"Your Majesty? It is time."
Anna groaned as the voice of her chamberlain pierced the thick silence.
"Thank you, Kai." she muttered as she pushed herself out of her seat. She knew she couldn't avoid attending the solstice tournament. In her younger years she had loved watching it, admiring the skilled knights as they jousted and dueled. But it had always been with her parents. Even now, nine years after their passing, she still felt sadness every time she thought of them. And to make matters worse, she was suffering from a massive headache. Just doing my duty as a queen. she thought.
She made the trek to the wooden bleachers accompanied by Kai and a detachment of guards, in addition to two members of her ever present queensguard. Even though she was well-loved by her people, it never hurt to be cautious. A lesson her father had taught her early on.
When they neared their destination, and the roar of hundreds of people waiting for the tournament to start began to drown out her thoughts, Kai hurried ahead to the royal pavilion to announce the monarch. The crowd fell silent at his appearance beneath the heavy cloth canopy.
"People of Arendelle, valued guests and competitors, behold her Majesty Queen Anna II. of Arendelle and the Southern Isles, duchess of Finnmark, conqueror of the South and protector of the realm!"
There was a deafening cry of 'God save the queen!' and 'All hail Queen Anna!' leaving hundreds of throats as Anna appeared beside Kai. Purple crocuses were thrown down the bleachers into the sand of the arena, soon to be hosting the first tilts of the day. Despite everything, Anna enjoyed those moments. She liked to believe that at least some of the cheers she received stemmed from genuine admiration, not just a sense of duty and obligation.
With a single wave of her hand she silenced the masses. "Thank you, my beloved people." she said, her clear voice carrying far and wide in the silence. "It is my great joy and honor to host this year's summer solstice tournament on the palace grounds on such a fine day. I am sure all of you are quite as eager as me to see the best of the best prove themselves in the tilts and the mêlée, so without further ado, let the games begin!"
As the crowd roared and cheered again she gracefully sat down in her padded chair, not failing to notice the scowl on Kai's face. He was never too pleased when Anna eschewed the royal plural, especially when addressing the common people and foreign dignitaries, but she disliked using it. It always felt preposterous and boastful to her. She was still human, after all. Sending her chamberlain a teasing smile, she took a goblet proffered by a servant and took a sip of iced wine, hoping she wouldn't have to overindulge in it to cool herself down. All signs hinted at it becoming a very hot day.
The first competitors entered the arena on their horses, clad in shimmering armor and holding obscenely long lances. "Ser Haakon the Bold of house Falkenskiold, riding against Ser Erich of house Wittelsbach!" the master of ceremony announced, pointing to the respective knights.
"I do hope Ser Haakon goes easy on that whelp." a thin voice announced next to her, "I've wagered quite the sum on him and we wouldn't want him to tire himself out this early, now, would we?"
Anna suppressed a groan as she turned to see the man who had spoken. "Duke Weselton, what an unexpected pleasure!"
The tiny man bowed deeply. "Your Majesty. It is an honor to spend the tourney in the royal pavilion."
Anna rolled her eyes while his head was still almost touching the ground.
"Rise, duke. There's no need to be so strict on protocol today. It's a celebration, after all."
He straightened himself and smiled, or at least tried to smile. The grimace almost made Anna chortle.
"Thank you, your Majesty. It is always a pleasure to be in your fair company."
"I assume things are well in the duchy if you, of all people, gamble on the outcome of the joust."
If he registered the jab he hid it well. Anna's dislike for the greedy man was well-known, but it didn't keep him from sauntering up close to her every chance he got, always with another scheme in mind to enhance his riches at the expense of another's.
"Quite so, your Majesty. The harvests look very promising, and silver is always in high demand."
He was, of course, referring to the rich silver mines on his land, something that Arendelle lacked completely, and the duke never tired of reminding her of how a great deal of the kingdom's economy depended on his resources. That has to change, sooner rather than later. Anna thought. If only there were a pretense to just annex the duchy and be done with it. And rid the world of this old geezer in the process.
She simply nodded and let her gaze wander around the pavilion, dismissal clear in her attitude. The duke backed away and fell into a quiet conversation with one of the barons present. Unwilling to be surprised by yet another less-than-welcome nobleman, she took her time to assess what persons of note were present. Her advisers were seated a few rows below her, along with Lord Marshal Henrik Rosenvinge, the head of her armed forces. It was thanks to him that she was even sitting here, with her head still on her shoulders.
Just a few short weeks after her coronation, the realm had been attacked by the Southern Isles. It was a centuries-old rivalry between the two kingdoms that had finally come to a head when King Phillip saw his chance at subduing Arendelle when a young, inexperienced monarch took to the throne, a woman no less. It was the heroic effort and brilliant strategies of then just General Henrik that had thrown back the invaders, and he even convinced her to take the war that the southerners had started to them, conquering the kingdom and thoroughly humiliating the warmongering Phillip when she forced him to swear fealty to her as a loyal vassal.
Henrik had been named Lord Marshal as a reward for his exceptional service, something that caused quite the commotion among the nobles as he was just the son of a lowly Baron with no holdings worth mentioning. He proved himself more than deserving of the title just five years later, however, when the Southern Isles revolted and attempted to overthrow Arendellian rule. Phillip was killed in the fighting, and, in a twist of irony, Anna used the same pretext of distant familial relations Phillip had used five years befeore, to let herself be crowned Queen of the Souhern Isles and ruling both countries in a personal union. The surviving members of the southron royal family had been offered the choice of exile or life-long house arrest, and Philip's youngest son, Gustav, taken hostage. He was also present today, sitting by his own and observing the tournament. Despite him being nothing more than an insurance against future uprisings, Anna had built a strong relationship with him and considered him one of her closest friends. She even contemplated marrying him to further solidify her rule over the south, but she had no delusions that it would be anything more than a political marriage. She did like him, but love was something different entirely.
Looking around further, she spotted many decorated knights that had become too old to fight in the lists, as well as several foreign dignitaries, the most important being ambassador Count Abensberg-Traun of the Austrian Empire. Anna was in the final stages of sealing a trade agreement with the Hapsburgs that would massively boost Arendelle's economy, with the added bonus that they would be far less dependent on Weselton's silver. It would upset their relations with the French, who were close allies, but Anna was confident that, given time, she would be able to smooth things over.
As if he had felt her eyes resting on him, the man turned around and smiled at the queen. He slowly made his way to her and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to be invited for this special day." he said with a deep timbre that emphasized his german accent even more.
"Please, ambassador, there is no need to be so formal today." Anna replied. "And I am quite pleased to be able to show our very best to you. Is the joust as popular in Vienna as it is here in Arendal?"
He turned around just in time to see a competitor being unhorsed by his opponent, to roaring applause of the crowd.
"Not quite," he admitted, "but I'm very fond of the sport, personally. I always revel in any opportunity to observe such skill and strength."
Anna sent him a genuine smile and engaged in a lively conversation about his homeland, eager to learn as much news possible about the state of the Hapsburg Monarchy, and the Holy Roman Empire in general. She thoroughly lost track of time and was surprised when she was interrupted by the bellowing voice of the master of ceremony. "Now for the final tilt! Ser Haakon the Bold rides against Ser Fredrik the Cunning in the final bid for the honor and trophy of being Champion of the Lists!"
A cheer went through the crowd, dulled by hisses and booing at the mention of Ser Fredric's name. He was a skilled fighter and rider, but had a reputation for using dirty tricks to his advantage that, while not forbidden, were frowned upon.
The first tilt began, and Anna could immediately tell that something was off. Haakon's destrier was behaving strangely, prancing nervously and hardly paying attention to his rider's commands. Despite the handicap, Haakon managed to land a blow against Fredrik, shattering his lance and thus scoring a point. Then, on the second round, the unthinkable happened: both knights were flying across the field towards each other, and just as their lances were about to connect Haakon's horse reared, throwing off the rider while being hit on the exposed belly by Fredrik's lance, impaling it in the process. The crowd gasped and Anna shot to her feet at the display, the silence only interrupted by the sickening whines of the dying animal. Haakon stood up and ripped off his helmet, revealing thick blonde hair and an expression that screamed bloody murder. He bellowed to his squire, who quickly came running, holding Haakon's sword. He ripped it out of its scabbard and strode across the field towards Fredrik, who was currently celebrating with his squire and unaware of his opponent's approach.
"You bloody cheat!" he screamed when he reached the knight. "Draw your sword and face me like a real knight, you dishonorable scum!"
The situation was about to escalate when Anna's voice sounded above the commotion. "That's enough!" she yelled. "Stand before us, both of you!"
The knights sullenly went over to stand before the royal pavilion, heads lowered to avoid the queen's furious gaze.
"You are both anointed knights, sworn to uphold the law and protect the innocent, and yet here you are squabbling like petty children!"
Haakon raised his head, mouth already open in retort, when Anna cut him off. "Silence! You better think long and hard about what you are going to say to your queen's face, sers."
That reminder shut them both up thoroughly.
"I realize that Ser Fredrik has chosen a mare in heat as his tourney horse, which served amicably to distract his competitor's destrier and increase his chances of success."
"Your Majesty, I would never..." the knight in question started to say, but was interrupted by Anna. "Save it, ser." She almost spat out the last word. "You were well aware of that fact when you chose your mount, don't you dare deny it!" He lowered his head in defeat.
"Since there is no specific rule against this behavior, Ser Fredrik is the winner of this years joust by means of unhorsing his opponent, Ser Haakon, and receives the champion's purse of ten thousand kroners."
Haakon once again opened his moth to protest, but Anna simply continued talking. "But, seeing as his actions deliberately undermined the spirit of chivalry celebrated in this festival, he will not be named Champion of the Lists, and he will donate the entirety of his winnings today to an orphanage in the royal city!"
Haakon gave a huff of appreciation as Fredrik's face contorted in range. "Your Majesty! That's not fair!"
"It is just as fair as deliberately riding a mare in heat for the jousts, good ser." she said with smug satisfaction. "Now be off, if I recall correctly you both entered the lists for the mêlée as well. You better perform well, Ser Fredrik. For the sake of the poor orphans."
She turned around and returned to her chair, sitting down with as much dignity as she could muster. Just past noon, and already this ugly charade had soured her mood. She picked a few grapes off a tablet set down by a servant while she observed workers dismantling the railing for the joust, preparing the arena for the mêlée. This was to be a messy affair. Dozens, sometimes close to a hundred, combatants would enter an arena and fight with blunted weapons until only one was left standing. A large mêlée could take several hours, and despite the precautions, serious injuries and even death were a distinct possibility for every participant.
This year, luckily, featured a smaller list of competitors. Only about thirty knights had entered into the lists, since the joust was more prestigious and endowed with a higher prize money. However, many lesser known and poorer knights saw the mêlée as their opportunity to gain fame and fortune, and maybe even prove their skill enough to find employment in some lord's retinue.
As was customary, there were a few mystery fighters. One could expect to find a lord or prince entering the lists with an alias, to prevent others from forfeiting when they met a noble on the field; or lowly hedge knights with a sinister reputation that wanted to avoid being deliberately picked off early on. This year there were only two combatants who didn't make their names known, one being the Red Rider of Hollow Hill, an enormous man clad in a red-tinted armor, his coat of arms displaying a white eagle on red ground, associated with the extinct Salian dynasty. The other called himself the Winter Knight, the smallest of all the fighters in the mêlée. He had donned a banged-up suit of unadorned steel armor that had clearly seen much use over the years, the only embellishment being an intricate snowflake chiseled into the shoulder and breast plates.
The mêlée began, and quickly descended into inevitable chaos and confusion. After just an hour, more than half of the participants were already defeated, captured by opponents to be held for ransom. Both the red rider and the winter knight managed to subdue several notable knights, among them Ser Haakon and Ser Fredrik, who were both quite exhausted from the jousting earlier. Soon, the only fighters remaining were the two mystery combatants, and their skirmish had everyone on the bleachers, including the queen, on the edge of their seats.
Where the red rider was a creature of brute strength, swinging his mace with as much force as possible, the winter knight used speed and dexterity to evade the blows, only rarely using his sword to block. At first the nobles in the royal pavilion scoffed at the defensive and evasive style of the winter knight, but soon it became apparent that he was trying to tire out the mountain of a man that opposed him. His swings were already becoming slower, the movements muddled, and suddenly the small knight lashed out when he saw an opening, delivering a savage blow to the helmet of the red rider, who toppled down. Lying on the ground, the winter knight raised the tip of his longsword to the edge of his opponent's helmet, pushing into the chainmail covering his throat.
"Yield." was the only word he said, with a metallic distortion through the slits in his helmet.
"I yield, I yield." the red rider growled, panting from exertion. The crowd cheered and roared, applauding the nameless knight for a fight nobody would soon forget. He lowered his sword and stuck out his other hand, helping the red rider get back to his feet. They both walked towards the royal pavilion, the defeated knight supported by the very man who bested him. He removed his helmet and revealed himself to be none other than Prince-Elector Heinrich IV., ruler of Corona, Arendelle's closest ally in the Holy Roman Empire. The winter knight, still not uttering a single word, kept his helmet on and stared at the queen.
"It was a good fight!" Heinrich bellowed, slapping the smaller man on the back. "Remove your helm, ser, so I might see your face and reward you for your skill and bravery."
Hesitantly, the knight moved his hands towards his head, undoing the straps and pulling off his helmet. A single, platinum braid fell down across the back as the cheers and hoots died down. The silence was deafening, until Duke Weselton uttered "A woman." Raising his voice, he continued. "A woman! How dare she! Guards, seize her!"
Nobody moved a finger, instead all heads turned towards the queen.
"And why should they do that?" she said, in a cutting tone.
The duke turned to her, disbelief in his eyes. "Bu-but your Majesty! A woman! Fighting in the mêlée?!"
"What are you insinuating, duke? She has committed no crime, women aren't barred from entering the lists."
"She...she posed as a knight! There are no female knights!"
The duke had a point, pretending to be a knight was a serious crime punishable with several years of incarceration.
"Step forward, ser." Anna said, ignoring the sharp inhale of breath by the duke upon her use of the title. "What is your name?"
"I am Ser Elsa of Arendelle, formally anointed into knighthood by Ser Lothar of house Gyldenløve five summers ago, after being his squire for several years." she said, eyes never straying from the queen's face.
"Preposterous!" the duke screeched. "Ser Lothar was a respected knight, he would never have stooped so low as to accept a woman as his squire!"
Elsa turned to look at the duke, shooting daggers with her glare. "Watch your mouth, duke, if you value the teeth currently residing within it. I will not have you insult the man who took me in when the world had abandoned me!" she growled.
"How dare you threaten me, wench?!" the duke cried, eyes wide. "Guards, seize her at once!"
Elsa was in the process of removing her gauntlet, no doubt to challenge the duke to a duel, when Anna's patience had run out.
"Enough!" she roared."You only speak when spoken to, duke, or you will be forcibly removed from the premises. Have we made ourselves clear?" she hissed. With a satisfied smirk she saw all color leave his face. The queen using the royal plural was a sure sign of something ugly about to happen.
Turning to Elsa, she spoke up again. "Despite my...misgivings about the duke's choice of words, he raises a valid point. Feigning knighthood is a serious offense. Do you have any proof to back your claim, Ser Elsa?"
She returned her gaze to the queen, eyes softening. "I have documents written and signed by Ser Lothar himself, proving my status."
"It is quite enough for me, ser" Anna replied. "Your skill and courage have impressed me. In addition to the champion's purse of three thousand kroners, I shall grant you a boon. Name it, and if it is within my power, it shall be yours."
Elsa fell to her knee, resting her hands on the crossguard of her longsword, head low. "Your Majesty, my only wish is to find employment in your royal queensguard, to fight your enemies in your name and to protect your life with my own."
A collective gasp went through the nobles and the common spectators alike. A woman in arms, fighting battles was, while quite uncommon, not entirely unheard of. But a woman in the royal guard? Anna herself was taken aback by the bold request. She contemplated the implications of letting this knight join her royal guard. It was well within her power to do so, and she had given her word as queen. On the other hand, she was a complete stranger, with unclear motives and allegiance. For now, she decided, she would grant her wish, but keep her under close supervision.
"Done!" she said, loud and clear. A servant scurried towards Anna, handing her a heavy purple and green cloak. She stepped down from the pavilion into the arena, and fastened it on Elsa's armor herself. "Rise, Ser Elsa the Swift, Queensguard of Arendelle!" She noticed the small smile that crept across the woman's features as she added the new title. Elsa slowly got back on both her feet, head still bowed.
"Thank you, your Majesty." she mumbled, almost impossible to hear over the deafening cheer of the crowd.
"It is my pleasure, ser. Now, you must be weary from the fighting. My chamberlain will show you to your quarters in the guard's tower. If you aren't too tired, you are of course welcome at the royal dinner tonight."
The new queensguard was fidgeting with her hands nervously. "I'm afraid I don't have the proper attire for such an event, your Majesty." she said shyly.
"Nonsense!" the queen replied with a chuckle. "As queensguard you will have the best finery! A seamstress will see to it right away. In the meantime, I'm sure we can find something suitable."
"I can't begin to express my gratitude, your Majesty." Elsa said, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"You will have ample opportunity to do so in my service, Ser Elsa." Anna said. Turning away, she motioned for Kai to approach. "Kai! See to it that Ser Elsa has a room of her own in the guard's tower, and send a seamstress to her chambers at her earliest convenience. We will also need to find a fine garb so she can attend the dinner tonight."
"At once, your Majesty!" Kai said, bowing. "If you would follow me, Ser." They walked off, Kai leading Elsa towards the main entrance of the castle.
When Anna returned to her seat, the Lord Marshal walked over and leaned in to her. "Duke Weselton was less than pleased with how the events unfolded. He stormed off muttering things I better not reproduce." he whispered
Anna sighed. "He'll cool down eventually. Although his fits are really starting to test my patience. We should look for a more permanent solution to this problem. Have the council assemble before the reception tonight."
"I'll see to it, your Majesty." he bowed and turned to walk away when she raised her voice again.
"Henrik? Thank you. For...everything you've done."
"Don't mention it, little one" he whispered with a smirk before walking away.
After Kai had left her alone, Elsa stood in wonder in her room. Her own room! Never would she have even dreamed of this when she awoke today. She didn't even dare to move, afraid that at any moment someone would barge through their door and announce that the queen had thought better of it, and kicked her out. She visibly flinched when, as if on command, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter!" she said with a shaky voice.
The door opened and a serving girl appeared with a curtsy. "The bath you have requested is ready, milady." she said timidly.
Elsa chuckled. "I'm not a Lady, just a knight. Let me get out of my armor."
With trained precision she undid the straps and buckles, gingerly setting each piece on the bed. After every piece of plate had been removed, she discarded her chainmail gorget and arming doublet, standing only in a sort, slightly grimy undertunic, and padded breeches.
"Please follow me, ser."
Elsa went after the girl who led her down a few corridors until they arrived in front of an unassuming wooden door. The servant stepped in and pointed out the filled tub among several empty ones in the bathing chamber.
"I'll just be outside the door, should you require anything, ser."
Elsa quickly thanked the girl and waited until she had shut the door before quickly discarding her shirt and trousers and gingerly lowered herself into the scalding-hot water.
Relief washed over her, all the weeks of anxiety and doubt about participating in the tournament simply melting away. Sitting still, she realized how tense she was, and also started to feel a few bruises that would look very nasty come morning. Despite winning the mêlée, she hat been hit several times.
After relaxing for a while, she thoroughly scrubbed herself from head to toe, removing the dirt and grime from weeks spent on the road without an opportunity to bathe. To her delight she even found a bottle of lotion and started lathering it in her hair. It smelled of something that was oddly familiar, but she had trouble putting a name to it. Regardless, she enjoyed the scent and wallowed in the absolute luxury of having a real-life hot bath.
It was so relaxing that she actually started to doze off, only to be rudely jerked back into reality when a knock came from the door. "Ser, the feast is set to begin within the hour."
"Just a moment!" Elsa yelled, quickly stepping out of the now cold water and toweling herself down. After putting her clothes back on she opened the door and smiled sheepishly at the girl. Wordlessly she followed after her, trying to remember the way that lead back to her room.
Kai was waiting for her outside the door. "Ah, Ser Elsa, it is good to see you again." he said with a smile. "I have several sets of fine garments laid out on your bed. I hope you find them to your liking."
"Thank you" Elsa said, quietly.
"If you need anything, just flag down a servant in the corridor. Good day, ser." he said, ushering her into her room and closing the door from the outside.
Elsa carefully inspected the clothes provided for her. She scoffed when she saw that most of them were dresses. After a while of searching, however, she found a loose-fitting, high-collared dark-red doublet, accompanied by matching dark pants. Not exactly her colors, but she was sure to turn a few heads with her choice of attire.
With a sigh she noticed the thick layer of mud on her boots. She fingered a rigid brush out of her pouch and started cleaning them.
"Thank you all for convening on such short notice, councilmen." Anna said, looking at each of the four men sitting at the round table. "I am well aware that we all have to get ready for the reception, so I'll try to keep this as short as possible."
After the appreciative nods and murmurs had died down, she continued. "I'm sure all of you have noticed the little...drama, caused by our very good friend, the Duke Weselton. Frankly, I'm more than tired of his antics and constant threats to increase tariffs, or cease trade altogether, if even the tiniest thing about us displeases him. Any suggestions?"
Henrik was the first to speak up. "From a military perspective, we should have little problem subduing the duchy. Weselton is diplomatically isolated, and several foreign nations already think of them as a part of us, because we're their only major trade partner and the only other land border they share is with the Swedish, who are diplomatically isolated due to their ambitions in the Baltic. That said, I think an invasion at this point would be ill-advised. Even if we found a believable reason to justify such an act, some larger nations are still not over us forcing the Southern Isles into vassalage. They're afraid we'll become too powerful, and the English are just looking for an excuse to declare war. Aside from the Spanish we're the only power that could pose a threat to their navy, and combined with our alliance with France they don't like that one bit."
The queen sighed. "You're probably right, as always. Thank you, Henrik. Any other ideas? What about his son, what do we know about him?"
Lord Pippin, her spymaster, spoke. "Unfortunately, very little. He lives a very secluded live inside the castle walls, never interacting with anybody unless it can absolutely not be avoided. If my agents wouldn't see him every now and again at official functions, I would have believed him dead for several years. It's impossible to discern his disposition towards us, should something unfortunate happen to his father."
Anna slammed her fist on the table. "There's got to be something we can do! I won't suffer being taunted and ridiculed by this sad excuse for a duke in my own palace, damn it!"
Lord Asger took this as his cue to raise his voice. "Your Majesty, the duke's son is still unwed. I think it prudent to pursue this avenue of thought before we consider such heinous things as assassination or all-out war!"
"Are you suggesting I wed the duke's son, Lord Asger?" Anna hissed through clenched teeth.
His face went white. "O-Of course not, your Majesty! That would be a terrible waste, I was rather thinking of several duchies within our realm that have suitable women. We could..."
Anna cut him off with a snarl. "Thank you for your input, Lord Asger, but we will not discuss marrying off women like trading a commodity. Don't make me regret appointing you as head of the corps diplomatique."
"I-yes, your Majesty. Thank you, your Majesty." Had he bowed any deeper in his chair, his head would have fused with the table.
"I would like to remind everybody of the fact that we are still very dependent on the silver shipments from the duchy of Weselton." Lord Alfred, the master of the Mint, said. "In the long term it would definitely be advantageous if we...stabilize our relations with Weselton in whatever way, but we should make sure to take short-term fluctuations into account if we choose a more aggressive course of action. Even if the trade agreement with the Austrians comes into fruition."
"Thank you, Lord Alfred." Anna said. "We'll be sure to take the economical factors into consideration."
A brooding silence descended upon the room. Nobody seemed to have any good ideas, so Anna dismissed them until the evening.
"Henrik, Lord Pippin, please stay." Anna said as the other two left the room.
They remained in their seats, with a questioning look. When the doors were shut again, she spoke up. "You're both aware of the newest addition to my queensguard. Henrik, since Knight-Commander Petter has not yet returned from his mission, you will introduce her to the rest of the queensguard on the morrow. I'm sure they'll give her an impression of what she can expect. Tell her she has free run of the palace until Petter returns to conduct her formal induction into the force. I want you to keep a close eye on her.
"Lord Pippin, you will compile a thorough dossier about her past, and validate her claims about being Ser Lothar's squire. I don't think she lied about that, but we better make sure. I want that dossier by the end of this week. That is all. Thank you for your time, gentlemen. I'll see you in a few hours."
Elsa was right about her outfit turning heads. Several nobles stuck their heads together and whispered after spotting her, and she even caught a few women giving her jealous looks. The doublet was actually much tighter-fitting around the chest than she had anticipated, but it came as no real surprise as it was obviously cut for a male wearer. She sheepishly lounged around a corner by herself, afraid of embarrassing herself if she mingled with the nobles and dignitaries. She had, of course, received basic etiquette lessons while being a squire, and was quite sure that she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself while sitting at the table, but actually talking to so many high-borns was a different matter altogether.
She was soon spotted by Prince-Elector Heinrich, however, who promptly marched up to her. "Ser Elsa!" he almost hollered, the deep baritone of his voice carrying across the room. "I had hoped to see you here, knight of the queensguard!"
"Your Highness." Elsa replied, bashfully lowering her head. "I hope you don't hold a grudge against me for besting you today."
"A grudge?" the prince replied, almost laughing. "Why would I do that? You won, fair and square. I wouldn't want to meet you on a real battlefield, ser, rest assured." He paused for a bit before continuing. "Now, I seem to recall that I promised you a reward, and my word is my bond. What do you wish of me? A new suit of armor? A fine destrier to ride into battle?"
Elsa felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks and silently cursed herself for it. "Truly, your Highness, a reward isn't necessary. The queen already made my highest hopes come true."
He chuckled. "Such modesty, a rare trait nowadays. You should treasure it. If you ever find your way to Corona on your travels with the queen I shall have something special waiting for you!"
Realizing she couldn't dissuade the prince from his endeavor to reward her, she merely replied with a meek "Thank you, your Highness." He nodded his head and was about to say something else, when a servant approached them.
"I deeply regret having to interrupt you, your Highness, ser, but the queen will arrive shortly. I shall show you to your seats."
They both followed him, Elsa thankful for being rescued from the conversation before she would have inevitably said something stupid. The servant led them to a seat to the right of the queen's own, the place of honor at the table. Elsa looked down the rows, trying to discern where her own place would be, when the servant cleared his throat and forced her attention unto him. To her surprise, she saw that Heinrich had already taken a seat to the left of the queen's, opposite the still empty chair. The attendant gestured towards it, saying "Please, ser, take a seat, the queen will be here any moment."
Elsa's eyes went wide. "What, here?! No, no, that can't be right, you must have made a mistake." In her agitated state she missed the man rolling his eyes. "Ser, the queen gave specific orders for you to be seated to her right, now if you would please sit down?"
Tentatively she moved into the seat, barely touching it when the large double doors were opened and Kai strode in. "All rise for her Majesty Queen Anna II. of Arendelle, Duchess of-" He was interrupted by Anna walking in, muttering "Yes yes, they all know who I am." Kai frowned, but remained silent.
As soon as the queen sat down in her chair, everyone else also took their seats. Servants scurried along, filling cups with wine. Elsa kept her head trained on her chalice, frequently taking little sips in hope of remaining unnoticed. Soon, however, the queen addressed her.
"I hope you find your quarters to your liking, Ser Elsa?"
She looked up, finding the queens gentle eyes resting on her. "I-uh, yes, your Majesty. They are wonderful, thank you very much."
Anna smiled. "I am sure this is all very new to you."
Elsa lowered her head, blushing. "Is it that obvious?" she whispered.
To her surprise, the queen chuckled. "Don't be afraid, as queensguard everyone will be quite eager not to anger you."
"Thank you, your Majesty." Elsa replied with a smile.
"So, on the morrow you will be introduced to your new companions in the queensguard. Unfortunately, Knight Commander Petter is currently out of the country, so your official induction into the queensguard will have to wait until he returns. In the meantime, you will of course receive a new suit of armor to signify your status and-"
She was interrupted by Elsa. "Your Majesty, I'm afraid I have already asked too much of you, but is it possible for me to keep my old armor? I-I'll have it repaired and cleaned, of course!"
Anna cocked her head to her side. "Does your armor mean that much to you, ser?"
"It...it was a gift to me by Ser Lothar upon receiving my knighthood. Aside from his sword and a pendant it's the only thing I have left of him."
"He meant a lot to you, didn't he?"
"Yes, your Majesty. He..." She hesitated, unsure how much of her past she should reveal to the queen. "He took me in when I was half dead from starvation. I owe everything to him. He was like a father to me."
She felt her eyes mist over and quickly lowered her head, taking a deep gulp of iced wine in hope of calming herself down.
"Now, now, Anna, don't pry. It is obviously a very personal matter for our good ser knight. I'm sure my sister taught you better than that?" Heinrich said with a smirk.
"Thank you for reminding me at my own table, in my own palace, uncle." Anna groaned, but smiled nonetheless.
Their banter went back and forth and Elsa got very involved with her cup of wine, trying her best not to attract anyone's attention. The first course was served and she was glad she remembered most of her table manners. Soon, however, she found her inhibitions slowly melt away, no doubt thanks to the alcohol, and she occasionally took part in conversations around her when she deemed it appropriate.
"We have actually met before, your Highness." she said, looking at Heinrich.
He eyed her warily. "Did we, ser? I'm sure I would remember meeting such a striking beauty like yourself."
She smiled shyly. "The circumstances were less than beautiful, your Highness. It was in the second siege of Copenhagen, the day we finally broke down the gates. You saved my life."
His eyes went wide. "How so?"
"It was in the fighting at the inner moat. A southron man-at-arms had landed a strike from behind, tripping me, and already raised his poleaxe to deliver the killing blow, when you simply rode up and bashed his head in with your mace. In the mêlée today I could tell your style of fighting was familiar, but couldn't put a name to it until you removed your helmet."
"Ha!" he called out, smirking, "Then it seems like my reward to you will be to call it even!"
She actually laughed at that. "That seems quite fitting, your Highness." she replied.
"You fought in my campaign against the Southern Isles, Ser Elsa?" Anna asked, incredulously.
"Yes, your Majesty. In both, actually. When the south invaded I was Ser Lothar's squire, and he joined your army train. In the second campaign, to quell their uprising, I was already a knight, but still traveled with him, and we both joined your forces. The day I was saved by Prince Heinrich was also the day he died."
"I remember." Heinrich said, "single bolt through the chest. An unfitting end for a great knight."
"Quite so." Elsa whispered, raising her cup. "To Ser Lothar, and all the other great knights who died to bring us peace."
Both monarchs and several nobles within earshot joined her pledge, raising their goblets and thinking of the dead.
Elsa noticed a man saunter up to the queen with deliberate steps, leaning in to her and whispering something in her ear. She couldn't make out the words, but they made Anna's face light up. "Thank you, Lord Pippin. Look into the matter and report to me once you're absolutely sure." The man bowed and walked away, leaving the room. Elsa watched him warily. There was something about him that made her feel uneasy.
She soon shook the feeling, however, when she was pulled into a riveting tale delivered by Prince Heinrich about the first time he sat on a horse, that had her fighting hard to hold back a chortle.
The dinner ended soon thereafter, and Elsa excused herself to retire to her room, feeling quite exhausted. A servant led her through the unfamiliar halls and corridors to the guard's tower, and she finally slumped down on her bed, ready to pass out. This might not be so bad after all. she thought.
okay, new thing. What do you think of it? I wanted to do a somewhat different take on the 'knight-and-queen' thing that several authors have done already (quite successfully, I heartily recommend 'The Queen's Mercy' by JYN044 and 'In the service of the Queen' by Malthazar Lord of Shadows just to name two). Thus the little role-reversal. It'll be interesting to figure out how the different roles and changed circumstances will affect our heroines. If some actions seem OOC, please consider their background in this fic (i'm still open and welcoming towards any criticism you feel like sharing, particularly in regards to how elsa and anna behave).
now,i'll also need to explain a few background facts that i'm going to incorporate into the fic, but I know not many people are quite as interested or well-versed in late-medieval history. The fic takes place in a slightly-AU europe, starting in the year 1504, in the early phases of the military revolution. I'm a big sucker for verisimilitude, thus I strive o be as accurate as possible in my depictions and interactions, but I will occasionally take some creative freedoms. but no official lesbian marriages. we're still in 16th-century europe, come on. I'll try to explain any important events or specific terms and concepts I use in my chapters in the A/N of the chapter, for the people who are interested. Which leads to the next part of this monster-A/N
expanations!
Arendelle – basically historical norway, assuming the Kalmar Union never actually happened
Southern Isles – historical denmark, now ruled by Anna in a personal union (which is a sort-of reversal of the kalmar union. I like irony^^)
Corona – my version of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, hence Heinrich's title as 'Prince-Elector' (since the margrave of Brandenburg was one of seven electors in the holy roman empire for most of its history)
Weselton – an independent duchy, my equivalent of the swedish county of Skåne (which was never independent, but artistic license, shut up)
Mêlée – part of medieval tournaments,which worked differently from how I described them. Usually two teams of knights would meet each other on horseback and try to break the other's ranks, then turn around without breaking their own formation to run the 'enemies' down. Later forms could also be a free-for-all brawl similar to what I depicted, but usually involving hundreds of knights and their retinues, totaling several thousand people. They'd fight on a large, open field rather than in an arena, but again, artistic license, shut up)
also, some bonus history trivia: the Abensberg-Trauns are one of europe's oldest noble families still existing today. they have several holdings in eastern austria, including a 'castle' (i'm using the term very liberally here) in the village where i grew up.
i'll get into all the lingo about armor and period-historic clothing (they already had bras in the early 16th century!) in chapter two, since this A/N is already a length-abomination that should be killed with fire
alright, so this is it. As always, any thoughts, suggestions, criticism and death threats can be left via review, PM, or chinese whispers