A/N: This is without a doubt the darkest fic I have ever wrote, but I hope that you enjoyed it. Contrary to whatever messages one may pick up from this, I actually enjoyed Frozen very much, and have something else planned that is coming very soon. Thanks for reading

Chapter 7: Ice/Steel

Elsa sat on what I assumed was a throne, but it was a strange looking one. One made of a giant mountain of icicles. She sat at the top, towering above the room, looking down on me.

"I knew you were here ever since you entered my domain. It was with him, right? That ice seller? Kristoff?"

"Yeah." I replied. "That's right."

"You came within inches of killing my sister. Do you realize what that would have meant for you?"

"An icicle to the throat, no doubt. But it's not like I'm going to receive a different fate right now."

Elsa started down the stairs to her throne. "You seem familiar. Have we met before?"

"Indeed. I was there at your coronation. Decided to run and save my own arse instead of saving those sorry lives of the nobles. Those who can't look out for themselves aren't worth saving."

Elsa looked at me closer as she kept descending the steps. Her waist length hair was snow white, and tangled, just as before. I remembered how she once looked very beautiful, but that was when she was still alive.

"No...It's somewhere else I know you from. You and I have met somewhere else before."

I nodded. "I saw you. I saw you, the princess as a young girl. How you were locked up by a horrible father for possessing powers you never wanted."

"On the contrary. My magic has given me new light into a dark world. This world has awaited punishment for it's darkness. You of all people know what darkness is, assassin."

I nodded. "Yes. I do. I've seen the darkness. I saw a man hope for a daughter, and instead get a son. Then the man discovered that his wife's son wasn't even his. And then that same man left the infant boy out in the snow to die. That was me."

"Impressive." Scoffed Elsa. "You survived a snowstorm on your own? I am a goddess of snow. It would never bother me, let alone hurt me."

"Want to know the puzzling bit?" I said. "After I spent years pondering the question as to why my own mother, who I thought loved me, would leave me behind, I saw that her second child was so dangerous, she could freeze an entire room just by lifting a finger."

Elsa stopped, looking thunderstruck as I continued.

"And her father, the man who left me to die because of the potential threat I posed, kept her, the real monster, in his home simply because he was a blind tyrant of a man."

Elsa stared at me. "You're my brother?"

I bowed my head. "You take the news well. Better than I would expect."

"No." Said Elsa. "I now have a potential ally."

She reached her hand out. "You don't have to kill me, brother." She said. "Only take my hand, and you can be a king."

I stared hard at her. It was no debate. I would not see this world die if I was king of the remains. This wasn't for my satisfaction, or the salvation of this world. This was to finally put Anna at peace, and for her to leave behind her frozen state. I could feel her behind me as I drew my other blade. This was what I really came here for.

"I am Asgeir Swortssen. Son of Daniel Swortssen, the forty-fifth Whisperer, and Queen Idun, the last fair queen of Arendelle. I made a promise that I intend to keep to my half-sister. Today, Queen Elsa, you die!"

Elsa leapt off the steps and landed firmly onto the ground. She waved her hand, and a long sword of ice formed right in it.

"Brave words, bastard. But you have come here on a fool's errand. You are just a commoner. I? I control what lies all around you. You handed me your soul the second you stepped foot into my kingdom."

I twirled both my blades in my hands. "It doesn't mean I can't take you with me."

Elsa took her white cloak of snowflakes and tossed it down. I did the same for my own cloak, as for it not to get in the way. Then I raised my hood. Time to end this.


Elsa was the first to strike. She came in fast and low. I leapt up and flipped, slashing downwards.

Elsa threw her hand forward, and I jumped out of the way to a blast of snow.

I took off, sprinting across the room, and dove onto the floor. The ice's slick surface gave me just the right amount of speed to swipe my sword right across the back of Elsa's leg. She shrieked in pain as I got back up.

"What's the matter, Elsa? Can't take a hit? Oh, that's right. You weren't facing death like I was. While I was getting a sword to the foot for a failed execution of a traitor, you were learning how to stand up straight and drink your earl grey."

"Shut up!" Growled Elsa.

I earned one name in the Order for what I could do, much like how Rabbit earned his name: the Silver-Tongue. Fill in the blanks and find out why I got that name.

Elsa lunged again at me, clashing with my blade. Ice against steel wouldn't normally stand a chance, but Elsa's icicle sword was enchanted; It was just as strong as my own. It became a tug of war with both of us trying to best the other.

"C'mon, Asgeir. You call yourself an assassin? You should have killed me when you had the chance, five years ago."

Elsa fell back as I won the clash. I felt my blade just barely slide across her cheek.

"Yeah. The Order asks us to do this: kill our targets when we get the first chance. But I haven't seen them for years. Most of them have died because of you. Snow monsters, freezing to death, bandits, other assassins, but most of them died by your hand. I waited because of this. I will gladly enjoy the chance I have to watch you in a pool of your own...blood..."

As I talked, I noticed her cheek. The wound on it wasn't red: it was ice blue.

I grinned. "Heh. Well, what do you know? You have no 'heart of gold' you have one cold heart of ice."

How else would she be bleeding blood like that?

Elsa wiped her hand over her wound, looked at the blood on her hand, then snarled and slashed for me again. The flurry of attacks she nailed on me, one after the other, were so intense, I barely deflected each one. I wasn't worried. I could beat her. But then came the snag in the plan.

Elsa, as she clashed with me again, reached under my blade with her free hand, and touched me in the chest directly.

I was suddenly blasted backwards with incredible force. I felt my chest get colder than I ever felt before. I nodded as I saw my reflection in the ice floor below: my hair was slowly turning white.

"Well, well." I murmured. "Now I got another reason to gut you: I'm out of time."

Time to improvise. The throne room was no place to kill Elsa. And I knew just where to do this properly. There was only one place I would find her. I drew my bow quickly and shot a salt arrow down on the floor between Elsa and me.

She screeched as the salt blew up in multiple directions, a couple hitting her directly. I saw them almost burn her skin like acid. I was right: she was no more than ice herself now. I could kill her like that, but my vows said I kill my targets with steel, not salt. So I did the only thing I had left.

I sprinted off, feeling the ice spread across my body. I could hear my heartbeat as I ran through to the next rooms. Every beat kept telling me I was still alive.


The fortress was a true labyrinth of ice and snow. The jagged edges and misshapen halls made it dangerous to even try to sprint in here. But I knew that the throne room wouldn't be where I needed to take Elsa's life. I knew exactly where it needed to happen. And even though the fortress was so hard to navigate, I could almost feel where I needed to go. I could almost see Anna's spirit guide me through it.

At last, at the top of the central tower, I found it. The room where Anna was being kept. It was a large hall, with the rafters needed to support the weight of the tower. Surprisingly, Elsa's ice could hold up the intense weight of more ice.

I threw my blade dart up and used it's retracting mechanism to launch myself up into the rafters. Elsa practically smashed open the doors just as I was up there.

She knew I was up there, but didn't understand why. I could sense her confusion because she wasn't blasting her magic right up at me. Instead, she just looked up into the rafters.

"Come to kill both sisters, Asgeir? Rid your only living family left?"

"My father is dead because yours couldn't be satisfied with leaving me for dead."

"Big deal. He had his reasons. I heard your own father killed those who even thought of turning their back on him. He was paranoid."

"So was your father. I'm glad I put him out of his misery. When I was granted Free Blood, I did what had to be done to end his miserable reign on Arendelle, and over both your lives."

Elsa collapsed to the floor, covering her ears. I could hear her say over and over "lies, lies, lies."

"Our mother died without suffering. She is now buried beside my father. The grave beside your father? Empty. We got to the wreck first."

"Lies, lies, lies..."

"Anna, on the other hand, is suffering every day. I can see her misery as she tried desperately to warm herself up from her frozen heart. That you made."

"LIES, LIES, LIES!" She was now screaming. But she could hear the last thing I had to say. Every. Last. Word.

"Poor, poor Elsa. Her heart is made of ice. And all it took was her dead sister to crack her apart!"

Elsa shrieked out and blasted her magic up into the rafters. I felt them collapse beneath me, and I slammed my blade into the wall to break my fall. The blade slowed me down as I fell towards the ground, leaving behind a huge slash mark in the wall.

"You are not my brother, Asgeir." She breathed. "You're a bastard assassin, and I will make sure your remains are tossed over the balcony."

Elsa lunged for me, and pinned my throat against the wall. I could feel the ice intensify within me.

"Give my best to your father." She murmured.

Almost as quick as a blink, Elsa's expression changed. She suddenly looked scared and fearful. She let go of me.

"Please stop!" She cried.

I looked up at her as she thrashed around. What was wrong with her?

"Please stop me! I've had enough! I never wanted to hurt you, or Anna. No one! But she made me!"

I understood. I picked my blade up off the ground.

"I'm sorry, Elsa." I said.

Her expression went back to savage. "No!" She cried. She grabbed the blade in her hands just as I jabbed it in her direction.

The steel sliced through her hands, spraying thick blue blood everywhere. I could feel it's coldness on my face as I put my hand up to Elsa's neck. The pain from the wounds on her hands was too much for Elsa to stop me. I gripped my blade tight, and then I pushed it through her ribs.


Elsa fell back, the blood pouring out, her face drenched with it. She looked up at me with savagery.

"You!" She snarled. "You did this to me! You killed me!"

I did my best to show no mercy in my eyes, but truth be told, I could see myself ending two sisters' sufferings now. Not just one.

"Why do this to me if you weren't planning on walking out alive?" She groaned weakly.

"Because now it's not about vengeance. It's not about justice. It's not even about redemption. It's about ending the suffering of others. Those who couldn't go on in this world. I know I wanted to kill you for what your family did to me. But now I see that the only one who felt pain more than me, were both you and Anna. I give you the peace you both needed so desperately."

Elsa- no. The Ice Queen-coughed up blood. "Damn you, Asgeir. Damn you to hell."

I didn't blink to that statement. "Hell is the least I deserve."

I watched as the last traces of life from this lady of ice melted away.

"The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive. For that, I forgive you, Elsa. Blodet Renner Kaldt."


Anna stood there, still in her frozen state. I heard only words written by the trolls who died from this winter that an "act of true love" could thaw her heart. Killing Elsa wouldn't do that, I knew. But part of me wished that I did. Especially since now I knew I was doing all this for those girls, the only family I had left.

The ice in my heart was almost done. Soon I'd be joining Anna, if I didn't act quick. I pulled out the package to Anna, and set it on the ground at her feet.

It was my journal explaining my own story up to when I was about to enter the fortress, and a note to Anna telling her what I wanted to say to her for so long.

Anna,

We never got a chance to meet properly. Let me be the first to introduce myself. My name is Asgeir. You may remember meeting me so long ago at Elsa's coronation. That was five years ago. A lot has changed, but some things that will seem very different to you have been around since you were born.

You father kept secrets from you. Six years before you were born, he left a boy out in the woods to die. This was because your mother had a bastard son, and he was the son of an assassin. That boy was me, which made me your brother. (Half brother, technically)

I am so sorry we could never meet properly. I knew the three of us, you, me and Elsa would've been best friends, as well as siblings. If not for your father. I saw the true side of him as a kid, truly a terrible and miserable man. But just because the three of us never had the chance to really be true friends, doesn't mean that you don't have a chance. Kristoff is out there, waiting for you. Go be with him, and live well.

With love and luck, your brother, Asgeir.


The tower had a balcony that overlooked the whole mountain range of Arendelle. The dark sky still showed the white frosted mountains with no light. I stumbled over to the balcony, the ice in my heart hurting me even more. I had minutes at best. It was time to do myself in and prevent the ice from freezing my heart, if I was to do it at all. I'd rather die than freeze.

But something was stopping me. As if I had to wait for the right moment. What was I waiting for? I couldn't tell because it was hard to think. The light from the sunrise hurt my-a sunrise?!

I looked up in surprise to the mountain horizon. There was the sun, clear as ice, rising up for the whole world to see. It was bright, and warm. There was something about it, maybe ending the Ice Queen's reign, that made the sun suddenly be able to come out.

The winter wasn't over by a long shot. But the sun was going to do what it could, and thaw this winter.

Knowing what I had just saw, I grabbed my blade.

"My name is Asgeir Swortssen. My blood now runs cold..."

I slid my blade over my neck, smiling.


The sky seemed to grow lighter as I felt my life slip away. And then I just let go. I expected to see darkness, but instead I saw light everywhere around me.

"Asgeir." Said a soft voice.

I then felt that I was still conscious. The blue blood from Elsa, and the red blood from my throat hadn't disappeared. I was still battered and beaten from this battle, with a couple patches of white hair.

I stood up, holding my neck. No pain seemed to come from the wound, even though I expected as much.

I still heard the voice calling for my name. "Asgeir..."

"Yes?" I said. I looked around.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I darted around to look at the person behind me.

It was a girl. She looked a few years younger than me, and had very light blonde hair tied in a French braid over her shoulder. Her dress was a light blue that seemed to sparkle in the light. Her eyes were just as blue, but they were friendly. Almost warm. A long cape of snowflakes trailed behind her. I knew exactly who she was, even though she looked nothing like the monster I had killed.

"Elsa."

She smiled, and nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"For what?" I said. "I shoved a blade through your chest. You have nothing to thank me for."

"I beg to differ. My mind, it was broken. All those years of bottling up emotions? They were too much for me. There was a point where my mind just...cracked, like you said. The years of abuse from my father was too much for me. The Ice Queen side of me seemed to take over, and there wasn't anything I could do. It split my mind into two sides, and for years, I was just the Ice Queen, and never truly myself."

She jumped and hugged me. "I didn't want to die, but I also know that I caused too much pain and suffering to allow this to carry on any longer."

She seemed to look off into space as she pulled away from me.

"Anna...?" I said.

"You did it Asgeir. It may not have been a good act of true love, but it was enough for Anna to be unfrozen. She's safe. She found the bag you left her, and she will know your story. She'll find Kristoff. This winter will melt away before too long. People will finally be able to move on after the worst of them move on to find a life among outlaws."

I sighed deeply. "Thank heaven."

Elsa looked out to the light again. She looked so different compared to the Ice Queen I fought to kill in my last hours. She looked peaceful. Like her only purpose was to be a good queen.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Limbo." She replied. "We make our last choice here: Where do we go on from here? Do we move on? Which direction if we do?"

I bowed my head. "It's down for me. I spilled too much blood to be allowed my happy ending. I'm a villain, and a bastard. I don't get a happy ending."

Elsa placed her hands on my shoulders. I felt a slight chill, but it was of reassurance from her. "But you did what you did to me because you couldn't see Anna suffer anymore. The door is open for you. You didn't kill me out of vengeance or pleasure. You killed me because you knew it was what you had to do."

"And you? What about you?"

Elsa shook her head. "Someone with my broken mind? I don't think so. You've earned the happy ending. Not me."

I frowned. Then I grabbed Elsa by the hand. "Only one way to find out for sure."

Elsa and I both smiled as we walked off, hand in hand, half-brother and half-sister, onwards towards what lay ahead.


He was born to a queen, and an assassin. A bastard with disgrace. Left for dead by the husband of his mother. He forged a life in blood and steel. But he found what some of us never do in our lives: redemption. Long live Asgeir, killer of a king. Long live Asgeir, slayer of a goddess. Long live Asgeir, the savior of the realm.