THWACK!
You drew another arrow and pulled back against the resisting string. "Who does that ignorant-"
THWACK!
"-conniving-"
THWACK!
"-bastard think he is?"
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
You panted slightly as you stared at the nearly invisible target standing at the other end of the field. Twenty arrow feathers had completely replaced the red bull's-eye in the middle of the circle. You had definitely improved in your archery, not that you really needed to get better.
You just needed a new way of venting your frustration. King Brynjolf and his brother had been in Arendelle for nearly two weeks, and in that time the barbaric man had managed to become the most hated man in the city. Between his nightly visits to the local whore house (sneaking out when he thought everyone was asleep), insulting nearly every merchant at the market, laughing at how "weak" the knights were when they refused to spar with him because he was the king of another land and didn't want to start an international dispute, and getting hands-y with the maids in the castle, the King of the Land of Coals had made himself public enemy number one. He had even gone so far as to state how much of a waste it was that you were a bastard; apparently you would have been perfect breeding stock if you had just been a legitimate child.
Sure, you had voiced your complaints to the Queen; you and Anna both had. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it. After Elsa had rejected the King's wedding proposal halfway through the first week, his ship "mysteriously" sustained damage and needed to be repaired before he could leave. Now he was trying harder than ever to win her heart, or at least find a way to sneak into her bed.
You knew he was pushing more towards the latter. Ever since King Brynjolf arrived in Arendelle, you had used your powers to transform into a cat and staked yourself outside of Elsa's bedroom every night. On more than one occasion, you caught the visiting king creeping down the hall to Her Majesty's quarters and try to pick the lock to her door. And each and every time you had hissed and spat angrily at the man; making as much ruckus as you possibly could until either the light in the queen's room turned on or the foul beast retreated to his room before someone came to see what the commotion was about.
However, two nights ago the King had come to Elsa's bedroom with a plan. Before you even had the chance to curl your lips back, you were shoved into a burlap sack and kicked over the railing. Your left shoulder still ached from when you crashed onto the floor below.
That had been the last straw. You transformed back into your original body and manifested a new outfit out of thin air before leaping up to the railing as silent as a phantom. You glared at the man in disgust as you watched him pick the lock. It was only when an excited huff of laughter escaped the King's throat when he finally unlocked the door that you said anything.
"You have exactly half a second to get away from Her Majesty's door before I slit your throat."
Oh, the look on the King's face had been absolutely priceless when he jumped and whirled around to see you glowering at him from atop the railing. His face had gone completely white as his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He had given you some excuse about needing to use the restroom and how he accidentally got lost.
You called him out on his bluff, knowing full well it was a lie, and pinned him to the wall. You had told him that if you ever caught him trying to break into Elsa's room again, you would see to it that his ship sunk on his way home. He hadn't even bothered to try and call your bluff, because he knew you weren't lying. The murderous intent in your eyes was more than enough to prove that you would keep to your word.
You haven't seen the disgusting King pass by Elsa's room since; not even during the day.
The muffled crunch of boots stepping on newly fallen snow reached your ears and you pulled a dagger out of the waistline of your breeches. You spun around with the blade pointing towards your attacker. Wide, dark eyes and jet black hair filled your vision and you stopped just before the tip of your knife punctured Farkas's neck.
"Farkas!" You replaced the knife into your waistline and smiled apologetically at your friend. "Sorry about that. I thought you were a bandit or something. What are you doing here?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Farkas's face as a plume of his frosted breath filled the air. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just saw you shooting arrows and…well…I was wondering if maybe you would like some company."
Elsa gazed at you longingly from under the armory's canopy. She barely got to see you for the past two weeks. The King of the Land of Coals was a very demanding man who constantly stole her away in her free time in a desperate attempt to convince her to accept his marriage proposal.
Since King Brynjolf was constantly accompanying her wherever she went, with Anna's supervision of course, you had become good friends with the King's guard. She would occasionally glance out the window of wherever she and her suitor were in the castle and often see you smiling and laughing heartily as you romped playfully with the dark haired man. There were times where she wondered if she had even seen love in your eyes as the two of you either rode horse back together or practiced your swordplay.
The queen sighed heavily as her heart pulled in two directions. She had managed to persuade Anna to distract King Brynjolf so she could spend some time with you, but you looked more than happy laughing and talking with Farkas. She didn't blame you though; he was a very handsome man, and he could connect with you on a level she never could.
After all, she was a queen; not a bastard. She could never understand what you had gone through in life. Farkas, on the other hand, could.
She watched as you quirked an eyebrow questioningly at the handsome man standing in front of you. Farkas smiled innocently and made a strange gesture with his hands. You merely sighed and rolled your eyes before letting them fall shut. And before she could do anything to stop it, the bastard prince kissed you tenderly on the lips.
Her heart completely shattered in her chest. She quickly looked away when she felt a large hand settle on her shoulder.
"It would seem that our guards have quite the thing for each other," King Brynjolf stated matter-of-factly. "Isn't that wonderful? Young love, I mean. It's a shame that we have to separate them."
Elsa stared emotionlessly at the hand on her shoulder. "Yes," she hesitantly placed her hand on top of the King's. "It would be a shame to separate them."
You felt something warm and soft on your lips and immediately shoved Farkas away from you. "Farkas, what the fuck?" You wiped your mouth off on your sleeve.
Farkas blinked confusingly at you. "What's wrong? I thought you liked me?"
You furrowed your eyebrows at him. "Yeah, as a friend! I'm sorry, but don't think of you as anything more than that!"
A small frown pulled at the corners of Farkas's mouth. "Dammit, Brynjolf isn't going to like this. Now what am I going to do?"
You grabbed the bastard's coat collar and held him just high enough to make him stand on his tip-toes. "Say that again. What isn't Brynjolf going to like?"
Farkas's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. His heart was fluttering in his chest from the close proximity between the two of you. The intensity of your eyes was causing his resolve to falter.
There was no way he could lie to you. He swallowed hard against the dryness in his throat. "B-Brynjolf told me on the journey here that I was supposed to seduce you."
You pulled him down so he was closer to you. "What?"
Farkas nodded shamefully. "I was instructed to win your heart because Brynjolf knew that if he couldn't win Queen Elsa over through his usual methods. He would have to find another way to anchor himself here. He knew that you and the Queen are close friends; it's widely known in many kingdoms. So he thought that if I could court you and convince you to marry me, the Queen would accept his proposal so you would be happy."
You dropped the black haired man and turned to the armory. Your blood nearly boiled with rage when you saw King Brynjolf leaning down to kiss Elsa. Her face was completely blank of any emotion as she just stood there like a porcelain doll.
"Brynjolf," you growled menacingly as you stormed your way to the canopy.
Farkas scrambled to his feet and grasped your hand. "Look, please, don't go! I know that I said that I was under my brother's orders, but I truly do love you! Please, please, just give me a chance! We can run away together and not have to worry about Brynjolf or Queen Elsa-"
You punched the bastard square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. "Fuck off! If you think I'd believe you after everything you just said, you must be a complete lunatic!"
You continued marching towards the armory's canopy. Steam was billowing out of your mouth and nose in the crisp, cool air. "BRYNJOLF!"
The King stopped mere centimeters away from Elsa's lips and looked up to see you storming towards them. It must have been colder out than he thought. Frost was rolling from your mouth like smoke from a dragon's jaws.
"Ah, my dear lady," he greeted warmly. "What joyous news do you bring the Queen and I?"
You cracked your knuckles across the King's jaw, slicing the skin wide open on his teeth, and stood in front of Elsa protectively. "Don't pull that bullshit with me! First I catch you trying to break into Elsa's bedchambers at night, and then I find out you ordered your own brother to seduce me just so you could use Her Majesty's emotions to your advantage! What kind of a sick, twisted man does that?"
Elsa's eyes widen in shock. "He did what?"
"You heard me!" You bark angrily as you point at the exposed King struggling to get back onto his feet. "I caught him trying to break into your bedroom the other night, and Farkas just told me that he was told to seduce me so you would accept this bastard's proposal!"
The King stood on wobbly legs and rubbed his already bruising chin. "My dear lady, surely you do not believe the lies my guard told you? He is nothing but a bastard. We all know how untrustworthy they are. I would never plot such an indignant scheme."
"From my personal experience, bastards tend to tell the truth more than those of royal birth," Elsa nearly growled at the man in front of her. She threaded her arm through yours and held it tight. "My friend here happens to be a bastard, or have you forgotten?"
King Brynjolf chuckled awkwardly. "I didn't mean that all bastards tell lies, My Queen. I merely meant that-"
"Save it," you scolded. "As the Queen's personal guard, I will escort you to your ship. You will leave Arendelle at once."
"Oh, but only the Queen can give that order," the King taunted. "Besides, you have no proof that I did anything wrong. I told you the other night that I had gotten lost on my way to the lavatory, and the only other person who could say anything against me is a bastard. No one will believe either of you."
You snarled at the King viciously. As much as you hated to admit it, he was right. You were accusing a royal of some very heinous crimes, and the only people who knew the truth were both bastards. No one would believe either of you. How could you prove this man to be guilty?
A wild thought flashed through your mind. It was a tactic your mother had taught you as a little girl. She had learned it watching the animals of the forests for so many years. Your father had seen how useful it was and tweaked it enough to conform to the royal court.
"If you are truly innocent, then you will not be afraid to partake in a battle of champions."
The King stared at you skeptically. "I am afraid I have never heard of such a thing. Exactly what is it?"
"A battle of champions is just as it sounds," you explain curtly. "When someone accuses another person of being guilty of a crime, the two will prove their innocence with a fight to the death. If the accused is innocent, then they win. If they are guilty, then they die.
"Since we are dealing with royalty and do not want a full out war, I suggest that we fight until someone calls the match. If I win, you and your brother will leave Arendelle by sundownand never return. Do we have a deal?"
King Brynjolf scratched at his whiskers for a moment. "Now that you explain it, I believe I have heard of this technique before. Yes, the King of Fire Blood Rock often battles champions to see who is innocent. It always works out well for him. Very well, I accept your challenge. However, what do I get when I win?"
You furrow your brow skeptically. "What would you like?"
The King smirked as his eyes wandered over your body. "Are you a virgin, my dear?"
A loud gasp sounded from Elsa's throat.
You glared at the disgusting creature in front of you. "I can proudly proclaim that I have never taken a man to bed. Yes."
"Then what I want is simple," the King scoffed. "When I prove my innocence, your maiden head will be mine. You will return to the Land of Coals with me and serve as another woman in my harem. Are we at an accord?" He held his hand out.
Elsa grasped your sleeve. "No, you can't do that. I won't let you."
You smiled at the Queen tenderly. "Hey, don't worry. I took down that bear, and he was bigger than this little bitch. I can handle this."
You turn back to King Brynjolf and grasped his wrist tightly. "Deal."
Hello Dears! Not much for an Author's Note today except for one thing: Let the games begin :)