October 19

By the time the three men had set off for the harbor, the sun was already beginning to set. Worse still, they wouldn't actually be able to leave the country until the next morning. The tides simply would not permit their ship to cast off for several hours, and no measure of sailing skill would be enough to change that. All they would be able to do tonight was stock the Royal Sloop with some provisions and prepare it for the journey ahead.

The delay infuriated Kristoff. He understood the reasoning behind it, of course, but the knowledge that they would be wasting twelve hours was enough to fill his heart with rage. With every second that passed, Elsa grew closer to unleashing her ritual. The ice-harvester couldn't help but feel utterly impotent as he was forced to spend yet another night languishing in Corona.

It didn't help that his two companions clearly did not feel the same sense of urgency. There was no fear in their eyes...no awareness that this journey represented the world's last hope. Although they had agreed to investigate the matter once they arrived on the Northern Continent, neither Eugene nor Thomas had accepted that Elsa was a vengeful goddess. They might have believed that Kristoff was being honest, but that didn't mean they thought he was right. Both Princes viewed this mission as a chance to assist Anna and discover the truth behind her 'betrayal' of Elsa, nothing more.

Their ignorance would give them bliss...until the goddess returned and shattered their lives with a wave of her hand.

\

"That's it?"

Eugene glanced over at the surprised ice-harvester. The Royal Sloop sat in the water in front of them, chained to a small dock that stretched out from the harbor and into the ocean beyond. The ship itself was only fifty feet long, fitted only with a single white sail, and possessed no noticeable armaments. It was hardly a typical vessel of the Royal Family.

"Not what you expected?" Thomas questioned. "I'm not surprised. The 'Royal Sloop' is a bit of a misnomer. My father had a passion for sailing in his younger days, and his father saw fit to commission this ship for him as a gift. It was well constructed, but also designed to be small enough to be crewed by two men. My father viewed sailing as a temporary escape from royal life; he wanted a ship that he and his friends could handle themselves, without the need of royal sailors. Eventually, he passed it onto me, even though I don't share his love of the sea. Still, he thought that sailing was a skill that every Prince should have."

"Unfortunately," Eugene agreed, remembering his own training. The King had insisted, and Eugene hadn't yet been comfortable in his royal trappings to refuse. Learning how to manage a ship had not been an enjoyable experience, but at least now it looked like it was about to come in handy.

The King's passion for sailing had made it all too easy for Thomas and Eugene to claim that they were about to embark on a fishing trip the next day; it gave them the perfect cover to be fitting the ship with provisions. Of course, the King and Queen believed they would be back within twenty-four hours. Eugene didn't envy Rapunzel the task of telling them the truth once they were sufficiently offshore.

Finally, they had arrived at the harbor. Unlike Arendelle's Castle, the Palace of Corona was not situated directly next to the ocean, and thus did not possess its own harbor. Although the Princes could have had guards accompany them and carry the crates of food and fresh water, neither was keen on the King and Queen learning of Kristoff's presence; the two would never allow Eugene and Thomas to depart if they were aware of their true destination. Finding out about the ice-harvester would only cause Marcus to start asking some awkward questions.

Thus, the only guards they encountered on their discreet journey to the Royal Sloop were the two that were posted at the gateway in the harbor that separated the Public Docks from the Royal Docks, which housed vessels belonging to the military and the Royal Family. Eyebrows were raised at Kristoff as he accompanied the Princes through the opened gate, but the guards posted in the harbor were housed outside the Royal Palace. By the time the questions posed by their lips about the Princes' unfamiliar companion became whispers that reached the King's ear, the three of them would be long gone.

The three men crossed the royal harbor, navigating their way through the jungle of crates that dotted the pavement between the gates and the docks. Eugene's muscles throbbed painfully as they stepped onto the docks, still heaving their cargo. With considerable relief, he reached the Royal Sloop and dropped his crate onboard, before stepping aside to allow his two companions to do the same.

"I hope that's everything," Kristoff muttered as he wiped beads of sweat off his brow.

Thomas nodded. "It is. The only thing left we need is the healing tears, which my sister is kindly trying to cry for us at this very moment. Hopefully, she'll have a batch ready by the time we make it back." It had been decided that, just to be safe, the Princess would give them several bottles of tears in case of any emergency. None of them, however, would help once ten days had passed and the magic evaporated.

"Let's go," Eugene said. "We could all use a good night in a feather bed before we set out tomorrow-"

A scream cut through the air. Eugene reacted instantly, reaching for his sword and searching for the source of the noise. No sooner was the blade in his hand than a second cry echoed through the harbor, this one accompanied by a heavy splash of what could only be water.

Kristoff stood nearly frozen; the ice harvester had no weapon at his side. Thomas, however, had also drawn his sword and now gestured back the way they had come. "The gate!" he cried. "Someone's attacking the guards!"

The Princes jumped back onto the docks, breaking into a run as soon as they reached the pavement. Unfortunately, they were only halfway across the harbor before two distinct figures emerged from the gate and started walking towards them.

There was no sign of the guards that had been on duty. Eugene readied his weapon, prepared for any sudden attack...only to realize that neither of the newcomers were armed. One was a man adorned with sandy blonde hair; he couldn't have been out of his twenties. The black-haired woman at his side looked the same age. Yet both walked with an air of confidence despite both their youth and the lack of weapons in their hands. Neither was dressed for battle. Save for a small leather pouch strapped to the woman's belt, Eugene couldn't see any hiding places for potential hidden weapons.

"Both of you, on the ground, now!" Thomas ordered, gesturing forcefully with his sword.

An amused laugh left the man's mouth. "Look Enobaria, an Ungifted who presumes to command us. I can't wait until this rabble are finally put in their place," he noted eagerly.

The woman- Enobaria- smiled at his words. "I agree, Will. Won't be long now, will it?" Both of them continued to ignore Thomas's command, slowly continuing to walk towards the two Princes. Less than fifty feet remained between them.

Eugene's mind was racing. He had no doubt that he was about to be taking part in a fight for his very survival. But before it began, he would take this opportunity to answer the question that had initiated this entire voyage.

"I'm surprised Elsa sent two children after us. She must not think we're really a threat. Or, is it that she's too much of a coward to step outside her Palace walls until her little ritual is finished?" he questioned. His voice betrayed none of his uncertainty or hesitation. These two certainly fit the description of the Faithful that Kristoff alleged were serving Elsa. Their answer to his question could definitely prove or deny the ice-harvester's claims.

Enobaria smiled, fixing her sea-green eyes on Eugene. "I'm sure the Goddess would love to deal with you herself, but she's got more important things to worry about. We're just here to tie up some loose ends. In a way, we'll be doing you a favor. Aside from that bitch who warmed her bed, the Divine Empress hates no mortal more than the so-called family she was forced to put up with."

Oh my god. It's true.

Any excuse his mind tried to come up with fell short. Was this all some elaborate hoax intended to turn his family against Elsa? No. If anyone wanted to break up the relationship between Arendelle and Corona, they would target their efforts towards those currently in power: Marcus and Lenna. Kristoff had never even tried to get into contact with the ruling monarchs.

"How did you find us?" Kristoff blurted, having found his way to the space behind the two Princes.

Will smiled. "We have sympathizers everywhere," he said as he took another slow step forward. "Ungifted born into the Faithful who understand their rightful place. We've existed for thousands of years. You don't think we have maids, cooks, and servants in every Castle on this continent? It wasn't hard for one of your trusted staff to get a message to us."

"Originally, the two of us were sent here to bring his head on a spike back to Arendelle," Enobaria gestured to Kristoff. "But now you'll have to accompany him. Your lovely wife too, of course."

Twenty feet was all that now separated the two groups. "Stop!" Thomas demanded again. "Hands in the air and knees on the ground. Now!"

Will and Enobaria obeyed his first command, lifting their arms and clearly displaying their palms. Yet neither of them made any move to fall to the ground. Even now, both of them were taking another step forward.

Alarm bells were blaring inside Eugene's head. How were these two unarmed youths so confident even when faced with a pair of renowned swordsmen? What had they done to the guards...had they left their weapons behind at the gate? And why were they so happy to divulge their plans and methods to three of their avowed enemies?

It was the slight anticipatory twitch of Enobaria's raised hand that finally led him to the truth. They're two of the Faithful. They don't need weapons! They're just stalling until they can get close!

Eugene dived to the right, tackling his brother-in-law and sending them hurtling to the ground. He was just in time. A bolt of electricity had emerged from Will's palm, careening through the air at incredible speed and missing the two Princes by mere inches. Their momentum carried the two men a meter to the right, placing them right behind a large shipping crate.

Kristoff wasn't so lucky. A powerful stream of water erupted from the pouch on Enobaria's belt. It hit the ice-harvester squarely in the chest, sending him flying back into another shipping crate. With a sickening crash, the wood splintered under the force of his fall.

Eugene spared a pitied glance in his direction. Kristoff was lying splayed out on the pavement, surrounded by broken pieces of wood. He was clearly unconscious, but to the Prince's relief, there was no sign of blood.

With a wave of her hands, Enobaria called the water back in her direction. Eugene only had a second to marvel at the sizable bubble of water levitating in front of the woman before another wave of Enobaria's hand coalesced it into a stream once again. The water slammed into the crate the Princes had taken cover behind, sending small splinters of wood into the air. For the most part, the crate held, but it wouldn't survive another blow. Already, Enobaria was gathering the water again.

"I've got voltage boy, you take the water bitch," Thomas ordered.

Eugene nodded. Splitting up was their best option; water and electricity did not mix well. Yet no matter how they went about it, the odds were stacked against them. Two master swordsmen against two magic users was not an even match.

Their one advantage might have been range. Most magic wielders Eugene had read about or encountered weren't capable of using their powers across significant distances. Elsa's ability to do so was one of the talents that set her apart from her fellow sorcerers. That was why Will and Enobaria had stalled as long as they had, having needed to get as close as possible before attacking.

But Thomas and Eugene had no skill with ranged weapons. Their only chance now would be to use the cover scattered around the harbor and get into close range without being blasted in the chest. It was a bad plan, but there was no better one available.

Just as Enobaria's next attack splintered the crate apart, Thomas and Eugene took off running in opposite directions. The Prince-Consort dived to the left, towards Enobaria, taking shelter behind a massive coil of rope as Enobaria gathered up her water once again. Thomas wasn't so lucky. With less cover available in his immediate vicinity, he was caught out in the open.

The Prince dodged Will's first blast, still trying to make his way to the closest cover available. Will fired again immediately, and this time Thomas had no choice but to block the electricity with his sword. It was a move only the fastest, most skilled swordsman could have managed. Thomas's blade swung in a short arc, intercepting the speeding bolt of electricity a second before it could strike him in the chest.

A grunt of pain issued from the elder Prince as the electricity traveled down his blade and to the guard of his weapon, but the hard leather wrapped around the hilt of Thomas's sword protected his fingers from the worst of the blast. By the time Will recovered from his surprise, Thomas had already ducked behind another crate.

Splash! Enobaria's next stream of water slammed into the coil of rope. The firm twine held, however, and Eugene was hit by nothing but a few moist droplets. Thinking quickly, the Prince put its sword back in its scabbard before picking up two sizable rocks that sat atop the pavement next to his feet.

His opponent was still gathering the water back to her. Seizing his chance, Eugene hurled both rocks at the magic wielder.

Enobaria's hands sprayed outwards. The water in front of her instantly expanded into a shield that interposed itself between its mistress and the two chunks of gravel. Neither rock was completely halted by the barrier, but the wall of water slowed down their flight so quickly that they harmlessly dropped to the ground at Enobaria's feet.

Looks like she can't freeze her water. But she can make it harder than it has any right to be. Probably has to do with being able to control its density.

The Prince tried to take advantage. He jumped to his feet and began to sprint toward another crate that offered a better position, but Enobaria was too quick. By the time he was halfway there, the wall of water had already reformed itself into yet another stream.

Eugene braced himself just in time. The force of the water still sent him sprawling through the air, but not as much as it had the unprepared Kristoff. He landed hard at the edge of the docks. For several moments, his world was consumed by the spasm of pain that erupted in his back. He tried to climb to his feet-

Enobaria was already there, standing several feet away at the edge of the harbor. As the Prince watched, a stream of water rose out of the ocean and promptly formed according to her desires. The edge of the stream coalesced into what looked like the tip of a spear, and Eugene instinctively knew that the hardened water would easily penetrate his neck at this distance.

"No!"

The Prince's gaze was drawn to the left. Kristoff, awake and back on his feet, was charging Enobaria. The water mage, having been fixated on finishing off Eugene was too slow to react. Unarmed, Kristoff tackled Enobaria with a mighty roar, sending both of them off the side of the harbor and plummeting into the ocean below.

\

I'm an idiot.

They'd landed right next to the wooden dock, sinking several feet below the water's surface. For a moment, Kristoff had believed that he had the advantage. Although not a trained fighter, the ice-harvester possessed enormous strength, and he used it to drive a massive fist right into Enobaria's gut.

Even with the murky water obscuring his vision, Kristoff could see his opponent's face contort in pain. Normally, such a punch would have probably cracked a rib, but slowed down by the water as it was, it had been enough to knock the wind out of the mage. Kristoff felt a surge of triumph as he prepared to land another blow. Not only was he far stronger than his adversary, but he'd also been the only one who'd had time to take a breath full of air before they'd plunged into the ocean.

Then he saw the grin on Enobaria's face.

The horrifying realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. He was fighting a woman who could control the very fabric of water. And thanks to him, both of them were now surrounded by the salty, murky liquid. Too intent on saving Eugene, Kristoff hadn't realized just how foolish his actions had been.

In his moment of hesitation, Enobaria's hand shot forward, palm out. Then Kristoff was tumbling backwards through the water at terrifying speeds. The current itself had turned against him; it now sought to drive his body away from the harbor and out into the ocean depths. He was rolling through the water so quickly that his dizzy mind was barely able to think.

The dock!

At the last moment, he reached out and grabbed one of the wooden underwater posts that supported the very edge of the dock. Already, he'd already been driven thirty meters away from the shore. Any farther, and there would be absolutely nothing to grab onto.

Kristoff resisted the urge to gasp for breath. He couldn't claw his way back. He couldn't move. All he could do was wrap his arms around the final post as the water continued to beat at him. Kristoff imagined it beginning to fill his nostrils and seep into his eyes. The wood began to drive splinters into his hands as the force pressing against him became more and more powerful.

All of that paled in comparison to his biggest problem. He. Needed. Air.

Suddenly, the water current ceased as quickly as it had started. Kristoff was beyond worrying about whether this was some kind of trap. He swam for the surface, breaking through the water and inhaling the largest breath he'd ever taken.

Exhausted, soaking, and still struggling to breathe, the ice harvester hauled himself onto the top of the dock. His eyes immediately flashed to where he'd last seen Enobaria. If she attacked him again, he was finished.

But there was to be no second attack. A growing cloud of red now surrounded the area where he'd first landed in the water. Swimming there was Eugene, a look of utter disgust on his face as he yanked his sword out of the water mage's back.

\

For an Ungifted, Thomas was skilled. The Prince managed to dodge most of Will's electric blasts, and those that he didn't avoid he intercepted with his sword. Each block of the electricity elicited a loud cry of pain from Thomas, but the heir to Corona's throne never dropped his weapon.

Still, this contest could only have one ending, Will knew. Thomas was desperately trying to flank him, but Will could see through his plan all too easily. His electric blasts kept Thomas pinned behind whatever cover he could find, and each time he managed to gain some ground, Will simply backed up a few paces and continued blasting. The Prince couldn't keep this up forever. Sooner or later, Will would get lucky.

It would only take one blast.

He glanced to the right, looking to see how Enobaria was handling the former thief...and his heart sank. Kristoff and Eugene were both standing at the edge of the harbor, wet and weary but still ready to fight. There was no sign of the water mage.

A fountain of rage erupted in his heart. Somehow, Enobaria had been overcome. And thanks to her incompetence, Will's death was now inevitable. He knew exactly how the remainder of this combat would play out. Eugene would join his brother-in-law against Will; they would work in tandem, trying to close in on his position. Kristoff would be sent off to gather reinforcements, and would soon return with a party of Royal Guards seeking to aid their Princes.

Will would certainly be able to beat Thomas on his own. He could probably overcome both Princes at once, as a matter of fact. But it would take time, and the Royal Guards would be upon him long before then. Against overwhelming odds, he'd be defeated, captured, and later interrogated.

That could not happen.

Luckily, he'd come prepared for such an eventuality. For a moment, he allowed himself to reflect on the disappointment that he would not live to see the Divine Empress's new world. It was the cause he had lived for all his life, and yet he would die two months before it became a reality.

But countless Faithful had lived and died in the past two millennia, knowing that they had no chance to see the Goddess return. Still, they had carried on, knowing that their actions would eventually allow their mistress to walk the earth once again. Will, at least, had been lucky enough to witness her magnificence in the flesh.

As Eugene and Kristoff approached, carefully using cover to avoid any potential blasts, Will was extracting a small glass vial from his pocket. It had been given to him before he'd departed Arendelle by one of the Faithful's best spellweavers, to be used only as a last resort. He stared into the glass, once again marveling at the bottle's contents. There was no liquid. The inside of the bottle was filled by a heavy yellow smoke, which continuously floated and waved within the small space available. Once it had more room...

Will would die instantly, thanks to his proximity, and for that he was grateful. A twinge of regret once again pushed at his mind, but the mage pushed it away. Even if he could somehow escape, his mission would be a failure. The Divine Empress had told him to silence all who knew the truth about her return, and for now that appeared to be the three men who currently opposed him. If Will fled now, he would never have another opportunity to kill them.

But with this little bottle, he very well might.

\

"Thomas and I will hold him off," Eugene was saying. "Get the guards; tell them we sent you. They'll be suspicious, they might even detain you for a while, but that doesn't matter as long as they send a party of men here to investigate the situation. As long as you tell them we're fighting for our lives, they'll get here quickly."

Kristoff nodded. Right now, they were making their way towards Thomas and Will, using the cover of the shipping crates to make sure that the mage wouldn't hit them with any blasts. Soaking wet as they both were, any attack would probably be lethal.

Just as he prepared to dash for the harbor's entrance, his eyes flicked over to where Will stood. The electric mage no longer seemed concerned with blasting Thomas out of cover. In fact, he seemed entirely too calm.

That was when he noticed the small yellow bottle in Will's palm.

Growing up with the trolls, Kristoff had learned a great deal about magic. He knew there were two main types of mages. The first kind were those like Will, Enobaria, and even Elsa and Rapunzel. They were capable of wielding magic directly from their fingertips at a moment's notice, with no preparation required.

Pabbie and the trolls were the second type. They couldn't directly wield the forces of nature. Instead, of channeling those energies overtly, they could manipulate them over a period of time. Given enough talent, practice, and preparation, they could create spells and curses of all types, in addition to conducting certain rituals. Much of this kind of magic could be sealed in carefully constructed containers, to be used when the time was right by any individual lucky enough to be given them.

The trolls, Kristoff knew, weren't the only ones capable of this branch of magic. Some humans were blessed with this power as well, although many of them never became aware of it. It stood to reason that the Faithful possessed several of these mages, using their powers to further the goals of their 'Divine Empress'.

Kristoff didn't know what kind of spell was contained in Will's bottle, but he didn't think it would be anything pleasant. Even now, the mage was reaching up, preparing to slam the glass container onto the pavement below.

"Get away from him, now!" the ice harvester shouted.

Eugene reacted in time. He'd noticed the small bottle as well, and Kristoff's panic had confirmed his suspicions. The two of them sprinted for a safer distance just as the glass smashed against the ground.

Thomas wasn't so fortunate. With the entirety of his attention focused on Will's electric blasts, he'd failed to notice the real danger until it was too late.

Sickly yellow smoke erupted from the smashed bottle. Within seconds, the substance had spread over ten meters in all directions. Eugene and Kristoff, barely escaping the vicinity of the blast, turned around to find half the harbor covered in heavy, yellow mist.

The only noise that accompanied the blast was a brief cry of pain from Will as his life had been extinguished by the magic. From Thomas, farther from the epicenter of the smoke's release but still completely obscured from view by the mist, there had been no sound.

Responses:

WinterWolfDragon: Me too.

DimmensionalLover: Rapunzel would certainly do that, but it wouldn't make much difference unless the Goddess is defeated.

MilandaAnza: First, they have to get out of Corona.

Nh: Wait until next chapter.

Gwiley16199: You mean the truth about her memories?

TheChronicle: The characters aren't certain that Anna will get her powers back; they don't expect the return of her memories to fix that. But they don't know the true nature of Anna's abilities or why she lost them. Pabbie believes that he could potentially create a spell that would return them; he offered to do so for Anna before she removed her memories. It's not exactly a safe bet, but the good guys are pretty desperate at this point. The plan is for the tear to return Anna's memories, and then for Pabbie to experiment with his magic and find a way to return her powers. What the heroes don't know is that Anna's abilities came from being a consort.

ClaireCooper: Readers should be scared and uncertain. Otherwise, there's no tension.

BreeBear98: About time!

Arekanderu: Since the pregnancy has taken so long, its pretty certain that Rapunzel's child will inherit some of her powers.

Guest1: I'm not sure how Rapunzel would have made Anna listen to her; she doesn't remember any of them. You're pretty right about Anna's powers and the other character's beliefs, but remember that the plan is for Pabbie to find a way to return her magic if the tear doesn't do more than return her memories.

Andilite: No trouble? Too easy.

Coincidencless: Can't wait for everyone to see what I have planned.

ObsessiveImaginings: They're doing their best.

Guest2: No worries! Did you say you read this in five hours?

FreelanceBum: Wasn't she evil?

Tmaxisphere: Hang in there!

PascalDragon: You're joking, right?

Jydr: I never said that.

Guest3: Thank you! More on the way!

RHRN: I'm a busy person. But I'm writing as much as I can.

Yolo55: They have no way of knowing that Elsa even underwent a change in Eldora; Anna never found out that a ritual was performed on her. Anna DID suspect a curse, but since the usual method to break it failed, she didn't have any other explanation to turn to.

DVINM: That definitely was fanservice, but I certainly enjoyed writing it.

Verytired: Here it is!