A/N: This retelling of Frozen contains spoilers for my story: The Big Four and The Tournament of Fear and the ending of The Big Four and The Fate of the Fractured: Part 2. Enjoy!

Rapunzel paced the length of the boat as it rocked in the fjord.

"Don't worry," Eugene said.

Rapunzel stopped and faced him, "What if I screw up?"

"You can't," Eugene said. "We're only here to witness a coronation. You don't even have to sign anything. You won't have to say anything."

Rapunzel hoped he was right, but she had a bad feeling about this. It was her first time leaving the palace since she'd met her real parents. Her father hadn't wanted her to go, but her mother insisted that it would be good for her to witness her cousin's coronation.

They didn't know most of her past. As far as they, and the rest of the kingdom, knew, she'd been kidnapped as an infant and raised in a tower, until Eugene came along to rescue her. It was sort of true, and then she didn't have to explain about memory charms and keep track of who knew what about her.

The boat soon docked and Rapunzel and Eugene descended the gangplank.

"Welcome," a plump man in a green suit said. "I'm Kai. The gates will be opening soon."

Eugene and Rapunzel walked side by side down the cobblestone street. In Corona the castle was in the center and on top of the tallest hill. The city was structured around it. Here, though, the castle was isolated, out in the fjord.

They had to cross a stone bridge to reach the isolated palace.

The gates opened and a girl in a green dress ran out. Rapunzel barely noticed her as she followed the crowd and went into the courtyard. Eugene's palm went sweaty.

"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked. Usually she was the nervous one.

"Oh, fine. Fine. But I didn't rescue their princess. And I just remembered that the last time I was in Arendelle I stole some royal gloves."

"Gloves?"

"Yeah. I was just a kid. Thought royal gloves might be worth something. Boy, were the guards touchy about those gloves. Nearly took my head off."

"You know ... I think I remember Jack saying something about that," Rapunzel's heart ached as she thought of her friend. The war between Wizards and Muggles claimed many lives, but Jack's was the only one she knew personally. Though she knew he'd revive when enough people believed in him, there was little hope that it would happen soon. He might as well be dead.

Rapunzel shed a tear for him.

"He wouldn't want you to be sad," Eugene said tenderly. Rapunzel smiled and put her head on his shoulder.

Everyone was looking around the courtyard as though they'd never seen it before. Another major contrast from Corona's courtyard, which was nearly always open. Civilians came in and out of the Coronian palace all the time.

"Why do you think the royal family is so reclusive?" a young blond man said, coming up to them.

"Hey!" Eugene said, sticking out his hand. "I know you. Blondie, this is-"

"Kristoff," the young man supplied. "Haven't seen you in a while. Jorfi still speaks of you."

"Jorfi?" Rapunzel questioned. Eugene grimaced.

"I guess I never told you about the time I rescued a rock troll and kidnapped Kristoff."

"Kidnapped?" Rapunzel asked.

"It was kind of an accident."

"How do you accidentally kidnap someone?" Rapunzel asked, thinking of her own time being kidnapped.

"It was really the Stabbington brothers," Eugene admitted. "They made me do it."

"I've learned to roll with it," Kristoff shrugged. "No hard feelings, eh?"

In the castle tower the bells rang signaling the start of the coronation. Eugene and Kristoff were starting to get into the story. Rapunzel wasn't an official princess yet. Princess Elsa, soon to be queen, would be recognized by Corona whether Rapunzel witnessed the coronation or not. It wasn't like there was anything that could go wrong during the coronation, anyway. This was just a practice run for a day, long, long in the future, when she would be queen.

Rapunzel chose not to interrupt Eugene and Kristoff, listening in awe to their story.

"And so," Kristoff concluded as the sun set, "Jack, his family, and the Viking girl took off on dragons. Ever find out what happened to them?"

This was it. Her chance to tell what happened to Jack. To spread his story.

"Jack died," Rapunzel said sadly. "He went ice skating with his sister and fell through."

"But ... but wasn't he half Ice Elf?" Kristoff questioned.

"Sometimes you just can't fight fate," Eugene said softly.

"But," Rapunzel added, "he's more now. If we all believe in him, he'll come back. Someday. Tell your friends. Jack Frost will come and leave frost on their windows."

"And nip at their noses," Eugene added. "And bite their toes."

"Jack doesn't bite toes," Rapunzel scolded. Eugene laughed.

"Makes a good rhyme, though," Kristoff said. "I'll tell the rock trolls about it. They don't get out much, but you never know."

Kristoff's reindeer came up and nipped him on the arm.

"Oh, looks like I've got customers," he said. "I'm selling ice in Arendelle. Should be here all week." He gave them the address of the cooling house where he kept his ice to keep it from melting, and followed his reindeer to the market.

Rapunzel and Eugene turned to go into the castle. The coronation would be over now. Time for the new queen to make her royal debut.

"Did I do it right?" Rapunzel asked.

"With Kristoff, yes," Eugene said. "I don't think we can avoid telling people who knew Jack when he was alive that he died. But if we're telling strangers, we might want to just stick to the 'immortal spirit' part."

Rapunzel and Eugene entered a large ballroom in time to hear the end of a waltz.

A guard announced, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Princess Anna of Arendelle."

The queen and princess stood at the front of the room. Rapunzel curtsied with everyone else.

"Should I go invite the queen to dance?" Eugene suggested. "I wonder if I could steal her gloves this time?"

"Don't you dare leave me," Rapunzel said, grabbing his arm. "We've never danced before. Not a romantic dance."

"Actually, we have," Eugene confessed. "I broke into Hogwarts the year they had the TriWizard Tournament. I remember you. You had flowers in your hair. You were the prettiest little thing I ever saw. And now that I know you and you're a brunette? Wow. It's no wonder you're my new dream."

Rapunzel gave way to a deep blush as Eugene invited her to dance. The slow dance soon changed to a lively polka. As she bobbed next to him, she chanced to look out. An old man was dancing like a chicken. A young couple was snogging behind the tuba. And - Rapunzel caught her breath.

Across the dance floor she spotted a face she could never forget.

"What's wrong. I thought you liked to dance?" Eugene said. Rapunzel had stopped dancing as she stared at him. Eugene followed her gaze.

"Don't tell me he's caught your eye."

"Caught?" Rapunzel gave a dry laugh. "No. Long ago maybe."

"Long ago? You know him?"

The red-headed man walked past them. He paused briefly as he looked at Rapunzel, then shook his head and continued across the room, towards Princess Anna as she walked away from her sister.

"What's going on?" Eugene asked. "I haven't been this confused since you wrapped your hair around my injured hand."

"That's Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles," Rapunzel said. "He's my ex-boyfriend."

Eugene's jaw dropped. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her to a quiet bench half hidden by a curtain.

"You have an ex?!" Eugene said. "I think that actually surprises me more than your magic hair."

Rapunzel recoiled, "Why does it surprise you? You've dated other girls."

"Well, yeah. But ... I'm me. Adventurer. Traveler. Stealer of treasure and hearts. I've been out in the world. I'm older. I'm a man."

"Girls are allowed to date, too, you know," Rapunzel said tartly.

"Look, Blondie, of course, I know. I don't mean it's wrong or anything. It's just ... I've met your 'Mother', remember? She stabbed me. I can't imagine her letting you date."

"Oh," Rapunzel said. "You're right. She wasn't happy with me dating him. She tried to warn me ..."

"What happened?" Eugene prompted.

"Jack and Merida didn't like Hans, either. They tried to be nice about it with me. But Merida really hated him. So did Mother. They were both right. He was only dating me because I was a princess. He just wanted Corona. The second Merida suggested he might have a shot at Scotland, he was ready to dump me. When he found out Merida's offer was a ruse, and he'd lost his shot at both our kingdoms? He tried to kill Jack."

"Ugh, sounds like a real jerk," Eugene said. "You say he's from the Southern Isles? I might've stolen from him once. Serves him right for trying to steal a kingdom."

Rapunzel smiled, "I haven't thought of him in years. How strange I would end up seeing him here. He didn't seem to recognize me."

"Tooth's memory spell," Eugene reminded her. "He doesn't remember you went to Hogwarts. He doesn't remember he dated you."

Rapunzel took a deep breath, "I suppose that's good. No need for awkward conversations."

She looked across the room. Prince Hans was dancing with Princess Anna.

"Do you think he's here after Arendelle, the same as he was with Corona and Scotland?"

"Could be," Eugene shrugged, "but he'd probably go after Queen Elsa if that were the case."

"Should I warn my cousin?" Rapunzel asked as Princess Anna and Hans left the ballroom.

"No rush," Eugene said. "I mean, it's not like she's going to marry him today or anything."

"You're right. And maybe he's changed. You're certainly not the thief who broke into my tower. Maybe Princess Anna is his new dream," Rapunzel suggested. "I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. For now."

Eugene's stomach growled, "Oh man, I've got to go try that smorgasbord."

The rest of the evening passed quickly as she enjoyed the party. She wondered if her coronation would be anything like this. Every so often, the music would come to a close so the musicians could rest. Rapunzel and Eugene socialized, meeting various dignitaries from all over the world. Rapunzel was speaking with the Marquis to France when a commotion broke out across the room.

"What are you so afraid of?" Princess Anna yelled.

"I said ENOUGH!" Queen Elsa said. Ice shot from Elsa's ungloved hand spiking across the floor.

"Elsa?" Princess Anna said. The queen raced out, followed by her sister, Prince Hans and the old man who'd danced like a chicken.

Rapunzel and Eugene did not follow. They went to inspect the icicles.

"Is their queen an Ice Elf?" Rapunzel whispered.

"She's your cousin," Eugene reminded her. "You tell me."

"Hmm." Rapunzel reached out and touched the ice. It got softer under her hand. It would melt on its own in a few hours. Or she could cast a heat spell.

"Should we write to Merida and summon the Wizard Council? Or just modify the memories ourselves?" Rapunzel asked. This was the first time she'd been around uncontrolled magic since Toothiana had erased all Muggles' memory of magic. It was her first time having to deal with it.

"Um, I don't think we should worry about memory modification just yet," Eugene said following the crowd to a balcony. "Take a look."

Rapunzel stayed inside, but looked out at the night sky. Snow fell as Princess Anna rode out across the frozen fjord. The whole harbor was frozen solid.

"I don't know if a simple heating spell is going to cut it," Rapunzel said. "We might need Mother Nature for this."

They went outside. As a cold wind hit, Eugene bent over, "Jeeze, I hate snow."

"Good thing winters are short in Corona," Rapunzel said with a smile, trying to cover her chattering teeth. "Now, how do you suppose we summon her?"

"Hey, Blondie," Eugene said, "I think we might have trouble."

Across the courtyard, Prince Hans stood tall and straight, "Princess Anna left ME in charge. Everyone, take shelter from the storm. Get inside the palace. Foreman, see how many cloaks you can dig out. Get the cooks to work on making something, anything, hot."

Rapunzel regarded him as the cold bit into her skin. He seemed to be helping. Maybe he was a good leader.

"We can't stay out here, Rapunzel," Eugene said, hugging her close. "It's freezing. And I don't know if Mother Nature will help. I only knew her as a teacher. I never knew about her weather powers. But from what I've heard from you and your friends, she's not always nice."

Rapunzel almost went back inside when she and Eugene thought of Kristoff. The two of them raced to his ice house in time to see him leaving in full winter garb.

"You seem awfully prepared for this winter," Eugene said.

"I work in an ice house and came from the mountains. Of course I have warm clothes," Kristoff said. "I guess your friend came back. You were right. He sure knows how to nip the nose and bite the toes."

"Jack doesn't-"

"We could let people believe it," Eugene cautioned her. "It might be good for him."

Rapunzel bit her lip as Kristoff pushed his sleigh out of its summer home.

"Where are you going?" Rapunzel asked.

"Home," Kristoff said. "Hot springs and Grand Pabbie, who might know how to stop your Jack Frosti."

"Jack Frost," Rapunzel corrected. While this storm might be good for belief in Jack Frost, too many people had seen Queen Elsa make the storm. She confessed the truth, "This isn't him. This is the queen."

"What?" Kristoff asked. Rapunzel and Eugene nodded.

"We both saw her do it," Eugene said. Kristoff whistled, taking in the information. The wind whistled down the icy road. Kristoff put on his hat.

"I'd better get going. Grand Pabbie might know a way to bring back summer. I'm not going to sell any ice if the weather stays like this."

Rapunzel bid farewell to Kristoff and Sven as they trotted off to the mountain. She was shivering pretty hard. She only wore shoes when absolutely required. Her toes were starting to turn blue. It did look like someone was nipping at them.

Eugene helped her get back to the castle. They took a place beside a fire in the great hall and listened to the gossiping visitors. Some were foreigners, like Rapunzel and Eugene, while others were peasants who did not have enough coal or firewood.

Eugene and Rapunzel listened to the gossip as they huddled around the fire. No one knew the queen was a witch before this winter weather. The Duke from Weselton stood on a table.

"We can't let her get away with this. First Arendelle, next Weselton, then the world!"

Some of the crowd held back, but there were a good many 'aye, aye's.'

"It's starting again, Eugene, the fear is starting again. Everything we did will be for nothing," Rapunzel whispered.

"Hey, come on," Eugene said. "The ice in the ballroom is almost melted. This whole 'Winter in July' thing might clear up on its own."

"And what if it doesn't?!" the Duke said, leaning over them. "We all came here by ship. If the ocean remains frozen we have no way of getting home. She has trapped everyone here. She's evil!"

"We're not trapped!" Eugene said. "First off, Arendelle is a peninsula, not an island. If the winter never lets up, you could walk it. Second, if the sea really does stay frozen, we can turn our boats into sleighs and sled back to wherever we came from."

"But what of Arendelle?" the Duke demanded. "If the queen never returns, who will run it?"

"Princess Anna, of course. I'm sure she'll sort this out and be back by dawn," the matron of the palace, Gerda, advised.

But by dawn Princess Anna had not returned. The snow storm had stopped, but the world was still covered in ice and the temperature was below freezing.

Rapunzel was staring out the window at the frozen land when Eugene came up to her.

"Okay. We need to do something," he admitted. "Any ideas?"

Rapunzel bit her lip, "I don't know much about Arendelle. I didn't know Queen Elsa was a witch. But I do know that Prince Hans is a wizard."

"You think it's a good idea to trust him?" Eugene questioned.

"I'm not sure. But who else is there? We're not supposed to tell Muggles, and from the way the Duke was raving, I don't want to."

Eugene continued to caution Rapunzel against trusting the prince, but agreed to help her. Not knowing the layout of the castle, they split up to search for Hans.

As Rapunzel walked down the lonely hall, she thought back to her tower. She'd often been alone there. But it was small, cozy and safe. Well, safe-ish. She didn't know she'd been kidnapped until Eugene saved her.

Arendelle's castle, on the other hand, was huge. And empty. Not only was there a lack of people outside the ballroom and great hall, but the furnishings were spare, making it feel even bigger. There was some art on the walls, and a few suits of armor, but everything was tall and stiff, lifeless.

Rapunzel wished she'd met her cousins. What must it have been like to grow up here? Would this have been what her life was like if Mother Gothel had never taken her? If she'd grown up with her real parents?

A slammed door pulled her back to reality. Far across the hall, she saw the young red-headed prince locking the door he'd slammed. He pulled his vest down and turned to leave.

"HANS!" Rapunzel called, running after him. Prince Hans stopped and turned toward her, his head cocked.

"What are you doing here?" he said, stepping in front of the door he'd closed.

"Hans, do you remember me?" Rapunzel asked, her eyes lighting up.

His brow creased, "I saw you at the dance, I think."

Rapunzel reached up and brushed a lock of her short hair behind her ear, "No. I guess not."

"You do look kind of familiar," he admitted, tilting his head.

She took a deep breath and made a decision. "Do you remember the TriWizard tournament?"

His face twitched, "You were a ..."

"A Hogwarts student," Rapunzel supplied. "We kind of dated. I was blond and had long hair."

"Of course," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier ... er ... I seem to have forgotten your name."

"Rapunzel."

"Rapunzel?" he asked, jumping a little. "But ... But the rumors. The Lost Princess. The Thief."

"True," Rapunzel acknowledged. "But when I was kidnapped Mo- Goth- my kidnapper erased everyone's memory of me. That's why you don't remember we dated."

"That explains so much," he said smiling. "It sounds like we have a lot to catch up on. But first, you ought to know that I'm engaged to Princess Anna."

"Engaged?" Rapunzel asked, warning bells ringing in her head. "That seems fast. You didn't know her when we dated, did you?"

"No. But when you're in love, you're in love," he said. He started walking away. Rapunzel followed. As they walked, Hans spoke highly of Anna, "She's wonderful. Cute. A little clumsy, but that's okay. I like to be needed. She's also lonely. Did you know that Queen Elsa stopped talking to her when she was a little girl?"

"How terrible," Rapunzel murmured.

"It's too bad this whole thing with Endless Winter happened. Anna and I were planning to leave."

"Leave?"

"Yeah. I was going to whisk her back to the Southern Isles. With twelve brothers-in-law, many of whom are already married and have kids, she'd never be lonely again. But enough about me. I want to know about you. I've heard the story, of course, of the lost princess. But tell me everything."

Hans said everything so smoothly, and he really sounded like he cared about Anna. Rapunzel remembered all the evenings she'd spent with him. He'd been kind and pleasant then, too. Until Merida and Jack tricked him. Maybe they were too hard on him. She should test him.

"Do you remember my friend Jack Frost?" Rapunzel questioned.

"Jack Frost. The wizard who won the tournament," Hans remembered.

"Do you remember what happened in the final challenge?" Rapunzel quizzed as they started down a staircase.

"Vaguely. The game corrupted me. There were mental traps out there in the hot desert. And I fell for them all. I'm sorry for what I did. I wasn't strong enough. I didn't deserve to win. I'm glad your friend did."

He sounded sorry. He sounded sincere.

"Jack died later, you know," Rapunzel told him.

Hans put his hand on her shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

Again, he sounded genuine. He might be right. She wasn't in the playing field during the tournament. She didn't know what it was like. Maybe he was a victim of a mind spell. Merida's prank may have just pushed him over the edge. Rapunzel decided to give him another chance.

She told him the story of how Eugene freed her from Mother Gothel, leaving out a few key details about her magic hair. As far as the world was concerned, the only thing unusual about her hair was its length.

"So he cut my hair, and Mother fell out the window. After that Eugene took me to my parents. They sent me here, to witness Queen Elsa's coronation. We didn't know she was a witch."

"No one did," Hans said. "Not even Anna."

"Her own sister?" Rapunzel gasped.

Hans shook his head. He pushed open a door, revealing an art gallery. Rapunzel stepped inside.

She took a deep breath, "We have to find a way to stop this winter."

"I know. It's bad for the crops and livestock."

"Not just that," Rapunzel said softly. "You probably don't remember, because the Tooth Fairy changed everyone's memory, but people used to know that wizards existed. And they hunted us down. If Elsa's winter continues, it'll start up again. Do you have any idea how to stop this?"

Hans bit his lip, "No. But Anna does. I have faith in her. Why don't you wait here? Anna left me in charge. I need to check on the kitchens and winter storerooms. Hopefully, she'll be back soon with Elsa in tow. And I'll think about what you've said. Maybe we can come up with a way to end the winter ... just in case Anna fails."

Rapunzel accepted his explanations and let him go. She turned toward the artwork, admiring the brush strokes, wishing she could paint the world back into summer.

As she observed the paintings, she replayed her conversation with Hans in her head. Nothing about it sounded false. But then again, Mother hadn't sounded false either, had she? And she'd lied to Rapunzel her whole life. Rapunzel always believed Mother over her friends when they tried to warn her.

After spending several hours thinking of Mother, Hans and looking at the artwork, Rapunzel started to wonder where Eugene had gone. She left the gallery and started combing the castle for him.

Servants rushed to and fro by the kitchens, heating grog and other things, trying to keep the castle warm.

"Excuse me," Rapunzel said, tapping the man who'd greeted her and Eugene when they arrived. "I seem to have lost my friend. Have you seen a tall man with brown hair, and a dashing beard?"

"No, Ma'am, sorry, ma'am," he said. He leaned in to whisper, "Your friend isn't the only one missing."

"He's not?"

"No," the man said. "No one has seen the regent since last night."

"Who's the regent?" Rapunzel asked.

"The man who's been ruling Arendelle since our beloved King Agnarr and queen Iduna died. He was to rule until Queen Elsa came of age. Now that she's gone, he should be ruling until Anna comes of age. But we can't find him."

"I'll keep my eye out for him," Rapunzel promised. She took a small bowl of soup for lunch as she set about exploring the castle, still seeking Eugene.

The news churned in her head. Hans said Anna left him in charge. The consensus last night agreed. Several people had been out in the courtyard when she granted him that power. He wasn't lying. But why was the regent gone? Why wasn't he fighting Prince Hans for power?

Without meaning to, Rapunzel ended up in the same chamber where she first saw Hans. He'd been coming out of a doorway. What was beyond it? She went to the door. Locked. A quick Alohomora and the door opened. Behind it was a staircase. This was probably a servants' stair, so they could move throughout the castle without bumping into the nobles. Corona had a few. But why would a visiting prince be using one?

Rapunzel climbed up the steps. She seemed to be going up to some kind of tower. Reaching the landing, the door was also locked. This time Alohomora did not work.

She hit the door in frustration.

"He. .. hello?" a faint voice said from the inside. Rapunzel jumped back. After taking a moment to think, she called to the door.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Anton, the regent."

"The regent? They were looking for you in the kitchen," Rapunzel said, kneeling down to look at the lock.

"I can't get out," he said. "I'm stuck. Prince Hans was going for help."

"How long have you been here?"

"I ... I'm not sure. I thought it was only a few minutes, but it's daylight now."

"How long ago do you think Queen Elsa ran off?" Rapunzel questioned.

"Why, just an hour or so."

"I'm going to get you out of there," Rapunzel said. She went over other unlocking spells, but nothing could undo the door. Rapunzel even tried casting spells to make herself stronger, trying to force the door open. It didn't work either.

"Hold on, I'm going to get some help," Rapunzel called as she noticed the darkness. The sun had set. The Regent had been locked in there for almost a full day.

In the darkened castle, Rapunzel turned to go to the kitchens. Maybe the servants knew where the key was.

As she ran down the hall intent on getting to her destination, a hand shot out. She dropped her wand as Prince Hans caught her arm.

"Where are you going so fast?" he asked, smiling. But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

She yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"You can drop the nice guy act," she said. "I know what you did."

"What I did?" he asked, putting his hand on his heart. "I've only done what's best for Arendelle. It's the least I can do for the girl I love."

"I know what's up there," Rapunzel said, pointing to the tower stair. "I'm going to tell everyone what you've done to the regent."

A dark look crossed Prince Hans' face. Rapunzel turned to leave.

"I wouldn't if I were you," he said, "or I will have to carry out Flynn Rider's sentence."

Rapunzel froze, "What did you say?"

"I've taken the liberty of having the thief arrested," Prince Hans said. "Once you told me who you were, I knew I might need some leverage. A princess can't just disappear in the middle of a party. But a thief can."

"Where is he?" Rapunzel demanded, turning on Hans.

"Anna showed me all her favorite places. Places known only to her. The thief is safely in one of those places. If you tell anyone about the regent, he'll stay there and starve."

"You're a monster," Rapunzel said.

"I really am doing what's best for Arendelle," he insisted, taking her elbow and picking up the wand. He took Rapunzel to a small room, shoving her inside. "I will be the best king they ever had. With or without a queen."

He shut and locked the door. Rapunzel listened as he cast complicated spells on the door, sealing her in.

After he finished, he said once more, "Now be a good girl. There's a few more people I have to take out, to make sure my rule is unopposed."

Rapunzel heard his footsteps receding. She struggled against the door, banging it with all her might, but it only tired her out. She fell into a fitful, nightmare laced sleep in the cold room.

In the morning, sunlight streamed through a window in her prison. Rapunzel put her hand on the frigid glass. There was no way she could break through the door, but maybe the window was an option. Before she could work up the nerve to go outside in her summer dress and bare feet, she heard footsteps. Rapunzel ran back to the door.

"HELP!" she screamed.

"It's me, Princess," came the voice of Hans.

Rapunzel fumed, "Let Eugene go!"

"I will," Hans said, "after you marry me."

"What?" Rapunzel asked, the offer seemed to come out of the blue. "But ... you're engaged to my cousin Anna."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm going to marry her first. I'm off to go find her, and bring back summer. When I get back, I'll marry her, like I promised. Then, once I'm the king, she'll have a little accident. After a reasonable mourning period, I will seek another wife. And if you don't want the thief to be executed for stealing from the palace, you'll go along with everything."

Rapunzel was too stunned to reply. Hans left. She had to save Eugene. She had to warn her cousin. Hans hadn't changed a bit since school, in fact, he'd gotten worse.

First step, getting out of this cell. She braced herself and opened the window. Pretending that it was Jack's ice, and that it was fun, she climbed out into the still air and slid down the castle roofs.

People paid her no heed as she ran around to the front doors. There was so much confusion that no one cared about one girl. Once she was inside, she turned to her next task. Finding Eugene.

Maybe Hans did know more about the palace than she did. But she was a Ravenclaw. A Ravenclaw who had been locked in a tower for years with nothing to do but study. She knew an obscure spell used to locate someone. It didn't always work, but if she could just get it to ... Rapunzel searched her bags and found a letter Eugene had written. A nice little poem to remind her that he loved her. He was always doing sweet things like that, particularly whenever she thought of Mother or Jack and the sadness came creeping back.

The next part of the spell was difficult, mostly because she didn't have a wand. Maybe someone else had a wand.

As Rapunzel debated whether or not to ask someone about magic, she heard voices from outside.

"The queen has cursed the land," the Duke of Weselton shouted to no one in particular. "Evil sorceress. We should deal with her the way we dealt with witches in Weselton!"

"Witches aren't real ... " someone started to say. The voice trailed off as the speaker looked at the frozen July. Rapunzel dismissed thoughts of borrowing a wand. Concentrating, she tried to cast the spell through wandless magic. It took a lot longer. And the results were not quite as clear as when she'd cast the spell before.

The paper now read, "Hickory Dickory Dock."

She recognized it as part of the nursery rhyme from Mother Goose. How did it go? Something about a mouse and a clock.

Maybe that's why the spell was not used by most wizards. Sometimes you got direct answers, like 'Owlrey', or 'kitchen'. And other times you got tricky riddles.

Well ... riddles were the Ravenclaw bread and butter. Rapunzel ought to be able to figure it out. Mouse and clock. Or mouse or clock. A castle like Arendelle might have a hundred clocks. It might have a hundred mice. But how could they be used to conceal Eugene?

Rapunzel spent most of the day wandering the castle. First she went down to the dungeons. If any place had mice or rats, that would be the most logical place. It would also be the ideal place to keep someone you planned to accuse of theft. But all the cells were empty. Of course Hans wouldn't keep him in such an easily found location.

As she ascended to the next floor, she heard a loud chiming. It must chime on the hour. Maybe a clock. Rapunzel continued to the rest of the castle, opening every door she came to, and visiting every clock. The riddle could have meant anything. Eugene could be locked in a room with a clock, or he could have been transfigured into a clock, or a clock might conceal a secret door. And most rooms had a clock. Rapunzel stopped at every one and cast as many revealing spells as she could think off.

As she reached the third floor, she heard an announcement in the courtyard.

"Prince Hans is returning, and he has the queen!"

Rapunzel quickened her pace. It had been a whole day, and she wasn't close to finding Eugene. The girl retreated to a stairwell in the castle, with a window overlooking the court. She watched as Hans rode in, Queen Elsa unconscious on his horse, in a new dress made of ice. Rapunzel couldn't help but think the queen looked somewhat like Jack. Did he ever make ice clothes? she wondered.

Prince Hans handed the unconscious queen to a servant.

Rapunzel cast a magnifying spell to hear what was being said.

"Take the queen to the dungeon. She is not to be harmed, though her hands must be bound. She will face trial for her crimes. Maybe she will undo the curse. And somebody bring me some hot grog."

Why wasn't he going with her? Rapunzel thought. The young prince handed his horse to someone else and walked away ... out of the castle. Why would he be going out again?

Rapunzel followed his path from her window. He was going into the town … towards a town clock tower.

Her pulse quickened. Rapunzel ran down the steps of the palace, grabbing a clock and running after Hans. By the time she reached the clock tower, he was leaving. She hid as he passed, then went to the door. It was locked, as she expected, and probably had dozens of spells on it to prevent her from opening it magically. There were no windows to break … but there was a clock face.

Rapunzel was good with heights. She summoned some rope and pretended it was her hair as she climbed to the top of the tower. Fortunately, at the top there were two little wooden doors. Rapunzel looked at the clock. A glockenspiel, or clock story. The question was, what time did it open? It was almost to the half hour … she hoped she didn't have to wait for 30 more minutes until it opened.

As she debated her chances on forcing the door open, the minutes ticked on. At the half hour, the clock doors opened and two little figures came out. Rapunzel ducked in.

"EUGENE!" Rapunzel yelled.

"Uh ... Rapunzel?" a weak voice called back. Rapunzel ran to him. She found Eugene lying there, under a cloak. The mug of hot grog had been left near his head.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaimed, kneeling at his side. His eyes were a little glazed, and when she pulled off the cloak she found his wrists tightly bound. She cast the severing spell and the bonds fell away. Slowly he pushed himself up.

"You came to rescue me from the tower?" Eugene said as he rubbed his wrists and flexed.

"What? You think you're the only one who can break into towers?" Rapunzel chuckled. "What happened?"

"I got arrested. Apparently, someone on the guard recognized me from when I stole the queen's gloves. Then Hans showed up. He said he'd vouch for me because he knew you. Then he said I should come with him, that you were waiting here and we needed to discuss the curse on Arendelle. I went with him. I didn't know he was lying. When we got to the clock tower, he attacked. If I'd had a frying pan I wouldn't have lost. From now on, we each carry one of those, okay?"

"But ... how long have you been here?"

"A couple of days," Eugene said. "Once I recovered from the initial attack, he brought me some food, then explained his evil plan. He was going to try to force you to marry him."

"Yeah, he spelled that out for me, too."

"Rapunzel, if it ever comes down to that? Me or you? Choose you. You're worth it."

Rapunzel blushed, "I couldn't lose you. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, "but I'd be happier in jail for causing this winter than free knowing you're suffering."

"Wait, for causing this winter?"

"Yeah. Because my previous theft in Arendelle was stealing the queen's gloves, Hans told me he could spin the story so that I was the mastermind in this attack. That I knew the queen was sensitive about her gloves and would curse the land if anyone took them. He was going to say that I'd told Princess Anna to take the glove, knowing it would cause this winter."

"That's ridiculous. No one knew about Queen Elsa's gloves."

"Hans assured me he can be persuasive."

"He can. But we're not the only ones who know his secret," Rapunzel said. "Eugene, before he took you, I found the regent of Arendelle! Hans has him locked up. We have to go free him. He's the one who should be in charge in the absence of the queen."

"You lead the way, Blondie," Eugene said. They stayed close and to the shadows as they made their way back to the palace. Rapunzel first steered Eugene to the kitchen. He hadn't had more than a few bites since Hans apprehended him. As he ate, they listened to the gossip.

"Did you hear? Princess Anna has returned," one of the staffers mumbled.

"She has? I'd like to speak with my cousin," Rapunzel said.

"Oh, no. She's too weak to speak to anyone," another servant said. "I was there at the gate when they brought her in. She had to be carried. They brought her straight to Prince Hans."

Eugene wolfed down the rest of his food and Rapunzel led him up to the regent's prison.

"We're here to get you out, sir!" Rapunzel called. "Eugene, Alohomora didn't work, and I don't have a wand anymore. Hans took it."

"No worries," Eugene said. "I might be a wizard, but I know plenty of Muggle thief tricks."

Eugene bent down and jammed a long thin pin into the lock. He pressed his ear to the door and listened as he turned it. It seemed to take forever, but eventually there was a click and the door popped open.

Rapunzel ran in and found the regent weak. Eugene held out a mug of soup.

"I figured we'd need this," he said, helping the other man to drink it.

"Hans ... he ..."

"We know. He's trying to usurp the throne of Arendelle," Rapunzel said. "You're the regent. Only you can set things right."

"Yes. Yes. Of course. I must inform the palace ..."

Eugene and Rapunzel helped steady the man as they went down the stairs. The palace walls started to crackle with ice.

"That's not good," Rapunzel said. They quickened their steps as a snow storm raged outside and, in some places, inside.

"What's going on?" Rapunzel asked as they reached the landing. The servants were trying to shepherd people to an interior room.

"It's the queen. She's murdered Anna," the servant said. "Prince Hans went to charge her with treason, and this storm started."

"She's going to kill us all!" someone wailed.

"She is not!" Rapunzel said. "Hans is. He's the traitor!"

"It's true," the regent said. "He locked me in the attic, and told me that if I didn't help him become King of Arendelle, he would blame this whole mess on me. Say that I was trying to remain the regent for life."

"Now, that's not true," the matron, Gerda, said.

"Of course not. We wouldn't have believed that," Kai said.

"A few days ago you wouldn't have believed that there could be summer in winter," Eugene pointed out. "Now I don't know if Hans is behind the curse on Arendelle, but he's definitely been trying to take over the country in this time of need."

"Why that ... that scoundrel!" Gerda said.

"Where is he now?" Rapunzel asked.

"Out there!" Kai responded.

The servants raced to an upper balcony where they could see what was happening, while Rapunzel and Eugene went to tell more people of Hans' treachery.

"The snow has stopped!" someone shouted. Rapunzel went to the window and, sure enough, the world was frozen. Literally. Every snowflake hung in place. The storm was stopped. And there, in the middle of the fjord, was a solid ice statue of Anna.

Then, before everyone's eyes, Anna thawed out. She and Elsa embraced, and the next thing Rapunzel knew, the world was melting. A boat floated up from under the water. Rapunzel took off her cloak as the warmth started, and then, she watched as Anna punched Hans into the water. Clapping from above let them know the regent and servants had seen it, too.

Rapunzel and Eugene went to the courtyard as Queen Elsa and Anna came back in.

"Your majesty," Rapunzel said, approaching the queen. She gave a quick bow, "I am your cousin, Rapunzel. And I think I need to debrief you on the state of wizardry in the world."

"You? That's what I'm here for," a voice called from above. Rapunzel looked up. Floating above the palace were Princess Merida and Hiccup on Toothless.

"Is that a dragon?" Anna asked.

"Ooh, he's so shiny and warm," a small ... was that a snowman? ... said. Rapunzel raised her eyebrow, but Kristoff, who'd come in with the queen and princess shook his head.

"No weirder than the rock trolls," Kristoff said. "I know these people, uh, your queenliness. Some of them, at least. "

"Yes. I say we have a lot to discuss," Queen Elsa said as Toothless landed.

"Is there somewhere private?" Merida asked. "It's not wise to discuss this in front of Muggles."

"What's a Muggle?" Princess Anna asked.

"Come to my chambers," Queen Elsa offered.

Once she'd overseen Hans' arrest, the queen and Anna joined Merida, Rapunzel, Eugene, Hiccup, Kristoff, Toothless, and the little snowman in a small room.

"As the Princess of Scotland," Merida announced, "I have taken charge of Muggle-Wizard relations. We have come to the conclusion that Muggles must not know wizards and witches exist. We must be concealed."

"I am done concealing," Queen Elsa said. "'Conceal, don't feel'. For years those words were my mantra. I hid. And look where that led. Now that I know love will thaw, I don't need to hide any more."

"You mean that?" Anna asked, her grin growing.

Queen Elsa nodded.

"I understand," Merida said. "I hate having to hide my power, too. But your actions may reach further than you mean them to. Rapunzel's Corona was okay with witches, but for the good of wizardkind in other parts of the world, they went into hiding, too."

"I won't hide anymore," Elsa said firmly.

"I had a thought," Rapunzel said. "So far, Queen Elsa has only shown to have control over ice and snow. Perhaps she is like Jack."

"Jack?" Queen Elsa asked. Rapunzel noticed that Merida and Hiccup cringed at the name.

"He was our friend," Merida said.

"He was a half-Ice Elf. He could make snow and frost," Eugene said.

"Just like me," Elsa said.

"Yes. But he died," Hiccup said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I might have liked him," Elsa said.

"He couldn't stop the fear," Rapunzel said. "His town …"

"It was like what happened here," Eugene supplied, "but without the happy ending."

"I'm not sure if this is a happy ending," Merida said. "We put a stop to the Muggle hunt on wizards and vice-versa. But it could flare up again."

"I have a solution," Hiccup said.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Queen Elsa asked.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the Hope and Heir to the Tribe of the Harry Hooligans. And this is my dragon, Toothless. Anyway. I know what you can do about keeping your powers in view and staying hidden."

"How?" the queen asked.

"We've hidden the whole Archipelago. As far as the outside world is concerned, Vikings are raiders of the past, who no longer terrorize the seas. Same with dragons. They are 'mythological' creatures that were made up to frighten children."

"And if any Muggle finds evidence to the contrary," Merida added, "I have a squad of girls lead by either myself or Camicazi who goes out and modifies their memories to make them forget."

"Modifies memory?" Elsa asked. "Like what the trolls did to Anna?"

"My memory was changed?" Anna asked.

"Right before I ... shut you out," Elsa admitted. "They said it would keep you safe. That it was better if you didn't remember I had powers."

"Uh, I can attest that it was not!" Anna said. "Having your memories modified just because you're a muggie..."

"Muggle," Kristoff corrected her.

"Aren't you one, too?" Eugene said.

"Me. Yeah. Sure. I'm as Muggle as Anna. But I grew up with rock trolls for parents. They taught me about magic even if I couldn't do it."

"Hold on. I've always known I had powers ... but what is all this Muggle/wizard/witch stuff?" Queen Elsa said.

"I believe you are a witch," Merida said. "A long time ago, I overheard the Guardians, then professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, discussing how fear can make things bad. They specifically referred to 'that witch up in Arendelle'. They said her father wouldn't let her come to school, and she could barely control her powers. And they called her Princess Elsa."

"That is me!" Elsa gasped.

"Your Dad was afraid of magic, same as mine," Merida said. "But my Dad let me go to school. Yours didn't."

"My parents are a witch and wizard," Rapunzel interjected. "At first, the whole kingdom knew it. But I was targeted for having magic hair that glowed when I sang. Long story. Anyway, my parents wound up accepting that wizard secrecy was a must. The wizards and witches of Corona know we're magic. But the general population does not."

"These are all very interesting stories," Queen Elsa said. "As the queen, I believe it is my right to choose how much Arendelle knows of magic."

"Yes, your majesty," Merida said, with a curtsy. "But I do warn, as the Princess of Scotland, that if your policies threaten our people's safety we will have to cut ties."

"Thank you for the warning. I shall confer with my sister."

Elsa waved her hand. Everyone but Anna left. Rapunzel paused at the door.

"I'm glad you didn't marry Hans," she said to Anna. "He tried to pull the same trick with me." Then, to Elsa she said, "Corona will support you no matter what you decide."

"Thank you," Queen Elsa said. "Arendelle is grateful to have allies like you."

"But I do want to say ... You were hunted for having powers that no one else had. I was once kidnapped and locked in a tower for 18 years for the same thing. Just ... keep that in mind as you make your decision."

Rapunzel left to followed her friends. Out in the courtyard, she met Hiccup and Merida.

"Leaving already?" Rapunzel asked.

"I have duties elsewhere," Merida said. "Mum has given me more responsibilities."

"Yeah. And now that the Archipelago is hidden, me and my riders are trying to map it out. We found this tube, and we've started a settlement. We're calling it Dragon's Edge."

"I'd love to see it," Merida said. She turned to Rapunzel, "I'll send Camicazi to modify memories if that's what Queen Elsa decides. Send me an owl. Now Hiccup, where is this place?"

"Let's race to the Edge!" Hiccup said, giving Toothless the signal to take off.

The two of them flew together into the air.

"The rock trolls will help if memory modification is needed," Kristoff said, "but I don't think that's what Queen Elsa is going to choose. She'd be afraid of having a repeat of history. You know Anna doesn't remember Elsa having powers? But she did remember Olaf."

"Hello!" the snowman said. "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."

"Pleased to meet you," Rapunzel said. She shook his wooden hand.

"If Elsa chooses for people to forget magic, what will happen to him?" Eugene asked.

The small snowman became captivated by a stream of dandelion fuzz and started to chase it.

"I suppose he'll have to hide," Rapunzel said. "Maybe up in the mountain."

"I'm not sure if that's possible for him. He loves to talk to people ... and he won't stay put," Kristoff said, watching Olaf walk around.

"Hello," the snowman was saying to a bee. "My name is Olaf and I like warm hugs."

"Is that all he says?" Eugene asked.

"Nah. He also talks about summer a lot. He's only three days old."

"Olaf!" Rapunzel called. The snowman waddled over.

"You rang?"

"Would you like to stay in the mountains?"

"You mean with Marshmallow in Elsa's ice castle?"

Rapunzel had no idea what he was talking about, but she nodded slightly.

Before Olaf could reply, Queen Elsa stepped out on the balcony.

"People of Arendelle. I must confess. I was born with these powers. My parents knew of them, and taught me to conceal them. But as your monarch, I believe my parents were wrong. Concealing my powers allowed them to build up to a point in which they were uncontrollable. But I have figured it out now. I can control it. And I will never cause an endless winter again.

"But ... if a day should come in which I do have to freeze the land, from this day forth there will be programs in place, safety measures to protect all my people and their businesses. If you or your business was injured in this event, please come with a claim to the palace. We will take measures to set things right.

"Furthermore, I believe I am the only person in the world with powers such as mine, as far as I know. But - if there are more of us - I decree that Arendelle is to treat them with respect, and anyone with any concerns may bring those concerns to the palace. Thank you."

The queen stepped back in, closing the doors.

The next few days passed in a blur as ships were repaired and the visiting dignitaries sailed home. The Marquis from France took Hans back to his kingdom. Personally, Rapunzel was glad she hadn't been asked to do it. She didn't want to spend any more time with him than necessary.

Queen Elsa privately informed Rapunzel and Eugene that she would continue to protect the secrecy of wizards and witches living in Arendelle, but she would not stay hidden herself. Rapunzel promised to relate this to Merida and Hiccup. All would help in an emergency. And then she and Eugene left, sailing away as Elsa threw her first ice skating party as queen of Arendelle.

As their ship sailed home, she saw a giant snowflake appear above Arendelle's castle. She would rest happy, knowing that Arendelle was safe.