Note:

Good morning sports [fanfic] fans! I present to you Chapter Twenty-Nine! We are – indeed – in the thick of it here. I hope you enjoy this behemoth of a chapter. I truly could have shortened it out, but it didn't have the same effect if written in two parts. Anyway, I'd like you all to know how much I appreciate your readership of this work. I know I am uploading in way longer time frames than I was before, but I promise we will get to the end together. You all rock my socks and I love this niche ship and fandom! Reviews are welcome and so are crits!

Disclaimer:

I am not sure how many times I can say 'I don not own anything related to Frozen as a patented work of Disney', but I assure you, I will find it every single time.

Happy Reading!

-JQ


Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Will of a King

[Arendelle, Norway]

It was after dinner and Queen Anna was preparing to get the children ready for bed. However, because of the additional presences in the castle, it was getting increasingly more difficult to get her children to settle down enough. Presently, Anna had walked into the parlour to see Nolan competing against Gilly, Rikki, and Finn in a makeshift obstacle course made with chairs, candlesticks (unlit for obvious reasons), books, and...Olaf?

"Go, go, go!" Stella chanted as the older princesses and the prince scrambled around the room.

"Gah!" Finn cried out, as she stumbled over some books on the renaissance. Gilly and Rikki then used the opportunity to sail passed her with Nolan hot on their tails.

"What's going on in here?" came a voice from behind Anna. The queen whirred around to see who it was and she smiled when her eyes landed on Katla.

"Hey, Katla!" Anna said with a wide smile, "Um..." she then turned back to the chaos unfolding and just shook her head, "I'd love to explain it to you, but I feel like we won't have an answer until they stop."

Katla shook her head and watched as her sisters and Anna's children played on. The sight was bittersweet for her. On one hand, she loved having her sisters demonstrate their youthful side. On the other hand, she thought about her four-year-old son, Lórens. She missed her little boy beyond words and wished that she could see him. She sincerely hoped that the plan would wrap up soon so that she could book her time for her snugly little man.

Well...and she missed her husband and father too, of course.

"You okay over there?" Anna said, noticing Katla's distant stare. She couldn't help but be reminded of Elsa – the queen of blank faces and hidden thoughts. "I noticed that you didn't laugh when Rikki face-planted after the 'Olaf Mountain'." The redhead was starting to think that it was an 'oldest sister' type of thing.

Their eyes then quickly shifted to see Rikki, indeed, face first into the hardwood. She was groaning in either the pain of losing or the physical pain of hitting the floor the way she did. Olaf waddled over to her to check if she was okay and all she could manage was a weak wave of her left hand. Katla just shook her head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I missed that." Katla said in earnest. She quite enjoyed it when Rikki was taken down a notch or two.

Anna joined Katla in laughing at Rikki's blunder, but the redhead still couldn't shake the feeling that Katla was hiding something. The queen gently placed a hand on Katla's shoulder and pushed her a little further from the door, away from the chaos that was still unfolding behind them. Katla was a little confused.

"I mean my question from a bit ago," Anna said gently, "what's on your mind? You've got this distant stare going on that makes me a little nervous."

Katla's eyebrows shot up, genuinely shocked. "Oh – uh, I'm fine. I Promise."

"Mhm," Anna eyed her intently, not believing her whatsoever. She had had enough of this from Elsa to know that it was a lie. "You haven't known me for that long, but you should know me enough to know that I can see right through your itty bitty lies."

"Okay, well," Katla said, relenting to Anna's never-ending persistence, "I guess I'm just a little homesick." the crown princess admitted shyly, "I miss my son...my husband...but I'd miss my sister having her freedom. So...I'm in between a rock and a hard place at the moment."

Anna nodded thoughtfully, "Well...I know what it's like to miss your kids." the redhead said as she gave the princess a one-armed hug. "You're incredibly strong for choosing to do this for Tina and being able to be away from your son this long." she pulled away to look Katla in her eyes, making sure that she could see the sincerity in them. After a tender moment, the queen had a great idea pop into her head. "Hey – why don't you tuck my son into bed tonight?!"

Katla blushed, "Oh – I-I don't know..."

"Nolan absolutely hates routines," Anna insisted, "you'll be a welcome surprise. Plus, you can get some of that 'boy mom' time in!"

Katla thought hard about this. She knew that 'tuck in time' was almost sacred for children. In fact, Lórens was always adamant on who tucked him in and when. However, she trusted Anna's words as this was her son. "I mean...if you think it'll be alright." Anna just squealed in delight and tugged Katla in for a bigger hug.

"Hey, think of it like this," Anna told her, "it'll be practice for when your son is five!"

Nolan was only one year older than Lórens but she appreciated Anna's attempt to further sell the idea. "Okay," Katla sighed with a smile, "I'll tuck him in tonight if it won't be too much trouble for you."

"Please – I insist." Anna told her, almost looking relieved, "My kids love visitors and they absolutely loved when Tina tucked them in. And if I'm not mistaken, us little sisters do take some things from our older ones."

Katla cringed at the queen's last statement. She and Tina had their fair share of...disagreements. The crown princess was willing to bet her entire fortune to say that she and Tina had the most tense relationship in the entire history of their bloodline. They were like oil and water – things that were important yet couldn't mesh well. However, despite their many differences, no one could deny the love that she felt for her sister. "Well...I wouldn't say that Tina enjoyed learning from me," Katla said carefully, "but it's worth a shot."

Anna squealed again, jumping up and down. "Perfect!"

...

After Anna and Katla convinced the children, Olaf, and the Botarskalic sisters to clean up their 'obstacle course', the children were being prepped for their respective nighttime routines. Stella was elated to hear that Rikki and Finn were helping her get ready for bed while Nolan was equally as delighted to hear that Katla was going to help him.

He grabbed her by the wrist and raced her down the corridor that led to his room. Anna just smiled as she watched them leave the scene. She knew that this was going to help Katla's homesickness and distract her from her thoughts about missing her son and sister. After all, children were notorious for being able to get adults to step outside of themselves for a second and help them see things in a new way.

Once Katla had stepped into the prince's room, she was immediately overcome with the intense urge to scream. His toys were strewn about everywhere, books were scattered around, and his closet looked as if it had been rummaged through by wolves looking for their next meal. Suddenly, she knew of the underlying reason as to why Anna didn't mind other people tucking in her son.

Devious, Katla thought to herself in a mixture of pride and feeling as if she had been duped.

However, she looked down at the prince and couldn't help but smile back at him. His clean-cut blonde hair and his wistful blue eyes were enough to render her absolutely useless. She rolled her eyes and told him that she would help him clean up his mess before he settled in for the night. Ever the negotiator, Nolan said that he would only clean up if she answered all of his questions. Now, the crown princess had a son of her own, so she knew it was dangerous to agree to any such request from a child. Gods knew that their little minds raced faster than the fastest of wind speeds. However, she had faith that he wouldn't ask anything too demanding of her, so she agreed with a smile.

Almost immediately, Nolan began hurling questions at her from almost every genre. His questions ranged from things about animals to military ships. He asked her things about her opinions on food, on other people, and even on her choice of clothes (she tried not to take that last one to heart). Eventually, he started asking personal questions.

"How old are you?" was Nolan's fourtieth question of the evening.

Katla just chuckled at his curiosity. He was a little bolder than her own son, but his demeanor was a welcome change. "I am thirty-years-old." she told him, picking up a toy soldier and putting it in her other hand.

"Oh, cool," Nolan said brightly, "my auntie Elsa is thirty-years-old too." he said with pride. "When she comes back, you should be friends."

Katla smiled at his innocence and logic. "Perhaps. We'll see what happens when she comes back."

Nolan went back to his portion of the mess and was quiet for only a moment. After that brief break, he turned back toward Katla and asked, "Do you have kids?"

Katla felt her heart warm at the chance to talk about her boy. She smiled wide as she put some of his toys into a chest. "I have a son named Lórens," she told him with a fond smile. She missed him and his curly black hair, his bright green eyes, and his soft smile.

"How old is he?" Nolan asked, walking closer to her.

She smiled down at him and said "He just turned four."

"Oh!" the prince cried out ecstatically, "So he should be me and Stella's friend!" before Katla could ask, he continued his line of reasoning, "Stella is three, and I'm five, so he is in the middle."

Katla started to have a million thoughts run through her mind at the logistics of what he was suggesting. They'd have to sail quite a bit in order to make sure that the children could see one another enough. They could write letters – there were a lot of things to consider. However, in this moment, the only thing she could really think about was Nolan's hopefulness. Katla just smiled softly and patted him on his tiny little shoulder. "I'm certain that he'll love that."

Eventually, they finished tidying up his room and Katla helped him into his sleepwear. He simply wore a matching set of green pyjama pants and a button-up pyjama shirt. His hair was shaggier than earlier, ready for the incoming bedhead he would attain during his slumber.

Suddenly, Nolan randomly said, "He should come over when Tina and Elsa get married."

The crown princess of Botarskal's eyes widened at his statement. She knew that children were incredibly observant and she was very intrigued about where he was getting his information from. "What makes you think they'll get married?" she questioned, trying to keep her tone from sounding too interrogative.

The prince just shrugged as if it was the easiest statement he had ever made. "I saw them kiss in the garden." he told her. He then got up and hopped up on his bed. Unlike the other beds in the castle, which were placed in the centre against the back wall, his was pressed right up against the window. He made Kristoff move it because he said he liked to see the outside when he woke up. He then beckoned Katla over to him and she clambered up on the bed next to him. He then pointed towards the window. When Katla followed his finger, she saw a sunflower patch lying in the royal garden. "I could hear voices and I saw them, one night. I tried to wave but they were kissing, so they didn't see me."

Katla shook her head and chuckled. "I see," she sighed at the memory of a much younger Tina trying to sneak a 'girlfriend' into her room, while her father was at a nearby Icelandic kingdom performing some of his duties. Tina was not very graceful in her attempts to keep her tendencies a secret and Katla was internally laughing at how her sister's preferences had still remained elusive to their father. "So you want them to get married?" Katla asked Nolan.

The young prince nodded enthusiastically, "My auntie Elsa said she likes being alone," he told the princess, "Stella always asks her when she's going to get married and she said she doesn't need anyone. I think she doesn't need anyone but I know she likes Tina a lot. So, I think they'll get married. Then they can have kids and me, Stella, and Lórens can have more friends."

Katla just shook her head at his logic. She couldn't wait for Tina and Elsa to get bombarded by Nolan, Stella and Lórens about potential cousins. Was she evil? Probably. But hey, if she could withstand Lórens demands for a sibling, Tina could withstand it as well. "I don't know about the second part, but that does sound rather nice."

Suddenly, Nolan's face went from being relatively happy at the notion to becoming a little down trodden. "But Gerda said that it will be hard," he told Katla with a sad expression, "she says that girls can't get married without a boy and boys can't get married without a girl."

Katla frowned. She knew what he was saying and was sad that he was correct. Marriages between people of the same sex were not allowed to be officiated by the crown and, therefore, were not legally allowed to take place at all. She admitted that she hadn't been the most 'on-board' person when it came to that subject, initially. But after she discovered that two of her sisters preferred the company of women, she did her best to get educated and figure out how to incorporate that into her future plans for when she takes the Botarskalic throne.

She offered a hopeful smile as she tugged the covers over the prince's small form. "I'm sure that will change in time."

Nolan just looked up at her, confused by her confidence. "How?"

"Well, that's simple." Katla said with a warm smile as she tucked the little boy in tightly and ruffled his blonde hair endearingly, "No one can ever underestimate the determination of a queen or the will of a king."

Nolan smiled, believing her words. He really hoped that she was right and that Tina and Elsa could get married so that they could give him a life full of more fun and people to play with. Although he had many friends throughout the kingdom, he desired a large family because of how much fun he had been having with all the extra people in the Arendelle castle, as of late. He was very much like his mother in that regard. Indeed, the more is always merrier.

...

[Vennesvurg, Sweden]

Miles away, in the distant and neighbouring country of Northern Sweden, the Vennesvurg celebrations were dwindling down but not entirely wrapped up. While most of the guests had already left, with their wives and young children in tow, some other dignitaries remained to continue enjoying some cigars and spirits.

Out on the mezzanine, there were many senior level members of council that remained congregated throughout the festivities. They were talking about everything from politics to gossip and enjoying the feeling of being drunk around their coworkers. However, not everyone was happy about the conversations taking place.

Arnold and Lindahl were watching – helplessly – as Ryder attempted to wow the crowd of Vennesvurg's senior council. He was keeping up with all of their conversations and cracking smartly timed jokes and laughing along with them (despite some of their jokes being very...not politically correct). While Lindahl believed that Ryder was doing fine, Arnold had a vastly different opinion.

"Oh...this is so hopeless..." Arnold groaned into the picnic table that he and Lindahl were seated at. Arnold was seated across from Lindahl so that it wasn't too obvious that they were spying on people.

Lindahl just shrugged as he sipped on his glass of wine, "Hey, have some faith," he said to the advisor, trying to be the positive one for a change, "he remembered that Nilsen likes bird-watching. I think that's a plus."

Arnold just buried his face into his hands, "But Nilsen looks so disinterested," he whined, trying to update Lindahl on the train-wreck that he was witnessing.

"But he's an old man," Lindahl said with a shrug, "they always look disinterested."

If Arnold wasn't conscious of the many members of council still milling around, he would have started biting his fingernails off. He sighed and removed his hands from his face, only to see his worst nightmare (at least in this context) unfolding about fifteen feet away from them. "Oh no...he's doing his cormorant impressions..."

Lindahl's eyes widened and he whirled around to see Ryder doing exactly what Arnold had described. The assistant turned around to face Arnold again. He just sighed, defeated, already giving up his previous positivity streak. "You're right." he said right before downing the rest of his wine. "We're doomed."

Before they feel get even more sorry for themselves and how the plan had gone south, Arnold noticed that one of the members was making their way over toward them. He quickly sat up and kicked Lindahl's shins under the table, causing him to yelp in silence.

"Fuck, look lively," Arnold whispered through gritted teeth, "Nilsen's coming this way!" immediately, Lindahl adjusted his posture, trying to ignore the pain in his shins.

Once Nilsen approached the table where the boys were seated at, he nodded toward Arnold with a stoic expression. "Evening Mr. Arnold," However, when his eyes landed on Lindahl, his eyes softened and his smile got a little brighter, "and good evening, Ethan." Arnold's eyes narrowed at that and decided to pay close attention to it.

"Evening, Nilsen." Lindahl said in a very professional tone, just as he always was.

Nilsen smiled widely and placed a firm hand on Lindahl's left shoulder. Arnold paid close attention as he squeezed lightly. "Are you enjoying the party?" the senior councilman asked the assistant.

"As good as I can," Lindahl said simply, "it's...parties and grand celebrations are not really my...scene." Arnold narrowed his eyes at Nilsen, wondering if his hypothesis was going to be proven correct. If he was correct...they were going to be in for quite the surprise.

"I agree," Nilsen said with a smirk that made its' way to his eyes, "if you'd like something different some time, let me know and I'd be happy to...invite you over for a drink or two." Arnold could tell that Nilsen was plotting something a little too mischievous. He then chanced a glance over at Lindahl and noticed that he was definitely oblivious.

Lindahl just shrugged, not thinking there was any undertones laying about in the invitation. "Sure, Nilsen." the councilman smiled even wider and gave Lindahl's shoulder another firm squeeze before he walked back over to where his fellow councilmen were at. Once he was far enough away, Arnold let out a soft gasp.

"Oh...my...Gods..."

"What?" Lindahl said as he reached for Arnold's glass as he had not touched his wine all night. The assistant was not a very big fan of letting the castle's good wine go to waste.

Arnold's eyes widened and his arms flailed about. "Don't you see?!" he asked with a disbelieving expression, "Nilsen has a crush on you!"

It was now Lindahl's turn to narrow his eyes, "What?"

The Botarskalic advisor just continued to stare at him as if he had three heads. "He kept touching you and looking at you like...like he was interested!"

Lindahl scoffed as he started to sip on Arnold's drink, "You're insane."

"No – well...maybe. If you ask Ingrid, she'd say that I am," Arnold conceded, simply because he knew that sometimes he could let his mind get away from him, "but I know that look, Ethan. I have been with men and that man wants to be with you!"

The assistant just shook his head and set the glass he was holding down onto the table, between them. "Now, I am not ashamed of what people like...you, Tina and Elsa do with your time," he tried his best to not be too generous with opinions on things he was still learning about, "but I am not going to use myself as bait."

"Come on!" Arnold whined, gesturing back to where their plan was supposed to be taking place, "Ryder is not getting anywhere with our plan! Just look!"

Lindahl turned around to see Ryder cracking a joke about the differences between deer and elk and it was not exactly a hit with the councilmen. He then looked back towards Nilsen – by complete accident – and the older man tossed a sultry wink his way. Lindahl quickly averted his eyes back toward Arnold. After a quick think about it, he just shook his head while his shoulders slumped in defeat. He wanted his friend, Karl, to be free and he desperately wanted to experience a working environment without Malkvist looming over him.

"Fine." Lindahl said, gritting his teeth, "But if anyone asks, you were the one who lured him."

Arnold placed his right hand over his heart. "On my honour, as a Botarskalic Royal Advisor."

Shaking his head, Lindahl downed the rest of the wine from Arnold's glass and gave himself a little internal pep-talk. After that, he got to his feet and began barking orders, as he usually did. "Collect Ryder and...cover me."

Arnold smirked up at him, "...I know someone who would love to cover you –!"

"ARNOLD!" Lindahl chastised while the advisor laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. As he watched him try to get a hold of himself, Lindahl just shook his head. "Whatever – just do as I said. Go!"

Not one to disappoint, Arnold stood up and went to rescue Ryder. This was definitely going to be the most interesting plan B he had ever been apart of. He just wished that Ingrid, Gunn-Britt, and Tina were around to laugh at Lindahl's expense alongside him.

...

As the festivities of the evening began to dwindle down even further, Karl and Gunn-Britt found themselves in a hidden part of the Vennesvurg Castle gardens. It was a place that Karl and Lindahl often came to clear their heads. Any other castle worker seldom approached this area, as it was covered with thick and wild Swedish flora – it was hard to move through if you were not used to it.

Thankfully, that didn't seem to matter for Karl, as he managed his way through the thicket just fine. As for Gunn-Britt, her massive stature was enough for her to make it through without much damage. They simply sat across from one another, holding hands and exchanging sweet words to one another. Until now, neither of them were aware of the other's feelings for each other.

While Karl and Gunn-Britt got re-acquainted, in a romantic sense, Elsa and Tina waited outside of the clearing. They stood guard to make sure that no one would be able to find Gunn-Britt and Karl. Unfortunately, they were not exactly being subtle during their task.

They sat on a stone bench, approximately twenty yards away from where Gunn-Britt and Karl were hiding out. Although they had the monumental task of making sure that their friends could flirt in private, they were not exactly thinking about their own consequences. Two weeks away from one another definitely sparked something in both of them that neither of them could really ignore.

Elsa felt like a little schoolgirl who was doing something like skipping class or hiding some type of animal in the teacher's desk, just waiting for the inevitable. She tried to maintain her composure, but Tina's lips were insistent as they sought out her pulse point. Elsa giggled, feeling absolutely giddy as the princess continued her delicious assault on her senses.

After a few minutes, Elsa managed to push her away. Her voice a little hoarse from laughing but there was no denying the smile she had. "...you're absolutely insane, have I ever told you that?"

Tina laughed, placing a firm hand over Elsa's on the stone bench. "No, but I know you think it often."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at the brunette in a silent challenge. "And how can you possibly know what I am thinking?" not missing the mischievous invitation in the taller woman's eyes, Tina leaned in close, enjoying the way that Elsa's body responded to her proximity.

"I don't know..." Tina sighed, tracing Elsa's jawline with the tips of her fingers, "...but I can just tell."

The ice wielder smiled, "How, exactly?"

"Well..." Tina said, removing her hand from Elsa's. She then leaned back and observed her carefully, the hint of a smile playing across her lips, "...you see," the princess began, "you get this look in your eyes when you're thinking about something important." As if emphasizing her point, she used her thumb to trace the space under the ice wielder's eye.

Elsa inhaled sharply at the gentle caress, "Okay. Anything else?"

Tina smirked and used her fingers to dance across Elsa's clavicle in a feather-light pattern. Elsa's lips tightened in an effort to not laugh, "You also purse your lips a little when you want to laugh but can't,"

"True." Elsa conceded as Tina's hand finally yielded.

With a playful smile, the princess pinched the tip of Elsa's nose. As expected, the ice wielder winched and shook her head, trying to break free. Tina laughed and said, "Your nose twitches when you're agitated and you're trying to maintain a stoic impression."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "I do not."

"You do, and it's adorable," Tina said, accentuating her point with a kiss to Elsa's nose, "It reminds me of like a kitten or a bunny."

Elsa rolled her eyes but she maintained her smile. "Whatever."

"And then when I do this..." Tina's fingers returned to Elsa's clavicle but her intent was not to tickle. She carefully traced the contours of Elsa's neckline gracefully, as if admiring a sculpted masterpiece, "...your eyes flutter closed."

The older woman closed her eyes, letting her senses overtake her. She tried her best not to let any sound escape from her, but as Tina continued her ministrations, Elsa was quickly losing that battle. "And what does...what does that mean?"

"It means..." Tina said, leaning in and placing her lips at the shell of Elsa's ear, "...you want more..."

At the princess' words, Elsa felt another type of feeling come over her. Her eyes snapped open with a newfound determination. With the speed of the wind itself, Elsa's hands trapped Tina's wrists and brought them behind her back, forcing the minimal space between them to decrease even more. Amber met ocean blue in the incredible standoff that they have both come to cherish throughout their relationship.

Elsa took note of Tina's expression as it morphed from shock and surprise into lustful and determined. Taking the cue, Elsa tightened her grip on the princess' wrists. "What about when I do this?" she asked, observing Tina as closely as she could. Her eyes zeroed in on the way that Tina's eyes dilated and her mouth quivered in anticipation at her question.

Trying to prolong their game, Tina swallowed hard and narrowed her eyes in challenge, "What about it?"

Elsa hummed, savouring her advantage, "What do you think I'm thinking, right now?"

Not one to shy away from anything, Tina's eyes remained locked on Elsa's as she expertly tugged both of her wrists away. She giggled when Elsa realized that she had escaped. Before Elsa had a chance to think about retaliating, Tina moved quickly so that she was sitting on Elsa's lap. Her arms wrapped around the ice wielder's neck, her breath was warm as it touched Elsa's face. It was Tina's turn to savour her advantage.

"I'm not sure that's something you want me to say out loud," Tina said, the teasing in her tone as subtle as a lightning strike, "but I am certain that it could be something that you would maybe like to...show me...instead." she then placed a lingering kiss just at the corner of Elsa's mouth.

Elsa resisted the urge to groan, "I promise you," she growled through gritted teeth, "if you knew what I was thinking," Tina did not miss the way Elsa's eyes lingered on her lips before they returned to stare into her eyes, "it may just frighten you."

Tina chuckled, almost in contest, "I doubt it. You know why?" she asked. The Fifth Spirit shook her head; her eyes never leaving the princess'. Tina smirked and whispered against the shell of Elsa's ear, "It's because I'm probably thinking the same thing."

The ice wielder released a guttural sound – almost like a predatory growl – as she crashed their lips together. For a moment, there was nothing else that Elsa could focus on except for the pressure of Tina's hands on her shoulders, Tina's legs wrapped her waist, and Tina's lips dancing gracefully against her own. Again, Elsa internally berated herself for denying these feelings for her. She wanted to swim in the feelings that Tina continuously gave her for the rest of eternity.

Despite the overwhelming feeling of passion unfolding between the ice wielder and the princess, they were too distracted to remember their original mission of the night, neglecting to see the figure off in the distance.

...

Back at the mezzanine, Ryder and Arnold were standing together and quietly observing Lindahl's attempts to 'lure' Councilman Nilsen. Once Ryder was informed of the new plan, he was all for it. Obviously, he was just excited to not be the main thing holding the execution of the plan together anymore.

"This is so exciting." Ryder said, trying hard to contain his excitement. Right now, him and Arnold were taking turns at standing in a certain spot to observe Lindahl.

Arnold's back was currently turned away this time, but the smile on his face was permanently etched onto his features, "I know," he laughed, trying not to be too mean and failing, "I'm just having too much fun with this."

"Oh my..." Ryder said suddenly, his eyes widening in shock, "Nilsen is getting rather handsy..."

Quickly, Arnold grabbed Ryder by the hand and switched their positions. What he ended up seeing was Nilsen tracing his hand up and down Lindahl's bicep. "This. Is. GOLD." the advisor was obviously having entirely too much fun with this situation. Lindahl – a very serious and stoic man – acting as a lure for an old councilman to successfully retrieve classified documents: it was definitely a plot that could rival any theatre production.

Suddenly, Arnold started to tug at Ryder's jacket. The reindeer herder turned around to see the councilman leading Lindahl out of the party, by the hand.

"Where are they going?" Ryder asked, narrowing his eyes at Nilsen and Lindahl's retreating forms.

"I don't know, but look!" Arnold promptly directed Ryder's attention to Lindahl's right hand, "He's giving us the signal. We have to follow them – let's go."

...

After about twenty or so minutes, Ryder and Arnold had followed Nilsen and Lindahl out to some lavish homes on the outskirts of Vennesvurg. They followed close enough to see them yet far enough to be hidden. As they walked through the cobblestone streets, they hid behind parked carriages, barrels, and other stationary objects. Thankfully, the only person who was making sure that no one had seen them was Lindahl as his pride was the weakest link for this entire mission. Nilsen seemed to be too distracted by Lindahl to notice anything happening around him.

When they finally got to Nilsen's estate, it was a large manor that essentially appeared as a miniature castle. It was a gated home, surrounded by red and brown brick wall. On the inside of that brick wall, there was a series of shrubbery and different kinds of colourful flowers, temporarily overshadowed by the cover of night and illuminated only by the moon and stars.

Both the advisor and the reindeer herder made a quick dash into one of the bushes by the gate before it closed. While Ryder had no problems being tucked away tightly in some bushes, Arnold groaned at being assaulted by branches and leaves. He kept swatting at them, trying to make sure they didn't screw up his hair or his skin. For the first time this evening, Ryder rolled his eyes.

"Arnold," Ryder whispered, "stop moving! They'll hear us!"

"But the twi-hi-hiiiigs!" Arnold whined quietly, "they're so pointy – OW!"

Ryder pinched his ear and said, "Stop being a baby and be quiet."

Once Arnold was finally comfortable enough to continue their stakeout, he peeled away some leaves and peaked through. From where they were, they could clearly see Lindahl and Nilsen. The royal assistant appeared incredibly nervous as Nilsen finally removed his hand from his. The councilman smirked as he reached inside of his jacket to pull out his keys. The plan, from here on out, was to follow Nilsen and Lindahl to the councilman's residence and – somehow – break in. Lindahl's suggestion was that he would distract the councilman enough to keep him from locking the door. Once the key was in the lock mechanism, Lindahl tensed his shoulders and rolled his neck.

It was go time.

Nilsen stepped back and gestured for Lindaahl to step inside first. The assistant swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded at the councilman before taking a step into the house. Once he was inside, he turned to face Nilsen and watched his actions intently. The senior council member finally stepped through the threshold with a smirk on his face – a smirk that made Lindahl shiver for all the wrong reasons. Before the older man could turn around to close the door, the assistant sprang into action.

Lindahl quickly began to shed his jacket so that he was just in his white dress shirt. He quickly unbuttoned the first two buttons and cleared his throat to get Nilsen's attention. "Uh – Nilsen?"

The councilman turned around, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of Lindahl's new look. "Oh, uh, yes?"

"I'm a little...uh...hot," Lindahl said carefully, trying to put some innuendos in where he could, "could you show me where to put this?" Nilsen just smiled and closed the door without locking it.

"Of course," he said, extending his arm to Lindahl, "follow me this way. You can hang it up in my study." as they made their way through the corridors of the manor, Nilsen kept his hand on Lindahl's shoulder, massaging it slowly. Lindahl tried to refocus his energy on the mission and maintain his composure. Hopefully, he could keep his cool enough to not punch Nilsen in the throat before the other two uncovered the documents.

...

Back outside, Arnold and Ryder watched as the door closed behind Lindahl and Nilsen.

"Okay," Ryder said with determination, "let's go make sure that it's not locked." the reindeer herder tumbled out of the bush, rather unceremoniously, and got to his feet quickly. He then made a mad dash over to the front door of the manor and gave it a tiny push. The door whispered with the faintest of creaks and Ryder smiled wide. He then turned around to give Arnold a 'thumbs up'.

Nodding, Arnold carefully removed himself from the bush and made his way toward Ryder. Once he was beside him, they nodded and pushed their way inside. They were incredibly thankful that there was a very thick carpet that coated the flooring in the foyer. The carpeting softened the sounds of their heavy leather boots (which Ryder complained about all day). In fact, upon realizing that the rest of the house was not carpeted, Ryder insisted that they take off their boots and hide them in plain sight. Arnold was against the idea, but eventually he conceded. They placed their heavy boots by a chest, situated by the front door.

As they trotted through the halls, the boys could hear Nilsen's bright old voice off in the distance. Ryder listened closely and began to follow it. Arnold stayed close behind, making sure to mimic the reindeer herder's feather-light footsteps. As they got closer and closer to a room that Arnold assumed was the parlour, they peaked inside and saw Lindahl talking with Nilsen. They both had a glass of wine and their hands were linked. Both Ryder and Arnold could tell that Lindahl was very uncomfortable, but that was rather good as it meant that Nilsen was entirely too focused on Lindahl to notice them.

Before Ryder could ask a question about what to do next, Arnold quickly walked passed the parlour door into another hallway. Ryder's eyes widened as he followed suit.

In the corner of his eye, Lindahl saw them, but he kept his composure and continued to distract Nilsen. He squeezed the councilman's hand tighter and forced a smile. As he watched Nilsen's face lighten up at the contact, Lindahl just prayed that they hurried up and found the documents soon.

"So, where would you think the document be hidden?" Ryder asked, as they carefully navigated through the house.

"It would probably be in his study." Arnold answered, thoughtfully. After being around members of Vennesvurg's council, tonight, Arnold thought they were all professional enough to keep things well. But he didn't get the sense that they would go an extra mile to be extra confidential about old documents, "So, we're looking for like...a room full of books and stuff."

"Ah – smart and snooty." Ryder nodded, "Got it."

Arnold smirked at the reindeer herder. "Do you even know what 'snooty' looks like?"

"Oh yeah," Ryder said confidently, "Anna taught me how to use the word and I've been using it to describe Elsa ever since."

Arnold shrugged, thinking it made sense. "Fair enough."

After some time just wandering about, Arnold ended up finding the room they were looking for. He gestured for Ryder to join him and the both of them got to work quickly. As much as they liked to laugh at Lindahl's misfortune, they knew that his torture was only going to be as long as it took them to find something useful.

...

Later in the evening, Lindahl chanced a glance to the grandfather clock that adorned the side wall of Nilsen's parlour. He was not too sure about the time, when he arrived, but he knew that they left the castle after about ten o'clock. Looking at he clock now, Lindahl noticed that it was well after eleven and he just wanted to leave. He didn't know how much more flirting or weird 'longing' glances from this sold bag of rocks.

He was about to give up all hope when he noticed some movement in his peripheral. While Nilsen started talking about his alleged illegitimate grandchildren – as he called them – Lindahl chanced a glance to his left, where the entrance to the parlour was. He could have jumped for joy at the sight of Ryder holding up a stack of papers and smiling as if he got all the presents he asked for on his birthday. Lindahl was equally excited but he knew that he had to refocus on figuring out how to leave the scene casually and without Nilsen suspecting anything.

Without much warning, Lindahl began to stand, "Well, I'm sorry about this," he said, trying to maintain a sincere 'apologetic' tone, "I have to get going. I-I've got to arrange a meeting between Karl and the leaders of Vorleviik, in the morning."

Nilsen looked a little dejected at the sudden departure but he managed a smile in spite of it, "Oh, not to worry," he said, also getting to his feet, "I remember what it was like working under King Oswald, as his assistant."

"Yes," Lindahl acknowledged, finally relating to something after their many hours of conversation, "I'm sure he was pleasant to work with."

Nilsen scoffed as he made his way through the entrance of the parlour, "As pleasant as Malkvist is, I'll tell you that much."

Lindahl narrowed his eyes at the tone which Nilsen was choosing to use, "What do you mean?" he inquired.

"I'm..." Nilsen paused, trying to figure out how to explain it. While he was a loyal member of Vennesvurg's council, he wasn't a huge fan of the things he was involved in. Especially when it came to Malkvist's plans. Nilsen then looked at Lindahl and his resolve softened, "I'm going to keep this brief." he told the young assistant, "But...I'm not so sure that his plans for the kingdom are what Karl would enjoy."

Immediately understanding what Nilsen was conveying, Lindahl nodded in agreement. "Understood." he told him. Lindahl was happy to know that he wasn't the only one from the castle, who didn't trust Malkvist.

After that, Nilsen went to fetch the assistant's jacket from his study. Although he could have sworn that he cleaned his office before leaving that night, he paid no mind to it as his mind was travelling more and more nowadays. Once he handed the jacket back to Lindahl, he led him back through the corridors until they reached the front foyer. Before he opened the door, he turned to Lindahl with a serious expression on his face. He took his hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze, "Tell no one."

Lindahl just looked back at him, equally as serious, "I won't, Nilsen." he promised.

"Good," Nilsen said before lifting Lindahl's hand to his lips. The councilman kissed his hand and then released it with a wink, "Now don't dawdle, I know that Anton won't enjoy you being tardy." Lindahl quickly stuck both of his hands in his pockets and nodded.

"Goodnight, Nilsen," he said, stepping through the entrance of the manor, "and – uh – thank you for the drinks."

Nilsen smirked and winked at Lindahl before closing the door, "Anytime at all, handsome," once the door was closed, Lindahl scurried down the path until he was outside of the manor gates. Once he was clear, he shook his hands in disgust.

"Eugh." he groaned, willing his body to rid itself from the memories of this entire excursion.

...

Half an hour later, Arnold, Ryder, and Lindahl were back at the castle. Nothing could hide their excitement from what they had just done. Once they reconvened at a local public stable, Lindahl and Arnold read through both documents – briefly – and knew that they had finally located what they needed to confront malkvist and the rest of the council:

They had found King Oswald's last will and testament, as well as the nullifying document to be sent to Botarskal.

This was it – this was what they needed in order to properly prepare a confrontation to the council. They were absolutely giddy with excitement and hoped that the rest of the gang would be just as excited. However, once they located Anton, Ingrid and Honeymaren, they appeared everything except for excited.

"There you two are," Honeymaren said, getting all up in their faces, "where the hell were you?!"

"Relax ladies," Lindahl said in his usual condescending tone, "no need to have your britches in a twist."

Before anyone could yell at him, Ryder shouted out, "WE GOT THE DOCUMENTS!" He then held up a small stack of papers and shook them in celebration. Ingrid, Anton, and Honeymaren just looked at one another in disbelief at the news.

"No way," Ingrid gasped.

"Are you serious?" Honeymaren asked, carefully approaching her brother again, eyes never leaving the stack of papers.

"Totally! Come and see for yourself!" Ryder invited, sticking out the stack of papers proudly.

Anton carefully took the first half of the stack and brought it over to the king's desk. He sifted through the pages, briefly, and shook his head as he went – in complete awe at what he was looking at, "It's all here..." he whispered with a hefty level of reverence, "...the nullity...this is all we need to free Tina and Karl from their union..."

"...and the king's will!" Arnold added, snatching the remaining papers from Ryder's hands. He flipped through to a section and pointed it out to Anton, "It says...that Lindahl was supposed to be appointed as advisor instead of Malkvist!"

"We did, gang!" Ryder said, hugging Lindahl tightly. The usually stoic man laughed and engulfed Ryder in an equally soul-crushing hug. Ryder didn't mind it; he loved making new friends.

As happy as Honeymaren, Ingrid, and Anton wanted to be about this new development, they knew that it was relatively premature. Especially after what the boys had missed while they had been on their recent covert operation.

"Well, at least one team was focused tonight." Ingrid commented in her signature sassy tone. Immediately, Lindahl, Arnold and Ryder looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Lindahl inquired. Honeymaren looked at Ingrid and they both just shrugged while biting their lips in shame.

"Well..." Honeymaren began.

Ingrid tried to find the words to finish her thought, "You see..."

"Karl, Tina, Gunn-Britt and Elsa were arrested tonight." Anton finally said, exasperated. The boys' eyes widened in unison while they simultaneously gasped in disbelief. After a tense moment, Arnold was the first to freak out at the news.

"WHAT?!"