Chapter 4-Decorum
The silence was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Slowly, Castle Arendelle's dining room populated with the key people necessary to have this conversation. The Queen sat at one of the middle seats of the long rectangular table rather than at the head of the table denoting her position. Next to her sat the scruffy looking outlaw who seemed to be cause of all this while the Queen's sister sat cross the table from her sister, eyes bouncing back and forth between Elsa and the stranger. Kristoff sat next to Anna as well completely overwhelmed and disoriented. Chief Ministers of Arendelle didn't look much better off than Kristoff as they sat at the table wondering why they were here instead of a wedding celebration.
Kai and Gerda did their best to attend to the needs of the impromptu meeting. They fetched classic Arendelle coffees, teas, and snacks from the kitchens and placed them on the table. Those waiting found themselves snacking quietly merely for something to do.
The door gently opened and in came one of the Castle Honor Guard. He quickly and quietly made his way to the Queen and kneeled next to her chair.
Erik gently smirked to himself. The guard didn't notice him even though they shared multiple shifts on guard duty many years ago. Though, the Captain of the Guard diagonally across the table didn't recognize him either, and he handed Erik orders on a daily basis.
"Your Majesty," The guard kept his voice low. "Prince Gerard and his family have been located and will be arriving in a few minutes."
"Good," Elsa said. "They are well, Guardsman?"
The soldier nodded. "Yes, your Majesty, they were unharmed in the altercation."
"Thank you." The guard excused himself as Elsa turned her attention back to those at the table. Still, nobody felt like talking. Anna had her eyes fixed on the table while she traced her fingers over the grain while Kristoff stared off into distance. Many of the Chief Ministers looked just as uncomfortable as they either preoccupied themselves with snacks or some other form of distraction.
A few minutes later, Gerda came back into the room brining more things to eat. She placed a tray of chocolate truffles on the table near the Queen along with another pot of tea at the other end of the table for the Ministers.
Elsa did indeed notice the chocolates right away. "Oooh" She said excitedly, grabbing one with each hand. "Try one of these!" She turned to the roguish man next to her—the obvious elephant in the room—and held out one of the chocolates in her slender hand near his mouth.
Erik looked intently at the little truffle inches away from his mouth. "Chocolate," He breathed with a sigh. "It's been…"
Elsa pushed it closer to his mouth. "Here," She said with a sweet smile before feeding it to him.
Erik closed his eyes while the chocolate melted sweetly in his mouth. A contented sigh escaped him as he sat there.
"Good, isn't it?"
Erik nodded while opening his eyes. "Yes, like a dream."
"Have another." Elsa raised another to his mouth.
The two lovebirds didn't seem to mind at all that they had a completely captive, yet bewildered, audience. One of the Chief Ministers cleared his throat in order to break silence. Just as he was about to speak, the doors to the dining hall flew open.
"Where is the Queen? I demand to know what is happening! Where are those savages who interrupted my wedding?" Prince Gerard stormed into the room with his family right behind him. His father, a Duke of France, looked just as upset as his son, yet entered much quieter. The Duchess had a similar look of annoyance and distain on her face.
Elsa quickly rose from her seat at the table. She bowed to her fiancé and his family before extending her hand to offer them a place at the table. "Please have a seat, your Highnesses."
Both Prince Gerard and his father, Duke Louis Philippe, evaluated who was sitting where at the table. Clearly, proper decorum had been ignored in the placements, but both realized that decorum had been long forgotten that day. The Duke sat first with his wife, but it took Gerard a moment, realizing that there was no empty seat next to his bride—and the one of her left was being occupied by some common cur. He slid into a seat, clearly begrudging the situation.
Elsa took a deep breath and looked around. All eyes were on her, and everyone who generally needed to be there indeed was. It was time to explain all this madness now. She decided it might be easier to stand and explain this as the sudden lurch in her stomach began to feel a little too overpowering. "First of all, I want to apologize for everything that has happened today. I know that many of you are frightened, confused, and possibly even were hurt in the chaos that ensued today." The faces that looked at her didn't seem to soften. She took another deep breath. "Still, I want to thank you sincerely and deeply that you have come here to hear an explanation of what happened today. I know that many of you are still in shock, and I will do my very best to explain everything as much as I possibly can." Elsa looked down at Erik for strength. His nod and gentle smile gave it to her.
She turned her head back to her audience. "I know that you all thought that I was kidnapped—like by our enemies of war, in fact—but the truth is, I was actually taken back into the castle to have a private conversation concerning things that needed to be brought to my attention."
"Pay tell, what was this conversation about, your Majesty?" The Minister of Agriculture spoke up after clearing his throat.
"I, uh…" Elsa's face went a little red. "In due time I will be able to explain those details, but for now, I must keep the details of the conversation to myself." She couldn't help but look at her fiancé when saying that. Even though she did not love him nor could marry him, he still deserved to learn that directly from her in private.
"What can you tell us, your Majesty?" The Trade Minister asked.
"For now," She said, "that I am not kidnapped, that things are not as they seem, and that I need time to properly deal with the information that I have learned."
"And what of the wedding?" The Duchess of Conde spoke. "My husband and son—my family—does not deserve to be embarrassed and humiliated in such a manner! Do you have any idea of the respect our family name commands across the continent?"
The look on the Duke's face equaled the venomous speech his wife gave.
Prince Gerard stood up from his seat. With a deep breath, the frustrated look on his face became much calmer. "Mother, I'm sure the events that happened today were not intended to embarrass our family." He looked to Elsa. "I'm sure that Queen Elsa will be able to sort these matters out and continue the union between our two families."
"Thank you for your patience and graciousness, Your Highness," The Jarl (the Governor) of Anslo said, clearly embarrassed on behalf of his country for the disruption.
"Yes, we might even be able to salvage the wedding almost entirely," Another Minister spoke up. "Since the windows of the chapel have been broken, we could move the location of the ceremony to the Great Hall…"
"Or perhaps the throne room…" Another chimed in.
"The weather has been warm enough. An outside wedding may be possible."
"No!" Elsa blurted out before the room could get carried away.
Prince Gerard turned his head to the Queen, confused. "No? Whatever do you mean?"
Elsa sighed, frustrated. Her eyes glanced over at the doors to a private room connected to the dining hall. "Perhaps we should speak in private, my Prince."
Gerard shook his head. "No, we can talk here." He motioned to all the people present at the table. "All of us wish to hear what exactly has happened here today, and we all deserve an explanation."
The annoyed look on Gerard's face made Elsa not wish to protest. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath before speaking. "I must call off the wedding. I cannot marry you, Prince Gerard." Decorum would ask her to apologize, but she couldn't find the will to apologize for following her heart.
"What?" He responded, dumbstruck at first before a flash of anger washed over his face. "Why not? What is this madness that has come over you?"
Elsa fought to keep her composure. She knew the dangers of losing herself to emotion—not just to herself but for everyone in the room. "Gerard, please let it be enough when I saw that I must call off the wedding. I know this is difficult…"
Gerard snorted and laughed. "The rumors are true, aren't they?"
"Rumors?" The Queen's eyebrow raised.
"Ah, yes," Gerard said, his accent growing thicker as he spoke with more emotion and less composure. He began pacing from his chair, closer to the standing Queen. All eyes followed him. "While everyone is mad with worry and grief at the possibility of their beloved Queen being kidnapped," Gerard said, drawing his words out slowly before striking quick with venom, "…she was instead whoring herself with some commoner…."
Erik burst out of his seat and charged at Gerard. He grabbed Gerard's collar and plowed his elbow into Gerard's shoulder. Erik shoved the French Prince hard into the wall. "Don't you ever speak like that to her again!" Erik growled.
The room was in uproar. The Duke and Duchess yelled for their son to be unhanded and for the guards to arrest the violent vagabond threatening their son. The Minsters stood shocked at such language used to describe their Queen and for such a violent outburst within the civilized halls of the Castle.
Erik slammed the Prince into the wall again. "Do you hear me?"
"Get…off…me….you…."
"Do you?" Erik pushed harder.
"Erik!" Elsa ran up and placed both of her hands on Erik's strong arm, trying to pull him away from the Prince. "Erik, please let him go! Don't hurt him!"
Elsa's pleas broke through to him. Erik released his hold on the Prince and stepped back. He reached his arm out, guarding the Queen and stepped in front of her. Elsa took a hold of Erik's arm and gently led him back away from the Prince.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Duke boomed, slamming his hands on the table. "Is what my son says is true?"
"No!" Anna blurted out in her sister's defense. Though she didn't understand everything that was happening, and it was very confusing seeing her sister's behavior with this new stranger, she did know one thing—her sister was no whore.
Elsa gave her sister a grateful look, which Anna acknowledged.
"My sister is the paragon of virtue." Anna insisted before those gathered at the table. "She would never do anything improper or unsuitable concerning herself or Arendelle."
Elsa's heart sank. She did not deserve having Anna as a sister.
"How dare you accuse my sister of such things, Prince Gerard! She is your fiancé! You should know her character and reputation!"
"Then why are there whispers that the Queen was seen holding hands with…with…this…" He motioned his hand towards Erik. "…this…mongrel!"
Erik looked like he was going to tackle Gerard again.
Anna's face fell. She knew that rumor was true.
"His name is Erik!" Elsa hissed. She stepped out from behind Erik's protection, emboldened. "And yes, I was holding his hand!"
The Ministers gasped.
"But it's not what you think!" She said, angrily towards Gerard. "I was indeed set to marry you today, and I would have had I not known the truth."
Gerard folded his arms over his chest. "And what truth is that?"
"That the one I loved more than life—Erik—was alive and well." She snaked her arm around Erik's and stood with him. "I loved him long before I ever met you, and when I learned that he was alive today, I knew that I could never marry you."
Gerard stood long and hard at the couple before him for what seemed like hours. Erik and Elsa equally met his intense and challenging gaze with their own. Then suddenly, Gerard turned on his heel, showing his back to them. "We're leaving!"
"But this insult has not been properly rectified!" The Duke hollered. "We deserve…"
"I'm not staying in this pathetic little excuse for a kingdom any longer," Gerard continued towards the door and his parents quickly followed suit.
After the door slammed behind the exiting family, Elsa turned and buried her face in Erik's chest. His arms quickly wrapped around her in comfort.
The room was silent until Gerda spoke up. "Who wants cake?"
So much for decorum.