Chapter 21

A New Hope

I just finished a Star Wars Marathon, what can I say?

I would like to apologize for the typo that resulted in a curse word. That was not intentional and I apologize for that. I have fixed that, so I'm now child friendly again!

And I would also like to apologize for the delay. I started going one way, and, like the wind, my inspiration led me in another, hopefully better direction. So, I had to do a bunch of re-writes, and here is the finished result. Enjoy!

Whatever hope he had at a fresh start was now lost. After his ill conceived escape attempt failed, Lionel was led to the dungeons and placed in one of the more secure cells. Of course there was the danger of him simply melting the bars and using flames to escape. Luckily, Arendelle had in its possession some of Lars Brawnstone's personal treasures, one of them being the blue crystals. The guards led Lionel in, locked him in crystal embedded shackles, and left, shutting the solid iron door behind him. The cell was cold and damp, deep in the center of the dungeons. It as windowless, and small, but secure. Luke was taken up to one of the rooms in the castle under two guards. Elsa didn't feel right about locking a boy down in the dungeons.

Elsa paced back and forth at the entrance of the dungeons with arms crossed, waiting anxiously for Jase and the guards to return after locking Lionel away. Finally, they returned, and everything seemed to have gone well.

"The prisoner is secure, your Majesty" said the chief guard at attention.

"Very good. I want whatever guards not on sentry monitoring the halls. And I want you to alert me personally if he tries to escape, I don't care if I'm in a meeting, sleeping, or even in the bath. He is desperate, and I don't want anyone hurt."

"Of course your Majesty" said the Guard. He and his guards turned to leave, but Elsa grabbed Jase before you can leave.

"A moment, Sir Jase?" she asked. Jase nodded and remained behind, waiting for the guards to leave.

"How are you doing?" he asked her.

Elsa nodded. "Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking. I actually want to apologize, for not listening. I messed up" she said, waving her hands, letting slap against her thighs in disappointment. "I let my personal feelings get in the way, and now I have payed the price for it. I should have listened to you, not only as my counsel, but as a friend. I'm sorry."

Jase was quiet for a moment, not expecting such a straightforward apology.

"Look, you did what you though was right..."

"No, no I didn't" Elsa said in a tense voice. "I saw a man like me, and I just assumed he was all good. I should have known he had baggage on him... Please, just, don't defend me."

Jase shut his mouth, hearing the edge in her voice. "Apology accepted" he replied simply, hoping to let it pass.

Elsa looked back into the dungeons, imagining Lionel in his cell. "I guess it's over now."

"What do you mean?"

Elsa swung her head back, surprised at Jase's response. "You're kidding, right? I have no right to hold him. I can't keep Lionel here for long. Weselton won."

"Weselton is what set him off in the first place. What happened was manslaughter. He's not some monstrous criminal. He made a mistake, can't he have the chance to make amends?"

"Of course I believe that" Elsa said. She recalled a mistake once that nearly killed someone she loved. "But unfortunately that decision is no longer mines to make. His crime was aganst Weselton, and I highly doubt he'll get a fair trial. There isn't anything I can do."

Just then, they heard the clamoring of footsteps against the stone stairs, coming down. In through the dungeon doors burst Anna, with Kristoff close behind.

"Elsa! Are you alright? What happened?" Anna asked frantically, leaving little room for breathing.

"Don't you know?"

"I had to calm a riled up crowd and send a stubborn Weselton assembly to their house. Do you know he's claiming hypothermia?"

"Oh Anna, I'm so sorry..."

"Cut the small talk woman! What happened?"

"Anna, relax! We caught Lionel. He's in the dungeons with a boat load of blue crystals and a round the clock guard. He's not going anywhere."

"Is it true? Did he...?" Anna asked, afraid to say what she knew was true. Her eyes sank when Elsa nodded in confirmation. "I, I can't believe it... I let Matthew play with him" Anna continued. Of course, that is what had been on her mind when she first saw Lionel put the courthouse into chaos. She remembered Matthew bouncing around Lionel's flames. She kept replaying the last week, how she just accepted Lionel without any caution or suspicion. She remembered her past involving trusting the wrong people. "I thought he was..."

"We all made that mistake" said Kristoff, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We were all fooled." Granted, he wasn't completely wrong. Like Jase he had his suspicions, but he knew better than to point that out to her right now.

"He didn't know there were people in there" said Jase. "He acted in anger against the Duke, and he thought burning one of his buildings would dampen his anger."

"So what now?" Kristoff asked.

"Unfortunately, he don't have a choice in the matter. Marek will undoubtedly side with Weselton. All they needed was to have reasonable cause to bring him back to face another trial, and what they got was a confession. At most we can give Luke citizenship here, but their is nothing more we can do for Lionel."

There was a silence in the group. What else could be said? It was so straight forward. Was it fair? Not in the slightest.

"What if you could prove that the Duke sent those men and that assassin after him? I mean, his wife was shot by somebody."

"Duke Archibald keep's insisting that Lionel was involved in criminal activity."

"Can he prove it?" asked Jase, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well, no. But once he returns to Weselton, they won't have to. It's the state's word against his."

"But what if we could prove Weselton's involvement? Prove that the Duke did indeed try and kill him before a trial?"

"What if that's a lie too?" asked Anna. "What if he's hiding more from us?"

"I highly doubt he has a hidden agenda. The man can't hide a lie."

"How can we be sure?"

Elsa's left eye brow raised. She looked at Jase. "By doing what I should have done in the first place..."

Lionel sat in his cell. He was weary with self pity and shame. All he could think about was what he deserved, and what it meant for Luke. There was no hope for his freedom now, and Luke would become an orphan. He prayed for his son, knowing there wasn't a prayer left for himself.

Then, sooner than expected, his cell door opened. He stood up, expecting food, but was shocked to see Jase walk through. He looked down and sat back onto his bench. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked half heartedly.

"Nothing has been decided yet" Jase said as the door slammed behind them. "You're lucky. Most monarchs in Her Majesty's position would have turned you over to Weselton by now, especially given how you lied to us..."

"What else was I supposed to do?! Would you have helped me if you knew?"

"You'd be surprised. People make bad choices when they're mad or scared or... wow, that really gets in the head doesn't it?" he muttered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing. Point is, sometimes we make mistakes, bad ones. But in the end, it's honesty that defines a man."

"Yeah, well I guess I'm a poorly defined man then."

"I'm not inclined to believe that."

"Does it even matter? I did it, I'm guilty. It's over."

Jase took this moment to study him. Lionel had completely given up. He wasn't acting like the guilt ridden man who was struggling to hide what he had done. He has given up on that.

"You've given up?"

"I didn't give up, I lost!" he said louder then anticipated. "The only thing that matters now is Luke. Has her Majesty considered letting him stay?"

"She might. But she would prefer it if we didn't have to separate a father and son."

Lionel looked up, surprised. "What?"

Jase walked closer to the bench, so as to make sure he wasn't missing anything. "You'll find that the people in Arendelle are a stubborn bunch. Fighting against all odds is kind of our thing, and the Royal Family are the embodiment of that. And despite your transgressions, despite the lies and the outbursts, they still want to help you, as do I."

Lionel couldn't remove his eyes from the knight. Somehow, in this bleakest moment, in the Hell of a situation he found himself in, he was getting another chance. Hope at redemption.

"Why? Why would she still want to help me, in spite of all I've done."

"Because any man who truly seeks redemption deserves a second chance."

"But, how? I mean I did it."

Lionel couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head, not knowing what to believe.

"But" Jase continued. "She'll only help you if you are completely and utterly honest from this point on. Are we clear on that?"

Lionel nodded. "Completely."

"Now, is there anything else, anything, you want to tell us? Did Weselton in fact send those men to your house, or are you keeping more from us?"

While Jase interrogated Lionel for the last time, Duke Archibald and his nephew took refuge in the Weselton Embassy. The king and his odd uncle were in the main study; Gerbhard sat in one of the armchairs, deep in thought, while the Duke was in his long jons, huddled in a blanket by the fireplace, warming his hands. They were anticipating a meeting with Elsa and Judge Marek, to decided Lionel's ultimate fate.

"And I thought the cursed winter was bad enough, but now I'm w...we...Achoo!" he sneezed. "And now I've caught a flu!"

"Mhmm" said Gerbard, staring at the rain outside, towards the castle.

"They're stalling! Well, it won't do them any good. The judge will undoubtedly side with us, so the sooner they admit defeat, the better!..."

Gerbhard let his uncle ramble on while he thought. He had just witness a known criminal hold his uncle hostage, and had the means to escape. Most people would leave the dangerous task of bringing him to justice to the proper authorities. But instead, he remembered watching the Queen go out of her way and went after him herself. Previously, he would have suspected her of conspiring with the enemy of Weselton, to procure his escape. But she went after him, and then rescued his uncle, a man she had banished from Arendelle, someone she publicly despised.

It just didn't add up.

"Why did she do it?" he asked himself, disrupting the Dukes complaints.

"What?"

Gerbhard turned, not realizing he had spoken aloud. He continued on, expressing his thoughts. "She went after Leewell, and then saved you and captured him. She didn't have to do that. It makes no sense strategically."

"Oh, come on. It was obviously a ploy to play with our heads. They're probably trying to get back in our good wishes, or some similar end. Whatever it is, this is a conspiracy!"

Gerbhard nodded. He stroked his chin and looked back at the fire. "Yes, I suppose so" he muttered. He wasn't entirely convinced. If anything, this supposed conspiracy would cast a negative light to Arendelle, protecting a man who is now undoubtedly a criminal. In one afternoon he found himself questioning everything he had come to believe about this country. There was more here than what his uncle was forthcoming about.

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff met Andar in the council room, awaiting Jase's return. After a day's separation, Matthew was more than happy to see Momma and Papa again.

"He wouldn't stop crying "Momma" for hours" said the nanny, her left eye slightly twitchy from strain.

"Oh, he doesn't seem that bad" said Anna as Matthew went to sleep in her arms. The Nanny just glared an exasperated look before turning to leave. Before she could get out, however, Kristoff had one quick question.

"Did he ask for "Papa" at any time? Just out of curiosity" he asked. The nanny just rolled her eyes and walked out, looking like she was about to break into tears out of insanity.

"Oh, is somebody jealous that I'm the favorite?" Anna asked with a smirk, patting her sleeping child gently on the back.

"Oh, I'm sure it's just a mom thing. He probably feels the same way about both of us?"

"Oh really, 'cause I know who my favorite is."

"Ha ha ha" Kristof laughed sarcastically. "Wait, really?"

Anna just smirked and walked across the room. Meanwhile, Elsa was talking to Andar.

"You sure you're alright?" she asked. Andar had a bad bruise on his right shoulder from the incident. He wasn't really that old, but he always did bruise easily. He didn't show it, but moving his arm hurt.

"Please Your Majesty. I've been punched in the face by more angry witnesses than I care to remember. I'm fine..."

Just then, Jase quietly entered the room.

"Well?" Elsa quickly asked, turning her attention away from Andar. "What do you think?"

"It's really just one man's opinion..."

"A man I should have listened to from the start" She started more insistently. Feeling conspicuous, she lowered her voice. "Please, I trust you. I want your opinion."

Jase looked around, seeing that all eyes were on him. He really hated it when that happened. "Like I said before, he doesn't strike me as the criminal type, and that still holds true. I don't think, no, I know he's not holding back anything else."

"Are you sure?"

"What other reason would he have to burn the warehouse in the first place? Elsa, I know that he's telling the truth this time."

Elsa nodded. "Then I think we better prepare a darn good rebuttal for the judge tomorrow."

"It's still a risky move You Majesty" said Andar, clenching his arm as he got up. "If he reveals anything else, Weselton will waste no time in shoving this "scandal" in our allies faces."

Elsa shook her head. "I am sure. I meant what I said, that I understand his pain. The only difference between him and me is that he let his rage take over, and did what I always fear I would do. He deserves to be punished, fairly. He didn't kill on purpose, and in most places that wouldn't warrant a noose. But in Weselton, they might just skip the trial entirely."

"So" Anna began. "We're giving this another go?"

Elsa nodded, biting her lower lip. "Yep."

"Trying to defend a confessed criminal, against our enemies, who have legitimate cause to take him right here and now?"

"Yep."

"And in failure, we risk having to counsel a grieving boy and give Weselton the chance to spin this in whatever way they wish against us?"

"Yep."

Anna nodded, shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal. "Well, I'm down, how about you guys?"

Nope, this isn't over, not by a longshot! Just wait till you see what I've got in store next. Just to ease your minds, I will be making up for the previously gloomy chapters with laughs, action, and OMG moments.

I would like to announce that I have a new story up, a short crossover in which Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians was actually there throughout "Frozen", both observing and interfering with the film while invisible. So, what am I doing different here from other such crossover? I'm not shipping Elsa and Jack. That's right, no Jelsa! Feel free to check it out.

Also, I got my drawing of Jase done... well, at least his head. I'm still not 100% satisfied, as he's still not as I pictured him. I'm still working out my drawing skills, so maybe it's that. Let me know what you think and for those artistically inclined, let me know what I can do to make this better.

See you later

-Batman