Chapter Ten: The Final Battle
"Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected."
- Sun Tzu on "The Art of War"
I reigned in my horse and turned to my companion. "Melody ran away to the sea? But I thought she was forbidden from going beyond the wall? No—wait let me guess—she found out she was half-mermaid, did she?"
"Quite right," replied Captain Aksel. "Apparently she's been stealing out into the sea for quite some time without anybody knowing. Somehow she found out her parents liedto her. On top of that, she was humiliated at her own birthday party, so most likely the situation pushed her to the edge."
I knew it. I sensed that poor princess was going to bolt from her confines the moment I heard her story. Why did adults think children were so dumb they wouldn't find out big secrets like that anyway? I would probably run away from home too if my parents lied to me and kept me from using my powers. They were such a big part of me that I couldn't imagine a life suppressing them.
"Why was King Eric seeking Queen Elsa at a time like that? Wasn't he supposed to be looking for his daughter?"
"He was, except he didn't have a ship to follow her. He had long ago decommissioned all his vessels. That little girl is pretty smart. She knew her parents couldn't follow her that quickly unless they were to row their way across the ocean or borrow a ship from us. King Eric came over to ask Queen Elsa for help to supply him a ship to conduct the search."
"So Queen Elsa lent him?" I asked.
"Yes she did. She had the Hanne, Lisbet and the Lovise at his disposal and instructed their crews to help in the search. She wasn't able to join since she left by land the following day with Admiral Westergard to head for the Southern Isles. Had they stayed a few days perhaps they could have treated with King Triton himself. But we had a war to win and they couldn't delay their travel plans any further to find a missing princess that might have taken weeks."
We reached Oaken's Wandering Trading Post and Sauna and Captain Aksel stopped his story again. We got off our horses and stared up at the frost-covered mountains in the distance.
"What now, Your Highness?" Captain Aksel inquired. He seemed worried. He probably realized he didn't have an idea how to fetch the Marshmallow Brigade without venturing higher up the wolf-infested mountains.
"Not to worry. Aunt Elsa and I long ago devised a way to call them here." I stood facing the mountains and held one open palm near my lips. I made a tiny ball of ice appear then whispered: "Marshmallows to Oaken's. Come down please." I blew on the ball and sent it flying up in the direction of my aunt's ice palace. I repeated it five times. I sent my little balls flying to various directions where I figured the Marshmallows could be.
"That should do it," I said. "The icy wind can carry my message. It's a neat little trick Aunt Elsa discovered over the years. Now all we need to do is wait. This might take a while. Let's get a warm drink at Oaken's."
Captain Aksel looked relieved for the break. We tied the horses and headed inside.
"Hoohoo!" Oaken called from behind his counter which was unusually filled with several items in green and purple with the Arendelle floral crest. "Came for my big Arendelle victory blowout? I have memorabilia pins, handkerchiefs, shirts, hats and little flags. Show your national unity for the victory party tonight!"
I wandered over the counter and marveled how Oaken came out with this stock so fast when the fleet came back only a few hours ago.
"Have you been preparing for an Arendelle victory all this time?" I told him.
"Yah, I have. I knew Queen Elsa will win. Supplies always here, just waiting for demand. Which is you wait another day I'll have silhouette images of Queen Elsa and Admiral Westergard."
He was a businessman in the truest sense but his confidence in my aunt was heartening. "I think just a couple of drinks for now," I said but I couldn't resist picking up a colored flag and I made a sudden decision. "But I'll take your entire stock of these flags and a dozen hats and maybe a couple of shirts. Do you have them in extra small?" My little sisters Andrea and Elise would love these.
"I have them in all sizes," he said with a pleased grin as he took out two that were just the right size.
"Those are perfect," I said. "I'll take them both."
"Good, good," he seemed very happy. I must have been the best customer he received today. "For buying so much and in bulk, I'll give you a free trip to Oaken's sauna. Good deal, yah?"
I turned to Captain Aksel who looked like he could use the treat. "I think we could spare the time."
"I'll have them wrapped when you're done." Oaken said before leading us to the sauna. We quickly stripped down to enjoy the warm water.
"Did you join the search parties for Melody?" I asked once we were settled into the tubs with mugs of hot cocoa that Oaken sent.
"No, unfortunately, I stayed behind to supervise repairs for our other ships. I missed out on quite an adventure and only got to hear of it from the other sailors. Queen Ariel was turned back into a mermaid by her father and searched for her daughter under the sea while the Lovise was captained by King Eric who led the search party above the waves. They battled with a fearsome seawitch that tricked Melody into stealing King Triton's trident in exchange for her temporarily becoming a mermaid. The seawitch gained the upper hand at some point and actually sank the Lovise. In the end, little Melody saved the day by stealing back the trident and handing it over to her grandfather. When the witch was dispatched, Melody was given the power by King Triton to break the wall that enclosed their kingdom from the sea. A celebration ensued for days. I even witnessed mermaids swim up on the shoreline of Tastris."
"Were the mermaids as magical as they say in the mythology books?" I asked as I dropped a few marshmallows in my drink. "Did they really bewitch men and make them kill themselves?"
Captain Aksel laughed as he swirled his mug around. "Not at all. They were just like ordinary people—but with fish tails in various colors. Some of them were quite friendly. They seemed a lot more cheerful than the average human. I think they were simply a fun-loving race. There was much music and swim-dancing in the days after the wall came down."
I tried to imagine what the mer-people looked like and their life under the sea. Exploring it would be a nice thing to experience for once. What kind of cultural differences would they have with us? How do they live? What do they eat? I decided when I have an opportunity I'll go to Tastris and see for myself. Maybe I could even talk to Melody and ask her stories about her adventures. From what I've heard so far, she's the only member of the Tastris royal family I truly liked.
"It was rather unfortunate we couldn't celebrate as well with the rest of Tastris," Captain Aksel went on. "The loss of the Lovise was a big blow to us and Captain Gulbrand was simply livid. However, a few days later King Eric finally realized the damage his rescue attempt damage brought to us andhe had pieces of the ship collected. He asked King Triton for help in raising back parts of the ship out of the sea and restoring it. Over the course of the month we stayed in Tastris, King Eric came over to the docks on a daily basis to help supervise the repairs of our ships. He reopened his port to help speed up the process of bringing in supplies from Gormund, his trading partner for wood. He even offered to pay for the lumber using seaweed and pearls. With the wall down, he reinstated the seaweed gathering and pearl farming among his people though the ban on fishing remained."
"Well it's a start," I said. I knew from my lessons in economics that pearls and seaweed were rather valuable tradable goods and could help open the doors of Tastris with other nations.
"Eventually we all grew fond of King Eric. He was an experienced sailor and a capable captain. Even though his wife's family still refused to be involved in the war, he personally became a good ally and supported us when it mattered in the last battle with Weselton."
"He joined you?" I gasped in disbelief. I didn't expect that at all.
"He did. Maybe it was out of gratitude for us loaning him ships when he needed it, or maybe Queen Elsa convinced him that last night she was in Tastris when he borrowed our ships. I wasn't sure. But when we were about to set sail for Antalona—our agreed upon stop to meet with our allies prior to battle—he volunteered with over a hundred men to help us fight. Captain Anbjorn was taking too long to recover so King Eric took over command of the Kjerstin. A good thing he did too because he helped solidify diplomatic relations with the rest of our allies…"
Two days out of Tastris, we stopped by the coast of Antalona where we were received by Duke Eivind, who contributed 18 ships to the alliance. Within hours, our other allies arrived.
The Malin, which set off earlier successfully met the Coronan fleet and brought back with them 22 ships headed by Prince Eugene Fitzherbert, consort to Queen Rapunzel. He had a reputation as thief before and the other dignitaries, particularly Prince Karl of Gormund and even King Eric was slightly wary of him. However, he turned out to a charming man of 45 years, with slim built and dark hair peppered with bits of grey who easily won over our party with his easy-going manner. He was the life of the party in every room he entered with his unending one-liners. He turned out to be the creator of the 'smolder.' However, Captain Westergard was right when he remarked that Prince Eugene's version could use some work. (He tried it on Queen Constanza when they were introduced and she asked him if he needed a purgative).
The other dignitaries that came with ships included the rather somber Count de Cheny of Condor and the dignified Admiral Thilburg of Madinova.
All in all our forces now totaled 73 ships. It was still small compared to the Weselton force which we estimated to be over a hundred. But as Captain Westergard pointed out before, a smaller force can be enough to defeat them when we had the advantage of strategy on our side.
However, I think equally valuable was what Glowerhaven brought into the alliance. Over the course of the month prior to battle their network of refugees provided us with access to regular reports on the region. We were assured that the ice wall in Arendelle still held, that Weselton was still unable to discern where we were and that the Southern Isles maintained its neutrality and even formalized it by signing a non-aggression agreement with Weselton. The last one was a rather clever move by King Sigurd of the Southern Isles to ensure they would not be attacked by Weselton in exchange for their commitment not to support either side of the war. It wasn't exactly something favorable to us but at least it was better than the Southern Isles supporting Weselton and adding to their already large navy. And should Queen Elsa and Captain Westergard be caught while traveling, the Southern Isles was neutral ground with no obligation to turn them over to Weselton.
The last piece of news we heard from Queen Elsa was that she, the Captain and her two other escorts made it safely on the eastern-most coast of the Southern Islestwo weeks prior. No other reports reached us since. That was what started the bit of conflict in Antalona.
"They could have been captured or maybe they could be dead," Prince Karl of Gormund, an arrogant man in his late 30s said harshly when the council began. He seemed to have a constant sneer in his face and his expression looked even grumpier when he meant the members of our delegation. "We may be walking into a trap," he added.
"Are you suggesting we not pursue this plan at all?" our own Captain Gulbrand asked, his voice had an edge and I could tell he was fighting to keep his annoyance in check.
"I'm saying we shouldn't just risk our lives and our ships for a queen that may not fulfill her part of the bargain," Count de Cheny remarked. "I'm with Gormund on this." The leaders of Madinova and Antalona muttered equal assents.
"Wait one moment," Prince Eugene stood. "Queen Elsa promised to be there and she will."
"Is that your thief's instincts telling you that?" Prince Karl mocked. "I'm not buying it. We don't really know her. How would you know she wouldn't balk at the last minute?"
Prince Eugene didn't rise to the bait but instead focused on the issue at hand. "I know her. I've met her."
"Yes on her coronation, sixteen years ago. We all did," said Admiral Thilburg. "And I seem to remember that she ran away after she trapped all of us for days in her frozen world."
"She's gained control of them since then," King Eric spoke firmly. "I've seen it. And I've known her far longer than anyone of you. She has never broken a promise in her life and I will guarantee she will move mountains to fulfill her part in this plan." He stared defiantly at each person in the room. "I trust my life and those of my men in her because I know what she is capable of. If you want to leave now, that is your prerogative. But you won't get another chance like this to get rid of Weselton which we all have a stake. I can guarantee if you do, you will lose the two most valuable allies you will ever have."
His meaning was clear. Everyone by now knew he was married to the daughter of the king of the sea—a most coveted ally in the region. After the wall in Tastris came down, King Eric received a deluge of marriage proposals for Melody's hand. The Prince of Gormund's own 13-year-old son was said to be among those attempting to woo the little girl back even after the rather embarrassing incident involving the crab and the punch bowl at her birthday party.
The Gormund prince hesitated but relented to King Eric's hard gaze. "Alright, I remain."
He seemed to have quite an influence on the other nations. For when he assented, they all readily followed suit. We proceeded with discussing our plans of attack that ended late that night.
The following morning I woke up to wonderful news from one of Queen Constanza's aides. An ice wall appeared on the coast of Weselton and their ships were all recalled to defend their nation. I was assured at least that the Queen made it alive near Weselton to build the wall. The rest of her companions I could only hope survived the journey.
We prepared for the battle and set sail that very afternoon, armed with our attack strategies. In less than two days we arrived at our target.
The Christina was among the five small ships assigned to lead the attack. Our goal was to draw the enemy out to the open sea and make them converge before our larger fleet assaulted them. We approached the northern coast of Weselton an hour before dawn. We shut off all lamps so as not to give our position away. The morning sun would announce our arrival soon enough.
I stood up on the top deck and stared at the dark waters. I knew that somewhere beyond what my vision could see were Queen Elsa and hopefully Captain Westergard and her two escorts waiting for us to appear on the horizon.
My men all gathered in prayer on the top deck and I joined them briefly as was tradition. I prayed hard that this day would give us victory. After that I gave my men my final message. I wasn't as eloquent as Captain Westergard. I spent the better part of the evening writing and rehearsing my speech and it still didn't sound as good as one of his that he can craft on the spot. But it was heartfelt and was still appreciated by the men.
As the sun rose a terrifying sight greeted us. The Weselton armada was gathered near the coast like a swarm of bees protecting their hive. There must be over a hundred ships out there that we could barely see the wall of ice that loomed behind them. There were sounds of cannon fire in the distance. I knew they were attempting to break the Queen's wall. But from what I can see beyond the mass of sails, the gigantic structure held.
The Lovise gave the signal and as one we all moved forward.
Time to play bait, I thought.
We were five little ships pushing forward towards the vipers nest with the sun behind us and the wind on our tails. The Weselton fleet must think we were on a suicide mission. What can five ships do against a host of more than a hundred? For a time, they seemed to do nothing. They were probably laughing their heads off at us. But we kept on moving at top speed.
Finally when we were about to get into range, they moved. I turned and saw that our second contingent appeared behind us. Eight Arendellian ships came barreling forward. At the center was the Alexandra, flying the proud banners of Arendelle and making the enemy aware that it was Queen Elsa's flagship. I could see a figure of a woman standing on the top deck. From this distance, Lady Anja in a blonde wig and a white flowing gown could be a doppelganger for the Queen. She waved her hands in the air the way Queen Elsa did when she constructs her ice. I couldn't help but smile a little at Lady Anja's acting skills.
At the same time I felt a chill in the air. I breathed it deeply, savoring the cold like it was my sweetheart's warm touch. I knew the real Queen Elsa was out there doing her part in this deception.
The ruse appeared to work as all the Weselton ships moved to form an attack stance. They began moving to meet us but we were ready. The Lovise gave the signal and we halted. We turned and retreated at top speed while the Weselton ships gave chase.
"That's it," I whispered to myself as I imagined myself taunting the Weselton commander. "Come on get us. It's the Queen you want, isn't it? If you get her, that wall will be gone. Come on get her, get her flagship."
We were now in the race for our lives. Blood pounded in my veins as the Weselton ships began to close in on our rear. Cannon fire sounded and I knew some of them were already in range. As we were in retreat there was no way to return fire.
"Come on, come on, just a little bit further," I begged as we kept on.
A boom sounded near our starboard side and I knew they were too close. "Now's the time to appear King Eric," I whispered in the air.
Another cannon exploded and this time the ball missed the edge of the Christina's port side by inches and shook my tiny ship. "I mean it," I said in annoyance. "Stop being a king for one moment and get your captain's hat on. We really need you."
A third cannon fired. But this time it wasn't aimed at us. I followed the direction of the sound and saw that it hit the Weselton ship that was closing in on us. I turned around and saw the Kjerstin with its cannons blazing. Beside it was the contingent from Gormund and Corona. From the east the combined Madinovan, Antalonan and Condorian ships forced the Weselton fleet to move closer just as Captain Westergard planned.
We came beside our allies and I ordered my ship to turn. I've had enough of being prey. It was time to join the pack on the offensive. At a signal from the Alexandra, our ships closed in. When we came into range of the cluster of Weselton ships, I shouted the command I've been longing to give since Captain Westergard handed me command of the Christina:
"Fire at will!"
The ensuing battle was exhilarating. I felt the blood lust grow in me as we gave them chasestraight into the icebergs that were waiting for them near their own coast. What happened next was something of a blur. The cries of men and crunching wood were lost to me as we pummeled canon after cannon until we nearly obliterated the once mighty Weselton fleet.
A small group of Weselton ships managed to escape from our trap. I saw one of the ships flew the royal banner of Weselton. I knew immediately it carried the head of their navy, most likely one of the king's own sons. They made a run for the Southern Isles. The Alexandra signaled to me and seven other ships to chase them. We left our allies to pick off the bulk of the Weselton armada.
We followed the escaping Weselton ships for about an hour, confident that we can take them down. As we approached the coast of the Southern Isles, a warm gust of wind blew and I felt an instinctive feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
Then I saw it: more than fifty massive ships with sails unfurled in the wind all bearing the banners of a golden leaf over a white field.
It was the fleet of the Southern Isles all set in a position to fight.
I signaled to stop and my co-captains did the same. For what seemed like an eternity we remained motionless, wondering what the Southern Isles would do. They did sign a non-aggression neutrality pact so they weren't supposed to be involved in this war. So why was their fleet out and ready for battle?
It can only mean they rescinded their own agreement. They were now supporting either one side or the other.
But which one: Arendelle or Weselton?
With such huge numbers, if they sided with us, it meant our sure victory. Side with Weselton and our allies could still have a chance but we would not survive to find out.
And then they opened fire.
Author's Note: I couldn't resist having Oaken here. He's just too good a personality to pass up and I can see him taking advantage of the victory celebrations to push for his products and make a good profit. He is kind of like my poster guy for the Disney marketing machine that launches a deluge of consumer products from all of its hit characters.
I know I've been taking potshots of Prince Eric for quite some time in this story so I decided to finally redeem him in this chapter. I really do see him as a very capable sailor. At least compared to some of the earlier Disney princes he does appear to have some useful marketable skills instead of just looking charming in forests, wishing wells and ballrooms.
Constanza was mentioned in one line in the Little Mermaid as the "Princess of Glowerhaven" that Eric said he didn't fall for her. I just gave her a name and a kick-ass personality.
I wrestled with having Flynn Rider here because I thought it unlikely he would be in a sea battle since he didn't have military training. But I suppose after around 19 or so years of being involved in the royal family of Corona, he could have gotten that training. However, I see him as someone that other nobles from other nations are not willing to accept because of his past. I think he and Hans could get along really well. I computed his age based on the Disney wiki information that he was 26 at the time of the events in Tangled—three years before Elsa was crowned.
And finally the Southern Isles—they're the dark horse. Just stay tuned to find out who they actually supported.