A.N.: I was trying not to write any more stories until I at least got something else finished. But this was begging to be written and I just couldn't resist. This is my first Frozen fic and is my first multi-chaptered story (anything over a 3-shot) that is outside of my established fandom (Star Wars). I never thought I would write something like this, but here it is. I don't know what the rest of the story will be like as I only have the initial thoughts and ideas and I don't know how many chapters there will be yet. I hope I can at least form some good ideas and plot points for a fully-fleshed story, but we'll see where my thoughts take me. Anyways, here's the story and don't forget to read, review, and enjoy!

Prologue

The cool summer breeze kicked up flakes of snow that never seemed to disappear from the mountain's side, even in the seasonal warmth. The North Mountain stood tall and imposing, a cold sentinel in an otherwise barren land. In the mountain's shadow, two figures trudged through the crisp white snow, slowly making their way to the massive landmark. The air was quiet and still, except for the crunch of the snow beneath their boots and the stray snowflake wafting on the breeze. Though it was summer, the snowy landscapes told them that once the sun set, the temperature would drop and it would become significantly colder, so they hurried as fast as the white tundra would allow in the hopes of finding shelter before darkness came.

As they drew closer to the mountain's base, a bright shimmer drew their eyes to the mountain's southern face. Giving each other curious looks, the couple changed course and made their way towards it. Both gasped in astonishment at what met their eyes: a wondrous palace of ice rested on the mountain's snowy slopes. Several stories high, the fading sunlight gave it an ethereal, unearthly glow. It was almost otherworldly and despite its icy façade, it was a most welcome, if unexpected, sight to the weary travelers. Still in awe at the sight before them, the pair rushed around to the front, seeking entry to the wondrous palace. A set of glistening stairs awaited them and they glanced at each other briefly before cautiously stepping on to the icy staircase. Making their way slowly up, they noticed that parts of the stairway were missing, broken off, as if some calamity had befallen the otherwise pristine structure. Both had a look of worry in their eyes but neither one dared betray that look to the other and they continued the trek to the palace. Reaching the doorway, they hesitated a moment before the taller of the two reached out a hand to knock, tentatively, on the icy door. When they received no response, the figure tried again and was met with the same result. Optimistically, the smaller figure pushed on the door and was relieved when it slowly creaked open. Stepping over the threshold, the couple was once again in awe at the sight before them.

A grand entrance hall, beautiful, clean, smooth, made entirely of ice. Looking around, the two wayward wanderers saw that, though quite large and exquisite, the room was empty, an emptiness made even more evident by the unnatural glow of the icy walls. Along the wall to the right of the entryway, a spiraling staircase stretched up into the hidden upper recesses. Not seeing anything else of note in the room, they made their way up the staircase, quietly looking around them in amazement. The grace and beauty of the palace astounded them, though they grew more apprehensive with every step they took. Soon enough, they noticed a large set of doors at the end of their climb and cautiously, they stepped forward and pushed the doors open.

What awaited their eyes elicited a small gasp from the smaller figure: ice crystals and shards of various sizes were scattered about the large room while dagger-like icicles were poised near the walls, threateningly close to the couple. Fearful, the pair carefully made their way into the room, taking in the sight. They could tell it had once been a grand place, perhaps even more beautiful than the rest of the icy fortress. The warm snowflake pattern on the floor enhanced the room's natural beauty and would have made the room warm and inviting if not for the signs of disrepair or, perhaps, despair, evident all around.A more thorough look showed an open door on the far side of the room and what looked like a balcony beyond that. The couple carefully stepped around the frozen signs of struggle and made their way towards the open door on the other side. Stepping out on to the balcony, the view before them, like much of what they had already witnessed inside, stole their breath away. A beautiful, snow-covered valley was nestled below a snowy mountain range in the east, the fading beams of the setting sun, though it had already disappeared from this side of the palace, still painted a striking scene, illuminating the brilliant glow of the wintery blanket. Tears of joy were brought to the eyes of the couple and they wanted nothing more than to stare at the wonder before them. It wasn't long before they noticed that pieces of the ice-wrought railing were missing, broken off, and their previous fears returned. Someone had to have built this palace and it was clear that some disaster, some tragedy, had befallen this wondrous place. There was a question on both of their lips, a question that they both wanted to know, a question that they knew they would be afraid to find out the answer to. Neither one dared to voice what they knew they were both thinking and the pair stood in contemplative silence before turning back towards the doors.

Slowly retreating back inside, they made their way back down the stairs and, finding a relatively warm corner of the room to take refuge in, they settled down to wait out the cold night. Long moments passed before the smaller figure spoke, voicing the concerns that both had been too afraid to ask.

"What do you think happened here, Erik?" It was a woman's voice, fearful and small. "You don't think…" She trailed off, not sure how to finish her thought. The other figure, Erik, pulled her closer and shook his head.

"I don't know, dear," Erik responded, his deep voice sounding tired. "But we need to get to Arendelle as quickly as possible." She nodded in agreement and huddled into Erik's side. He pulled her closer for warmth and the two of them eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep.