A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, and is so short. Finals are a busy time of year for me. Now that they're almost done, I'll be able to update on a weekly basis.

"You've got company."

Kristoff shut his eyes as a painful ray of light came into the room. He could hear two sets of footsteps approaching, one of them far more reluctant than the other. A loud creak split through the air as the door of the cell next to Kristoff's was thrown open.

"Hey, watch the...oof!" The voice of a young man protested as he was roughly shoved to the floor of the newly opened cell. Kristoff's eyes blinked open just in time to watch the door slam open, trapping the dungeon's most recent prisoner inside. In a flash, the man was on his feet again, yelling at the guard.

"I didn't do it, honestly! I wasn't even near the foyer when it happened; if you'd just let me explain-"

The guard let out a single, harsh laugh. "I have two witnesses implicating you as the sole culprit. You'll have a chance to state your side of the story soon enough, but for now you'll spend some time with your new best friend," he said, nodding towards Kristoff. "You two enjoy yourselves." And with that, he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him and plunging the two remaining men into almost complete darkness.

"Well," the new prisoner noted dryly, "He was friendly."

Kristoff's eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on the new arrival. Even though they were only feet apart from one another and separated by nothing more than a wide grid of metal bars, there was so little light that the ice harvester could perceive nothing more than the vague silhouette of a slim man.

"So, what are you in for?" the silhouette asked.

Kristoff sighed. "It's a long story," he replied. Understatement of the century."You first. Let me guess, guards caught you stealing something? I'm sure you're completely innocent," he noted sarcastically.

"I am," the man replied firmly. "The name's Merek," he introduced himself. "I've been working in this Castle for seven years now; I always kept my head down, never caused any trouble. Then, the other day, a decorative crystal goblet is stolen out of the foyer. A young maid is knocked out during the theft. She wakes up and names me as the one who did it."

"And why would she do that?" Kristoff questioned.

Merek shrugged. "Beats me. She was always a brat, but I've never had any real problems with her. I don't know why she's setting me up for this crime; maybe she did it herself, I'm not sure. Anyway, I didn't do it. Sure, I've nicked a few things once or twice...everyone has...but I'd never hurt a thirteen year old girl. Even if she is a little bitch."

"I'm sure," Kristoff replied. He honestly could not care less about this man's problems...not while an evil Goddess was months away from remaking the entire world in her twisted image.

"Alright, you've got my story; now it's your turn."

The ice harvester shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me. And I wouldn't blame you. I'm not in the mood to be laughed at and accused of lying...the guards have already done that to me once today. Just forget about it."

"Lie or not, it could be entertaining. And right now, entertaining-" Merek's arms swept around the cell- "Is in short supply. So as long as it's not boring, I'd be willing to listen to pretty much anything at the moment."

"Well, it's definitely not boring," Kristoff answered. Might as well tell him, he thought to himself. There was nothing to lose, and it would help to pass the time. If nothing else, telling his story would get Merek to stop pestering him.

He took a deep breath. "You ever heard of Lady Anna?" he asked Merek.

"Course I have. It's the most interesting story since the return of the Lost Princess herself. It seemed like something straight out of a fairy tale- a thief wins the Queen of Arendelle's heart, saves her life, and rescues our own Princess twice along the way. Except for the ending, obviously, wherein it turns out that the thief was an undercover agent of a rival kingdom all along. Why, you know her?" Merek questioned skeptically.

"Yeah, I do," Kristoff shot back, making Merek's silhouette start in surprise. "I met her when she was on a mission for the Queen...not that I knew that right away. She'd heard rumors of a magical...tribe that lived in the mountains of Arendelle, a tribe that just so happened to adopt me when I was young. I offered to take her there. It was only after we arrived that I found out she was the Queen's personal guard...and lover," he noted.

Merek let out a short chuckle. "You know, ordinarily this would be the part where I started laughing at you. But since I've seen my Princess bring someone back from the brink of death firsthand, I'm willing to believe quite a bit. Continue," he said with a brief wave of his hand.

"Anna was...is...an amazing woman. I was there when she took down the conspiracy threatening the Queen. I've never seen someone so brave. Anna wasn't the smartest woman in the world, or the most sophisticated, but she was kinder and more loyal than anyone else I'd ever known. And she was an excellent fighter," he added as an afterthought.

"Loyal, yes, but not to the Queen of Arendelle," Merek interrupted.

BANG! Kristoff slammed his hand against the bars. "She was! Anna never betrayed Queen Elsa. Soon after Anna took down the conspiracy, Elsa proposed to her. They were set to be married...Anna was thrilled. And then, one night, she turned up at my shop bloodied and broken. Elsa had betrayed her. Their entire relationship had been a ruse by the Queen, both because she wanted Anna as a protector and for her own sick amusement. She attacked Anna, kicked her ass, and then locked her up in a dungeon cell before spreading that stupid story about her being a spy."

For the first time, Merek seemed truly rattled. "That doesn't sound like the Queen Elsa I've heard of," he said, his voice somewhat shaky.

"I was just as surprised as you are. I couldn't believe it when Anna told me. But no one except Elsa herself could have beaten Anna in a fight, or emotionally devastated her so badly. She asked me to take her to my...tribe, and when we were there she told us that she wanted to all lose her memories of the time she spent with Elsa," he continued.

"And did she?" Merek asked intently.

"Yeah," Kristoff replied. "I tried to stop her, but nothing I said could convince her otherwise. She went to go live in the Southern Isles so she wouldn't draw Elsa's wrath upon the tribe, and ever since then she's been homeless again."

"Gods," the other man breathed.

Kristoff shot him a pitied glance. "It gets worse. Way worse. I was in the city about a week ago when I ran into General Kale, Elsa's top military advisor. I'd met him the night Anna defeated the conspiracy. He'd told me he'd overheard some of Elsa's servants talking. It turns out that she's a lot more dangerous than a petty and vindictive Queen. Apparently, she's a Goddess reincarnated from thousands of years ago, who once engineered a conflict between her fellow Divines and stepped in to rule the world after they'd fallen. She treated mankind terribly, and they eventually dispersed her essence with some kind of spell. Now that she's been reborn, Elsa intends to complete a ritual designed to return her full powers before using them to gain control over the entire world…and punish humanity for overthrowing her."

A moment of silence followed. "That's not possible," Merek said firmly.

"I didn't believe it at first either," Kristoff said, "But it explains a lot of things. Elsa's ridiculously powerful magic, the conspiracy against her, why she turned against Anna when she did. Kale was killed right after he told me; Elsa's minions hunted him down. He said that preparing for the ritual has weakened Elsa's powers. Anna might be the only woman capable of stopping her; that's why I'm here. And Princess Rapunzel's tears might be the only thing that can bring back her memories. I tried to sneak in and talk to her, but...you can see how that worked out."

Merek frowned. "What was your name again?"

The ice harvester frowned in confusion. "Kristoff. Kristoff Bjorgman. Why? I don't see what that has to do with anything." If this smart-ass had wanted to know his name, he could have asked it ten minutes ago.

"Yeah, she definitely mentioned you," Merek said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Tell me Kristoff, what do the trolls think about Elsa being an evil Goddess? Does Grand Pabbie buy this story?"

What?!

"How do you know about them?!" Kristoff demanded.

"Anna and Elsa told us everything about their adventures. The trolls were a pretty big detail...way too big to leave out." Merek sighed. "I can't believe everything you've said about Elsa, but you know more than enough for us to at least hear you out. My wife's been desperate for any news about Anna." With that, he let out a loud whistle, and the door to the dungeons immediately opened.

Kristoff's mind was whirling. "You...you're the Prince?"

"Oh, of course not. You think a Prince would deign to spend the afternoon sitting in a dungeon cell?" 'Merek' asked as the guard unlocked his cell. "Now, the Prince-Consort, on the other hand, well...it's hard to deny your pregnant wife a favor." Eugene noted.

\

"Where is Anna?" The Princess demanded. She was staring at the ice harvester with such intensity that Kristoff couldn't help but wither under her gaze. Prince-Consort Eugene and Prince Thomas herself sat beside her. They were meeting in one of the Palace's small parlors, Kristoff having been all but dragged to the room following his encounter with Eugene in the dungeons. He wasn't officially being held prisoner at the moment, but if the royals didn't believe his story, he doubted this day would end well for him.

Despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn't completely suppress the sense of intimidation that crept up his spine. Kristoff had met with royalty before, of course, but Anna had been there with him then...and there had only been a single royal in the room. Now there were three of them, and there was no friendly face sitting at his side.

Both of the Princes wore swords at their belts, but it was the Princess who truly commanded his attention. Despite appearing to be eight months pregnant (probably more in actuality, given how long magical pregnancies were known to take) and possessing a gentle, untouched face, Rapunzel carried herself with an air of authority that seemed to well exceed that of both her husband and brother.

"Your Highness...finding her is not the problem. The trolls have given me a spell that can locate her whenever I choose. But the Anna you knew is gone. Her memories of the year she knew you were completely erased. That's why I need one of your tears."

The Princess was silent for a moment. Then, finally, she asked, "Where? I've had men searching for her for months." The frustration in her voice was unmistakable.

"The Southern Isles," Kristoff answered. "Your Highness, she didn't want to be found. For the past year, Anna's been living on the streets in that backwater kingdom...just like she'd been doing in Arendelle before she met Elsa."

Rapunzel's eyes closed tightly. As Kristoff watched, a single drop of moisture slid down her cheek before dropping down onto the floor below. The most valuable magic in the world, wasted, he couldn't help but think.

"Our agents investigated the Palace of the Southern Isles, but the streets...is she-?"

Kristoff nodded. "Cold and homeless and alone. Yes. I don't understand why you're so concerned, Your Highness. Queen Elsa told you that she was a traitor, didn't she? Everyone else seemed to believe her easily enough." His sarcasm was palpable.

"I don't care what Elsa or anyone else believes," Rapunzel practically hissed. "I saw Anna take an arrow meant for Elsa. I watched as she stayed behind to buy us time against a hundred swordsmen. She risked her life to drag me out of a burning carriage. Anna is not a traitor!"

Eugene reached out, placing a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "Stay calm, sweetheart. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise. If Anna's still out there, we can bring her back here and keep her warm and safe."

"You can't," Kristoff interjected, frustration now clawing at him furiously. "I thought you were listening earlier. Elsa's ritual is going to be finished in about two months. Once her divine power is back, nothing will be able to protect Anna...or any of us."

"I'm ready to believe that Anna is innocent," Thomas spoke up, "But Elsa...an evil goddess?" He shook his head in disdain. "I've known Elsa my entire life. She'd never hurt anyone unless it was in self-defense. There's no way in hell she'd attack innocent people for shits and giggles."

"I can't blame you for thinking that way," Kristoff replied, "But she's said to have ruled the earth for a thousand years before some of her servants ambushed and overthrew her. Do you really doubt that someone that old and powerful couldn't put on a convincing act for her so-called family?"

A sharp intake of breath drew his attention back to Rapunzel.

"I love Elsa. I've known her only for seven years, but I look at her as the sister I never had," the Princess intoned. "But...there are some things about the last year that can't help but make me think. Elsa accepted the thought of Anna's betrayal way too easily. Anna took an arrow for her. A spy would never have done that; it would have made sense for an agent of the Southern Isles to protect the Queen, yes, but not at the cost of her own life. And why would a spy stay behind to die against a small army? She had no way of knowing that David would spare her. When I was in Arendelle last spring, Elsa mentioned none of this to me. She was upset, yes, but she'd completely accepted Anna's treachery."

Eugene stared at his wife. "You're not saying you actually believe this story, are you? Elsa's your cousin. She'd never betray..."

"Don't talk to me about betrayal, Eugene," Rapunzel snapped, prompting both Princes to flinch in shock. "I lived with a woman pretending to be my mother for eighteen years! Even though she wouldn't let me leave that tower, I never doubted that she loved me. Not until you showed up. Love can be faked; Gothel proved that to me."

"You told me about the night you were attacked in Arendelle," Thomas asserted. "Elsa was crying for you to save Anna; why would she do that if she didn't care about her?"

Kristoff caught the Prince's attention with a loud grunt. "Elsa needed Anna to serve as protection from Drell's conspiracy. Her life was valuable to Elsa at that point. Plus, pretending to be so upset about her impending death was a great way to settle the deception."

Thomas frowned, but no counter-argument issued from his lips.

"Elsa wanted to keep us away from Arendelle," Rapunzel mused. "She said in her letter that her powers were acting up because her emotions were out of control; it wasn't safe for us to be around her. And yet, when I came there, not one snowflake appeared out of midair. She never showed any concern that her powers might hurt me; it wasn't mentioned once. Why would she use that as her main excuse to keep us out of Arendelle, and yet not even bring it up when I arrived?"

"Do you want Elsa to be an evil Goddess?" Eugene demanded. "You seem to be accepting it pretty easily."

"I'm accepting the possibility, Eugene," Rapunzel corrected. "Anna told me that Drell's conspiracy thought Elsa was a goddess hell-bent on revenge; they waited over two thousand years for her return. Maybe they were right after all. Look...I saw Anna do things that proved she wasn't a traitor. I've never seen Elsa do anything that would disprove this theory about her being a goddess. And why else would her magic be so strong? No one else we've even heard of has been a tenth as powerful as her. There's no record of magic in the history of Arendelle's royal family. It...this all makes more sense than I would like it too."

As the Princes pondered her words, Rapunzel turned to Kristoff. "And you. Anna told me plenty about her travels. You match Kristoff's description perfectly, and the things you told Eugene...there's no way you could have known them unless you were there. I'm sorry," she said sadly, returning her gaze to the Princes, "But this is too much to all be coincidence."

Sensing their hesitation, Kristoff spoke up again. "According to Kale, Elsa's going to make this world a living hell for mankind once the ritual is done. Her servants mentioned specifically that her family wouldn't be spared. We have two months to do something."

Rapunzel nodded slowly. "This doesn't mean I believe that Elsa really is what you say she is," the Princess reminded him. "But I admit that it's worth looking into. And even if it wasn't, I'm not going to pass up a chance to help Anna," she said firmly.

"You can't leave Corona!" Eugene protested. "The baby..."

"Who said I was?" Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "I'll give you a tear; the magic lasts for two weeks, plenty of time to make it to the Southern Isles. We can't go to my parents with this; they'd never believe there was a chance Elsa could be...you know."

Eugene nodded in agreement. "We can't ask any soldiers to go. And, no offense, Kristoff, but we can't just leave this up to you. I'll go. We'll leave tonight on the Royal Sloop. That should get us there in a few days. Two men can crew it with some difficulty."

"And three men can do it easily," Thomas interjected. "I can't say I trust you," he looked at Krsitoff, "But I do trust my baby sis. If you think there's a chance that this story is true...I want to see it for myself. And three swords are better than two."

The ice harvester shook his head. "It's more like two swords are better than one. I'm not a fighter," he noted.

Rapunzel shrugged. "According to the doctors, I'm not due for another three months, judging by the speed of baby's development so far" the Princess said. "You'll have plenty of time to make it back. My parents will be furious, but it's always better to ask forgiveness than permission."

Kristoff couldn't believe it had been so easy. Then again, considering the history these three shared, perhaps nothing was truly unthinkable. Was an evil goddess for a cousin that much more unbelievable than a false more who had kidnapped a Princess to hoard her magical hair?

Sometimes, he wished life were a lot simpler.

And yet, the ice-harvester couldn't help but feel a fierce swell of exultation rise up within him. They would get to Anna easily enough. If that tear worked, and Pabbie were able to return her powers…the world just might have a chance.

Responses:

FrozenFairyTales: Thanks!

Vidgamelords: He does have a tough time of it…

Gwiley161999: I may be cruel, but not heartless.

TheChronicle: Glad to see the stakes seem real!

Hahaha: Never thought of it that way, but it's an interesting comparison.

WinterWolfDragon: We'll see.

Spooths: Thank you!

Guest 1: The only thing I'll answer is that Elsa does not have access to the Goddess's thoughts. She can see what she does in the physical world, but she doesn't know what the Goddess is thinking.

PascalDragon: Sometimes, things work out for the better.

Jydr: Hang in there!

Arekanderu: Here it is!

Andilite: Close…

ObsessiveImaginings: I'll do my best.

RR: It's still possible.

Coincidenceless: She was actually afraid that Rapunzel could return Anna's memories; she's good at predicting her enemies' moves.

FreelanceBum: Partially.

MrWhyNot: All great stories need drama.

DrinkVodka: That's pretty fast!

DVINM: Excellent analysis of General Kale!