Chapter 9. These Empty Halls

[Sincere apologies for the huge gap between chapters. I am committed to finishing this story. Now, where were we? Elsa had resigned herself to being taken away to Area 52 for the good of Arendelle. Anna is in hospital, being kept carefully away from anyone but the duke.]


"Good. I understand. The contract will be ready when you arrive. Hm? No, she won't be a problem. Yes, I know she was against it, but I've taken steps to… remove her objections. I have complete authority in this matter once more. Yes, that's right. Complete. Very well. I look forward to our mutual relationship."

The duke put the phone down and smiled. Then he stood up and walked to the window, beyond which snow was falling thickly.

There was a quick knock on the door. "Kom inn," the duke said, reverting back to Norwegian.

The door opened, and a young man stood there, looking nervous. The duke turned away, and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Hans?"

"Your Grace, the Storting is about to start."

"Good." Ramberg gestured to the window. "How much is out there now?"

"Over three metres has already accumulated, Your Grace, and the city's bulldozer and graders are working 24 hours a day to try and keep the essential roads clear."

The duke gave him a quick smile. "Well, the problem should be solved by the end of the day. The princess is returning to Reine, and then she can be relocated somewhere where she can't do any more damage to our country."

"Princess? Oh, sorry, of course," Hans said. "Princess Elsa. I forgot she's no longer queen."

"Indeed. We have a new queen, Queen Anna." The duke gave him a broad smile. "A queen who understands her place—her role. Do you have the draft contract for Weselton Oil? The one for the Storting's eyes?"

Hans nodded. "Here, Your Grace."

The duke took the proffered manila enveloped and flipped through it. "Good. Let's go. We should have no problems persuading the Storting there's a new regime in charge…."

The two men left the duke's study, and the door closed softly behind them. A moment later there was a slight scratching, scurrying sound from the darker recesses of the lofty ceiling, and a strange insect-like man in a white coat made his way down the wall. He stood for a moment, looking at the door the duke had left from.

"Or perhaps," he said slowly, stroking his chin, "you will!"


There was a quick knock on the door of the room Monger had been assigned to use as his office, in a wing of the castle.

"Come in. Or whatever that is in Norwegian," he called, not looking up from his paperwork.

Cockroach walked in. "Actually, General, 'Come in' in Norwegian is almost identical. It's 'Kom inn.' The spelling is not the same, of course."

"I'm fascinated," Monger said in a voice that clearly indicated the exact opposite. "What is it, Doctor? I'm very busy with these forms I need to fill in for Princess Elsa's admission to the Monster Containment Facility. Can you think of a good monster name for her? Not that weird Snødronning nonsense. Something American, like Snowy, only more monster-y."

"General, first, Snowy is a name for a dog, not a princess. And second, I have more pressing matters to discuss."

"What?"

"I have been doing some… uh, research," Cockroach began, "into the connection between the Duke of Ramberg and Weselton Oil. I have learned something which Anna—Queen Anna—needs to be informed of immediately."

Monger put his pen down, frowning. "This is not our issue, Cockroach. Drop it."

"I can't, General! There's a plot going on! A heinous plot to overthrow the monarchy!"

"Stop exaggerating," Monger said. "There is not, and if there were, ain't nothing wrong with overthrowing a monarchy now and then—you'll note the good ol' US of A managed rather well without one. Which I know is something you're still sore about," he added with a quick grin.

"No, General, this is serious! Elsa's being—"

Monger stood up. "Enough! I told you for the last time, Doc: the internal affairs of Arendelle are not our business! Uncle Sam does not meddle in other countries!"

"First, that's a blatant lie," Cockroach snapped, "and second, this is our business! Princess Elsa is now one of us—so she's our responsibility!"

"And we are going to take care of her," Monger growled. "Back home, at Area 52! And that's my final word! Dismissed!"

"Ingen tosk som en gammel tosk!" Cockroach muttered as he left.

"What was that?" Monger called.

"Nothing, nothing. Just some chemical formulas I need to remember." Cockroach closed the door behind him and rolled his eyes.

"Didn't go well?" the fish-ape asked, glancing over.

"Like I said, there's no fool like an old fool," Cockroach snarled. Then he took a deep breath, and looked happier. "Oh well. I shall just have to go over his head. Again. And possibly literally." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now, which ward would the princess—the queen be in?"


"Uh, Deres Majestet…."

Anna stirred, wondering if she had heard a voice. She glanced around, but there was no one in the room.

"Er, Your Majesty. Please don't be alarmed," came the voice again, this time in English.

Now sure she wasn't dreaming, Anna rubbed her eyes and sat up, pushing her unkempt hair off her face. "Who is it? Who's there? Come in," she called in the same language.

"Uh, I'm already in," the voice said. "I do apologise for intruding like this, but I had little choice."

Not entirely sure if her ears were deceiving her, Anna looked up, to where the voice was coming from, and barely stopped herself from screaming. The insect-headed scientist, Dr Cockroach, was clinging to the ceiling, looking down at her from his huge amber eyes. He quickly scuttled over the to wall and down it, then jumped lightly to the floor.

"I am so very sorry for this, Your Majesty," he said, bowing low. "However, I had no choice."

"No… no choice?" Anna stammered, shifting to the far side of the bed, and grabbing the nurse call button.

"Please, don't call anyone," Cockroach asked, holding his hands up, palms out. "I absolutely mean you no harm. I'm here to help you. You and your sister."

"Elsa! Is she here?" Anna gasped, half-hiding her face under her sheet.

Cockroach shook his head. "No, she is still in the mountains, with Susan. But I had to see you, and your uncle had other ideas."

"Other ideas? What do you mean?" Anna asked, shifting her thumb from the button, but still keeping the device in her hand.

"He will not allow anyone to see you, or contact you," Cockroach explained. "There are, er, guards posted to ensure no one can. Hence my rather… unorthodox and impolite entry method."

"Guards…" Anna asked, raising her eyebrows. "But those are… he explained it—those are to protect me. In case my—in case the Snow Queen comes for me."

Cockroach shook his head. "Your Majesty, please believe me when I tell you they are not for your protection. They are there to prevent anyone seeing you, and to prevent you leaving."

"Prevent me…?" Anna gasped. "Why would he prevent me leaving?"

"Because of what I have learned," Cockroach told her.

Anna felt confused. "Learned? What's going on?"

"I, er, have to confess something," the English scientist said, looking as embarrassed as Anna supposed anyone with an insectoid head could. "You see, I… I have been keeping an eye on the duke. Or perhaps I should say, spying on him."

"What!" Anna gasped. "You've been spying on my uncle! Why? Are you a spy? What do you want?" She grabbed the call button. "You have ten seconds to explain, or I call the guards!"

"I will, I will," Cockroach told her quickly. "I didn't intend to, not at first. That's the truth. Originally, I just wanted to sneak into a few areas to examine records that weren't in the castle library."

"And then…?" Anna asked, her thumb poised over the button.

"And then… I heard a few things."

Anna's eyes narrowed. "What sort of things?"

"High—Majesty, I am afraid to report that your uncle may not… er… have your sister's best interests at heart."

"Explain. Now," Anna commanded, doing her best to look intimidating. She reached up and tried to smooth her unruly locks into a semblance of order, acutely aware that her pink Disney pyjamas were not as imposing as, say, a formal ball gown.

"Your… er, the duke has been negotiating with a company in Britain called Weselton Oil," Cockroach said.

Anna frowned. "I've heard that name somewhere before. Oh, yes, Uncle Mustela told me he was negotiating with them. What for? And what does this have to do with my sister?"

"He has negotiated a rather lucrative contract for them to buy Arendelle's North Sea oil reserves."

"Well… that's good, right?" Anna asked, wondering what the strange intruder was on about.

"Lucrative for him, Majesty," Cockroach told her. "Not lucrative for Arendelle. He intends to sell all rights to your oil to Weselton. Arendelle is highly dependent on oil sales—and if Weselton Oil controls your oil, they will control your country."

Anna's eyes opened wide. She stared at Cockroach, seeing the huge amber eyes gaze unblinkingly into her own.

"No…" she began, slowly shaking her head. "Uncle Mustela wouldn't do that. He wouldn't. He's always been there, taking care of us, ever since our parents died." She looked at Cockroach, her mouth set firmly. "You're lying. I don't know why, but you're lying."

"If I'm lying, Your Majesty, then why can you not leave this room?" Cockroach asked quietly.

"For my own protection, he said!" Anna shot back. "My sister's dangerous, or hadn't you heard? Look at what she did to me!"

Cockroach glanced at Anna's bandaged arm.

"My sympathies," he murmured. "Does it hurt much?"

"Well, no, it doesn't hurt a bit, actually, not now," Anna admitted. "But it's one reason I have to stay in here. To make sure there's no complications."

"And how long will that be?"

Anna shrugged. "A few more days, I guess. It's pretty boring, to be honest."

"And in the meantime, O Queen," Cockroach said, emphasizing the 'Queen,' "Who exactly is running your country?"

"Uncle Mustela, of course," Anna told him firmly. "He's been acting as regent the last three years—who better?"

"He's your father's younger brother, is he not? And, assuming your sister is no longer eligible to inherit the throne, that would make him… heir apparent, I believe. No, excuse me, heir presumptive, of course. First in line to inherit the Crocus Throne of Arendelle."

"So?"

"Merely clarifying his position, ma'am," Cockroach said with a slight bow. "And trying to clarify the facts. Which are that, at the moment, the Duke of Ramberg, next in line for the throne, is ruling Arendelle, and making lucrative deals with foreign companies that will leave your country much poorer."

"I don't know who you think you are, or what you're trying to insinuate," Anna snarled, "but as my English great-great-great… er, great grandmother famously said, we are not amused! Out!"

Cockroach bowed low. "As your Majesty commands. One question before I leave, however: did your sister ever mention Weselton Oil?"

"Yes, I guess she did a few times, come to think of it," Anna admitted. "She didn't like them, I remember. I remember one evening I even heard her shouting to Uncle Mustela about them. It was so unusual for Elsa to raise her voice at all—she must have been furious."

"And now your sister can no longer oppose the deal. How very convenient," Cockroach pointed out. "Well, I do apologise most sincerely for disturbing you, and for any insult I might have offered. By your leave," he finished, giving Anna a courtly bow.

After he left, Anna's frown of anger slowly vanished, to be replaced by a frown of worry.


Cockroach shivered, and pulled the thick fur collar closer around his face as he peered through the drifting snow into the gloom. After leaving Anna, he had returned to the castle, and asked the general if he could wait at the edge of town for Susan and Elsa. Monger had not asked him why, merely nodded. He had been taken by Captain Hansen to where the main road entered Reine, and while the captain waited in the truck, he had elected to stay outside, to ensure he didn't miss her.

He had been waiting for ages, and the pocket warmers he had quickly thrown together from an assortment of items he'd found in the castle's recycling room had not worked as well as his initial plans had suggested—they had rapidly increased in temperature after the first quarter of an hour, and he had been forced to throw them into the fjord, where they swiftly melted holes in the ice and then exploded.

He sighed, wondering how much longer Susan would be. Monger had told him that she and the former queen were due to arrive in an hour, but that was… how long ago now? Cockroach had no idea. His watch was on his wrist, and his wrist was encased in multiple layers of thermal clothing.

Then a slight tremor rippled through the ground. His insect senses were instantly on full alert. There was another, and another, growing in strength. Then he saw a titanic shape through the snow, dark against the slate-grey sky, and his heart soared at the sight.

"Susan!" he shouted out, waving his arms to attract the giantess's attention.

The huge shape materialized out of the snowstorm, revealing Susan's beautiful features. She saw him and smiled, her entire face lighting up in a way that he loved to see.

"Doc!" she called, brushing some snow from her platinum hair and stooping down. "You came to meet us? Aren't you cold? I thought you said cockroaches didn't like the cold?"

"We don't," Cockroach said firmly. "But I had to see you as soon as possible. Well, not you, so much, as Her Highness. Is the princess here?"

His eyes grew round as the snow swirled and spun, shooting up and then blasting straight out on all sides, huge spikes of ice streaming out from the trees and lamp posts, and then, in the sudden stillness, a white figure walked towards him. She was dressed in a gown of ice, with a hem that seemed to flow up from the snow-covered ground, and behind her a long train of snowflakes blended into the snow swirling around her. On her head was a tall crown of ice.

"I am not a princess. I am a queen. I am the Snow Queen."

"Uh, er, yes…" Cockroach stammered. "Er, well, that is…." He glanced up at Susan, who smiled again.

"Elsa's agreed to come with us to Area 52! Isn't that wonderful? A new friend!"

Cockroach looked at her curiously, sure she was only being so enthusiastic for Elsa's sake.

"I'm afraid I don't think that's a good idea," he said.

"Explain," Elsa said in a frosty tone. "Because I clearly cannot stay here."

"I'm afraid you have no choice," he said. "If you want to save your kingdom, you have to stay."

The swirling snow suddenly stopped. "Stay?" Elsa whispered. She blinked, and for a moment, Cockroach caught a glimpse of a frightened child in her face. But then the queenly mask returned. "No, you're wrong—I have to leave. Look at the ruin I have caused."

"Arendelle faces greater peril," Cockroach told her. "Its entire oil revenues are about to be sold."

"Sold?"

"Your uncle, the—" Cockroach began, but Elsa cut him off.

"Weselton!" Elsa spat. "How did those drittsekkene—?! I explicitly turned them down! I told my uncle to break off all negotiations!"

"I'm afraid it seems he did not," Cockroach told her. "He is about to sign an agreement with Weselton Oil."

"He doesn't have the power! It wouldn't be valid! Not without the queen's sig—" She broke off abruptly. "Anna! But she wouldn't!"

"She would, if she didn't realise what was at stake," Cockroach told her.

"Of course she wouldn't realise," Elsa snarled. "Not partying in Monaco or Nice all the time! She hasn't got a clue how to run the country!"

"The duke, it seems, has assured your sister that he is perfectly prepared to carry on acting as regent until your sister turns twenty-one."

Elsa's frown grew. "It was hard enough getting Uncle Mustela to give me any government papers when I consistently demanded them. In Anna's case… she no doubt expects to be able to just continue her party-girl lifestyle as queen, and let our uncle do the actual ruling." Then she shook her head. "No, no—I can't worry about that. I can't. I have to leave. I have to. Otherwise my poor sister will be queen of a dead country."

"She'll be queen of a poor country if the duke gets his way," Cockroach noted.

"Better poor than dead!" Elsa shot back. She held up her pale hands. "I can't stay! I can't! The only thing I can do to help her is leave! As soon as possible!"

"I think Doc's right," Susan said, one hand sheltering the mad scientist from the worst of the snow. She looked around. "After all, another day won't matter at this stage. And if you can help your sister…."

Elsa grimaced. "I wish I could help her. I've tried to help her all her life. Even if that meant avoiding her, for her own safety. No, I can help her best by leaving. Immediately." She looked past Cockroach, and nodded. "Captain Hansen. Please ensure I am ready to travel at the earliest possible moment."

"Of course, Highness. If you would come with me, I shall take you somewhere safe to wait."

"Not a minute longer than necessary." Elsa looked around at the deep snow, the ice covering the small city, and sighed deeply. "Because I am a monster… who is destroying her home…."


"How are you feeling, my dear?"

"Perfectly fine, Uncle Mustela," Anna said, forcing a smile. Was the mad English scientist right? The thought that her uncle might be betraying her—and her sister—made her feel sick. Unlike normal children, she didn't have the luxury of having just an uncle—she also had a rival, a contender for the throne. "Uncle, I'm going back to the castle today. And inform the American general that I want to talk with him."

The duke's expression barely flickered. "I don't think that would be a good idea, my dear," he said smoothly. "Even if your health permitted it. the weather outside is too dangerous to go out in. Also, Princess Elsa has not yet left for the United States, and if she discovers where you are, it… might not end well," he added, glancing pointedly at Anna's bandaged arm.

"Are you telling me I may not leave this room?" Anna asked, staring up at him.

He gave her a quick smile. "Just for now. It's for your own good. Don't worry about the kingdom: I'm taking care of everything."

"Including with Weselton Oil?" Anna shot, giving a look of triumph as the duke's impenetrable demeanour briefly cracked. He stared at her coldly.

"I assure you, there is nothing for you to worry about," he said softly.

Anna reached over to her bandages and ripped them off, ignoring the look of shock on the duke's face. She rubbed her arm, and flexed it. It felt perfectly normal.

"What I am worried about, Prime Minister," she said, deliberately avoiding his name, "is the billions of krone Arendelle stands to lose by selling our oil fields to Weselton Oil. And the precise amount of money you personally stand to make by this deal."

"I do assure you, my dear, there is nothing to worry about. I don't know how you could possibly have heard such idle rumours, but I assure you there is no truth to them—none whatsoever."

"I want to see all papers you have regarding Weselton Oil," Anna told him. "And I want to be party to all future negotiations."

"Really, that would be a most tedious waste of your time," the duke said, smiling gently at her. "I was thinking that perhaps your first royal visit might be more important. The Maldives, perhaps, would make a suitable destination. Or perhaps Tahiti."

"Tahiti! Oh yes! No, wait, what? I… I don't believe it," Anna sighed. She took a deep breath, and glared at her uncle. "Don't think you're going to get away with this. I'm going to go straight back to the castle right now!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, my dear," the duke said. "For your own safety, you must remain here."

"What? You can't!" Anna gasped. "Uncle Mustela, you can't keep me locked up! You can't just shut the door and go!"

"Anna, I've looked after you and your sister ever since my dear brother died, along with your wonderful mother. I've taken care of this country, and you, and ensured that no word of your sister's, er, problem… ever leaked." He stepped closer, leaning over the bed, and Anna was immediately thrust back to when she was about five or so and had got into trouble for yet another rambunctious game gone wrong. "So you will listen to me, and you will obey me."

Anna glanced up at his forbidding face, then away again, trying to muster up enough courage to defy the man who had been like a second father to her. For a moment she almost gave in, and then she thought her sister, of how strong she was. "No," she said in a quiet voice. "I… I am… I am the queen. You will not sell our oil."

The duke sighed. "Until you are twenty-one, I am legally regent. You may be queen, but I rule Arendelle."

"Then I will go see Elsa, tell her to be queen again—she's old enough—she can stop you!" Anna shot back.

"That's not going to happen," the duke told her. "Elsa is going to be taken to America. You won't see her again."

A sudden jolt stabbed through Anna's heart, like a spear of ice in her breast. "I… I won't see her? No! I'm going to her now!"

She struggled to get up, but the duke pushed her back down, his face showing anger for the first time.

"You stupid little girl! Do you really think I intend to let either of you stop me?" He slapped her, hard, across the cheek, then strode out of the room. Weeping from the pain and anger and humiliation, Anna heard him order the guards doubled, and allow no one, no matter whom, access in or out. There was no doubt. She was now a prisoner. As much a prisoner as her sister.


"Captain, prepare the royal helicopter," Ramberg ordered. "Her Majesty should be evacuated before the situation becomes any worse."

"Worse, sir?" Captain Hansen asked.

"I don't want to take any risks. Not until Elsa is safely removed to that American monster prison. Queen Anna's safety is paramount."

"What about the weather?" Hansen asked. "What if another snowstorm hits?"

"We have a device that should counteract Elsa's snow powers, thanks to that mutant scientist," the duke said. "So long as she wears them, she believes she can control her curse. However, I don't know how long the illusion will last. So we cannot delay. I expect to hear that Her Majesty has left within half an hour."

"Uh, very good, sir. And… where should she be evacuated to?"

"The snow only affects Arendelle, so take her to Norway. Tromso. I'll contact the Norwegian authorities."

"Very well, sir."

Ramberg dismissed the captain, then pressed his intercom.

"Sir?"

"Get me Weselton Oil."

"Right away, sir."

In a few minutes the phone rang, and the duke picked it up.

"This is Ramberg. There were a couple of slight problems, but I have dealt with them. Yes, that's right. The problems will be eliminated. Both of them. The former queen will be removed from the country, and the current queen… will be removed as well. How? Oh, haven't you heard? We're experiencing terrible weather here. It's not safe for flying, not at all…."


KNOWTES

Again, my apologies for the delay. This was a chapter where I wrote and rewrote numerous scenes, deleting them and then reinstating them, switching the order, and basically trying to keep everyone acting in character and logically consistently yet in a way that placed them all where I need them to be.

I hope all the Norwegian is correct. I've done my best to check. It should be obvious what "Kom inn" is, and "Ingen tosk som en gammel tosk!" should be "No fool like an old fool!" "Deres Majestet " is "Your Majesty." Corrections are welcome, of course.

"Snowy" being the name of a dog is a reference to Tintin, of course.

The krone is the official currency of Scandinavian countries, so it's almost certain Arendelle, which is a Scandinavian nation, would use it.

The difference between a "heir apparent" and a "heir presumptive" is that the "apparent" is guaranteed their place by the order of succession. In other words, no birth can dislodge them. No one can dislodge Prince Charles from his place in the line of succession, for example, nor Prince William. A "heir presumptive" is someone who can be displaced, on the other hand. The duke's position will be affected by any children the queen of Arendelle will have, for example: they will take precedence over him.

Do I need to knowte that it was Queen Victoria who is supposed to have said "We are not amused"? It's commonly used to show how strait-laced she was, with the Royal We to boot. In fact, Victoria was known for having a very good sense of humour, and she was (intending to) speak for everyone, not just herself. (For what it's worth, her granddaughter said Victoria herself denied ever saying it. In fact, one of her diary entries says, regarding a play she saw, "I was very much amused indeed!").

There will absolutely not be as long a wait until the next chapter. It's almost done, and in fact was going to be part of this chapter until it grew long.