Shouting and pounding feet followed close behind as Queen Helene raced through the dark hall. A whimper made her look down, and the terrified cerulean eyes of her eldest daughter looked up at her.
"Why do they want to hurt me, Mama?"
Helene felt her throat tighten as tears stung her eyes, but she forced herself to be strong as she caressed the little girl's platinum blonde hair.
"They won't, sweetheart," she whispered firmly. "I won't let them. I promise, darling."
To her relief, the sounds of pursuit were growing fainter. She kept running, determined to leave them behind.
"Hold it!"
To her horror, a large figure lunged from the shadows. Helene cried out in pain as a rough hand snatched her arm.
"Let go of me! How dare you!"
"Sorry, Majesty," said a gruff voice. To her horror, her daughter was wrenched from her arms. Her scream tore into her like a hot knife and she lunged at the man, prepared to fight tooth and nail to get her little girl out of his clutches.
More hands seized her arms, holding her back. Her daughter sobbed and screamed as she was dragged away.
"MAMA!"
"Stop!" Helene shrieked, thrashing. "Don't you dare touch her!"
The grip on her arms didn't loosen.
"I'm sorry, my lady," another man's voice said. "She's a sorceress and a danger to us all. This must be done."
The desperate pleas of her daughter were joined by the sound of a sword being drawn. Helene's heart began tearing apart, tears streaming down her face. She fought and clawed, but she couldn't reach her captors.
"No! NO!" she screamed. "ELSA!"
"Helene!"
The Queen jerked upright in bed with a cry, and looked to see her husband's alarmed and concerned face. He placed a hand on her wet cheek.
"Darling, you were crying out again."
At those words, Helene buried her face in her hands and her body shook with sobs.
"That dream again…" she gasped. "That horrible…"
She felt her husband's gentle hands on her shoulders, caressing them as he pulled her close. She wept into his chest as he rubbed her back.
"It's all right," he soothed. "She's safe… we won't let anyone hurt her."
Still crying, Helene shook her head.
"No… she's not safe. Every day she pulls away more and more, and I can't… can't do anything to reach her. I feel like… such a failure…"
Strong, gentle arms enclosed her in a tender embrace, but his voice was strained and trembling.
"No, darling. If anyone is a failure, it's me. I have access to so many resources, so much power to find a way to help her, but it all comes to nothing. I should be able to protect my family, and I can't."
Helene opened her eyes and looked up into the dispirited hazel eyes of her husband. She reached up to cup his face in her hands, but she couldn't think of anything to say that would comfort him. All they could do was gaze at each other, the same helpless question passing between them.
What will we do?