Nathan pulled the shawl over his shoulders a bit tighter, hugging himself as he looked upon the older historian. Lord Sorenson gave him a small smile, holding the top of his cane between both hands. He was dressed in a dark purple robe with symbols of the golden crocus on it. His white hair was a bit frizzy, but his features were soft and welcoming. On the end of his nose sat a set of thin framed glasses with little magnifying extensions on the sides. Giving them a warm smirk, he told Nathan gently. "I take it you have a lot of questions about the room? About... your mother?" Nathan nodded a little timidly. Lord Sorenson gestured with his fingers for him to sit across from him at the table. Pulling out the chair, Nathan eased down into it. It had been a long time since he'd sat down with the older man, but he felt like he was being tutored all over again. Sitting quietly, he looked at him with a fragile need for answers. Lord Sorenson waited for Mark to sit, before reaching to push a little stack of books closer to them. The titles and covers had been covered in bland green cloth but looked well maintained when he started in a calm clear voice. "These are what you're looking for. I keep them in a personal collection of books that are too important to be handled frequently. You can read them. Or I can tell you their contents. I have them committed to memory."

Mark raised an eyebrow, asking perplexed. "Why would you do that?" Lord Sorenson chuckled lightly, answering with a little shrug. "It's my job. Has been for many years. I know every inch of this library, and all contained within it. While I don't have all the books here memorized. I keep the most important ones in mind. Saves the books from too much wear and tear." Nathan touched the books with gentle fingers, before asking him nicely. "You know all about Arendelle's history? You knew... my mother?" Lord Sorenson nodded with a sad look, then regaled with a collected voice. "Oh, yes. I was here before your grandfather's reign. I was here when the war started and saw its conclusion. And I knew your mother. Sweet lass. Loved to read. I personally taught her how to read and write in english. It was even I that showed her the private study. I felt she needed a... sanctuary. A place to be proud of who she was. Even your father understood that when he learned of her past. Times were so different then. Darker. Less forgiving. She was an amazing woman. Strong. Loving. I don't believe she had an evil bone in her whole body. This place has been quiet without her. But some days, I still feel her here."

Nathan gulped, trying not to cry or sniffle as he looked around the candlelit library. There were enough shadows that he did feel like she might be here. Lord Sorenson cleared his throat softly, asking gently as he changed the subject. "What is it that you'd like to know exactly?" Nathan brought his attention back to the old man, answering a bit shakily. "I'm curious about the Enchanted Forest. The Northuldran people. The war. I don't recall ever learning about it and..." Before Nathan could finish, Lord Sorensen nicely slipped in. "And now that you know about her. You're curious. I understand. Your father didn't want me to teach you about the subject because he felt that you were too young to understand the politics behind it. As you know, he was a young boy when he was made King... So, he wasn't very knowledgeable on the subject either. Or why it happened. It was a painful subject for him. Having lost his father. So, he avoided the subject and tried to move forward from it." Lord Sorenson took a deep shaky breath, then very cautiously told him. "I have a different view of King Runeard. The man he was. So, I didn't fight the subject because... it's hard for a boy to see his father as anything other than a hero. I wanted him to keep the memories he had of him. Even if... I recall them differently."

Nathan straightened up in his chair to prepare himself, before asking him hopefully. "I'm ready. Please tell me." Lord Sorenson nodded, then pulled off the first book from the stack. Carefully opening it, Nathan saw that the whole book was written in Northuldran. Stopping on a page with drawing of a dark troll with his hands raised over a knight on a slab table, Lord Sorenson began in a storytelling voice. "To understand what follows. I'll start here. A tale of two brothers. Prince Isak and Prince Frederik. The brothers grew up inseparable. However, Prince Frederik was next in line for the throne and as such was given the upmost care as their father became sick. Forcing the brothers apart. Before long. Prince Frederik became King at the age of nineteen. While Prince Isak became a Royal Duke and lived happily with his family in the countryside. Until one night, Prince Isak was helping in the fields, when a single drop of moonlight dripped upon his head. Naturally the servants spread gossip about it being a sign. A blessing upon him. When word reached King Frederik... Well, you can imagine how he felt about it." Nathan nodded, allowing Lord Sorenson to go on.

Lord Sorenson inhaled deeply, then went on. "Filled with jealousy. King Frederik summoned his brother to court. Prince Isak shrugged off the incident as just being a drop of rain and things calmed between them. Until the pressures of court and wanting to go home to his family brought out... another side to Prince Isak. While arguing with his brother, Prince Isak suddenly summoned a snowstorm within his room." Nathan tensed and Mark leaned closer. Glancing at Mark, Nate blurted out. "But I've never heard of this!" Lord Sorenson chuckled out as he leaned on his cane a little. "Of course not, dear boy. The servants that witnessed it vanished. Even I was sworn to secrecy under pain of death. Kept only because the previous historian had died and left me with valuable knowledge to Arendelle's affairs at the time. They kept it as hushed as they could. I don't know how, but Prince Isak had managed to keep his power under control. He often made little ice sculpture toys for his son and was praised for the flawless craftsmanship of them. As peoples love for Prince Isak grew though... So, did his brother's jealous fury. The final straw came when Arendelle's crops turned sour one autumn. Leaving King Frederik to make harsh decisions that left Arendelle hungry through the winter."

Lord Sorenson shook his head grimly, stating on with a heavy heart. "So, when people began to whisper about Prince Isak being blessed by the heavens and that he should be King. King Frederik blamed his brother's powers for the crops and the harsh winter. He felt he was using his magic to take the throne from him. He felt that Prince Isak was jealous of him. When really... I believe King Frederik was envious of his little brother. For a while King Frederik was made to feel special in his youth and groomed to be King. He wasn't happy though. He married twice. One got sick and died. The other died in childbirth with his baby. He was blamed for ever little thing that went wrong in Arendelle. While Prince Isak got married. Had a son and was happier away from the castle." Mark shared a worried look with Nate, before asking reluctantly. "So...? What happened?" Lord Sorenson looked at Mark with a distant and pained expression when he said grimly. "King Frederik ordered his brother and his family back to the castle to... apologize. Then... while out riding in the woods. Prince Isak supposedly was thrown from his horse. Startled by a Troll. When asked for help... The Troll supposedly killed him using his magic."

Mark slowly rose from his seat with a blank look on his face. Spurring Nathan to ask quickly. "That can't be... Can it? How do you know?" Lord Sorenson shushed them nicely, calmly regaling. "Easy. Let me finish." Tensely, Mark sat back down. Lord Sorenson nodded to him nicely, then cleared up openly. "I know, because I was there. But that isn't what I documented in secret. As you can see from the picture here." Nathan glanced back at the picture of the knight on the slab, then looked back with eagerness to hear more. Lord Sorenson took a breath, informing them quietly. "King Frederik didn't want to kill his brother. He was jealous, yes. But he loved his brother. I told him about the Trolls in Misthaven. How they might help remove his gift..." Nathan held his breath, while Lord Sorenson finished. "Prince Isak was thrown from his horse. He was unconscious, but King Frederik was more excited by the idea that when his brother awoke... the gift would just be gone. His brother would blame his fall to the loss of his gift. I advised against it but was ignored. The Troll was confident and preformed the ritual... but the gift had become a part of him. Removing the gift... killed him. King Frederik was beside himself with grief. But instead of blaming himself... he blamed magic."

Mark shook his head, mumbling out under his breath. "That's not fair..." Lord Sorenson nodded, adding heavy hearted. "It wasn't. I blamed myself for a very long time. I thought I was helping... but I made things worse. Because of that, Prince Isak's wife died of heart break. The loss of him was just too great. Leaving King Fredrick to adopt his son. A boy he groomed to hate magic because it killed his father. That boy... became King Runeard. King Nathan's grandfather." Nathan's jaw dropped, before he squeaked out in shock. "That... Holy shit... but that means that... and that you are..." Lord Sorenson nodded, finishing off for him. "I'm Northuldran. Yes. I came to Arendelle very young thinking the grass was greener on the other side. Only your mother knew. I kept my origins from even King Runeard. Especially, after the loss of Prince Isak. King Runeard's reign was... misguided. He let his uncle turn his grief into anger. To which he used to lash out on the Northuldran people. Starting the war. There was no talking to him. No reasoning with him. He'd been groomed to hate magic and it was inevitably what led him to his own end."

Nathan shifted in his seat, trying to ask as gently as he could. "Tell me about my grandfather and the war with the Northuldran? What happened?" Lord Sorenson listened to the rain patter softly against the large windows with distant sounds of thunder, before leaning back in his chair to regal calmly. "Well... Back in the days when your father King Agnarr was just a boy. Misthaven was nothing more than an ancient forest up in the North, if you had asked any Arendellen about it at the time. The Northuldran people rarely left the forest because it was their home and it provided all they ever needed. My father told me that the forest wasn't magical, but instead was protected by magic so powerful that it made the forest a paradise to all that lived in harmony with it. King Runeard's obsession to find the magic that had killed his father led him to Misthaven. Where he found the mysterious Northuldran people. While a lot of them didn't possess magic... there were a few that did. When King Runeard began learning about them and how different their ways were, I thought he would change. I thought he was genuinely curious about them and the culture. The Northuldran even promised him friendship."

Lord Sorenson bowed his head, stating with sorrowful disappointment. "In honor of the friendship that was building between our people, King Runeard wrote up a treaty of peace. King Runeard and the council all stated that once signed; both Arendelle and the Northuldran would be united. That we'd move forward together and that it would ensure both sides had a better future..." After a pause, Mark coaxed Lord Sorenson nicely. "If that is true... What happened?" Lord Sorenson gave a little innocent shrug, continuing honestly. "I'm not sure. I wasn't there. All I know for sure is that; King Runeard took a group of people with him to meet the Northuldran and celebrate the treaty. He even took his only son. King Nathan's father. Something went wrong... Very few people came back... but they saved a few Northuldran children. When scouts were sent back to Misthaven... The forest was hidden within a thick wall of mist. Anyone that entered it, just walked right back out not knowing how they had gotten turned around. It was as if the forest itself decided to keep everyone out. Protecting it just as my dad had always said that it would... I've never seen my family since. I don't even know if my father is alive anymore..."

Lord Sorenson gave another little shrug, stating out in a softer voice. "I asked King Agnarr for details, but he just said that one minute everyone was having fun, and everything felt so magical. And then... everyone was just attacking each other. He described the gruesome battle around him. He told me that he looked for his dad and found him fighting a man in a reindeer cloak with large antlers. Then... a tornado came out of nowhere and King Runeard was blown into a rock. He died instantly. King Agnarr collected his dad's sword before soldiers rushed in to escort him to safety. He said the soldiers grabbed kids and put them into the wagons. He said that he slipped from a soldier to help a young girl. Together they made it to the last wagon fleeing the forest... and that night, Prince Agnarr returned to the castle and became King of Arendelle." Mark leaned a bit more on the table, asking curiously. "The girl he saved. Who is she? Do you know where to find her?" Lord Sorenson let a small smirk pull at his lip, before looking to Nathan and telling him warmly. "I'm afraid not. For you see... That little girl was Queen Iduna. Your mother, your Highness."

Nathan hugged the shawl a bit more, whispering out in awe. "My mother? You mean that I was dreaming about..." Nathan locked eyes with Mark, who gave him a surprised look too at the realization. Mark then slipped in curiously to Lord Sorenson. "If you knew that Prince Isak had the same gift as Nathan. Why didn't you tell her about it?" Lord Sorenson's hands squeezed the top of his cane, before he nervously uttered out. "Because I was afraid that they'd try to do what King Frederik did to his brother. I just... I didn't want to make another mistake. I don't have all the answers. There was nothing I could tell her about Prince Isak that would have helped. I don't know how he controlled himself. Or why he got the gift that he did. All I know is that something went horribly wrong..." Nathan looked to Mark with fragile eyes, prompting Mark to say very softly to him. "Maybe we should go talk to Grand Pabbie? He might know a little more. He fled the Enchanted Forest... He might be able to see what's coming." Nathan exhaled slowly but admitted softly. "I guess... Ok. We'll leave in the morning." Mark got up and Nathan thanked Lord Sorenson before following Mark out of the library.

Unable to return to his room with the broken glass, Nathan pulled Mark into one of the many bedrooms to try and get some more sleep before dawn. Falling asleep in Mark's arms, Nathan barely got a few minutes of peace, before he started to hear the soft singing again. Lifting his pillow, he put it over his head and tried to ignore it. The pillow did nothing to block it out as the singing filled his ears. Opening his eyes with a groan, he lifted the pillow and gasped as he saw what looked like an ethereal woman made of colors standing beside the bed. The shimmering ghost beckoned to him with her hands, before drifting off out of sight toward the door. Sitting up, he looked for her, but couldn't see her anymore. Hearing her voice from out in the hallway, he slipped from the bed and headed out to follow it. To Be Continued...