Chapter 21: Diplomacy

Hans ran. His muscles screamed for relent and his sweat soaked through layers of clothing, but he paid no need to the discomforts of his body. He had to make the most of the precious time the prince of Arendelle had bought him. He suppressed the urge to look back over his shoulder every few moments. The blizzard had masked his escape well enough.

There was no way Mathias's men could pick up his trail through the snow.

The memory of Princess Iona's glowing hands flashed behind his eyes. He didn't know what to make of the fact that his niece harboured magic, but it made her actions much more understandable in retrospect. He wondered if Mathias had known; most likely not, seeing as the King had alienated his own darling daughter with his blatant attempt to manipulate and exploit the Snow Queen's magical powers. It was almost poetic justice, really. It certainly would be if Iona's plan came to fruition—but that was out of his hands now.

Could the source of the magic be hereditary?

Hans realized that he had never known much about his eldest brother's late wife. She had always been shy, living in seclusion and seldom interacting with anyone except the servants and castle staff. Perhaps she had been like Elsa, confused and afraid of her own abilities, but ultimately more successful at hiding them than the Snow Queen of Arendelle.

Then again, perhaps her death hadn't been so natural after all.

The lights of the city flickered away behind him as they were screened from view by tree trunks. Branches whipped past his face, slapping at his arms and chest. He didn't know where he was trying to go, not really. He only knew he was on the run from soldiers wielding firearms armed with only a stolen rapier. He had to find a way out of the Southern Isles. He had to disappear for good.

Only when Athero had completely disappeared from sight did Hans allow himself respite. He collapsed at the base of a tree, forcing himself to slow his breathing as his heart pounded out of his chest.

The plan had always been to disappear at some point, of course. His contacts within the castle could only get him so far, and Iona's half-baked plot to spring Prince Thomas had been his best chance at escape. There had been the possibility that the boy would kill him outright for his involvement in King Henrik's death, but it seemed Queen Elsa's pacifist nature had enough of an influence on her son to allow for his survival. At the end of the day, the gamble worked, and now he was free. All according to plan.

So why did he feel so guilty?

Hans gritted his teeth. He had already stayed with the Arendellians for far longer than was necessary. He could have slunk away en route to Evan's Bluff, or during their stay in the town, or on their way back to Athero, but he hadn't because…

Because I killed his father. I caused this mess.

He shook his head at himself. Now was not the time to grow a conscience. He had committed his life to espionage and treachery. There were no morals; there was only the mission. And now the mission was simpler than ever: survive.

You're not a Spymaster anymore, a voice nagged at the back of his head. You're not even a prince. What does it matter if you survive? You are nobody.

He pushed himself back to a stand, grimacing at the twinging in his screaming muscles. He started walking.

The fact of the matter stands, brother. You have utterly and spectacularly failed me.

A tree branch snapped under his foot. A longsword cleaved toward his head. His shoulders tensed at the memory.

Get this slime out of my sight.

His hands clenched into fists. Twenty years of his life devoted in service to the crown, all of it meaningless. He had been like a child, always looking for validation from Mathias, always seeking to prove himself worthy. Yet his actions had only made him all the more worthless.

Can I say something crazy?

Hans screwed his eyes shut. Twenty-one years ago, Princess Anna of Arendelle had fallen in love with him. For the briefest of hours, he had fallen right back in love with her. He was still haunted by her carefree laugh, her sea-green eyes. He had certainly never felt that way about anyone in the years since.

But his need to prove himself, his need to outdo his older brothers, had been stronger still.

Hans gritted his teeth. He had nobody to blame but himself for destroying any chance he had at that happy life. He had nobody else to blame for the destruction of his own humanity in a vain attempt to appease Mathias. He had nobody else to blame for his years serving from the shadows, all so he could be tossed aside like a used rag at the end.

His eyes snapped open as he savagely struck the nearest tree trunk. The air around him was silent except for the sound of his own breathing. The truth was, he wasn't nobody. He was worse than nobody. He was Hans the liar, Hans the usurper, Hans the murderer. Even the King couldn't strip him of those titles.

He saw the glint of the frozen bay through the trees ahead of him. Slowly, dazedly, he walked to the edge of the cliff, looking down on the vast expanse of smooth ice. He saw the Arendellian frigate below him, locked in place next to a towering Man-of-War of Weselton make. In his mind, he saw a different frozen bay. He saw a blizzard. He saw Elsa's broken form collapsed on the surface of her own ice as he swung the sword that would make him a king.

He stood there for a long time.

A large part of Thomas wanted nothing more than to go home. But even as he clung to his mother, drinking in the comforting feeling of her arms around him, Iona's words echoed hauntingly in his mind.

Assassinating King Henrik was my father's idea from the start..

He pulled himself back from his mother's embrace.

"Mother… a lot has happened since I got here," Thomas began. He swallowed, trying to clear the tears from his voice. "I was captured by soldiers. King Mathias wanted me to attack Weselton using my powers, but a princess helped me escape. She told me that the King was the one who ordered the attack on you and Father."

He felt his mother's arms tense. In an instant, Elsa's expression of morphed from one of concern into one of such savage anger that she was almost unrecognizable. The stones beneath her feet grew tiny, razor-sharp stalagmites of ice.

"I… had my suspicions. But why would Mathias do such a thing." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She said the question like a statement—like she already knew the answer.

"He wanted to frame Weselton for the attack-" Thomas began to answer.

"So I would use my powers against Weselton," Elsa finished in a breath. Thomas nodded.

"Mother, we can't let Mathias get away with this!" He held onto his mother's hand tightly.

"King Mathias will pay for what he has done," Elsa responded in a frigid tone. Her eyes softened, however, as she met Thomas's gaze. "But you can't stay here, Thomas. This whole city is a war zone. I have to take you home."

"Mother, I can't go yet," Thomas blurted out. He took a deep breath. "The King's men captured Princess Iona. She helped me escape the castle. When we saw your ship, she tried to help me get to you, but we were attacked by soldiers. I was bleeding out and… she saved me. She has magic, Mother. I-I can't just let her get executed!"

Elsa's eyebrows rose in surprise. She was silent for a moment.

"Your Majesty, if I may," Roderick called as he approached from behind Thomas. "Princess Iona is the heir to the throne. She could make a powerful ally against the King."

"Please, Mother," Thomas implored. His mother looked at him with a conflicted expression. She turned to address the Captain for the first time.

"Captain Roderick, how many men do you have with you?"

"Three, Your Majesty. Andre fell in the skirmish where the princess was captured."

"How are they holding up?"

The rest of the group had made their way up to join Roderick in an arc before the Queen. The Captain glanced around him before nodding firmly. "They've been through a lot these past few days, but they are ready to fight, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty!"

Booted footfalls drew closer from behind Elsa as a squad of fully-armed and uniformed Royal Guard approached from down the street. The guards smiled warmly at Thomas as they took up position around his mother. With a start, Thomas realized that the assassin was with them. He shivered as the prisoner briefly met his eyes.

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" one of the men asked.

Elsa surveyed the gathered party.

"We are here to bring those responsible for my husband's death to justice," she stated resolutely. "With my son's information about King Mathias's involvement, we finally have the means to do so. This is a diplomatic envoy. I think it's high time we sought audience with the King."

A thrill of excitement ran up Thomas's spine.

The silence of the night no longer bothered Elsa. Marching up the road to the castle gate surrounded by the synchronized footsteps of the eight guards flanking the party, she felt in control for the first time since the assassination. She had found Thomas, and Thomas had found the truth behind Henrik's death. She had purpose. She had resolve.

King Mathias would pay.

As she approached the towering outer wall of the castle, she heard shouts from up the hill. Figures emerged from the shadows around them: soldiers wearing purple uniforms bearing the axehead of the Southern Isles. Elsa regarded them calmly. There were at least ten of them, wielding an assortment of rapiers, polearms, and firearms. She raised a hand to stop her own men when they began to draw their weapons in kind.

"I'll handle this," she said under her breath.

"Halt!" one of the soldiers shouted in a commanding tone. The man wielded a long, silver musket. "You are harbouring fugitives of the crown. Relinquish custody of the prisoners at once or be fired upon!"

Elsa turned to the soldier, her posture stiff and regal.

"I am Elsa, Queen-Regnant of Arendelle," she declared coldly. "I seek an audience with King Mathias of the Southern Isles."

Murmurs broke out among the men surrounding the party. The soldier with the musket lowered his weapon slowly.

"You're Queen Elsa?"

Elsa noticed his eyes dart nervously out toward the still-frozen bay.

"Yes. And I don't take kindly to my son being imprisoned."

She stared the man down harshly. The soldier took a small, fearful step backward. Some of the others raised their weapons again. Elsa opened her palms in a gesture of peace.

"No need for that, gentlemen. I, and the rest of my envoy, come only to make peaceful negotiation. Please notify the King that I have arrived and wish to speak with him immediately."

The soldier with the musket stared blankly back at her for a moment. He gave a tiny nod before turning and making a run for the castle gates. The other soldiers continued to level their weapons at the Arendellians, some with noticeably trembling hands. Elsa could feel the tension radiating off her own men. Catching Captain Roderick's eye, she turned her palm. The Southern Isles soldiers abruptly dropped their weapons, gasping in surprise and pain. By the time the weapons hit the ground, they had already accumulated a coat of frost.

"You are making my men uneasy, gentlemen," she announced evenly. "I say again, we are a peaceful delegation. Let's be civilized about this." Without another word, she continued up the road at her previous pace, the rest of the Arendellians following closely behind her. The soldiers did not follow.

"Let's not make a habit of that," she heard Roderick mutter from behind her.

When they finally reached the towering castle gates, Elsa found them firmly closed. There were no guards stationed outside. As she surveyed the surrounding walls and parapets, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

"I've seen this castle before," she murmured. Visions of a raging blizzard flashed in her mind. Suddenly, she understood. Elsa turned around slowly. "Thomas, I had a vision of you in this place," she said under her breath.

"A… vision?" Her son made himself very small. "What did you see?"

"I saw a blizzard. I saw soldiers. I saw you…" Her voice grew soft. "I saw you conjure spikes of ice and impale the soldiers."

Thomas's gaze was downcast. "Yes," he whispered to the ground, barely audible. "I wanted to avenge Father. I lost control. I thought if I… if I caught up to Hans, I could make it right. Turns out Hans wasn't even the one responsible."

Elsa's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It seems that, until recently at least, Hans was the Spymaster of the Southern Isles." It was Roderick who replied. "According to Princess Iona, though Hans orchestrated the assassination as part of his duty to his station, it was King Mathias who mandated the action to be taken. But the scoundrel is far from innocent either way." The last sentence was said in a lower voice.

Elsa moved her gaze to the prisoner near the back of the group. "Prisoner, does that sound plausible to you?" she asked in a raised voice.

The assassin met her gaze hesitantly, clearly surprised to have been addressed directly.

"The man was addressed as 'Spymaster' a few times I remember," he replied with a terse nod.

The gates behind her rumbled as she heard latches being undone. The Arendellian guards tensed at the sound. Elsa turned to face the doors as they creaked open, revealing two castle guards dressed in more elaborate uniforms than the soldiers before. The men wore small berets and rapiers with intricate hilts at their hips.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," one of the guards greeted formally. "The King will receive you now. Allow us to escort you to the throne room."

At the Queen's nod, the guards turned and strode down the path toward the castle proper. After the party moved under the archway, two more men materialized from behind the doors and shut them behind the Arendellians with a deep boom.

Into the lion's den. Elsa pushed the sinister thought aside.

The guards pushed past another set of doors as they lead the Arendellians into the halls of the castle. The hallway was wider than any of the streets of the city, and the vaulted ceilings soared to grandiose heights. Where Arendelle castle had soft velvets and carpets, the royal castle of the Southern Isles had only bare stone and marble. The light from the lanterns protruding from the decorative pillars of the walls glared cold and white off the polished floor. The sounds of boots and the prisoner's chains echoed forebodingly off the hard surfaces around them. The architecture was clearly meant to make visitors feel tiny and insignificant. As the guards marched ahead, stiff and silent, Elsa fought the urge to fold her arms in over her stomach.

It wasn't long until they reached another set of doors. These were made of a dense wood painted the colour of ivory and inlaid with borders of gold twisting in floral patterns. The guards pulled open the doors in unison to reveal the throne room beyond. The chamber was vast but empty, every morsel of space designed to be in deference to the throne of gold-plated iron that sat atop a raised dais toward the back wall. A long carpet of deep purple lead from the entryway up to the base of the seat of power.

King Mathias of the Southern Isles sat atop the throne dressed in a long fur jacket. A glittering crown of gold and sapphires sat atop his grey hair. Elsa's eyes narrowed at the sight of the small army of royal guards standing at attention along the path to the throne.

"Presenting Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle," the same guard from the gate announced emotionlessly. The King regarded Elsa with a toothy smile as she stepped through the doorway with her entourage.

"Queen Elsa, what a pleasant surprise." Mathias's eyes flitted over the men following behind her.

"King Mathias." Elsa kept her own countenance carefully impassive. She stopped several paces from the throne.

"A shame that we don't speak more often, my queen. The whole situation with Hans during your coronation was so terribly unpleasant."

"Spare the pleasantries," Elsa said icily. "You know why I'm here."

The King raised an eyebrow. "If you're talking about my imprisonment of your son, I assure you it was necessary to put the people of Athero at ease after he went on a rampage through the city and killed fourteen of my soldiers."

Elsa heard someone behind her suck in a sharp breath. She kept her own gaze fixed firmly on Mathias.

"I have reason to believe that you were responsible for an attack that left me gravely wounded and resulted in the death of Henrik Ingouf, my husband."

The King's pleasant facade slipped a little at her curt statement. His eyes hardened. "I don't know which of Hans's insidious lies have made their way to your ears, but I assure you I knew nothing of his treasonous plot until four days ago," he stated slowly. "Upon my discovery, I had him immediately sentenced to execution, but it seems his influence reached deeper than I thought. He escaped the dungeons with the help of a turncoat guard."

"You're lying!" Thomas burst out. He stepped forward until he was abreast with Elsa. "Hans helped me escape the castle. If not for him, you would have used me as leverage against my mother!"

"More lies!" Mathias spat back. "Did it not occur to you that Hans was manipulating you for his own personal gain? He told you what you wanted to hear so he could guarantee his own escape!"

Elsa made a subtle gesture for Thomas to stay quiet. "Bring forward the prisoner," she commanded. She watched the assassin as he was frog-marched forward by two of her guards. "Let it be known," she stated loudly, "that this man, Marcus Everett, was not only involved in the attack against me and my husband, but was also the man who attempted the assassination of my son during a visit to the Kingdom of Corona four years ago." She looked to her son briefly. "Is this true, Thomas?"

"Yes," Thomas replied immediately.

Elsa turned back to the assassin. "Marcus Everett, you claim that Hans held the rank of Spymaster of the Southern Isles when you were under his employ. Do you attest to this?"

"Yes," the assassin answered.

Mathias exhaled through his nose. "Hans did indeed serve as my Spymaster, but his plans against Arendelle were never made known to me," he conceded. The King's face twisted into a scowl. "Had I discovered his plot in time, your husband would still be alive."

Elsa returned the scowl in kind. "Are you meaning to tell me you had so little control over the man in charge of your entire intelligence network that he was able to stage an assassination attempt in a kingdom across the ocean without you knowing about it?"

The King bowed his head. "I made the same mistake you did," he said apologetically. "I entrusted Hans with too much power, despite his history of treachery. For that, I admit my fault, and I humbly ask for means to make reparations."

"Mother, he's still lying!" Thomas cried. He whirled on Mathias, teeth bared. "Where is Princess Iona? I know you've have her locked up somewhere! Are you going to sentence her to execution, too?"

"Control your insolence!" the King commanded harshly. "My daughter is safe and unharmed in the custody of my admiral. She was scared and confused when Weselton attacked in the night, and Hans took advantage of her to orchestrate his escape. She, too, was a victim of his lies."

An unfamiliar woman's voice sounded from the direction of the doorway.

"The only liar here is you, Father!"

Elsa turned to see a younger woman with black curls standing at the chamber entrance, flanked by two soldiers and an older, clean-shaven man bearing a fraternal resemblance to the King.

"Iona…" she heard her son whisper beside her.

"Joseph, what is the meaning of this!" Mathias boomed, rising from the throne. The guards flanking the carpet moved to draw their rapiers.

"I'm sorry, Brother, but this madness ends now," the man named Joseph curtly responded. "I believe your daughter has words for the Queen of Arendelle."

The princess stepped forward, ignoring the glares of the guards surrounding her.

"Queen Elsa, I can say with certainty that my father was responsible for the assassination of your husband."

"Daughter, Hans has gotten in your head," Mathias hissed through gritted teeth.

"No, Father." The princess was facing the King directly now with her head held high. "What you have done is monstrous. You killed King Henrik of Arendelle in cold blood just so you could manipulate Queen Elsa into using her powers to attack Weselton for you! You're a murderer."

"My own daughter is spreading treasonous lies against me!" Mathias's voice trembled with fury. There were tears in his eyes.

"No, Brother." It was Joseph who replied this time. "Your daughter speaks the truth." The Prince of the Southern Isles stepped forward to address Elsa even as a dozen rapiers were pointed to his chest. "I am the Admiral of the Imperial Navy. I provided Hans with the ship that he used to travel to Arendelle. I was in command of the warship that fired upon the civilian vessel carrying Prince Thomas when he arrived in Athero. I organized the search parties that went after Hans and Iona after their escape from the castle. The blood of everyone who died as a result of those actions is on my hands." The Admiral turned to regard the King with steel in his eyes. "But I was only following my brother's orders. A shame it's taken me this long to grow a damn spine!"

Mathias took one step forward from the throne, his fists clenched. "So it is treason, then." He drew his ceremonial longsword with a sharp ringing of metal. "All of you forget your place! I am the King! I am in control here! Guards!"

His breath fogged in the air.

Elsa raised her hand in a fluid motion. There was a piercing sound like splitting glass. The air was filled with a cacophony of yelps and gasps as the King's guards were quickly encased up to their necks in solid ice, their weapons clattering uselessly to the floor.

"No," the Snow Queen said simply, looking directly at Mathias, "you aren't."

She pointed her fingers at the King. Before Mathias could so much as move, he was blown off his feet by a blast of arctic wind. The longsword flew out of his hands, skittering across the floor behind the dais. As Mathias slammed into the throne, manacles of ice materialized around his wrists, binding him firmly to the chair. He struggled to no avail, glaring at Elsa with an expression of pure hatred.

"What's your plan now, sorceress?" the King snarled. "Are you going to kill me?" He laughed sardonically.

Elsa hesitated. Gradually, she lowered her hand, staring down at the bound King.

"I am no murderer," she stated flatly.

"Queen Elsa, if I may." It was the princess's voice, low and firm. Elsa turned around to face Iona, nodding for her to continue. "I am of age to rule. As Queen-Regnant, I would have my father tried in full for the crimes he has committed against Arendelle and her people."

Elsa held the princess's gaze for a moment.

"And you are prepared to bear this responsibility during this time of crisis?" she asked.

"Yes, Queen Elsa, I am." Iona nodded firmly. Elsa nodded in return.

"Admiral, please fetch supplies to make a royal decree," she ordered calmly. "King Mathias is abdicating the throne."

Mathias began struggling harder as his brother exited the chamber.

"You can't force me to abdicate now!" he shouted. He glared furiously at his daughter. "The Southern Isles is at war! You would weaken this nation during her hour of greatest need and serve our people to Weselton on a silver platter!"

"I'll have the same advisors and the same military as you do," the princess replied evenly.

"As if you would know how to use them!" Mathias spat contemptuously.

"I have devoted my life to studying how best to serve my people!" Iona shot back. "And unlike you, Father, I'll be doing it with a conscience."

"You are a snake," Mathias said bitterly. Tears spilled from his eyes. "You're just like Hans. I only wish I'd seen it sooner."

Iona said nothing.

Joseph reappeared in the doorway clutching a roll of parchment and a box of pens. Iona snatched the writing supplies and sat down on the floor, scribbling furiously across the parchment heedless of the fallen rapiers surrounding her. She filled the page with practiced precision. When she was done, the princess handed the document to the Queen.

She had it all memorized, Elsa realized as she glanced through the watertight wording.

"You'll never get me to sign that," Mathias growled through clenched teeth.

"I don't have to," Iona replied impassively. She retrieved a small wooden object from the box of pens. "A stamp of the royal seal is as good as your signature. You should know: you made the law."

She definitely thought this through, Elsa mused. She briefly considered the possibility that Iona was lying her way to the throne like her uncle had done two decades ago in Arendelle. Thomas's words sounded again in her mind.

She saved me. She has magic, Mother!

Elsa's mouth drew to a determined line. With a wave of her hand, a smooth pedestal of ice rose from the ground in front of her. She set the announcement of abdication carefully on its surface. Iona stepped forward, stamping the document in a swift motion. The princess gestured to the pedestal, placing a pen beside the piece of parchment.

"Queen Elsa, if you would do the honour of being my witness."

"No," Joseph interjected quickly. "Let me do it. The people may distrust Queen Elsa's involvement with Mathias's abdication, but they'll take the word of their Admiral."

At Elsa's nod of agreement, the Admiral stepped forward. After signing the document with a flourish, he rolled it up tightly in his hands.

"I'll see to it that copies of this get made tonight. Heralds will be sent out first thing in the morning to bear the news to the people. In the meantime… " Joseph gestured to his soldiers still standing in the doorway. "Take my brother to the dungeons and make sure he stays there until his trial. As soon as you're done, spread the word. We serve under a new ruler, and the prince of Arendelle is no longer to be considered a fugitive."

"Yes, sir," the men replied smartly.

"You'll regret this," Mathias growled as they approached. "I'll see to it that you're all flayed to death!" The soldiers seemed not to hear him.

Elsa dismissed the manacles binding Mathias with a gesture. The soldiers took the former King roughly by the arms and marched him toward the exit. Joseph snatched the crown off his brother's head as they passed by. Soon their footsteps had faded down the hallway.

Curling her arms inward, Elsa willed the ice entrapping the King's guards to evaporate. The men fell to the floor, struggling to push themselves upright on trembling limbs. Many of them wore expressions of terror as they scrambled on all fours to distance themselves from the Queen of Arendelle.

"All hail Queen Iona of the Southern Isles," the Admiral announced to the room as he carefully placed the crown atop the new queen's head.

A deathly silence pervaded the chamber. Then, a small voice called out.

"Hail, Queen Iona." One of the King's guards had dropped to one knee with his head bowed.

One by one, each of the remaining guards scattered about the room did the same. "Hail, Queen Iona."

"Long may she reign," Elsa finished. She turned to face her own motley assortment of guards. "We're done here." Looking to Thomas, a weary smile tugged on the corner of her lips. "Let's go home."

Soundtrack: "Two Queens"

Two Steps From Hell – "Enchantress"