A/N Yes I know it has been 2 months and I can only apologize for the delay. However life commitments must sadly come first and I can write only if and when I have the time. I do have a full time job and a very demanding young child to deal with aswell.
For those lovely readers who have waited patiently, I thank you. To those few readers who have chosen to PM to remind me that I haven't updated in so long, although I appreciate it has been a while I will not write any faster.
Okay now with that said. just to let you know that there will be one more chapter, before Elsa turns completely evil. With what has already happened and another event due to occur in the next chapter this will truly cause Elsa to turn to the dark side.
Chpater Twelve.
It was just past midnight when Agdar arrived back in Arendelle, bloody cloak in hand. As he solemnly walked through the castle halls, the guilt of what he had done weighed heavily on his mind.
He had left the Princess, his own daughter alone in the mountains, defenceless. How could I have done such a thing?
His stomach was in knots and he was trembling. For a moment, he thought about going back to retrieve her. But when he was interrupted by none other then his wife, that thought quickly vanished.
"Agdar, you're back. Tell me, has the task been done? is the little witch dead? did you make her suffer? tell me? did she squeal when you spilt her blood?"
The King forced the bloody cloak into Idun's hands. "How could you even ask such a thing? don't you think she's suffered enough?! she was just a little girl. But you know what? at least she's at peace now."
The Queen stayed silent for a few moments before hurrying after her husband. "She was a danger to Arendelle. We did the right thing. Deep down, you know it to be true."
"All I know to be true, is that I have done an unforgivable thing to our child. What kind of Father does that make me? how am I going to explain this to the people of Arendelle...to Anna? By the way, how is my daughter?"
"The doctor says she's going to be fine."
Adgar gave an affirmed nod, before continuing on his way. The Queen fell into a step beside her husband and they both walked in silence to the royal bedchambers. However, Idun was already busy formulating a plan, and once inside, she was quick to inform Agdar of it.
"You're right. The people of Arendelle do have a right to know the truth. Whilst taking a trip into the mountains, the King and his daughter were attacked by a band of vicious bandits. The King returned gravely injured, but sadly, after the only thing found was her bloody cloak, the precious Princess was declared dead."
"And you really think the people will believe such an elaborate tale?" Agdar barked in frustration.
The Queen glared venomously at her husband. "The dim-witted, simple minded people of Arendelle will believe whatever we want them to believe."
"And what about Gerda, Kai...or Anna for that matter?" he countered.
"What about them?" Idun snapped.
The King glared at his wife incredulously. "We might be able to fool the people of Arendelle, but not Kai or Gerda. And what about Anna? How can we lie to her like this?"
"Kai and Gerda are lowly servants. Their silence can easily be bought, or they will suffer the consequences of their treachery. Let me assure you, that I will do whatever is necessary for this to remain our secret. As for Anna, granted she'll be devastated by the news of course, but she is resiliant. She'll get over it. Soon, that abomination will be nothing but a distant memory."
It was still pitch dark when Elsa suddenly awoke to the sound of loud growling. Her eyes shot open, before widening in utter horror as she came face to face with a pair of menacing yellow eyes.
The blonde blinked twice, her bright blue orbs slowly adjusting to the lack of light. Another loud howl and she realized that standing menacingly before her was a large black wolf. She froze instantly, desperately trying to suppress a scream. But as the beast advanced towards her, snarling and baring his ferocious teeth, Elsa could feel her bravery rapidly slipping away. Safe in the confines of a castle, she had never been in close contact with such an animal, but her Father had always warned her that they were extremely dangerous, especially in an enviroment where food was rather scarce.
As it drew nearer, her heart began racing. She frantically backed away, before instinctively raising her hands, and unleashing a blast of ice close to the animal. This momentarily stunned the beast, but did not completely drive it away. It let out another loud howl, and almost instantly another wolf joined the scene.
This one was much larger and vicious than the first, and wasted no time launching itself at the young Princess. Elsa shot another bolt of ice which luckily hit its target, causing the wolf to yelp in agony. However, this animal was particularly tough, and it did not relent its attack. Instead, if anything, it appeared more angered.
Elsa scrambled to her feet and began to run. She had no idea where she was running to. She felt rather disorientated as she dashed amongst the many trees that dotted the mountain.
The wolves immediately gave chase, and as Elsa looked back, she noticed there was now a pack tailing her. "Papa!" she screamed. Periodically, she turned to fire more ice, but the wolves kept coming, steadily gaining on her.
The Princess wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. Her small legs were tiring, her strength slowly diminshing. With so much darkness surrounding her, Elsa lost sight of where she was running. Still focusing on keeping the wolves at bay, she lost her footing and fell face down in the snow. She raised her hands to use her powers, but she had no energy left to do so. In a last ditch effort, the Princess attempted to crawl away. Unfortunately, she hadn't gotten far when she felt unbearable pain as long, sharp teeth sank into her leg.
The blonde let out a high pitched scream as she desperately struggled to kick away the vicious animal. "Papa! I need you." Before she could say another word, another wolf pounced on her, this time, its large teeth aiming for her throat. Thankfully, it only managed to bite her shoulder, but it still had her sobbing in agony. As she was violently tossed about like a rag doll, every inch of her body was numb with pain and fear. As yet another wolf approached, Elsa tried using her last remaining strength to ward off its attack. To her own surprise the wolf froze instantly midair.
Her head was now swimming as the savage animals continued their attack, to the point where the Princess was overcome with immense dizziness. Elsa had already convinced herself that she was going to die, she could feel death looming. Before passing out though, she heard the whoosh of a crossbow bolt whizzing past her. One of the animals let out a whine, before slumping down beside her.
The wolf that still had her leg gripped firmly in its mouth finally let go and immediately retreated. With half-lidded eyes, Elsa reached out a small trembling hand to her rescuer with a weak plea for help, before she succumbed to unconsciousness.
The stranger had raced across the snow, following a trail of blood to the limp body laying close by. The older man had no idea what to expect, or who he was about to find.
There was a deafening silence as he threw down his crossbow and dropped to his knees beside the small crumpled body, now covered in blood.
His hazel eyes roved over the small frame. Oh dear heavens, it's just a child. With a worried, sympathetic gaze, the shaggy auburn-haired man gently rolled the young girl onto her back, before giving her a swift examination. The first thing he noticed was a gaping wound to her leg, which was still bleeding profusely. Another to her shoulder, which was rather deep. And lastly, numerous gashes still seeping blood through her shredded clothing. With her breathing shallow, the man was reminded of how urgently she was in need of immediate medical attention.
Gently, he wrapped his coat around her small form, before carefully lifting the child into his arms and frantically making his way towards his horse. With Elsa safely tucked against his warm body, he made haste back to his cabin.
Once inside, he immediately placed the girl down onto the single bed that occupied his small home. The kind stranger then proceeded to tend to her injuries.
He was glad she was still unconscious. The pain she would have experienced would surely have been excruciating, yet he knew he had no choice but to make sure the wounds were cleansed properly to prevent infection setting in. Once he had bandaged her up the best he could, the stranger removed her tattered clothing and dressed her into one of his tunics. He then pulled the blanket over her and kept a silent bedside vigil.
Elsa whimpered and groaned in her sleep, as she repeated over and over, "why did you leave me Papa? why did you leave me?"
Her savior shuffled closer, doing his best to offer some comfort. "Ssh child. It's alright, you're safe now."
At the first signs that dawn was approaching, the young Princess cracked an eye open. She shifted uncomfortably as her eyes darted around the room. Her surroundings were strange and unfamiliar, causing her to become rather distressed. "Papa?! Papa! where are you?"
The man brushed a lock of platinum hair from her face as he spoke softly. "Calm down, child."
Suddenly, Elsa bolted upright, her bright blue eyes wide with fear. Her chest began rising and falling rapidly, and her breaths were coming out in short gasps. "Please don't hurt me!"
"I didn't mean to frighten you, child. Don't be afraid, I mean you no harm," the man assured her gently. "My name is Igor. I found you lying injured further up the mountain, after you were attacked by wolves. You sustained a few nasty wounds, but they don't seem to be life-threatening. I have treated and bandaged them the best I can. They should eventually heal, but you'll need to stay here and rest. It's far too dangerous out there."
Even now, after what seemed like hours later, Elsa's memory seemed to have been shrouded from the attack. But if there was one thing she had come to realize. The young Princess owed this man her life. "Thank you so much, Igor."
"You're welcome...Um, do you have a name, child?" Igor then questioned.
Elsa thought best to keep her true identity a secret for now. "My name is.. Heidi."
Igor smiled. "Well Heidi, you're welcome. Now just you rest, I'll go make you some of my finest broth."
Anna tossed and turned in a fitful sleep, before jolting awake, and calling her sister's name "Elsa!" Receiving no answer, the young Princess clambered out of bed and crept slowly along the hall, until she reached her older sibling's room.
"Elsa. Psst, Elsa open up, it's me, Anna." The redhead was met with dead silence, save for the wind rattling through the windows. "Elsa!"
Slowly and quietly, Anna pushed the door open to her sister's chambers. "Hey Elsa, are you awake? can I come in? I promise I won't get you in trouble again."
Inching towards the bed, Anna gasped. It was completely empty and neatly made as if had never been slept in at all. "Elsa! Elsa! where are you? are you playing hide and seek again?"
The Princess dropped to the floor, and peered under the bed. "Boo!" she shouted. Nope, you're not hiding under the bed. What about in the closet? Anna strolled over to the large wardrobe, yanking the door open fully. "Boo!" But all that was in there were an assortment of her sister's finest dresses. She then proceeded to check behind a curtain and behind a large oak desk, but Elsa was not there either.
Anna slumped to the floor, tears strolling down her cheeks. "Elsa where are you? If you're hiding...then I give up."
"Anna?! whatever are you doing in here?" the Queen questioned authoratively as she stalked into Elsa's room to find her youngest daughter crying hysterically. "You should be resting after everything you've been through."
The young Princess raised her head towards her Mother. "But I can't find Elsa. I thought she was playing hide and seek, but she's not in any of her usual hiding spots."
The Queen was at her youngest daughter's side in an instant. "Oh Anna, sweetheart. I'm so sorry we haven't had the chance to tell you this yet, but you see, there's been a terrible accident."
Anna was somewhat confused. "W-What kind of an accident?"
"There really is no easy way to say this. But there was an accident involving your sister. And well...well...she-"
"She's what, Mama?" Anna urged.
Idun scooped the youngest Princess in her arms and hugged her tightly, before the lie rolled off her tongue. "Dead. Your sister is dead."
Dead. No this can't be. "NO!" Anna screamed at the top of her tiny lungs, more tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Her small body shook uncontrollably, her loud sobs reverberating through the castle halls, waking the King from his restless slumber. "It can't be true...not Elsa...not my sister."
As Agdar hovered in the doorway watching his daughter being consoled, he felt his own heart shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. Not only had he failed to protect his most treasured possession, but now he was responsible for inflicting unfathomable grief and suffering on Anna too. Staring at the small snowman sculpture Elsa had insisted he give to Anna, he cursed himself for being so weak and pathetic. Oh dear Lord. What have I done?
3 days later.
Elsa awoke from her slumber when she heard Igor come into the room and toss some wood into the fireplace.
"I didn't disturb you, did I?" the older man asked. "I saw that the fire was dying down and I thought you might be cold."
The Princess rubbed her eyes and yawned, before straightening herself up. "Actually, the cold doesn't bother me."
Igor approached the bed. "Well you're certainly looking much better. Here, may I take a look?" once she had given him her permission to examine her wounds, he carefully unraveled the bandages, but was soon left stunned at what he saw.
"Well Heidi. This is truly amazing. Your injuries are almost healed, and without any sign of scarring too. I've never seen such quick recovery. Are you sure you're just an ordinary child?"
Elsa giggled. "Don't be silly, Igor, of course I am. It's obviously that tasty broth you've been feeding me. It works miracles you know."
Igor nodded suspiciously. "Y-Yes of course, that must be the reason. Now, how about I go make us some breakfast? would fruity porridge be okay for you?"
The blonde smiled in appreciation. "That sounds good."
Over the next several days, Elsa's health continued to improve, until finally she was fully healed and back to full strength. In return for his kindness, Elsa chose to help Igor with his daily chores, which included cleaning, helping to make dinner and taking care of his faithful mare, Kristabell.
"I'd love to learn how to ride her," Elsa had asked Igor one morning whilst she groomed the magnificant animal.
Igor responded with a smile. "Very well." And true to his word, the very next day, Elsa was learning to ride a horse. Kristabell was very friendly and patient, whilst Elsa learnt to accomplish the skill. After several riding sessions, much to Igor's surprise, the young Princess had become a rather competent rider.
"Are you sure you've never ridden a horse before?" he asked as they engaged in a snowball fight later that day.
"Never," Elsa replied. "My sister has, but I was never allowed to play outside."
Although Igor was desperate to ask why, Elsa's mood had dramatically changed and she had asked to go inside.
"Yes well, that sounds like a good idea. I'm exhausted, not to mention famished."
Later that evening, after dinner, Elsa discovered that Igor possessed limited reading skills, so she decided to read to him. To repay the favor, Igor would lull her to sleep with a special song.
One particular evening, he decided to ask Elsa about her family again. Although he was aware it was a sore subject, it was one he was most curious about. He hoped that by now, she trusted him enough to open up to him. "Heidi? don't you miss your family? your home?"
Although reluctant at first, she finally plucked up the courage to answer with a vague response . "I don't have parents or a home. My Father, who I loved more then anything in this world, betrayed me. They all did. Everyone I ever cared about is dead to me. It's just you and me now," she choked as she threw herself into his arms.
Igor lovingly stroked her hair. "It's okay my little one. I didn't mean to upset you. Don't worry. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want. Afterall, I'm beginning to think of you as the daughter I never had, Heidi."
Elsa gave him a kiss on the cheek and Igor held her until she fell fast asleep. He then tucked her into bed and took his positon next to her on the floor.
It was just after midnight when Igor was alarmed by the sound of hooves outside. He bolted upright and sprang to his feet, taking a glance outside the window. Sure enough, in the darkness he could make out four or five soldiers wearing Arendelle uniform.
This does not look good. Igor crept into the bedroom and gently roused the young child. "Heidi...heidi wake up!"
"What is it, Igor?!"
Instantly, a hand was placed over her mouth. "Sshh, you need to be quiet."
Elsa confirmed his request with a curt nod and he slowly removed his hand.
Next, both were startled by a loud knock at the door, followed by an authorative order. "By order of the King, open up!"
A/N More to come...
