A Tale of Two Sisters
Part Three: The First Step
By: 3Gs
Elsa looked in annoyance at her side of her and Anna's shared walk-in closet. She had absolutely nothing to wear. It was to be expected though. Throughout their imprisonment, Elsa and Anna had only received new clothes when they outgrew their current ones. And while she was sure that a few of the dresses from her teenage years would still fit her, none of them were what could be considered "regal" dress. They were more for casual wear, for a day when she knew there would be no business to conduct or meetings to attend to. She could wear her coronation dress again but trying to put that on with only one person was a hassle and would take entirely too much time. She could ask Gerda to maybe find something that belong to her mother but that idea vanished as quickly as it came. She wouldn't wear her mother's clothes.
Seeing no other choice, Elsa reached for a dark blue dress and pulled it out of the closet. She walked over to her full body mirror and held it against her. She frowned. This wouldn't do. Not for meeting with visiting dignitaries and being seen by the staff of the castle. She needed to appear more queen-like and not so carefree. Resigning herself to her fate, she put the dress away and retrieved her coronation dress. She shed her sleeping attire and began to pull the clothes on as quickly and quietly as possible. Careful not to wake her sister, she then set herself down at her vanity, fixing her hair until it was done up in the braid and bun she used last night.
After applying some light makeup, Elsa nodded to her reflection in satisfaction. Standing, she started towards the door, stopping momentarily to check on Anna. Her sister was still fast asleep, clutching Elsa's pillow to her body in a death grip. The queen smiled softy and ran a hand through her sister's hair. She'd let her sleep in a little longer. She wouldn't need Anna for a while yet. Turning away she reached the door, hesitating for only a second before turning the handle and pulling it open. Kai stood on the other side, fist raised to knock. His look of surprise melted into a smile and he brought his hand down.
"Ah, Your Majesty, good morning. I just about to wake you."
"Thank you, Kai. And good morning."
She closed the door and the ever-faithful steward fell in step beside her. He glanced back at the door.
"Are we not going to rouse the princess?"
Elsa shook her head.
"No. I thought I would let her sleep in a little bite more. She will not be terribly busy for a while so I want her to enjoy it as much as possible."
"Very well, Your Majesty. Will you be taking your breakfast in the dining hall this morning?"
Elsa couldn't help but smile. First day freed from her confinement and already Kai was looking to establish a routine for her.
"No. Not today at least. I will take it in my father's...in my study. I need to get started on fixing what Octavius broke. Please bring me anything and everything he signed into law or he was preparing to sign into law. I also need any pending documents that were awaiting his signature as well as a list of the laws he had changed or altered."
"Very well, Your Majesty." They stopped in front of the study doors. "Anything else before I take my leave?"
"Yes, two things, actually. Anna and I need some clothing. It is not a priority but I would like some as soon as possible. I cannot wear my coronation dress forever."
"I'll see that Gerda is notified immediately. Blue and green as per usual?"
"You know us to well, Kai."
"Part of my job description, Your Majesty." Elsa gave him a grateful smile and turned the knob when Kai cleared his throat. "What was the other thing, Queen Elsa?"
Elsa hesitated, her grip tightening on her handle and her entire frame trembling slightly. She took a deep, calming breath, then let it out slowly.
"I wish to have my things moved to the Royal Suite. I am the queen now. I suppose it is time I started acting like it."
Kai bowed.
"Very well, my Queen." He paused "Princess Anna is not going to like this."
"I know," Elsa said with a sad smile. "Hopefully I will be able to calm her before she burns the castle down. Send her to me when she wakes up. I suspect she will have a few words to exchange with me."
"No doubt. I shall take my leave then."
Elsa nodded her thanks and slipped into the study, closing the door behind her. She took a look around the room and was pleased to see that nothing had been change about it. Everything was just as she remembered it from her youth. It was obvious that the room was still cleaned and Kai - God bless his foresight - had kept the only key to the study, effectively keeping Octavius out of the room and away from the Royal Seal. Without the seal, Elsa knew that, on a legal level, everything that Octavius had done for the past three years was illegal and reversible. Nobody, not even her backstabbing lord mayors, could challenge the matter. The law was clearly in Elsa's favor. Walking over to the large mahogany desk, Elsa lightly ran her fingers over the polished surface.
She remembered the many times that she and Anna would barge into this very room without knocking, running up to their father as he sat at this very desk, pen in hand and parchments stacked neatly on the desktop. He would always look up with a smile, finishing whatever he was writing and set the pin back into the inkwell, gathering them both into his lap and letting them watch him as he worked, answering any questions they asked him. It was in this room that Elsa learned two of her most important lessons.
The first had been proven last night when Octavius had tried to run and leave his co-conspirators behind. The second one had been about the kingdom. More precisely, how she was supposed to rule it. She remembered that conversation. She had just turned thirteen at the time.
"How do I rule the kingdom?" King Agdar looked across his desk at Elsa. She was sitting in one of two chairs, hands folded neatly in her lap, back straight. "That's a strange question to ask. Why do you want to know?"
"I am to rule one day, am I not? Arendelle has been peaceful under your care. I want to know how you did it so I can do the same."
The king smiled at his daughter.
"There isn't exactly an instruction book that tells you what to do. Every ruler has his or her own trials to get through as well as his or her own way of ruling the country. You simply have to do the best you can and hope it turns out alright."
Elsa was not deterred. She leaned forward, looking her father in the eye. "But how did you do it?"
The king thought for a moment before deciding on an answer.
"Guidance, not control."
Elsa had not completely understood what her father had meant at the time. But after her imprisonment and hearing about what Octavius was doing to her country and her people, she understood what her father had meant. Guide them so they could better their lives and themselves and refrain from controlling everything that they do, least they become dependent on the Crown for every little thing.
Octavius had been moving towards complete control, if the reports she had received over the years held any indication. And for the most part, he succeeded. There was hardly a person in all of Arendelle that was not affected by that man's policies. It made the queen's blood boil. Her people were becoming lazy and her country was weaker than it had ever been before. All so he and his cohorts could grab as much gold and power as they could get. Her hand slammed down on the desk in anger and ice spikes erupted form the surface. Immediately regretting her action, she dismissed the ice with a flick of her wrist, leaving noting behind.
She had to fix this, no doubt about that, she just didn't know if she had the patience to wait until the trial to do it. Normally, a regent did not have the absolute powers of a monarch but since Octavius had her councilors and the lord mayors in his back pocket, there was no one in the entire kingdom that tried to stop him.
What can I do about that? The young queen mused to herself, taking a seat at the large desk. How do I legally and justly punish all my council members while keeping my image as a fair ruler?
The new queen was pulled from her inner musings by a knock at the study's door. She bid them enter and Kai walked in, his arms full of several bound stacks of parchment and a platter of food on top of them. He expertly deposited both on the desk then stepped back, waiting for further instructions.
"You never cease to amaze me, Kai." Elsa eyed the large stacks of parchment warily. "This is everything?"
"It is, Your Majesty."
"I never expected it to be so much. God, what has this man done to my kingdom?!"
"It is nothing that I'm sure you cannot fix. I have faith in you, Queen Elsa."
"Thank you." Elsa chewed on her bottom lip before deciding to broach the proposal she had been thinking about to her loyal steward. "Kai, I have a proposition for you, if you would hear me out."
The elder man straightened slightly.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"I know I have a lot of work to do as far as restoring my kingdom to what it was under my father. That process in itself will take time and I hardly know where to start. But there is something that I know I can do right now to help with the process, create a starting point as it were. I am going to rebuild my council of advisors. But first and foremost, I want you to be my chancellor."
Whatever Kai had been expecting, this was not it if the utter shock on his face was any indication. He stood there, gaping at the queen for a few moments before he collected himself.
"Your Majesty, I...I'm not sure what to say. I'm honored, of course, but are you sure that you would not want me to find someone more qualified for this position?"
Elsa smiled at her faithful steward. Ever the humble servant, Kai could not see just how much he had done for her and Anna during their imprisonment.
"Kai, there is no one else that I consider more qualified for this than you. Everything you did for me and Anna, the information you smuggled in for us and your unwavering loyalty has made you one of the few people that I absolutely trust in this kingdom right now. And I need people I can trust to be on my council. Please, my friend, will you accept the position?"
Elsa sat almost literally on the edge of her seat, anxiously waiting for Kai to make his decision. She was silently praying to God and all His angles that he would take the position. After what seemed to be an eternity to the new queen, Kai nodded with a smile.
"If that is the queen's wish, then I humbly accept."
Elsa couldn't stop herself. Letting loose a squeal of happiness, she leapt from her chair and threw her arms around the portly steward, squeezing him tightly.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Kai."
The older man brought his arms around the queen, giving her an affectionate squeeze.
"You're welcome, child."
Elsa gave him one more squeeze and let go, sitting at the desk and pulling out two sheets of parchment from a drawer. She uncapped an inkwell and took a pen from a holder. Dipping the tip in the ink, she put it to the parchment and began to write quickly but neatly. Once finished she put down the pen and opened another drawer, glad that she remembered where her father had kept his supplies. She removed a stick of red wax, the Royal Seal and a small candle and matches. Lighting the candle, she held the wax stick over it and when the tip began to melt, she let the wax drip onto the bottom of the parchment.
When a sufficient amount of wax had pooled, she pressed the Royal Seal into the red liquid and blew lightly onto it, solidifying the wax instantly. Signing her name with a final flourish, Elsa stood and handed the now notarized and official document to the waiting steward.
"It is done. On my authority as Queen of Arendelle, I hereby name you, Kai Anderson, Chancellor to the Crown and the Second Hand of the Queen."
The newly appointed chancellor took the document with a bow and rolled it up.
"Thank you for this tremendous honor, Your Majesty. I will see this brought to the Royal Archives immediately."
"Very well. Return here once finished. There are many things we must do and I want to start as soon as possible."
With another bow, Kai left the study. Sitting back down, Elsa dipped the pen in the inkwell again and began writing on the second piece of parchment. She signed her name but held off on notarizing it. That would come after she had a talk with her sister. The door opened again as she set the parchment aside and Kai reentered, sitting down at one of the chairs across from Elsa.
"Where shall we start, my Queen?"
Elsa looked at the mountain of parchments and shook her head slowly.
"I don't think there is really a place to start. Let's just pick a pile and go from there. We'll place similar things together as we find them."
"Very well."
The two grabbed a piece of parchment from their nearest stack respectively and set to work. The study soon became filled with the sounds of shuffling parchment, disgusted grunts from Kai and the occasional muttered curse from Elsa, all the while the soft ticks of the grandfather clock continued in the background. When she finally placed the last piece of parchment into its corresponding pile, Elsa let out a sigh of relief, stretching her arms above her head and feeling several bones pop back into place. She slumped back against the high back chair, letting herself relax for a few moments.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
Elsa set ramrod straight at the sound of Kai's voice, having momentarily forgotten he was in the room with her.
"I'm fine," she squeaked, her cheeks turning a deep crimson. "What about you, Kai? Do you need to take a break?"
"No need, Your Majesty. I believe that we are done here."
Elsa looked at the desk and saw that the mountain of parchments that Kai had brought in were now in five neat stacks.
That...did not take as long as I thought. How long have we been here anyway?
Her question was answered when the grandfather clock chimed three times. The queen's eyes went comically wide. Three o'clock! She and Kai had been sitting here since eight!
"Kai! Why didn't you tell me we had been here for seven hours? I would have at least let you break for lunch!"
"Do not concern yourself, Your Majesty," he said with a kind smile. "I may be getting on in the years but I am still made of rather tough stock. A missed lunch is not going to kill me." A small gurgle came from the man's stomach and he let out a good-humored chuckle. "Although I will not say no to a late one."
"By all means, Kai. I will be taking a short break myself soon."
"Very well."
The new chancellor rose from his seat and picked up the now empty tray of food that the queen had absently munched on during their work. Elsa saw what he was doing and made to stop him but Kai simply shook his head.
"It's all right, Your Majesty, I don't mind."
"But it's not your job anymore," Elsa argued.
"True. But habits are hard to break. However, Your Majesty, you will be happy to know that I have been training a protégé to take my place after I retire. If you wish, I can have him take over my former position starting tomorrow."
"I will leave it in your capable hands, Kai. I would also like an audience with them so that I may familiarize myself with the person who is taking over your duties."
"I will see that it is done, Your Majesty."
With a final bow, Kai swept out of the room, leaving Elsa alone with the fruits of their labors. She eyed four of the stacks in front of her with disgust, each one representing the damage done to her kingdom.
Documents pending, laws added, laws altered and Royal Decrees...
Elsa had not read each individual document - that would have taken a week by the looks of it - but a quick scan had told her where they belonged. Looking away before she froze them solid and smashed them to pieces, the queen picked up the fifth, and much smaller, stack of parchments. These were all letters that had been addressed to the regent. They started roughly a year after Octavius seized power and they were not nice. Elsa had to wonder what made the former regent keep all the letters. Was there some sort of perverse pleasure he got from seeing just how much the people hated him? Elsa shuddered at the thought.
Though one or two of the letters he kept were from different people, most of them were from a single person who had begun writing to him a year into the regency and stopped close to a year ago. Unlike the other letters that were noting but glorified hate mail, these were very articulate and pointed out very clearly what limited powers of a regency that Octavius was violating, even going so far as to threaten his removal by the people as was their right and duty should he not cease and desist his actions. By the last letter, the regent had been informed that a large number of the citizenry were ready to carry out their duty and place Elsa on the throne prematurely in order to stop his destructive policies.
It was obvious by her current situation that nothing had come of those threats and Elsa couldn't help but wonder why. The obvious answer would be that Octavius did something to put down impending revolt since none of the reports that Kai had brought her said anything about citizens rioting in the streets. As for the letter writer he was either dead or imprisoned in the castle dungeons. Elsa was really hoping that it was the latter. The man's knowledge of the law was astounding. If he was still alive and he agreed to her offer then she was intending on making him her new Keeper of the Laws. She pulled out one of his letters, scanning to the bottom and found his name.
"Kristoff Bjorgman." The name sparked something in her mind. She bit her lower lip and tapped a well-manicured nail against the mahogany desktop. "Bjorgman...Bjorgman... Where have I heard that name before?"
Placing the stack of letters aside, she glanced at the other four stacks. When her eyes landed on the documents pending pile, she reached for it on instinct, carefully scanning though its contents. She found it halfway through the stack, an execution order for Kristoff Bjorgman to be carried out at the regent's discretion. Crimes were many and included disturbing the peace, inciting a violent mob, rebellion against the Crown and treason against the Crown. Until the day of execution he was to be house in solitary confinement at Frozen Fractal Keep.
Elsa furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Frozen Fractal Keep? I've never heard of this befo-"
"Elsa!"
The study doors burst open and banged against the wall, Anna's loud voice almost echoing down the halls. Taking the queen completely by surprise, and scaring her witless, Elsa jumped to her feet and lashed out at the noise with her magic, an ice spike flying at Anna's head. The projectile shattered in between them after her sister threw one of her fireballs at it, both powers negating each other in midair. When she realized who was standing in her doorway, Elsa leaned on the desk and released a breath.
"Anna," she groaned in mild irritation. "You scared me to death!"
The princess ignored her sister and marched up to the platinum blonde, face scrunched up in anger, braids bouncing with each heavy step and her pale green dress fluttering as she walked. Elsa straightened up just in time to have a finger pointed in her face and her sister's eyes inches from her own. And boy, oh boy, was she mad.
"You!" Anna nearly screamed in her face. "You didn't wake me up this morning! You let me sleep past midday and started working without me! Not only that, there wasn't a single person in this entire castle that could tell me where you were! I've been searching this entire palace for you for almost an hour! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?! How lonely I was?!"
The fire died in Anna's eyes and her finger fell away from Elsa's face, coming to rest by her side. Tears pooled in the princess' turquoise eyes and her shoulders began to slightly shake.
"How...how...scared I was...?" The princess hiccupped and the tears finally slid down her cheeks. "I'd thought...I'd thought that...maybe some of Octavius' goons had...had gotten you!"
The queen's heart clenched at the sight of her sister crying. She hated seeing her sister so upset, epically when she was the one who inadvertently caused it. Anna should be happy and smiling. It suited her so much better.
"Oh, Anna," Elsa cooed, gathering the princess into her arms and wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry, Firefly. I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to get a head start on a few things before you woke up."
Anna looked at Elsa and pouted angrily.
"You said that you would let me help."
Elsa smiled tenderly at her sister. She knew that Anna was trying to be cross with her but the face she was making did not install any kind of fear in Elsa. It just made her sister all the more adorable. Now, as before, Elsa found herself resisting the urge to pinch her sister's chubby cheeks like she did when they were younger. Even at eighteen, Anna kept some of her more childish features, emotionally as well as physically.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Elsa reached behind her and held out a sheet of parchment. "And I meant every word of it."
Anna took the parchment and read it, her eyes widening as she read every line. When she was finished, she looked up at Elsa, her mouth hanging open. She tried saying something, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. When that didn't work she snapped it shut and just stared at the parchment again. Finally, after five minutes of silence, she looked her sister in the eye and said the first thing that popped in her mind.
"Really?" Anna squeaked.
"The lady speaks," Elsa teased. Anna pouted again and the queen couldn't stop the small giggle that slipped through her lips. "Sorry. But seriously, yes, really. I want you to be my Master of the Purse, Anna. I do not trust anyone else but you to hold this position. And before you even ask, yes, you are more than qualified for the position. Watching you work with the ledgers for three years proved that to me."
"I don't...I don't know what to say."
"I'm hoping that you will say yes."
"Of course! Of course I will! Say yes that is."
"I'm glad." Elsa went back to her desk and heated the wax stick again. After it pooled on the paper, she stamped it with the Royal Seal. "All done. On my authority as Queen, I hereby name you, Princess Anna of House Arundel, Master of the Purse and First Hand of the Queen."
Anna couldn't think of any words to articulate her thanks so she settled for throwing her arms around her sister and squeezed as tight as she could. Elsa couldn't help but smile at her sister's exuberance. She returned the hug and let out a mental sigh of relief. Two down and four to go. They separated just as Kai returned, noting the smiles on both their faces and the parchment in the princess's hands.
"I take it Princess Anna accepted?"
"She did. And now that you're here, I can properly introduce you."
"But, Elsa, I already know Kai," Anna said in confusion. "Why would I need to be introduced to him?"
"A simple formality," the queen replied with a smile. "Anna, this is Kai Anderson, my Chancellor and Second Hand of the Queen."
Anna's eyes lit up.
"You made Kai your chancellor?" At Elsa's nod, Anna whooped in excitement and threw her arms around the former steward. "Congratulations, Kai! You're perfect for the job!"
Kai patted the princess's back. "Thank you, Your Highness. I look forward to working with you."
"Me as well." Anna's face scrunched up in confusing and she turned to her sister. "Elsa, why are there numbers in out titles?"
"Order of succession," the queen answered. "As the ruling monarch, I am, by default, the head of the council. If for whatever reason I should become indisposed - sickness, diplomatic trips, hosting foreign dignitaries, etcetera - my First Hand would conduct business in my stead. Normally the chancellor would take that role but since another member of the royal family is on the council as well, you hold the position as First. Kai will be next in line should the both of us be unavailable for whatever reason. The position of Hands are reserved for the two people that the ruling monarch trusts most with their life and their kingdom."
Anna seemed to take the information in and ponder on it, her eyes becoming wide when she understood their meaning. Elsa could see her sister getting ready to list all the reasons she was not fit for the position as First and decided to head her off before she got started.
"I already know what you're going to say, Anna, so don't. If I didn't think you could handle this position, I would not have appointed you to it. Royal blood or not. Just accept the responsibilities and come to me if you need anything. I'll help you with anything you need."
"Okay. Yeah, okay, I can do that."
"Good. But don't worry too much, you won't officially start your job right now. With the upcoming trial, the Royal Ledger has been confiscated as evidence so we have time to prepare you for your duties. But there are other matters that we must attend to."
"Like what?"
Elsa picked up the execution order and handed it to Kai. "Have you heard of this Frozen Fractal Keep?"
Kai read over the order then shook his head. "I cannot say that I have. Octavius kept many secrets and after the castle staff was reduced the spymaster lost a lot of his contacts within these halls. But there are those who would know."
"Forget it!" Anna snapped. "Those lying bastards would never tell us anything unless it got them out of that dungeon!"
"Quite true, Your Highness. But I know of two people down there who would be more than willing to 'spill the beans' as it were."
Anna was confused for a moment then realization dawned in her eyes.
"Oh! The admiral and the general!"
Elsa nodded. "That's right. They still supported us and remained on the council in order to monitor Octavius. Hopefully, they know something concerning this secrete prison."
"Then why are they in prison with the rest of them?"
"For show," Elsa admitted. "When the trial gets underway, Snømann and Nemo will testify against Vickers and show their loyalty to me. The result of this will be twofold. It will humiliate Vickers in front of the lord mayors and it will also show my vassals that I have the loyalty of the leaders of my army and navy. This will hopefully deter them from any thoughts of ignoring my rule."
"I see." Anna's face scrunched up in disgust. "I don't like it."
"Its political theater, Anna, and I detest it as much as you do. But if I want to stay one step ahead of my court, I have to participate in it."
"If I may be so bold, Your Majesty, why are you so interested in finding out about this prison? Besides the obvious, of course."
"I believe that the man on the execution order would make a fine Keeper of the Laws. I have several notes from him, each one citing the restrictions in power that Octavius was overstepping and how the people could remove him through the very laws that he was abusing. I have a suspicion that Octavius threw him in the prison to keep him from causing the people to rise up. He was probably going to have him executed publically as a warning to the rest of the citizenry."
Anna made a barely contained noise of disgust and Kai just nodded gravely.
"That does seem to fit with his way of doing things, brute force and intimidation. All the signs of a tyrant. At any rate, what will you do now, Your Majesty?"
"I will go to the castle dungeons and speak to Snømann and Nemo, find out if they know anything about the prison. In the meantime, Kai, I need you to find the former Minister of Justice and see if he would like to resume his position."
The chancellor bowed. "I'll see to it at once, Your Majesty. I'll also send a guard to escort you to the dungeon."
"Thank you."
Kai nodded and took the parchment from Anna to add to the Royal Archives.
"I'm going with you."
Elsa blinked in surprise at her sister's sudden deceleration. "I think I'll be fine, Anna. I'm just going to the dungeon."
The strawberry blonde shook her head. "You're not convincing me otherwise, Elsa. You really scared me this morning with your disappearing act and I don't plan on letting you out of my sight today if I can help it."
Elsa almost told her sister that she was being silly but after thinking about it for a second, she changed her mind. Anna had a good reason to be fearful of her safety. It was only their first day of freedom and even though Octavius had been captured and jailed, there was no doubt that he still had supporters within the castle walls. Fortunately those guarding Octavius were loyal to her and Anna but they were few and far between. She would need to talk with her spymaster soon. She needed to weed out those still loyal to the former chancellor before they did something drastic.
"Okay, you can come with me, Anna."
"Thank you."
A Royal Guard arrived moments later, asking for the two sisters to come with him. The sisters followed the guard down several familiar halls, each woman recalling the various amounts of trouble they would get into when they got bored. One of Anna's favorite memories was a race between her on a bike and Elsa using her ice powers to create a trail of ice down the hallway and turning her shoes into ice skates. It had ended in disaster when Anna had gotten to close to her sister's ice trail, lost control and crashed into a suit of armor, resulting in their being separated on opposite sides of the castle for a week. They never tired racing again, at least when their parents were around.
They were finally taken down a corridor that neither recognized with a single door at the end of the hallway. Past the threshold the walls gave way from the warm, white wood of the halls to cold, grey stone of the dungeon. Anna immediately reached for Elsa's hand as they walked down the tightly wound staircase, the sound of dripping water and the waves from the fjord echoing in the small space.
The guard brought them to a large steel door with a small viewing window at eye level. He unlocked the cell and pulled the door aside, nodding for the two royals to enter. Elsa nodded and told him not to close the door. The guard complied and stood in front of the open cell instead, his back to the two sisters. Anna immediately dropped her sister's hand once inside the cell, folding them in front of her.
The two men in the cell looked up from their positions on their cots and rose to their feet, the shackles around their wrists attached to the floor, giving them just enough room to stand. The two men bowed with as much dignity as their tattered prison attire would allow them. Once straightening up they stood at attention, waiting for their queen to address them.
Nemo was an imposing man, six foot tall with black hair and a neatly trimmed beard, the slightest touches of grey starting to appear. His life as a sailor kept him in extremely good shape, his muscles now visible without the constricting uniform he would always wear. He was in no way a hulking mass but he was fit, obviously continuing to exercise even after obtaining a leadership position. Mikhail, on the other hand, seemed to have stepped right out of the pages of one of the epic pomes that Elsa liked to read. He was massive, towering over Nemo at seven foot, black hair, wolf-blue eyes and so much muscle mass that Elsa was sure that he had to turn sideways and duck just so he could enter a room.
"Oh wow..." Anna whispered beside her, clearly awed by the man's impressive physique.
"Anna!" the queen admonished.
"There's no harm, Your Majesty," Mikhail said, knowing the princess was staring at him. His deep voice rumbled throughout the small cell. "This happens more often than you might think."
"I-I see." Elsa cleared her throat, slipping into her regal mask. "Gentlemen, I will be blunt. This is not a social call, I am here to obtain information and I hope that the two of you will be forthcoming in sharing it. This may be the only chance you have to put yourselves in my good graces."
Elsa let a small amount of anger seep into her voice as she spoke to the two men. She had to maintain the image of an indignant queen in case Octavius or the other ex-councilors heard her while she was in the dungeons. As long as they believed that Snømann and Nemo were not in league with her, it would make them look all the more foolish.
"What is it you wish to know, Your Majesty?" Nemo asked.
"I want to know the location and purpose of Frozen Fractal Keep."
The two men looked at each other and Nemo nodded to Mikhail, deferring the explanation to him.
"Frozen Fractal Keep," Mikhail began, "at its very core is nothing but a prison used to house all of Vickers' political enemies. Anyone and everyone who he felt threatened his rule as regent was sent there. And to my knowledge, none have ever come back from it."
"How long has it been in operation?"
"Construction began on it a month after Vickers seized power. It was completed and began functioning six months later. I was in charge of its construction and the stationing of men there. Even after the cuts in our military forces, I was ordered to make sure the Keep was fully garrisoned at all times. I have been doing that for three years."
"Where is it located?"
"North Mountain, almost an hour's ride past the Arendelle Wall."
"And what happens to the prisoners who are sent there?"
At this Mikhail's posture stooped and he shook his head sadly.
"That, I do not know, Your Majesty. Even though I supply the troops when needed, command of them is taken out of my hands and they are granted immunity to all laws. Vickers personally selected a warden to run the keep and command of the troops are turned over to him. I am not even privy to the fates of the prisoners. All of that is handled by the warden and he reports directly to Vickers."
Elsa resisted the urge to bite a nail. This was more disturbing than she feared. A prison completely outside the jurisdiction of not only the military but of the justice system as well. And all so Octavius could keep his position as regent safe. God in Heaven, how many people had he sent to that place? How many innocents had their lives destroyed in the three years he was in control? How many families had been ripped apart? Elsa suddenly felt sick to her stomach and almost lost what little food she had consumed that morning. But she forced the swirling feelings inside her gut down, refusing to look weak in front of not only the two men but her sister as well.
"I see. Thank you for the information," she said after regaining her composure. "We are done here."
The two sisters walked out of the cell and before the door was closed, Nemo called out to the Queen.
"Your Majesty, if I may?"
Elsa turned and regarded the former fleet admiral with a cool stare.
"Speak your peace."
"What is to become of us, now that we have given you what you came for?"
"You will remain here. In one month you will stand trial along with Vickers and the other council members for crimes against Arendelle and the Crown. There you will be able to prove your innocence and loyalty to me and the kingdom."
Nemo nodded, accepting her answer, expecting it even.
"Then, before you leave, Your Majesty, may I ask something of you to help with our defense when the time comes?"
"You may."
"On the day before the trial, will you contact the captains of our two galleons, the first mate of the Nautilus and the adjutant to the field general and relay a message to them."
"What would you have me tell them?"
"All that glitters is gold. They will understand."
"Very well."
Turning away, the guard closed and locked the door, guiding the queen and princess out of the dungeons. Once back to the main floor, the sisters returned to the study and were surprised to find Kai and another man waiting for them. The man with Kai was only an inch or so taller than the chancellor, a shaggy mop of black hair on his head that he had tried unsuccessfully tried to make presentable. He wore a simple white tunic that, while clean, was stained and lightly threadbare and a pair of black trousers and worn brown boots. His arms were muscled and hands calloused, signaling to Elsa that he worked extensively with his hands.
"Ah, Your Majesty, Your Highness, welcome back," Kai said with a slight bow. "May I present to you Jobjørn Snømann."
The man turned and bowed to the sisters.
"You Majesty, Your Highness, thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
"Mister Jobjørn is the son-in-law of your father's former Minister of Justice and I'm afraid he has some unfortunate news."
"Your Majesty, I understand that you wished for my father-in-law to resume his post as Minister of Justice."
Elsa nodded. "That is correct."
"I'm afraid that I must tell you that my father-in-law, Geppetto, died a year ago. He is in a better place now."
Elsa's heart went out to the man. She and Anna both knew what he must have been going through.
"I am sorry for your loss. You have my sympathies."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. He was a good man and will be sorely missed."
"Yes he will. If I may ask, if Minister Geppetto has passed, then why are you here? Will you be taking over his duties?"
Jobjørn let out a hearty laugh and waved a dismissing hand.
"Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I am the most unqualified person to take on the position. I'm just a simple blacksmith. I'm good with my hands, not so much so my mind. My wife, on the other hand, would be more suitable but she plans to take over the law firm her father started before he became Minister. No, I'm here to introduce the one that Minister Geppetto wanted to take his place after his passing."
Anna looked around in confusion. "But you're the only one here."
Jobjørn let out a sigh. "Yes, this is true. I apologize, Your Majesty, but do you have a library anywhere near here?"
"I do."
"Could you perhaps take me there? You'll no doubt find your candidate there was well. He has an almost unnatural ability to find books no matter where he goes."
"Very well." Elsa motioned for the blacksmith to follow her and the group left the study, heading for the library.
They came to a slightly open door and Elsa paused in front of it. Her nerves already on high from the knowledge that someone was running unchecked through her home, she slowly pushed the door the rest of the way open, her ice magic thrumming underneath her skin. The sight that met her made her eyes widen in surprise. Every book that the library held was on the floor in several neat stacks. But what surprised the young queen the most was the pair of legs that were dangling on the back of the settee. She heard Jobjørn sigh and the blacksmith walked past Elsa and into the library, coming to stand between the settee and fireplace. The two sisters and Kai followed him and Anna let out a small giggle when she saw a young man hanging upside down off the cushion and reading a book.
"Olaf."
"Hey, Dad!" the voice chirped from behind the thick book. "This place is amazing! How did you find it? Did you know that they have the latest volume of A History of Arendelle? I can't find past volume five at any of the other places I've been."
Smiling apagogically, Jobjørn plucked the book from his son's hands, revealing a very young-looking face, dark brown eyes, almost black, and messy black hair. The eyes blinked in confusion and flicked back and forth between the people in the small group.
"Wait, what am I looking at right now? Why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?"
Jobjørn grunted as he grabbed his son like he weighed nothing and flipped him right-side up then placed him back on the settee.
Olaf blinked then smiled wide.
"Thanks, Dad! That's much better." The black-haired man jumped to his feet then swooned when the blood rushed to his head. He flopped back onto the cushions and road out his dizzying spell "Whoa! Head rush!"
"Are you alright?" Anna asked.
"Yep," he said, popping back to his feet. "Never better!"
"Olaf, son, do you remember where we are?
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you remember why we're here?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you know who these two ladies are?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Then shouldn't you introduce yourself?"
"Oh! Right, okay then." Olaf turned to Anna and Elsa. "Hi, everyone, my name's Olaf Snømann! Pleased to meet you!"
Jobjørn groaned and covered his eyes with a hand. Anna couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her. She liked Olaf, he was funny. Her giggling abruptly stopped when something Olaf said registered in her mind.
"Olaf, did you say your last name was Snømann?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Are you related to Mikhail Snømann?"
Olaf's eyes widened and a smile split his face.
"Oh! Do you know Marshmallow?"
"Marshmallow?" Elsa asked, confused.
"Yeah, Marshmallow! That's my nickname for my little brother Mikhail!"
"You little brother?!" Anna's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Just how old are you anyway?"
"Thirty. But so is Marshmallow. He was born nine months after me. We're Irish twins!"
While Anna was talking to the animated man in front of them, Elsa was busy berating herself for her absentmindedness. How did she not see what was so plainly in front of her? She should have made the connection when Kai introduced Jobjørn to her. Her mind was probably overloaded with all that she had done and learned today but that was no excuse. She had to be more alert and aware of her surroundings if she was going to present herself as a competent ruler. She would work on sharpening her situational awareness.
Elsa was pulled from her musings when she noticed Olaf's eyes upon her. She quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"So, who are you again?"
Jobjørn groaned, Anna giggled and Elsa stared to worry that Minister Geppetto had made a serious mistake in sending Olaf here.
Elsa's worrying had been all for nothing in the end. Despite his childish demeanor and stature, looking more like a fifteen-year-old child and not a thirty-year-old man, Olaf proved to be an intellectual genius. He could recall and recite, verbatim, every book he had ever read in his entire life, even all of his children's books. And since his grandfather had trained him as his protégé he knew, understood and could recount the duties of the Minister of Justice. As for executing them, Elsa had been pleasantly surprised when he was capable of doing that as well. She had presented him with a mock scenario of her own design as a sort of test on his abilities. Olaf had thought for a moment then gave his 'ruling' based off the information given to him.
While in court cases the verdict was based off the evidence provided, Elsa knew more often than not that some judges would make a ruling based off their own personal beliefs or an ideology they believed in, completely disregarding the law that they swore to uphold. This type of corruption was another weed that she had to uproot and with Olaf at her side, she believed that it would be possible to an extent. Elsa was not naïve to think that she could solve all of her kingdom's problems overnight. But if she was able to put the rule of law back into place and let everyone know that they would not be able to have the free reign that they had under Octavius then that might be enough to give them pause in their actions. If not then she would need Olaf's help to build a case against the more stubborn ones and get them removed from their positions of power permanently.
She was pulled from her thoughts and blinked in confusion when she opened the door to her room and found only Anna's furniture inside. It took her a few seconds to remember that she had moved into the Royal Suite and her old bed and dresser were now in one of the guest rooms. The queen was suddenly filled with sadness when she realized that this morning was the last time that she would sleep in the same room as her sister. That hurt Elsa more than she was willing to admit. True, she was only around the corner and down the hall but when she thought about it, it felt like they were going to be miles apart. She had to be strong, though. She was queen now, and as queen she had an image to uphold within the castle, making certain actions she was used to doing frowned upon. And sleeping with ones sister at twenty-one years of age would be met with ridicule and bring her ability to rule into question.
Slowly closing the door, Elsa decided to wait by her former room until Anna came back. The princess was giving Olaf a tour of the castle and showing him where his office was located so that he could start work tomorrow. He was given a guest room in the castle until the Justice Manor was prepared and ready for him to move into. Anna seemed to be getting along with Olaf and Elsa could not have been happier. She was excited at the prospect of her sister having a friend besides herself. Anna deserved it. The princess was so outgoing and her sunny disposition was one that deserved to be shared with others, not locked away inside a castle. Though she would have responsibilities as part of her council of advisers, they would not be as numerous as hers. In that retrospect, maybe she could have Anna go out into the city and mingle with the people and reestablish a connection between the Crown and the populous. Elsa was quite sure that right now the monarchy was very unpopular. Given Anna's personality, she might be able to successfully mend that particular bridge.
Elsa liked the idea. She would hold off for now, however. First Octavius had to be taken care of then she could start on the rest. Once the former chancellor's trial was taken care of and she had rebuilt her council of advisers, she would tell them her idea and get their thoughts on it. After she discussed it with Anna, of course. She would never leave her sister in the dark about anything, especially something that involved her directly.
"Elsa!"
The queen looked to see Anna coming her way.
"You didn't have to wait on me," she said once reaching Elsa's side. "I know how tired you must be. You should have gone to bed already."
"It's okay. I needed to talk to you anyway."
"Well, okay then!" Anna reached down and took a hand in hers. "We can talk while we take a bath. God knows I need one!"
Elsa smiled at the prospect of bathing with her sister like normal when she remembered what she was here to do and tried to stop Anna from opening the door.
"No, Anna, wait!"
But it was too late. The princess flung the door open and abruptly stopped at the threshold, dropping her sister's hand. Elsa watched as Anna's face went from excited to confused and then to shocked in the span of three seconds. She looked at Elsa and the queen felt like her heart had been stabbed by one of her ice shards. The amount of pain and betrayal in Anna's eyes hurt her so much.
"Elsa..." The queen flinched. Her sister's voice sounded so broken. "What...what's going on? Where's your furniture?"
"I had them removed, Anna."
"But why?" Elsa almost shut her eyes from the amount of hurt she heard in her sister's voice. "Have you finally gotten tired of being near me all the time?"
"No!" Elsa shook her head furiously. "No, that's not it at all, Anna!"
"Then why?"
Reaching down, Elsa took her sister's hands in her own and gave them and affectionate squeeze.
"Please understand, Anna, I'm the queen now. And because of that, there will be things that are expected of me. I will have to act and behave a certain way, speak in a manner befitting a queen and ruler. I will have responsibilities and duties that far exceed your own and require more of my time. But most of all I will have to maintain an image not only to the people of Arendelle but to the castle staff, the guards and members of my councils. The castle is going to be fully staffed again soon and they will not understand what we have gone through like Kai, Gerda and the rest do. If they were to find out that their queen was still sleeping in the same room as her sister like a small child, they will talk. And that talk will be picked up by those who will not hesitate to use it against me and, God forbid, use it against you.
"So I have to do this. I have to move into the Royal Suite and maintain the image of a proper queen and ruler. Believe me, Anna, I am not happy about this anymore than you are. But it has to be done, no matter how much it will hurt to be away from you. But look." Elsa tugged on her sister's hands and led her around a corner, showing her a doorway at the end of a short hall. "Do you see that? I'm just around the corner if you need me for anything. My door will always be open for you."
Anna looked up at her sister, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and sadness swirling in their teal depths. But Elsa also saw happiness and understanding as well and it lifted a great weight from her shoulders to know that her sister knew why things had to be this way from now on. Even if she, too, was not happy about it.
"Thank you, Elsa."
"Anything for you, Firefly. Now, it's late and we should retire for the evening. I'll see you in the morning, Anna."
Elsa place a tender kiss on Anna's forehead and bid her goodnight, entering the Royal Suite and closing the door. The silence that greeted her was enough to make her want to throw open the door, damn the consequences and dive into bed with Anna. She restrained herself though. She knew that this was not going to be easy on them and she had to beat down the urge to be near her sister. Taking a calming breath, Elsa quickly undressed and drew herself a bath, the warm water relaxing both her mussels and mind. When she was toughly cleaned and relaxed, she dried herself off and pulled on a pale blue nightgown. She turned down the covers of her bed and crawled in, trying not to think about how her parents used to sleep in this very same bed, in this very room.
Sleep, however, proved to be elusive to the young queen. No matter how she tossed and turned she could not find a comfortable position to lie in. After what felt like hours, she finally flopped back onto her pillows with a huff. She knew what was keeping her awake. It was the absence of a certain warm body that had been with her since childhood. God, this was proving to be harder then she thought. It was like part of her was ripped away and thrown into the either when in reality it was only right down the hall. Although similar to the feeling of being placed on the opposite sides of the castle as punishment when they were children, it was different in that where the punishment would end after a specific amount of time, this situation was permanent. And that just made it hurt all the more.
Slapping her mattress in agitation, Elsa sat up and was ready to throw her covers off and march down to Anna's room and drag her sister back to bed with her when her door opened. She was hardly surprised to see the very person she was thinking about standing in the doorway, hands clutching her green nightgown and teeth worrying her bottom lip.
"Anna?"
"Elsa, I want...that is...I can't...I mean, can I...?"
The queen couldn't help but smile at her sister as she shifted from foot to foot and stumbled over her words. Anna was just too adorable for her own good. Throwing the covers back, Anna needed no further invitation and practically dove into the bed, immediately snuggling up to Elsa. Finally feeling at peace, Elsa got comfortable and pulled Anna closer to her, stroking the strawberry-blonde locks as her sister drifted off into sleep.
She was going to have to wake up extra early in order to get Anna back to her room before anyone came to wake her up. Elsa knew that this could not happen every night. They would eventually get caught no matter how careful they were. But right now, looking at her sister's content face, Elsa could not have cared less. And she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if Anna came to her again the next night and the one after, she would not be able to turn her away. And in that moment, she was completely fine with that.
(End of Part Three)
A/N: Back again with another chapter for all my readers out there. Again, thanks to all that have read, reviewed and faved this little story. I can imagine that it is a bit frustrating waiting for an entire month for a new chapter and for all that have patiently waited you have my eternal gratitude. I also want to welcome any and all new readers to this story. Know that I appreciate you taking the time give this a look and I hope it piques your interest. Okay, that's enough outta me. See y'all next month.