Author's Note: Quick update to say happy 4th of July, my fellow Americans! For the rest of the world: Enjoy this chapter and your day, because you guys rock too! -Foxinstrazt
Part IV: Chapter 33
-Ascension-
Royal Cathedral, Palace of the Unyielding
Four Months after the Reclamation of the Throne
The Cathedral of the Southern Isles was the grandest in the world, and it held a rich history of the Westergard line being crowned within its halls. When the first of the line took the throne in a bloody coup, there had been no expense spared to create the structure where future kings would become rulers. The central hall held a ceiling that soared so far above the heads of the congregations it seemed its arches could reach to the heavens, while the walls were decorated in stained glass depictions of the victories that had been won in order for Hans' family to take the kingdom.
He had spent time in here as a boy, playing with Everard and using their imaginations to paint a scene of their future. Everard would be crowned King, and Hans would be his loyal Knight, ever at his side. Together, they would rule the kingdom and their combined genius would stretch the borders of the empire to other lands. In adulthood, only half of that dream had come to fruition. Their bond as brothers had wavered in the years since those carefree summer days, and the distance had caused them both to grow bitter. But Hans had always been the more intelligent and patient of them, willing to adapt to the changing circumstances to provide himself with the best outcome.
And that patience had served him well. He was kneeling upon the dais of the cathedral, in front of the Archbishop and the statues commemorating the various deities of the realm, his breath held as the golden crown was lowered onto his head. "First before the Gods, and those gathered to bare witness, the one true King of the Southern Isles, Hans Westergard. Rise and be recognized."
Grinning as he turned to the crowd that had gathered in the enormous hall, he was welcomed as their King with the sound of thunderous applause. Nobles and commoners alike clapped, all of them now his subjects. Once the din died down enough for him to speak, he projected his voice in order to be heard as far as he could. "I know that I take up this burden in a time of grief, and I know that my brother and I did not always see eye to eye.." He gave a dramatic glance at his wife, Rapunzel, who stood off to the side and gave an encouraging smile. By her reckoning, he had sought refuge in Corona after rescuing her. With Everard's death, that ploy would never be discovered. His brother had taken a secret to the grave without even knowing of it. "But I swear on my crown, I will do the best for my people, and my kingdom."
The applause that had come before was nothing to the deafening roar of the cheers that swept through the crowd. While high born nobility brought their hands together with wide grins, the commoners did not bother to reign in their shouts of approval and throwing their fists into the air. Hans was speechless as his eyes searched the gathered peoples, a rare occurrence by any means, and was treated to a memory of a similar event, when the citizens of Arendelle had cheered for their Knight of Spades in a town square. It was not the first time he had recalled the memory, but it was the first not colored with envy. No, instead he felt a sense of satisfaction, a notion that this is what he truly deserved after all his work towards this goal.
He was pulled from his thoughts when his gaze settled upon a figure concealed within a black cloak, whose head slowly rose to reveal frost colored eyes that stared back at him. A grin also showed upon the beautiful face, accompanied by a quick wink that he returned with a wide smile. It was then that Rapunzel took his hand, leaning forward on her toes to place a kiss upon his cheek before she turned to wave at their audience. Hans rose one of his hands as well, still focused upon the woman who was now glaring at his wife.
The Queen's Chambers, Arendelle Castle
One Month after the Reclamation of the Throne
Sleep fell away slowly for Anna, revealing the world in one sense at a time. The first thing she became aware of was the sound of even breathing, not her own and very close. Next came the sensation of hot air sweeping over her forehead as she stirred from her dreamless night, causing her to take in an unsteady breath. The scent she inhaled was familiar enough it did not shock her into total awareness, instead treating her to a mix of summer fragrances, like a field of wildflowers. At last, her eyes slid open, and she saw the owner of the chest she had taken to using as a pillow.
Kairi lay beneath her, still soundly asleep. For the first time, Anna was allowed a look at just how beautiful the other redhead truly was when sorrow did not color the delicate features. It was more than that, as it showed her how much the loss of Elsa had effected the woman. And yet the Knight had remained with her throughout the all the abuse she had thrown toward her, uncaring of the older woman's feelings and selfishly clinging to her own loss. She had also held her through the night, providing her with the first sleep since they had retaken the kingdom that was not interrupted by a nightmare.
Especially after what she did last night. Anna started as she remembered, causing the other to awaken. Steel blue eyes, unfocused and flitting around an unfamiliar room, settled upon her, blinking a few times before showing recognition within them. Leaning up from where her head lay, she stammered for a long moment until she could truly voice her thoughts. "I.. I am sorry. For kissing you and I.." She gave a groan as the older redhead chuckled, watching as the woman raised herself upon onto elbows.
"Don't fret about it." A hand rose and brushed auburn colored hair from the Knight's face, and once it looked as if she had truly come out of her sleep, Kairi flashed a wide, teasing grin. "Though perhaps it would be best if you avoided wine for a while, yeah?" Letting herself laugh at her own expense, Anna gave a quick nod, rising into a sitting position upon the bed. She was still fully clothed from the day before, just as the older redhead was, and it filled her with gratitude that the other woman had not taken advantage of her vulnerable state. Recalling the way she had broken down the previous night, her crestfallen expression brought a soft hand to her cheek. "I know it hurts.. But you are stronger than it will ever be."
The words brought a small smirk to her face, knowing exactly where the other redhead had gotten the advice. Giving a grateful nod, she returned her gaze to the woman, who was wiping away at the sleep in her eyes. "Thank you for staying with me, Kairi."
"Of course." The Knight sat up slowly, until their gazes were at the same level. "But, Anna, you must find a way back to what works.. You cannot let yourself become stuck in this mire of sorrow and regret, you must find a way forward."
She knew that the other spoke the truth, knew that the loss of her quest for vengeance had rendered her more of a husk than anything else. Her gaze slowly moved across the room, to where the sword she had been spinning the night before sat upon the ground. "..I know."
Palace of the Unyielding, The Southern Isles
Four Months after the Reclamation of the Throne
Kainge grabbed the man by his collar the second he came through the doors to the King's Chambers, pulling him around and slamming him into the nearest wall. Her lips found his with a burning desire, nipping at the bottom lip of her lover as she let out a fierce growl. "Finally, we can be together."
She was left disappointed when the newly crowned King, Hans, broke away from her with a laugh. "Not yet, dear."
"You promised." Taking a step toward the man, she grabbed at his hand and made him face her, and the glare that had reached her eyes. "You were to be mine, after you were made King."
"King of Corona, love." His sly smirk only served to stir the pot of boiling anger within her chest as he met her eyes, making her scoff in reply to his words. "Just imagine that moment! The look on my beloved wife's face when she realizes it is I who ordered her parent's execution, and her own." The man moved closer, his hand settling upon her cheek as his grin only grew. "Imagine when you plunge a blade through her chest and take your place at my side!"
Kainge had to admit, it was a fond thing to picture, tearing one of her daggers from Rapunzel's chest and watching the light leave her eyes. That was a moment that would bring her immeasurable joy, a moment worth waiting for. But she was not a fan of patience, she did not wish to be separated from Hans any more. "Point me to my next target then.. I will carve a bloody path to your throne, to our future!"
The man chuckled, giving a slow nod before taking a thoughtful look to his eyes. "There is one. A minor noble in the north has been blackmailing me.. He has information that could undo everything we have fought for."
Hans paused then, his gaze lowering before it finally found her again, and Kainge found herself grinning. "Think nothing of it love." Rising up to press her lips to those of her lover, she took in his taste until she pulled back. "I will leave him in the dirt."
Hallway to the Royal Chambers, Arendelle Castle
Two Months after the Reclamation of the Throne
Anna stood outside the chambers that had once been her sister's room, her hand faltering over the handle of the door. Things had changed considerably in the previous month. That night Kairi had stayed with her had been the catalyst of awakening, and she had returned to the matters of the realm. The treaty with the Fjallafólk had been signed and endorsed by both parties, binding their two kingdoms together and fulfilling the promise she had made Patrick when they had set out to fight against the invaders of her homeland.
Caesten, once again bearing the title of Regent-Lord, had returned to Mekrinon in order to continue the effort to restore the southern kingdom. This time, he had taken only half of the army, leaving the rest in order to maintain stability throughout the ravaged land of Arendelle. The fierce mountain huntress, Vayl, and her companion Kyn, had stayed within the castle. Despite the time she had spent here being tortured, it did not seem to effect the woman as she walked through the halls.
And the markings present upon Anna had changed. Since she had cried over the blade in the Great Hall, the Savage Winter had died away, and the alterations the constant draw of magic had caused had began to fade as well. Now that fading had stopped, leaving behind a constellation of snowflakes where Elsa had grabbed her neck the night they had shared their kiss. The dull white of the tattoos did not glow, and she found herself unsure if the power within her could still be summoned, remaining elusive from her efforts.
In search of answers and acceptance of her grief, she had come here, to Elsa's room. It was one of the only places she had not entered since they had retaken the castle, afraid of what she might or might not find within it. Taking in a deep breath, she lowered her hand to open the door, pushing it inward. It swung forward with no resistance, revealing the darkened room. Stepping inside, she found it as sparsely furnished as it had been when her sister had lived in it.
On the far right was a dresser, probably still holding the simple garments Elsa had favored. Near it was the table littered with dozens of documents, the parchments bidding her to approach. She reached down to shuffle the papers about while quickly scanning them, finding everything from official letters to personal correspondence, several of them signed by the Lady Kairi. It was hard to curb her curiosity, but she elected not to read them, instead turning her gaze toward the large bed that sat across the room. It was as neatly made as she had expected, but there was something upon its covers, an object that reflected the light from hallway.
As she neared, she could see the gorgeous purples and blues that were being cast across the bed and walls from the reflection, and what was causing it. A crystalline snowflake, its structure as perfect as one could ever expect, sat atop a sealed letter on the bed. Reaching down, Anna closed her fingers around the jewel, finding that it fit perfectly into her palm as she stared at it. It was chilled to the touch, and resonated with the same sensation she had felt when the magic had flooded through her veins. Immediately, she knew that Elsa had created it, leading her to quickly grab at the paper that had sat beneath it.
Turning it over, disappoint destroyed any hope that she was holding onto it being from her sister, as the seal was the royal insignia of the Southern Isles, stamped into the red wax like it was mocking her for even chancing the belief it had been from Elsa. Turning to sit down upon the mattress, she sat the snowflake to the side and broke the seal upon the letter, unfolding the parchment to read the words written within.
"Queen Anna,
If you have found this letter, you have taken back your castle and restored yourself as the rightful ruler of Arendelle. It is also likely that I have met my end by your hands. If that is so, know that I do not hold any ill will towards you. I have sinned, and must pay for them by whatever means are left.
That is why I have wrote this, my last hope for repentance. There are things you must know, things that will aid you after I have gone. Hans and I did not allow Everard to desecrate your sister's body, and I wish that I could contact my brother in order to ask where he had her buried. You deserve to put her soul to rest in your own way, and it is to my greatest sorrow that I will not be able to fulfill that wish.
Secondly, Arendelle is not the only kingdom in danger. It was by Hans machinations that your cousin's husband, the Prince-Consort Eugene of Corona, was murdered. My brother also ceased contact with me, after he set sail for your Uncle's kingdom. For all that the bonds of family can allow, I do not believe his intentions there are pure.
The last thing I can give you is this snowflake. I found it, the night we took the castle from you, in your room. It was on the floor, as if it had been kicked there. We both know what its origin is, and I am unsure if she was able to pass it on to you before her death, but I hope that it finds its way to you now.
If my death has been my penance, then so be it. I hope that you might forgive me for my part in all this, but I understand if it is not to be. I will leave you with one request, and assure you that if I am dead, it was my last thought: Do not let my brothers escape justice.
Signed,
Prince Kristoff of the Southern Isles"
Closing the letter with a shaking hand, Anna set it on the bed next to her. Retrieving the crystal that Elsa had made, she stared into its core, seeing the myriad of colors that were reflected through it. Depending on where the light hit, it displayed purple or blue, even green at times. She glanced at the parchment for a moment, clenching the snowflake between her fingers. "They will not escape justice, Kristoff. Just as you did not."
Author's Note: Forgot to give a shout out to Tsutako on Twitter, who reminded me that I had a twitter account. If any of you readers would like to reach me, I do have one at simply: 'Foxinstrazt' Thanks man, you rule! Also I know this was a rather unexciting chapter, and that is owed to the fact I am combining Part IV and V in order to make this part, hence why it jumps between Anna and Hans. I didn't want to leave a part where it was all Hans and Kainge with no Anna, because the story has bled enough viewers as is, right? Please let me know if the constant jumping is annoying, and I'll set about to write their parts in different chapters. Anyway, thanks for all the support, and hope you guys are enjoying the story! -Fox
UnsightlyViewings: Yup, Kainge's hairstyle is based on the concept of early Elsa. I love the fanart of "Evil Elsa", and so I tried to design her to be visually similar, great catch with that! I want to punch Hans too, because he is just a jackass and he keeps winning.. It's weird that I hate the character I'm writing, isn't it? I tried to explain Anna's curse a bit better in this chapter, but in case I still failed(which is completely my fault and not at all yours): Using the power causes the markings to spread and change more about her appearance, which I thought of when I heard the theory that Elsa was platinum blonde because of her power. Now that she isn't causing a constant winter, the markings have receded, but she is still cursed. Hope that explains some things!