I recommend listening to this song while reading the chapter. I like it, it adds more immersion. It's what I'd like to hear if this was a movie. If you don't want to, that's fine. It's not required. I just like it, it feels right. Kudo's to Jonathan Sears.
/watch?v=J90TtxphZek
Chapter 7
Stian
He awoke in the middle of the night to the joyous sound of a baby crying.
"I got her last time." Elsa moaned, pulling her pillow over her head.
Stian opened his eyes, and scratched his face. There were small traces of stubble. He'd have to take care of that in the morning. A platinum blonde beard never looked good. He swung his legs out from the bed, and slowly stood up. He threw an old shirt on, and went to his daughter's bassinet.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." he whispered, as he gingerly took Neiva in his arms. He walked the hallways with her, as he often did. Rocking her back and forth and humming the song his wife taught him when they first got married. He looked out the window at the serene night. He made sure not to look at the aurora, as that would just make him nervous. Neiva was down to just a whimper. Stian went to the banquet hall. It stood empty. He made his way down to the throne room, and found it empty, like most of the castle. He could hear the blood in his ears through all the silence. He looked down, and his daughter slept peacefully in his arms. He sighed, and headed back up to his bedroom.
He placed Neiva back in her bassinet, and peered out the window again. A small layer of frost was beginning to form on the window, and Stian took comfort in knowing that it was not he who caused it. He turned to Elsa, who slept soundly once again. Her hair sprawled out over her pillow. For a regal, beautiful, graceful Queen, she wasn't the most graceful sleeper. Stian could hear her quietly snore. He lay down in bed again, and waited for morning to come.
It did, and loudly.
"Stian, Elsa! Get up, get up, get up!" Anna chimed. The couple reacted in the exact same way at the exact same time. They groaned, rolled over, and covered their heads with the blankets. Stian felt Anna leap onto the bed, and begin to shake Elsa awake.
"Come on, get you clothes on! Get ready! There's a big day ahead of us!" she sang. Elsa sat up, her blonde hair falling past her shoulders.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Elsa yawned.
"It's a new day. What's not to be happy about? Stian, get up!" Anna said, yanking the covers off the bed completely. He shivered, and curled into a ball. He didn't want to get up.
"I could get Sven to give you a good morning's kiss..." Anna said.
"What's on the schedule for today?" Stian said, hopping out of bed. He realized his legs were weak, as were his arms. He hadn't done any heavy work to feel sore like this. He was also insanely hungry. Why?
"Meeting at eleven with a... Friend." Anna said.
"A friend? What kind of friend?" Elsa asked, sitting down at her mirror.
"Oh, you guys haven't met her. You'd get along well, you're a lot alike." Anna said, alluding to something.
"What do you mean?" Stian asked.
"It's ten right now. Get ready you two!" Anna said, waving, as she left the room.
Elsa combed her hair at her mirror.
"What do you think she meant by that?" she asked.
"Who knows? I'll be downstairs in the kitchen." Stian said, pulling on his boots.
"See you in a few." Elsa waved.
Stain couldn't help but scarf down five bowls of sweetened grain.
"Slow down Stian, it's not going anywhere." Kristoff said.
"Sorry. I'm just... I don't know... I woke up this morning feeling drained. Like something is... Counterbalancing me? I don't know." Stian said, emptying another four spoonfuls into his mouth.
"I'm starved! Where'd you get that, Stian?." Elsa asked, barging into the dining hall followed by Anna. Stian pointed, mouth still full of oatmeal. Elsa rushed into the kitchen, and returned with three bowls of oatmeal, a cup of tea, two biscuits, and an apple. Stian loved a girl who wasn't afraid to stuff her face. And that's exactly what she did.
Anna and Kristoff stared at the couple awkwardly as they devoured their breakfast. They whispered something to each other.
Stian swallowed, "What?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just... Stuff." Kristoff said. Anna elbowed him in the stomach.
"Just discussing what we want for breakfast." Anna said.
"I recommend the oatmeal." Elsa said, finishing off her first bowl.
"Yeah... Kristoff, let's go get some oatmeal in the other room." Anna said through her teeth.
"Good idea. Be right back!" Kristoff said. Elsa and Stian shrugged, and went back to their meals. Anna and Kristoff returned shortly.
"Alright, guys! Enough food, we have a meeting to attend!" Anna clapped her hands.
"The meeting isn't for another... Thirty minutes. We have time." Stian said, trying to steal a roll from Elsa. The Queen slapped his hand, and took a big bite out of the roll to make Stian jealous.
Ten minutes later, the couple was finished.
"Can we go to the meeting now?" Anna asked. Elsa leaned back in her chair.
"Sure. Carry me." she motioned to Stian. They all laughed. They got up, and walked to the meeting room. There was a small model of Arendelle sitting on a table. Maps of the surrounding nations, Gothenburg, Norway, Briarvale, Bergan, and Corona hung from the walls. Each of the four, Elsa, Anna, Stian, and Kristoff all took seats around the table. Silence.
"So... Who is this friend of yours?" Elsa asked.
"She's ah..." Anna tried.
"She came and visited us last night. She's special, let me tell you." Kristoff said. Elsa and Stian looked at each other, confused.
"She's different." Anna said sternly.
"What do you mean?" Stian asked.
"Your Majesties, your Guest has arrived early." Kai said, peeking through the door.
"Send her in." Elsa said.
They waited there in silence for a few minutes, before the door opened slowly. A girl, probably fifteen, entered. Her hair was about the same color as Anna's, strawberry blonde, and she wore casual wear that people often did in Arendelle.
"Hello..." Elsa said. "Come in, come in!" she motioned. The girl entered, and sat across from the four.
"You are Queen Elsa?" the girl asked.
"Yes."
"I am Malva. I'm sorry. I wish I came with better news." she said.
"What? Better news?" Stian asked. Malva looked at Stian, and her eyes lit up.
"This is your husband?" she asked Elsa.
"Yes, the King."
"I'm Stian. Listen what-"
"You must be the other one!" Malva interrupted. Stian saw Kristoff and Anna shrink in their seats.
"Other what?" Stian asked.
Malva raised an open hand, and slowly cupped it. Tiny sparks and red whisps shot from her hand. Stian jumped in his chair.
"Fire?" Elsa asked. Malva nodded.
"And you are ice. You two, correct?" Malva asked. They were ice? Oh no. Stian knew exactly what she meant.
"Malva, why did you come here?" Stian asked.
"Oh, yes. Troops were mobilized against Arendelle six days ago." Malva confessed.
"What?" Elsa and Stian asked at the same time. They were shocked.
"Your Majesties, it's nothing to be concerned about. I came here to see the Queen. The Queen and I could stop this. Now that I know there are three of us, this should be easy." Malva said.
"What should be easy?" Kristoff asked.
"Fighting back."
"What? Malva, no! We're not going to war, what are you suggesting?" Elsa asked.
"Your Majesty-"
"Elsa."
"Elsa, this is already happening. Unless you can resolve this peacefully, I don't see any other way." Malva said.
"There is always another way." Elsa said.
"Malva, I saw you just command fire. Where did you learn that?" Stian asked.
"I was very young... Some man blessed me, and the next morning I woke up sick. Once I got over the sickness, I could do this." Malva said, waving her arms. A small column of fire blazed between her arms, and it quickly went out.
"There are others with powers like us?" Elsa whispered to Stian.
"Have you ever heard of anybody named... Asle?" Stian asked. Malva pondered.
"I'm sorry, I have not. Why?" she asked.
"Nothing, just-" Stian looked at Kristoff. He nodded. "We're in more trouble than we thought." Stian said. Elsa and Anna reeled at this news.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
"He means..." Kristoff said, "A war on two fronts."