Author's notes: Finally got back into writing after being hounded by RL issues. Thank you to all readers for dropping well wishes to check in on me and your feedback on the story. Shoutout to @ullrs-skis and @shealwaysdies for helping me out with the story and ideas.Warning: Gore, violence and torture (Please skip this chapter if you are not comfortable)Chapter 8Anna grumbled. Three hours had passed since she stayed hidden in this thicket and yet there were no signs of animals within the vicinity. The afternoon sun was beating down on her with fiery intensity. She fingered the collar of her tunic, airing herself before she got roasted by the sweltering summer heat. Her nose scrunched in disgust at the realisation she was thoroughly soaked in perspiration. Having a long bath seemed to be a very inviting proposition at the moment. Had it not been the bet she made with her instructor, she would gladly abandon her quest immediately and headed back home. Anna wouldn't give up without a fight nor would she back down on a dare; not when her pride was on the line. God forbid if Sir Turelle was right about her incompetence. Anna would never hear the end of it.
As though her prayers have been answered, the bells of the snare jingled loudly seconds later alerting Anna of her successful capture. She snatched her hunting gear and dashed to the site. She spotted a ball of silvery fur thrashing wildly in her trap. It was a full-grown adult wolf snarling viciously at the metal contraption. Razor-sharp teeth chomped desperately frenzy to severe the chain link. Whilst the animal was occupied with the snare, Anna quickly pulled out an arrow from her quiver and took her aim. The head of the arrow impaled the wolf on the chest. It let out an agonised howl and collapsed to the ground. She waited a few minutes before its writhing came to a halt.
Anna's eyes widened in awe, admiring the beautiful sight of her hunting prize. The animal's length was almost twice her size. Its lush coat was a well-blended silver and grey, mirroring the pattern of a full moon. A distinctive streak of brown ran along its underbelly up to its muzzle. Anna carded her fingers through its thick mane.
"Your sacrifice will not go in vain. I will make sure you get the main spot in the hall...Ah!"
Anna let out an undignified shriek as she felt something rubbing against her ankle. She smiled to herself when she identified the source of her surprise - a brown wolf pup. The tiny ball of fluff was padding in between her feet, pawing playfully at Anna's shoelace. The deep Arctic blue orbs made her instantly fall in love with the wolf pup. Its tail wagged eagerly for the princess's attention.
"Hey, little guy. What are you doing here?"
She slid her hand under its chest, lifting the little creature into her arms. It barked in response, tail wagging delightfully as the princess scratched its ears. To her surprise, its friendly demeanor changed drastically when it looked over her shoulder. The animal pinned its ears to its head, a dangerously low growl reverberated in its throat. Anna yelped when rows of sharp teeth sunk into her hand. The pup squirmed out of her loosened grip and padded towards the dead wolf. It approached the corpse with caution, sniffing and pawing the still body.
Anna's heart was utterly crushed watching the young nudging the female wolf's head, as though it was trying to wake it from a deep slumber. When its attempt turned futile, the pup nestled itself against the other's neck and whimpered. Her guilt deepened when three more wolf pups emerged from the undergrowth and joined its sibling. She did this. She had robbed the pups' only chance of survival all because of her selfish pride. Without their mother, Anna might as well have sentenced the wolves to their doom. Her pride had cost the pups their family and their chances of survival.
"Your highness!"
Anna stumbled as a firm hand gripped her and pulled her backwards.
"Lieutenant Mattias!"
"Thank goodness I found you, princess. The King has turned the whole castle upside down looking for you. What the..?" Anna winced at his words, both from the physical pain when Mattias accidentally grabbed her injured hand and at the realisation how much trouble she was in.
"It's not that big of a deal, Mattias."
"What are you talking about? You're bleeding!" the soldier exclaimed, face red with panic. He fished out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and tore it. "His Majesty will be so mad," he muttered as he frantically wrapped the makeshift bandage around Anna's hand.
"Relax, Mattias. It's not like Grandfather's here or anything. I will just say that I injured myself and…" Her words trailed off as she caught a glimpse of burgundy flickering from the corner of her eye. The soldier's widened eyes confirmed her fear. It was too late.
"Anna!" The King's voice thundered, startling both royal and soldier. "How many times have I told you not to wander the woods without any supervision?" Anna's downcast eyes glued to the ground, too embarrassed to face the King after getting caught redhanded for her misbehaviour.
"I'm sorry, grandfather. I was trying to catch a wolf."
"Right... I see how well it went for you." He commented, eyes fixed on her bandaged hand.
"Step aside, Lieutenant." ordered the King.
Mattias struggled to defend his charge. "Your Majesty, the princess...she…" A wave of a hand immediately silenced him. He glanced a pitiful look at the nervous princess and reluctantly retreated as instructed.
"Anna, there is something I need you to learn."
The burly king unsheathed his sword and handed it over to Anna.
"Grandfather, what do you want me to do?" Her words faltered as the King stalked towards the bundle of shivering fur. The eldest of them - the one which Anna took a liking to - stepped up to protect its siblings; its body curled into a defensive position, teeth bared in warning. Runenard's eyes narrowed into slits, unimpressed by the animal's retaliation. His massive hand descended upon the wolf pup, separating it from the rest.
The pup thrashed and squirmed frantically against Runenard's tight grip; its hind paws clawed desperately as cruel fingers pinched the scruff of its neck. It barked furiously at its attacker, clamping its muzzle on the constricting limb whenever it had a chance adding to Runenard's annoyance.
"This is the mutt that hurt you, isn't it?" he asked, dangling the struggling wolf in front of his granddaughter. "I got to say, this one's a fighter."
"Grandfather, please let it go…It didn't mean to hurt me... It was an accident." Anna pleaded, unable to watch the pup's suffering.
"Silence!"
Anna recoiled at her grandfather's booming voice. She knew better than to fight back when he used that tone on her. Any sign of resistance would only aggravate the situation and reduce the chances of its survival.
"Nothing you say will change the fact that this beast attacked you, Anna." he remarked.
Anna's eyes widened in shock when Runenard guided her left hand forward. The tip of the sword was hovering dangerously close to the pup's underbelly.
"Lesson one to kingship. Anyone or anything that draws the royal blood will be punishable by death."
Bile built up in her throat.
"I can't… I…"
"Anna.."
"Please, don't make me do this," she begged, tears streaming down her reddened cheeks.
"This is an order from your King!" Runenard growled. "Do not disobey me, Anna."
She took a deep breath, willing away every emotion. There was no compromise in her grandfather's command. No one could defy the will of the king, even if it was the heir to the throne. Anna took a few seconds to compose herself before aiming the weapon at the pup's throat.
"Good." the King praised. "I want you to make an example out of this wretched creature." Runenard directed her sword across the pup's face, leaving a deep gash across its eyes. The wolf pup screeched in pain, twitching violently in the man's grasp. Another strike was made across its belly. The sight of intestines bursting out from the open wound made the princess retch. Runenard dropped the mutilated pup onto the ground like a ragged doll, paying no heed to its blood curdling scream. Satisfied with his handiwork, he turned to the remaining pups.
"Anna, three more to go... Anna?"
Runenard sighed when he noticed his granddaughter's mournful expression, watching the dying animal drawing its last breath. Judging from his granddaughter's despondency, the King decided it would be too much to expect Anna to finish the job. He would have to take this lesson to another day. He wiped off a blot of crimson off his face and approached his shell shocked granddaughter. His expression softened as he cupped Anna's face.
"This might seem utterly cruel now but believe me, you will thank me someday."
He turned to his men.
"Finish them off."
"We will start soon."
Anna peered down at the ballooning crowd at the centre of the inner bailey. The tintinnabulation of bells thundering in the background, calling for more Arendellians to congregate. Eager spectators rushed in to fill in empty rows of benches circling the wooden platform, wanting to get the best seat in the house. Latecomers huddled towards the center, trying to catch a glimpse of the poor soul who was put on trial today. It was a bizarre sight to witness such a celebratory display despite being an audience to the grim theatre that was about to take place.
Capital punishment was quite a rare sight for Arendellians. The Conqueror was known to finish off her enemies at the battlefield, hence sparing the need for public execution. Had it been necessary, she would do so on her enemies' territory instead of castle grounds as part of psychological warfare. This time, however, was an exception to the rule. She needed a memorable example to remind her people of the consequence of defying her - even if the offender is one of her own.
"Bring him in," Anna instructed.
Two large built men flanking the accused hauled him to the centre of the platform. The crowd was stunned into silence when the hood from the offender's head was removed, revealing a familiar face to the public. Sensing uneasiness among the crowd, Anna spoke to address the confusion.
"Arendellians, you might be wondering as to why Lord Tobias is here today. He was caught red handed in the act of treason."
As though on queue, the overcast skies blackened with thunder rumbling in the distance, adding to the swelling tension. Two soldiers ascended the platform carrying two wooden buckets each and placed them in front of Tobias. He barfed as he sighted the contents - four tubs filled to the brim with blood and dismembered human body parts. A half maimed skull floating in the third tub gave Tobias an idea whose parts they belonged to, leaving the man reeling.
"How dare you? My family...You...murderer!" he lashed out furiously, screaming at the top of his lungs like a mad man. Streams of tears tracing paths through dirt on his cheeks as he grieved loudly for the loss of his family. This heartless bitch had killed his family in cold blood and had the gall to showcase their desecrated remains to the public like butchered meat. Desperation drove him to leverage on every opportunity he had; he turned to the rows of noblemen seated at the adjacent corner.
"Comrades, is this the brand of justice that you so proudly uphold? The Queen has just murdered two innocents out of misplaced infatuation!" he cried out. "Do you condone her actions?"
Anger surged inside Tobias as he watched the noblemen turning a deaf ear to his pleas. He was absolutely devastated watching Lord Magnus, his father figure remained silent as a stone, unperturbed by the cruelty displayed before him.
Looks like loyalty binds stronger than blood.
"Nothing you say will sway them, Tobias," Anna remarked. "These men have sworn their loyalty to the crown. This is something you clearly failed to learn, traitor."
A pair of rough hands fisted a lock of hair and forced his head to tilt up. The next thing the Lord knew, his mouth was pried open by a metal gag. His face ashened as one of the men scooped a ladle of blood from one of the buckets and poured it down into his gaping mouth. Tobias thrashed weakly as the torrent of the sickening liquid trickled down his abused throat. He flailed helplessly at the brutal ministrations, fingers clawing desperately for purchase. With his head immobilised, he only could maneuver his tongue to slow down the flow but it was not enough to moderate the speed. Soon, the reflux in his stomach kicked in, forcing the foul liquid back to his windpipe and nostrils. Tears pricked his eyes as the friction in his airways set his lungs aflame. Black spots started to fill his vision as his oxygen supply diminished.
Is this how my life will end?
"Stop."
Tobias lurched forward as soon as the hold on his head laxed. He doubled over, body spasming into a coughing fit to expel the sickening liquid out of his system. His shoulders heaved as he panted for the much-needed air he had been denied. What seemed to be a moment of respite was quickly snatched away when the same pair of hands hooked him under his armpits, forcing him to stand up. Terror sucked out his very breath at the sound of fabric ripping. The gag put a damper in his effort to express his anger, reducing his oral capacity to high pitched screeches and short grunts.
A heavy backhand across the lord's face instantly halted his antics; his struggles simmered into pitiful whimpers as the soldier methodologically stripped him bare. His legs felt powerless against his tormentors' will, they manhandled him like a cow inside the slaughterhouse. His naked body was spreadeagled on a raised wooden cross. Once his restraints were secured, the soldier ripped off the offending apparatus from his mouth with brute force, leaving a deep cut across his jaw.
Though weakened by the recent torture, the hatred in the young lord's eyes burned brightly like the sun. He was not going to let the Queen enjoy his humiliation. Years of ingrained military training conditioned Tobias not to cow in the face of danger; he struck back verbally to the Conqueror like an unwinding cobra.
"Is this the best you can do?" he sneered. "Why don't you come down here and finish me yourself, instead of letting your men do your dirty work?"
Anna remained calm amidst the Lord's mockery. She quietly descended from the box seat after a few minutes like a prowling lioness stalking its prey. Although her face betrayed no emotions, Tobias could feel the menacing aura glaring back at him making him break into a cold sweat. The crowd parted like the Red Sea as she approached, allowing her unencumbered access to the gallows. The lord's attention was drawn to a metal contraption in the Conqueror's hands, mirroring a modified chastity belt. She handed the item to one of the executioners and made her way to Tobias. Cold eyes bore into his nervous amber ones as she confronted him.
"I commend your courage, Tobias. Pity that you have to display your acts of valor against me. If it wasn't for your wounded pride, your family would still be alive today."
A loud gasp echoed in the crowd as the lord spit in her face.
Anna scoffed, wiping the dribble off. "Defiant until the end. Let me indulge you with the attention you eagerly seek." She motioned one of the executors to fasten the device around his hips. His eyes widened with horror when she retrieved two rats from a metal cage presented to her. She unlocked the flap at the front of the contraption and inserted the animals inside the tiny enclosure.
"Let's see how you like it being at the receiving end," she said nonchalantly as one of her men lit a torch and placed it underneath the metal device.
"BITCH! You will get your retribution, monster!" Tobias erupted as Anna left the platform. His cussing died down when he felt the heat radiating at his lower body. It was not long before the agitated rodents started to scurry frantically in the tight space. Bloodcurdling screams exploded from his throat as the rats started to gnaw their way out in an attempt to escape from being roasted alive. An inhuman howl erupted from his vocals as the rats started to devour him alive. Eventually he went completely limp, passing out from the excruciating pain. Evidence of the mutilation was already stained on the wooden surface, together with chunks of bitten flesh.
Disappointment etched on the Conqueror's face.
What a pathetic display. All bark and no bite.
Anna turned to her people. "Let this be a reminder to all who dares to challenge the crown." She barked,
"Now, get this scum out of my sight."