The Ice Behind Bars
Chapter XXXI: The Silenced Queen of Arendelle
Finally, after having enough fun with the animals, Elsa calmed down and allowed Anna and the others to walk her out of the barn, but not before she waved goodbye excitedly at Sven and every single horse in the barn.
"You know…" Aiden started, "I'm hungry." He said as he clutched his stomach.
"And I have to go after a while. I have work in the barracks." Flynn informed.
"Don't worry, we'll spend the day with Elsa." Anna assured while pointing at herself and Rapunzel.
"Well, Louis has probably prepared lunch. How about we all eat together before we part our ways?" Rapunzel suggested with a smile.
"Okay, then." Anna agreed as she clasped her hands, "And then Elsa will be busy." Anna said with a smirk.
"Busy with what?" Kristoff asked curiously.
"With school!" Anna said and started giggling, "I'll be the one to tutor her!" Anna said pointing at herself proudly with her thumb.
Aiden stifled a laugh, "Y-You?!" He barked out a laugh, "Do you even remember anything of what they taught us when we were little?"
"Hey! I remember Mr. Green very well!" Anna said while poking him with a finger.
"I still can't forget how he used to rip his hair out because of you." Rapunzel said and started to laugh.
"Hey! It's not my fault that I'm a slow learner!" Anna said with a pout.
"A very… Slow learner." Flynn mocked.
Anna glared at her friends before she turned to Elsa with a puppy-face, "Do you think I'm a brainiac?" She asked and batted her eyelashes.
Elsa looked at her with an uncertain smile, not knowing what she meant by 'Brainiac'. "Uh…" She was suddenly brought to attention when she tilted her head to see that Rapunzel and the others were waving at her to grab her attention from behind Anna's back. They were waving, shaking their head, mouthing 'No' or shaking their hands on their neck in a disagreement gesture. "U-Uhhh…" She distractingly voiced as she stared at the thieves and Kristoff in confusion.
Anna saw how Elsa was looking at something behind her so she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and quickly turned to see what it was, but she only saw her friends acting casually; Rapunzel looking at her nails, Aiden whistling a tune, Flynn trying to stifle a smirk as he folded his hands behind his back, and Kristoff crossing his arms and playing in the dirt with his foot as if all of them were innocent. "Hm…?" Anna hummed then shrugged her shoulders at herself and turned to Elsa again. "So!... Whatdya say?!" She asked her excitedly.
Elsa gave her an unsure, nervous smile. Rapunzel and the others were telling her 'No'. Did that mean that Brainiac was a bad thing? Unfortunately, Elsa didn't know that Brainiac meant Genius. "Uh… No?" She awkwardly said.
Anna's face fell, "Oh…" She said a bit sadly.
Elsa's eyebrows furrowed in worry. Wasn't 'No' supposed to make Anna happy?
Rapunzel and the others started to laugh. "See?! Even Elsa agrees." Rapunzel joked and didn't realize that their prank was too rude since poor Anna was taking it seriously.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Very funny, guys." Anna said with a frown.
Elsa was now feeling really bad for making Anna sad. She could already sense the girl's heartbreak. "Anna?" She called as she grabbed Anna from her dress and made the redhead turn to face her.
Anna stared at those worried cyan eyes and she couldn't help but smile reassuringly, "Don't worry, Elsa. It's nothing. They are just annoying sometimes." Anna said and waved her hands towards her friends.
"We are smarter, thank you very much!" Flynn said and puffed his chest. He leaned closer to Rapunzel, "Well, let's just hope Elsa's not the same." He whispered, "Oof!" He received an elbow to his stomach from his girlfriend.
As they laughed, Anna lowered her head a bit. Elsa only dared to glare at Rapunzel and silenced her.
Seeing Elsa's face made them all stop laughing and froze, feeling really scolded by the look that Elsa gave off. Oh my god… That face. Rapunzel thought and they all folded their hands behind their back and lowered their heads like guilty, scolded children.
Elsa then looked back at Anna and smiled sadly. She lifted Anna's chin up with her wrist and made her look into her eyes, "But I trust you." She said fondly and made sure she said the 'You' in a tone that meant 'Only you. Not them.'
Anna's face suddenly lit up and she quickly turned to her friends, "In your face!" She shouted at them by changing her voice to manly tone. "Elsa. Trusts. Me!" She said with her normal voice and linked her arm with Elsa's and pointed at herself.
"Okay, okay, you earn credits for that." Rapunzel said as she giggled.
Elsa smiled fondly at the redhead next to her whom was bragging about gaining her trust.
Aiden's stomach suddenly growled and he turned red from embarrassment.
"Wow there, Oafy. Can you tell your stomach to stop singing?" Anna teased.
"Hey! That's not my fault. I'm just hungry!" He said pleadingly.
"Well, let's go have lunch before he start eating us all." Flynn mocked and received a frown from Aiden.
Anna turned her head to look at Elsa, "How about we have lunch with everyone, Elsa?" She asked with a smile.
Elsa's eyes widened a bit, "E-Everyone?" She replied, uncertain. She knew what she meant by 'Everyone' and she wasn't feeling relaxed at all now.
"Don't worry, they won't bite! They'll be focusing on biting their food, Elsa." Anna assured with a humored voice. "It will be in the dining hall! Everyone will be there! Come on!... Pleaseee!" She pleaded as she shook Elsa's arm, begging her to accept.
Elsa gulped. The whole guild would be there no doubt. Too much people! Too much strangers! Too much MEN! Would Anna be able to handle them all and keep them away from her if they decided to hurt her? "I… I-I don't know, Anna." Elsa said, shaking her head.
"Aww, come on! It will be okay! I promise." Anna assured.
"Don't worry, Elsa." Aiden started, "We'll keep you safe." He promised and pointed at himself, Flynn and Kristoff.
Elsa looked at Anna worriedly and Anna gave her a reassuring smile and then a nod. Elsa then nodded, "O-Okay."
Oh boy…
The door of the dining hall suddenly opened and Elsa gasped aloud in horror at the scene. The loud sounds and voices of probably forty people rang in Elsa's ears. The room was in chaos! People were coming and going to tables, bringing plates of food and cups of either wine or water. Some were laughing and talking to each other loudly and some were filling their plates with random food. There were long tables every three meters and each table was crowded with people. "Garcon! Table for six!" Flynn shouted as he held the door open for his friends.
The room turned utterly silent with an unnatural speed and everyone turned to look at the new attendances. Albeit all the wide eyes were on Elsa.
Elsa's shoulders lifted and she quickly turned to leave but Anna was right behind her and she stopped her, "Oh no, you won't." She chastised and gently placed her hands on Elsa's shoulder and turned her again to face the people.
When the door opened, Tyler sneered at Elsa's sight as he sat on their private table with Brandon and Aphrodite.
Aphrodite had her hood down and she was eating peacefully while she distracted herself with the letters in her hands. Luckily to her, people were coming and going and Elsa didn't witness her.
Brandon's eyes were wide with worry and he elbowed her, wanting to tell her to put the hood on since her daughters were suddenly present.
Aphrodite was suddenly elbowed by Brandon, "Mm…" She hummed in acknowledgment as she ate and read the letters in her hands.
Aphrodite felt another harder nudge, "Mm…!" She hummed a bit angrily but her eyes were still on the paper in her hands and she couldn't speak with a mouth full. She felt another, much harder nudge and she had it, "WHAT!?" She snapped angrily and was surprised when the whole room turned silent.
Brandon pointed behind her. Her glare turned to a confused look and she followed his finger to look behind her and her eyes went wide that Brandon swore they would have popped out.
Aphrodite nearly choked on her food as she coughed and quickly put on the hood while Brandon patted her back to help her stop choking.
Elsa eyed every single person's expression towards her. Some were giving her welcoming and sympathetic smiles and some were muttering angry things under their breath and giving her frowns.
Flynn moved to stand in front of Elsa while Anna and Rapunzel stood at her side and Kristoff and Aiden behind, leaving Elsa protectively in the middle. Yet Elsa was still standing still and watching everyone fearfully.
Anna then gave her a gentle push to the back, beckoning her to move forward and follow Flynn.
As they walked towards an empty table, Elsa could already feel everyone's eyes piercing her back and she couldn't get any more nervous. She just wrapped her arms around herself as she allowed Anna and the others to guide her to the table.
Aphrodite watched her nervous daughter and she couldn't help but smile sympathetically. Oh Elsa… Don't be scared. She then heard a cough from Brandon and she turned to him with a confused face.
He quickly pointed at her bandaged hands.
Aphrodite's eyes grew wide, "Gloves!" She urgently said as Brandon lent her his gloves. She didn't want Elsa to see that her hands were bandages due to frostbite in which of course Elsa would blame herself, and Aphrodite didn't want that. As she put on Brandon's gloves, they looked awkward at her since Brandon had big, rough hands, but instead she had slender and small ones. She heard him chuckle slightly and she sent him a death glare that quickly silenced him.
He held his hands defensively as he tried to stop chuckling, "S-Sorry… They just… Look funny on you." He whispered and Aphrodite rolled her eyes and quickly turned her head to hide her own grin and to observe Elsa. Buffoon… She thought at Brandon. As she looked at Elsa's face though, she felt sad again. Elsa looked so afraid. Aphrodite sighed sadly. Her own daughter has been victimized by a terrible wrong. During her childhood, the time she was most vulnerable, instead of being protected, helped and comforted, she was abused. The age when you teach a child to trust people. The worse part that Elsa was abused by someone who should have been trustworthy- A family member. Her own father was the criminal! Instead of being protected she was isolated and violated; Treated with malice.
Now, Aphrodite was wondering if recovery was ever possible for Elsa. She just had to hope. She had to! She already knew she couldn't just snap her fingers and make everything all better for her. She had to give Elsa as much time as her daughter needed. You're not alone, Elsa… There is still hope. Don't be scared. Oh how much she wanted to tell these words to her daughter aloud instead of to herself. How much she wanted to apologize for leaving her alone with that… Devil. But words could never cover up over what Elsa has been through all these years. Aphrodite had hope for Elsa, but no hope for herself. Never too late.
Walking to the table, Elsa made sure her head was lowered. Though, her eyes were still hovering over the faces of everyone. Her eyes then met a woman's and the woman quickly and fearfully looked away. Elsa felt utterly ashamed. After that, her eyes met another man's and the man glared at her and mumbled something and she knew it carried hate. Elsa now felt utterly afraid and it was her turn to quickly look away by cowering a bit and tried her best to avoid the people's judging eyes. She finally decided to keep her eyes on her feet, feeling hated.
As they finally arrived and sat around the table, she could still feel everyone's eyes on her and she wasn't comfortable at all. She wanted to run right back inside her room, but of course Anna wouldn't allow it. Elsa sat, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. She felt a warm and gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to see Anna seated next to her and smiling reassuringly at her.
"We'll go fetch the meals." Flynn announced as he motioned for Aiden to follow.
Strangely, the room was still silent as everyone watched The Ice Princess.
Anna looked around at everyone, "Uhm… Well this is awkward." She said as she giggled a bit, starting to feel nervous herself.
"I know, right?" Rapunzel said as she was seated on the other side of Elsa and looked around at the eyes that looked towards them.
Aphrodite watched how everyone were staring at her daughter and making her uncomfortable. She suddenly felt frustrated and angered since some also dared to glare at Elsa. She just wanted her daughter to eat in peace and those pesky and obnoxious people were making her daughter uneasy and even afraid. She glared at the people who were close to her enough to see her intimidating look and when they noticed her glare they quickly understood and quickly turned away from Elsa and back to their meal. Aphrodite though, still had about thirty people to stop them from annoying Elsa. She had a simple idea that would definitely work. She groaned in frustration, smashed her cup on the table and without a word, she stood, gathered her things, held her plate, made sure her hood was good and moved to sit with her daughters. She already knew that no one in this fort would dare look towards The Stern and Cold Leanna. She approached her daughters' table and everyone's eyes were on her now, even Elsa's amazed wide ones, and Anna and the others' confused ones, and the only thing heard inside the hall were her echoing and calm footsteps.
She sat gracefully at the end of the table, next to Kristoff. Without saying a word, she made herself comfortable and she had to do one last simple thing. She lifted her head to see who still dare to look towards Elsa and when everyone saw her lift her head to definitely glare at them, they all quickly turned and continued what they were doing minutes ago and now the room was noisy and busy all over again as everyone went back to their business.
Anna chuckled at her mother, "Thank… You!" She said gratefully and dramatically, "I thought they would never remove their eyes off of us." Or probably Elsa.
Brandon shook his head in amusement at the mother from the far end of the room. Crazy woman…
With an expressionless and cold face, Aphrodite went back to her letters and even though she was boiling worries and nervousness on the inside, she acted all casual as she took a sip from her drink. She was a trained Queen. She had learned to master Acting after all those years of royal training. "There's nothing wrong if I want to sit with my daughter."
Correction? Daughters. No doubt.
Aphrodite busied herself with the letter in her hand. Keep it cool… Don't freak out… She can't see your face as long as you keep the hood checked. She took a quick peek at Elsa and noticed that her daughter's face was finally starting to heal from the bruises but what concerned her was that stubborn slash scar on Elsa's eyebrow. She felt grateful that whatever made that scar didn't injure Elsa's eye, but she felt her heart break and she knew that this scar won't go away and would stay up there to warp her daughter's eyebrow and to taunt her. She lowered her eyes again and forced herself not to cry in front of everyone.
Elsa watched Leanna, the one who called her a monster, who was now her savior. She didn't know why she wasn't afraid of Leanna. Something about this woman was strangely familiar. But what? In her presence, she felt weirdly… Safe? Yet this hood was killing her. It hid the woman's eyes completely.
"Well that's strange, since you never sat with us before. What's that sudden mother-daughter love?" Anna said with a smirk.
Rapunzel was watching Kristoff while trying to stifle a smile since the man was nervous sitting next to Anna's mother but… more like the strictest woman in history.
Poor Kristoff. She thought as she smiled at him remorsefully.
Kristoff was wondering how the hell Anna could talk to her so happily as if her mother was a friendly and cheerful person. She's as soft as a muffin on the inside. He remembered Anna's words. Kristoff mentally scoffed. Yeah, right. He thought. Well… How many burnt layers were there on this muffin before he could reach that soft spot? Who would ever be able to scrap off those damaged and burnt layers anyway?
"You already know how much I love you, Anna." Aphrodite said calmly.
"I know, I know… I'm just teasing." Anna replied and rested her elbows on the table and smirked, "Aren't you going to tell Elsa?" She suddenly and vaguely asked.
Aphrodite winced and mentally facepalmed but didn't reply, instead she acted as if she didn't hear.
Elsa looked between Aphrodite and Anna, confused. Tell me what?
Anna frowned at her mother's silence. She turned to Elsa, "Elsa? Do you know that my mother had helped you calm down and actually saved you from being squished by an almost collapsing room?" Anna asked and decided not to say 'Frozen room'.
With wide eyes, Elsa turned to stare at Leanna in disbelief with a mouth slightly open. When did all that happen? She did not remember any Leanna or a collapsing room or her screaming. She only remembered her nightmare, and how after that, her nightmare had faded into nothingness until she had woken up in a different room. Was she really screaming at night? "You… You did?!" Elsa asked, surprised.
Aphrodite felt tenser on her daughter's gaze. She sighed, "Y-Yes. I… I was just worried for you, that's all. That nightmare didn't seem any pleasant." She answered and took a bite from her meal so she could busy herself.
Elsa didn't believe that someone, especially someone like Leanna could… Worry for her. Now, Elsa realized that Anna's Mama saved her twice: Removing the attention of these people from her and saving her real life from a collapsing room. Something was simply strange about this woman. She felt a bubbly feeling in her stomach every time she heard this woman's voice. But where have she heard it? Where? Where? Where?! She couldn't find an answer. But there she was, smiling at this woman thankfully and gratefully. Curious about the gloves this woman was wearing, but she shook her curiosity away.
"Are you okay now, Elsa?" Aphrodite asked and Elsa was able to see the smile from her at least.
Elsa smiled happily back and nodded. Aphrodite felt her heart flutter from the smile that her daughter just sent her.
"Food!... Finally!" Rapunzel suddenly exclaimed when Flynn and Aiden finally arrived with the plates.
"Yes!" Anna said as she rubbed her hands excitedly. "Gimme food!"
"Annnnd here ya go girls!" Flynn said as he placed the plates in front of each woman, though Elsa's meal was the only different thing. It had the usual sandwich and it now had boiled chopped carrots.
Anna pressed her elbows on the table as she eyed her plate hungrily and gulped her drool. "Haha!"
"Anna… Elbows." Aphrodite scolded before she took a sip from her drink.
Anna groaned, "Ah, come on! Not again!" She said in frustration.
"Keep your elbows off the table, Anna." Aphrodite reminded again, "You should have already mastered these stuff. I've been teaching you about these stuff for years!" She said with a raised eyebrow.
Anna rolled her eyes and with a mouth full she replied, "I just wanna eat!"
Aphrodite gave her younger sloppy daughter a frown, "Anna, don't speak with your mouth full!" She scolded again with a finger.
Anna shrugged and continued eating and Aphrodite shook her head at her younger disobedient daughter.
Aphrodite then looked at Elsa's plate and frowned, "Shouldn't Elsa eat something better than that? It's not healthy if she keeps eating the same thing." She said like a concerned mother while pointing at Elsa's plate.
With a mouth still full, Anna spoke, "She only eats meat, Mother."
Aphrodite looked worriedly at Elsa. Only meat?!... Is she a dog to you!? She thought angrily to her husband. She already knew what Elsa's favorite dish was. But did she still love it after all those years?
"Today we discovered that she loves carrots." Rapunzel informed.
"With saliva." Anna corrected and Rapunzel gave her 'Seriously, Anna!?' look.
"Saliva?!" Aphrodite shouted, horrified. She turned to glare at Rapunzel since that wasn't the results of 'Take care of my daughter.' that she expected from Rapunzel.
"Y-Yeahhh…" Rapunzel said while cowering and feeling guilty for letting Elsa eat something after a reindeer. "U-Uhm… What Anna meant was-"
"Reindeer saliva." Anna blurted again as she ate as if everything was normal.
Rapunzel facepalmed and lowered her head to hide it, not willing to look at the eyes of the angry mother. I'm so dead.
Aphrodite then gave up and sighed as she shook her head to herself, not willing to get angry in front of Elsa. I can't believe this.
While everyone busied themselves by talking, eating and enjoying their meal, Elsa have been listening to Leanna whom was scolding Anna on bad habit of elbows. She looked at her own elbows before she lowered them off the table. Her eyes looked back up at Leanna's posture as she ate. The way she sat, the way she ate and the way she scolded was too familiar. But Elsa still couldn't remember. She watched Leanna carefully and saw how the woman had her back straight and her shoulders squared. Elsa then thought to herself before she sat straighter and mimicked Leanna's posture. She then looked back up at the woman curiously. She saw how she was holding the fork and eating neatly. Elsa then turned her eyes to look at the fork in front of her. She took it awkwardly in her hand and stared at it. She took a quick peek to see how Leanna was using it before she tried to hold the fork properly with her fingers. After a few attempts, she was successful and her face brightened. Elsa then looked back up on Leanna and waited for the next move.
Though, while Elsa busied herself with her mother, she didn't notice that someone was watching her.
Rapunzel stopped eating and watched Elsa happily as she copied her mother's moves and tried to teach herself the table manners. It was heart-warming to know that Elsa had instinctively chosen her mother as a role model. Unlike her messy sister. Thank god she decided to learn to eat like her mother and not like her sister. She looked over at Anna to find the redhead burying herself in her plate. She stifled a giggle as she watched the three royals. The weirdest and funniest royals she ever met. Somehow, she found out that watching Elsa learn new stuff was quite amusing.
Aphrodite on the other hand had no idea that she was being watched by her daughter carefully. She gently impaled a small piece of chicken with the tip of the fork then ate it, chewing with her mouth closed.
Elsa tilted her head at Leanna in wonder before she turned to Anna. Anna was literally smothering her face with any kind of food. Elsa made a small disgust, horrified face before she turned her head to her own plate. No way! She was not going to eat like Anna. Somehow she knew that Anna's manner of eating… If that what she could call it, was definitely wrong. The redhead was the opposite of her mother. Leanna was poised and calm while Anna was messy, sloppy and clumsy.
Elsa fidgeted with the fork in her hands before gently-yet still a bit awkwardly since she wasn't used to hold forks- impaled a piece of carrot and brought it to her mouth. Chewing happily as she marveled at the taste of the simple carrot. Aphrodite then took a sip of her drink and Elsa quickly moved to do the same. Her eyes darted around the table before she found a cup in front of her. She took it in her hands. Not caring about what's inside, she moved to drink.
Rapunzel's eyes widened and she quickly moved to stop her as she shouted while lifting her finger, "Elsa! Nonono! That's not water! That's-"
But it was too late. Elsa drank, her face turned red and her eyes widened as she nearly choked before she spat everything from her mouth to shower Kristoff who sat across the table, in front of her with…
"Wine." Rapunzel finished and lowered her finger.
Anna barked out a loud laugh and fell backwards from her seat as she laughed her guts out on the ground.
Everyone looked at Elsa with wide eyes. Some were giggling and some were shocked.
Kristoff quickly wiped his face, "SERIOUSLY, ELSA!?... Water is fine! But not wine!" He said with a squeal as he tried to wipe himself, disgusted.
Aphrodite looked at them with wide eyes before she facepalmed and backed away from Kristoff, grateful that none of the wine went on her.
Aiden and Flynn joined the laugh.
Elsa visibly shuddered and her eyes twitched at the extremely bitter taste of alcohol before she quickly stuffed her mouth with carrots to try and remove the awful taste from her mouth. Now that's what we call bad table manners. When she realized what she has done she gasped and looked at Kristoff with wide eyes, "Oh god! Kristoff, I'm so sorry! Please! I'm… I'm-"
"It's okay, Elsa!" Kristoff quickly said before she could panic. "It's fine, really." He assured as he took a towel from Flynn and glared at the laughing men.
Anna hugged her stomach as she laughed, "Oh my god!... Elsa!... You really love… s-spitting thing!" She turned at Rapunzel, "You're turn next time!" She shouted and pointed at her playfully.
Since Anna, Aiden and Flynn were laughing she didn't feel that Kristoff would hurt her but Elsa slumped herself in her seat and saw how everyone was looking at her with wide eyes and she felt utterly embarrassed. She shrunk in her seat under their gaze and hid her bright red face with her hands, feeling completely humiliated.
"Well!" Anna said as she stood off the ground and stopped her laughs, "I hope you don't do the same to Bulda when we're g-" She was stopped by Aiden's huge hand on her mouth, reminding her that she shouldn't tell Elsa now that they were leaving in a week and that Elsa was to stay at Bulda's.
Anna's eyes widened in realization and she quickly nodded.
Aphrodite eyed them suspiciously. What are you two hiding? She stood, "You two." She pointed at Anna and Aiden, "Come with me." She gestured for them with her finger to come forth.
Anna and Aiden exchanged nervous looks before they gulped and moved to follow her to the corner of the room where no one would hear.
When they arrived at the corner she turned at them and glared, "Speak." She commanded.
Anna and Aiden fidgeted with their fingers nervously before Anna spoke, "Well… Uhm… Tyler gave us a task… Next week."
Aphrodite furrowed her eyebrows, "What task are you talking about?" She questioned as she crossed her arms.
Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, "He said that we are to be sent to Cadonia to steal whatever we can to pay off for the damages that Elsa has caused."
Aphrodite's eyes shot wide, "WHAT?!" She suddenly screamed and the room turned silent when everyone turned to look at them in confusion.
"Y-Yeah… That's what Tyler said." Anna informed.
With a loud groan of anger, Aphrodite turned to Tyler and stomped her way to him, all eyes on her as she moved.
Tyler was drinking happily and never noticed her. She came behind him, grabbed him from the back of his collar and practically dragged him out of the room like a child in front of everyone, ignoring his protests and angry shouts. Oh she's going to have one hell of a conversation with this irritating man.
"Leave me alone, woman!" Tyler yelled while she dragged him. "I won't allow someone to treat me like this!"
Right when they were out of the dining hall, Aphrodite shoved the man forward so he could stand in front of her.
Almost stumbling to the ground, he quickly steadied himself and turned to glare at her with hate.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She asked, anger clearly shown on her face.
"Do what!?" Tyler snapped.
"Sending them to Cadonia! Are you crazy!? You're not sending Anna that far away! And they can't even leave Elsa like this!?" She said with wide worried eyes.
Tyler groaned and pointed at her accusingly, "I have enough of you and your daughter! Do you even know how many angry letters I'm getting from the villagers!? They don't want her here! No one wants her here!"
"She didn't do any harm to them!" Aphrodite reasoned.
"Yeah, they're not going to wait for her to freeze them before they decide to get all angry at her." He said sarcastically, "People are hiding in their shacks for goodness' sake! Some of the guild members are no longer sleeping in the sanctuary since she does!" He said angrily, "I don't blame them. No one wants to wake up to find themselves frozen."
"I can't believe this!" Aphrodite said in disbelief at how many people were loathing her daughter.
"Well, you should!" He yelled, "Look at your own hands! If she was able to hurt her own mother what would make us sure that she won't do the same to us!"
"You know better than to say that! You know that when that happened," She removed her glove to show him her bandaged hand, "She was asleep! And her powers were only protecting her!"
Tyler laughed aloud, "You're talking as if her… Curse!... is alive." He shook his head amusingly, "Oh dear, dear, my Queen… I never knew that you're so naïve."
Aphrodite sneered at him, "You don't understand anything about her powers! It's a gift!" She poked his chest, irritated.
"And since when 'Gifts' only caused destruction?" He said mockingly as he used his fingers as quotation marks on the word Gift.
"She never was like this! She used to have much more control on them! I-I don't know why she can't now!" She tried to argue.
Tyler folded his arms and shook his head, "Ah come on, Your Majesty… People are like toys for children. When a child finds two toys," He held his two fists up to show his point, "One good and well," He shook one fists to show her, "And one suddenly broke and became useless." He shook his other fist. "Now what would a child do with the broken toy?" He asked with an amused, extremely annoying smile.
Aphrodite stared at him in silence as if she was staring at a lunatic.
Tyler smirked, "He throws it away. Just like what you should do."
Aphrodite's eyes widened, "What do you mean?!" She hoped beyond hope that he wasn't actually saying what's he's really saying since she could already feel the heat rushing in her body from the wrath.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk… You already have a well… Yet stupid daughter, Anna," He said as he tried to stifle a laugh and Aphrodite clenched her fists, "You can still have as much as other children as you want. You're still young, My Queen." He said as he caressed her cheek and made her flinch away angrily in disgust, "You can't ruin your reputation. Imagine what it would be like for people to know that The Queen of Arendelle has giving birth to a broken child."
Aphrodite's heart raced.
"Why are you still so attached to her? Just throw her away like any broken toy! You can have another good child instead." Tyler said mockingly, "You don't need a broken and weak daughter like Elsa of yo-" Right before he could continue, he felt a sharp pain right across his cheek as his head was whipped to the side from the slap.
"If you dare say that Elsa is broken one more time, I will burn this fort to the ground right before your own eyes!" Aphrodite shrieked as her fists trembled from rage.
Tyler had his eyes wide. He wiped the blood off of his mouth and glared at her, trying to suppress his own rage, "Forgive me, Your Majesty… I did not mean Broken." He said through gritted teeth.
Aphrodite felt a tiny bit relaxed.
"I meant sick and ill." He corrected with a smirk and Aphrodite gasped and whipped her hand across his face again but before her hand contacted his cheek, he held her arm firmly and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear. "Your reckless daughter, Anna will go to Cadonia and pay off the damages that this Elsa of yours has done."
Aphrodite spat in his face and he let go off her to wipe his face and was so close on hitting her square in her face. "Feisty one aren't you." He muttered wickedly.
Aphrodite felt disgusted and couldn't take it anymore. "Anna will stay here with Elsa and I and that's final." She said sternly and turned to leave.
"If she doesn't pay for what this witch has done, you're all out of this fort!" He laughed then gave her a mischievous smirk, "Where are going to go then, Your Majesty? You have nowhere to go! Are you going to go back to your great husband? To that terrible castle? Can you still bare the pain again that he used to give you at night when your daughters slept?!" He said and Aphrodite stopped in her tracks and her face turned horrified in disbelief but she didn't dare turn. How did he know!? She thought, disturbed.
When he was successful on grabbing her attention, Tyler's smirk grew, "Oh yes… I know."
Aphrodite felt tears in her wide eyes. How did he know!? How did he know!?
"I heard you with Brandon crying to him about it." He sighed mockingly and dramatically, "I know how your husband used to force himself on you so he could have his precious heir and son… Such a tragedy." He informed and folded his hands behind his back, "And the only thing you were able to do was to shut your mouth and close your eyes so you don't wake your precious daughters. How weak of you… Tell me, Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle… Can you bare that pain again?" He said with a wolfish grin.
Aphrodite suddenly felt like she wanted to vomit when her stomach churned. Without turning to look at Tyler, she practically ran her way to her room as tears ran down her cheeks and she placed her hand on her mouth to keep herself from sobbing from all those horrible memories. The pain? Oh yes she remembered it well. She would never forget. The feeling? Even worse. Her husband never cared about the doctor's advice that she shouldn't get pregnant anymore or else they had to face the consequences. Luckily, she never got pregnant and witnessed yet another child being abused.
Tyler watched her go with a satisfied smile before he turned to the dining hall and went inside to eat his peaceful meal and felt victorious.
I want a son! A strong king for Arendelle!
Aphrodite gasped when she remembered what her horrible husband used to tell her right before he disgraced her. She wanted to vomit so badly now. She squeezed her hands tighter on her mouth and kept running and running and running. Go away! Go away! Go away! She begged the sounds and images of those atrocious nights to go away but they kept tormenting the poor woman until she suddenly collapsed to the floor and cried her heart out when she couldn't take it anymore. She felt all those old wounds open up all fresh again while she cried alone in the empty dim hallway, her body racking with sorrowful sobs.
And no one would ever realize that The Silenced Queen of Arendelle had her own invisible scars that lined her heart and pride.