The False Prince

Prince Hans wasn't ready to fold. He had plotted too long to let his prize be stolen by a stranger in a black shirt and a woman wearing his coat. He stepped forward, drawing his sword fully. The steel rang out in the silent courtyard. "Guards!" he bellowed, his voice cracking slightly. "Seize them! The Queen has conspired with this... this sorcerer! They have brought doom to Arendelle! Arrest them for treason!"

The royal guards hesitated. They looked at Elsa, their rightful Queen, who stood tall and regal despite her lack of clothing. They looked at Anna, the beloved Princess, who was glaring at Hans. And they looked at me. A man who had just vaporized an army of shadows with a wave of his hand.

"Treason?" I repeated, stepping forward. I didn't draw my Keyblade. I didn't need it for him. "You speak of treason, Little Prince. But who sat on the throne while the Queen was away? Who tried to execute her on the mountain?"

Hans flushed. "I was protecting the kingdom!"

"You were stealing it," I said, walking toward him.

Hans lunged. It was a ****, clumsy strike. He aimed for my chest. I didn't even sidestep. I caught the blade. My gloved hand grabbed the steel mid-swing. The heat radiating from my palm was so intense that the metal instantly glowed orange, then red. Hans gasped, feeling the heat travel down the hilt. He yelped and dropped the weapon as the handle scorched his gloves. The sword clattered to the cobblestones, bent and useless, the metal warped like soft wax.

I backhanded him. CRACK. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it was heavy. Hans spun in the air and hit the ground hard, spitting blood. He scrambled backward, looking up at me with terror.

"Anna!" he pleaded, wiping his bloody lip. "Please! He's a monster! I love you! We're engaged!"

Anna looked down at him. Her expression was unreadable for a moment. Then, she slowly shook her head. "You don't love me, Hans," she said, her voice surprisingly steady. "You don't even know me. You left me to freeze."

She took a step closer to me, leaning her head against my arm. "He didn't leave me. He warmed me." She looked up at me, her eyes soft. "He's the only real thing in this entire frozen world."

I looked at the guards. "Take him," I commanded. "And the Weasel."

The guards didn't hesitate this time. They grabbed Hans by the arms, hauling him up. Another pair seized the sputtering Duke of Weselton. "To the dungeon," Elsa said, her voice cool and imperious, finally sounding like a Queen again. "Let them rot until the thaw is complete."

As they were dragged away, I turned to Kristoff. The big blonde iceman was standing by the sleigh, patting Sven. He looked at Anna clinging to me. He looked at the castle doors. He knew his part in this story was over. He was the guide, not the hero.

"Kristoff," I said.

He straightened up. "Yeah?"

"You did good. You got us up the mountain." I reached into my pocket and tossed him a heavy pouch of gold coins, currency from another world, but gold is gold. "Take the reindeer to the royal stables. Make sure he's fed. And get yourself a warm meal in the servants' hall."

Kristoff caught the gold. He weighed it in his hand. It was more money than he’d make in ten lifetimes of selling ice. He looked at Anna one last time. "Bye, Anna," he said softly.

"Bye, Kristoff," she said, giving him a small, polite wave. "Thank you."

She turned her back on him immediately, refocusing her attention on me. Kristoff sighed, grabbed Sven’s reins, and led the beast toward the stables. He knew when he was beaten.

"Now," I said, putting an arm around each sister. "Let's get inside. It's drafty out here, and the Queen is underdressed."

We walked up the steps to the castle. The great doors swung open for us. We stepped out of the biting wind and into the Great Hall.

It was warmer inside, but still chilly. The fireplaces were cold. The servants were hiding. "It's cold," Elsa murmured, shivering slightly against my side. "This place... it remembers my fear."

"Then we change the memory," I said.

I snapped my fingers. Snap. A pulse of fire magic shot from my hand. It raced through the room, striking the massive fireplace at the far end. WOOSH. A roaring fire erupted in the hearth, the flames leaping six feet high. The light danced across the tapestries and the polished floor. I sent another spark to the chandeliers. They ignited with warm, golden candlelight.

The gloom vanished. The castle glowed.

"Upstairs," I directed them. "To the Royal Suite. I want a bath drawn. Hot water. Oils. Everything."

A few terrified maids peeked out from behind a pillar. "Y-yes, Your Majesty!" one squeaked, curtsying low to me, ignoring the actual Queen. They recognized the new alpha instantly. They scurried off to prepare the Master Bedroom.

We climbed the grand staircase. Elsa walked with a swaying, tired grace, her delicate bare feet silent on the carpet. Anna walked with a bounce in her step, her energy returning, her curiosity peaking.

"So," Anna whispered, leaning across me to whisper to Elsa. "What happens now? Does he... do the thing again?"

Elsa smirked, a look of shared, dirty secrets passing between the sisters. "He does whatever he wants, Anna," Elsa purred. "And trust me... you're going to want him to do it."

We reached the double doors of the Royal Suite. I pushed them open. The room was massive, dominated by a four-poster bed and a balcony overlooking the fjord. The maids had been fast; steam was already rising from the adjoining bathroom.

I turned to them. I looked at the Ice Queen, wrapped in my coat, broken and rebuilt. I looked at the spare Princess, eager and untouched.

"Lock the door, Anna," I said.

Anna turned the heavy iron key. Click.

I smiled. "Welcome home."