Chapter Four

- Chained -

A single torch mounted in a sconce near the tower door was the only light the Ovelians left Elsa that night. Long shadows stretched across the stone floor; dark claws touched her skin and caressed her hair. Fingers and gentle as silk brushed her face, wiping the dried tears from her cheeks.

Her wrists burned.

She had tried to squeeze her hands out of the bracers; had searched for any crack she could pry open with her fingernails, but all she could feel was seamless gold which bound her power as surely as the shackle they had clasped around her bare ankle bound her to the wall.

The only window in the tower was too small for someone to squeeze through. If she sat close enough to it, she could hear faint shouts and scattered carousing. If she stood on her toes, she could see the thick smoke and orange sparks from a great bonfire rising from the courtyard.

Voices drifted to her through the tower door.

Elsa stood, shackle clanking against the chains.

"Alexia is doing all she can, but she doesn't think he'll last night. The cut was deep, sire."

"She must do whatever it takes, do you understand?"

Elsa stiffened. That was Maximilian's voice, she was sure of it.

"She is out by the fire, speaking to no one and staring into the flames."

"When we finish here, you will go down and tell Alexia that if he dies she will share Queen Elsa's fate."

"Yes, sire."

My fate?

"Good," Maximilian said. "Now unlock the door."

Elsa stepped into the light of the torch as the door swung open, framing the silhouettes of three men. Elsa didn't recognise two of them, but Maximilian's face was burned into her mind.

All of the warmth and friendliness Maximilan had shown during their previous meetings had transformed into hard stone. He smiled at her as he stepped into the tower room, but it was as cold as the rock around them.

Elsa sealed her lips and stared back at him.

Maximilian took a breath. "Did you know that once upon a time you and I were supposed to be wed?"

Elsa started in surprise.

A trace of real amusement flickered across Maximilian's face. "I was seven when my father told me I was betrothed to Princess Elsa of Arendelle. You were perhaps a year or two old at the time." He glanced at Elsa's golden bracers. "I realise now why the engagement didn't work out. How ashamed your parents must have been when they found out they had given birth to a sorceress."

"Don't talk about them," Elsa said through gritted teeth.

"Father wondered why Arendelle closed its gates to the world. All of his plans with the king of Corona were slowly unraveling and he never knew why. He went to his grave with his peace slipping through his weary fingers.

"Then last year I hear rumours of Arendelle's beautiful queen who banished a snowstorm in the middle of summer. I heard that winter lies in that queen's fingertips and that snow and ice obey your commands."

Elsa stepped back and crossed her arms as Maximilian reached for her hand.

Maximilian shrugged. "With all that you've done I really wonder how much loyalty you have inspired since you became queen. I suppose we'll find out when your subjects are asked to kneel."

"What are you saying?" Elsa said.

Maximilian showed her a semblance of a smile. "When you came into your crown, you fled and abandoned your people to a snowstorm. When I reached your shores, you beat my army and the surrounding land with the worst storm this country has seen in centuries. The forest grew so cold, sap froze and trees exploded. Our scouts report finding many animals dead in their burrows and dens. One scout told me of a crofter's family found frozen to death – all five of them huddled together in a bed of ice.

"You have unleashed much pain and hardship on your people, Queen Elsa. Your father must be turning over in his watery grave."

Elsa flinched, but forced herself look into Maximilian's humourless eyes. He's just trying to get inside my head.

Maximilian stepped forward and Elsa stepped away. She felt cold stone touch her back.

"Where is Anna?" Maximilian asked, touching Elsa's cheek.

Elsa thought of Anna, travelling south and guarded by some of Lennox's best. Elsa smiled and moved away from Maximilian's hand. "I don't know where she is."

"I don't intend to harm her."

Lies. "Then what do you intend?"

"I intend for her to sit on the throne," Maximilian said, moving his hand away and standing back. "I will find her an Ovelian husband and their marriage will join our kingdoms. I can think of two, possibly three men who deserve the honour of marrying a princess. Arendelle will come under Ovelia's protection and my father will rest easier knowing he has part of the peace he craved."

"I am Arendelle's queen," Elsa said. "And neither Anna or I will be your puppet."

"Stubborn mule!" Maximilian's voice rose. "You will bend the knee!"

"I will not." Elsa said defiantly.

Maximilian snarled and lifted his hand.

A grotesquely large man filled the tower door as he stepped inside the tower. He sneered down at her, pale lips parting, revealing half-rotted teeth.

"If you do not obey," Maximilian said, "then Rathmore will take you outside and wring your neck in front of the people you tried to protect."

The beast smelt of stale wine and blood. When he walked past Maximilian and stood over Elsa, her legs almost gave way. He touched Elsa's hair, curling a soft lock around a bulbous finger.

A sliver of fear and revulsion ran down Elsa's spine.

"You will obey me, Queen Elsa." Maximilian's voice seemed so far away. "Or I will stain these fine halls with blood."

0.0.0

More than a week passed before anyone came to Elsa's tower to speak with her. Red-caped guards came twice a day: once in the morning to place a bowl of lukewarm porridge and a jug of water inside the tower door, and once in the evening to collect what remained. The knot of hunger in Elsa's stomach grew larger with every passing day.

So when the tower door was pushed open an hour before midday, Elsa scrambled to her feet and pushed her dirtied and soot-streaked hair out of her face.

A blond-haired man dressed in the Ovelian red gold of a soldier walked in and immediately wrinkled his nose. He looked over his shoulder and said loudly, "And tell the girls to bring up a bath too, with plenty of hot water."

Heat touched Elsa's neck and cheeks. She raised her head high and tried to look down at the man.

"I apologise if that embarrassed you, Queen Elsa," the man said. "I am Ornsten and I am here to ready you for your appearance tonight."

"Appearance?" Elsa asked.

"The nobles of Arendelle have gathered to swear fealty to King Maximilian," Ornsten said. "Your attendance is expected. Your people will want to know that you are safe." He paused. "And I heard what Maximilian said would happen if you don't cooperate."

Elsa could barely repress a shudder. Her dreams had been haunted by the grotesque man who caressed her hair. "You were there?"

"I would not want Rathmore howling for my blood as he howls for yours." Ornsten frowned and stepped forward. He touched Elsa's chin and lifted her head before she could jerk away. "You look thinner." He cast his eyes around until they fell on the empty bowl of porridge Elsa had left on the table. "That's all they've been feeding you?"

Elsa did not answer.

"I'll have a meal sent up," Ornsten said, shaking his head. "Perhaps some wine too. I think you'll need some before tonight. A little drink might ease the pain of handing your country to another monarch."

Footsteps echoed up the tower and soon a pair of guards came in carrying a brazier filled with burning coals.

"Quite spacious, this room," Ornsten said conversationally.

"This room was not meant to be a prison," Elsa replied coldly.

"Maximilian did not find it fitting to keep a queen as renowned as you in the dungeons," Ornsten explained. "My king loves his appearances. The image of a beautiful sorceress queen locked away in a tower appeals to him. I'm sure there will be a tapestry made one day."

"Are you trying to mock me?" Elsa said coldly.

"No, I'm not," Ornsten said. "I apologise if I have offended you."

He almost sounds sincere, Elsa thought. He was the first Ovelian she had spoken to whose politeness was not laced with sarcasm and mockery.

"I understand that you have been treated harshly, Queen Elsa. Maximilian is still hurting from your magical storm. You wounded his pride and your defiant words are not helping to ease it."

"I have no desire to ease his wounded pride," Elsa said.

Ornsten grinned. "Neither would I, but if stoking Max's ego meant I got to keep my head on my shoulders, I would stoke away. Maximilian always gets what he wants."

"What more does he want from me?" Elsa looked away and wiped her eye with the back of her hand.

"He wants every noble in Arendelle to see you give him your kingdom. He wants to see thoughts of resistance quelled. Nothing kills resistance like a leader's head bowed. It works better than seeing a leader's head rolling on the ground."

"His champion already took Arendelle for him."

"With the sword, and you ruined that by resisting and forcing us to attack the city. You showed your people that you were not willing to kneel. Tonight, you will rectify that, or I suspect your people will see your head rolling down the palace steps before the night is done."

Elsa shuddered.

"Give the golden orb and the scepter of Arendelle to Maximilian and your kingdom will be his, but you'll have your life and the halls of the palace will remain clean."

Elsa was silent. I wish Lennox was here.

Ornsten watched her for a moment before turning on his heel. "If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Wait!" Elsa said, starting forward. Her chains jingled. "What happened to Lennox?"

Ornsten frowned at her. "Who?"

"My champion."

"Ah, I believe he was buried in the palace graveyard," Ornsten said slowly.

"You 'believe'?" Elsa said.

"I believe," Orsten repeated. "I can find out for you."

"I . . . thank you," Elsa said.

Ornsten nodded. "Now If you'll excuse me, Queen Elsa, I believe I hear the servants with your bath."

Ornsten stood to the side as three Ovelian handmaidens entered the tower carrying buckets of hot water. A pair of red-cloaked guards followed them, struggling to balance the heavy hip-bath between them. Ornsten watched the guards place the tub roughly on the ground before ordering the two to wait outside the door while the maids worked.

"You understand," he said to Elsa, with an apologetic smile. He turned to the maids. "Send one of the guards to find me when you have her ready."

The pair of guards followed Ornsten out of the tower room and closed the door behind them.

The handmaidens were silent as they helped Elsa undress and put her into the bath. Her hair was doused with jugs of steaming water and cleansed with sweet-smelling oils. When her skin was pink from scrubbing they guided her out of the path and placed her on a chair behind a brazier burning with hot coals. The heat warmed her skin and began to dry her hair. One of the handmaidens gave Elsa a small mirror to hold as her hair was brushed.

Elsa looked into the mirror and could barely contain a gasp of surprise. Her cheeks had begun to sink into her face, making her eyes look bigger and wider than Elsa had ever seen them before. Her bones appeared sharper, with more lines and angles than had been there before.

"It's a shame they're letting you wither away," one of the handmaidens said pityingly, before she was silenced by a stern look from another.

Elsa could not reply, so she sat in dignified silence.

"Hush, she is still more beautiful than many I have seen in my lifetime," one of the Ovelian handmaidens said. She was older than the other two, with streaks of grey painted through her dark hair.

The pair of younger maids shared a glance, but remained silent.

When she was dry, the handmaidens helped her into a silvery dress and stood back. The dress felt looser than it had in the past. The older handmaiden had to draw the bodice tight to stop it from slipping down.

"You look very regal, my lady," one of the younger handmaidens said.

Ornsten echoed the sentiment when he returned an hour before dusk, carrying a small plate of food and a pitcher of wine. "I'm sorry I could not return sooner," he said after offering his own compliments to Elsa's regality. "The kitchens are in a panic. Some nonsense about a missing roasted boar."

0.0.0

Ovelian banners hung from every wall inside the somber chapel, draping the stones with red and gold. Maximilian had transformed the chapel, and it made Elsa sick to her stomach.

"That's Lord Edward Beoulve standing next to the king – the one wearing the coat that looks like a lion's mane. He governs the eastern edge of Ovelia, guarding the realm from the vicious Coronans." A bite of humour tinged Ornsten's voice. "His lands saw a lot of devastation during the war, but his family became renowned for producing famous generals and soldiers. His eldest is here somewhere, but he left his other legitimate children at home."

Elsa stood in silence as Ornsten directed her attention towards different members of Ovelia's nobility. They were dressed like conquerors, in shining armours and soft silks. None had seemed to notice Elsa at the chapel's entrance. Yet.

Ornsten touched her shoulder and directed her towards a tall man with powerful shoulders speaking to a short man trying desperately to appear taller. "That's Lord Ashaela. His son is one of the best swordsmen in Ovelia. If he had been here, you're champion probably would have fought him."

"And what makes Lord Ashaela significant?" Elsa asked as she looked at Lord Ashaela through narrowed eyes.

Ornsten chuckled. "His daughter's the queen. If Maximilian and Adeline didn't marry, Ovelia would likely still be warring with itself."

"Why isn't she here with Maximilian?"

"She's with child," Ornsten said brightly. "When Maximilian found out, he refused to allow her on the ship. There was quite the argument. In the end, Maximilian had to have Aedan and I escort her back to the palace. I had not seen the queen so agitated since . . . it's been years."

Elsa breathed in sharply at Aedan's name. He looked around, but could not see him through the crowds. I hope he died.

"Ah," Ornsten said. "Here they are."

Elsa turned to see Bishop Axel carrying the golden orb and scepter of Arendelle on a purple cushion lined with golden thread. His face was haggard, with large dark rings surrounding each eye. His cheeks had sunken into his flesh, making his jowls stand out sickeningly. A pair of soldiers escorted him, each with a hand on his shoulder.

"Bishop!" Elsa said, starting forward. Ornsten grabbed her arm and guided her back.

"Careful, Queen," he said warningly.

"Queen Elsa," Bishop Axel said. "I'm relieved to see you safe." Part of the tension tightening Bishop Axel's face fled as he smiled.

"I'm glad to see you safe too. After I was captured I..." Elsa began. "What happened after-"

"I think that talk can wait a while longer," Ornsten said quickly, stepping between them. "Our king is waiting. Give the relics to your queen, Bishop."

"I will see if I can visit you later this eve," Bishop Axel said.

The orb and scepter glinted with golden light as Elsa picked them from the cushion. She remembered the last time she had held them.

"Queenly," Ornsten murmured.

"Remember that you are a queen, Elsa Arendelle," Bishop Axel said softly in her ear. His hands shook. "Maximilian can take your lands and your crown, but you are still a queen. Walk tall and show them."

Elsa stared at Bishop Axel and nodded slowly.

Ornsten stepped away from the archway and gestured for Elsa to walk forward.

She held her head high and stepped into silence. Hundreds of eyes turned to watch her as her first few steps echoed through the chapel.

She did not look at them. She ignored their smiles and their sneers dripping with superiority.

She walked.

Maximilian waited at the apex of the chapel, dressed in red robes and golden armour. Every inch of him appeared a king of legend. She imagined his golden armour turned to ice. She imagined his skin turn to frost, biting his flesh as his mouth twisted in a silent scream.

She took the steps towards Maximilian slowly.

His green eyes were iron. He knows.

Elsa stopped on the final stair and held the orb and scepter as tightly as she could. If it weren't for the bonds... She breathed out and held the orb and sceptre for Maximilian to take.

Maximilian took the orb and scepter of Arendelle and lifted them high into the air for all the nobles to see.

The Ovelians burst into applause.

Elsa's golden bracers burned.

After the ceremony, Ornsten lead Elsa to Arendelle's Great Hall, which had been packed full of tables and benches. Fires were burning merrily in every hearth and every candle in the chandeliers illuminated the room with warm light. Roasted meats, vegetables, warm trenchers of bread and delicacies from both Ovelia and Arendelle filled the tables. The smell was enough to make Elsa's mouth water. The meal Ornsten had brought to her that afternoon was nice, but it had not done enough to satisfy the knot in her stomach. But the thought of what the Ovelians were celebrating was enough for Elsa to sit back in her chair and ignore the tender portions placed in front of her.

"You're doing yourself no favours, Queen Elsa," Ornsten said once, looking at her untouched plate.

Elsa did not reply and eventually Ornsten rose from his seat and left to mingle with the Ovelian nobles.

Noble families from Arendelle were in the Great Hall too, and were easily spotted.

They all look so worried, Elsa thought.

Maximilian had granted her a seat at the high table, away from the table where the Arendelle nobility sat cowed. A torch burned brightly behind her, shining through her hair and turning the pale tresses to molten gold. She was thankful she had been seated away from the musicians, who were playing a fast song honouring Maximilian's victory over a rival house during the civil war. The Ovelians were roaring with laughter with every verse. Maximilian wore a wide grin from his seat at the centre of the high table and laughed louder than anyone as the musicians finished their song.

A man with iron grey hair and a thick beard approached Elsa and sat down on Ornsten's vacated seat beside her. He looked at her for a moment, hard eyes taking in her sunken features and the dark rings around her eyes.

"Queen Elsa," he said finally, "do you remember me?"

Elsa thought for a moment, frowning. She recognised those hard, grey eyes. "Lord Yeoman," Elsa said. "Of course I do, you were at my coronation."

"A brighter time than this," Lord Yeoman said, glaring at the red cloaked Ovelian solders flanking every doorway in the hall. "I dislike seeing so much red in your father's halls – your halls, my queen."

"Maximilian's halls now," Elsa corrected bitterly.

Lord Yeoman leaned in close and said, "And that's a greater sin than most. I'm sorry that I could not bring my soldiers in time to help you when you needed it most, and now it is too late for them to bring any aid – not with the Ovelian's occupying the city."

Elsa was still. "This is not a good place to be talking of this, Lord Yeoman," she said with a sideways glance at Ornsten, who was talking with an Ovelian nobleman.

"Good, or not, this is the only chance I have," Lord Yeoman replied. "Maximilian is allowing no one to climb your tower, not even his own noble men and women, who wish very much to see you and speak to you."

Elsa frowned. "No one has tried talking to me yet."

"If I know the Ovelian court, they will wait."

"For what?"

Lord Yeoman snorted. "They don't want to seem too eager to speak with you. When we arrived, Maximilian forced us to give him hostages to 'ensure our cooperation'." Lord Yeoman snorted. "If they try to aid you, or act in any way, the Ovelians will start placing heads on a pikes. Until they know what Maximilian intends, they will do nothing."

"You keep saying 'they'," Elsa said. "Did you not give a hostage too."

"Edmund, my youngest boy," Lord Yeoman said, voice hard.

"I will not ask you – anyone – to help me if it means more people will die."

"And I will not see my Queen wither in an Ovelian cage," Lord Yeoman said firmly, curling his fist. "I promise you, Elsa, I will see you safe from this place, whatever the price. Owen would agree, if he was here." He cut off and leaned back in his chair.

Orsten had parted ways from an Ovelian noble and was walking back towards the table.

"It seems like our conversation is at an end, my queen," Lord Yeoman said, rising. "Do not despair. You are never truly alone."

0.0.0

Authors Note: A slower chapter compared to last, but I was trying to show the difficulty of Elsa's situation. She has had a lot taken from her and the victors are still trying to take more. We're starting to see more people in the Ovelian army now, as well as some important figures later on.

Thanks to my reviewers!