Elsa calmly walked towards the throne. In hand the jewel of Pegasus. Anthrax glared at the gem in frustration.
"How on earth did you defeat the hydra?" Anthrax snarled. He then noticed Allan.
"No doubt that worthless lizard did the work for you" Anthrax said angrily. Allan shook his head.
"Sorry, she did all of the fighting while I was unconscious" The lizard refuted.
"How do I know that you're not lying?" Anthrax demanded.
"We both know that unlike yours, my word can be trusted" Allan countered. Anthrax reluctantly marked the task as complete. Elsa approached the diabolical magician cautiously.
"What is my next task?" Elsa asked.
"Though not a task, you should be grateful that the contract is in effect. Otherwise, I would be listening to a symphony in the form of your daughter's cries and screams. Your task is to get the umbrella of Mentallos. The method is your choice. But I want that umbrella intact and undamaged. That is all you will get from me." Anthrax ordered. Elsa knew better than to push her luck by prodding for more details regarding her new mission, she decided to turn to Allan once again.
"Mentallos was once a court jester. He served many monarchs. However, an accident rendered him psychotic and unpredictable. His whereabouts are unknown but he always carries a magical umbrella. His thinking and mental state is volatile and he is very dangerous." Allan warned. Elsa realized that this would be the hardest task yet as she had no clue where to even start looking.
"Where can I find him?" Elsa asked desperately.
"What's the matter? Don't know where to go? Are you lost, pretty bird" Nigel mocked, he and his master taking joy of the dilemma of the Queen. The queen realized she was utterly exhausted. Tomorrow she would need to hunt down this Mentallos. She was beginning to think that it was hopeless. A question began to form in her mind. She turned to Allan.
"If he wants us dead, then why doesn't he just kill us now?" Elsa asked the lizard.
"I honestly don't know for certain but my theory is that he is psychologically tormenting you and your loved ones by creating the feeling of despair and hopelessness, the feeling that you're only postponing the inevitable. He is under the impression that he has everything under control. He would not be too far off base if that's the case. The tasks will quickly get harder if not plain impossible." Allan said sadly.
"Why is he so…so" Elsa was finished by Allan.
"Evil? I have absolutely no idea. We have been enemies so long…that I forgot what started his lust for violence and blood." Allan answered.
"I want your honest answer. Do we have any chance of finishing the tasks?" Elsa asked. She knew deep down what his answer was going to be.
"…No…I doubt we have any chance…But we need to try….You cannot give up. We need to resist him. What he wants is for us to think that it's not worth it and grieve. We cannot give him the satisfaction." Allan replied sadly.
"What should I do?" The queen asked for advice.
"Keep trying….and every minute you don't spend fighting, spend with Anna and Rosetta. They only have a few days left. That is why you need to be with them while you still can. You need to stop talking to me and comfort your daughter. She and your sister deserve to get your love now. Rosetta needs her mother to be there for her. What are you standing here for? Go to them" Allan ordered that hardened her resolve to spend more time with her family while she could. If these were her last days, she wanted to use them wisely. She approached her daughter's bedroom and her heart split in two at what she saw. Rosetta was sitting on her bed, she had her face buried in her knees and she was crying softly. Elsa sat next to her and Rosetta launched herself in her mother's embrace.
"shhhh, I'm here. There's no need to cry." Elsa soothe while stroking the girls hair. Rosetta looked up to her mother. Tears were flowing down the latter's cheeks.
"H-he came earlier. He told me that we are gonna die. He said t-that he would h-hurt m-me" The little girl cried. Elsa desperately searched for something truthful to say that would comfort her daughter. She could think of one thing.
"It's okay sweetie. I'm here for you. Shhh" she said while her little girl cried into the Queen's shoulder. Soon her crying was reduced to a few hiccups. Rosetta knew that they were in trouble…yet while she was in her mother's arms, she felt safe and she relaxed.
"M-mama d-don't leave me" she whimpered.
"I'm not going anywhere." Elsa soothed and she began to sing softly. The tune that Rosetta's biological mother would sing to her. She closed her eyes as the Queen held her and slowly rocked her. She perked up a small amount when she noticed someone else in the room.
"Auntie Anna!" she gasped with joy. Anna walked to her sister and niece.
"hey cutie, how are you doing? Anna asked cheerfully.
"will you stay here with us?" The little girl asked the Princes. The latter held her chin in her hand.
"No way…you're going to pay!' Anna said trying to suppress her giggles. Her big sister raised an eyebrow.
"Pay? Pay for what?" Elsa asked worried that her daughter was misbehaving in her absence.
"Princess Rosetta is guilty and needs to pay because….because…I don't know just pay!" Anna concluded before proceeding to tickle the little girl's neck and stomach. Elsa just shook her head in amusement.
"M-mama, h-help" Rosetta squeaked while laughing hysterically. Elsa pushed her baby sister's hands away. The queen then started tickling her daughter herself.
"Feel the wrath of the snow queen!" Elsa said giggling. Rosetta was laughing uncontrollably.
"M-mama I c-can't breathe!" The little girl managed to yelp in between laughs. Elsa decided to let the child catch her breath.
"Yes! No one messes with the sisters of arendelle" Anna said while punching the air.
"alright sweetie let's get her" Elsa said to her daughter and the two ganged up on Anna. The princess was pinned down. The queen was tickling under her sister's arms and her daughter was ticking her feet.
"Okay okay you win I give up" Anna said laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her cheeks. The two attackers then got off of the laughing princess and the latter steadied her breathing.
"Ok girls, time for bed now." The queen said earning a groan from both.
"Auntie Anna, can you stay here?" Rosetta asked. The two sisters nodded and the younger woman joined her sister and niece.
"I love you mama" Rosetta chirped
"I love you too, sweetie, now go to sleep love." Elsa said gently.
"I love you Auntie Anna" Rosetta said sleepily.
"I love you too, my favorite niece" Anna said lovingly.
"I'm your only niece" Rosetta replied half asleep.
"That's just another reason you're my favorite" Anna said to a little girl already in deep slumber.
Yeah I know I'm a big softie. Anyway, Reviews in the review section are appreciated
