Thawing Together Chapter 7

The queen called for her monthly Council meeting a few days early. Kristoff and Anna were due back tomorrow, and she didn't want to cut their welcome-home celebration short for the sake of a meeting. She also didn't want the newlyweds to feel like they had to attend that meeting when they surely had better things to do with their time. The Queen, her six nobles, and her major-domo gathered in the meeting room to discuss the state of the kingdom.

"Things are looking good in Erl, Your Highness," the Duke reported. "The traders are getting good value for our goods, the people are happy, and they are giving you much of the credit."

"Thank you, Duke," she smiled graciously. "Duchess?"

"Potet is also prospering, Your Highness," the Duchess said. "However, I do have a special report I wish to bring before the Council. If I may?"

"Perhaps it should wait until after the other nobles have given their regular reports," the Queen said.

"Yes, Your Highness," the Duchess replied tightly. The three counts and the one baron all reported no problems; everything was going smoothly in the kingdom.

"Now, Duchess... your special report?" Elsa smiled.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The Duchess unrolled a small scroll. "It grieves me to bring this information and make it public, but it is necessary because it involves a member of this Council." She took a deep breath. "I have been informed by reliable sources that a certain baron of this realm has been accused of cheating one of his people in a wool deal, and that he has done nothing to make this matter right."

"Is that true, Baron?" Count Basi actually sounded surprised.

Anders was nonplussed for a moment before his brain kicked in. "Where is my accuser?" he asked.

"He could not be here; he had to attend to his herds," the Duchess explained.

"What is his name?" Anders demanded.

"His name is Steinar Brevik."

Anders snorted and waved his hand. "If you believe Steinar, he has never been part of a fair deal! He even brought his own brother up on charges before the burgomeister a year ago. The burgomeister cleared the brother of all wrongdoing, just like everyone else whom Steinar has falsely accused. My dealings with him were fair, and I can probably find the paperwork to prove it; he just cried 'foul' when he saw how much I gained by reselling his wool. That accusation is totally false."

"What about the promise of marriage you made to a girl named Marte, and then broke that promise?" the Duchess demanded.

"Marte, the butcher's daughter?" Anders shook his head disgustedly. "We went on a hayride when we were both fifteen, along with a bunch of other teens. I told her I'd like to see her again. She avoided me from that day forward, until after I'd received the barony. Then, suddenly, she remembered the hayride and started telling everyone I'd proposed to her! I could probably find witnesses to that hayride if I had to."

"Perhaps you should do that," the Duke said reasonably. "It appears that your character as a nobleman is in question, and that is a serious matter indeed. I would suggest that you take a rest from all these Council meetings that you have been attending, and use your time to try and prove your innocence in these matters. Once you have cleared your name, assuming you are able to do so, you could return to your place."

"What? This is outrageous!" Anders exclaimed. "Are you putting me out of the Council without a trial, based on one person's accusations?"

"Are you challenging my truthfulness, Baron?" the Duchess threatened.

"I do not challenge your truthfulness, but I will certainly challenge your facts!" the Baron shot back. He turned to the Queen. "Your Highness, has there ever..."

His voice trailed off. Elsa was on the verge of an explosion; couldn't they see it? "Your Highness, I think it's time to take a break."

"Her Highness is obviously upset to hear what kind of a man you really are," the Duke said snidely. "Perhaps she would calm down if you would remove yourself from –"

"Enough!" Elsa shouted, leaping to her feet, glaring at the Duke and Duchess. "Who do you think you are, to turn my Council meeting into a character assassination?! If you have charges, bring them up in court! If you have gossip, save it for your servant girls! But this slander in my presence will stop, now!"

"Your Highness," the Duchess protested, waving her scroll, "I assure you that these accusations are –"

"I said, enough!" A blast of pure cold shot out of the Queen's hand, snatched the scroll from the Duchess' fingers, and slapped it against the wall, where it was cemented in place by a thick mass of ice.

Everyone stared in silent shock. The baron and the major-domo were thinking, "They pushed her too far;" the others were thinking, "She's lost control." The five senior nobles each prepared to run for the exit as soon as someone else led the way.

The only one who moved was Anders, who took the position Anna had taught him, just behind the Queen, with his hands on her shoulder and her arm. She didn't pull away. He whispered the happiest thoughts he could think of – "Anna will be back tomorrow. Your sister will be back tomorrow. Things will be better." She was quivering. A few stray snowflakes fell around her, but they quickly faded away.

"Mind your place, Baron," the Duke quavered. "Unhand the Queen." The others glared at Anders resentfully, distracted for a moment from their fear of what they'd just seen.

"I think you all should go," Elsa said in a quiet, scared voice. Five nobles rushed to obey her suggestion; they didn't even wait for Kai to open the door for them. Once they were gone, she looked back at Anders. "Baron, thank you… but you can let go now."

He pulled his hands back, abashed. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I'm far too forward, I know, but I just..."

"You just wanted to help," she said, finishing his sentence. "I appreciate that." She stared at the ice on the wall, then at her hands. "I just want to run away," she said shakily.

"You tried that once, Your Highness," Anders said quietly. "I wish I could have seen the palace you made, but in the long run, it didn't work. Maybe it's time to try something different."

"Like what?" she exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "When other people lose their temper, they pound on a table and scream. When I lose it, I kill people."

"You didn't kill anyone," he tried to reassure her. "That shot might have scared the Duchess half to death, but it was perfectly aimed. You can't convince me you were out of control."

"You don't know," she replied sadly. "Tell me honestly – is there any truth in those things they said about you?"

"Not a word of it, Your Highness," he said firmly. "My life is so boring, I could never have gotten into any interesting troubles like those. Someone must have been trolling my barony for rumors."

She nodded, then stared at her hands. "What am I going to do?" she whispered. "They'll all be afraid of me from now on."

"The next time you say, 'That's enough,' maybe they'll listen," he suggested. "Are you going to be all right?"

She shook her head, but it was in disbelief. "They were trying to slander you and put you out of the Council, and all you can think about is me?"

He shrugged. "That's how I think. I'm worried about you, Your Highness – you're obviously shaken up."

She took a deep breath. "I'll be all right. Thank you. Please tell the other nobles I won't be joining them in the dining room for lunch. I need to… catch my breath."

"I may have to send a messenger, Your Highness," he replied grimly. "I don't think I want to join them, either." He held the door for her as she left, and followed a few steps behind her, being careful not to step on her lacy ice-cape.

Kai stayed in the room for a few seconds longer; they had pretty much forgotten he was there. Both of them were more worried about each other than about themselves, he thought. I think Princess Anna will find that very interesting.