life or death situation. It was just during their spar he was reluctant to use his left arm but eased it in every so often. He didn't expect Klein to adapt to it and use it to set him up. What really clenched it was the fear he hurt the young guard with Wrath's arm, that fear was something Klein could never have planned on.

However, he had to give credit where it was due. He lost to one of his students, which definitely made the guard the right choice to lead the class.

"Yes there will be, and it seems you've gotten better at finding it. Hopefully you'll be able to pass that along to your other peers when you lead the class for the next week."

That caused Klein to sputter and grow flustered for a moment which was what gave Edward his opportune moment. In a blink of an eye, the guard had his arms pinned behind his back with a foot on his arms as well as a blade at the back of his throat. The instructor laughed a bit before reaching down and offering the guard a hand.

"You were right, there is always one if you're open to it."

Klein groaned as he was helped to his feet and handed his training sword. Part of him looked somewhat put off that the man in front of him turned the tables so quickly but he could say it was his fault for losing focus.

"I still don't think that I'm the right one for the job."

Edward clapped the guy lightly on the shoulder. "You beat me just now, so far no one here has done that. You know the basics and remain focused under pressure. I believe in you and so should you. It'll only be for a week, you'll do fine."

The young guard looked a little skeptical but nodded with a small smile. After giving him a few details and suggestions for the next week, the instructor watched the guard leave. He looked up to see the night sky and guessed that it was getting late. He then remembered the watch he carried with him and checked it to see that it was only eight.

Earlier today the Captain said that he had some late errands to run so they wouldn't be able to go through their nightly spar tonight. Edward didn't mind, they would have a whole week to beat on one another. With the end of his day effectively being now, the young man wondered what he should do. He was already packed for the trip and Kristoff was already gone with Anna. That left Elsa who he really hadn't seen lately.

It just now began to sink in that he would be gone for a week away from her and couldn't help but feel anxious. He knew he wasn't a needy person but he honestly felt that he would miss her. With it being the evening, she hopefully already ate dinner and took a break from work. He looked at the castle doors and the gates. Logically, he should leave and mentally prepare for tomorrow and not risk being caught looking for the Queen at this hour. However he found his feet walking toward the castle doors in the direction of the Queen's study.

I'm just going to wish her goodnight and walk back home.

Grace was sitting in a waiting room in the Southern Isles palace, her three of her guards and one of the Blackdust soldiers were manning the door. When she arrived, she was instantly welcomed by the local soldiers and escorted to the palace. She met an ambassador who said he represented Weselton and that the Isles' ambassador had been killed. When she asked if Weselton had invaded, he responded they provided aid but unfortunately most of the ruling class had been killed.

Normally an ambassador would choose this time to leave given that the harbor was filled with Weselton ships as well as learning that most of the reigning monarchs were dead, but Grace hadn't completed her mission. She was asked to appraise the situation and return to Arendelle to report if Weselton had truly conquered the kingdom. She wasn't one to shirk her duties or lose her nerve, she would see this mission through.

So she waited, she was the picture of calm as she held herself in a dignified way and void of any nervous ticks or tells. It wasn't too much longer when a servant entered the room and asked her to accompany him to the throne room. As she stepped into the hallway, her guards followed her closely with the Blackdust soldier staying somewhat at a distance.

Grace had a couple glances at the new additions to her security detail while she traveled to the Southern Isles. They were vigilant and never let their guard down. They would always stay together and were always off to the side near locations where they could take cover at a moment's notice. More than once she noticed that the one soldier who accompanied her had taken note of every window, hallway, and door as they were escorted through the palace. It was almost as if he expected things to go bad which was a practical way of going about a mission.

She pushed the thought out of her mind as they arrived in front of the doors to the throne room. Whoever she met behind these doors would determine the whole course of her mission as well as the immediate future of multiple kingdoms. When the servant opened the door and Grace stepped through, she immediately curtsied and said the proper greetings. When her eyes met the one sitting on the throne however, she had to bite her tongue to stop her from spounting the first thing that came to mind.

Hans had that self satisfied smirk on his face that sickened the woman as she remembered the report she read about the man leaving the Princess to die and attempting to kill the Queen. He was wearing an expensive suit as well as an ornate crown that should've been made of thorns instead of jewels. The only thing that stood out was a scar that ran along the side of his face that went down his neck, it wasn't grotesque yet was very noticeable. Grace wanted to turn on her heel and leave, this man was still a threat to Arendelle and seeing him sit on a throne did not bode well but she remembered what the Duke asked of her before she left. He asked her to try and keep her cold remarks to herself and not stir up hostilities, as always she would do her best to appease him which was why she bit her tongue and clenched her fingers behind her back.

"Your Highness, I must confess I was not expecting to see you. I was told I would have an audience with the King of the Southern Isles, do you happen to know where his Majesty may be?"

"You're looking at him."

Grace's eyes narrowed at the admission and quickly thought of a few scenarios. Hans was by far the youngest in the line of thirteen brothers to ascend the throne and had attempted to usurp another kingdom's throne and was caught, his claim to his homeland's throne was a longshot at best. Unless the other brothers were no longer in the running with him. Prince Albert definitely wasn't after they found his dead body on his ship not too long ago. Perhaps he was the one that had the Prince killed so he could take the throne but that was only one out of twelve. If one went missing then the kingdom would likely ask their allies to assist in locating the lost royal. She highly doubted that all twelve were conveniently in one place as they were all killed, Hans was cunning but not smart enough to come up with a plan to ensure no one could oppose him.

"I wasn't aware you were crowned King, if you don't mind my asking, when did this happen?"

"It was pretty recently actually, you see while I was traveling outside the kingdom, I caught wind of a plot to invade my homeland. That led to me being attacked and almost being killed had we not escaped and fled to Weselton and asked for their assistance. They were skeptical but thankfully the King sent men to help combat the invasion. During the attack, I found out that all my brothers had been slaughtered leaving just me. If it wasn't for the troops Weselton sent us, the Southern Isles would've been completely taken over. With me being the only royal survivor, it made sense that I should be crowned King, especially when I fought for my homeland."

Grace could already tell he was hiding something but said nothing. She did see signs of battle as she approached the palace. Whether or not, he was behind the invasion and used it to usurp the throne, his forces had taken a hit. They were in no condition to launch a quick assault against Arendelle. However he could always ask Weselton to send more troops against us but that would take time. Time she could return to Arendelle and warn the Queen who could call for another meeting with the alliance and launch an investigation into the murder of the other Princes.

There was just one problem with that whole scenario.

When Hans was sent back after his attempt on Arendelle's throne, the Queen turned over the right to punish him back to his homeland where he was supposedly punished. However, the monarch of the Southern Isles never confirmed if they revoked his claim to the throne. That meant if he was truly the last of the thirteen sons then he would have the rightful claim to the throne. She needed to report this back to Arendelle, she could see it in his eyes. Even though he finally had a kingdom of his own, he still wanted more.

"I see, we came here to confirm if the Southern Isles had been invaded and were prepared to offer immediate aid but since that doesn't seem to be the case we can return home."

Grace bowed before turning around and making her way out the room when she watched the guards at the door take a step in their path.

"Just a moment. You say that you've come here to confirm if we had been invaded and were prepared to offer aid. However, you've let one of my brothers die while they were at your summit and my other brothers have all met the same fate. Quite curious that you all are the first to arrive here after the invasion is over."

The ambassador turned and narrowed her eyes as she met the new King's gaze unflinchingly. "Is there something you're implying Your Majesty?" Hans got to his feet and started taking steps toward the woman until he was towering over her. His eyes were narrowed with a slight frown on his face in an intimidating expression that was aimed fully at the woman in front of him.

"Just noting that my brother was killed right in front of me by a man wearing the same armor as those soldiers you brought. Who's to say they aren't here to finish the job?"

It was at that moment that Grace's patience died and she took a step closer so she could hiss the very next words into his ears. "If they were here to finish the job as you say then you obviously wouldn't see them coming. Unlike you, Arendelle has done nothing to warrant or justify conflict against this kingdom. If you were smart, I suggest you quit while you're ahead. You finally have your grubby kingdom, there's no one in charge of you anymore. You have no evidence that Arendelle is responsible for the death of your brothers, even if what you say is true and soldiers from Blackdust did kill them, you forget, their mercenaries. Many other kingdoms could've hired them, plus they aren't a formal ally of Arendelle. If you have a problem with them then I suggest you send your accusations toward King Alrick, who is quite known for being a kingslayer."

The woman turned around on her heel and motioned for her men to follow behind her. When she made it to the door, she shoved past the guards and left the throne room without a word. Hans watched her leave with a frown on his face as he waited for a few more moments before he heard slow footsteps behind him.

"Your silver tongue needs more practice."

The King turned to see Greed standing there with his hands behind his back and a pensive expression on his face. Hans gestured for the guards to leave the room so he could have privacy with the mysterious man.

"You cut me with a sword."

"And now you're a hero who received a scar in defense of your kingdom and was a target for the unknown killer. Several Weselton soldiers saw you lying there about to be killed, they'll keep you clear of suspicion. Besides, you looked to be having second thoughts. I told you that I like to cover my bases."

Hans briefly thought of Lars, the only brother who wasn't cruel to him and was angered that the man in front of him didn't seem to care one way or another. His anger quickly dissipated to a small pang of guilt. He was the one to choose this and throw in with Greed, the man may have manipulated events to point the King in the direction that led to this but it was his own fault he walked down this path.

"Now what? I doubt Elsa will be pleased that I now rule the Southern Isles, she'll likely cut off trade with my kingdom because of what happened."

"No, I don't think she will. You see, the reason I told you to mention the Blackdust soldiers was because King Alrick wishes to join the alliance they are apart of. If word gets out that they were responsible for all of the Princes' assassinations then they will be all but barred from the alliance. There's also the fact that since they sent an envoy of Arendellian soldiers as well as some men from Blackdust, it wouldn't take much to think that Queen Elsa sent those men to finish off the last line of the Southern Isles."

"Are you sure? This is Elsa we're talking about, she's essentially a pacifist. She easily has the most power in that alliance yet she always pushes for diplomacy and stays out of conflict. It seems quite a stretch that she would send assassins to kill off my brothers."

Greed closed his eyes and took a calming breath. It took him time to come up with this plan as well as put things in motion to ensure its completion. He wasn't the smartest or the most strategic person, he was only a soldier. If someone like him who spent most of his time either on the battlefield or caring for his family could see the scope of his plans, then the new King who should have had a better education should be able to also.

I can't possibly understand why Father would enjoy teaching these humans.

"You're not thinking. Remember when she was attacked in her ice palace, when you pushed her to the edge? The two men who attacked her described her as a timid little girl who was afraid and ran like a little rabbit being chased by wolves. However, what they didn't account for was the basic instinct that lies in all humans. It's generally known as a fight or flight reflex, but it simply boils down to the basic human instinct of killing one another."

Hans looked ready to argue against that with the idea that an average person isn't a killer but Greed raised his hand to stop him. "I'm not saying that all humans kill one another on a whim. I'm saying that every human was born with the capability and instinct to kill one another. All it takes is extreme circumstances to bring this instinct to the forefront of one's mind. While there are those who flat out refuse to kill and would rather die than commit murder, they build up barriers in their mind to dull that instinct so they won't reflexivly activate it."

Hans watched Greed begin to slowly pace around the room not even bothering to look the King's way. From the way he spoke, the monarch thought the man might be a scholar of some kind. It added more and more mystery to the man in front of him.

"When those two men chased her into her castle with the sole intent of killing her, Elsa tried to reason with them but failed. When she realized that they were going to kill her, she chose to use her powers to stave them off. When they kept pushing and pushing against her still with the will to kill, her innate desire to save herself triggered her instinct to fight to kill. Whether she realized it or not, those two men were dead the moment they stepped into her domain. Had you not intervene and snap her out of her reflexive state, she would've killed the two of them. More importantly, her guards saw their Queen using magic and about to kill two men. Whether or not they agree with her actions or not, she had shown them that she had the capability to kill when threatened. It wouldn't take much for anyone to think she is threatened by you and thus has sent assassins to kill you to protect herself and her kingdom."

Hans began to see what the man meant and his mind raced with possibilities to take advantage of the situation. With him being King of the Southern Isles, he was now a part of the alliance with Arendelle, one in which Elsa would have a hard time dismissing him if she was staving off accusations of attempted regicide. There was also Weselton to consider, with the new change in sovereign, they would expect preference as well as benefits for helping save his kingdom. Which was easy to arrange and with their axe to grind against Arendelle, he could turn the two kingdoms against the Snow Queen and take Arendelle for himself.

"Before you even think about it, no. Weselton and the Southern Isles forces will not be enough to force Elsa to surrender. With Arendelle being in an alliance that prides itself on sending aid to its members and with her abilities to close off her kingdom when attacked, all she would have to do is hold out until reinforcements arrived. We also can't do what we did here to Arendelle because that would risk exposing us more than necessary. For now, you need to prove yourself to be a reliable member of their alliance. Even if Elsa doesn't trust you, she isn't above any of the other kingdoms in terms of power."

"Couldn't she push me out because of my attempt on her throne for the second time? If the alliance here's about that then they would likely side with her and push us out."

"Fortunately the only people to physically see you were the Princess, that ice harvester, Prince Ahimoth and his wife. Anyone else had been killed and while they could claim you were there, there's no proof that would suggest you've been there. And on the off chance they foolishly plan to pursue removing you from the alliance…"

Greed smiled for the first time revealing his sharp teeth and red eyes as he pulled out a small notebook. "...you can show the Snow Queen that if she planned on revealing your secrets, then you'll reveal hers."

The mysterious man handed the book to Hans who rifled through the pages skimming through them until his eyes landed on a particular page. As he read it, his eyes widened as he reread it a couple of times to make sure it really said what it said.

"I-is this true?"

"Every word, I can personally confirm its authenticity. Queen Elsa is a lot smarter than I gave her credit for but is ultimately still human and is prone to mistakes. This particular one, gives one a large amount of leverage over her if it is used correctly. Which is why I want you to only threaten her with this, you are to not use this against her. This is only a means to buy time until we have things in place."

Hans's eyes shot up to the man with a confused expression. With what was written in this notebook, he had her in the palm of his hand. Greed saw this and his eyes narrowed. "Like I said, this must be used correctly, if you play this card in the wrong way then things will become very messy. Which would very likely result in your death, you have no idea of what forces are at work around you. I would suggest you heed my warnings well, I can only do so much when my master arrives to plan your invasion."

"You mentioned your avarice being stifled and being on a leash, if you could think of all this then why not think of a way to free yourself?"

"As I said before, there are forces at work that you can't possibly fathom. My master is one of those forces, there's nothing I can do against him. He knows my every move and if I stray too far from his directives, he'll likely end me. It has taken careful and minute planning to arrange things in a way to get what I want while remaining on his good side, should this endeavor fall apart then the consequences will be most dire. However, you need not worry about that, when he gets here, he'll likely not bother with you too much and only give you a plan that is most likely to succeed. He doesn't want your kingdom or Arendelle, if anything, he'll probably only want Elsa alive, beyond that you can do whatever you wish."

Hans nodded and watched Greed begin to turn to dust in front of him. "Now then, that ambassador will return to Arendelle and inform them of the change in power. Elsa will probably request that you be removed from the alliance which will take time to arrange, during that time, you must make her aware of what you have over her. If she falls in line then she'll call off the request and that will buy you time, should she not, then I will send you further instructions. Remember, carefully consider how to force her cooperation with that information. Also, whatever happens, do not let my master learn anything from that book."

With that Greed vanished in thin air, leaving the King alone. Hans read through the book again and briefly entertained the notion of betraying Greed who was clearly afraid of his master. So far the man hadn't lied to the King yet and has already given him a throne. Hans should be grateful and he was but it bothered him when the man would say the word 'human'. It was like a King referring to a beggar, like they were that insignificant. Greed clearly set himself apart from being a human and now hinted that there was a higher power involved. The man may be on the King's side, but who's to say he wouldn't take everything away from the monarch at his master's behest?

It'll all come down to what his master is like.

Hey guys new chapter is dropped I hope ya'll like it. Trying to make things deeper and more political as well as philosophical. I'm going for the two chapters this weekend since the next chapter will likely be a LEMON, trying to see if I can improve from my first one. It will be a shorter chapter and most likely will be the last lemon in the fanfic. The one after that will definitely be a plot driven chapter. Anyway drop a review and pm me if you wish to contact me and I will respond.