Chapter 21 – Power Flurries
"Kristoff!"
Elsa was shocked to discover that is was she who yelled his name, not Anna. Shaken, she started to step forward, but found her way blocked by the guards.
The room was in a panic, some guests yelling and running, others too stunned to move. Guards were everywhere now, two standing to either side of her, swords drawn, looking everywhere around them. The same around Anna. Captain Krog was yelling commands to his guards. The castle was to be locked-down, no one is too leave.
Two more guards rapidly entered the ballroom, leading another man with them. He was well dressed with a long coat, carrying an odd looking bag, and wearing an armband with the emblem of the castle guard, the shield and crocus. Felix Morgannson, born in Arendelle, the child of shopkeepers, enlisted in the Arendelle Navy the age of sixteen. There, he learned the basics of field medicine and, after six years of service, mustered out to earn his medical degree. After an additional four years in Oslo, he returned to Arendelle, and the Navy, where he served as a medical officer for the next twelve. Now, retired from the Navy, he maintained a private practice in Arendelle town as well as serving as the Castle Guard's medic. Since there was going to be a great number of people in the castle this night, Doctor Morgannson had taken station in Captain Krog's office, to be on call for any medical issues that might arise during the evening. As such, he had already seen two people, a man who had accidentally cut himself with his dinner knife, and a woman who had fainted due to an overly tightened corset.
Seeing her first, Morgannson rushed over to Princess Anna, to treat her cut arm, but she pushed him away. "You have to help Kristoff!" Quickly handing some rolled bandages to one of the Princess' guards and telling him to bind her arm and that he would treat he properly soon enough, he then turned to the fallen ice harvester, now laying on his back on the floor, his head cushioned with someone's folded coat.
As the woman being held by the guard was taken away, Captain Krog approached Elsa. "Your Majesty, are you well?" She nodded, the Guard Captain's attention drawing her out of her daze. "I'm fine." My power protected me, she thought to herself, absently feeling at the small cut in her dress. "What is the situation? Was anyone else hurt?"
"We are attempting to collect the guests and get them settled. There appears to have been four infiltrators, spies, who managed to gain access to the party. We have two in custody, but I just got a report that two of my men stationed at the castle entrance were attacked, and two men escaped. We are—"
Elsa interrupted, "Are they all right? The guards at the entrance?"
"Minor injuries, they will be fine. They were taken by surprise; these men, and the woman, appear to be professionals, well trained. We are very lucky that no serious harm came to Your Majesty or the Princess." Captain Krog's words became very clipped and stern, angry. "Your man, Master Bjorgman, warned me, but it seems I did not take his warning seriously enough."
"Kristoff warned you?" Elsa asked, surprised.
Krog nodded, "He said he had been following a suspicious man, who led him to a secret lair in the warehouse district. It seemed a fantastic tale, but he brought a document he found there. I have sent a man to work with the City Watch. The escaped men will likely go into hiding, but hopefully we will be able to secure their hideout and recover additional information about their activities."
Elsa looked back at Kristoff, laying on the ground, now quite pale. The doctor had opened Kristoff's borrowed coat and torn his shirt to expose the wound, and appeared to be trying to stop the bleeding. There was a lot of blood. It made her feel ill, so she looked away. Anna was on her knees, one guard holding her up, while another guardsmen attempted to bandage the cut on her arm.
Elsa forced herself to look back at Kristoff. The man who may have just saved their lives. He certainly had just saved Anna's. Again. Who was this man, this Kristoff Bjorgman? How had he come into their lives and had such an impact? What had seemed to be a random meeting just two weeks ago, was actually a connection that they had formed thirteen years past. This man who had known her secret this whole time, but instead of judging her, repudiating her, he had instead climbed a mountain through a blizzard, just to make sure she was safe. And when she had pushed Anna away, mortally striking her with her power, it was Kristoff who took her, cared for her, brought her to the trolls and to the castle to save her life. And now, when it was neither his job nor responsibility, he tracked down assassins, fought them off, saved our lives. What have we done to deserve this man in our lives.
Doctor Morgannson ceased his efforts, shaking his head sorrowfully. "Noooooo!" Anna cried out and rushed up to the unmoving Kristoff, grabbing his hand. The doctor slowly rose and stepped away, was led to others who, as a result of the panic, now needed his attention.
But only a moment later, there was a commotion by the entrance, and another guardsman appeared, this time escorting a woman, dark hair tied back and in a plain dress. Elsa did not know her, but Anna half rose in excitement. "Alde!" Anna almost screamed, "You have to help Kristoff!" The healer, of course! realized Elsa. The woman moved around the body and kneeled down, placing herself between Elsa and Kristoff's prone form.
The women pressed both of her hands on Kristoff's exposed torso and appeared to concentrate. There was a display of great strain on her face as she attempted her craft. After a minute's effort, she rearranged her hands and rededicated herself to her endeavor. But in the end, it was in vain.
"There's nothing more I can do. I... I could close the wound, but there is a lot of damage inside, more than I can heal. And he has lost so much blood… I am so sorry. He's gone." And she bowed her head, appearing to pray.
But Elsa saw more. She had seen the magic the woman had employed, the power she had channeled in her attempt to heal Kristoff. But it was so little. Just a tiny amount pulled from the great sea of magic that surrounded them. And so slow did it move, like pouring honey from a bowl. Such extreme effort for so little effect — Unlike her own power, with which she could summon great torrents of arcane energy to do her snowy will. But what could she do, freeze him? That would not help. But she must do something…
The room grew distinctly colder as Elsa drew a great flow of power to her, took two steps forward and placed her hand upon the healer's shoulder. The woman gasped in shock, turning to see Elsa, ablaze in a fire that only the two of them could perceive. "Goddess," she whispered. Elsa met her eyes, "Help him. Please." Alde Östberg turned back to the body, and again pressed her hands to his bloodied torso. But this time she channeled the power that Elsa fed to her, more power than she had ever used in her entire life combined.
A golden glow arose from the body, initially hard to distinguish from the oil lamp light, but then increasing in magnitude. As its brightness grew, it expanded outwards, swirling around and enveloping the body until it was hard to see.
Then suddenly, Kristoff's eyes sprang open and he flung his arms out wide. Crying out in agony, his back arched as the magical energy coursed through his body. Then as quickly as it had started, it was over, Kristoff falling back to the floor, his eyes closed, his head slumped to the side. But he was breathing, and his stomach bore nothing but a blood stain, the wound sealed.
Elsa drew her hand back and let the power go. It was hard to see Kristoff's chest rise and fall as he breathed, her vision now clouded with tears.
He would live.
"What do you mean it didn't work!" demanded the Duke.
Avram Bashir calmly explained, "There were unexpected complications. They appeared to have gotten advanced warning, and the Queen's magic seems to be able to protect her even when taken by surprise."
"They were supposed to be getting her people to get rid of her, not doing it themselves unless they had to!"
Bashir nodded. "My agents had been working for several days, meeting with people and attempting to raise their suspicion and dissatisfaction of the Queen and Princess, laying the seed of distrust and a desire for regime change. But apparently, it was not working. My agent in charge reports that the people continued to support the Queen despite the arguments and insinuations, rather vigorously at times, sometimes even putting our agent at risk. After a week's effort to little or no gain, it was decided to move to the second option."
"But you messed that up! Fine, you decided to kill her. I could use that. A power vacuum would be a great opportunity to wrap my tendrils around that little kingdom, like all the others. But no, your men couldn't even get that part right! I'm paying you a small fortune. You are supposed to be the best at this kind of work. And you can't even getting a little assassination done?"
"As I said, there were unexpected complications. Once the situation has been gotten under control, our newfound knowledge will be incorporated into future plans. My organization has a reputation to maintain."
"Bah! Your reputation will be worthless when I am done with you. Get out! I'll find someone else who can do this work better."
"Your Grace, you may want to reconsider. As I explained when we entered this contact, a separation in less than amicable circumstances may not be possible."
"What do you mean?"
"An organization such as ours cannot allow anyone, such as yourself, to spread word about it without care. Especially if such talk might be less than positive."
"How dare you! Are you threatening me? Guards!"
"Your guards will not be responding, Your Grace," Bashir said quietly while slipping on his gloves. "And I do not threaten."
– end part 2 –