Author Note: This book is the sequel to "Queen Elsa's Councilor." If you haven't read it, I can catch you up on the plot in this note and prologue chapter. If you want to meet all the original characters in this story, they make their first appearance in "Queen Elsa's Councilor," and some of the events come up in this story.
To summarize, one of Elsa's Councilors, Gerhard, joined Prince Hans during the coronation storm and came to believe that Queen Elsa's powers make her too dangerous to rule Arendelle. The other six Councilors remained loyal to Elsa. This prologue chapter is chapter 13 from "Queen Elsa's Councilor." The first chapter of the new story follows right after it.
Gerhard is the traitorous councilor. Rodmund is Head of the Council, and is loyal to Elsa. Lord Kennet of Hamar is one of the foreigners that Prince Hans consulted with most closely during the events of the movie. Hamar borders Arendelle along the mountaintops.
Arendelle and the movie characters belong to Disney. The original characters and the plot are mine.
Prologue Chapter – Traitor
There was not a formal council meeting when Lord High Councilor Rodmund confronted Lord Councilor Gerhard about his conduct. Rodmund encountered him near the portrait gallery, and they stepped inside. The silent portraits on the wall were their only witnesses, and they would never tell what transpired.
"Given your willingness to cooperate with a man who wanted to assassinate the queen, your ability to continue to serve on this Council is in question," Rodmund said, his piercing brown eyes full of controlled anger.
"I was under orders from Princess Anna to obey Prince Hans, same as you were," Gerhard replied, the flesh straining over his sharp cheekbones as he clenched his jaw.
"And yet none of us took matters as far as you did," Rodmund said.
"What do you want, Rodmund?" Gerhard demanded.
"I want you to reaffirm your oath of loyalty to Queen Elsa and recant your support of Prince Hans. The entire Council needs to hear it," Rodmund said. "We haven't decided yet whether to lay the entire matter before the queen. Your behavior will influence how much she needs to know about what you've done."
Gerhard's nostrils flared with unconcealed anger. "And who does Queen Elsa answer to? When will she be called to account for what she's done? She still has those strange powers, Rodmund. What's to stop her from doing this again? Arendelle isn't safe as long as she's alive."
Rodmund was in Gerhard's face, shouting, "You're speaking treason!"
"It's not treason to protect my country from the greatest threat it has ever faced!" Gerhard bellowed back. "How can you accept her as queen after what she's done?" The accusation echoed off the high walls of the portrait gallery.
"She's the queen! Would you have us plunge Arendelle into civil war? I can't explain her powers, but I've watched her grow up. I've seen her run this country in the years since her father died with the best interests of her country in mind. Her dedication to Arendelle is remarkable considering what she's been dealing with. This disaster wasn't intentional; that's obvious. She's a good woman who had a terrible secret and she deserves another chance. She has what it takes to be queen, and a good queen at that. The alternative is war, Gerhard. Don't go there," Rodmund warned.
"Intentional or not, she still has the capability to destroy Arendelle. Will it matter to anyone who freezes to death if she meant to do it or not? I'll do what's best for Arendelle, Rodmund. And that's my final word on the subject," Gerhard said. He walked out, leaving the tall wooden door open behind him.
In the hope that he would reconsider, Rodmund waited too long to order Gerhard's arrest. Captain Vilrun returned from Gerhard's estate with the unwelcome news that Gerhard was gone.
~###~
Lord Councilor Gerhard of Arendelle rode his bay stallion into a lather along the seashore road heading south. He caught up with the delegation from Hamar near Unnam Valley which marked Arendelle's far southern border, before they turned east into the mountain passes to reach Hamar.
"Lord Kennet! A word with you, if you please," Gerhard said with a bow from his horse.
Lord Kennet of Hamar turned his black horse aside to walk next to Gerhard's bay, who was still blowing hard with the exertion and the heat of the summer day. "I congratulate you on resolving the crisis," Lord Kennet said.
"It isn't resolved, just delayed," Gerhard said shortly, yanking on the bridle when his mount tried to stop and drink from a puddle by the side of the road. "She could set off another blizzard at any time."
"Keep it on your side of the mountain," Lord Kennet suggested.
"I've got a better idea than that," Gerhard replied. In a low voice and a torrent of words, Gerhard acquainted Lord Kennet with his thoughts.
"It's an interesting idea you propose," Lord Kennet said to Gerhard when he had finished outlining his plans and intentions. "My hands are tied, of course. Any foreign involvement would trigger your defense alliance treaty with Easthaven, and then where would we be? However, if it should happen that the throne of Arendelle were to fall vacant due to an internal civil matter, Hamar might be willing to help you stabilize the situation after the fact."
Gerhard considered. As Lord Councilor over Public Order, he knew Arendelle's defenses and weaknesses better than anyone. He'd written their plans for them, and trained their small corps of Castle Guards. Without Easthaven's assistance, Arendelle could be forcibly overrun by only a few hundred men. If Easthaven got involved in Arendelle's defense, he would need a bigger army. With some time to plan, he believed he could take over Arendelle more easily by himself than with Hamar's official assistance. "Naturally, mercenary soldiers who are hired for pay could not be traced back to any government," Gerhard suggested.
"Naturally," Lord Kennet agreed. "I understand that sometimes the soldiers of Hamar are willing to do some independent work for the right price, without any government involvement of course."
"Of course," Gerhard said. His horse plodded along now, head down, but no longer gasping.
"As your landlocked neighbor, Hamar might be enticed by the offer of free use of Arendelle's seaports. In fact, such an offer might be so attractive that Hamar would have a strong interest in enforcing peace in Arendelle if such a thing as the death of Arendelle's royalty caused any turmoil in our neighbor over the mountains," Lord Kennet went on. "Arendelle has been very selfish with its seaports, if you don't mind my saying so."
"If there was such turmoil in Arendelle, it might be that Arendelle would consider free use of its seaports to be a fair trade for help in restoring order. And if it happened that the death of Arendelle's queen was necessary to safeguard all the kingdoms of the world from destruction by ice, perhaps the other kingdoms of the world would look favorably on the ones who were willing to undertake such an unpleasant task," Gerhard suggested.
"It is possible they would have the world's gratitude," Lord Kennet conceded.
"I thank you for engaging in this conversation of hypotheticals," Gerhard said.
"What conversation? I didn't hear anyone say anything," Lord Kennet replied.
"Of course not," Gerhard said.
Author Note: It took some time for Gerhard to pull things together, so this book picks up four months later, in the fall. In the interim, Anna began studying history to prepare herself to start taking a greater role in Arendelle's government, which you can read about in "A Touch of True Love." Her teacher is another member of the Council, Gustav.
Chapter 1 – A History Lesson
"Twenty-three years? They fought for twenty-three years?" Princess Anna asked, astounded. She was seated at a table in the castle's comfortable library, with Councilor Gustav next to her. A fire crackled in the fireplace, taking the morning chill off the room. One wall was covered in a map, while bookshelves lined another wall. The bright sunlight streamed in through the triangular, diamond-paned windows.
"They were well-matched. Remember that the shortest wars are the most unbalanced. Stenneswatt and Breiwick had similar resources and populations, so the fighting could grind on and on," Councilor Gustav said. "All the atrocities of war continued unchecked for an entire generation."
"How did it end?" Anna demanded. "Who won?"
Gustav, Arendelle's Councilor over Foreign Relations and Anna's tutor, wrote down a citation. "I want you to look up the treaty. Read it and compare it to what they started with. I'll be back tomorrow evening. When I come back, you tell me how it ended and who won. Then we'll continue by discussing the impact of that much devastation and how long it took to recover."
Anna nodded, pulling the slate over to look at the citation. She'd been so worried when Councilor Gustav had insisted she learn history before she got involved in Arendelle's foreign relations. However, she soon learned history was nothing but an endless succession of stories of people and how they tried to get what they wanted. She was hooked. Gustav couldn't teach her fast enough. He also thought she was smart. Anna was not used to people thinking she was smart. Gustav was a few years older than her father would have been if he was still alive. But where her father thought she was a silly waste of time and never bothered himself with her, Gustav told her she was a quick study and very perceptive. He was feeding her heart as well as her mind.
After a light knock, the library door opened and Finn, the castle page, came in. He was about twelve, and too thin for his height, with crooked shoulders and clear blue eyes. "Lord Councilor Bern and Lord Councilor Vilrun to see you, sir," the page said with a bow towards Gustav. "And Kristoff is waiting in the kitchen courtyard to see you," the page continued, with a bow towards Anna.
Councilors Bern and Vilrun came in while Anna said, "Tell him I'll be right down." Anna was delighted. He was finally back from the mountains. And he'd actually asked to see her! She hadn't seen Kristoff since they'd had that terrible fight after their picnic six weeks ago. She was so busy now that days could go by without even thinking about it, but then she would remember that she'd been angry at him the last time she saw him and she felt crushed all over again.
Gustav put a hand on Anna's shoulder, keeping her in her seat. "Finn, invite Kristoff to come up. Good morning, Bern, Good morning, Vilrun," he said, as Finn bowed and left.
"Good morning," Vilrun replied with a bow to each of them. Vilrun was Arendelle's newest member of the Royal Council. He'd been sworn in as the Councilor over Public Order shortly after Queen Elsa's coronation. Prior to that, he had served as the Captain of the Castle Guard. While he wasn't tall, he was powerfully built through the shoulders, with beetled black brows and heavy jowls.
"Hello, sir. Good morning, your Highness. How are the history lessons coming?" Bern greeted them.
"Bern, how did the war between Stenneswatt and Breiwick end?" Anna asked.
"I'm not sure I remember exactly," Bern admitted, rubbing his fingers through the dark hair he kept cut short because he didn't like how curly it was when it grew out.
Gustav waved a finger at Anna. "You're bright enough to figure it out. Then you can refresh Bern's memory for him."
Anna bubbled at the idea that she would get to teach Bern something. He was the youngest councilor by far, only in his mid-twenties, and she didn't regard him with quite the same awe that the others inspired in her.
Finn knocked at the door again to announce his presence. "Your Highness, Councilors, Kristoff is here."
Kristoff had changed out of the heavy woolen tunic and sheepskin vest he wore in the mountains into a blue shirt with a burgundy sash. His gray trousers were tucked into his ice harvester boots with the curled toes. He barely stepped inside the room, glanced around uncertainly, and then smiled at Anna. She gave him a tiny wave and wondered why Gustav was keeping her in her seat.
Gustav stood up. It was easy to forget how tall Gustav was because he was so thin. Even Kristoff had to look up to him. Gustav's black hair was touched with gray at the temples, and a few gray strands lay in his goatee. There were a few lines around his mouth. "Finn, please be so good as to fetch Olaf for me." Then he turned back. "Good morning, Kristoff. Is this a busy season for you? Forgive me for not knowing much about the ice business."
"It's not as busy in fall because the lakes haven't frozen yet. Mostly we're getting gear ready and things," he trailed off. "Sir," he belatedly added.
Gustav nodded. "I see. Did you make plans for Princess Anna today?"
"Uh, I thought we'd go over to the marketplace. She said she wanted to meet one of my friends. And I could show her around Arendelle Village," Kristoff offered.
"Is this something you want to do, your Highness?" Gustav asked her.
"Well, yes, I'd love to," Anna said. Gustav still had his hand on her shoulder, or she would have been gone by now.
"I assume you'll have the princess home before dark?" Gustav went on.
"Of course, sir," Kristoff answered, this time remembering the 'sir' without a pause.
"Very good. You already know Councilor Bern, I believe. This is Councilor Vilrun, formerly the Captain of the Castle Guard," Gustav introduced him. Kristoff looked a little more confused as he nodded at them. "Councilor Vilrun will alert the doorman to be expecting you before nightfall. Should you be late, he'll be able to come help you with whatever situation caused the delay. I'm sure only an emergency would cause a late return. Unfortunately, I will be gone by then, but the doorman will report to Councilor Vilrun, of course."
Anna wondered what was going on. She caught Bern's eye and he winked at her.
Olaf ran into the room, trailed by Finn. "Hi, Anna! Hi, Bern! Hi, Kristoff! Hi, sir! Hi, Vilrun!"
"Hello, Olaf," Gustav greeted him. "Kristoff has kindly offered to show you and Anna around Arendelle today."
Olaf danced with glee. "Really? I love Arendelle! Are we going now?"
Gustav released his hold on Anna's shoulder and she stood up. Olaf grabbed her hand, then tugged her over and grabbed Kristoff's hand. He pulled them both towards the door.
"Kristoff, I'm sure a servant can help you locate Princess Anna's cloak," Gustav said.
"Yes, sir," Kristoff answered over his shoulder as Olaf dragged them out.
"Enjoy your day, your Highness," Bern called after them.
Anna was not sure what just happened, except that she knew she had just seen a master diplomat at work. She looked at Olaf, then at Kristoff, and giggled. Today was going to be fun.
~###~
As he watched Olaf pull Kristoff and Anna out of the library, Bern chuckled, then he laughed. "Sir, how many daughters have you raised?"
"Five." Gustav sat down, gesturing Bern and Vilrun to take a seat.
"It shows," Bern said. "Were you able to contact the people I told you about?"
"Yes, and we've gotten more contacts from them," Gustav said. "How is that going, Vilrun?"
"We've tracked down several of the other men who harvest ice, as well as some of Kristoff's customers and friends. We have yet to find someone who can accuse him of swindling them, or any form of viciousness. When he does offend people, he's quite straightforward about it. In general, he's rather tenderhearted, especially with his reindeer. Naturally, we've found a few people who don't like him, and a couple of people who have bragged about cheating him. The ice harvester that lost the castle's ice business to Kristoff is still upset at him, but that was Queen Elsa's decision, and not due to any malfeasance on Kristoff's part," Vilrun summarized.
"You know I can vouch for Kristoff's character as well, sir. I've seen him around the marketplace for years. He works hard, and I've never heard anyone impute dishonesty or cruelty to him either," Bern said.
"That's essentially what we're turning up as well with our inquiries," Gustav answered. "He seems to be a decent fellow, even if his manners are thoroughly reprehensible. I'm glad he's gone so much with his work. He is, of course, completely inappropriate as a suitor for the princess."
"They seem to be good friends," Bern said. "Her Majesty has encouraged the relationship."
"I've seen my daughters through many a broken heart. What the princess needs now is simple friendship. I'm sure Olaf's presence will ensure that nothing romantic accidentally takes place today," said Gustav.
"I don't think Kristoff will break her heart," Bern said.
"I meant Prince Hans," Gustav answered. "That's not even four months past, and our princess is still feeling the sting. These things take time."
"Sir, have you told Princess Anna about Prince Hans yet?" Bern asked.
"I'm still waiting for final confirmation from Lord Nolan of Lingarth. I don't trust the Southern Isles, and I won't believe a word they tell me unless Lingarth can confirm it. Can you imagine if I told Princess Anna, and then had to tell her I'd been mistaken?" Gustav replied.
"Yes, I agree with the delay," Vilrun said.
Gustav nodded. "Now, what did you find out about Gerhard?"
Lord Councilor Vilrun had been appointed to the fill the vacancy as Councilor over Public Order when Councilor Gerhard deserted Arendelle after the coronation crisis. Vilrun was seeking information about his former superior officer in an effort to find out where had gone and what he was doing. "We've learned that Gerhard is selling off his land. Bern has found several of the people who have purchased from him, and they appear to be ordinary purchases. Harold is looking into where the money is going, and that's been harder to find. None of Gerhard's old contacts have been involved in the transactions. If he's selling off his land holdings, perhaps he doesn't intend to come back to Arendelle."
"That would be the easiest solution, wouldn't it?" Gustav said. "I'm still sifting through the other men who were in Prince Hans' inner circle during the coronation crisis. Of the four of them, I'm most concerned about Lord Kennet of Hamar. Our shared border with Hamar gives them the most reason to worry about another freeze. Lord Kennet has always been the slippery sort. I hate to draw conclusions based on nothing but conjecture, but Hamar worries me the most."
"I believe there is some time pressure about Gerhard's activities. Bern tells me he's taking a loss on some of his land sales for the sake of selling them quickly. It may just be a desire to be done with Arendelle, but I don't want to draw that conclusion without proof," Vilrun said.
"Do we talk to the queen about any of this?" Bern asked.
Gustav shook his head. "We don't have anything to tell her. As long as we don't hear anything from Gerhard, we're all just chasing shadows and there's nothing to worry about."