*Author's Note*: The name of the story is "Frozen 2.5" but the site doesn't allow periods in titles for some reason. There are original illustrations that go along with each chapter of this story, however I'm unable to add images to chapters. If you want the full story experience, I recommend reading the pdf version of the story, which is available on my blog here (replace |dot| with "."): yumeka36|dot|tumblr|dot|com/648209143723917312/frozen-25-complete-edition
Nokk stomped his hoof on the river's edge, causing a flurry of ripples to expand across the gently flowing waters. He had since reverted back to his watery, translucent form so he could easily gallop across the river that led past Arendelle towards Dyrankia. Elsa sensed his unease and stroked his neck before sliding off his back and stepping onto the shore. Thanks to his unmatched speed and ability to traverse the river, she was able to reach the cliffs beyond the gorge while the final expanses of daylight still lingered in the sky. She looked up and grimaced when she saw Marjorie's fire beacon flashing above the gorge like an ominous star. As she began to walk forward, she felt something brushing against her hand and saw that Nokk was nipping at her fingers with his moist lips. He then threw back his head and gave a demanding whinny. Elsa knew this was his way of asking her to use her ice magic to solidify his body so he could travel on land. She smiled and cupped his face in her hands.
"I don't think it's a good idea to ice you. Marjorie might melt you, like she almost did to Olaf. And that gorge looks pretty dry, I doubt there's any water there you could use. She did demand that I come alone, after all. Who knows what she'll do if I bring a magical spirit with me?"
Nokk nodded his head and a confirming snort was expelled from his nose. Elsa gave him a pat on the cheek. "Just wait here for me."
She turned around and looked up at the beacon again. She remembered how wicked and almost profane Marjorie's magic felt.
"I'll just hear her out this one last time and that's it." She clenched her fists, concentrating on the pep talk she was giving herself. "Maybe I can get her to reveal more about her plan. Then I'll meet up with Anna and the Northuldra. We'll figure out what to do about this…together."
Content with her idea, Elsa began running forward while icy magic started swirling around her hands. She waved them quickly downward as the magic burst out, propelling her forward, leaving a chunk of ice underneath her. As she started falling down, she propelled herself with another blast of ice and then another. She slid forward swiftly through the air with each blast, the split tips of her cape billowing behind her like wings. Nokk pawed at the water with his hooves while he watched the track of ice Elsa was forming lead down towards the gorge in the distance.
"You'll be safe here, Fritz. I shouldn't be gone long."
Clyde stroked the wary ox on the head and took a look at the caravan parked behind him, acknowledging that it was tucked neatly in a crevice within the cave they were in. Satisfied, he turned around and headed back outside the entrance of the cave. He looked ahead as the last rays of the waning sun poured down on the empty, barren land of the gorge, save for a few shady spots under scattered trees and giant ledges from the cliffs above. He sprinted over to where he saw Marjorie leaning against one of the many boulders that dotted the length of the gorge. She was staring ahead with her arms folded and a noticeably impatient expression on her face. A few feet behind her, Alfonse was tending to a horse that was harnessed to a wagon coated in stark, crimson paint, with the salamander emblem adorning its corners and sides. Clyde recognized it as the wagon Marjorie used whenever she ventured out of Dyrankia. As he got closer, Marjorie turned in his direction. A look of surprise spread across her face.
"Clyde, what are you doing here?"
"I was just picking herbs in the woods nearby and saw your flame." Clyde pointed to the sky above Marjorie where her magical flame beacon was pulsing high above the gorge. When he noticed that Marjorie continued to stare at him, as if unsure whether to tell him to leave or not, he continued. "I know you sometimes come here to practice your magic, since no one ever travels through this gorge. But if you keep your flame that high in the sky, someone might see it…" His voice trailed off, suddenly feeling fearful that Marjorie would be angry at his rebuke. But instead, she laughed.
"It's only a matter of days before Dyrankia's power is unveiled to the world. I don't care if anyone sees my magic at this point."
Clyde opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Alfonse's commanding voice.
"I think you should go home, Your Highness." He was addressing Clyde as he approached them from where he had been with the horse and wagon. "It could possibly get…dangerous here." He looked to Marjorie, seeking support for his statement. But she instead raised her hand to quiet him.
"Let him stay." She turned to Clyde with a smirk. "I think it will be an…educational experience for him."
Clyde hesitated, feeling dread about the vagueness of Marjorie's words, but also happiness at the fact that she was actually accepting his company. He tried to cover up his conflicting emotions by talking, which soon turned to rambling. "I left my caravan in a cave back there. There's a hill that leads down into the gorge…actually, that's probably how you got your wagon down here, huh? I wasn't sure if you were blasting things with your magic, and Fritz gets really freaked out from fire, so…"
He stopped mid-sentence when he heard a sudden bang in the distance. The sound came from the base of the cliffs that lined the edge of the gorge several feet away, tucked behind a nook underneath a massive ledge that was protruding from the cliff above. Clyde squinted to get a closer look at the view, which was obscured by a large boulder and a wilted tree trunk. He could make out the back end of what appeared to be a carriage. A quick glimpse of someone dressed in red standing beside it caught his eye before disappearing behind the corner. Indecipherable muffled sounds and voices followed.
"Is someone else here?" Clyde asked, stepping forward to get a better look.
Marjorie, who had been ignoring him and continuing to stare down the gorge, suddenly straightened up from where she had been leaning on the boulder. Her eyes started to shine with excitement. "You'll find out in a minute."
Clyde followed her gaze straight ahead and saw someone approaching from the other end of the gorge; someone in a white dress dotted with blue and purple crystals, who seemed to be leaping along with bursts of magic, leaving a trail of ice behind her.
"E-Elsa?" Clyde stammered, the dread he had felt before suddenly resurfacing. He turned to Marjorie. "Did you ask her to meet you here?"
Marjorie ignored him and calmly walked forward to where Elsa had just landed on the ground from her last blast of magic. When she saw Marjorie coming towards her, she stopped using her magic and walked forward as well, glaring at Marjorie, who continued to smile placidly.
"I know this was a far distance for you to travel, but something told me you had a way of getting here sooner rather than later. So I waited patiently." Marjorie snapped her fingers, and the beacon of fire in the sky faded away.
Elsa faced her with detesting eyes. "I don't know what new 'proposition' you have for me, but I believe we made it clear in our last meeting that Arendelle is not interested in being a part of your alliance. That goes for the Enchanted Forest, too." When she saw that Marjorie wasn't responding and instead kept looking at her with a serene expression on her face, she continued. "I would also suggest that you reconsider your plans for conquest."
"I figured you'd say something like that." Marjorie finally replied, her voice as composed as her expression. "Which is exactly why I prepared this new proposition." She gazed off into the distance for a moment, as if remembering something profound. She turned back to Elsa, her composed smile slowly becoming more sinister. "You know, Elsa, you really should be careful about who you show your weaknesses to. Or, just be like me, and don't have any weaknesses to begin with."
"What are you trying to say, Marjorie?" Elsa demanded, struggling to keep her voice calm against the anger she felt seething inside of her.
"Show her, Wilhelm!" Marjorie yelled over her shoulder.
Clyde, who had been anxiously watching their exchange, gasped when he heard banging and scuffling sounds echoing in the empty gorge. They were coming from the same obscured area at the base of the cliffs where he had heard noise before. Wilhelm burst out into the open from behind the large boulder, forcefully pulling someone along with him, who was covered in a large, black tarp. They were trying hard to get away from his grasp, yanking forward and backward while he almost fell over as he dragged them with him. Alfonse hurried over to assist him. When they both had a firm grip, Wilhelm pulled the tarp off.
Anna squinted at the sudden rush of light in her eyes. When she saw Elsa, she made a stronger attempt to pull away, but Alfonse and Wilhelm kept overpowering her. She tried screaming as loud as she could, but the cloth gag in her mouth made her voice come out as an indecipherable muffle.
At the sight of her sister gagged and captured, Elsa's eyes widened in horror. She felt like her heart would burst through her throat as ice magic began to swirl around her hands. Before the thought even formed in her mind, she had already used the burst of magic to propel herself forward towards Anna. She was about to ready another blast when a towering wall of crimson flames erupted in front of her, blocking her path.
"I've got your attention now, huh?"
Elsa heard Marjorie's mocking voice from behind the fire. The flames parted for a moment, allowing Marjorie to walk through. Elsa felt herself shaking from both fear and anger, a million things she wanted to shout at Marjorie scrambling around in her head. But before she could form the words, Clyde spoke first.
"Marjorie…how could you?" He turned to his sister, his eyes wide in shock, his soft voice cracking.
"How? I'll tell you how," Marjorie replied to him, then turned to Elsa, making sure she was listening, too. "It was really quite easy. Alfonse and Wilhelm are so good at stealth missions. No surprise considering all their years of gathering intel from other kingdoms while keeping Dyrankia a secret. I simply had them take a few of my best guards and 'loiter' around Arendelle for a while. I thought they'd actually have to sneak into the kingdom to apprehend the little queen, but she made it easy for them and left herself all alone this morning! Then Marco delivered the letter to you, which I had prepared in advance, by the way, and at the same time another of my men returned to Dyrankia to let me know the mission was a success. Then they brought her here in that sturdy carriage we've got…and that's pretty much it."
When she finished, Marjorie put her hands behind her back and smiled proudly at Elsa, waiting for a response.
"Marjorie…this is…an act of war," Elsa struggled to voice her thoughts through clenched teeth and anger that was boiling into rage. "If you don't release her now…"
"Oh, I'm more than willing to release her," Marjorie replied. "If you'll take me up on my proposition–a duel."
"Duel?"
"Not with swords of course, but with magic…yours and mine, ice versus fire."
Clyde took a sheepish step in front of Marjorie. "Y-You're not…serious," he stuttered. She brushed him aside and kept her eyes fixed on Elsa.
"If you win," she began, "I promise I'll release your sister and you'll never hear from me again. But…" She waved her arm and the wall of flames disappeared, revealing that Alfonse and Wilhelm had since bound Anna to the tree trunk, using a rope that was tied around her wrists. They were guiding the horses harnessed to the carriage and wagon farther down the gorge, away from the soon-to-be duel arena. Anna repeatedly struggled to pull her arms free from around the tree, but the knot in the rope wouldn't budge.
"…if I win," Marjorie continued, holding out her hand as a flame began dancing in her palm, "you'll use your powers to help me make Dyrankia the most powerful kingdom of all."
Before Elsa could make a move, Marjorie hurled the now blazing fireball straight at her. Elsa summoned a blast of ice from her hands at the last second, using the momentum from the blast to launch herself out of the fireball's path. The fireball hit the chunk of ice that was left behind with a boom, creating a small crater where it hit the ground, instantly melting it into a puddle.
"Marjorie, don't do this," Clyde begged. He stepped in front of her again, but she pushed past him.
Elsa landed by the side of the cliff face that surrounded the gorge, readying more magic in her hands. She shot a strong burst of ice directly at Marjorie, who was already shooting off more fireballs. When the two magical attacks collided, the fireballs surged through the ice blast, dissolving it down the middle and continuing to streak towards Elsa. She jumped out of the way as they crashed into the side of the cliff with a deafening bang. The explosion caused the side of the cliff to shatter into numerous chunks of earth that started raining down from above Elsa. She struck each of them with her magic, encasing them in ice and blasting them out of the way before they landed on her.
"Not bad," Marjorie jeered, raising both her hands as more fire swirled around her palms. "But no matter what you do, fire will melt ice every time!"
She flung another fireball, this time aiming at a large boulder that was on the cliff above Elsa. It struck the cliff directly below the boulder, causing it to tumble down. With her other hand, Marjorie chucked a blast of fire magic at the boulder. The magic whirled around the whole surface of the boulder, causing it to fall towards the ground like a flaming meteorite. Elsa stumbled backwards in a panic, trying to shoot more ice at the fire boulder, only for it to melt before it even scraped the surface. She shot another burst of magic at the ground. The force slid her out of the way just as the boulder crashed down in an explosion of rocky shards and choking dust.
As she got to her feet, Elsa could hear Anna's repressed cries through the smoke. She took a moment to concentrate. Marjorie was right. Fire beats ice every time. But…
Suddenly, she thought back to Nokk standing in the river waiting for her, splashing the water with his hoof. She recalled what she had said to him before she left.
"I don't think it's a good idea to ice you. Marjorie might melt you…"
Then, an idea popped into her head.
She jumped out of the way as another blast of fire was thrown at her. She raised both her arms. Flurries of magic began circling in the air above her, forming a rapidly rotating sphere of snow that was growing bigger with each spin of magic.
"You can't keep dodging forever!" Marjorie taunted, tossing another fireball at her. "Just let me know when you're ready to give up."
Elsa kept one hand focused on the expanding snowball above and used her other hand to shoot off another blast of ice at the ground to propel her out of the way of the next fire attack. The snowball was now immense, almost large enough to cover the immediate area completely in snow. She raised both arms again, standing in a determined pose while facing Marjorie. Marjorie's brow furrowed when she saw the resolute smile on Elsa's face, but she quickly scoffed it off.
"You can make as much snow as you want, I'll just melt it!"
As flames gushed from Marjorie's hands again, Elsa threw her arms back and then forward as hard as she could, heaving the enormous snowball at Marjorie. Fire spewed from Marjorie's palms, soaring up into the sky towards the incoming snowball. As the intense heat from the fire reached the snowball, it promptly melted, turning it into an airborne pool of water that was plummeting to the ground. Before Marjorie realized what was happening, the water splashed down on top of her, knocking her off her feet, drenching her and the area all around her. She struggled to stand on the now wet and slippery ground, pulling away her sopping black hair from where it had been draped over her face from the force of the splash. She held out her hand to summon a flame, but only a couple of tiny embers popped out of her palm and immediately sizzled away.
"No…no, it's too wet," she muttered, fear starting to rise in her voice. She tried to wipe her hand on her dress, but her clothes were also soaked. Before she could fully stand up, Elsa shot a blast of ice at her. The ice pushed her towards the side of the gorge, encasing her body in a frozen hold and pinning her with only her head sticking out of the ice. Elsa then thrust herself over to Marjorie with another burst of magic and landed right in front of her.
"Alright, you win, you win, just get me out of here, it's really cold," Marjorie pleaded. She struggled to pull away from her icy prison, but only managed to move her head from side to side.
Elsa continued to glare at her. The anger she had felt before was still brewing inside her as magic kept pulsing from her fingertips. For a moment, she felt great satisfaction watching the arrogant Marjorie now whimpering and cowering before her. But that feeling started to fade when she noticed something else.
The fear in Marjorie's eyes.
It was the same fear she had seen in the eyes of the citizens of Arendelle the night of her coronation, when she had lost control of her magic. It was the same fear in Anna's eyes upon seeing her ice for the first time in the ballroom that night…the night she was called a "monster" by the Duke of Weselton. After she had stopped fearing her powers, she promised herself that she would never use them to harm others. She would never become the "monster" the Duke and Hans had implied that she could become. She would never have someone look at her with that fear again. As much as she despised Marjorie, attacking her now, while she was begging for mercy, would be stooping too low. That would be something a "monster" would do.
With this realization, she hesitated for a moment while Marjorie watched her anxiously. Then, she quickly raised her arm, magic whirling around her hand, ready to burst out. Marjorie closed her eyes tightly in a terrified flinch. But instead of aiming for Marjorie's head, Elsa shot the blast of ice right next to it. The ice made a clashing sound as it bored a hole in the side of the cliff. Marjorie shrieked at the sound, then slowly looked around in confusion when nothing hit her. She saw the spear of ice sticking out next to her and realized that Elsa hadn't meant for it to strike her, only to scare her.
"I'm leaving with my sister now," Elsa began. She was trying her best to sound threatening, a tone she wasn't used to. "You'd better leave us alone. That means Arendelle, and the Enchanted Forest…and every other kingdom."
Marjorie gulped and gave a short nod. Elsa waved her arms and the ice magic that Marjorie was encased in dissolved, sending her sliding down to the ground and landing brusquely on her bottom. Clyde, who had been watching the duel with his mouth hanging open in stunned silence, finally let out a sigh of relief.
"It's over. Thank goodness," he muttered. He hurried over to Marjorie, who had since stood up and was shaking the water off her hands and wiping her now fire-covered palm over her hair to dry it. A small fireball was forming in her other hand.
"Uh, don't feel bad about losing," Clyde said with a nervous laugh, trying not to sound too patronizing. He picked up the tip of Marjorie's dripping cape and attempted to wring it out. "But maybe you should take Elsa's advice and reconsider your whole 'conquering the world' plan. I've been trying to tell you all these years, it's overrated." He paused when he noticed that the fireball in Marjorie's hand was still swelling. "I don't think that's going to help your clothes much. We should just hang them out to dry when we get home."
He stopped talking when he saw that Marjorie had raised her arm high, the fireball now larger than before and gyrating with powerful magic. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead where Elsa was making her way towards Anna through the numerous chunks of rock that had been dispersed around the gorge from Marjorie's attacks. Marjorie shifted her gaze upward to the enormous protruding ledge that hung over the corner of the gorge right above where Anna was tied to the tree. Clyde felt a wave of apprehension rush over him as he watched Marjorie stare at the ledge, a devious smile spreading across her face.
"What are you…" he began. But before he could finish, Marjorie flung the blazing fireball. It zoomed through the sky above the gorge, plowing into the side of the ledge and out the other end, splitting the ledge in two. The relief in Anna's eyes upon seeing Elsa coming for her suddenly turned to terror when she looked up and saw the enormous chunk of earth plunging right towards her.
Elsa gasped, her heart racing upon realizing what had just happened. Without any time to think, she waved her arms straight down. Blasts of ice shot out and launched her towards the path of the falling ledge. While still in the air, she shot another blast of ice towards the tree Anna was tied to. It spread out like the folds of a tent, shielding the area around it in a giant canopy of ice. She landed on top of the canopy and immediately formed huge chunks of ice above her to catch the falling ledge. She braced herself as the ledge crashed down into the ice with an ear-splitting thud that rang down the gorge. She tensed every muscle in her arms as she forced more and more ice from her palms to hold up the agonizing weight of the ledge. She clenched her teeth and steadied her aching knees, pushing with all her might as pieces of ice broke off from the bulkiness of the ledge.
When she took a moment to look down, she saw Marjorie watching her with a gratified smile on her face.
"That's a fine situation you've put yourself in, Elsa."
From under the ice canopy, Anna maneuvered herself around the tree, trying to see what was going on outside, but the surrounding walls of ice only had a few openings at the bottom that were too narrow to see through. She could hear the cracking sound of rock shattering ice, Marjorie's taunting, then Clyde's shaking voice.
"Marjorie, this is going too far!" Clyde pleaded, tugging at Marjorie's arm. She pushed him aside and kept her eyes locked on Elsa. Her expression suddenly turned to one of disappointment.
"I was really hoping I didn't have to resort to this. But you should understand now." She pointed to the ice canopy. "Weaknesses, like how you feel about your sister…they're chains! Chains that prevent you from knowing true power." She held out her hand and another flame began rotating in her palm. "I have no chains, only power…and that's why I'm destined to rule all!"
Clyde looked on in horror, gasping as he moved toward Marjorie again before backing off, realizing nothing he could say would get through to her. He turned around and ran to where Alfonse and Wilhelm were calming the horses, who had been spooked by all the commotion.
"Al! Wil! You don't think what she's doing is right, do you?"
The two men looked at his imploring expression, but didn't answer right away. He continued, gesturing behind him towards Marjorie.
"A duel is one thing, but this…this is cruelty! You agree with me, right?"
Wilhelm looked away, his fair skin beginning to redden with shame. Alfonse also looked away and sighed. He returned his gaze to Clyde.
"Whether we agree or disagree doesn't matter. Queen Marjorie has the gift of fire, which means she will eventually lead our kingdom down the right path."
Clyde felt a sting of betrayal at hearing Alfonse's words. "You don't believe that," he said in a frustrated mutter. He turned around and headed back to where Elsa was still standing on top of the ice canopy, struggling to hold up her ice against the weight of the fallen ledge.
As Marjorie continued to look up at Elsa, her smug expression suddenly softened. "You don't really want to throw away your life, and that once-in-a-lifetime power you have, for trivial things, do you?" Her tone became admonishing while she raised her arm again, the flame in her hand now a churning fireball. "In three seconds, I'm going to throw this fireball. It will not tickle if it hits you. But that's plenty of time for you to get out of the way. Of course, if you do that, the ledge will certainly fall and crush the little queen down there."
"Marjorie, please!" Clyde pleaded with her again, pulling harder on her arm, but she yanked it out of his grasp.
"Will you stop sniveling, Clyde?" she snapped. "Sometimes things have to get done this way."
She turned back to Elsa, her eyes now shining as brightly as the fire in her hand, her tone still reproachful. "Elsa, you know that a queen of a kingdom can easily be replaced. But power like yours, and mine, is a rarity among rarities. Tell me you're not just going to throw it away!"
Elsa's mind was racing. She felt like her arms would break and her knees would collapse any second under the excruciating weight of the ledge. As the chunk of rock kept breaking through the layers of her ice, she had been constantly surging magic through her hands to create more and more ice to hold it up, but fatigue was starting to overcome her. She had to get the ledge out of the way fast.
"One."
Marjorie had begun counting. Elsa closed her eyes in concentration, summoning every ounce of strength and magic she had left.
"Two."
She could hear Anna's desperate, muffled cries below her. Her whole body suddenly jolted and she realized a deep crack had formed through the roof of the ice canopy, causing it to slip. There was no more time.
"Three!"
With an anguished cry, she stood up tall and thrust her arms as high as she could above her head. Massive torrents of ice surged through her hands like an upside-down waterfall. Just as Marjorie's fireball struck, the ice torrents pushed the ledge high into the sky before the forward momentum flung it off the top. It plummeted down several yards up the gorge, rumbling the earth with a deafening crash and a whirlwind of blinding dust. The torrents of ice toppled down immediately after, shattering against the side of the cliff and smashing down to the ground in countless shards and pieces.
Anna fell to her knees and steadied herself against the tree when she heard the bang of Marjorie's fireball, followed by the sounds of shattering ice and rock in the distance. She felt shards of ice pelt her as they rained down from the cracked roof of the ice canopy. When the noise finally quieted, she stood up and pulled against the rope that still bound her to the tree, trying again to see what was happening outside, but the walls of ice blocked her view.
Clyde slowly got to his feet from where he had ducked down in a panic upon hearing the crashing of the ledge falling to the ground. He turned to the side and saw Marjorie standing exactly where he had last seen her. She had a look of puzzled disbelief on her face, an expression he had never seen her display before.
"I don't believe it," she mumbled to herself. "After all that I said, she just stayed there and took it."
As Clyde followed her gaze to where she was staring down the gorge, he felt his legs begin to tremble and his heart begin to pound in his ears. He saw Elsa lying on her side among the pieces of broken boulders and scattered ice fragments that littered the ground. He tried desperately to swallow the knot that was forming in his throat. Her eyes were closed. She wasn't moving. Was she dead…or just unconscious? He hoped it was the latter, but his mind kept telling him that Marjorie definitely intended to kill.
"That is a terrible shame." Marjorie's lamenting voice shook him out of his petrified stupor. "That amazing, irreplaceable power…gone. Well, I guess that proves what I've always thought. Power means nothing if the bearer of it refuses to realize its potential."
Clyde urged his trembling legs forward. A few shaky steps finally turned into a run that carried him across the gorge. He knelt down beside Elsa and gently turned her on her back. He felt his heart in his throat when she remained unresponsive to his touch. But suddenly, a wave of relief rushed over him when he moved his hand above her face and felt short breaths coming from her partially opened lips.
"S-She's alive!" he gasped, louder than he intended.
"WHAT!?"
Marjorie's enraged scream echoed through the gorge. Clyde looked behind him and saw her rushing over in long, angry strides, a fireball already blazing in one of her hands. He stumbled to his feet and jumped in front of her.
"W-What are you doing?" he stammered. She brushed passed him.
"No one survives my attack! She just got lucky." She glared down at Elsa and raised her fireball hand.
"Marjorie, no!" Clyde cried. He lunged forward and pushed her arm upward just as the fireball shot out from her palm. It soared across the gorge before exploding upon impact with a cliff edge in the distance. Clyde breathed a sigh of relief as he watched it fizzle away against the cliff.
"What are you doing, Clyde?" Marjorie fumed, grabbing Clyde's arm and jerking him to the side.
"Y-You said this was a duel." He tried to keep his composure despite his pounding heart and his knees still shaking. "It's over now, so let's just end it here, without anyone being killed…okay?"
Marjorie regarded his words for a moment. Then, her furious expression changed to pity.
"Oh, my poor, naïve, little brother." She threw her arm around his neck and pulled him close, pinching his cheek with her other hand. "You really don't get it. After me, Elsa's the most powerful person alive. And if she's not part of my alliance, that makes her Dyrankia's biggest threat. And threats must be dealt with no matter what."
Clyde pulled away from her grip and stood firmly in front of her again. Marjorie's face became cross as she continued her tirade.
"I gave Elsa more than enough chances to figure out how she's letting her powers go to waste. But instead, she just threw it all away to save her sister, who I'm eventually going to kill, by the way. So in the end, her sacrifice was completely pointless! Argh, it makes me so mad!"
"You promised you'd leave them alone if Elsa won the duel." Clyde's voice began to crack. Fear had always prevented him from arguing with Marjorie for very long. But at this moment, emotions he had never felt before were spurring him on.
"And who's the one still standing?" Marjorie shot back.
"Elsa won…until you cheated."
"Oh, now you decide to act tough…when it's for the wrong reason!"
Marjorie paused after those words while Clyde kept watching her with every muscle tense, waiting for the moment he stepped too far out of line and she'd do something drastic to him. But instead, her expression calmed and she gave a resigned sigh.
"Well, as long as you're choosing this time to act like a man for once in your life, let's make use of that. Wilhelm, bring the wagon over here!"
She called over her shoulder, and Wilhelm began guiding the skittish horse tied to the wagon across the gorge towards Marjorie. She hurried over and rummaged through the back of the wagon while Clyde looked on, a mixture of both curiosity and concern on his sweaty face.
"Ah, this one was Father's. It'll do." Marjorie pulled what appeared to be the wooden handle of a long weapon from the bottom of the wagon, its top covered in a worn sheath. Before Clyde could piece together what Marjorie was planning, she strutted over to him and shoved the weapon into his hands. He clumsily grabbed it while she pulled off the sheath, revealing the glinting, sharp blade of a halberd.
"I know you've been a bit…'slow' when it comes to being assertive…the kind of assertive a ruler needs to be." She began speaking to him in a cooing, almost understanding voice that he had never heard before. "Perhaps Father gave up on you too fast. I mean, he wasn't kidding when he said you're more likely to kill yourself in battle than the enemy. But maybe you just needed more time."
She put her hands on his shoulders and began scooting him forward. Clyde felt another knot form in his throat when they stopped right in front of Elsa. Marjorie began rubbing his shoulders with her hands in a tender yet uncomfortable way. "Let's get that tough, manly side of you out right here, right now…I'll let you finish her off."
"W-What?" Clyde's voice barely came out as a whisper. Marjorie backed off a few steps, her tone now commanding and stern.
"If you do that–kill an enemy of Dyrankia–I'll take back everything bad I said about you and you'll have my utmost respect. I'll even let you in on our kingdom's master plan. But…" Her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered. "…if you don't do it, I'll have no choice but to consider it an act of treason against Dyrankia. And you know how I deal with that."
Clyde froze. He could feel his legs stiffen and his palms sweating as he gripped the halberd. He could hear Marjorie walking behind him, but his body was too tense to turn around.
"I know you're an absolute incompetent when it comes to battle," Marjorie continued. "But surely you'll have no trouble taking down an opponent who can't fight back." She began heading to the other side of the gorge. "And just to show you how much I trust you, I'll let you do the deed in private. No pressure."
She snapped her fingers towards Alfonse and Wilhelm, who were standing like statues with stumped looks on their faces. "Alfonse! Wilhelm! Get the horses ready. We're leaving."
"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Alfonse asked. He rushed over to her from where he had been waiting with the carriage and whispered, "I don't think he'll do it. He doesn't have the guts."
"I trust him," Marjorie said, speaking loud enough for Clyde to hear. She approached the ice canopy where Wilhelm was looking it over with uncertainty.
"What about the queen?" he asked.
"Keep her alive, for now. She needs to see this." Marjorie pressed her hand on the wall of ice. On the other side, Anna jumped back in surprise as fire instantly spread over the wall, melting it into plump drops of water that fell to the ground. When she saw Marjorie standing before her, she felt a surge of rage course through her body. She charged at Marjorie, pulling as hard as she could against the ropes that still bound her arms to the tree. Startled, Marjorie stepped back before quickly regaining her composure.
"Hey, calm down now," she chided. "And take a good look over there." She shot off another fireball at a chunk of cliff that had fallen on the ground in front of the ice canopy and was blocking Anna's view of the gorge. The blast shattered the chunk into tiny pieces, allowing Anna to see the scene before her.
At the sight of Clyde standing over Elsa with the halberd in his hands, Anna felt her heart beating out of her chest. She lunged forward again, the branches of the tree shaking against the force. She tried to scream down the gorge, but the gag continued to make her cries muffled.
"Don't feel so bad," Marjorie jeered as she sauntered back to the wagon. "Feel honored, for you're the first to witness what happens to those who stand against the most powerful kingdom of all!"
She climbed into the wagon and waved a commanding hand at Alfonse, who was already sitting inside with the reins in his hand. He flicked the reins and the wagon began moving down the gorge, followed closely by Wilhelm driving the carriage. Marjorie called out to Clyde as they passed him.
"I'll see you later, little brother. Don't stay out too late."
Clyde feebly lifted his head as he watched the two horse-drawn vehicles grow smaller in the distance before they turned the corner towards the hill that led out of the gorge. His whole body felt numb as he stood on wobbly knees, clutching the handle of the halberd against his chest as tightly as he could. He felt that if he moved an inch, the halberd would fall from his sweaty grip and strike its target. He wanted to back away, but indecision kept his feet rooted to the ground. He could hear Anna repeatedly cry out behind him. Even though he couldn't make out her words, he knew she was screaming Elsa's name. He took a deep breath and tried to focus.
If he did what Marjorie asked, just this once, she would respect him…let him become a part of his kingdom's path to glory. That's what he always wanted, wasn't it? He made an attempt to convince himself, but it was immediately shattered by the thought of what he had to do to achieve it. Killing went against every fiber of his being, everything he stood for during his years of researching medicine. He wanted the love of his sister and the respect of his kingdom, but he knew deep down that it was too late. He could never agree with Marjorie's way of doing things. This was only the first of many unmendable disagreements they would have. So let it end now, without him committing an atrocity for a future that won't last. He knew there was no going back after this, but once he came to that realization, a refreshing wave of relief washed over him.
He took a few steps back, slowly lowered his arms, and dropped the halberd to the side. He stood still for a moment as his pounding heart finally started to slow down. He turned around and rushed over to Anna, who was watching him with teary but relieved eyes. When he got close to the tree she was tied to, he reached into the sheath on his belt and pulled out a knife.
"I'll get you out of there." He began cutting the rope around her wrists with the knife until the knots loosened and split apart. Anna brushed off the remaining strands of rope, pulled the cloth gag out of her mouth, then ran out into the gorge. She collapsed onto her knees beside Elsa.
"Elsa…" Her voice came out a hoarse whisper from all the strain she had put on it trying to scream through the gag. She ran her hand along Elsa's pale face. A short gasp escaped her lips when she noticed that Elsa began to stir. With a low moan, Elsa slowly turned her head and opened her eyes. When she saw Anna's tear-stained face staring down at her, she quickly pulled herself into a sitting position.
"Anna!"
Anna wanted to reply, but gasps of relief and sobs that were still lingering continued to wrack her body. Instead, she threw her arms around Elsa and pulled her into a tight hug. Elsa returned her embrace, holding Anna close and nestling her face in her shoulder.
Clyde watched them from a short distance away. Even though he still felt wobbly and lightheaded from everything that had happened, he couldn't help but smile at the sisters' tender moment. It dawned on him that such a genuine display of affection was so rare for him to see.
Suddenly, Elsa drew away from hugging Anna and clenched both her hands against her body, clutching her side with a groan of pain. She started to fall back to the ground, but Anna grabbed her and lifted her up.
"Elsa, what's wrong?" She leaned Elsa against her body, then let out a startled cry when she saw smears of blood right above where Elsa was grasping her side. "You're injured!" she exclaimed, panic starting to shake her voice.
"No…it's okay…" Elsa replied in painful breaths. "W-Where's Marjorie?"
"Don't worry, she left," Anna said, still staring intently at Elsa's injury. Elsa moved one of her hands away from her body as ice magic began to coat her palm.
"I'll just cover it in ice for now."
"No, don't do that."
Elsa put her hand down when she saw Clyde step into her view.
"I have something that will help," he said. "It's one of my best medicines. It's in my caravan. I have it in a cave nearby."
"Really?" Anna asked, her heart swelling with hope.
Clyde nodded. "Let me get it, I'll be right back."
Anna watched him sprint down the gorge. She turned back to Elsa, who was still leaning against her, panting and wincing. Anna shifted her position to sitting on the ground instead of on her knees, lowering Elsa into her lap. Elsa looked up at her with a weak smile.
"Anna…are you okay?"
Anna nodded as tears brimmed in her eyes. "It's my fault," she cried, sobs breaking up her words. "I thought for sure she would attack Arendelle. That's why I wanted Mattias and everyone to stay. I didn't think…she'd target me."
"There's no way you could have known her plan." Elsa's tone was soothing. "I would have done the same thing."
Anna tried to blink away the tears that were cascading down her face. "I should have thought of everything. If I'd just been more careful, maybe this wouldn't have happened. I'm so sorry."
"You don't have to apologize," Elsa replied through labored breaths. "This pain is nothing compared to everything you've been through…because of me."
Despite the constant sniffles and whimpers rising in her throat, Anna managed to return Elsa's smile. She then turned her head when she heard a clomping sound from across the gorge. She saw Clyde leading a nervous Fritz towards them. The wheels of the caravan made a scraping noise as they rode over the gravelly ground. Fritz darted his head back and forth, his anxious eyes scanning every inch of the gorge and cliffs.
"It's okay, Fritz. I know it was noisy, but it's safe now." Clyde patted the ox on the neck as he parked the caravan a few feet away from Anna and Elsa. He opened the door and pushed it as far as it could go so that it stayed open. He then rushed inside and grabbed a match from a small jar on top of the table in the corner and lit a lantern hanging from the shelf above. The interior of the caravan was immediately illuminated in a warm, gentle light. He reached towards the curtains on the side window and pulled them open to let in the remaining daylight before hurrying back outside.
Elsa tried to sit up, but the movement caused a sharp pain from her injury to shoot through her body, forcing her to sink down. As Anna pulled her into her lap again, she could feel Elsa become limp in her arms as her consciousness faded. Clyde hurried over and knelt down beside them. Together, they carried Elsa into the caravan and laid her down on the pile of pelts and quilts. Anna gently rested Elsa's head on one of the velvet pillows and straightened out the disheveled folds of her cape. She then slid down to sit on the edge of the floor bed, her sobs finally beginning to subside. She tried to stifle a few more tears when she noticed the singe marks on Elsa's usually pristine white dress. She could feel Elsa's severe exhaustion behind her closed eyes, and her chest, that was slowly rising and falling with shallow breaths. Anna swallowed the lump in her throat and placed her hand on top of Elsa's, giving it a gentle squeeze. As her gaze drifted downward, she cringed and quickly averted her eyes when she saw the red stains on Elsa's waist.
"She's going to be okay, don't worry."
Anna looked towards Clyde's reassuring voice and saw that he was standing at the wooden counter on the other end of the caravan, grabbing various objects from the cabinets and crates and putting them into a large bowl he was holding. Among them, she could see bandages, rags, and a glass jar about a quarter full of a light brown liquid. With his other hand, he flipped through the pages of a notebook that lay open on the counter. His eyes quickly scanned the pages, then looked back at the jar of liquid. "Yes, this should be just enough," he whispered to himself. He carried the bowl over to the floor bed and knelt down beside it. He put the bowl down and took out the jar of liquid.
"Out of all the medicines I've discovered, the healing properties of this one are unmatched. I call it 'Fate's Mercy.'" He pulled the lid off the jar and Anna suddenly felt a tingling, almost stinging feeling in her nose. She realized it was coming from the smell of the medicine.
"It smells really strong," she said with a sniffle.
"Oh yes, it's very potent." Clyde poured the liquid over Elsa's wound, dabbing it with one of the rags. "That's why it works so well. It's good that she's unconscious though, because the burning sensation is quite unbearable."
He paused for a moment when he noticed something glistening on the bed, seemingly tucked under Elsa's back. "What's this?"
He reached towards it and pulled out an object that was solid and cold as ice. It appeared to be a broken, transparent fragment of Elsa's ice, but it was curved in the middle, as if it was meant to adhere to the side of her body like a sash. Below the sharp tips of the shattered fragment, numerous cracks could be seen. As Clyde gripped it tighter in his hand, it began breaking off into tiny shards that fell to the floor.
"That's how she survived the attack…" he muttered slowly as realization hit him.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
"Right before Marjorie's attack struck her, she must have formed this ice around her body like armor, to cushion the blow. The rest of it must have gotten destroyed, but somehow this piece remained." His eyes were wide with awe while he placed the crumbling ice fragment on the floor. "I can't believe she was able to do that at the same time she made all that ice to push the broken ledge away. That's some incredible quick-thinking…and magic."
"I know, she's amazing." Anna smiled down at Elsa while stroking her arm. She looked back at Clyde and noticed that he had taken out a needle and bandages from the bowl. For the next few minutes, she watched him meticulously treat Elsa with an unwavering, determined expression on his face. Finally, she spoke again.
"Clyde?"
He turned to her. "Yes?"
"Thank you."
Clyde sighed and his expression fell into a glower. "I don't deserve thanks."
"Of course you do," Anna replied, trying her best to sound comforting. "I couldn't see what was going on, but I could hear it. I know Marjorie would have definitely killed Elsa if you hadn't intervened. And me, too."
"But I shouldn't have let it get this far!" Clyde exclaimed. His voice cracked at the sudden burst of emotion. "All these years I've never agreed with anything Marjorie's done, but I never tried to stop her, either. I'm a coward." He bit his lip, clenching the bandages that he was placing back in the bowl.
"She's not exactly an easy person to stand up to." Anna continued her encouragement.
Clyde thought for a moment as he picked up the empty medicine jar. "Maybe that's why I took up an interest in being a doctor. I wanted to spend my life helping people, to compensate for all the terrible things Marjorie does. It was my cowardly way of atoning."
After he placed the items back in the bowl, he sat with his hands on his knees, looking dejectedly at the scratched, wooden floor of the caravan. "Even though I've known for a long time that Marjorie and I could never get along…" He slowly raised his head and looked at Anna. She could see a thin layer of tears clouding his eyes. "…a small, naïve part of me still wanted to believe that somehow, someday, she would look at me with just a fraction of the love that you and Elsa share."
Anna regarded the weight of his words and the expression of dismal resignation on his face. She took a minute to consider her response.
"Elsa and I had to work really hard for our relationship. But in the end, it was worth it," she began, her voice soft as she squeezed Elsa's hand a little tighter. Her tone then grew more serious. "But I've also learned that sometimes, just because someone is family, doesn't necessarily mean they're as good as you want to believe they are."
She noticed Clyde staring at her in stunned interest, as if he'd never heard such a concept before. After a brief pause, she continued. "My whole life I thought my grandfather was a great man, a hero of Arendelle. But then I found out the truth–that he instigated the war with the Northuldra. He was a traitor to everyone."
"I see. Maybe it's the same with Marjorie," Clyde murmured, the depth of what Anna was saying sinking in. He grabbed the bowl from the floor and got to his feet. "Perhaps I will leave Dyrankia, spend some time stocking up on all my medicines…well, except for Fate's Mercy." He eyed the empty jar in the bowl.
"You mean, you can't get more of that one? You used it all up…for us?" Concern and guilt were ringing in Anna's voice.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," Clyde said, shaking his head reassuringly. "It's just that there's one ingredient I can't get. It can only be found in the Enchanted Forest, and a magical mist has been covering…" He stopped mid-sentence. A sudden realization emerged in his mind. "Wait, isn't the Enchanted Forest where Elsa lives? That means the mist is gone, right?" He looked to Anna, seeking confirmation. She nodded.
"It's been gone for months now."
"I don't believe it." Clyde's drained face began to glow, and his tired voice suddenly started resounding with excitement. "I can finally get more lichen! I think the magic from the Enchanted Forest might be why the lichen there have such strong healing properties, especially when mixed with the other ingredients. Fate's Mercy can help so many people! The only reason I was able to get some lichen was because I came across this wandering tradesman who had managed to acquire it before the mist blocked off the forest. Apparently, the lichen stays good for years if kept in…" He stopped, realizing how long his response was going on. "Oh, sorry, I'm rambling again." Anna couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
Clyde walked to the counter and placed the bowl on top, then turned back to Anna. "I'll give you a ride back to Arendelle."
A worried expression spread across Anna's face. "You should come with us. If Marjorie finds out that you didn't kill Elsa…"
"No, this is my problem. I can't just keep running away, or risk putting Arendelle in danger," Clyde insisted, his fists clenching. Then, an idea suddenly formed in his mind. "Actually, maybe I can help. Marjorie said she'd let me in on the kingdom's plan if I obeyed her. I can pretend that I did and see if I can find out exactly what she intends to do. Then I'll get the information back to Arendelle as soon as I can."
Anna hesitated, not fully convinced that things would go that smoothly. Finally, she agreed. "Well, okay. But be careful. The troll's magic didn't show us much, but what we did see looked really bad."
Upon hearing the word "trolls," Clyde again felt as if a long-forgotten memory was trying to crawl to the surface of his mind. "Trolls…" he whispered, not realizing he had said the word out loud. Puzzled, Anna watched him stand still and close his eyes tightly. He tried to will the memory into revealing itself, but the fatigue he was feeling from the day's events quickly broke his focus. He decided not to pursue it further and instead headed to the other side of the caravan. He picked up a woolen blanket that was hanging over the stool in the corner. He held it out to Anna.
"It'll be a while before we reach Arendelle. Why don't you try and get some sleep? You must be tired."
"Thank you. Yeah, I am pretty tired." As Anna took the blanket from him, she could feel a heavy wave of exhaustion pressing down on her. Now that the tension from everything that had happened was subsiding, she realized how completely exhausted she felt from the lack of sleep she'd had the night before and all the emotional distress of the day. She began straightening out the blanket, then had a thought and turned back to Clyde. "What about you? You must be tired, too."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Clyde replied, trying his best to sound energetic. "I know it was a rough day today, but for some reason I feel…refreshed." He stopped short, realizing he should clarify. "Not that I mean what happened was good or anything, of course not, but…watching you and Elsa today…it made me happy…" He kept his gaze on Anna. She noticed that even though his tone was solemn, there was an extraordinary expression of sincerity and gratitude on his face. "After being surrounded by insults and lies my whole life, it made me happy to know that such selfless love can exist in the world."
His earnest words touched Anna, and she gave him a final smile before he stepped out of the caravan.
The pale gray of the evening sky had faded into the darkness of night as Fritz began plodding along the lush fields, towing the caravan behind him. Clyde sat in the wooden seat attached to the front, gripping the ox's reins and staring vacantly ahead. His mind repeatedly went over everything that had been said and done that day. He turned his head and glanced through the thin window behind him. Anna had fallen asleep immediately after they had left and was now sprawled out on the floor bed, snuggled next to Elsa with the blanket draped over them. Clyde could hear light, steady snores rising from her chest. He faced the front of the caravan again and noticed a sea of stars twinkling in the sky above. Thoughts of his kingdom's fate, his severed ties with Marjorie, and his own future dreams swirled around like a vortex in his head as the caravan continued to trudge along on the path towards Arendelle.