4: Finishing Touch
As the days drew on, the heat in Arendelle went from unusual to unbearable. Most people were starting to avoid the outdoors if they could help it, as they simply didn't have the kind of apparel needed to effectively deal with the unprecedented conditions. Of course, work was work and there was inevitably going to be more than a few poor saps who would end the day drenched in sweat, or worse, sunburned from spending the whole day outdoors.
The occupants of the castle were faring a little better against the brutal heat, thanks in no small part to a nearly unlimited supply of the perfect countermeasure. Most of the rooms in the castle had a thin layer of ice on the ceiling, with flakes of ice occasionally dropping down. As long as the ice never melted outright, the people inside could work without having to worry about the intense sun. And at this point, this was something they badly needed.
The jubilee celebration was now just three days away, and urgent deadlines were all over the place. Some had failed to be met while others loomed dangerously close, and as a result the work of Arendelle's officials became a kind of quiet madness. If forms didn't need to be filled, they were going somewhere else, either to someone else to authorise or into the city proper to be carried out. Which often involved yelling at people to actually brave the unforgiving heat.
Somehow, Mikael found himself in the middle of all of it. Official documents of all kinds vied for his attention all throughout the day. Requisition orders, guard reports, official complaints, even RSVPs for the upcoming festivities all managed to find their way onto his desk on this one particular day. It was already clear that his days in the castle were numbered, did they really have to try and force him out like this? It wasn't like there was a great deal of space in the room he had been given, and now it became more and more closed off as papers needed his attention.
The modest room that had served as his temporary "office" of sorts wasn't exactly out of place in the castle. The walls and the floors had been lavished the same way as any other room. Although this particular room only had one small window and when Mikael first arrived it was caked in dust, as though it had simply been abandoned before. He simply rolled up his sleeves and dealt with it, even if it meant being chided by the many castle workers who could have done it for him.
As a part of Arendelle's governing body, Mikael had long since accepted the truth that their work was never done. Today however, it felt like the he'd spend the rest of his life dealing with the problems he was getting today. Official procedure demanded that every paper stamped with the royal seal receive his attention, even if it was yet another complaint about the intense heat. What exactly did they expect the government to do, change that weather? Then again… no, he couldn't think like that. Best to just write the "official" response, and hope that people could fix their own problems for once. Boy, wouldn't that be nice.
Yet another knock on the door. If he got any more papers they wouldn't be able to get the door open. Whatever it was this time, it could…
Bertrom edged his way into the room, wearing far less jewelry than he normally did.
"Can I help you, sir?" Mikael said, turning back to yet another complaint.
"Sir? I guess the heat must be getting to you," Betrom said, checking his nails for imperfections.
Mikael pushed the paper aside and put his quill down. "Well, you had the decency to knock instead of just barging in. And it looks like it's not to pawn off more papers on me, so I'm feeling charitable right now. Use it wisely."
Bertrom stared at Mikael for a second, before straightening his jacket. "Ahem, yes I was hoping to get your input on this prospective return to trading with Weselton. Tell me, what is your honest opinion on this little windfall we've received from them."
Mikael stared back. "Well, I'd say it's a good thing, considering the difficulties we've face over the last year. But honestly, maybe it's a little bit too good."
"Ah, good, you understand. I trust you're aware that while we cut our ties to Weselton, they weren't the only partners we ended up losing it. A few felt the same way as that duke about magic. Many more were afraid that our queen might try to use her powers to force more favorable terms in our trade deals. I can't imagine the delegation from Weselton sang our praises after returning home. We're starting to turn things around of course, and this influx of wealth would certainly help."
"But?" Mikael asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, the gap in logic should be obvious, even for you. How did Weselton go from hating us to doing us such substantial favours? The way I see it, they went more than to simply return to the old agreement. I'm almost certain that they would want to escalate the terms of any agreement they strike."
"So? I imagine they lost a lot of money after the embargo came into place as well. Surely they would want to make that back as much as anything," Mikael said.
Bertrom sighed. "I don't think you fully understand how they work. I've had my share of dealings with nobles from Weselton in the past. Most won't even give you the time of day without some kind of angle. I believe the most likely possibility is that they wish to enter much larger, wider trading deal so they can leverage that to their own ends."
Mikael closed his eyes and leaned back. "Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you might have a point. If you're right about their unscrupulous ways, that is. Have you informed the queen about this yet?"
Bertrom started the pace the room, though he could only go a couple of steps each way"Ah, that's where the problem lies, you see. As you are no doubt aware, Weselton left probably the worst possible first impression on the young queen. I fear that the moment she hears my theories of suspicious motives, she will call the entire thing off. Gifts or not, that's not something we can afford at this point."
"So you want me to do it, am I right?" Mikael asked, rolling his eyes. "Not like all of you have left me a thousand things to do already today.
"Let me assure you that I had nothing to do with your current workload, believe or not. And besides, this is in all of our interests, even yours.
Mikael sighed. "I have to see her later anyway, I guess I can make it a thousand and one. I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises."
"Yes, that's about all I can ask for. Good day," Bertrom said, before leaving the room in silence once more. Mikael took up his quill once again before noticing the contents of the current report.
"Damnit," he muttered. The ship they were expecting from Westbury still hadn't arrived. The queen was going to have a field day with this.
The day dragged on, the scorching heat not letting up. As the sun reached it's peak in the summer sky, almost nowhere outside was safe from the heat, and no one dared remain outdoors without some kind of shade from the unrelenting heat. All, save one.
Anna had volunteered to go on a supply run for the castle, which while highly unorthodox ended up passing as the job had no other takers. This did mean that a guard would have to escort her, leaving the poor man with the twofold job of enduring the heat while in uniform and trying to keep up with the princess, both of which were challenging in their own right.
"Let's go, let's go!" Anna called out, running through the assortment of market stalls.
"Your highness, I cannot keep up with your pace with this many items in this heat." The guard has hauling a loaded sack behind him. "Are you sure this isn't enough for today?"
"No no no no no, there's still some items left on the list. Don't tell me you need to take two trips?"
The guard sighed. "No, of course not your highness. It's just." He looked up at the blazing sun. "The sooner we finish up here, the better, okay?"
"Don't worry, I got this," Anna said, slowing down briefly. "Now let's see here." She started to count her way through the row of stalls. "One, two, three, fou... here we go. Hello Rosetta." She had arrived at a stand filled with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Blocks of ice had been placed strategically around the produce, which gave off a vapour and made the stand quite a bit cooler than anywhere else nearby.
"Oh, your highness, how may I help you today?" Rosetta replied. She was only a couple of years older than Anna herself, had short golden blonde hair and a simple green dress covered by a white apron.
"Come on, Rosetta, I thought we were through this. It's just Anna, and it always will be." Anna closed her eyes and gave a smile.
Rosetta laughed. "Oh, but when you say that it just makes me want to say "your highness" even more. Anyway, what can I get you today? Everything you see here is as fresh as the was on the plant."
"Oh, I know I know. You never dissapoint me. Okay, let's see here," Anna said, starting to pat herself down. "Come on, it was here a moment ago."
"The list, princess?" the guard offered, along with a long piece of paper he held in front of Anna.
"Perfect. Okay let's see here." Anna went down the list to last part.
"Mind if I take a look?" Rosetta offered. "I can get everything you need, no problem."
"Oh, you're the best!" It only took a couple of minutes for Rosetta to get everything picked out and packed, increasing the guards burden even further. "Oh, while I'm here there's just one more thing."
"For you? of course." Rosetta procured a second bag and filled it before handing it over. "Will that be all?"
"Yeah, I think so. How much will that be?" Anna asked.
"You can have this one on me. It's the least I can do after you got me all the ice I needed."
Anna tilted her head. "Are you sure? That was a lot of stuff we picked up, you know?"
Rosetta gave her a wink. "Course I'm sure. Just make sure the queen knows the next time I need some more ice." She looked up at the sun. "Which might be soon."
"Oh, I know," Anna said, laughing. "I mean, I don't really feel it that much but whenever I'm about it's alllll people wanna talk about. Not that I mind, though. It's just nice to be able to talk to everyone like this. I have been wondering about this. Maybe Elsa really does have tropical powers and she just doesn't…"
The guard cleared his throat rather abruptly. "Your highness, shouldn't we return with the supplies now?"
Anna gave a flimsy wave without even bothering to look at him. "Not now, can't you see I'm talking?"
The guard cleared his throat just a bit louder. "Your highness, we still have a job to finish. If we spend too long out here our food could spoil. Then we would have to make a second trip." He flashed a ghost of a smile.
"Okay, okay. I'll see you later." Anna gave a quick wave and dashed out of view not a second later. The guard sighed for what was probably the fiftieth time that day and tried to give chase.
Anna's dash back to the castle had gone rather well. With just a small fraction of the goods she had set out to acquire, she was close to making it back in record time. However, a moment of inattentiveness in the courtyard had allowed a rather large, solid figure to rather suddenly interrupt her progress. The next thing she knew, Anna was face up on the ground, no worse for wear save for the fact that she had somehow managed to land on the small sack she was carrying.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," Anna recited, lifting her back up a little at a time. She froze when she noticed the source of her dead stop.
"Hey, watch where you're… Anna?" Kristoff (for of course it was he) had been her unexpected interruption. The impact hadn't even caused him to stumble. In fact, the discovery of his partner had moved him more. He stepped forward and offered a hand. "I wasn't expecting to see you… out here. You know, thought maybe it would be cosier in there. With your sister."
Anna picked herself and brushed herself off. "Yeah, uh, me neither. I mean, I wasn't expecting you back. So soon. Oh, not that it's a bad thing. It's great! Really, really, great." The two of them avoided looking at each other for a few seconds longer. Soon, the people around them were starting to stare.
"I'm so sorry!" They blurted out in perfect unison. "Wait, why are you sorry? This is my fault. No, this is my fault! Wait, what?"
The pair stared at each other for a second. Anna was the one to break the silence. "You put all that work into making everything perfect, and then I went and ruined it with my weak stomach. You spent the whole trip watching over me, and it's all my fault!"
"Anna." Kristoff gave her a firm look. "There's no way you could have known. You spent almost your whole life in the castle behind me; and you're fit as a fiddle the rest of the time. Besides, you didn't even want to go on this trip." Kristoff wisely stopped before going into the reasons.
"Of course I wanted to go on this trip." Anna looked him in the eyes for the first time since the conversation started. "I know didn't at first, but I spoke to my sister. Then I realised that as long as you were there, it didn't really matter where we were going or how. We've been through worse, right?"
Kristoff finally smiled. Their first meeting was plenty of things, but memorable was one that stood out. In the end, both of them had their worlds changed forever. And they had truly found one another. "Princess Anna of Arendelle. We both know that we wouldn't be together if that wasn't true. That's just common sense. Do you really not think I feel the same way about you? As long as you're still Anna, it's all worth it."
Anna's lip wobbled. "So, so you're not mad at me?"
Kristoff took a step forward and embraced her. "It's okay. I honestly thought you had every right to be angry at me. That's, sort of why I was away for so long. I wanted to get you a little peace offering when I came back. I might have gone a little overboard, though."
Anna regained her composure and her eyes narrowed on the men. "What did you do?"
Kristoff motioned towards his sled beside him. It was hardly brand new any more, but the paint work had held up surprisingly well considering how much it had been used. The space in the back which usually held the shipments and other supplies appeared to be empty at a glance, so Kristoff lead Anna over for a closer look. "Well, I wanted to get you something nice at first, but then I remembered how you looked when we arrived, so it had to be something really nice. Then when I got there I decided why stop at one? I may have gotten a little carried away there."
"Uh, should I be excited or scared?" Anna asked. She didn't need to wait long to get her answer. The base of the storage area had been loaded with soil, and growing out of it were tens of flowers. Or more specifically, tens of one flower: the lily of the valley. All of them were in their prime and had blossomed with immaculate white petals. Anna was briefly at a loss for you words all over again. "You picked all of these. For me?"
Kristoff shrugged. " Well, yes and no. There wasn't much point in picking them if they were going to wither before I returned. And well, one thing lead to another and now my sled has a flower bed. And it's all for you. I hope you like it."
"I, I, " Anna stammered. "I love it! I love it so much. You shouldn't have gone to all of that trouble."
" I want them to last, Anna. Just like us." Kristoff turned to face Anna. "Are you crying? "
" Uh, no?" Anna wiped her face, but then turned away. "It's just, what I did wasn't nearly as good." She turned around and picked up the small bag she was carrying. " I hope you like it."
"Well, if this is what I think it is." Kristoff took a look. "Well, you certainly know what I like." How noticed Anna's expression. "Look, you went and got these for me, that's all that really matters. And in this heat, too. That has to count for something, right?"
Anna finally hugged him back. " Thank you. That means the world to me." She opened her eyes and gave her usual winning smile. "So, and what should we do? I mean before you take another bath."
Kristoff shivered at the notion. Elsa's behest had really pushed him out of his comfort zone. Castle life had its perks of course, but with that came a few more obligations every time. "Well, why don't we start with the lilies. They can't stay on my sled forever."
"Aww, but that seemed so romantic. Oh well. Let's go, my pungent reindeer king!"
Kristoff rolled his eyes. "If you say so, miss feisty-pants."
The hours dragged on and the heat persisted. But despite the common consensus, the day was finally nearing a close. The sun had begun its descent below the sea line.
At the castle, things had also begun to wind down. In spite of all the problems going on, everything had managed to stay on track for the most part, though the ample supply of ice had certainly helped. Supplies could be kept in the castle for longer without going bad, and everyone could work full tilt in relative comfort. In retrospect, it was hardly a wonder that no one wanted to leave.
Queen Elsa had most of the day to herself, quietly labouring away in her study, on whatever needed her approval. Even with all the misgivings, there were always people who needed her wealth. Or her influence. Or her. Only now she had pieces of the celebration to put together. Of course, in a rather twisted way this had become her comfort zone. While all of those years alone had somewhat stunted her ability to interact, it had also appreciate these times of pure solitude. Not that she had so many of them now. Anna and the officials had seen to that.
She finished signing an order for more candles to be delivered. That would just about do for the day. It was only going to get more difficult from here. There would be even more movement as the last of the supplies were brought in, and then everything had to be set up. There would be meetings, plans, and decisions. Plenty of decisions. Elsa thought about what had happened the previous year. Did she really think leaving all of this to her sister was the best course of action? Anna was supposed to be the rash one, for heaven's sake. She gave herself the luxury of a small smile, until a knock came at the door.
"Come in." It took a few seconds, but the door came open. Behind a rather cumbersome stack of papers was Mikael, trying not to lose his grip on them.
"Your majesty," he announced, though refraining from bowing owing to his considerable burden. "Here's all of the reports and other documents from today. There's also what I think are several requisition orders from the princess. It's just some forms that say certain individuals 'need some more ice'. I've filed everything in order of importance here for you, but you just need to check if you want to make any amendments."
"I see. Well, leave that on my desk." Elsa didn't even take her eyes of the document she was reading.
Mikael nearly rolled his eyes. This was about the closest he had come to a conversation with the queen since the meeting earlier in the week. This time it would be different. At the very least, he had something to discuss this time. "While I'm here, there were some concerns regarding the upcoming trade agreements."
Elsa turned to meet his eyes. "Which had to wait until now? Considering you were the one to initiate these dealings, now is not the best time to get cold feet."
Mikael scratched his head. "It's not cold feet, per se. It's simply a word of caution as to how these dealings go. We still do not know who they intend to represent them, and most of us agree that the rather extravagant gift seems a little too generous from them. Even as the agreements biggest proponent, I must urge a certain degree of prudence."
"Let me get this straight," Elsa started, standing up. "When the last representative of Weselton came to meet me, he attempted to have me assassinated. Do you really believe that I would be so careless as to throw caution to the wind just because they decided to throw some wealth our way. A gift you didn't even bother to inform me of?"
Mikael suppressed a growl. "Look, section four point three of the trading act, circa eighteen- you know what, that doesn't even matter. From what I heard, the Duke of Weselton practically wore his greed on his sleeve. And yes, I am well aware of what he ordered. The point is, you might be so focused on that, you might not even notice some of the tricks they might try to pull."
"Master Blitzrein, I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle, its one and only titled sovereign ruler. I have hundreds of decisions to make every week, with thousands of people riding on each and every answer. Every decision I make requires a clear, impartial head. Do you honestly believe that this would be any different? That my even after a year, my judgement could be clouded so easily?"
Mikael sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to imply-"
"You're not helping me," Elsa said, taking a deep breath. Suddenly to top paper of Mikael's pile caught her eye. "And what is the meaning of this? The Westbury company's ship still hasn't arrived? You see, now I have to make arrangements, find suppliers, make apologies. I don't need your inane advice at a time like this.
Mikael's eyes narrowed just a bit. "Then what should I do? Should I snap my fingers and change the tides? Maybe if I focus hard enough, I can make a more favourable wind blow." Mikael stood there for a moment, letting it sink in. "I guess. not. Sorry, your majesty, acts of God are your domain, not mine."
Elsa was stunned. "Excuse me?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Mikael shouted. He motioned towards his pile of papers. "Is that not good enough for you?"
Elsa needed a moment to formulate a response."Just- go."
"Fine!" Mikael snapped, before stomping off. He spared no effort in closing the door after him, which gave a rather loud bang as it snapped shut. While neither of them realised it, they both stood there for at least a minute, trying to digest what the other had said. While Elsa finally concluded that the pile of work presented to her probably needed a quick review, Mikael was pulled out of his stupor when he saw a gathering of people round the corner, trying not to be seen.
"Oh, piss off," he muttered, turning in the other direction.
Down at the market stalls, people were closing up shop for the day, relieved that they had a least a few hours relief from the intense heat. For most of them, that would be used up sleeping off the day's work, but for now it was time to enjoy their time off and the company of their loved ones. For some people, anyway.
After he left the castle, it didn't take too long for Mikael to run into James, who was at the market stalls engaged in some light conversation. It was definitely not a transparent attempt to mooch whatever people could spare, as he had repeatedly insisted. Mikael didn't even bother trying to get his attention or greet him, simply grabbing him by the arm and practically dragging him along.
"Woah woah woah, what gives, man?" James asked, trying to keep his footing.
Mikael let go of him once they were clear. "You know that place you told me about, the Rusty Anvil. We're going there. Now."
"Seriously? I mean, if you're offering I don't mind going a little earlier than usual. But what's the occasion? It doesn't sound like we're going there to celebrate."
Mikael pressed forward. "That's because we're not."
Even though she was even more distracted than usual, Elsa had managed to make it through the pile of papers she had been given. It had mostly consisted of skimming the parts that were important to her. If she wasn't efficient, there would never be enough hours in the day. That was something her father had taught her. Elsa stopped cold, before exhaling sharply. What would he have done at a time like this?
Another knock at the door. "What?" The door opened to Christian. "Oh, my apologies, high councilor."
"Not at all, your majesty. Did something happen between you and Blitzrein? He seemed in an awful hurry to leave just now."
Elsa almost jumped. "Oh, you heard that?"
"I believe half of the castle heard that little outburst. He sounded quite upset, if I may say so."
Elsa paused for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate response. "So, did you need something, councilor?"
Christian brought out a small package. "Ah, yes. The Westbury company's ship arrived not thirty minutes ago. They're aware that they may have caused some problems, so they've sent you a small token by way of apology."
Elsa blushed. With all the work she had been immersed in, she hadn't even gotten around to her gift from Anna. And that wasn't even going into the climax of her earlier spat. "If there's nothing else, may I ask for your assistance with something?"
Christian smiled. "Majesty, you know full well that I am sworn to assist you in any way possible, just as I was your father before you."
Elsa nodded. "I understand that. Only this is somewhat more personal than what I usually deal with."
The Rusty Anvil wasn't anything special when it came to taverns. A bar displayed a selection of alcoholic beverages, and a few stools and tables gave patrons a modest selection of places to drink and talk about the day. Of course, with the ways things were going the place didn't really need to be anything spectacular. All it needed and was a good selection of cold drinks and there wouldn't be a empty seat in the house. Tonight was hardly an exception.
Mikael hadn't acquired any particular tastes when it came to alcohol. In fact, he had barely touched the stuff at all. So he decided to learn the different types. He had started off with a simple ale. With a chaser of mead. With a chaser of lager. With a chaser of wine. With a chaser of rum.
"Isss, is the law," Mikael slurred. "Sub, sub-sec thingy. But doeees she listen? Naaaah! Cause thass fair! But only fa me."
James grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to get his focus. "Look, I'm sure none of this was your fault. But you have to keep it together. We're all counting on you, remember?"
"Awww, whas tha use. I stu, I stuck my neck out for her, and then we went and ruined it. How could I ever be like father. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Mikael punctuated each use of the word by hitting his head on the table in front of him.
"You remember the incident back in January, correct?" Elsa asked.
Christian nodded. "You mean the riots? or should I say would-be riots. Hard to forget an incident such as that. That was some of your best work if I may say so."
Elsa turned to the window. "Was it really, though? How many rules and procedures did I break on the course of action I took?"
"Your Majesty." Christian gave her a hard stare. "The rules and laws of our land may have been intended to keep things fair and safe, but to be truly perfect would be impossible. You may not have acted to the letter of the law, but you had the spirit of the law in your heart the whole time, I assure you. For all of the risks you took, who knows how much damage we would have sustained if you chose to wait instead." He sighed. "In the end, you must decide for yourself whether what you did was right. For what it is worth, I'm sure your father would be proud of you."
"I, I," Elsa started, then closed her eyes. "Thank you. I know that the council never said much about the matter, but,"
"Well, not to you, perhaps," Christian admitted.
Elsa snapped out of her reverie. "I'm not sure I understand."
"Ah, well regardless of what they think, most of the council won't speak out against you on matters like this. Especially not with the way things ended. However, mister Blitzrein did not fare so well." He shook his head. "The were practically lining up to chew him out."
"Really?" Elsa asked. "He never mentioned any of this."
"I think the young man appreciates that you have bigger things to worry about. At least, that's how I see things."
"I see." Elsa tried to think of something else. Anna was probably waiting for her in the dining hall. Was there anything else? Oh, blast. How could she have forgotten? "Before you leave, there was the small matter of my jubilee speech."
"Ah, yes. While it normally falls to you to write it, I would hardly call these circumstances normal. I can have something suitable ready for you by the night before."
Elsa sighed. "Yes, thank you." How would she manage without him? Elsa put that out of her head lest she suffer an aneurysm. "I shouldn't keep you any longer." Christian curtly bowed and walked out. Maybe tonight wouldn't be all bad. She had the night for herself and Anna, who wouldn't be fretting about her relationship being on the rocks. Heaven knew Elsa did enough fretting for the both of them. Not that she let it on. Most of the time, anyway. She would also need to speak to Kristoff when she had the chance, There were a few matters of business, after all.
Mikael's drunken rambling had devolved into rambling and sobbing at the same time. "Fa-father. What tha hell woulda you done? I'm such an embarrassment. I couldn even keep your medal. I had everythin'. Everythin' I needed an I just threw it away!" His head slouched over onto the table, where he continued to cry uninterrupted. James looked around, and he noticed his friend's tirade was starting to draw some attention from the other tables and stools.
A burly man in an apron came up to their table. "I think the fella's had enough."
"Yeah," James muttered in agreement. "I'm really sorry about this, he sort of had a bad day, and he's never dealt with his problems like this before."
"Hah!" The big man laughed. "He hasn't thrown up, hit someone or broken anything. He's right above the curve if you ask me. Though I reckon you should get him home before he does something he'll regret. He'll be feeling this tomorrow as it is."
"Yeah, you're right. We should probably settle up and leave." He clapped his hands just above Mikael's head. "Come on my friend, pay the nice man so we can get you home."
Mikael thumped the table with his fist. "I can still 'member what happened." He noticed the two glares bearing down on him."Oh, fine." Just like the queen, the night couldn't last long enough for him. But sooner or later, reality would kick in. They had a job to finish, after all.
AN: Whew, after way too many days and nights of getting way too sidetracked, I'm finally back. Thanks to all of you know waited this long. I'm hoping to really get the plot kicking off next chapter. See it soon (honest)!
Please do leave reviews if there was anything you like or didn't like. It fires up my inner writer either way.