"Your Majesty, I believe he is starting to wake up finally."
The Sentinel shakes his head slightly, the sound of voices slightly breaking through the fogginess in his head. He feels someone sit down on the edge of the sofa he seems to be laying on, a gentle squeeze encompassing his gloved hand. Slowly his eyes flutter open, his vision blurred, slowly clearing until the face of Elsa comes into view. A smile stretches across the man's face until his senses fully return to him and he remembers what happened last and where he was...and who it was in front of him.
"Your Majesty! I'm uh...I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened!"
The Queen giggles slightly as she pats the mans hand.
"Relax Sentinel, I believe it was mostly my fault, I'm sure you did not expect a kiss like that."
Jharm thinks back as he recalls the feel of Elsa placing a kiss on his cheek, a smile returning to his face until he shakes his head, bringing himself back to reality.
"Uh, yeah that could have been it. What happened afterwards, if I may ask?"
"Well, lets see...you fainted. Kai showed up with the papers I had requested and managed to move you onto the sofa. It would seem you managed to hit your head pretty well during your fall so he watched over you while Anna and myself got to work on the plans for her upcoming celebration."
"The celebration? Oh my...that's tomorrow isnt it?!"
"Yes, time has certainly flown by recently hasn't it?"
The Sentinel sits up, a concerned look on his face, Elsa noticing the reaction.
"Is something wrong Jharm?"
"Um...yes my Queen, I just realized that the celebration is tomorrow and I have no real idea what the state of the security for the event looks like!"
He goes to sit up, Elsa standing up and moving, letting the man get off the sofa as he turns back towards her.
"I apologize my Queen, I must go speak with the Captain as once, we must ensure that you, your sister, and the palace will all have the proper protection, what with so many guests expected to attend."
Elsa nods her head at the man, signaling that he is able to leave. Turning to go he stops for a moment before turning back around to the Queen. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he gently placed his gloved hand around the hand of the Queen, lifting it slightly as steel gray eyes gaze into her blue cerulean eyes.
"Will you and the Princess be safe here while I am gone? I am sure if you would like I would be able to have a man or two positioned out in the hallway."
Elsa blushes slightly at the demonstration of the absolute level of care the man has for herself and her sister.
Even with everything he has to do, he never seems to stop thinking about the safety of Anna and myself.
The Queen can almost feel the smirk Anna is giving her, even before she turns around to gaze at her little sister, then turning back to the Sentinel.
"Worry not Sentinel, I think it would be safe to say we are not looking at leaving here any time soon. Thank you for your concern."
Releasing her hand he thumps his hand over his heart and bows, then turns and leaves the room. Elsa turns and heads back to the table with Anna.
"You know Elsa, its amusing how you affect him. Normally he is the big, bad, fearless Sentinel. When you flirt with him though the guy turns almost becomes more flustered and bothered then even Kristoff!"
"I don't flirt with him!"
Anna scoffs and raises her eyebrows at her sister.
"Don't lie Elsa...you do so, you kissed him on the cheek and floored him. Be honest, you know you do it."
"I..."
Elsa starts to try and argue but stops suddenly as she thinks about it. As she thinks more she realizes once again that a few butterflies are fluttering around in her stomach as she thinks about the man. Anna
smiles victoriously and crosses her arms at seeing her sisters reaction.
"See? I was right! Now come on, let's get back to work."
Elsa can't help but laugh.
"Now that's a turn-around, you WANTING to do work."
Anna sticks her tongue out at her sister, then hands her the icy blue quill.
Jharm hurries down the hallway back towards his father's office, his mind running with thoughts and issues that would need addressed in regards to overall security. With the upcoming celebration they would be seeing hundreds of people entering the palace walls and castle itself. There had already been two attempts on the Queen's life, though the men responsible in both cases were locked away, there would be no way of knowing if more possible assassin's could be laying in wait out in the city, simply waiting for their opportunity to simply walk through the gates and get near Her Majesty...or Princess Anna.
Jharm rounds the corner and walks right through the door for the Captain's office, Vil looking up, a smirk spreading across his face.
"You know Sentinel, there is something called knocking."
"I apologize for my rudeness but I have just realized something that I hope you are already steps ahead of me on. We are one day away from Princess Anna's grand celebration!"
Knowing where his son was headed with his words, the Captain nods and gestures down at the paperwork in front of him then to one of the chairs across from him.
"I had a feeling you would be coming to speak with me about that soon. Fear not, I have indeed been hard at work on the logistics for the event. Please, have a seat and we can see what still needs done."
Jharm sits down, gazing at the multitude of papers and diagrams on the table. Vil is the first to speak and as the conversation progresses they pass the papers between them, pointing out certain areas, names, etc.
"Well, from what I have been told, we can safely estimate that most, if not all of the general populace will at one point or another be entering the Castle during the celebration. That of course does not account for visitors, most of the nobles and dignitaries that came for the Queen's Coronation have remained in port, I am working on getting a solid list of which ones are looking at attending the event or are just resupplying or repairing after the Thaw. That means we will be looking at the courtyard area, at least, seeing heavy amounts of traffic and most of the time being filled almost to capacity."
"Now, with the palace we do not anticipate AS many visitors of course. Nobles, diplomats, and so on will be able to attend the planned ball in the grand ballroom. Musicians are also being brought in to provide plenty of entertainment in the courtyard for the general populace. With this in mind we can expect to have both the courtyard and palace quite busy as the day continues on. Obviously overall security is paramount, with focus on preventing access to the off-limit areas. I believe your recent use of the Alpha List has demonstrated it would be beneficial in this case, I would think covering the Royal Quarters again, giving Her Majesty and the Princess an area they can safely return to if they need a break away from the festivities."
Jharm nods as his father rattles off the plethora of information.
"Well Captain it certainly sounds like you are doing an excellent job with it all so far, I congratulate you. It would seem like you have the security for the grounds all set, though I feel we do not need to go to Alpha, the Crystal list should be fine. Now, how are we looking in regards to
security for personnel...Her Majesty and Princess Anna being paramount, and then of course all the nobles that will be attending the ball."
Vildayvin shifts some duty rosters and a few rough hand-made maps over to the Sentinel as he responds.
"Yes, that is something I was hoping for your assistance with, seeing as how you will be the one closest to the Royal Family during the event. First I have already issued orders that ALL guards will be on duty at points throughout the day. I am working the roster to allow for the men to have time still available so they may attend the festivities as well, but none will be scheduled entirely off. The men have been informed that there will be no consuming of alcoholic beverages while either on duty or if they have shift coming up within the next 8 to 10 hours. Any misbehavior or failures to follow said orders will result in severe punishment. I figure we will want to have plenty of guards present in the courtyard, in case anyone gets...too celebratory you could say, and have at least two men stationed at the entry doors into the palace. There will obviously be men posted at all hallways leading into secure areas and they will be provided with the needed information as to who may enter. In regards to the Royal Family, I felt I would want your direct input into that before any orders or whatnot were done."
Jharm sits back in the chair, rubbing his hand on his chin as he thinks, figuring in his head the areas and paths that the sisters will be frequenting.
"Well, of course I will be near them every second I possibly can. The Queen I figure will be easy to accompany, Princess Anna may be another thing though. She is extremely friendly and full of energy, and will also be the focus for the entire event of course. I think with all of this it would be safe to assume she will be attempting to mingle with the citizens as much as possible, which would seperate her from the Queen. For her safety I think it would be best if we have two of your best and most trustworthy guards stay near her at all times. That leads me into my next thought which encompasses a few things actually."
He leans forward, pulling the full list of all the Royal Guards near him.
"Right now the way the Royal Guard is organized, there are all these men...with only you leading them and issuing orders. Even normal circumstances that can make it difficult to ensure orders are understood and handled properly...for something this big it will make it even hard, almost impossible if
anything should get out of hand. I believe what needs done is to appoint one or two men to a position, lets call them Sergeants for now at least, who will be in charge of half of the Royal Guards underneath you."
"Should an issue arise or orders need passed down, the men will report to their respective Sergeant, and they will determine if the issue needs escalated to your attention or even possibly mine. These men will need to be knowledgeable about procedures, dependable, and trustworthy as they will be
holding a place of command over the other men. I believe in certain situations, like we are facing with Princess Anna, they will also be utilized as backup protection for the Royals, stressing the dependable and trustworthy requirements."
He pauses as he glances down the list, resting his index fingers on two names.
"I believe these two men will serve quite well for the positions. Both have shown to be skilled soldiers, and I know both, like myself, were quite wary during the events during the Freeze."
Vildayvin looks at the names before returning his gaze to the Sentinel.
"If you believe you can trust them with the safety of the Queen and Princess then so be it."
The Captain gets up and walks out into the hall, speaks into the ear of a nearby guard who rushes off to find the two men Jharm pointed out. He returns in, closing the doors once again before sitting back down. A few minutes later a knock is heard at the door, Vildayvin leaning back and resting his arms on the arms of his chair before answering.
"Enter."
The door opens and two guards walk in, stopping just in front of the desk, before they salute the Captain.
"Sir, Guards Josper and Gerome reports as ordered."
Vil nods at the men.
"At ease please, you are not in any sort of trouble."
The men move to a stance of parade rest since they are still in the presence of their Captain AND the Sentinel. Vildayvin nods at them as he continues.
"I have been working with the Sentinel here to ensure that security will be top-notch for the pending celebration in honor of Princess Anna's heroics in saving Arendelle. He has suggested that some changes need to be made with the organization of the Royal Guard, and he has raised some valid points. With that in mind, a new rank will be created, denoted as Sergeant. Sergeants will be in command of half of the Royal Guards, they will take orders from the Captain and insure that the men below them obey said orders and fully understand them."
Vildayvin pushes his chair back and stands up, leaning on the desk as he continues speaking.
"The Sergeants will also be utilized at events such as the one coming up to help provide close protection of Her Majesty and/or the Princess. This will naturally require such men to be highly dependable, honest, and skilled soldiers. It has been suggested by the Sentinel that you two are such men. Would this be an accurate statement?"
"Yes Sir!"
Vildayvin nods at their response as he stands up cupping his hands behind his back. Jharm also stands up at this point.
"So be it, with the power granted to me as Captain of the Royal Guards, and with the blessing of the Sentinel of the Crown, I hereby create the rank of Sergeant and promote both of you to said rank. Congratulations and remember your oaths. Long live the Queen!"
(Both Sergeants and Jharm) "Long live the Queen!"
All 4 men thump their fists over their hearts as they make the statement. The Captain and Sentinel then retake their seats. Vil continues speaking to the men in front of him.
"Now that that is done, as I mentioned, you will be used as secondary protection for the Royals when needed. With that being said, we expect Princess Anna will want to mingle with the good people of Arendelle during her party, and as the Sentinel will not be able to be with both Queen Elsa and the Princess at the same time, both of you will remain near the Sentinel and will accompany Princess Anna when she desires to go on her own."
It is at this point that Jharm interrupts.
"Oh, we almost forgot about Mr. Bjorgman"
"Ah, yes...the ice-harvester. There will be a man that the Princess will, almost without a doubt, have accompanying her probably most or all of the day. His name is Kristoff Bjorgman, he is an ice-harvester. He is on the Alpha list and as such, allowed near the Queen and Princess Anna at any time, unless the Sentinel states otherwise. While I am sure he is able to take care of himself, should anything happen during the event, you are to ensure his safety as well, once the Princess is accounted for of course."
Vildayvin then looks over to his son, gesturing for him to speak. The Sentinel nods and stands up, sliding a map of the palace across the table until its in front of the two Sergeants.
"Now, should a major incident occur that jeopardizes the safety of Her Majesty or the Princess, they will immediately be escorted to the nearest safe room, here...here...or here."
As he speaks, Jharm points at three different rooms located in the Royal Quarters, spaced about evenly across the wing.
"You will escort the Royal or Royals to the nearest safe room. Once they are safely within, that room will be considered off limits to all but those on the Alpha list. Anyone attempting to breach the perimeter, and not on the list, is to be considered hostile and as such you will have full authorization to use any force necessary to prevent any harm to the sisters. The lockdown will remain in effect until I personally tell you otherwise, am I understood?"
Both men respond at the same time.
"Yes Sentinel!"
Jharm nods and extends his hand to each man, each taking his gloved hand and shaking it.
"Congratulations on the promotion, I feel both of you deserve it and will serve it proudly."
Vildayvin nods in agreement before speaking up.
"I will see that proper insignia and apparel is given to both of you to show your new rank, until then you will continue wearing the present guard uniform. I ask that you both report here tomorrow morning so we can make sure everything is in order and the men are placed properly. Dismissed!"
The two men snap to attention, saluting Jharm and Vil before marching out the door. Once the two men have left the office Jharm speaks up.
"On a final note, I think it should be stated that the men in the dungeon will not have ANY visitors. They will not be allowed to be free during the celebration. At present I believe we are looking at the Duke taking his men afterwards and I believe one of the nobles has already spoken with Her Majesty about returning Hans to his country after the party."
Vildayvin nods and then seems to squint his eyes slightly as he notices something he somehow managed to miss until then.
"Jharm...what did you do to your head? You got a nice little bump on the left side!"
At hearing this Jharm reaches up and rubs his head, feeling the small knot, still slightly sensitive to the touch. He seems to think to himself before his eyes get a little bigger.
"Oh, that must be from when I...um..."
"When you..."
Jharm's face turns bright red
"Um...its about a certain...someone."
Nodding his head as he understands the hint, the Captain reaches into a drawer and pulls out a key and walks to the door leading into his office, opening it he speaks to the nearby guard from earlier.
"No one is to disturb us, understand?"
"Yes sir!"
Nodding he closes the door and then locks it before returning to his seat.
"I am listening."
"Well...I was headed back to Her Majesty's chambers after we had spoke last and I overheard her crying to Princess Anna about a certain blue quill...you remember the one, she used to sign the proclamations naming you Captain and me Sentinel. Well I guess the Princess had bought it for her as a coronation present and Queen Elsa was distraught because she realized it had been in her room when...things happened yesterday, and she figured it had been destroyed. Well, I decided to check it out myself and managed to find it, still in one piece. I brought it to her and she...well she...kissed me...on the cheek!"
A big grin spreads across Vildayvin's face.
"Well that was very nice of you son, but that doesn't explain the bump."
"Well...when she kissed me it kind of...surprised me...and um...I...apparently fainted."
At hearing this the Captain bursts out into loud laughter, Jharm's face getting even redder as he covers his hands with his face. Vil slides his chair over next to his son and puts his arm around his shoulders.
"Im sorry Jharm, I don't mean to laugh, but it is kind of funny. The big powerful Sentinel has been brought down by a simple kiss. How did her Majesty take your...reaction?"
"Well...apparently Kai showed up soon after that, she had sent him off for paperwork for the celebration, and moved me onto the sofa. I guess they were working on that while I...slept. When I started to wake up she came over and sat next to me, putting her hand on mine. Of course then the first thing I see when I open my eyes is her face, and as if I hadn't made a big enough ass of myself...I smile like a damn fool!"
"Calm down Jharm, seeing as how she hasn't thrown you in the dungeon yet or exiled you or anything like that, I am sure its not as bad as you seem to think it is. How about you take a walk outside, clear your head a little. I will see that some men guard them while they are gone, I take it they are still in Her Majesty's room?"
The Sentinel nods his head.
"Yes, I believe she will be performing her royal duties there until her study can be..."
Realizing that his son is still hesitant to tell him what happened the day before, Vil leans back in his chair a bit, removing his arm from around Jharm.
"Jharm, I know as Sentinel you do not want to tell about what happened yesterday. I would never push you to do such a thing, but remember...I was Sentinel to her father. I knew of her secret many years ago. From the small shred of info you have given so far...I know of what you speak. She had them happen a few times before...the worst one being when...she was informed of her parents passing. Judging from your reaction when you came in here yesterday...no one had told you about them. For my part I apologize for that. It is something that happens so rarely that Kai, Gerda, and myself had hoped that maybe with age...and especially after recent events...that her episodes were gone."
"I understand...though I do need to apologize to Kai...in the heat of the moment I was probably more
terse with him then I really needed to be."
"I'm sure he understands...and with what you have revealed to me recently added on top of your position as Sentinel, I am certain you were quite worried when it suddenly happened."
Vildayvin stands up and claps a hand down on his sons shoulder.
"Anyways, up ya go, go take a breather outside for a bit."
Jharm nods and gets up, the two heading over to the door and leaving the office once Vildayvin had unlocked the door. Jharm continues on down the stairs and out of the palace as Vildayvin watches from the top of the stairs before turning and heading towards the Queen's chambers.
A knock is heard at the doors of the bedroom, Elsa looking up at the sound.
"Who is it?"
"Captain Devaron your Majesty."
"Please come in."
The door opens and Vildayvin walks in, stopping shortly after he enters.
"What can I do for you Captain?"
"Your Majesty...I was wondering if I could speak to you...alone please."
"Certainly, Anna...would you excuse us for just a moment please?"
Anna nods and heads out into the hallway as Elsa motions for Vildayvin to please sit down.
"What is it you would like to speak about Captain?"
"Well your Majesty...its about my son actually. He has confided in me and normally I would not betray such trust but...I feel, especially for the sake of his sanity, I need to speak with you about it."
The Queen's brow furrows as she is confused about what the man could be talking about. Seein her reaction he takes a deep breath and continues.
"He told me about his...slip while talking to you earlier, as well as where he got that bump on his head from."
Elsa's eyes get slightly bigger hearing that the man knows of his sons apparent feelings for her.
"I see..."
"Please understand your Majesty, he came to me visibly upset and embarrassed. He tried quite hard to speak to me about it...without actually telling me but he kind of forgot the most important thing. I'm his father...I figured it out."
He gets up from the table and walks over to the unlit fireplace, glancing at the pile of charred logs for a few moments before he speaks again, turning back towards Elsa.
"I don't know how you feel about his...behavior. I don't know if you might share similar feelings, and I
don't want to know...its none of my business really. What I do know though is that he is worried that he has made himself seem like a total fool in front of you. I simply ask of you that, even if you don't share the same feelings, that you please speak with him when you can, at least to let him know that you aren't about to have him exiled or anything for fainting in front of the Queen."
The Queen gasps slightly when she hears that Jharm seems to think he has humiliated himself...and that he is so worried about fainting in front of her. She glances down at the papers in front of her, pretty much all the celebration plans have been finished and signed.
"Certainly Captain, in fact I will speak with him right now, where is he at?"
"I suggested he should take a short walk, clear his head a little and calm down. Of course it wasn't until I promised that I would have some men positioned at your doors would he actually accept my suggestion."
Elsa chuckles at hearing Jharm's unsurprising hesitation.
"I am not surprised...he is quite...focused on the safety of my sister and I. If you could Captain, have him meet me in the palace gardens, I am sure Anna would like to get out of the palace for a bit and see Kristoff."
Vildayvin bows to the Queen and turns to leave but then stops, turning back towards Elsa.
"Your Majesty, your permission to speak freely?"
"Of course Captain."
"Like I said, I do not know your true feelings for my son...but as Sentinel for your father I learned to read people's faces and reactions quite well. It is evident that Jharm cares for you quite strongly...I have never seen him so...flustered by someone in his entire life, and if I might be so bold...it is evident you care for him at least a little as well. I swore an oath to your father on that night, 3 years ago, that I would watch over you and Anna, so if you ever need someone to talk to, please let me know if I can help. I won't speak of it to my son if you request it."
Elsa smiles as the butterflies inside her start flittering about again as the man speaks about Jharm's feelings towards her.
"Thank you Captain, I will certainly keep it in mind. Please have the Sentinel come find me as soon as he returns."
"Yes my Queen."
He turns back around and leaves the room, Anna walking back in as he leaves.
"What was that all about?"
"Just a father looking out for his son."
"Oh...that was nice of him. Is there anything else we need to take care of for the party?"
"Actually...no, how would you like to go see Kristoff for a while?"
As expected, the girls face lights up at the mention of the mountain man and eagerly nods her head. Elsa laughs at the comical reaction.
"Well off with you then, don't keep the man waiting."
Anna hurries out the door, bouncing down the hallway as she heads out towards the stables. Elsa shakes her head as she chuckles again. Getting up she heads out into the hallway, a Royal Guard hurrying down the hallway, likely dispatched by the Captain to protect her until Jharm returned.
"Your Majesty, Captain Devaron has assigned me to protect you until the Sentinel can return to his post."
"He moves quick I must say, I will be headed to the palace gardens, please accompany me there."
The guard bows and follows Elsa as she heads for the gardens, thoughts of her conversation with Vildayvin, recent events, and of course, Jharm running through her head.