Elsa peered down at the three ships docked in her harbor. There was a twinge of relief at seeing them, the release of tension which had built up in her neck and shoulders, and for the first time in a long time she felt like smiling. They hadn't received a ship which carried with it good news, not for a long while, and it made her realize how much she missed this.

Arendelle had always been a vibrant kingdom busy with trade and it wasn't uncommon to look out over the fjord at any given time and see the brown dot of an approaching vessel. As a child, she always looked forward to these visits for it usually meant a new gift from her father. In the evening, just after supper, he'd call her and Anna to him and present them with something he'd received from the traveling merchants, a toy or a treat or some exotic contraption that would fill them with wonder. That sense of anticipation carried on into adulthood, and after becoming queen she still looked forward to these visits.

Until the drought, that is.

After the drought these merchants lost most of their luster, becoming a necessary evil as they dismantled Arendelle bit by bit in return for the most basic of needs. They'd left her empty and hopeless, and she'd lost the joy she once knew. So now, she was happy to feel the tickle of excitement again as she wondered what John and his men had delivered.

The ships were large, larger than most that frequented Arendelle. They had tall masts bearing multiple sails, stretched out like the untouched canvas of some giant artist. The decks were set high above the water with the bottoms sinking deep beneath the surface of the fjord, meaning lots of room for cargo. It was hard to imagine that each of those ships were full of supplies. Full. She tried to guess how many barrels and crates could be hidden within the belly of those massive beasts, and she shook her head at the impossibility of it.

But she had little time to dwell on this. As her eyes strayed from the ships to the dock she noticed the guards there were taut with suspicion, standing in a protective line, hands on sword hilts. Like a bear trap, the slightest pressure could release them.

"Alek," she said, "please take your men and help unload those ships."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Alek said, motioning for one of the guards to follow as he left the room. After they'd gone, John stepped forward.

"Thank you, Your Maj..."

He interrupted himself as he put his gloves back on.

"Thank you, Elsa."

This man had sailed three ships across the vast reaches of the sea to deliver a gift, and he was thanking her?

"It's the least I can do," she said, and for the first time she really looked at him, studying him with an eye she lacked until that moment. When he arrived he'd been an unknown, a potential threat, a man not to be trusted and she hadn't been looking at him so much as through him, trying to find the layer of deceit she was sure must lay hidden beneath his official presentation. But now that was gone and she was able to examine him without prejudice.

He was a handsome man, that was true enough, ruddy in appearance with thick auburn hair and steel blue eyes, a strong chin, and a square jawline that framed a welcoming smile. Although there was a resemblance to his brother, sharing many of his physical traits, he no longer reminded her of Hans. John's generosity set him so far apart from his disgraced brother it was hard to imagine they were members of the same family.

A quiet settled over the room as Elsa was lost in her thoughts, and she only became aware she was staring when John cleared his throat, in a somewhat nervous fashion.

"Well, there's lots of work to be done...we might as well get to it."

He and his companions bowed before leaving through the archway. Anna waited until their footsteps shrank into silence, then she said, "Oh..my...GOODNESS! I can't believe it! See, I told you it'd work out, didn't I?"

She was excited, Elsa thought, and who could blame her? She'd been correct in her prediction, after all. At long last they had some relief from their suffering, a temporary reprieve from the feeling of impending doom.

"And did you see the way he looked at you?" Anna said, nudging Elsa with her elbow.

She hadn't paid attention to that, hadn't thought about it until just now. She was too preoccupied with the infusion of goods to be focused on the man who delivered them, but now that Anna mentioned it, maybe there was something to her observation. Perhaps his gaze had lingered a little longer than royal etiquette would prescribe. It was kind of exciting, though, when she thought about it, a handsome prince whose gaze lingered a bit too long.

"No, I didn't notice anything," Elsa said.

Kristoff joined Olaf by the window to watch the men below. He had a stern look of disapproval, but neither Elsa nor Anna noticed this. Therefore, they were both surprised when Kristoff, still looking out the window, said: "We can't trust him, you know."

Elsa meant to object but Anna beat her to it.

"Kristoff, what are you talking about?"

He gave Anna a look. It was one Elsa had seen many times, the look of a man who thought his conclusion was obvious and was unable to understand how anyone else could miss it.

He and Anna had differed on many viewpoints over the past year or so, and the subject of trusting people was no exception. He'd often said Anna needed to be more wary of strangers, especially those whose motives are unclear, and she shouldn't allow anyone to get too close until they could prove themselves trustworthy. During these conversations Kristoff never mentioned Hans, but no doubt he considered that the foremost example which supported his argument. Anna countered that you can't go around mistrusting everyone just because there are a few bad apples out there. They'd tried to drag Elsa into this argument on more than one occasion, but she had no desire to arbitrate their discussions. Personally, she found the truth to be somewhere in the middle, between trusting nobody and trusting everybody, but she kept that to herself.

"Anna," Kristoff said, "since when do we trust any prince from the Southern Isles?"

"That's not fair," Anna said, crossing her arms. "Prince John is not Hans."

"I didn't say he was, but I think we can all agree you're not the best judge of character here."

Anna looked like she was fumbling for a reply, but no words came out of her mouth. Elsa could honestly say this was the first time she'd ever seen her sister speechless.

Kristoff gave her an apologetic shrug.

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, that's just the way it is."

Anna turned to Elsa, hands on hips, expecting her to come to her defense, to help refute Kristoff's accusation. Whether true or not, though, she wasn't going to let herself be dragged into this argument either.

"What?" Elsa said, feigning ignorance.

"Tell him we can trust John!"

Elsa could feel her neutrality being whittled away as they waited for her response, but she was in no hurry to take sides. When you dug down and got beneath all the strong feelings and preconceived notions, she could see they both had a somewhat valid point. On the one hand, none of them really knew anything about John, having just met him, but on the other hand, simply being a brother of Hans was no reason to cast him off. She wasn't sure what to think or whose side to choose, so she didn't say anything.

"Elsa," Kristoff said, "think about it. This guy arrives out of the blue, from who knows where, to supposedly rescue your kingdom. But we don't know anything about him. He could be anyone from anywhere. Have you thought about that? Who's to say he's even from the Southern Isles? Even if he is who he says he is, if he's Hans' brother, then that's even more reason not to trust him!"

This was something she hadn't really considered. Could there be any truth to Kristoff's words? If so, then Arendelle could be in grave danger; but she found it difficult to imagine someone intent on doing harm to her kingdom would go so far out of their way to help save it.

"I don't see any reason not to trust him. He didn't have to bring all of this food and water."

Kristoff shook his head.

"Have you so quickly forgotten what Hans did in Arendelle?"

"Of course not!"

She resented the accusation. The protection of her kingdom and her people was her foremost concern, her very reason for existence, and to suggest she was some gullible fool who could be tricked into jeopardizing Arendelle stirred her anger. Kristoff must've detected this for he softened his tone.

"Think about it. Hans took care of the people of Arendelle and even saved you from the duke's men, but his plan all along was to kill both you and Anna and steal the throne. If this man is who he says he is, then he's a brother of Hans, and who's to say he's not here to do the same thing?"

There was more truth to Kristoff's words than she cared to admit. Hans had fooled everyone with his charade, gaining everyone's trust, including her own. She recalled the last thing she'd said to him, just before he revealed his true intentions. 'Take care of my sister', she'd asked him. She shut her eyes, trying to will away the pain of the memory. She asked a murderous traitor to take care of Anna, a man who'd already locked her in a room, leaving her to freeze to death.

That'd been a mistake, but was Kristoff's reasoning sound? Could she be making the same mistake here? There was cause for caution, no doubt, but they had no good reason to think John was here to do anyone harm, and she wouldn't begin to mistrust him until she had a sound reason to do so. Being related to Hans wasn't enough, not after such an incredible display of kindness and generosity.

"I understand your concern, but I won't repay kindness with accusations and suspicion. Until I have a good reason to believe otherwise, Prince John will remain a friend of Arendelle and we will all treat him as such. Is that understood?"

Kristoff wouldn't be so easily convinced, she knew that, but she was surprised at how disappointed he looked.

"Please Elsa, I don't want you to get hurt."

His resistance to her command didn't anger her. Kristoff's intentions were good, she knew that, but he also had a penchant for mistrusting anyone who didn't come within his small circle of friends.

"As I said, I appreciate your concern, but I don't have the luxury of mistrusting every stranger who comes to Arendelle to offer help."

She could tell he hadn't accepted her conclusion, but would he abide by it? They'd never disagreed on an issue this serious before. He looked like he had something else to say, but he must've changed his mind because he headed for the exit.

"I'm going to help unload the ships."

It was a statement which didn't invite a response, and no one offered a reply. The excitement was gone, as if sucked out of the room.

"Wait for me!" Olaf cried out, hurrying after him.

Elsa went to the window and Anna joined her, watching as the men prepared the ships for unloading. Many of Alek's guards joined John's men and they scurried about the docks, opening large, two-doored hatches that led down into the bellies of the ships. The barrels were lifted through these hatches, secured by a rope and pulley system, then loaded onto carts to be transferred to the cellar of the castle. A line of men ferried them like a parade of marching ants, some leaving with a full cart and others returning for more, over and over again, and yet the stream of containers never seemed to end.

Elsa wondered how long such an enormous infusion of goods could last and how much time they'd give her to find her own water; but the numbers defied calculation. How had this happened? How had this man just appeared out of thin air and offered three ships full of supplies without a thought of compensation for his trouble? It must've taken a tremendous amount of work to load those ships, and what's more, sailing could be a dangerous occupation; after all, her own parents were killed when their ship went down at sea over four years ago. So what kind of man goes through all that trouble and takes that much risk without a thought for himself?

Could he have ulterior motives? It was a question she didn't like asking, as if contemplating such suspicion were in itself a sign of ingratitude, but it had to be considered, it was her job to consider it. She was grateful for such a wonderful gift, but still, Kristoff had planted a seed of doubt and she couldn't uproot it. It took considerable effort to turn her thoughts away from this, but she did. Until they had more evidence, well, any evidence really, she wouldn't dwell on such misgivings.

The girls remained at the window for most of the morning before breaking away to care for other duties. Elsa conferred with her staff to prepare rooms for John and his men, and it was decided the mostly empty guards' barracks would be best suited to accommodate them. While Elsa worked with the castle staff to prepare these quarters, Anna joined the other servants in putting together a simple meal for the unexpected guests. It was served in the courtyard at noon, after which the men returned to their work.

In the late afternoon Elsa and Anna returned to the throne room to watch again. The sun was completing its daily march toward the fjord and the shadows of the masts were growing longer as they stretched across the dock. By this time Alek had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He was outperforming most of his guards as they loaded up the carts, and his efforts were exceeded only by Kristoff's tireless pace. Kristoff seemed to be running behind his cart as he passed other men on the dock, disappearing into the courtyard before returning for another load. Olaf helped where he could, but he mostly dashed and darted between the men, none of which paid him any attention now that their initial shock at seeing a magical snowman had worn off.

As the sun dipped behind the fjord it seemed like the ship's cargo holds would never empty, but the stream of men did slow, tapering off until there was only a trickle of workers making their way back and forth from the castle. Anna left to go find Kristoff and Elsa took a seat on her throne, contemplating the day as a servant arrived to light the candles.

How had things changed so rapidly, she wondered? She felt such a sense of relief, as if the world had been lifted off her shoulders. For the first time in many weeks she could face her people with pride and dignity, without being reminded of how much she was failing them. She knew she couldn't rely on the kindness of strangers to continue to provide for her people, though. Eventually, they'd have to find a way out of this cursed drought, but until then they could enjoy a temporary reprieve from its effects.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before Olaf came bounding through the archway. She could tell he'd enjoyed the day's activity, in fact, she imagined they all had. It was nice to have something to distract them from the perils of the drought. He hurried over and gave a bow.

"Queen Elsa," he said, with a tinge of excitement. "Prince John is here to see you."

"What?"

She was surprised by the news. What was John doing here? She hadn't expected to see him again today, but she was by no means going to refuse his company. She sat up straight, pulled her shoulders back, and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

"Yes, of course. Send him in."

Olaf bounded out the archway and a few moments later John entered the room, accompanied by two of her guards. They all stopped just inside the entrance.

John looked like a different man from the one she'd met that morning. His hair was wet from what must've been a recent bath, and he was dressed in an outfit that made him look more like a commoner, a well-dressed commoner, to be sure, but it was a far cry from the prince's uniform she'd met him in. He wore a button up shirt, dark blue with ruffles around the cuffs. His breeches were white and cinched with a black belt, and his boots were replaced by black shoes, each topped with a golden buckle. He held a roll of paper bound by a yellow ribbon, and when Elsa saw it her heart skipped a beat. Was this the moment she'd discover John's true motive?

"Welcome," she said.

"Thank you."

Elsa waved him forward and he approached, leaving the guards by the archway. He stopped a few paces before the throne.

"I took the liberty of drawing a bath with some of the water we delivered. I couldn't bear the thought of being in Your Majesty's presence smelling like a three-day-old fish."

Elsa smiled, trying not to appear uneasy, but she was nervous and she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was her doubt about John's motives. Whatever the case, she tried to conceal her apprehension behind the smile.

"You would be welcome here regardless of your stench," she said, then flinched. She'd meant to put him at ease, not insult him. John, though, didn't seem to mind. He motioned toward a tall backed chair set against the wall.

"May I?"

"Yes, of course."

He grabbed the heavy chair and dragged it to the throne, its wooden legs sounding their defiance. He didn't sit beside her, though, giving the chair a quarter turn as if he meant to collaborate on some project. He sat sat down, adjusted his collar, then held out the roll of paper.

Elsa didn't want to take it, but she did. She'd spent most of the day thinking how John's gift was too good to be true, and she was afraid this was the moment she'd find out she was right.

"Thank you."

It was more of a formality than an expression of gratitude, for she had no idea what the papers contained. She kept hearing the Duke's sneering voice as he said 'Sign these deeds over to me and everything on my ship is yours.' Whether John detected her doubts she didn't know, but something moved him to announce their contents to her.

"The ship's manifests," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Everything we delivered is in those papers."

A wave of relief washed over her. She slid the ribbon off and unfolded the papers, holding them up to the candlelight. John watched with interest as she flipped from page to page, examining their contents.

The first few pages listed only barrels of water, and as she scanned the pages she tried to make a mental note of how many there were, but she lost count on the third page. On the fifth and sixth pages were a variety of foodstuffs: cheeses, crackers, cured meats, and fruits and vegetables which wouldn't spoil quickly, such as apples and carrots.

She smiled when she thought of Sven finally getting a taste of a carrot after going without for so long. He'd been one grumpy reindeer when his favorite snack was no longer available, putting on quite a pout and giving Kristoff the cold shoulder. Kristoff tried to appease him with other treats, even offering him items from his own rations, but Sven would have none of it. Eventually he got over it, but she knew Kristoff would be delighted to surprise him with a fresh carrot or two.

The next page contained tools and cleaning supplies, such as lye and scented soaps, along with things they'd need for basic repairs and upkeep of the castle. The last page, which only contained a few line items, were all of assorted