A few months later…

Word of Weselton's treachery had spread far and wide throughout the continent. For many decades, the late Duke's unscrupulous behavior had always been viewed with contempt in the eyes of foreign dignitaries. But his kidnapping of Crown Prince Jon and attempted destruction of Arendelle had elicited hatred beyond all measure. Weselton instantly found itself on the receiving end of countless sanctions, losing every last one of its trade partners and military allies.

Not long after Jon's return to Arendelle, Weselton was struck by a scorching heat wave. Vast expanses of cropland withered in the heat, and fleet after fleet of fishing boats came back empty-handed. As the days flew by and emergency rations began running out, people began to starve. The new Duke, the eldest son of the deceased weasel, sent scores of envoys to Arendelle, pleading with Elsa for a sprinkle of snow to heal the dry, barren lands.

Elsa sat tight-lipped in her seat, astounded at the sheer audacity of this man. "Have you no shame? Do you even hear yourself? Do you even see how preposterous your request is? You want us to show the world that no matter what has been done against us, we will still cave in to emotional blackmail? Are you trying to make us an international laughingstock?"

The son of the late Duke grimaced. "Your Majesty, I plead with you to reconsider. There is absolutely no excuse for the way my father and his men have treated you over the past two decades. But I beg you to think about the plight of our people. Weselton's children go to bed hungry every night. They are innocent. They didn't choose their station in life. They too are innocent victims."

Elsa slammed her fists on the table. "If you cared about your people half as much as you're now pretending to, then maybe you shouldn't have built your entire nation upon a foundation of lies! Maybe you should have tried to cultivate strong diplomatic relations with other kingdoms, instead of alienating everyone like this! It's ironic that you're so concerned about Weselton's children going hungry, when you have no problem at all feeding their minds with lies and propaganda. You'd rather have the schools inculcate their brains with sensationalist bullcrap, instead of teaching actually important and marketable academic skills!"

"Last time I checked, having knowledge in the arts and sciences is far more employable than being able to recite ten thousands reasons why Elsa Frostberg is an evil witch. Is it any surprise that Weselton is decades behind in trade and technology? That no one wants to do business with you? That your economy is floundering, and that your students are the most poorly educated throughout the entire continent? Maybe you should have thought of those poor innocent children before driving your kingdom into this cesspool!" The Snow Queen's pale complexion was flushed crimson from all her shouting.

The brown-haired, mustached man began to open his mouth, but Elsa silenced him with a wave of her hand. Her tone softened considerably, and a trace of genuine sympathy flickered in her eyes. "I could forgive you for all those times your father tried to assassinate me over the past twenty years. I could forgive you for all those times Weselton tried to steal from us. But nobody hurts my son, and gets away with it."

"Your Majesty, please. Have a heart!"

In the years past, Elsa had offered many times to reinstate trade with Weselton. Whenever a crisis arose, she never hesitated to send them emergency aid. But they never stopped trying to cheat at negotiations, and never stopped demonizing her as a wicked sorceress. The time for compassion and second chances had run dry. Now it was time to suffer the consequences.

So with a heavy heart and tears in her eyes, Elsa shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the answer is no. You crossed the line by kidnapping my son, and now you must pay the price."

Spring became summer, and the vicious heat wave showed no signs of relenting. In just the month of May, Weselton lost eighty percent of its annual harvest. Fishing stocks became depleted as well, and many were forced to rely on insects for sustenance. It was a pitiful, heartrending scene.

Smote to the heart, Elsa backed down on her ultimatum. The Queen of Arendelle, as brilliant as she may be, was easily undone by her soft heart. Moved to tears by images of emaciated children with bloated bellies, her compassion overrode her sense of fairness. Elsa wrote to Weselton, promising to deliver a shipment of emergency provisions. She would also send them flurry of her own creation, to alleviate the drought. In return, Weselton must rewrite their books and teach a truthful version of history. She required that the do away with all the extensive volumes of lies written about the Wicked Snow Queen.

Her stipulations were simple. "Feed their minds, and I will help you feed their bodies."

But the new Duke was too prideful to concede. After all, his entire dynasty had been built upon a foundation of lies, manipulating the public's fear of the unfamiliar as an instrument of power and indoctrination. And so the famine continued. For years Elsa's offer remained wide open, but the Duke's stubbornness and pride forbade him from accepting it. So millions continued to starve.

Seven Years Later…

Late one night, Elsa knelt by the window and beheld a bright star in the sky. Though she was now in her fiftieth year, Elsa still looked not a day over thirty. But her outer tranquility was misleading at best. - Tears welled in her cerulean eyes as she reminisced upon the past, upon the tumultuous journey that had finally culminated in peace. Together they had weathered so many storms, endured so much heartbreak, made so many sacrifices, laughed and cried, mourned and rejoiced, with the understanding that it was all part of the beautiful and mysterious thing called Life.

Without thinking, Elsa began talking alout to Fredrik. "Many years ago, a broke promise nearly destroyed our family. We learned the hard way how much damage a little bit of anger and pride can do. When we broke apart, we realized just how much we needed each other. If only you were here, Fredrik. You would be so proud of our boys. Hundreds of years from now, Robbie will be remembered as the most loving and selfless person this kingdom has ever seen, and Jon will go down in history as the greatest man to ever bear the Crown of Arendelle. And that is one promise I know I can keep."

Tomorrow was Jon's twenty-fifth birthday. Elsa had decided to voluntarily step down from the throne on that day. She wanted to help guide him through the early years of his reign, to ensure a smooth transition. Jon would make a great king. His decision-making was sound, and his judgment impeccable. Elsa knew with all her heart that he would rule with a capable hand, continuing to guide Arendelle through its golden age of peace and prosperity.

Elsa reached under her bed to retrieve a posh-looking leatherbound box. She gently brushed away a fine coating of dust, and lifted the lid. There lay a magnificent chess set, crafted out of the finest Venetian glass. Each piece was made in the image of a member of Arendelle's royal family. A wave of nostalgia washed over Elsa, as she glanced to the empty E-1 square on her right. The White King's pedestal.

With a cryptic little smile, Elsa pulled open her dresser drawer to retrieve a little bundle of cloth. Her fingers moved with a reverent slowness as she peeled back the delicate silken layers, to reveal two small figurines carved out of sky-blue glass. One of Jon, and one of Robert. She planted a delicate kiss on each piece, and set them side by side down on the empty square. "No matter where you've been or what you've done, you boys will always have a place by my side, and more importantly, in my heart."

Tomorrow, Arendelle would crown another young monarch who wielded powers over ice and snow. But this time, fear and bigotry would not claim another victim.