Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 7: A Scary Rally

Elsa awoke to the sun beating down on her as it climbed over the mountains. She breathed in deeply as she slowly sat up in bed. Her hair was completely mussed and her dress was wrinkled, but she didn't care. She got out of bed and walked over to the gaping hole of melted ice. She gazed out over the mountain range, tracing its peeks and valleys. She looked down into the chasm that surrounded her ice palace. It was a very good distance between her and the ground. For a moment, a brief moment, she considered taking a step.

She heard a snore echo through her palace and realized that Ajax was still sleeping in the main hall. She remembered the story he'd told her and quickly stepped away from the hole.

As she walked down her grand staircase, she formed a snowball in her hand and tossed it lazily over Ajax's head. He snorted and started as he twisted himself to his feet. "There are better ways to wake a man," he muttered as he brushed snow off his shoulders. He gripped the hilt of the sword he'd struck into the ground and groaned with effort as he slowly drew it out and latched it too his back. "Well, let's go."

"Go where?" asked Elsa as she walked to the bottom of the stairs.

"Hunting. You're hungry, aren't you?" Elsa's stomach grumbled as a response. Ajax smirked as he pushed open the doors, Elsa right behind him as he walked down the ice steps.

"And how do you intend to hunt?" she asked, "You have one weapon that you can barely use."

"That's all I need." Ajax walked over to the forest and broke a large branch off of a tree. He sat down in the snow and rested his massive sword on his lap. As he began to whittle the branch, the noise of the forest became hushed. Birds chirped to each other nervously and squirrels scampered higher into the trees. Elsa sat next to him and watched him work as the sun grew higher in sky.

"What are you-?"

"Shush," he murmured as he worked. The sun grew higher in the sky as he slowly turned the branch into a sharpened point. As time passed, the noises of the forest returned. A small bird flew overhead and landed nearby, turning its head to peer curiously at the strange people that intruded on its forest.

Faster than a blink of an eye, Ajax tossed his pointed stake at the bird. Elsa flinched and looked away, but the sickening sound and the brief cry of the bird was all she needed to hear to know that the projectile had found its mark. "That's how you catch prey and how you defend your kingdom," said Ajax outside of her line of sight, "You draw them in with a false sense of security while you ready your arsenal. Then, when they breach your borers, you strike without mercy." As he spoke, Elsa groaned as she tried to ignore the sound of breaking joints and ripped feathers.

She looked up and watched the stars as he lit a fire using a rock for a lighter and his ripped sleeves for fuel. "Here," he said after a while, "Eat up." She glanced down and gulped nervously as he saw he was handing her small strips of meat, cooked over the fire with twigs. She gently took one and regarded it cautiously. "You must not fear vistory," Ajax said, "For one thing, it makes your powers uncontrollable." Indeed, the meat was already steaming from her icy touch. She quickly gobbled it and swallowed, trying to ignore the coppery taste.

"Ugh," she gagged, "Never cook for me again."

"To the victor go the spoils," said Ajax with a shrug. They sat in silences as the sun projected its harsh rays on them. Eventually, they heard the clopping sounds of an approaching steed and Kai appeared from the forest with the sleigh.

"Lord Ajax!" he exclaimed, "How did you get here?"

"It doesn't matter," Ajax said as he climbed into the sleigh and helped Elsa in as well. He took off his sword and leaned it against the seat next to him. They slid down the mountain in silence, Ajax watching Elsa out of the corner of his eye while the queen simply watched the countryside fly by. "You have a beautiful country, Queen Elsa," he said quietly.

"But will it stay beautiful?" she asked as they pulled into the city.

"What the heck is going on?" Ajax stood up. Elsa turned and gasped as she saw what had caught his attention. They were pulling past the main square of the city, just outside the castle. The square was filled to the brim with citizens of all ages and sizes. It seemed like the entire kingdom had gathered together. Banners had been strung across the square and a large poster hung over the entrance to the palace. It featured a painting of Elsa in icy armor, standing firm and alone against a demonic foe. Elsa stood up and peered over the crowd to see what they were looking at.

The center of the square had been cleared and several targets set up. The crowd cheered as a cloaked, shadowy figure leapt over their heads and ran along the banners. The figure jumped and twisted, shooting off arrows into all of the targets, each one a perfect bull's-eye. The figure landed in a crouch and bowed to the cheering audience. It pulled back its hood and fluffed out her long, frizzy red hair.

"The queen calls for an army!" cried Merida as the cheers of the crowd died down, "I can teach you to fight like a bear! To fly like an eagle! I can teach you to shoot better than the angels themselves! Will ye join me?" A massive cheer went up from the crowd, the force of their shouting sending Elsa back into her seat. They apparently hadn't noticed their queen behind them, but she decided that was probably for the best.

Shouts of "I volunteer!" and "I will join!" came from men, woman, and children. It seemed the entire country wanted to serve her.

"Kai," she whispered to her driver, "Take the back roads to the rear entrance behind the gardens. Quickly, please."

"Of course, milady," he said, gently urging the horses forwards and away from the ruckus of the crowd. Soon, they were traveling a hidden, winding path that lead into the castle's wine chambers.

As soon as they entered the stables, Elsa hopped out. "Gerta! Bring me a bottle of my father's finest, won't you? I'll be in the throne room."

Ajax smirked as he hefted his blade out of the sleigh. "Are you sure? You've never-"

"After what I just saw," Elsa interrupted grimly, "I'm going to need it."

Ajax shrugged. "Suit yourself. I have letters to write and I need to put this stupid thing back in the closet." He walked off, his sword banging against his back. Elsa walked back to her throne room and arrived just as Gerta did with a dusty bottle of wine and a goblet. Elsa took both from her with thanks and entered the room. Immediately, she popped off the cork from the bottle and sniffed its contents. It smelled deep and fresh, despite the label saying it was from over two hundred years ago. She poured herself a small glass and chugged it back, drinking the whole thing in one gulp. She shivered as the crisp liquid tumbled down her throat.

"Elsa?" the queen turned and smiled at her little sister.

"Hey, Anna. What's up?"

"We missed you at dinner last night. Are you alri-IS THAT WINE?"

Elsa collapsed into her throne and raised her glass. "Tell it to the whole world, why don't you?"

"Elsa! You never drink! Are you okay?"

"Do you know what I saw out in the square?" Elsa asked her sister, "I saw practically every citizen of Arendelle willing to lay down their lives for me. They were one hundred percent ready to die for a woman they barely knew."

"Well, you are their queen," reasoned Anna.

"I've been queen for less than six months! They barely know me!"

"No, but they know what you represent."

"And what do I represent?" asked Elsa, pouring herself another glass.

"Arendelle."

Elsa took a sip and sighed as sunk lower in her throne. "I have an army. I can't really wrap my head around it."

"If it's any consolation," said Anna, stepping forwards and taking the wine from Elsa, "It's not so much an army as a well-armed militia at this point."

"Surprisingly, that doesn't make me feel better."

"No, I suppose it wouldn't," sighed Anna, "Got a spare glass?"

. . .

In a very different throne room in the capital of the kingdom of Corona, a very different conversation was taking place. The crowned prince ducked behind his throne as a chandelier was tossed at him.

"PRINCE EUGENE FITZHERBERT!" screamed his wife, Princess Rapunzel, as she grabbed another candle holder, "HOW DARE YOU?!"

"Punzie! Honey!" he cried as he ducked under her attacks and rolled behind a pillar, "Calm down!"

"You set up an international spy network!" she shouted as she grabbed curtains off a window, "Behind my back! Do you know how stupid you are?!"

"I'm going to assume I'm pretty stupid," muttered Eugene as he ducked under the curtains.

"250 years of peace!" she shouted, falling on her rear as her anger turned to sadness, "Gone in less than a generation because of what? Your insecurity?"

"Naw, babe," said Eugene, peeking out from behind the pillar, "Are you done throwing things at me?"

"For now," she said with a glare, "Why Eugene? We don't need a spy network! Corona's neutral! Why would you risk it?"

"If it helps," he said, coming out to her and sitting down next to her, "I've pulled all my spies."

"Really? Why?"

"A second ago, you were complaining that I have spies. Now you're concerned that I don't?" Eugene smirked.

"Shut up, I'm still mad at you. Now answer my question."

Eugene breathed deeply. If she was mad before, she was going to be furious. "The last report my spy in Fleyaz made before he went missing said they were gunning for world domination, with a particular focus on Arendelle. So I redistributed the spies between Fleyaz and Arendelle."

A few minutes later, Rapunzel's father, the king of Corona peeked his head into his own throne room. "Kids? You're little lover's quarrel over?" A pane of glass Rapunzel had ripped from the window shattered on the door. "I'll take that as a no," he said quietly as he closed the door.

. . .

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