Passionate Vengeance
Chapter 1:
The Royal Family
A/N: At long last, the sequel to "Say You Will" is finally here. For those of you who haven't read "Say You Will" I strongly encourage that you do that before you read this story. It will make a lot more sense to you if you do. For the rest of you who have read "Say You Will" I think you'll enjoy this sequel. It takes place fifteen years after the events of it, and will focus on Paul and Elsa's eldest son Eric as he deals with an enemy that will threaten to destroy all that Paul and Elsa have fought for. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
King Paul sat at his desk one morning, looking over a letter he had recently received from the kingdom of Urvea. His cousin, King Daniel, was inviting him and his family to join them for a ball they were throwing in honor of his fifteenth anniversary as king. Paul had a hard time believing that it had been that long since he handed the throne over to his cousin. However, he was certain that it was in the best of hands.
Truthfully, he was happy to have a chance to visit his homeland. He hadn't been there in a long, long time. His duties as king of Arendelle required his full attention almost all the time, so he had little time to travel for pleasure. Yes, Paul was a busy man indeed; but he wasn't alone in the matter, he had the intelligent and beautiful Snow Queen to rule by his side.
Fifteen years ago, Paul had married Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Together, the two ruled efficiently, creating a sense of peace and harmony throughout the kingdom. Sure it wasn't always easy. Like any king and queen they had problems to deal with. There were even times in which they were truly at a loss at what to do. But they never gave up. Their love for each other was strong, and coupled with the love for their kingdom, only made them stronger.
They had had more than their fair share of hardships getting where they were today, but they didn't dwell on that. What mattered most to Paul and Elsa was the present. Paul and Elsa felt they were blessed with the life that they had. They had two wonderful sons, a loving family, and a kingdom full of kind and hardworking people. Sometimes it seemed like it was something out of a fairy tale, but in truth, it was even better than any fairy tale ever could be. It was perfect in every way imaginable. As Paul began writing his response to King Daniel, the doors to his study opened, and Paul felt a cool gust of wind blow across his body.
"Good morning, honey," Elsa said, walking towards her husband.
Paul turned around to face Elsa. She had just woken up not too long ago, but even in her disheveled state she looked as radiant as ever.
"Good morning to you too, sweetie," Paul said, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did actually. I had this wonderful dream I was sailing on a river of chocolate."
"Sounds lovely."
"Oh it was lovely, and it tasted even better."
"We should do something like that someday," Paul suggested.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean why don't we dump a boatload of chocolate into the Arendelle harbor and go sailing on it."
Elsa laughed, her husband's sense of humor never ceased to amuse her.
"I think that would upset a lot of people," she said, still laughing at the idea.
"Yeah, you're probably right, but still it's a thought."
Elsa leaned in and kissed Paul on the cheek. The king returned the gesture, and stood up so that he was eye level with her.
"I've just received a letter from Daniel," Paul said.
Elsa's eyes lit up. "That's nice! What does he have to say?"
"He's inviting us to a ball he's throwing in honor of his fifteenth anniversary as king."
"That sounds lovely, we should go!" Elsa said.
"I was just in the process of writing him back, saying that we will attend," Paul confirmed.
Elsa smiled, and wrapped her arms around him. "Excellent. I'll inform Captain Samuel to have a ship prepared for our journey this Friday."
"Sounds like a plan," Paul said, smiling in return.
The two then leaned closer, meeting each other in a tender kiss. Paul wrapped his hands around Elsa's head, cradling it gently. The Snow Queen did the same with his shoulders, pulling him more towards her, and deepening the kiss. Paul and Elsa continued to kiss as someone entered the room, unbeknownst to them.
"Um…hi," said a voice.
Paul and Elsa instantly broke contact, and turned to see their eldest son, Eric, standing in the doorway.
"Eric! How long have you been standing there, sweetie?" Elsa asked, blushing profusely.
Eric smiled. "Long enough, mom. I see you two are happy about something."
"Yes, indeed. Your Uncle Daniel has invited us to a ball this Friday," Elsa explained.
Eric's face lit up. He loved Urvea, especially his Uncle Daniel, whom he didn't get to see very often. Paul had not talked much about the kingdom where he was originally from, nor did he discuss his childhood much. He knew that Paul had an older brother named Aaron, who had died in a tragic accident before he was born. Even more confusing, Paul never wanted to talk about his brother. Eric assumed that the pain of his loss must have taken a huge toll on him.
"That's great! Wait until I show him what I can do with my powers now!" Eric cried, holding up a hand and forming a miniature tree made out of ice.
Shortly after he was born, Paul and Elsa discovered that Eric had inherited Elsa's ice magic. The Snow Queen was terrified when she learned of this, thinking that he might do something terrible with them accidentally like setting off another Eternal Winter. But the queen's love for her son was much stronger than her worries. She took it upon herself to train Eric how to properly use his powers, always reminding him that love was the key to controlling them. Eric proved to be much more efficient with is powers than Elsa did as a child, seeming to quickly learn how to use them.
Five years after Eric was born, Elsa gave birth to another son, whom they named Thomas. Unlike Eric, Thomas did not have any magical powers, which was perfectly fine. Paul and Elsa loved him just as much as they did Eric. The two boys were inseparable, always playing with each other, always getting into mischief, and more importantly, always there for each other. The two reminded Elsa of the way she and Anna were as children. Only this time, Eric was not cut off from his younger sibling in fear of him endangering Thomas.
Elsa loved both of her boys more than she could ever describe. They were her heart and soul, and every day it pleased her to see them alive and well. She truly was one lucky woman.
"Ok, but don't overdo it," Elsa instructed. "I don't want you to cover Urvea in a blanket of snow."
"Trust me, momma, I got this," Eric said. "Wait until I tell Thomas, he's going to be really excited. He hasn't been to Urvea since he was a baby!"
Just as soon as he was mentioned, Thomas walked into the study, reading a book. Like his mother and father, the twelve year old had developed a passion for reading, and was almost always seen with a book in his hand.
"What about Urvea?" he asked, closing his book.
"We're going to Urvea for a ball this Friday!" Eric exclaimed. "Isn't that great?"
Thomas's reaction was the same as Eric's. His eyes lit up, and a huge smile formed on his face.
"Oh man! I've read so many things about Urvea, it sounds like a great place! I can't wait to see Uncle Daniel again. It's been forever since I last saw him," he cried.
"Settle down, boys," Paul said. "We still have a few more days before we leave. Until then, I expect you to be on your best behavior and keep up with your studies."
"Yes, papa!" the two boys said in unison.
"I've been reading about Urvea's history lately," Thomas said, showing them the book he was reading. "It's really neat how you built those railroads, papa, and it's even neater that your brother could control fire!"
Paul and Elsa's expression instantly grew serious. For years, they had managed to keep Aaron's terrible deeds a secret, and now their youngest son was dangerously close to learning the truth.
"Thomas, where did you get that book?" Paul asked.
"I got it from you're study," Thomas said, unsure of why his father was acting strange.
"I thought I told you never to come into my study without my permission!" Paul cried. "Give me that book!" Paul grabbed the book from Thomas's hands and shoved it in his desk drawer.
"This place is off limits from now on," he said. "Do you understand?"
Thomas nodded, still very unsure why his father was so upset.
"Alright then. Now off you two go. We'll see you at dinner," Paul said, regaining his calm composure.
Thomas quickly left the room. He was a little scared at what just happened, and didn't want to be yelled at again. Eric, on the other hand, was curious by what had just occurred. He hardly ever saw his father get angry, especially over something as simple as someone taking a book from his study. He couldn't help but question.
"So dad, what was Aaron like?" he asked.
"That's not important," Paul stated firmly. "He was my brother who died in a tragic accident. That's all you need to know."
"Could you tell me about his fire powers? They sound interesting!"
"No, Eric. There is nothing more to tell. No please, go play with your brother."
Eric opened his mouth to ask another question, but one look at his father told him that it wasn't a good idea. He softly agreed, and left the room to join Thomas in the foyer. As soon as he left, Elsa began to cry.
"That was too close," she said.
"I know. God forbid either of them find out any more about Aaron," Paul said.
"I can't even begin to imagine what they would do if they learned the truth," Elsa said, fearing for the worst.
Paul placed a hand on Elsa's face, and gently turned it towards him; tears were glistening in her sapphire blue eyes.
"Elsa, I promise that won't happen. Aaron will remain a mystery to them for quite some time. When they're older, perhaps we will tell them the truth. Until then, Aaron will remain a closely guarded secret."
Elsa wiped the tears from her eyes, and placed her head upon Paul's shoulder.
"Ok, Paul. I trust your judgement," she said.
"Good. Now let's lay this matter to rest. If I'm not mistaken, we have a meeting in an hour, don't we?" Paul asked.
"Yes, we are meeting with the council to discuss ways to improve the educational system in Arendelle. Very few children get the kind of education that Eric and Thomas are receiving, so I think we should design a program where every child has the same opportunities as they do," Elsa said.
Paul smiled. That's the thing he loved the most about Elsa: her compassion for others. It was a quality that she had passed down to both Eric and Thomas, and one that would greatly enhance their lives, and all of those who knew them. As Elsa went back to her room to get dressed, Paul returned to answering Daniel's letter. Unbeknownst to them, Eric had been listening in on their conversation the whole time from outside the room. What he heard only made him even more curious. Who was Aaron? And why were his parents so determined to keep him a secret?
There you have it, chapter one! I hope you all enjoyed it, next chapter will reveal our antagonist of the story.
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