—{Timothy Charming}—
"He's alive…" I murmured to myself, disbelief colouring my eyes as I held the report in my hand.
How could this be? I made sure he was dead, I received the report that he sank alone in the ocean. How could he survive that?
Suddenly, a certain person popped up in my mind. If there's anyone in this world who will help him, it could only be that old man, the Court Magician, Master Elias. He must've somehow given Henry an edge to survive a shipwreck.
Thinking about this realization, I gritted my teeth. Just when I thought that things were finally going my way, the hard fist of fate came crushing down on me.
Is Henry truly the destined King to rule Lioncrest? My Kingdom!?
I won't let this be. There has to be another way to get through him. Something that I can wholly prepare while he's still on his way back. I need something with less risk on my part.
Think, Timothy, Think! What is your older brother's weakness—!?
All of a sudden, realization dawned upon my face, an eerie smile plastering my face as I pushed my bangs from my forehead, giving me a clear view of the mirror in front of me.
What an idiot you are, Timothy. The answer was in front of you all along. Let's see how he reacts to this, either he submits to my terms or I might force my hand and do something to our dear littlest sister.
Very smart, Timothy. She has no connection to the King or the Court Magician. Aside from the Queen—who would pose no problem to me as long as I handle things discreetly.
Thinking of idiots, I wonder what that idiot Alex is up to now? My spies have reported to me about his unusual activities outside the Lioncrest territory.
Based on his recent actions, he seemed to be looking for something. Or perhaps someone?
I looked down at the table beside me and picked up another report paper about Alex. As of now, the idiot is on his way to a weird place called The Moors. I've never heard nor been to that place.
What are you planning right now, Alexander?
———
—{Maximus Charming III}—
"He's really coming back this time for real? No course changes or accidents?" I asked Master Elias for the umpteenth time.
The old friend of mine seemed to have grown tired of it as he rolled his eyes and lightly tapped the shaft of his staff to the base of my head, "Stop being such a worrywart, will ya? If I say he's fine, then you better believe that he's fine. Since when did I ever lie to you?"
Hearing his last sentence made me stare at him without an ounce of expression on my face, making him uncomfortably shift.
"Alright, maybe I did lie to you one time."
I continued to stare.
"…Alright you got me, I lied three times…"
My head did not move an inch. That finally threw him off and he flailed his arms up in the air.
"…Fine! I lost count of how many times I lied to you but trust me, friend. I'm not lying this time, he's truly coming back."
Only when he said those words with all the seriousness he could muster on his face did I finally relax. It seems like my son is finally coming back, I'm glad.
Behind me, my wife's hand rested on my shoulder as I noticed the sigh of relief that came out of her lips. Despite being reassured that our son is alive and she had to force herself to remain calm in order to quell the rumors, she still had been through a lot.
Henry, you have so much to do for your mother when you come back. I won't be helping you this time, you're on your own.
———
"Are you sure you want to come with me? You'll be far away from home…" Henry asked the red-haired mermaid beside him for the fifth time, worry plastered across his face.
How couldn't he? If King Triton comes knocking and searching for his daughter, the god might mistake Henry for attempting something with his daughter.
Oblivious to his worries, Ariel casually waved her hand, "Right, I forgot to tell you. It was Dad himself who told me to chase after you. He's asking for forgiveness."
His eyes widened, disbelief colouring his face, "Seriously?" King Triton, the god who looked at him coldly while pulling Ariel away and refusing to help him from the island was asking for forgiveness?
Ariel nodded her head, then proceeded to narrate everything that happened earlier. About how each of her sisters including her were given their own weapons, while Ariel's Ember—the name she now calls to her bident, had a unique ability that King Triton probably bestowed on her that allows her to transform her fish tail into human legs.
'The fact that she can still use her powers as a mermaid means the bident only changed her fish tail into human legs, not changed her race from mermaid to human.' Henry murmured to himself.
He then transferred his gaze to her bident, a look of jealousy and curiosity plaguing his face. If such a weapon were made by a god, he wonders what kind of materials were used to forge it and what kind of enchantments were used. He already deduced what the first enchantment must have been since Ariel just recently showed it off when the bident appeared on her hand in a bright flash of light.
'If I were to make my own weapon, I'd make sure it has a Recall enchantment cooler than that. Perhaps something similar to Thor's hammer from the Marvel films.' A flash of determination crossed his eyes.
He was interrupted from his thoughts when Ariel suddenly asked with slight curiosity in her tone, "So, what do humans usually do to pass the time?"
Everyone turned to glance at one another before coming to a tacit agreement simply through eye contact. Ser Liam answered, "We sing."
As soon as he said that, there was a glitter in Ariel's eyes as she puffed her chest out in confidence, "You might not know this, but I'm kind of a great singer myself. Wanna hear?"
From the tone of her voice, it doesn't seem like she'll appreciate a 'No' as an answer.
———
Alone in her room, Elsa brought a wooden chair to her balcony before sitting, taking a deep breath as she stared at the night sky where the stars twinkle and the moon seemed to gaze back at her. She leaned back and relaxed just in time as a voice startled her from behind.
"Miss him already?"
"Ah!" Elsa yelped and almost fell from the chair, stabilizing herself just in time before glaring at Anna who stared at her smugly.
She asked with an accusatory tone, "What are you doing in my room? Did no one teach you to knock first before coming in?" One might think that her words made sense since it's common manners but Anna's next words made her swallow it back.
"I DID knock! Thrice! You weren't answering, so I came in and found you here staring at the moon like a wife praying for her husband to come back home safely after a war." Her words made Elsa blush embarrassingly before registering the content of her words.
Elsa blinked, "Wait a second, how do you even know about that kind of thing?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"Reading, of course. Did you forget how we used to be isolated in this castle for the past few years? The library is the obvious place to pass the time and entertain myself."
Elsa stared at her for a brief moment before turning her head away after replying, "I didn't know you could read."
Anna quickly clenched her fists and yelled at her, "Hey what do you mean by that? I can read! Take it back you ice demon!"
Elsa simply responded by creating two small ice constructs that she used to plug her ears before humming an unfamiliar tune. The action further irritated the younger sister but she eventually gave up.
"So you do miss him already huh?"
Elsa stopped her hum before nodding her head.
'So you can indeed hear me…' Anna's lips twitched in response but ignored it.
Anna feigned a sigh of defeat, as if she were the adult in their conversation, "It can't be helped. You're a lovestruck fool after all." Only for Elsa to coldly glare at her.
The former simply snorted and stuck out a tongue, "Glare all you want but you can't deny my words, can you?"
Elsa opened her mouth and before she could utter anything, she realized that Anna was right and closed her mouth.
"See. I told you so." Anna didn't waste the chance to rub salt in the wound, raising her nose high in arrogance. Classic sibling move, and it was very effective!
Elsa pouted before having enough and ignored her. There was a sound of scraping on the floor before a wooden chair was planted right beside Elsa's and there Anna plopped on the said chair.
She released a relaxed sigh, "Ahh~ that hits the spot. I don't recall the last time we sat together like this, sis. This is probably the first isn't it?"
Elsa seemed to contemplate for a brief moment before eventually nodding her head in agreement.
After that followed the silence, neither side making any noise aside from their breathing. It didn't take long for Anna to be the one to break the awkward silence.
"So…Kai already filled me in about your plan with Henry. You're both marrying aren't you? But because of your status, it's a bit complicated, right?" Elsa didn't turn her head and just nodded, that's more than enough as an answer.
"Are you really sure about this? You'll be the first sole Queen ruler of a Kingdom of Arendelle, perhaps even the entire continent, and the first thing you'll do is to marry a prince from another Kingdom while offering yours…" Anna scratched her cheeks in confusion, she just found it weird and she's also worried that this action would paint a bad picture of Elsa. After all, to an outsider's perspective, it seemed as if their Queen was charmed by a vile man and sought to conquer their Kingdom through her.
Elsa already knew this question coming from a mile away, and she's obviously prepared, "That would've been the case if it wasn't for the fact that Henry isn't just any kind of Prince…"
"What do you mean?" Anna snapped her attention to her and tilted her head.
Elsa chuckled and didn't forget about what Anna did earlier and took this opportunity to jab at her, "And here I thought reading is supposed to make someone smart and able to read between the lines. Either you're a rare case of low intelligence or you're just skimming through the books you read."
"Hey!" Of course, the auburn-haired princess took offense to that. Not because of the accusation itself but because it contains a hint of truth to it. There are times when she would pass out on the sofa due to sleepiness and only to wake up a few hours later with a bruise on her face.
Elsa chuckled, "Jokes aside. Did you already forget what the Arendellians see Henry as?" She continued when Anna shook her head, "He's seen as their savior. He used magic to entertain them during times of depression, he saved me, their princess and future Queen from locking herself up in the castle forever. Not to mention, the slaves that we saved that day, most of them belong to Arendelle and word has already spread out about his deeds."
Before Anna could say anything more, she looked outside the window, and there in the distance, stood a large round structure made of ice—the Disneyland is currently being lit up in various lights and there seem to be countless cheers and laughter emanating from the first of its kind amusement park.
"Do you hear those happy squeals, Anna?" When faced with this question, Anna followed her line of sight and saw their Kingdom's newest attraction and nodded her head before Elsa continued, "It was all thanks to him, he made that possible. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid the future of our Kingdom wouldn't be in such a good state."
"By the time they receive the news that Arendelle is joining a federation with one of the Great Kingdoms, they'd even see me as a wise Queen who made a good decision that will ensure their home's safety and protection." Elsa finally finished her words, receiving no response from the other side after a whole minute.
Anna couldn't find any way to retort to those words and finally admitted defeat.
Anna puckered her lips and rested her chin on her palm and replied in defeat, "Fine. You win. I guess you're truly fit as a better Queen than me. If it were me, I wouldn't even have the capacity to come up with such perfect reasons." Anna finished her words with a lifeless chuckle.
Elsa made a tiny ice pebble before flicking it directly into Anna's forehead, immediately making her recoil back from the pain and shock. "Ow! What was that for?!" She pouted and glared.
Her older sister simply gave her a monotone look into the eyes, "Don't you dare put yourself down, Anna. You will be a good Queen someday. Maybe not now but someday in the future. You just haven't realized your worth yet, just like me."
"Like you?" Her words made Anna snap out of the pain and stare into her with her wide unblinking eyes.
Elsa confidently nodded her head and jogged her memory, "You do know that I used to hate my powers, right? I see them as a curse and less of something that is part of me. That was the time that I hadn't realized my worth yet, but thanks to Henry, it didn't take long."
She then reached out and placed her palm on Anna's chest, right where her heart resides, "Someday in the future, perhaps there will be someone who will help you realize too."
———
—[Lioncrest waters]—
"Guess who's back?" Henry grinned as he spread his arms wide, letting the strong breeze sweep his hair back. He took a deep breath and exhaling, 'Ah, I miss the smell of Lioncrest's air!'
There was a hurried set of footsteps behind him before Ariel jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his rock-hard stomach and her arms snaking around his neck before pointing at the tall walls from a distance, "That's Lioncrest Kingdom? Is this the place where you were born?"
Henry felt no issue from the added weight on his shoulders and cheerfully crossed his arms, "That's right! Allow me to formally welcome you to the Kingdom of dreams and opportunities, Lioncrest Kingdom and its port city, Temacia!"
Unlike a certain place back in his previous world, the words he just said weren't made up or exaggerated, Lioncrest Kingdom is indeed known as a place that many dreamed of visiting and is filled with countless opportunities that are ripe for the taking!
'It feels good to be back. I just hope nothing much will happen this time.' Henry allowed himself to finally smile with a peace of mind.
————————
[Volume 1 ends now! Next chapter starts volume 2 and introduction to another Disney animated films or even other animated studio films!]