Deadly Siege
(A/N: Just watched Frozen 2 for the sake of getting the rest of this story right, so let's go.)
"Where is the tomb?" Carabis asked the bear, voice shaking in anger. Mor'du snarled lowly, giving him a dark look. "How many knights were there that beset upon you?" Mor'du continued to growl. "You stayed down," Carabis said. Mor'du roared in rage, rearing up in anger. Carabis leapt back quickly in fear. Mor'du paced menacingly towards him. "I-I didn't mean it as an insult!" the hobgoblin exclaimed. "Those knights are throwing a wrench into my plans! There is one called Raynold in Arendelle now and gods know if there are more! There may be others we don't even know of and we need to learn how many are here. We have to be prepared! The Westergaards are trouble enough as is, but the Knights of the Round Table make them look like children! The Arendellian sisters have an advantage in Elsa's powers, but there was more than one super-powered Knight of the Round Table, Sir Kay not least among them, and all of them have a millennium plus of experience on her! Elsa is still mortal, at the end of the day. As powerful as she is, she is still mortal! We can come out on top of this, but we need to know what we're dealing with!"
Mor'du paused in his menacing advance, glaring Carabis down darkly. He snarled and chuffed a bit, walking back the way he'd come. "Where are you going?!" Carabis demanded. "I need input!" Mor'du turned darkly, growling lowly. "Yes, I know a number of them are in Scotland! The Orkney Islands, to be more precise." A growl. "Yes, common sense dictates I seek them out there, but self-preservation drives me to shy away from it." A roar. "I am Fair Folk, maybe, but there is a faerie creature amongst them too. The fae will know the fae." A steady drawn out growl and a few chuffs. "A-a child?" Carabis asked. Mor'du grunted lowly, laying down in the cave. Carabis' eyes slowly widened. "Mordred?" he said in a breath. Mor'du almost seemed to chuckle. The massive bear laid its head down on its paws and growled again. "Corrupt the Knights of the Round Table? Are you insane?! They're nigh incorruptible!" A snarl. "From their cause you say? Come back wrong… That's an idea…" A chuff. "Very well. As you command… Do you know, perchance, how I could obtain the help of one Mister Hyde?" A growl. "Uncontrollable hmm?" A snarl. "Yes, the fae do have their ways at that," Carabis said, turning and leaving Mor'du in the cave alone. He believed this conversation may have given him the answer to his problems… He didn't have to put the bigger play into practice yet, attempting to corrupt the Knights of the Round Table was going to be a task all its own, he just had to spook the ones that may or may not already be in Arendelle into leaving Arendelle… A threat against their resting place? That would do it. Hans would of course stick his nose into it, a storyteller wouldn't be able to resist the allure of such a thing, and that would get rid of a good deal of his problems all in one. If he could do this quickly, there was still hope he could get back to Xe within the two-day limit he'd given Thord after all. Time to work some dream magic…
Frozen
Thord watched, totally lost, as Sirs Kay and Bedwyr, and a nervous looking Soredamer, paced in the hall below where he was spying from. They were speaking in hushed but urgent tones. They stopped when Hans walked onto the scene. Thord frowned, puzzled, as they turned attention to the king an began telling him something. Hans started, tensing up, and Thord leaned forward a bit hoping to catch any snippet at all of conversation. "I'm going with you," he heard the king say.
"Not all the way you aren't. You have duties here," Soredamer said to him.
"I'll only be helping to try and find answers before anything rash is done. If the entrance to the tomb has appeared in Arendelle, we need to find it before someone else does," Hans said.
"You just want to see it," Bedwyr said. Hushed tones once more for a while.
"Fine. I don't think we're understanding the situation right, but if I'm wrong, we need to figure this out. And if you're wrong, we need to at least learn who is trying to go after it," Kay said.
"And it won't take me far from Elsa, so bonus," Hans said.
"Don't be gone too long," Soredamer warned.
"We'll leave tomorrow or the next day and be back by evening," Hans said.
"Then we're agreed," Bedwyr stated. "Let Elsa know the situation and we'll go from there." Hans nodded and left. Thord, meanwhile, was totally lost as to what had just transpired here.
"Thord?" Anna's voice said.
He jumped in surprise with a gasp, turning quickly. "Anna, you scared me," he said.
"What are you doing?" she asked, looking over the edge.
"I'm curious about those two guardsmen," Thord replied. "There's something off about them."
"Kay and Bedwyr? They're harmless," Anna said, brushing it off. "Come on. Charades soon." She took his hand and pulled him behind her.
"I hate that game," he said with a groan.
"It's fun!" Anna said.
"We'll see," Thord said. "Hey Anna, where was the Enchanted Forest?"
Anna paused. "Why?" she warily asked.
"Does no one trust me here?" he asked.
"You don't trust anyone with a secret like Enchanted Forest," Anna replied, shrugging. "Hans doesn't even know. It's not exactly small peanuts. Anyway, I couldn't remember the way if I tried. Elsa might. She's not going to tell you though."
"Do you have a vague idea?" he asked.
"Why are you so interested?" she asked.
Thord shifted. Now was as good a time as any, he supposed. "How about… instead of charades you, me, and Elsa have a little talk," he finally, and seriously, said.
"Is something wrong?" Anna warily asked.
"More than you know," he gravely answered. Concern sprang to her eyes and she nodded. "Anna? Just you and Elsa." She seemed hesitant at this, but soon nodded her agreement and continued leading him along.
Frozen
Elsa and Anna listened in horror to Thord's confession. It had taken everything he had to get it out as best as he could. "Elsa and the baby?!" Anna exclaimed in horror. In retrospect, they probably should have guessed at much.
"Or Hans and the baby. Or just the baby. The baby is kind of the main focus," Thord said, not meeting either of their eyes. "But I couldn't do it. I'm not going to do it. So… So I threw Xe a different bone…"
"The enchanted woods," Elsa said in a whisper. "Xe couldn't hope to take it over! He'd get himself killed!"
"Hopefully," Thord dryly said.
"Thord!" Anna said.
"Seriously? He's a pirate who tried to force himself on your sister," Thord flatly said.
"I'm not sure he actually would have," Elsa dryly said. "But the point stands, I suppose. Either way, he's not getting to that forest. And he's not getting to us either. We have warning now."
"You're… not angry?" Thord tentatively asked.
"Oh, we're furious you even considered it, but we get why. Revenge. Nothing new. Besides, that was before we started to bond, and now we're bonding, so things clearly have changed. I don't see why else you would have told us the truth right now while we still have time to prepare for Xe's onslaught otherwise. Clearly you're on our side," Anna said.
"If Xe wants a map, I'll give him a map," Elsa said, laying out a parchment and picking up a quill.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Thord said, smirking.
"This will keep Xe good and busy for a long, long time," Elsa said. "It'll buy us a week or more to prepare. Most likely more. If he doesn't die at sea, he won't stand a chance when he tries to come after us. He won't stand a chance if he tries to come after you. He's not getting you. Ever." Thord was quiet. "Thord?" she asked, looking curiously at him.
"Just… thank you…" Thord said, looking down. "I don't know what else to say."
"We have your back, cuz," Anna teased, nudging him lightly with a smile. "You're family after all. One of us. You didn't have to be so worried about how we'd react. I mean, earlier you could have been, but not after all this time."
"Thank you," he said again. Elsa finished up the map, rolled it up, and handed it to him. "Take this with you, and Raynold. If something goes wrong, rely on Raynold. But nothing's going to go wrong. You're going to walk out of there and be just fine, and so is he, and we'll play everything out from there."
"What if he wants to take Thord along?" Anna asked in concern. Elsa tensed up. That thought hadn't occurred to her. She looked worriedly at her cousin.
"I can take care of myself. I'll be fine," Thord said.
"What if they think you forged it?" Anna asked.
"They won't," Elsa said, taking back the scroll and signing her name to it, then sealing it with a royal seal. "They can't."
"But if they do," Anna said.
"Then I'm hoping that my suspicions about Raynold are right, because I'm gonna have to really rely on him," Thord said.
Elsa and Anna froze. "What do you mean?" Anna asked, playing dumb.
"I don't know what's going on here or what's happening, but the sudden interest in Arthurian legend you two have, and Hans, and the sudden onslaught of Arthurian names all belonging to men and a woman who just don't fit and speak about the legends like they lived them? I'm thinking I'd rather not know the full details, but I get the gist," Thord said. Silence. "All of them?" he asked.
"The day has not yet come," Anna quoted with an amused and impressed smile. "This is something unrelated and totally insane that yeah, you're probably best not being privy to."
Thord nodded and took back the map. "Hopefully Raynold's quote about one of Arthur's men being worth one-hundred of an enemy's men holds true."
"His fight with the Romans," Elsa said. "I recently read that one, actually. A Roman soldier claimed to the Emperor that just one of Arthur's knights had proven to be equivalent to one-hundred of theirs in war, and the Romans were among the best warriors alive at that time. They were likely just spooked, but given the reputations of the Round Table? Hard to actually say."
"Beautiful, powerful, dangerous, cold; ice has a magic can't be controlled. Stronger than one, stronger than ten, stronger than one-hundred men," Thord said.
"So I'm stronger than at least one of Arthur's men. Good to know," Elsa wryly joked, smirking a bit.
Thord laughed at the response, grinning affectionately at his cousins. "I think I might love you two. Or be starting to," he said.
"About time you admitted it," Anna said, smirking. Her smirk fell. "Just… be careful, Thord. Really, really careful."
"I will be," he promised, turning and leaving to find Raynold.
Elsa and Anna watched after him. Elsa wrapped her arms around herself nervously. "What's wrong?" Anna asked.
"I'm afraid," she replied.
"We both are," Anna said.
"The names, Anna. The names the elf king had written in the contract he made with me… What if one of them was Thord's…?" Elsa said. Anna caught her breath and looked suddenly sick with worry. She turned, watching after their cousin fearfully.
Frozen
"The plan is on. When Thord arrives with Raynold in tow, you know what to do. The only change is that you wait to start the attack until you see the king leave with men who don't seem to fit in, in tow," Carabis said to Xe. "You'll know them to see them. It will only be him and them, possibly Kristoff as well and the Duke of Weselton's men."
"It's too soon. The Snow Queen is too powerful!" Xe protested.
"Are you backing out now? So quickly?" Carabis asked. "Coward."
"I want to live to enjoy the spoils of battle," Xe flatly replied.
"And you will. Trust me. The Queen will be in no condition to fight even if she wanted to," Carabis cryptically and menacingly said.
"Meaning…?" Xe fished.
"There are ways to prematurely induce labor," Carabis said, turning and walking away. Xe's eyes widened. Devious, he noted. Almost more than he was comfortable with. Almost.
Frozen
"I hope Thord and Raynold are okay," Elsa said to Hans worriedly as they were curled up together in the library. Olaf was snoring away contentedly on the couch.
"Kay and Bedivere weren't impressed when you told them what was up," Hans dryly said. "At least Raynold did his job and extracted information from Thord. And made him admit it for himself on top of that. Guess all your cousin needed was someone on his wavelength who he actually was inclined to trust and like."
"Now I'm worried sick, though," Elsa said. "If Xe sniffs out a lie, Thord and Raynold are both in trouble."
"They'll be fine," Hans said. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Elsa replied. "False labor here and there, but otherwise fine. I thought you were chasing dreams today."
"Held off for evening. Easier to go unnoticed in the twilight and the darkness. The Duke, Francis, and Erik are going to be accompanying me and Kay and Bedivere out to scout the location the two knights and Soredamer saw in those dreams," Hans said.
"Something doesn't ring right. Why would the opening of Arthur's tomb appear in Arendelle of all places? Norway has precious little link to Arthurian Legend," Elsa said, wandering over to Olaf and gently patting his head. "I think something else is going on here."
"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out," Hans said. "Even if the rest of them go on to investigate the matter further, I'll be back by tomorrow morning. Maybe even later tonight depending on how far it is. Probably the Duke will be as well, and Erik and Francis, but we'll see. Kristoff pulled out last minute. Little Gerda's sick."
"Is the Duke up for this? He's not a young man," Elsa said.
"It's hard to tell with him. But he'll be handy to have along. He 'rules' over the shadows, remember? If something goes wrong, he'll be good to have in a fight," Hans said.
"Better in Arendelle, if Xe tries to attack after sniffing out a fake," Elsa said.
"I'll leave the decision to him," Hans said. "You sure you're okay?" he asked, standing up.
"Certain," she replied, smiling.
"If you go into labor or anything else happens, send our little bird to bring me a message and I'll return immediately," Hans said.
"I'll be fine," she said, reaching up and catching his arm before pulling him back down and kissing him softly. He smiled, withdrawing, and nuzzled her gently. "I love you," she said.
"Love you too," he replied, straightening up and heading out.
"Hans, do you know who prepared this tea? Something's different about it. It's not a bad thing, it just tastes a bit unusual," Elsa said.
"I'm not sure," he said.
"I'll ask the chefs later then. Have fun," Elsa said. He nodded, waved fondly, and left. She sighed and went back to sipping the drink. Soredamer came in shortly after. "Any idea who made the tea?" Elsa asked.
"It was prepared already when I went to get it to bring it up," she replied. "Didn't see who made it. Something wrong?"
"Just different. I'm curious what they changed around," Elsa said. Soredamer shrugged.
Frozen
"That went… well," Raynold said, frowning a bit as he returned to Arendelle with Thord. It was twilight about now. Not long before dark would fall.
"It went too well. There wasn't even a hint of suspicion. I don't like this," Thord said, on edge a bit.
"You think I do?" Raynold asked. "Just be on your guard. Elsa and Anna know what to expect now, remember?"
"Do they? Because I'm not even sure what to expect from Xe. We should have consulted with Hans' brother Jurgen. Or should I say the pirate king Meilic?" Thord said.
"You still can. Send him a message when you get back to the palace tonight. By bird, preferably. Might be faster, and Elsa can supply. We're still ahead. Don't worry," Raynold said. He looked ahead and suddenly stopped. Thord followed his gaze. Hans was on the road waiting for them, it seemed. With a group of men at his side. Among them Kay and Bedivere. Both he and Raynold stared.
"I think they want you," Thord finally said.
"Think?" Raynold incredulously asked. Thord chuckled. "Watch your back, Thord. Be careful. This is a delicate stage in the process with Xe."
"Watch your back too. Not sure what's going on, but I'm going to assume it ties into who you are so good luck. With whatever it is. I'd rather not know," Thord said. Raynold nodded and tentatively approached Hans and co. It was Kay and Bedivere who stepped out to greet him with a wordless and tight embrace, which Raynold tenderly returned. They pulled back, nodding at each other, and Kay and Bedivere took to catching Raynold up, introducing him to people, and explaining what was happening. Thord went on his way. Hans and co left. Gods, he couldn't shake the feeling something was so very wrong…
Frozen
"I don't feel well," Elsa said to Soredamer and a now concerned looking uncomfortable.
"You should take a bath. It'll help make you feel better," Olaf said in concern.
"My stomach hurts," Elsa said.
Soredamer frowned in concern and approached her. "Do you feel contractions?" she asked.
"No, not yet. It just… it hurts. Really bad," Elsa said, sounding worried now.
"Hmm… Come on, let's get you to the tub. It'll help," Soredamer replied, helping her up. She turned to walk to the doors of the library, expecting Elsa to follow. She heard a cry of pain and gasped, turning quickly.
"Lady Soredamer!" Olaf exclaimed in distress, sounding frightened.
Soredamer turned in concern and hurried back. "Easy. Just a contraction," she assured.
"Sora? Sora, this-this feels different than the others. I don't trust it. What if I'm going to go into labour? This is too soon!" Elsa said.
"It's okay! It's alright. It's not ridiculously early at least. Just-just deep breaths, keep calm. Take a bath to help soothe the contractions that are going to follow. I'll summon Doctor Jekyll to come explain things to you, and write to Hans to be here, and you're going to be okay. It's okay," Soredamer reassured.
"Sora, the contraction has never come with pain in my stomach before," Elsa said, sounding scared.
"Easy. I'll send for Anna and get Gerda to come up here to be with you for a bit. Let's get you into the bath. Remember. Deep, calm breaths. Okay? Can you do that for me honey? Deep, calm breaths," Soredamer said. Elsa nodded, stressed, and began to take some deep breaths. "Good. If the contractions aren't constant, that's good. It means there's a while to go yet. Early labour might take hours, sometimes days."
"Days?!" Elsa exclaimed in fear.
"It's fine! You'll be fine," Soredamer assured. "Jekyll will be here." Elsa nodded, stressing out again but trying to stay calm for her sake and the sake of her baby. Soredamer would handle this. Everything would be okay. Soredamer left and Olaf, watching Elsa in concern, took her hand reassuringly. Soon after, Kai and Gerda both came up looking worried. Gerda brought her to the bathroom and helped her get into the tub. Kai stood outside with Olaf nervously, stressed and concerned. An alarm bell pealed suddenly and Kai gasped, going quickly to the window to look out. He relaxed a bit. Matthias and his men were on top of it. Everything was well. Matthias would handle this with little trouble. He was Arendelle's best. He turned attention to the bathroom door once more, worried sick for Elsa
Soredamer, meanwhile, raced out of the palace and took a horse quickly, mounting up and riding off at a gallop to fetch Jekyll and Anna for Elsa. She would write Hans when she returned. Everything was fine. Everything was going to be just fine. This was under control and the stomach pain meant nothing. It meant nothing!
Frozen
"Whatever prize you fancy, take. There'll be no shortage of spoils tonight, men," Xe said. "Spare me the sordid details of your depravity. Remember the plan." They darkly chuckled. As they slunk into the city, they spread out in silence in groups, weapons at the ready. Pirates, smugglers, bandits, whatever Carabis had supplied; all were ready to leap into action at a moment's notice. Alarm bells pealed in the distance as the group Xe himself was bringing along followed Thord silently. Thord stopped, peering ahead, then started to run. The plan was in action now. Matthias' men would be slaughtered, the captain himself taken prisoner. The palace would be emptied of most of their guard force and they would be unhindered.
They followed Thord to the castle. Thord sure enough found a secret way to slip in unnoticed. He was unwittingly handing them Arendelle on a platter. Xe smirked and beckoned for his men to move in for the attack. They approached quickly. Xe peeked in and saw Thord brushing himself off. He slunk in silently with three other men. Thord stopped, seeming suddenly aware something was wrong. He looked quickly back in their direction, but it was too late. They were already upon him!
Thord nearly panicked when he saw the figures closing in on him. He tried to cry out and run, but he was seized quicker than he could process and forced into submission on the ground, quickly bound in thick rope and gagged while still trying to struggle away. Xe. It was Xe! They had been tricked! He wasn't sure what had happened, but something had gone horribly wrong. Something they hadn't predicted! Elsa. They were after Elsa! He tried to scream through the gag, fighting like wildcat to get away. He might have been able to escape too, had more pirates and smugglers not slipped inside to help keep him down. Elsa. He had to get to Elsa. He had to warn her! He saw the ice bird in a cage that she and Hans used to communicate and lunged suddenly at it, knocking the cage off its perch and breaking it open! The bird flew out with a trill and darted out the window. He felt a crushing blow at the back of his head and then there was blackness.
"Go! Spread out through the palace! Kill every man who attempts to fight back, and every woman who dares attempt the same!" Xe ordered. "Capture everything and everyone else. Whatever you want, take it! Go and be unseen. I've spent too long amassing this army to be let down by it now. Silence. Remember it." Immediately and quietly the group spread out like a plague throughout the palace. More than one servant was caught off-guard and unaware, barely able to let out shouts or screams before they murdered or seized and hauled off to be dealt with. The villains infected the castle room by room, clearing it out systematically. When most obstacles were dealt with, the smugglers departed to deal with the lighthouse beacon. Then the prisoners in the dungeons were set free…
Frozen
Soredamer had just fetched Dr. Jekyll from his home, when the lighthouse went dark. Both of them looked quickly towards it and were silent. A hush seemed to fall on the whole town. "This isn't good," Jekyll quietly murmured. Soredamer looked nervously at him. "Get Anna, but don't come to the palace. Stay with her. Something is very, very wrong."
"Should you go then?" Soredamer asked.
"No. But I must. The queen is going to need me," Jekyll replied. "I know secret ways in. I'll be alright. You need to get off these streets. Make sure you are barricaded tight in Kristoff and Anna's house and hide. That lighthouse never goes out. We're being attacked."
Soredamer nodded worriedly. "Take my horse. You need it more. I can reach Anna and Kristoff on foot.
"Take this in turn. Godspeed," Jekyll said, handing her a sword. She wouldn't know what to do with a pistol. She nodded and raced away quickly, trying to keep quiet and in the shadows. Jekyll mounted up and galloped towards the palace. Nothing was right. Nothing at all.
Then the screaming began…
Frozen
The streets descended into chaos as Soredamer ran. Citizens racing from their homes or being chased from businesses. Men being cut down in their steps and women being dragged into alleys or houses shrieking for help or for dead husbands or fathers or brothers who would never respond to their cries again. Of course, Soredamer wasn't one to stand by watching it happen. She ran into every fray and to the aid of every person she could, cutting down pirates and smugglers with a vicious scowl. She could hear and see flashes of gunfire from Jekyll's pistol in the distance, as he rode towards the palace, so knew the doctor wasn't idle either. She slashed and cut down every villain who came at her, determined to help whoever she could. Anna and Kristoff would already be out of the house helping as well. At least one of them would. The other would have to stay with the baby.
Soredamer's prowess was nothing to scoff at. Every one of her brothers, her father, and her husband and son, had been Knights of the Round Table. There was no trick of the trade she didn't know, and there were few who could hold a candle to her in battle. She had outshone even her brothers, on occasion, and certainly her son. Needless to say, the smugglers and pirates didn't stand much chance against her. She knew, though, that when they began to gang up upon realizing a lone woman was killing more of their men than all the remnants of the guards combined, she would be brought to ruin soon enough. She expected the worst to happen, frankly, and was bracing herself for it. She knew what would be done with her. Exactly what had almost happened to her the day she'd first arrived in this place, only worse. She consoled herself with the knowledge that when news came to her father and husband about the atrocities, and to her baby brother, she would be avenged a hundredfold. She pressed on through the masses of villains, cutting down every one of them who crossed her or who was in the process of executing or dishonoring a would-be-victim. She didn't keep count of how many peoples' honor she'd saved, or how many lives, she just knew it was no insignificant amount.
"Soredamer!" she heard Kristoff shout. She looked over. He was fighting to get to her. Anna, it seemed, was defending the home front. Kristoff, it appeared, was trying to get as many terrified citizens into his house as possible so they could be protected there. He was smart. He knew there was no winning this battle. Really all that could be done was to try and save as many as could be saved before it all went to pot.
"Keep helping the people! I'll defend and cover you!" she shouted back. As long as she could, at least.
"Get inside!" Kristoff pled.
"Don't worry about me. Worry about them!" she answered. Kristoff, though visibly reluctant, gave in and started hoarding as many terrified citizens into his house as possible while Soredamer covered them and cut a bloody swath through the pirates, smugglers, and bandits that had invaded the city. They were catching on now. Her time was limited. She would make the absolute best of it. Snow and ice began to creep through the streets. She stopped on seeing it, taken in by wonder. Elsa was in action and left and right the invaders were being frozen in their tracks or attacked by snow beasts that she witnessed even now crawling out of the snow and ice like horrifying apparitions, but it wasn't going to be enough because she saw, now, what it was that was aiding the pirates, smugglers, and rogues. Fae. There would be no defeating this army, only escaping it.
When she was finally overwhelmed, death, as she expected, was not their intent for her. She'd proven a powerful and useful adversary, a beautiful and dangerous foe. She was untapped potential and so worth keeping alive, but she was also the spoils of war, and now she was at their mercy…
Frozen
Jekyll covered the ground to the palace in record time, shooting down every would-be attacker that came at him and every would-be scoundrel that attempted harm to any citizens he'd passed and seen in danger. He didn't run to the front doors, that would mean death. He darted to a section of the garden where there was a secret passage that would lead through the castle and to the upper chambers where Elsa would be. The palace was silent. That meant the enemy was being silent. That meant they were stealthily killing off or capturing everything inside, and he had to warn them. Matthias and the guards weren't around… He heard anguished and terrified screaming coming from the forest. He didn't need to wonder long to know why no guardsmen were racing to the rescue.
He ran through the passage and up the stairs. He could hear Elsa crying out in pain as he neared her chambers. He shoved through a passage door, not caring what state of dress she was in, and came out into her room. She was in the ensuite, he heard. Gerda was soothing her. Kai was nervously keeping guard. "Arendelle is under attack! So is the castle! Sound the alarm. Every person in the palace who can fight must take up a sword and fight! I have to warn Elsa, and she needs to get out of here."
Olaf gasped. "Oh no! What do we do?"
"Oh my gods!" Kai exclaimed. "Where are the guards?!"
"Being slaughtered like animals in the woods. We're alone in this," Jekyll said. "No guards will be coming to help you now."
"What of Matthias?!" Kai exclaimed in dismay.
"They'll keep him alive, most likely, but he's not our priority. Getting Elsa out of here is," Jekyll said.
"She won't leave her people!" Kai said.
"She doesn't have a choice!" Jekyll snapped back. "Go Kai, now!"
"Kai?" Gerda fearfully said, opening the door and coming quickly out.
"You have to get Elsa into the escape passages and out of the castle. Out of Arendelle!" Kai said, taking his wife's arms tightly and looking deeply and sincerely into them. "Every servant you can muster together, everyone, get them out."
"What's happening?" Elsa asked from the bathtub, panting a bit.
Jekyll frowned. These contractions were severe, for early labor. He didn't like it. "Arendelle is under siege," the doctor grimly said.
Elsa hissed in anger, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath. Tendrils began to slip out of her body, ice and snow, and outside the clouds began to gather, a blizzard starting to pick gradually up. Jekyll looked out the window and saw ice creeping across the ground into the city at a rapid rate. From the ice and snow, creatures appeared made of the same stuff, and went on rampage throughout the streets howling or snarling or roaring depending on the beast that appeared. "You are powerful, Elsa. So very powerful… But you're too late," Jekyll said. He looked at her. "Keep this up and you'll pass out, then we'll really have a time of it."
"I'll defend Arendelle with everything I am," she said in a cold, determined tone.
"Arendelle needs you alive. Carabis has come. Him and all his wicked sprites. They help pirates and smugglers and bandits take over. You need to regroup and retaliate from some place more secure than this. The palace is compromised, my queen, and there's no safe place for you inside of it anymore. Nor will your power hold out long, when your labor becomes active labour. It will take all the strength and determination you have. There won't be any to spare for Arendelle, but as soon as it's done, you can ride back in vengeance and take back what's yours in a display of power and glory unlike any you've displayed before, but you must survive first," Jekyll coaxed. Elsa shook her head. Then screaming and shouting began.
"Land sakes. They've released the prisoners from the dungeons! Every criminal in Arendelle we've incarcerated has been set loose! Elsa, we need to leave. You are queen. You have to survive!" Gerda insisted.
"No. Anna and Kristoff," Elsa said desperately, shaking her head in denial.
"They know how to take care of themselves, my dearest," Kai said. "You have to leave. I'll cover your escape as best I can!"
"No!" Gerda immediately protested.
"It has to be this way, my love. It has to. Elsa needs you and she needs Jekyll. She doesn't need me. I'll be fine. More likely captured than anything. I'll see you again, I promise," Kai said, holding her hands tightly.
"I'm not leaving you! I'm never leaving you," Gerda frantically said.
Kai pulled her close, kissing her adoringly on the lips. "Go. You have to. Whatever chance I have now will fade if you stay. This way I don't have to worry about losing you."
"But I must worry about losing you!" Gerda protested. He kissed her again. Tears burned her eyes and started slipping down her cheeks.
"Take the queen and go!" Kai ordered, grabbing a sword from a nearby display and racing away.
"Kai!" Gerda screamed, reaching after him and trying to go in pursuit.
Jekyll caught Gerda's shoulder. "Elsa. Now," he said, pointing at the queen who looked like she was bordering on unconsciousness by this time, delirious from the amount of power she was expending both on Arendelle's defense as well as the labour.
"But Kai…" Gerda began
"Dr. Jekyll, what's happening to Kai?!" Olaf exclaimed.
"There's nothing to be done for Kai anymore. What happens will happen. We. Have. To leave," Jekyll said, going to the bathtub and seizing a towel. He reached in, scooping Elsa out of it with no thought to her state of undress. He preserved her modesty with the towel, but she was shaking violently in his arms, her nose starting to bleed. She was trying to do too much at once. "Hurry Gerda. Lead us out of this place as quickly as you can."
Gerda sniffed and nodded, hurrying to show him the way out of the castle and to the stables. From there they could escape Arendelle and go into a cave where an escape ship was docked, stocked with supplies. Hopefully men as well, who knew the emergency protocols. They would put out to sea and sail wherever they thought they would be safe. The lighthouse being out didn't matter. They were sailing away from shore, not to it, and there were no rocks in the way from that cave. Just open ocean. What rocks there may be would be illuminated by the moonlight. They made their way in record time to the stables and Jekyll mounted Elsa's ice mare, Elsa still in his arms. Gerda mounted the horse Jekyll had rode. Olaf quickly worked to untie Sven, who seemed terrified. Gerda looked back at the palace in anguish, reluctant to go. "What about…?" she began.
"Your attentions on the Queen. No one else," Jekyll said, keeping calm and collected or at least putting on the appearance of being so. He placed Olaf on Sven's back. Gerda clenched her teeth and looked painfully away, head bowed. Quickly she rode off, letting Jekyll follow her to escape. "Where do we go?" Jekyll asked, letting fear creep into his voice for the first time, probably accidentally.
"Leave that decision to Elsa," Gerda replied. She looked back. "When she's cohesive enough again."
Frozen
The trill of a nightingale was heard as Hans and co rode through the forest. He turned and started on seeing the little ice bird flit rapidly up to him seeming distressed. "What? What is it?" Hans asked, catching it. The bird was shivering and panicked, and Hans got a bad feeling. He looked nervously towards Arenelle and turned Sitron, trotting quickly to a ledge from which he should be able to see it. The moment he came over it, the others in tow, his lips slowly parted in horror. The lighthouse was out, the palace was dark, screaming could be heard in the distance, and he saw fires and heard gunshots.
"To Arendelle, now!" he shouted at the others, instantly galloping back the way they'd come. The rest of them tore after him, the Duke of Weselton unleashing the shadows with his talisman before departing their company quickly. He knew where the escape route was. He knew where to go to see if Elsa had made it out. He tried to call it out to Hans, but Hans was hellbent on reaching the castle and town, already out of earshot along with Francis, Erik, and the other three young men he'd brought along from goodness knew where. The Duke, though, was wiser, calmer, and more pragmatic than that. Priority would have been to get Elsa to safety. If they were doing so, she would be bound for the secret ship and preparing to put out to sea soon. He intended to be certain she got there safely. Hans knew the way to the ship. He would join them there as soon as he saw she wasn't in the castle anymore.
The Duke reached the ship in record time. He looked towards the city and saw the shadows dancing on the walls, creeping over to aid in the fight where the light or lack thereof allowed. He turned to the boat and saw horses making their way to it. He kicked his own into action and blew a whistle. Heads turned. He joined them quickly and saw their occupants. "Elsa!" he exclaimed in alarm on seeing the queen.
"Her stomach started to hurt and suddenly her contractions got far, far worse. More than they should be in early labour. It can't have been coincidence," Jekyll said.
"She mentioned the tea tasting different," Gerda tightly said. "You don't suppose…"
"Someone induced her prematurely to make sure she was out of the way," Jekyll gravely said. "Get on board, now! Dear Duke, join them. Please."
"You don't need to ask twice," the Duke replied. "Hans has returned, my men and three of his own in tow. Where are Thord and Anna and Kristoff?"
"Thord is missing, Anna and Kristoff were at home when this happened," Gerda said. "Kai. My sweet Kai. He's still in the palace! Trying to protect it! He can't, he just can't!"
"Hans will be there soon enough," the Duke assured. "Elsa is…"
"The priority. I know," Gerda said, hanging her head low.
"As much as I wish it didn't have to be that way," the Duke added, casting anguished and worried eyes back at Arendelle. "Please… let Anna be safe…" he pled out loud. They all shared the sentiment.
"Where do we sail to, my Lord?" a sailor asked the Duke.
"Wesel…" the Duke began.
"Ahtohallan," Elsa said through gasps. "Ahtohallan. Through the Dark Sea."
The Duke nodded. "As the queen directs," he amended.
"I'll direct you," Elsa gasped out, at least semi-coherent now. "But we don't leave this place until my family and friends have come."
Frozen
Hans raced into the city, pistol and sword blazing as wildly as his eyes. He didn't stop once, focused on the palace. The Knights of the Round Table would handle the invaders in the city. He didn't even have to look to know they had already fallen upon the enemy in force. Erik and Francis stuck with him.
"Find survivors. I'll handle the situation at the palace!" Hans called to them.
"Are you certain?" Francis asked.
"Beyond certain. Hurry! The more time wasted, the more will die," Hans said.
"Be careful Hans," Erik said, parting ways along with Francis, both going in separate directions. Hans spurred Sitron on faster and faster. They blazed up to the castle and leapt through the doors as one, Sitron slipping on the floor but getting his balance quickly. Hans leapt off and shot immediately at a smuggler that was charging them with a war cry. He turned and shot down others approaching from another direction, some of them prisoners from the dungeons. He forged onward, sword and gun out and active, and fire powers as well. Nothing kept him from his rampage. The smell of blood and death filled his nostrils. There had been slaughter here. He burst into every room in which he heard a scream or pleas for help, and he shot dead the perpetrators of whatever crime was happening there before going on his way quickly.
"Elsa?! Elsa!" he shouted. There were escape routes. She would have taken them, he told himself. She got out and she was going to be okay. She had to be! "Elsa!" he shouted, throwing open another set of doors. He stopped dead, gasping. On the ground was a line up of bodies trailing down the hall. Most of them were enemies. Some of them were the bodies of those who had tried to help defend the castle and queen. He followed the trail quickly and right to a barred door, where a group of invaders were hollering and trying to break it in. "You want to war? Here I am! Come at me!" he roared at them.
They spun in shock and saw him in all his rage, a dark and murderous scowl on his featured. There was no doubt what stock this young man was from. He wore the look of the Southern Isles in full force, and they cowered before adrenaline kicked in and they ran at him at once. He took three long strides towards them before he started to cut them down or shoot them to death, or burn them, or break bones where he needed to before then killing them. They came at him in a group, trying to overwhelm him or pile on him, but he would not be subdued or stopped and in record time every one of them was dead, leaving the young king panting lightly and drenched in blood. He turned to the door sharply, marching towards it, and shouted, "Open up! This is the king!"
The doors were opened after a few minutes by a worried servant who looked half afraid she'd been tricked. She gasped on seeing him and opened the door the rest of the way quickly. He walked in and froze. Dead or dying men and women were on the ground, some unscathed but terrified. The one his eyes fell on, though, made his heart drop into his stomach. "Kai!" he shouted in terror, running to the servant who lay on his back, pale and bloodied. "Kai!" he cried out again, dropping next to him and shaking him. Kai's eyes flickered weakly open, clouded. He knew the look. Dying eyes. A dying man. Mortal wounds. "No… No, no, Kai," Hans pled, voice breaking a bit. "Don't do this. You can't do this. Elsa needs you. I need you. Just please… please…"
Kai reached up a shaking hand, cupping Hans' cheek in a fatherly gesture and offering him a defeated and tired smile. "I'm sorry," he said. His smile fell. "I couldn't do it…"
"You did it, Kai. You did it," Hans said. "Look at the survivors all around you. You'll be one of them, you have to be… Where's Elsa?"
"She… went into labour… She was in that state when… when they came upon us. Too early. Too early… I-I fear she was p-poisoned with a herb. One meant to induce labor early," Kai said. "There's no other reason this would have happened at just this time… She could have saved us all…"
"You're saved. You're saved," Hans said, voice breaking in grief.
"No… Tell… tell Gerda… I love her. More-more than anything," Kai said.
"You can tell her," Hans said, but he knew it was a lie. He was just doing what he once had always scoffed at other people for doing when they saw their loved ones dying at his hands. Begging for someone who couldn't be saved not to go…
"I was… was one of the names… the fair folk wrote. At least I pray I was…" Kai said. "No-nothing would give-give me more honor than to die in your place. Or in Anna's."
"No!" Hans cried out, choking back a sob.
"Find… Find Elsa… I'm so proud of you… You will be such a wonderful father. Never believe otherwise. Your baby will be so very lucky…" Kai said.
"Kai," Hans said in despair. The man's eyes went dull, his hand slipping from Hans' cheek. He half wanted to call out to the man again, but he knew there was no point. Kai was gone… He was just gone… Hans clenched his teeth, closing his eyes tightly and shaking his head in denial. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't supposed to happen… Everything had been so calm. Everything had been going so well. What had happened…?
Thord.
The voice in his head insisted on it, but he himself didn't know what to believe anymore. He just knew he had to get to Elsa. Hans stood up. The frightened servants were staring at him, desperate for direction. He looked over at them, winced, and realized there would be no finding Elsa just yet. He had to get them to safety… "Is this all?" he asked. Soft crying began. He'd take that as a yes. "No other survivors?" he pressed. Silence met the question.
"No, my lord," one finally dared speak up.
Hans nodded. There were so few left… He drew a shaking breath and turned, seeking one of the secret passages. "Follow me," he ordered. He would lead them to the ship. They did so quickly, desperate for his protection. He didn't feel particularly protective right now. He brought them to a passage he knew would lead them out off Arendelle and to the secret docks. As he sent each one through, he gave out weapons to the servants he judged most capable of defending themselves and each other. Before he followed, he went to the window, peering out. He saw the cliff beneath which the secret dock was located. Elsa would be there… He would join her soon enough, but right now there were things he had to make sure of here… He swallowed, bowing his head. He prayed Elsa would be alright. He sniffed, opening his eyes once more, and gasped, paling. A ship was lingering in the darkness, almost completely hidden. Xe's. It was Xe's ship! Black as night and silent and stealthy. "No," he breathed in fear. They suspected the escape route. They suspected it!
Frozen
Hans turned quickly and raced down through the palace, hurrying to Sitron again and leaping onto him. The sooner he dealt with matters here, the sooner he could get to the ship and warn her of Xe's ambush position. They would be ready then. He would collect Kristoff and Anna, maybe, and whoever else he could first. He galloped out of the courtyard and into the city that was now mostly quiet. "Dammit," he whispered. "Dammit!" he said a bit louder. This was so bad… He had to find Anna and Kristoff. Please let them be okay.
The moment the house came into view, he leapt off Sitron upon reaching the house. Arendellian survivors were gathered outside frightened. Anna was at their head with Kristoff, looking flustered and shaken. Francis and Erik were there too. So were the Knights of the Round Table who looked grim but satisfied with their productiveness. At least, two of them were present. Raynold and Bedivere. But where Kay was, was anyone's guess. Hans marched quickly up to Anna and Kristoff, both of whom looked immensely relieved when he came up. "Kai is dead," he stated. He saw stricken looks briefly pass over Raynold and Bedivere's faces. "Not Sir Kay," he quickly amended. He looked at Anna. "Kai, the butler," he clarified.
"No!" Anna exclaimed. She burst into tears. "No, no, no, you're lying! He can't be gone, he can't-he can't be! No!"
"Most of our servants are gone. I helped the survivors escape. Elsa is in labor. Dr. Jekyll and Gerda got her out of the castle and city. They brought her to the secret docks. We need to meet them there. It's our only way out of here. But Xe's in ambush position. Getting away isn't going to be an easy task.
"Hans, that ship won't fit all the survivors!" Kristoff protested.
"It has to," Hans said. "That or as soon as possible, they're going to have to escape to the nearest villages or cities to Arendelle and seek sanctuary there. This was just the beginning, Kristoff. Xe and his men were canon fodder and they don't even know it. Something's following in their wake, and that follow-up threat is going to destroy anything that's left behind here. We need to get Elsa to safety, and when this is all passed and she's ready to fight back against whatever is coming, we're going to fix this."
"If the city's secure, the boats at the main dock are at our disposal. The refugees are getting on them, and those ships can head for the Southern Isles. Meanwhile Elsa and I will sail for the Enchanted Forest. There we'll be protected until Arendelle can be made safe again for good," Anna determinedly said.
"I don't want to leave Arendelle open for the taking, but if Carabis is part of this, we have no choice," Hans replied, nodding in agreement.
"What makes you think Carabis is involved?" Kristoff asked.
"Xe is coordinated, but not like this. His force couldn't have caused this destruction without help," Hans said. "And now they have captives the numbers of which we don't even have a guess at, so that means leverage. More likely than not, there will be pawns sacrificed to win back what rightfully belongs to you and your sister, Anna."
"No. We'll find another way!" Anna replied.
"Anna…" Hans sharply began.
"We'll find another way!" she shouted powerfully at him. "We have the damn Knights of the Round Table for crying out loud!"
Hans was quiet, both him and Anna trying to stare one another down. Surprisingly, it was Hans who relented first with a sigh. "Very well," he relented. "I'll send word to the ones holing up in Orkney and beg their help, and they'll come. I'll also send word to my brothers. They'll be ready to receive the refugees as well as join us in the fight to reclaim Arendelle. I'll summon Jürgen to sail out and join us in Ahtohallan because damn straight the pirate king 'Meilic' is going to have something to say to Xe about this fiasco."
"Will your brothers be enough?" Anna asked.
"Yes," Hans promised. "We're going after Elsa. Now. Whatever spoils of war and captives the pirates and smugglers have taken will be loaded onto their ships. Ships that will return to their hideout. The pirates and smuggles will deposit their plunder there. Some men will be left behind to guard the plunder, and others will pursue Xe to back him up in Ahtohallan. When we know Elsa is okay and we're ready to take back our kingdom, we'll find that cave and send out men, strong ones—preferably some of Arthur's—to it to kill whoever guards it. Then, if we've beaten Xe back, they'll lie in wait for his inevitable retreat into the maw where he and everyone else will finally be brought to justice. Then the men stationed there will return to Arendelle to help prepare for Carabis."
"Hans," a voice said, Hans turned. Sir Kay was approaching. Hans tilted his head curiously. "Soredamer is missing. A lot of the death on these streets is the result of her handiwork, but she couldn't have hoped to take them all on alone. The pirates have her. I suggest the knights stationed in that smuggler's cave, wherever it's found, be her father and her husband. You won't need anyone else. Not when they realize what fate befell her. Toss in a third if you have to, for good measure, but odds are a third will just be standing by like a bump on a log. I'll sail with you and Elsa et al."
"I need you here to help organize the survivors onto the ships at the dock," Hans said.
"No. You need me out there. With you. Dealing with shaking or leading on Xe," Kay said. "Let's get going. Raynold or Bedivere can handle penning the message to our brethren. Erik and Francis can help organize the survivors onto the ships.
"There's another knight who was sent up with me and the second group that was allowed to return," Raynold said. "His name is Lamiel of Cardiff. He was the pirate king of our time, and he'll be back with a vengeance. I'll send word to him. Somehow."
"Between your ship, your brother's, and his, Xe will crumble like dust," Bedivere added, reaffirming Raynold's claim.
"Arthur had a bit of everything, didn't he?" Hans dryly noted.
Bedivere chuckled, smirking. His smile fell to a serious look once more. "Let's go," he said.
"What? I was under the impression you'd stick with the civilians," Hans said
"And Arthur called Bedivere, who never shrank from any enterprise upon which Kay was bound," Bedivere semi-quoted in reply. "Like hell I'm being separated from my boy again. Besides, Elsa is the main target. Xe will be in pursuit of her ship over anyone else's. You might just end up needing all the help you can get."
"Fine," Hans relented. He smirked. "Then to the ships." They nodded.
"You have any idea of who you're going to bring along besides us?" Bedivere asked.
"I have a little round table all my own I can gather up if need be, one of which I'm betting is with my wife right now, but I don't need them now," Hans said. Nodding, those who would be accompanying Elsa and Hans on the royal escape ship, as Hans mockingly called it, followed him. Erik and Francis, meanwhile, took to organizing the survivors and getting them to the docks and onto the one or two ships it would take to transport them all.
