You weren't sure which was worse: a dress or a suit. You clenched your fists repeatedly in a desperate attempt to break in the black, lambskin leather gloves adorning your hands. Dresses were cumbersome, revealing, and made it difficult to really do anything, but suits were their own beasts entirely.
The black, leather dress boots on your feet were practically glowing, but you were sure it was from the painful heat emanating from your toes, ankles, and shins as the fresh, stiff leather pinched every inch of your skin and joints just below your knee. You could feel your deep, navy blue, almost black, trousers constricting your crotch and lifting your butt in a way that was almost humiliating. With how tight the pants were, you were relieved that you hadn't been born a man or else you were sure any family jewels would have been castrated. You were surprised that the thin, red stripe trailing down the outside seam of your leg was not ripping or groaning in agony.
That was just the bottom half of the uniform; the top half was almost twice as bad. You adjusted the blood red cuffs of your blue dress coat, a soft, muffle whimper sounding from the fabric of your shoulders just beneath the light grey and white wolf pelt you had insisted on having. You were slim, yes, but you had muscle that bulked you up ever so slightly. This damn jacket had clearly not been made to accommodate that due to the resistance you felt in your shoulders, biceps, and across your bust.
You glanced once more in the mirror and huffed indifferently. The suit didn't look horrible. Actually, if it hadn't been your reflection staring at you, you would have thought the person in the mirror was highly attractive.
But this was you. You could tell where things were made too tight. The pelt over your shoulders replaced any traditional sash, the crimson buttons adorning your jacket, the knotted blue tree with scarlet leaves on a black background etched into your breast, your hair falling just how you wanted it to after hours of tousling, the cold, steel dagger you had hidden away that hugged the bare skin of your hip like a child hidden under your jacket and white dress shirt. The gravity of the situation slammed into you at that moment.
You steeled yourself and exited your borrowed room in the castle. If things went well, you would be relocating yourself to the Queen's chambers after this evening. If the worst should happen, you would either be locked up for the rest of your life or having yourself a date with the chopping block. Either way, you wouldn't be returning to the guest room after tonight.
You made your way down to the throne room gracefully. An air of power and regality trailed behind you as it flowed from your gait. The door came into view, you gave a quick and effortless push, and at least a thousand party-goers flooded your vision as the hard wood swung open.
"I can't believe I'm doing this again," you sighed heavily as you noticed the people standing closest to you turned your way and openly scowled at your presence.
"I can't believe I'm doing this again," Elsa groaned under her breath as Kai introduced and escorted away yet another suitor. The dreaded feeling of Deja-vu fluttered in her stomach only to collide with the faintest sliver of dread that slithered through her veins. A small wave of nausea bubbled in her throat as the two danced gracefully through her being.
"At least after tonight you won't have to have another one of these dumb things until your kids are old enough to look for suitors," Anna agreed with a hinted silver lining. "That last one was really a piece of work."
Elsa's cheeks puffed ever so slightly as she stifled a laugh and shook her head. The most recent suitor that had just been escorted away had been rude, snobbish, and had a very offensive body odor to top it off. However, there was one group of suitors that she expected to be worse.
"Not as bad as I expect the King of Fire Blood Rock and his troupe of throne seekers to be," she admitted in a hushed tone. Kai was bringing up another suitor, and, based on the Prince's puffed chest and confident swagger, this one was going to be the start of a brand-new headache.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Port Royale," Kai announced in a tiredly. Elsa didn't blame the poor steward. This had to have been the fiftieth suitor to have tried to sway her favor since the party began. The poor man had to be exhausted.
"My Queen," the Prince began gallantly, swooping low in an exuberant bow, "it is a blessing to be in your presence. To be graced by one as beautiful, strong, and kind as you; it is truly a gift indeed!" He attempted to take Elsa's hand for the customary kiss, but she denied him.
"Are you currently aware that a small area of your kingdom has seceded and are now calling themselves the Kingdom of East Port?" She asked bluntly.
The Prince blinked in confusion. A spark of ire glinted in his eye at being denied anything, much less a customary curtesy. "I'm sorry. I do not know what you are talking about."
"Then we are done here," Elsa stated firmly. "I have no need to be courted by someone who has such little grasp of what is happening in his own kingdom that he doesn't even know half of his eastern border is no longer under his rule. It shows lack of responsibility and integrity. I apologize that you had to travel so far to learn of this secession."
Steam practically rolled off the Prince's neck and shoulders as anger clouded his vision. He stomped his foot like a toddler having a tantrum and shoved his finger into Elsa's face. "Now you listened here, you cu-"
The fine point of a sharp blade being pressed into the Prince's kidney cut the young man off.
"I'd watch myself if I were you, young pup. You may think those sharp little milk teeth cut deep because of your teething, but I can show you what real fangs can do." You growled behind the prince, adding a little extra pressure to the sword in your hand to help accentuate your point.
The Prince's face paled. "Y-Yes, Ma'am. Yes, Ma'am," he whimpered pathetically.
You released him and turned to a small group of guards and the Captain, turned royal bodyguard, came panting up to you. "You two," you pointed to the guards on either side of the burlier man, "please escort this child from the castle. The poor boy must not have realized this is a party meant for adults. His wet nurse is probably searching for him."
The guards saluted and grasped the Prince's arms curtly. You thought you were going to go deaf as they practically dragged the out of the throne room kicking and screaming.
"And you," you pointed to the Captain with the sword in your hand. His face was flushed purple with anger. You smiled impishly and flipped the weapon into the air, catching it by the blade effortlessly. "You really ought to be more aware of your surroundings. To almost allow Her Majesty to be insulted by a foreign child is one thing, but to have your own sword stolen from your very person? Shameful," you tsk-ed.
You presented the Captain the hilt of his sword, but he didn't say anything. He glared you down with a stare that would have made Medusa proud. However, when you stood unphased, he sheathed his weapon and stormed away.
"Aw, wee lamb," you pouted humorously. "I didn't think the stress of being the Queen's personal guard would have been so tough."
You turned your attention back to the Queen and Princess of Arendelle and bowed. "Your Majesty, it's a pleasure to see you again. I hope you do not need an introduction of my title again after last time," you winked.
Elsa laughed slightly behind her hand. "Not at all, Princess of the Godswood. But, I must ask, was it necessary to insult the poor man so thoroughly." She glanced over your person appreciatively, drinking in the way your suit hugged your curves. "We both know there's no threat," she purred secretly.
You couldn't help but flush slightly at the underlying meaning of Elsa's words. She was yours. No doubt about it. All you had to do was ask for her hand in marriage, and this whole party would be shut down faster than the entire castle was years ago when the late King ordered the gates closed.
"What can I say? I like pretending there's a little competition. Especially when the prize is worth the very breath in my lungs," you bantered huskily. You relished in the pink hue that coated Elsa's cheeks.
Anna rolled her eyes so hard she practically saw her brain. "Would you two love-birds hurry up with the mushy-gushy sweet-nothings? That or just propose right now before another suitor comes up? I can see another Prince coming this way."
The two of you snapped out of your witty banter and smiled. You gently placed a kiss to Elsa's hand and cast her another wink. "Care to dance later?"
"You know I don't dance," Elsa replied as a burning sensation spread from where your lips had just touched.
"Very well, I'll save you a dance over in the garden then," you announced despite the Queen's dismissal.
A small cough sounded behind you. Kai had returned with a new suitor in tow. You stepped off to the side and watched from the sidelines. Curious about who the poor sap who thought they had a chance was this time.
You felt your good mood sour faster than fresh milk left out in the sun on a hot summer day. Your father, brother, and little sister were standing in front of Elsa gallantly. A sinking feeling emptied your gut. Only one brother. His shaggy hair was neatly slicked back while his dark, dead eyes hardly glinted anything at all.
"Cresson," you whispered sullenly as sorrow built in your stomach. "Please don't tell me…"
"Your Majesty," Kai began. "Might I introduce crowned Prince Cresson of Fire Blood Rock. His Father, King Stone, and his sister, Princess Ayse."
Crowned Prince… That was all you needed. A single tear slipped down your cheek as the harsh reality hit you. Everything you had done to try to avoid this exact moment had been for not.
Prince Cresson, second born son of King Stone, had killed his brother in a Battle of Champions for the crown. For the chance to win Elsa's heart with that stupid boon your father promised. One of your brothers was dead physically, and the other had killed his own soul.
Elsa caught on to the situation just as you had. "Crowned Prince Cresson?" She glanced at the King skeptically. "What about the crowned Prince, Caulder?"
King Stone sighed heavily with fake sorrow. "The poor boy drowned sometime last night, Your Majesty. One of my guards saw his body floating lifelessly in the fjord some ways out. The lad didn't know how to swim. He must have fallen over the guard rail."
"Lies!" You surged forward until you were directly between the foreign royalty and Elsa and Anna. "Knowing you, you had them battle! Didn't you? Admit it! You had your own sons fight to the death for that damn gift!"
A wave of gasps swept through the crowd at your proclamation.
The King didn't bat an eye at your outburst. "I may make most of my decisions based on the Battle of Champions, my dear, but I assure you I did not do such a heinous thing. What kind of man would make his own sons do something like that?"
He stepped forward, pushing you aside roughly as he did so. "But, you are right about one thing. I do come with a gift for the Queen. It isn't much, but I'm sure it will help sway her choice for my son." He snapped his fingers and one of his stewards shuffled towards the group with a fairly large trunk in his shaking, old hands.
"After hearing about the impressive pelt that the Princess of the Godswood presented to you, Your Majesty. I figured that we would have to come with a trophy equal to it. If not more extravagant," he placed the trunk on the ground with a deep THUD and opened it; revealing its contents proudly. "What do you think?"
Elsa stared into the chest in confusion. It was a pelt. A mostly white pelt with a light tan and cream stripe of color trailing down the back to the tail. The tail itself was longer than her palm and white on the underside while the top held the same color as the rest of the top layer.
She knew what the pelt was. She knew she did. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't place it.
Despite her better judgement, Elsa reached into the trunk and pulled the pelt out. It was so soft that she thought she would rip it just holding onto it. Not only that, it was huge. The body of this animal was nearly the size of the bear that had attacked her and Anna months ago. The legs unrolled and the soft clanking of hooves bouncing off the floor emanated through the air.
"A deer pelt," Elsa stated dryly. Her eyebrows furrowed. Something was stirring in the back of her mind. "Drop it! Close the trunk! Don't touch it!" It was unsettling.
A blood curdling scream shattered the air. It echoed through the room as it bounced off the windows, nearly breaking them in the process. The crowd of attendants, royals of Fire Blood Rock, and Queen and Princess of Arendelle covered their ears and winced in pain at the heart wrenching sound.
You barreled into the group and ripped the pelt from Elsa's hands. Hot tears were streaming down your face. You swore there was a hot coal clogging your throat, but the screams that were tearing from your lungs proved otherwise. The pelt hung deftly in your trembling hands as You buried your face into the pelt and screamed once more.
"YOU MURDERER!" You cried. "YOU BASTARD! YOU MURDERED MY MOTHER!"
Silence swept through the throne room, save for your strangled sobs as you wept over the deer pelt in your hands. Elsa's eyes widened substantially as she stared at your shaking frame. Your mother? This deer pelt was your mother? How?
Then she remembered the stories you had told her. The stories of the Godswood Queen and her ability to shift into a graceful deer that stood taller than most horses. How you once said that when your mother died you would be bestowed her powers. She recalled back to when you had brought her to the Godswood and shown her how your soul was a wolf that stayed in the forest.
Realization dawned on Elsa's features as the King's statement from last night suddenly became clear. "Goddesses and Gods of the Godswood tend to procure more power and capabilities after certain events in their lives." He had admitted it right there without saying it outright. He had, indeed, killed your mother.
Elsa felt tears sting the back of her eyes as a hot lump caught in her throat. She watched as you broke piece by piece until you were completely shattered. You lay on the ground, on top of the pelt in your hands, curled in the fetal position and cried like a lost child. Your eyes were red. Tears flowed down your cheeks like rivers. Violent hiccups reached her ears with every attempt you made to hold back your wails.
She was about to kneel by your side when you suddenly fell silent. Your body stilled for a single moment before you rose to your feet. Your mother's pelt still held tightly in your hands.
You turned towards Elsa in one swift movement. Your face was still stained with tears, but the wells had seemed to dry. There was a new emotion swirling in your eyes that sent a shiver down her spine, and she couldn't tell if it was from fear or worry.
She gazed in shock as you presented her the pelt wordlessly. The resolve emanating from your being caused any questions she had to die in her throat. Without breaking eye contact, she gently took the heirloom from your hands and held it safely to her chest.
A small gasp of surprised escaped Elsa's lips as you cupped her cheeks tenderly and pulled her into a searing kiss. Sounds of shock, repulsion, and awe swept through the crowd around you, but you didn't care. You were going to pour every last drop of love you still had left in your heart into this kiss.
Because, with what you planned on doing next, this could very likely be the last kiss you ever shared with the woman you loved.
You peeked over Elsa's shoulder, not separating your lips from hers, and glanced at the Captain standing just behind the Queen and Princess. A vibrant flush colored his neck and ears in a bright pink hue, but his features were still stern. He glanced left and right before ever so slightly tipping his sheathed sword in your direction.
Your eyes closed, and a feeling of ease washed through your soul as you conjured up a new prayer. You dug the nail of your index finger into your thumb, pinching your eyes tighter as the sharp sting of broken skin flashed through the digit, and gently stroked a small streak across Elsa's cheek. A small breeze enveloped the two of you as you recited your incantation in your mind.
"Protect them." You broke the kiss and felt a swell of pride spread through your chest when you saw Elsa's flushed face. You finished the small, crimson leaf on her cheek and pressed your foreheads together. "I'm sorry," you whispered.
Elsa's mouth opened in protest, but it was too late. In one fluid motion, you held her tight with one arm while your free hand reached behind her and grasped the hilt of the Captain's sword. You grasped a handful of the Queen's ice gown, threw her into the Captain's awaiting embrace, and swung around with the blade held at the ready.
A loud roar ripped from your throat as you charged the King of Fire Blood Rock. Your brother's eyes flashed a hint of life just in time to haul your sister out of the way before your sword clashed with the King's. Sparks flew in every direction as the two pieces of steel screeched against one another.
The King smirked at you. "Starting an international incident again?"
He was goading you. But it wasn't going to work. Not this time. You steeled yourself and pushed forward.
"Battle of Champions," you snarled, pushing yourself closer to the smug king. "No outside weapons are allowed. No help from others. I die; you keep my head as a trophy. You die; your country never bothers the Godswood or Arendelle ever again."
King Stone's smirk fell to a determined, placid mask. "Deal, with one alteration."
"What's that?" You felt the King's sword give ever so slightly in one direction and swung your blade just in time to block what would have been a fatal blow to your stomach. Now King Stone stood over you as he pushed you into a kneeling position.
"Conjure up a wall. After that, no magic from you," he stated dully.
You growled deep in your throat and glanced around the room. This altercation couldn't have been more than twenty seconds. The guards were just starting to recover from their initial shock, party goers were cowering in a wide circle around you, and you could hear Elsa and Anna's screams behind you. You knew you had to protect them; not just the monarchs of Arendelle, but the snobby royals in the hall as well.
"Deal," you hissed before blasting the king away from you with a sharp gust of steam. You leapt to your feet while simultaneously removing your jacket and gloves, the sword's hilt clenched between your teeth, and slammed your foot into the floor. White fire erupted from your boot as it filled the empty circle and converged at its parameter. A thick wall of ice rose from the fire until it stood over twice your height.
You tossed your discarded clothing over the wall and turned back just in time to see King Stone's blade closing in on your face. You fell back and rolled over your shoulder to a kneeling position behind the King. The whistling caused by the sheer force behind the swing bounced off the walls.
The King had also shucked his jacket, revealing a tan dress shirt stretched over powerful shoulders, biceps, and abs. His sleeves were rolled up to mid forearm where you assumed was the limit of elasticity the fabric could muster. You knew that one solid hit from him would mean instant death for you; no screaming and wailing until you bled out.
You lunged forward and drove the tip of your sword towards your opponent's kidneys. The King spun on his heel in a graceful dodge. He raised his blade high above his head and swung down with enough force to splinter the floor as you ducked away.
Sparks showered from the clashing steel in every direction. Sweat burned your eyes and stung the few cuts sustained from a few unlucky swings. A sharp hiss of pain radiated from your thigh as you accidentally dodged right into the tip of King Stone's sword.
You felt the hot steel penetrate your leg but managed to drop and roll away just in time to avoid sustaining a crippling blow. You watched from your position on the floor as the King wiped the sweat and slicked hair from his eyes. It was a split second, but it was all you needed to leap from the ground and slash right across the man's face.
Blood poured from the clean cut. You had felt the bone of his teeth scraping your blade as you swung. The flap of lip dangling from his lower jaw revealed just how heavily you had damaged him.
And yet he didn't cry out in pain. He didn't scream, or curse. He just stood there, glaring at you with blood thirsty eyes that betrayed his stony mask.
You panted heavily. This was the longest fight you had ever endured aside from your battle with Ragnarok. With him, you had at least been able to use your magic. Here you were stuck with your wits and strength. Something that the King had over you.
You ripped off your sleeves from the elbows down and used them to tie a makeshift bandage to your leg. The King used this as an opportunity to suture his bleeding lip back together with what appeared to be a splinter of steel from his sword. Once the field aid was complete, you were back at it with every ounce of energy you both had.
Sparks. Blood. The sound of vibrating steel. These were what you hated about the Kingdom of Fire Blood Rock, but it was what the royalty there thrived on.
Another clash. Another douse of sparks. Only this time, you noticed a chip forming in your blade.
"Fuck!" You hissed mentally. You had to finish this fight before the King found out. If he knew, he would abuse the fault to his advantage. And ultimately, his victory.
The King swung mercilessly at you, but you couldn't block. All you could do was dodge. Left, right, back, left, roll forward, spin left, jump, back.
Wall.
Your face fell as soon as the ice-cold barrier pressed against your sweat slicked back. You could feel the ice freeze to your shirt instantaneously. The King was charging at you; not that he had too far to go. Despite being in a large circle, you were trapped.
With a bellowing roar, King Stone swung his sword to your neck in an attempt to decapitate you. You had no choice. You brought up your sword just in time to block the onslaught but lost the vary means of your survival.
As soon as the two blades collided, your sword was cleaved in half. You managed to duck before the oncoming attack sliced through your neck. As a result, the hilt of your sword was knocked from your hand while most of its blade flew to some random edge of the circle, and King Stone's sword buried itself deeply into the wall of ice to your back.
You heard the King curse and used his distraction to your advantage. You sprung up and, with all the strength you could muster from your aching muscles and screaming thigh, punched him square in his chin. You dropped to the floor as your leg gave out, and the King dropped harder than a loose chandelier.
A muffled roar of applause and cheers flowed up and over the barricade. This was your chance. The King was down. You could end everything right here and now.
You scrambled to your feet; your leg screaming in protest. With one hand you grabbed the hilt of the King's sword still stuck in the wall to help hoist yourself up, while the other went for the hidden dagger at your hip. Cheers turned to screams and you felt something stab you just to the right of your spine.
Hot blood flowed steadily from the wound as the intruder retreated; only to reappear just below your ribs on your left side. A guttural shout gurgled in your throat. Blood bubbled up through your esophagus, spraying from your mouth and splattering the ice wall with every agonizing breath you took.
Pain turned into agony as the stabbing feeling disappeared only to be replaced with a swift, powerful blow to your wounds. You knew this feeling. It happened to you once before. When you were beaten with the pommel of the Arendelle guard's swords after your secret had been revealed. A sharp cry escaped your bloody lips and you fell.
At least, you started to fall. A strong hand gripped your hair mercilessly and threw you back against the wall once again. You winced. The ice gave little relief to the pain throbbing in your back.
You opened your eyes to see King Stone's hand barreling towards your neck. He grabbed your trachea and slammed you into the wall repeatedly. You tried to cough against the pain, but you couldn't breathe. Your hands flew to your assailant's arm and started clawing at the bared skin of their own accord.
The King's visage blurred. Black rings were encroaching your peripherals, and you could feel drool trickling down your chin. Your mind felt fuzzy, but you were just barely able to make out the shattered remains of your sword as the King waved it in front of your face.
"Silly girl," he huffed painfully. A wet smacking sound accentuated each word he said as his lip bounced against his chin. His bloodied bottom front teeth and gums played peek-a-boo as he spoke. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to pick a fight you can't finish?"
You couldn't help but smirk as a strangled chuckle sounded from your lips. "S-Sorry… C-Could y-you rep-peat that? Your lip…s-sounds li-ike a c-cat licking its-self…" You attempted to enunciate your statement as much as possible.
A snarl formed on the King's upper lip. "Very well." He brought the jagged tip of your broken sword to the bottom of your ribcage and slowly pushed it upwards through the fabric and skin. His grip tightened around your neck, so you couldn't speak.
Pitiful wheezes and harrowed grunts followed by bubbles of blood escaped your lips. You could feel the cold blade ease into your chest cavity from under your ribs; tearing and slicing everything in its path. The agonizing heat that followed nearly caused the intruder to sear your flesh.
Tears of pain sprung to the corners of your eyes and all the strength left your body. Your arms slipped from the arm holding you in place to swing lazily by your sides. Muffled cries of everyone on the other side of the barrier managed to invade your dulling mind.
Two screams in particular caught your attention. Your eyes lazily wafted towards the sound, and an icy visage of Elsa and Anna came into view through the ice barrier. They were both being held tightly: Elsa by the Captain and Anna by Kristoff, who looked surprisingly dapper for the occasion. Both were crying, and both were fighting against their restraints as if their lives depended on it.
You never broke your stare as you felt the hilt of the sword press firmly against your stomach. The broken blade was finally fully sheathed inside of you. Snug as a bug in a soft, hot, bloody rug. A sharp screech filled the air as King Stone freed his sword from the ice wall.
"Now, for my prize," he stated triumphantly. He buried the tip of the sword into the wall, so the edge of the blade was close to your throat. All it would take was a swift scissor motion and your head would roll. A soft chuckle danced over his lips. "This is precisely why size matters."
A small cough escaped your throat in a pitiful attempt at speech.
The King cocked an eyebrow. "What was that?" He asked sadistically as loosened his grip just enough to allow the minimal amount of air flow. He leaned until you were practically nose-to-nose. "I'm not fluent in death."
Your lungs sucked at the small amount of air flowing into you greedily. Once they had their fill, you mustered up as much of a glare as possible towards the King. The blood and saliva seeping into your mouth pocketed away into your cheek so you could speak.
"It's not the size," you wheezed. "It's how you use it."
You spat the solution of blood and saliva into the King's eyes, grabbed the dagger hidden under your shirt, and buried the blade up to the hilt into the growling man's jugular. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. Blood spurted like a fountain from the strong artery.
The King dropped to his knees, releasing you in the process. You ripped the dagger from his neck and rammed it into a fresh splotch of skin. You did this a third, fourth, and fifth time until the King fell to the ground in a pale, blood soaked, gurgling mess. Once he was on the ground, you straddled his waist and plunged the dagger straight into his prominent Adam's Apple.
The light faded from the King's dark eyes as a final, bloodied breath hissed from his mouth and neck wounds. Blood splattered everywhere, but you didn't care. It was done. Your nightmare was over.
Relief was short-lived as an excruciating pain erupted in your abdomen. You doubled over as much as the sword sheathed into your torso would allow and coughed violently. Blood poured from your mouth, further soaking your already stained shirt.
All your strength abandoned you at that moment, but you were able to avoid falling face first into the corpse below you. Instead, your side clashed into the blood smeared, wooden floor. Shockwaves rocked your frame as a deep chill permeated your body. You were barely able to make out the barrier of ice melting and Arendelle's royalty sprinting towards you.
"Of all the ways you choose to die, you had to pick this one, huh?" You scolded yourself mentally as another tremor caused your body to clench around the sword sticking out of your stomach. Nausea overtook the pain momentarily and you expelled a mixture of bile and blood.
Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff slid over the slick floor to your side. Elsa to your right. Anna and Kristoff on your left. They gently rolled you onto your back and started talking all at once. You couldn't understand what they were saying but, judging by their tearstained faces, you could take a guess.
You watched in heartbroken amusement as Anna and Elsa's hands fretted over the sword handle sticking out of your stomach. Anna grasped it tightly only to have Elsa slap them away. They argued heatedly for a moment. Only a moment though. That was all you would allow.
You shakily brought your hands up and cupped both of their faces with blood stained hands. That caused their bickering to cease. They turned their attention back to you and a fresh batch of tears streamed down their faces.
Anna babbled and rambled about something before plastering her face into your chest. You could feel her weight pressing against the tip of the sword lodged into your body, but you managed to shrug off the pain for her sake. Besides, it didn't hurt that bad…at least that's what you told yourself as you pinched your eyes closed to fight back a bout of whimpers and coughs.
You felt something cool press to your forehead and sighed into the touch. You opened your eyes and saw Elsa's face. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she was trying her best to hide her tears and show at least a shadow of a smile.
Her smile broke as a sob shook her frame. Tears dripped onto your face as she mouthed something you couldn't hear. You didn't need to. You could read her perfect lips like words on a page.
"We can heal you."
She gently placed her free hand on the sword hilt. You knew what she was referring to. The two of you had healed Summit's life-threatening wounds back in Twin Moon's Vale. This time was different though. You couldn't heal yourself. It was a rule. And as soon as that sword was pulled out, you were a goner.
You placed your hand on hers and shook your head. "No…" your voice was barely audible. Your world was fading. You didn't have much time left.
You gave Elsa a gentle smile, turned your head, and kissed her palm. "Sorry…" you whispered. You couldn't even see where you were shooting your smile. Was it even at Elsa anymore? With the last of your strength, you muttered a single regret.
"I didn't…propose…fast…enough…"
Elsa's eyes widened as your hand fell from her cheek and your eyelids fluttered closed. "No," she breathed. She gently tapped your face. No response.
"No." The words came in a choking sob. She shook your shoulder harshly. "No!"
She turned to the sword hilt still sticking out of your stomach. She could still save you. There was still time.
She grasped the hilt with both hands and removed the intruder in one swift motion. Blood quickly pooled in the gaping hole and drizzled the floor. It wasn't long before the flow stopped.
The fact that you hadn't screamed in agony or even whimpered flew right over Elsa's head. That or she ignored it completely. She plastered her hands to your diaphragm where the gaping wound wept and focused her magic on healing you.
Ice began to stitch the edges of the wound together in intricate patterns. Her eyebrows knitted together in concentration as she forced her powers to push deeper; closing the gaping hole all the way down to the tip. As soon as she saw frost spreading out from the initial injury, she stopped.
You were healed. It took a little time, but you were healed. You would wake up, curse a bit out of pain, and scold her for being reckless, but you were healed. It didn't matter. You were going to wake up and the two of you were going to get married as soon as tomorrow if she had anything to say about it.
She gazed back at your sleeping features hopefully. You didn't move. Your face was still pale.
You were truly gone.
The world crumbled around Elsa at that moment. She plastered her face to yours and repeatedly kissed your cold lips. Tears fell like rain from her eyes, washing the blood from your face.
A cloud of ice and snow spiraled around the room from where she sat; freezing everything without a pulse. Snow crystals hung in the air like decorations on a string as visitors hugged themselves and huddled together for warmth. Not a single soul complained about the sudden indoor blizzard, but when all the windows in the hall burst open screams erupted from the crowd.
Anna and Elsa's heads snapped up at the sudden noise and squinted against a sharp light that filtered into the hall. All the ice and snow melted as the light grew brighter. Elsa dared to peek through her fingers at what was happening and felt her heart stop.
Crimson leaves littered the ground and standing in the window was a deer. A pure white deer made of starlight. It walked gracefully on thin air from the open window to the floor where she sat.
Another wave of light filled the room and the deer transformed into a woman. She was about your height. Deer pelts adorned her white, silk dress. A porcelain deer mask hid her face from view, but if Elsa had to guess she would say this woman would have looked just like you.
The spirit took a step forward and knelt by your side, next to Elsa. Her whole body seemed to bleed sorrow as her mask stared longingly at your face. She gently stroked your hair from your eyes, trailed her hands over your body to your chest, and plunged the glowing appendages deep into your being.
Your body glowed with the same white light as the woman searched. For what, Elsa didn't know. All she knew was that watching someone's hands digging into a dead body without making any incisions was a bit unsettling.
Suddenly, the woman paused. Her arms tensed as she grabbed on to something, or so Elsa assumed. The spirit began to slowly ease her arms from your chest with little resistance.
A white, fiery mass came into view as she freed her hands. It was a white wolf. Her eyes were closed as if she were asleep, and flames licked and hissed at wounds that matched the ones on your body. Elsa's eyes widened as she realized that this spirit had just pulled your soul from your corpse.
The woman stood easily despite carrying a young dire wolf in her arms and turned to the windows. Elsa's blood ran cold. She was taking your soul away, back to the Godswood to forever live in your tree. To put an end to your life.
She couldn't let that happen. She just couldn't. The spirit took a single step forward, and Elsa's hand shot out; grasping the hem of the woman's dress like a lifeline.
"Please!" She begged. Fresh tears were stinging her eyes. "Please don't take her! Please…" She gazed up at the spirit staring down at her. "Please, at least leave me something to remember her. Please…"
The spirit didn't say anything. She just stared. Eyes blinked from behind the mask. Elsa felt as though this woman was peering into her very soul.
Elsa realized that she was still holding the spirit's dress and dropped it. "I'm sorry," she apologized with embarrassment. Her eyes glanced from the ground back to the woman.
A small squeak escaped her lips. The spirit was kneeling in front of her. Your spirit just a reach away.
"Are you sure?" A soft, velvety voice asked from behind the mask.
Elsa nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden statement. However, her shock didn't shake her resolve. "Yes."
The woman hummed and dipped her hand into your soul. The wolf winced slightly in discomfort as she pulled what appeared to be a coil from its abdomen. She held the fiery essence between their faces. "Positive?"
A faint, pink hue colored Elsa's cheeks. Her mind travelled back to the far North; to where you had used your magic for Moonlight and Summit. An essence and a life.
A life for a life.
Holy smokes this took a while to write! The last phrase was set passed the 13 page mark, so I'm impressed. Other chapters have been 5-8 pages at most. The end is in sight. I give it maybe 2 chapters left. Hopefully my writing didn't deteriorate too much in six years. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Until next time!