For some reason... this is the chapter I've wanted to write the least. Like... I hate it. Hate writing it. Don't wanna write it. Just wanna skip it and go on to the next one. Hmm. Wonder why?

Beware the Frozen Heart
Chapter 14: Discovered

They stared up at the ice castle, both with wide eyes and stunned expressions. This was wear the tracks led. And then they led away from it. But something about the ice castle stopped them from following the other tracks. They figured the Queen was in there. They slipped from their horses and slowly approached.

But before they got far, a voice called out from behind them. "Hold on."

Lee and Miller both stopped and turned. They frowned at the man approaching them on horseback. "Who are you?" Lee called out.

"Hamada." The man answered, dismounting from his horse. "My boss, Wu, sent me. To track you and keep an eye on you."

The two men exchange looks. "An eye?" Miller repeated.

Hamada nodded. "He was afraid you'd get lost. I kept my distance but I revealed myself to warn you..."

Lee shook his head and turned back to the castle. "Whatever. We've no need of you. We made it fine this far." He stepped forward.

Hamada's eyes widened. "I wouldn't. I arrived before you and..."

"Wah, wah, shut up." Lee snapped. But before he could get any closer, a large mound of snow to the left of the staircase shifted. It rose and stood up and a lumbering snow monster hovered over them. Lee's eyes widened as he looked up at it. "Shit..."

Hamada glanced at Miller and pointed at the monster. "That is what I was trying to avoid doing. It was sleeping."

The monster opened its mouth and roared loudly. Then reached out and smacked Lee away, sending the man flying. The horses all whinnied loudly and skittered back. Hamada quickly drew his sword and rushed at the beast. Miller drew his sword and lunged into the fight. Hamada slashed at its leg and Miller jumped for its arm. But the thing lashed out and sent Miller flying.

Lee was up on his feet and running towards his horse. He quickly untied the bloodied crown.

Miller pulled himself up and moved to follow. "What are you doing?"

"The Queen." He said, turning to point at the door. "I saw her, peaking out between the doors."

"What if the King's in there, too?"

"Then we take them both out." Lee said as they both ran towards the door. They dodged around and between the snow monster and Hamada, both still fighting. They hurried up the stairs and threw open the doors. They rushed inside and continued up. They didn't slow until the reached the top and came face to face with the Queen.

Claire turned, whipping around quickly. "Who are you?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"We've been sent here to arrest you." Miller said, holding his sword at his side.

Her eyes looked down at the sword in the man's hand and narrowed. "Arrest me?" She repeated.

Lee stepped forward, holding the crown behind his back. "For the death of the new King."

Claire frowned and shook her head. "Zach's fine." Her voice cracked a bit as she said the words. "I just... I just saw him. He was just here."

"We saw him." Miller said.

"He was being chased." Lee continued, still slowing advancing. "By that monster of yours guarding your castle."

Miller nodded. "And was driven right off the edge of a cliff."

Her eyes widened as she stumbled back. "Chased..."

Lee nodded. "We found his crown, covered in blood."

"His... his crown..." She repeated slowly. She paused and turned away for a moment, thinking. "He wasn't even..." She started.

Lee pulled the bloodied crown out from behind his back. He held it out at arm's length. "We found it in the wreckage of the sled he and his guide were riding."

Claire turned back. Her eyes widened again as she saw the crown. She knew that crown. "Zach..." She said softly, reaching out to touch it.

Lee yanked it back and tucked it in his coat. "We're to return it to the Prince."

"As proof that because of you..." Miller said. "The King is dead."

Tears were in her eyes as she shook her head. "Gray..."

" Come with us." Miller said.

"Now." Lee added.

Claire rubbed at her forehead and then shook her head. No! It couldn't be true! "No... no."

Lee drew his sword and held it out.

Claire shook her head and stepped back. "No, please. Just... leave me alone!"

Miller lifted his sword up and rushed at her. Claire ducked down and lifted her arms to shield herself. But a sheet of ice rose from the floor and stopped Miller's advance. Claire's eyes widened. She glanced down at her hands. Then let out a sigh. "Stay away!" She sent a shot of ice flying towards the two men. It crashed into the ground and ice shot out.

Both men darted out of the way of the ice. "Other side." Lee yelled, running around the outside of the room. Miller nodded and ran the opposite way. They both stopped at either ends.

Claire swallowed as she looked from one to the other. She lifted her hands to her sides, pointing one at each of the men. Lee moved first. He ran towards her, his sword out. She shot ice towards him. His sword was knocked from his hand and clattered to the ground. His body was throw into the wall, held in place by long spikes of ice. She held a long, sharp spike of ice in front of his face, ready to impale him if he tried to move away.

Miller's eyes widened. The whole thing happened in seconds. He swallowed and tightened his grip on his sword. Then he raced forward, trying to surprise the Queen while he back was to him. But Claire heard him. She lifted her hand and shot a wall of ice towards him.

The door below burst open, the noise heard upstairs. Moments later, a voice broke out. "Queen Claire! Stop!"

She turned, glaring at the new intruder. "Who are you?"

"Hamada." The man replied. "I work at Wu's Trading Post, at the base of the mountain."

"Wu..." She repeated the name slowly. She knew the name, knew the man. But she shook her head and turned back to glare at the man she was seconds from impaling.

"No!" Hamada lifted his arm. "Don't be the monster they fear you to be." He said in a soft, even voice.

Claire's eyes widened. She shook her head and blinked. She hadn't meant to, she really hadn't. She just acted. She lowered her hands a bit. The wall stopped moving and the ice holding Lee up eased up. Lee slowly slid to the floor. Miller squeezed out from the wall that was trying to crush him seconds before. He bent over and picked up his sword. Then he ran at Claire.

"Stop!" Hamada yelled.

Claire turned to look at him and frowned. She had stopped. But she didn't hear or see Miller as he snuck up on her. He hit her hard in the head with the hilt of his sword. Claire fell to the ground, unmoving.

Hamada quickly ran forward and bent down over her. He checked her over then shook his head. "She's alive. Just unconscious."

"Good." Miller spat out. He turned and ran over to help Lee up.

Hamada shook his head. "You didn't have to do that."

"You saw what she did." Miller said, hauling his shaking friend up. "She nearly killed us."

"You ran in here to attack her!" Hamada shot back.

"To talk to her!" Miller lied. "To try to convince her to come back and thaw out the Kingdom." Miller hooked Lee's arm over his shoulder and hauled the shaking man up. "Can you carry her down to the horses?"

Hamada nodded and bent down to pick her up.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Her head hurt. A lot. That's the first thing that came back to her. How much her head hurt. She opened her eyes slowly. Much too slowly. Everything hurt! She lifted her head and looked around. She blinked and shook her head. She was in the dungeon! Back in Jurendelle! She recognized it easily. It was one of the many places she and Zach used to sneak off and play when they were younger. And later, she'd often find Zach and Gray hiding down here.

"Zach..." Tears flooded her eyes as she remembered what the two men had said. "What have I done?" She jumped up but something stopped her and pulled her back down. She glanced down at her hands. She hadn't felt them before. But heavy, thick iron cuffs completely covered both her hands and were chained to the floor. She stood up slower and pulled on them. But they held fast to the floor.

The door slowly creeked open and she looked up. Gray stood in the doorway. There were tears in his eyes and he was shaking.

Claire opened her mouth slowly. "Gray?" Her voice squeaked as she said his name.

Gray held onto the door, not coming any closer. "They said..." He sniffed loudly and wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "They said you... you killed Zach..."

Claire's eyes widened and she shook her head. She tried to step towards him, to reach for him. But the cuffs stopped her and he flinched away from her. "I didn't... I swear I didn't..." She blinked fresh tears away and looked at the ground. "I didn't mean to..." She said softly, feeling defeated.

"It's true..." Fresh tears sprang from the young Prince's eyes. He pushed away from the door and fled back into the hall. The door clattered against the wall, the sound ricocheting.

"Gray! Wait!" Claire tried to follow him again, but the chains stopped her again. She stumbled and fell into a heap on the ground.

A shadow fell across the hall. King Hoskins stepped into the doorway. He turned and took a step inside the cell, shaking his head and frowning. "Dear, dear girl. What have you done?"

"I... I didn't mean to..." She chocked back a sob. "It... everything... was an accident..."

Hoskins shook his head again. Then grabbed the door and slammed it shut, leaving her alone again.

Claire rolled over on her side. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Author's Notes: OH YEAH! I KNOW WHY! No Owen or Zach or Zara or trolls or ANYONE FUN! Poo!