When Norge awoke, she was lying on a patch of grass in the middle of a dark woods. The castle and Danmark were gone, and her small pack of possessions that she'd brought to the castle sat by her feet. She'd lost him because she'd made a foolish mistake, and she was sad, but she couldn't think of herself right now, all that mattered was rescuing him from the trolls before he married Princess Hviterussland. Crying over everything would do her no good now and she stood up, grabbing her pack and setting off through the forest, hoping that someone could tell her where to find the castle that was east of the sun and west of the moon.

She walked for a long time until she came to a small cottage where a pale-haired boy sat outside, tossing a golden apple into the air. Figuring the boy was better than no one, she walked up to him, not shying away from his unhappy look. "Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Norge, I'm searching for the castle east of the sun and west of the moon," she said, getting the feeling she was going to be doing this more than once.

"You're looking for the prince," he sighed and she nodded, "I have no idea, but my neighbor might, take my horse and when you get there, beg him to return home. You'll meet a person named Finland, tell him Island sent you." She nodded and thanked him, finding the horse. "You might as well take this, I have no use for it," Island told her, handing her the golden apple, "It might come in handy for you though." Norge thanked him again and rode off towards Finland's house.

She rode until she came to another cottage where another boy sat outside playing with a small white dog. He looked up, smiling as she approached and dismounted, telling the horse to go back home, pleading with him when he didn't. Finally, the horse consented and ran off back home. "Moi, moi! Did my neighbor Island send you?" Finland asked, picking up the small white dog, "Let me guess, you're searching for the prince?"

"Ja, I am, would you know how to get to the castle?" she asked, guessing that since Finland already knew what she was after and who had sent her that he'd know where she was trying to go. The boy thought for a minute and sighed.

"I'm sorry, but maybe my neighbor Sverige will!" Finland beamed, running into his house and bringing out a pair of golden carding combs. "Take these, you might find a use for them, and take my horse, when you get to Sverige's house, beg the horse to come home."

"Alright…" Norge thanked him and mounted the horse, riding until she came to a third house where a tall, intimidating man tended to a garden. She dismounted and begged the horse to go home, turning to the man once the horse was galloping away. "Are you Sverige?"

"Mmm…" he nodded, "Why?"

"Finland sent me and…" he held up a hand, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Y're lookin' f'r th' prince?" he grunted in a way that made her pause and go over it several times in her mind before she could decipher what he meant.

"Finland thought you might know how to get to the castle east of the sun and west of the moon."

"No," the man shook his head, "East wind might…" he went behind his house and brought back a horse. "Ride him t' th' East Wind an' send 'im back," he told her, handing her the reins and a golden spinning wheel though neither was sure how she could easily carry such a thing, but a gift was a gift and Norge thanked him, riding off towards the East Wind who was blowing a ways away.

"You're looking for the castle, eh?" he asked once she'd explained who she was and what she wanted. "Hmmm… I've never blown that far, but I'll take you to my brother the West wind, he's stronger and has blown farther then I have, he might know!" She sent the horse back home and climbed on the east wind's back and he flew them to his brother the West Wind's house.

"I've never been there…" the West Wind said, "Maybe our brother the South Wind? He's much stronger than either of us and has blown everywhere, he should be able to help you. Climb on my back, and I'll take you there." So Norge climbed on his back, feeling very worn out from all the switching for transportation she was doing and let the West Wind blow her to the South Wind's house.

"Hmmm…" mused the South Wind, "I should take you to the North Wind, he's the oldest and strongest of us all. If he can't get you there, no one can." She hopped on the South Wind's back and he blew to the North Wind's house.

"WHO ARE YOU?" the North Wind shouted in his loud voice.

"Calm yourself, it is I, your brother the South Wind, bringing the girl who's going to rescue the prince from the castle east of the sun and west of the moon," the South Wind said, "Have you ever been there?"

"Once, and by the time I got there, I barely had the strength to make a tiny breeze," he turned to Norge, "I will take you there, but you will have to stay the night. We will need a full day of blowing if we're to get there."

"Thank you," Norge said, feeling the need for some much-needed sleep. In the morning, she crawled upon the North Wind's back and he began to blow with a power she'd never experienced before. On the earth below them, there was a terrible storm. Houses and trees were blown over like matches, the seas thrashed, and over a hundred boats were sunk by the fury of the North Wind. They flew over the water and the wind began to get tired, dipping down until he blew over the surface of the water.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," she said, remembering Danmark had asked her something similar when he was taking her to his castle the first time.

Finally they made it to the shore, by then the North Wind was so weak he collapsed upon the rocky beach, weak and feeble. "I will stay here to regain my strength, the castle is up ahead, be very careful when rescuing your prince…" he told her.

"Thank you…" she was grateful to him for bringing her here and wasted no more time in turning and running towards the castle, figuring out how she'd be able to get inside past the trolls. The girl blinked, rooting in her pack, and pulling out the golden apple Island had given her. She stood under the window, tossing the object up and down, catching the attention of Hviterussland the troll princess. She opened the window, fixing Norge with a look that was apathetic and cold. Norge was surprised by her beauty, though refrained from speaking and just continued playing.

"That apple," Hviterussland said, "I want it." She seemed like the type of person who wouldn't take no for an answer, but Norge tried anyway.

"No, this apple isn't for sale for gold or money," she told the princess, her gaze emotionless and dull. If she didn't let the undeniably creepy girl frighten her, her task would be all the easier.

"Name your price then, anything you want," Hviterussland sighed.

"I'd like to spend the night with the prince Danmark who lives here," Norge said, putting her hands on her hips, daring the princess to take back her word.

"Done," Hviterussland held out her hand for the apple, "Now give it to me." Norge handed it over and was brought to the prince's chambers that night, only to find him asleep, snoring louder than she'd ever heard him, and sprawled across the bed. Several mugs of what seemed to have been beer were scattered about.

"Danmark?" she nudged him, only to find that he didn't wake. "Danmark…" she shoved him, "Wake up, you idiot." She tried shaking him, hitting him in the face with pillows, and screaming in his ear, but nothing could rouse him. Soon, morning came and the princess made her leave. Defeated, Norge began to think of a plan to get back inside to see him. Figuring the apple had worked, she pulled out the gold carding combs Finland had given her and sat under the window, fiddling with them as the princess passed by.

Sure enough, she saw and opened the window. "How much do you want for those?" she asked.

Like yesterday, Norge replied, "They aren't for sale for gold or money." Hviterussland looked somewhat annoyed at this and sighed.

"Name your price then, whatever it is, it's yours."

"I want to see Danmark again," Norge told her, "I want to visit him tonight."

"Very well then," Hviterussland held out her hands and Norge gave her the carding combs, wondering just what the princess would want with them. She was brought to Danmark's chambers to find him sound asleep once more, nothing she did could rouse him and she was beginning to get very frustrated with the idiot.

Meanwhile, one of the servants, a man named Litauen who had been captured by the troll king, overheard her and, since he was not fond of Russland, thought he might be able to help her. He peeked in on her during the course of the night, when she'd given up trying to wake him and settled down to sleep by the prince's side, tired from her long journey and sleepless night the night before. He recognized her from the stories Latvia had told him about his time serving in the ice castle. He waited until morning, when the princess came and chased Norge away and met with his fellow servants Estland and Latvia. They'd find a way to help the girl prevent the prince from marrying Hviterussland

Meanwhile, Norge pulled out the strangely not-cumbersome golden spinning wheel Sverige had given her, sat under the window and began to spin, hoping for one more chance to free Danmark from the trolls. Again, Hviterussland opened the window. "What do you want for it this time?" she asked, having a feeling the girl was going to ask to see Danmark yet again.

"I want to see Danmark," the two looked at each other and sighed. Norge handed it over and Hviterussland let her into the castle.

Earlier, she had given Litauen a mug of beer spiked with a sleeping potion because she was too busy dealing with the girl who sat under the window with golden objects. Litauen, knowing there was sleeping potion in the liquid and that Danmark would be too stupid to realize it for himself, switched out the mugs and took it to the captive prince who was pacing about like a cat in a cage. There, Litauen told him the whole story about the girl who had come in for the past two nights.

Norge entered the room to find Danmark awake. He blinked at her and grinned, "Took you long enough! You're just in time, I'm supposed to marry Hviterussland tomorrow."

"So we have to get you out of the castle tonight…" Norge mused.

"I actually have a plan!" Danmark announced, Litauen looked at him in complete shock. "Ya know that shirt you got the tallow on? Well, I'm going to make Hviterussland prove she's the girl for my by trying to wash it, only she can't since she's a troll, then I'll have you come and wash the shirt and we'll all be free!"

"What if I can't wash?" Norge asked as it had been one of the chores she was worse at when she was home. He shrugged.

"We'll think about that later," he grinned, hugging her tightly. Litauen left, deciding to give them some time alone to reunite properly as Norge hit the prince over the head with a pillow. The two spent the rest of the night together until dawn came and Hviterussland sent Norge away.

Before long, everyone was gathered in the main hall to witness the marriage of Danmark and Hviterussland. The princess' brother Russland, King of the Trolls, stood next to his sister, smiling peacefully. "I have a request before we do this thing," Danmark held up his hand to get everyone's attention. "There's a shirt I wanna wear, but it's got some stains on it. I want to see if my bride can get them out, and that's the girl I'm going to marry." Russland nodded to Litauen and Estland to bring the shirt and a tub of water for Hviterussland to complete the task.

She set about it, scrubbing and scrubbing, but instead of the stains disappearing, they got darker and darker! Russland frowned, "You can't wash, da?" He took the shirt from her and started to scrub, which made the shirt even darker and dirtier than before. Perplexed, the other trolls joined in until the shirt was so black, it looked like it had been dipped in ink.

"That the best you can do? I bet that girl over there can do better!" Danmark laughed and beckoned to Norge. "Can you wash the shirt?"

"I can try," she nodded as Litauen brought her a tub of clean water and handed her the ruined shirt. She began to scrub, amazed as the shirt began to lighten until it was as white as new snow. The trolls around her gaped as she held it up.

"I said my bride would be the one to wash the stains out of my shirt, and she has!" Danmark grinned and pulled her towards him. Norge looked up at him, her face breaking into a real smile as the realization that she'd won and rescued the man she'd come to love dawned on her. Russland looked furious, a freezing cold aura emanating from his body as he discovered he'd been tricked by such a stupid prince. The glare didn't last long as Hviterussland tugged on his scarf.

"Remember your promise, Brother?" she asked, oddly at peace with the events, "Now you have to marry me."

"N-N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Russland screamed, turning and running while his sister gave chase. All the trolls went with them and to this day, no one knew what became of them.

As for Norge and Danmark, they returned back to their homeland with the servants the trolls had captured and lived happily ever after…

… for the most part at least.

Slutten