Amidst the cheers and claps, Henry and his team bowed their heads in practiced courtesy.
This time on the ground, instead of the top hat Henry wore during their first show, it's a metal bucket he bought with the coins they earned from past shows.
And now that same bucket is filled to the brim with coins, with some even falling on the ground.
'Note to self. Buy another bucket next time.' Henry commented on it.
Just as he told Chee-Chee to go and grab the bucket, he suddenly noticed a familiar face in the corner of his eye.
A balding man with a chubby figure, wearing a formal attire barely hidden by a black cloak. What caught his attention was the man's stare, as if he were waiting for his chance to talk.
Obviously, Henry instantly knew who this man was. He has seen him in the film and not to mention, he's already expecting him since he first met Anna.
Once again, he left the helm over the group to Polynesia, who was quick to take it. Meanwhile, he sneakily left the group and approached the balding man.
"Good afternoon, mister. You seem to look like you wanted to talk to me." Henry flashed his mysterious smile which he definitely didn't practice several times in front of a mirror.
The man looked surprised at first before sighing in relief, "You're truly a fascinating man, Magician Henry. You managed to dismantle my intention with a single look."
Henry chuckled in response, "Don't take this as an offense but your face is very easy to read if someone knows enough."
"None taken, Magician Henry."
The man then guided Henry to a local restaurant and they both sat at a table situated just outside the restaurant's front.
Henry said, "What do I owe the pleasure of meeting the royal castle's steward?"
His words didn't cause any shock from the steward. He simply fixed and introduced himself, "My name is Kai. Like what you just said, I'm Arendelle's royal family's steward of the castle."
The two men stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment before he continued, "And I'd like to invite you to the castle. There is some…issue that only eyes like yours might be able to understand."
Henry immediately knew what the so-called 'issue' that Kai was talking about was. Obviously, it's none other than Elsa herself.
"…I see no reason to refuse such a request. Though I don't mind if you lose a few details just to sum up this issue." Henry straightened his back and replied. Although he already knows the cause, it doesn't hurt to ask—not just to avoid suspicion but also to make sure everything he currently knows based on the film matches the real situation.
Kai, only contemplating for a second, found no reason to hide it from Henry and responded, "It's about the Princess and I believe her current situation which has plagued not only the royal family but also the entire Arendelle is related to magic."
"I see. Worry not, Kai. It'll be my honour to help the royal family with this dilemma." As soon as his words hit the steward's ears, his shoulders slumped all of a sudden as if a heavy weight was just lifted off from his shoulders.
'I'm glad he's quick to accept. I almost thought he was going to demand payment for his service.' Kai mentally wiped off his sweat.
Although this is his first time meeting a magician face to face, he just can't help but expect Henry to ask for coins in exchange for his help considering how he's performing magical acts in the plaza while receiving donations.
"Great! That's great to hear. Is it possible for you to visit now?" Kai rubbed his palms in hopes that Henry would say yes. All while not knowing that Henry is just as excited as he is, if not, more than him.
So Henry nodded his head and agreed, "I'm free as of this moment." And since Henry's purpose for the visit is simply to help Elsa gain control over her powers earlier than her film counterpart to prevent possible tragedies, he also hopes to learn about the ice element from her and see if he'll feel a Magic Hymn from it.
With that being said, Kai excitedly jumped out of the chair he was sitting on, his belly jiggling from the action, "That's good to hear! Please follow me back to the castle!"
While on the way there, Kai proceeds to explain what Henry should expect once he encounters Princess Elsa such as wearing three layers of thick clothes to resist the cold, and also not to touch Elsa lest she might accidentally turn him into a popsicle.
Behind him, Henry nodded his head over his words. He's already prepared enough even without Kai's warnings.
From what he knows, Elsa's ice powers are connected or at least related to her emotions. That's why Henry has long planned what to teach her.
Inner Peace of the mind. No distracting thoughts, no negative feelings, and last but not the least, no extreme attachment to objects.
Yes, the last part might be weird but obsession over an object is considered a distraction to one's inner peace. Of course, the same can't be said of living beings.
As a matter of fact, attaching yourself to someone in particular promotes tranquility and soothness of the mind.
Soon enough, Henry and Kai arrived in front of the castle bridge surrounded by a moat, right exactly where Anna famously crossed over while singing during the first few scenes in the film.
This time, no one but the knight guards was roaming around. When they saw Kai and Henry, they nodded their heads and signaled for the person above the gates.
Crank!
Rumble!
Soon enough, once the signal was sent. There was a loud bang from behind followed by the rhythm of chains banging consecutively. All was happening while the gates were slowly being lifted upwards.
Henry took his time to assess the scenery inside. No doubt it's beautiful but still falling a bit short compared to Lioncrest's royal castle.
Mainly because Lioncrest is many times wealthier and more prosperous than Arendelle whose core trade products are crafted goods and ice blocks.
On the other hand, Lioncrest has gemstones, agricultural foods, and livestock.
"This way, Magician Henry." Kai then guided him into the castle, where as they entered, they were greeted by the castle servants.
On the way, Henry's eyes darted around the hallway, the thing that caught his attention the most was the huge painting of Arendelle's recently deceased rulers along with a pair of daughters.
King Agnarr was standing straight with a serious face, a huge contrast to his wife, Queen Iduna who bore a soft and warm motherly smile on her face while caressing a small but familiar auburn-haired Princess Anna.
While the other, Princess Elsa was standing with her hands held together, looking sweetly in front.
Kai seemed to notice where he was looking and introduced them, "King Agnarr and Queen Iduna. Truly, their deaths took a huge toll on not just the pair of siblings but also on every Arendellian."
"And I assume those two children are Princess Anna and Elsa?"
Kai nodded his head solemnly, "Princess Elsa's sudden situation followed by the deaths of their parents was a huge tragedy to the siblings."
Henry stayed silent and they both proceeded to their destination. However, just as they're on their way upstairs, they come across someone unexpectedly.
"Kai? H-I mean, who is he?" It was Anna, who feigned a look of surprise on her face but not smooth enough to avoid a slip of tongue.
"You must be Princess Anna. It's a pleasure to meet you." Henry bowed eloquently, his months of training in professional courtesy taking over his body. Even though they've already met, Henry knows how to ride along lest Anna gets caught that they've known each other long before Kai sought him earlier.
"I-It's nice to meet you too…" Anna stuttered, probably not expecting Henry's words. After all, Anna didn't technically tell him about her plan to pretend they didn't know each other first to avoid suspicion.
Thankfully, Kai didn't see it as suspicious thanks to their acting.
The man just acknowledged Anna's presence, "Princess Anna! This here is Magician Henry, I'm not sure if you've heard of him but I invited him here to take a look at your sister."
At the end of his words, both Henry and Anna briefly stared into each other's eyes before separating.
"I see. I wish you luck, Magician Henry." Anna bowed in a courteous ladylike manner where she raised both sides of her dress and bowing her head.
She then continued with a slight cough, "Then, I'll be on my way and not disturb you two gentlemen." While Kai nodded his head and bowed to the princess, Henry noticed Anna mouthing the words 'Meet me later'
Once she's gone, Kai gestured for Henry to continue, "This way, Magician Henry."
As they continued on their way, something inside Henry's chest started to beat in a patterned rhythm. The familiar Magic Hymn that occurs whenever he's near a magical element.
However, this Magic Hymn feels different from the four main elements that have their own rhythms. It has a mix of water and wind kind of pattern.
Which means they're already near Elsa's room and this also confirms Henry's assumption that Elsa's powers are magical.
"This is it." Kai's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he raised his head to stare at the inconspicuous door in front of him. It has elegant purple markings that are eerily similar to the ice element.
Which is not a surprise considering Arendelle is known for having winter as its dominant climate. Not to mention, their main product of trade are blocks of ice.
Kai stepped forward first, wearing the thick fur coat that was handed to him earlier. Henry was also offered one but he kindly refused. He wanted to rest how cold Elsa's ice powers were.
From that, he'd be able to assess just how much control she has left over her powers. If it's too cold, that means her loss of control is critical but if it's the opposite then it's good news.
Knock! Knock!
"Princess Elsa? It's Kai. And I have brought the guest."
There was silence at first. Just as Henry thought they were going to be shunned away like Elsa always did to Anna, the door was surprisingly opened slightly.
Kai took this as a sign to enter and so did Henry.
The moment he stepped in, Henry was instantly blasted by the chilling bite of coldness. The wind and chill seemed as if they were seeping deep through his very bones.
Henry's face slightly turned grim and he raised his hand. Much to the surprise of both Kai and the person inside, his hands were suddenly caught on fire, slowly turning brighter for every second that passed.
Thanks to this action, the ice-coated inner surface of the door along with its doorknob suddenly melted. Two balls of flame seperated from his hands, revolving around him like he's a magnet.
This is a variation he recently came up with. Combining his Flame Rings and Flame Coat, he's able to use his Flame Coat as a source of flame and turn it into fireballs similar to Flame Rings.
And since he already studied the two aforementioned spells, learning the Fireball spell was a walk in the park.
The ice in his surroundings such as the ceilings, walls, and the floor melted in an instant.
Now that the matter of coldness was gone, Henry stared at the person in front.
Seeing how calm Henry is and how he casually made two fireballs circle him made Elsa's eyes gleam in hope and amazement.
This person in front of her seems a little bit similar to her, except instead of ice, he's using the opposite. The fire.
Especially his eyes, when Elsa stared at those blue jewel-like eyes made her breath hitch. All throughout her life she has never met any other man aside from her father and Kai. But now, she finally met someone who is close to her age.
"You must be Princess Elsa, right?" Henry flashed a smile and asked. And when the white-haired princess nodded her head, he continued.
"My name is Henry and I've come to help."