To Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle,
Greetings to you, most gracious Highness, on this the first anniversary of your ascension. Allow me to extend to you, on behalf of the people of the Southern Isles, our sincerest congratulations.
As a fellow sovereign, you surely understand than even in times of celebrations there are solemn and urgent royal duties that must be adhered to, which is a secondary reasons to which I write to Your Majesty.
As you well know, upon the end of The Great Freeze in Arendelle last year,l it was discovered by Your Majesty that my youngest brother, Prince Hans, had committed treason against your kingdom and your people. As you commanded, he was extradited home, where he was imprisoned as a political traitor. He remains in the dungeons of our capital city of Bornholm as of this moment, serving an indefinite punishment mucking our royal stables.
However, my advisers and court have discovered a proviso in the laws of the Southern Isles that was written to maintain peace with Arendelle and the Northern Kingdoms. Clause 42F, Subsection 4 of our mandate regarding treason committed beyond our borders:
"It is decreed, in order to maintain political equilibrium with our allies in the North and East, that any treasonous act committed by a citizen of the Southern Isles will be declared an act of war between the two nations involved unless the nation in which the crime was committed agrees to try the defendant within their own borders. If this is refused by the offended nation, then the defendant will be cleared of all charges and exiled from Denmark and the Southern Isles to the nation in which he had been living when the crime was committed."
This law has been on our books since the reign of our great-great grandfathers to establish and maintain peace after the Mountain Wars, which, as I am sure you have been educated to, were begun after five agents of Arendelle were caught spying in Bornholm, and were tried and executed before the two lands could decide whether they should be tried by the country they harmed or by their native land.
My advisers insist that the man be brought back to Arendelle for trial and sentencing, after which he will be returned here to have his sentence carried out. If the sentence of death is reached, let it be known that the Southern Isles have abolished said death penalty, and thus an execution would have to take place on your sovereign soil.
My courier awaits your hastened reply.
Yours with honor and respect,
King Erik XI, King of the Southern Isles
"This is atrocious," Elsa snapped, throwing the letter aside and standing from her desk. "The Southern Isles have never been an enemy of Arendelle. Now they insist on extraditing that monster back to us for a formal trial? This is nonsense."
"I know not of this law," the Ambassador muttered, a slight shiver in his low-pitched voice.
The Queen's study was dark...Elsa still liked it that way. Even after learning to let light and warmth into her life, she found some comfort in shadow and cold, especially while working. She'd gone to great pains to make the study her own. No one was allowed in except foreign diplomats who requested a private audience with her, and all were warned in advance to wear a heavy jacket upon entering. Elsa found that having such a space helped her control her magic while outside. Other than the darkness and chill, the room looked exactly the way her father had left it before his death years ago.
"You are their diplomat," Elsa replied. "How could you not have known?!"
"I apologize, Majesty," the Ambassador replied, bowing humbly before the beautiful Queen. The air in the study began to grow chilled.
"What did they think I would reply with? That yes, I want to try that man...who nearly killed my sister and myself, in person, here in our own castle? Why don't they try him in the Southern Isles? Why did they wait a whole year to tell me?" Elsa's breath quickened, and the Ambassador was able to see cool vapors rise from her tiny mouth.
"Majesty, may I point out that refusing to try the Prince will lead to a declaration of war or his passing to our hands without chains?" The Ambassador's teeth began chattering.
Elsa fell silent and went over to the window overlooking the front courtyard. Summer was back in Arendelle, and not only the courtyard, but the city beyond the walls were painted in greenery. Not exactly her favorite time of year, but it was the season both she and Anna were born, and without summer, Elsa would have never discovered her true strength. And today would mark the first Ice Faire to commemorate the Great Freeze as well as the anniversary of Elsa's Coronation.
"Sir Anderssen," Elsa sighed. "I would think yourself and the High Court of the Southern Isles would understand the antiquated silliness of this law and keep my would-be assassin within your own boundaries, especially today of all days."
"I beg your pardon, Majesty, but I am bound to my duties to my country, as you are to yours. The High Court insists upon Hans' extradition to your lands for his formal trial."
"Did you not try him when he was brought back?" Elsa asked.
"No, Majesty," Sir Anderssen confirmed. "The High Court passed judgement in an informal capacity due to Hans'...natural immunity."
Elsa bit her lip. Part of her knew this was coming. Hans, being the youngest brother of the King of the Southern Isles, did have diplomatic immunity within the bounds of the Southern Isles. Mucking stables was a punishment for a misbehaved child, not a dangerous would-be assassin. Why hadn't she seen it coming?
Elsa made eye-contact with the Ambassador. "Then, I suppose I would rather he arrive in chains than as a free man."
Sir Anderssen smiled. "And His Most High Highness King Erik XI has assured me that for the duration of the trial, he himself will be present to guarantee the smooth oversight of trial and execution."
Elsa cocked her head, and the room got even colder. "Execution? May we not sentence Hans to life-imprisonment, or banishment elsewhere?"
Sir Anderssen shrugged. "Indeed, that is for yourself and your court to decide," he agreed. "However, I think you will find that the Southern Isles, as well as the people of Arendelle, would be more willing to dispatch of him for his most serious crimes."
It was everything for Elsa to chime in with the painful fact that, in spite of the monster he was, Hans was still the baby brother of King Erik. How could anyone be so willing to sentence a little sibling to death? And while Arendelle did have a death penalty, it hadn't been used in two generations. There had to be a less barbaric way of 'dealing with' the situation at hand.
"The King will visit Arendelle for the duration of the proceedings, then?" Elsa asked. "Isn't his wife with child?"
Sir Anderssen nodded with a smile. "Yes. Queen Ariel is expecting her second child, and the Southern Isles are hopeful for a son."
Elsa repressed a superior smile. Unlike Arendelle, The Southern Isles operated under Male-Preferred Primogeniture. If no son was born, the throne would pass to the next eldest brother and his male offspring. Such antiquated laws, indeed! Truly,. Their policies were almost as old and outdated as those of Weselton.
"However," Sir Anderssen continued, "She is not expected to deliver until the end of this year. King Erik feel morally obligated to be present for the trial and exe-proceedings."
"Very well," Elsa sighed. "You will return to your kingdom and give notice that Hans will be delivered here for a formal trial. Arendelle proceedings take many weeks, so we will be sure to provide suitable lodgings in the palace for High Highness and his entourage. However, we ask that the High Court of the Southern Isles arrive no earlier than next month. This is a special time for us, and we wish it not be spoiled by these...formalities."
"As you wish, Majesty," Sir Anderssen bowed and exited the room to attend to his frostbitten nose.
Elsa turned away once the door was closed. She shivered under her own flurry in a rare display of the cold bothering her. At least no one saw.
She'd woken up this morning with enough on her royal plate. She intended to open the Ice Faire with the announcement that, in the likely absence of a royal consort for herself, the succession would go to Anna and her children, should she have them (such an event was more likely than Elsa having children...Anna was still closely-knit to Kristoff the Iceman). Elsa hated formal speeches. Fortunately, now that her powers were more-or-less under her control, she didn't flash-freeze the entire country when she felt nervous.
Now she was expected to announce that by the end of the month of festivities, the traitor Hans of the Southern Isles was returning to Arendelle to re-open the wounds of the Great Freeze with a large, internationally-sanctioned trial, and possibly the first blood spilled on Arendellian soil in two generations. What a terrible way to begin a reign!
Elsa hated the mere idea of execution and murder, having been under the sword herself (not legally, of course). Life was something Elsa valued even more than before, not only in herself but in everyone and everything around her. Life was what was worth fighting for. She wanted her rule to be one of peace and life, one where the people would love and not fear her. Her father had ruled the same way. Her cousins in Corona rules the same way. Arendelle had a thriving economy and a strong, beautifully-developed culture thanks to such policies.
Notably, the Southern Isles rules differently, especially after the circumstances of how King Erik won his Queen away from evil magic of the sea. The kingdom notably feared all magic, and remedied said fears with a more authoritarian ruling structure. Classes were more divided, their culture more secretive and selective. The relationship between the two lands wasn't one of animosity, but one of precarious friendship. That changed, of course, after Hans' attempted murder and usurpation of the Arendellian throne.
And what would Anna think, letting that man back into the country? Elsa was able to shake off the betrayal of Hans, but Anna, who had been smitten with him (even engaged), was less likely to take the news as simple political necessity. Especially as of late, for Anna had been in a heightened emotional state the past few weeks, most likely because of the upcoming anniversary. It did bring up painful memories for both sisters. At least Anna had Kristoff to comfort her. True, Elsa had Anna, but it wasn't as if she herself had a consort or a close love to rely on if Anna had a mood swing at the same time. Even Olaf could only do so much. When Anna found out about this new development, she would likely fall apart...at least temporarily. Maybe she would be back to her old optimistic self after too long?
The clock on the wall suddenly chimed. Elsa sighed. Ten o'clock.
Perhaps today was not the day to think of the oncoming storm of politics and justice. Elsa still had to fight to feel and not conceal sometimes, and now was going to be the hardest practice yet. The easiest way around it was to feel the right things, and save the rest for later. The air around Elsa only warmed slightly as she left the study and shook the ideas of a trial and death sentence out of her mind and went to open the gates to the festivities.