Arendelle truly was beautiful, Aksel noted. The landscape was amazing, and the waterfall provided an amazing backdrop for the city. As a soldier, he also appreciated the beauty of the surrounding barrier wall, which extended well into the water and created a relatively small entrance. It was a sound defense for a fjord, and several in the North had similar barriers.
As he disembarked, he was welcomed heartily to the city. He paused as he walked off the dock, noting the small open markets and shops. In front of one shop he witnessed a blonde haired man sharing a carrot with what appeared to be his pet reindeer. 'Odd,' he thought to himself. 'I'm not sure I'd envy whoever he goes home to every night.'
He continued into the city and toward the gates of the castle, making note of the envoys present. There was the Duke of Weaseltown (actually Weselton, but their reputation provided the former nickname), and over there was the French ambassador. He saw the Irish and Spanish ambassadors dreaming of what the princesses looked like. Over by the stable, he saw the Southern Isles envoy renting a horse. 'Figures. Those brothers always have to try to show off,' he smirked at his own thought and continued on.
Soon, the gates opened. He followed the throng of people along the causeway, and noticed a girl about his own age singing and walking along the railing. She seemed overly enthusiastic about the day, and her dress of greens fluttered about as she bounded along the walkway. He couldn't help but smile at the energy the strawberry blonde girl exuded, and he continued on his way after she disappeared through one of the open markets.
When he entered the outer gates, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the soon-to-be Queen. Her hair was almost white, and she looked the part with the long purple cape draped over her shoulders. He now had his target for the evening, and he hoped to be able to spend some time talking to her, forging new ties between the North and Arendelle.
Everyone made their way to the chapel. It was not large by Northern standards, but then, with the expansiveness of some territories, it was necessary to have large halls that could easily accommodate most of a town. It was well appointed though, and very well lit. He chose a seat by the wall about halfway back, close enough to see everything, yet a position where few would notice if he turned to study the crowd.
When the ceremony began, he rose with the assembly. Here, his family's height served him well; he could easily see over most others, and watched as the new Queen walked down the aisle, followed by the girl in the green dress he had seen earlier. 'Ah! So that's the younger Princess!' he thought to himself. That explained her exuberance earlier; she was finally going to get to have a party. He understood that joy all too well.
The priest instructed them all to sit, and the ceremony began. It wasn't a long ceremony, but it was steeped in tradition. He couldn't help but notice the uneasiness in the Queen's face when she turned, holding the emblems of her office in her bare hands; she almost looked as if she were in pain. Nik sometimes had a similar look on his face when he was trying not to have an outburst as a child, he remembered. And the hair on the back of his neck also pricked up whenever one of those outbursts was near, just as it was now. Having been around magic for eighteen years, he knew what it felt like. He quickly glanced around the room, looking for anything unusual. Seeing nothing, he turned back to face the Queen. As the priest finished the prayer, the Queen quickly set everything down and pulled her gloves back on, the look of pain now gone, replaced by a warm smile. He brushed off his sudden unease; maybe the scepter was just heavy, and her expression just triggered an involuntary response in him.
A short time later, all the guests had gathered in the Great Hall for the reception and party. Outside, food and drink were being served to the citizens. Aksel stood off to the side, keeping an eye out for the Queen and the Princess while catching up with the envoys from Denmark and Russia. He had always enjoyed visiting those two kingdoms (well, Russia was more like an empire, but a desolate one), and the envoys remembered him well. From their stories, the world was enjoying a long stretch of peace, but the Russian envoy mentioned he'd heard a rumor that a few kingdoms might be looking to expand their borders. Aksel filed that bit of information away; Nik would want to know that, even if it was just a rumor.
A lively song picked up, and Aksel invited the Russian's wife, Natasha, to join him for a dance. It wasn't a long song, but upbeat enough to leave them panting and smiling. As he returned her to her husband, he noticed the Queen and Princess having what appeared to be a small argument. That would not do. If the Queen was distressed, his job would be that much harder. He was going to have to talk to her sooner than he planned.
Aksel took his leave of the Russians and the Danes, and made his way to where the Queen was standing. He overheard the end of their argument:
"It just CANT!" the Queen exclaimed. She lowered her head, obviously trying to concentrate. Whatever was going on between them seemed to be a rather sore spot for them both.
"Excuse me for a minute," the Princess barely whispered as she walked away. The Queen looked after her for a moment, then lowered her eyes once more.
Aksel watched as the Princess, Anna, he remembered, tripped and was caught by the Southern Isles envoy, the youngest of the litter, Prince Hans Westerguard. He shook his head, then turned his focus on the Queen. Putting on his amused court mask, he moved toward her, standing below the raised dias. He felt his skin prickling again, but brushed it off as nerves. "Queen Elsa?" When she turned to face him, she quickly put on a smile. He returned it brightly and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Aksel, of the Northern Alliance. I'm here on behalf of my brother, King Nikolaus. He sends his regards, and wishes he could have attended himself," he finished carefully. He would not spoil the night with troubles that did not concern her.
"Prince Aksel, welcome to Arendelle," the Queen answered warmly. "I hope you're enjoying yourself?"
"Indeed, your majesty. You have a lovely kingdom. I've never travelled here before, so this is quite an opportunity for me," he went on. "Everyone is excited to be here, celebrating your coronation."
She smiled once again. "Thank you for the compliments, Prince Aksel. How fares the Northern Alliance these days?" she asked, seeming to want to change the subject.
He obliged her. "The North is enjoying one of its longest stretches of peace and prosperity in history. Our father did much to bring a lasting peace to the kingdom, and under my brother's leadership, we've flourished and become nearly self sufficient. We strive to keep good relations with our neighboring kingdoms as well. Which actually brings me to the purpose of my visit..." he trailed off slightly, waiting for her permission to continue.
She looked at him intently, obviously judging him and guessing at his intentions. Under her stare, his skin prickled yet again. "And what purpose would that be, Prince Aksel?" she asked pointedly.
He hesitated for only a moment. "The North would like to open relations with Arendelle. We aren't asking for formal trade agreements, or even a permanent embassy, but rather open lines of communications. Our King wishes to be kept informed of events around the region, as he believes a prepared kingdom is a safe kingdom. In return, he often sends out communications to other kingdoms detailing the developments of others, so that we may all be kept informed and prepared," he finished, hoping she understood what he was asking.
"So," she answered, "the Northern Alliance would like open communications? Does King Nikolaus fancy himself a guardian of the region? He seems to be taking on a lot of responsibility with these actions."
"Oh no, Queen Elsa. We in the North don't see ourselves as guardians of anyone but our own people. We just believe that everyone has equal rights to know what's happening, and that as rulers it is our responsibility to be as informed as possible," he replied. "Please don't see this as an attempt to control anyone, but more of an offer of any assistance Arendelle might need in the future, regardless of what that assistance may be."
She watched him closely, and he struggled to keep his face impassive. The prickling sensation had passed, though, and his concentration was no longer at stake. Finally, she smiled at him and nodded. "I am agreeable to those terms, Prince Aksel. Please, visit with Kai before you leave. He'll make arrangements."
He smiled warmly at her and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Queen Elsa. My brother will be most pleased to hear that. I wish you the best." With that, he turned and made his way to where Kai stood talking with some other delegates. As it turned out, it was the Russian delegates, who were most pleased that another kingdom was interested in sharing information in the network of communications Nik had worked so hard to continue expanding.
As they talked details and what information was expected and could be shared, Aksel noted that Princess Anna had returned, with Prince Hans in tow. They both were smiling broadly. 'This might get interesting,' he thought to himself, and turned part of his attention to them while remaining engaged with Kai.
After a few moments, he overheard the Queen inform a few guards that the party was over and the gates were to close. This grabbed his attention more fully, especially since he could feel that prickling sensation of magically charged air. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, but it was definitely growing in strength, and this time he was sure it wasn't just in his mind. He watched the Queen and Princess argue, and as it intensified he moved instinctively between them and the group he was with.
"What are you so afraid of!?" Princess Anna screamed at her sister.
He felt the surge in the air an instant before it was released. "I said ENOUGH!" Queen Elsa shouted, magic releasing wildly from her outstretched, bare hand as she spun; a semicircle of ice spikes formed immediately on the floor between her and the rest of the room. He hadn't been sure what form the magic would take, but now he deeply wished his brother had come instead. Nik might actually be able to DO something.
The Duke mumbled something about sorcery, and the Queen fled the room. The Duke, his men, then Anna and Hans all chased after her. Knowing he could do nothing against an uncontrolled blast of magic like that, he moved to the wall of ice and began smashing it further open so everyone could exit the room.
When he got outside, the first thing he saw was the jaggedly frozen fountain. The second thing he noticed was the snow falling from the sky. 'Oh, this does not bode well,' he thought to himself. 'Nik, I really wish you were here to see this.' Looking around, he watched as Princess Anna announced that Hans was in charge, then left to look for her sister...alone. He strode to Hans and the Duke. "Prince Hans, as a fellow member of a ruling family, and one experienced in trying events, may I offer you some council?" he asked hurriedly.
Hans looked at him impassively, though the gleam in his eyes almost looked like a man gloating. "You may. Might I have your name?"
"Prince Aksel, youngest brother to King Nikolaus of the Northern Alliance. In my experience, when unexpected events arise that threaten the safety of the public, it is best to first make safe the city. Increase patrols to prevent looting as well as to watch for approaching dangers. Given that it's snowing and getting cold, it would be prudent to send out teams to harvest firewood, since I doubt there's much of a stockpile at this time of year," he said, drawing on his experience and training as both a soldier and a commander.
Hans looked at him skeptically, but nodded. "Sound advice. We'll begin with those preparations. Is there any other council?" he asked, looking to the other delegates.
Some murmured that the Queen should be hunted down, but Aksel raised his voice in opposition. "No. This is uncontrolled magic. She's not a monster, just...wild. I recommend we dedicate our men and time immediately to the city, and once the city is safe, we send out scouting parties to find both the Princess and the Queen," he argued, looking pointedly at Hans. "The Princess should NOT have left without an escort. There are other dangers in the wild besides the Queen, especially for an unarmed Princess."
Hans squared off against him. "I trust Princess Anna's judgement. She wouldn't have left alone if she felt she'd be in danger."
Aksel took a moment to size up Hans. Judging that now was not the time for this fight, he backed down. "Fine. I'll see to the assignment of patrols. I also volunteer my own men to augment the city's guards." With that, he turned and went to find the captain of his ship, and to fetch supplies, including his weapons, from the ship. As he left, he overheard Hans ordering that the castle be opened and heated for any who needed shelter, as well as the distribution of warm clothing. 'At least he's getting that right,' Aksel thought to himself as he left.
