Here is the first half of the third chapter. It starts out slow, I know, but things will be picking real quick. That I promise.
As always, let me know what you think about any changes I made compared to FH, if you have any constructive criticism and enjoy!

Trigger warnings:
Injuries
Death

Sitting behind a desk in her cabin, Elsa was rereading an old report on one of her targets by the flame of a candle. It was the most she could do as she waited to arrive at their destination. It was how she spent the last three days, and it was probably how she was going to spend the next two days.

Placing the sheet of paper down, she groaned and stretched. The creaking of the wooden planks and soft swaying that came with every ship would rock anyone into a sense of false security. Elsa was, as she found out, not an exception. But she could not, for any reason, let her guard down. Standing up, she blew out the candle. I can't afford to be lulled into softness.

Going to the top deck, she breathed in the fresh air, letting it wash away any unneeded comfort or warmth. The sky was grey, with clouds as far as the eye could see. The waters beneath were not particularly wild, but the occasional wave splashed against the bow and sent up a salty spray. There was no land in sight, but Elsa turned to where she knew Corona was located, the crew and other passengers bustling about.

Most ships would've taken at least a week to sail from Arendelle to Corona. With autumn in full swing, the winds were typically rough and cold. The unlucky sailor could even be hit by an early winter storm. It was a risk Elsa had taken, fully knowing the consequences. In a few months, hardly any ships would dare make the crossing between the countries. Which was precisely what she was counting on.

When winter came, the unpredictable weather would make the seas near impassable. In the case she left a trail to follow, by the time a large enough force would be gathered, following her would be nigh impossible. And when spring came, the trail might've gone cold. Or, she thought, we would've had enough time to prepare.

Elsa walked over to the bow of the ship, dodging crew members as she went. A strong wind filled the sails, as it had done for the past two days. Typically, it would take a week to sail to Corona. But with the autumn winds in their back, The Sea Dragon could do it in five. If she had to believe the crew, not many ships could match that time. Not in the least because of the Captain.

The man in question had been younger than she expected, the first time she laid eyes on him. Older than herself by two, maybe three years. Nevertheless, he seemed to inspire the crew, who trusted him beyond the expected. It didn't peak her interest, as much as it made her wary of him. If he was as exceptional as he was rumored to be, he could be a problem.

Be that as it may, even the icy princess had to admit he ran a tight ship. No quarrels were allowed, if they surpassed his tolerance. Not many problems arose, save for one. One of her fellow passengers got into a fight with another, where it ended up with one tossing the other over the side. It was then that the Captain interfered. Two sentences spoken in a low tone had both of them stand down and no other arguments arose aboard the ship.

For the sake of anonymity, Elsa herself kept a low profile. Any attention would only serve in her disinterest. Keeping to herself, in her own cabin, she went through the repetition of what she needed to do during her stay in Corona. Above all others, she had to stay sharp. Sharp and cold.

It was on the fifth day, late in the afternoon, that Corona came into sight. Spires glinted in the light of the sun, banners caught in the breeze. The walls of the castle itself rose imposingly above the houses in the lower parts of the town. Elsa grit her teeth. She knew what she was up against, of course, but seeing the place itself was different. More real. The knowledge of who it was that lived in the palace merely fueled the blizzard inside her; no emotions rose to the surface.

Docking in the harbour at the city's edge, she grabbed her things. Disembarking from The Sea Dragon, she threw one look back. Roaming over the ship, her eyes landed on the Captain who, for just a moment, caught her gaze. A tingling feeling went through her body. An instinctive warning. But the moment passed and the man looked away. The sensation ebbed away, and after a last investigative glance, Elsa too turned. She had a mission to accomplish, after all.

The wooden planks that made up the docks, soon transitioned into paved streets of cobblestone, lined with stores, houses and inns. In the bustling street life, Elsa blended into the crowd. Wearing ordinary, civilian clothes, no one looked twice. As she looked around, Elsa recognised most of her reports had been accurate. The people seemed happy and business appeared good. The kingdom was thriving.

Ignoring the distractions around her, she set out to find a place to stay. A base of operation, if you will. She had many things to prepare. As she walked through the city, the winds increased in strength and the sun sat low in the sky. People hurried inside and those that were still in the streets quickened their pace. Elsa followed suit, if only to fit in.

Not too much later, she located an inn that met her requirements. Not too outstanding, yet not too inferior. Common and unexceptional in most ways. Opening the door, she had no need to revel in the warmth that brushed over her. The inside of the building was cozy, in a homey sense. The woman who walked up to her fit perfectly in the picture.

"Hello dear, how can I- oh goodness! You look like you're freezing! Come sit by the fire!" The person who must be the innkeeper, a middle-aged woman with a face marked with hard work and laughter, walked up to her, worry written all over her face.

As the woman approached and moved to take her arm, Elsa took half a step back. "I'm fine. I just need a room for a fortnight." Keeping her expressions from her face, she studied the innkeeper in closer detail, analyzing her.

Kind and motherly. Seems from southern descent. Recalling what she knew from Corona's southern neighbours, she drew a few quick conclusions. May want to pry. Best course of action is as little interaction as possible. Don't act out of the ordinary around her.

Thrown off by her cold reaction, the woman withdrew slowly before gathering herself. "Of course. Welcome to 'La Bonnerie'. My name is Frederique and I'll be your hostess." Writing some things down in a ledger, she looked up at Elsa. "How many rooms do you want?"

"Just one single-person room is fine," she responded curtly. The woman -Frederique- frowned at her response. "All alone, without a husband? Why is a pretty thing like you traveling here without company? It's dangerous this time of year, you know. You could get robbed, or worse," she whispered the last sentence, as if she invited trouble merely by speaking it.

Elsa tensed almost imperceptibly. "I know how to defend myself," she responded as neutral as she could. "And I'm here on family business." The way she spoke left no room for debate. The innkeeper fumbled only shortly from the dismissive tone, before smiling again. "And how do you want me to address you?" she asked.

"Ryn is fine," Elsa said. Frederique nodded. "Very well, Miss Ryn. Welcome, again. Can I interest you in a warm meal? Dinner should be ready by now." After a short nod, the hostess rang a bell and a boy came down the stairs. "Alex here will take your belongings to your room and this," she handed her a key, "is the key to said room."

After taking the key and handing over her singular bag, Elsa was led to the common room, a fire roaring in the hearth, making the room comfortably warm. A few guests were already waiting, either chatting softly or sitting in silence, doing something for themselves. "You seem way too pale for a girl your age. Make yourself comfortable while I go fetch dinner," the middle-aged woman babbled away as Elsa took a quick inventory of the other guests. No immediate threats, she judged. But it's better to keep an eye on them nonetheless.

As the princess sat down, Frederique returned, carrying some plates filled with stew. More staff followed, until everyone was provided with a plate. Eating in silence, Elsa reflected on all she needed to do. There would be no time to play around. Time was of the essence now. The longer she stayed, the greater the chance someone would eventually recognise her. As soon as she was finished, she slipped away, no one even noticing she left. She would need all her strength for the days to come.

As the sun rose the following morning, Elsa woke soundlessly and slipped out as fast as she could, foregoing breakfast there. The more she could avoid regular contact with anyone, the better. No attachments. Don't feel.

The city, despite the early hour, was already in motion. The smell of freshly baked bread was wafting through the air and merchants were setting up shop. Only stopping briefly to buy some pastries, she set out to scout. The first step in her plan.

Of course, Elsa has spent countless hours pouring over maps, both recent and old. She should know the lay of the city, castle and the surroundings. But that was just in theory. One thing she'd learned from her mission three years ago was that plans always fall apart. No matter how well-calculated your plans were, unexpected obstacles could show up. Resque had been a trial run. She would not make the same mistake twice. So here she was, taking a day to see the town.

So far, no hindrances, the princess noted to herself. The main street of Corona started at sea level, near the bridge to the mainland. From there, it stretched and curled around the city, all the way up to the castle walls and into the palace square beyond. Smaller streets and alleyways branched out, but the quickest way to leave and enter the fortified home of the royal family was this street. Elsa knew this, and it proved true.

There were differences from even the most recent maps and reports. How could there not be, after all? Buildings being erected or being torn down, restricted access for road maintenance. Necessary tasks to maintain a city, but still important to make note of. Still, nothing so far was outside the realm of expectations for her.

It had taken most of the day to perform an in-depth inspection into the city's maintenance. The cursory glance she did in the morning had yielded a few interesting observations, but nothing of great importance to her. Or rather, nothing that would pose a threat should her infiltration go south and she needed to make a quick escape. If I even get the opportunity to do so, Elsa thought wryly as she made her way back to her inn. She was well aware of the risks her mission entailed. It was nothing she had not known before she came here. She had accepted it. Don't feel.

As she slipped inside 'La Bonnerie', not feeling the relief the warmth brought from the cold, she silently moved inside the common room, barely in time for dinner. Just like the day before, Frederique walked in with their meals and, once she caught sight of Elsa, smiled warmly.

For all her strengths, the princess was not an actress. However, even she managed to pull off something akin to a smile in return. Or so she hoped, at least. The motherly woman seemed content with the response, and returned to distributing plates. Her 'smile' dropped as fast as it came. Agitation was repressed as fast as it came up. Conceal, don't feel, she reprimanded herself. Everything you do is to remain anonymous. Still, the fact that she was forced to show weakness, something she had so hard tried to rid herself off, irked her. Even if the smile was faked.

Not half an hour later, she was sitting in her room, recording all she had uncovered today. This completes step one. Time to move on to step two. This one would take time, she knew. But it would all be worth it, once step three came along. And she wouldn't tell a soul if she allowed a hint of satisfaction to slip through her icy defenses.

In the next week and a half, Elsa fell into a sort of rhythm. She got up early enough to not bother with curious eyes in the inn and arranged breakfast in one of the many bakeries that were spread across the city. The second day, she had figured out the basic rotational shift system the guards used: 4 hours in a shift before they were relieved. Basic math yielded that a new guard patrol would go out at sun-up, and that was her goal.

Tailing the patrols was easier than she originally thought, but letting her guard down was an easy way to get caught. So each morning, as stealthily as she could, she'd follow around the patrol across the city, memorizing their route. She realised fast there were only a few variations of patrol routes, and moved on after she'd marked them down.

Next were the guards on top of the castle walls. Wherever there were battlements, there were guards. Knowing where and when they would be would be essential. It would take time, she realised, to inspect the entire length of the wall. But as unexpected as going through the front gate would be, the chances of getting caught would increase tremendously. And so, she scouted everywhere.

This helped when Elsa checked her planned infiltration route. As careful as she had been, there was no guarantee that her plan would actually come together. In fact, she doubted it would. Making back-ups and contingencies had to be done. It was only after she had three separate ways to scale the castle walls, made her way up the castle and enter through one of the balconies that she considered herself properly prepared.

More often than not, she returned to the inn in time to catch dinner, if not for the fact she would arouse suspicion if she missed too many. Still, sometimes there were no other options. Especially when she moved on to night patrols and nightwatches, and employed similar tactics to figure out how they worked. Swift and silent as she was, none of the patrols had realised they were being followed. Returning to the inn when she was done, she wrote down what she found out, before sleeping what she could. The next day, she would start again.

The only abnormality happened a week after she arrived. Word had spread quickly that the Crown Princess Rapunzel was gracing the town with her presence. It was, simply, an opportunity Elsa could not miss. Following the masses, she headed to where the crowd gathered. It yielded very little; she didn't see more than a glimpse of brown locks beyond the heads of the crowd and the contingent of guards.

According to her intel, this was merely a formal appearance. Something all royals were subjected to. She had done so herself, when she was younger. Before… everything. Don't feel. If Rapunzel actually wanted to visit the town, Elsa thought as she went back to the current part of the castle walls she was inspecting, I doubt anyone would know until they ran into her. Still, the event reinforced her belief that her precautions were necessary. If this level of security was to be expected, things would decidedly not go as she wished.

But that was fine. All she needed was to be ready. She had to be ready. And now she was. On the 12th day of her stay in Corona, her preparations were complete, as far as they could be. That night, two hours before dawn, Elsa went hunting.

Gathering what little things she brought with her, Elsa opened the window of her room with a soft click, the cold wind not phasing her in the slightest. In the same nondescript clothes she wore during her mission in Resque, hooded and masked, she was barely a shadow.

She'd spent her final hours finalising the pieces of her plans, memorising her contingencies and burning whatever evidence remained. What was left were day-to-day items, easily disposed of.

Slipping through the window, she softly closed it behind her. Sunrise was hours away, not a hint of the sun illuminated the eastern sky. Even so, the first bakeries and stalls that started early were already billowing smoke through chimneys. She knew no patrols passed here, so she swung her pack on her back and darted over the roof, pushing off at the edge and softly landing on the opposite roof. A quick glance confirmed no one had noticed her, and she set her sights to her first objective.

It took her 15 minutes to reach her goal: a simple chimney somewhere between the docks and the castle. Stashing her stuff under a loose shingle she prepared the day before hand, she rose again. In the event everything went according to her plan, a change of clothes and baggage would leave less of an impression on the captain with whom she had arranged passage back to Arendelle.

She shook her head to free herself of her musings. All pieces that didn't yet matter. She'd concern herself with them when -or if- the time came. For now, she had a mission to focus on. Freed from her burden, Elsa rolled her shoulders and peered at the castle.

The tight guard schedule would prove to be an issue. Give herself too much time to get in, the infiltration would be more difficult since the guards would be fresh. Give herself too little time and the tired guards would be replaced, which would make her escape harder. She'd decided on two hours. It would be tight. Two hours to get in, make her kills and get out.

Inhaling and exhaling slowly, the temperature dropped slightly as her magic cooled her thoughts. This is what I trained for. Now is the time. Don't feel. An emotionless expression slipped on her face as she set off to bring justice.

Jumping from roof to roof uphill was harder than it seemed, but nothing Elsa was incapable of. Reaching the roof of the building closest to the wall, she lay down flat. She'd avoided patrols, not taking the risk, but this was unavoidable. Glancing upwards, she noticed the silhouette of a guard, close to a fire basket. A good sign. The guard is probably more interested in keeping warm, these cold hours before the dawn.

Coming up to a low crouch, she jumped down, landing in a roll, before darting to the wall. Pressing herself against it, she waited with baited breath. Nothing. No call to arms, no raised alarm. Turning so she faced the wall, she inspected the cinder blocks making up the wall. Trailing a finger past one of the smooth stones, her gaze hardened.

As with every wall, there were little grooves and cracks. Still, it was not an easy thing to climb. Elsa looked up, judging where on the wall she'd get into view of the guards. Fixing her hood to ensure no blonde locks would escape, she set to scaling her first real hurdle.

Keeping any noises she made to a minimum, the progress was slow. Slower than she liked. Gritting her teeth, she reached for a new handhold. Just before her fingers found purchase in the crevice she was aiming for, she felt her foot slipping. Training kicked in and an ice-made pike appeared beneath her foot. Jamming it in the wall, she stilled. Damn it all!

Reorienting herself, Elsa reached out and purposefully grasped easy ridges before allowing the pike to vanish. She grimaced underneath her mask. Every emergency like this left tracks and cost time. Time she did not have. But for as much as time was of the essence, she knew haste made waste. Exhaling slowly, she started again again.

At long last did the glow of the fire peek over the edge of the wall. Fingers clutching the fortifications, she dared to glance over the wall. To her predictions, she came out on the right of the fire basket. The silhouette of the guard stood with his back to her. Quick as a snake, Elsa rushed over the battlements and dashed to the man. Only halfway on her way over did he turn, surprise etched on his features.

His sword was only half out of its sheath before she reached him. With one hand over his mouth and pushing down into the sheath once more, she shoulderchecked him into the wall. She took him in. He's just a boy, no older than me. Probably just trying to make a living for himself and his family. As innocent as they come.

For a moment, her mind wandered to her own family at the thought. A broken father. A desperate sister. And herself, messed up beyond belief. A push against her chest brought Elsa back immediately. As she stumbled back a few steps, the young guard broke the hold she had on him. He took in a breath, no doubt to yell out and alert the whole castle of the intruder.

"HE-" was the only thing that came out of his throat before he stilled. Elsa took her hands off his chest and ducked behind the fire basket. Mentally scolding herself for losing her focus, she waited to see if anyone would respond. A throwing knife formed in her hands. She'd frozen this guard like she did with those in Resque, keeping him alive. But if anyone else came, she did not have that luxury. Closing her eyes, she sharpened her senses as much as she could and listened intently.

There! Her eyes flew open as the sound of footsteps reached her. The door to one of the towers flanking the walkway opened. Elsa crouched behind the basket, keeping it between them. The knife was kept loosely between her fingers as she kept her eyes on the entrance.

An older guard walked through the door, yawning. "Hey John, I thought I heard someth-"

The knife buried itself in the man's neck, stopping his next words. Elsa was already moving before the projectile hit its target. The man had dropped to his knees, but she managed to stop him before his cuirass hit the stone. His head rolled back. Dead, she concluded. Removing the knife, she closed the wound it left behind with a sliver of ice. The less blood is left behind, the better.

She looked around, trying to come up with a place to hide the body. Inside the tower it will be immediately found by anyone entering. Similar to hiding it here, on the wall. She looked back to the first guard -John- and got an idea. Resting her hands on his neck, she focused. Usually, when she froze opponents, she never went further than the surface. But now, she willed her ice to fill every part of him. Every muscle, bone and organ; down to his very core.

Elsa took a step back. The guard looked like a statue made of ice, his skin and clothes having turned a crystal clear blue. Not thinking about what she just did, she dragged the man to the edge of the wall. With a grunt, she lifted him up and then pushed. Over the battlements and unto the streets below. And when he hit the cobblestone, he shattered. A thousand pieces scattered all over the street.

For a moment, Elsa couldn't look away. What she had just done was… different than anything before. She'd ended Admiral Teach in cold blood, yes, but he had been responsible for terrible actions. She'd killed his guards in the heat of combat. It had been kill or be killed. But this… This man had done nothing other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never knew what hit him. Her own words echoed back at her, judging her, the person she'd become.

I'll be the monster who kills monsters.

She turned her back to the city below her. Elsa knew she crossed a line; one she would not be able to come back from. Don't feel. Positioning John the guard in a way that looked like he was just standing by the fire, the thoughts kept twisting and turning in her head. Don't feel.

The man had been in her way. An unreliability. She had no time to incapacitate him without taking risks. If he had called out, everything would've been doomed. She'd come too far to fail now. But that did not take away from the fact that he was innocent. She turned away from the fire basket, the guard and the thing that finally, truly, made her a monster. Don't feel.